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The UA political science de-partment and law school pro-duce many future politicians, including some who might be in the spotlight years from this very day: Election Day.
But the common ground of going to the UA, attending lectures by the same profes-sors and living in the same town doesn’t always produce students with a unity of goals, views and itineraries.
Jonathan Woehr, a political science major, said he hopes to run for a position in the Leg-islature someday. And Woehr already has a rough layout of the path to legislator planned: In 2007, he started mak-ing contacts and forming more con-crete ideas for his career after he was offered a position on a campaign staff in Arkansas.
As a state legislator, Woehr said he would focus most close-ly on the fiscal responsibilities of the local and state govern-ments. In that position, Woehr said he thinks it is important for officials to “remember that it is not your money in the first place.” This would drastically change the way money is spent on the state level, he said.
Woehr decided to pursue a political career over attending law school because he feels there are enough lawyers in this world and that he could serve better elsewhere.
Woehr said he intends to finish his education first by completing his political sci-ence major and possibly a
Middle Eastern studies minor. Then, Woehr plans to earn
his master’s degree in a more fine-tuned area of political science. He said he would like to teach at some point in his career, though the chronology of his plans is not set in stone.
“A lot of people think (the job as a politician) is a power trip, but that’s not why I’m get-ting into it,” he said. “I’m tired of people complaining and not doing anything about it.”
Woehr said financial aid is one of the most relevant po-litical topics for students to become involved in.
“It’s sad that there are more loans than grants,”
he said. “Loans pile up so much that they become (like) a second mortgage.”
Woehr was also disap-
pointed in the student involve-
ment during the last presidential election. He
said many students were apa-thetic, even though the elec-tion was designed to rein in students.
His suggestion for a solu-tion begins with authority fig-ures, rather than students.
“It starts with parents, teachers and campus news,” he said. “It is their job to in-form (students) and find a way to make them want to get involved.”
Tyler Tarnasky, a communi-cations major, plans to attend St. Thomas Law School in the spring semester. Eventually he would like to become a public defender, though the scope of career opportunities is widen-ing as he continues his higher
education. And Tarnasky has kept the
ambition of public defender despite its less handsome ben-efits.
“Most people (in law school) don’t choose this; it’s not glamorous, you don’t get paid as much and you work long hours,” he said.
But Tarnasky feels that by helping those who can’t afford it, he could serve the public in a rewarding way.
“Everyone is entitled to de-fense,” Tarnasky said.
Another of his career pos-sibilities is working with medi-cal malpractice law, where doctors are the main clients.
“My dad is a doctor and both of my grandparents are doctors, so it is an area that interests me,” he said.
Tarnasky thinks that stu-dents are not very informed about political issues, which directly influences their in-volvement in elections.
However, he said he thinks that students were more in-volved in the most recent pres-idential election, even if many of them might have been sin-gle-issue voters.
In his opinion, the problem starts with a narrow base of knowledge, limited informa-tion shared by one particular teacher or parent.
Tarnasky encourages col-lege students to become more aware of the issues with un-employment, national debt and health care, as they will impact students in very direct ways after college.
“We should learn about health care now while we are
Fraternities are spending millions of dollars to build and perfect their houses to attract new members and accommodate more students at one location.
Alpha Gamma Rho’s house, which was located across from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, was demolished last month. Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha and Phi Gamma Delta are planning major renova-tions to their houses.
The UA began demolition of Alpha Gamma Rho’s house two weeks ago, after Housing discov-ered a faulty foundation under the house, said Reggie Houser, assistant director for Residential Facilities.
“They took the house from us on account of some debt we owed the university,” said Nathan Sul-livan, president of Alpha Gamma Rho.
Ashley Tull, associate dean of students for Campus Life, said Alpha Gamma Rho owed the UA about $513,000.
“Housing assessed that it would cost about $260,000 to fix the house,” Houser said. “The house wasn’t worth it. There were infrastructure problems that couldn’t be corrected. If you don’t replace plumbing and heating, it’s not habitable anymore.”
Alpha Gamma Rho is inter-ested in building a new fraternity house on campus.
“Their plight is not much dif-ferent than our plight of main-taining and building new places to live,” Houser said. “They were having discussions about the
empty gravel lot between the Phi Delta Theta house and Lambda Chi Alpha house.”
The UA’s Facilities Manage-ment Planning Group, which plans all landscape, transporta-tion and housing developments, has no plans to build on that property.
“Right now, it’s faculty and staff parking,” Tull said. “It likely won’t be used for a fraternity housing in the future, according to the master plan.”
Phi Gamma Delta plans to spend about $2 million on reno-vations beginning in early 2010. The fraternity has hired an archi-tect and is designing a new floor plan, Houser said.
“Their lack of bed space limits their growth,” he said. “They are planning to build another 30 feet on each end of the house, which will lengthen the hallways. They will build a new octagon-shaped addition to the front of the house. That will be their dining area,
chapter room and place to enter-tain guests.”
During their renovation, Phi Gamma Delta members plan to live in Gladson-Ripley, Houser said.
Pi Kappa Alpha plans to spend $3.5 million on renovations, President Tom Jenson said.
“We’re gutting the house, add-ing a floor and making the rooms into Maple Hill-style suites,” Jen-son said.
Pi Kappa Alpha is raising
money, mainly from alumni, to fund the renovation. The fra-ternity is using the help of Pen-nington & Co., a fundraising firm from Kansas, Jenson said.
Lambda Chi Alpha members are also raising money to renovate their house. They have begun the process of selecting an architect to design the renovation.
“Lambda Chi Alpha wants an
University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark.VOL. 104, NO. 12 | Single Issue Free
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Concerns about the adverse effects that the Baucus bill could have on student health care have been mitigated after the Ameri-can College Health Association communicated its worries direct-ly to the Senate Finance Commit-tee last week, according to a letter sent to ACHA members.
“There was a clause in the bill that did not address student health insurance plans, so the ACHA went to the Hill, and they talked with the finance commit-tee and they feel reasonably sure that the college health group will be covered,” said Mary Alice Se-rafini, the assistant vice provost for student affairs at the UA and director of the Pat Walker Health Center.
Before talks with the Senate Finance Committee, none of the health care reform stated that the definition of group insurance would include college- and uni-versity-sponsored student health insurance and benefit plans.
There was also a question about whether colleges and uni-versities would be able to con-tinue to collect health fees or al-locate a portion of tuition to fund college health programs, said Jim
LARRY ASH Staff Photographer
The fall colors of the arboretum frame the towers of Old Main. Students have still had time to enjoy this week’s beauti-ful fall weather as they walk to and from classes.
FALL FOLIAGE FRAMES OLD MAIN
UA GREEK CHAPTERS PLAN FOR RENOVATIONS
See GREEK on Page 3
University officials
weigh merits of health care
reform
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION Original photo by Larry Ash
The Lambda Chi Alpha house is one of several Greek houses that will undergo major renovations or construction to attract and accommodate members.
Construction on UA Greek houses
Alpha Gamma RhoLambda Chi Alpha
Pi Kappa AlphaPhi Gamma Delta
Sigma Pi
The following Greek houses on campus are among those undergoing or considering construction. The Alpha Gamma Rho house was recently demolished.
See POLITICS on Page 3
Katherine DawsonContributing Writer
April RobertsonStaff Writer
Adam O’HernContributing Writer
See BAUCUS on Page 3
UA students pursue political careers
New York journalist Marjorie Rosen hones in on NWA. See her perspective online today.
UATrav.com
Register to win free textbooks
Students may register to win free textbooks for spring when they pick up their free copy of the 2009 Razor-back yearbook from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 4 through Nov. 6 at the Connections Lounge.
Seminar about serotonin and platelets hosted tomorrow
Fusun Kilic, of the UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, will present a seminar entitled “Impact of Plasma Serotonin on Platelet Function” at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, in Room 604 Science Engineering Building. Refreshments will be available at 3:30 p.m. prior to the seminar in Room 502. For more informa-tion, contact Douglas Rhoads at [email protected].
Economic development: locally, nationally and globally
David Rothwell, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Social Work at National University of Singapore, will present a case for asset-based interventions based on his research findings from an Individual Development Account (IDA) program with indigenous peoples of Hawaii from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Giffels Auditorium in Old Main. Refreshments will be provided.
La Verdad Sospechosa production set for Nov. 11 to Nov. 12
Spanish470V will present the Spanish production: La Verdad Sospechosa/The Liar at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Thursday, Nov. 12, in the Arkansas Union The-ater. It is a comedic play about a man that doesn’t know when to stop lying and learns a hard lesson. This play will be performed by Spanish students and sponsored by the Multicultural Center. Admission is free.
Officials to present poultry science lecture
Heather Paxton of the Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom, will present a seminar entitled “Locomotor Design Constraints and Musculoskeletal Compromises in the Broiler Chicken” at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Room A-211 of the Poultry Science Building (the second floor auditorium in the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science). Coffee and cookies will be provided at 3 p.m. in the second floor atrium. Faculty and students are invited.
BRIEFLYspeaking
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A Buddhist monk walks through the last blast of fall foliage on campus late last week.
UA STUDENTS AND FACULTY ENJOY CAMPUS COLORS
cible’ coverage, you’d have to pay for that. This type of plan goes against everything we teach. We think the most responsible thing is to have health insurance that covers acute illness and injury in addition to catastrophic care.”
The Baucus bill passed out of the Senate Finance Committee on Oct. 13 after more than a year of preparation, and it is now pass-ing to conference where it will be merged with other Senate health care reform bills, according to a Committee on Finance press re-lease.
“I am very pleased that our common-sense, balanced bill to improve and expand health coverage for tens of millions of American families passed the Committee vote,” said Max Bau-cus, Montana’s senior senator, ac-cording to his Web site.
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER |UATRAV.COM WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009| Page 3 NEWS
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upgrade of their house, and they have made some strong progress where they are comfortable pro-ceeding in the renovation pro-cess,” Houser said. “They would have to move out, much like Phi Delta Theta did into Buchanan-Droke. They are targeted to move to Gladson-Ripley.”
Tull explained that Lambda Chi Alpha originally wanted to build a new house, but the frater-nity has decided to build an addi-tion onto its current house.
He added that the fraternity is unsure of when renovation will begin, but members and alumni have been brainstorming renova-tion plans for at least a couple of years.
Sigma Chi spent $6,000 on improvements to its house last summer. Members added new furniture and painted the walls.
“Like a house, a fraternity has to maintain upkeep because not only do guys live there, but we want it to be nice when alumni come back and see it,” President Andrew “Vu” Ritchie said.
Sigma Pi is raising mem-bership and reconnecting with alumni so it can begin raising funds for a new house, Houser said. Sigma Pi is currently rent-ing Buchanan-Droke from UA Housing.
“Housing is in favor of the Greek system on campus,” Hous-er said. “Some may say we’re not, but we are. It’s important to us that they live as a community and a brotherhood. Being in a fraternity provides excellent lead-ership opportunities.”
The Wilson Sharp House, the Bud Walton Hall Complex and Darby Hall, located across from the stadium on Stadium Drive, have been vacant for three years.
“It outlived its usefulness,” Houser said. “It is not handicap accessible. It was overcooling
Mitchell, the director of student health services at Montana State University, in a press release for the Lookout Mountain Group.
“These student health care plans cover a lot of people,” Se-rafini said. “We have about 1,800 people a year who enroll in stu-dent health insurance plans.”
If student health insurance were not covered under the Bau-cus bill, the UA would have a serious problem because it has several students that do not have employee-based health insur-ance, and covering rising health care costs on their own could very well put those students out of school, Serafini said.
“There’s more of a concern right now because we’re seeing more uninsured students this year than ever before, which im-plies less employee-based health insurance,” Serafini said.
To receive the same level of benefits that they currently re-ceive, student could be expected to
BAUCUSfrom Page 1
GREEKfrom Page 1
LARRY ASH Staff Photographer
This is what is left of the Alpha Gamma Rho house: nothing. Several Greek houses at the UA are currently undergoing construction or renovations.
still young and healthy,” he said, “because one day it is very likely that you will need health care.”
Despite his view of student participation, Tarnasky thinks that college students definitely have the capacity to become involved in political issues enough to make a difference.
For starters, he suggests students simply focus more on issues and news.
“As long as you are think-ing and picking things up, it’s a good thing,” he said.
Tarnasky suggested stu-dents join Young Democrats, College Republicans or other political groups on campus, as well as regularly read the news.
Newspapers are easily ac-cessible on the UA campus, and this is something Tarnasky enjoys – especially because newspapers are available in front of every building.
Curtis Schube is a third-year law student who plans to work in public issues. His career plans are centered on particularly Christian-orient-ed issues, such as reinstitut-ing prayer in schools, banning abortion and preventing gay marriage by law.
In his opinion, undergrad-uate students are not involved in political issues, but should do research and watch news before forming opinions. He echoed Woehr with sensing a strong pattern of “apathy in youth.”
POLITICSfrom Page 1
the rooms and causing mold. It would cost $4 or $5 million to make it decent to live in.”
Houser explained that UA Housing would not be able to pay the debt created if it tried to fix the problems in these buildings. He added that rent would be so expensive that students would not want to live there.
Houser said that Housing sold the buildings to the university, and officials are putting “educa-tional centers” in them.
“According to the university master plan, they could one day be fraternity sites,” Tull said.
pay up to a 130 percent increase on student health care plans, said Pam Delaney, the student health insurance representative at the UA.
Although ACHA members have met with the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, there is still a concern about special interest groups lobbying against student health insurance plans.
“We don’t know if there are some people trying to destroy student health plans, and there could very well be people who think that they can make a buck trying to destroy student health plans,” Serafini said.
The current university stu-dent health insurance plan costs $1,037 a year, and it covers both preventative and catastrophic care.
“The student health insur-ance policy covers anything done at the Pat Walker Health Center. It covers the X-ray, the lab and the pharmacy. It also covers vis-its to community doctors for cata-strophic care,” Serafini said.
Two options for students that are covered by the Baucus bill are an exchange plan and the “young invincible” plan for those 25 and younger.
Exchange plans are similar to what Washington employ-ees have, where a purchaser can choose between varieties of health insurance plans, but there are concerns that this type of plan would significantly increase stu-dent costs, Serafini said.
The “young invincible” plan provides catastrophic care, but would require students to pay their own preventative costs.
“Let’s say you come to the health center and you need a lab test and a prescription,” Serafini said. “Under the ‘young invin-
Some key points the Baucus bill includes are:
-ers who are satisfied with their current health insur-ance coverage can keep it
and would not be required to change health plans.
will be required to buy their health insurance through the same exchanges that people in their own states will use, instead of having a separate congressional health plan.
-panies will not be able to
discriminate on the basis of gender or health status – so insurance companies can’t charge more for women or
people who are sick.
– Baucus.senate.gov
On Monday, the world will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the toppling of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the end of communism.
Many commentators have pointed out that the 40th anniversary of Woodstock – a pop culture event with few lasting effects – has gotten a lot more press this year than the fall of one of the most oppressive empires in human history.
It seems the only time the main-stream media discusses the U.S.S.R. and its 60 million victims is when Glenn Beck hosts Hyperbole Hour on Fox News.
The right wing has turned the hor-rors of the Soviet Union into a joke. Last year’s anti-Darwin film “Expelled” attempted to link the theory of evolu-tion with communist Russia. Opponents of universal health care have turned reductio ad Stalinum into an art form. Every time someone sings a song about President Obama or talks about any sort of tax increase, the nutjobs on the right act like the Red Army is on the move.
The left wing hasn’t been any better. Anti-Nazi dramas are always rewarded at Oscar time, but I can count the number of anti-Soviet Hollywood releases I’ve seen on one hand. Even James Bond is more likely to sleep with a communist than to kill one. I watched all the mov-ies, tallied the number of times 007 is pitted against loyal agents of a commu-nist government, and got a total of two. And both times, Bond was really after a diamond smuggling capitalist.
People my age can be forgiven for thinking McCarthy was a bigger enemy than Stalin.
The left minimalizes Soviet horrors because it agrees with a lot of what Marx had to say. He was right about the abuses of corporations. A society where everyone is treated fairly and poverty is abolished is a vision we all hope for.
Leftists see the way the rightists take their concern for the poor and conflate it with the creation of Gulags. So, they commit the sin of silence about Stalin.
Communism has been proved to fail in every country on every continent its been tried, but there’s a broader lesson to be learned beyond economics.
There’s no movement, no ideology, no system of ethics that doesn’t have the potential to lead to disaster. I chal-lenge you to find a single major religious or political crusade that hasn’t been responsible for murder in its service.
The history is pretty clear. We’ve got Buddhists killing other Buddhists killing Hindus killing Christians killing Muslims killing atheists killing Buddhists... you get the idea. Its really hard to get more absurd than committing genocide in the name of people like Jesus and Buddha, but hey, that’s what happens.
It’s the same story every time. A group of people comes up with a vision of a better society. They usually have some really good ideas. But when everyone else doesn’t get on board with the plan, they bend the rules. They harass, intimi-date, vandalize, terrorize and eventually murder to advance the cause.
And it doesn’t matter what this cause is - 5,500 Britons killed each other in 1549 during a dispute over which version of a prayer book to use. There is no safe
ideology.It’s tempting just to give up on ideol-
ogy altogether, but I’m not sure that’s possible. It’s certainly not desirable. There are a lot of good ideals to advance. The trick is to remember that noble ends don’t justify all means.
If the Soviets are history’s ultimate bad example, we’ll use Martin Luther King Jr. as a counter. King fought for social justice and equality boldly and bravely. He broke the law when appro-priate and spoke out angrily against those in power.
However, he didn’t allow his com-mitment to civil rights to conflict with his commitment to other values. He preached peace and attempted to reach out in love instead of aggression. He asked people to sacrifice themselves for the cause – he didn’t force them to.
It can be very difficult to notice when those on our own team cross the line.
We don’t like to admit it when the “good guys” to do bad things. When the abuses at Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay were uncovered, it was shocking how many Americans openly shrugged it off. Rush Limbaugh compared the rape and torture at Abu Gharib to a fraternity prank and the Gitmo prison camp where innocent people were held without trial to Club Med. Most Americans still sup-port the deaths of thousands of children in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the deadlier fire-bombings of Tokyo during World War II.
Having good intentions doesn’t make you immune from moral responsibility. We used to have a wall to remind us of that. Now it’s gone.
Adam Call Roberts is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. He also blogs regularly for UATrav.com.
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THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
Arkansas politicians don’t always make us proud. Sen. Mark Pryor appeared in the Bill Maher film “Religulous”
with the all too ironic remark “You don’t have to pass an IQ test to be in the Senate.” Gov. Mike Huckabee passed sweeping health care initiatives for Arkansas that were meant to make school children choose healthier lunch time drinks and snacks, but the law ended up eliminating milk and juices from vending machines, making soda the primary beverage available. Former President Bill Clinton was impeached - and, apparently, was unclear about what the definition of “is” is.
Now, Sen. Blanche Lincoln is also making waves, but not in a good way. And we’re actually not talking about health care.
A letter Lincoln wrote to a constituent regarding the Employee Non-Discrimination Act was published on Arkansas Blog on Oct. 26, and the firestorm began. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would provide basic protections against workplace discrimi-nation on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The letter from Sen. Lincoln reads, in part:
“As the youngest woman ever to serve in the United States Senate, I understand how important it is that the principles of equality and opportunity apply to all Americans. I feel Congress has a duty to ensure that discrimination does not prevent anyone from realizing their full potential.
“However, equal rights should not become special rights, and I appreciate you taking time to share your thoughts with me on this important issue. You can be sure I will remember the concerns you raised if this or similar legislation is considered in the U.S. Senate.”
Although Sen. Lincoln’s office maintains that she has no current public position on ENDA, her words speak for themselves. And if she has no opinion yet, why would she write this dumb letter?
If and when ENDA passes, it will not be providing a “special right” – it will be preventing the unacceptable brand of hatred that has kept people from getting jobs and moving up in the workplace. It will be supporting and furthering “the principles of equality and opportu-nity” that Sen. Lincoln herself claims, “apply to all Americans” and are the foundations of this country.
What she said doesn’t even make sense. Many more pages and editorials and blog posts could be written in preponderance of what Sen. Lincoln might have been trying to say, but, in the end, it is pure ignorance to say there is any reason not to support legislation to pro-vide equal rights and equal punishments for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
This may be the third strike against Blanche Lincoln – protests, new Web sites and angry tweets and facebook statuses have been all over Northwest Arkansas in the last week. Maybe Sen. Lincoln will get the message – maybe, but probably not.
REMEMBER COMMUNISM?LET’S NOT TAKE ITS LESSONS LIGHTLY
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 [email protected]. Letters appear in the order they were submitted as space permits. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse letters on the basis of length, accuracy, fairness, liability and sensibility.
EDITORIAL BOARD TINA KORBE | Editor KIMBER WENZELBURGER | Managing Editor BAILEY MCBRIDE | News Editor
CUBAN TRAVEL BAN WAS LIFTED ON SWINE FLU, TOOWe finally got ‘em.After vehemently attempting for fifty
years to dismantle and otherwise infil-trate the Cuban government, the mission has been accomplished.
We tried everything, too. There was the Bay of Pigs, a U.S. sponsored mili-tary invasion of the communist island 90 miles from our shores. Disaster. We tried to economically isolate them with trade embargoes and travel bans. Castro just laughed and started selling his sugar and cigars to Mother Russia. We’ve tried to assassinate the man (more than 638 times!) with plots including a fungal-infected scuba-diving suit, an exploding cigar and a mafia-style shooting. Hell, we even tried to sneak a chemical into his cigar box to make his beard fall out.
But of all the things, who knew that lifting the travel ban between the U.S. and Cuba, ostensibly an act of good-will, would be the coup de grace to bring the little country to their knees?
Former president Fidel Castro (who are we kidding, that guy still runs the show), lounging in an Adidas jumpsuit, told the press on Monday that he blames the surge of swine flu in Cuba on the United States and Barack Obama.
Obama recently lifted the travel ban on Cuba to allow Cuban-Americans to visit their homeland. Apparently, they all had the swine flu because cases of H1N1
in Cuba spiked from near nothing to 800, including 7 deaths.
“We had the strange case where the United States on one hand authorized more trips for a large number of people carrying the virus, and on the other prohibited us from obtaining equipment and medicine to combat the virus,” said Castro. Well Fidel, we finally gotcha. It’s been a long time coming.
It’s our own little Muriel Boatlift. Instead of unknowingly importing ships full of criminals from Cuba in the ’80s (“Scarface,” anyone?), we used Castro’s hilarious little tactic against him and exported ships full of disease-ridden refugees. The Cubans never even saw it coming. They should have known better when Cuban-Americans started handing
out blankets to unsuspecting natives.There was a CIA mission back in the
’60s called “Operation Northwoods.” It was basically a brainstorming think-tank outlining how the United States could sabotage the Cuban government and take Castro out. Such plans they hatched, which were only released for public record a few years ago, included blowing up a U.S. ship in Guantanamo and blam-ing it on Castro (remember the Maine?), attacking Cuban refugees on American soil and blaming it on Castro – even shooting John Glenn out of the sky, to be blamed on Castro of course.
Well, John Glenn is just fine and Cuba has never been framed for attack-ing America. Those particular tactics just weren’t very feasible. But why have we only just now figured out this fail-safe Trojan Horse: to engineer a disease in Mexico, infect the Cuban-American population with it and then send them all over?!? It is nothing short of bril-liant. Eisenhower couldn’t do it, Kennedy couldn’t do it, the Dulles brothers couldn’t do it. But Barack Obama did it. This…is a great day for democracy. Joe McCarthy would be proud.
Samuel Letchworth is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler.
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Sen. Lincoln, that’s senseless
Letter from the Editor
Keep the changeRemember this time last year? Students
sported campaign T-shirts with rising sun symbols, chalked sidewalks with “Change You Can Believe In” and celebrated when their unprecedented efforts to promote a presidential candidate proved successful.
But now? On the surface, campus seems quieter. Fewer students seem to be interested in activism – and even fewer exhibit an interest in student government, as UATrav.com blog-ger Adam Roberts continues to make clear.
Nationally, though, the collegiate age bracket continues to clamor for policy adjustments.
Youth organizations like Rock the Vote, Campus Progress, 80 Mil-lion Strong for Young American Jobs, Energy Action Coalition, United States Student Association and Y.I. Want Change tweet the verdict: Many 18 to 29-year-olds think Obama “must pass #hcr w/ #pub-licoption,” “meaningful climate legislation,” “jobs bill for young,” “#SAFRA,” “#dreamact,” and more.
On the other side, America’s Future Foundation and the Leader-ship Institute work to mobilize young conservatives to fight against the same policies so many of their peers are promoting. Some – like ACORN whistleblowers James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles – have answered the conservative call legendarily.
It’s evident that now is not the time for apathy. And, upon closer inspection, it’s clear that UA students haven’t descended into it. This issue of the Traveler highlights the achievements of student political organizations on campus, from the Young Democrats and the Young Republicans to the Campus Greens and the recently founded Young Con-servatives. But, if politics makes you want to bury your head in the sand, be sure to check out the Lifestyles section: Its “Travel” theme will tell you the best beaches to visit to do just that.
Cheers,
Tina KorbeEditor
The Green Party is aptly named: Green is the color of grass. Not that kind of grass, although the Greens do support marijuana reform. The Green Party is “grass” as in “grass-roots.”
“There are three parties in the United States,” explained Jacob Holloway, president of the Campus Greens. “There is Corporate Division ‘R’ and Cor-porate Division ‘D.’ Then there is the people’s party: the Green Party.
“The philosophy of the Green Party is bringing politics back into the local arena and work-ing to fix broken and corrupt systems from the bottom up,” said Holloway, who converted from the Democratic Party to the Green Party when he became disillusioned by “the inability of the Democrats to change and progress.”
The American system, insist Holloway and other Greens, is broken and corrupted.
“America is a corporocracy” is the phrase former Green Party congressional candidate Abel Tomlinson turns for the current system.
“This is evinced by the candi-date who has more money win-ning elections over 90 percent of the time,” Tomlinson said. “This money comes from the wealthy
and from corporations who want their interests protected.”
Greens generally identify themselves politically as being liberal-progressive. Their major criticism of Democrats in Arkan-sas is that their actions in Con-gress are more along Republican lines than Democratic ones. Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s opposition to a public health insurance op-tion, for example, is an indica-tion to liberals that Arkansas Democrats have moved farther to the right.
“Mike Ross, Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor – these are all Dem-ocrats who actively work against the people of the state in the interest of large corporations,” Holloway said. “If this is how we’re going to do things, then let’s just have a real Republican instead of a Democrat acting like a Republican.”
The goal of the Green Party is to represent progressive values and throw a proverbial wrench into the extant political system. By challenging all federal and state-wide offices, the Greens hope to remind America of what it means to be liberal.
The problem with third par-ties like the Greens is that thou-sands of signatures are required to get candidates on ballots.
“We have the money to get signatures,” Holloway said, “but that money would be better spent on candidate campaigns. If the Democrats and Republicans had to spend money and time to get
signatures for their candidates there might be a more even playing field.”
Part of what the Green Party does, these representatives said, is hold institutions accountable. One of the issues concerning the Greens of late is the new coal plant in Hipstead County, right next to a place called Hope, Bill Clinton’s hometown.
“It’s dirty energy,” Holloway said. “The energy from the plant doesn’t even go to Arkansas, anyway. The plant is near a na-ture reserve, a place frequented by duck hunters and naturalists. Arkansas is supposed to be ‘The Natural State,’ but no one in Congress or the governor’s office did anything to question it.”
The distinction between liberals and conservatives, ac-cording to Abel Tomlinson, is protecting public interest over special interest, respectively.
“This country is funded by special interest groups who have put Republicans and Democrats in their pockets,” said Tomlin-son, who is considering running again as a Green for Congress but has not yet announced his candidacy. “There are too many politicians in those parties. There’s a big difference between a leader and politician.”
Bernard Sulliban, one of the founders of the Campus Greens, put it like this: “The idea is in-clusion, tolerance and action instead of passivity.”
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER |UATRAV.COM WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009| Page 5POLITICS
6227 Colonel Glenn Rd.Little Rock, AR 72204(501) 565-6275
College students and political movements:UA students find their place in the nation
Campus Greens
When conservative activist Matthew Cummings approached UA students this fall to form a Young Conservatives group on campus, at least one was imme-diately receptive.
Nick Pianalto, a junior po-litical science major who thinks the conservative cause is more important now than ever, made a natural ally for Cummings, a field representative for the Lead-ership Institute, an organization that supports conservative stu-dent groups and publications on college campuses.
Pianalto eventually became the president of the UA Young Conservatives.
Now, he hopes a conservative presence on campus will remind his peers that an additional ideo-logical option exists.
“It seems like the Republi-can Party doesn’t really stand
for anything right now,” Pian-alto said. “I think it’s important that we let college students know there is another option.”
More than 50 students are already on the Young Conserva-tives e-mail list-serv, and Pianal-to thinks the group will continue to grow as more and more stu-dents learn what conservatives actually believe.
“If we educate enough people about the platform of the conser-vative party, we can get a lot of people involved,” Pianalto said.
What is that platform?“It all starts with personal re-
sponsibility,” Pianalto said.That message resonates with
freshman criminal justice major Michael Thrasher and sopho-more journalism major Brady Holzhauer, at least.
Thrasher’s concerned about gun control and the war ef-fort, while Holzhauer is worried about the economy and health care – but they both believe the
personal and private approach is more effective than the govern-mental and public.
“The best way for the govern-ment to handle the economy is to get out of it,” Holzhauer said. “The people are the ones with the money and we’re the ones who need to teach ourselves how to handle our money.”
Because they identify so strongly with the core conserva-tive value of smaller government, neither Thrasher nor Holzhauer hesitated to join the Young Con-servatives – but they recognize that now is not exactly the politi-cal era of “Less is more.”
“Whether it’s housing or banking,” Holzhauer said, “there’s so much red tape no-body can get anything done any-more.”
Not even the Young Con-servatives can escape red tape, though: The group is still in the process of becoming a Registered Student Organization.
The UA chapter of the Young Democrats is active both on campus and off, providing an opportunity for students inter-ested in learning more about the Democratic Party and its ideals to get involved.
“Our activism here on cam-pus is a mixture of representing the issues of the national party and representing local issues and political interests,” said Will Watson, president of the UA Chapter of the YDs.
The Young Democrats of America has been the official youth arm of the Democratic Party since 1932. Open to any-one under the age of 36 who affiliates with the Democratic Party, YDA is a nationwide grass-roots organization with more than 43,000 members consist-ing of high school students, col-lege students, young workers, young professionals and young families.
The goals of the Young Dem-ocrats of America are to elect Democratic candidates, encour-age youth involvement in the Democratic Party, support the ideals of the Democratic Party at all levels of government, in-
still young people with the val-ues for which the Democratic Party stands and provide young people with the skills and expe-riences they will need to lead the nation.
Traditionally, Watson said, Young Democrat chapters have trouble maintaining a solid membership in off-years with-out a large number of big elec-tions.
“This year, we’ve really tried to turn that trend around by having an active chapter and having opportunities with local and state politicians,” Watson said. “We’ve had an activity al-most every week so far this se-mester.”
These events have included speakers such as Sen. David Pryor and Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, and voter drives on campus to try to encourage more students to be politically active.
The UA Young Democrats chapter has around 30 core members, Watson said, but the group averages around 45 peo-ple at every meeting.
The group also started a program this year to allow non-student members to become a part of their organization. This has allowed two potential can-didates for Lindsley Smith’s Sen-
ate seat in 2010 to begin to get to know students and the issues important to on-campus voters.
This fall, the UA chapter of YDs hosted the state fall confer-ence, bringing students from across the state to the UA cam-pus.
Chris Burks, president of the Young Democrats of Arkansas, is a law student at the UA. The treasurer of the state organiza-tion, Eric Bell, is also a UA stu-dent.
“We’re just trying to provide an opportunity for our students to stay tapped in on all levels,” Watson said. “It’s a different environment with a Democratic president and Congress – it’s a different environment for is-sues.”
Two big issues facing the party now, according to Watson, are the health care reform go-ing through Congress and envi-ronmental issues such as cap-and-trade policies.
“Young Democrats is an or-ganization that represents the values of the Democratic Party on campus,” Watson said. “You know, it tends to attract people that have a good time getting involved, and we haven’t had a single event this semester where we didn’t have a blast.”
Young Democrats
Young Conservatives
College Republicans
The 2008 presidential elec-tion presented a disappointing loss for the UA College Republi-cans – but it also fueled mem-bers of the group to fight harder to maintain a presence on cam-pus and work to uphold traditional Republi-can ideals.
“ C o n s e r v a -tives would seem to be a minority on campus, but not as small as one might think,” said Alex Sitting, chair of the UA College Republicans. “(We’re) all about solidifying our voice and being heard.”
The UA College Republicans – part of a group of state chap-ters that compose the Arkansas Federation of College Republi-cans – are active on all levels of politics, from local to national, and were particularly involved in the 2008 presidential election, Sittig said.
Though some of President Barack Obama’s policies don’t
sit well with group members, they’re focused on moving for-ward.
“I think many of us saw it as a wake-up call,” Sittig said. “To be honest, I think the presiden-tial loss was something we need-ed to get our act together.”
Tom Norsworthy, UA student and chairman of the Arkan-
sas Federation of Col-lege Republicans,
said the UA group is anticipating a future revival of Republican values.
“A lot of col-lege students
I know voted for Obama and are having se-
rious buyer’s remorse, especially when it comes to health care and spending,” he said. “I think 2010 will be a big year for conserva-tive principles and a big blow to the president’s liberal policies.”
Other than working on local, state and national elections, the primary purpose of the UA Col-lege Republicans is to “reach a generation with the values and concerns of the Republican Party … with the message of a
responsible government, energy independence, lower taxes and traditional values,” Norsworthy said.
Jenna Kienbaum, UA student and executive director for the Arkansas Federation of College Republicans, counted fiscal con-servatism as one of those issues that affects college students di-rectly.
“I think (fiscal conserva-tism) is important because we are all going to college to earn a good living, and we just want to be sure when it’s over when we have real-world jobs that we get to keep the money we worked hard for,” she said.
The UA College Republicans meet 6 p.m. every Thursday in Walker Hall to voice concerns, get involved, hear from Repub-lican leaders and prepare for upcoming events.
“It was tough (after the pres-idential election) because every-one was so involved in the elec-tion and it didn’t go our way,” Kienbaum said. “However, I think Obama’s victory gave (us) more motivation for the 2010 and 2012 elections.”
Bailey Elise McBrideNews Editor
Samuel LetchworthStaff Writer
Kimber WenzelburgerManaging Editor
LARRY ASH Staff Photographer
Hillary Clinton greets UA students during her visit to Fayetteville last year.
Tina KorbeEditor
Junior Garrett Davis sums up Spring Break in one phrase: “times you’ll never remember with people you’ll never forget.”
Weeks before Spring Break begins, students daydream about a week of fun in the sun – a week of partying until the sun comes up, and even after that. Though the ultimate Spring Break might be in Mexico or Europe, the UA vacation hotspot is Florida.
“Everyone has these grand ideas of going somewhere else, but once you get down to it, it costs too much,” junior Amanda Banwarth said. “And if you went to Mexico you would have to deal with passports and the govern-ment.”
Having fun on a budget is what college students aim for, and Florida provides that with two destinations: Destin and Panama City.
“Destin is usually pretty cheap,” junior Jenna Lee said. “You can drive, a lot of people can go and there are a lot of people your age there to hang out with.”
Traveling with a group of friends greatly reduces gas and hotel expenses. Also, most ho-tels offer Spring Break deals for students, and through Web sites such as Student City and Smarter Travel, students can book vaca-tions and get a package deal.
Florida is home to two of the largest Spring Break cities in the United States, but each city boasts a unique experience.
“If you’re single, you go to Panama. Otherwise, you go to Destin,” Davis said. “Panama is craziness 24/7 – you don’t have the option of just going out one night.”
Panama City has been named the Spring Break capital of the United States. Not only does it have beautiful white beaches, but it is also home to the larg-est beach clubs in the world: Spinnaker, La Vela, Sharky’s and Harpoon Harry’s. Students from all over the country come to this party destination for MTV’s infamous Spring Break events – beach concerts, wild contests and massive parties.
However, Panama City does have a reputation for maintain-ing a greater population of pa-trolling police than in Destin. Students often get charged with public intoxication and driving under the influence.
“(In Destin,) the only thing that has happened to me is they told me to pour out my drink,” Davis said. “But on the strip in Panama it’s a lot worse. The city needs to decide whether they’re going to have Spring Break and be more relaxed with the police, or just not let anyone come.”
Though Destin is a little less crazy than Panama, there is no
shortage of partying and fun. Students have the option of driv-ing to Panama for a night be-cause it is only 45 minutes away, but there is also plenty of night-life in Destin.
Whether students are in Pan-ama City or Destin, the daily ritu-als are very similar. Drink on the beach and hide it from the cops, sober up a bit before going out to dinner, and then hit the bars and clubs, Lee explained.
“You could really sum it all up with eat, sleep, drink,” Banwarth said. “Not everyone is hammered, but for the most part, that’s what goes on.”
Florida is not only the premier Spring Break location for UA stu-dents, but it is also packed with students from all over the South.
“It’s a great place to meet people,” Banwarth said. “Des-tin has tons of students from Alabama and Ole Miss. We hung out with Ole Miss boys the whole time; that was the most fun just hanging out and going out with them.”
Whether in Florida or at an-other dream destination, for most students the party never stops – and what happens on Spring Break stays on Spring Break.
Overseas ActivitiesEntertainment in the militaryWednesday in Lifestyles
E-mail: [email protected]|Phone: 575.7540 Page 6 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009 Lifestyles Editor: Brian Washburn | Assistant Lifestyles Editor: Lindsey PruittLIFESTYLESTHE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
Check Traveler Top 5 next week for the top 5 war movies.
Top 5 Spring Break destinations
Cancun, Mexico...1.
2.
because we’re all legal. Enough said.
Panama City Beach, Fla...
South Padre Island, Texas...
because every-one from old men at hot dog stands to college kids playing beer pong are getting down.
Destin, FLa...
Breckenridge, COlo...
because classier partying, tastier restaurants and more upscale nightlife makes for a nice flip side of Florida.
TravelerTop 5
3.
4.
5.
because partying with MTV and em-barrassing your par-ent on TV makes for good memories.
because hot tubs and snow are a cool change from beaches and sand.
It was a Thursday night and I was hungry. The hems of my jeans were damp, I was cold and I wanted something warm and comforting to soothe my irritation at the constant rain. The only criterion for that evening’s dinner choice was that it had to be within walk-ing distance of the Walton Arts Center, where I had parked my car in advance for the univer-sity choir concert.
Hog Haus Brewing Com-pany exuded just the right amount of golden warmth from where I stood at the crosswalk, so my boyfriend and I headed over, huddled under the protective shelter of the umbrella he was so sweet-ly carrying.
Shaking off the stray drop-lets as we opened the heavy double doors, we were greeted by a rather sour-faced hostess, who very carelessly escorted
us into the main dining room and left us to our own de-fenses.
Thankfully, a more cheer-ful waitress quickly came along to take our drink or-ders.
As we waited for our drinks, BF and I assessed our level of hunger versus the cost of the meals. Some of the fare was pretty expensive – like the salmon fillet for $21, or the “Moldy Fungus” burger (don’t worry, only bleu cheese and mushrooms) for $9 – but we managed to find what would fit our palates and our pocket-books in a barbecue sandwich with sweet potato fries and a bowl of basil pesto pasta with grilled chicken.
While we waited for our food, I took in the surround-ing atmosphere of Hog Haus, a charming brewery/gourmet-comfort food restaurant.
Paneled entirely with cin-namon-colored oak, the place takes on the aura of a cozy mountain lodge. The restau-rant plays a mix of mellow rock music, combining Aero-smith with Sting and making sure to keep the volume low.
Several plates of highly tempting food waltzed past
What happens in Florida stays in Florida
COURTESY PHOTO
Mille AppletonContributing Writer
The Trough
ERIN [email protected]
Hog Haus: a charming brewery/gourmet-comfort
food restaurant
See HOG HAUS on Page 7
It’s easy to forget that pro-fessors are people, too. Yes, real people with children, spouses, pets and, believe it or not, an actual life to live out-side of grading papers, tests and assignments.
But while students cause a ruckus on Spring Break, what will professors be doing?
Just as many students have relocated to attend the UA, some professors have done the same to teach; hence, their extended families live in dif-ferent cities or even states.
And although Spring Break is a distant thought these days, it’s a safe bet that some faculty members plan to see family over the holiday.
“I actually have no idea what I’ll be doing over spring break,” Sarah Kent said. “I will probably be traveling to visit family, though.”
Likewise, associate profes-sor Cathy D. Lirgg has plans to take a trip with her middle school son and their two dogs to visit her mom.
“We usually go to Ohio to see my mom for the break, which we have again planned
for this year,” she said. “We’ve done other things periodical-ly, but this is the usual. Once we went to Disneyland ... a lot more exciting than Ohio.”
However, as fun as fam-ily is, Spring Break provides an excellent amount of time to grab some friends and get away to visit an exotic land ... or just get away.
“It is still very up in the air, but myself and a few other professors and others are dis-cussing a girls’ week,” Aman-da Grimes said. “Where is to be determined. All we know is, somewhere warm and fun.”
With Web sites like Studen-tuniverse.com, which offers cheap travel deals for students and professors, traveling is becoming a likely option for both faculty and students.
However, it always helps to have a significant other who travels for work.
“My Spring Break plans vary, but generally I travel with my husband, who is a professor in the civil engi-neering department,” Natalie Hall said.
“The break gives me an opportunity to go with him,” she said. “I’ve been able to
Professors party, too
Trish ByronStaff Writer
See PROFESSORS on Page 7
UA professors make plans for Spring Break travel
“It taught me so much. I went
to sleep as Rihanna and woke
up as Britney Spears. That
was the level of media chaos
that happened the next day.”
-Rihanna in Glamour Maga-
zine about being assaulted by
singer/boyfriend Chris Brown
and the media aftermath.
LIFESTYLESTHE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009| Page 7
Visit the Verizon Wireless booth and get the lowdown on our amazing career opportunities!
What is it that truly constitutes art? Conven-tionalists would throw around the words “beau-ty” and “ascetic appreciation,” but artist Shaurya Kumar would probably be one of few to include the word “mistake” in the mix.
Kumar’s exhibit “The Lost Museum: The Fate of World’s Greatest Lost Treasures” is in residence at the UA Fine Arts Gallery now through Wednes-day, Nov. 18. Set apart from most of the gallery’s exhibits, this collection features only eight prints of what could easily be called a giant screw-up.
The plaque at the gallery’s entrance describes the origin of these prints, with excerpts from Robert Adams’ book “The Lost Museum.” Several decades ago, art enthusiasts became greatly con-cerned over the amount of artwork lost to the de-struction of disagreeing governments, wars and other conflicts.
In the 1980s, The Council for Documentation of Lost Art and Cultural Heritage was formed to compile records of lost or destroyed works into an electronic database. In the process of recording the information, the records somehow changed and became unrecognizable, producing the prints available for viewing in the gallery.
Characterized by jumbled pixels, intermittent
with scraps of the photographs, these prints are rich in color. Sometimes with a lemon theme – as with “Bodhisattvas and Deities on the West Wall of the Ceiling,” a seventh- to eighth-century mural painting from Bamiyan, Afghanistan, and destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001 – or a prominent color scheme of midnight blue and gold – such as in “Remains of a Mural,” a ninth-century mural from Nalanda University in Bihar, India, and destroyed during a Turkish invasion in 1193 – these are more than boring screens of static snow.
Kumar’s exhibit is for more than mere visual enjoyment, but serves to remind viewers both of the cruelty and the failure of human beings. There is a strange type of beauty present in the prints that seems to mix a haunting surrealism with ‘80s neon patterns.
At first glance, the exhibit is unimpressive. The eight prints barely fill the already tiny gal-lery, and the computer screen-like patterns in the prints don’t easily draw in the eye. However, upon further investigation, the complexity and the historical significance of the prints become apparent.
An inexplicable human error transformed what was once highly lauded artwork into these prints, now their own form of art that mingles the ancient past with the technology of the present.
our table before our meals arrived: a mushroom pizza, Cobb salad, a steaming rack of ribs and mashed potatoes kept us salivating. The wait wasn’t a long one; rather, the rapid-ity with which our waitress brought out our food pleas-antly surprised me.
We immediately dug in. My pasta was a delightful shade of lime through and through, with a few intermittent chunks of red tomatoes and pewter mushrooms.
The basil and cream com-bination in the sauce was a little overwhelming at first, but once I got the proportions of pasta-chicken-sauce down, I couldn’t be stopped.
The mushrooms were defi-nitely the highlight of the en-tire dish: Bursting with flavor and moisture at every bite, they added a savory touch to the light and verdant dish.
I wished there had been more tomatoes to make up for the rather dry and tasteless chicken, but I accepted defeat in that department and moved on to sample BF’s food.
His barbecue sandwich was a deep, dark chocolate color, with rich sauce oozing from underneath the bun.
The first bite hit me hard with the strength of smoke in the meat, but was soon bal-anced by a sweet flavor. This may have been the best barbe-cue I have ever had, and I’m quite certain that I uttered an audible sigh of pleasure.
His sweet potato fries were not as good as those my moth-er makes, yet offered more flavor, vitamins and nutrients than the original fried variety. (Who am I kidding, nothing is ever as good as the dishes from Mom’s kitchen.)
An older couple at the table next to us ordered after we got our food and were soon pre-sented with their plates of fish
and chips, huge and fried to a perfect golden shade, and a heaping side salad that verily overflowed from its bowl.
Various eccentric charac-ters – a photographer with a huge backpack and a British man discussing C.S. Lewis – sat at the bar and added lots of quirk to the surrounding conversation.
The rain pounded on the sidewalk outside of the door and drenched the passers-by who sought refuge in the pleasant interior with a tall pint of micro-brew beer.
Hog Haus does indeed have enough quirk of its own with-out the interesting patrons. The brewery is visible from the restaurant, and produces seasonal beers as well as the traditional ones most always on tap, like their “Razor Bock” or Hog Haus India Pale Ale.
Their selection of artisan beers is diverse, with unusual flavors like “Fat Boy Blue,” a blueberry-infused wheat beer, or the “Java Porter,” a brew with infusions of chocolate and coffee.
One of the only places in Northwest Arkansas to serve beer to-go on Sundays, Hog Haus has a definite attraction for those looking for some-thing interesting to go along with their meal.
No beer included, our tab came to $27, which was a lit-tle pricey for my constrained budget, but it was less than I expected and filled me to the brim. We left Hog Haus fully satisfied, with a generous tip left on the table and a smile for even the hostesses, and crossed the street to go to the Walton Arts Center. It was starting out to be a great eve-ning.
Hog Haus Brewing Compa-ny is located at 430 W. Dickson St. and operates 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thurs-day, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday with brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
HOG HAUSfrom Page 6
visit many places both in the U.S. and out of the country to Norway and England with him through work. Spring Break is also a good time to get caught up on classes and to do yard work for spring.”
And while some will be relaxing and basking in the suns rays, not everyone catch-es a break during the week off. With a baby on the way, Irene McMullin, assistant pro-fessor of philosophy, will not, for the third year in a row, be lounging on the couch during Spring Break.
“The past two years I have not taken a vacation – I spent Spring Break catching up on grading, course preparation and research projects, but since I’m having a baby next semester things will be some-what different,” she said.
“Although I am not teach-ing, however, I am still ex-pected to advise master’s and Ph.D. students, sit on depart-mental committees, attend faculty meetings and commit significant amounts of time to my own research and writing in an effort to get my work published.
“So, this Spring Break, I will be trying to figure out how to be a mom while also working on these other du-ties,” she said.
No matter the age, a break is a break, and professors could use one, too.
Whether it’s to play catch up or have some fun, Spring Break serves as a last hoorah before the home stretch to fi-nals and summer vacation.
While students are out gal-livanting in Cancun or Pan-ama City, there’s a chance a professor could be spotted do-ing the same.
No worries: They’ll be back in business just in time for class on Monday.
PROFESSORSfrom Page 6Exhibit provides more than
mere visual enjoyment
STEPHEN IRONSIDE Staff Photographer
Erin RobertsonStaff Writer
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM Page 8 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009 LIFESTYLES
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The Fayetteville music scene has several treats in store this November for those who thrive off attending local concerts. But while pop music gurus (especially those nostalgic for the late ‘90s pop-rock scene) will be thrilled when long-time teen movie soundtrack staple Third Eye Blind rolls though Barnhill Arena in mid-November, there’s a new excitement surrounding these November concerts that has Fayetteville music fanatics going into a frenzy.
It might be the addition of Wakarusa to the area. It might be the growing college population and students’ desire for jam music. Or it might just be genres merging, redefining themselves and then giving the masses something new, elaborate and more creative than they have ever heard before.
No matter what it is, the new jam, techno and dance phenomenon sweeping underground college scenes throughout the nation seems to have snatched listeners by their ears, minds and legs and has them on the dance floor, raving to funky beats accompanied by glow sticks and frantic fans.
And Fayetteville’s funky fans will have the opportunity to see four of the most prolific techno/jam bands in the underground music scene just in the month of November.
Beginning on Nov. 8, Fayetteville fans will have the chance to see jazz, funk and electronic band Galactic. Though the band has been around since the mid-’90s in New Orleans, they are now finding success in the Wakarusa crowd since they ditched their lead singer a few years ago and now tour as an instrumental group.
Galactic’s unique blend of New Orleans jazz with funky bass lines and electronic interludes has really hit a niche with those in the Wakarusa musical genre loved around the area.
Even though Galactic have been favorites of the Fayetteville area, two
bands getting most of the attention for their journey into Fayetteville in November look to blow the roof (and possibly the majestic) off George’s Lounge.
Maybe the most popular (the show is close to selling out) of the lot is Colorado electronic, hip-hop set Pretty Lights, who recently released their new album for free on their Web site. While the band is the work of producer Derek Vincent Smith, he is accompanied live by drummer Cory Eberhard. The non-traditional hip-hop mixed with the smooth techno loops make for an interesting listen and one hell of a live show. This new style of hip-hop, jam music (made especially popular by Girl Talk) has risen to underground stardom in the past year. The popularity has especially risen in the Northwest Arkansas and Ozarks area, where Pretty Lights performed at Wakarusa this past summer to a packed tent.
And while the festival featured many talented and intense live shows, Pretty Lights proved to be one of the crowd favorites throughout the entire weekend, which is being expected at George’s on Nov. 12, as well.
The hip-hop/techno fad does not end there, though.
San Francisco DJ Bassnectar (aka Lorin Ashton) will bring his electronic, experimental techno set to George’s on Nov. 19. Bassnectar has performed on such stages as Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and much more. While Bassnectar’s hip-hop fusion is much more experimental than most of his peers, it has still hit quite a niche with fans of this particular genre.
While George’s and the city of Fayetteville have definitely hit a pulse in the concert crowd for the month of November, it is not only for fans of the techno genre.
From Third Eye Blind to Pretty Lights, as well as local rock, metal and hip-hop acts taking the stage this month, Northwest Arkansas should keep their eyes and ears open and have their bodies ready to move to the music.
Techno craze hits George!sBrian WashburnLifestyles EditorB
assnectar
Galactic
COURTESY PHOTOSElectronic/hip-hop/experimental act Bassnectar, Jazzfusion band Galactic and hip-hop techno act Pretty Lights highlight a busy month of concerts at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville.
MUSIC COMMENTARY
LIFESTYLESTHE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009| Page 9
When Del the Funky Homosapien raps, “We can modify the hymns that lifted you higher,” on his new album, Parellel Uni-Verses, it doubles as a boast and a mission statement. The record, a collaboration be-tween Del and New Jersey rapper Tame One, aims to glorify and expound on the dusty hip-hop of the genre’s soulful origins.
Nostalgia aside, no one can really accuse Del’s work of being a retread; everyone knows his verses on “Clint Eastwood,” by Gorillaz, one of the most unconventional outfits of the last decade.
The rapper got his start as the cousin of Ice Cube, whose renowned gangsta rap gave way to an (unfortunate) acting career. Parallel Uni-Verses pays its dues to Ice Cube and other mas-ters of the genre and scorns the emcees of today.
Not to say that Uni-Verses is preachy or overly serious. The record’s best beats sound like ghetto lounge music. Goofy throwaway verses are also the album’s most endearing, like “Slayed the 10th grade on mushrooms, writing raps in Grandma’s front
room,” from jazzy highlight “Before This.”
The threats often sound ironic, like when the Beastie Boys threaten to egg your house. “I bet you think you special, well, ‘eff’ you neph-ew,” goes the chorus of “Spe-cial.”
The psychedelic produc-tion, courtesy of Parallel Thought, serves as the an-tithesis to the record’s lyri-cal shenanigans. There are horns, twinkling xylophones, stand-up basses and echoes
of Flavor Flav. It’s the trippy, futuristic hip-hop that Kid Cudi promised but never delivered.
Not quite an essential listen, Uni-Verses is consis-tently enjoyable.
DEL THE FUNKY GETS GOOFYCD REVIEW
Brady TackettAssistant Lifestyles Editor
COURTESY PHOTO
Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” is comprised entirely of footage from rehearsals of Jackson’s scheduled concert series. The concept seems like something that belongs on a DVD release bonus feature, but the controversial move of putting it in theaters pays off.
The cynical have accused AEG Live of releasing the footage as a feature film just to profit off Jackson’s death. There’s probably something to that. But a concert isn’t something that can be ex-perienced well on a home televi-sion. Even with Blu-ray and a big screen, home theaters lack the “immersiveness” of a real cinema packed with lots of other peo-ple. Jackson wanted his concert to be a huge spectacle, and that’s the sort of thing that can really only happen at the movie theater.
“This Is It” made me appreci-ate Michael Jackson both in talent and as a person. He knows every beat of every note of every song. He seems to be very much in control of the entire production. He has an almost frenetic creative energy, but it is harnessed.
I don’t know how much you can tell about a person’s character from two hours of heavily edited footage, but Jackson impressed me. Most obsessive artists come across as pretentious and snobby, but Jackson appears to lose him-self completely in the perfor-mance. He makes no unnecessary changes and focuses entirely on the music instead of looking im-portant for the camera.
For the same reasons, I came to like choreographer Kenny Orte-ga a lot less. At a couple of points, Jackson stopped the music and made a suggestion. Ortega, us-ing the falsely authoritative voice popular among vice principals and office workers of all types, re-peated Jackson’s suggestion back to him and the crew several times, apparently trying to make it seem like he understood completely and that perhaps it was really his idea all along. Jackson gracefully
thanked Ortega with a single word and then went back to dancing.
Jackson performs most of his big hits, including “Smooth Criminal,” “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.” A special 3-D video was being shot for “Thriller,” complete with zombies and ghouls. We see both
the behind-the-scenes and the finished version. Most poignantly, Jackson sings “I’ll Be There” as a tribute to his family, which he thanks and prays for by name.
There are some humorous scenes, one in which a ballet instructor teaches the dancers
how crotch-grabbing is “Rus-sian.” Jackson is excited to ride the cherry-picker again, and is disap-pointed when Ortega wants to test it out for safety before he can start dancing on it.
There are a lot of cheap ways to make a buck off a dead celeb-
rity, and Jackson’s image is one that will stick around for decades. “This Is It” offers a genuine, taste-ful way to pay tribute to the art-ist. He wanted people to see his concert, and I think he’s happy we can get close.
“This Is It” is playing at AMC
Fiesta Square 16, home of $4 movies and $5 unlimited pop-corn and soda Monday through Thursday. “This Is It” runs 1 hour and 52 minutes. It is rated PG for “some suggestive choreography and scary images.”
Getting to know the real Michael Jackson
COURTESY PHOTO
Adam Call RobertsContributing Writer
DOWNTIME THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COMPage 10 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009
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TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) TODAY IS AN 7.Footloose and fancy free? Your mind takes you to imaginative locales. Planning a trip?
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 21) TODAY IS A 8.You find yourself changing your mind on something you were so sure about. That’s OK. Go with the flow
CANCER (JUNE 22-JULY 22) TODAY IS A 7.Your mood changes today and your logical thinking takes on a new direction. Adapting to circumstances takes very little effort.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) TODAY IS A 9.You change your mind big-time today. You probably wonder what took you so long. You’ll get used to it.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) TODAY IS A 7.Because your own feelings are in a state of flux, you wonder if others feel the same. Direct questions get vague answers.
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) TODAY IS A 6. Creative projects move forward much faster than an-ticipated. Earlier limitations give way to clear communi-cations.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) TODAY IS AN 8.An associate delivers some difficult news. It’s not over ‘til it’s over. By tomorrow, you may see how to repair the damage.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) TODAY IS A 7.Are you questioning what you’ve been told? Now is a good time to research the facts and draw your own conclusions.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) TODAY IS A 5.Reasoning keeps pace with imagination, bringing ideas into practical form. Work now, talk later
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) TODAY IS A 6.More dreams point you in the right direction. Imagine yourself traveling the path you want, then go there.
PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) TODAY IS AN 7. The cobwebs clear out of your mind and you see the future clearly. Share your vi-sion with those you want to take along.
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SPORTS
The Arkansas basketball team lost 14 of its 16 conference games last season.
There are three true freshmen who will have to make significant contributions, a year after seven freshmen saw action on the court.
The Razorbacks returned all five starters from a season ago, but two of them were missing in Monday’s exhibition opener.
And the Hogs play one of the toughest schedules in the country this season.
These are just a few of the prob-lems facing the 2009-10 Arkansas basketball team and third-year coach John Pelphrey. But the on-court obstacles are a welcome distraction after a tumultuous off-season that left multiple players de-parted from the team, others facing suspensions and a lot of headaches for a lot of people who had nothing
to do with basketball.The Friday night tip-off next
week will shine the bright lights of the public eye on the hardwood for the first time in seven months, and it couldn’t come any sooner. With a Red-White Game and one exhibition against an NAIA team in the books, the Hogs have another tune-up Thursday before a week off to gear up for the regular season opener against Alcorn State.
Attendance at the first two scrim-
mages, both at Bud Walton Arena, hasn’t been anything to write home about, but Pelphrey said with the team playing earlier than they ever have before, right in the middle of the Razorback football season, he’s not surprised.
But when Bud Walton is filled for a real game that counts and Michael Washington throws down his first dunk or Courtney Fortson dishes his first no-look pass, everyone will forget about all the drama that dragged the (historically) good name of Arkansas basketball through the mud once again.
Maybe not forget altogether, but at least be distracted for a while.
Two weeks ago, I said the Ra-zorbacks needed to win right away to put all of the nonsense behind them. A week from the regular sea-son start, I don’t even care if they open the year with a 10-game losing
streak, I’ll just be glad to be talking about basketball and not frat houses or drinking and driving or academic issues. It’s time to put the “sports” back in the sports section, and the lead-up to the basketball season has been long and kind of painful.
If they haven’t won a game by the end of December, well, at least there will be plenty to talk about again.
But there’s no way this team doesn’t do some serious damage to the tough teams on its sched-ule because they got all of the big contributors back from the team that upset Oklahoma and Texas in a matter of days, and added a few im-pact freshman who should provide the depth that was sorely lacking last season. After last season, the Razorbacks will know how to better finish the season instead of peaking around New Year’s Day.
In his third year at a major pro-gram, with his second full recruit-ing class in place, Pelphrey should have a better grip on what’s been an up-and-down tenure.
Next week The Traveler will go all out with its basketball preview, which will focus on the names and faces that will be contributing to the Arkansas program this upcoming season, not those that have taken away from the luster in seasons past.
Check back next Wednesday for a comprehensive look at those who will represent the university this season, and we’ll finally get to talk about some real sporting news.
Matt Watson is the sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His col-umn appears every Wednesday.
Hog HoopsArkansas basketball season previewNext Wednesday in Sports
Phone: 575.7051 | E-mail: [email protected] WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009 | Page 11 Sports Editor: Matt Watson | Assistant Sports Editor: Harold McIlvain II
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
Adams’ return sparks Razorbacks after stroke
Arkansas receiver Joe Adams caught a pass over the middle from quarterback Ryan Mallett, turned upfield and took a solid hit from Eastern Michigan linebacker Andre’ Hatchett and cor-nerback Chris May.
The sophomore quickly bounced back up and trotted back to the Arkansas huddle follow-ing what would’ve been an ordinary play with any other player any other time.
In reality, the play was anything but ordi-nary. The 21-yard catch showed that the 5-11, 182-pound speedster was back and had no ill effects after suffering a mild stroke prior to the Auburn game Oct. 10 and missing the Hogs’ next three contests.
“Its always good to get the first hit of the game so you get those jitters out,” Adams said. “I knew I was going to get hit so I just had to take it.”
Adams went on to snag three passes for 109 yards, including touchdowns of 10 and 78 yards, in Arkansas’ 63-27 homecoming win over Eastern Michigan. The sophomore’s pres-ence provided a spark for an Arkansas offense that struggled at times without him.
Mallett went 24-of-61 for 478 yards and two touchdowns without Adams in the lineup against Florida and Ole Miss – two of the Hogs’ three contests with 20 points or less this season. The sophomore signal-caller said Adams’ big-play return wasn’t surprising.
“Nothing with Joe surprises me,” Mallett said. “When he’s covered man-to-man I don’t think anybody can stop him, and he can run after the catch. He’s a dynamic player.”
Senior linebacker Wendel Davis said getting Adams back provided a boost for the defense, too.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Davis said about Adam’s big night. “Joe Adams is big time. Joe Adams will make you say ‘ooh’ sometimes –
he’s just a big-time excitement guy. It’s good to have Joe playing for us (again).”
But for Adams, the ordeal left him with a new look on life and an eagerness to help his football family once again.
“It changed my outlook on life, period,” Ad-ams said. “You never can take life for granted, because one day you can be playing and the next day you couldn’t be here with your family, and I didn’t want to see my family go through anything like that.”
Watching the Razorbacks fall to Florida and Ole Miss from the sidelines without his contri-bution was difficult for the Little Rock native.
“Its always difficult for anybody that’s sit-
ting out that’s a part of an offense or a defense or a part of a team to sit out and watch the team play and not be able to come up with the win,” Adams said. “You think that maybe you could have had a part in (winning).”
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino saw the long-ing to return to the gridiron in Adams’ eyes.
“You could see it in his eyes, particularly when we had a couple hard losses,” Petrino said. “He knows that could have played a big part in helping us win the game. It’s been hard on him, not being able to be out there. He’s done a great job with his attitude over the whole ordeal. He’s a great competitor and anytime you’re a great competitor and can’t participate it’s hard.”
The sophomore flew to Little Rock for tests and met with doctors in the effort to not only
get him back on the playing field quickly, but also to ensure his long-term well-being. While sidelined from action, Adams worked to stay in shape so he’d be ready once the doctors gave him the OK to play.
“He did a great job with his attitude; in his meetings he was very alert, very learning,” Pe-trino said. “The last few weeks he’s been able to participate in individual deals and run around and catch the ball. He did a nice job with our training staff on the sideline during practice, making sure when he was cleared that he was physically ready to keep going.
“You can’t say enough about how he han-dled the whole situation. I’m very proud of him.”
While sidelined, Adams said his teammates were supportive of him, but he was more intent on cheering his team on.
“They were supportive,” Adams said. “I was more supportive of my team, because I want to see my team win, even if I’m not out there. Me on the sideline jumping around for the defense or offense, I knew it gave them some kind of swagger about their game.”
Adams was cleared to play against the Ea-gles on Wednesday and immediately felt a wave of relief.
“It felt like a burden had been lifted off my chest,” Adams said. “Not being able to play (was the hardest). When I came to practice, I can’t practice but I have to know what the offense is doing, so I’ve got to stay in tune and know what we were doing for that game.”
Despite the serious nature of the injury, Adams never had a doubt he would return to action and said the experience taught him a les-son that reaches beyond football.
“I appreciate life more, just in general,” Ad-ams said. “It’s a great feeling to be blessed to get back on the field and play the game that every-body loves play. I knew I’d be back.”
Razorback players, coaches and fans are no doubt as overjoyed he is.
JONATHAN GIBSON Staff Photographer
Sophomore Joe Adams missed three games after suffering a mild stroke. The wideout came back with a bang, scoring two touchdowns in the Eastern Michigan game Saturday.
Jimmy CarterAssistant Sports Editor
JONATHAN GIBSON Staff Photographer
D.J. Williams was on the pre-season Mackey Award watch list for the best tight end in the country.
Finding D.J. Williams
The productivity in the passing game from tight end D.J. Williams has been puzzling to Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino all season.
After a break-out sophomore campaign when the Little Rock na-tive finished with a team-best 723 receiving yards, Petrino was ex-pecting big things from Williams.
The junior set a school record for catches by a tight end with 61 and ranked sixth nationally in yards among all players at his posi-tion.
But through eight games this season, Williams only has 170 yards and 16 catches, compared to 420 yards and 35 catches at this point last year.
Petrino said plays are being called with Williams as the target, but the tight end still isn’t getting many touches.
“That’s something I’m having a hard time with,” Petrino said last week. “We call plays for him and he isn’t getting the ball. It doesn’t seem like the relationship between (Williams) and (quarterback) Ryan (Mallett) isn’t good enough as far as how open Williams is go-ing to be open.”
The coaching staff has empha-sized getting the ball to the tight end position by setting aside more time than ever to build a chemistry between the two positions.
But Petrino said the results just haven’t shown yet.
“It’s something we are strug-gling with right now,” Petrino said. “We need to get D.J. the ball. He is a great playmaker who is hard to tackle after he catches it.”
However, chemistry hasn’t been the only issue. Petrino said that
Williams hasn’t gotten great re-leases off the line of scrimmage at times and hasn’t gotten sufficiently open.
Even with the increased prac-tice time between Mallett and the tight ends, Williams only has nine yards and two catches in the last three weeks. The Central Arkansas Christian product focused on his blocking skills in the offseason in anticipation of the extra defensive attention after last year’s breakout season, but he said he did expect to be more involved in the offense than he has been.
“I’ve been blocking more this season,” Williams said after the Auburn game. “And I’m getting less balls my way. It seems like they forgot about me a little bit.”
Despite his overall numbers being down compared to last year, Williams started the first three games by hauling in 104 yards and a touchdown. Two weeks later, he built on that performance with a season-high 57-yard, six-catch per-formance against Auburn. Offen-sive coordinator Paul Petrino said the Auburn game plan was to get the tight end the ball more – but it really hasn’t translated since that game.
“We are scripting more plays for D.J., almost forcing it a little bit,” Petrino said. “We did it going into the Auburn game. I think we have to force it into practice so it happens in the game.”
But Bobby Petrino said Wil-liams’ contributions blocking have made him a better all-around player.
“He’s playing better than he was at any point last year,” Petrino said. “He’s blocking extremely well
Start of basketball should bring relief to everyoneSwinging for the Fences
MATT [email protected]
Harold McIlvain IIAssistant Sports Editor
FOOTBALLFOOTBALL
COMMENTARY
See D.J. on Page 12
“I appreciate life more, just in general,” Adams said. “It’s a great
feeling to be blessed to get back on the field and play the game that
everybody loves play. I knew I’d be back.”
— Joe Adams
and the aggressiveness he’s play-ing with is better this year than last year. He’s a big part of our football team.”
Paul Petrino said it hasn’t been easy to throw to Williams because teams were paying attention to him more this year – even after noticing the declined statistics. Add to that the nature of the Arkansas quarterback change from a game-
manager like Casey Dick to a gun-slinger in Mallett, and the decrease in yardage could just be the signal-caller’s preference for certain tar-gets, Petrino said.
“Sometimes a quarterback gets comfortable with certain people and he feels for them,” Petrino said. “Casey always looked at D.J. all the time.”
Bobby Petrino said Williams has to capitalize on every chance he gets. He has had big-play oppor-tunities, like during the Homecom-
ing win against Eastern Michigan when he had two catches for nine yards. Quarterback Tyler Wilson nearly connected with the tight end on two different passes that could have led to touchdowns.
“He had a couple passes that just barely hit off the end of his fingers on Saturday,” Petrino said. “We love D.J. as a receiver. We called a lot of plays for him. We’ve definitely made an emphasis of try-ing to get him the ball and that’s something we’ll keep doing.”
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COMPage 12 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009 SPORTS
1. ALABAMA2. FLORIDA3. LSU4. TENNESSEE5. SOUTH CAROLINA6. AUBURN7. GEORGIA8. OLE MISS9. ARKANSAS10. MISSISSIPPI STATE11. KENTUCKY12. VANDERBILT
TRAVELER SPORTS SEC POWER RANKINGS
SECPOWER RANKINGS1.
2.
3.
Passing Offense:With the second-best passing offense in the SEC, the South Carolina Gamecocks have one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the SEC in sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia. Last season, Garcia split time with former quarterback Chris Smelley, but Garcia returned this season as the only QB on the roster with game experience. Garcia leads the SEC in completed passes with 176 in 307 attempts (57.3 completion percentage) for 2,094 yards, matched with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions including a quality performance against Georgia, when Garcia threw for 313 yards. The success in the air, however, has not necessari-ly translated into points for the Gamecocks, as the team is next to last in the SEC in scoring offense with just more than 21 points per game. South Carolina ranks eighth in total offense with 366.2 yards per game. Garcia’s favorite targets are fresh-men Alshon Jeffery, Tori Gurley and senior Moe Brown. The 6-3, 217-pound Jeffery has hauled in 28 catches for 497 receiving yards and five scores while averaging an impressive 17.8 yards per catch. Brown follows behind in yardage with 378 and three touchdowns, and Gurley is the only other receiver with more than 300 yards receiv-ing with 368 and one score. Junior running back Brian Maddux also has a pair of receiving TDs. GRADE:
Rushing Offense:The potency of the rushing attack for the Gamecocks falls well short of that of the passing attack. Ranked 11th in the SEC ahead of only Georgia, the Gamecocks’ leaders in rushing yards are freshmen Kenny Miles and Jarvis Giles, who have 466 yards and 284 yards on the ground, respectively, while averaging 5.3 and 5.5 yards per carry apiece. Each player has one touchdown. Brian Maddux has bulldozed for 179 yards and three scores, while Stephen Garcia has tucked the ball and run for 275 yards and three rushing touchdowns himself. As a team, the Gamecocks only average 129.2 yards per game and have ac-cumulated eight rushing touchdowns. The most rushing yards one player has gained in a game was only 113 yards by Jarvis Giles against Florida Atlantic University. GRADE:
Rushing Defense:The Gamecocks fall into the lower tier of the SEC for rushing defense ahead of Auburn, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. The best performance against the Gamecocks was Mark Ingram running wild in Alabama’s 20-6 loss three weekends ago. The team is led in tackles by sophomore linebacker Shaq Wilson who has 58, including 31 solo stops, while 6-1, 252-pound senior linebacker Eric Norwood leads South Carolina with six sacks. The All-American and Lombardi and Lott Trophy
candidate also has 54 tackles. Junior defensive end Cliff Matthews has also added five sacks and 39 tackles.GRADE:
Passing Defense:The pride of the South Carolina team revolves around the team’s terrific secondary. Ranked second in the SEC behind only Florida, the Game-cocks allow only 141.3 yards passing per game on just 5.5 yards per pass. The Gamecocks held Jevan Snead and then undefeated-Ole Miss to only 10 points and 109 yards passing in the team’s 16-10 victory. The leaders of the secondary are junior free safety Chris Culliver and senior strong safety Darian Stewart. Culliver has piled up 49 tackles and Stewart has added 39 more. Linebackers Wilson and Norwood have hauled in one and two interceptions, respectively, and sophomore cor-nerback C.C. Whitlock has also picked off a pass.GRADE:
Special Teams:Kicker Spencer Lanning has gone 14-16 on field goals with a long of 47 and 20-21 on PATs. The Gamecocks rank second to last in the SEC for kickoff returns and eighth for punt returns. For kick returns, safety Culliver handles most of the duties. He has 585 return yards while averaging 22.5 yards per return with a long of 61. Last year, he had a 41-yard return against the Razorbacks. For punt returns, freshman Stephen Gilmore has 118 yards (14.8 average) with a long of 35 yards. The Gamecocks have not returned a punt or a kickoff for a touchdown this year. On the cover-age team, South Carolina ranks last in the league with 35 return yards allowed per kickoff.GRADE:
Head Coach:Well known in the SEC for his success at Florida during the 1990s when he won SEC coach of the year in 1990, ‘91, ‘94, ‘95 and ‘96, head coach Steve Spurrier has accumulated multiple awards and victories during his time as a head coach in college football. After going to the NFL to coach the Washington Redskins in 2002, Spurrier returned to college football in ‘05 after failing to succeed in the pros. As Gamecocks head coach, Spurrier, a Heisman Trophy winner in 1966 at Florida, has gone 32-23 including trips to three bowl games. While the success at South Carolina has not been as it had been at Florida, Spurrier remains one of the top coaches in the SEC. For his career, Spurrier has gone 174–63–2 with one national championship, one ACC championship and six SEC championships over stops with Duke University, Florida and currently South Carolina. GRADE:
Clint LinderStaff Writer
C+
A
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B
First look at South CarolinaFOOTBALL
RICH GLICKSTEIN The State/MCT
South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia is thriving in his first season as the full-time starter.
Hogs cross country prepares for Regionals
Fresh off a runner-up finish in bog-like conditions at the South-eastern Conference Champion-ships, the Arkansas men’s cross country team has a week off before heading to Waco, Texas, for the NCAA South Central Regional.
The No. 22 Razorbacks finished with 61 points, a mere five points behind conference champion Ala-bama. Dorian Ulrey’s second place individual finish led three Razor-backs in the top 10.
“I thought we ran a good race,” coach Chris Bucknam said. “I was particularly pleased with how we finished the race, the last couple kilometers. We gave it a run. We’re obviously disappointed when you sit there and look at the results, you can find some points. But I think our kids left it on the course.
“We’ve had some adversity with some injuries and we have to be able to absorb that. We have to be able to take some lumps and put a conference championship team out there.”
Because of heavy rainfall be-fore the meet, rumors that the race would be canceled were flying around, Bucknam said.
“The course drained a little bit, but it was a very sloppy track – no question about it,” Bucknam said. “I never mentioned to our guys that they could change the time. We had enough on our plate. We just assumed the race was going to go at 10 a.m. and we would have dealt with any delay at that point. There was discussion (about post-
poning the race), but we didn’t talk to our guys about it.
“We just tried to keep as much off their plate as we can so they can focus on running.”
The Hogs will head to the Waco regional and face a field that includes Texas, Texas A&M and Lamar, with the top two teams ad-vancing to the Nov. 23 NCAA Cham-pionships.
“We have to go in there and take care of business,” Bucknam said. “We can’t think about nation-als right now.”
Ulrey’s fourth-place finish at the Chile Pepper Festival and run-ner-up at the SEC’s has provided a boost for the Hogs.
“I was very pleased with Dorian and his race,” Bucknam said. “Lane Boyer and Solomon Haile (ran well). Solomon was the top freshman in the race and got tenth. Those kids really ran well.”
Women’s XC coming off third place SEC finish
Considering the conditions,
Arkansas coach Lance Harter was happy he didn’t lose any runners in the mud and rain at the SEC Championships in Oxford, Miss.
The Razorbacks finished third with 87 points, behind meet-win-ner Florida’s 24 points and Tennes-see’s 80.
“I’ve never seen such hostile conditions as there was at the Ole Miss golf course,” Harter said. “By the time we finally got out there we were hoping that we wouldn’t lose people like Miranda Walker; she’s relatively short, anyway. But we put
our best foot forward and competed well. Florida is a very, very powerful team and I think they should get a trophy this year.”
Arkansas’ NCAA hopes will be bolstered by the return of senior Megan Jackson. Jackson missed the last two races with severe tendinitis in her foot.
“We saved Megan Jackson,” Harter said. “We decided not to race her to be careful. What we’re deal-ing with is severe tendinitis. That is something the medical staff can take care of in a relatively brief, ag-gressive moment and she’ll be back on the training tomorrow.”
Volleyball gears up for LSU game
Arkansas volleyball gets a rare one-game conference weekend, hosting 19th-ranked LSU for a CSS-televised Sunday showdown.
The Razorbacks will face the Ti-gers after dropping home matches to No. 12 Kentucky and Tennessee over the weekend.
“It’s a little bit of a longer week than we’re used to, so we’ve just got to manage it a little bit differently and get ready for a good LSU team,” coach Robert Pulliza said. “Jasmine Norton picked up her fourth SEC Freshman of the Week award after totaling 41 kills and 27 digs in the Razorbacks’ two losses.
“Kentucky and Tennessee are known for their physicality and their blocking and for her to put up the kind of numbers she did against two physical and very good teams was definitely impressive,” Pulliza said.
OLYMPIC SPORTS NOTEBOOK
Jimmy CarterAssistant Sports Editor
D.J.from Page 11
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The following story is satirical in nature with fictitious quotes and opinions. It is meant for entertain-ment purposes only and not to be taken serious. Seriously.
The Arkansas Traveler, student newspaper of the University of Arkan-sas for more than 100 years, has gone through significant changes in 2009 to adapt to the changing newspaper industry. Both the struggling national economy and the demographic change of the average reader have affected the way The Traveler and other newspapers operate, and The Traveler has been open and willing to not only embrace the changes but also pioneer in today’s technologically driven field of journal-ism.
The UA stu-dent paper ad-opted a weekly print publish-ing schedule in August 2009 but began pub-lishing online daily with Web-exclusive content for the first time, as-suming the slogan “More News. Less Paper. Today’s Traveler.”
But The Traveler is now ready to take the next step. Extremely unscien-tific research done across the country shows most newspaper readers have probably already stopped reading this story, and every word typed from here on out might just be a waste of ink and paper.
Add to that the growing popularity of the social networking site Twitter, which allots users just 140 characters to express themselves – are you think-ing what The Traveler’s thinking?
After 104 years of quality journal-ism, The Traveler is going to be the
first newspaper in the world to print just headlines – no stories – to appeal to those readers who don’t actually like reading.
“We’ve got a new motto now. ‘Less news. Less paper. More time for cross-words, movie-watching and trips to Golden Corral,’” sports editor Matt Watson said.
While Traveler editor-in-chief Tina Korbe refused to comment on or even acknowledge such a stupid concept, Watson said the sports section of The Traveler would gradually introduce the headline-only format, much like its weekly satire column “Swinging for the Foul Pole,” and just hope no one notices it until it’s been in print for a few weeks.
“ P e o p l e want a more Tw i t t e r e s q u e Traveler,” Wat-son said. “Espe-cially if there’s a l l i t e r a t i o n or you’re just making stuff up and print-
ing it. I mean how many people are still reading this story, 330 words in? That’s about 325 words too many.”
Journalism typically utilizes the “inverted pyramid” style, with the most important facts at the top of an article so that readers who skim through a newspaper can read the first few lines from each story and get most of the news. The Traveler is going to com-pletely cut out the part of the pyramid no one’s reading anyway.
“We call it ‘the inverted trapezoid.’ And if the phrase ‘inverted trapezoid’ doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will,” Watson said.
Traveler to adopt headline-only, Twitter-like formatSATIRE
SWINGING FOR THE FOUL POLE
The 2009-10 Arkansas bas-ketball schedule sure missed the memo about helping cool down John Pelphrey’s hot seat.
A year after finishing 2-14 in the Southeastern Conference and going one-and-done in the SEC Tournament, Arkansas’ schedule this season is no walk in the park.
The Hogs’ schedule features six opponents ranked in the Associated Press preseason poll – including No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Kentucky and 10th-ranked Tennessee.
“There’s some sleepless nights on there, no question, getting ready for those games,” Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. “I think this is about as challenging a schedule as I have ever been a part of – and I’ve been fortunate to be around some good schedules.”
Pelphrey played on Ken-tucky’s 1992 Elite Eight squad dubbed “The Unforgettables.” He was an assistant under Billy Donavan during Florida’s run to the National Championship game in 2000. He knows a tough schedule when he sees one.
After tipping off the season against Southwestern Athletic Conference foe Alcorn State, the Hogs head to St. Louis to take on 19th-ranked Louisville in the Hall of Fame Showcase.
The contest against the Cardinals is the first of several high-profile non-conference matchups for the Hogs. Arkan-sas travels to Norman, Okla., to take on the No. 17 Sooners on Dec. 2. The Hogs face Baylor in North Little Rock on Dec. 30 and play host to the Longhorns on Jan. 5 in Fayetteville. Mis-souri State – who beat Arkansas 62-57 last year – and UAB also visit Bud Walton Arena before the Razorbacks open conference play.
“It really excites me,” sopho-more guard Rotnei Clarke said. “We’re going to have to go in with the same mindset in every single game, but knowing that we have those type of caliber teams on our schedule, some especially in the non-conference is really exciting.”
For the five Arkansas newcomers, the Hogs’ marquee games early in the season will
be their first national television exposure.
“That’s exciting because I always dreamed about being on TV,” junior college transfer
Delvon Johnson said. “That’s a big step from junior college to being on ESPN.”
After last year’s abysmal conference season, perhaps the thinking is that an even tougher non-conference schedule will better prepare the Hogs for SEC play.
“Arkansas has always played a very challenging schedule,” Pelphrey said. “That’s going to continue, it’s no different.”
Johnson thinks the Hogs have a chance to shock the college basketball world, much like they did last year when they toppled fourth-ranked Oklaho-ma and No. 7 Texas in the span of one week.
“I feel if we just play our game, stick together and play like we’re supposed to play, we should be able to beat those teams,” Johnson said. “We should have no problem beat-ing them.”
This season’s non-confer-ence schedule is undoubtedly tougher than 2008-09, though, and the Hogs will again be breaking in a bevy of newcom-ers. How long it takes sopho-more forward Michael Sanchez to be healthy enough to play effectively is also an important piece of the puzzle.
Sanchez gives the team toughness and experience in the low post and – along with Johnson and athletic freshman Glenn Bryant – would provide quality depth for senior first-team All-SEC center Michael Washington and highly-touted freshman Marshawn Powell. His prompt return is much needed, as the Hogs play six games in
November and nine in all before final exams will be distributed.
“It’s interesting with the schedule – and this is all of us – I believe we’ll play six games and not even be out of Novem-ber,” Pelphrey said. “Its like we’re playing more games and there’s less time. When you start factoring in all the holidays and the breaks, and you can’t really do anything during finals, it’s amazing where the schedule has gone now with playing more games in less time.
“Some of these will come at you pretty fast and we’re going to have to be ready.”
The Hogs jump headfirst into SEC action against 18th-ranked Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are a heavy favorite to win the SEC West after adding stud freshman Renardo Sidney, who comes in at 6-10 and 260 pounds. Sidney will form a fearsome one-two punch with reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Jarvis Varnardo.
Arkansas will also face Tennessee and Kentucky. Bruce Pearl has the Vols set to contend on a national stage and new Kentucky coach John Calipari has the Big Blue faithful talking national championship after signing one of the highest-rated recruiting classes of all-time to go alongside future first-round draft pick Patrick Patterson.
“We’re going to have to play well in our non-conference schedule, and obviously our league is as good as anybody in the country,” Pelphrey said. “It’s one day at a time. You play one game at a time. You worry about your two most important games, which are your last one and your next one. We all know that it’s a long year and how things can spin out of control – either positively or negatively – really quick.”
At least Hog fans can take solace knowing that even if their team doesn’t turn out to be any good, chances are the team they’re playing probably is.
Jimmy Carter is an as-sistant sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every other Wednes-day.
Extra Points
JIMMY [email protected]
Hoops Hogs face treacherous schedule
MATT WATSON Sports Editor
The Traveler’s new headline-only paper will be introduced slowly, starting in the sports section. Hopefully no one notices.
COMMENTARY VISIT THE TRAVELER ONLINE AT
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NFLBrady: “I don’t know which uniform to wear for throwback night anymore. They had us wearing our high school jerseys last week.” #TerrificTom
SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER |UATRAV.COM
Page 14 |WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009
One-on-Onewith a Razorback
mitch petrusCarlisle, Ark.6’4” 315 lbsRedshirt senior
Arkansas senior offensive lineman Mitch Petrus fielded some questions from Traveler assistant sports editor Harold McIlvain II about life as a former fullback, how he relaxes off the field and how it was like to make 39 tackles in a high school game.
You were a fullback at one time at Arkansas. How has that transition been for you now you are on the offensive line?I came here as a walk-on, so I was trying to do anything I could to get on the field. It required me to gain weight and lose weight. I played a bunch of positions in high school, so that helped me out. If they ever need an extra fullback, I’m still here.
You were named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Does that mean much to you at all?I really appreciate it. It’s good to know that someone is noticing your hard work. But I’m old enough to know that the season isn’t over. And that doesn’t sum up my career here at Arkansas.
What did the offensive line do over the summer to cut back on the sacks this year compared to last year?We just didn’t want to give up all those sacks again. We didn’t give up many sacks last game, but we are facing better teams than that. It’s important to not give up the sacks. The biggest thing is we are all friends on the offensive line. You are only as good as the guys around you, so you have to communicate with everyone. We understand each other.
With only a couple of Fayetteville home games left, have you thought about playing your last game at Arkansas?You just never see that game coming. It’s one of
those deals where I will think about it when it is over. But I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself playing in my last game. Time marches on. I can’t believe it has been five years.
During your junior year in high school, you broke a state record for tackles in a game with 39. What do you recall from that game?I remember we lost, and I was really tired. Not to take away from what I did, I was playing AA football. The talent level wasn’t like it is in Dallas or other areas. That would be unreal. But it still takes some effort to go out there and do it. That was just going out there and playing hard. I knew it was a lot. I thought the coach didn’t know who to give credit for the tackles.
What are some of your hobbies off the field?I’m a huge fan of music, and I play a lot of gui-tar. (Fullback) John Durmon and I play together Thursdays. I play three or four times a week. I’m in a band, Sledge Hammer Band. We make our own music at our house because I have the equipment to do it. That’s what I do during my free time.
It seems like playing an instrument allows a person to escape a little bit from regular life activities. Does it seem that way?When I start playing that guitar, I lose myself. You have to shake me because I don’t pay attention. You need something like that because it is so stressful at this time of the year.
What is your go-to song while playing?It would be “Darfur Blues” by the Brethren. They are from Warren, Ark., and it is a great song they have. They go pretty hard with some blues-rock and a little harmonica.
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