5th Clearing Settlement & Custody Forum 2011 Singapore, Mar 2-4
Mar. 2, 2011
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PAGE 1 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 Vol. 105, NO. 22 UATRAV.COM WEATHER FORECAST TODAY THURSDAY FRIDAY WEEKEND 65° 67° 65° 50° WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 VOL. 105, NO. 22 UATRAV.COM Quality, Quantity Found at UA Freshmen bring high grades, low crime With a record number of students entering the university, being promoted to the highest Carnegie Classication and the renovation of several building across campus the UA is seeing signicant growth and change. Despite the continued growth of the freshmen class over the past couple of years, the UA doesn’t seem to be sacric- ing quality for quantity. “When some universities see growth like we have, they some- times lose academic achieve- ment. We have only seen in- creased academic achievement. For example, this fall we saw both our largest freshman class and our smartest yet,” said Su- zanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment. In addition to hosting stu- dents with higher academic achievements over the past couple of years, UA sta is also seeing a more diverse student body, thanks to the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship. “We developed a map and mapped out dierent parts of Arkansas that students were coming from both this past fall and the upcoming fall, and we saw a signicant rise in stu- dents coming from the Delta, which was typically underrep- resented in the past,” McCray said. “We’ve also seen a rise in students eligible for Pell grants coming to school here, which we are pleased with. More stu- dents with higher nancial need are enrolling than ever before.” e requirements for enter- ing the UA are a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a 20 on the ACT, al- though applicants that don’t meet both requirements are still encouraged to apply and have their application reviewed by the UA Admissions and Appel- late Board. ese requirements have been in place for several years, and UA ocials don’t ex- pect to change them for Arkan- sas residents despite the growth. “For Arkansas high school students we will not change admission requirements. We know that high schools around Arkansas are not even, and not everyone is receiving the same high school education, so it is important to us that we do not change the admission require- ments for in-state students,” McCray said. “However, in the coming years we may look to making out-of-state admission requirements a little tougher. We want Arkansas residents to be able to attend the UA rst and foremost.” Despite seeing a more di- verse campus, there is one stu- dent group that hasn’t seen a spike in numbers. “Our numbers of non-tradi- GARETH PATTERSON Sta Photographer Quality and quantity have grown together during the 2010-11 school year, as UA ocials have adapted to an unexpected spike in enrollment. Though freshmen classes are expected to grow in coming years, ocials do not anticipate a decline in academic achievement among students. by MATTIE QUINN Staff Writer see GROWTH on page 3 Dalai Lama Tickets Available to UA Students by SABA NASEEM Staff Writer In fewer than two months, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama will deliver one of his world- renowned addresses on non- violence at the Bud Walton Arena. “ere are millions of people in Tibet who would give their lives just to see a glimpse of the Dalai Lama. ey can’t even have a picture of him,” said Geshe upten Dorjee, a Tibetan monk and instructor in J. William Ful- bright College of Arts and Sciences. “is is a great gi for the university and for the students.” Ticket reservation to the aernoon address began March 1 and will continue through March 8 for students. Aer March 8, ticket reserva- tions will be available to fac- ulty and sta and students will be able to purchase extra tickets. As of production time Tuesday, 30 tickets had been reserved online, and 580 total had been reserved. e Dalai Lama’s visit is part of the University’s Dis- tinguished Lecture Series, and was made possible through the eorts of Sidney Burris, director of the honors pro- gram in the Fulbright Col- lege, and Geshe Dorjee. In the summer of 2009, the pair met the Dalai Lama on a trip to India, as part of the Tibetans in Exile Today TEXT project. Eorts to bring the Dalai Lama to the university began when Dorjee rst came to the UA, Burris said. His Holiness turned down two letters of invitation before he accepted the third one in March 2010. Preparations have been nonstop since then, Burris said. “I’ve never helped orga- nize the Dalai Lama’s visit before, and I’ve discovered it’s like a tsunami,” he said. “ere are so many things to do.” Burris and Dorjee have hosted various events throughout the year to pre- pare the community for the Dalai Lama’s visit. “It is important for stu- Issues Continue for NWACC As an investigation into payroll discrepancies and job misalignment at NorthWest Arkansas Community College continues, more questionable practices at the Bentonville in- stitution have been uncovered. NWACC has been under investigation by the Arkansas Department of Higher Educa- tion and Oce of Personnel Management sta for giving un- authorized raises during a state- wide freeze on salary increases for state workers, including col- lege and university employees. e freeze, eective July 1 through Dec. 2, was announced in a May 26 memorandum is- sued by Richard Weiss, director of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. OPM sta oversee classied state employees and ADHE sta oversee non-classied state em- ployees, which are primarily col- lege administrators and faculty. OPM discovered 32 NWACC employees received raises during the freeze. Seven- teen were found to be valid, two were corrected, ve were found to be invalid and seven are still under review. OPM personnel adminis- trator Kay Terry did not return phone calls requesting an up- date. ADHE sta found four state- appropriated positions needed to be realigned to match job duties more appropriately, said Brandi Hinkle, ADHE spokes- person. e realignments moved four project/program managers down to project/pro- gram specialists. Documents obtained by e Traveler sta from NWACC through the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act show that several administrators also re- ceived raises during the freeze. An Oct. 7 opinion issued by the state attorney general’s oce in- dicates the DFA director does not have the authority to impose salary restrictions on non-classi- ed employees because the Uni- form Classication and Com- pensation Act and the Higher Education Expenditure Restric- tion Act direct that oversight to the state legislature. A review of the college’s doc- uments show that many of these raises were given aer the High- er Education Subcommittee an- nounced June 17 that the freeze applied to higher education and before the attorney general is- sued his opinion. One of the administrators who received a raise during the freeze, Gina Miller, saw a salary change that went from $75,000 to $114,048 between March 2009 and June, according to employment memorandum personnel action forms. Miller held the highest supervisory role over the human resources department during the time the raises were given throughout the time of the freeze and during the subsequent investigation, ac- cording to organizational charts and other documents obtained from the college. ese memoranda indicate that Miller started March 16, 2009, at the state-appropriated position of counselor and was assigned the NWACC title of as- sociate vice president of human resources and organizational development with a salary of $75,000. Miller was moved into the state position of chief scal ocer Oct. 26, 2009 with the NWACC title of interim VP for nance and administration with a salary of $92,885. In a February 2010 interview, Miller said she is holding two positions, sometimes three. “Finance is not my area, I don’t want to go deep into - nance,” she said, although she added the college does not put someone into interim positions without evidence of qualica- tions. NWACC ocials were ac- tively searching for a vice presi- dent for nance and the college was in the nal stages of hiring someone, Miller said. However, see NWACC on page 3 by DELCIE KINCAID Staff Writer Former UA Student Found Guilty of Video Voyeurism A a former UA student was found guilty of 10 counts of video voyeurism aer he was discovered videotaping several male students in the showers of Pomfret Hall. In December 2009, a student in Pomfret Hall noticed a camera had been stuck under the show- er wall while he was showering. e student tried to confront the perpetrator but couldn’t catch up with him. A call was placed to UAPD, where ocers were able to identify LeiaBrently Washing- ton using security camera foot- age. Washington was also a resi- dent of Pomfret Hall. A search warrant was then obtained aer speaking with the Washington’s resident assistant. Aer searching his cell phone and camera, videos were obtained of young men show- ering and toweling o in the by MATTIE QUINN Staff Writer see GUILTY on page 5 University Hosts First ‘Thank a Donor Day’ GARETH PATTERSON Sta Photographer Students gathered together last Wednesday, Thank a Donor Day, to sign the oversized ‘thank you’ card for private donors. Thank a Donor Day was designed to bring visibility to the any gifts that may go unnoticed by students. “There can never be too much attention given to the impact of private gifts on our campus,” said Rachel Neeley, director of annual programs. see LAMA on page 5 Pre-Reserved Student Tickets Must be Picked Up by 5 p.m. March 10 in the Union All students must have a Student ID Public Tickets on Sale March 15 Go to dalailama.uark.edu for full ticket information or call 479-443-5600
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The student-run newspaper at the University of Arkansas
Transcript of Mar. 2, 2011
PAGE 1 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 Vol. 105, NO. 22 UATRAV.COM
WEATHERFORE C AST
T O D AY T H U R S D AY F R I D AY W E E K E N D65° 67° 65° 50°
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011VOL. 105, NO. 22
UATRAV.COM
Quality, Quantity Found at UAFreshmen bring high grades, low crime
With a record number of students entering the university, being promoted to the highest Carnegie Classi!cation and the renovation of several building across campus the UA is seeing signi!cant growth and change.
Despite the continued growth of the freshmen class over the past couple of years, the UA doesn’t seem to be sacri!c-ing quality for quantity.
“When some universities see growth like we have, they some-times lose academic achieve-ment. We have only seen in-creased academic achievement. For example, this fall we saw
both our largest freshman class and our smartest yet,” said Su-zanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment.
In addition to hosting stu-dents with higher academic achievements over the past couple of years, UA sta" is also seeing a more diverse student body, thanks to the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship.
“We developed a map and mapped out di"erent parts of Arkansas that students were coming from both this past fall and the upcoming fall, and we saw a signi!cant rise in stu-dents coming from the Delta, which was typically underrep-resented in the past,” McCray said. “We’ve also seen a rise in
students eligible for Pell grants coming to school here, which we are pleased with. More stu-dents with higher !nancial need are enrolling than ever before.”
#e requirements for enter-ing the UA are a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a 20 on the ACT, al-though applicants that don’t meet both requirements are still encouraged to apply and have their application reviewed by the UA Admissions and Appel-late Board. #ese requirements have been in place for several years, and UA o$cials don’t ex-pect to change them for Arkan-sas residents despite the growth.
“For Arkansas high school students we will not change admission requirements. We
know that high schools around Arkansas are not even, and not everyone is receiving the same high school education, so it is important to us that we do not change the admission require-ments for in-state students,” McCray said. “However, in the coming years we may look to making out-of-state admission requirements a little tougher. We want Arkansas residents to be able to attend the UA !rst and foremost.”
Despite seeing a more di-verse campus, there is one stu-dent group that hasn’t seen a spike in numbers.
“Our numbers of non-tradi-GARETH PATTERSON Sta! Photographer
Quality and quantity have grown together during the 2010-11 school year, as UA o"cials have adapted to an unexpected spike in enrollment. Though freshmen classes are expected to grow in coming years, o"cials do not anticipate a decline in academic achievement among students.
by MATTIE QUINNStaff Writer
see GROWTHon page 3
Dalai Lama Tickets Available
to UA Students
by SABA NASEEMStaff Writer
In fewer than two months, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama will deliver one of his world-renowned addresses on non-violence at the Bud Walton Arena.
“#ere are millions of people in Tibet who would give their lives just to see a glimpse of the Dalai Lama. #ey can’t even have a picture of him,” said Geshe #upten Dorjee, a Tibetan monk and instructor in J. William Ful-bright College of Arts and Sciences. “#is is a great gi% for the university and for the students.”
Ticket reservation to the a%ernoon address began March 1 and will continue through March 8 for students. A%er March 8, ticket reserva-tions will be available to fac-ulty and sta" and students will be able to purchase extra tickets. As of production time Tuesday, 30 tickets had been reserved online, and 580 total had been reserved.
#e Dalai Lama’s visit is part of the University’s Dis-tinguished Lecture Series, and was made possible through the e"orts of Sidney Burris,
director of the honors pro-gram in the Fulbright Col-lege, and Geshe Dorjee.
In the summer of 2009, the pair met the Dalai Lama on a trip to India, as part of the Tibetans in Exile Today TEXT project.
E"orts to bring the Dalai Lama to the university began when Dorjee !rst came to the UA, Burris said. His Holiness turned down two letters of invitation before he accepted the third one in March 2010.
Preparations have been nonstop since then, Burris said.
“I’ve never helped orga-nize the Dalai Lama’s visit before, and I’ve discovered it’s like a tsunami,” he said. “#ere are so many things to do.”
Burris and Dorjee have hosted various events throughout the year to pre-pare the community for the Dalai Lama’s visit.
“It is important for stu-
Issues Continue for NWACCAs an investigation into
payroll discrepancies and job misalignment at NorthWest Arkansas Community College continues, more questionable practices at the Bentonville in-stitution have been uncovered.
NWACC has been under investigation by the Arkansas Department of Higher Educa-tion and O$ce of Personnel Management sta" for giving un-authorized raises during a state-wide freeze on salary increases for state workers, including col-lege and university employees.
#e freeze, e"ective July 1 through Dec. 2, was announced in a May 26 memorandum is-sued by Richard Weiss, director of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
OPM sta" oversee classi!ed state employees and ADHE sta" oversee non-classi!ed state em-ployees, which are primarily col-lege administrators and faculty.
OPM discovered 32 NWACC employees received raises during the freeze. Seven-teen were found to be valid, two were corrected, !ve were found to be invalid and seven are still under review.
OPM personnel adminis-trator Kay Terry did not return phone calls requesting an up-date.
ADHE sta" found four state-appropriated positions needed to be realigned to match job duties more appropriately, said Brandi Hinkle, ADHE spokes-person. #e realignments moved four project/program managers down to project/pro-gram specialists.
Documents obtained by #e Traveler sta" from NWACC through the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act show that several administrators also re-ceived raises during the freeze. An Oct. 7 opinion issued by the state attorney general’s o$ce in-dicates the DFA director does not have the authority to impose salary restrictions on non-classi-
!ed employees because the Uni-form Classi!cation and Com-pensation Act and the Higher Education Expenditure Restric-tion Act direct that oversight to the state legislature.
A review of the college’s doc-uments show that many of these raises were given a%er the High-er Education Subcommittee an-nounced June 17 that the freeze applied to higher education and before the attorney general is-sued his opinion.
One of the administrators who received a raise during the freeze, Gina Miller, saw a salary change that went from $75,000 to $114,048 between March 2009 and June, according to employment memorandum personnel action forms. Miller held the highest supervisory role over the human resources department during the time the raises were given throughout the time of the freeze and during the subsequent investigation, ac-cording to organizational charts and other documents obtained from the college.
#ese memoranda indicate that Miller started March 16, 2009, at the state-appropriated position of counselor and was assigned the NWACC title of as-sociate vice president of human resources and organizational development with a salary of $75,000. Miller was moved into the state position of chief !scal o$cer Oct. 26, 2009 with the NWACC title of interim VP for !nance and administration with a salary of $92,885.
In a February 2010 interview, Miller said she is holding two positions, sometimes three.
“Finance is not my area, I don’t want to go deep into !-nance,” she said, although she added the college does not put someone into interim positions without evidence of quali!ca-tions.
NWACC o$cials were ac-tively searching for a vice presi-dent for !nance and the college was in the !nal stages of hiring someone, Miller said. However,
see NWACCon page 3
by DELCIE KINCAIDStaff Writer
Former UA Student Found Guilty of Video
Voyeurism
A a former UA student was found guilty of 10 counts of video voyeurism a%er he was discovered videotaping several male students in the showers of Pomfret Hall.
In December 2009, a student in Pomfret Hall noticed a camera had been stuck under the show-er wall while he was showering. #e student tried to confront the perpetrator but couldn’t catch up with him. A call was placed to UAPD, where o$cers were able to identify LeiaBrently Washing-ton using security camera foot-age. Washington was also a resi-dent of Pomfret Hall. A search warrant was then obtained a%er speaking with the Washington’s resident assistant.
A%er searching his cell phone and camera, videos were obtained of young men show-ering and toweling o" in the
by MATTIE QUINNStaff Writer
see GUILTYon page 5
University Hosts First ‘Thank a Donor Day’
GARETH PATTERSON Sta! PhotographerStudents gathered together last Wednesday, Thank a Donor Day, to sign the oversized ‘thank you’ card for private donors. Thank a Donor Day was designed to bring visibility to the any gifts that may go unnoticed by students. “There can never be too much attention given to the impact of private gifts on our campus,” said Rachel Neeley, director of annual programs.
see LAMAon page 5
Pre-Reserved Student Tickets Must be Picked Up by 5 p.m. March 10
in the Union All students must have a Student ID
Public Tickets on Sale March 15
Go to dalailama.uark.edu for full ticket information or call 479-443-5600
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 PAGE 2
The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper at the University of Arkansas, is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring academic sessions except dur-ing exam periods and university holidays.
Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily refl ect the opinion of The Traveler. The editor makes all fi nal content decisions.
One copy of The Arkansas Traveler is free to every member of the UA commu-nity. Additional copies can be purchased for 50 cents each. Mail subscriptions for delivery within the continental United States can be purchased for $125.00 per se-mester. Contact the Traveler Business Manager to arrange.
CONTACT
ABOUT THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
119 Kimpel Hall University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR 72701
479.575.3406 [main] 479.575.3306 [fax][email protected]
Call The Traveler E-mail The Traveler
EDITORIAL
CORRECTIONS The Arkansas Traveler strives for accuracy in its reporting and will correct all
matters of fact. If you believe the paper has printed an error, please notify the editor at 575.8455 or at [email protected].
The women and men of the University of Arkansas Police Department, in partnership with the community, are com-mitted to protecting the future of Arkansas by promoting a safe and secure environment.
The Transit and Parking office handles parking permits and passes and transit for students, including bus routes and GoLoco Ride Sharing. Students with parking violations can contact the office to appeal their citation.
NEED TICKETS? CALL 1-800-982-4647
NEED A RIDE AT NIGHT? CALL 575 - 7233
NEED EMERGENCY HELP? CALL UAPD 575-2222
HAVE A TICKET? CALL 575-7275 TO RESOLVE IT
Otherwise known as 575-SAFE, the mission of the Safe Ride program is to provide students with a safe means of transportation from any uncomfortable or inconvenient situation. Safe Ride brings you home safely.
Don’t forget to call early and reserve your student football tickets for the 2010-2011 season. The ticket office is located on Razorback Road next to Baum Stadium.
CAMPUS NUMBERS
BAILEY ELISE MCBRIDEEditor [email protected]
MILLE APPLETONManaging [email protected]
LINDSEY PRUITTFeatures [email protected]
JIMMY CARTERSports [email protected]
SARAH CHAMPAGNEPhoto Editor
ADVERTISING GRAPHICS
ERIK NORTHFELLLead Designer
AMANDA ANTHONYGraphic Artist
ADVERTISINGCANNON MCNAIRSales [email protected]
BRIAN [email protected]
JOSE LOPEZCirculation Manager
TAMMY LIPPERTCampus/Non-profit
575-7594 [email protected]
ZACK ALLEN575-8714
LANA HAZELManaging Editor
for New Media575-3226
NICK DEMOSSNews Editor
JORDAIN CARNEYAsst. News Editor
ERIN ROBERTSONAsst. Features Editor
SAMANTHA WILLIAMSOpinion Editor
ZACH TURNERAsst. Sports Editor
DESIGNERS
KRISTEN MARY WEAVER News Designer
LEAH YOUNG Features Designer
TAYLOR WHITESports Designer
PROFILE FROM THE HILLA Conversation with Mikala PartonMikala Parton has enough
on her plate with the course-load that comes with being a junior biochemistry major, but she takes time out of her busy schedule to help those other than herself. Mikala volunteers with Full Circle, the food bank in Bud Walton Hall that serves UA students and faculty.
Q: What do you do with Full Circle?
A: We stock shelves and we fill orders. Then when the people who’ve requested the order come, we give it to them. They show their ID and the order is already filled, sitting on the shelf.
Q: What is Full Circle’s purpose?
A: It’s for students that are going to school and they
don’t have enough money to get food. They go online and fill out a form of what they want and we fill their orders.
Q: How did you get in-volved with Full Circle?
A: I was actually on Face-book, and I saw it as a re-quest of ‘People You May Know.’ I looked on there, and I read about what they were all about. I e-mailed, and Julia got back with me.
Q: What motivates you to volunteer?
A: I’ve been there where you don’t know where your next meal is going to come from, and I think that it’s a great thing to have. That’s why I’m there, because I’ve been there, done that. It’s just something that is close to my heart.
Q: What’s been your most fulfilling moment
thus far?
A: It’s just great to fulfill people’s need and see the smile on their face.
Q: Where does Full Cir-cle get it’s supplies and food from?
A: Donations. I believe that Sam’s Club has donated. I think Walmart has donat-ed, too.
Q: Are students able to donate?
A: Oh, yes. Yes, anybody.
Q: What types of food and supplies do you pro-vide through the program?
A: Cereal, rice, crackers, soup, canned veggies, coffee and snack food. But there are also personal things like deodorant, body wash and soap. There are also T-shirts and socks in there, too.
Q: What would you say to encourage people to give or even volunteer with Full-circle?
A: It’s a great thing to know that you’re helping someone in need. Donate, donate, donate because it is going to help the cause.
Q: What would you say to encourage people who need the service to take ad-vantage of Full Circle’s mis-sion?
A: Just come in there. Don’t be afraid. If you need it, you need it. We’re happy to do it. That’s what we’re here for, and everybody feels that way.
Q: What is your favorite pastime?
A: My daughter Lily and music.
by KRISTEN COPOLLAStaff Writer
PAGE 3 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011
CHECK US OUTONLINE @ uatrav.comTo advertise, contact Cannon McNair
at 479.575.3839
tional students remain steady, and we haven’t seen much growth there. However, our numbers for transfer students had continued to grow over the past couple of years,” McCray said.
When universities see re-markable growth, this can sometimes also mean a growth in crime as well, which has not been the case for the UA.
“In the past couple of years we really haven’t seen a sig-ni! cant amount of growth in crime. We have seen a spike in students getting alcohol viola-tions and there has been an in-crease in the" , but that is main-ly from scooters le" . Scooters on campus have become more and more popular over the past couple of years, and we’ve seen more and more people just picking them up and put-ting them in trucks and driving away,” said Lt. Gary Crain of the UAPD.
Despite the increase in stu-dents, Crain doesn’t plan on adding much sta# to UAPD anytime soon.
“We are in the process of hiring one or two more people, but no more than that. We live in a community, not a metropo-lis. It takes about six to eight months to train a new o$ cer, and without a signi! cant in-crease in crime, we don’t re-ally need to spend the time and money training a bunch of new o$ cers,” Crain said. “We are a service-oriented department, one of our biggest jobs is help-ing out all of the new students, many of which have never been on their own before. So we are busy, but not overwhelmed.”
Rest assured that even though the UA is growing, the administration is prepared.
“We’ve been preparing for this for some time now, and have taken proactive steps to make sure we can house and teach more and more students,” McCray said.
GROWTHfrom page 1
the position remained vacant for eight months, until October when Marty Parsons was hired, according to board minutes, or-ganizational charts and a state-ment from NWACC spokesper-son Mark Scott.
Miller was moved into the state position of dean for insti-tutional technology in January 2010 with a newly created col-lege title of VP for talent man-agement and institutional tech-nology with a salary of $110,000.
% e employment term for that position ended at the end of the 2010 ! scal year, June 30, at which time Miller’s NWACC title changed to vice president for administration with a salary of $114,048.
Employment memoranda are required when an employee is hired or transferred, accord-ing NWACC’s Administrative Policies and Procedures Manu-al. % e memorandum calls for signatures of the department head, a cabinet representative, the executive director of hu-man resources and the presi-dent or his/her designee. % ere is also a signature ! eld for the employee. Section 2-4-19 of the manual says the signatures of the director/department head/dean, a cabinet member, and the president or his/her designee is required to hire full-time em-ployees.
% e memorandum mov-ing Miller to her $114,048 sal-ary shows two people – not the college’s usual ! ve – signed her memorandum. NWACC’s president, Becky Paneitz, signed as the cabinet representative and president. Miller signed as both the executive director of human resources and as the employee receiving the raise. Both ini-tialed the department head sig-nature block.
Paneitz was not available for comment because of a loss in the family.
Scott said in an email that Paneitz’ and Miller’s were the only two signatures necessary.
However, the earlier mem-orandum to give Miller her $110,000 salary was signed only by Miller, who signed as the executive director of human re-sources.
Scott said he wasn’t sure if the college cabinet, which con-sists of the VPs and president, knew about the memorandum for Miller’s $114,048 salary.
“It is my understanding the raise was given to ensure that all VPs were paid on the same scale,” Scott said.
% e state appropriations act allots di# erent maximum sala-ries for the various positions to which the NWACC VPs were assigned. Records indicate that the actions taken to equalize the salaries of the VPs have re-sulted in increasing several of the salaries above the maximum amount appropriated by the state.
Dates on the $114,048 Miller memorandum indicate that it was approved 20 days a" er the state’s freeze was enacted and prior to the attorney general’s opinion being issued. A note in the “comments” ! eld at the bottom of Miller’s employment memorandum gave the instruc-tion to “please retro back to 7/1/10,” meaning Miller would receive the raise inclusive of the day the freeze began.
An email sent from Paneitz to all college personnel Nov. 29 indicated Miller was on medical leave.
“It is agreed she [Miller] would be out for several more weeks to focus on a few remain-ing diagnostic tests,” she said.
On % e Traveler’s sta# re-quest for documentation of medical leave forms with medi-cal information redacted as per law, Scott instead provided email exchanges from Miller to Paneitz and Steve Gates, senior VP for advancement.
“Miller was on leave re-lated to her medical condition throughout November and De-cember,” Scott said in an email.
“It looks like Miller used sick leave, vacation leave and admin-istrative leave during that time,”
Scott said, in a separate email.Scott could not provide that
speci! c documentation or spe-ci! c dates associated with her absence as requested.
Application for sick leave is to be ! led within two days a" er the employee returns to work. % e section also states that ab-sences due to sick leave shall be charged in the following order: (1) earned sick leave (2) earned annual leave (3) leave without pay, according to NWACC’s policy Section 2-5-5. % e holi-day and leave policy in Section 2-5-3 authorizes the president to make rare exceptions to college leave policy under emergency or extenuating circumstances.
In Miller’s Oct. 22 email to the college cabinet, she said she had received a request from her doctor and had received per-mission from Paneitz to begin immediate medical leave. Miller said in the email she hoped to return on Nov. 9.
Miller sent an email to Gates and Paneitz Nov. 5, stat-ing she would not be returning on Nov. 9 and she would like to get Gates’ approval of the ad-ditional time o# .
Another job change for Miller was announced Jan. 3 in the Weekly Announce-ments that are emailed to all college employees. % e an-nouncement indicated that Miller “requested a new po-sition with NWACC a" er re-turning from extended leave due to health reasons.”
According to the email, Paneitz honored that request.
The email indicated that Miller had been moved to the Corporate Learning Depart-ment as a training specialist in the state position of spe-cial instructor. Documents show she is making $71,000. According to the organiza-tional structure at NWACC, associate VP is the third highest-ranking title behind only the president and VPs. Miller is making approxi-mately $3,800 more than the associate VP for Corporate Learning.
NWACCfrom page 1
PAGE 4 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
EDITOR: Bailey Elise McBride MANAGING EDITOR: Mille Appleton
You can check outthe Traveler online at
uatrav.com or byscanning here:
! e Arkansas Traveler welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be at most 300 words and include your name, stu-dent classi! cation and major or title with the university and a day-time telephone number for veri! cation. Letters to the editor can be sent to [email protected]. Letters are edited for grammar and length, not content.
EDITORIAL BOARDEDITOR
MANAGING EDITOROPINION EDITOR
NEWS EDITOR
Bailey Elise McBrideMille AppletonSamantha WilliamsNick DeMoss
Facebook Threatens Self-Esteem
Higher Education Depends on You
FROM THE BOARD
According to a new survey, 65 percent of your peers can’t resist texting friends in their Thursday night lab to keep track of the Ronnie-Sammi drama happening on “Jersey Shore.”
Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but the University of New Hampshire did find that despite 49 percent of students saying they felt guilty for texting during a class that forbid the prac-tice, 65 percent sent about one text message per class anyway.
Not surprisingly, the study revealed that women are more likely to text than men, and business students text the most.
So what do these results mean? Everyone is guilty of send-ing the occasional text message in class, whether it’s for legiti-mate reasons or to in fact receive live updates about the status of Ronnie’s fidelity and Sammi’s emotional state.
The obvious problem with in-class texting is that it dis-tracts both students and teachers, and of course opens the floodgates for rampant cheating. Perhaps these reasons are the best case for banning texting in class.
However, the underlying issue with texting is far more complex than these results suggest.
While being distracted in World Lit is certainly an issue, our generation’s gradual shift toward complete emotional dis-engagement is the core of the problem.
Next time you’re in class, look around the room right be-fore the instructor begins lecturing and again immediately af-ter the class has ended. It would not be off-base to predict that more than half of the class would be texting, checking emails or talking on the phone.
Take a stroll around the Union and note how many stu-dents are texting as they walk, even when accompanied by friends.
There’s a fine line between staying connected and being to-tally removed from what’s happening around you. We hate to sound like your overprotective mom, but putting away your iPhone for an hour will not kill you.
A recent article featured on The Huffington Post was writ-ten by a man who made an agreement with his girlfriend that they would not bring their phones into the bedroom at night.
While he was checking emails and NFL blogs, she was pre-occupied playing Bejeweled. However, since their night-time phone ban, their relationship has taken a drastic turn for the better.
Instead of just being physically present, they are now men-tally and emotionally present.
So take a play from their book and set the phone down, start a conversation with the human being to your right and simply put — don’t let technology get the best of you.
We still have 22 months until the next presidential election. It’s probably di" cult to realize how far o# that re-ally is when a host of poten-tial candidates, current legis-lators and a variety of advoca-cy groups have already begun positioning themselves on the “politically correct” side of the spectrum.
In Little Rock, members of our General Assembly are looking to score points over undocumented students, gun control and diminished ap-propriations. A cursory re-view of the bills already ! led demonstrates that there is a growing disconnect between many of their campaigns and their legislative action in the pursuit of social issues and crippling budget cuts.
In Washington, the politi-cal posturing is even worse. Ideological spats over fund-ing for Planned Parenthood, Pell Grants, the Environmen-tal Protection Agency and the Securities and Exchange
Commission have le$ our na-tion on the brink a government shutdown.
As a state, and more speci! -cally as a college campus, I won-der how much room we really have to complain.
According to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website, 46 percent of all registered voters in Arkansas cast a ballot in the 2010 election.
Additionally, they estimate that nearly one-third of all Ar-kansans eligible to vote are not currently registered. % is means that about 30 percent of Arkan-sans eligible to vote actually cast a ballot in 2010.
For those of us 18-29 years old, the statistics are even bleak-er. According to the Rock the Vote, less than a quarter of all registered voters in Arkansas within that age group went to the polls in 2010, and only half of those eligible to vote actually registered.
% is isn’t a new trend in the state or the nation. For a vari-ety of reasons, people feel disen-franchised by the political pro-cess and have chosen to remove themselves from it.
% is year as a student gov-ernment, we’ve taken a number of steps to address this issue on campus.
% roughout the fall semes-ter, we conducted student polls (which I’m sure many of you are still mad at me about) and host-ed call-in days over issues like the faculty and sta# pay freeze.
We returned last week from an advocacy trip to Washington. LaShunta Williams, Amanda Banwarth, Jacob White, Kelsey Kelton, and I spent several days meeting with Arkansas’ delega-tion about the proposed cuts for Pell Grants.
According to the Arkansas Department of Higher Educa-tion, only 18.1 percent of our population holds a bachelor’s degree and nearly 60 percent of residents qualify for Pell Grants. For this reason, we felt com-pelled to ask our congressmen and senators to continue invest-ing in our state’s higher educa-tion system.
Our conversation regard-ing Pell Grant funding was met warmly by the vast majority of Arkansas’ delegation. % ey were wonderful hosts and seemed genuinely excited to have stu-dent constituents making the trek to the nation’s capitol.
In the end, the House still passed their Continuing Reso-lution that calls for dramatic cuts to the program – nearly $800 per recipient. However, we returned from our trip con-! dent that our students — at least through ASG – have a di-rect line to our elected o" cials in Washington.
% is week, we are gearing up for a similar trip to Little Rock. You may not realize this, but the decision by our governor and general assembly to increase or decrease funding for higher ed-ucation will dramatically a# ect
our tuition rates next year.By this I mean that a de-
crease in state funding will likely equal a sizeable tuition increase, while a modest increase in state appropriations may o# set or minimize the spike in tuition for next fall.
While there are many other issues facing the UA, we made a conscious decision to leave social and controversial issues such as the DREAM Act and equal rights, out of our conver-sations with legislators.
We feel that it is our duty to advocate for the student body in as broad a manner as possible, and that has come in the form of Pell Grant funding and state ap-propriations.
For at least the next 22 months, I hope you will also ! nd time to commit to a wor-thy cause. % ere are about six weeks until the next ASG elec-tion, which again means there is plenty of time for you to have a voice in who will represent our student body next year.
As I contemplated running for this position last spring, and as I contemplate what I’m going to do when I relinquish it, I’m always reminded of Teddy Roo-sevelt’s “% e Man in the Arena” speech.
While criticism is a healthy and valuable part of the pro-cess, Roosevelt is right in assert-ing that “It is not the critic who counts…the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”
As human beings we crave acceptance. Whether we notice it or not, we are all overcome with this idea that we need to be accepted to feel whole.
We seek acceptance in many forms — from a pres-tigious university, from a high-ranking fraternity or sorority and especially from our peers. We long for ac-ceptance in all aspects of our lives.
Nothing quenches this thirst for belonging more than a famous social net-working website called Facebook. “Liking” statuses, accepting or denying friend requests, and comment-ing on walls and photos are among Facebook’s signature features.
A new study released by Soraya Mehdizadeh, a York University psychology stu-dent, reveals some not-so-surprising results about the
use of Facebook.Mehdizadeh examined the
online habits and personali-ties of 100 Facebook users be-tween the ages of 18 and 25 years old, who attend college at York.
She found that narcissists and those with low self-esteem are more drawn to Facebook and tend to be heavier users of the popular site.
It makes sense given that Facebook grants us the power to scrutinize, belittle and de-grade anyone we want if we choose to (and let’s face it, we have all been guilty of this at some point).
How o$ en have you heard comments like, “Did you hear what he said on Facebook?” and “Her pro! le picture is horrible!”?
Facebook users present themselves how they want to be seen, not necessarily as true representations of them-selves. We must have the best-looking pro! le picture, a lot of comments on our statuses, and a ridiculous number of
“friends” that tops everyone else.
All of these insigni! cant things trickle down to our need for acceptance. We want people to like and accept the things we say or do, and we want people to be our friends.
When it doesn’t turn out that way, we are crushed. Friendships are ruined and re-lationships are no more. Our self-esteem is le$ in shambles all because of a website that fuels this absurd idea that ac-ceptance is all that matters.
% e truth is that if we would place “acceptance” at the bottom of our priority list, the negative a$ ermath of not being accepted would vanish, ultimately bringing people to-gether, as opposed to breaking people apart.
Every day there are indi-viduals who choose not to post a picture, voice their opinion or make a comment because it might jeopardize their image.
Facebook may not be re-sponsible for the human de-sire to feel accepted, but it
is certainly doing its part in keeping the insecurities of its users alive and well.
We must understand that Facebook and other network-ing sites do not de! ne us. We are more than just a pro! le picture or a 100-word “about me.” If social media threatens your self-esteem, it might be the time to click “deactivate.”
Otherwise, say what you want to say, dress how you want to dress, post the pic-tures you want to post and you’re guaranteed to boost your con! dence and attract others in the process.
You must be true to your-self and by doing so, people will respect and admire the “real” you.
Granted, it may not turn out the way you hope or ex-pect, but at least by bump-ing “acceptance” a few notch-es down on your priority list, you’ll be showcasing some-thing far more important than a good-looking picture or an insanely large friends list — and that’s yourself.
FROM WHERE I STANDby Billy FlemingASG President
Marcus Ferreira STAFF CARTOONIST
LETTER TO THE EDITORThe Obama administration estimates that by the end of
this year the federal debt will be greater than the size of our entire economy. That amounts to nearly $130,000 of debt per US taxpayer. Yet, oddly, this paper’s February 23rd editori-al supported borrowing money to bankroll America’s largest abortion provider.
The article outlined Planned Parenthood’s contraceptive products, claiming “it is hard to argue that Planned Parent-hood isn’t providing a valuable and much needed service to the women and young people of our country.” Well, let’s take a look at some of their “services.”
In 2009 Planned Parenthood performed 332,278 surgical abortions in the US, contrasted against helping a paltry 977 adoptions and providing only 7,021 mothers with prenatal services. So, if you’re a young, frightened, pregnant teenager visiting Planned Parenthood, your chances of being lead to an abortion are roughly 340 times better than adoption.
For me, there is a personal side to the data. My 8-year-old little brother was adopted right here in Fayetteville. His mother was a student and only met an adoption attorney in a fluke encounter. Originally, she visited the now-defunct abortion clinic in Northwest Arkansas. What if she had vis-ited a Planned Parenthood? Would she have gleaned all sorts of wisdom about safe sex?
More likely, I would have no memories of t-ball games, loose teeth, long road-trips, or big, goofy hugs from Seth. Many families on adoption waiting lists never experience these heart-melting joys. Planned Parenthood helps keep it that way.
Sure, they are required to use tax money to fund non-abortion services, which only frees up more of their $1.1 billion budget to coerce young women into elective abor-tions. Accounting gimmicks don’t alleviate the fact that many Americans oppose the government taking money from their paycheck, borrowing more, and then giving it to an organiza-tion they find morally bankrupt.
In this era of fiscal responsibility, we cannot even afford to keep all government spending for “good ideas,” so massive sacrifices must be made across the board. Republicans have executed several excellent first steps to reign in the budget. Denying an abortion provider millions of our dollars should be a no-brainer.
WILL SIMPSONFreshman, Economics and Finance
byJody BarbareeGuest Writer
PAGE 5 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011
Earthquake Swarm Felt at UA! e magnitude 4.7 earth-
quake that shook university students 11 p.m. Sunday was felt in Oklahoma, Mississip-pi, Missouri, Tennessee and throughout the state.
! e earthquake was one of more than 60 earthquakes in central Arkansas in the past two weeks, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Eight earthquakes have been re-ported since Sunday’s earth-quake.
! e earthquake had a mo-ment magnitude of 4.7, which is a measurement of energy, said Margaret Guccione, a professor of geology.
An earthquake with the same moment magnitude would produce di" erent re-sults in di" erent geographi-
cal locations and at di" erent depths. It was ranked as a 5 by the USGS on the Mercalli intensity scale, which the USGS describes as moderate shaking and very light dam-age.
! e Mercalli intensity scale measure the earthquake’s ef-fect on the earth, humans and surface structures on a scale from one to 12, where one is not felt, and 12 would de-scribe mass destruction, ac-cording to the USGS.
! ese quakes are part of an earthquake swarm that be-gan in August 2010 and has produced hundreds of small earthquakes, many of which were not felt.
A similar event has oc-curred in Arkansas before. ! e Enola swarm began in January 1982, and about 30,000 earthquakes were felt
in a three to four year stretch of time with no explanation, Guccione said. ! e largest earthquake during the Enola swarm had a magnitude of 4.5, according to the Arkan-sas Geological Survey.
Some experts are sug-gesting the earthquakes are in# uenced by the Fayetteville Shale play, an area in central Arkansas being explored for natural gases, Guccione said.
! e controversy centers around the practice of hy-draulic fracturing, or “frack-ing.” A$ er holes are drilled in the ground, they are % lled with water to exert pressure on the rock and cause frac-tures. Sand or chemicals are placed in the water to prevent the fractures from closing up a$ er the water drains.
Once this process is com-plete, the water is contami-
nated, so rather than allow-ing it to # ow into the water supply, it is extracted and put into deep injection wells, Gu-ccione said.
Injection wells were con-nected with earthquakes at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Commerce City, Colo. in the early ‘90s. When the use of injection wells was dis-continued, the earthquakes stopped.
! e Arkansas Oil and Gas commission placed a morato-rium on injection wells earlier this year, but it is too soon to see if there is a connection be-tween the wells and the earth-quakes, Guccione said.
! ere were no injec-tion wells during the Enola swarm, and neither swarm appears to be connected to the New Madrid fault zone, Guccione said.
by HAILEY RAYStaff Writer
New Bumpers Associate Dean
Namedby LIBBI STURM
Staff Writer
Faculty members are shi$ -ing positions in the Dale Bumpers College of Food, Agriculture and Life Sci-ences as Lona J. Robertson was named the associate dean February 16.
An associate professor in the school of human and en-vironmental sciences since 2006, Robertson said she will complete the course load she is teaching this semes-ter while balancing the new meetings and responsibilities added to her schedule.
! e most recent associate dean, Donna Graham, will return to her previous faculty position as a professor of ag-riculture and extension edu-cation.
! e new position is “going to be a big change,” Robertson said, but she intends to con-tinue interacting on a person-al level with students.
“I don’t see myself just sit-ting in an o& ce, but instead connecting with students through committees and with the college ambassadors,” she said.
! e personal level of stu-dent-faculty relationships in the Bumpers College is a strength Robertson said she wants to continue to improve while she is associate dean.
“My philosophy is you al-ways can keep getting better,” she said.
At the UA, Robertson has been researching aspects of merchandising, especially is-
sues a" ecting the local events Bikes, Blues and Barbeque and Bikes, Babes and Bling.
In coordination with hos-pitality professors Jean Turner and Kelly Way, she is studying the shopping and spending behaviors of people who at-tend motorcycle rallies. ! ere are many new factors to con-sider with the launch of the rally targeted toward women, Robertson said.
Robertson brings more than 10 years of post-doctor-ate experience from Oklaho-ma State University to the po-sition. ! at includes % ve years as the assistant dean for aca-demic programs and services in the OSU college of Human Environmental Sciences.
While at OSU, she led the development of an online master’s degree program for family % nancial planning.
She received her bach-elor’s degree in fashion mer-chandising and her master’s in clothing and textiles from Florida State University. At Indiana State University, Rob-ertson received her doctorate in education and was an assis-tant professor of textiles, ap-parel and merchandising.
“I’m really excited to be working with faculty and stu-dents in the new position,” Robertson said. “I’m looking forward to the transition.”
As to the reason for the shi$ in positions, Robertson said she could not comment for Graham, but personally “likes a little change occasion-ally” and so applied for the position.
showers of Pomfret Hall wing B, third # oor, according to police records.
A$ er the videos were ob-tained, Washington admitted to his involvement and was trans-ported to the Washington Coun-ty Detention Center. He was then suspended and received a ‘no-trespass’ letter from the UA.
During his trial, Washington pleaded not guilty to the charges and said he only began taping the young men out of curiosity. He went on further to say he was sorry for what he did and never meant any harm.
A jury took about an hour to % nd Washington guilty and took approximately three more hours of deliberation to recom-mend eight years in prison and a $15,000 % ne.
Video voyeurism is a Class-D felony that is punishable by up to to six years in prison.
GUILTYfrom page 1
dents to research the Dalai Lama and his importance in this world,” Dorjee said.
! e Dalai Lama is an em-bodiment of love and com-passion, he said. He has a huge responsibility for the fu-ture of Tibetans, both cultur-ally and politically.
! is Dalai Lama is known as the greatest of all 14 Da-lai Lamas, Dorjee said. He won the Noble Peace Prize in 1989 and has received count-less awards and recognitions around the world.
Tibetans generally believe him to be the reincarnation of his predecessors and a mani-festation of the Buddha.
“During the dying process, the Dalai Lama leaves various signs and messages about the place of rebirth and then a$ er his death, the search for the
new Dalai Lama begins,” Dor-jee said.
! is 14th Dalai Lama was born in Takster, Qinghai and was selected as the rebirth of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two. However, he was not formally recognized as the Dalai Lama until he was 15 years old.
He # ed to India during the 1959 Tibetan Uprising and es-tablished a government in ex-ile. Ever since his exile, he has traveled around the world for talks and lectures on various issues including compassion and non-violence.
His lecture at the UA will be about non-violence in the 21st century.
“! e Dalai Lama has be-come the most well known advocate for non-violence,” Burris said. “His message is to this younger generation of students who will face a world where di" erences will be ap-
parent, and non-violence is something they need to learn to embrace.”
! e Dalai Lama will also be part of a panel discussion with Sister Helen Prejean and professor Vincent Harding, both advocates of non-vio-lence.
“! is panel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students,” Burris said. “! ey will be able to hear three of the greatest advocates of non-violence talk to each other.”
Tickets to the morning panel will be available for $15 March 8 for regular seat-ing and for $18 for # oor and prime seating.
To learn more about the Dalai Lama, there are books available in the trade section of the campus bookstore.
Students can also visit http://www.dalailama.uark.edu for more information on the Dalai Lama.
LAMAfrom page 1
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
PAGE 6 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 SPORTS EDITOR: Jimmy Carter ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: Zach Turner
You can check outthe Traveler online at
uatrav.com or byscanning here:
COMMENTARY
Pelphrey’sJob Secure2011 Class On Deck
“Certainly, we overachieved last week.
“Obviously, I’m very, very excited to have secured another season.”
! at would be how John Pelphrey would answer a question about how wins over Kentucky and Auburn likely secured him another season at Arkansas.
To be clear, that won’t happen. Pelphrey won’t talk about
punching a ticket to coach the Razorbacks for a " # h season last week, but I will.
Pelphrey is no doubt concen-trating on the " nal two regular-season games against Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
! e Hogs " nish second in the SEC West and earn a " rst-round bye in the conference tournament if they win those two games.
Arkansas will probably break the 20-win barrier and the Razor-backs are a near-lock to host an NIT game.
! at’s progress and should buy Pelphrey an opportunity to coach the Hogs’ best recruiting class in the last 15 years.
Extra Points
JIMMY [email protected]
BASKETBALL
Seniors Shining At End of CareersWith two games remaining
in the regular season, including the last home game Wednesday against Mississippi State, three Razorback seniors are nearing the end of their collegiate careers.
Marcus Britt, Delvon John-son and Jemal Farmer have had very di$ erent roles and Arkansas careers, but the trio will go out together Wednesday on Senior Night against Mississippi State.
“With Britt being an in-state guy and then for Delvon and Je-mal to win their last game at home, we really want to win for them,” junior guard Rotnei Clarke said.
Britt has been here the longest.! e starting guard is " nishing
a productive four-year career for the Razorbacks, a# er being part of coach John Pelphrey’s " rst re-cruiting class. ! e Madison, Ark., native has played 110 games in a Hog uniform and saved his best season for last.
! e 6-foot-3, 198-pounder had the game-winning basket in the upset of then-No. 22 Ken-tucky Wednesday, followed by a 10-point, seven-rebound e$ ort in the win over Auburn.
“I have been doing pretty good lately,” Britt said. “I have been get-ting more shots up before and af-ter practice, so I think that has a lot to do with it.”
! e seven rebounds against the Tigers were a game-high and he provided clutch scoring.
“His last game was maybe his best game,” coach John Pelphrey said. “Certainly as good of a week as he has had last week. He has impacted the game in all areas. I thought his leadership, he was vo-cal out there and got guys huddled
up.”Britt is averaging a career-high
5.0 points per game this season, while also pulling down two re-bounds per game. He’s impacted the last two games, both Arkan-sas wins.
“He is capable of doing this every single game,” Clarke said about Britt. “He has now tak-en things from practice and put them in the game which we al-ways knew he could do that.”
Britt is on pace to graduate in December and said he plans to do so. A# er collegiate basketball, Britt said that he might go over-seas and try his luck at a profes-sional career or look for a high-school coaching job near home in Forrest City, Ark.
Johnson has had arguably the biggest turnaround of any Razor-back in history. ! e junior college transfer from Indian Hills in Ot-tumwa, Iowa, has started all 28 games for Arkansas this season a# er starting just " ve the previous season.
“He embodies what you want in a player from the standpoint of embracing the coaching and do-ing what is best for the team,” Pel-phrey said about Johnson.
In the Hogs’ win over Auburn, Johnson made -- like Britt against Kentucky — the game-winning shot. Johnson received a pass from point guard Julysses Nobles and dunked in the go-ahead bas-ket with " ve seconds remaining, giving Arkansas a 57-55 win.
“Seniors are supposed to make big plays,” Britt said. “So that is what me and Delvon have done for the past two games.”
Johnson’s averages from last season — 2.6 points and 2.4 re-bounds in 13.3 minutes per game — pale in comparison to the 6-foot-9 Chicago native’s produc-
tion this season. He’s averaged 9.4 points and 7.4 rebounds, while playing an average of 28.3 minutes per game.
“Since last season ended I told myself I am going to work hard since this is my last chance,” John-son said before the season started.
His hard work paid o$ , evi-denced in multiple big games this season.
Johnson had 18 points and 13 rebounds against UAB in Lit-tle Rock, both career-highs at the time. Johnson then broke those in
a home game against Troy, regis-tering 20 points and 14 rebounds.
“I think these guys (seniors) have gotten better and I think Delvon’s is very evident,” Pelphrey said.
No game may have been more impressive than Johnson’s game during the annual SEC-Big East Invitational against Seton Hall. ! e 220-pounder recorded 10 points and 12 rebounds, while swatting a career-high eight shots.
“I feel like Delvon, all his work is showing because of what he
did in the o$ season,” Clarke said. “! at is a tribute to him. I expect-ed that out of him because he said he was going to do it, and I took his word for it, and he has made a huge improvement.”
Johnson is the catalyst behind Arkansas’ shot blocking e$ orts this season. ! e Razorbacks rank No. 4 nationally with 6.2 blocked shots per game, while Johnson is
Gareth Patterson STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSenior center Delvon Johnson is a physical presence this season, averaging 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game for Arkansas.
see BASKETBALLon page 7
by ZACH TURNERAssistant Sports Editor
Lazas Performs Like a Veteran at SECsKevin Lazas is only a
freshman, but he’s already getting upperclassmen-like results.
In his first Southeastern Conference Championship meet, Lazas played a key role in Arkansas’ second-place finish, finishing second in the men’s heptathlon with 5,674 points, just one point shy of the national automatic quali-fier.
The 2011 SEC heptath-lon included the 60-meter hurdles, 60-meter dash, high jump, long jump, shot put, pole vault and 1,000-meter run. Lazas never finished out of the top 10, finished in the top three of five events and won the high jump.
He also set personal bests in the high jump and shot put. He jumped 2.00 meters in the high-jump and 13.21 meters in shot put.
“I had awesome people next to me,” Lazas said. “Ter-ry (Prentice) and Matt (Kir-bos) kept me up to speed and once my adrenaline hit, I knew to go for it.”
Lazas had been bothered by strained muscles in his feet over the past few weeks.
TRACK & FIELD
However, the injury seemed to have little effect on his performance. The defiance of his injury was especially apparent when Lazas led the crowd in a cheer before his fi-nal high jump attempt.
“My foot must be fine be-cause it didn’t hold me back,
but I was worried about it all week,” Lazas said. “During the jump I got so hyped up that clapping with the crowd just added to the fun.”
by BRANDON HOWARDStaff Writer
UA MEDIA RELATIONS Freshman Kevin Lazas placed second at the SEC Indoor Track Championships in the mens heptathlon.
see CARTERon page 8
see TRACK & FIELDon page 8
Clarke Wins SEC Player of the WeekArkansas junior guard
Rotnei Clarke was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week Monday for his performance in the Razorbacks’ wins against then-No. 22 Kentucky and Auburn.
Clarke averaged 21.5 points per game and hit six 3-pointers in the two confer-ence wins. He also won the honor Jan. 31 and has won it three times in his career.
“It’s a cool accomplish-
ment,” Clarke said. “Glory to God. It’s first and foremost because of Him. Then my teammates — it doesn’t hap-pen without my teammates. Coach (John Pelphrey) has put me in position to do that.”
The 6-foot, 184-pound-er’s 26-point effort against Kentucky helped lead the Razorbacks to a 77-76 over-time win. He hit 11-of-12 from the free-throw line in the contest and had a key 4-point play late in the game.
“Obviously you don’t get an award or recognition like
that without having played well,” Pelphrey said. “Cer-tainly it’s a team sport. I’m sure Rotnei would be the first to say that and give credit to his teammates.”
Clarke scored 17 points in 37 minutes in the Hogs’ 57-55 win Saturday over Au-burn.
“The reason I get open and score is because of my teammates, because they’re passing to me or screening for me,” Clarke said. “It’s a team thing.”
Clarke is averaging 14.4 points per game this season
and is shooting 43.4 percent from 3-point range.
Peterson Question-able, Scott Available for Mississippi State
Junior guard Jeff Peter-son’s status is uncertain for the Mississippi State game, but freshman Rickey Scott might see his first action in nine games Wednesday, Pel-phrey said.
Peterson injured his leg
BASKETBALL
by JIMMY CARTERSports Ediotr
see NOTEBOOKon page 7
BASEBALL
Ficociello Progressing at PlateBaseball coach Dave Van
Horn said before the season started that freshman Dominic Ficociello was a great defender that could play anywhere in the in" eld.
Ficociello has proven his coach right early in the season.
! e Fullerton, Calif., native has played exceptionally against Delaware State and Utah, playing both third and " rst base. Ficoci-ello’s 6-foot-4-inch, 185 pound frame makes him a versatile and athletic player in the in" eld.
“He’s a really good defender at both " rst and third,” Van Horn said.
Ficociello regularly " elds dif-" cult ground balls, despite total-ing two errors in six games. One of those errors, in the Hogs sec-ond game against Delaware State, resulted in Ficociello managing to tag the runner out at third de-spite committing the error that allowed the runner the opportu-nity to run.
“It always feels good to pick somebody up,” Ficociello said. “If (my teammates) come up a little short on a throw, I need to pick
by PATRICK GRINNANStaff Writer
see BASEBALLon page 8
Gareth Patterson STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSwitch-hitter Dominic Ficociello had a double from both sides of the plate in !"#$%#&'#%$($)*+#$,-).*/$*0*')%!$1!*"2
Gareth Patterson STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Guard Rotnei Clarke was named SEC Player of the Week for the second time this season after his performance in wins against Kentucky and Auburn.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 PAGE 7 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 PAGE 7
MarcusBritt
Senior, Guard6-foot-3
198 pounds5.0 points per game
18 minutes, 13 starts Senior Marcus Britt has been a steady competitor for Arkansas throughout his career. Over the past
two seasons Britt will have started over 30 games for the Razorbacks. Recently, Britt has hit the game-winning layup against Kentucky and recorded a career-high in rebounds with seven against Auburn. ! e Madison, Ark., native will be playing his last home game Wednesday against Mississippi State.
What is it going to be like for the last home game here in Bud Walton Arena?It is my last home game, so it is going to be really emotional.
You had a career-high seven rebounds with seven against Auburn. When did you realize this was your new career-high?
I think one of the coaches told me that I had seven rebounds. I was just going, since they have been trying to get me to go for the longest, so I needed to rebound more and that is what I did.
Coach Pelphrey said that was probably the best week you have had as a Razorback with the games against Kentucky and Auburn. Would you agree?
Oh yeah, I agree. I agree because I got seven rebounds, a career-high, so yeah.
What is it like to have been here for four years and then have a special week like that week?I think it is a good thing, but it was more of a preparation thing. I kept getting more shots up than
I usually do so I think that was a big part of it.
What is the di! erence in you as a player now than when you " rst got here?I think I have really improved o! -the-ball defense and taking good shots. I feel I have always
taken good shots, but now just more shots. " ey tell me everyday I need to shoot the ball more and be ready to shoot the ball, so I have been doing that for the past week.
Arkansas’ SEC West Scenarios
Johnson is the cata-lyst behind Arkansas’ shot blocking efforts this season. The Razorbacks rank No. 4 nationally with 6.2 blocked shots per game, while John-son is second in the South-eastern Conference, averag-ing 3.3 blocks per game.
“When this season came around, he has taken full ad-vantage of his opportunity,” Pelphrey said. “That is im-portant for players to un-derstand. Everyone wants an opportunity and you al-ways talk about that, but
when it comes your way all you are going to be ready to do is seize the moment, and I think he has done that.”
The third senior on the squad is Chicago native Je-mal Farmer.
Farmer started off his Ar-kansas career with a bang, recording a double-double against Alcorn State last season, scoring 28 points and getting 12 rebounds after transferring from Concordia Community Col-lege in Kansas.
Farmer played in all 32 games last season for Ar-kansas, averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds.
This season might have not panned out the way Farmer would have liked.
The 6-foot-5 forward has seen time in just 15 games for the Razorbacks and took what the program called a “personal leave” toward the beginning of conference play, missing a home game against Alabama and the road trip to South Carolina.
“I like Jemal,” Pelphrey said. “He has had a great at-titude and has worked hard.”
Farmer has played just an average of 9.8 min-utes per game this sea-son. Farmer is on track to graduate in May, Pelphrey said.
The 6-foot, 192-pounder has struggled in SEC play, but played well against Ken-tucky last week.
“He’s been getting treat-ment the last couple days,”
Pelphrey said Monday. “We’ll have to wait and see. It is muscular, so we’ll just have to wait and see how it re-sponds.”
Scott has struggled to re-cover from a knee injury suf-fered in the Razorbacks’ 73-64 win over Auburn Jan. 25. He struggled with an ankle
injury earlier in the season and has missed 15 games this year.
“He’s back practicing,” Pelphrey said. “Obviously, he’s just been out so much, we’re trying to get him caught up. He’s available from a health standpoint.”
from BASKETBALLon page 5
from NOTEBOOKon page 5
Alabama has clinched the SEC West’s No. 1 seed for the SEC Tournament. Arkansas, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are competing for the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 spots. Below are the standings and scenarios for the Razorbacks.
SEC Overall Remaining GamesArkansas 7-7 18-10 Mississippi State, at Ole MissMississippi State 7-7 15-13 at Arkansas, South CarolinaOle Miss 6-8 18-11 at Auburn, Arkansas
SCENARIO 1 Arkansas beats Mississippi State and Ole
MissArkansas gets the No. 2 seed
SCENARIO 3 Arkansas loses to Mississippi State, but
beats Ole MissMississippi State clinches the No. 2 seed.Arkansas clinches the No. 3 seed.SCENARIO 4 Arkansas beats Mississippi State, but loses to
Ole MissIF Mississippi State and Ole Miss beat South
Carolina and Auburn, respectively, there is a three-
SCENARIO 2Arkansas loses to Mississippi State and Ole
MissArkansas gets the No. 4 seed.
way tie at 8-8." e # rst tiebreaker is the records of the three teams
against each other. Mississippi State would be 3-1, Ole Miss would be 2-2 and Arkansas would be 1-3.
Mississippi State would get the No. 2 seed, Ole Miss would get the No. 3 seed and Arkansas would get the No. 4 seed.
IF Mississippi State beats South Carolina, but Ole Miss loses to Auburn, Arkansas and Mississippi State would be tied at 8-8.
Arkansas wins the third tiebreaker and gets the No. 2 seed because it went 1-1 against Alabama. Mississippi State went 0-2.
IF Ole Miss beats Auburn, but Mississippi State los-es to South Carolina.
Arkansas and Ole Miss are tied at 8-8. Ole Miss wins the tiebreaker because it swept Arkansas 2-0.
Ole Miss gets No. 2 seed and Arkansas gets the No. 3 seed. Mississippi State gets the No. 4 seed.
Ryan Miller STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PAGE 8 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011
the last 15 years.A coach needs talented players
to win. Pelphrey took Stan Heath’s
players to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament his ! rst season. Arkansas has beaten Ten-nessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky -- all teams more talented than the Hogs-- this season.
" e Razorbacks will rely on all ! ve freshmen to make an im-pact next season, but Pelphrey will have talent to work with.
" e Hogs’ lineup will look drastically di# erent next.
Below is how I think the start-ing lineup and rotation will look in 2011-12. " e thing to note is one of the nine players not graduating from this season’s team won’t re-turn next year. " ere are currently 14 players in 13 spaces for the ros-ter next season.
POINT GUARDB.J. Young — 6-foot-3, 170
pounds, freshman
Young has a chance to be the best Arkansas’ point guard since Kareem Reid. He’s incredibly quick and can penetrate e# ortless-ly. He can ! nish at the rim and dish to teammates. He doesn’t have a consistently great outside shot, but
he can shoot with range. He’s av-eraging more than 30 points per game, shooting almost 70 percent from the ! eld and better than 40 percent from 3-point range.
Young will be the ! rst ! ve-star recruit to make it to campus for the Razorbacks since Olu Famu-timi in 2003. He will give the Hogs length at point guard and could have an impact similar to Ken-tucky star freshmen point guards John Wall and Brandon Knight have had the last two seasons.
Backups: Julysses Nobles (6-1, 170, junior) and Je# Peterson (6-0, 192, senior)
Nobles is a great on-ball de-fender and uses his quickness to penetrate. He’s shown he can knock down 3-pointers and isn’t afraid to make a play at the end of a game. His decision-making is inconsistent, but Young’s arrival won’t keep Nobles playing impor-tant minutes.
Peterson has struggled at times in his ! rst season as a Hog a$ er transferring from Iowa, but has played better lately. " e key for him to get playing time will be to shoot better from the perimeter and limit careless turnovers. He’s probably the smartest player on the team and is a leader.
Freshman Rashad Madden will probably see time at point guard, too.
SHOOTING GUARDRotnei Clarke — 6-foot, 184
pounds, senior
Many Arkansas fans thought the incoming recruiting class would mean Clarke came o# the bench, but his performance down the stretch of SEC play this sea-son has shown he’s grown from a shooter into a scorer. He will bene! t greatly from the in% ux of freshman guards that can score and take pressure o# him. Oppos-ing defenses put their most athlet-ic defender on Clarke. " ey won’t be able to do that next year and he should have easier opportunities to score.
Backups: Mardracus Wade (6-2, 170, sophomore)
Wade has impressed this sea-son with his in-your-face defense and energy. He hasn’t shot well from the ! eld, but has good form and is a pure free-throw shooter. His hustle and tenacity will earn him playing time.
Freshman Rashad Madden will probably see time at shooting guard, too.
GUARD/FORWARD Rashad “Ky” Madden —
6-foot-5, 180 pounds, freshman
Madden will play all three
backcourt positions for the Razor-backs. He’s long, athletic and still growing. He can penetrate and ! nish. He’s a decent 3-point shoot-er and his mid-range jumper is very e# ective. He and Young give the Hogs athleticism and length in the backcourt. He was almost rat-ed a ! ve-star and will play major minutes early.
Backups: Aaron Ross (6-8, 230, freshman) and Rickey Scott (6-3, 195, sophomore)
Ross gives the Hogs size and skill on the wing and he can also play power forward, if needed. He doesn’t have great athleticism, but is smooth and skilled. He will be Arkansas’ second best shooter, be-hind Clarke. He could start and will play major minutes.
Scott has struggled with inju-ries in his freshman season, but has athleticism and strength.
FORWARD Marshawn Powell — 6-foot-7,
220 pounds, junior
Powell has struggled to recov-er from a broken foot in August and said he came back too soon. He’s shown signs of being close to 100 percent lately, evidenced by his 22-point, 10-rebound ef-fort against Kentucky. His “no comment” response to a question about whether his relationship
with Pelphrey is strained wasn’t a ringing endorsement and many fans fear he will try professional basketball at the end of the season. He’s been inconsistent this year, but a healthy, consistent Powell would make next year’s team dan-gerous. His coming back would be the most important o# season de-velopment for the Razorbacks.
Backups: Hunter Mickelson (6-10, 210, freshman), Glenn Bry-ant (6-7, 190, junior) and Marvell Waithe (6-9, 216, senior)
Mickelson will be a match-up nightmare for opponents. He needs to gain weight and strength, but has a guard’s skill set in a for-ward’s body. He can shoot, handle and might see time on the wing. He can defend and rebound. He’ll be a star once he gains weight, but he’ll still play a big role as a fresh-man.
Bryant is incredibly athletic and can be disruptive when he’s focused. He struggles against size, but can be a solid contributor if he can erase bad shot selection and defensive lapses.
Waithe has seen his playing time disappear in SEC games. He has the mindset of a wing player and the Hogs need him to play down low. He can contribute if he can make Delvon Johnson-like progress from his junior to senior season.
FORWARDDevonta Abron — 6-foot-8,
233 pounds, freshman
Abron is long, athletic and can play physical down low. Arkansas will need him to be a presence im-mediately. He’s also skilled and can shoot with range. His ability to ! ll Johnson’s role will be key if the Ra-zorbacks want to contend in the SEC.
Backups: Michael Sanchez (6-8, 236, senior)
Sanchez plays like a bull in a china shop at times, but he knows the system and plays with great e# ort. He will have to play major minutes again and his ability to be more consistent and cut down on turnovers will be key for the Hogs.
" e Hogs will be much more athletic, skilled and long next sea-son, but how the veterans and newcomers blend will be vital.
Pelphrey will have a talented, deep team next season.
He’s earned the right to coach the talent he recruited and see if he can make the Razorbacks compet-itive nationally again.
Jimmy Carter is the sports editor for " e Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every other Wednesday. Follow him on Twitter @jicartersports.
from CARTERon page 6
them up. " ey have to ! nish out the play, and if they make good plays I need to help them out.”
Ficociello has shown that he is a solid defender. He is third on the team with 23 putouts and touts a 93.8 ! elding percentage.
He was struggling at the plate entering the game Sunday, hit-ting just .091.
“He’s been over swinging,” Van Horn said. “He’s taking the same swing, and that’s a fastball-type swing, even with two strikes he’s taking too big a swing.”
Ficociello is a switch-hitter and said he and hitting coach Todd Butler worked on his bat-ting and hitting pitches in the zone. He responded by going 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the Ra-
zorbacks’ 10-1 win in the series ! nale against Utah.
“I’m starting to feel more and more comfortable (batting right-handed),” Ficociello said. “You have to work hard at both. " e goal is to stay comfortable from both sides of the plate.”
Ficociello’s practice paid o# Sunday.
Batting le$ y, he hit a boom-ing shot to right ! eld in the sec-ond inning that likely would have been a home run had it not been for the 32-mile per hour gusts that plagued the game.
“It was good to break out and ! nally see what I can do,” Ficoci-ello said. “My main problem was I was swinging at pitches out of the zone, being too aggressive.”
Ficociello also tight-roped a ball down the le$ baseline, hit-ting right-handed, scoring two runners to ! nish o# the rout.
While his power was on dis-play, it was his foul-line hit that impressed Van Horn. Ficociello was able to hold back his swing and bide his time, waiting for the perfect pitch.
“It was a 1-0 change-up that was down, and he took it,” Van Horn said. “He didn’t come out of his shoes, he just took it and it went ball three.”
Because Ficociello displayed the patience at the plate that Van Horn had been waiting for, Van Horn gave him the green-light to swing.
“I thought, ‘I’m going to re-ward him with a swing here,’ and he got a double,” Van Horn said. “It was good to see him get three hits in a game. Hopefully he’ll re-lax now. You’ve seen what he can do defensively, he’s really good at ! rst and third, so it’s nice to have a switch-hitter that’s doing well.”
from BASEBALLon page 6
Coach Bucknam, who foreshadowed Lazas’ perfor-mance leading up to the SEC Championships, was even more pleased with the results.
“We needed those big guys to come through for us,” Bucknam said. “I talked about if for a week and our guys came up big. Our kids
are aware of what’s going on and they know how to set the tone.”
Although Lazas’ score was short of automatically qualifying for the NCAAs, it should still be enough for him to make nationals be-cause it was high enough to place him on the bubble.
“God gave me a gift,” Lazas said. “I’m just out there trying to glorify His name.”
from TRACK& FIELDon page 6
Kevin Lazas
GYMNASTICS
Gymnastics Vaults Over BestArkansas’ gymnastics
team had a big weekend." e Razorbacks moved to
No. 12 in the nation a$ er up-setting No. 1 Florida 196.7-196.1 Friday and won at No. 45 Illinois-Chicago Sunday.
Arkansas’ point total against the Gators was a sea-son-high, a mark they almost
matched Sunday. " e Razor-backs clinched a tie with Flor-ida for the all-around title.
“Our team has ! nally ! g-ured it out,” Arkansas co-coach Mark Cook said. “" ey’re no longer uptight and tense. Now they relax as the competition goes on. I think the training and preparation has really paid o# .”
Junior Jamie Pisani won the all-around event for the third straight meet against Illinois-Chicago and also won the vault and % oor events. Her 9.95 and 9.90 scores in % oor and vault are tied for the school record.
During the individu-al events, Pisani was accom-panied by three outstand-ing teammates. Freshman Katherine Grable and soph-omore Jordan Salsberg tied for the beam title while se-nior Michelle Stout won bars.
“Jamie keeps getting better,” Arkansas co-coach Rene Cook said. “We’re really not quite sure how that is happening. What we do know is that she wants her teammates to get better, and that helps her out even more.
“Katherine has matured. She’s turned into what a colle-giate gymnast is supposed to be. While Jordan has gained con! dence every week, she al-most hyperventilated a$ er she got a 9.9 on vault. Just to see someone being that excited about what they’re doing in-fects all of us. She’s a delight.”
" e 2011 season has been especially memo-rable for seniors Michelle Stout and Stacy Bartlett.
Along with the recent scor-ing milestones set against Florida, they helped Arkan-
sas to its ! rst ever win over Georgia and ! rst win against LSU on the road. " e meet this weekend against No. 27 West Virginia will be their last home meet. Both coach-es credit the girls with help-ing to build the program up to national prominence.
“" ey’ve really given their heart to this program,” Mark Cook said. “It’s nice because you want to see every student
athlete come through your program and ! nish with class and poise like these two girls.”
" is weekend’s meet will be the last home meet before the season and the second to last before the SEC Champion-ships. " e SEC Championships start a$ er Arkansas’ ! nal meet March 19 at No. 18 Denver.
by BRANDON HOWARDStaff Writer
Gareth Patterson STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sophomore Jordan Salsberg and Arkansas’ gymnastics team jumped to No. 12 in the nation after beating No. 1 Flordia and Illinois-Chicago over the weekend.
Mark Cooke Rene Cooke
PAGE 9 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 Comics, Games, & Much Much More!
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
WORD SEARCH
CROSSWORD
THAT MONKEY TUNE Michael A. Kandalaft
BREWSTER ROCKIT Tim Rickard
WONDERMARK David Malki!
Peanut ButterPeanut Brittle
Spanish Peanuts
G.W.CarverBoiled PeanutsBeer Nuts
LAUGH IT UPQ: Why do Danish fi remen have red suspenders?A: To hold their pants up.
THEME: NATIONAL PEANUT MONTH
SUDOKU
You can check outthe Traveler online at
uatrav.com or byscanning here:
THIS WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
SOLUTION
E T E E E S G T N V S U P R N
S E E A R P W T B C H R I S T
R S V E E A C E T A T U T C A
E L O A T N A T R S E U P P B
A E L T T I R B T U N A E P E
P P I C U S V B T R R H L U E
V H A C B H E V E T S E R T S
T S P U T P R E U E L A A I T
U W N S U E B T E V N S E O E
A S T U N A E P D E L I O B T
L E N T A N U H I U P A P T U
L T N E E U U B R H E T B H P
A T R U P T P T S C V S T E R
U T T E N S I T T E D G B V R
A P A T E E N R R G I N A S S
Q: What kind of car does Dracula drive?A: A Honda.
CALAMITIES OF NATURE Tony Piro
ACROSS1 Sort through, as for clues2 Fit of fever3 It’s near the 17-Across4 Put one over on5 Cellist with 16 Grammys6 Item in a fall stash7 Art able to8 Tropical cyclone center9 41st president, a! ectionately10 Clear as __11 Slowly, in music12 “It slices! It dices!” gadget Veg-O-__13 Wallop18 Zephyr22 Journalist Nellie24 What all good things come to25 Crazy, in a Ricky Martin song26 Month a" er Shevat27 Increase28 November honorees32 Liar Joe in old TV car ads33 Hip # ask quickie35 Greenish blue36 Sidekicks37 Verdi opera38 Projector’s slide holder40 Rigidly in# exible process41 Worked arduously46 Arles article48 Like the preferable evil49 Rum-soaked cakes50 Lincoln Center’s __ Fisher Hall51 Allude (to)52 Verdi aria that means “It was you”53 Strasbourg sweetheart54 Eucalyptus muncher57 Jaguar and Impala58 Verve59 Hearty entrée61 1963 Paul Newman $ lm62 Casual top
DOWN
Crossword by MCT Campus
1 Pert6 Top grade, in slang9 Trees along tropical beaches14 Aptly named cooler brand15 Small island16 Perpendicular to the keel17 Not-so-humorous humerus spot19 Tri- plus bi-20 Drink from leaves21 Hockey legend Bobby et al.22 Sea north of Poland23 Exam taker’s dread25 Grubs and maggots29 Manhattan sch.30 “Gar$ eld” pooch31 Fan mag34 Annual parade celeb39 Daydreams42 Joe Cocker’s “You __ Beau-tiful”43 Formal coi! ure44 Alan of “% e Aviator”45 Slangy “No reason”47 “Amen to that!”49 Devoid of niceties, as some politics55 Disinclined56 Works a tough row?57 “% e Amazing Race” airer60 Prove apt for61 Racer’s edge, or the ends of 17-, 23-, 39- and 49-Across, un-# atteringly63 Mountain ridge64 www address65 Otherworldly66 IHOP condiment67 1/30 of abril68 Seed anew
Di! culty:
Di! culty:
PAGE 10 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
FEATURES EDITOR: Lindsey Pruitt ASST. FEATURES EDITOR: Erin Robertson
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Dickson Street will pay tribute to Bourbon Street next week as madness ensues in the annual 2011 Mardi Gras of Fayetteville. ! e organizers, who call them-selves the “Demented Krewe,” have been hard at work, and they are excited about their twentieth year of nonsense and mayhem.
“I am absolutely " abbergasted at the size that this event has be-come,” said Dixie Rhyne, who also goes by the pseudonym “Demented Duchess.” “It is al-ways a surprise to us how many folks show up and participate,” she said.
! e Mardi Gras of Fayetteville, which the Krewe claims is the largest such celebration in the state, began in 1992 with only 45 people. It now hosts thousands of " amboyantly garbed party goers who take great pride in parading joyously through the streets each year.
A Krewe, by de# nition, is an organization that puts on a pa-rade or a ball during Carnival season. In Fayetteville, Krewes build " oats as well and compete to win di$ erent prizes. ! ose who make up Krewes range from representatives of local businesses and restaurants to highly spirited individuals with lots of streamers and, one would assume, a large garage.
! e Krewes all have colorful names and traditions. Krewe Des Vineuax used to bring their trademark giant wine bottle, complete with an arrestingly dressed female member strad-dled atop the cork.
Krewe Des Cajuns and Krewe
Garcon De Partie both brought " oats for many years. One Krewe, whose " oat included a (short-lived) # re breathing dragon, was dubbed “Krewe de Flambeau” a% er it was reduced to ashes shortly following the dragon’s # rst exhalation. ! ere have also been mechanical sharks and Polynesian dancers, among other oddities, involved in past parades.
! is year’s party will begin on Fat Saturday, March 5, with the family-friendly Parade of Fools.
Beginning in the Fayetteville Square, participants dress in extravagant costumes, some of which are made almost en-tirely of glitter, beads and feath-ers. & ! ese walkers accompany grandiose " oats of all shapes and themes and wind their way to Dickson Street, gathering a% er-wards in the carnivalesque set-ting erected outside the Walton Arts Center.
“! ere is some pretty intense competition this year between Krewe Olympia and Krewe Boar Rouge as to the " oat awards, so it will be great fun to see what they come up with,” Rhyne said.
In comparison, however, Sat-urday is only a teaser for the main event on Fat Tuesday, which falls on March 8. ! e King and Queen of Mardi Gras will be crowned at José’s as revelers swarm down Dickson Street in merry, disorderly fashion all eve-ning, throwing beads and candy to onlookers – including police-men.
Accordions and washboards will be the prominent sounds of the evening, as an expected 10,000 people " ood the down-town area in celebration of Car-
nival season.“In the early pictures you can
tell that it was basically a private rolling party, nowadays ten thou-sand people show up,” Rhyne said.& “We are always amazed.& Had anyone asked us in 1992 whether we thought we’d ever have a parade with " oats or any event at all in 20 years, we’d have said ‘well, we hope so,’ but we would have had huge doubts.”
Al “Papa Rap” Lopez, host of the bilingual children’s television show “What’s up/Qué pasa?” will be this year’s grand mar-shal. &“We are all very impressed with his work with& young people,” said Rhyne. “His level of community& involvement in-spires us all, the kids love him, and we couldn’t imagine a better or more fun&candidate for grand marshal.&& We’re so proud to have him.”
A new event this year is the Funkytown Masquerade Ball, which will take place at 7 p.m. at the East Square Plaza in the Fayetteville Square& on Saturday, March 5. &! ere will be a cash bar limited to patrons 21 and up. En-tertainment will be provided by the Sarah Hughes Band, as well as Snake Eyes and the Bug Band. Tickets are $10 and can be pur-chased at Dark Star Visuals on Block Street, at the door, or from any Mardi Gras krewe member.
! e ending lines of the Kreed of the Krewe embody this enthu-siasm they have devoted to this party for 20 years now.
“To act a fool is a # ne thing.& To act a fool in public is to bring honor on one’s house. To act a fool in public in outrageous garb, ah, that is the stu$ of legends!”
Dickson Street Transforms to Bourbon Streetby ANDREW VAN GENDEREN
Staff Writer
The doors clang with a cruel feel. The concrete walls were confining. But amid the prison walls of the North-west Arkansas Community Corrections Center, Emily Bost said holy ground ex-isted within the space. Bost, a deacon at St. Paul’s Epis-copal Church, with her deep brown eyes, slightly graying hair and skin lightly touched by age, ministers to area in-mates.
The prison, which houses non-violent female offend-ers, did not emanate with an inviting feel at the door. But books are not to be judged by their covers. Bost, along with other participating minis-ters, signed in, was given a blue volunteer badge and then escorted to the down-stairs room. A tulip-filled vase and battery operated candles decorated the make-shift altar on a bolted-down picnic table.
Tom Browder, the prison’s chaplain, glanced over at Lowell Grisham, who would lead the service. He waited for the signal. Grisham nod-ded. Browder then held the walkie-talkie to his mouth.
“Time to announce church,” he signaled to the staff.
And within minutes, the women, dressed in their yel-low prison clothes, stepped into the room. The ministers and the inmates greeted each other with smiles and hugs. Bost embraced the women as they gathered into the room. The women, giddy with ex-citement, hugged her in re-turn and told her about their week. And then they turned and embraced each other, the only opportunity they’re allowed to touch each other while confined to the prison.
Where it BeganDuring an initial visit, Bost
sat in her office, found down East Avenue, just north of the Fayetteville square, and
recounted her first experi-ence at the prison from 3 years ago. Her words painted the scene: It was Christmas Eve. No elaborate decora-tions were hung in the down-stairs prison room. There wasn’t a parish choir to sing Christmas carols. No signs of a traditional Christmas Eve church service were evi-dent. Instead, the ministers, dressed in their vestments, prepared the altar amid the hard steel and concrete space, while they awaited the prisoner’s arrival. Bost didn’t know what to expect once the inmates filed in.
The service began. And then every tingling nerve she had was put to rest that night. She watched as pris-oners freely exchanged peace among themselves. Bost de-scribed the events unfolding around her and lifted her voice, “It was like a miracle that night. Jesus was born and he blessed this space to worship.”
She watched an inmate shyly approach the warden to exchange the peace. The inmate stuck her hand out, but was surprisingly received into the arms of the woman who controlled her fate.
“You were witness to a mir-acle,” Bost gleamed. Despite
the hard cinder block walls and steel bars, warmth ex-isted in the prison, she said. “I was going to melt into a puddle on the floor!”
And this was just the be-ginning.
The warden asked Bost and the ministers with her to come back. And not just for the next Christmas Eve service. She wanted the min-isters to come every Sunday evening.
Bonds CreatedDuring the Feb. 13 ser-
vice, Bost’s hand intertwined perfectly with that of Ranee Dane, who will soon finish her sentence and be released from the prison. Grisham blessed her and traced the sign of the cross with oil on her forehead. He did the same for another inmate who will soon leave the pris-on too. The women gathered around the two, some hold-ing hands, some with arms around each other. Women standing near Dane were overwhelmed with emotion as she was blessed.
Dane has spent the last 10 months at the prison because of a prescription drug addic-
Holy Ground Found in Prison Walls
Sarah Champagne PHOTO EDITOR
by SARAH GUINNStaff Writer
Emily Bost, a deacon at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church ministers to non-violent female o! enders at the Northwest Arkansas Community Corrections Center.
Musicians from across the Ozarks are set to square off in the Battle of the Bands March 4 in the Union Ball-room.
“We have some really good bands this year,” said Jona-than Chesser, University Programs Concerts chair.
There will be six groups in competition, their sounds ranging from Austin Col-lazo’s soft, rhythm guitar driven ballads to the alter-native, Hoobastank-esque instrumental rock of Dae-dalos. What they all have in
common, however, is that they represent talent found on the UA campus.
“These are all student bands,” Chesser said. “Our reasoning behind all of this is to promote student talent.”
Not all the band mem-bers need be UA students or graduates, but there is a home-grown standard for entry. “Bands need to have to have at least one student and submit a demo CD be-fore they can officially ap-ply,” Chesser said.
There will be audience giveaways during the con-cert, including shirts, iTunes gift cards, and other sur-prises.
The event runs in conjunc-tion with “Hawgi Gras,” the theme of the evening’s Fri-day Night Live activities. Other performers and art-ists will be displaying their talents across the evening leading up to the Battle of the Bands. The Battle begins at 10:00p.m. , following gui-tarist Noah Earle’s acoustic performance in RZ’s and the Comedy Committee’s 8:00 show in the Ballroom.
“This is an opportunity to see six really good bands - that you would have to pay to see anywhere else -for free,” Chesser said.
UA Students Bring Home-Grown Style to Battle of the Bandsby ANDREW VAN GENDEREN
Staff Writer
Cast members of “The Buried Life” sit on stools while telling their story of how “The Buried Life started.” The MTV television cast was in the Union Ballroom Monday night.
Gareth Patterson STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Courtesy Photo
see HOLY GROUNDon page 11
Buried Life Creators Visit UA
This year Fayetteville will host its 20th annual Mardi Gras celebration, this Saturday, on Dickson Street beginning in the square.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 PAGE 11 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 PAGE 11
Watching the Academy Awards is a tradition among Americans that has gone on since 1929. ! e awe that is drawn from the glamorous movie stars brings millions of viewers’ attention. One reason to watch (a main reason in my opinion) is for the fashion. Actors and actresses spend months in preparation for the Oscars and this Sunday night it all paid o" .
! ere are always going to be those huge fashion # ops that leave us gasping, “What were they thinking!?” but this year there were many more jaw dropping stunners than there were fails.
My best-dressed winner goes, hands down, to Cate Blanchett. Her lavender beaded chi" on gown with yellow bead accents was the perfect preview for spring and summer fashions this year. While she opted for Givenchy, looking for trends like this one is a piece of cake in a town so bustling with boutiques.
Ways to play up this look in your everyday attire are simple. Pastels, such as lavender, are great layering pieces. Especially when used with just a pop of bright color. Now remember, when using your brightest brights a little goes a long way, so a headband, a belt, bag, or even a striking nail polish can do the trick.
Another fashion favorite on the red carpet is RED! Who would have thought? With stars like Anne Hathaway, Penelope Cruz, and Sandra Bullock all donning the saucy color, we can rest assured it is a style to be a part of. And not only is the color red showing up in gowns, but on
Academy Awards Reveal Fashion Forwards and Flops
lips. Nothing says summer is on the way like an Americana red lip. It works well with every skin type and hair color.
While classic black is another awards show go to for celebrities, I am vowing to try and keep this boring staple on the back burner for a little while, at least until spring is in full swing. ! ese winter months are boring enough and it is time to get color out on the town so spring can be reminded it is so very close.
Looks to stay away from would include those from stars like Helena Bonham Carter (big surprise), Marissa Tomei, and Melissa Leo. While Leo may have won the award for Best Supporting Actress, her gown was shapeless and uninspired. Bonham Carter and Tomei both entertained looks that were too serious and much too ominously boring for such an exciting night.
Another trend the red carpet highlighted was so$ neutrals. Now although I love this look, it can only be pulled o" by a certain few. While Mandy Moore is not one of them, Halle Berry and Michelle Williams most de% nitely are. ! e trick is to pick a shade that is not the exact color of your skin and then wear neutral make up as well. ! is is de% nitely not the time to wear a pop of color or red lipstick, but to try a pink or slightly peach shade for lips or blush to give it that extra spring feeling.
! e red carpet has once again proven to be a fashionista’s fairytale come true this year at the Oscars. With looks to forever forget and new trends to try, we can only continue the tradition of looking forward to awards season fashion.
lip. It works well with every skin type and hair color.
awards show go to for celebrities, I am vowing to try and keep this boring staple on the back burner for a little while, at least until spring is in full swing. ! ese winter months are boring enough and it is time to get color out on the town so spring can be reminded it is so very close.
would include those from stars like Helena Bonham Carter (big surprise), Marissa Tomei, and Melissa Leo. While Leo may
! ere are always going to be those huge fashion # ops that leave us gasping, “What were they thinking!?” but this year there were many more jaw dropping stunners than there
My best-dressed winner goes, hands down, to Cate Blanchett. Her lavender beaded chi" on gown with yellow bead accents was the perfect preview for spring and summer fashions this year. While she opted for Givenchy, looking for trends like this one is a piece of cake in a town so bustling with
Ways to play up this look in your everyday attire are simple. your everyday attire are simple. Pastels, such as lavender, are great layering pieces. Especially when used with just a pop of bright color. Now remember, when using your brightest brights a little goes a long way, so a headband, a belt, bag, or even a striking nail polish can
Another fashion favorite on the red carpet is RED! Who would have thought? With stars like Anne Hathaway, Penelope Cruz, and Sandra Bullock all donning the saucy color, we can rest assured it is a style to be a part of. And not only is the color red showing up in gowns, but on
Ways to play up this look in your everyday attire are simple.
Melissa Leo. While Leo may have won the award for Best Supporting Actress, her gown was shapeless and uninspired. Bonham Carter and Tomei both entertained looks that were too serious and much too ominously boring for such an exciting night.
Another trend the red carpet highlighted was so$ neutrals. Now although I love this look, it can only be pulled o" by a certain few. While Mandy Moore is not one of them, Halle Berry and Michelle Williams most de% nitely are. ! e trick is to pick a shade that is not the
Melissa Leo. While Leo may have won the award for Best
to pick a shade that is not the exact color of your skin and then wear neutral make up as well. ! is is de% nitely not the time to wear a pop of color or red lipstick, but to try a pink or slightly peach shade for lips or blush to give it that extra spring feeling.
! e red carpet has once again proven to be a fashionista’s fairytale come true this year at the Oscars. With looks to forever forget and new trends to try, we can only continue the tradition of looking forward to awards season fashion.
to pick a shade that is not the exact color of your skin and then wear neutral make up as well. ! is is de% nitely not the
Courtesy Photos
by ABBY UNRUHStaff Writer
tion and said she has since found redemption because of the ministry and uncon-ditional care that Bost has shown toward her.
“I have (come) to every service since I’ve been here,” Dane said. “I just feel peace-ful throughout the week af-ter I leave.” She slowly con-nected her words, searching for the right ones to describe the past 10 months of her life.
“They’re just…” Her thoughts trailed. “They’re just amazing,” she said as she spoke about Bost and the ministers who come to the prison every week.
“I don’t want to leave them, but I know I’m going to have to,” she said as tears began to well in her eyes.Reflections
“There’s something about them that feeds you,” Bost said, sitting in her office as the sun shined through the wide windows.
But other experiences have left her frustrated when on her mission to minister to inmates. She described the county jail and how different that facility was in compari-son to the women’s prison. As she sat and spoke of her encounters, she shuddered, tightly closing her eyes as the words came out of her mouth.
“In the county facility, it was concrete and steel with no compassion,” she said.
She leaned her head back and chose her words slowly as she explained the frustra-tion that came from her first experience at the county jail. Private conversations weren’t easily granted and parting hugs were frowned
upon. It wasn’t the same. It wasn’t like the women’s prison.
Bost sat in her chair and put her hand to her face. She wondered what it would be like to be a prisoner for a week; to sit behind the steel bars found there. She said, though, that if she were go-ing to end up in a prison, she would much rather serve her time at the women’s prison.
“Anytime you go over there (Northwest Arkansas Community Corrections Center,) the women say, ‘Thank you,’” she said. And the women part her in a state of disbelief, she said; a dumbfounding feeling that there are other people who care enough to come, she said.
“It’s a ministry where you can remind these women that at some point, they did something good.”
from HOLY GROUNDon page 10
The pheneologies art exhibit by Liz Ward will be on display through March 18 in the UA Fine Arts Gallery. Pheneology is the study of cyclic seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life.
Leah Young FEATURES DESIGNER
Art Exhibit Reveals Natural Phenomena
PAGE 12 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011
