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Faces of the 4400: ‘Go West Young Man’

Jack White’s Blunderbuss Proves to be

Great Solo Album

Niels Appeldorn knows far more English than his grand-father.

Coming to Arkansas from Germany may require at least a remedial grasp of the language. However, Appeldorn never bought Rosetta Stone; he never hired a tutor. In Germany, Eng-lish is taught at a young age, and that age keeps getting younger.

“My grandfather even used to learn English in high school and he’s pretty good,” Appel-dorn said. “He can’t speak it re-ally good, but he can read it. I just thought it was unusual in my time to start English in the !"h grade, but my brother has already started in third grade.”

Appeldorn comes from Ka-men, a town outside the city of Koln. He is part of a mostly bilingual German population. In a European twang, he ru-minated on how Germany has changed.

Before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Germany was divided between east and west; commu-nism and democracy. #e two were essentially shut out from one another, except the demo-cratically controlled West Ber-lin.

Because of the forced divide post-World War II, di$erent cultures and di$erent accents developed. Getting visas to visit

East Germany was a chore for those who lived through the So-viet era, Appeldorn said.

#e two regions have be-come increasingly intertwined, he said.

“East Germany is East Ger-many — nothing bad,” he said.

“Basically, people in the East earn less money per hour than people in the West, but this dif-ference becomes less and less,”

he said. “People sometimes have an animosity against ‘the others’ from ‘over there.’”

A report from the BBC shows the pay gap is decreasing.

Appeldorn is nearly 21, but

di$ering international enroll-ment set him back to freshman-level courses. At Arkansas, he is one of 1,200 international stu-dents.

Appeldorn came from the

state of Westphalia—as west as it gets in the country about the size of Minnesota. It’s a worker’s town, 50,000 strong.

“It used to be steel and coal; that used to be everything,” he said. “We used to say ‘steel, coal and soccer.’ #at was my par-ents’ life. My parents still have a big in%uence from that.”

A"er the town transitioned to new industry, an in%ux of Polish, Greek, Italian and Turk-ish immigrants diversi!ed the region.

“Basically, in the area where I live, about 20 percent of the people immigrated in the last 200 years,” he said. “Before that time it was really rural. #en the Polish came in the 19th cen-tury, and later on the Turkish, Greek and Italians came.

“Especially the Turkish and Polish changed the culture,” Appeldorn said. “#ere’s a lot of slang, a lot of di$erent dialect. #e food is like from all over, from a lot of di$erent coun-tries.”

#e city is !lled restaurants of every cultural variety, he said.

#e national dish is curry-wurst: chopped sausage doused in curry sauce with fries.

It’s just one of the cultural imports Appeldorn has brought with him.

He’s always traveled: to Spain, Italy, England, Scotland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark,

BEN FLOWERS PHOTO EDITORAppeldorn comes from Kamen, Germany, a town outside the city of Koln. He is part of a mostly bilingual German population.

by JACK SUNTRUPStaff Writer

see APPLEDORNon page 2

New Sororities Meet With UA Officials

New Map Provides Bus Routes, Walking Directions

Sculpting Students

KRIS JOHNSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERRobert Lemming and Adam Crosson install a new sculpture near the Fine Arts building.

New MentoringProgram

Advising WillNot Change

Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and a Few Ways to Survive the Semester

The Revolution: Students Take Steps Towards Liberty

Seamless Transition Health Care Reform: What’s on Our Plate

UA has new mentoring program for Hispanic students.

Page 2

Fulbright advising will not change operations to accom-modate the record-breaking number of students.

Page 3

Stress relief and organiza-tion are key to making it.

Page 5

Campus group Youth for Ron Paul !ghts to get candi-date’s name out.

Page 5

John L. Smith is keeping Arkansas’ o"ensive and defensive systems the same.

Page 8

A Traveler columnist urges health care reform to address food and eating habits.

Page 4

News News Features Features Sports Opinion

In T

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Representatives from Al-pha Chi Omega and Phi Mu, the two sororities set to join the UA next semester, visited campus last week to discuss recruitment plans, o&cials said.

#is is the !rst time both sororities have come on cam-pus since being selected by the Panhellenic system. Both

groups were welcomed by several meetings with Greek Life o&cials and a T-shirt design by Fayetteville’s Greek store, #at’s Greek to Me.

Last Monday, Alpha Chi and Phi Mu o&cials met stu-dents outside Brough to dis-cuss their move to campus.

Sarah Margaret Pittman, sophomore member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, was able to stop by and meet the

o&cials.“It’s really cool to be able

to actually see them on cam-pus,” Pittman said. “Up until now, their joining our Pan-hellenic community has been kind of hypothetical, but now we can see their pres-ence here. It was nice to be able to learn a little bit more about what they’re doing and

University Relations #ursday announced a new digital version of a campus map that uses Google Maps to display campus buildings, paths, bus routes, walking di-rections, parking information and more, one director said.

“#e work that we’ve done

is to basically strip most of what Google provides o$ this,” said Chris Nixon, direc-tor of Digital Design and De-velopment at University Re-lations. “While they got a lot of it right, they got some of it wrong,” he said of Google’s map of the university campus.

#ere was no way for Uni-versity Relations to update or manipulate the information

on Google, Nixon said. #e map was developed internally without charge from Google.

Google showed shapes for the science engineering audi-torium and the geology build-ing Sunday. #e University Relations map showed the same area on Dickson Street as a gray shape, denoting it as

by MANDY MCCLENDONStaff Writer

by JOHN SCHLEUSSStaff Writer

see SORORITIESon page 2

see MAPon page 2

Page 5

NEWS

The women and men of the University of Arkansas Police Department, in partnership with the community, are committed to protecting the future of Arkansas by promot-ing 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 2012-2013 season. The ticket office is located on Razorback Road next to Baum Stadium.

CAMPUS NUMBERS

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012 PAGE 2

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

Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily 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

STAFF

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

SABA NASEEMEditor -in-Chief575-8455traveler@uark.edu

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Switzerland, Sweden, ! ailand, China and now Arkansas. Unsurprisingly, he’s an international relations major.

His post-graduation plans remain unclear, but he has a few ideas. Working for a non-governmental organization like OxFam, being a German diplo-mat or spending his days lectur-ing at a college are all options.

! e constant in Appeldorn’s life, though, is his internation-al perspective. Arkansas may seem out-of-place for a guy who’s been to Indonesia and Switzerland, but there’s noth-ing out of the ordinary about it, he said. Appeldorn has always liked red-blooded American pastimes.

“I used the matchmaker on CollegeBoard and they gave me some criteria and let me choose the states I didn’t want to go to,” he said. “I really like warm weather, so Alaska was not on

my list.”In a country, and continent,

even, that considers “futbol” the national pastime more o" en than not; Appeldorn took the American perspective in high school.

“I played football for a cou-ple of years,” he said. “I played outside linebacker and gunner. I like tackling people.”

In America, where soccer programs receive less attention and less funding, Appeldorn’s football team wasn’t much dif-ferent. Few parents showed up to the games, he said.

! ere is not hiding the fact that Appeldorn has been more places and done more things than most of us will ever do. You get the feeling from him it’s not something that needs much critical analysis, though.

“I like to meet new people, di# erent people,” he said. “I’ve been to almost every country in western Europe and just had fun there, you know?”

Last week marked the $ rst assemblage the “A-Team,” a group of sorority members created to ease growing pains for new sororities. A-Team began talking to o% cials from Alpha Chi and Phi Mu when they visited campus last week.

Dressed in the letters of the new sororities, A-Team will host focus groups on such Greek Life topics as banner competitions and

philanthropy dinners. Mem-bers will also meet with the Director of Greek Life from time to time.

“Some members on the A-Team will be in Fayetteville over the summer will help with orientation sessions,” said Susie Dagastino, direc-tor of recruitment counselors for the Panhellenic Coun-cil. “During the fall semes-ter, these women are encour-aged to help Alpha Chi and Phi Mu at the campaigning events.”

Alana Gilmore, a soph-omore member of the A-

Team, attended the meeting last week.

“We talked about how the colonization process would look on our campus. Repre-sentatives from both new so-rorities were there, and we got to meet them, and that was great. As a part of the A-Team, we get to help the two new sororities with their re-cruitment this fall and be there as a reference for them when they have questions about how our Greek system works,” Gilmore said.

Greek Life is encouraging Panhellenic members, as well

as its newly selected pool of 150 recruitment counselors, to participate in A-Team.

Hanna Hearnsberger, a sophomore member of the A-Team, sees the opportu-nity as a unique experience within Greek Life.

“I am so excited to repre-sent Alpha Chi Omega and Phi Mu and help welcome them to the Panhellenic fam-ily. All of us are excited about recruitment this fall, and I am so happy to help get girls excited about our two new sororities as well,” she said.

APPLEDORNfrom page 1

how they’re colonizing.”Alpha Chi Omega and Phi

Mu also engaged in meeting with Greek Life o% cials dur-ing their trip to campus, and were able to meet which in-dividual sorority houses and members in order to learn more about the Panhellenic community. Here, sororities were able to give the groups tips on recruitment and phil-anthropic e# orts.

! ey also discussed re-cruitment plans. ! e $ rst round of recruitment for both sororities might take place in fraternity houses on campus, according to of-$ cials.

Sorority representatives also met with the “A-Team,” a group of UA sorority mem-bers created to assist in the

colonization and recruit-ment process. ! ey also at-tended the Order of Omega ceremony, which recognized outstanding Greek members.

Anna Shirley, junior member of Kappa Delta, said Order of Omega was the per-fect opportunity for the new sororities.

“Order of Omega honors our most outstanding mem-bers within the Greek system as a whole—not just the Pan-hellenic community,” Shirley said. “Alpha Chi and Phi Mu were able to see what great leadership being a Greek at UA produces, which hope-fully will make them even more excited to join us here.”

Updates on the coloniza-tion of both sororities can be found on the Greek Life web-site and on their Twitter ac-counts, @ArkansasAXO and @ArkansasPhiMu.

SORORITIESfrom page 1

a construction zone, Nixon said.

! e new campus map, works on desktop computers and mobile devices, received a so" release April 13 as a kind of beta test. Nixon said he ex-pects that more people will use the map from a mobile device than a desktop, he said.

“To not include mobile in anything we do is just silly,” Nixon said.

! is map is really a $ rst step, he said. ! e o% ce used information from the previ-ous map and combined it with a directory of departments.

When the user clicks a university landmark, basic information for the build-ing will appear, Nixon said. Search “Fulbright advising” and a map pin appears on Old Main. When the pin is

clicked, a box with the room and phone number pop up.

Until now, freshman Aar-on Hodges simply wandered around campus until he found his class.

“Being a music major, I only really need like three buildings,” he said.

Hodges said he will now use the mobile version of the campus map on his iPod Touch to $ nd classes in unfa-miliar buildings.

Another student said she still uses the same map she was given more than a year ago.

“My freshman year I got a planner and it had a map in the back,” said sophomore Britny Ham.

Ham, who rides the Blue bus, keeps the map in a draw-er at home and only uses it if she doesn’t know where a class is, she said. She said she would likely use the new map

if the buses were marked on it. She downloaded an An-droid application that listed bus schedules, but deleted it a" er she committed the arriv-al times to memory, she said.

! e O% ce of Admissions hands out printed maps to prospective students and their families.

“We pass them out like hotcakes,” said Matt Hargis, associate director for the of-$ ce.

Hargis hadn’t seen the new map online ! ursday, but said he anticipated they would in-corporate the map in the fu-ture.

! e O% ce of Admissions had about 7,500 students visit the o% ce during the last $ scal year, from July 2010 to June 2011, Hargis said.

! e o% ce has four tours a day during the week and two on Saturdays, he said.

! e new map includes bus

route and stop information. By fall, the map will track buses’ location, mileage and passenger count as they drive throughout the city, Nixon said.

“At this point, we’re just waiting on transit to $ nish in-stalling all the GPS units in the buses,” he said.

Transit plans to have the units installed by May 4, said Adam Waddell, logistics man-ager for the Department of Transit and Parking.

“! ink of it as a black box with a cell phone antenna,” Waddell said.

! e device will check the location of the buses every 15 seconds, Nixon said.

If all goes well, University Relations will add estimated arrival times to the various stops along a route, he said.

Accuracy was an impor-tant factor for that feature, he said.

MAPfrom page 1

IMAGERY AND MAP DATA © 2012 GOOGLE, DESIGN BY KATE BEEBE

TODAY ON THE HILL

Forks Over Knives Screening

A screening of the documenta-ry Forks Over Knives will be at the Union ! eater on Tuesday at 6p.m.! is is a part of Sus-tainable Food Week.

6 - 8 p.m.Union ! eater

Campus Band and Sym-phonic Band Concert

Admission is $10 for the general public, $5 for senior citizens and $1 for students. All concerts are presented as a part of the Joy Pratt Markham Series.

7:30 p.m.Walton Arts Center

Dr. Gates Studio Recital

! e public is invited to attend and admission is free.

7:30 p.m. Stella Boyle Concert HallFine Arts Center

Beauty Beyond the Surface: Expo & Fashion Show by UP

University Programs invites you to join them for “Beauty Beyond the Surface: Expo & Fashion Show.”

Vendor Expo: 12:30 - 5 p.m.Fashion Show: 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.

‘A-Team’ Promotes New Sororitiesby MANDY MCCLENDON

Staff Writer

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Many UA students say that while they sometimes drink water, it is o! en not the most common choice of drink.

Kim Snyder, freshman mu-sic major, said she hardly ever drinks water.

“I just prefer the taste of sug-ary drinks,” she said. “I drink either Dr. Pepper or Sprite at pretty much every meal. I’ve al-ways been this way.”

Freshman Kaitlin Moos made it her New Year’s Resolu-tion to drink water instead of soda.

“I know water is better for you, but it is hard to get in the habit of drinking the amount you should,” she said. “I had ca" eine withdrawals the # rst few days of not drinking soda, but I found that once I started drinking more water, I had a lot more energy.”

About half of the U.S. pop-ulation consumes some type of sugary drink on any given day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion website.

$ e consumption of sugary

drinks in the U.S. has shown an increase in the last 30 years among both adults and chil-dren. $ is increase has been linked to weight gain, Type 2 diabetes and poor diet quality, according to the CDC.

“Pat Walker sees students with dehydration from time to time,” said Mary Alice Sera# ni, executive director of Pat Walk-er Health Center. “Most of these students have gastrointestinal problems where vomiting and diarrhea occur.”

Common symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration o! en include thirst, sleepiness, de-creased urine output, dry skin, constipation, dizziness, head-aches and dry, sticky mouth, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

Additional symptoms such as sunken eyes, a lack of sweat-ing, low blood pressure, a rapid heart rate, fever, delirium and unconsciousness can be seen in severe dehydration.

“We o! en # rst take care of dehydration with Gatorade, but in severe cases, some people have to be rehydrated with IVs,” Sera# ni said.

Susan Rausch, UA health educator, said so! drinks, cof-

fee and energy drinks are large-ly to blame.

“Drinks with high amounts of ca" eine dehydrate people quickly,” Rausch said.

$ e American Heart Associ-ation recommends a consump-tion goal of no more than 450 kilocalories of sugar-sweetened beverages per week. $ is is few-er than three 12-ounce cans of any carbonated so! drink.

Some students said they try to drink sugary drinks in mod-eration.

“I drink about an even amount of both water and soda,” said Andy Rowan, senior music major. “I normally drink more water when I know I will be doing an extra amount of physical activity.”

Water keeps the body’s sys-tem % ushed out, keeps the elec-trical impulses in the brain and central nervous system working and gets rid of toxins, Rausch said.

“Extensive physical activ-ity and time in the heat call for even more water,” she said. If you don’t continually keep yourself hydrated, especially the few days before the activ-ity, you could easily get dehy-drated.”

UA Students Drink Soda Despite Health Risks

by BAILEY KESTNERStaff Writer

CHAD ARNOLD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERMegan Wojcicki, a senior kinesiology major, places a dollar in a vending machine for a soda. Research has shown that sugared drinks are more unhealthy than water.

EDITOR: SABA NASEEM MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

OPINIONPAGE 4 TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

FROM THE BOARDFROM THE BOARD

MARCUS FERREIRA STAFF CARTOONIST

Traveler Quote of the Day

! e Arkansas Traveler welcomes letters to the editor from all interested readers. Letters should be at most 300 words and should include your name, student classi" cation and major or title with the university and a day-time telephone number for veri" cation. Letters should be sent to traveler@uark.edu.

EDITORIAL EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOROPINION EDITOR

Saba NaseemMattie QuinnEmily Rhodes

“I like to meet new people, di# erent peo-ple. I’ve been to almost every country in

western Europe and just had fun there, you know?”

Niels Appeldorn, an UA international students from Kamen, Ger-many. “Faces of the 4400: ‘Go West Young Man,’’ page 1.

Student Summer: Time To Gain Work Experience

Summer is right around the corner, and although most of us are looking forward to sleeping in, taking time o# from class and spending our three-month break with friends, it’s a great time to buckle down and gain some experience outside of the classroom.

It’s no news to college students that successful job candidates today need internships and work experience on a resume, so what better time to gain these skills than over our summer break? Many businesses and companies o# er summer internships that students can use for credit and many times earn a little extra money at, so what better opportunity than now?

In our busy academic semesters, many of us don’t have the time to pick up an internship or major-related job, but with a three-month break from classes and work, summer can be the perfect time to expand our classroom learning to the real world.

Taking the time to check out a few local businesses o# ering work experience gives us the opportunity to network with those around us, build relationships and practice our skills outside of campus. For those of us looking for a summer outside of Arkansas, the time is now to " ll out some last minute applications for summer internships across the nation.

! e semester is winding down, but it’s important to make sure that we don’t shut o# our drive to succeed this summer. It’s as important as ever to gain as much experience as we can, and it’s up to us to " nd the opportunities available. With a few weeks free from class a$ er " nals, even those of us signed up for summer classes can take a break from studying and search for a few work opportunities. ! ere are countless freelance and in-house jobs available to students, and taking a summer to immerse yourself in one of them can build a strong resume and give you the chance to work in a professional atmosphere.

Whether you spend the summer volunteering, job shadowing or simply working on your resume, remember that although summer can be a great break for students it’s also a big opportunity to gain some experience and build a career.

Our tests are almost over, and summer will be basking us in its wonderful warmth soon enough. Not soon a$ er, another big test will be coming along, except this time we won’t be the ones being tested—the Obama administration will be.

In June, the Supreme Court will decide the fate of the Patient Protection and A# ordable Care Act, President Obama’s healthcare law. Debate goes everywhere as to what should or shouldn’t have been in the law, but there’s one thing that nobody seems to mention—health care reform should start at the very beginning of our health, what and how we eat.

Our eating habits can have

profound e# ects on our health, either positive or negative. When done wrong, those daily meals can compound over time with disastrous e# ects to our overall health: heart disease, diabetes, obesity, food allergies, the list goes on and on.

Changing how or what we eat is not easy policy, however. Eating is a core part of the human experience and the deepest connection to the natural world. Rightfully so, people get concerned when you touch their food supply, so reforms must be well sought.

! e reforms must happen though. We need changes to get society’s food-related diseases in check.

We should start with ag subsidies. Blanketing subsidies across the board can lead to overproduction of some crops like corn, soybeans, and rice, while under-producing others like tomatoes or lettuce. ! is can cause arti" cially low prices that can make for cheap junk food and fast food. Still, this isn’t the primary cause of obesity, but it contributes to the problem.

Nonetheless, we can’t just get rid of all farm protection. It

won’t work. Farming requires heavy upfront costs like land and equipment, o$ entimes with debt obligations, to produce, so it’s highly sensitive to interest rates. Just as much, production is dependent on weather, the price of oil and other inputs, and modern technology. If we pull the rug, food prices will go up, which means less money will be going to the rest of our already weak economy.

Subsidies should instead focus on protecting farm revenue when the worst happens with expanded crop insurance, both private and public.

! e idea is to partially reintroduce the food system to the free market with more targeted support so that supply and demand can become close friends once more.

! is alone isn’t the silver bullet though. We must start looking at fast food and junk food like we do other disease-causing agents—think cigarettes and asbestos. Obesity is quickly overcoming tobacco as the leading cause of death so policies must shi$ .

To part ways with obesity, we should follow the same strategy we used to wean society o# of

cigarettes: taxes and education. It will take a strong excise tax on unhealthy fast food and snacks in combination with educational programs focused on children, because what you eat as a kid primarily controls your adult habits.

Yet, we can’t just tax the bad food.

We should use that tax revenue to reduce the price of healthier foods we always hear we aren’t eating enough of, like fruits and vegetables.

In the next year the Farm Bill will be coming before Congress. ! at bill may be the real opportunity for lasting health care reform by directly a# ecting the reason for health care, our health. Even sooner, best-selling author Michael Pollan will be discussing his ideas for our food system at the Walton Arts Center this ! ursday night for Artosphere 2012.

It’s about time we realize that a big part of our fate lies in what’s on our plate.

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

Health Care Reform: What’s On Our Plate

by MIKE NORTON Traveler Columnist

Kid Cudi Concert An End of Semester Celebration

As we prepared for our end of semester " nals and got ready for a busy summer over the weekend, we had the opportunity to take a night o# from our study guides and packing boxes to enjoy a night at Barnhill Arena with Kid Cudi, Big Boi and Chip tha Ripper.

For those of us who made it to the concert, the sold out show was a fantastic opportunity to spend some time away from our studies with friends.

We have a great Headliner Concert Committee here at the UA, and we look forward to who will come to campus in the future. Bringing musicians such as Kid Cudi, Foo Fighters, T.I. and Snoop Dogg, these free admission events are a great way for students to enjoy what the UA o# ers to students.

It’s important during these last few busy days to enjoy everything on our campus, and our headliner concerts are just one way to spend some much needed time taking advantage of what our student fees cover.

! is last Saturday was a calm, clear, and cloudless spring day. ! is last Saturday, I buried one of my oldest and best friends.

He was a loveable little yellow-white, % oppy-eared mutt born of a purebred cocker spaniel mother and a rascally beagle. He had stuck with me for " $ een years—all the way from kindergarten to the end of my sophomore year of college. His heritage gave him a predisposition to be very fond of chasing rabbits and barking at pretty much anything that came onto my family’s property without one of us around. I have trouble thinking of anyone who’s ever been more of a loyal, loving friend than Toto.

Early last Friday morning, I got a phone call telling me that our dog’s condition had

worsened. He’d been getting old, slowing down and losing weight for a long time, so I knew that he probably didn’t have long. Over the previous week, he had gotten very lethargic, stopped eating as much, and seemed to be in pain. A$ er class, I hopped on the freeway, sped towards Lowell, and met my mom at the vet clinic. What I saw broke my heart a bit—he wasn’t really walking and hid his face as if he were ashamed of being so weak, but he would sometimes turn towards me to make sure he was still getting petted, trying to wag his tail.

It turned out that he was in kidney failure. He ended up staying there that night, but the next day it was clear that he wasn’t going to get better. So my family said goodbye to Toto, and my mom and I stayed their while he was put down. It was over in less than a minute—he seemed sleepy and just lied down, " nally at peace and in no pain.

A$ er we drove home, I carried his body up to his tree, where we dug a hole for him. I buried him there, and I honestly feel as if I buried a part of my childhood with him.

I still remember getting him when I was a little " ve-year-old out of the back of a pickup truck at a McDonald’s. I remember

how he used to pull my brothers and me around a church parking lot on a little red wagon. We’d try to guide him with a bone on a string tied to a stick—it didn’t always work, as a few skinned knees would attest. I remember looking for him when he was lost.

I remember sitting with him when I was sickened by people in junior high. I remember the way he would try to drag me down the street sometimes, how he would so o$ en try to jump out of the tub we used for his baths outside. I remember staying with him for hours outside when he was very sick, almost dying from an infection and massive muscle spasms, just trying to comfort him.

! ere is more I could write about him, but I think that most of us know the kinds of thing I’d say. But I’ll say one last thing about him: he was a good boy and a solid, loyal companion for " $ een years, and that’s all a guy can ask of a dog. When I needed a friend, he was there and reminded me of the good in this world. And really, I think people should take a lesson from the dog, the creature that went from being a competitor to being a protector, coworker, and friend.

A dog doesn’t care about who you are, he just cares about if

you’re a good person. ! ey don’t care about fancy toys, clothes, homes, or anything—a ball or a stick will do nicely. And I don’t mean to go all “Marley and Me” on you, but I have to quote it.

“Give him your heart and he’ll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?”

Be like the dog—live simply, love generously, care deeply. Run to greet your loved ones and never say no to the opportunity of an adventure or a long walk. Enjoy the fresh air, lie on your back in the grass on a warm day. When you’re happy, show it, and never pretend to be something you’re not. Be tireless and don’t stop until you’ve dug up what you’re looking for. When someone is having a bad day, be silent and just sit close by—it’ll be one of the best things they could need. Be loyal. Enjoy every moment of every day.

Take a lesson from man’s best friend, because in reality, he’s also man’s best role model.

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

His column appears every other Tuesday.

Our Best Role Model: Close to Home

by CHRIS SONNTAGTraveler Columnist

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

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

FEATURESPAGE 5 TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

8.5 / 10Underneath his ghostly powdered face and

long, greasy locks of black hair is a living rock legend. In an era of music where rock n’ roll has taken a backseat to other genres, Jack White keeps it alive and well with his ! rst-ever solo al-bum, Blunderbuss.

A proli! c artist, White has established him-self as one of most talented rock musicians of the 2000s. A" er meeting his now ex-wife Meg White in Detroit, they formed # e White Stripes and went on to release six critically ac-claimed rock albums that support the backbone of rock music in the ‘00s. White also was a fea-tured member of both # e Raconteurs as a sing-er/guitarist and drummer/singer of # e Dead Weather, releasing two albums with each band.

In an interview, White described Blunder-buss as “an album I couldn’t have released un-til now. I’ve put o$ making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. # ese songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas.”

# e music, of course, begs to be compared to his work with his ! rst band # e White Stripes. While it does retain at its core what made # e White Stripes great, (minimalistic punk/blues rock-style songwriting and d*** good guitar ri$ s), it manages to keep things unique enough. One di$ erence is the inclusion of some very impressive piano playing. In most of the later songs on the album, guitar takes a back seat and only comes out occasionally to do a solo. White still does the guitar justice on the earlier tracks, especially “Sixteen Saltines,” which for how it sounds, could have been a White Stripes song.

# ere is a diverse display of musicianship across the album, as White plays not only the guitar, but the piano as well and just about kills it with both, not to mention he composed all the other parts of the album, too. # e album is re-ally an impressive apex of White’s music career. # e music makes sense added alongside his dis-cography; you can tell this is Jack White in his element. It’s everything you could envision him writing for himself - aggressive rock, folksy and moody at times.

Blunderbuss brings together all of Jack White’s capabilities His patent fuzzy guitar tone, encasing lyrical writing, impressive piano play-ing and a little bit of country % avor solidify the album. To expect anything less, well, you just don’t know Jack. (I’ll go ahead and show myself out now.)

Standout Tracks:“Missing Pieces” is a fantastic lead o$ to the

album. It’s just fun to listen to, features some classic Jack White guitar solos and it has a great momentum to it, it can get you grooving.

“Weep # emselves to Sleep” is stunning and straight jammin’ piano leads in this song. It’s moody, and it really punches. # e song features the standard fuzzy guitar solo and wonderful cascades of piano chords. If you’ve ever wept yourself to sleep from loving someone, you’ll ! nd solace in this driven song.

“Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy” is folksy, catchy and chipper with its acoustic guitars and mandolin. # e music’s % ow has a skip to its step. It’s a sunshine kind of song about being the un-derdog.

Musicianship: 9Everything in the album was written and

composed by White, and that’s pretty impres-sive, considering how it covers a lot of di$ er-ent sounds. Bluntly, this s*** is good. It won’t melt your face or get you jumping up and down much, but it serves its purpose and it’s delight-ful.

Originality: 8If home style rock n’ roll were a genre, it

would be this album. # ere are de! nite rock and blues in% uences in all of the songs, but most keep things simple and sensible-- home style. # e music is refreshing in this day and age, but that type of thing is expected from Jack White. # e strongest thing about the album is its capa-bility of variance and movement from start to ! nish.

Lyricism: 9# ere are several gems in the lyrics of Blun-

derbuss, especially the possibly morbid yet pro-found, “Sometimes someone controls every-thing about you, and when they tell you they can’t live without you, they ain’t lyin’, they’ll take pieces of you.” from “Missing Pieces.” All of it is both understandable and yet complex. # is is out of context for a jealousy song, but “I’m sure she’s drinking two, but wondering why and for who,” from “Sixteen Saltines” is another ! ne ex-ample. Jack White is a stellar songwriter.

# e feeling of wanting to violently throw a textbook o$ of a high building does not mean students have gone crazy; it just means that stress has taken over. With the school year end-ing and ! nals looming, student stress rates at the UA are dangerously rising.

# ose borderline grades — the 89s and the 79s— put the pressure on for performing well on a ! nal exam, while senior projects and es-says are due, too. # e assignments keep piling up, but those 24 hours in a day are not getting any longer.

A study done at Arizona State University found that 26.7 percent of the school’s popula-tion said stress negatively a$ ected their grades, but fortunately there are many cures that can prevent the impending nervous breakdown.

# e saying “two is better than one” is key to decreasing stress levels. Studying with friends in the same class can bene! t everyone. Group in% uence has shown to increase focus. Group studying can also allow convenient peer tutor-ing, instead of making an appointment with the professor or going to the ELC.

Friends that study together can also take breaks together. During crunch time, it may seem foolish to lose precious minutes by taking a break to have a dance party or to watch a mov-ie, but actually giving the mind a break can be bene! cial. A 10-minute study break about once

every hour (or a ! ve minute break once every 30 minutes) can help maintain concentration, ac-cording to the Pat Walker Health Center’s web-site.

# at group study system can also become a venting support system. Simply talking to a kind friend about a heavy workload and having other people around who share the same argu-ments about an issue can aid the stress level.

All those group ! tness classes at the HPER are also great opportunities to take a break from reviewing class material. An article on the ABC news webpage found that exercise and stress levels have a direct relationship. Going for a run or going on a bike ride can help both the body and the mind be in better shape. Aerobic exercise and weight li" ing were reported to be the best exercises for mental attitude, also ac-cording to the ABC webpage. Yoga can also strengthen muscles while providing a calming atmosphere to soothe a study-weary brain.

# e Livestrong website reveals that research-ers have found that laughter can reduce hor-mones that cause stress while increasing natu-ral killer cells that destroy tumors and viruses. # erefore, people who laugh more stress less -- that “Marcel the Shell” YouTube video could ac-tually help with ! nals studying, a" er all.

For those who live in dorms, taking “me time” can help foster more focused studying lat-er. Reading a book and listening to music can calm nerves and help unwind from a busy day.

# e idea of a writing in a diary or journal

may seem juvenile, but keeping a stress diary can help analyze the stress and how to deal with it. A template for a diary can be found on the mindtools.com.

While it would be convenient to blame end-of-the-year anxiety on all of those professors who give us ! nals, projects and essays, procras-tination has to take some credit for the worries, too. To ! ght this, organization is key.

Keeping a planner handy to schedule study time will also help with keeping track of the many due dates that loom on ! nals week. Places such as Hobby Lobby o$ er dry-erase board cal-endars so students can keep up with tests and other events 24/7. Organizing a month’s activi-ties can seem like a task in itself, but having a visual for the near future can valuable. Writing down a party or event on the calendar can pro-vide motivation for studying and o$ ers some-thing to look forward to.

Smart phone carriers o$ er apps such as stress-relieving quotes, stress-relieving games, and stress checks to help relieve tension on the go. Reminder apps, alarms and calendars pro-vide a tech-savvy solution to mobile planning issues.

Sweet summertime is almost here, but sur-viving the last two weeks of school can be a challenge. Students can go into summer vaca-tion without worries of failing ! nals by sim-ply taking the time to manage stress levels and remember that taking a moment to smile and hangout with friends can be the best remedy.

A handful of students stand on the corner of Dick-son Street and West Avenue, waving handmade signs, wearing campaign shirts, badges and other memora-bilia and taking the opportunity to address Fayetteville locals about the upcoming presidential election. A few days later, Dominic Box and Dylan Stewart sit in RZ’s Co$ ee Shop, a haughty, yet friendly aura surrounding them, as they prepare to share their candidate with an-other UA student. # ey are the passionate, the dedicat-ed, the supportive. # ey are the Youth for Ron Paul, a distinguished group of students promoting what they like to call “true liberty.”

Box, the loud, yet welcoming face of the local or-ganization, along with his co-founder Stewart, his sleepy-eyed, relaxed counterpart, are what one could describe as “over the top” about their favorite presi-dential candidate. Showing support through window boards at his apartment, donning promotional stick-ers, pins and other mementos on everyday out! ts, and changing his social media pro! les to Ron Paul promo-tions shows a level of dedication by Box not many stu-dents re% ect in their political outlook. But for him, it’s a part of everyday life in the months leading up to the election.

While many students believe that the group is over-the-top in its political support, Juan Holmes, an Eng-lish major and member of Youth for Ron Paul, de-scribes it as just another part of the group ideology. “Our personality de! nitely coincides with our mission – the abundance of information, that hunger for free-dom and the honesty that rings true throughout the group. Ron Paul is the only candidate who actually be-lieves the message of true freedom, which is the entire reason I’m working with the group,” Holmes said.

“Really, what we’re trying to do here apart from to support Paul is to get involved,” Box said, a large grin spreading across his face at the opportunity to market the name and campaign of Paul, “But having a group speci! cally for Ron Paul gives us the ability, those who are passionate, to come together and get our message out there in ways that other candidates aren’t taking advantage of.”

Box, a political science major, and Stewart, a his-tory major, began the group Jan. 15, 2012, a" er feeling a need to bring back support for Paul and his move-ment. Only ! ve weeks later, the group boasted more than 50 members, and it is quickly gaining student at-tention.

In traditional UA style, “I ! rst learned about Ron Paul through some sidewalk chalk on a campus visit back in 2007. # at’s how Dylan and I really got con-nected,” Box said. Starting with a conversation outside the Union, Box and Stewart eventually formed the group and now have 78 members.

In an age of what Stewart calls empty political promises, the ideas behind Paul’s messages are simple – a chance for personal freedom returned to the con-stitution, and diplomacy.

“Paul is really the only candidate who o$ ers true honesty. Although other candidates might attract peo-ple at ! rst with their catchy campaign slogans, once they ! nd out what they are all about, it’s a lot easier to not be totally swayed,” Stewart said.

A three-time candidate for the U.S. presidency, in 1988, 2008 and 2012, Paul’s platform includes his “Plan to Restore America,” a three-year budget that includes cutting $1 trillion during the ! rst year of presidency, a repeal of the Obama’s A$ ordable Care Act and pro-vision of tax credits for medical expenses, immigra-tion reform that radically enforces border security and abolishes illegal amnesty, and a national defense pro-gram that supports returning veterans – all vital parts of his “Restore America Now” campaign. While Paul’s poll numbers have varied over the past years of po-litical campaigning, Paul still manages to hang in for another campaign, another platform. Which is where the Youth for Ron Paul comes in – a national organiza-tion that localizes itself on college campuses, bringing youth support to an all-time high.

“What Ron Paul means is not just a political change but a change in mindset,” Box said. “It’s a realization that we aren’t the policemen of the world, it’s not the government’s job to feed, rear and provide for us from the day we are born until the day we die – it’s about the government only doing what it’s allowed to do and not overstepping its boundaries. It’s about making us safer as a nation.”

While the group advocates the messages and ideas promoted through the national campaign, Box and Stewart work towards gaining the youth vote, spe-ci! cally that of UA students. Working alongside the Northwest Arkansas for Ron Paul statewide campaign, which has more than 150 supporters, the Youth for Ron Paul student involvement has reached high num-bers through heavy distinctiveness and promotional events.

Straying away from the general Democrat-Repub-lican student groups, the Youth for Ron Paul gives UA students an opportunity to buy into a speci! c candi-date platform. # ough the UA College Republicans group has more than six times the amount of support, with 497 Facebook “likes” and many more members, Holmes believes that the Youth are a force to be reck-oned with.

“All 78 of us truly believe that Ron Paul is di$ er-ent from all of the other candidates in the fact that he isn’t just another man – he is a person, a movement and a libertarian. He is the only choice for the 2012 election, which separates us from the College Repub-licans in that we are devoting all of our time and e$ ort to him winning Washington County and the state,” Holmes said.

“Ron Paul truly takes an interest in the youth pop-ulation – that’s something that his campaign realized was so vital with a large youth population,” Box said. “You don’t see a group for Mitt Romney or a students for Santorum group, it’s just not out there. But being exclusive is just part of the Paul movement – at the end of the day, it goes back to how you run and value your campaign.”

With a bubbling excitement and a passion to in-crease numbers and interest, Box and Stewart hold weekly meetings, cookouts and other events, as well as traveling across the region to participate in Ron Paul rallies and statewide conventions. Hoping to bring Paul to campus in the upcoming months, the group is becoming a frontrunner in student campaigns.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and a FewWays to Survive the End of the Semester

by STEPHANIE EHRLERStaff Writer

MIKE NORTON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERJunior Sarah Brady uses her planner to manage stress. “My planner helps me stay organized and on top of everything that I have going on,” Brady said.

The Revolution: StudentsTake Steps Towards Liberty

by EMILY RHODESOpinion Editor

Jack White’s Blunderbuss Proves to be Great Solo Albumby NICK BROTHERS

Staff Writer

COURTESY PHOTO

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

TODAY’S SOLUTION

SOLUTION

ACROSS1 Capone facial mark2 Pitcher Hideo3 Clock radio letters4 Seasoned rice dish5 Like many postcard photos6 Continent with penguins7 Like bogs8 Apiece9 Cleans and brushes, as a horse10 __ Navidad11 Diet soda claim12 Deli bread choice13 Fold, spindle or mutilate21 Director DeMille22 Disinclined25 Acted in an environmentally conscious way26 Spuds27 Comedian Sykes and a ! sh28 “... in a one-horse open __”29 “Can We Talk?” comedienne31 Nature Valley snack34 Govt. antipollution org.36 Inbound " ight approx.38 Decay40 Welles of “Citizen Kane”41 Watergate president47 Grad student’s paper49 Having just hit a double, say52 Like a faulty pipe53 Approximately, in dates54 Supreme Court justice Kagan56 Camping gear57 Some nest eggs, brie" y58 Swoosh logo company59 Accomplishment60 WWII leader61 Brit’s bathroom

DOWN

Crossword provided by MCT Campus

1 Ginger cookies6 Take down __: humble10 1040, for example14 Stand-up in a club15 Close by16 Ireland’s best-selling solo artist17 Plentiful18 __ Bell19 Sinister look20 Christian led by the Pope23 Passionate24 “Amadeus” subject27 Paper with NYSE news30 300, to Caesar31 Federal agency support org.32 Michele of “Glee”33 Lotion ingredient35 Road for Caesar37 Brook or lake ! sh39 Equine that originated in Italy’s Campania region42 Iraqi currency43 “Pleeeeeease?”44 Wedding cake level45 Part of USDA: Abbr.46 RR depot48 Big name in kitchen gadgets50 Harris and McMahon51 1862 Tennessee battle site53 Dolly the sheep, e.g.55 Slatted window treat-ment60 Tiny dog biter62 Balkan native63 Eagle’s dwelling64 Nerd65 Machu Picchu resident66 Boa or mamba67 Like an optimist’s point of view68 Big Dipper component69 Facilitated

Di! culty:

LAUGH IT UP

THAT MONKEY TUNE Michael A. Kandalaft

BREWSTER ROCKIT Tim Rickard CALAMITIES OF NATURE Tony Piro

WELCOME TO FALLING ROCK Josh Shalek BLISS Harry Bliss

Q: What do you get when you drop a stick of dynamite on a French kitchen fl oor?

A: Linoleum Blownaparte.

Two dragons walk into a bar. One dragon says to the other “Gosh, it sure is hot in here.” To which the other dragon replies, “Shut your mouth.”

Time fl ies like an arrow; fruit fl ies like bananas.

Q: How do crazy people go through the forest?

A: They take the psychopath.

PAGE 6 TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012 Comics, Games, & Much Much More!

You can check outthe Traveler online at

uatrav.com or byscanning here:

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

DOWNTIME

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

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

SPORTSPAGE 7 TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

FOOTBALL

COMMENTARY

Anderson Closing Strong?

Mike Anderson pointed out three needs he wanted to fill on his roster after Ar-kansas’ postseason basket-ball banquet.

Guard play, toughness and size.

The next day, Houston combo forward and Little Rock native Alandise Harris announced he would trans-fer to play for the Razor-backs. He provides tough-ness and some size.

The day after that, An-derson signed Dee Wagner, a playmaking point guard who was named Mr. Basket-ball in Louisiana following his senior season.

Now, Anderson has an opportunity to close the class by signing Mouhama-dou Jaiteh, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound forward from France.

Anderson is two puzzle pieces away from having a team that can compete for an NCAA Tournament berth next season. Harris and Jaiteh could make his sec-ond team a contender in the Southeastern Conference.

If Harris’ waiver for im-mediate eligibility is grant-ed and he’s able to play next season, he will provide toughness, athleticism and experience for the Hogs.

He averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds for the

Cougars last season. At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, he can play both forward positions and fits the bill of the athlet-ic players Anderson’s system thrives on.

Jaiteh would be a huge get this late in the recruiting process if he decides against entering the NBA Draft this spring or playing profes-sionally in France for anoth-er year before entering the draft next year.

Jaiteh has a 7-foot-4 wingspan and drew atten-tion as an NBA prospect when he was 16 because of his athleticism and build. He and Hunter Mickelson would give Anderson two big bodies to take pressure off Marshawn Powell.

If Harris and Jaiteh are playing in Bud Walton Are-na next season, Anderson would have a deeper, more well-rounded team than the

one that finished 18-14 in his first season at Arkansas.

If nothing else, the Ra-zorbacks will have depth. If Harris and Jaiteh are play-ing, Anderson will have 13 scholarship players, four more than he did last sea-son.

A healthy Powell gives the Hogs a complimenta-ry scorer to BJ Young and takes pressure off a group of guards that was forced to carry the scoring load al-most every game last season.

Jaiteh, Mickelson and Devonta Abron would join Powell down low. If Mickel-son progresses in the offsea-son, he could be one of the better big men in the SEC.

Anderson will have long, athletic athletes on the wing, an important part of his sys-tem he had to do without in his first season.

If Harris is eligible, he

could be the most valuable newcomer. If not, 6-foot-8 Jacorey Williams provides size and skill on the wing, while 6-foot-5 Michael Qualls’ long arms and 42-inch vertical are suited for Anderson’s up-tempo, press-ing game.

Young was one of the best scorers in the SEC as a freshman. After offsea-son improvement and with a better supporting cast, he could challenge for confer-ence player of the year and play his way into being a lot-tery pick next spring.

Rickey Scott and Mardracus Wade will be experienced juniors. Wade needs to devlop an abil-ity to attack off the bounce and Scott needs to hone his jumper, but both players have shown signs of being solid SEC players.

Point guard play could be

the key. Scott played there last

year and could do it again.Wagner is unrated by ev-

ery recruiting service. His high school team stays to-gether in the summer, so he didn’t play AAU basketball, a potential explanation for his lack of exposure or ac-claim outside the Mr. Bas-ketball honor.

Anderson must like him, though. He didn’t put up much of a fight to Julysses Nobles’ transfer, then re-placed him with Wagner.

Ky Madden’s progres-sion could be the difference between another postsea-son miss, an NIT bid or an NCAA Tournament berth.

He showed signs of being a playmaker and controlling the game as a freshman, but

Extra Points

JIMMY CARTERjicarter@uark.edu

see COMMENTARYon page 8

Seamless TransitionKnile Davis was used to

the joke.He just hadn’t heard it in

a while.New Arkansas head coach

John L. Smith paused during his introductory press con-ference to ask Davis a ques-tion.

“Kuh-nile, nice to see you,” Smith said, pronounc-ing the silent ‘k’ in Da-vis’ first name. “Kuh-nile, did you practice at all this spring?”

“A little bit,” the All-Southeastern Conference running back said, laughing from the back of the Miller Room in the Broyles Center.

He hadn’t been called that

since Smith left to take the Weber State head coaching job Dec. 6, after three years at Arkansas.

“He used to call me that when he was here,” Davis said. “He’s fascinated with the silent K … That’s him all day. 24-7. That’s John L.”

Having Smith as head coach will be a change for Razorbacks players who played for former coach Bobby Petrino and worked under his demanding coach-ing style.

“If there’s a time in which a team is mature enough to handle a change, it’s now,” senior quarterback Tyler Wilson said. “We’ve had that other way. The intense way for four or five years.”

The personality of the

Hogs head coach changed when Smith was hired as Petrino’s successor.

Arkansas offensive and defensive schemes will stay the same, though, allowing continuity for a team that will return 16 starters and try to win 10 or more games for the third consecutive sea-son in the fall.

There will still be a Petri-no, offensive coordinator Paul, running the offense. New defensive coordinator Paul Haynes will continue to install his system.

“I have always let my coordinators coordinate,” Smith said. “I see my role as a mentor. As an advisor. As someone to say ‘I don’t think that’s going to work’ or ‘I think that’s real good, let’s go

ahead and do that.’ As a final decision maker on not only recruiting, but gameplan-ning and things like that.”

Petrino rejoined his older brother’s staff in December after two years as Illinois’ of-fensive coordinator and will have control of a Razorbacks offense that led the South-eastern Conference in scor-ing, passing and total offense last season.

“Once in a while you might say we ought to do this or give me your best run play,” Smith said. “I’ve not been one to step in and veto everything that’s going on. I’m a big believer I’ve got to listen to my guys.”

Smith coached linebackers

Red-Zone Weapon

Chris Gragg wanted to cement his status as one of Arkansas’ top offensive weapons in spring practice.

Following the graduation of receivers Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Greg Childs, the 6-foot-3 senior made plays all spring, including a big performance in the Red-White game.

“I think I have got a lot better at playing the tight end position,” Gragg said. “Being a tight end blocker and a pass catcher as well as being that pass catcher they want to go to on third and fourth down when they come to me.”

The Warren, Ark native hauled in nine catches for 130 yards and two touch-downs as part of the Red team’s 65-0 win in the an-nual spring game.

“I just tried to go out there and make plays for Tyler (Wilson) when my number is called,” Gragg said.

Gragg had both touch-downs in the first half and was a focal point of the Ra-zorbacks offense early in the spring game.

“That was kind of what we try to do when we script our opening plays,” offen-sive coordinator Paul Petri-

no said. “You try to get your studs the ball early to get them going and feel-ing good. That’s always the plan. It’s always good to see it happen.”

Gragg missed all of the 2009 season because of an ankle injury, but caught eight passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns in 2010 behind Mackey Award winner DJ Williams.

In 2011, Gragg became a starter and was one of quar-terback Tyler Wilson’s fa-vorite targets for the 11-2 Hogs. He was third on the team with 41 catches for 518 yards and two touchdowns.

Now, Gragg and senior receiver Cobi Hamilton re-turn as Wilson’s two most proven targets following the graduation of the receiving trio. Hamilton caught 11 passes for 156 yards in the spring game, giving the duo a combined 20 catches for 286 yards and two touch-downs.

“He’s a great guy on third down,” Hamilton said. “He’s the best tight end in the country in my opinion. His work ethic is unbelievable. The way he keeps improv-ing it will be fun.”

Though Gragg is the starter and a vocal leader on

RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas senior Chris Gragg caught nine passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns during the Ra-zorbacks’ spring game. The 6-foot-3 tight end enters the 2012 season as the Hogs’ starter for the second consecutive year.

Smith gives assistants control

see FOOTBALLon page 8

by JIMMY CARTERSports Editor

by ZACH TURNERAsst. Sports Editor

see RED-ZONEon page 8

Gragg emerging as one of top threats

FILE PHOTOArkansas head coach John L. Smith will allow defensive coordinator Paul Haynes (left) to continue to implement his scheme, while also allowing offensive coor-dinator Paul Petrino to maintain his system.

SPORTS TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012 PAGE 8

Senior linebacker Alonzo Highsmith talks about John L. Smith’s hire, where Arkansas goes now and how he’s recovering from a pectoral injury that caused him to miss spring practice. Highsmith is the Razor-backs’ leading returning tackler a! er racking up 80 in his " rst season.

What did you think when you heard John L. Smith was going to be coming back as the new head coach?

I heard John L. from another teammate and I didn’t believe it. I just dismissed it. ! en later on that day Je" Long told us. Once he told us, everybody was like, ‘Yes.’ ! ere was a happy feeling going around when he let us know it was going to be him. It gave us a boost and we felt now it’s time for us to keep go-ing on this national championship run.

Coach Smith seems like a much di! erent per-sonality than Bobby Petrino.

Oh yeah. ! eir styles of coaching are di" erent, but both of them mean business when they’re on the # eld.$

If the team wins, the current sta! could stay in place. Have players talked about that?

We just found out, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to go out and win games.$ If that’s going to help him, then we’re all for it.

What does it mean to the players that coach Smith would leave Weber State — his alma mater —to come back and coach you?

He loves us. Plain and simple, he loves us. For him to do that shows he loves us.

Is it nice to get closure on the coaching search so you can focus on football again?

Oh yeah. It’s nice because we know who are coach is going to be and there’s no more guessing or won-dering what’s going to happen, if they’re going to keep the coaches or not. Now it’s set in stone. Now we’re ready to keep moving.

Coach Smith talked about making a run to glo-ry. Is that exciting to the players?

It is. It is. What we’re going to do to help him is, we’re going to go out and win games. He’s a great coach, so the more we win, in the eyes of the fans and Je" Long, who knows what can happen at the end of the season?

How are you doing in your recovery?

I’m doing good. I’m on schedule with my rehab. I haven’t had any setbacks. ... I’ll be back for camp, ready to go full speed and tackle.

Alonzo Highsmith

Linebacker

6’1’’

233 lbs.

Senior

GARETH PATTERSON Sta# Photographer

and special teams his three seasons in Fayetteville. Now he’ll have to spend time on the offensive end of the field during practice.

“I’ll spend more time on the defensive side of the ball without a doubt, but it’s also vital that those guys on the offense get to hear me yell at them, too,” Smith said. “You better get down there and you better be excited about what is going on offensively and let them know how im-

portant they are as well.”That won’t be a problem

for one of the Hogs’ return-ing leaders.

“We’ve got a figurehead that’s so positive and so en-joyable to be around,” Wilson said. “He’s going to work us, too.”

Smith went 79-66 in 12 seasons as a Division 1 head coach, leading seven teams to bowl games while at Utah State, Louisville and Michi-gan State.

In the fall, he’ll lead a team that could begin the season ranked in the top 10.

Arkansas will try to win 10 or more games for the third consecutive season, an accomplishment that would be a first in program his-tory.

“We have some good guys,” Smith said. “We have a top 10 football program. Hopefully I can do what I can to add to us getting it done and going all the way. In this game and being a part of coaching, it comes down to the pressure you’re going to put on yourself … Certainly there will be plenty on me from me.”

from FOOTBALLon page 7

looked turnover-prone and lost other times. If he con-tinues to progress, he could take over the starting job.

A lot of the success for next season will depend on progression.

Anderson has a pretty good track record of that

in previous head coaching stops.

At UAB, he turned a downtrodden program around and took it to the Sweet 16 his second season. At Missouri, he led a school riddled with NCAA issues when he arrived to an Elite Eight appearance his third season.

He reminded his current

players about those teams during his speech at the bas-ketball banquet.

Then he posed a ques-tion.

“What do you think’s go-ing to happen next?”

Jimmy Carter is the sports editor of The Arkansas Trav-eler. His column appears ev-ery Tuesday. Follow him on Twitter @jicartersports.

from COMMENTARYon page 7

RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas tight end Chris Gragg was third on the team in catches with 41 while compiling 518 yards and two touchdowns in 2011. Last season the Hogs went 11-2 during the Warren, Ark. native’s first season as the Razorbacks starting tight end.

the offense, he isn’t the only tight end who improved during spring practice.

“They are all coming along,” Gragg said. “The young ones like Demetrius Dean just have to get in his playbook and that will make him play faster. He is going to be a great player. (Aus-

tin) Tate is an older guy and he knows what he is doing. When he gets back healthy he is going to help us out a lot.”

Tate missed the Hogs’ spring game with a leg in-jury, but Dean, an early en-rollee freshman, caught two passes for 20 yards as part of the White team.

Entering his final season as a Razorback, Gragg said

he was impressed by the school record 45,000 turn-out for the spring game, less than two weeks after Bobby Petrino was fired.

“They are ready for the season,” Gragg said about the fans. “I was signing au-tographs after the game and they were telling me how they can’t wait to the point it was giving me goose-bumps.”

UA MEDIA RELATIONSNew Arkansas head coach John L. Smith adresses the team during a practice when he served as special teams coordinator. Smith will again work with the special teams in his second stint with the Razorbacks, but will also work with the offense and defense.

from RED-ZONEon page 7