University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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It t F T’ k 1 A pleased UA student shows o(f her caricattire created by Dusty Higgins. Over 800 guests registered to attend the lamily Weekend activities held on Sept. 9-11. A UA student participates in Family Weekend by getting her face painted before the Arkansas-Vanderbilt football game. The Hog Wild registra¬ tion packet, which included a game ticket, was a popular choice for families. Photos by Cigi I folder ami i caeeAenc t r y --

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a famil zur Stud R smyvv relatives the ropes of UA life during annual Family Weekend. The disappointing loss to Vanderbilt on Sept. 10 would stick in many UA students’ minds for several days to come. However, some would forever remember the 2005 Family Weekend and the activities planned to celebrate the event. The famed weekend first began in 1998 and had since grown into a favorite among families in the UA commu¬ nity. Attendees typically included first year students, but the event was open to all students and their families. Registration packages were available to purchase de¬ pending on the guests’ own interests. Over 60 guests chose the Pork Chop Package, which included admittance to all scheduled weekend activities. The other option was the Hog Wild package which contained all activity admittance and one ticket to the Vanderbilt game. Around 750 guests decided to purchase this package rendering the option unavailable for latecomers. “We always encourage families to be actively engaged in their student’s life while at college. When students are away from home in a new place, it’s very comforting to see the student experience together,” said Craig Willie, associate director of First Year Experience. The weekend began with families attending Friday classes with their students and wrapping up the night with Friday Night Live and the pep rally at the Greek Theatre. Saturday morning came early when families were given the chance to meet faculty, staff and student-athletes. The meet and greet was followed by campus tours, Union activities such as caricatures and face painting, a program about first- year experiences in college and, of course, a Hog Trough Tailgate Party. “I wanted to be a part of Family Weekend so I could show my parents and brother what I do here at Fayette¬ ville,” said freshman biology major Melissa Kershaw. “I got to take them to the Quads for food, my sorority house and a football game. It was really fun for them to experience what I do on a daily basis.” The event was not only busy for guests, but for others on campus as well. For instance, resident assistants were required to be on their floors ready to meet family and friends that were visiting. “It’s really cool to see the parents come in and experi¬ ence their first Razorback football game,” said Lance Sharp, junior biology major and Walton Hall RA “A lot of them were excited and amazed to see all the students’ spirit and enthusiasm.” “My parents love it at the UA and think it is the perfect place for me,” Kershaw said. “They really enjoyed getting to see the places I talk about everyday. My brother went to school here so he’s so excited I chose to be a Razorback as well.” The weekend was a long and eventful occasion that pleased all who helped organize it. Some were a little hesi¬ tant about the new expanded schedule, however it turned into a successful venture. “We host this event early in the year because it makes both the student and family feel more strongly bonded to the UA and they can see the atmosphere early on in the year,” Willie said. That atmosphere of school pride and unity was, with¬ out a doubt, shared among all who were a part of Family Weekend, and would carry on in those families for years to come. by Honda I ewallen

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busting abthe r ) eam New students flood Fayetteville, overwhelming UA housing and causing need for further development. When Vanessa Moline decided to live on campus for her senior year, she was excited to be able to stay in the same room she had enjoyed the year before. Living with a room¬ mate that was rarely there, she felt as though she lived in a private room, one with great proximity to the elevator, the perfect floor and a great view. But, come the summer prior to her senior year, Moline received an e-mail one Friday af¬ ternoon that would “dash her dreams of the perfect room on campus.” This fateful e-mail delivered the news that, because of the overwhelming number of incoming freshmen, Moline, and countless others would be forced to either be assigned a freshman roommate at random, choose a freshman from a compiled list, cancel their housing contracts and move off campus or take up residence in Carlson Terrace. Moline faced a tough decision. Although she pondered long and hard over her situation, her decision was made easier by the fact that thanks to her Chancellor’s Scholarship, she was living for free on campus, and had she decided to move off campus and live in an apartment or house, she would, in fact, be losing money. After finding a friend that was faced with the same problem, and a long period of deliberation, Moline decided that she would move into the out-dated, out-of-the- way Carlson Terrace on the south side of campus. The situation was not as bad as it may have seemed at first. The housing authorities on campus realized their mistakes, and understood that some compensation and recompense was due to Moline and the other people in her situation. So, in an attempt to alleviate the problem, the people at campus housing decided to give students relocated to Carlson Ter¬ race free Internet, a service not usually provided to residents of the older Carlson Terrace, and the option to keep or cancel meal plans. Although Moline opted to keep her meal plan, her roommate decided to cancel and cooked every night, something most students on campus were unable to do. But with the large influx of freshmen, even Carlson Ter¬ race was unable to house enough students, especially after the University tore down parts of the old complex, to build a new park area. The space was to be used extensively during football season as a main area for tailgating. Other incoming freshmen were less fortunate than those put in Carlson Ter¬ race temporarily and were forced to sleep in the study rooms on each floor of Humphreys, Yocum and Gibson Halls for a couple weeks. So the question was asked, “When the UA grew to over 17,800 students where would all of the stu¬ dents live?” One of the University’s solutions to this problem was the approval of plans for a new dormitory. The two-build¬ ing dorm was to be constructed in lot 41A near Hotz Hall and was scheduled to open in 2007. According to the pro¬ posal, the dorm would house a total of 706 students and would feature such amenities as suite-style rooms and dens and kitchen units on each floor. The initial room rate for the dorm, which would be designed for freshmen students’ needs, would be $5,155, about $250 cheaper than living in the Northwest Quad. UA trustees hoped the new dorm would alleviate some of the housing pressures. But in the meantime, UA students had to squeeze everyone in and try to remain patient with the rising numbers of Razorbacks. by Jeff Hobson 28-