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

Page 33 text:

TOP Bill Ballard has returned to the University after almost forty years and is a junior in the Business Administration program. He has over thirty years experience working in both the Oklahoma National Guard and the Hearst Corporation, and is a cancer survivor, photo by Ryan Trusell 4 LEFT Troy Jackson got his BA almost two decades ago, and is now seeking a Masters in Wheelthrown Pottery. In the interim between Troy ' s two lives as a stu¬ dent he owned an auto body repair shop for sev¬ enteen years. photo by Ryan Trusell

Page 32 text:

4 s Cindy Wiseman, a long-time ceramic artist and jewelry maker, has returned to the University of Arkansas art program to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting. This spring Cindy was voted in as president of the Fine Arts League and is heading the group ' s semester-long mural project, photo by Ryan Trusell The old way of going to college was right out of high school or, usually, not at all. Ij 1 recent years, though, more and more people are showing the courage and determi ' nation to rearrange their lives in order to find a new way. Lisa Mayfield, a 34 yean old education major, returned recently to continue her education. I went one and a half semesters right out of high school, then quit to get married and just never returned. I realized I could attend with the help of financial aid, and returned to school three years ago. This absence classifies Mayfield as a non-traditional stU ' dent, a term for undergraduates whose education has been interrupted, who are mar ' ried or have dependents, who work full time, or who are over the age of 25. Approxi ' mately 15% of U of A students are non-traditional by age. Consequently, the lifestyle of non-traditional students tend to differ from those of typical traditional undergrad ' uates. Academics must compete with work or the commitment to family, and time h always in short supply. Shakira Scott, who is married with a three year-old son and works part-time, speaks of the challenges. 4 Each thing takes up so much of your time and energy that there is rarely anything left over for yourself. Non-tradition ' al students arrive at that title by any number of routes, but they all seem to be mod ' vated by the same factor: generating opportunities, either for themselves or their fam ' ilies. An undergraduate degree can help you take better care of your family, said Scott. I knew that a degree would get me the kind of job I really wanted. Eric Jackso 11

Page 34 text:

For many students, holding down a job and juggling a full schedule of classes was necessary to pay tuition and bills. Let ' s be honest— work is a four-letter word, but just because it has three consonants plus on vowel doesn ' t mean it ' s all that terrible of a creature. In fact, many University of Arkansas student chose employment of various kinds during the school year for a plethora of reasons. First an foremost, work equaled money. Most college students would tell you that their economic statu as a scholar was one of glorified poverty. Tuition drained savings, leaving little cash for extract ' ' ricular activities such as eating out, recreation, and entertainment during the school yea r ’ However, it was not unusual for students to take on jobs for more basic necessities: rent, foo tuition, books, or even supporting families. A popular option for employment were on-campu jobs. The University offered a variety of openings in a colorful array of possibilities, from tending the front desk at a residence hall or scanning ID cards at the HPER. Seth Ingram, a computer eng ' ' neering major, worked at the University convenience store Club Red for two years. Having on-campus job definitely simplifies things, he said. I work in the morning before classes an J when I get off I can simply walk to class. There are days I don ' t have to even move my vehicle. ' Sometimes, working served an even greater purpose for college students. Some chose jobs o n or off campus that provided experience for their future careers. Zoology major Laura Thorn recently began an internship in molecular genetics working with timber rattlesnake DNA. Life sciences have always been my favorite subjects, and I love animals, so this is a pretty nifty job. ' So, while at times it might have seemed burdensome and unbearable, working really was 3 great opportunity for students. The added effort for the responsibility payed out good dividends the end. Jennifer M c G e n