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

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STUDENT MAYORAL CANDIDATE ■ M IF THEY LISTEN TO ME AND TAKE ME SERIOUSLY, I HAVE A CHANCE AT WINNINGf) -SAMI SUTTON Sami Sutton talks to students as she campaigns in front of the Arkansas Union. Sutton set herself apart from the 19,194 students that attended the UA in 2008 when she ran for mayor of Fayetteville. is

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STUDENT LIFE Sophomore Sami Sutton doesn’t mind being an underdog AND PROVED IT WHEN SHE TOOK ON THE SYSTEM AND RAN FOR THE TOP spot in Fayetteville. Pre-med. Pre-law. Christian. Engaged. Homeowner. Green. Sales associate. Dog owner. 2007 Fayetteville High School graduate. There were many characteristics that defined 19-year-old UA sophomore Sami Sutton, but there was one that set her apart from most of her student peers: 2008 Fayetteville mayoral candidate. “I didn’t know anything [about what was going on in Fayetteville politics], and now that I know, I want to change it,” Sutton said.‘‘I never knew about how many businesses were wanting Fayetteville, and that only a few are being sought out.That’s something I want to change; we need to go after all of them.” Sutton had five points to her platform. She wanted to expand recycling, organize construction on the roads and trails, bring business back to Fayetteville, fund more programs for youth and clean up certain areas of Fayetteville. But Sutton did not stop there. ‘‘The city needs a closer relationship with the University,” Sutton said. Sutton believed that because students live in Fayetteville nine months out of the year, they should have the right to vote. She believed that the Fayetteville government “bypasses students, but they are citizens too.” Sutton wanted students to have someone to talk to if there was anything they found wrong and believed the University should have its own ward so that they could have a city council member. Sutton struggled with the media at times during her run as a candidate. “I’m the only candidate to be misquoted four times,” Sutton said. When she missed a forum for a test in a night class, she said the media jumped on her about being a student running for mayor, but they did not have all the facts. “My teacher gave me two choices of when I could take the test and both fell on the night of a forum. I chose to attend the Sierra Club Debate,” Sutton said about missing the League of Women Voters forum. Even though Greg Harton, editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times, described Sutton as “a sideshow,” she stayed positive. “Age is the biggest factor, and also that I’m a student,” Sutton said. “Some people won’t vote for me because of my age, just like some people won’t vote for [Sen. John] McCain because he is too old, and some people won’t vote for [Sen. Barack] Obama because he is black. But if they listen to me and take me seriously, I have a chance at winning.”

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STUDENT LIFE In tough times, students work HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEET AS THEY BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT MONEY REALLY DOESN’T GROW ON TREES. As Jason Pelton took his apron off and headed for the door, he heard the echoes of “You’re cut” from his manager. With his book in one hand and a wad of dollar bills in the other, he opened his car door and counted his money. He got all the way to eight when the cash stopped. He recounted it and checked his pockets to see if he had missed at least a $10 bill. Jason found nothing else. The economy slump in the 2008-09 school year left many students like Pelton with empty pockets. Pelton, a senior biology major, had been a waiter at Logan’s Roadhouse for almost a year. To encourage people to come eat, Logan’s provided promotions such as two meals for $ I 3.99 three days a week. “Instead of getting six bucks for those meals, I got three dollars because of the price change,” Pelton said.“I put in just as much work and only got half the tips.” Pelton remembered his tips before the economy crisis and said it was good if he made more than $100 on weekend nights. After the economy went down, he would make about $40 on weekends. He said his worst night was when he made eight dollars during a four-hour shift. “If someone didn’t leave me a good tip it built character because I was working to survive and this put me at an advantage,” Pelton said. Pelton worked almost 40 hours a week to support himself. “Although it wasn’t a hard job, it was still a job and when people didn’t tip good it was like I was their slave for 30 minutes to an hour,” Pelton said. Ginger McKinney, a senior Spanish major, was also feeling the affects of the recession. She started riding her bike to help save money on gas. “I believe our oil on Earth is going to be depleted in the next 50 years at the rate humai are using it,” McKinney said. She rode her bike to the grocery store, 1 school, work and even to Dickson Street. McKinney said before the recession, sf would go climbing at Lincoln Lake, but stopp when it got too expensive. “It constricted my leisure activities McKinney said.“I was still working just as mu and wanted to do those activities, but with wh I made an hour compared to gas prices, it W 1 impossible.” Although students like McKinney and Peltf struggled during this time with the recessK they both kept good attitudes. “Every time I saw a fellow biker it provoke sense of joy in me,” McKinney said.