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

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EAST TO WEST STORY: DARCY BOULTINGHOUSE PHOTO: ABDULRAHMAN ALSAYARI DESIGN: KELLY WALSH MADISON LANDRY With his bags packed and his boarding pass in hand, d 6 Was on ly one more thing Kachi Ndubuisi had to 0 efore he left his home country of Nigeria to become an international student in the United States: he had to act ( ually board the plane. M ' Came to United States in 2011, Ndubuisi said. y dad really wanted his kids to get to study here; that was his goal. Con Des P e Ids fears, Ndubuisi adjusted quickly and Quei ed the challenges associated with living abroad, y f fhe time, 1 was a student at Grambling State I, invu S ity j n Louisiana,” he said. 1 was completing an fr Q ei ns ldp in New Orleans when 1 met some students om the University of Arkansas, and that was how I first ar d about this school. I-,. completing some research, Ndubuisi decided to transfer schools. transferred mainly for social reasons, but especially Nd n oun d out I was eligible for in-state tuition, ele U S ’ i Unior ' sa id- “Plus, they didn’t have my major, q riCa en gineering, at my other school.” had nCe V s te U fhe UA campus, Ndubuisi knew he “I n 6 Ute tight decision to transfer, stud ' 6 ° W sc °°l i s °P en to international Carn ents ' Ndubuisi said. There is so much diversity on odd US anC ere are so many student activities and How Unit ' eS t0 nv °l vec l with. Paz , 6Ver ’ Ndubuisi had only spent one year as a affect ' ac k before he learned of devastating news dange ' S orne coun try: the outbreak of the P a renr° US e ° a v i rus had spread to Nigeria, where his It’ h an d friends remained. Esp e S - ' n itely scar y to think about, Ndubuisi said. °ver the „ now ' n fhat a lot of people I care about are Still, Ndubuisi chose to remain positive about the situation. I spoke with my dad, and he said Nigerians have now been able to control the virus, Ndubuisi said. They’re safe. It’s in places like Sierra Leone and Liberia where there is greater danger.” Ndubuisi credited taking great precautions” as the solution to control the African virus, and recognized that the University of Arkansas—though unaffected at the time—had already utilized some preventative measures through the Pat Walker Health Center. When international students from affected regions get here, they must immediately go to the health center for screening,” Ndubuisi said. I think that is necessary.” Although the ebola outbreak forced Ndubuisi to worry about the safety of his loved ones, he still managed to enjoy his college career overseas by staying involved on campus through organizations like the International Culture Team [ICT] and the African Student Organization. Through ICT, I organize volunteers to help international students in a lot of ways, including showing them around campus, shopping and organizing transportation for them,” he said. I deejay at African Student Organization events, like Taste of Africa and Sound of Africa. Additionally, Ndubuisi explored his passions of music production and videography in his free time. When I’m not studying. I’m definitely doing something with music,” Ndubuisi said. Although he loved being a student in the United States, Ndubuisi said there was only one social expectation he could not identify with. “You guys get so excited about sports here,” he said with a chuckle. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it.” INTERNATIONAL STUDENT 29

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REVIVING A RELIC STORY: HANNAH HUNGATE PHOTOS: DAVID SKINNER DESIGN: ERIN NELSON One of the University of Arkansas ' s most historic features was a clamor of construction, renovation, rebirth and construction noise ... The Chi Omega Greek Theater underwent restoration in the fall of 2014. The monument, which was listed on the National Register for Historic Places in 1992 according to the UA website, has been used for a variety of campus functions, including convocations, commencements, dramas, concerts and hog-calling pep rallies. However, as a result of deterioration and minor safety issues, there was a unanimous decision among UA officials to begin a restoration project. The theater has undergone several renovations and updates in history, but no major renovation has taken place since 1995, Geta Galbraith, the construction coordinator, said about the importance of the impending project. Galbraith said the 2014 restoration was prioritized into two main groups. The first priority encompasses items to prevent further deterioration of the structure and life safety issues, and the second group involves items to improve the appearance and lighting, landscaping and accessibility, Galbraith said. The first phase included limestone restoration and cleaning, stucco restoration at the stage level and towers, concrete repairs, as well as the replacement of a deteriorated limestone plaque across the stage, to honor one of the five organization members. These additions were meant to insure a student-safe environment around the theater, and to eliminate the risk of accidents that may have resulted from the deteriorated building materials. The second phase started with repairing the 2,750-person capacity seating bowl. The steps were repaired and the entire bowl was cleaned as well. Additionally, there were several lighting and electrical improvements to help visibility in the evenings spent celebrating the glory of one of the University of Arkansas ' s oldest establishments. Finally, students could access the top bowl of the Greek Theater from Dickson Street, as a new pathway was created. Although these were much-needed improvements, the restoration eliminated the possibility of using the Greek Theater for any sorority fraternity, organization or general University of Arkansas events for much of the Fall of 2014. Galbraith said the substantial completion was set for November or December, depending on the weather. However, for a monument with this incredible history, perhaps it is worth it. Built in 1927, dedicated in 1930 as a gift from the Chi Omega Sorority to the university and designed by James P. Jamieson and George W. Spearl, architects from St. Louis, Mo., the structure is modeled after the Theater of Dionysius, located at the base of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Galbraith said. With its history and many amazing improvements, the Chi Omega Greek Theater is truly an emblem of the University of Arkansas. Greek Theater Construction 31