asuherald.com Monday, Aug. 29, 2011

What we asked you last week on asuherald.com: Hear something funny or interesting on campus? Tweet

it to @OverheardAtASU and you could see it printed in The Herald!

SPORTS, PAGE 3NEWS, PAGE 4OPINIONS, PAGE 2

System president adjusting well to new job

Charles Welch has had a busy summer.

After being announced as the new Arkansas State Universi-ty System president in Novem-ber 2010, the former president of Henderson State University be-gan operating fully in the role in April.

“It’s been a whirlwind for me,” Welch said. “I started on April 23 and on April 19 — four days be-fore I began the job — my wife

gave birth to our third daughter. I’ve been juggling a new home and a new job and a new baby. It’s cer-tainly not been a quiet summer.”

And it probably won’t be a quiet fall, either. The Jonesboro native and 1991 graduate of Jonesboro High School said he’s spending a

-ing a new chancellor for the ASU-Jonesboro campus, a position that has been held in an interim ca-pacity by Dan Howard since July 2010.

“I spent the summer meet-ing with a number of universi-

ty stakeholders about the pro-cess and how we want to move forward,” he said. “I suspect we’ll be making announcements with-in the next few weeks about how we’re going to proceed with that process.”

Besides the search, Welch said he’s also working toward sever-al goals for the system, includ-ing helping to shape state poli-cy, growing the system’s size and

-source for its campuses.

“I want us to take on an even

the future of higher education and developing higher education poli-cy,” he said. “I want to see our sys-tem grow and expand, both with our current institutions as well as seeking opportunities for other in-stitutions to become a part of our system.”

Another item on his agenda is the movement of the ASU System

where Welch is calling home. “The board of trustees made

the determination that my prima-ry residence would be located

See WELCH, page 4

Samuel G. SmithEditor

twitter.com/ASUHeraldtwitter.com/ASUHeraldSports youtube.com/ASUHeraldfacebook.com/ASUHerald

Progress on the Marion Berry Parkway overpass project is on track to open in the spring.

The construction con-

the intersection of Wash-ington and Matthews ave-nues has been an ongoing project with seemingly no end.

In 2009 construction for the project began to elimi-

-quent trains on the Union

-ect was split into two phas-es with Phase 1 having been completed recently.

Over the past few years, those on campus have had much to be upset about, from the project remov-ing over 200 parking spac-es to rerouting streets used to enter campus. But with Phase 2 of the construc-tion project well underway, the overpass is beginning to take shape with hope of opening in the near fu-ture. The addition in turn will help students, faculty and staff avoid tardiness throughout the week.

For students like senior criminology and sociology double major of Doniphan, Mo., Nathan Patterson, the completion of the overpass will be a big time-saver.

“It will be nice to miss getting stuck behind a train once in a while,” Patterson said. Though he said it will take some getting used to

when the overpass is actu-ally complete.

Students who live off campus, like junior graph-ic design major of Searcy,

-ly looking forward to the opening. “It will help me out dramatically,” Elbert

See OVERPASS, page 4

Overpass on track for spring opening

As enrollment continues to climb at ASU, one area of campus continues to remain dormant —

As earlier reported in the Her-ald, ASU continues to work to-ward securing further state ap-propriations in order to fund con-struction progress.

“Phase 1 (of the project) was the structural steel framework of the building and some preliminary

-

around the site,” said David Hand-work, director of planning, design

are in a holding pattern until we get enough money to eventually do at least a phase 2. We’re con-

-ly come, but if we’re going to com-plete the project as is designed, we’re going to need approximately another $28 million, depending on the current status of the market.”

Though there is currently no indication of how many phases it will take to fully complete the building, Handwork is hopeful that, given the necessary amount

of funds, the task can be complet-ed in no more than three total phases, as this is one of the uni-versity’s largest construction proj-ects in several years.

Handwork said if appropriated

completion, the team will com-plete as much work as the mon-ey allows before entering a period of suspension yet again and that multiple project phases would be

required in that situation.“We’re not the only point of ap-

propriation across the state. Ev-eryone has their needs, and proj-ects that also need to be addressed

Phase 1 cost approximately $4 million. In the event of possi-ble fund allocation, the construc-tion team would proceed to up-date their current pricing, as well

receive an update from the archi-tect on the cost to complete the project currently based off com-petitive bids.

“I think the desire of the univer-sity was that we would have liked to have it already completed, as it’s going to be needed for its func-tions as the campus population grows, in addition to addressing

Arts and Humanities department that may not be served in Wilson Hall,” Handwork said. “It’s an im-portant building for the future of ASU and is one of the largest con-struction projects, outside of the Student Union, that the universi-ty has had in terms of square foot-age in the last ten years.”

Bill Hall, university planner, explained how he feels the new

-dents and faculty.

“The larger space will allow for class sizes that are optimal for

Wilson Hall is very tight, con-straining the number of students

which will result in a better learn-ing environment for both students and instructors.”

See PROJECT, page 4

Welch has big plans for system, searching for ASUJ chancellor

An international conver-sation club is set to start this fall at the Baptist Col-legiate Ministry.

The club will be focused on helping internation-al students improve their English language skills and help them get more ac-quainted with American culture.

The club’s idea originat-ed from a similar program at the University of Arkan-

-rowed the idea and tailored

-dents.

"The conversation club is an environment for all international students who would like to learn more about American culture,"

-tional students have nev-er been in an American home but would like to go ... If they want to go to an American home and have an American meal and meet an American family I want to make that hap-pen."

-sation club is necessary in helping international stu-dents become aware and familiarized with Ameri-can culture.

"Most international stu-dents tell me that they

New York, but I tell them if you want an American experience you come to Jonesboro, Arkansas, be-cause most Americans live in rural parts of the coun-try,” he said.

Despite being run by a -

gan said there is no reli-gious agenda to the pro-gram.

starts today at the BCM on campus located on Car-

NorthPark Quads. The students will be

greeted with refreshments and games to help every-one get familiarized and acquainted with one an-other.

See CLUB, page 4

Photo by ASU Communications

Vol. 90 Issue 1

BCM helpinginternational studentswith languageBeth Bright

Opinion Editor

Ashley Helliwell/HeraldAfter two years of construction, the Marion Berry Parkway project is nearing completion. The construc-

tion that will allow motorists and pedestrians to bypass frequent trains putting halts on campus travel from Caraway Road is on track to open in the spring of next year.

Abdullah RaslanStaff Writer

Still lacking funds, construction project remains untouched

Jordan Jones/HeraldThe steel framework for the Liberal Arts Building has been untouched since January

2010 after initial state funding ran out. Approximately $28 million is needed to complete the project.

Casey RinaldiStaff Writer

September 2008Gov. Beebe releases $4 million from the General Improvement Fund for the construction of a new facility for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

A groundbreaking ceremony marks the beginning of the project's construction.“This groundbreaking is an act of faith in our legislature to provide the funding to complete this building.. . ." - Former ASUJ Chancellor Robert Potts

Construction on the steel framework begins.

2009

January 2010Initial construction funds are depleted and construction halts.

News coverage: Egypt or Lohan? Front page stories continued Lady Red Wolves Soccer dominates Mississippi State

Of interest online

this semester?

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JuniorI'm not a student

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THE HERALDInforming Arkansas State University since 1921

Unless you’ve been liv-ing under a rock this past year, you’ve seen or at least heard about the 2011 Egyptian revolution.

The uprising was to overthrow Hosni Mubarak from his presidency and to bring civil rights back to the people of Egypt, and people worldwide were glued to their TV sets watching every minute of this historic event take place in one of the oldest countries in the world.

Violent clashes between protestors and police forces were streamed over the In-ternet and televised for the world to see.

Massacres and other disgusting acts of brutality took place on the streets of this great country.

Media outlets from all around the world were cov-ering the revolution and CNN, which is considered

to be one of the most reli-able news sources in the world, was one of these outlets.

I’ve watched them cover everything from presiden-tial campaigns to natural disasters, but for some odd reason, last spring, CNN decided to break in a huge story about Lindsay Lohan stealing a necklace along-side the coverage of a revo-lution.

Could someone please explain to me how is this news worthy? Does Lind-say Lohan have equal im-portance as Egypt?

Sally Zahran, a female protestor, was beaten to death during one of the protests in Egypt. When did we become so jaded that we want to watch an actress get prosecuted instead of a real life trag-edy?

According to nationmas-ter.com, 97 percent of the US population owns a TV and at least 82 percent have Internet access.

Everything you see in the media goes through a process of development where development ex-ecutives turn ideas to

profitable entertainment. Whether it’s clothing, songs, fashion or any kind of content used during the show, their job is to make sure you notice what they are obviously trying to sell you without telling you it’s for sale, and we are dumb enough to fall for it.

We are so media depen-dent that we believe and want to be exactly like the people on TV.

We copy what we see, and of course our parents are too busy and/or lazy to grab the remote control and turn off the TV (AKA the baby sitter).

We need to explain to our youth that Hollywood actors are just that—ac-tors. They are paid en-tertainers, not gods that should be worshiped.

So in the future when my kids ask me where was I when the Egyptian revolution happened, I will always have the memory of a washed up celebrity getting caught stealing a $5,000 necklace.

Thank you CNN. Raslan is a senior digital

media and design major of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

The Herald is a public forum. Its content is written by students, for students, faculty and staff of Arkansas State University. Student editors of The Herald have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.OPINION

The Herald is located in Room 224 of the Communications Building.

The Herald is published twice weekly during the fall and spring semesters and is distributed around the Jonesboro campus. Its content is normally written by students. “Our View” represents the opinions of the editorial staff. Columns, letters to the editor, cartoons and other content on the opinion page are the views of the author.

Content does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Herald.Editorial Number Advertising Number(870) 972-3076 (870) 972-2961 www.asuherald.com

— Our View —

Welcome back!As another summer has come and gone, along

with another first week of school, a lot of us have become accustomed to certain collegiate routines. It’s no big deal anymore—just another year. However, for all of our new freshman peers, welcome and congratulations for making it through your first week in college!

Here at Arkansas State particularly, we welcome students with open arms and high expectations. It is a clean slate—a fresh start. So do your best!

College is all about new experiences. Learn from them! You may think you know what you are getting into, but in time you will learn that this is a whole new world. Things will change over your first year and it might seem difficult now, but these changes will be quite beneficial.

So, what is so great about college?You’ll make friendships and connections that

will last a lifetime. Make an effort to get to know those around you early on because, four years may seem like forever now but it will fly by and you don’t want to regret not doing everything you could in your time here. Get involved in many of the wonderful organizations on campus. Befriend your professors and classmates—they’ll be your connections someday.

As for your education—make the most of what you learn in each class. Your education should remain your top priority and, quite frankly, it’s too expensive not to be. There are plenty of people on campus ready and willing to help you get the best education possible, from tutors to professors to friends. Learn everything you can and be open-minded. You might find a new interest along the way.

The Herald is a student-run newspaper here to give a voice to the Arkansas State community. We encourage you to contact us regarding anything we publish or anything you would like to see covered in our publication. We are here to serve you.

We hope you continue on to have a great semester, and many great semesters to follow!

“Our View” is written by the editorial staff. The opinions are not necessarily reflective of the student body, faculty or administration of Arkansas State University.

PAGE 2 Monday, Aug. 29 The Herald

- Samuel G. Smith, editorsamuel.smith@smail.astate.edu- Raven Hearton, news editorraven.hearton@smail.astate.edu- Lindsey Blakely, photo editorlindsey.blakely@smail.astate.edu

- Beth Bright, opinion editorbethany.bright@smail.astate.edu- Michaela Kaberline, campus corner editormichaela.kaberline@smail.astate.edu- Daniel McFadin, sports editordaniel.mcfadin@smail.astate.edu

- Rachel Carner, online editor rachel.carner@smail.astate.edu- Rachel Meredith, ad managerrachel.meredith@smail.astate.edu- Bonnie Thrasher, adviserbthrasher@astate.edu

“...soak up all the good college life and take it with you after leaving this university.”

Anthony Childress

Summer, it seems, has roared past us and now prepares to give way to the fall season. Given how incredibly hot and humid much of June, July and August have been, the prospect of some cooler temperatures seems more than welcome.

One thing that remains as constant as weather patterns is the arrival of a new school year. What promises and/or challenges will it bring? Are any of us prepared for this, that and the other thing?

Hmm. Well, I do have a few thoughts to

share and maybe they can offer some measure of encouragement whether you are a freshman scrambling for a parking space five minutes (or less) before class starts or a non-tradi-tional graduate student (that would be me) whose world is dominated by people equipped with ever-growing technology, social networking, study-ing techniques and other realities that can leave a guy staring up at the water’s edge, completely unsure as to how he can lift his head above it for a breather.

It is probable that many of you understand these feelings, no matter your age or background. Let’s face it: college life presents simultaneous anticipation and anxiety, but does it have to be this way?

I would say yes, but primarily be-cause for most students their time on campus truly changes their lives (overwhelmingly for the better) and helps chart a course in terms of ca-reer, etc., that lasts for years on end. I know that to be true because my un-

dergraduate experience at Arkansas State confirmed the value of higher education and its advantages.

From having the vast knowledge of professors, like now retired Dr. Marlin Shipman in journalism and former political science professor Dr. Susan Power, to being a freshman the year the old Indian Fieldhouse closed its doors and ushered in the Convo-cation Center for then-Indians bas-ketball games, I had a great, abiding sense of community and school spirit (even if I failed to see it as clearly at that time).

Seeing all the Greek symbols and organizational acronyms on shirts dotting the ASU landscape evokes more good vibes for this Jonesboro native who remembers a time when you could drive straight up Caraway Road through campus or see one of countless talent-laden performances by theater students in Wilson Hall or roll down the north end zone hillside at the football stadium as a kid in the 1970s.

What’s the point, you may be ask-ing?

It is simply to urge you to soak up all of the good college life and take it with you after leaving this university. Make a point of jotting down impor-tant dates, take tons of pictures and keep in mind that the friendships forged here are those likely to be on solid ground decades from now.

Now, back to the not-so-positive aspects of college life. Whether you dread exams, prefer to sit in the back row in class to avoid being called on by an instructor or cannot compre-

hend why a classmate sees the world differently, it is important to see things in a broader sense.

But why? For starters, tests are inevitable

and help is all around you via tutors, support services, so on and so forth. Claiming the seat far away from the professor leading your College Alge-bra or Physical Science course may be a coping mechanism, but try inch-ing closer and see how liberating it feels (seriously).

Diversity of student opinions and beliefs should be embraced and cele-brated because, in fact, our society is becoming far more integrated along racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orienta-tion, religious and many other lines. ASU is where you figure out that so-and-so is of a different faith, but that’s A-OK. It is where you might end up meeting a gay person for the first time. No big deal in contempo-rary American life, right? And, you just might discover that Razorback fans are easily converted into Red Wolves loyalists, or at least willing to split their allegiances.

So, with the first week of class over everyone has a chance to step back and see where things are go-ing. It should be a time to see how far you have come in just a few days. The road ahead will certainly offer smooth patches and a few bumps, but remember it is the route by which you will find yourself.

Childress is a graduate student in political science of Jonesboro.

“When did we become so jaded that we want to watch an actress get prosecuted

instead of a real life tragedy?”Abdullah Raslan

Arkansas State Uni-versity offers a variety of online courses as well as a slew of graduate-level de-gree programs and a bach-elor of science in interdis-ciplinary studies, but are these degrees worth con-sidering?

It depends.For students seeking

a degree or certification, online classes offer an af-fordable alternative to attending classes in the flesh. In fact, according to a business studies survey at ebusinessdegrees.org, 55 percent of organizations said if two candidates with similar work experience were applying for the same job, it wouldn’t matter whether their degrees were obtained online or through a traditional degree pro-gram. That being said, stu-dents actively pursuing an

education should be wary of taking too many online courses.

Unfortunately, the ben-efits of Internet classes are also some of their ma-jor weaknesses. You don’t even have to get dressed in order to get your master of science in educational lead-ership online. I don’t know how effective a leader in education you’ll be if you don’t even get to practice in front of your peers.

The good people at think-quest.org say that, “Giving a face-to-face presentation to a real audience is often an anxiety-filled, but valu-able experience.” Nothing compares to the live dis-cussion (or constructive criticism) available in a classroom, which can’t be adequately recreated in an online message board. Limited bandwidth or server issues hamper the natural piggy-backing of ideas and therefore, bring any attempt at engaging conversation to a screech-ing halt.

You might not think talking with everyone in your class (especially that

jerk in the back) is ben-eficial, but according to the same business survey, “56 percent of employers be-lieve that graduates with traditional degrees com-municate more effective-ly…” Employers need to know that the people they hire can receive and deliv-er information clearly and efficiently.

Furthermore, Internet classes might inhibit your ability to land that dream job. Yes, 55 percent of or-ganizations don’t see the difference in online and traditional degree pro-grams, but do you really want to hurt your chances with the other 45 percent?

College is all about wid-ening your horizon, mak-ing new opportunities for yourself, finding new friends and building your networking skills. Busi-nesses aren’t just looking for a degree. They want talented, well-rounded em-ployees with a breadth of experience. Why start off with such a disadvantage?

Bradbury is a junior plant sciences major of Hot Springs.

“Employers need to know the people they hire can deliver and receive information clearly and efficiently.”

Drew Bradbury

Is online education as effective? Egypt, Lohan get equal coverage

Return to college brings anxiety, excitement

SPORTSPAGE 3 Monday, Aug. 29 The Herald

Chelsea Weaver/Herald

The Lady Red Wolves soccer team practices at the ASU soccer complex earlier this week in preparation for Central Arkansas and SEMO.

Volleyball season opens with invitational in BirminghamRyan Simpson

Staff Writer

The Arkansas State Lady Red Wolves volleyball squad opened its season in a tournament jointly hosted by Samford University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham and held in Birmingham, Ala.

The Lady Red Wolves began on Friday with a three set sweep over Akron.

The victory was a product of a solid performance from senior Cayla Fielder.

Fielder played all three sets of the match and amassed 12 kills, which put her career kills count

over 1,000.Later on Friday, the Lady Red

Wolves pitted themselves against UAB. The match ended with UAB claiming victory in five sets.

A-state’s Megan Baska led the Red Wolves in digs, recording 40 during the match. Ashley Tipps, Fielder, and Taylor Szpulski combined for 46 of the Red Wolves’ 69 digs.

Saturday, the Lady Red Wolves played their final match of the tournament against the other cohost of the tournament, Samford University.

The match was fierce, going back and forth and ending in a decisive fifth set in favor of Samford.

Not surprisingly, Fielder led the

Lady Red Wolves in kills with 16 for the match. Baska led the defense with 25 total digs for Saturday’s match.

Ending the opening weekend with a 1-2 record, the Lady Red Wolves will return to practice Monday.

The Lady Red Wolves’ next opportunity to improve their record will come at the Lipscomb Tournament in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday and Saturday.

On the opening day of the Lipscomb Tournament, A-state faces Charlotte (2-1) followed by Tennessee Tech (0-3).

On Saturday, the Lady Red Wolves will finish the tournament by playing the host, Lipscomb (0-3).

Chelsea Weaver Staff Writer

Daniel McFadinSports Editor

The Lady Red Wolves took the field for their home opener at the ASU soccer com-plex on Sept. 21 against Mississippi State and won 3-1.

After a score in the 13th minute from Senior Kara Nitti, Mississippi State tied the game up in the 59th minute.

Senior Stasha Siers gave Arkansas State the lead again in the 76th min-ute with an assist from Junior Ashley McMurtry. Senior Michele Clark then scored the final goal of the game in the 88th minute to seal the win for the Lady Red Wolves.

Head Coach Tafadzwa Ziyenge said a win over a SEC opponent gives them a lot of motivation, and their approach to the season will be game by game with an overall goal of a winning season.

Captains Siers and Senior Lizzy Niles said they had to go into the game with confidence, but remembered to play their style and do the little things right.

Ziyenge said he knew this past week-end would be tough considering Central Arkansas is an in-state rival and they had beaten Lipscomb, a team in which the Lady Red Wolves tied previously this season on August 19.

The Red Wolves defeated UCA Friday 2-0 to take their record to 2-0-1. Against

the Bears, both goals came in the first 13 minutes from freshman Jessica Jingblad (1:58) and senior Kara Nitti (12:03).

The Lady Red Wolves final game of the weekend came Sunday against Southeast Missouri. ASU received their first taste of defeat as the Redhawks handed the Lady Red Wolves a 4-0 loss. The team is now 2-1-1 and won’t play again till this Fri-day.

“We are trying to climb a ladder and make a name for ourselves. We are a growing program, and I want us to be the best team in Arkansas,” Coach Ziyenge said.

Last year was Coach Ziyenge’s first year with the program at Arkansas State, and the Lady Red Wolves finished 10th out of 12 conference teams. He said they are hoping to have a better season this year and work harder each week to get their team to the conference playoffs this year.

Senior Lyndsey Patterson said this season is about playing every minute for each other and is excited for the season and to be a part of a growing program.

It is a program that hopes to overcome a Sun Belt preseason poll that picked the Lady Red Wolves to finish 10th in the conference.

Denver was picked to finish first in the league with seven first place votes and Florida International came in second with one first place vote.

The Lady Red Wolves next game is Friday, when the team visits Tennesse-Martin (3-1).

What the howl?The Dark Side of Sport,

Part One: College AthleticsSomebody flipped on the

wrong switch (or the right one, depending on who you are).

Sports fans are now get-ting a once-in-a-generation chance to see college athlet-ics in all of its shady, back room glory.

During the season we wait for the weekend to ar-rive so we can watch our football, basketball or base-ball games, then we go back to our business until the next weekend.

Now fans across the coun-try, from die hard to fair weather, are being remind-ed that more goes on in col-lege athletics than what we see on the playing field ev-ery year.

In the last year, there hasn’t been just one inci-dent that has fans, journal-ists and colleges themselves wondering what’s going to happen next and who’s go-ing to get caught. It’s been an avalanche.

The laundry list of con-troversies began last sum-mer with USC finally re-ceiving its punishment for giving former running back Reggie Bush improper ben-efits.

Allegations then sur-faced in November that Au-burn had paid Cecil New-ton to get his son Cam to play there.

“Tat-Gate” came to light at Ohio State in December, which resulted in Jim Tres-sel resigning.

Finally the University of Miami is now under investi-gation for what could possi-

bly be the biggest scandal in college football since SMU received the “Death Penal-ty” in 1987.

It’s not just the big pro-grams that are getting in trouble.

Our very own Arkansas State was reprimanded in March for “ineligible partic-ipation and extra benefits, a failure to monitor the eligi-bility-certification process, and unethical conduct in-volving academic fraud” ac-cording to the report by the NCAA Committee on In-fractions.

With the loss of just one scholarship and vacated wins in football, basketball, baseball and women’s soc-cer, ASU got off easy com-pared to Ohio State (resig-nation of Jim Tressel and player suspensions).

OSU themselves didn’t even come close to receiv-ing a USC level punishment (post-season ban for two years, losing 30 scholarships over three years and vacat-

ed 2004 championship), but more reprimands could be in store for the Buckeyes.

Many of the violations that have occurred are due to program boosters show-ering student athletes with gifts and money, things that don’t help them on the field.

Some will say that the source of these problems is the lack of payment student athletes receive outside of their scholarships.

But even if they are paid, that won’t keep rouge “boosters” from trying to in-fluence players with their wealth.

College sports stand at a crossroads right now. How far is the NCAA willing to go to punish major pro-grams like Miami and OSU, which have intentionally vi-olated rules and tried to cov-er them up?

The NCAA needs to for-get about the money confer-ences stand to lose on TV contracts and worry about that double standard they play out when they severe-ly punish a player at one school, while giving a more well known player at anoth-er a light slap on the wrist.

Does Miami deserve the “Death Penalty”? According to precedent, yes.

All that matters is that the NCAA do what is right for the sport, not for their bank account.

But hopefully, once the first game of the 2011 sea-son finally kicks off this Thursday, we can forget about the last year and en-joy college football again.

ASU Sports Info

Sadie Clark and Ashley Tipps reach for the ball during the Samford/UAB Invitational.

Red Wolves Soccer starts season right

When Who Where Time

Sept. 02 Tennessee-Martin Martin, Tenn 4 p.m.

Sept. 04 Arkansas-Pine Bluff Jonesboro, Ark. 4 p.m.

Sept. 11 Murray State Jonesboro, Ark. 2 p.m.

Sept. 16 Belmont Jonesboro, Ark. 4 p.m.

Sept. 23 Florida Atlantic Jonesboro, Ark. 3 p.m.

Sept. 25 Florida Int. Jonesboro, Ark. 1 p.m.

Sept. 30 Midd.Tenn. State

Murfreesboro, Tenn. 7 p.m.

2011 ASU Women’s Soccer Sept. schedule

Evan Riekhof/Herald

Junior Ryan Aplin takes the snap for the white team in the Fan Appreciation Day scrimmage on Aug. 20. Read more about Fan Appreciation Day online at ASUHerald.com. For updates on ASU football and team practices follow @ASUHeraldSports on Twitter. The Red Wolves play their first game Sept. 3 against Big Ten opponent Illinois at Memorial Stadium in Champaigne, Ill. See Thursday’s Herald for a preview of the Illinois game and a profile on first-year Head Coach Hugh Freeze.

Five days until kickoff

Daniel McFadinSports Editor

NEWSPAGE 4 Monday, Aug. 29 The Herald

SCHOLARS, CONTINUED

PROJECT, CONTINUED

WELCH, CONTINUED

Carrington Pittman/HeraldInterim Chancellor Dan Howard (middle) gave the Chancellor’s

Awards to (left) Ashton N. Cullum of Jonesboro and (right) Sarah Grubbs of Jonesboro, who also received a 4.0 award.

WELCH, CONTINUED

FACULTY, CONTINUED

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in Little Rock,” he said. “It’s important I think from a neutrality standpoint. I’m responsible for representing all of our campuses.”

Welch also cited the importance of being close to poli-cymakers in the state capitol.

“We will always have system employees who are locat-ed in Jonesboro. We will always have staff in both plac-es,“ he said. “I think it’s a move that in the long term will be in the best interest of the university.”

Despite the number of things on his plate, Welch said he’s adjusting well.

“We’ve got a wonderful board of trustees, we have great leadership on our campuses and I feel like each one of our campuses is in good shape for the future,” Welch said. “It’s just a matter now of being able to assist them and accomplish their goals long-term.”

Les Wyatt, founder and first president of the ASU Sys-tem, stepped down from that position in July as ASU-Jonesboro Chancellor Robert Potts took over as interim system president. Welch was named the new president after a five-month, $45,000 search.

said. “It will relieve a lot of traffic buildup and there will be less of a hassle to get into town.”

Although work on the overpass is moving along, there is no exact date determined as of yet. However, David Handwork, director of planning, design and construc-tion at facilities management, said he feels the project is ahead of schedule, if anything.

“I hate to put a date on it, because we never know what the weather will bring, but the bridge work will be com-plete within the next few months,” he said.

Though the bridge will be complete soon, this will not make it usable right away. Work on the south side of the bridge is currently underway and will take a while longer to complete, though Handwork, who took over the proj-ect upon the retirement of project manager Terry Carty, is hopeful the project will be complete before the set com-pletion date.

“As of right now, the contractor’s date is Feb. 2,” Hand-work said. “We’re hoping it will be complete before then, but we won’t know a definite date for another 2 or 3 months.”

Handwork said there has been a proposal to extend the completion date for the sake of finishing details along Washington and Matthews; however, he sees the inter-section being complete and usable before then.

As for problems, Handwork said they have not run into any snags other than weather. He’s looking forward to the project’s completion and said there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the public to attend. He expects that Carty will be in attendance as well.

“I know he hoped to see the project completed in his time here,” Handwork said. “He felt very strongly about the work we are doing and will be proud to see it put to use.”

Hall said he also feels that a proj-ect of this magnitude will serve as a source of pride for the ASU commu-nity.

“This is a building that all stu-dents will be touched by, as many students will have classes and ad-visers in this building, and to me, that’s an exciting thing for the cam-pus. Soon we will have a nice facility that all of our students can be proud to have classes in,” he said.

Carol O’Connor, interim dean of the College of Humanities and So-cial Sciences, spoke of the adminis-tration’s latest efforts to secure state funding.

“The chancellor made an an-nouncement about the Humanities and Social Sciences building back at the fall faculty conference that was held last week. It’s my understand-ing that we did get an additional $4 million from the state to continue

site development.” O’Connor said that another $6

to $8 million is expected, but is not guaranteed. The university is also interested in money from private do-nors and could also issue a bond to students and faculty, but only as a last resort if requirements cannot be met in another fashion.

“Unfortunately, the economy took a nosedive shortly after we broke ground in 2008, and it’s not looking too good this summer, so we might have to live with that steel skeleton a while longer,” O’Connor said.

While the college of Humani-ties and Social Sciences may have to wait awhile before its new home is finished, the administration has provided a number of improvements to classrooms in Wilson Hall that took place over the summer, includ-ing new paint, carpeting, improved lighting and seating as well as im-

proved technology. Of the 30 total classrooms, 15 received the full list of changes, while the remaining 15 received only partial upgrades.

“I think they realize that if our current growth continues, they’re not going to want to shut down this building entirely,” O’Connor said.

Finally, O’Connor emphasized what this building could come to symbolize for all student and facul-ty here at ASU.

“For years Wilson Hall has been called the ‘heart of the campus,’ but when the new Liberal Arts Build-ing is complete, everyone will ben-efit from the improved classrooms, better gathering places for students, [and] improved offices for faculty. It will be a landmark building that will enhance people’s pride in Arkansas State University.”

OVERPASS, CONTINUED

Abdullah Raslan/HeraldBryanna McClanahan, a sophomore of Wynne, is one of five

international student leaders at the BCM. McClanahan hopes that the new conversation club will help connect American and international students and introduce each other to different culture and language.

The students will then be separated into smaller groups depending on the student’s ability to speak English. Various topics of discussion will be con-versed to help students come out of their shells.

At first the topics will be simple enough for the stu-dents to understand and then escalate as the weeks pass by.

Appointed student lead-ers will help run these groups.

Bryanna McClanahan, a sophomore of Wynne, is one of five student leaders that took on the responsi-bility of catering to the in-ternational students.

“We want the club to be a safe haven for interna-tional students,” she said. “I think ultimately the club will help them feel more comfortable in our society, they can feel more comfort-able speaking English and

will always have someone to sit with in the lunch-room.”

During her two years at ASU, McClanahan said she has befriended a lot of international students and has developed a special bond with them.

“The club’s ultimate goal is to help international stu-dents feel more comfort-able in American society,” she said.

"We have idioms and American slang that they won't be able to pick up in classrooms, but we can help them understand how an American college stu-dent speaks."

McClanahan said the program is in a trial run this semester, and, if suc-cessful, could become a per-manent fixture.

The club’s weekly ses-sions will start today at the BCM from 6:15 until 7:30 p.m.

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