March has come in like a warm and fuzzy lamb here in Northwest Arkansas, but not before winter left its icy mark during a couple weeks in February. We had six days of inclement weather over two different weeks when the University closed. In some ways it feels like the Spring semester just started and in others it seems like we should already be close to commencement. But I’m not wishing the Spring away just yet, and graduation will be here soon enough. This is a wonderful time to be a Razorback on the University of Arkansas campus.
Our students are always working collaboratively and helping other students find meaningful connections across campus. A few weeks ago, student leaders within Student Media, specifically UATV, invited students who are part of the Empower program to visit the UATV studios for a workshop. Empower is a post-secondary transitional program that provides a college experience to non-degree-seeking students who have a neurodivergent background. Everyone had a wonderful time, and we have the story.
Our student and staff Q&As this issue also come from the area of Student Media. Yael Even is a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Plano, Texas. She is the director of strategic media and collaboration for Student Media, acting as the liaison between all the Student Media outlets to help push all stories across multiple platforms. She also has a love for being on camera and reporting. Our staff Q&A is from Sam Gibby who is the broadcast engineer for Student Media; he’s really the Tech Guru for that area as well. Sam has been in his position for more than 5 years, and says he really enjoys working with the students.
The Distinguished Lecture Committee is a group of students with faculty and staff advisors who help decide which prominent speakers to bring to campus for lectures. The group is part of the Student Activities office in Student Affairs. Past speakers include President George W. Bush, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall, and Abby Wambach. On February 9 they brought fashion designer and star of the Netflix series Queer Eye, Tan France, to the University of Arkansas. The event had a great turnout and was livestreamed to an even wider audience as well. One of our Graduate Assistants, Shane White, helped with the livestream and has a first-person account of the evening. The video is still available on the UA Productions YouTube channel for just a few more days. You will find the link in the story.
We hope you enjoy the March 2022 issue of the Student Affairs Bulletin. If you have ideas for stories or would like more information on anything you read here, please email Scott Flanagin, executive director of communications at sflanagi@uark.edu.