UA Grad Students Show Work at Film Festival

A UA student film, “Homeless in Boomtown,” can have an impact on the homeless population of Fayetteville and the homelessness epidemic in northwest Arkansas, the filmmaker said.

“I could definitely see this impacting the homeless locally,” Denzel Jenkins said.

Jenkins, a UA graduate assistant, co-produced “Homeless in Boomtown” with the help of Shane White, another graduate assistant. Jenkins showed the film at his church, Heartland Northwest Arkansas, and congregants were moved to help by donating food.

Homelessness is an ongoing problem in NWA. More than 400 people in Fayetteville lack consistent housing, according to the Northwest Arkansas Continuum of Care, and 60 of the 400 are veterans.

The film provides details about the increasing homeless population in the region and the story of a homeless couple and a police officer who patrols homeless camps.

“It was kind of like a scavenger hunt,” Jenkins said. “We got a clue and then it would lead us somewhere. In the end it all came together.

“I have a real passion for this,” Jenkins said. “I wanted to make a film that I was satisfied with.”

Three UA student films were selected and shown at the recent Fayetteville Film Festival. The films were from students or alumni in the journalism school.

Besides “Homeless in Boomtown,” two other student films were shown at the film festival: “Chess,” another short film produced by Jenkins, and “Mike the Birdman.” Both films were shown under the emerging filmmaker category of the festival.

The Hertz Fellowship Foundation is encouraging research in STEM Fields

By Megan Wilson

The Hertz Foundation Fellowship is accepting applications for students seeking PhDs in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics and engineering.

 

Young said the fellowship is “incredibly competitive”, only accepting less than two percent of applicants. They are “really looking for the top students”.

 

According to the Hertz Foundation website, Hertz Fellows have founded over 200 companies and they have received over 200 awards, including two Nobel Prizes in physics.

 

“A lot of our applicants apply because they want to be a part of the Hertz community,” Executive Director of the Hertz Fellowship Programs Kathy Young said.

 

The Hertz Foundation Fellowship is a great way to network with other professionals, Young said.

 

“We have a lot of gatherings with Hertz fellows across disciplines, generations and geography and they are able to share ideas and collaborate,” Young said. “Many of them have started businesses together or wrote papers together.”

 

Young said this fellowship differs from most because students are not committed to work on their advisor’s projects since they have their own funding. They can work on whatever project they want.

 

“You are not only receiving the financial value and the freedom that comes with the fellowship. You are also part of the Hertz community,” Young said.

 

It is a 5-year fellowship with full-tuition equivalent for participating institutions, Young said.

 

Applications are due October 24 and can be found on the Hertz Foundation website.

Social Media Play a Big Role in Establishing Careers

Students do not routinely think of social media as a means to build job resources, a UA career counseling professional said in an interview.

Rickey Lee Booker Jr., the director of UA Career Services doesn’t normally see students using social media to find jobs, he said.

“There are a lot of employers that are hiring students from LinkedIn, a lot more than in previous years. In previous years it was more of just a way to connect with people. It was kind of like a business card. You connect with them through that,” Booker said. “So, now it’s really changed because employers are on there so much that they’re actually seeking out students now based on their LinkedIn.”

The focus has since shifted to figuring out how to utilize social media in a positive way to lead students to their next career or internship opportunity.

“Keep in mind that there’s not one place or one solution. So, it’s really about diversifying your search. We try to get all of those on similar systems but it doesn’t always happen,” said Erica Estes, director of Employer Relations for Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences said.

“And in this case, if students put a little more time and effort into their profile they might add some extra experiences and update what their career interests are so that those kinds of jobs and events are pushed towards them.”

Gina Shelton, a UA journalism instructor and internship director, called on students to take the initiative.

“My best advice for students is to let your professors know what you’re interested in. Some employers want a personal recommendation – they are not interested in a wide-open ad.

“I encourage students to be very visible online. Have a Twitter account that shows you are engaged and active in the journalism/public relations world,” she said. “Create a LinkedIn account, with a professional headshot. The Career Center offers free photo sessions and assistance with LinkedIn and resumes.”

Among the resources that Estes said the university offers students is a program called Handshake. As an online career platform, students can use it to find jobs, internships or career events happening on campus.

“They can also reach out to other students who work for a company that they might be interested in and employers can also reach out to students if they click to make their profiles public. Employers can reach out to them if they think they fit certain qualifications. Any employer that is on handshake is able to reach out to 100 students at each institution once a semester. So, it’s not unlimited, they have to pick and choose.

“So, that’s why it’s important for students to make sure their profile is up to date and exhaustive because every UofA student has a handshake profile already,” Estes said. “Just because you’re a UofA student – just like you all have UAConnect access – it’s the same kind of thing.”

But Estes also has found it difficult to strike that perfect balance of just the right amount of social media.

“There are just so many opportunities, it’s really easy for things to get lost and I get that and I struggle with figuring out with the best way to message students and not crowd them out,” Estes said. “So, I try really hard not to send more than one email a week to people because I just don’t want to overdo it and have people just start deleting them.”

Shelton agreed.

“Students should be savvy in using it to their advantage, making sure their social media footprint is an asset,” she said.

Student preparation also plays a role in job hunting, Booker said.

“Students come to college to get a job but I find it strange that quite a few students don’t really focus on their career until it’s their senior year,” he said. “But if the main reason is to get a job at some point then there needs to be a little bit of a balance between academics, fun, extracurricular activities and focusing on your career at the same time. That’s what really helps you develop into a well-rounded person.”

UA Transit and Parking Officials Gather Feedback

UA Transit and Parking officials consider ridership data and passenger feedback when adjusting Razorback Transit routes.

Already this semester routes 17, 21 and 44 have been changed in response to customer feedback, said David Wilson, the communications director for UA Transit and Parking.

“Under-utilized routes are adjusted so that higher performing and more heavily utilized routes can be properly equipped with resources,” Adam Waddell, assistant director of UA Transit and Parking, said in a press release.

The goal is to place resources where they will help the most people, Wilson said.

Dnajh Baim, an international student who rides route 48, said Razorback Transit is convenient because she does not have a vehicle.

Cassandra Kisner, a Fayetteville resident who rides route 35, said the bus will be up to five minutes late on some days. Sometimes there is an accident that will delay the bus, but students will not know about it.

Although changes are made, they are not made quickly, Wilson said. Officials are careful and deliberate about modifications, because they want to be sure the solution to one problem does not create a problem somewhere else.

“They’re not going to adjust a route because of one person, but if one person says it, sometimes that means there may be others who have the same concern,” Wilson said. “So, over the course of a year, if you listen to all the complaints and questions, you get a good feel for the people who are needing something different.”

Students sometimes contact officials about buses passing their scheduled stop, Wilson said. It happens anytime of the year and it is usually because the bus already is full or operating behind schedule.

“The bus is deadheading to a set location to get back on schedule,” Wilson said, in an email. “If a bus passes passengers up due to it being behind schedule there should be another bus right behind it.”

Shaylee Wallace, a first-year graduate student who rides route 33, said her stop has never been skipped, but that passengers have been crowded and in one another’s personal space more so than necessary.

Wallace bought a parking pass, but could not find a parking space, she said. She began parking in a public lot and riding the bus to campus. It adds to commute time but it will save money eventually.

Some passengers wonder whether having smaller buses that run more frequently would help alleviate the crowding and time between stops.

 

The capacity on 40-foot buses is 72 passengers, and on 35-foot buses the capacity is 68 passengers, Wilson said, in an email.

The transit staff conducted a study to determine whether smaller buses would be more efficient than larger buses, according to the transit and parking 2017 annual report. Although the smaller buses are less expensive to purchase, their life cycle cost is significantly more than the larger buses, according to the report.

A new big bus costs about $430,000 after the university-required necessary changes are added, Wilson said. Those changes can include branding, radios and communications equipment, cameras and technology for counting passengers.

Officials want the buses to last for 12 to 15 years because they cost so much money, Wilson said. Some buses are bought each year so old buses can be rotated out, which makes the process more manageable in the budget.

Buses that are rotated out can be sold for someone else to use, but federal guidelines limit how a bus is transitioned into another role, Wilson said, in an email. It is possible that an older bus can be retrofitted to be part of Razorback Charters, but nothing has been officially done in that regard.

City Plan for Extensive Trail System Aims to Improve

 

The addition of the Niokaska Creek bike trail will add 3.31 miles to the Fayetteville bike trail system. Construction began this year and will end in late 2019, said Matt Mihalevich the City of Fayetteville trails coordinator.

The construction of this portion of the trail by Gulley Park has been in the works for 10 years and will include replacing and widening trails within the park. Construction will alternate between building the Niokaska Creek bike trail and the Gulley Park trails, Mihalevich said.

While the construction of the Niokaska Creek trail is a high priority, it was pushed back to construct trails that connect to Kessler Mountain park.

The Niokaska Creek trail is part of the transportation plan which was developed in 2003. The goal is to have a trail within a half-mile of every residence in Fayetteville. That will make trails more accessible to residents living nearby, Mihalevich said.

“It’s a pretty lofty goal but we’ve been actually making pretty great progress,” Mihalevich said.

The Niokaska Creek bike trail is a half mile from 4,000 residences, and contributes to that goal significantly, Mihalevich said.

Placing trails within a half mile of residences will encourage people to be more active and make the trails a five- to 10-minute walk from home, Mihalevich said.

People use the trails for exercise, recreational activities and to get around town. The trails cut down on traffic and reduces the environmental impact of exhaust emissions. Because the Fayetteville trail system is separated from the road, it gives people space to walk and ride, Mihalevich said.

“It’s really our goal to provide a comfortable place for people to walk or ride their bike,” Mihalevich said.