Tag: University of Arkansas

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Arkansas Traveler Articles

Volunteers are Always Welcome, Especially at UA

At times, it’s hard to find the drive necessary to juggle priorities and finish all the mandatory things that college students must get done. It can be even harder to accept extra tasks purely of your own accord.

Time is precious, so why give it away for free? The warm, fuzzy feelings that volunteers are paid in aren’t exactly the preferred currency of broke college kids. It can be especially hard to be motivated when the prime time for volunteering is 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning.

Read full article here.

Why Can’t We All Be Friends?

So maybe you don’t look like all the fresh-faced college freshmen, struggling to figure things out or pleading with bankers to give them a loan despite their non-existent credit. Or, maybe your country’s English program didn’t include “y’all” in the pronoun section.

You’re not alone.

Look, no matter what your story is, it’s going to be just a little bit unique. At the same time, you’ll also find someone else on campus who’s walked in your shoes and developed the exact same blisters. No matter how your story began, it doesn’t make you any less of a Razorback now.

Read full article here.

The Pursuit of Happiness is Fleeting; Pursue Meaningfulness

Don the pearls, or throw on sweats? Study English prose, or get a degree in biochemical engineering? Buy Cocoa Puffs, or grab the quasi-healthy Special K? Serious or mundane, we’re surrounded by decisions. Some choices are less clear-cut than others. When that happens, we’re told to follow our hearts and pick what will make us happiest.

Doing what makes us happy is often spouted as the sole secret to leading a good life, but is that all there is to it?

Read full article here.

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Honors Thesis

I researched, wrote and defended a thesis as part of the requirements of the Fulbright Honors College at the University of Arkansas. With my thesis work, I was able to graduate Summa Cum Laude.

Readability of newspapers in Arkansas compared to
regional papers around the nation

Abstract: Newspaper readability plays an important role in how well people perceive and understand the paper. A text’s reading level is one of the main contributors to the document’s readability, so testing articles’ reading level is a way to gauge how a newspaper is serving an area. Newspaper reading levels are also a reflection of the community. Historically, Arkansas has had low reading and literacy levels. Using an average of five readability calculators, this study tests the readability of Arkansas newspapers in comparison to reading levels of newspapers around the nation. Arkansas newspapers averaged nearly a full reading level lower than the other papers, showing that Arkansas still has room for improvement to become competitive nationally. Newspapers face a lot of competition from other types of media, so testing readability is an excellent tool for editors to strike a balance between informing and educating their readers, ensuring appeal and comprehension.

Read the full thesis here.