Effective August 1^st, smoking on any state-supported institution of higher education in Arkansas, including UALR, will be a violation of Arkansas law. The Arkansas General Assembly passed the Clean Air on Campus Act last year to protect students, employees, and visitors from second-hand smoke exposure on public college and university campuses. The penalty for violating the law is a fine between $100-$500. The law prohibits smoking tobacco or “other lighted combustible plant material” anywhere on campus, including buildings, grounds, and parking lots.

UALR enacted its own Smoke-Free Campus Policy last fall that announced: “The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a smoke-free campus. This policy applies to all locations of the University, including the main campus, the William H. Bowen School of Law, and the UALR Benton Center. All individuals are expected to comply with this policy. Persons who fail to comply are subject to disciplinary action. “(Chancellor’s Office, August 16, 2009)

University Health Services has designed a program to help student, faculty, and staff smokers. “The program includes individualized assessments, treatment plans, and support for individuals seeking assistance. The program has already helped an overwhelming number of people quit smoking,” said Marie Sandusky, director of the Office of Health Services.

Thick, warm covers snuggle up to your chin as one foot tentatively peeks out. A smile is painted on your face as you dream. Your fluffy pillow is caught between one of your arms and your heavy head as you fall into an even deeper sleep. That not too hard and not too soft bed is definately up there with your most prized possessions. You may hate feeling the need to sleep at night but you definately don’t want to leave that warm, safe spot in the morning. When the alarm glaringly yells for you to wake up you are loathe to leave the comfort of your cozy little sleepy area.

Students of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are just like any other students. Sleep is prized and adored. Well, at Coleman Place the staff perfectly understands how you want to be able to fling your arms from one side to the other and not feel like you are falling off. They have ditched the twin beds of the dorm setting and instead granted the unspoken wish of more space by having full sized beds placed in your own little sanctuary. Now, in the morning when that alarm goes off you’ll have an even harder time waking up to go to class or work. On the plus side though, there will be plenty of space for those stuffed animals you’ve been secretly collecting!

Alcohol goes hand in hand with college. It is in the same association chain as fraternities, sororities, grades and hardwork. Alcohol just seems to be at every party. Even those considered to be the epitome of lame have some degree of beer or liquor flowing through the room. It is like water to the man stuck in the desert; it’s just a must! And there is never anything wrong with a little bit of drinking as long as your of legal age and have the mental capacity to put up with some literally mind numbing side effects.

While everyone emphasizes the point of not personally driving while you are drunk, riding with a drunker driver seems to be extremely understated. While drinking may lower your inhibitions it seems to raise levels of trust. We are quick to think that just because a person is a great driver while completely sober that they will also have such an aptitude while intoxicated. Risking your life just to make sure you don’t offend someone is absurd. The moment you notice your friend is starting to pick up a cup of some feel good juice make some plans for a different driver. Be smart, stay alive!

Goals are definately important in life. Without them we have nothing to strive for, nothing to obtain. We would just be walking around aimlessly waiting from luck to strike and opportunity to grab us. But 2010 is the year of change and waiting is not part of the game. Students at UALR are among the many of this fast paced generation who are not willing to wait but are more apt to go in there and take what they need in life. And the summer time is no exception to the rule. In fact, the bright shining sun seems to inspire more of that go getter attitude than before.

Hot, summer goals are popping up like daisies, but one common shared dream is to work out and get fit. And it is easier now than ever. There is more time to run in the morning since school isn’t sucking up the day. Or perhaps you don’t want to melt away in the early heat of the southern sun, so get your run in in the calm cool of the evening. With school being out of session getting fit is more and more attainable. Snag a gym membership and head to the gym in your spare time. Just a few minutes a day and you’ll have that beach body in no time. Grab your goals and make this summer the one to remember!

No one wants to be alone. It is a psychological fact that human beings need each other. We are driven by social needs just as much as we are by the physical needs such as eating and drinking. So it’s only natural that college becomes the point in life where lasting relationships are formed; platonic and otherwise. The boyfriend girlfriend dynamic is an ever present theme throughout University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The holding hands and public kissing is a sure sign of affection, but is it love?

That is perhaps the most important question. What with media, parents and friends influencing our every thought and decisions it can sometimes be hard to decide if it is the real deal? Often times we shy away from public opinion because we are so sure that we know best. And sometimes that is true. However, it is a wise person who listens to the advice of others who have been in the same spot and taken the same path. Listening to your own common sense is important but in the potentially devastating game of love it’s in your best interest to combine what your heart says with what smarter, more experienced people are telling you. Then you can decide if your love drug is the kind that heals or the kind that is a debilitating addiction.