Arkansas Blog

Location, location, Location.

The press response (to say nothing of that of the media) may have been overdone, but I find it understandable, for two reasons.

First, it wasn't immediately apparent that this was an acquaintance shooting. Second, the utility and performance of the alert system is a matter of public concern, regardless of the reason it was set off.

You got two choices when you go to UALR: get edicated or get gutshot. All of this negative coverage is a shame because it is still a fine, fine junior college.

These shooting stories are very educational for my daughter. Not too many of our children realize they live in one of the most violent cities/states in the country, and that their life expectancy is shorter if they choose to live here when they grow up.

I don't think you can discount the fact that the shooting took place in what is essentially a schoolyard especially in light of what happened a week or so ago in Illinois. My buddy's wife is on the faculty over there. She parks in the parking lot where the incident went down. If she had left 5 minutes later than she did that day she would have been in the middle of it. You try to tell her that the press overplayed the story.

Louie, I get very sick of sneers at UALR. I spent a long time at UAF and know better than to think they are a quantum leap above the rest of the state. UALR has many exceptional programs, some at the masters and doctoral level. The graduate school at UALR was a major factor in our deciding to settle into Little Rock rather than near my elderly parents in Springdale, as was the current state of UAF and its surrounding community.

JohnAArky,
That look I'm giving is a sneer. Or, maybe I'm having a stroooooo ...

As a faculty member I, too, get tired of those who sneer at UALR's educational offerings.

If we're a fine junior college, can somebody explain that I routinely hear (from undergraduates and graduate students) that UALR is harder than UAF, ASU, ATU, etc.?

And the emergency alert system worked well FOR THOSE WHO SIGNED UP FOR IT! If you didn't sign up and UALR only registered the office phone number, then you may not have heard. Trust me, if UALR had attempted to get individuals' private phone numbers without asking them--as they did repeatedly in December--then there would have been a greater cry of invading privacy and Big Brother!

Lastly, posters seem to have lost Max's point in the first place: this wasn't a random shooting, it was planned and the shooters had a target. I park next to where this happened too, and I'm pretty sure the shooters wouldn't have confused me with their intended target. I haven't heard if there were eyewitnesses to the shooting, on UALR's campus it would be kind of hard NOT to have folks around, but if eyewitnesses are safe than my point is made.

P.S. While students and faculty may not always see UALR police around trust me, they're there. I have called them for problems and they have always shown up immediately and handled the situation with the utmost professionalism.

Max, Max, Max. Six blocks over you wouldn't have a large concentration of the area's best and brightest.

Good point, Max...

That shootout at the intersection of Fair Park and Asher a couple months ago received a fair amount of media attention, but moreso because of the number of shooters and shots involved, I think. And the fact that it occurred in the midst of stopped traffic...

But I'm guessing it didn't garner broader media attention and in-depth analysis like this did...

At least Louis is sneering at UALR for a change. Usually it's UCA.
Don't know what his/her problem is with either school.

Way overblown...

And, it was a fine junior college with fine students. Today, it's an impressive university with equally impressive students, faculty and alumni. I earned my degrees at UALR. If it weren't for UALR, this first generation college student wouldn't be in a position to be giving back to this region and living in this truly great city. No, I'd be working odd seasonal jobs somewhere in SW Arkansas.

Ualr is not a junior college. It is probably the most uinderrated of the top tier, state-funded universities. As a successful benefactor of their political science program, I couldn't imagine choosing UA over UALR for that. There is no way Fayetteville could provide the hands on experiences I was given in Little Rock.