The Future

[mzweig]

No, I was in college at OU and I worked at the Crossroads 8 theater just south of the mall. Right along I-240. So we had a very good view as it came through Moore, crossed I-35 and I-240 then moved towards Tinker. It was huge and very loud, I can't believe that it has been over 8 years.

[zman9810]

I remember the May 3rd tornado quite will, I was actually less than a mile from it. I worked in South OKC and brought my video camera to work with me and filmed it as it moved just south of us. Very impressive but extremely scary. If it had stayed on the course they were predicting it would have hit us head on. I could not leave and get out of the way because of the softball sized hail.

Tornados can happend anywhere but I was joking about one hitting our area. They are going to happen in our area again we just have to live with it and pay attention. That is how most people die in tornadoes, they don't pay any attention to what is going on and they don't take any precautions. If they would just turn on the tv or look outside it might save their life.

[strmchsr77]

That is indeed scary- I can't imagine being in that predicament. Do you have that video posted anywhere? I'm a big fan of the videos they show on The Weather Channel like that. I took photos of a small tornado from my front yard as a teenager. It was about 2 miles away though and headed away by the time I saw it. They do sound just like a freight train.

[bigboyz05]

Do you guys remember the Arkadelphis tornado that hit the town in 1997?

[Rardy]

Do you guys remember the Arkadelphis tornado that hit the town in 1997?

[KJW]

I hate to disrupt this aspect of the discussion because I'm fascinated by severe weather. However, I've one more prediction, this one half-whimsical, half-desired because it would make so much sense:

By 2027, enamored by companies such as KNWA-TV which a few decades back pulled its main operations out of Arkansas' 2nd largest city to move to Benton County due to visions of this region's future, bouyed by the success of the former Westark CC becoming the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith and strengthened by behind-the-scenes efforts of a coalition led by alumnus/former Governor Mike Beebe, described by The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Kane Webb as "the most powerful governor in Arkansas in half a century", a certain marginalized state university strikes a deal with Northwest Arkansas Community College wherein the latter can run semi-autonomously yet be under the greater name recognition of the parent university. The newly named college becomes:

Arkansas State University - Bentonville

Despite much hand-wringing and public cursing by University of Arkansas officials both ASU-Bentonville and U of A-Fayetteville each become stronger with UAF always far and away the biggest school. ASU-Bentonville becomes a 4 year school and becomes a great resource for students in the NWA metroplex. It also has some interesting course offerings, such as classes to teach Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, Punjabi, Hunan and Mandarin in response to Wal-Mart's strong presence in the BRIC (Brazil-Russia-India-China) group of nations.

However,

- Despite his fondest wishes, Gov. Beebe never is able to convince the state legislature to enable a U of A / ASU football game.

- Despite the fondest wishes of some (especially looking at KNWA) there is never a smidgen of sustainable support for making ASU-Bentonville the main campus of the ASU system. However, the "halo effect" of having the excellent former NWACC in the ASU system finally convinces a significant amount of talented high school students in the now 800,000 strong NWA metro to look at ASU - Jonesboro, and finally ASU football (and other athletic programs at the school) also gets some players to choose the (used-to-be-called "Indians") over other universities as Auburn, Maryland, Tulsa, Wisconsin, etc.

IMO, this would make so much sense it would never happen.

[Mith242]

NWACC certainly has grown and I have wondered if one day it might try to eventually become an actually college or university rather than just a community college. Linking themselves to ASU would be a way of doing that. While I would still like the U of A to keep growing, I think our metro could support to large colleges/universities.

[zman9810]

Do you guys remember the Arkadelphis tornado that hit the town in 1997?

[zman9810]

I hate to disrupt this aspect of the discussion because I'm fascinated by severe weather. However, I've one more prediction, this one half-whimsical, half-desired because it would make so much sense:

By 2027, enamored by companies such as KNWA-TV which a few decades back pulled its main operations out of Arkansas' 2nd largest city to move to Benton County due to visions of this region's future, bouyed by the success of the former Westark CC becoming the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith and strengthened by behind-the-scenes efforts of a coalition led by alumnus/former Governor Mike Beebe, described by The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Kane Webb as "the most powerful governor in Arkansas in half a century", a certain marginalized state university strikes a deal with Northwest Arkansas Community College wherein the latter can run semi-autonomously yet be under the greater name recognition of the parent university. The newly named college becomes:

Arkansas State University - Bentonville

Despite much hand-wringing and public cursing by University of Arkansas officials both ASU-Bentonville and U of A-Fayetteville each become stronger with UAF always far and away the biggest school. ASU-Bentonville becomes a 4 year school and becomes a great resource for students in the NWA metroplex. It also has some interesting course offerings, such as classes to teach Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, Punjabi, Hunan and Mandarin in response to Wal-Mart's strong presence in the BRIC (Brazil-Russia-India-China) group of nations.

However,

- Despite his fondest wishes, Gov. Beebe never is able to convince the state legislature to enable a U of A / ASU football game.

- Despite the fondest wishes of some (especially looking at KNWA) there is never a smidgen of sustainable support for making ASU-Bentonville the main campus of the ASU system. However, the "halo effect" of having the excellent former NWACC in the ASU system finally convinces a significant amount of talented high school students in the now 800,000 strong NWA metro to look at ASU - Jonesboro, and finally ASU football (and other athletic programs at the school) also gets some players to choose the (used-to-be-called "Indians") over other universities as Auburn, Maryland, Tulsa, Wisconsin, etc.

IMO, this would make so much sense it would never happen.

[Mith242]

I'm pretty sure ASU moved up to Div 1 a while back. They play in the Sunbelt conference.

[zman9810]

I'm pretty sure ASU moved up to Div 1 a while back. They play in the Sunbelt conference.

[KJW]

I think NWACC is a great school and serves an important service to the area. That said- I think there are already too many 4 year schools in the state as it is. At this point the state doesn't have the resources to support the over the ten 4 year schools and over twenty 2 year schools that it has now. Having that many spreads the money out to the point that no one school can excel except in limted fashion, although there are some very good private schools in the state. Arkansas is still a small and mostly poor state that should now and in the forseeable future concentrate it's available financial resources on a fewer number of schools.

The University of Arkansas is the only school that offers many of the degree programs that it does offer. It is the only NCAA Division 1 school in the state. The current administration has been successful in increasing the student enrollment and the school is increasing it's prestige nationwide. Instead of effectively punishing it for being successful in it's fundraising the state and public should recognize that success by increasing support for the school.

For the record- the correct name of the UA system school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas is the University of Arkansas, not the University of Arkansas- Fayetteville. It has irked me for some time that our supposed state newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, continually refers to it the second way. They never refer to the University of Arkansas- Fayetteville Razorbacks; only in nonathletic articles do they incorrectly use the place name.

And yes, I am a UA alum and financial supporter- Go Hogs!

[astrife]

I think NWACC is a great school and serves an important service to the area. That said- I think there are already too many 4 year schools in the state as it is. At this point the state doesn't have the resources to support the over the ten 4 year schools and over twenty 2 year schools that it has now. Having that many spreads the money out to the point that no one school can excel except in limted fashion, although there are some very good private schools in the state. Arkansas is still a small and mostly poor state that should now and in the forseeable future concentrate it's available financial resources on a fewer number of schools.

The University of Arkansas is the only school that offers many of the degree programs that it does offer. It is the only NCAA Division 1 school in the state. The current administration has been successful in increasing the student enrollment and the school is increasing it's prestige nationwide. Instead of effectively punishing it for being successful in it's fundraising the state and public should recognize that success by increasing support for the school.

For the record- the correct name of the UA system school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas is the University of Arkansas, not the University of Arkansas- Fayetteville. It has irked me for some time that our supposed state newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, continually refers to it the second way. They never refer to the University of Arkansas- Fayetteville Razorbacks; only in nonathletic articles do they incorrectly use the place name.

And yes, I am a UA alum and financial supporter- Go Hogs!

[zman9810]

I agree whole heartedly. This also extends to UAMS's irrational creation of a satellite campus in NWA. I have not heard one good explanation for why the satellite campus is a necessary expenditure of our tax dollars. All it does is spread the already tiny compared to most medical school's financial resources out thinner.

[astrife]

Ouch! I understand your point and can only explain that plan as a response to the growth of NWA. Every major medical facility in NWA has undergone an expansion in the past decade. Creating a satelite campus will help UAMS take advantage of the need in NWA for qualified medical personnel. It's not like they are trying to create an entire new medical school- the school will help fill the need in NWA due to the population increase.

[zman9810]

It still does not really make sense even if it is framed that way. Essentially what has happened in NWA is the population has exploded and healthcare services have not been able to keep pace. Washington Regional, Northwest Medical Center, and St. Mary's all are increasing their scale to deal with the increased demand. So, now UAMS steps in and thinks it can do it's part to alleviate the healthcare strain in NWA by branching out there, and as well it falsely believes that it will benefit from the booming area (both in economic and population terms). UAMS's main role in the state is to educate healthcare professionals, and it can do it's part to alleviate the strain in NWA by increasing the scale of it's healthcare worker output (student enrollment). This can be done more efficiently and less expensive if the school takes advantage of its infastructure already in place in Little Rock, and additional infrastructure development if needed is still more efficient if added their as well. I say it falsely believes it will benefit from NWA because the private sector already dominates the market of healthcare services here and it's very unlikely that a small satellite campus start-up, without significant investment, will match the quality of Washington Regional (which in my mind is the best hospital in NWA).

This essentially is a very inefficient move by our government, and I am surprised that more Arkansan's are not outraged about the waste of their tax dollars. I think people in NWA are blinded by the "progress" they think it will bring to the area.

[masons_dad1]

"the most powerful governor in Arkansas in half a century", a certain marginalized state university strikes a deal with Northwest Arkansas Community College wherein the latter can run semi-autonomously yet be under the greater name recognition of the parent university. The newly named college becomes:

Arkansas State University - Bentonville

[Mith242]

I agree whole heartedly. This also extends to UAMS's irrational creation of a satellite campus in NWA. I have not heard one good explanation for why the satellite campus is a necessary expenditure of our tax dollars. All it does is spread the already tiny compared to most medical school's financial resources out thinner.

[Mith242]

It still does not really make sense even if it is framed that way. Essentially what has happened in NWA is the population has exploded and healthcare services have not been able to keep pace. Washington Regional, Northwest Medical Center, and St. Mary's all are increasing their scale to deal with the increased demand. So, now UAMS steps in and thinks it can do it's part to alleviate the healthcare strain in NWA by branching out there, and as well it falsely believes that it will benefit from the booming area (both in economic and population terms). UAMS's main role in the state is to educate healthcare professionals, and it can do it's part to alleviate the strain in NWA by increasing the scale of it's healthcare worker output (student enrollment). This can be done more efficiently and less expensive if the school takes advantage of its infastructure already in place in Little Rock, and additional infrastructure development if needed is still more efficient if added their as well. I say it falsely believes it will benefit from NWA because the private sector already dominates the market of healthcare services here and it's very unlikely that a small satellite campus start-up, without significant investment, will match the quality of Washington Regional (which in my mind is the best hospital in NWA).

This essentially is a very inefficient move by our government, and I am surprised that more Arkansan's are not outraged about the waste of their tax dollars. I think people in NWA are blinded by the "progress" they think it will bring to the area.

[KJW]

I wholeheartedly agree. Long before the NWA population nearly doubles there will be a need for a 4 year college in Benton County. There is already a need for specialized 2 year degrees which is why NWACC built the Shewmaker Center for Corporate & Continuing Education to help meet that demand. In the near future there will be a demand for employees with more advanced degrees and many will find the cost of a UA degree too high. A smaller 4 year college that NWACC will most likely become will be much more affordable and able to focus on the kind of professional degrees that regional employers will be looking for.

[astrife]

I've heard it was basically to keep some other medical school from possibly opening up. I think our metro is getting large enough that we would get something eventually. Especially considering the 'flagship' university is located here as well.

[astrife]

I guess I just don't see it that way. I don't see why Little Rock has to keep a strangle hold on all medical instruction facilities in the state. I had gotten the impression that this was UAMS's way is heading off someone else possibly coming in.

[astrife]

Our government has an obligation to keep this "stranglehold" because it is more effecient and less expensive. There is no law that says medical students cannot be educated in LR and move to NWA after they are done. Doctors go where there is demand not where they were educated.

[thewizard16]

I think an expansion of the Little Rock campus might be more useful, but I also hear that this has been looked at, and a comparable expansion in Little Rock will cost more (short term) than the campus to be developed in Fayetteville. Personally, I think this is a bit foolish, as it doesn't take into account long term costs (they'll want to expand Little Rock eventually, (it's not a large medical school, and the demand is strong, as is the desire to be more recognizable) connectivity between the two campuses may be expensive, recruiting proper professionals, etc). A private medical school might be interesting, but I don't see one with any value locating here in the near future. UAMS is a decent school, and we'd probably be better off with them than a random private school, at least in the forseeable future. Doesn't make the decision smart, or even that we need a medical school here, but just commentary.

[masons_dad1]

My take on a medical school in NWA such as UAMS. I think it would be somewhat foolish to spend all that money on a medical school in NWA when many of the students would possibly take their newly earned medical degree out of state. Better to expand on UAMS in Little Rock and recruit the new medical professionals from down there. A big medical school in Little Rock will benefit all of Arkansas more than two small medical schools across the state struggling to pay the bills.