The Spring 2025 semester is wrapping up at UAFS. If you plan to stay in or around the area, there are lots of fun activities and events available. Celebrate the success of another semester complete with some summer fun. Go to the Walmart Amp for a concert. Some artists playing in summer 2025 are Halsey (May 19), Thomas Rhett (June 5), Luke Bryan (June 19), Def Leppard (June 23), Goo Goo Dolls (July 19), and Little Big Town (July 24). Need to cool off? Check out Parrot Island

On April 5th and 6th, the University of Arkansas held its Graduate Students in Interdisciplinary Conference, with the theme "Approaching Dystopia." The topic urged students to write an academic or creative paper tying the dystopian genre to the world we are living in today. At the end of the conference, awards were given out for Best Graduate Paper, Best Creative Work, and Best in Show. Saturday started as the most eventful day with both academic and creative presentations. T

The Arkansas Tulip Festival is an annual festival hosted by the Rivercrest Orchard in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the beginning of Spring. They celebrate the season of the tulips by growing a field filled with every color you can think of, as well as providing an environment for both adults and children with food stands and a market. While the weather permits, they have rounds of hot air balloons that give a view of the entire field, with a little glimpse of the city it is hous

UAFS Spring Break is March 23-29. Some students travel or visit family. If you are planning to stay here in Fort Smith, there is fun to be had close by! Things To Do Outside Janet Huckabee Nature Center is hosting Spring Break Tuesday-Saturday for free on March 25-29 from 9 am-3:30 pm. Paint duck decoys, feed the fish, practice archery, canoe, hike, and watch the snakes eat. Walk the downtown streets of Van Buren, AR. The downtown area is just five miles from Fort Smith. Ther

Despite their failure to complete student enrollment, a flock of Canada Geese was spotted on campus near the Flanders building in December of 2024. This was a concern to many students, as geese are notorious for being aggressive, and the question of what to do was left unanswered. All that could be done was to make peace with the new members of the student body. The geese eventually lost the thrill of education and continued on their way, leaving the campus no worse for wear,

Saturday, September 21st, Fort Chaffee hosted their Outdoor Market and Car Show at Chaffee Crossing Historic District. According to the Chaffee Crossing website, this event was a “festival-style market on third Saturdays, May through October [where they] focus on supporting local entrepreneurs selling homegrown, homemade, and handmade products and original art, designs, and creations” (“Chaffee Crossing”). The market was officially open at 8:00 that morning and lasted for abo

Reannon Gregory, a former student at Caddo Hills High School, has filed a civil lawsuit against the principal, James Todd Baxley, alleging sexual abuse that took place when she was in her 9th grade year. The lawsuit alleges that the former principal, Todd Baxley, sexually abused Gregory beginning in November of 2017. Briefly mentioned in the lawsuit is Baxley’s tenure as a Mineral Springs School teacher, where he allegedly molested a student. While at Caddo Hills, Baxley als

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will pass over North America. The path of the 2024 total solar eclipse passes directly over Arkansas, with the northern limit being just south of Fort Smith. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth, entirely covering the Sun's surface. When observing a total solar eclipse, make sure to wear appropriate protective glasses. Visit a local Fort Smith Public Library to receive a free pair o

It’s that time of the year again where there is an abundance of Christmas light shows to choose from. Christmas light browsing is a time-honored tradition, but it can be overwhelming trying to ensure that we all see the best ones for the best price. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the must-see light shows this December! 1. Creekmore Park Holiday Express We start our list off with the most popular, the closest to UAFS, and a completely free light show in Fort Smith! T

University of Arkansas- Fort Smith has the great privilege of hosting the Small Works on Paper traveling Art Exhibition as it makes its last stop. The exhibition consists of up to forty pieces by small artists in the state. The art has been featured in the South Arkansas Arts Center, Lyon College, Delta Cultural Center, and several other universities along the state. The exhibition is a competition open to all visual artists and is sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council. The

UAFS Theatre Department presents Henrik Ibsen’s, A Doll’s House . Showings take place on October 19-21, at 7PM, with a double feature on October 21 at 3PM and 7PM. The event is free is UAFS students, faculty, and senior citizens. For general admission, tickets are priced at $10. Directed by Sally Story, the show follows Nora Helmer as she navigates around a mistake she has made that has come back to haunt her. When faced with a decision that will change the course of her life

On April 14, Gov. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders signed legislation changing a 30 year old law. Starting this August, cities in Arkansas will no longer have the authority to ban pet stores from selling dogs and cats. HB 1591 is an amendment of the Arkansas Retail Pet Store Consumer Protection Act of 1991, the act “requires certain guarantees from retail pet stores to the citizens who buy dogs and cats. Breeding kennels and catteries are excluded from this act, as are animal shelters

The University of Arkansas– Fort Smith is proudly housing the Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts biennial exhibition, New Worlds: Women to Watch 2023, as the first stop on its state-wide tour. This exhibit celebrates underrepresented women in Arkansas, shedding light on the talent in Arkansas by presenting the work of these women to a larger audience. Artists Aimée Papazian, Hannah McBroom, Heidi Carlsen-Rogers, and Anaïs Dassé feature their vastly

The City of Little Rock Parks & Recreation unveiled a new sculpture of a banana wearing roller skates, and the comments on their Facebook post show very polarized opinions. The statue is titled “On a Roll” and was created by artist Jack Hill. It is located on the Arkansas River Trail near Murray Park and was donated to the city by a non-profit organized called “Sculpture at the River Market” and was shipped by the National Sculptors’ Guild. About two days ago, Little Rock P

TikTok has been banned from state owned networks and devices across the entire University of Arkansas (UA) System. On Tuesday, January 24, UAFS Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Carey Tucker released an email to students announcing that the popular social platform TikTok will be banned on university devices and wifi. According to the email, this decision was made by the UA System President Dr. Don Bobbitt in accordance with Governor Sanders executive order from Ja

Issued on November 30, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declared an advisory on their bulletin warning of domestic terrorist attacks within the United States. This advisory is currently set to expire on May 23, 2023. “The United States remains in a heightened threat environment. Lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances continue to pose a persistent and lethal threat to the Homeland…Targets of potenti

ROGERS, Ark. — Tecovas, a handmade boot-making company based in Texas, opened its first storefront in Arkansas on Nov. 22. The new store is located in Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers, Arkansas; it carries men's and women's cowboy boots, leather accessories, apparel and more. According to Tecovas' Instagram post on Dec. 22, the store will host its grand opening event featuring live music, giveaways, and more next weekend, Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3. Tecovas diffe

In the recent election, Arkansas voters decided on their choice for congress as well as whether or not to pass the four issues being voted on. This included Legislative Authority To Call Special Session, 60% Voter Approval For Constitutional Amendments, Religious Freedom Amendment, and the AR Adult Cannabis Amendment. All four issues did not pass. The first issue voted against was the Legislative Authority To Call Special Session. This would allow Arkansas legislators to pr

After reports indicated a “red wave” midterm, young voters surprised analysts with a high turnout for Democrats, keeping the fight for a Congressional majority closer than anticipated. Circle reports that 27% of youth (ages 18-29) cast a ballot this year, marking the second-highest youth turnout in about three decades. Turnout was exceptionally high in battleground states (FL, GA, Mi, NC, NH, NV, OH, PA, WI), where it was 31%. Edison Research National Election Pool’s exit po

Breedlove is home to the UAFS Music and Theatre Department. Built in the 1970s and officially opened in 1976, they were booming with students majoring in the arts. This decade was considered the “golden years” for the administration. There are tales that the Breedlove building is haunted. From objects getting thrown around, to a piano being played in the late hours of the night. It is known among students and professors that a male ghost, given the name of Larry, haunts the a