In movies and magazines, the fashion industry is depicted as luxurious and glamorous. However, the reality is more complex. According to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the fashion industry is a huge contributor to the generation of waste. In 2018, the US generated 12,970 tons of clothing and footwear. That same year 9,070 tons of clothing waste ended up in landfills. 

“I really do think that the issue with all of the waste is due to corporations pushing fast fashion and everything being made out of plastic, so nothing lasts,” Kyla Tacker, six-year resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas said.

Tacker hosted a clothing swap event on February 28. According to Tacker, she was inspired to host a clothing swap event after spring cleaning. Ultimately, Tacker wanted to prevent her old clothes from ending up in a landfill or in the hands of a reseller.

“Sustainability is not just about recycling and reusing. It’s resisting something becoming trash,” vice president of the University of Arkansas U of A’s University Programs, Annalise Robins said.

University Programs hosts several sustainable markets throughout the year, including an annual clothing swap event called Swap Till You Drop. On March 6, University Programs hosted a physical media swap for books, CDs and DVDs. According to Robins, the sustainable markets hosted by University Programs are often U of A students’ first introduction to clothing swaps. 

 “I’d much rather swap something with one of my peers for free than buy it from Goodwill,” said Cecilia Acosta, a political science and earth science major at the U of A.  

Acosta attended her first clothing swap event during her freshman year. Since then, Acosta has been to several swap events hosted by University Programs, the Sustainable Fashion Club and even one hosted by Fayetteville High School’s eco fashion club. 

“It reveals the nature of sustainable fashion cycles,” Acosta said.“It really is just someone in your community that doesn’t want a certain item, you do want a certain item. It gets a new life.”

University Programs’ “Swap Till You Drop” event does not just accept clothing donations; participants are also encouraged to bring canned food donations. 

“I literally watch people go into Club Red and buy one of the cans of soup and then come back,” Robins said. 

Ultimately Robins wants the people who participate in the University Programs events to learn that sustainability can be fun. 

“I read that there are enough clothes on this earth to clothe the next six generations, which I think is crazy,” Acosta said. 

Acosta explained that thrifting and attending clothing swaps are great alternatives to consuming new clothes. When wearing something that already exists, you can prevent clothing from ending up in landfills. 

“I think more people should be conscious of how they consume, and be aware of what happens to their clothes after they’re done with them,” Acosta said. 

“Goodwill [doesn’t] even let people in our area look at the good stuff because it all just ends up going to auction on eBay,” Tacker said “So it doesn’t end up going back into our community at all.”

Robins said that people need to take a step back and not just not blame corporate greed for Goodwill’s prices. Goodwill provides training and education to people who were previously incarcerated or never received a GED or high school diploma.

“There is no perfect thrift store, and by blaming goodwill, you’re not actually giving a new hot take,” said Robins. 

Acosta said she has a hard time finding cute clothes at the Goodwill in Arkansas. Instead, she is disappointed by having to pay $11 for a pair of pants. 

“I definitely think swap meets build community because it cuts out the middleman,”  Acosta said.

At Tacker’s clothing swap event she hosted last month, community was the focus. Guests sat together in a circle and took turns displaying the clothes they brought, putting their names in a bowl if they were interested in “buying” an item up for auction. Excited shouts of how cute clothing items would look on the lucky person who was picked were heard around the room.

“When you’re an organizer, you have to think about meeting the needs of the community and seeing where there’s an open want and how you can fill that want,” Acosta explained. 

Acosta is a Depop ambassador and has been working towards hosting her own swap events at the U of A. Through the processes of planning those events she has been surprised to learn that many people on campus are interested in clothing swaps. 

“Whenever I go to the mall and I see all the fast fashion, it’s easy to feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t like that kind of thing,” Acosta said. 

However, because of her experience as a Depop ambassador, Acosta has been encouraged to continue pushing for sustainable fashion. Instead of buying new clothing, she hopes that more people can find joy in shopping for thrifted clothing.
“I think that having events, specifically in the Arkansas Union, which is kind of like the living room of campus, does impact Fayetteville because we take so much space up here and to know that is what we’re valuing tells the city that that’s something that should be valued,” Robins said.

The post Activism in Fashion: Local Sustainability Groups host Clothing Swaps  appeared first on Hill Magazine.

When Friday rolls around after a long week, students can finally catch their breath after 5 days of class, work and responsibilities. All that’s left to do is decide how to spend their weekend. Historically, a stereotypical college kid can be found at a local bar on any given Friday night, forgetting their worries with drink in hand.

This is still a reality on campus, but lately, we see a different Friday night becoming more common. A night that includes entertainment instead of intoxication, reflecting instead of forgetting and mocktails instead of cocktails. There is no denying the growth of this trend, with many brands profiting on nonalcoholic drink lines and dry businesses emerging to accommodate a generation with waning interest in the cliche weekend habits. 

The catalyst of this movement is a combination of several factors— mental health being a large one. 58% of Gen Z said they plan to drink less in the new year solely to improve their mental health; this is a significant 45% increase from the year previous according to Circana 2025. 

The correlation between drinking and mental health is unique right now. With social media technology emerging in society alongside Gen Z, strict self-image management has become a non-negotiable. What happens in a weekend no longer stays there, but instead leaves a permanent digital footprint. 

The weight of maintaining a positive image means that a night out is far less freeing than it used to be, contrasting to an age where students and young adults were able to let loose with little “evidence” or negative effects.

Another factor in this trend is Gen Z’s increased awareness of physical health. In a society hyperfocused on holistic wellness, some young people are deciding that alcohol is no longer compatible with their lifestyle.

On top of this, many students are expressing fatigue of the clubbing lifestyle, choosing instead to partake in eclectic activities or more diverse entertainment on the weekends. 

The buzzword an increasing number of Gen Z is using to identify their stance on alcohol is “sober-curious.” The term describes a person taking a step back from the late-night partying lifestyle to experiment with more diverse sober activities, often involving new hobbies, craft workshops, and lattes or mocktails.

Whether for public image management or personal wellbeing, society is shifting to keep up with the growing “sober-curious” audience. Even the local Ozark Charcuterie & Wine Bar introduced their first mocktail to their menu last week, which is a telling decision for an establishment with “wine” in the name to make.

Fayetteville in particular has seen lots of creative dry events on the calendar this year. Instagram page “fayettevillecitylifestyle” promotes local Northwest Arkansas businesses and events, giving us a glimpse into what students and residents have been into lately. Each monthly post lists events like “Game Night at Meteor Cafe,” “Downtown Fayetteville Coffee Crawl,” and “Yoga at Fayetteville Public Library.” The page spotlights new businesses from Iris Art House & Supply Co.; an art shop and maker hub, to Artemis Temperance Lounge; a non-alcoholic lounge and venue–proving that local interest is expanding beyond just happy hours.

Bo Counts, owner of Pinpoint and the new Artemis Temperance Lounge, has been involved in the NWA bar scene for long enough to see its evolution. He said that he has noticed Gen Z becoming tired of the same type of bars, cheap booze and lack of diverse third spaces. 

Counts reflected on a time when Dickson street had something for everyone. Common Grounds was a late night coffee cafe for all ages, and Smoke & Barrel hosted indie bands and independent music almost every night, just to name a few. According to Counts, the Fayetteville nightlife used to have a diversity we do not see anymore, with spots for anyone from art school students to Greeks. 

He thinks the nature of the forgotten spots he grew up with are the missing piece to this generation, and an answer to the public’s demands. “People are craving a space like this, but they don’t know it yet. They don’t know what they’re missing.”

Counts’ latest endeavor, Artemis Temperance Lounge, is an alcohol-free bar focused on authentic discovery and diverse community. The vibe is cool and dimly-lit by night, decorated with unique art on the walls and eclectic furniture. The space hosts various pop-ups and events from live local bands to ceramic workshops to art showcases.

“I wanted to bring back some of those spaces that Fayetteville lost,” Counts said. “Something that’s about the community, and it’s not necessarily centered around, ‘oh, we’re just going to the bar to get drunk.’” 

The new lounge operates with a goal of being that lost “third-space,” providing weekend activities for those looking for something besides drinks at Tin Roof. Many Gen-Z students are tired of the same weekend routine and crave something new, but struggle finding other places worth their time and money.

Businesses attempting to fulfill the demand of a growing sober-curious population face difficulties creating something that can compete with a traditional bar, however. A Dickson Street bar automatically has an established value because of the audience for a known spot with familiar drinks. Non-alcocolic bars have to fight for their success.

“The challenge is, are there enough people here to support what we’re doing and not just be like, ‘hey, that’s so cool?’”

It is not that Counts is anti-alcohol, in fact his first project was creating the well-known pinball and cocktail lounge Pinpoint back in 2018. He simply observed the local need for a different kind of entertainment and shifted his focus from cocktail to mocktail. 

Nonalcoholic drinks plastered with the snappy “mocktail” label are growing in popularity within Gen Z. Everyday we see more brands capitalizing on the sober trend with wide varieties of non-alcoholic beverages that mimic the taste of familiar cocktail flavors.

Even popular beer and seltzer brands have released versions of their products without the alcohol, such as Michelob Ultra Zero and White Claw Zero Proof. The goal is to provide a fun and familiar drink while catering to a sober-curious generation.

Counts, however, dislikes the term mocktail. He instead refers to the Artemis beverages as non-alcoholic, claiming that the prefix “mock” is negative. 

“It’s like a fake drink,” Counts said. “A cruddy imitation of something you’d rather have.”

Alcohol-free bartending has advanced past just pouring Sprite and Grenadine in a cup, with mixologists spending years testing different formulas, crafting their own syrups and utilizing modern culinary technology. Now that there is a growing interest in non-alcoholic drinks with the same intentionality and complexity as traditional cocktails, their efforts are appreciated rather than seen as novel.

Counts argues that it is harder to create an interesting drink without the backbone of a spirit. “To create a beverage that makes you want to sip it and think about it, and isn’t just ‘fruit punch:’ that’s the goal.”

Artemis is intentional in their efforts and is far from just a bar with no alcohol, priding itself in the varieties of events hosted at the venue and mixologists who aim to tailor quality drinks that are actually worth your money. Many spots we see popping up have similar motives, to decentralize alcohol and give young people a more diverse Friday night experience without sacrificing a good time.

A weekend on Dickson is well-spent at Tin Roof or YeeHawg, no doubt about it. But for the growing number of “sober-curious” students looking for an entertaining Friday night without the hangover, new options like Artemis Temperance Lounge are opening up every day. Taking a step back from familiar weekend habits does not have to mean missing out on that “night-out” experience, and quality events and entertainment are out there waiting to put something fresh on your calendar.

The post Dickson Goes Dry: A College Town’s Response to The Mocktail Movement appeared first on Hill Magazine.

With more than 30,000 students at the University of Arkansas, making sure every voice is heard can be a challenge.  The Associated Student Government (ASG) of the U of A works to bridge that gap and give students a platform to raise concerns and shape the college experience for their peers. 

ASG supports programs and initiatives across campus while serving as a connection between students and university leadership. The organization is structured into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. Each branch works to represent student interest and advocate for improvements across campus. 

“Student government is important because it ensures that the university remains responsive to student needs,” ASG Chief Justice Paige Williams said. “It serves as a direct line of communication between the student body and faculty and staff, allowing us to advocate for policies and programming that students want to see.” 

One of the ways ASG gathers student input is through its annual student poll, which allows U of A students to share their perspectives on campus issues. The survey helps ASG leaders understand student concerns while identifying opportunities for improvement.

The polls cover a range of topics, including campus safety and wellness initiatives, dining and residence hall experiences, academic resources and student support services. Student participation is anonymous to encourage honest and transparent feedback. In this academic year’s survey, most students reported feeling generally safe on campus, but many want improvement on the lighting in different areas on campus, such as Old Main Lawn, and increased U of A Police Department presence, especially at night.  

“We rely heavily on that data to identify areas of need and guide the initiatives and improvements we focus on within our campus community,” Williams said. 

Along with gathering feedback, students had the opportunity to determine the student leaders who will guide these initiatives next year. 

The online polls were open from March 9-11, where students voted for executive leadership positions within the organization. The ballot included candidates for president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Leading up to the election, candidates campaigned and shared their platforms about their priorities for the upcoming academic year. 

On March 16, the All in Arkansas ticket was announced as the winner of the election, setting the direction for student leadership and advocacy efforts in the upcoming academic year.

The All in Arkansas campaign focused on advocating, collaborating and innovating on behalf of the student body. Their platform emphasized on elevating student voices while strengthening relationships between students, university leadership and the surrounding community. 

Their opponents, the Elevate Arkansas ticket, led by presidential candidate Chas Batta and vice presidential candidate Sutton Shires, centered on three key pillars: belonging, safety and visibility. Their goal was to ensure every student feels represented and has access to information and resources on campus. 

During their debate held March 5, both campaigns discussed their visions for the future of student government and how they would address student concerns on campus. Logan Williams, the presidential candidate for All in Arkansas, advocated to assign Counseling and Psychological Services counselors to each college and expand the Razorbot initiative to assist Registered Student Organization (RSOs) with budgeting. Elevate Arkansas presidential candidate Batta focused on increasing the visibility of the Student Senate to ensure students are aware and understand the solutions that are being implemented on their behalf. 

At its core, ASG exists to ensure all voices of the U of A community continue to be represented. 

“We represent students of different majors, backgrounds, and experiences and advocate for student voices across the university,” Williams said.

The post How ASG Represents Student Voices at the University of Arkansas appeared first on Hill Magazine.

In “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” on Netflix, a young adult romance film loved by Gen Z viewers, the main character Lara Jean (Lana Condor) shares a sentiment that many college students can relate to, saying  “my life was a mess, but I could clean my room.” 

College students throughout the country are currently on the heels of midterms and spring break, and some have begun preparing for their upcoming graduations. With all of these events going on, these students may feel represented by Lara Jean’s messy life, and even messier bedroom. 

On top of schoolwork and having a social life, college students also have to worry about taking care of themselves. This can include cleaning their spaces, and what better time to do that than spring cleaning. 

The act of spring cleaning has its roots in many different cultures. According to Howstuffworks.com, in Iranian culture, the new year is in March, so they clean in preparation of the new year. Jewish culture also has a tradition of cleaning before Passover, which takes place in the Spring. 

Spring cleaning is also a time when people can just feel put back together after the long, cold winter months. Whether it be getting rid of clothes, decluttering drawers, mopping the floors, or even cleaning your room like Lara Jean, all of these can count as spring cleaning.

Aubree Patterson, a senior at the University of Arkansas, is a self-proclaimed “clean freak.” She mentioned that she “spring cleans” all year long. 

“I go through everything I own probably every two months,” Patterson said, “so I have nothing. Pretty minimalistic in [my bedroom], and I need every cleaning product. Like, honestly, a Clorox wipe will not suffice sometimes.” 

Patterson may clean all year round, but she discussed how she does hit some aspects a little bit harder during the spring time. While cleanliness has been a big aspect of Patterson’s character, she feels as if she has gotten better at keeping a cleaning schedule. She thanks living on her own for this.

“Honestly at home, I would not do as much as I did here,” Patterson said. “It is because it’s my own bathroom, my own room. So, I need to be on top of it, because if I don’t do it, then what’s going to happen? It’s just going to be dirty.”

Even though she has so much going on as a student right now, Patterson is able to stay on top of her chores. She believes that keeping her space clean helps her to be more productive. 

Lauren Hawthorn, a senior exercise science major, also believes a clean space helps her to stay productive. However, she does not see herself as a “clean freak.” 

She admitted to always being messy. Her clothes are all over her room, and it has been an ongoing bit with her family since childhood. 

Living in a two bedroom apartment has led Hawthorn to be adamant about making sure the common spaces are cleaned. Hawthorn believes that having roommates in college is what helped her to get better at cleaning.

“Like in a dorm when you’re sharing space,” Hawthorn said, “I think it made it easier, because I have the added pressure of I do not want this person I’m living with to be like ‘she’s a wreck,’ but like my individual space, it’s definitely a mess.” 

While Hawthorn does believe that she is more productive and even sleeps better with a clean room, she has noticed that her room gets more messy the more stressed out she is. 

“I have all this other stuff to do,” Hawthorn said, “and I’m worried about all this other stuff. I’m upset about all this other stuff. I do not want to clean my room on top of that, which I think for some people, though, it might be a de-stress thing, but that’s not the case for me.” 

Blair Prstojevich, a senior health sciences major at the University of Missouri, does see cleaning as a way to destress because she always feels better after a cleaning session. She even stated that she cannot do any of her other tasks until she feels as if her space is tidy. 

Prstojevich has a few tips and tricks for people who might need a little help when it comes to spring cleaning. 

“I normally put on a podcast,” Prstojevich said. “Or I put my headphones in and listen to music, and then honestly after the first five minutes, I’m kind of in the zone. Or if you have something to rant about, call your friend and then rant about it while you’re doing it, because then you’re worked up.”

While spring cleaning has been around for years, it can still be a tough task for college students since they are dealing with so many other things life throws at them. Even if it is just wiping down the kitchen counter or doing laundry, these students can find a version of spring cleaning that works for them.

The post A College Perspective on Spring Cleaning appeared first on Hill Magazine.

The frigid winds of winter are in the past, and the sun has started to warm up students’ daily walks through campus; evidence that Spring is upon the University of Arkansas. With this temperature change, another season lies just beyond the horizon: concert season. As students work their way through the semester and closer to the summer, they move nearer to a plethora of concert dates and live music events by their favorite artists. 

While some crave the intimate events of smaller local artists, like the ones that perform at George’s Majestic Lounge on Dickson Street, others count down the days to their next big concert date in a stadium.

Among the headlining news in nationwide music updates, artists Harry Styles, Tame Impala and Bruno Mars all announced tour dates in January for the remainder of 2026. 

Freshman University of Arkansas student Sania Parise said she acquired tickets for a Harry Styles show this October for his Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally tour. Other than wanting to see artists solely for their music and production, Parise said she loves to get dressed up for the themes of each concert she attends as well, getting inspiration from apps like Pinterest. 

“For Taylor Swift, I wore a more glittery outfit, and for Lana [Del Ray] I wore more pastels and tried to fit more of her aesthetic,” she said. 

Music is one of the many tools students use to stabilize their mood and explore the expression of their interests everyday.  Parise said that motivates her through her day, and allows her to be more creative with how she spends her downtime. 

“I love listening to music while I drive because it clears my mind,” she said. “It makes me super focused, even when I’m getting ready.”

For others, music also serves the purpose of providing comfort and nostalgia, especially for out-of-state students. 

Freshman Ellie Wyckoff said her two older brothers exposed her to a wide range of music genres, which allowed her to curate her own taste and become obsessed with different sounds as well. She attributes her love for R&B and rap to her brothers, and her interest in indie genres to her own discovery,  combined with the music interests of her friends. 

Music not only weaves its way into her workouts and walks to class, but into her friendships; Wyckoff said it plays a huge part in them, to the point that when a new album drops it’s a big deal, and they all listen to it together.

Wyckoff is planning on attending the Austin City Limits music festival in Austin, Texas in October. She attended this two-weekend festival in 2025, and said she was so infatuated with the experience that she has to go back. 

“It truly felt like a cultural experience,” she said. “I was able to see headliners like Hozier, but I also found a lot of small artists that I didn’t know prior to ACL, which was really cool.”

With so many artists employing social media managers to film their performances and teasers in this modern era of music communication, fans don’t always need to see their favorite artists live to experience their talent firsthand. Wyckoff said that live performances are just a different feel that cannot be rivaled by any other viewing of the artist.

“With all the fans [in the room] you capture so much more energy that you wouldn’t otherwise have…you kind of get to see what [the artists] are like as a person, too,” she said. 

Music’s role in Wyckoff’s life has been one of escapism and release of the day that she experiences outside of her earbuds. 

“For me, music has genuinely helped me with problems in my life,” she said. “I think most students love music because it offers an escape for them.”

Sophomore Sarah Schwaller was also introduced to the idea of music as an act of expression from a family member: her dad.  She said her dad’s knowledge of music influenced the way she interacted with different genres throughout her childhood, and affects the way she interprets new songs now. 

“He very much makes an effort to teach us about the [music] he loved to listen to when he was me and my siblings’ ages, and he also tries to discover new music and new artists,” she said. 

Schwaller described how her dad and his friends first heard the artist Tame Impala in a bar in Austin back when the band had just started to release music, which allowed her to become familiar with them at a young age. 

“I’ve been listening to Tame Impala since they were very, very new, so it’s fun to see them grow and become so big,” she said. 

Music has also made its way into how she shares her interests with her dad: Schwaller explained how she often tries to hide songs that she loves from him in the chance that he also loves it and plays it continuously.

“I gatekept a song by the Neighborhood, ‘Devil’s Advocate’ because I knew he would love it,” she said. “I kept it from him for a couple years, then he finally heard it, loved it… and now I’m going to their concert with him this year.”

As a student who attends about one concert a month, Schwaller has experienced both large stadium tours and intimate listening venues. She said that smaller venues have unique advantages that the larger shows lack. 

“At George’s [Majestic Lounge], you have opportunities to speak to the artists after, which I haven’t experienced anywhere else,” she said. “You can just go and introduce yourself, and say hello, and I just think that’s really cool.”

Most of all though, Schwaller said she appreciates how there are so many different interpretations of the same music, which has brought her closer to so many different people on campus, unified under the interest in one particular song, or artist. 

“There’s so much music that I’ve been able to talk to other people about, and they’re like ‘oh my gosh, I love that song too,’ because of the story that that song tells,” she said. 

Schwaller described sharing song interests with others as a form of emotional connection, unique to others that one would form with classmates or even friends.

“I think college students having the opportunity to listen to the music that they like and share it with others so openly is good for the human experience; it brings people closer in such a large community.”

The post On the Record: Students Experiencing Live Music and Discovering New Artists  appeared first on Hill Magazine.

The end of a cold winter signals the return of Fayetteville’s favorite outdoor activities. Residents of “The Natural State” live and breathe for the fresh Arkansas air, and students at the University of Arkansas can be seen on walks and runs the moment the sun peeks through. The culture in Fayetteville differs from most college towns in its passion for the outdoors and staying active with a growing number of U of A students joining run clubs, going on group walks or practicing on the pickleball court. 

Students wasted no time swapping the treadmills for trails as soon as the snow melted, and Josie, a student employee at the University Recreation + Wellness center, said that she saw a noticeable drop in the number of students in the gym when the weather started to warm up. 

“Seeing them outside on a walk in short sleeves makes me want to leave here and join them”, Joise said. 

One day, students are watching the snow melt from the stairmaster, and the next, they are gathered at Wilson Park gearing up for a run, as if on cue. In Fayetteville, there is no fooling yourself that tomorrow is the day to get outside when the city around you wastes no time. It creates a kind of urgency in a world that enables “bedrotting” and “doom-scrolling”, and this urgency is something students come embrace. 

Prioritizing health and wellness is a common trait among Fayetteville’s residents, and a change in seasons signals a change in how it is expressed. Founding Executive of the U of A Wellness Society Victoria Watson said that it is her “cue” to go outside when it is sunny–even if it is still in the mid-40s.

“The treadmill can get boring because you’re kind of looking at nothing,” Watson explained, “I like walking outside and being around nature.” 

It is in Fayetteville’s DNA to yearn for the outdoors because of the scenery and nature of the city, with the U of A website boasting that the nation’s best outdoor amenities and hiking trails are only a short drive from campus. Northwest Arkansas has built the city around the mutual appreciation for fresh air, accommodating U of A students with countless trails, sport courts and crosswalks.

The Razorback Regional Greenway is the backbone of the NWA trail system, spanning over 40 miles and connecting Fayetteville to 5 other cities. Almost every trail leads back to this one, making it a locally beloved piece of the city’s infrastructure. Kessler Mountain is a popular hiking spot to spend the day and earn a breathtaking view at the top, and is only one of over 50 parks found in Arkansas. Fayetteville prides itself on its nature and active culture, and makes consistent efforts to uphold its values and earn its top 10 spot as “Best Place to Live” (U.S. News & World Report) year after year.

Students agree that the local culture is largely what encourages them to be active and take advantage of the outdoors more than their hometowns. Watson agrees that the atmosphere in Fayetteville is more outside-focused and nature-focused than what she grew up around.

While many students get outside to clear their heads during midterms or get some alone time to think, the city infrastructure has become an increasingly popular third space to socialize. Between “Hot Girl Walks”, run clubs and outdoor yoga, the largest “hot spot” on campus is simply just outside your door. Watson said that her favorite way to walk is with friends, adding that she could go for hours just chatting.

The hottest sneakers and the newest athletic set are social symbols, setting personal records on runs earns bragging rights, and first dates are more likely to be at the pickleball court than a fancy restaurant. 

Many students get fresh air with a peaceful walk or jog alone or with friends, and many enjoy adding a competitive aspect to keep things interesting. Training for a marathon or signing up for a tennis tournament are becoming increasingly popular ways to spend your free time. 

Watson shared that her go-to outdoor Spring activities include tennis and pickleball, reading, and going on walks with friends.

Every college campus has its unique trend. Freshmen come back home after their first semester having picked up certain traits of their school’s students, such as a hairstyle or way of dressing. For the U of A, it’s an appreciation for the outdoors and a love of moving your body. Living in Fayetteville comes with a built-in accountability to make every sunny day count.

Daylight Saving Time is right around the corner on March 8, meaning longer days and warmer weather is in view. The trails will be bustling, and students will be taking advantage of every opportunity for outdoor activity. In true Fayetteville style, get outside this Spring and do not miss out on the options available to the city.

The post Trading Treadmills for Trails: Fayetteville Gets Outside appeared first on Hill Magazine.

Yoga has always been a workout conducive for busy college students; it offers a chance to relax, de-stress and find some present movement for those with stacked schedules. Recently, students at the University of Arkansas have started to support local businesses that seek to kick their yoga practices up higher- 95 degrees Fahrenheit higher. 

Heated yoga takes the flow of yoga and hikes up the intensity by causing people to break a sweat in poses that were once soothing. The temperature controlled workouts have risen in popularity at UA with several local heated yoga/flow studios in Fayetteville, like Nooma and Spoonmoon, and ELXR in Johnson.

These studios offer a variety of class types- ranging from slow, Yin-Yoga-like flows, to high intensity mat pilates with weights. The diversity of class types provides students a chance to try new workouts week-to-week and stay consistent with their movement goals. All of these classes are performed in heated rooms with temperatures up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Student Kylie Martin started working at the Nooma location in Little Rock Arkansas during her senior year of high school, and now works at the location in Fayetteville. 

“It’s not like 100 degrees out in the Arkansas summer- it’s not humid,” she said. “It comes from infrared panels, so it doesn’t feel as suffocating.”

Martin says the type of exercises at Nooma are different from any other class she has attended, which motivates her to attend class daily. The workouts combine yoga-based philosophy on mindfulness and a high rate of movement to create a fusion that keeps their brand unique and authentic. 

“The style of movement at Nooma is more focused on how you feel during the movement rather than if you’re doing the movement correctly,” Martin said. 

Nooma repeatedly implements this rhetoric in their mission statement. According to their website, Nooma is an environment where how you feel is valued more than how you look. They enforce the philosophy of meeting people where they are at, which can attract customers, and especially college students who are new to yoga and workout classes in general. 

“It’s as much of a mental regulation for me as it is physical,” Martin said. 

The popularity of heated workout studios around Fayetteville has opened up some new job opportunities for students as well. Sophomore Caroline Hatfield has been a Nooma instructor for about three months after attending classes starting her junior year of high school.

Hatfield says instructing has helped her create even stronger relationships with the people she attends classes with in a new way.

“It gives me a sense of community outside of my regular friends, but I love that I can invite my close friends as well,” she said. “It’s a good way to spend time with each other.”

Hatfield says that attending heated workout classes has visibly become more popular in the past year among college-age students, specifically girls, and that social media is a key factor in this. 

“I feel like a lot of people go just to get a cute picture [to post],” she said “I’ll even post it too because it’s cute, and it’s also a way to brag on your friends that instruct.”

Like Martin, Hatfield also said that the heat aspect of the class makes her feel accomplished both mentally and physically. She said that the combination of yoga, pilates, barre, weight lifting, and dance at Nooma is incomparable to other workouts she has attended. 

“I’ve never gotten a better workout than sweating for an hour… it gets all the stress out after a long day or a long week,” she said. 

A different take on heated yoga flows is woven into the practices at ELXR yoga studio in Johnson, Arkansas. Here, no weights are needed to have a sweat-inducing workout under the infrared panels- each of their three categories of classes (Power Flow, Deep Stretch, and Flow & Stretch) combine the mindful movements of Vinyasa yoga with the intensity of pilates-like workouts in correspondence with their class names.

Gabby Kellar, a freshman at the U of A, has been attending ELXR classes for four years. While other obligations have required Kellar to take a step away from yoga for certain periods during these past four years, she says she loves ELXR and yoga too much to stay away for too long.

“I really love the instructors, and it’s such an amazing workout… The teachers are so focused on making sure I know what I need to do to not injure myself during the poses, and it makes me feel so empowered and safe,” Kellar said. 

Kellar says that the practice of yoga in her life has become so integral to her growth as a person, that it led her to enroll in the 200 hour Yoga Teaching Certification Course offered by ELXR this summer after talking with a few instructors at the studio in Johnson.

“Yoga is one of my favorite things to do. The other day, I ended up talking to a teacher after [class] and she told me that [yoga teacher training] was one of the best experiences of her life,” she said. “I want to do it to get better at yoga, and eventually, I want to work there- that’s an environment where I can definitely see myself working.” 

While attending these workouts also helps alleviate stress and preoccupations about her day, she said, one of the biggest motivators for her to continue practicing yoga is the chances the movements open for mobility when she gets older.

“My goal is to still be able to move a lot when I get older,” Kellar said. “Yoga is a great way to make sure I keep my longevity in my ability to move and make sure I’m staying healthy without doing any extreme exercise [to injure myself]- I just want to do it for my future self.”

The diverse landscape of Fayetteville and the hub that it serves for employees and students from across the United States for educational and job purposes has allowed it to grow into an area where students especially have the liberty of a variety of workout spaces and opportunities; yoga being one of them. With this relatively recent interpretation of yoga in the addition of heated infrared panels and the combining of movement styles, students are free to find what exercise means for them in their lifestyles when aligning with their schedules, skills, and mental health. Studios like Nooma and ELXR are now more spaces where students can find worth in themselves outside of their studies and obligations, and, more importantly, where they can reinvent who they are and what version they want to bring to each day.

The post Turning Up the Heat: Heated Workouts On the Rise appeared first on Hill Magazine.

At a predominantly white institution (PWI), finding a sense of belonging might not be instant for all students. For many Black students at the University of Arkansas,community can be found through spaces like the Multicultural Center and historically Black Greek organizations.

AnReckez Daniels, associate director of the Multicultural Center, said the center’s mission is rooted in creating an environment where students can feel supported and seen.

“We try to be a safe space, a safe hub, a safe haven,” Daniels said. “We try to be a shoulder to cry on, a face to laugh with. We just want to be those people where students feel as if they belong here.”

The Multicultural Center supports student organizations by helping with funding, planning events and connecting students with campus resources. Daniels described his team as experts and explained that when they don’t have an answer for a student, they will guide them to someone who does. Beyond just logistical support, Daniels said the center plays an important role especially at a PWI.

“If students come from communities where most of the people look like them, and then they get here and it’s not like that, they need somewhere to retreat to,” Daniels said. “Somewhere that feels familiar, like a home away from home.”

One of the center’s recent initiatives, “Mirror,”a Black History month photo gallery, had the goal of providingvisibility. What was originally just an idea to capture professional portraits of students transformed into a larger display celebrating Black students on campus.

“I wanted students to have that one picture,” Daniels said. “When they’re older and they pull out a photo from college, I want them to say, ‘This is when I was at the University of Arkansas. This is when I took up space there.’”

For L Jones, a freshman double majoring in political science and communications with a minor in African American studies, the Multicultural Center became a space of belonging early in his first year. 

Jones said he first learned about the MC through a friend who would often spend time there. He said he was curious and decided to visit. 

“I didn’t even know what it was at first,” Jones said. “But when I walked in, it was just people hanging out, studying and talking. It felt like unity.”

Jones said he actually participated in the “Mirror” photo shoot. He said he did not expect a full professional setup with lighting and a backdrop.

“It was a great experience,” Jones said. “Everyone was welcoming and warm. It just felt good to be in that space.”

Seeing the finished gallery left an impact on him, especially due to exposing him to other Black students.

“I didn’t think there were this many of us here,” Jones said. “Sometimes you don’t see everybody all at once. Seeing all those pictures together was powerful.”

Jones said at first college felt very overwhelming, both academically and socially. Having a space where he felt understood helped make the transition easier.

“When I’m stressed, I can go there and just hang out,” Jones said. “It’s like being around family. It’s  a place where I can do my work and talk to people who understand me.”

He added that the center has supported him academically as well by providing peer support and encouragement. He said they have made a difference in his life.

For Antwanette Wilchie, a junior biology major on the pre-dental track, community can be found through leadership and sisterhood. Wilchie serves as president of the Phi Theta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., a historically Black sorority founded in 1920 on the principles of scholarship, service, sisterhood and fine womanhood.

“It’s an honor,” Wilchie said. “I feel like I have big shoes to fill. I get to represent our history and continue the principles we were founded on.”

Zeta Phi Beta is one of the organizations under the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), more commonly known as the Divine Nine. Wilchie explained that her chapter is committed to being a community conscious, action oriented organization.

This year, alongside other NPHC organizations, members helped contribute more than 62,000 hygiene items for local women’s shelters. The chapter also volunteers with local organizations in Fayetteville and participates in campus initiatives such as Pack the Pantry.

However, Wilchie said the importance of her sorority goes beyond just service.

“At a PWI, you might not always be in spaces where people look like you or share your experiences,” Wilchie said. “So having places like our sorority, the Multicultural Center or Unity House, those spaces are important.”

Unity House serves as a meeting place for NPHC organizations, housing offices and event spaces. Wilchie described it as a central location where members can host programs and build connections.

Wilchie said Divine Nine organizations also play a larger role in strengthening the Black campus community. While centered around Greek life, many events are open to all students.

“It’s important that we reach out to people who aren’t Greek,” Wilchie said. “There are Black students in other organizations who care about community service and connection. We need more unity on campus.”

Serving as president has also shaped her personal growth. 

“It’s pushed me outside of my comfort zone,” Wilchie said. “Public speaking, leadership and connecting with new people have helped me grow as a student and as a leader.”

Daniels said that while student needs may evolve over time, the importance of belonging will remain constant. 

“The need will always be there,” Daniels said. “This space is a PWI, and it always will be. But what we can do is create spaces where students feel supported.”

In a university where representation can often feel limited, community, whether it’s found at the MC, Unity House, a sorority meeting or a campus  event, makes a lasting difference. For students looking for connection, spaces like the MC and Unity House, as well as RSOs like the Black Student Association, offer a place that ensures Black students do not have to navigate college alone. 

The post Finding community at the University of Arkansas: How Black student spaces create belonging at a predominantly white institution appeared first on Hill Magazine.

Razorback fans unite at the palace in inclement weather.

When January arrived, a familiar panic made its way to Fayetteville. Suddenly, grocery store shelves were empty, rumors spread of days and days of canceled classes, and social media feeds were flooded with talk of “the snowstorm you’ll tell your kids about” heading straight towards Fayetteville. 

On Thursday, students got calls from family members pleading with them to make arrangements and stay safe, and at 5:07 p.m. The University of Arkansas sent out the much anticipated WxAlert text alert cancelling classes for Friday. Students checked the weather app on Friday night to find that a projected 12-14” of snow would be falling overnight, and woke up Saturday morning to see it was true. 

On Saturday Jan. 24, the snow fell hard, the temperature was subzero, and every store and business was shut down as predicted. Roads were coated in a wintry mix of ice, sleet and snow, and you may think that any plans of a basketball game that day were tossed out the window–but you would be wrong.

At 8:00 a.m., before there was even time to shovel snow off the driveway, @Razorbackmbb on X, formerly Twitter, posted that the Razorback game against LSU at the Bud Walton Arena wasis still on, and had been moved from 7:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in an attempt to beat the worst of the conditions;

“Snow day essentials: 

– Boots 

– Hot chocolate 

– Hog basketball”.

When roads are impassable, conditions are lethal, and the governor even declares a state of emergency, the hogs still call. 

“Come on out, the crowds will surprise you”, Matt Zimmerman, Razorback Sports Network analyst and former assistant basketball coach said in a pre-game report on Instagram. “There will be a lot of students here”. 

That evening, students in everything from a full ski-suit to a mere hoodie and sweatpants made the trek to Bud Walton, tickets in hand. 

“My mom was like ‘are you seriously going to a basketball game right now?’” said Hailee, a University of Arkansas freshman. “I was like yeah mom, it’s okay, literally everyone I know is”.

“Generally for an SEC game we’ll get about 4,000 students, but we’ll have more than that”, Zimmerman predicted in his post earlier that day. Sure enough, 4,500 Students rolled their eyes at the weather reports and showed up for their team, and the Arena was at its capacity of 19,200 by the time 4 p.m. rolled around. 

The majority of students didn’t think twice about their decision to make the journey to the game. Hailee recalled that the U of A story on Snapchat was everyone joking about sledding to the game or risking frostbite to be there.

“None of my friends even brought up the idea of not going”, She said.

The circumstances brought students together and fostered camaraderie among them. An anonymous student on the U of A Yik Yak page said that they have never felt closer to the student body than during this snowstorm in a post with over 200 upvotes. 

There’s something unique in a Razorback fan that sees negative temperatures, countless warnings, and over a foot of snow, sleet, and ice as a challenge instead of a sign to stay in bed. As wild as the hogs can seem to an outsider, those within their circle are not surprised by this. 

“Working in the Bud Walton arena, I had no doubt that it was going to be packed”, Avri Kamplain, communications assistant for Razorback woman’s basketball said. “A situation like this brings a different kind of excitement to our community, we all get to come together even if it’s difficult to get there.” 

This “different kind of excitement” filled the arena that evening, from a crowd connected by shared experience of the trek and brought together in the warmth of the Palace. With 9:45 left in the game, Arkansas overtook LSU and, accompanied by the rallies of frenzied fans, achieved the victory with 85-81. 

The adrenaline of a crowd who had just braved the emergency warnings and thrown caution to the wind to show up inevitably brings a unique energy and atmosphere. When asked if the crowd vibe has influence on the court and outcome of the game, Kamlain says definitely, and added that players feel recognized by their fans when the energy is high. 

“I work many press conferences and notice players saying they were confident playing because of how loud the Bud Walton arena got”. 

The confidence of the athletic staff in their fans says a lot about the grit of the Razorback and the no-excuses mindset of the students at the U of A. A sold-out arena is more-or-less guaranteed, regardless of the situation. Grit and loyalty is expected from fans, and that’s what sets the fanbase apart from others. When it comes down to choosing comfort or loyalty, the hogs choose loyalty every time. 

The post Woooo Pig Snowie  appeared first on Hill Magazine.

By Lilliana Cardenas 

If you were to ask someone on campus where their outfit was from, there is a likely chance part of it was thrifted. For students at the University of Arkansas, thrifting is not just a way to save money; it’s a way to express themselves, help the environment and connect with friends. 

“I like going thrifting just because there’s a lot of unique things,” Emma Livingston, a sophomore at the UA, said. “It’s good to find things that have been previously loved, just to combat all the fast fashion and give something more life.”

Livingston said that even though she doesn’t thrift as often as she would like, it’s always a personal and creative experience when she does go. For her, thrifting is a way to experiment with her personal style on a budget. 

“It’s a good way to expand your closet and have a lot of fun pieces,” she said. “I want to be fun in what I wear–different, not just basic.”

Gabby Keller, a freshman at the UA, explained that thrifting originally started as an activity she would do with her friends, but it quickly became a part of her lifestyle. 

“I probably go [thrifting] twice a month,” Keller said. “At first, it was just something fun to do with my friends, but after taking an environmental science class in high school, I learned why it’s important to thrift, because it’s better for the environment and the clothes are typically better quality.”

Keller explained that she now views thrifting as both a creative outlet and a way to be more environmentally mindful.

 “It’s kind of made me more creative in my style,” she said. “I always try to find something that stands out and catches people’s eye.” 

While thrifting is often seen as a better alternative to finding new pieces to add to your wardrobe, Keller is also aware of certain challenges that come along with thrifting.

 “It’s good that more people are doing it,” she said. “But sometimes it feels like people are just over-consuming. They’ll buy a bunch of stuff and then throw it out again. So it’s good and bad at the same time.”

Riley Holt, another student at the UA agreed with Keller’s outlook on thrifting. Holt said she started thrifting right before high school with her aunt and was a part of her school’s “Eco Fashion Club,” which promoted sustainable clothing habits. For Holt, fashion has always been about being creative while also being ethical.

“I’ve been thrifting for years,” Holt said. “I like getting pieces that have already been worn because they kind of have their own story before me.” 

She said the connection she feels to thrifted clothes goes beyond aesthetics. “It just makes me feel more connected to what I’m wearing,” she said. “There’s more personality that comes from it because I know nobody else I know has the same thing.”

Holt explained that she views thrifting as primarily a choice to be more sustainable. 

“I don’t always like supporting brands that are unethical in how they produce clothes or treat their workers,” she said. “When I buy from a thrift store, I know it’s not contributing to new production.”

Social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, have also played a crucial role in promoting thrift culture. Many influencers will post “thrift hauls” and provide inspiration on how to style thrifted articles of clothing, which not only promotes thrifting but also glamorizes it. Livingston said she has noticed how Instagram and TikTok have changed the stigma around thrifting entirely. 

“A lot of people who you see on Instagram with really cool style thrift all their clothes,” she said.

Bear Thompson, the owner and founder of Ozark Vintage Market and 233 Vintage in Fayetteville, has seen firsthand how whatever is trending online affects what people search for in thrift stores.

“There are so many microtrends that happen,” Thompson said. “We kind of see the back end of it. Those microtrends show up a couple months after they’re popular.”

Thompson explained that thrifting has definitely become more mainstream in the past few years. A microtrend is a specific trend that becomes popular for a short period of time.

“It’s beneficial because more people are shopping my stuff,” he said. “But it’s gotten so mainstream that it’s harder to find things.”

Even as more students have been gravitating more towards thrifting rather than traditional shopping, Thompson said the rise of thrifting has its own complications. 

“Fast fashion will always be a thing, no matter how much I dislike it,” he said. “Overconsumption affects everything, from pollution to the amount of Shein products showing up in thrift stores.”

Shein is a fast fashion brand that is notorious for its cheap prices and unethical means of producing items. The company, like many fast-fashion companies, plays a major role in the clothing industries environmental impact. Despite the backlash, these companies remain successful due to their low prices.

While thrifting is gaining more and more popularity, many students and business owners are being mindful of what makes thrifting meaningful, which is the individuality, the sustainability efforts, and the sense of creativity it can instill in people.

The post More Than a Trend: Thrifting in Northwest Arkansas  appeared first on Hill Magazine.