Where his treasure is

By the time Heather Buttram arrived at Washington Regional Hospital, she knew Aaron didn't have a lot of time left. Heather and Aaron had committed to spending the rest of their lives together—she had no idea that the rest of his life would only be one month.

On September 5, 2009, Teena Webster got the phone call that no parent ever wants to receive. Her son, 20-year-old UA student Aaron Webster, had flipped his jeep on Bellview Road around 1 a.m. and was in critical condition in the medical center in Rogers, Ark.. After 36 hours of painful waiting, Aaron died from severe head trauma at Washington Regional hospital surrounded by his family, friends and fiancé.

Although it might seem easier for his family to concentrate on the tragedy and the injustice of his death, the Websters and Aaron’s fiancé Heather have taken a different approach—they are trying to celebrate his life by continuing the good works he will now never be able to accomplish.

Heather and Aaron met in high school, but didn’t really become friends until their senior year. The two spent their afternoon’s playing tennis and casually getting to know each other.

“I liked him because he was such a good guy, and he was just so funny,” said Heather. “He always knew how to make me laugh.”

They started dating near the end of their freshman year in college, Heather attending the University of Arkansas and Aaron at Baylor. After his freshman year, Aaron moved back to Rogers to be closer to his family and closer to Heather.

“He didn’t really want to ever go to college in the first place, he wanted to go out and start helping people,” said Teena. “In hindsight, I was really pushing him to get that piece of paper.”

While at Baylor, Aaron had allowed a homeless man he met to live with him in his small apartment off campus until he could get back on his feet. When his apartment was robbed and police blamed the man, Aaron refused to believe them, and simply took the loss of his possessions.

According to his mother, Aaron had always been a person who couldn’t stand to watch someone else get hurt. Once afternoon while Heather and Aaron were driving home, they saw two men fighting on the sidewalk next to them. Aaron stopped the car much to Heather’s chagrin, and got out to reason with the men because their children were standing on the sidewalk watching. With Aaron’s help, the men resolved the conflict, and went their separate ways with no hard feelings.

After returning to Northwest Arkansas, Aaron got two jobs—one working as a counselor at the Rogers Activity Center, and another nannying three young boys.

“He always joked that it was going to make him a really good dad,” said Heather.

August 5, Aaron proposed to Heather on the dock out behind his house where they had spent so much time in their early relationship getting to know each other. Most of his family was in town and over at the Webster’s home when Aaron decided it was time.

“He called me and said ‘Jade I’m gonna do it,’” joked Heather’s mother, who rushed over to celebrate the good news.

“He had another more complex plan to propose, but he was too excited to wait,” said Heather. “Once he asked me and I said yes, he said, ‘Okay hurry up and take [the ring] before I drop it.’”

The next month was filled with the excitement of their new commitment to one another.

"I know lots of people wonder, you know, did they know this or that after someone dies," said Heather. "I didn't--I didn't ever feel like I left anything out. He knew how much I loved him and I know he really loved me."

Then, on September 5, all of their lives changed.

That night, Aaron hadn't been answering Heather's calls, so when she saw his home number appear on her phone, she was relieved.

"I thought oh good, it's finally him, but it was Teena telling me we had to get to the hospital," said Heather.

When they arrived at the Rogers hospital, both their minds were going a million miles a minute.

"It was a whole bunch of maybes," said Teena. "Since she sounded so serious on the phone, maybe this is really bad. At the same time, since they called me, maybe Aaron gave them the number--we just had no idea."

What really took minutes seemed to drag on for hours.

“I think nobody ever wants to have to tell you the worst possible news,” said Teena. “It was the longest night of our lives, and nobody would talk to us or tell us what was going on.”

Around 5 a.m., the neurosurgeon at Washington Regional told the family that Aaron was brain-dead. They immediately called for organ teams to come and retrieve Aaron’s organs.

While they waited, Heather had her final chance to say goodbye. Nurses moved Aaron’s body over in his hospital bed, and she laid with him until the doctors were ready to remove his organs for donation.

“He looked perfect laying there, “said Heather.

In a matter of hours, the Webster’s went from planning Aaron’s wedding to planning his funeral. Friends and family filled the Church at Pinnacle Hills on September 14 to honor Aaron’s life and legacy.

Even after Aaron’s funeral, the reality of his death had in many ways not set in yet.
"It's that phone call you never want to get in the night," said Teena. "I’m still at Stage 1, I still play that phone call over and over in my head—I’m just waiting on him to walk in the door at night.”

The week after Aaron’s death, Heather and Teena came back to the University of Arkansas campus to sell back Aaron’s books. It was then that the two realized how tough it would be for Heather to return to school.

"I just saw all these happy 20-year-olds crossing the road,and I knew I couldn't do it if I was her," said Teena. "There was Aaron on every street corner."

Heather decided to leave school through the spring semester, but will not sit idly at home. That’s not what Aaron would have wanted. She will travel to India this January to work in a an orphanage in New Delhi for six months in an effort to honor Aaron’s life and dedication to serving others.

“By helping other people, I’ll receive some healing, too,” said Heather. "In a way, it’s my last thing for Aaron, you know, until I die.”

Heather and the Webster family have also tried to help Aaron's good nature towards others to live on through a fund they created in his name at the Roger's Activity Center. Already, donations to the fund have exceeded $20,000.

Aaron’s heart went to a 32-year-old man in Texas, his liver to a 55-year-old man in Arkansas. The lungs that almost didn’t make it went to a 61-year-old man in Wisconsin and a 70-year-old man in Illinois. The kidneys saved a 15-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy in Little Rock. His intestines and pancreas flew across the country to a 56-year-old man in Pennsylvania. Every usable part of Aaron’s physical body went to help another person live longer.

“When you die, all you have left is what you did and who you helped, all the material stuff goes away,” said Heather. “You leave everything behind, and you just hope that it’s all good.”

“In many ways, his death really did sum up his life,” said Teena. “He left so many treasures in so many people’s lives—it’s just hard to feel like this was all for nothing.”

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope, and hope does not disappoint us.”
-Romans 5:3-5, quoted at Aaron’s funeral

The Quest for something more

At a little house in Oppelo, Ark., Alan Silva and his team finished preparing, but nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. The cameras were set-up throughout the house, recorders in place. Residents had reported an apparition of a man in the back bedroom, but when the team left around dawn, no one seemed impressed with their all-night vigil over the home. The next weekend when they reviewed the evidence, however, something does stand out. There, in the footage of the back bedroom, Silva sees a ghostly face, vivid and clear on the screen.

Across Arkansas, people of all ages and backgrounds have taken an interest in investigating paranormal activity. After the Syfy Channel show "Ghost Hunters" premiered in 2004, many across the nation have turned to local organizations to engage in their own research as they search for answers.

Alan Silva, founder of Arkansas Paranormal Investigations, has been conducting investigations in Arkansas, Texas and Missouri for nearly 17 years now.

"Basically, I got involved when my brother committed suicide while I was in the Navy—up until that time, when bad things happened they had always happened to other people,” Silva said. “That was kind of a reality shock that really intrigued me to want to know more about life after death and if we could prove it scientifically."

Ken “Casper” Bergeron is also a veteran who got actively involved in the search for the paranormal after his time in the service—a Vietnam veteran, he now spends most of his time investigating the paranormal in the Fayetteville area, from the local Civil War battlefields to his own apartment, through his group Signs of the Ozarks.

Both men began researching the other side after their own unexplained experiences, reading books on parapsychology and paranormal theory, and actively investigating where they were stationed.

“When I started, I didn’t have the equipment they have now," Silva said. "I was using my personal recorder and compass and a 35mm camera—I started getting stuff I couldn't explain and I knew I wanted to get a paranormal group together when I got out of the service."

After his time in the Navy, Silva was hired at WalMart stores’ corporate office in Bentonville and decided to form a paranormal society in Northwest Arkansas. He began to buy equipment that would help him detect paranormal activity, such as digital recorders and heat-sensing cameras. His team now goes to every investigation with a 16-foot trailer that acts as a mobile command center during investigations.

Though ghost hunting may have once consisted of séances and Ouija board reading, those that actively engage in research now use what they believe to be the latest in scientific advances to investigate. Many ghost hunters spend thousands of dollars to have the latest equipment to help them capture evidence during an investigation.

The investigations these teams go on are not just stakeouts with hunters holding cameras anxiously waiting for a ghost—teams take a lot of time to prepare and research before ever actually setting foot on the supposedly haunted site.

Adrian Scalf and his wife Tina formed River Valley Paranormal Research & Investigation in Ft. Smith in 2006 after moving into what they believe is a haunted house.

“We saw something cross the road one night when we lived in Oklahoma and it didn't seem to fit anything in the normal realm,” said Adrian. “That kind of shook me to my core, and when we moved into this house and realized it was haunted, [we] decided to form a team.”

The Scalfs say there are shadows that walk the halls of their home, and the faint smell of cigar smoke is sometimes detectable when they come in at night.

These characteristics, along with things like strange lights and slamming doors, make up many of the complaints that these investigators deal with when they are approached for an investigation.

All three organizations do research on a site before actually going to the investigation, looking at the history of the location, searching for a record of potential activity there in the past, and checking what might have been on a given site prior to the building that is currently there.

Bergeron takes his team on a run-through before the day of the actual investigation to do a what he calls a base check of the home. He goes through the house checking pipes and fixtures in the home for the source of noises that have been reported, and checking ventilation systems for an explanation of slamming doors. It also gives residents an opportunity to point out areas where they have experienced something out of the ordinary.

Once any phenomenon caused by the plumbing have been discovered, teams prepare for the actual investigation. That night, they spend the first few hours setting up their equipment—cameras, digital voice recorders and motion sensors are all used to attempt to capture any activity that might go on during the night.

Most teams don’t start their investigations until well into the morning hours, around 3 a.m., which they consider to be the "dead hour" when most spirits are out. They use a variety of techniques to investigate—one of the most widely used methods is searching for Electronic Voice Phenomenon, which are voices attributed to spirits that appear in the white noise on a digital recording and are inaudible to the human ear.

To record an EVP, a team starts a digital recorder and begins to ask questions. They can’t hear answers at the time, but when the tape is reviewed voices can sometimes be heard responding. Investigators also use a K2 meter to get answers to the questions they pose to the other side—investigator claim they can ask a question, and if a spirit is present and wants to answer “yes”, they light up the meter.

Investigators trek through the home in different teams wielding the tools of their trade—there is at least one investigator with a hand-held camera at all times, with others measuring temperatures looking for cold spots, taking readings of magnetic energy, and looking for something out of the ordinary on the heat-sensing camera.

One night as Silva and his team were trekking through the Prairie Grove Battlefield, they saw a light go on in a building that had no electricity and where no other investigators were stationed. They immediately rushed over, but found nothing when they got in the house. Every night at an investigation is filled with attempts to catch paranormal phenomenon, and sometimes it is not successful, even by their own standards.

When a team leaves an investigation, most of their work is just beginning. For a six to seven hour investigation, they have up to 40 hours of footage and sound recordings to sift through as the listen to and watch all of their recordings to search for evidence.

“Going through 30 or 40 hours of footage is like watching grass grow, but when you find something, and it might be 30 seconds or a minute long, it’s like winning the lottery and you just want to do it again,” Silva said.

The evidence these investigations yield is varied and up to interpretation by the individual investigator looking at it. All the teams prepare a report, and present their findings to the client whose home or business was being investigated.

Sometimes there are no findings to report, and other times investigators feel they have found something compelling enough to declare a site “haunted”. In cases where something is discovered, teams often set up follow-up appointments to come and check out a site on another night to see what additional evidence can be gleaned.

One investigator in Arkansas is taking has a different rationale, however.

Larry Flaxman and his group, Arkansas Paranormal & Anomalous Studies Team, seek not to find ghosts, but to find changes in the environment.

Formally incorporated in 2007, ARPAST seeks in many ways to debunk what lay people or other organizations might attribute to the paranormal.

“There are things that occur in the environment that appear to be a paranormal event and they’re not,” Flaxman said. “Most groups don't have the scientific knowledge to explain things because they don't have the technical or scientific training.”

ARPAST utilizes nearly a quarter of a million dollars of equipment to conduct its investigations every weekend, and networks with both individuals and scientific experts across the country in its search for answers.

Flaxman said that his group is able to disprove 99 percent of what is normally perceived as paranormal. Videos and pictures that contain images of spirits are almost impossible to ever prove as real, and are often left hugely up to interpretation by the person viewing them. The orbs in pictures that some investigators believe to be spirits? Flaxman refers clients to a multimillion dollar study recently completed by media giant Fujifilm which explains that the supposed orbs are simply tiny dust particles that aren’t visible to the naked eye, but show up on film when the light from the flash reflects on them.

The 1 percent that Flaxman says he can't explain is EVP recordings. In his investigations, this has been the only evidence they have gotten on an investigation that could not be explained through any of the science the team utilizes.

“One thing I’ve started to do is look inward instead of outward,” Flaxman said. “A lot of the things people would traditionally consider paranormal are things from inside of us, physiological responses from our bodies.”

While most of the groups in Northwest Arkansas have around 20 dedicated members that volunteer every weekend, ARPAST has around 150 members that pay dues and take turns engaging in the investigations that the organization conducts every weekend.

“Unfortunately, the paranormal community has a tremendous amount of black eyes because there is so much drama and infighting, so looking in from the outside we seem really disconnected and like a bunch of hobbyists,” said Flaxman. “Regardless of how legit you are and how much scientific equipment you have, you come into the equation having to prove yourself.”

Silva, Bergeron and Flaxman were all quick to warn of investigators that might charge for their services, and to advise against trusting groups that might just be out searching for their own thrills that have popped up in an attempt to copy “Ghost Hunters”. All the groups encourage anyone with an interest in the paranormal to join a group, or call one out for an investigation if they feel they are experiencing something paranormal.

Though these groups say they have no problem finding locations to investigate, the interest since shows like “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Lab” premiered and the interest around Halloween always make them more popular, even though they are active throughout the year.

“For most people it's the search for the unknown, but for me it’s that as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the limits of my own mortality and I’ve been driven to find an answer for what happens when we die,” Flaxman said.

For some it's the interest in their own mortality. For some it's the need to explain an experience for which there might never be a solid explanation. And for some, it's the thrill of the chase, the quest for the unknown.

Whatever it may be that drives these ghost hunters, it is obviously not a phenomenon that will disappear any time soon--all four investigators are already booked well into next year.

Fayetteville Paranormal Societies

A little house in Oppelo, Ark. Silva and his team finished preparing the site a few hours ago, but nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. The cameras are set-up, recorders in place. Residents had reported a man in the back bedroom, but when the team left around dawn, no one seemed impressed with their all-night vigil over the home. But the next weekend when they review the evidence, something does stand out. There, in the footage of the back bedroom, is a ghostly face, vivid and clear on the screen.

Across the nation and across Northwest Arkansas, people of all ages and backgrounds have taken an interest in investigating paranormal activity. After the Sci-Fi Channel show "Ghost Hunters" premiered in 2004, many have turned to local organizations to engage in their own research and investigation as they search for answers.

Alan Silva, founder of Arkansas Paranormal Investigations, has been conducting investigations in Arkansas, Texas and Missouri for nearly 17 years now.

"Basically, I got involved when my brother committed suicide while I was in the Navy—up until that time, when bad things happened they had always happened to other people, but that was kind of a reality shock that really intrigued me to want to know more about life after death and if we could prove it scientifically," Silva said.

He began to read books on parapsychology and paranormal theory, and began ghost hunting where he was stationed in San Diego.

I didn’t have the equipment they have now," Silva said. "I was using my personal recorder and compass and a 35 mm camera-I started getting stuff I couldn't explain and I knew I wanted to get a paranormal group together when I got out of the service."

After he finished his time in the Navy, Silva was hired on at Wal-Mart’s corporate office in Bentonville and decided to try to form a paranormal society in Northwest Arkansas. He began to buy equipment that would help him detect paranormal activity, such as digital recorders and heat-sensing cameras.

Arkansas Paranormal Investigations, or API, now has a 16-foot trailer that functions as their mobile command center. The team consists of 16 people from across the state, and performs investigations free of charge 365 days a year. The API team usually does one investigation a month, because the review of the evidence takes so long.

The typical investigation takes a lot of preparation, both before and the day of the investigation. Paranormal investigators have to be prepared when they get to a site, so most research the history of the location, looking up potential activity there in the past, past owners and other sites that might have been there before the current residence. Historical sites, cemeteries, and potentially haunted private residences are the most investigated locales.

After preparing the background of the site, teams meet up at a central location and go out to the location of the investigation. There, they set up heat-sensing cameras, digital voice recorders and motion sensors to attempt to capture any activity that might go on during the investigation.

Most teams don’t start their investigations until well into the morning hours, around 2 or 3 a.m. They use a variety of techniques to investigate, from checking plumbing and vents in the house to debunk potential paranormal noises to using digital recorders to ask questions and record EVPs, or electronic voice phenomenon, where ghostly entities can answer questions, sometimes in ways that are inaudible to the human ear.

After the team leaves an investigation, most of the work is just beginning. For a six to seven hour investigation, they have nearly 40 hours of footage and sound recordings to sift through to search for evidence.

“Going through 30 or 40 hours of footage is like watching grass grow, but when you find something, and it might be 30 seconds or a minute long, it’s like winning the lottery and you just want to do it again,” Silva said.

New student-friendly policy, or red herring?

At 1:45 Thursday afternoon, the theater in the Arkansas Union was empty except for Andy Gilbride.

Dressed in a full suit, Gilbride paced back and forth across the stage, perspiration beginning to build on his forehead. A Union employee steps on to the stage, bringing chairs and a table.

“How are you doing today?” Gilbride asked.

“Probably a lot better than you,” replied the man. “Are you expecting a lot of controversy here?”

Gilbride laughed nervously. “Yeah, yeah we are.”

After the huge outcry last spring against a policy that would require bicyclists to register their bike and pay a one-time $15 fee, members of the Parking and Transit Department such as Gilbride are struggling to find a way to implement their policy and still keep the students happy.

By 2:10, the theater is half full, and not just with UA students filling the seats—Fayetteville residents, young and old, have come to voice their concerns about the Parking Department’s lack of consideration of the community surrounding the campus. Even one of the City Council members, Matthew Petty, has come to express concerns that the department is not considering the efforts that Fayetteville has made to improve the city for cyclists, such as adding bike trails.

In order to get student opinion on the matter to the TPD, the Associated Student Government arranged a one-hour forum for Thursday, Oct. 1, with the director of the TPD, Gary Smith, to inform students of the details of the policy and allow questions.

Smith and a number of other parking officials were so concerned about the student outrage at the meeting, they had a police escort as they arrived. Whisperings of an “angry mob” floated through the air as the parking officials took their seats before Smith’s initial presentation of the policy and it’s history.

“Basically, if you’re going to park your bike on campus, it needs to have a permit,” Smith said. “It’s as simple as that.”

During the two day registration period for bicycles held Sept. 21 and 22 at the Arkansas Union, Billy Fleming, director of sustainability for the ASG, said he received more than 150 emails from concerned students wanting to know what the ASG will do about the issue, and how they can get involved.

“Students just need to contact me so that we can start organizing groups,” Fleming said. “It’s great to protest and hold signs, but it’s more important to keep our seats on those committees that make decisions for us.” Fleming encourages concerned students to keep contacting him so they can stay updated on the issue.

The first question posed at the Thursday forum came from senior agricultural economics major Jacob Holloway. He asked Smith if the policy was going to be a red herring, and asked for a guarantee that the department would not change its mind after students began to comply.

“I’ve been on campus 22 years in the Parking and Transit department, so I know better than to guarantee you we’re never going to charge,” Smith said in response. He also added that he does not foresee a charge in the next five years.

One of the biggest problems, according to Smith, is that there is no estimate of how many bicycles come to campus on a given day, therefore there is no way to accurately measure whether or not the 527 parking spots currently available are sufficient. Another problem is the lack of money for more bike racks, which cost nearly $300 a piece.

There are numerous concerns coming from students, some dealing with the aesthetics of their bicycle to some worried about the university’s commitment to sustainability.

“No offense, but I paid way too much money for my bike to want to put some registration sticker on it,” said junior Abbie Weaver. Her statement is reflective of the views of many students—affixing a permanent sticker will devalue an expensive bicycle frame.

Many students have been critical of the policy because they feel it goes against the Climate Action Plan of the UA, supported by Chancellor Gearhart, which urges a less pro-vehicle stance and even suggests that the money that is saved as the UA conserves energy could be put to use to promote bicycle transportation and to boosting the Razorbikes program, which allows students access to nearly 50 free bikes across campus.

“Some people can’t afford to pay for a parking permit that costs almost $500, and in some cases can’t even afford a car,” said sophomore Katie Rowan. “This policy is punishing people for using a cheaper and more earth-friendly alternative to driving.”

“Part of the problem is that the policy has already gone through,” Fleming said, referring to the TPD policy that now requires registration of all bicycles. “There are some benefits to registration, I just don’t appreciate the way it played out and the lack of student input in the process.” On the TPD committee, there are usually two students at most, out of around 30 participants.

Another concern of many students is the ban on removing parts of their bicycles when they go into class. Many students remove either a wheel or the seat from their bicycle to prevent it from being stolen when they leave it on campus.

According to the new policy, however, abandoned bicycles – meaning bikes that are habitually left unsecured, or missing major components such as handlebars or pedals – will be impounded for 60 days, and if not retrieved by their owners, will be disposed of.

Many students spoke out against the policy when the first draft came out in the spring, and more than 1,100 people have joined the Facebook group, “U of A Students Against Bicycle Parking Fees On Campus.”

"The tried to charge students who ride bikes $15 for a permit when they only charge $6 for scooters," Rowan said. "That doesn't make any sense—scooters are way bigger, and go against the whole sustainability mission of the university."

The policy came about last spring after a number of departments, most notably University Housing, complained that bikes were parked in unacceptable locations and were blocking handicapped ramps and killing trees. The policy has gone through five drafts, and the final policy was written and approved this summer while the students were gone.

“The point is, like it or not, they’re going to run it like a business,” Fleming said. “The biggest thing is for us not to let the TPD do this again—the students have a right to be mad.”

Sustainability and Bikes

As UA sophomore Brittany Williams rolled up to the tent outside the Arkansas Union on her bicycle last Monday, she wasn’t expecting any trouble.

But all around her, it seemed like trouble was erupting. Students were getting angry, arguments erupted and many students refused to submit to officials requests.

Were these students protesting for a political movement? Healthcare? No- these students just want to ride their bicycles.

For now, students will be able to park their bikes for free on the University of Arkansas campus-but as many students would argue, nothing gold can stay.

Many students on campus have compared the battle for free bicycle parking to the fight many students put up against the university’s decision to become smoke-free. The biggest difference with the bicycles? Students are fighting back.

During the two day registration period for bicycles held Sept. 21 and 22 at the Arkansas Union, Billy Fleming, director of sustainability for the Associated Student Government,
claims he received over 150 emails from concerned students wanting to know what the ASG will do about the issue, and how they can get involved.

“Students just need to contact me so that we can start organizing groups,” Fleming said. “It’s great to protest and hold signs, but it’s more important to keep our seats on those committees that make decisions for us.”

In order to get student opinion on the matter to the TPD, Fleming and ASG President Mattie Bookhout arranged a one hour forum for Thursday, Oct. 1 with the director of the TPD, Gary Smith. At the forum, students will be able to voice their concerns, which are many and varied.

“No offense, but I paid way too much money for my bike to want to put some registration sticker on it,” said junior Abbie Weaver. Her statement is reflective of the views of many students-affixing a permanent sticker will devalue an expensive bicycle frame.

“Some people can’t afford to pay for a parking permit that costs almost $500, and in some cases can’t even afford a car,” said sophomore Katie Rowan. “This policy is punishing people for using a cheaper and more earth-friendly alternative to driving.”

“Part of the problem is that the policy has already gone through,” Fleming said, referring to the TPD policy that now requires registration of all bicycles. “There are some benefits to registration, I just don’t appreciate the wait it played out and the lack of student input in the process.” On the TPD committee, there are usually two students at most, out of around 30 participants.

Another concern of many students is the ban on removing parts of their bicycle when they go into class. Many students remove either a wheel or the seat from their bicycle to prevent it from being stolen when they leave it on campus.

According to the new policy, however, abandoned bicycles – meaning bikes that are habitually left unsecured, or missing major components such as handlebars or pedals – will be impounded for 60 days, and if not retrieved by their owner, will be disposed of.

In the spring 2009 semester, TPD officials considered a policy that would charge students $15 to register their bikes and receive a permit to park them on campus. Many students spoke out against the policy, and more than 1,100 people have joined the Facebook group, “U of A Students Against Bicycle Parking Fees On Campus.”

"The tried to charge students who ride bikes $15 for a permit when they only charge $6 for scooters," Rowan said. "That doesn't make any sense-scooters are way bigger, and go against the whole sustainability mission of the university."

“The point is, like it or not, they’re going to run it like a business,” Fleming said. “The biggest thing is for us not to let the TPD do this again-the students have a right to be mad.”

"To whom much is given, much is required"

Entering Patricia Hollingsworth’s office, you wouldn’t think it was any different from any other at the University of Tulsa.

Her diplomas and awards adorn the wall, her bookshelves are filled with books she has both read and written, and students file in and out throughout the day.

It may appear to be a familiar setting for any other doctorate of education at the University of Tulsa, but one thing sets Hollingsworth apart-her students are 5-year-olds.

Hollingsworth was hired at the University of Tulsa in the spring of 1982 to teach the five students enrolled in the new Preschool Enrichment Program housed in the Nursing School. This humble beginning has blossomed into University School, a preschool through eighth grade program in Tulsa that prepares gifted and talented students for high school, and provides programs that are acclaimed across the state and the nation.

Heading this school was not Hollingsworth’s original plan of action upon graduating with her doctorate in educational leadership from TU- she had planned to teach at the college level. When she graduated, however, no openings were available.

“Fortunately for me, the school was just getting started when I became apart of it,” Hollingsworth said. “This gave me an enormous amount of freedom to create and shape what University School is today.”

The school focuses on experimental and alternative learning, and Hollingsworth began to develop new ways to teach lessons to her students from the very beginning. She emphasized having strong academics coupled with a strong arts curriculum. This allowed Hollingsworth to share with her students her other great passion besides teaching-art.

In 1987, the school began an annual drama festival that brought elementary school classes from around the Tulsa area to TU to perform plays they had created. Hollingsworth’s first play, one titled “George Washington and Abraham Lincoln,” which tells the stories of both presidents, is still preformed by her kindergarten class at every drama festival.

“I had a wide variety of teaching and educational experiences that prepared me,” Hollingsworth said. “I knew that I wanted the school to be a place where gifted students could develop their potential academically, creatively, and socially.”

To be able to do this, Hollingsworth believes students need to feel both safe and appreciated in their learning environment.

“They need to learn to see mistakes as opportunities,” she said. “They need to be with a group of achievers in order to maximize their potential.”

Hollingsworth is able to put this idea into action when she instructs students in art. A botched flower can always be turned into a butterfly in her class, and students are never encouraged to “just start over.”

“It brings joy to my life to see our students develop artistically,” Hollingsworth said. “Also, I want them to see them develop their knowledge of art history and appreciation.”

To do this, Hollingsworth and a number of other teachers at the school pioneered a new curriculum called the SAILS Program, which stands for Student Active Interdisciplinary Learning Series, and is now in use in gifted and talented schools across the country.

“All of this begins in kindergarten,” Hollingsworth said. “Everything they need to learn begins in kindergarten-I want to be there to be a part of it. This helps me to be a apart of these kids forever.”

And Hollingsworth has remained an active part of the lives of many of her students. The school stays in touch with their alumni through the school’s quarterly newsletter, facebook and annual alumni gatherings.

“Only now are our first students entering careers, marrying and having children,” Hollingsworth said. “I am most hopeful that some former students will send their children to our school.”

The impact of Hollingsworth and the University School are evident though the testimonials of parents and students who have experienced her care and passion for education and the school she has dedicated so much of her life to furthering.

One parent who wished to remain anonymous told a story that epitomizes the care that Hollingsworth has for every student:

“When I lost my job, we were no longer able to afford to keep our daughter at University School, though we were convinced it was the best place for her. She loved her class and her teachers. As you can imagine, we were very disheartened. Then one evening I was surprised to get a call at home from Dr. Hollingsworth. She said she didn't want our daughter to have to leave at the end of the month, and she had made some calls... She had secured a full scholarship for her to finish the year. I was speechless and started to cry, I was so thankful.

It's been several years now. We moved out of state that May, but our daughter still has fond memories of her years at University School-I can still see her in pigtails, running down the sidewalk towards Miss Parent, dragging her big pink backpack behind her. She is reading two grade levels ahead now and soaks everything up like a little sponge. We are very grateful to Dr. Hollingsworth and University School for helping us give her the start she needed.”

Veronica Threadgill, a ninth grader who graduated from the University School last May, already feels the impact that University School and Dr. Hollingsworth have had on her.

“My experience at University School was much more than I could've asked for,” Threadgill said. “Dr. H is constantly working with the school, making improvements where she can, and going above and beyond with her students. I had her as a kindergartener and she was always there throughout the rest of my years at TU. You could just tell. She's done so much and she loves what she does.”

Patricia Hollingsworth has poured everything she has into University School as the school’s director. So what will happen to the school when she inevitably has to leave?

Hollingsworth doesn’t allow the teachers on her staff to use to the “r-word,” as she calls it, as she plans to die before she ever has to retire.

“I plan to live to be at least 100-I would really like to live to be the oldest living person,” Hollingsworth said. “I am just so interested in how things in the world play out.”

So day after day and year after year, Hollingsworth continues to teach her kindergarteners, welcoming them into her office daily to work on writing and illustrating stories, and learn to read.

Hollingsworth’s office is not just home to her academic a cou tra mon- her bookshelves hold pictures of past classes, a medieval knight, and a reproduction of the bust of Nefertiti-all symbols of her two great loves in life. Though she enjoys reading, painting, and planting flowers in her free time, most of Hollingsworth’s time is dedicated to the school she has put 28 years of her life into creating.

“To whom much is given, much is required,” quipped Hollingsworth. “I imagine myself at age 100 still trying to teach people to draw.”

Typed interview

Interview between Bailey McBride and Pat Hollingsworth – Sept. 2009

1. Where did you go to school at each individual level of education?
When I was young, my family moved a lot because my father kept changing jobs and locations. From 1st through 3rd grade, I went to 5 different schools in Florida and North Carolina. By 4th grade, we had moved to on Pigeon Key on the Florida Keys. There I skipped 5th grade and graduated from the 9th grade at Sue M. Moore School in Marathon, Florida, which had no high school. Thus we moved so that I could attend and then graduate from Miami Senior High School. My undergraduate degree was in art education from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

After graduation, I taught high school art in St. Augustine, Florida. I did graduate work at the University of Florida and George Washington University in Washington, DC. I taught 3rd grade in the D.C. area. Later I taught kindergarten at a school for gifted children in Connecticut and was a teacher at Yale University Day Care Center.

After moving to Tulsa, I got both my Master’s degree in art education, and my doctorate in educational leadership, both from The University of Tulsa. Later I did post doctoral graduate work at the University of Connecticut with Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis.

2.When you graduated, did you know you wanted to pioneer a school?
When I received my doctorate, I expected to teach at the college level; however, there were no openings. I had heard about a small program that had 5 gifted preschoolers in it on the TU campus. They needed a teacher for the fall. I applied in the spring of 1982 during the first semester of the program, and got the job.

After one semester of teaching and administering the gifted preschool, I expanded the program by adding kindergarten and an arts program which I taught. I also hired a preschool teacher for the 3 and 4 year olds, as well as assistants for the classrooms.

In 1984, the school moved from Lorton Hall to a former apartment building on Harvard Avenue and added first grade. This continued until we had preschool through 8th grade. The expansion of grades developed slowly and steadily so that each step was solid and stable before moving on to the next phase.

Curriculum Imperatives
• I knew that I wanted a low pupil teacher ratio. It makes a better learning environment for students and for teachers.
• I knew I wanted a strong academic program with great emphasis on math and other academic coupled with a strong arts program of music, band, visual arts, drama, and projects.
• It very important to me that students learn a foreign language. Spanish was selected because of usefulness. Little did I know that in 2008, we would add Chinese as a second required language for all University School students.
• I knew that I wanted our school to be a leader in gifted education locally, regionally, and nationally. This meant writing articles about our school, providing services to the public such as the Parent and Teacher Institute, Winter Drama Festival, and Creative Producers, receiving national grants, being on gifted education boards and supporting gifted education organizations.

3. How did you get the idea for University School?
Fortunately for me, the school was just getting started when I became a part of it. This gave me an enormous amount of freedom to create and shape what University School is today. I had a wide variety of teaching and educational experiences that prepared me; as well as having raised two gifted children of my own. I knew that I wanted the school to be a place where gifted students could develop their potential academically, creatively, and socially. To develop that potential, students need to feel safe and appreciated. They need to learn to see mistakes as opportunities. They need to be with a group of achievers in order to maximize their potential.

4. Although you have a doctorate in education, you have taught pre-school and kindergarten almost your entire career? Why?
By the time that began teaching at University School, I had taught all age levels from preschool through college. To me kindergarten is a pivotal year for kids. It is the optimal time for them to learn fine motors skills such as handwriting and drawing. If they miss that step, it is forever more difficult for them. I want to be instrumental in that step of their development.

I have also always taught art. It brings joy to my life to see our students develop artistically. Also I want to see them develop their knowledge of art history and art appreciation. Our SAILS program teaches the history of western civilization from ancient Egypt through Romanticism. All of this begins in kindergarten. To paraphrase, everything they need to learn begins in kindergarten. I want to be there to be a part of it. This helps me be a part of these kids forever.

5. How has the school evolved since it’s beginning?
The school has grown from a preschool of 5 students to a full school program for over 225 preschool through 8th grade students with an extended day program that starts at 7:30 and goes to 5:30 daily. Each summer we have 6 weeks of Camp Incredible Summer Program. Each year we have new and exciting things for teachers and students to learn. We know that we have to keep learning to be alive. This year we have added a new online management system that allows parents to go online to see their student’s grades, homework, and other school information whenever they wish. We now also have 8 new smartboards in class room. Each year we all learn new things. That is what makes University School an exciting place for both students and teachers.

6. Do you stay connected with your first alums?
We try to stay in touch through our Network News Quarterly, email, Facebook, visits, parties, word of mouth, etc. We are open to more ideas of how to make this happen on a regular basis.

7. Has anyone that you know of that attended USchool sent their children to school there? Only now are our first students entering careers, marrying and having children. I am most hopeful that some former students will send their chilren to our school.

8. What awards has the school won over the years?
We had six years of U.S. Department of Education Javits grants to serve disadvantaged gifted students. We have had winners in the Fund for Teachers grants. There have been many art, computer, geography, and math awards won by students, as well as many annual Duke Talent Search winners. I won an award as one of 20 Tulsans Who Care. I served for over 12 years on the Board of the National Association for Gifted Children.

9. What are some key achievements that your graduates have accomplished?
We have graduates who are now young professionals - doctors, lawyers, computer experts and engineers, business people, people in arts and entertainment, people in the military.

10. What will happen to the school when you retire?
Obviously I will either have to die or retire. I have always told teachers they may not use the R word. I don't spend much time thinking about either. I plan to live to be at least 100. I would really like to live to be the oldest living person. I just am so interested in how things in the world play out. It is fascinating to see the changes in the world. The school is strong and stable. I expect it to continue long after I am gone.

11. When will that be, or are you trying to avoid it?
I am definitely planning to avoid it as long as possible. (You notice I try not to even use the word.) Being at University School is just too much fun. There are so many new things to learn and do, so many children that I want to teach.

12. What emotions were you feeling as the school hit 25 years?
We had an amazing 25 Anniversary Gala sponsored by Mayor Kathy Taylor, her husband Bill Lobeck, and their daughter, former student, Elizabeth Frame. It was a beautiful event held in the Jazz Hall of Fame. It was pure joy for all of us who attended. While it was a wonderful sense of accomplishment, we are now coming up on our 28th year and thinking about the 30th.

13. What do you do for “me time”?
I like to read, draw, write, learn new things, plant flowers, work in the yard, mow the grass, see movies, keep in touch with and visit family and friends, swim, workout, go to the beach, travel, go to book club, go to museums, fix delicious healthy food.

14. Do you have a motto or favorite quote?
• To whom much is given, much is required.
• Don’t take anything personally.
• Never, never, never, never, never, give up.

15. Have you written any books?
Yes, I co-authored Smart Art, Kinetic Kaleidoscope, Active Learning, plus the 10 books in SAILS Humanities Series published by University School. I have written numerous articles for gifted education magazines and journal.

16. What is your favorite memory from your time at the school?
I love seeing kids do the SAILS chant. All ages seem to think it is fun. It is learning something that will stay with them for a lifetime. Seeing students excited about learning is the greatest memory for any teacher.

17. Was there ever a time you thought about giving up?
There have been many difficult and challenging times, but I have never even thought of giving up. It is not my nature.

18. What is your favorite item in your office, and why?
Book and artifacts about art and art history are really my favorites. Art is a true love of my life. There are reproductions of Nefertiti, Degas’s horse, glass sculpture, a medieval knight. I love the whole expanse of art history. I imagine myself at age 100 still trying to teach people to draw.