FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The title of a new publication by UA architecture students, “__ism”, invites readers to fill in the blank, but the pages are anything but. Sketches, plans and model photographs contributed by nearly 50 students fill the 80-page publication, which offers a year-in-the-life snapshot of the Department of Architecture. Work from every 2003—04 studio is documented here, from first-year studies of bamboo to an ambitious urban design project set in Boston. Course descriptions, student essays and a centerfold view of the capacious second floor studio in Vol Walker Hall where students spend most of their days — and nights — complete the mix.
Thumbing the pages of the new publication, the first ever put together by UA architecture students, editor Zack Cooley said: “It was tough and fun at the same time. Generally, fun in the architecture program translates to a lot of work.”
Work began last fall when Cooley, graphics editor Peter Bednar, and other interested students began meeting biweekly with faculty advisor Matthew Griffith. The staff invited students to submit their work and then begged them to. 
“Everybody’s busy, especially at the end of the semester when we asked for the work,” noted Cooley. Faculty members also recommended student projects.
Once the work came in, the staff of nine plowed through piles of CDs looking for the most stunning graphics. 
“We tried to include as many students as possible, so we present glimpses of each project rather than comprehensive plan-section-elevation documentation,” Cooley said.
“I’m very proud of these students for pulling this off. This is a complex project for them to undertake, given the demanding nature of the architecture program, but it’s very good preparation for their professional life, when they will be called on regularly to communicate their design concepts to clients,” said faculty advisor Matthew Griffith. “Student-initiated efforts of this scale and degree of success are very rare,” he added.
In addition to editors Cooley and Bednar, the staff included students Brandi Bobrowski of Brentwood, Tenn., Jared Heuter of Henderson, Tenn., Amber Murray of Fayetteville, Ark., Kara Pegg of Paragould, Ark., and Bradley Prater of Sherwood, Ark. Jena Rimkus of Fayetteville, Ark. graduated from the program last May.
As a publication of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students, “_ism” was funded by a $3723.98 grant from the University of Arkansas Registered Student Organizations. The staff plans to sell copies to students, faculty, alumni, and School of Architecture supporters at a cost of $10 per copy. Proceeds from sales will be used to fund the next issue. To order a copy, contact Kara Pegg at (870) 215-2704 or kpegg@uark.edu or contact Jared Hueter at (479) 422-2822 or jhueter@uark.edu.