Posted by DEAN SKIP RUTHERFORD – ALLTEL Arena, only a few blocks from the Clinton School, is hosting an NCAA first and second round regional. Along with more than 16,000 others, I took in the first round Friday. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
As I sat in the arena, I couldn’t help but reflect on the 1997 “River Project” sales tax campaign to build the arena and to expand the Statehouse Convention Center. During the campaign, County Judge Buddy Villines–who led the effort–predicted ALLTEL would host an NCAA regional within 10 years after the arena opened. It opened in 1999 and yesterday, I saw a deservingly proud Villines sitting in the stands watching his prediction come true.
Equally as fun was the atmosphere outside. With near perfect weather, people were having a great time. The restaurants and other entertainment venues were drawing large crowds. Several Clinton School students were among the thousands joining the festivities. I hadn’t seen that kind of excitement since the week the Clinton Presidential Center opened in November 2004.
While there are no games scheduled today at ALLTEL, people will be visiting historic Little Rock Central High School (like the Oregon basketball team did), Little Rock’s Museum of Discovery, the Arkansas Arts Center, the Little Rock Zoo, the Clinton Presidential Library and MacArthur Park among many other local and regional tourism sites. Tonight should also be another big night for the restaurants.
I’ll be back in ALLTEL Sunday afternoon to watch Miami and Texas and Mississippi State and Memphis battle for two spots in the Sweet 16.
In addition to March Madness, it’s spring break at the Clinton School. While there will be no classes Monday through Friday, the faculty and staff will be working. Several of our students will head to Birmingham, Ala., later in the week for the wedding of one of their classmates, Russ Swearingen. Some will be using the time off to study for their upcoming final exams and to prepare for their international public service projects this summer and to finalize next fall’s capstone (individual) public service project.
Responses