Helmsley Manchamee - Taking Off with Embraer

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Helmsley Manchamee, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Brazil. Helmsley is a senior in the Walton College who is majoring in International Business & Business Economics with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.

It was only natural that the day after we spent ten hours on a plane to Rio, we then spent five hours driving to and back from Embraer. Honestly, ten hours riding on a van was way better than the flight. While I could not sleep on the flight (refer to my previous post), I slept on the drive over. It was safe to say that everyone at some point got some shuteye.

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures there, but I really wish I could have. After attending a brief presentation about the history and performance of Embraer, I got to see how the different types of planes were made. It was interesting to see the different parts that came from different areas of the world. Each part is colored so that the engineers building the planes knew where each part came from. One plane could have been assembled by many different nations. I don’t remember what each country's contribution to the planes was but I do remember that about 60% of the parts/materials ordered came from the United States. The picture above is an image I got from their website. I was fascinated to learn that this executive type jet is the same as one of their commercial models. The planes were the same size and shape. The only difference is the number of seating. I am not the biggest fan of flying on a plane, but I would definitely make an exception to flying in one of those executive jets!

Once the tour was over Embraer was nice enough to let us keep our I.D badges on the way out. On the ride back to the hotel, everyone was glad that they got to see Embraer. Bill, on the way back, started deejaying with his iPad and a mini sing-along ensued. It really helped pass the time. (Thanks Bill!) Adriana Hofer, our Study Abroad faculty leader worked tirelessly to arrange our visit. With all the security measures they have in place, it was great that we had the opportunity to visit Embraer. I hope that future Brazil study abroad students get to go see Embraer in the future as well.

Helmsley

Previous Posts:
Brazil Bound
The First Day

Christian Buechel - Belize - May 28-29

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Christian Buechel, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a global community development experience in Belize. Christian is a freshman in the Walton College who is majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.

Monday, May 28, 2012


Once again, we woke up at about 7:30 for some breakfast at the Chaleanor. It is amazing to see what they can do with the plantains and bananas. We worked on the Lakeland park today, hammering the boards and connecting wood frames. It looks great now. The kids are very excited to play on it. One boy, Camron, helped us the whole time to build it. It would be pretty cool to be able to say you helped build the park you now play on. We worked until about 3:00 on the project, hoping to get done by the end of the week possibly. This evening, I went out to play soccer again with David and Saad. This time, I got the better of the kids and won all the games I played. One boy, Ricky, was very good. It is funny to hear the kids heckling each other and hearing the oohs and aahs whenever I made a good move on someone. I also can’t say how much I love being in a country that appreciates soccer as much as I do. It is always nice to have a pick-up game ready all the time. Tonight, I also bonded with Phil Usher’s, the owner of the Jungle Huts, daughter, Chalita. She speaks fluent Spanish, Creole, and English. She reminds me of some of the kids in Nicaragua. She is very gregarious and funny. I got to practice some of my Spanish with her and get to know her. She is about 10 and always fun to talk to. My last act of the day was scaring off the two owls that squawk all night long outside our window. I couldn’t take it anymore. Oh, and Cymber almost took my big toe off with a shovel. Good day.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Today was an average day at the park. We continued to work on the monkey bars and the second platform for the fort. However, we ran out of nails, the drill died, and the rain made cement-making impossible. So we didn’t get much done. Afterwards, we went to lunch at a place called Exquisite Diner. It was most likely a Guatemalan run business that was very cheap. I ate 3 Garnachas and 3 Panades for $1.25 American. Amazing quality for so little money. For dinner, we went to Mrs. Irving’s house for our first homestay meal. We had chirmole for dinner. It looked really weird, but it was delicious. It’s great to see how welcoming and nice the people of the city are. They have no problem letting us into their homes, which are very quaint. We played another round of catch phrase before going to bed. However, it started raining like there was a hurricane, so we had to run back from the Chaleanor to the Jungle Huts in pouring rain. We all were soaked, but it was a lot of fun. And the rain scared off the owls for a little while.

Christian

Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24
Belize - May 25-27

Helmsley Manchamee - The First Day

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Helmsley Manchamee, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Brazil.  Helmsley is a senior in the Walton College who is majoring in International Business & Business Economics with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.

The flight was ten hours from North Carolina to Rio and I was awake for the entire flight. If sleeping was a professional sport, (I'm betting many people wish it was) then the people sitting next to me on the plane must have been pros. The women sitting right in front of me leaned her chair back way too far. The guy sitting behind me had his leg propped up so I could not lean my seat very much, and the elderly gentleman sitting to my left would fall asleep for a while, then wake up, readjust his pillow and resume to his slumber. Right when it seemed like I was about to fall asleep, the women in front of me would try to lean back even more. At one point she leaned so far back that the chair hit my leg. A sharp pain surged all throughout my leg. There is nothing like your leg hurting to keep you awake on a ten hour flight.

I’d be remiss to not include the story of the incredibly rude man that was on the plane to Rio with me. Before the plane took off, a scream could be heard from the back of the plane. As a women jumped from her seat screaming, heads and bodies turned to see a man who was rocking back and forth as if he was in a trance. His complexion was incredibly pale. He had to lay out on an entire row of seats. The flight attendants were scolding the passengers to remain in their seats. The moment that they themselves saw the man, they began to panic and rushed to get water and wet towels. An attendant asked if there was a medic on board and out of nowhere two people claiming to be doctors rushed to the scene. After examination it was concluded that the man was hyperventilating and he would be fine. Fast forward ten hours: When we got off the plane we were excited to be in Rio! After answering a laundry list of questions we got our bags and waited for the elevator. It was there that we saw the hyperventilated man again. While in line he became upset for having to wait for the elevator. He yelled at our driver and demanded to cut in line in front of us. I guess he got used to having special treatment on the plane.

On a positive note, the beaches here are outstanding! The picture above was taken by our master photographer, Bill Richardson. There is sand and water as far as the eye can see. There are danger signs warning people that one is not allowed to swim at the beach. I’d imagine that the reason for it is that the current is so strong that it might carry you away. On the boardwalk, there are a lot of people relaxed having a good time. There is a biking lane that people can use to ride their bikes along the beach. Sadly I could not find a place that where you could rent one out.

Helmsley
Previous Posts:
Brazil Bound

Christian Buechel - Belize - May 25-27

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Christian Buechel, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a global community development experience in Belize. Christian is a freshman in the Walton College who is majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.

Friday May 25, 2012

We set out for Caye Caulker at about 11 am today; first on a 4 hour bus ride, then, an hour boat ride. Meanwhile, while I was in the cramped bus, Grant, David, and Maurice took a nice prop plane from Dangriga to Caye Caulker and enjoyed a full day of sunshine. When we finally arrived at about 5, we were met with paradise. This island was beautiful. Not in the way of Mexico white sand beaches and amazing Sandals resorts, but with a slow paced, laid back lifestyle of sun and sand. The people were all very friendly, and we had great food the first night at a place called Sobre Las Olas (over the waves). They also had a great happy hour which was very nice too. Everyone went out and enjoyed themselves on the beach, bonding with a lot of people we hadn’t previously been acquainted with. It was a great first night on the beach. I became better friends with Morgan Carmon and her friend Jennifer, both recent Education graduates. We went to a reggae bar pretty late and met some colorful folks there.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

After waking up at a decent hour Saturday, we were met with less-than-friendly weather conditions. Today, we were scheduled to go snorkeling for 5 hours out on the reefs that I have heard so much about. We went out at about 10:30 to our first dive site. It was the manatee site so I got to see some big ole manatees. They swam right under us. However, right as we were coming back to the boat, it started to rain and the storm took us by surprise. Some of the group got separated, but we eventually got it together. After 3 more dives, we saw sea turtles, numerous fish, eels, and rays. It was amazing to see the marine life at the bottom of this reef. While I must say I was expecting more colorful corals, it was still an amazing sight once the weather cleared up a little bit. We were lucky to rent a waterproof camera from the snorkel shop, and we got some great pictures.

It was exhausting, so, afterwards, we all chilled on the boat with a rum and punch, compliments of the snorkel shop. Afterwards, we watched the sunset at the north end of the island at a place called The Split. We enjoyed another night out at Sobre Las Olas before getting to bed.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Today wasn’t much of an eventful morning or afternoon. We left the island at about 1:30. Our water taxi blew out an engine about halfway through, so we were forced to switch some people over to the other boat that was luckily going at the same time as us. Then we hopped on the bus back to Dangriga. That evening, we had a scary debacle. Maurice cut a deal with a local man who lived close to the hotel for use of his bicycle. However, the man (we assume) tried to con Maurice out of some more money by claiming that he had stolen the man’s bike. The Dangriga police came to our hotel during dinnertime and things got kind of scary. We got him out of the police station within the hour. It was definitely interesting to see how the police handle things here as opposed to in the United States. They definitely were a little less professional about the situation. It was good to see it work out alright, and Maurice didn’t have to spend much time in the jail. On a happier note, I am enjoying the company of the other people on this trip a lot. We seem to have great cohesion on the trip, and everyone is enjoying themselves. I can’t believe we still have two weeks left.

Christian

Previous Posts:
Belize Bound
Belize - May 21-24

Christian Buechel - Belize - May 21-24

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Christian Buechel, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a global community development experience in Belize. Christian is a freshman in the Walton College who is majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. Links to his previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.

Monday, May 21, 2012

After a long first day of travel, we arrived in Dangriga at about 7 pm. They told us that the bus ride from Belize City to Dangriga would only be about 3 hours, tops. It turned out to be closer to four and a half. I am staying at the Jungle Huts, a family owned hotel on the river that runs through the center of the city. On the first night, we walked to the local store and chilled out with a couple drinks. Dinner was at about 8 and we had some typical Belizean dish. Hudut was a mixture of broth and various types of fish. As with all Central American countries, rice and beans were the focal point of the meal. I am sure that I will become accustomed to them by the three weeks end. Everyone crashed pretty early from a long day of travel, excited about the day ahead of us and seeing the city in the daytime.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

On our first real day here, we woke up at about 7 am for breakfast at 7:30. I am rooming with my friend Andrew Dugan, fellow Dallas native, and a friend from SIFE, Grant Higgins. Grant’s alarm clock woke us up earlier than we had liked but we made the most of getting up early. After breakfast, we gathered in a group and talked for about 2 hours on what the various projects would be and planned meals for the next two weeks. At about 11 am, we started on a walking tour of Dangriga. First, we walked to a place called the Bonefish to see where kids usually play soccer in the evenings. Along the way, we were usually greeted with smiling faces and a warm welcome. We met the mayor around noon and he welcomed us to the city, along with his advisors. We were all pretty much starving by then, so we walked to a local restaurant called “Blessing Diner.” For eight Belizean dollars, (4 American), we enjoyed rice and beans, our choice of meat, a fried plantain, and some cole slaw. The food was fantastic and I believe we will be visiting there again this week. After lunch, we met with Mayor Swaso to discuss the creation of a new park on the northern part of Dangriga. We will be building a fort, two seesaws, and a set of monkey bars. The site we are building on is very small, only 100ft x 30ft so we will have to make efficient use of our space. At around dusk, I got to play soccer with some of the local boys, probably about 10-16 years old. It was a small field near the sea with goals as swing sets and choppy grass. Upon arrival, I noticed that none of the kids were wearing shoes, so I thought might as well join them. Bad idea, I would have to say. I now have a few cuts and blisters on my feet. And they beat us 4-0. Looks like my Arkansas Club Soccer really didn’t help against these kids. My team will have to be on their A game next time.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Today we got a taste of the natural side of Belize. After breakfast, we hopped in the cars and traveled about 15 miles outside Dangriga to see Billy Barkedeer State Park. There, we met a man named Peter who wants to get more people to visit the park and increase tourism. It will be a very big obstacle considering he only makes $1,000 profit all year and it costs $80,000 to keep it up and running. The grants are basically keeping the park in business. After discussing a business plan, we hiked about a mile into the forest to see the cisterns and waterfall that characterize the forest. We all cooled down next to the waterfall and enjoyed jumping from the 20 foot cliff into the water. I even climbed up to the top of the waterfall to get a look at the other side. I doubt my mom would have wanted to see that considering the slippery rocks. Later in the day, we met with the mayor again to finalize plans for the building of the Lakeland Park. We got the go-ahead and will be starting tomorrow. Once again, I went out to the soccer fields about an hour before dark to play some pick up with kids named Tyrone, Tevan, and Devin. This time, my friend David came, and we won 2 of 3 games. For dinner, we went to the Riverside Café and enjoyed a typical meal again. It was a tiring day, but tomorrow will probably top it with the commencement of the new park.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting a man named Evan Alvarez. He is a citizen of Dangriga who used to work as a taxi cab driver, but now he is a small business owner/ manufacturer of granola. He and his wife make granola five days a week. He peddles the granola in cities all over Belize from Belize City to San Pedro. He said he nets $50bz a day. He is currently asking us for a loan to buy more raw materials for his business. He was very clear in what he wanted, knowledgeable of his business, and keen on what he wanted his business to develop into. After some talk, I believe we will end up giving him a small loan, probably about $500BZ to assist his business. We tried some of the bars he makes also, and they were probably the best tasting granola bars I have ever had. Watch out Clif Bar and Quaker. After working with Evan, we got some lunch at a local Chinese restaurant called Xiang Dang Dang. I really enjoy saying the name of that restaurant. Then, around 2 pm, we headed out towards the Lakeland park build site with some 4x4 wooden poles to stake into the ground. We mixed cement and dug holes for the poles to sit in. It took a long time to mix the cement and at first we didn’t know what we were even doing. It took awhile to get the hang of it, but that’s the learning portion of this trip. It was interesting to see the difference between business students and engineers in this endeavor. Engineers cringed whenever we just worked on the fly without really planning it out. For dinner, we went to Pelican bay resort, a resort that overlooked the ocean. It was very beautiful and breezy that night. Before bedtime, we engaged in karaoke. Grant and I were the first ones to make fools of ourselves with hit songs like “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band and “Boot Scootin Boogie” by Brooks and Dunn. I’m sure the video will hit facebook at some point.

Christian
 
Previous Posts:
Belize Bound

In Seattle? C'mon, Get Happy!

If you're a Walton College alumnus living in the Seattle area, join us for a Happy Hour coming up on May 31. Details are as follows:

5:30-7:30 PM Cypress Lounge & Wine Bar600 Bellevue Way NEBellevue, Washington

Hors d'oeuvres will be provided. Cash bar. No admission fee to attend, but registration is required: rsvp@walton.uark.edu. For more details, check out the Arkansas Alumni: Seattle and the Northwest Facebook event page.



Bonjour la France

My name is Nicholas Dintelmann, and I am going to be a junior this upcoming school year. I come from Belleville, Illinois, which is about a twenty-minute drive from Saint Louis, Missouri. I have enjoyed my life in Illinois as well as in Arkansas, where I am currently majoring in International Business: Supply Chain Management, with minors in French and Economics, and possibly a certificate in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). At Arkansas, I am a Resident Assistant (RA) for the Northwest Quad and work closely with freshmen, athletes, and upperclassmen living at the Quads. I am involved at my church, St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish, as well as with the many programs hosted by the Northwest Quad.

While attending the Sam M. Walton College of Business, I have become involved with organizations involving my major. In order to better acquaint myself with supply chain, I became involved in the Transportation and Logistics Association here on campus, as well as the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. I also had the pleasure of forming the newest Walton College RSO, the International Business Club. These organizations have helped to further my involvement in my major, as well as in my life goals.

I always knew I wanted to work in an international field since high school, and one must know at least one other language to do so. I have studied French for six years now. People ask me if I’m fluent, but I honestly don’t know, as I have not conversed with French people often. This will change soon, as I will attend the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée de Besançon (Besançon Center of Applied Linguistics). There, I shall be living with a host family, traveling to school, and taking six credit hours/two courses. Being surrounded by the language shall indeed help me to better my speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. I cannot wait to get started. Everything I say will be in French for about a month. This shall be an extraordinary adventure, one that I cannot wait to enjoy. Au revoir les États-Unis. Bonjour la France.

Nick

Belize Bound

My name is Christian Buechel, a freshman from Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, TX. I am currently majoring in Business Management with a minor in Spanish. 

In my first year, I played with the University of Arkansas Men’s Soccer Club as the starting right defender, along with a couple on-campus RSO’s. Joining Students in Free Enterprise in my second semester, I have become involved in using business as a means to help the Northwest Arkansas Community. In addition, I am a member of Alpha Lambda Delta honors society and a regular volunteer at Lifesource International.

In the summer of 2012, I will be travelling to Dangriga, Belize to participate in a community development program through the Sam M. Walton College of Business. While in Belize, the business students will be building a park, implementing micro-financing in the community and developing business plans for small businesses in the city. I am excited to participate in this project and learn about business in a developing nation.

Christian

When the Dean's Away...

Associate Deans Moez Limayem and Javier Reyes give us an inside look at what happens in Dean Worrell's office in his absence.

Brazil Bound

Hello, I am Helmsley Manchamee and I am going to Brazil this summer! I am a senior in the Sam M. Walton College of Business majoring in International Business & Business Economics with a minor in Spanish (Business Orientation).

I was born in California, but have lived most of my life in North Carolina. I’ve lived in Arkansas for almost eight years, and I still have not adjusted to the weather. One day it is scorching hot and the next day it is hailing ice the size of golf balls! I hope that the weather in Brazil will be more consistent (it would make packing easier). Going to Brazil will not be my first experience abroad. When I was younger, I went to Guatemala and studied Spanish. I got to see firsthand how people in Latin America do business. Their culture is infused into the way they do business. Everyone acts incredibly formal (in behavior and in speech at first) and a person’s word is worth their weight in gold. Once trusted, they will be your best friend. That is the impression I got, and I took what I learned in Guatemala back to the U.S where it has influenced me greatly while studying in the Walton College. I’d like to see how Brazil’s policies influence their business practices and if there are any similarities to American and other Latin American practices.

In my Business Spanish class, I had to create/manage a Latin American company (a mid-sized but eager to expand into a multinational bread shop in Guatemala City, Guatemala) and it will be interesting to see the similarities/differences there are. I will be going to Recife and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where I and about eight other U of A students will embark on a three week journey attending class and visiting different firms such as Embraer, Walmart and TECON-Suape.

From the flight to Brazil, to visiting different places and the inevitable flight home, I hope to share my experiences with you all. With finals now over, I need to start packing. I tend to overthink things, so I hope that I don’t over pack!

Helmsley

Alumni Award Nominations Accepted

Do you know Walton College alumni who deserve recognition?

Nominations for 2013 alumni awards are currently being accepted for the following:

Outstanding Service


Entrepreneur of the Year


Lifetime Achievement

For more details or a nomination form, visit http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/ or e-mail alumni@walton.uark.edu.

Nominations deadline is August 15, 2012.

Alumni award winners from 2012 include Nathan Sanko (Outstanding Service), Mark Sutton (Lifetime Achievement), and Coleman Sisson (Entrepreneur of the Year), pictured below.

We're on Instagram!

The Walton College is now on Instagram! Follow us at uawaltoncollege to see snapshots from campus. Who knows...you may see some familiar spaces and faces.

1. Beautiful spring day on campus. 2. It's a beautiful day in the Walker Hall neighborhood. 3. Networking at Foghorn's before the baseball game. 4. SpatiaLink won the elevator pitch for the graduate student teams. 5. About to celebrate our recent MBA ranking! 6. Fayettechillin near the Business Building. 7. Students are enjoying the fountain on Shollmier Plaza on their first day back from Spring Break. 8. Congratulations to Christian Galbavi, the very first John Ozment Outstanding Junior for the Department of Supply Chain Management. Christian is with Dr. Ozment. 9. Having class outside on the Shollmier Plaza.

Nominations Accepted for Arkansas Business Hall of Fame

Since the Sam M. Walton College of Business created the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 1999, 58 noteworthy Arkansans have been selected by a committee of business and civic leaders for induction. This Hall of Fame has become one of the most prestigious honors in our State, and the induction event each February is always highly anticipated.

We invite you to be a part of this endeavor to recognize and honor “Arkansas’ best” by submitting a nomination(s). The deadline for submitting your nomination for the 2013 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame is June 1, 2012.

Nominees who may have been born in Arkansas but whose business achievements have been outside of Arkansas, as well as nominees whose accomplishments are primarily in Arkansas are considered for induction. Nominations are not limited to University of Arkansas graduates, but must be over 60 years of age.

For selection criteria and a nomination form, go to http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/abhf. For questions regarding the nomination form or nominations process, please contact the Sam M. Walton College of Business Office of External Relations at (479) 575-6146 or e-mail abhf@walton.uark.edu.

Those selected for 2013 induction will be honored at the fifteenth annual Arkansas Business Hall of Fame celebration on Friday, February 15, 2013, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. We hope to see you there!