Ode to the Admiral

In the late afternoon hours of May 26, 2016, the University of Arkansas experienced a tragedy that shook its community to the core. On the basement level floor of the historic University House, one push of a button changed the world as we knew it.

The National Phone Campaign is headquartered in this basement space and during the academic year it is filled with the laughter of the Hog Callers – a crew of incredible student workers who raise an average of $500,000 annually for university academics and programs. Fortunately for the safety of these beloved callers, the phone campaign had ended in early May. This rendered the basement oddly dark and quiet on May 26th when a member of the Office of Annual Giving staff stepped into the call center breakroom to microwave a bag of popcorn.

It was an innocuous incident that no one could prepare for. The simple task of preparing a treat for other staff members ended in an accident that has had a ripple effect on the morale and confidence of both students and staff.

The call center breakroom has relied on a single microwave for the past 18 years. The brand manufacturer of this well-worn old reliable was Admiral Microwaves, LTD. Due to the tenacity of this microwave, generations of students referred to him simply as “The Admiral.” He was, indeed, a top star in the ranks and a commander through-and-through. So when the aforementioned staff member pushed the popcorn setting on The Admiral that fateful day, little did she expect what would happen next.

Just 9 seconds into the popcorn setting cycle, a heinous smell filled the breakroom and call center. It was the smell of burning plastic and hair. Very shortly after that, loud crackling and popping noises began emitting from The Admiral’s rear (see what I did there?), as if he were crying for help. And in another brief blur, there was a laser light show, smoke, chaos, screaming…and then silence, as the staff member heroically ran head-on back into the disaster, putting her own life at risk to push the eject button on The Admiral for the last time. University facilities personnel were dispatched, cleared the scene, and then gave the Office of Annual Giving the news that no fundraising team is ever ready to hear: The Admiral was set out to sea. His service was no longer earthly.

As the Hog Callers return to campus this fall, we will pay homage to The Admiral, our trusty heater of mini-egg rolls for nearly two decades. But also, it’s time that we try to move forward. Introducing a new microwave will be a way we can heal and we hope you will support these bereaved students by making a contribution to this campaign.

Yes, we are all still grieving. But it is in times of great difficulty where we find the greatest strength.