HDX Admission Newsletter Winter 2021

WINTER 2021

BEST COLLEGE IN ARKANSAS. A HIDDEN GEM SCHOOL. - College Raptor

HENDRIX RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY

FOR INNOVATION, UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING PG. 5

Greetings from Hendrix College!

From the Dean’s Desk PG. 1 Hendrix College Expands Recruiting Presence in NW Ark PG. 3 Winter Break Countdown (For Your Seniors) PG. 3 Life Launch @ Hendrix PG. 4 Hendrix Recognized Nationally for Innovation, Undergraduate Teaching PG. 7

Candlelight Carol 2021 PG. 9

Creative Force Behind Mural Project at Conway Human Development Center is a Hendrix Alum PG. 10

HDX Model United Nations Team Brings Home Six Exceptional Representation Awards

When you last heard from me, I shared how campus was glowing after welcoming our 1,100 students to campus for the start of the school year. Being unable to avoid the turning pages of a calendar, it is nearly for the semester to end. This makes me think of the contrasts we face in life.

Beginnings and ends. Calm and frenzy. Transactional versus transformational. Serving as educators at this point in the school year, we’re not sure if we should be jolly, merry, & bright, or if we’re all trying to survive a real-life game of whack-a-mole. Through all these contrasting feelings and priorities, one sentiment I attempt to maintain is gratitude for the opportunity to work in this profession.

Our Hendrix College admission staff is in the mode of application review. As a team, we talk about the need to view each application as the product of not only a student’s hard work, but also dedication from counselors, teachers, parents, coaches, and others who have mentored that student. The stories you write in your recommendations help to paint the picture of the students we are inviting into our Hendrix community. For this, I am grateful.

Collaboration and an openness to new ideas lead to an augmented sense of thankfulness for me. Hendrix College is pleased to introduce Life Launch @ HDX. Rising high school juniors and seniors will explore career planning and experience college life in this new, one-week, residential program. Life Launch features mentoring & teaching from Hendrix faculty and staff as well as learning from professionals in their fields. Life Launch @ HDX seeks to empower your students in their own educational and career choices as they discover pathways for purpose and fulfillment. I encourage you to take a moment to learn more about this exciting new program here.

Finally, I’m thankful for rejuvenation. The offices at Hendrix College will be closed between Wednesday, December 22 and Sunday, January 9. I’m grateful for this time away which will allow us to come back refreshed for 2022!

Warmly,

PG. 12

RYAN CASSELL VICE PRESIDENT OF ENROLLMENT AND DEAN OF ADMISSION EMAIL: CASSELL@HENDRIX.EDU

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!

8, 2022 1 Y R A U N A J SITS START

SPRING VI

Hendrix.edu/Visit

Visit Campus for Your Ah-Ha Moment!

HENDRIX STUDENTS PRESENT RESEARCH AT ARKANSAS INBRE CONFERENCE CONWAY, Ark. (November 5, 2021) — Hendrix students Halie Booth ’22, Megan Pelley ’24, and Theresa Thomas ’22 attended the Arkansas INBRE Research Conference in Fayetteville Oct. 29-30, along with two Hendrix faculty members, Dr. Andrew Schurko of the Department of Biology and Health Sciences, and Dr. Caitlin Scott of the Department of Chemistry.

Pelley and Thomas presented posters on their research from Scott’s laboratory, and Booth presented her poster based on research from Schurko’s lab: HALIE BOOTH, biochemistry/molecular biology (BCMB) major: “Investigating the role of DNA ligase K during DNA repair in bdelloid rotifers”

MEGAN PELLEY, major undeclared: “S100A1 protein and its interactions with antagonist drugs” THERESA THOMAS, economics major: “Computational drug design to target the cannabinoid type 2 receptor to develop safe and effective pair medication” Both Booth and Pelley received honorable mentions for their poster presentations.

“It was rewarding to see these students made such a strong showing at the conference,” Schurko said. “It reflects their high level of commitment to research, even during the recently challenging circumstances of the pandemic.”

FAR LEFT: Halie Booth '22 earned an honorable mention for her poster presentation at the October '21 Arkansas INBRE Research Conference in Fayetteville.

LEFT: Megan Pelley '24, Dr. Caitlin Scott, and Theresa Thomas '22 at the Arkansas INBRE Research Conference in Fayetteville.

WINTER BREAK COUNTDOWN • Prepare for end of semester exams in more ways than studying. While students will need to review course material, their emotional stress levels are equally important. Planned study breaks and activities can help relax the mind and avoid hyperfocus on upcoming exams.

• Speaking of getting organized, tie up loose ends.

If you have decided against a college, let them know your choice. Saying 'no, thank you' is just as important as saying 'yes!'

• Take advantage of campus visits. While college campuses have fewer students on campus during winter break, this may be a great time to have the focus of the visit be on you and your questions.

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• Work on your life skills. The holidays are a great time to practice those life skills you'll need to succeed at college and after. Help out in the kitchen with dinner, or make sure you know the ways to wash different types of clothes.

• Add to your personal resume. Completing volunteer work not only adds interest to your resume, but provides a much-needed service to your community.

• Get organized while there is a break from daily routine. Winter break is a great time to relax from daily stress, but it's also a great time to organize college offers. Take this time to group your top colleges and their admission/financial aid offers, create pro/con lists, and begin to evaluate your choices.

Explore career planning and experience college life in this new, one-week, residential program at Hendrix College for rising high school juniors and seniors. Life Launch features mentoring & teaching from Hendrix faculty and staff as well as learning from professionals in their fields. Let us help you plan your next steps.

June 5-10, 2022 Apply today @ hendrix.edu/summer progr ams/lifelaunch

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HENDRIX RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR INNOVATION, UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING CONWAY, Ark. (September 13, 2021) — Hendrix College is among the country’s top liberal arts colleges cited for academic excellence, innovation, and undergraduate teaching in this year’s U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges ranking.

“We are pleased to see Hendrix continue to be recognized among the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions,” said Hendrix President Ellis Arnold, noting that the College was cited among Most Innovative Schools (#36) and Undergraduate Teaching (#64) in the National Liberal Arts category and is the state’s highest ranked school in this category (#98).

“Our national recognition affirms both the quality and value of our academic program and the transformational experience students have working closely with professors who are dedicated to teaching and mentoring,” Arnold said.

In other national recognition, Hendrix recently ranked #82 in the Washington Monthly 2021 Liberal Arts Colleges rankings.

Earlier this year, the College was listed #49 best liberal arts college in America by Stacker, which used Niche’s 2021 rankings that assess colleges with factors including academics, admissions, financial aid, and student life.

Hendrix was #11 on Niche’s 25 Colleges with the Best Food.

The College is also featured in Princeton Review’s 2022 Best Colleges and is the only private institution in Arkansas featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2022.

Interest in Hendrix from prospective students has never been higher, Arnold said. This year, Hendrix received a record high of 2,445 applicants. Hendrix saw an increase in total and new student enrollment for 2021-22 academic year. After Census Day (Tuesday, September 7, the 10th day of fall classes), the College’s total enrollment stood at 1,120 students, compared to 1,076 during the 2020-21 academic year. New student enrollment increased for the second consecutive year. Hendrix welcomed 332 new members of the Class of 2025 to campus last month, compared to 324 students a year ago when the College held its fall 2020 semester remotely. This year’s new student enrollment is the highest in four years. Members

of the new class come from 27 states in the U.S., along with six other countries: Mexico, Portugal, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Hendrix began the academic year safely amid COVID-19 in central Arkansas, with a campus vaccination rate of 90% among students, staff, and faculty, and pandemic protocols such as surveillance testing and indoor masking requirements in place.

The Fall 2021 semester comes on the heels of a successful fundraising year, including $22 million in new gifts and pledges for A Time to Lead, the College’s $150 million campaign. The campaign now stands at $133 million. Last fiscal year was one of the most successful fundraising years in Hendrix’s history, second only to 2015, the year that the College recorded the $26 million Dawkins estate gift.

SNOW MUCH FUN! HDX Admission Team wants to share in their favorite holiday memories and traditions. Maybe you'll find a new one for your family!

WHAT WE'RE CAROLING...

OUR DINNERS MUST HAVE...

• All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

• Chocolate Covered Cherries

• Good King Wenceslas

• Apple and Cherry Pies

• It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

• Hot Rolls

• I'll Be Home for Christmas

• Oven Baked Mac and Cheese

• Christmas Is Coming by Miss Piggy

• Pan de Dulce

• Christmas Can-Can • I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

• Canned Cranberry Sauce • Fudge • Macaroni + Cheese

WINTER WONDERLAND WORD SEARCH Blizzard December Freezing Frostbite Glacier Gloves Hailstone Hibernate Ice Iceberg Icicle Mittens Polar Scarf Skating Sledge Snowball Snowflake Socks Thaw

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CANDLELIGHT CAROL 2021 For more than six decades, the Hendrix College Choir’s Candlelight Carol Service has signaled the start of the Christmas season for many throughout Arkansas and the broader Hendrix community. The 2021 Candlelight Carol Services continue this beloved tradition with some pandemic-related modifications for in-person attendees, plus two nights with a streaming option.

SCAN FOR DATES + LOCATIONS + MORE TODAY!

CREATIVE FORCE BEHIND MURAL PROJECT AT CONWAY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS A HENDRIX ALUM CONWAY, Ark. (November 9, 2021) — An artist’s recent 13-day residence in Conway yielded brighter surroundings on a grand scale for those living and working at a state residential care facility near the Hendrix College campus.

EMILY MENTE, a 2014 graduate of Hendrix and artist behind the Austin, Texas-based Studio Mente, arrived in Conway at the beginning of October to bring a delayed project to life at Conway Human Development Center (CHDC).

The three-panel mural at CHDC had originally been scheduled for completion as a 2020 Hendrix Summer Programs offering, but the coronavirus pandemic interfered. CHDC’s desire for the mural outlasted that roadblock, though, so the center and its volunteer council reached back out to Mente in 2021 to push the project forward.

CHDC staff did the power washing and priming of the surface and prepared

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the teal background before Mente’s arrival, enabling her to make the most of the 13 days, including the ability to recover the downtime created by a couple of rain systems that came through the area. CHDC also provided Mente with on-site housing during the project.

“We are overjoyed with the end result,” said CHDC Superintendent Sarah Murphy. “The mural, which is above CHDC’s ‘snack shack’ and below our chapel, has really brightened things up in the central part of our campus! We have heard so many positive remarks from our staff and many residents have shown their approval by gazing up and smiling as they pass by.”

The seven-foot-tall triptych covers nearly 800 square-feet and required Mente to spend hours each day on scaffolding.

“It turned out to be a good thing that the original timing didn’t work out, because the project was more ambitious than I had anticipated,” Mente said. “I’m really glad to have had Hendrix students involved for that reason.” Mente looks forward to using what she learned to create another project that can more easily engage high school students for a summer session in the future.

Mente also spent time across the interstate at Hendrix during her time in Conway, speaking with senior art majors and a beginning painting class

about her full-time work as an artist.

Three of those artists—Adaja Cooper ’23, Michaela Thaibinh ’23, and Jalache Davis ’23—joined Mente on the scaffolding at CHDC for portions of the project.

“Emily was so sweet to work with and learn from,” said Thaibinh, who spent two days working alongside Mente.

“I learned a lot about the process of making murals, from start to finish.

We talked about her experience as a working artist, and this gave me lots of ideas, suggestions, and insight about making art as a living.”

Funding for the mural came from the CHDC Volunteer Council, a nonprofit dedicated to meeting long-term needs of CHDC residents in addition to what the state budget covers.

Their projects seek to improve overall quality of life for the residents and to increase community awareness of the needs and abilities of individuals who live at CHDC. “The council includes a lot of relatives of the residents, and they are so dedicated to providing for not just their physical needs, but also things that brighten up their surroundings, like this mural does,” Mente said. “It’s visible from several other buildings on the CHDC campus, so even if a resident can’t go outside, they can still enjoy it.”

In the couple of months preceding her visit, Mente collaborated with members of the volunteer council to

choose paint colors and refine the mural design. She worked to include native and native-inspired flowers in the designs, which also include butterflies and bees.

“This was such a good experience for us,” said volunteer council member Jan Fortney. “Emily’s enthusiasm about the project equaled our excitement. The mural is just perfect, and I’ve heard many positive comments about how it makes everyone’s day better just walking past it.”

Janice Hanlon, another volunteer council member, agreed that the work by Mente and the Hendrix students brightened up the CHDC campus. “I look forward to pointing out the flowers, rainbow, and butterflies to my son, Andy,” she said.

Volunteer council member Deborah Rainwater said the best part about the mural’s completion was seeing the reaction of her son Kirk, a 20-year-old CHDC resident who is non-verbal and autistic. “Kirk looked up at the mural and smiled so big,” Rainwater said. “It was so precious to see that it made him so happy.”

HDX MODEL UNITED NATIONS TEAM BRINGS HOME SIX EXCEPTIONAL REPRESENTATION AWARDS CONWAY, Ark. (November 30, 2021) – Hendrix College garnered six Exceptional Representation awards at the American Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference, held from November 20-23.

Returning to Chicago after last year’s remote hiatus, Hendrix students represented Austria and Mongolia at this year’s gathering. The students receiving awards included: • • • • • • •

Phillip Powell ’23 and Kolya Souvorin ’23 for the General Assembly First Committee (Mongolia) Ilana Svartz ’22 for the General Assembly Third Committee (Mongolia) Maya Kreczmer ’23 and Jenny Grötzer (international exchange student) for the Human Rights Council (Austria) Raven Johnson ’23 and Kerterra Starr ’24 for the Commission on the Status of Women (Mongolia) Maggie Kleck ’22 and Monica Martinez ’22 for the Economic and Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific (Mongolia) Thalia Fort ’22 and Chloe Griffith ’23 for the Historical Security Council for 1973 (Austria) Four of the award-winning students listed above—Kreczmer, Johnson, Kleck, and Fort—also served as second-year AMUN mentors for first-time participants.

Other participating students from Hendrix, and the simulations they represented, included: • • • • • •

Nathan Painter ’22 and Luis Civallero ’23: General Assembly First Committee (Austria) Paloma Macarena ’23 and Houston Phillips ’24: General Assembly Third Committee (Austria) Annie Elliott ’24 and Tali Ramirez ’22: General Assembly Fourth Committee (Austria) Lynnaya Hamby ’22 and Claire Segura ’24: General Assembly Fourth Committee (Mongolia) Jack Harrison (international exchange student) and Colin Jenkins ’24: International Atomic Energy Agency (Austria) Dani Brumbelow ’25 and Tuffy Dornburg ’23: International Atomic Energy Agency (Mongolia)

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Jana Kern (international exchange student): UN Environmental Assembly (Austria) Keira Boop ’23: UN Environmental Assembly (Mongolia) Rachel Allen ’22 served as the Permanent Representative (PR) for the entire group, assisting both delegations and their representatives with position paper drafting, conference strategy, and logistics.

About 850 students, representing around 65 UN Member States and Observers, attended this year’s in-person gathering. A smaller virtual conference was held concurrently with the Chicago event.

“We were very excited to return to an in-person conference,” said Professor of Politics Dr. Daniel Whelan, who has directed the Hendrix Model UN program since 2008. “With the exception of our PR, Rachel Allen, none of our 26 students had ever attended a collegiate Model UN conference, but they were extremely well-prepared. They engaged the proceedings with the kind of depth and passion our Model UN program is known for.”

Whelan also noted that while some teams with more firsttime AMUN participants dealt with some disruptive behavior, the Hendrix team provided an object lesson in professional development: “While our students were at times discouraged and frustrated, they nevertheless kept their eye on the ball and maintained their professionalism to the end,” he said. “I am very proud of their hard work and dedication.”

The Hendrix team’s attendance at this year’s AMUN conference was supported by the Bill and Connie Bowen Odyssey Professorship, which Whelan holds through 2023. The team looks forward to AMUN 2022, where Hendrix plans to represent Guatemala and Norway.

LEFT Front: Thalia Fort, Chloe Griffith, Jenny Grötzer. Back: Rachel Allen, Houston Phillips, Luis Civallero, Paloma Macarena, Nathan Painter, Maya Kreczmer, Jana Kern, Annie Elliott, Tuffy Dornburg, Tali Ramirez.

RIGHT Front: Kerterra Starr, Illana Svantz, Raven Johnson, Maggie Kleck, Monica Martinez, Claire Segura. Back: Lynnaya Hamby, Jack Harrison, Colin Jenkins, Keira Boop, Kolya Souvorin, Phillip Powell, Rachel Allen

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