hendrix magazine A Magazine for Alumni & Friends Fall 2010 Volume 23, Number 1 Editor Helen Plotkin plotkin@hendrix.edu Associate Editor Rob O’Connor ’95 Art Director/Designer Joshua Daugherty Alumnotes Editor/Designer Courtney Johnson ’12 Staff Writers Natalie Atkins Mark Scott Staff Photographers Joshua Daugherty Courtney Johnson ’12 Contributors Stuart Holt Bruce Layman ’12 Brian Rejer Ann Laux Turney ’75 Hendrix Magazine is published by Hendrix College, 1600 Washington Avenue, Conway, Arkansas 720323080. This magazine is published for Hendrix College alumni, parents of students and friends. Permission is granted to reprint material from this magazine provided credit is given and a copy of the reprinted material is sent to the Editor. Postmaster, please send form 3579 to Office of Institutional Advancement, Hendrix College, 1600 Washington Ave., Conway, AR 72032-3080 501.450.1223 Fax 501.450.3881 Alumnotes submission deadlines: Spring Issue: Feb. 1 Fall Issue: Sept. 1 Photo by Joshua Daugherty
Printed on paper containing 10% post-consumer recycled content with inks containing agri-based oils. Please Recycle.
on the cover: Meghan Kerin ’13, a pre-med major from Russellville is a metal guitar player whose summer Odyssey included a 10-day tour through Texas and Florida with her band Poisonwood. This issue of Hendrix Magazine highlights Meghan and a talented group of alumni who continue to make noise after Hendrix. Photo by Bruce Layman ’12
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Alumni Couple Returns
Former U.S. Ambassador Alan Eastham and his wife return to Arkansas, where he will teach and advise international study programs at Hendrix.
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New Students Arrive
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Six Alumni Receive Medals
422 new students – from 32 states & 14 international countries – arrived this fall; Hendrix now has 1,469 students – the largest enrollment in history!
A Rebel Odyssey Ben Nichols ’96 from history ma j o r to music maker
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30 31 11 03 08
Alumni Voices Alumnotes At Home at Hendrix Campus News Faculty News
17 37 35 36 16
Hendrix Through Time In Memoriam Marriages New Children Village Update
Founders Day 2010 celebrates alumni achievements – from children’s advocacy to cheese – with the presentation of Odyssey Medals to stand-outs in six categories.
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The Sound of Odyssey
39
Honor Roll of Donors
Hendrix Magazine celebrates a unique group of musicians – from a metal guitar-shredding sophomore pre-med major to original songwriters who have found success on the national stage.
The College says “Thank You!” to the alumni, parents and friends whose generous gifts make the Hendrix experience possible for today’s students.
a message from the president As my 10th year as president of Hendrix begins, the College stands at a pivotal moment. We have reached most of the ambitious goals the Trustees set in 2003. Now, we are in a strong position for future advancement as we begin the second decade of the 21st century. This is a good time to reflect on what we have accomplished together for Hendrix. We have: • Redesigned the curriculum and moved from a three-term academic calendar to a semester calendar. • Introduced Your Hendrix Odyssey: Engaging in Active Learning, an innovative component of the curriculum that combines critical thought with action. • Become nationally recognized as a leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. In August, U.S. News & World Report listed Hendrix as the nation’s No. 1 “up-and-coming” liberal arts college for the second consecutive year. • Raised more than $99 million toward our $100 million goal and expect to complete A Commitment to National Leadership: The Hendrix Campaign by Dec. 31, 2010. • Enrolled 1,469 students for the fall semester, setting a new record and surpassing the Trustees’ enrollment goal of 1,300. In 2001, our enrollment was about 1,000. • Increased our full-time faculty to maintain a 12-to-1 student-faculty ratio, adding new positions in art, biology, chemistry, classics, computer science, film studies, history, international relations, mathematics, philosophy, politics, psychology, public health, religion and Spanish. More than 40% of our faculty has been hired in the last six years. • Added new majors in allied health, American studies, biochemistry/molecular biology, chemical physics, classics, environmental studies, and kinesiology, and a master’s degree program in accounting. • Added new facilities including all new buildings for the science and art programs, a new home for the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language, the Wellness and Athletics Center and adjacent playing fields, new student residences houses and apartments, and the Student Life and Technology Center, which opened in January and is the first LEED Gold-certified building on an Arkansas college campus. • Added the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics and Calling and the Crain-Maling Center of Jewish Culture, the first of its kind at a United Methodist college. • Developed a large part of Phase I of the Village at Hendrix, a neighborhood that will influence the footprint of the College for the next 100 years. Each of the items on this list enriches the educational experience of Hendrix students. None of these achievements would be possible without the support of alumni, parents, friends and the United Methodist Church. Your generous support has allowed us to conduct a successful campaign in the middle of an economic downturn. We are grateful for your gifts and inspired by your confidence in Hendrix and your commitment to our mission. We recognize your contributions in the Honor Roll of Donors, which begins on Page 39. Please review this list and join me in thanking those whose generosity has made Hendrix’ success possible. If you are among our loyal donors, I thank you for your long-term support. If your name has not yet been added to the list, I encourage you to give to Hendrix and its mission to change the lives of those who can change the world.
J. Timothy Cloyd, Ph.D. President
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campus news
campus news nation’s top up-and-coming liberal arts college
sltc is golden Hendrix College’s new $26 million Student Life and Technology Center was recently certified as LEED-Gold by the Green Building Certification Institute, becoming the first college in Arkansas to receive this environmentallyfriendly distinction, according to the Arkansas chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. The 77,000 square-foot building, which opened in January 2010, includes the state-of-the-art Oathout Educational Technology Center and numerous specialized technology clusters throughout the building. In addition to the technology distributed through the building, the SLTC also includes Student Affairs offices and all the usual components of a student life center, from the dining room to The Burrow, a social gathering and activity place for students. The building was constructed through the college’s $100 million comprehensive campaign. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the recognizable industry standard for sustainability. There are several levels of certification ranging from a basic-level certification to platinum-level, which represents the ultimate in environmental sustainability.
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Photo by Joshua Daugherty
For the second consecutive year, Hendrix College is listed as the nation’s top “Up-and-Coming” liberal arts college in the September issue of U.S. News & World Report. During the past six years, Hendrix has garnered increasing attention as it launched the engaged-learning program Your Hendrix Odyssey and made significant progress toward its $100 million goal in A Commitment to National Leadership: The Hendrix Campaign. Hendrix is among nine liberal arts colleges recognized as having “recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or facilities,” and “firmly focused on improving the job they’re doing today.” Following Hendrix on the list are the University of Richmond in Virginia, Agnes Scott College in Georgia, Calvin College in Michigan and Willamette University in Oregon.
board of trustees welcomes new members The Hendrix College Board of Trustees recently welcomed four new members. They include three alumni and a newly appointed representative of the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Henry “Hank” E. Neely II is a 1983 graduate of Hendrix where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and business. He is Americas Tax Managing Partner-Markets for Ernst & Young LLP in Dallas. He and his wife, René Racop Neely ’83, make their home in Plano and are the parents of two sons, H.E. Neely III and Wilson P. Neely, who both attend the University of Arkansas. Neely is an active member of St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano where he serves on the Staff/Parish Relations Committee. In his free time he enjoys golf and reading. Elizabeth Smith Small, a 1981 graduate of Hendrix, earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2000. She is President and CEO of PDC Companies in Little Rock. She and her husband Thomas J. Small ’76 are the parents of Cary Glover Small ’08. Small is an active member of First
The Student Life and Technology Center (SLTC), which opened in January 2010, is the home of Your Hendrix Odyssey, state-of-theart technology, and programs that enrich the experience of every Hendrix student.
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campus news Courtesy photos
Right: A Hendrix mission group visiting Poland spent 10 days cleaning Jewish cemeteries and learning more about Jewish history.
United Methodist Church in Little Rock where she serves on the finance committee and she and her husband cochair the Stewardship Campaign. Small said her roles as alumna, parent and supporter of the college have fueled her interest in the continued growth of Hendrix and its national reputation for excellence. T.J. Ticey ’80 of Eagan, Minn., completed the Executive MBA Studies program at Carlson School of Business after graduation from Hendrix. He is the Vice President of Member Services for the Board of Pensions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Minneapolis. Ticey received a Hendrix Odyssey Medal for Professional and Leadership Development in 2008-09. He is also a trustee of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. He and his wife Debra have two sons, Jeremy and Terry, who are both graduates of Hampton University. Rev. Philip L. Hathcock was appointed Director of Conference Ministries for the Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in June. Serving as an exofficio member of the Hendrix Board of Trustees is part of his duties in that role. Rev. Hathcock has served the Arkansas Conference as a local pastor and a district superintendent and has previously served on the Hendrix Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2005. Rev. Hathcock and his wife Gwen make their home in Maumelle. They are the parents of two adult children, Larissa Hathcock Polkowski and Thomas C. Hathcock ’95, a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy. Rev. Hathcock earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas in 1971 and a master of divinity degree from Duke University in 1973. The Board of Trustees is the governing body for Hendrix College. It meets three times per year, usually on the Hendrix campus. The next board meeting is scheduled in late October.
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hendrix students making a difference In May, a group of Hendrix students cleaned Jewish cemeteries and toured concentration camps during a 10-day mission trip to Poland. They came away with a deeper appreciation for contemporary Polish life and for the nation’s dark past. The trip, one of four offered for the 2009-10 academic year through the Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics and Calling, focused on building awareness of the Holocaust and Jewish/Christian relationships as well as creating interfaith dialogue. Funding was also provided by the Crain-Maling Center of Jewish Culture at Hendrix. The group spent two days of their 10-day trip cleaning a Jewish cemetery. Rev. J. Wayne Clark ’84, college chaplain and the group’s leader, said he did not realize until they arrived what a huge need there was for this service. Before World War II, there were more than 3 million Jews living in Poland. Today there are an estimated 5,000 Jews living in the country. As a result of the small Jewish population, most Jewish cemeteries are not maintained. The students spent two days with Polish high school
Courtesy photo
Above: New Hendrix Trustees include (from left) Hank Neely ’83, Elizabeth Smith Small ’81, T.J. Ticey ’80 and Rev. Philip L. Hathcock.
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campus news
students who prepared a presentation on the history of local Jews and provided the Hendrix students with a tour of the village. They also had time to visit with the students and learn about their perceptions and stereotypes of Americans. The students also visited the Treblinka, Majdanek, Belzec and AuschwitzBirkenau concentration camps and toured a factory owned by Oskar Schindler, who is credited with saving 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust and inspired the film Schindler’s List.
byler selected for u.s. national team
Photo by Courtney Johnson ’12
Hendrix College senior forward Christina Byler was one of eight players in the nation selected to represent the United States on the USA D-3 Basketball All-Star Team for five contests against the best Brazil has to offer. The USA D-3 All-Stars invited women’s players from across the country who were recognized as All-Region or All-Conference by their NCAA Division-III conferences and/or D3Hoops.com. The USA D-3 tour ran from Aug. 3-12. The squad began with orientation and practice in Orlando, Fla., for the first two days before flying to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for back-to-back-to-back contests in the Jundiai. The teams then traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for two more contests. In Rio the USA D-3 Team was hosted by the Brazilian National Military team as it prepared for the World Military Basketball Championships in South Korea. Byler received four post-season awards after the 2009-10 stretch. She was named to the 2010 D3Hoops.com AllSouth Region Second Team, All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) First Team, SCAC All-Tournament Team and All-Arkansas Small College Team. A Little Rock native, Byler averaged a league best 17.3 points per-game and ranked in the top five in the SCAC in rebounding (9.1 RPG - 3rd), free throw shooting (90.2 percent - 1st) and 3-point shooting (36.6 percent - 4th). Her free throw percentage was a new single season program record and ranks second on the SCAC’s all time single season list. With 1,324 career points, Byler is currently fifth on the Warriors’ alltime list.
professor publishes new book Dr. Daniel J. Whelan, assistant professor of politics and international relations, has published his new book: Indivisible Human Rights: A History. In Indivisible Human Rights, Whelan offers a carefully crafted account of the rhetoric of indivisibility, according to the University of Pennsylvania Press, the publishers of the book. Whelan traces the political and historical development of the concept, which originated in the contentious debates surrounding the translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into binding treaty law as two separate Covenants on Human Rights. In the 1960s and 1970s, Whelan demonstrates, postcolonial states
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employed a revisionist rhetoric of indivisibility to elevate economic and social rights over civil and political rights, eventually resulting in the declaration of a right to development. By the 1990s, the rhetoric of indivisibility had shifted to emphasize restoration of the fundamental unity of human rights and reaffirm the obligation of states to uphold both major human rights categories—thus opening the door to charges of violations resulting from underdevelopment and poverty.
Dominique Hamby ’13 assists with a science experiment during the 4th Annual Ridin’ Dirty with Science program.
ridin’ dirty completes fourth year
Dozens of Conway children recently participated in Hendrix College’s Ridin’ Dirty With Science program, a popular, hands-on science camp designed to show young students the fun elements of science. The program, in its fourth year, is made possible by the college’s Your Hendrix Odyssey program, along with a partnership with the Faulkner County Boys and Girls Club. This year’s leaders, Hendrix students Allyson Keen ’12 of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.; Tyler Lewis ’11 of Hot Springs; Kimberly Pollard ’12 of Conway; and Anna Sciortino ’11 of Dallas organized a group of Hendrix student volunteers to engage, entertain and educate children, grades 4-8 from the Boys and Girls Club of Faulkner County, in modern science experiments, according to chemistry professor Liz Gron, the faculty adviser of Ridin’ Dirty With Science since the program’s origination in 2007.
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Hendrix College recent graduates Lauren Bartshe ’10 and Blake Smith ’10 were named Fulbright Scholars by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Bartshe, a St. Louis native, will teach English as a Second Language in Germany. Smith, from Lakeland, Tenn., received a research scholarship to study in France. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided almost 300,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then-Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Approximately 294,000 “Fulbrighters,” 111,000 from the United States and 183,000 from other countries, have participated in the Program since its inception more than 60 years ago. The Fulbright Program awards approximately 7,500 new grants annually.
dirty laundry wins best in show “Dirty Laundry,” a comedic look into the challenges of doing laundry in residence halls, won the top prize at Hendrix College’s first Red Brick Film Festival. The festival highlighted three-minute films produced by the college’s students and awarded $1,500 in six categories. “Dirty Laundry” was developed by Mauren Kennedy, a sophomore from Bentonville. The Best in Show award, given to the film that had the best combination of story and style, included a $500 prize. “Playtime” by Jared King, a junior from Harvard, Mass., won the Audience Choice Award and a $400 prize. The comedy told the story of a student who forgot he was the lead in a theatrical production until the last minute and needed the assistance of his friends and a Bluetooth headset to remember his lines. Other winners included:
campus. Masters of Ceremony were Fred Baker ’00, Hendrix’s associate director of admission, and Jim Wiltgen, the College’s dean of students, who themselves starred in an introductory video for the festival. The Red Brick Film Festival will become an annual event each spring at Hendrix. Students use the equipment in the Oathout Technology Center in the new Student Life and Technology Center to make their films. To view the videos, visit the Hendrix College YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/hendrixcollege.
hendrix selected as fiske 2011 best buy school Hendrix College has been selected as a Best Buy School by the 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges, one of 45 colleges in the U.S. to receive the honor. For more than 25 years, The Fiske Guide to Colleges has helped students and their parents make the most intelligent educational investment they can. The revised and updated 2011 edition of The Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward B. Fiske, released in July, features more than 300 of the country’s best and most interesting colleges and universities. In selecting Best Buy colleges, Fiske considers colleges that receive a four or five-star academic rating, those that are inexpensively or moderately priced, and the quality of student life on campus. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011 is “fiercely independent.” The Fiske Guide accepts no consulting, advertising, or other fees from colleges and has no outside relationship with colleges working on its behalf. The Fiske Guide’s only goal is to help future students select the best colleges to reach their own goals.
Below: “Dirty Laundry,” a threeminute film about the challenges of doing laundry in residence halls, won Best in Show at the college’s first Red Brick Film Festival. The film was developed by Mauren Kennedy ’13 from Bentonville.
• The Student Senate Hendrix Spirit Award — “Eco-Ripper” by Caufield Schnug, a junior from Austin, Texas; $300 prize. • Most Innovative Award — “Zoe” by Charles Wallace, a senior from Coppell, Texas; $100 prize. • Stylistic Brilliance Award — “The Garden: My Essay for Ben” by Laura Langley, a senior from Austin, Texas; $100 prize. • Most Affective — “Just a Dream” by Dylan Reed, a sophomore from Conway; $100 prize. Festival judges were Hendrix faculty members Robert Hessling, Kristi McKim, David Sutherland ’81 and Todd Tinsley ’98, along with Rainey Gibson ’08, a member of the Student Affairs staff on
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Frame from “Dirty Laundry”
campus news
bartshe, smith named fulbright scholars
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campus news Photo by Bruce Layman ’12
top scholarships awarded Hendrix College has announced its Class of 2014 winners of the college’s Hays Scholarships, the most prestigious awards given to incoming freshmen. Incoming students receiving the award are: • Max Inchaurregui of Houston. Inchaurregui graduated from Carnegie Vanguard High School in Houston. He also received an Odyssey Honors and Distinction Award for Professional and Leadership Development. • Charles “Charlie” Peterson of St. Louis. Peterson graduated from St. Louis Priory School in suburban St. Louis. He also received an Odyssey Honors and Distinction Award for Artistic Creativity. • Jordan Spennato of Austin, Texas. Spennato graduated from L.C. Anderson High School in Austin. She also received an Odyssey Honors and Distinction Award for Professional and Leadership Development. • Rachel Thomas of Springdale. Thomas graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Mich. She also received an Odyssey Honors and Distinction Award for Artistic Creativity. The Hays Memorial Scholarship was established by Reuben Hays of Delray Beach, Fla., in memory of his parents, Rev. William B. Hays and Loutie Bonner Hays. It is a highly competitive, four-year, academic-merit scholarship that is awarded annually. In addition to paying full tuition, room, board and fees, the Hays Scholarship provides funds for summer research opportunities. The dollar amount for the 2010-2011 Hays Scholarship is $40,746. This scholarship covers the full comprehensive fees of a four-year education at Hendrix, and its annual value increases to cover rising costs.
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Hendrix also awarded four prestigious Provost’s Scholarships, an award that covers the cost of Hendrix tuition for four years. The award amount, valued at $31,740 for 2010-11, increases each year to cover rising costs. It is awarded to four incoming freshmen annually.
Hays Scholars Max Inchaurregui, Jordan Spennato and Charlie Peterson (Not pictured is Rachel Thomas).
Winners of Provost’s Scholarships were: • Abba Colbert of West Helena. Colbert graduated from KIPP Delta Collegiate High School in Helena. She also received an Odyssey Honors and Distinction Award for Professional and Leadership Development. • Nicholas “Nick” Drake of Harper Woods, Mich. Drake graduated from Harper Woods High School. He also received an Odyssey Honors and Distinction Award for Special Projects. • Jenna Gottschalk of Lenexa, Kan. Gottschalk graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School in Shawnee Mission, Kan. She also received an Odyssey Honors and Distinction Award for Service to the World and a music scholarship. • Rachel Ribando-Gros of New Orleans. RibandoGros graduated from the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in Natchitoches, La. She also received an Odyssey Honors and Distinction Award for Professional and Leadership Development. Candidates for the Hays and Provost’s scholarships must be high school seniors with at least a 3.6 GPA in high school college preparatory classes. They must also score a minimum ACT composite of 32 or a minimum SAT total of 1410. Eligible students were invited to a competition at Hendrix on Feb. 26-27. There were 115 competitors this year.
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faculty news
New faculty enrich the Hendrix experience As the fall semester began, Hendrix welcomed 15 new faculty members, including two visiting faculty members from China and five Hendrix alumni. Returning to Hendrix are Carmen L. Hardin ’96, who was director of multicultural and international student affairs from 2000 to 2006 and Dionne Bennett Jackson ’96, who served the College as coordinator of Academic Support Services from 2000 to 2007. Other Hendrix graduates joining the faculty this year include Cheri Prough DeVol ’90 in Theatre Arts and Dance and Cory Ledoux ’00 in English, along with
Alan Eastham ’73, former U.S. Ambassador, in Politics and International Relations (Related story, Page 9). In addition to the new faculty, Hendrix is also pleased to welcome the new associate director for the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language. Shin Yu Pai, who began work in early August, was most recently assistant curator for acquisitions for the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University-San Marcos.
New Tenure-Track Faculty:
Sabbatical Replacements:
Christopher Camfield
Cheri Prough DeVol
Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, 2008 B.S., University of Cincinnati, 2002
Victoria Evans
Instructor of Kinesiology D.P.H., Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, UAMS, 2011 (anticipated) M.P.H., Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, UAMS, 2005 B.S., University of Central Arkansas, 2002
Carmen L. Hardin Instructor of Politics
Ph.D., University of Arkansas, 2011 (anticipated) J.D., William H. Bowen School of Law, UALR, 1999 B.A., Hendrix College, 1996
Dionne Bennett Jackson
Assistant Professor of Education Ed.D., Baylor University, 2010 M.S., University of Central Arkansas, 1999 B.A., Hendrix College, 1996
Christopher Marvin
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ph.D., University of Wisconsin—Madison, 2008 B.S., Ball State University, 2002
faculty news In addition to their work in the classroom, Hendrix faculty members engage in research and professional activities that expand their expertise and enrich their teaching. Here is a sample of this year’s professional activities of Hendrix faculty. See a full list of the faculty’s 2009-10 professional activities online at www.hendrix.edu/hendrixmagazine.
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Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance M.F.A., University of Texas at Austin, 1993 B.A., Hendrix College, 1990
Mark DeVol
Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance B.F.A., Theatre, Kent State University, 1996
Other New Faculty: Alan Eastham
Senior Fellow in International Relations and International Programs J.D., Georgetown University School of Law, 1982 B.A., Hendrix College, 1973
Diane Henson
Visiting Instructor of Kinesiology M.S.E., University of Central Arkansas, 1978 B.S., University of Central Arksansas, 1977
Lingchen Kong
Visiting Scholar from East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai Department of Economics and Business Ph.D., Remin University of China, 2003
• Brett Hill, assistant professor of anthropology, published “Depopulation of the Northern Southwest: A Macro-Regional Perspective” in Leaving Mesa Verde: Peril and Change in the Thirteenth-Century Southwest (with Jeffery Clark, William Doelle and Patrick Lyons). • Erik Maakestad, associate professor of art, exhibited two watercolor works in the group show “One” at Golden West Gallery, Stehekin, Wash.
M.S., Tianjin University, 1995 B.S., Beijing Wuzi University, 1987
James Lang
Visiting Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Ph.D., Penn State University, 2010 M.S., University of Iowa, 2002 B.S., University of Iowa, 1999
Cory Ledoux
Visiting Instructor of English ABD, Rice University M.A., University of Tulsa, 2003 B.A., Hendrix College, 2000
Amrita Puri
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2008 B.S., B.A., University of New Orleans, 1993
Songhe Wang
Visiting Exchange Faculty from Heilongjiang University in Harbin, China Ph.D., Shanghai International Studies University, 2008 M.A., Heilongjiang University, 1998 B.A., Heilongjiang University, 1988
Ann York
Visiting Instructor of Education M.S.E, University of Central Arkansas, 1986 B.S.E, University of Central Arkansas, 1971
published “Predation by a Lava Heron (Butorides striata sundevalli) on a Small Ground Finch (Geospiza fuliginosa) in the Galapagos Islands” in Waterbirds. • Tom Stanley, Bill and Connie Bowen Odyssey Professor of Economics and Business, received a United Kingdom Department for International Development grant to support the Meta-Analysis of Economic Regression Colloquium in London in 2011, £22,837.16.
• Matt Moran, Judy and Randy Wilbourn Odyssey Associate Professor of Biology,
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faculty news Photo by Ann Laux Turney ’75
Coming Full Circle
Alumni couple brings world of experience back to where their adventure began By Rob O’Connor ’95 Associate Editor If Carolyn Laux Eastham’s life were a meal, then she started with dessert. While most of her generation settled into careers, with an eye toward eventual retirement and the opportunity to travel, Carolyn quickly began living in far-flung countries and experiencing fascinating cultures, from Katmandu to the Congo, after graduating from Hendrix in 1972. Her adventure began when she met Alan Eastham at Hendrix. She was a senior, and he was a junior. She chose Hendrix “because it was smaller.” She attended Sacred Heart, a Catholic school in Morrilton, where she grew up. There were 28 students in her high school class, she said. “I felt like I’d be better in a smaller school,” said Carolyn. “And my mother, for some reason, was big on Hendrix.” Alan graduated from Hendrix in 1973 with a degree in philosophy and returned briefly to his hometown of Dumas to work for his father’s radio station. He took the Foreign Service exam and enrolled in law school at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The couple married in 1974. During Al’s first semester, he was offered a position as a junior officer in the Foreign Service. “Al told them, ‘Let me finish this semester,’ and off we went to Washington,” Carolyn recalled. He later completed law school in Georgetown,
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while stationed in Washington, D.C. Alan’s first overseas appointment was in Katmandu, Nepal, where the couple lived for three years. During that period, Carolyn, who was an English major, taught English as a Second Language (ESL). The Easthams celebrated their 36-year anniversary in August, just as Alan was beginning a new role as Senior Fellow for International Relations and International Programs at Hendrix. Though his title reads Senior Fellow, in many ways, he considers himself a freshman faculty member. “That’s exactly what I am,” he said. “It’s not appropriate for me to have an academic title. [But] I’m sort of waived in on life experience, I suppose.” That life experience includes Foreign Service assignments in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, France and Washington, D.C. He became involved in African affairs in 1989 when he was assigned to the embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, which was followed by a similar assignment in Zaire. As Special Negotiator for Conflict Diamonds, he negotiated the Kimberley Process Agreement regulating the global trade in rough diamonds. From 2005 to 2008, Eastham served as Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi. From 2008 until his retirement this year, he was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Congo. This fall, Alan is teaching two courses in the Politics Department, U.S. Foreign Policy and Comparative Politics – Africa. In the spring, he will teach a topics course on south Asia.
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Scouts in North Little Rock. Fall is a busy season focused on recruiting new scouts in the schools, she said. “All my friends are retiring,” said Carolyn. “So I’m kind of doing it backwards.” During their life in the Foreign Service, Carolyn was active in the communities where they were stationed, usually some form of volunteer service to help meet local needs. She was also busy raising children and helping them adjust to a new culture every three years. The Easthams have two sons. Mark is a senior at Elon University in North Carolina, and Michael is a junior at James Madison University in Virginia. It was an interesting way to grow up, and the family’s life has left a lasting impression on their sons. “From the time Michael was born in 1989 in Nairobi, Kenya, until 1999, we moved from one post to another,” said Al. “He didn’t really live in the U.S.” “They love to travel,” Carolyn said. “My older son says he can’t imagine staying in one place.” Courtesy Photo During Al’s appointment as U.S. Ambassador in Malawi, Carolyn took her sons to Kilimanjaro. Carolyn Laux Eastham ’72, left, on a hike to Kilimanjaro in 2007 with her sons, Mark, center, She watched as the boys got to the summit. and Michael. “That was thrilling,” she said. “They were kind of sorry to see this life come to an end,” she said. In addition to his course load, he will work closely with the Office of “Now it’s on their dime if they want to move around.” International Programs. “They got a dose of the U.S., too,” she said, noting their time in “I think I can add value by assisting students who would like to study Washington. “And they know about Arkansas, too. As kids, they came or do research overseas, by reviewing project proposals for feasibility home (to Morrilton) every year.” and practicality,” he said, adding that he also hopes to be able to offer During one post, families were not permitted, so Carolyn and her sons career advice for students who may want to work in U.S. agencies, the lived briefly in Morrilton with her family. And while Al was stationed Foreign Service, or other agencies with an international presence. in Islamabad, Pakistan, families were evacuated, so she and her sons Study abroad opportunities for Hendrix students have come along returned once again to Morrilton. way since Eastham was a student in the early 1970s. At that time, he The Easthams have kept up with Hendrix through the years. Their said, Hendrix offered one program in Graz, Austria, which was mainly closest connection is Carolyn’s sister, Ann Laux Turney ’75. Ann for German majors. worked for Hendrix from 1984 until 2005 and is now Director of Devel“Compared to the vast richness of what is available now, that’s a opment for the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for terrific change,” he said. Medical Sciences. Ann and her husband David live in Conway. Alan is very appreciative of the role that Hendrix has played in his Hendrix presented Alan with the Odyssey Medal for Global Awarecareer. ness, which is awarded to alumni who immerse themselves in cultures “Though I can’t attribute a specific thing to Hendrix, I learned some in other countries or distinct regions within this country through skills that were very important to my Foreign Service career here,” he service, study, or research. The medal was presented during commencesaid. ment and afterward, he gave the commencement address for the Class “A U.S. Embassy is like a small village. In some ways, it’s like dorm of 2007. life,” said Alan, who lived in Martin Hall for two years. “You have to get Carolyn has stayed in touch with several Hendrix friends, including along with colleagues and peers.” a close friend and former roommate, Susie Roll Daniel ’72, and Grace “I learned how to learn and learned a framework for how the world Ellen Rice ’71. operates,” he said. With her mother in Morrilton and her sister in Conway, Carolyn said “I developed the ability to do the work assigned, to get the job done she is “glad to be close to home.” and see it through. I can’t tell you how important that is. “We’re just happy to be back in Arkansas,” she said. The couple now “And if you have a good liberal arts education, then law school is no lives in Pulaski County. “There really is no better place to be ... it has problem,” Alan said. everything.” Carolyn thinks the transition to Hendrix is a perfect fit for her “I want to see this country and travel in the U.S.,” she said. Seeing husband. Eureka Springs and hiking Pinnacle Mountain are at the top of the list, “He’s always enjoyed working with young people and mentoring the along with visiting national parks in the West and touring California. younger officers,” she said. “New officers don’t usually get that, and he “Every three years, we’ve made a new start,” she said. “Maybe in was really good at it. I knew he’d like dealing with students after seeing three years, we’ll get the itch, but I don’t think so. After that many years, him with those young officers.” I think it’s time to do something else.” Carolyn is beginning a new role too. She now works for the Girl
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www.hendrix.edu
Image courtesy of Troubadour 1972
Photo by Joshua Daugherty
at home at hendrix:
Highlighting Alumni Faculty and Staff
Jack Frost ’72 Jack grew up in North Little Rock and graduated from Hendrix with a B.A. in history and political science. In 1975, he received a master of arts degree in teaching from Vanderbilt University and began teaching seventh- and eighthgrade American History in Nashville, Tenn. He currently serves as Senior Development Officer at Hendrix. Jack is married to Sarah Weir Frost ’72. They have two children, Allen Frost who is a graduate student at Stanford University and Kate Frost Walker, a teacher in Rogers. Jack enjoys reading and traveling. He is currently enjoying studying art history and combined this interest with his travels during a recent trip to Italy and France. Jack and Sarah just welcomed their first grandchild.
life as a student As a student, Jack participated in the choir, madrigals, theatre, Leonard Brenske’s cafeteria scrap room crew, Young Democrats and Hardin Hall’s Animal Alley intramural squad. In 1970, the choir took a five-week trip to Europe. Jack had dreamed all his life of going to Europe. He says, “It was everything and more.” The group sang in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and also visited Paris. They spent three weeks in Vienna, where they performed at a symposium with three other American choirs. The groups performed separately and also practiced together to perform Mendelssohn’s Elijah in The Mozart Concerthaus. One of the more interesting performances of the trip took place in Interlaken, Switzerland. The group was prepared to present a traditional college repertoire, including religious and spiritual songs, but on this particular occasion when the curtain opened, their stage began to move them forward toward a casino audience!
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life as an employee Jack first served the college in a professional capacity from 1976 until 1988 in the Office of Admission. He then worked for the investment firm now known as Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and briefly for First Commercial Investments in Little Rock. In 1995, he returned to the Office of Admission. He served there for 14 years before leaving his position as Senior Associate Director of Admission and Director of International Recruitment to join the development staff in August 2009. Altogether, Jack has served Hendrix College for 27 years. Initially, he says what he enjoyed most about working at Hendrix was pitching the College to prospective students, then seeing those students enroll and flourish at the College. “Today, working at Hendrix means working with a different constituency, but the charge I get still stems from helping the College to advance a mission I so wholeheartedly believe in,” he says. “Seeing my alma mater get the recognition she so richly deserves means a lot to me.” According to one high school counselor, Jack will do anything to get Hendrix a little extra publicity. The night before a visit to a high school in Northwest Arkansas, Jack was robbed at his hotel. He arrived at the school the next morning to applause from the student body and a copy of the local paper which read “Hendrix Employee Robbed at Local Inn.” It may not have been intentional, but Jack drew attention to Hendrix that day and he continues to help put the College in the spotlight through his dedicated service. Photo by Felisha Weaver
By Natalie Atkins Staff Writer
Top Left: Jack’s senior yearbook photo Top Middle: Jack visits with prospective students and families during a 2009 Experience Day
Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 11
middle 50% = 3.57-4.27
87%
of enrolling students have visited campus at least once in the last year
14.6% pre-med
average high school rank
53% were in the top 10% 81% were in the top 25% 95% were in the top 50%
was listed as one of the top academic interests of incoming students as stated on their applications, followed closely by: psychology, english and biology
AVG. SAT 404 freshmen
01 8 transfers
middle 50% = 1170-1360
AVG. ACT m i d d l e 5 0 % = 2 7-3 2
057 015 402 015 030
Governor’s Distinguished Scholars National Merit Scholars Academic Scholarships Accepted High School Salutatorians High School Valedictorians
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422 new students
199 Arkansans
77
legacies students of color
28%
United Methodist students
82.4% acceptance rate
59.5%
female
40.5%
male
4 countries
China, Kuwait, { India & Rwanda } o u t- o f -
52.8% s t a t e Arkansas Texas Louisiana Missouri
Tennessee Oklahoma California Mississippi
14
students
high school
international
3.89 GPA
average
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Photo by Bruce Layman ’12
Hendrix Sets Record Enrollment (again) By Rob O’Connor ’95 Associate Editor Hendrix College has set an enrollment record of 1,469 students, surpassing last year’s previous enrollment record of 1,463. “This is extremely exciting news,” said Karen R. Foust, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Hendrix. “We’ve been growing steadily for the last five years, and we’re very pleased with both the academic profile and the geographic diversity of our student body.” This fall, Hendrix welcomed 422 new students, the third largest class of new students in the history of the college. The new student class represents 32 states and includes 14 international students enrolling from China, India, Kuwait, and Rwanda. Forty four states are represented in the student body, Foust added. Arkansas is strongly represented in the first-year student class, which includes 199 students, 57 of whom are Governor’s Distinguished Scholars. The Arkansas new student enrollment is the highest since 2006, Foust noted. Beyond record-setting quantity, the new student class has the strongest academic profile in the College’s history. The grade point average for entering first-year students is 3.89 (middle 50 percent: 3.57 – 4.27), and the average high school rank is 14.6 (middle 50 percent: 2.84 – 18.65). The average ACT score of 29.4 and the average SAT score is 1275
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(middle 50 percent: 27-32 and 1180-1360, respectively). The record student enrollment is a result of many factors, including the unique engaged learning opportunities available to students through Your Hendrix Odyssey: Engaging in Active Learning and the 12:1 student-faculty ratio, Foust said. “The fact that they’re going to be engaged in exciting hands-on learning activities through Your Hendrix Odyssey and work closely with our faculty both inside and outside of the classroom is one of the biggest benefits that students and parents talk about,” she said. The growing national visibility of Hendrix is a contributing factor for the college’s success, Foust said. Earlier this semester, Hendrix was recognized as the country’s #1 “Up and Coming Liberal Arts College” by U.S. News and World Report for the second consecutive year. Visits to the Hendrix campus by prospective students have increased nearly 40 percent since 2006 and nearly 100 percent in the last eight years. “That’s the key,” Foust said. “The number one factor in helping students make their decision to attend Hendrix is the experience they have through the campus visit.” Prospective students attend a class and meet and interact with current students and faculty, Foust said. Hendrix also offers competitive scholarships and financial assistance that recognize students’ achievements both inside and outside of the classroom, she added.
Orientation leader, John Schallhorn ’12 (left) assists James Owen-Leary ’14 of Chicago, Ill., and his parents David Leary and Laura Owen during Move-In Day.
Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 13
Photo by Stuart Holt
Courtesy Photo
A family tradition
Paige wasn’t sure she was coming to Hendrix until April 2010, but her parents started preparing her for life at Hendrix while she was still a baby, as this photo of her taken for the Hendrix Magazine illustrates.
Paige Spivey of Murfreesboro, Tenn., (center) with her parents David W. Spivey ’87 and Ronda Edmonson Spivey ’89.
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Photo by Stuart Holt
Photo by Stuart Holt
Photo by Stuart Holt
Alan Baltz of Little Rock is the son of Brad Baltz ’84
Matthews Jr., also attended Hendrix, graduating in 1940. In addition, we found that a niece and nephew of John Spivey Jr. attended Hendrix: Helen Spivey Baber Dunn ’68 and Harold Baber ’64. Two of Helen Dunn’s cousins are also Hendrix alumnae: Patsy Hull ’50 and Greer Grace ’75; and Harold Barber’s son, Jonathan Baber, graduated in 2001. If we had more time to search, maybe we could even find a connection between Paige and one of the 76 other new Hendrix students with legacy ties to the College. A few of them are pictured here. Welcome, one and all, to your new Hendrix family!
Thomas M. Spivey graduated in 1975, James R. Spivey in 1976, and Susan Spivey Freydl in 1979. Paige’s father, David W. Spivey, is a member of the Class of 1987 and her mother, Ronda Edmonson Spivey, graduated in 1989. Four of Paige’s cousins graduated from Hendrix: Mary Beth Spivey Tabor ’00, Margaret Spivey Chicka ’02, Matthew Spivey ’05, and Clair Spivey ’07. Paige told us about these relatives when she applied for admission, but after doing our own research we discovered that Florence Hamilton Matthews’ son, J. Thomas
When Paige Spivey ’14 of Murfreesboro, Tenn., moved into Veasey Hall on Aug. 17, 2010, she was continuing a tradition that began more than a century ago. Paige is the fourth generation of her family to enroll at Hendrix College. Her great-grandmother, Florence Hamilton Matthews, who earned an A.B. degree in 1910, was the first. Mrs. Matthews’ daughter, Mary Estelle, was a 1948 graduate and so was Mary’s husband, John W. Spivey Jr. Five Spivey children attended Hendrix. John W. Spivey III is a member of the Class of 1974, as is his wife Cathy McLendon Spivey.
Emily Deer of Little Rock with her dad, Jim Deer ’80.
Allison Tschiemer and her dad, Ralph Tschiemer ’82
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Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 15
Photos by Bruce Layman ’12, Natalie Atkins & Stuart Holt
move-in day gallery
Photo by Brandy Strain
Pace picks up for The Village at Hendrix By Rob O’Connor ’95 Associate Editor
Commercial & Community Across a newly redesigned Harkrider streetscape – featuring four lanes, two roundabouts, and a median – sits Market Square, the commercial center of The Village at Hendrix. Market Square includes an open green space that is already being used for community events, including the 2010 Conway Symphony Designer House, a local farmers’ market, arts programs, outdoor movies and musical performances. For more information on Village events, visit www.hendrix.edu/village. The open lawn off Market Square is framed by two multistory mixed-use buildings with upper-floor loft apartments, which house 130 Hendrix students, as well as new commercial tenants, Panera Bread and Za-Za Fine Salad & Wood Oven Pizza Co. (owned and operated by John Beachboard ’01). Village Books – the new Hendrix College bookstore – opened in Market Square in late July. The new 4,900-sq.ft. location easily offers twice as much space as the former bookstore location inside Hulen Hall. In addition to course textbooks, Village Books has a trade and reference section, new release and children’s books, as well as sale books and school spirit items. There is also a coffee and tea bar and seating for students and customers from the community to relax. One instantly recognizable fixture of Village Books is assistant manager Barbara Jensen, who has worked for Hendrix since 1981. DeeDee Allen is the manager and Clare Walter ’10, is the evening manager. Village Books is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
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Three single-family homes on Founders Row in The Village now have full-time Residential residents, including The Village is for more than students and diners. Conway Hendrix alumnus Dr. residents old and new – including Hendrix alumnus David Baker ’84. Also, Dr. David Baker ’84 – are making their home in the Village. Three homes now have full-time residents; and one live-work unit two spec homes are complete (with two more awaiting (far right) is nearing construction this fall). Four homes that have been sold completion and offers are currently under construction; and two are sold and upstairs living and are awaiting construction to begin. For more informa- first-floor retail space. tion on property in the Village, contact Beth Tyler, Director of Sales and Marketing, at 501-730-5048 or e-mail tyler@hendrix.edu.
Economic & Environmental Development Southwestern Energy Co. will complete a new regional headquarters (housing up to 500 employees) on a 12-acre site adjacent to The Village by the end of the year. The corporate office location will be connected to The Village by an environmental watershed project which will reclaim, redirect, and widen Gold Creek, as well as purify and recycle water from the site. In addition to its environmental benefits, the watershed will serve as an outdoor classroom and will offer unique hands-on learning opportunities for Hendrix students interested in biology, botany, chemistry, and environmental studies. With 12.7 miles of walking trails, boardwalks, and foot bridges, the watershed will provide additional recreational opportunities for Village residents, Southwestern Energy employees, and the Hendrix community.
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Photo courtesy of the Hendrix College Archives
One of the most enduring student traditions at Hendrix, Shirttail Serenade dates back to the College’s 1913 football victory over Ole Miss. On that joyful November evening, an ecstatic group of 200 Hendrix men, along with the Hendrix band and drum corps, paraded down Front Street in downtown Conway. The men were clad only in their night shirts and pajama pants! Shirttails Serenade quickly evolved into a rite of passage for Hendrix males and eventually Hendrix women, ultimately becoming a competition between residence halls. It has survived shifting standards in fashion sense, musical taste, dance waves, and administration.
Photo by Bruce Layman ’12
2010
www.hendrix.edu
Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 17
hendrix through time
1946 For nearly a century, Hendrix male freshman have serenaded – half-clothed – their female counterparts each fall during Shirttails Serenade.
Photo by Truong Le
Six alumni receive Odyssey Medals in 2009 By Mark Scott Staff Writer Hendrix honored a diverse group of alumni with Odyssey Medals in October 2009, including: Sheri Bylander ’85, a New York-based filmmaker and editor. She made her directing debut with Homestretch, a documentary about the redemption possible when usedup racehorses meet prison inmates. Bylander said her college experience shaped her professional life and taught her to “try everything, embracing my mistakes along the way.” Bylander started her film career in New York City, working on a Stephen King movie and as an assistant editor for Sex and the City. Her first feature, Fast Food Fast Women, won the Ecumenical Jury award at the Cannes Film Festival. Douglas Blackmon ’86, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, said Americans are blessed to be able to “write about and think about and talk about things that even a few years ago would have been difficult to do.” As the Wall Street Journal’s bureau chief in Atlanta, Blackmon manages the paper’s coverage of the Southeastern U.S. The Journal has nominated his stories or the work of his team for Pulitzer Prizes four times. Eric Kenefick ’84 talked about his passion to end chronic hunger, saying that more than 1 billion people are malnourished. Kenefick lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, and works for the World Food Programme’s Regional Bureau for eastern, central and southern Africa. He taught high school biology and chemistry in Fiji as a Peace Corps volunteer and worked with UNICEF in Cambodia before
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joining WFP at their world headquarters in Rome in 2002. Kenefick also worked in Afghanistan and was part of the first assessment team in Darfur in 2004. Dr. Michael Crowder ’85 is the Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Crowder described what he learned as a summer research assistant for Dr. Tom Goodwin: “What I learned that summer was that I was learning something so novel that no one else in the world knew it,” Crowder said. “That’s addictive, and it’s something that drives me still today.” Crowder’s studies on anesthesia mechanisms and hypoxic injury have been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health since 1997. Martha Jane Murray ’77 works for the William J. Clinton Foundation Climate Initiative. An architect, Murray was the first LEED-Accredited Professional in Arkansas and the founding chair of the USGBC-Arkansas Chapter. She helped organize the national USGBC GreenBuild 2005 response after Hurricane Katrina. Murray has become a passionate researcher and design practitioner of green building. “I didn’t know it would take 20 years to find it, but I’m glad that I’ve found a passion worth fighting for,” Murray said. Bryce “Missy” Williams Reveley ’66 owns Gentle Arts, an uptown New Orleans business that cleans, restores, conserves and appraises old clothing and fabrics. She has been instrumental in restoring numerous historic items and artifacts after Hurricane Katrina. “What my life’s work has become is helping people recapture their histories through textiles and buildings,” Reveley said. “In some cases, what is brought to us is all that is left in their history of their lives.”
From left: Eric Kenefick, Service to the World; Douglas A. Blackmon, Global Awareness; Bryce Williams Reveley, Special Projects; Sheri Bylander, Artistic Creativity; Martha Jane Murray, Special Projects; and C. Michael Crowder, Research.
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2010
Randy Goodrum is a songwriter who has penned numerous hits in the genres of pop, rock, R&B, and country. His songs include A Lesson in Leavin’ (Dottie West, re-recorded by Jo Dee Messina), Now and Forever (You and Me) (Anne Murray), Oh Sherrie (Steve Perry), If She Would Have Been Faithful (Chicago), and It’s True Love (Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty). Anne Murray won the Grammy for Best Female Vocal with Goodrum’s song You Needed Me. The song was also awarded Song of the Year from the Academy of Country Music, and has received
Andrea Anderson Gluckman ’96 global awareness
Andrea Gluckman is the founder and President of Jasara Advisors, a consulting firm that advises on educational, political and economic endeavors in the Middle East. Before founding Jasara, she was a lecturer in political science at the University of Rochester. She previously lived in Central and Southern Africa and the Middle East conducting research on re-establishing justice systems in post-conflict societies. She has also served as the Executive Director of the University of the Middle East Project, a project on higher education in 14 countries of the Middle
George Gleason ’74
professional and leadership development George Gleason has served more than 31 years as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. and its predecessor institutions. During this time, the company has grown more than 100-fold and now has 86 offices in six states. The company trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market and has consistently been among the top performing financial institutions in the country. Prior to his banking career, Gleason practiced law with the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock. Previously he has been selected as an “Outstanding Young Arkansan” by the Arkansas Jaycees and
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East and North Africa and as a Senior Advisor to the Kuwaiti government in Washington, D.C., on issues of strategic management and higher education. She has served on the advisory board of a number of non-profit organizations focused on policy and business in the Middle East. Gluckman has written articles, presented speeches, and given commentaries in domestic and international contexts. She speaks Arabic and French, and has a working knowledge of Spanish, Hebrew, and Farsi. Gluckman received a bachelor’s degree in peace and conflict studies and a masters degree from Harvard University in the fields of religion and policy in the Middle East. She currently lives in Bethesda, Md., with her husband, daughter and three dogs. as “Industrial Developer of the Year” from the Third Congressional District. Gleason is a lifelong Arkansas resident from Dardanelle. He received a degree in business and economics at Hendrix before attending the University of Arkansas School of Law, where he graduated first in his class. Throughout his adult life, Gleason has been active in many church, ministry and civic organizations with a strong emphasis on youth ministry. Gleason and his wife of 24 years, Linda Diane Gleason, now reside in Little Rock. They have four children and four grandchildren. The Gleasons are avid collectors of art, sculpture and antiques with an emphasis on 19th century European.
Courtesy Photo
artistic creativit y
numerous other accolades. A 1999 remake of the song by Boyzone reached #1 in Europe. Goodrum has been awarded “Arkansan of the Year” from the Arkansas Broadcasters Association and was the 1981 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Country Songwriter of the Year. Goodrum is a 1996 inductee to the Arkansas Entertainment Hall of Fame and a 2000 inductee to the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Goodrum was born in Hot Springs. He and his wife, Gail Wise Goodrum ’69, met at Hendrix, where he received his bachelor’s degree in music. They now reside in Franklin, Tenn. They have two daughters, Julia and Sarah.
Courtesy Photo
Randy Goodrum ’69
Courtesy Photo
o dy s s e y m e d a l r ec i p i e n t s
Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 19
Dr. Steven Barger ’87 research
Steven Barger is a native of Searcy. After graduating from Hendrix with a biology degree, he entered the cell biology graduate program at Vanderbilt University and received his Ph.D. in 1992. He then began a postdoctoral fellowship at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky. In 1995, he became an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Anatomy at UAMS and was the first recipient of the Inglewood Fellowship for Alzheimer’s Research. In 1996, Dr. Barger was joint-appointed as Research Health Scientist in the Geriatric Research,
Max McCalman ’75 special projects
Max McCalman is a highly visible advocate for artisanal cheese production and a dedicated scholar of cheese. He acts as a consultant to the trade, judges at cheese competitions and is a frequent guest lecturer. McCalman has authored three books, The Cheese Plate, Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best and Mastering Cheese: Lessons For Connoisseurship from a Maître Fromager. He has been awarded the exclusive title of Garde et Jure by France’s Guilde des Fromagers, and he was the first in-house Maître Fromager for an American restaurant. McCalman retains this title at Artisanal
Founders Day Convocation and Odyssey Medal Presentation 11:10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 Staples Auditorium Congratulate the Medalists at a reception from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 in the Great Hall of the Clinton Library in Little Rock. R.S.V.P. – 877-208-8777
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Education, and Clinical Center at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. He has over 75 publications, sits on the editorial board of five scientific journals and reviews grants for several NIH panels and private foundations. Dr. Barger’s research focuses on the processes underlying the initiation and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. His research documented the inappropriate release of neurotransmitters by immune-system cells in the Alzheimer brain. Dr. Barger has two children, Weston and Stephanie. His interests include cycling, running, horseback riding, backpacking, canoeing and adventure racing.
Premium Cheese Center, where he is Dean of Curriculum and Director of Affinage. He developed the widely lauded cheese program at Terrance Brennan’s Picholine restaurant more than 15 years ago, and later established the critically acclaimed cheese programs at Brennan’s Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro and at Artisanal Premium Cheese Center, all in New York City. He has appeared on the The Food Network and “Martha Stewart Living.” Additionally, McCalman has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine and various radio programs. McCalman received his bachelor’s degree in psychology. He currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his daughter, Scarlett, and their dog, Jeter.
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Chris Newlin is the Executive Director of the National Children’s Advocacy Center where he is responsible for leading the NCAC and participating in national and international training and leadership activities regarding the protection of children. The NCAC, the first Child Advocacy Center in the U.S., provides prevention and intervention services for child abuse in Huntsville and Madison County, Ala. He received a psychology degree from Hendrix and is a licensed professional counselor, having received his master’s degree in school psychology
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service to the world
from the University of Central Arkansas. Newlin served as a guidance counselor for the Upward Bound project at Philander Smith College, held various therapist positions and was director of Harbor House in Rome, Ga., a Northwest Georgia Child Advocacy Center. Newlin currently serves on a Regional Children’s Advocacy Center Management Team, National Children’s Alliance Board of Directors, and Alabama Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers Board of Directors. He is a member of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers.
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Chris Newlin ’86
You can help Hendrix honor its outstanding alumni by nominating someone for an Odyssey Medal. Odyssey Medals are presented by the Board of Trustees to individuals whose life achievements exemplify the Hendrix Odyssey program and accomplishment in artistic creativity, global awareness, professional and leadership development, service to the world, research and special projects Address your letter outlining how your nominee meets the criteria to President J. Timothy Cloyd and e-mail it to president@hendrix.edu or mail it to: Office of the President, Hendrix College, 1600 Washington Avenue, Conway, AR 72032. Nomination deadline is Feb. 28, 2011.
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athletics
New Head Coaches Hendrix welcomes two new head coaches – women’s basketball coach Emily Cummins and men’s lacrosse coach Curt Foxx – to its athletics staff for the 2010-11 school year. Cummins arrives at Hendrix after three years as an assistant at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Ga. A Springfield, Ohio native, Cummins is beginning her first head coaching position with excitement and eagerness. “I am thrilled for the opportunity to be the new head coach for the Hendrix College women’s basketball team,” Cummins said. “I am very excited to get started and continue building on the success that the team and Coach McCracken had last season. I could not ask for a better place than Hendrix College to accept my first role as a head coach and I look forward to continuing the tradition that has already begun.” Cummins assisted under last season’s Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) Coach-ofthe-Year Mark Isenhour and was a key component in turning a sub .500 level program in 2007-08 (11-15) into a conference contender in 2009-10 (18-8). The Panthers qualified for the GSAC Semifinals last year and finished second in the league with a 12-2 league mark. Cummins is a 2004 graduate of Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio. She had an outstanding career with the Lady Quakers, ending with a NCAA D-III National Championship her senior year. “Emily is a promising coach who is ready to begin her career as a head basketball coach, and we think she is a great fit to continue the success of our women’s basketball program,” says Danny Powell, the Director of Hendrix Athletics. “She has tremendous experience as both an assistant coach at solid NCAA Division III programs, and also as a player, where she was part of a national championship team. Emily understands the values and goals of our College and our athletic program.” Cummins earned her bachelor’s in sports management from Wilmington before garnering a masters degree in business administration from Otterbein in 2007. She spent time as an Instructor of Health and Physical Education at Otterbein and was also a Freshman First Year Orientation Instructor at LaGrange. Foxx comes to Hendrix after a three-year stint at Hood College in Frederick, Md. A Chicago native, Foxx transformed Hood’s lacrosse program from a 46-game losing streak over its first four seasons (2005-08) to a 6-11 record in 2010. He joined the Hood lacrosse program
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Photo by Bruce Layman ’12
Cummins, Foxx bring winning résumés to Hendrix
Curtis Foxx, men’s lacrosse coach, and Emily Cummins, women’s basketball coach, joined the Hendrix coaching staff this summer. as an assistant coach in 2007 and was named head coach prior to the 2008-09 season. Foxx halted the Blazer’s losing streak in his first year as a head coach with a 1-13 record and then a six-win season his second year. “I am very excited at being given this great opportunity to be part of a college with such a rich academic and athletic tradition,” said Foxx. “I am also very fortunate to be a part of a great conference in the SCAC and hope to be a part of Hendrix men’s lacrosse as they continue to become more competitive and strive for excellence.” Foxx’s 2010 team set records in all aspects of the game and improved by leaps and bounds in one of the most competitive lacrosse conferences in the nation. Hood competes in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) which boasts lacrosse power programs including Salisbury University (eight NCAA Championships), Stevenson University, Gallaudet University, Marymount University, University of Mary Washington, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Wesley College and York College. “Curt brings great enthusiasm for the job
and has shown that he can recruit quality student-athletes. He has built a competitive lacrosse program in one on the premier NCAA Division III lacrosse leagues in the country. We are looking forward to great things from our lacrosse program in the near future,” Powell said. Foxx started his coaching career in 1998 at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill. where his teams won two state titles. He has also coached at the high school and club level in Raleigh, N.C., Brentwood, Tenn., Frederick, Md., Hanover, Pa., and Purcellville, Va. Foxx is a member of the coaching staff for the Danish National Men’s Team out of Copenhagen, Denmark. Foxx holds valuable relationships with high school and college coaches throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Foxx earned his B.A. in history and religious studies from Kenyon College (Grambier, Ohio) in 2002 and earned his M.Ed. in Social Studies and Secondary Education from Vanderbilt University in 2005. He lettered in both lacrosse and football during his playing careers at Kenyon and Loyola Academy.
Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 21
Odyssey
Metal By ROB O’CONNOR ’95 Associate Editor
Your Hendrix Odyssey: Engaging in Active Learning encourages students to see their undergraduate education as one stop on a lifelong journey of self-discovery. Since Hendrix Odyssey was launched in 2005, the College has awarded more than $1.45 million in competitive grants to support hands-on learning projects that help students explore their academic interests and pursue their passions. Hendrix Magazine is proud to highlight just a few examples of talented graduates whose musical journeys began at Hendrix. Each one exemplifies the value of engaged learning and the liberal arts in preparing students to lead successful professional careers and live fulfilled personal lives. For Ben Nichols ’96, Hendrix Odyssey didn’t formally exist when he was a student. Yet he is seeing the world from the concert stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival, Bonnaroo, and Coachella. For Justin Warren ’09, a member of the first class to graduate under the Odyssey Program, the journey is just beginning. The entrepreneurial and artistic spirit of these musical alumni is alive and well with Hendrix students today like Meghan Kerin ’13. Meghan (pictured left), a sophomore pre-med major from Russellville, plays electric guitar and sings in Poisonwood, a “melodic” metal band. This summer, she completed an Odyssey project, earning credit in the Professional and Leadership Development project category for organizing and promoting a 10-day concert tour. Hendrix Theatre Professor and rock guitarist Danny Grace ’77 was her faculty adviser on the project.
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“It went really smoothly, which surprised me,” she said of the tour. Much of the band’s initial exposure came from the Internet, she said. The group sold much of their music through iTunes, as well as in person at local shows. “That’s one reason we could afford to tour,” she said of the music sales. Meghan also promoted the band on YouTube.com. Like a modern day Joan Jett, she has been performing covers of metal songs on electric guitar since she was 16 under the name “Meghan the Metal Queen.” She has had more than 3 million views. On tour, Poisonwood played shows in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston, Texas, as well as Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. The six band members traveled in an SUV, pulling an equipment trailer, and stayed in hotels along the way. After expenses (including paying for merchandise the band will continue to sell), the group cleared about $500. Not exactly Metallica-level millions, but Meghan is grateful for the learning experience and the opportunity to perform. “I was surprised by how much promotion it really requires,” she said. “And I realize now how important it is to make connections
with venues and make a good impression. That was the biggest lesson.” It was also a very musically rewarding experience for the band, she said. “At our Wednesday show in Houston, we made a transition as a band. I felt like we really connected for the first time on stage,” she said. “We gave the best show we’ve ever given ... we were like a force.” To earn Odyssey credit, the project required 100 hours of work. “That wasn’t difficult,” she said. One of the most difficult logistical challenges of the tour was identifying a place to play on an offnight between bigger markets like Austin and Houston. “It takes a lot of patience and perseverance to do that.” For her next Odyssey project, Meghan is considering something in the Artistic Creativity category, possibly a solo instrumental “neoclassical meets metal” guitar project. She also wants to volunteer at a hospital to support her pre-med major. “Pre-med is the main reason I came to Hendrix,” she said, but music will always have a place in her life. “Music is not the most stable career, but I do love it and always want to keep it in my life.”
Hayes Carll ’98 After graduating from Hendrix with a history degree, Texas native Hayes Carll returned to the Lone Star State to hone his highly original songwriting and performing skills. He released two independent albums, Flowers and Liquor (2002) and Little Rock (2005), and quickly captured critical praise from fellow artists and fans alike who consider Carll on a poetic par with luminaries like Guy Clark, Steve Earle, and Townes Van Zandt. His third album Trouble in Mind was released in 2008 on Lost Highway, a major record label whose artist roster also includes Elvis Costello, Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson. His song She Left Me for Jesus won Song of the Year at the 7th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards in September 2008. Three months later, Hayes appeared on Imus in the Morning. Don Imus called She Left Me for Jesus the “greatest country song ever.” NewYorker.com said Carll’s lyrics were “worthy of an M.F.A. creative writing seminar” and noted critic Anthony DeCurtis called Hayes “highly romantic and highly literary.” For more information, visit www.hayescarll.com.
Kristin Putchinski ’97
For Justin Warren ’09, of Little Rock, a theatre major and active musician at Hendrix, the journey after college is just beginning. He continues to write and record new music and work in theatre, balancing his creative pursuits with his professional life as a Methodist youth director in Little Rock. For the full story and to watch Justin perform live in Village Books, visit www.hendrix.edu/hendrixmagazine. www.hendrix.edu
Based in Baltimore, Md., Kristin Putchinski has performed as ellen cherry since 1997. She is an Emmy-nominated singer/ songwriter and has licensed her music to the Oxygen Network, MTV and Soap.net. Putchinski has shared the stage with Boyz II Men, Jackson Browne, Jane Wiedlin of The Go Gos, Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Allison Moorer, Keith Sykes, Shannon McNally, and countless other national touring artists. In 2004, she founded her own studio and label, Wrong Size Shoes, where she has scored and recorded original soundtracks to two independent films, Not Another Tolkien Movie (2005) and For the Want of a Queen (2006), in addition to her ellen cherry catalog. In 2009, she composed the score for a shadow puppet piece entitled Alonzo’s Lullaby, which was awarded the prestigious UNIMA Citation of Excellence, and she wrote, recorded and performed We Are Baltimore, a TV campaign for FOX Networks, which received an Emmy nomination in 2010. For more information, visit www.ellencherry.com. (See Alumni Voices, page 30, to learn more about Kristin’s off-stage interests.)
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A Rebel Odyssey from history major to music maker story by rob o’connor ‘95 Associate Editor
Ben Nichols’ classmates at Hendrix might be surprised at how things turned out for the quiet, shy kid who kept mostly to himself. Nichols, who graduated in 1996, is a professional musician. He is the songwriter and lead singer for Lucero, a band he formed in Memphis, Tenn., shortly after graduation. Lucero has recorded seven albums (see the discography on page 26) in its 13-year history and toured extensively, winning a hard-earned and rabid fan base through high-adrenaline shows that split the sonic difference somewhere between Johnny Cash and The Clash. Though his musical background is primarily in punk rock, “Lucero kind of blurs the lines,” Nichols said. “But there are too many rules in punk rock ... We just do it our way.” Nichols’ personal songwriting influences include Tom Waits, while the band collectively conjures impressions of indie-rock cult heroes The Replacements as adeptly as it does classic rock and roll warhorses like Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. In a review of the band’s 2006 album Rogues, Rebels, and Sworn Brothers, Stephen Deusner of Pitchfork Media (www.pitchfork.com) writes, “With abrupt shifts in tempo and style and a foundation in rock lore, Lucero’s brand of country rock remains unpretentious as ever. But
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the range and impact of Rogues, Rebels suggest the band has greater ambitions and the chops to realize them.” “I knew music was definitely something I wanted to pursue,” said Nichols, whose musical path began with piano lessons when he was very young. He later played saxophone in junior high school band. Around the same time, he got a bass guitar, started learning rock and roll songs and started writing his own songs. But while he played in a Little Rock band called Red Forty as a student, Nichols never took any music courses at Hendrix or performed on campus. “I was kind of leading a dual life,” said Nichols, who lived on campus, including two years in East Hall and a year in Couch Hall, before his senior year, when he and his roommate Matt Hoffine ’96 lived in the Front Street Apartments. Going to Hendrix was not part of his original plan. “At first, I wanted to go to school out of state because I thought that was my one chance to get out of Arkansas,” he said, adding that Hendrix was the best value of all the schools he was accepted to. “Lucky for me I ended up at Hendrix. I ended up not only appreciating the school, but I also ended up appreciating where I was from more as well.”
As a student, Nichols’ two hobbies were music and comic book illustration. Among his favorite illustrators and their works are Joe Sacco’s books on Palestine and the war in Bosnia, Eric Powell’s The Goon, Darwyn Cooke’s series based on the crime novels of Richard Stark, and Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. While he didn’t perform music on campus, he did pursue his aspiration to be a comic book illustrator through an independent study with former Hendrix art professor Don Marr. The result was a 10-page comic book Nichols illustrated with pencil and India ink, which he later sent to several publishing companies. “I still have all the rejection letters,” he laughed, adding that he hopes to self-publish a comic book one day. After graduation, Nichols helped with his family’s business, Nichols Furniture in Little Rock, before moving to Memphis with the hope of starting a band. He met a guitarist who shared his background and interest in starting a band. “We wanted to do something different, something more roots-oriented,” he said. “So I decided to try to write a bunch of country songs and start a pseudo-country band,” Nichols said. “We took it step by step, first writing songs, then trying to get a live show,” he continued.
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Lucero played its first concert in April 1998 in a warehouse in downtown Memphis across from the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated 30 years earlier and now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum. The band continued to play live shows until “we started to catch on.” And catch on they did. Lucero has played some of the country’s largest outdoor music festivals, including Austin City Limits Festival, Bonnaroo (Manchester, Tenn.) and Coachella (Indio, Calif.), as well as Memphis in May and Little Rock’s Riverfest. The band has played with music icons such as the Black Crowes and Cheap Trick, as well as a veritable who’s who of modern bands, such as The Black Keys, The Drive-by Truckers, The Hold Steady and The White Stripes. The band is part of the 2010 Austin City Limits Music Festival in October. The festival will give Nichols an opportunity to visit with his brothers Matthew, a Southwestern University alumnus and Austin attorney, and Jeff, a filmmaker who used some of Lucero’s music in Shotgun Stories, his first feature film. “Both of my little brothers have excellent taste in music,” Nichols said. “But I think they were both surprised to actually like my band as much as they did.” No one is more surprised by the band’s success and longevity than Nichols.
“In the back of my head, I knew I really wanted to do this but I never thought I’d make a living at it,” Nichols said. “It’s insane ... We just had our 13-year anniversary.” Not only did the self-employed professional musician not take any music classes as a student, he didn’t darken the door of the Business Department either. “I never took any economics or business courses, but I wish I would have,” said Nichols, who now has two limited liability corporations (Lucero, the band itself, and Liberty & Lament, the band’s record label) and one sole proprietorship (Empty Road Music, the publishing business). “Even though we appear to have this gypsy lifestyle, when it comes down to it, we’re small business owners in Memphis, Tennessee,” Nichols said. “Heaven forbid ... I never thought we’d do anything that legitimate.” Nichols was a history major at Hendrix and credits some of his early excitement about history to Hendrix alumnus James A. “Charlie” Brown ’69, who was Nichols’ history teacher at Little Rock Central High School. His faculty adviser at Hendrix was Dr. David Larson, and he enjoyed European and Russian history classes. He still recalls one of his essays from his senior comprehensive exams focusing on the origins of World War I.
Until three or four years ago, his mother kept waiting for him to apply his degree and be a history teacher, Nichols said. But his parents understand that he is following his own path, he added. “My folks get it, and they are really supportive,” Nichols said. “But they are very happy I have a degree from Hendrix.” His experience as a history major has informed his work as a musician, he said. “I always looked at history as storytelling,” explained Nichols. “I always pictured using my history background as a source of stories.” As a traveling musician, he continues to enjoy history and storytelling. “That’s one of the nice parts of being on the road ... reading in the van,” he said. Nichols is currently reading the second of Shelby Foote’s three-volume history of the Civil War. Each of the books is about 1,200 pages each, he said. “It’s very impressive,” said Nichols, who took Civil War history with former Hendrix professor Dr. Mark Schantz. Nichols is also a fan of the writer Cormac McCarthy. “I’ve read all is his Westerns,” he said, citing McCarthy’s Border trilogy, The Road and No Country for Old Men. “Blood Meridian was my favorite,” he said. “Someone gave the book to me, and I’ve read it three or four times.”
Lucero (2001)
Tennessee (2002)
That Much Further West (2004)
Nobody’s Darlings (2005)
Rebels, Rogues, & Sworn Brothers (2006)
Attic Tapes (2006)
1372 Overton Park (2009)
Last Pale Light in the West (2009)
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Solo Album
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Photo by Nicole Kibert
In addition to Lucero’s seven-disc catalog, Nichols wrote and recorded The Last Pale Light in the West, a solo album of songs inspired by his favorite McCarthy novel. The solo album is a somber cycle of songs including The Kid, Toadvine, and The Judge based on characters from the book. Unlike the road-worn and weary rock songs he writes mostly in first person for Lucero, the solo album allowed Nichols the opportunity to write in a more narrative voice. The album’s stark instrumentation consists mostly of Nichols’ acoustic guitar, alongside keyboards and steel guitar, and evokes the austere imagery readers experience reading McCarthy’s work. “It was a fun experiment,” he said of the project. Nichols would like to do more solo albums in the future, but Lucero is his first priority. “Right now, everything I’m writing is just going into Lucero,” he said. The band’s most recent album is 1372 Overton Park. The album’s title celebrates the Memphis loft that was the band’s longtime home base. Located upstairs from a former drug store, the band lived and rehearsed there for 10 years because “it was cheap,” Nichols said. The space also enjoys another connection in Memphis musical history. Elvis Presley rented it to use as his personal karate dojo. The new album features an expanded sound for the band courtesy of veteran Memphis musicians Rick Steff (Hank Williams Jr., Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Pete Townsend and Afghan Whigs) on keyboards and saxophonist Jim Spake
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(Al Green, John Hiatt, Solomon Burke and Cat Power). “That they’d even give us the time of day is really cool,” said Nichols of the opportunity to work with the legendary Memphis musicians. One of the songs on the new album, The Devil & Maggie Chascarrillo, is based on Love & Rockets, a comic book by The Hernandez Brothers, another favorite of Nichols, which features “excellent storytelling and artwork.” Lucero tours nationally this fall with punk legends Social Distortion and will then record an album of new material. “It’s a constant cycle of record, tour, record, tour,” he said. Nichols’ life on the road with Lucero is chronicled in the 2005 DVD Dreaming in America. As far as his business plan for the next five to 10 years goes, he sees Lucero “doing the same thing hopefully... touring and recording albums.” Instead of being a professor lecturing to students in the classroom, Nichols sings songs he’s written to fans who follow the band’s music and flock to hear them at outdoor festivals and in smoke-filled bars. He’s quite content with the how things have turned out so far. “I haven’t used my degree in any official way, but I appreciate my college experience every day,” he said. “I’m doing pretty much exactly what I want to with my life right now and making a small living at the same time...I guess I can’t really argue with that.” For more information on Lucero, visit www.luceromusic.com
Ben Nichols plays with his band, Lucero, at a show in Ybor City, Tampa, Fla., last November.
Visit the online version of Hendrix Magazine to see video of Ben Nichols performing two acoustic songs in the Pecan Court. www.hendrix.edu/hendrixmagazine
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a student’s perspective
Photo by Bruce Layman ’12
a student’s perspective
The band Deerhunter performs in the Brick Pit at the annual KHDX Fall Concert that traditionally takes place after Shirttails. Each year KHDX hosts two concerts, one in the fall and one in the spring, for students to enjoy.
Alumni Voices:
Class of ’97 swims Chesapeake Bay I walked onto the Hendrix Water Warriors team my freshman year at Hendrix because my older sister swam in high school and I wanted to be like her. I had never swum competitively and Coach Jim Kelly welcomed me, like any sucker, by asking the whole team “who wants to swim the mile?” I didn’t know what that meant, so I volunteered. Little did I know that long-distance swimming is the event they put at the END of every swim meet. It’s boring for spectators (if indeed, there are any by the time you’re finished) and truly a test of mental ability if you’re the swimmer. Fast forward a bit. I swam for three years with the team, stupidly neglecting it my senior year, but never lost my love of being in the water. After college, I taught swim lessons at the “Y” in New Orleans and tried to keep up the shape I was in through sporadic month long re-dedications to swimming the mile. I moved to Baltimore in 2000 and joined a Masters Team for two years, but the 5:45 a.m. practices stopped working after awhile and eventually, I let that go, too. Suddenly, it’s 2007. My life is different than I ever imagined it would be. Pursuing a career as a songwriter and musician, I had taken a flying leap in 2004 into the world of self employment and being an entrepreneur (something I believe Hendrix wholeheartedly prepared me for!), but wasn’t spending too much time thinking about my health. A family member’s health scare prompted me to get back in the pool. That first time was like returning to an old, familiar house. However, progress was disappointingly slow. Throughout this time, there were a few visits home to Texas, where I was lucky enough to be able to catch a dinner with my old swim team mate, Brent Spear ’97 (who is now a practicing dentist in Fort Worth). In the Fall of 2009, I decided that I wanted to do something momentous, to commemorate the year. I had heard about The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim, an open water event. There were two options: the 4.4 mile swim-across-the-bay swim and a one-mile swim. Before I even signed up for the swim, I started telling myself and other people what I was doing as a form of self-imposed accountability. I saw Brent again in January 2010 and we talked about the swim. He decided that he wanted to travel to Baltimore and swim alongside me. I kept a log of my progress. It was slow through the winter, but as spring approached, I was regularly slogging through a mile. Brent and I kept in touch through emails and texts – encouraging each other with accounts of our workouts and simultaneously renewing our friendship. I won’t say it felt like old times, because it was something better. It was my friend from times past, becoming a good friend again at a different chapter in our lives. Brent made his travel plans to visit Baltimore. If all went according to plan, Brent’s brother, Brad Spear ’94, was going to pick him up the night before the swim and they would ride out to the Bay early in the morning. I was going to be rolling in at 2:30 a.m. the night of the swim from a gig in Virginia. We met up on the shores of the Chesapeake early in the morning of June 13th. We put on our numbered caps and our ankle bracelets that contain a computer chip to log our start and end times. I was running
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Courtesy Photo
By Kristin Putchinski ’97
Brent and Kristin after their Chesapeake Bay swim on adrenaline and very little sleep. I was in the second wave of swimmers (the one-milers go in heats of 100 swimmers) and Brent was in the fifth wave. I went down to the shore and heard the yell to “go!” It was all legs and arms and mass confusion for the first 500 yards as we all navigated the half foot chop in the water and aimed for the distant buoys. The only thing I remember about the swim itself was turning the corner that marked that I was a third of the way through. The singular thought in my mind was: “kick, pull, kick, pull, breathe ... repeat.” Finally, the shore was in sight. Those last few yards seemed to pass very slowly, but I felt the water become shallow and I stood up and ran onto the beach. As I passed the barrier that recorded my time (29 minutes and 6 seconds), I was overcome by the feeling of wanting to do the swim again immediately. It was thrilling. I returned to my friends who had come to cheer us on and waited for Brent to finish with his group. Our times qualified us to attempt the 4.4 mile swim ACROSS the Chesapeake Bay next year and Brent and I made plans to swim together again. I recently joined another Masters Team to get myself in shape for that event. (The longer swim usually takes approximately three hours to complete.) Even though Brent and I live 1,300 miles apart, it was a wonderful opportunity to re-connect over our shared interest that began during our time at Hendrix. Just another example of how the Hendrix experience stays with you. Kristin Putchinski ’97 is a full-time musician, songwriter and composer who performs as ellen cherry, a project she began while at Hendrix. She has released five original works produced by her label and studio, Wrong Size Shoes, based in Baltimore, Md.
Share your Voice Submissions for Alumni Voices should be e-mailed to the editor at plotkin@hendrix.edu. We are interested in publishing alumni-written essays that either reflect on your time at Hendrix or discuss how the Hendrix experience influenced the course of your life. To be considered for the spring 2011 edition of Hendrix Magazine, your essay should be received by Jan. 5, 2011.
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Connecting with Classmates 1951
1968
1976
1969
Ned Goyne of Wichita, Kan., was awarded the South Central Section PGA of America, Senior Player-of-the-Year award for 2009.
John W. Cooper enjoys playing music at Faby’s Restaurant on the weekends in downtown Conway. Lola Jean Featherston Swygert and her husband William have moved to The Estates at Carpenters, a continuing care retirement facility.
1963
Jo Luck has received the 2010 World Food Prize, the foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human
development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.
1964
Hilda Hancock Malpica retired from her position as Assistant to the Executive Vice President in the Advancement Office at Hendrix after 10 years of service. (Check the online version of Hendrix Magazine for an interview with Hilda) Martha Wyre of Benton is enjoying her time volunteering as the leader of two weekly line dancing classes as well as leading programs about wildflowers.
Ouida Watkins Wright of Conway was recently elected president of the Arkansas Master Gardeners County 76, the statewide advisory group for the state Master Gardener Program. Wright was named Faulkner County Master Gardener of the Year for 2009.
Dr. Phillip E. Parker relocated to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in April of 2010.
Mark Denman was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in the Consumer Division of RiceTec, Inc. in Alvin, Texas. In June, Denman was elected to Mayor Pro Tem of Nassau Bay.
Mark Jacob is the coauthor of a new book, What the Great Ate: A Curious History of Food and Fame, published by Three Rivers Press, a division of Random House.
This book is Mark’s fourth, and was co-written with his brother Matt. As the title suggests, it is a collection of anecdotes about the dining habits of historical figures, from Moses to Angelina Jolie. When Jacob is not authoring books he works as deputy metro editor of the Chicago Tribune.
1980
Marianne Smith Welch led a group of 23 volunteers from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Conway to the highlands of Guatemala for a oneweek medical mission trip. The group provided healthcare to more than 550 patients in five days.
Raney ’86 to Lead Biochemistry, Molecular Biology Department at UAMS Dr. Kevin Raney ’86 has been appointed as Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Raney has served as a member of the UAMS faculty for more than 15 years. Dr. Raney joined the UAMS faculty in 1994 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He was later promoted to Associate Professor with tenure and then to Professor. Dr. Raney’s time at UAMS has also included service on the Graduate Council, Curriculum Committee, and the UAMS Patent and Copyright Committee. National service has included membership on the NIH Study Section for Molecular Genetics (MGA). He has authored 47 peer-reviewed
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manuscripts and eight review articles. Dr. Raney currently is principal investigator on three NIH research grants. His research interests include nucleic acid metabolism, viral genome replication, single molecule enzymology, proteomics, and the use of nanoparticles for biological applications. Dr. Raney graduated from Hendrix with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and later earned a Ph.D. in the same subject from Vanderbilt University. His graduate research focused on metabolism of carcinogens and their interaction with DNA. Dr. Raney was a NIH postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Stephen J. Benkovic at Pennsylvania State University. He studied DNA replication and began investigation of the enzymatic mechanisms of helicases.
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alumnotes
alumnotes
Share your news with other alumni by visiting www.hendrix.edu/alumni and using the online form. Information received after Sept. 1, 2010 will appear in the spring edition.
alumnotes
No Fooling – Baseball Keeps Them Together The Hendrix Baseball League met on Friday, March 26, 2010 at the Little Rock home of Grey and Tongua Coffman Williams ’86 for its 24th annual fantasy team draft. The league, founded in 1987, traces its roots to a story in the 1984 April Fool’s edition of The Profile about the creation of a Department of Baseball at Hendrix. League members are in contact weekly and all six original members attended the 2010 draft, along with one
Hendrix graduate who joined later and one member who isn’t an alumnus. Pictured (from left) are Mitchell Wells ’83 of Fort Smith; Kevin Alexander ’80 of Atlanta, who joined the group after 1987; Ken Wilson of Conway; Kent Holt ’83 of Little Rock; Grey Williams ’84 of Little Rock; David McCallum ’84 of Germantown, Tenn.; Kevin Coriden ’83 of Olathe, Kan.; and Ben Marshall ’84 of Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Kennedy ’96 Receives $1 Million Grant Dr. Kristen Kennedy ’96 has received a prestigious career-development grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that totals just under $1,000,000. The K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award is a five-year, two-phase grant from the National Institute on Aging. The K99/R00 program was created to ease the transition from postdoctoral positions into junior faculty roles and to provide earlier independent research support that is normally unavailable at the start of an academic career. Dr. Kennedy will use the grant to continue studying brain aging. During the first phase Dr. Kennedy will conduct postdoctoral work at University of Texas-Dallas where she is a postdoctoral fellow. She then will transition into a faculty position at UT Dallas or another institution, and the grant will follow her, giving three more years of research funding at $250,000 per year. Dr. Kennedy’s research investigates the role of white
1982
Carol Schumacher is a professor of mathematics at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Her second book, Close and Closer: An introduction to Real Analysis, was recently published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Benjamin Schumacher is a professor of physics at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. His second book, Quantum Processes, Systems, and Information, was published in spring of 2010 from
Cambridge University Press. Schumacher’s video course, “Quantum Mechanics: The Physics of the Microscopic World,” was produced by the Teach Company last year and his second course will be released later this year.
1986
Jeff Aulgur, Director of the Professional Development Institute at Arkansas Tech University, was promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major in the United States Army on Aug. 1, 2010.
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matter in the reorganization of age-related brain function. She is heavily involved in the Dallas Lifespan Brain Study, one of the nation’s largest projects examining cognitive aging from 20 to 90. Kennedy and her colleagues use functional MRIs to analyze how brains behave as individuals perform specific tasks developed by the research team and structural MRIs to measure changes to structural integrity with age. Dr. Kennedy graduated from Hendrix with a degree in psychology. At Hendrix, she developed an interest in science and she fondly remembers those years as rewarding and intellectually rich. “I was given unlimited creative and scientific freedom to explore topics and research designs of my choosing. These early mentored experiences left a lasting impact and started the foundation for my current career in science,” Dr. Kennedy said.
Howard Prinsloo was promoted to Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration in St. Louis.
1987
Dr. Ian Bearden was appointed Director of Studies in Physics at the University of Copenhagen.
1988
Angela Parker of Little Rock is the director of the Arkansas Independent Living Council.
David Taylor was named Senior Mortgage Banker at National Bank of Arkansas, Maumelle branch.
1989
Amy Brazil was appointed to the position of District Judge in the city of Conway by Gov. Mike Beebe. Cliff Swoape was installed as District Governor for the Lions Clubs of District 12-S located in Middle Tennessee in July. He will serve in that position through June 2011.
1991
Maddie Earnest is the owner of Local Harvest Café and Catering in the Tower Grove neighborhood in St. Louis, Mo. In 2009 the café was named one of the top ten local restaurants to open in the past decade. More recently Earnest’s café was featured in a New York Times story that highlighted things to do if you had 36 just hours in St. Louis.
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Four Alumni Featured in ‘40 Under 40’ Arkansas Business has released its 17th “40 Under 40” list on which four Hendrix alumni are recognized as up-andcomers worth knowing about. The annual list features 40 intriguing business and political leaders. Recipients are nominated by readers and chosen by Arkansas Business. Allison Cox ’97 is the Human Resources Director at Windstream Corp. in Little Rock. Windstream spun off of Alltel Corp., where Cox had worked since 1997. Cox held several leadership roles at both corporations. Since Windstream formed, the company has experienced one merger and five acquisitions. Cox graduated with a degree in English. She now spends her free time volunteering with several local nonprofits in the area including American Heart Association, City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Brian Vandiver ’97 is an attorney at Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard PLLC in Little Rock. According to the article, “Vandiver’s career representing businesses in employment and labor law was inspired by reading Michael Crichton’s novel Disclosure for a course at Hendrix College.” Vandiver has received many honors as a lawyer. In 2009, Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine named him a rising star. Since 2008, Vandiver has been included in Best Lawyers in America in the employment and labor category in and in 2005 he won an American Bar Association Golden Gavel award. Vandiver graduated with a degree in political science. He now teaches at the Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He volunteers with the Special Olympics and coaches the Little Rock Central High School mock trial team.
1992
Mark Barr of Austin, Texas, has been awarded a writing fellowship at the Millay Colony for the Arts. The colony offers one-month residencies to visual artists, composters and writers at a pastoral campus in Austerlitz, New York. Dr. Daniel Clark moved to Conway where he will practice radiology.
1993
Wendy R. Anderson joined the Obama administration and is working at the U.S. Department of
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Defense (DOD) as a political appointee for the third highest-ranking official at the DOD, Dr. Ash Carter. Jason Burke Murphy has accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Elms College in Western Massachusetts.
1995
Rev. Barkley Thompson of Roanoke, Va., was appointed to the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Formation and was elected secretary. Barkley was also
Michele Simmons Allgood ’92 is a member of Williams & Anderson PLC in Little Rock. Her areas of practice include municipal finance and transactional work involving securities, real estate and general corporate law. Allgood serves as president of the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Little Rock and as a member of the board of Kiwanis Activities, Inc. She became the governor-elect for Division 21 B of Kiwanis in September 2010. Allgood graduated with a degree in economics with an emphasis in accounting. She is currently on the board of Dillard’s Federal Credit Union and is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, the American, Arkansas and Pulaski County Bar Associations and the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers. Tim Hicks ’94 is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance at Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock. Hicks’ professional career began at the Little Rock office of Deloitte & Touche. There he worked with clients in the financial services industry for 10 years before leaving as senior manager of audit to join Alltel Corp. in April 2006. At Alltel, Hicks worked in investor relations and private equity relations until July 2009. In 2006, Hicks served as treasurer for Mike Beebe’s gubernatorial campaign and will do so again for the 2010 campaign. Hicks graduated from Hendrix with a degree in economics and accounting. He attended law school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for two years. Hicks is a member of Leadership Great Little Rock Class XIX and a fourth-year volunteer soccer coach in the Little Rock Futbol Club.
Dr. Annie Wang Clark moved to Conway where she will live while working part time at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
Tracy McKay, who writes under the penname Chloe Neill, is the author of the recent Chicagoland Vampire series, an urban fantasy series for young adults, published by Penguin/NAL. The third and newest book, Twice Bitten, was released in July 2010.
1997
1998
elected to the board of directors of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.
William Scot Polk of Conway accepted the position of Senior Manager of Solution Development at Acxiom Corporation in April 2010.
Mary Spears Polk accepted the position of lead teacher in the Duck Classroom at the Early Childhood Development Center at the First United Methodist Church in Conway.
Bryan Borland of Alexander published his first full-length collection of poetry, My Life as Adam. The book was launched at the Rainbow Book Fair in New York City on March 27, 2010.
2002
Elizabeth L. Fite of Schreeder, Wheeler & Flint, LLP, in Atlanta was elected as co-editor of The YLD Review, the newsletter of the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia, and was installed June 18 during the organization’s annual meeting at Amelia Island, Fla. She was sworn in by Presiding Justice George Carley of the Supreme Court of Georgia.
2003
Christopher Chick has been named a 2010 Monsanto BeachellBorlaug International Scholar. The scholars program supports scientists interested in improving wheat and rice breeding and out of 14 selected scholars, Chick was the only American.
2004
Jera Rae Houghtaling of Fayetteville was sworn in as a member of the Arkansas Bar Association on Feb. 3, 2010. Houghtaling is pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Law at the University of Arkansas while serving as a member of the teaching faculty and operating a small solo practice.
Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 33
alumnotes
2001
alumnotes
Rebecca “Tilley” Schlau was licensed as a clinical psychologist and is practicing in Hot Springs.
2005
Sarah White, of Blacksburg, Va., received a law degree from the University of Washington School of Law.
2006
Katherine Kleitsch, of Little Rock, graduated from UAMS with Nursing and University Honors in May 2010 and received the Faculty Gold Key award for academic excellence. Emily Richmond is working on her Master’s of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma and will graduate in 2012. She plans to be a therapist.
2007
Ryan Bean of Fort Smith received his M.A. in history from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in May 2010. Lindsey Erin Blagg graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate in May 2010 and started a new job as the External Relations contact for a nonprofit in St. Louis called College Bound.
2008
Amanda Brooks received her Master of Theological Studies in Ethics from the Divinity School of Vanderbilt University. Brooks has completed a two-year graduate assistantship with the Athletics Communications department at Vanderbilt as a Sports Information Director and has now
Brock Thompson ’99
of Washington, D.C., recently released a book titled The Un-Natural State. Thompson’s book is a study of gay and lesbian life in his home state of Arkansas. Thompson currently works at the Library of Congress in International Law. There he assists with research for Congress and the general public. “My Hendrix education very much laid the foundation for this work. I received excellent training as a historian,” Thompson said, “I owe Hendrix College so much.”
accepted the position of Athletics Communications Director with the University Athletics Association at the University of Florida.
2009
Kevin DeStefano teaches eighth-grade world history at Carl Stuart Middle School in Conway.
Sara Jane Hoke DeStefano is a staff accountant for Lisa Freeman Stephens, CPA in Conway.
2010
Laura Langley was featured in an article in the January 2010 issue of the national Jewish daily feature Forward.
The article focused on Jewish education below the Mason-Dixon Line. Langley, former president of Hendrix Hillel, talked about choosing Hendrix and being Jewish at Hendrix. The article can be read on the publication’s website. www.forward.com
Two Alumnae Selected as NSF Graduate Research Fellows Two alumnae, Rebecca Callahan ’09 and Kelly Zalocusky ’09, were selected to participate in The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellows Program (GRFP). According to the program’s website, “GRFP helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in the U.S. and abroad.” This prestigious program provides fellows with three years of support through a $30,000 annual stipend, $10,500 costof-education allowance, $1,000 one-time international travel allowance, and TeraGrid Supercomputer access. Callahan has completed her first year at the University of ColoradoBolder in the Materials Chemistry Ph.D. program. She is studying charge carrier mobilities in liquid crystals by synthesizing novel compounds, analyzing them for liquid crystal phases and measuring how fast an electron will move through the different liquid crystal phases. Her research fits not only into the realm of “basic science” but also has exciting applications in providing cheap alternatives to traditional semiconductors in optoelectrical devices such as photovoltaics and LEDs. Callahan earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She credits
34 Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010
Hendrix with aiding her success in graduate school and researching. “Hendrix has a way of teaching people to be fearless in their education,” she explains, “and I think that quality really stood out in my application.” Zalocusky is currently working toward her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Stanford University. She is conducting her research under the direction of Karl Deisseroth, the inventor of “optogenetics,” a technique for exciting or inhibiting genetically-defined populations of neurons with different wavelengths of light. She hopes to use this technique to study the neural circuits underlying what has been called explore/ exploit, value-based, or “neuroeconomic” decision making. She is also a teaching assistant for the Stanford University Medical School Neuroanatomy course, having earned the highest grade in that class in her first year. Zalocusky studied biology and psychology as an undergrad at Hendrix. “The time I spent at Hendrix — interacting one-on-one with faculty, working with campus organizations, and delving into my interests through the Odyssey program — has given me a breadth of understanding, a confidence, and a passion about life that few other first-year graduate students can claim. The Hendrix experience helped me find what I am passionate about and gave me the support and encouragement I needed to go after it,” says Zalocusky.
www.hendrix.edu
Two alumni, Chase Green ’10 and Rachel Kincannon ’10, have been selected as the 2010 recipients of the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas seminary scholarships. The program, established in 2000, grants full scholarships to Arkansas students attending United Methodist seminaries. Upon graduation, UMFA Scholars commit themselves to return to Arkansas to pastor local United Methodist churches. Green, from Searcy, graduated with a degree in philosophy/religion. He will attend Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Green was a leader in his youth group at First United Methodist in Searcy where he participated in several mission trips. At Hendrix, Green was very
Marriages Dr. Jim Fox ’63 to Jilaine White Peterson ’63, Feb. 21, 2010. Dr. Mark Noble ’80 to Bill Taylor, May 11, 2010. Sarah Razer ’03 to Daniel Carnahan, May 1, 2010.
involved with Hendrix-Lilly Vocations Initiative programs, now called the Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics, and Calling. As a sophomore, he became a certified candidate for the ministry. Kincannon, from Maumelle, graduated with a degree in psychology. She will attend Perkins School of Theology in Dallas. During her time at Hendrix, Kincannon also participated in Miller Center programs. According to the article in the UMFA newsletter, “Kincannon became more confident of accepting God’s call for her life during her four years of college. Through the Exploring Ministry Together group at Hendrix she found friends and resources to help strengthen her response to that call.”
Madeline Couch ’05 to Mandar Desai, June 5, 2010.
Katherine Kleitsch ’06 to Kent Thompson ’07, June 26, 2010.
Dr. Jennifer Talley Roller ’05 to Dr. Thomas Warren Foster, April 18, 2010.
Whitney Franklin ’07 to Flavio Curella, Feb. 28, 2010.
Dylan Embree ’06 to Meredith Hawthorn ’06, Nov. 28, 2009.
Sara Jane Hoke ’09 to Kevin Edward DeStefano ’09, July 17, 2010, at Greene Chapel.
To the editor Photo evokes the sound of memories This is to supplement the bit on the old Science Building/Reynolds Hall that appears on p.19 of the Spring 2010 Hendrix Magazine: When I attended Hendrix, 1938-42, the top floor of that building was used for musical purposes. It was the rehearsal hall for band and symphony orchestra. The alcoves by the windows were individual practice rooms; I spent countless hours there, practicing on clarinet for my teacher and band director, Mickey Lippmann, and in rehearsals. Fletch Smith used the practice room next to mine , and I was amused to discover that he had learned to blow smoke rings out of the bell of his huge sousaphone – a trick that I could never manage on my clarinet. That top floor was almost the most familiar spot on campus for me! - I. L. Claude ’42
Redesigned magazine more engaging Hendrix alumni at Sarah Razer and Daniel Carnahan’s May 1 wedding. Pictured are Lee Razer ’98, Drea Johnson Razer ’00, Ann Holmes Razer ’72, Sarah Razer Carnahan ’03, Daniel Carnahan, Valerie Thwing ’73, Bob Razer ’71, Mary Katherine Razer Parson ’00, and Ryan Parson ’98. Children: Andy Parson, age 4, and Lily Parson, age 6, Jacob Razer, age 5, Ben Razer, age 4.
www.hendrix.edu
I received my Hendrix Alumni Magazine today and read it from cover to cover. You really took the survey feedback to heart and produced a wonderful issue. As a former English major, I was undoubtedly drawn in by the cover story, but the whole magazine just felt more engaging and cohesive. Keep up the good work!!! - Jenny Noble Anderson ’02
Hendrix Magazine welcomes letters to the editor. Please send your comments to Hendrix Magazine, 1600 Washington Avenue, Conway, AR 72032 or e-mail them to plotkin@hendrix.edu
Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 35
marriages
Alumni Receive Seminary Scholarships
new children
New Children Virginia Maryn Harvey, first daughter, to Andrea “AnDi” M. Tompkins ’91 and her husband Joe Harvey, Jan. 6, 2009. Connor Ryan, second son, to Shannon Kilpatrick Cross ’92 and her husband Ryan, Nov. 11, 2008. Charles Benjamin Filmore, first son, to Susan Beasley Little ’95 and her husband Greg, June 21, 2010. Mattie Kathleen, first daughter, second child, to Peter Weber ’96 and Erin Yokem Weber ’97, March 18, 2010. Micah Anthony, first son, to Brian Vandiver ’97 and Janna Adams Vandiver ’99, June 28, 2010.
Kellan Michael Allen, first child, first son, to Gretchen R. Sakkinen ’94 and her husband Shane.
Nate Hill, age 2, son of Ashley Harden Hill ’02 and her husband Brian.
Thomas and Kyle Burton, sons of Lori Arnold Burton ’89 and her husband Chris.
Livia Pauline Wolovits, first child, first daughter, to L. E. Brumley-Wolovits ’00 and her husband Josh Wolovits .
Pierre-Louis Bigot, age 3, son of Celine Pajot Bigot ’00 and her husband Laurent.
Mark Kaiha‘aheoaka‘ohana ¯ Burling, first son, to Jay Burling ’04 and his wife April, Aug. 4, 2010.
Simone Leilani, first daughter, to Merideth Harness McEntire ’98 and Dr. Shane McEntire ’00, May 13, 2010. Jacob Kai-Jiun, first son, adopted by Dr. David Warren ’98 and his wife Lola, Aug. 4, 2010. Benjamin Everett, first son, to Jane Barry Jefferson ’98 and her husband B.J., Mar. 5, 2010. Myka Analyse, first daughter, to Chris Canavan ’99 and his wife Lisa, Mar. 27, 2010. Kellan Hugh Douglas, first son, to Ryan Patrick Douglas ’00 and Lea Ann Biggar ’01. Dagney Elise, second daughter, to Ashley Pryor Meins ’00 and her husband Nathan, Feb. 28, 2010. Sophie Rose, first daughter, to Michael Wright ’02 and Jennifer Patterson Wright ’03, July 4, 2010. Brooklyn Madison, first daughter, to Gregg Webb ’02 and Lisa Sanfillipo Webb ’03, Aug. 6, 2009. Joseph Michael Prince Berardi, first son, second child, to Lindsey Prince Berardi ’08 and her husband Daniel, Feb. 12, 2010. Joseph joins his older sister Olivia Jane, Mar. 10, 2008.
36 Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010
www.hendrix.edu
Robert Winston “Bob” Meriwether II, a 1949 graduate of Hendrix College, died Saturday, May 8, 2010, after a long illness. Mr. Meriwether was born June 17, 1928, in Memphis, Tenn., but grew up in Paragould. After graduating from Paragould High School he attended Hendrix where he earned a bachelor of arts degree. He later earned a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University. After serving two years in the U.S. Army, Meriwether began teaching in 1947. He was principal of Paragould High School when Dr. Marshall T. Steel tapped him to become the first Dean of Students at Hendrix College, a position he held from 1959-1965. In addition to serving as Dean, Mr. Meriwether was a Professor of Education, Political Science, and American History until his retirement in 1993 and from 1982-1986 he was area chair of Social Sciences. He was director of workshops for the Arkansas Association of High School Student Councils from 1950 through 1970. To remain in touch with the reality of the public school classroom, Mr. Meriwether took sabbaticals from Hendrix and taught civics at Booker Junior High School in Little Rock in 1973 and social studies at Greenbrier High School in 1981.
He was the director of Arkansas Governor’s School for the Gifted and Talented in 1981 and 1982. Mr. Meriwether was an active citizen of Conway and was well-known for his warm but bellowing voice as he went about his civic duties. He was a member of the Arkansas Constitutional Revision Study Commission in 1967, serving as chair of the Declaration of Rights Committee and leading in preparation of the report to the people. Over his lifetime Bob Meriwether was honored many times by Hendrix. As a student he was recognized as Outstanding Student. In 1994 he received the James E. Major Service Award and was inducted into the Hendrix College Sports Hall of Honor. Mr. Meriwether was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Conway and is survived by his wife of over 57 years, Sylvia; his four children, Will ’76, David ’77, Nick ’81, and Sarah Kate ’88; nine grandchildren, and his sister Rosemary Rupley of Fort Smith. Memorials may be sent to the Robert W. Meriwether Scholarship Fund at Hendrix College or to the First United Methodist Church of Conway.
Cindy Cook Sandefur ’77 Cynthia Lucille Cook Sandefur died Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, in a Texarkana hospital. She was 54. Mrs. Sandefur was a member of the Hendrix Board of Trustees from 1994 until 2009. She graduated from Hendrix in 1977 and earned a master of education degree from Lesley College in 1980. She was born Oct. 18, 1955 in Texarkana, Texas. She was executive director of the Mildred Cabe Cook Foundation. Her other business interests included serving on the Board of Directors of Bodcaw Bancshares and Bodcaw Bank in Stamps, formerly serving on the board of Cabe Land Company in Gurdon, and serving as an officer, director and partner of several family businesses. In addition to serving on the Hendrix Board of Trustees, Mrs. Sandefur’s extensive charitable activities included serving on the boards of
Texarkana-area Girl Scouts, Texarkana Museum System, Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council and the Wadley Foundation. She served as a Cub Scout Packmaster and was a member of the Junior League of Dallas and the Junior League of Texarkana. She was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church, Texarkana, Ark., where she served as a Trustee, member of the Administrative Board and member of the Sanctuary Fire Rebuilding Committee. Survivors include her husband Michael Ray Sandefur of Texarkana; two sons, Ray Sandefur and Clay Sandefur of Texarkana; mother Lucille Trotter Cook of Texarkana; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Martha and Jeff Prieskorn of Texarkana and Mildred and Mark Creighton of Fort Worth; and seven nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father B. Stan Cook Jr. and brother, Benjamin S. Cook III.
in memoriam Minnie Lee Mayhan ’33 Inda Margaret Mitchell ’34 Virginia Grinstead Spain ’35 Nancy Jane Isgreig Wilkes ’35 Doris Rhodes Saul Beck ’36 Martha Barber ’41 Thomas Carlyle Huff ’41 Donna Rae Driver Schmelzer ’41 Dorothy Dale McGaughery Weeks ’41 Thomas Eugene Darragh ’42 Frances Gene Murry McCarty ’43 Martha Ryland Jarvis ’46 Catherine Hunter-Williamson ’46
www.hendrix.edu
Margaret Jane Cross Morgan ’47 Charles A. Donaldson ’48 Dr. Troy Bledsoe ’49 Robert Winston Meriwether ’49 Rev. William “Bill” P. Connell ’50 Dr. Earl Hughes ’51 Esta Medora Saxon Butler Williams Kirkley ’51 Rev. William Roy Moyers ’52 John Bennett Silaz III ’53 Bennie Wilson ’53 Buren Charles Smith III ’54 Claire Moore Lorenzen ’55 Robert Allinder ’56
D. Allen Nixon Sr. ’56 Dr. Gene Pynes ’56 Jerome Atchley ’63 Ken Shamblin ’63 Donald Joe Gattinger ’67 Kenner Estes III ’69 Shannon Shock ’72 Cindy Cook Sandefur ’77 George Elton Alread ’79 Mary J. Runge ’79 Faculty William Gerald Duvall Sr. (1957-1962)
Hendrix Magazine | Fall 2010 37
in memoriam
Robert W. Meriwether II ’49
Save the Dates 46 Annual Candlelight Carol Service th
December 2010
performances in greene chapel
Thursday, Dec. 2-Saturday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m.
tour performances
Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, Fort Smith
Friday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 a.m.
First United Methodist Church, Pine Bluff
Reservations are required for Greene Chapel performances. Call 501-450-1495 beginning Nov. 22. Reservations are not required for tour performances.
Office of Institutional Advancement and Planning W. Ellis Arnold III, J.D. ’79 Executive Vice President and Dean of Advancement
Jennifer Nail Administrative Assistant to the Executive Vice President
Advancement Services Dan Turner Director of Advancement Services
Yvonne Morgan Director of Research and Prospect Management
Ronda Sipes Gift and Records Manager
Alumni and Constituent Engagement Pamela R. Owen ’82 Associate Vice President for Alumni and Constituent Engagement
Claudia Courtway Director of Parent Engagement
Barbara Horton Director of Stewardship
Andrea Morell Newsom ’06
Alumni Weekend April 15-17, 2011 On the Hendrix College campus
Reconnect with old friends and Remember your student days Hear Last Lectures by retiring faculty Listen to the Alumni Choir sing at the Sunday morning Memorial Service Join us for brunch and celebrate the 45th year of the Alumni Association Awards Honor the Class of 1961 at the Half Century Club Luncheon Register for the Warrior Booster Club Sports Hall of Honor banquet Celebrate at parties for the Classes of 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 Visit www.hendrix.edu/alumni for more details and updates as plans develop
Administrative Assistant for Alumni and Constituent Engagement
Teresa Clogston Osam ’72 Coordinator of Special Events
College Relations Helen S. Plotkin Associate Vice President for College Relations and Advancement Planning
Natalie Atkins Communications and Design Specialist
Joshua Daugherty Lead Designer
Rob O’Connor ’95 Director of College Communications
Development Michael V. Hutchison Associate Vice President for Development
Jack Frost ’72 Senior Development Officer
Julie Janos ’94 Development Project Coordinator
Odyssey College for Alumni and Friends May 21-22, 2011
On the Hendrix College campus
Melissa Jenkins Director of Annual Giving
Lori Filogamo Jones ’81 Director of Planned Giving
Heather Zimmerman Director of Leadership Gifts
Office of the Chaplain J. Wayne Clark ’84 Chaplain and Director of Church Relations
24 hours of stimulating conversation, fine dining and good memories Watch for updates in your mailbox and on the Hendrix website.
J.J. Whitney ’96 Assistant Chaplain
Lindsay Singer Assistant to the Chaplain
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Little Rock, AR Permit #906 1600 Washington Avenue Conway, Arkansas 72032
online extras Hendrix Magazine is now available online at www.hendrix.edu/hendrixmagazine and includes exclusive material available only on the Web: • Winning Student Films from the 2010 Red Brick Film Festival on YouTube • More Photos from Move-In Day 2010 on Flickr • Hendrix Faculty News from 09-10 • Odyssey Medal Recipients from 2005 through today • Online Versions of The Troubadour from 2000 though 2010
• Q & A with Hilda Hancock Malpica ’64 • An acoustic performance of two songs by Ben Nichols ’96 (including an exclusive acoustic version version of The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo) filmed live on campus in the Pecan Court. • A video of Justin Warren ’09 performing live at Village Books, the new campus bookstore at Market Square in The Village at Hendrix.
stay connected Join the Hendrix Web Community and stay connected with classmates and the College. As a Web Community member, you can update your personal information, submit achievements and milestones for publication online and in print, and find contact information for classmates who are also community members. Visit www.hendrix.edu/alumni to learn more. E-mail comments and questions to alumni@hendrix.edu