THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017
music venues, dining, and community events headlines entertainment options. Free options abound such as outdoor movies, jazz concerts and the nearby Arkansas Arts Center. Near the River Market runs the Arkansas River Trail System where walkers, cyclists and joggers take advantage of the scenic, 15.6-mile loop from the Clinton Presidential Bridge via North Little Rock to the Big Dam Bridge and back. Pinnacle Mountain or a relaxing float down the Maumelle River await nearby. The professional possibilities are nearly endless thanks to the presence of Acxiom, Caterpiller Inc., Windstream, Arkansas governmental offices, Southwest Power Pool, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Heifer International, just to name a few.
ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM
MAGNOLIA
River Market District in downtown Little Rock Local industry partners are extremely supportive of the college’s events and programs, often donating time and resources to help with events, like the Young Manufacturers Camp, Kid’s College, candidate forumsand dozens of scholarships. Garland County has many employment opportunities in health care, education, tourism and hospitality. NPC Career Services hosts many employers on campus throughout the year as well as at the annual Job Fair in the spring. Employers network with students and alumni to connect them to employment opportunities. Many employers also speak to classes and serve on campus advisory boards.
LITTLE ROCK
Home to: University of Arkansas Little Rock, Philander Smith College, Baptist Health College Population: 731,600 (greater Little Rock/North Little Rock metro) Kiplinger’s magazine put Little Rock atop the list of Top 10 places to live in the U.S., and as the state’s capital city, Little Rock offers all the expected benefits of a metropolitan center including access to cultural, business, government and historically significant resources and attractions. The famed River Market District, one of the top spots for live
Home to: Arkansas State University Population: 71,550 Jonesboro’s Parks and Recreation Department manages 20 parks that total just over 900 acres. With dozens of athletic fields, water features, community centers, recreation programs and events, the Parks Department offers something for nearly everyone. Downtown Jonesboro is a beautiful district with an amazing culture and a historic past. The music lover and patron of the visual and performing arts will want to check out The Forum community theater or The Foundation of Arts for lessons in dance, art, and theater. The city’s state-of-the-art performance facility, The Fowler Center, is hosts more than a dozen professional performances each year and is home to the Arkansas State University Theater Department. 38 AUGUST 24, 2017
MALVERN
Home to: College of the Ouachitas Population: 10,000 Established in the 1870s as a railway station, Malvern has come to be known as the “Brick Capital of the World.” Abundant clay deposits in the area, especially in nearby Perla, made the location ideal for production of brick. Among the earliest plants was the Atchison Brick Company, which began operation early in the 1890s, just in the nick of time as it turned out. When fires in 1896 and 1897 destroyed virtually all of downtown Malvern, the city rebuilt the business district with all-brick structures. Not surprisingly, summertime’s Brickfest is a highlight of the community calendar. Malvern is developing a whitewater park on the river, which attracts paddlers from throughout Arkansas and surrounding states. Malvern’s most famous residents include Academy Award–winning screenwriter, actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton, who graduated from Malvern High School, and screenwriter, novelist and producer Tom Epperson, a lifelong friend and collaborator with Thornton ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM
JONESBORO
Home to: Southern Arkansas University Population: 12,000 “Hometown”and“community”are commonly used to describe Southern Arkansas University and Magnolia. Many incoming students and their families say they chose SAU because of the caring atmosphere and the close-knit community that makes both the school and the town safe, caring, and familylike. Centrally located to both outdoor activities and urban attractions in Texarkana, El Dorado, Shreveport, and Little Rock, much of what makes Magnolia special involves shared events with the university starting with the annual Blue and Gold Day at the Magnolia square that draws thousands to welcome the Mulerider students back to town. Magnolia has also embraced a growing community involvement organization started at SAU in 2014 called Making Magnolia Blossom (MMB). MMB brings together campus and community members to volunteer together at cleanup and economic improvement events each year. Another major annual event is Celebration of Lights where the entire community comes together for a Christmas meal, caroling, singing, games for children, pictures with Santa, snow globes for everyone and a train for children to ride.
Downtown Magnolia Mural
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