P ROFILE
THE HENDRIX COLLEGE
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 3
BACK AT HOMEDRIX
Cover photo by Lauren Allen
Let’s Talk About Homedrix 4 5 6 8
9 10 12 14 15 16 17 18 19
Déjà Vu The Challenges of Hybrid Learning Moment of Truth In with the New Biden Returns to the White House Finding Inspiration — Artist Feature Reading the Room Dawdling around Dawkins A Student’s Take on Productivity Reddit Rebels? Hendrix Esports: A Review COVID-19 and Student Athletics For Allergies (Or Worse) — Creative Writing Feature
P ROFILE Editor-in-Chief: Mak Millard Online Editor: Hannah Diggs Photography Editor: Rebecca Burks Copy Editor: Josiah Vallone Layout Editor: Monica Martinez Fact Checker: Roth Coats Fact Checker: Phillip Powell Photographer: Lauren Allen Staff Writer: Jay Vicente Staff Writer: Phillip Powell Staff Writer: Danielle Kuntz Staff Writer: Lauren Allen Staff Writer: Sophia Isely Staff Writer: Sophie O’Reilly
ADVISOR
Dr. Erin Hoover
MISSION STATEMENT As a student-run and student-funded newsmagazine,TheProfileuncoversthesmartedge to campus culture: the people, places, ideas and trends that curious, confident students and faculty want, need and ought to know. By critically examining issues important to the Hendrix community, The Profile aims to act as a catalyst for change, a tool for transparency between the student body and faculty and a source of inspiration for its readers to begin thinking globally and acting locally.
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The Profile At Hendrix
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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Mak Millard
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
If you had told me a year ago that I’d be taking half of my classes online, that I’d be excited to see the top half of my friends’ faces, and that I’d have to wake up every other Tuesday at 6 a.m. to get a throat swab in a hollowed-out Panera, I probably would have nodded at you politely and then backed away very, very slowly. But we’re here now, and all of those things are as much a reality as near-zero temperatures and piles of snow in Conway (something else I would not have put my money on until recently). Whether you’re completely virtual or trying to navigate this new version of campus, I’m glad you made it this far. Truly. The staff here at The Profile have a lot to say about this new existence we’re carving out for ourselves, so we hope you’ll read this issue as a kind of Welcome Back from us to you. We’ve tried to cover a lot of ground, from impeachment to GameStop. Of course, we’ve got more to say on COVID-19 (but hey, vaccines!). Closer to home, we’ve talked to students and student-athletes about the challenges of hybrid learning. We haven’t shied away from more sensitive issues in this one either — be on the lookout for an investigative piece on Chi Alpha
and their complicated history at Hendrix. For this issue’s creative feature, we’re proud to present an artist’s statement from senior Greta Kresse, along with some of her work. And in case you’re in need of some powerful positive poetry, we’ve included a sample poem from an upcoming project by Professor Vaught and a few students. It has been an incredibly long year. The things that made 2020 so unbelievable are not over yet, and I doubt they will be over before I have to write my last letter to you all. So in the time that we do have left before things get better, worse, or some new combination of the two — thanks for being here. Let’s keep going.
Have a question, response, or inquiry? You can reach us anytime at thehendrixcollegeprofile@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on the latest stories.
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Photos courtesy of Unsplash
NEWS
DÉJÀ VU Phillip Powell| Fact Checker
President Trump impeached for the second time following Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capital On January 13 of this year, President Donald Trump was impeached. Again. Exactly a week before his term expired, Donald Trump was impeached in the most bipartisan impeachment in United States history. The vote was still extremely close, however, at 232-197, with only Republicans comprising that second number. We’ll get to them later. How could Donald Trump have possibly gotten himself impeached (again) in the last week of his term? Well you likely already know the answer, as does every American with access to cable news or the internet— Trump, in the words of the House of Representatives and everyone with eyes and ears, incited an insurrection against the U.S. Capitol. Because of Trump’s little “oopsie” - or, you know, spending his entire lame-duck period refusing to concede the election and instead spreading conspiracy theories about mass voter fraud and ballot irregularities — five people were killed when a mob of “patriots” broke into the Capitol carrying Confederate, Nazi, and MAGA flags. Many of us watched the product of Trump’s actions unfold in shock and horror—but we shouldn’t have been shocked. Just as President Trump was the culmination of decades of Republican cynicism and grievance politics coming to fruition, this mob was the product of the exact same political winds. The people who stormed the Capitol to intimidate lawmakers into overturning the free and fair 2020 election are the people all around us—store owners, uncles and aunts, neighbors, contractors—people we encounter all day, all the time. I want to be shocked that my sixth-grade health teacher flew to D.C. and stormed the Capitol to “Stop the Steal!” and “Fight for Trump!” but I’m just not. Frankly, I shouldn’t be, and neither should you. So, President Trump was impeached in his last week of office for inciting people all around us into a violent insurrection against our government. A historical event, a tragic event, but not a surprising or shocking event. Just as it wasn’t surprising when the Senate voted to acquit him a few days ago in a vote of 57-43, with all those votes in the latter number again belonging to Republicans. You see, for all of my Democrat/liberal/progressive/leftist readers — you just need to stop pretending or expecting the opposition to be a rational or good faith opposition. I have, and it’s quite freeing. We are far beyond, and have been far beyond, this idealistic notion of two partisan sides who have strong disagree-
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ments on policy but, at the end of the day, work together to solve the nation’s most urgent problems. Through Gingrich in the 90’s, Bush and Cheney in the 2000’s, Palin in 2008, and yes, the modern Trump era, it is very clear that the Republican Party has decided what it wants to be. 10 of 211 Republican House Members voting to impeach Donald Trump for the most obviously impeachable offense in history does not absolve the party, and these 10 House Members are still complicit in what their party has become. The same is true for the mere 7 of 50 Republican Senators who voted to convict Donald Trump. There is something a little too “déjà vu” about Trump’s (second) impeachment, and I think I know the reason why. We’ve been here before. In fact, we’ve been here about a hundred times over the last five years. The Republicans were given the chance by the Democrats, the media, and everyone using their eyes and ears to just disavow Trump, impeach him, convict him, and pretend to be a reasonable party acting in good faith. But now, they don’t even pretend. They don’t even want to pretend. The Republican Party overwhelmingly embraces conspiracy, bigotry, and authoritarianism because it’s politically rewarding for them to do so. So, for my Democrat/liberal/progressive/leftist/ people-using-their-eyes-and-ears readers, it’s time for you to stop pretending too. And for any Republican readers that consider themselves the Ben Sasse’s or Susan Collins’ of the Party, email me and let me know why I’m wrong.
THE CHALLENGES OF HYBRID LEARNING
Professors share their perspective on the difficulties students are facing in a new age of learning Sophie O’Reilly |Staff Writer
No element of the Hendrix experience—with its traditions, vibrant campus life, and emphasis on community— has been untouched by the pandemic. On some levels, this hasn’t been a bad thing; Hendrix faculty, staff, and students have collaborated on new ways to provide an exceptional educational experience during COVID-19, which has irreversibly innovated our classrooms. However, that’s not to say these changes have been easy to make. While every individual has their own unique set of circumstances and challenges that have been associated with the pandemic, we might unintentionally forget about the extra work that professors do to create a safe and effective learning environment. Even those who are returning to in-person classes, which is theoretically a step in the direction of “normalcy,” are facing an onslaught of new difficulties associated with hybrid learning. Further, each department carries its own institutional complexities, so there is no uniform way to approach these issues. Melissa Gill, Professor of Art at Hendrix, notes that technology is only part of the problem. “Teaching/learning is very interactive and improvisational,” she writes, “and it’s hard to feel connected to you if I’m teaching to your initials on the screen.” This disconnect is only exacerbated by having to juggle both remote and in-person students simultaneously: “it is also very different to divide my attention between the remote environment and the classroom, to teach people in front of me and a webcam. It’s disorienting, but I am trying my best.” Some of this disjointedness can easily be attributed to the pandemic itself; things are different now. What the
classroom requires of us, and how we engage with our education, has changed. That doesn’t mean, though, that we are without agency, and that we can’t work to maintain a somewhat-normal standard for how we participate in school. Dr. Tyrone Jaeger, Professor of Creative Writing, notes, “I understand not wanting to have your camera on… but for me to be able to see people’s faces is important.” Professor Gill corroborates this: “I would advise students to turn their video on as often as possible when learning on Teams. It promotes better rapport with your professor and a more effective learning community.” There are several factors that might influence your decision to keep your camera off, but according to Dr. Jaeger, “Even if [you] keep your camera off except for when you talk… then I feel like we’re having a conversation.” So, there you have it; show your lovely faces on Teams calls. What else, though? What other nuggets of normalcy can we grasp onto in the hybrid model? “Communication is maybe even more important now with the hybrid situation,” says Dr. Jaeger. Professor Gill adds, “come to [professor’s] office hours and ask questions, ask for feedback, etc. All of these things make such a huge difference in building a relationship.” Simply put, talk to your professors. It might be hard to drag yourself into another call, or, in the case of first-year students, it may be difficult to take that first leap in communication. However, when the veil lifts and we can be together, mask-free in a classroom, these efforts won’t be for naught; you will have contributed to the effort of fostering a sense of community at Hendrix, despite all of the reasons we have to be alone. FEBRUARY 2021 5
MOMENT OF TRUTH The myths and facts on COVID-19 vaccinations Sophia Isely |Staff Writer It’s no secret that COVID-19 has taken the world by storm and destroyed the lives of so many people. Although this virus is nowhere near being eradicated, it is now 2021, and there are vaccines racing to save the public’s health. Maybe you or someone close to you has received the vaccine, which is fantastic! We are just at the forefront, though. Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and chief medical advisor to President Biden, believes at least 70-85% of the US population needs to be fully vaccinated before most actions can return to normal. It may seem like we are almost there, since there have been almost 34 million doses administered (as of February 3, 2021), but only about 6 million Americans have had both doses. This is less than 2% of the US’s population. There is still a lot of work to be done, and many myths need to be debunked. So let’s get started.
THE MYTHS
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THE FACTS
I got the flu shot and I don’t think it worked for me, so I don’t need to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Although it is important to get the flu vaccine if possible (especially during a global pandemic), it reduces the risk of becoming ill with the flu about 40-60%. On the other hand, the CDC currently reports that the efficacy of preventing COVID-19 is 95.0% for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and 94.1% for the Moderna vaccine, when patients receive both doses. To put this into perspective, the smallpox vaccine is also 95% effective. Thanks to that vaccine, the CDC ruled in 1972 that smallpox was eradicated in America and has not posed a significant threat to public health since. If enough people are vaccinated quickly enough against the COVID-19 virus, then hopefully, similarly to smallpox, we will be able to eradicate this virus.
The COVID-19 vaccine is deadly, so I will probably die if I get the shot
It is extremely unlikely that you will die from receiving the vaccine. In actuality, there is a much higher mortality rate associated with people that are infected with the virus than those that receive the vaccine. At this point in time, the information that the CDC has released shows over 400,000 people have died from the virus, putting the mortality rate at about 1.7%. On the other hand, the CDC has reported less than 200 deaths from the vaccine (over 60% of these deaths were people in long term care facilities), which puts the mortality rate at less than .001%.
I will get sick with COVID-19 from receiving the vaccine.
Although some people report side effects, it is not possible for the COVID-19 vaccine itself to infect you with the virus. These vaccines are using an mRNA platform, so there is not even a live virus in the vaccine. You may become infected with the virus within a few weeks within receiving the vaccine, since it would take a few weeks to build immunity, but it is not possible for the vaccine itself to make you sick with the virus.
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Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com
THE MYTHS
THE FACTS
I heard that this vaccine has something to do with mRNA, so it must be changing my DNA.
Although this vaccine does indeed use a messenger RNA (mRNA) platform, the vaccine cannot alter your DNA. After being injected into our body, mRNA vaccines tell our cells how to make a “spike protein” that can be found on the COVID-19 virus. Our immune system then reacts to the protein and begins creating antibodies for the virus, which teaches our body how to fight the COVID-19 virus if we come across it in the future. Throughout this process, the mRNA from the vaccine never even enters the nuclei of our cells, which is the location that houses our DNA. Therefore, it is not possible for these vaccines to interact with, let alone change, our DNA.
If I have already had COVID, I do not need to get the vaccine.
Although there is some level of natural immunity that someone gains from contracting the virus, researchers have stated that early evidence indicates the natural immunity associated with COVID-19 may not last long. Accordingly, the CDC urges those who have been infected and recovered from the virus to still receive the vaccine, if possible.
RESOURCES: For more details about the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, please see this link. Resources used: Interview with Dr. Fauci Understanding mRNA Vaccines CDC Flu Vaccine CDC Vaccine FAQs CDC Vaccine Update PDF CDC Smallpox Vaccine CDC US COVID-19 Data Tracker CDC Vaccine Data Tracker
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IN WITH THE NEW
Hendrix receives grant from the Windgate Foundation for dorm renovations and student programs Sophie O’Reilly | Staff Writer Hendrix College experienced several historical developments in 2020. Among these important moments in the college’s history was the reception of a $15 million grant from the Windgate Foundation, an organization committed to supporting arts programming and education. This grant is the largest non-estate gift that Hendrix has ever received. The Windgate Foundation’s grant will aid the college in several ventures and development programs, designed to benefit Hendrix students. One such endeavor is the Residence Hall Renewal Project, a plan to renovate Veasey and Martin Hall that $5 million of the grant’s funding will support. Ginny McMurray, Hendrix’s Associate Vice President of Development and someone working directly with the grant, notes “we are now trying to get a final budget for both [dorms], and the Senior Learnership Team and the Board of Trustees are determining the timeline to complete them. At least one of the dorms—and perhaps both—will be completed and ready for occupancy by Fall 2022.” Dean of Students, Dean Wiltgen, corroborates just how excited the college is for this project: “it can be difficult to raise funds for Residence Hall renovation projects,” he adds, “and that is why this grant is such a blessing.” Beyond the Residence Hall Renewal Project, the Windgate Foundation’s generosity will extend to individual students for decades to come. Specifically, this gift will provide $10 million worth of financial aid gifts for incoming students. Dean Wiltgen notes that “approximately one-fourth of [the college’s] operating budget comes from endowment income, and that allows us to provide outstanding aid packages and make Hendrix as affordable as possible.” Approximately $500,000 of the $10 million total endowment will go to financial aid annually.
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Photo by Lauren Allen
The Windgate Foundation has provided more than $890 million in grants in the past 28 years alone. Nine of their top 12 largest grant recipients, including Hendrix College, are in Arkansas. Their grants focus on supporting “significant educational programs in contemporary craft and visual arts; programs providing visual arts, art education, or effective instructional support to K-12 schools; higher education institution support for visual arts and scholarships; and programs for economically or socially disadvantaged children in the state of Arkansas.” The support of the Windgate Foundation is instrumental to Hendrix College’s continued support of students of all backgrounds and academic pursuits. Because of their generosity, Hendrix was even able to surpass their original campaign goal a year ahead of schedule. The college is now leading an extended fundraising campaign, with the final goal of raising $150 million by the end of 2023. As of now, the campaign has amassed approximately $129 million. Gifts such as the one provided by the Windgate Foundation make it possible for Hendrix to continue to innovate for its students. These innovations include the ability to reduce tuition costs by 32% for incoming students and provide a tuition-free fifth year program for those whose residential experience has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hendrix’s commitment to serving students with leading educational opportunities is outstanding. Perhaps that is why the extended campaign has been poignantly and accurately titled A Time to Lead: The Campaign for Today and Tomorrow.
BIDEN RETURNS TO THE WHITE HOUSE
FEATURE
President Biden has spent his first few weeks “taking the reigns” of the presidency Phillip Powell| Fact Checker After one of the most consequential lame-duck sessions in American history, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as the President and Vice President on January 20, 2021. Biden and Harris take the reigns of the federal government in a time of unprecedented crisis, while working with some of the smallest congressional majorities that an incoming administration has ever had. President Trump may have made his exit, but in the wake of a hardly slowing pandemic, increasing polarization, systemic racial injustice, economic crisis, and the looming threat of climate change, it’s as important as ever to pay attention. In the last three weeks, President Biden has issued many executive orders with significant policy changes, while also more thoroughly outlining the legislative agenda he hopes will come out of the new Congress. There is much at stake over the next two years before the midterm elections; here is an overview of what to expect from the Biden Administration. As of February 2nd, President Biden has signed twenty-nine executive orders that represent the federal government’s attitude and response to several issues. Fifteen of those orders have been geared towards changing the federal government’s response to the pandemic. President Biden instituted a mask mandate on federal property, increased support for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, streamlined data collection and sharing related to COVID-19, and invoked the Defense Production Act to increase supplies essential to fighting the pandemic. President Biden has also launched two task forces to provide policy recommendations on racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes and to facilitate the distribution of COVID-19 tests. President Biden also signed many executive orders aimed at economic relief for workers in the recession including one that will continue the freezing of student loan payments until October 2021 and request that the Department of Veteran Affairs freeze veterans’ federal debt payments. Additionally, President Biden has also taken significant executive action on climate change by re-entering the Paris Climate Accord, closing the Keystone XL Pipeline, establishing an office of Domestic Climate Policy, and suspending new oil and gas leases on public land. Two other executive orders ended the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military and extended non-discrimination protections to the LGBTQ community. Overall, President Biden has signaled through his executive actions that the federal government will be breaking heavily with the policy consensus of the last four years. And more executive actions revoking Trump-era immigration and health policy show that President Biden is setting the stage for the legislative agenda to follow.
So far, the Biden Administration has pushed hard for two key pieces of legislation: a 1.9 trillion-dollar stimulus bill and a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The Biden Administration’s proposed stimulus, The American Rescue Plan, contains a stimulus check of $1,400 for each eligible person and enhanced unemployment benefits of $400 a week instead of the $300 passed back in December. Furthermore, while current federal unemployment benefits are set to expire in March, the American Rescue Plan would extend the benefits until September 2021. A second tenant of the program would put thirty billion dollars towards helping struggling renters pay their utilities and rent, while also extending the moratorium on evictions. Another four billion dollars is allocated for women’s and children’s nutrition programs in the states and territories. The emergency paid family and sick leave program will be extended in the American Rescue Plan and 350 billion dollars will be allocated to state and local governments, along with 15 billion dollars for small business. In other words, it’s a huge program. The final part of Biden’s stimulus program is raising the minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour—a component of the stimulus that, along with the size of the stimulus checks, has drawn ire from some and made the package potentially harder to swallow for Congress. Congressional leaders continue to work with the administration on the specifics of the stimulus legislation, but President Biden and his Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, have made it clear that they are more concerned about the consequences of passing a stimulus bill that is too small, rather than one that is too large. Given the Biden Administration’s adamance on delivering a robust stimulus, it is likely they will use the Budget reconciliation process to avoid a Republican filibuster and ensure the plan’s passage. Along with the American Rescue Act, President Biden has proposed a strong reform of the American immigration system through the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. First and foremost, the legislation would grant a path to citizenship for every undocumented person living in the United States. Secondly, the bill starts to address the reasons for mass migration from Central America, allocating 4 billion dollars to governments in Central America to address poverty and crime. The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 will also invest in technology for border protection and officer training, while also increasing accountability for DHS officers. The Biden Administration is undoubtedly less loud, less perverse, and less chaotic than its predecessor; but it’s still as important as ever to pay attention to federal policies and hold our elected officials accountable — the fight is not over yet. Photo courtesy of Unsplash
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FINDING INSPIRATION Greta Kresse|Featured Artist
Towel and Scissors, 12x12, Oil on Board, 2020 My name is Greta Kresse, and I am an oil painter. I make colorful narrative figurative paintings that focus on intimate interiors and daily life. Art has always been an essential part of my life. Since I was born, my father supported our entire family off of his own art. I am still so inspired by him and his work. However, it took me a long time to carve my own path and establish what painting and art meant to me. When I was in high school, I, like many of my peers, searched for something that I could call my own. When I began to take art seriously, I found that I had some initial skills that motivated me to work harder and harder. When you’re in high school, there are many opportunities to receive recognition for your work, which is excellent for a young artist. I won a lot of awards and felt unstoppable. I am still very proud that I was very ambitious during that time, making large scale oil paintings and always experimenting. I learned a lot during that time but I had no idea how little I really knew. I desperately needed to be knocked off balance to get better, and I found that. After my freshman year of college, I was encouraged to attend the New York Studio School by my painting professor Matthew Lopas. I went with my good friend Geneva Hill, and I couldn’t have anticipated how much my work would change. We were painting 8 hours a day, and then going to galleries and museums in our free time. I went into the program thinking I would make the best work of my life. Instead, I don’t think I made a single good painting. I was painting from life and not photos, which was a rude awakening to all of the harmful habits I had acquired over my earlier years of painting. When I worked from images, my figures were so perfect they almost looked like dolls,
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and when I painted from life, I was turning my figures into those same creepy figures. My relationship with painting had always been about the final image, not the process. I left New York confused but determined not to give up on painting. After the next year, I built my portfolio with Professor Lopas’s help. One of the best things I did during this time was produce a lot of work. Producing a high volume of artwork takes away a lot of fear; if I were tentative about painting, it would never be a compelling or fun experience. I felt it was time for another change, so I applied to attend the Mount Gretna School of Art. It was a seven-week painting program that rotated numerous teachers, lecturers, and critiques. I had never heard so many different approaches to art in my life. For the first time in my life, I felt totally amongst my people. The classes at MGSoA are primarily focused on landscape painting, and I felt totally overwhelmed by that subject matter. It was the most complicated thing I had ever tried to tackle, and I thought I had to find each leaf, which was an impossible struggle. The other students there were so much better than me, and while I felt like I was making fine paintings, I didn’t have a unique perspective. Luckily, since I was there for so long, I just tried to be open to learning and working as hard as possible. I focused on big shapes instead of details and began to refine the way that I mixed color. Plein air painting is about presence and wit. You can spend your whole life building technique, but unless you can manipulate those skills to make something truthful, the artwork will be flat. Now when I paint, it is a constant battle of building something up and tearing it down again. I find the most joy in the discomfort and
Painting: Jonah, 36x24, Oil on Board, 2020
struggle of creating a painting. I am a deeply impatient person who is addicted to my phone, but I can be present with my body and the subject when I paint. I found that I liked using oil paint on a masonite board. I prefer masonite because it is very responsive to fluid mark-making. It also dries quickly, allowing for faster, more urgent paintings. Oil paint is the medium that I am most experienced in and is also the most exciting for me to work with. The relationship that I build with oil paint, by easily scraping and sanding surfaces down, creates more compelling works. Another thing that helped my work was looking at contemporary artists and reading about them. When I was first starting as a painter, I did not have many contemporary art heroes. It’s so crucial for young artists to be aware of what is happening in their field. By talking to my artist friends and teachers, following contemporary art blogs, and going to more galleries, I’m finding a lot more inspiration from other artists responding to the same time period I am. Over this past year, I have been working on my senior show. I haven’t found COVID-19 particularly inspiring for my art. I was living at home with my parents, and everything felt quiet. So when I started painting, my work became smaller and more personal. I began doing more still-lifes and self-portraits. The great thing about being a plein air painter is I just respond directly to my surroundings, so I think my upcoming show will reflect a lot about how bizarre this past year has been. I am still learning so much about art, and while I hope I am never comfortable with my practice I know I’ll always love it.
Find more of Greta’s work at www.gretakresse.com, or on Instagram @g.kresse.art. FEBRUARY 2021
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READING THE ROOM Three years after the events that sparked outrage across campus, Chi Alpha remains under scrutiny Lauren Allen| Staff Writer/Photographer Editor’s Note: This piece contains mentions of homophobia, transphobia, and conversion therapy. Please direct any comments or concerns to the editor. Chi Alpha’s presence on campus has been a contentious subject from the moment the group was formed. Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship (XA) is a national network of Christian ministries sponsored by the Assemblies of God which operates specifically on college campuses. Their name means “Christ’s Ambassadors.” For some, the organization is a source of faith and belonging, but for many others, it’s a source of trauma. During the 2018-2019 school year, Chi Alpha came under fire for its agressive recruitment practices and homophobic beliefs. Hendrix barred non-student leadership from coming on campus for a year. Now, Chi Alpha and its leaders are back on campus, leaving many wondering if the organization has changed since these issues first came to light. This article features interviews from Chi Alpha members (both former and present), Hendrix faculty, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and student senators in order to understand the tumultuous relationship between Chi Alpha and the college. There are now two classes of students on campus who were not here to see what happened with Chi Alpha in 2018. A queer Hendrix student, who asked to remain anonymous, had a roommate who was a Chi Alpha member. The student felt pressure to join due to their “intense recruiting process with multiple events a week.” Ultimately, the student went to a worship service thinking that there would be no harm indulging them once. However, going to a single service only increased the intensity of their recruiting methods and the student felt pressured to become more active in the organization. Tiffany Richardson, a Chi Alpha mentor and adult leader, asked this student and their roommate to participate in regular two-on-one meetings with her, and the student reluctantly agreed. After becoming a member of Chi Alpha, the student came out to their roommate. During a following two-on-one session, Richardson read a verse from the book of Romans that describes being gay as a sin. Verses like this are often used by conservative Christians as to justify their homophobia to the point that they have become known as “clobber passages.” Richardson stopped and asked if either of them had been struggling with this “sin,” saying, “Your silence is an answer, so we aren’t going to move on until someone says something.” Feeling like they had no choice, the student told Richardson about their sexuality. Richardson told the student that “being queer will keep others from coming to Christ,” because “sexuality labels are antithetical to everything that the Bible teaches.”
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Richardson then invited the student to go on a “journey” with the support of Chi Alpha, from the “sin” of homosexuality back to God’s intentions for them. Richardson suggested that part of each week’s two-on-one would be a check-in and discussion of the student’s progress. She assigned the student “homework,” which included praying, searching the Bible for verses that present being gay as a sin, and then beginning to commit those verses to memory. When the two-on-one ended, the student talked with their partner about the meeting and decided to send a text to Richardson. In the message, they left Chi Alpha and explained to Richardson that what she had said was wrong and hurtful. After this, regular correspondence stopped. When the student shared their story, many other students came forward with similar ones. A 2020 Hendrix alumnus began gathering these stories to bring to the Student Senate. With so many students coming forward, it was clear to the Senate and faculty that Chi Alpha’s behavior was not just a single episode but endemic to the group. The college determined that Chi Alpha had violated the College’s Religious Life Ethical Framework. Ultimately, senior leadership were barred from campus for a year, and the administration enforced stricter rules about when and where Chi Alpha can recruit students. In the college’s discussions with Chi Alpha’s senior leadership, Richardson’s husband, Michael — a fellow Chi Alpha leader — promised she would take a step back from the organization, after Hendrix students and administration critiqued her treatment of LGBTQ+ students. However, according to the 2020-2021 Chi Alpha Constitution, Tiffany Richardson is still a member of the organization’s mentorship team. And, according to the Chi Alpha Instagram, she is just as involved as ever. Interviewing current Chi Alpha members left me with more questions than answers. Every Chi Alpha member that was interviewed insisted that there was a difference between the national and campus organizations. Despite many students’ insistence that they are distinct, the two groups operate under the same name. Furthermore, Chi Alpha Hendrix’s Constitution states, “The chapter shall seek a charter annually with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, USA (National Chi Alpha) because of the common goals which both organizations pursue... Affiliation with Chi Alpha is a privilege. National Chi Alpha reserves the right at any time and for any reason to withdraw its charter from a chapter. In the event that National Chi Alpha rejects this chapter’s charter, this chapter commits to change its name.”
Photo by Lauren Allen
The sponsorship by the National Assemblies of God doesn’t help their case either. In an official position paper which the General Presbytery adopted in 2014, they state “There is also abundant evidence that homosexual behavior....is immoral and comes under the judgment of God.” They go further still, identifying “homosexual behavior” as a physical or mental problem. Linda Seiler is a national Chi Alpha Missionary and claims to be a “reformed” transgender person. Seiler openly advocates for conversion therapy and prayer to correct “homosexual desires and transgenderism.” The disdain for members of the LGBTQ+ community is not just a national problem. Last year, a UCA student regularly gave her testimony about how she became a “reformed” bisexual and invited students struggling with their sexuality to talk to her. This homophobia was present in interviews with current Chi Alpha members as well. When an interviewee was asked about how Chi Alpha views members of the LGBTQ+ community, he said that “we hate the sin rather than the sinner...scripture is more clear on that issue in describing what Christ said and believed.” Chi Alpha is a part of a larger sect of Christian fundamentalists who take each word of the Bible literally, further suggesting that no significant changes to the organization’s practices and beliefs have been made in the last two years. Wes, a transgender student who went to a Chi Alpha service just two weeks ago, said that speaker casually began to talk about suicide and mental illness during the sermon. The speaker said that if someone was mentally ill, then they needed God in their life because prayer has a power that can fix anything. Wes wanted to leave during the service, finding the message to be very triggering; however, all the doors to the room were closed, and he and his friend felt trapped. At this point, he was crying. They planned to leave as soon as the service was over, but many Chi Alpha members approached them, inviting them to Devotional Groups (D Groups) and trying to get their phone numbers. Despite it being very evident that he was crying,
no one asked Wes if he was okay. Wes said that the looks he received when he told a few students that he was trans reminded him of the looks he used to get in his conservative hometown. He felt judged and disrespected, saying he “[didn’t] want to be there a second longer.” When speaking about the recruiting tactics, Wes said, “there’s a difference between welcoming and overwhelming... the things they were saying were not in support of... people like me.” The Student Senate holds little power in the debate. Because Chi Alpha receives no funding from the college, the Senate cannot censure them. However, Chi Alpha’s association with the Assemblies of God likely still puts them at odds with the Ethical Framework. The Framework says that “Religious group directors, advisors, and their students should share their faith with others in a manner that avoids harassing, demeaning, or disregarding the integrity and freedom of other persons in making their own decisions in matters of religious faith and identity.” It is clear that this has not been the case. Hendrix has long been associated with its liberal student body. Because of this, some students find it baffling that so many of their peers take part in an organization that aligns itself with these values. One of the students interviewed said that it is “frustrating and surprising to [learn that] people you consider friends are a part of Chi Alpha.... there are so many other queeraffirming faith groups on campus.” There is undoubtedly a degree of cognitive dissonance involved with Hendrix students who are a part of Chi Alpha. Many of them represent themselves online as allies, yet they actively align themselves with an organization that rejects the legitimacy of LGBTQ identities. Allowing such an organization to continue to exist unchanged puts our campus at risk of becoming complicit in the harm that it perpetuates. These stories must continue to be retold by future generations of Hendrix students so that history does not repeat itself.
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CULTURE
DAWDLING AROUND DAWKINS What goes on inside the welcome center? Roth Coats|Fact Checker
The Dawkins Welcome Center is almost constantly buzzing with people at work in the building and, of course, the visiting families that begin and end their campus experience passing through the iconic triple archway. A handful of students also work or hang-out in Dawkins, but most students rarely return to the building once they are no longer considered a prospective student. However, the staff who work in Dawkins want Hendrix students to know that the building has more to offer them than admission pamphlets and financial aid meetings. I sat down with two members of Hendrix’s Admission Team — Jeremy Dickerson and Jenn McKenzie — to talk about the space and resources that Dawkins provides for students, even after they’re officially enrolled in the college. I first chatted with Jeremy Dickerson, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Director of Admission, about why students should put Dawkins on their radar. Dickerson said that — with the college’s COVID-19 Response Plan — students now have limited access to popular communal spots across campus. But Dawkins provides an alternative space for students whose favorite study or hangout spot is no longer consistently available. According to Dickerson, “the decrease in available spaces” elsewhere on campus “ is drawing a lot of interest to Dawkins.” In fact, Dawkins has already been the location of two different events this semester: key pickup during move-in and a free coffee break, hosted by T.H.I.N.K. Coffee and Student Activities. Jennifer Mckenzie, Hendrix’s Associate Director of Admission - Campus Visitation, said that she hopes many more events are held in and around the building in the future. But the Dawkins staff hopes that more students come to spend time at Dawkins, even when there isn’t an event to attend, so Dickerson, McKenzie, and I created a list of the building’s best hangout spots. First, the back porch has rocking chairs and swings that are perfect for cloud watching, hanging out with friends, or just enjoying a calm respite from a busy day. Inside, you can sit by the fireplace and get caught up on homework, while listening to a curated playlist quietly humming over the lobby speakers. Or, if neither of those options fit your needs, you can sit outside on the lawn, enjoying a book and cup of tea or eating lunch on your official Hendrix College picnic blanket. Regardless of which spot you choose, you can help establish individual and community memories connected to the building. This is especially important because Dawkins is one of the newest buildings on campus, and many students may not associate it yet with any specific memories or campus cultural traditions. But it could eventually become the place you made a new friend, had coffee with your favorite professor, or escaped from the worst snow storm that Hendrix has ever experienced. At the end of our chat, Dickerson told me that he still returns to the spot on campus where he met his husband. He hopes “Dawkins can be that place for other students.”
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Photo by Rebecca Burks
Photo by Lauren Allen
T
AS
’S
NT E D U
E TAK
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Jay Vicente|Staff Writer
How students balance mental health and campus involvement How much work someone can complete in the shortest amount of time is considered one of the most important qualities in the working and academic worlds. While being productive is not an inherently bad goal, the pressure to be productive constantly (and not only being productive but being extremely productive), has warped the actual meaning of the word. While Miriam Webster defines being productive as “yielding results, benefits, or profits,” nowhere does this definition require or encourage the continual maximization of these outcomes. With that in mind, and with the first round of exams and projects coming up for many of us across campus, I asked a couple students what productivity means to them and how they keep themselves productive. Shaunell Henderson, a sophomore who is incredibly active across campus and beyond, says that being productive means “doing as much as my mental health will allow me to do.” She tries to prioritize her wellbeing over her need to be productive, but admits that it “can be difficult to prioritize myself before school work sometimes.” Any college student can tell a plethora of stories about all-nighters spent chugging Redbull and pushing deadlines to do as much as possible at the expense of a good night’s sleep. It’s an essential balance to master, and for Shaunell, choosing to rest instead of overworking herself actually yields better results across the board. Maggie Holland, another sophomore, simply defines being productive as “getting a task that needs to be accomplished, accomplished.” She prioritizes tasks based on what comes from completing them, like personal gratification versus academic accomplishments (each is good in its own right), and again emphasizes the need for balancing work and play. Anna Lawrence, a junior, says her definition of being productive includes being a good student and employee, taking care of herself, and leaving enough time to do the things that she wants to do. Sophomore Elijah Dilday pointed out that much of what he does to be productive fulfills a purpose. A nap is a recharging task that is just as productive as filling out a planner or attending a study session. When being productive goes well, it goes great. Tasks get done at a reasonable pace and it feels rewarding. There are always going to be days, however, where productivity just doesn’t look the same, or might not even happen at all. This is okay. Every student I talked
to struggled with finding the time for everything, and sometimes felt like they didn’t do enough in a day. These feelings are tough to handle, but thankfully, each student also had great advice about how to be productive. Shaunell encourages students to “have discipline, rather than [relying] on motivation.” So instead of waiting until she feels like doing something, Shaunell has established a habit of just getting up and doing it, which has helped her be more productive than ever. Maggie and Anna both encourage taking breaks. Maggie says that doing so will “keep your brain fresh” and that “you can always take a break from a certain subject and work on something else.” Anna warns about the dreaded burnout and reminds students to “be kind to yourself as you keep trying to hit your goals.” Elijah advises making it “socially advantageous to be productive.” Forming study groups with others creates a “social purpose in studying,” which makes being productive less difficult. My advice is to cater to your needs within the productivity sphere. If making your notes pretty or going to a specific spot on campus helps you work better, then absolutely do that. If listening to heavy metal while studying helps you focus and memorize things, rock on! If you need to set focus timers, take a lot of naps, or eat lots of snacks, that’s perfectly fine. Don’t discount your adjustments and habits if they genuinely help you be the kind of productive you want to be. There are countless methods for being productive, from planners to websites to full-on techniques. Personally, I find web apps like Notion and TickTick to be the most helpful because of how customizable and fluid they are. Shaunell recommends Microsoft To Do for list makers and Monday.com for those who like to get in-depth with their planning. If you’re not an app kind of person, planners and agendas might be the way to go. Being able to physically see and cross out tasks is marvelously helpful. Those who struggle with time management might want to give the Pomodoro technique a try: a period of work followed by a short break. Whatever the method, whatever the path healthy productivity is possible, fulfilling, and above all, personal. Your 100% is valid, and it always will be. FEBRUARY 2021
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REDDIT REBELS?
The Game Stop and Wall Street phenomenon explained Sophia Isely| Staff Writer
If you are anything like me, you have recently heard words like “Robinhood,” “online brokerage,” “hedge fund,” and “stock exploitation” across your various social media apps, but may not have had any clue what was going on. As someone who was not previously very educated on things like hedge funds and online brokerages, I was baffled, yet interested, at how a bunch of people on Reddit could wreck bank accounts (and presumably anger) a large number of multi-millionaires. Turns out, it’s not quite as complicated as it sounds. Essentially, a member of a popular Reddit online stock trader forum, called r/Wallstreetbets, urged followers to buy GameStop stocks. Since GameStop seemed to be a relic of the past (for me personally, the store conjures memories of buying Wii games in 2009), this investment did not seem like an obvious money maker. Though the forum was initially established for trading tips and stock market memes, its large following and a multitude of other users decided to actually buy stock in GameStop. This surprised and negatively impacted large hedge funds and investment companies, who attempt to increase their clients’ money by beating the market. The hedge funds essentially borrow shares of stocks and sell them. They later buy them back and make money if the price of the stock goes down. They can then make money off of that price difference. But if their predictions aren’t right, they have to buy the stock back at a higher price and lose money. So how were these Reddit users able to beat these millionaires at their own game? Before modern websites and apps like Robinhood existed, people who wanted to invest in stocks had to go through a hedge fund manager or stockbroker. But
because amateur stock buyers are now able to quickly and easily invest their money through online trading and investing apps like Robinhood, these Reddit users could beat the “middleman” situation of hedge funds or stockbrokers, and cause GameStop stock to jump more than 2000%. In fact, though the stock was worth less than $20 at the beginning of January 2021, its price skyrocketed to $347.51 per share by January 27th. It was at this point that Robinhood restricted trading, which caused many angry amateur stock traders to publicly critique the app. Robinhood’s CEO, Vlad Tenev, defended the platform’s decision, stating that “in order to protect the firm and protect our customers, we had to limit buying in these stocks.” Although many people think that Tenev was urged or perhaps forced to make this decision by a prominent hedge fund or market maker, he denies these claims. Regardless, Robinhood’s actions have angered both amateur stock buyers and hedge fund owners. Ultimately, the founder of r/WallStreetBets, Jaime Rogozinski, says this whole event has been a “symbolic movement.” What may seem like the crazy chance luck of random Reddit users is actually a step towards diminishing the unfairness and exclusionary practices of modern stock market dealings. Instead of only multi-millionaires being able to profit from the stock market, these Reddit users were able to work together to make decent profits for themselves. Rogozinski even suggests that “it’s the democratization of financial markets. It’s giving a voice to the people that didn’t previously have one.” This surprising social media trend ended up turning into a direct stab at corporate greed. Who knows what’s next?
Resources: Robinhood CEO Interview, Reddit WallStreetBets Founder Interview, GameStop Stock Mania, Hottest Stock on Wall Street, GameStop Stock Prices 16
HENDRIXPROFILE.COM
Photo by Lauren Allen
HENDRIX ESPORTS: A REVIEW
SPORTS
Danielle Kuntz| Staff Writer
Over the last few years, there has been an emergence of esports (electronic sports) programs in both high schools and colleges across the United States. When Hendrix announced the creation of the Esports program last school year, I am sure many students thought, “finally!” Of course, not too long after, COVID swept the nation, knocking many traditional sports out of season and putting them on standby until schools could figure out how to safely play them. Meanwhile, seeing as esports are played completely digitally with the only in-person exposure being a handful of teammates, COVID was the perfect opportunity for esports to thrive. As a member of the Hendrix Esports team, one of the most frequently asked questions I receive is “what games do you all play?” As of right now, we have teams for Rocket League, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Super Smash Brothers, which we use to compete in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). We hope to develop a competitive Apex Legends team, and we are looking for interest in Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra. Of course, we have our own Discord server to manage communications among each one of these teams. Although I am a part of Hendrix Esports, there is a lot of information that only our coach, Coach Horton, could know— so I asked him if he could answer some questions about the program. I first wanted to know what drove Hendrix to create an esports program. The coach explains, “Hendrix developed the esports program for the purpose of the development of life skills, leadership, communication skills, and inclusion.” He continues, “esports is the perfect bridge between sports and academics, something that Hendrix prides itself on.” On the other hand, I am sure a lot of students are curious about the physical aspect of esports. Coach Horton affirms, “We are in the development stage of adding workout programs, suggested and guided nutrition— a lot of what you would see in professional esports.” Since students on the Hendrix Esports team are considered official student athletes but most of their work is digital, some may wonder if esports is taken as seriously as other sports. Coach Horton offers this insight: “the line of ‘is it serious’ has already been passed— it is just waiting for people to notice. More people watched the 2017 League of Legends World Championship than the MLB, NBA, MLS, and NHL combined.” Along with the public, corporations are realizing the potential of esports. Hendrix students may be surprised to discover that Bracken Darrell, the CEO of Logitech (one of our sponsors), is a former Warrior— in fact, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in English of all subjects. All of this is to say that Hendrix’s new esports team is a tremendously positive thing for our community. I feel
Photo by Rebecca Burks
very lucky to be a part of our inaugural season, and to have the ability to offer insight to my peers who are curious about the world of competitive gaming. Nowadays, online games and communication platforms (I’m looking at you, Discord) allow us to form lifelong friendships with people around the world, and find unique ways of bonding with those we already know. Coach Horton says it best: “esports creates connections, community, and a culture that is beneficial to the development of lives away from the screen… It is a way to create, and give back to students in a way that I wish I would have had the opportunity to experience on the other side.”
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COVID-19 AND HENDRIX ATHLETICS
How athletic directors and coaches are ensuring students’ safety Danielle Kuntz | Staff Writer When COVID-19 hit the nation early last year, Hendrix students were sent home in March with no idea that it would be nearly a year before they could return to campus. Student athletes had to stop playing before the season was over, while all students carried the hope that classes would occur in-person in the fall and everything would be normal again. Unfortunately, the entirety of last semester was spent at home, sitting in front of a computer. Student athletes had to forfeit playing their sport for months longer than they anticipated. Now that many students, including athletes, have returned to a campus laden with COVID-19 safety protocols, one might wonder how student-athletes and their respective sports are functioning in such a climate. Tonya Hale, Director of Student Activities, told me about some of the ways Hendrix athletics have been affected by COVID-19. She begins by stating, “because every sport is currently ‘in-season,’ most of our student athletes have the added commitment of practices and games all at once.” So, as if managing the college’s new COVID-19 protocols were not enough, student athletes are now busier than ever with both practice and games. Tonya continues, “Not only that, the teams have to share the athletic fields/gym space more than they are used to doing. Practices may be scheduled at unusual times… Some [student-athletes] also have to balance jobs with their classes and team commitments. They may find that they have to miss more meetings or events.”
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Caitlan Hillier ‘21, a student on the women’s lacrosse team, offers her firsthand experience being a part of Hendrix athletics while dealing with the pandemic. She begins, “this year, we have to be really careful [during] practice and especially off the field. We wear masks from the moment we get out of our car until we get back in.” Before each practice, each team member gets their temperature checked and receives a disposable medical mask. And all of her team members take a weekly COVID-19 test. She notes that the lacrosse team will soon be traveling for the first time since the pandemic began, and each athlete must be seated around and share a room with whomever they already share a room on campus. The team also cannot use their locker room, which Caitlin notes is disappointing, because it’s the spot of many “unexpected good memories.” As this unusual spring semester continues to roll by, it is worth remembering that some students may be under even more stress than “normal” - whatever that means as they attempt to balance their academic commitments, social lives, and athletics schedule. But though there is added stress on athletes this semester, Tonya reminds us that “all students must accept that this semester will be a weird anomaly… Both athletes and non-athletes will find it difficult to navigate anything beyond the college’s usual academic rigor due to the pandemic cloud that hangs over us.” This semester is indeed difficult for us all, but we must remind ourselves that better days are coming. And the only way to get there is by doing what we can to ensure the safety of ourselves and others.
Photo by Lauren Allen
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR:
POETRY
RACHEL STEWART
Part of a Murphy Foundation project to be titled “Spells for Trying Times”
For Allergies (or Worse) So you’ve got a cold, what a real shame — or you hope it’s a cold, as the alternative is worse. You try to point fingers, but you’ve got only yourself to blame. You’re allergic to the seasons! What a curse. To fix watery eyes and a stuffy nose, place a vial of salt water and green tea under your head at night. For a sore throat, no taste, and ailments like those call a doctor and get a test, and light a blue candle under moonlight. If you’ve got a cough, a headache, and a fever, mix feverfew and peppermint for quick relief. Keep to your home and don’t be too eager. To pass time, try sipping on hot water with tea leaf. But it’s just allergies, thank god, that’s all. Allergies will be all we worry about come next fall.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
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