Modern Love: Vol. 110, Issue 4

P ROFILE

THE HENDRIX COLLEGE

VOLUME 110 ISSUE 4

MODERN Love

Cover photo by Rebecca Burks

P ROFILE Let’s Talk about Love 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

One Year In UCA’s African-American Studies Program At Risk The Situation In Ukraine Love at an Angle Students Take Action Shall I Compare Thee Miss Hendrix Returns Race, History, Hendrix More Than a Celebration Welcome to the Black Parade COVID-19 and Athletics February Staff Picks Your Health Matters Roe vs Wade: 49 Years Later

Editor-in-Chief: Monica Martinez Online Editor: Hannah Diggs Photography Editor: Rebecca Burks Copy Editor: Josiah Vallone Layout Editor: Lauren Allen Layout Editor: Adison Linxwiler Photographer: Emma Sampson Green Photographer: Margaret Sampson Green Staff Writer: Sophie O’Reilly Staff Writer: Phillip Powell Staff Writer: Lauren Allen Staff Writer: Maggie Ryan Staff Writer: Charlotte McCombs Staff Writer: Shayne Brannon Staff Writer: Exavier Wells

ADVISOR Dr. Felipe Pruneda Senties

MISSION STATEMENT As a student-run and student-funded newsmagazine, The Profile uncovers the smart edge 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 glob-

COVID-19 and Accomodations

@Hendrixprofile

The Profile At Hendrix

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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Monica Martinez EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As you can tell by the cover, our February issue could not go without a spotlight on love. I say this every time, but I am thrilled and excited for you to read the pages that follow. The Love Issue is not just about traditional ideas of love–though we do bring you a variety of love songs and date ideas on page 16– but also about self love, how love gets translated into literature, and other ways in which we express it. We wanted to bring you a fun issue that will get you thinking about love in new ways, while also covering topics that are of utmost importance.

Not only is February known as love month, but it is also Black History Month.

In this issue, we spotlight student leaders on campus as we ask them what Black History Month means to them and how we should strive to spend it. We also feature a story on the history course “Race, History, Hendrix” led by Dr. Hancock. My hope is that you will not only read these stories, but that these stories will encourage you to interact with our fellow campus leaders and student organizations in continuing pressing conversations and educating one another.

Though Black History Month is a designated time to recognize the struggles and honor the accomplishments and work of Black Americans, accountability and recognition cannot not stop there. Our goal in these

feature stories is to spark a conversation that will continue and encourage students to interact with their fellow student body and larger community beyond these pages.

Finally and with much anticipation, this issue holds the iconic Miss Hendrix bios that students so eagerly wait for year after year.

As we continue grappling with the pandemic and traditional campus events make their way back into Communications emails, The Profile staff is just as excited to be able to cover these events for you. I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did making it.

All my best,

Have a question, response, or inquiry?

You can reach us any time at thehendrixcollegeprofile@gmail.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on the latest stories.

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NEWS

ONE YEAR IN What promises has Joe Biden fulfilled in his first year in office, and which have so far been unfulfilled?

Charlotte McCombs |Staff Writer

On January 20th, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris celebrated their one-year anniversary as President and Vice President of the United States — and quite a lot has happened since Inauguration Day of last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been persistent and ever-prevalent. The economy has been fluctuating and inconsistent. And tensions and political polarization are at an all-time high. Before and after his election, Joe Biden promised a lot. This, of course, begs the question — how much did he actually accomplish in his first year in office?

And which promises have gone unfulfilled?

Inauguration Day 2021 was a memorable one — it followed the infamous Capitol Riots, with adamant Trump supporters traveling from across the country to protest the then President-elect’s win. It also occurred amid the COVID-19 pandemic — all politicians, cabinet members, celebrities and family members were bundled up and masked to witness the swearing-in of the new president (and most importantly — the Bernie Sanders mitten meme was born.)

During his speech, Joe Biden spoke passionately of unity and persistence. He said that we, as Americans, would fight the pandemic together. In January 2021, talk of the vaccine filled news outlets — the vaccine was not widely available at that point for people who were not elderly, immunocompromised or exceedingly powerful.

As of February 2022, 76% of the US population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (USAFacts.org) This is in large part due to the successful campaigning of Biden. Despite the recent upsurge in cases due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, many Americans have been able to create a semblance of normalcy — returning to (more or less) what their lives were before the pandemic began nearly 2 years ago.

However, Joe Biden has made it clear that he believes there is still more to be done. Biden has been pushing vaccine mandates for over six months now — requiring vaccination for all federal workers. “Had my administration not put vaccination requirements in place, we would be now experiencing a higher death toll from COVID-19 and even more hospitalizations,” Biden said in a statement last month. Biden released this statement following a highly controversial Supreme Court decision — to block vaccines requirements for workers at large businesses.

Biden praised the Supreme Court’s decision to require all health-care workers to be vaccinated, but he was critical of their second decision — emphasizing his disappointment in the Court’s choice to “block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law.” Although Biden has greatly improved America’s standing in the fight against COVID

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following the Trump administration’s indecisive stance on pandemic protocols, he has not accomplished nearly as much as he had hoped for (or promised.) America is still divided when it comes to COVID — half are adamant that vaccination, mask mandates, and social distancing should still be in effect, while the other half are eager to get back to normal, hoping that the pandemic will resolve itself. Although it would be unrealistic to expect Joe Biden to overcome the vast polarizations prevalent in America today with just one year in office, one could make the argument that we as Americans have not been “fighting the pandemic together” in any sense of the term.

In addition to the pandemic (which of course was the most prominent issue during Biden’s Inauguration a year ago) Biden also promised that he would crack down on climate change. Another highly controversial and polarizing topic, climate change has been at the forefront of political conversations for years — (it was one of the few topics that Trump and Biden actually discussed during the tumultuous series of presidential debates back in 2020.) Biden has made his stance on climate change very clear — he believes that it is an existential threat to humanity, and that we must act fast before the damages are irreversible. In November, Biden attended the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, and made an impassioned speech urging other countries to crack down on climate change policy. “Will we act?”

Biden asks his audience. “Will we do what is necessary?

Will we seize the enormous opportunity before us, or will we condemn future generations to suffer?”

After his swift rejoining of the Paris Agreement back in early 2021, Biden has promised that the United States will “demonstrate to the world the U.S. is not only back at the table, but hopefully leading by the power of our example,” regarding climate change. Although the Trump administration undid much of the climate change actions accomplished by previous administrations, Biden has indeed been serious about climate change policy — ensuring that the United States is “back at the table.”

Joe Biden promised the citizens of America a lot during his campaign — for many Democrats and liberals, Biden became a light at the end of the tunnel of the Trump Administration, one of the most polarizing administrations in American history. Although Biden has accomplished a lot in his first year in office, he still garners criticism from both the left and the right — the left saying he’s not doing enough, the right saying he’s doing too much. Biden still has three years left in office before the Presidential Election of 2024 — and he will surely keep up his swift, resolute work in the hopes of gaining another four years to fulfill the promises he made in 2020.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

UCA’S AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM AT RISK

Local outrage sparks as the state’s only African-American Studies program is at risk of being discontinued

Exavier Morrison Wells |Staff Writer

Photos by Becca Burks In recent weeks there has been quite a significant uproar in our local community about the precarious situation of the University of Central Arkansas’s “African & African American Studies’’ (AAAS) major program. The program is at risk of being discontinued after long standing consideration of the low enrollment and graduations. . The decision to consider the program for discontinuation came out of the college’s annual review required by the Arkansas Department of Education, wherein the program’s graduation statistics were assessed. The Arkansas Department of Education requires that programs graduate a minimum of 6 students on average over 3 years. However, the college’s numbers reflect 1.7 per year between 20192021. Though the university administration has been contemplating the program’s fate for quite some time, the decision has still been seen as being out of nowhere by the student body and teaching staff alike.

This decision has sparked controversy in such a manner that it has spread far beyond the campus’s borders and has reached not only us here at Hendrix but rather has made its way to the state as a whole.

Rallies have been held with numerous students and supporters in attendance, and the online petition for the reinstatement of the program is at 1,125 signatures as of the writing of this piece. According to UCA students this is just “the straw that broke the camel’s back” for a long line of grievances that have been handed down by the administration. Frustration has been expressed due to the administration’s willingness to spend money on projects that are seen as non-essential by the student body as opposed to popular programs and amenities, such as the AAAS major program.

In a message to the dean written directly by the university staff, they outlined that “the decision to discontinue the major program in African and African American studies is harmful to students, harmful to UCA’s mission, and unnecessary in the context of the viability standards established by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education...[Furthermore] the elimination of the major harms the goals outlined in the UCA’s Diversity Strategic Plan to pursue and retain a diverse student body, faculty, and staff”. Seeing as this decision was made expressly without either the input or consent of the student body or faculty their vitriol and contempt towards the administration seems particularly justifiable.

As this piece was being written there was a

major update to the story in the fact that the UCA administration has decided to continue the program for at least another two years, and it can be inferred that this positive result was only possible through the work of students, faculty, and organisers who poured countless hours of work into the cause.

Local people who are dedicated to these issues however do not think that this temporary victory is, in any case, a reason to stop pushing for the full and permanent reimplementation of the program along with a real demonstrated commitment to the systemic racism that often pervades our system of higher education.

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THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE

A brief overview of the history behind the relationship between Russia and Ukraine Exavier Morrison Wells |Staff Writer Whilst the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is largely confined within the most recent developments over the past few weeks for the majority of the American public, in truth, this is a long and bloody conflict that has pushed the nation of Ukraine to the breaking point despite their tireless efforts to protect their sovereignty. Russia’s aggressive territorial expansion has laid siege to the very concept of Ukrainian independence itself in a violent struggle going back to the initial independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

Though the most recent, and most well known, flareup before the current day was in 2014 when Russia (through the help of violently backed separatist movements) annexed the Crimean region of Ukraine, we need to go back to the very beginning of the modern (post-soviet) conflict to garner a more full picture.

In the shadow of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine held a nationwide referendum and presidential election in which 90% of voters signalled their desire for independence from the newly formed Russian Federation. Following the initial independence of Ukraine, there was a series of widely celebrated democratic and fair elections, that is up until the 2004 election of a pro-Russian candidate in a political process rife with alleged voter rigging. The irregularities triggered what is known as the “Orange Revolution” which was a series of street protests and uprisings led by the opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko. During the re-run of the vote, Yushchenko was elected president, and once taking power he promised to take Ukraine out of the “kremlin’s orbit” and to refocus their foreign relations towards the European Union.

In 2010, the Russian-friendly politician Yanukovich won the presidency in an election that many international observers deemed free and fair. Following the onset of the election, the president signalled his intentions to strengthen allegiance with Russia and disconnect itself from the European Union. Shortly after, Yanukovich suspended trade talks with the European Union and directly sought to further economic ties to Russia in a move that is seen as widely unpopular by a majority of Ukrainian citizens thus triggering months of unrest and civil uproar in early 2014.

This series of protests grew exponentially and culminated with dozens of protesters being killed by both military and police alike. Within a day of this massacre by state forces, Yanukovich fled the capital of Kyiv, and the protest movement (with the support of the parliament) installed a temporary government until elections could be held. Under the smoke and turmoil of this time of change, the Putin regime of Russia quickly marched into the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine and annexed the territory in a flagrantly holistic violation of Ukrainian

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Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

national sovereignty. During this time a series of proRussian violent separatist groups (likely funded directly by the Putin regime) operate a deadly guerilla war in the territory despite multiple cease-fire agreements, a civil war that extends up until the modern-day.

Throughout 2014-2021 ties between Ukraine and the European Union strengthen as markets and travel are opened between the two, thus gravely angering Russia.

A direct appeal is made from the newly elected centrist president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Joe Biden that Ukraine is allowed to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (strategic military and defensive alliance) in an effort to protect itself against Russian aggression.

Starting in early 2021 Russia began massing troops upon the Ukrainian border in a “training exercise”that was quickly dispersed with little international incident or uproar. It was not until late 2021 that Russia once again massed its troops at the Ukrainian border, but this time they did not have the pretence of peace; instead, they issues a list of demands including a binding agreement that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO and for them to permanently give up any military involvement in the country.

If these demands were met, they would leave Ukraine effectively cut off from the “west” and leave them vulnerable to direct Russian invasion.

In recent days there has been a ratcheting up of tensions as Joe Biden’s negotiators rejected Russia’s demands and NATO along with US troops have been sent to the border regions in preparation for a potential invasion.

You are now caught up to date on the modern RussoUkrainian conflict as are the facts on the ground of early February 2022.

FEATURE

LOVE AT AN ANGLE

Students share their thoughts on love, societal pressure, and being single using responses collected from Hendrix students through an anonymous, online form Lauren Allen|Staff Writer Is there societal stigma or familial pressure associated with your relationship (ie: open relationship, same sex relationship)? If so, how does this affect your relationship?

Bisexuality means there’s a near-constant balance in pleasing people. Being in a straight relationship can ostracize you from the LGBT+ community. Being in a queer relationship can cause you to be seen as “indecisive” ….

She was not out at the time while I was. We had to be secretive around her family …. My partner is Iranian, and some of my more conservative family think the relationship is a joke or won’t last.

than anything when you come together again you feel a sense of being exactly where you need to be …. It feels exactly like cocaine. Except worse. I’ve been through both and cocaine has yet to fuck up my life worse than being in love …. A lot of people like to say that you don’t know what love is at [17], but it was the most pure and sweet love, and I wasn’t afraid of any of my feelings because of my lack of experience. I wonder if it would be different now. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been chasing that feeling ever since

What has your experience with dating apps been like at Hendrix?

I find the concept of meeting someone with the intention of dating them as opposed to befriending them and then that friendship evolving into a dating relationship very bizarre …. Something about it has never felt genuine to me …. Using dating apps at Hendrix have introduced me to some great friends, so I don’t have much to complain about on that front! …. I’ve made a good amount of connections and friends from them and have had a good amount of dates and hookups as well …. I’ve found that the dating pool is much smaller in Conway particularly for same sex dating, but more people are interested in actually meeting up …. Conway tinder is pretty rough. I don’t like the way people talk to me on dating apps. It feels objectifying …. mostly just for sex. they’re not good for much else. it’s different at hendrix because you see these people every day …. they don’t work for anything other than sex and it’s really awkward at hendrix because you see your hookups every day.

What does being in love feel like to you?

Pain, jealousy, fear. warmth, support, consistency ….

It feels like being seen, and having a sense of comfort …. blissful, obsessive (good way, not Joe from You type of way), exciting to wake up to, heartbreaking …. It gives a whole new perspective to life in all honesty. Life in and of itself is a wonderful experience, but when you get to share it openly with someone that you love, it becomes all the more enjoyable …. Right. Everything with the person feels right. Even when things are hard, the idea of them not being in your life anymore is worse and more

Photo by Lauren Allen

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STUDENTS TAKE ACTION ...to increase awareness and prevention of sexual assault Phillip Powell|Staff Writer Ever since the Title IX protest in October of 2021, organizers have been working to illuminate the issue of sexual assault at Hendrix. Lauren Allen, a sophomore anthropology major, started the Senate Taskforce on the Awareness and Prevention of Sexual Assault in November of last year, and since that time, the Taskforce has been leading the charge for increased advocacy on campus. The work of this Taskforce furthers efforts on campus towards combatting and preventing sexual assault. Membership of the taskforce is divided between Student Senators who are passionate about advocacy and student activists in the community at large who are interested in broadening efforts on this issue.

Because of conversations with many of the leaders on the Taskforce, The Profile can give students a glimpse at what they can expect from the Taskforce later this semester—and beyond.

The Taskforce’s inaugural event will be the Awareness and Prevention week, which, while originally slated for the start of this semester, has now been moved to March 28th through April 1st because of unforeseen developments in the pandemic. The Awareness and Prevention Week has already had its funding approved by Senate, with the approximate total cost of the event week being around 2,000 dollars.

Sophia Stolkey, a junior film-studies major and one of the prominent organizers of the protest last October, gave The Profile an exciting overview of the events the student body can expect to be included in the week. “We’re working with the theatre department to put on a show of sorts, in which we [members of the Taskforce] will be writing, and they will perform some interactive skits. So, it will be interactive with the audience, people will be able to interact with the actors on stage and ask questions and explore potential avenues for how each scenario can go.” Sophia hopes the joint event with the theatre department will take place in Cabe Theatre and will help participants understand how they can be an active bystander in situations where violence or assault may arise. Another event that Sophia is passionate about is a healthy relationships seminar, which will be led by Mary Anne Seibert, the Director of Counseling Services at Hendrix and the leader of a support group for survivors. The healthy relationships seminar will help students identify red flags in a relationship and encourage students to seek help if they are in an abusive or toxic relationship. Finally, Sophia was excited to talk about an informative film-showing that the Taskforce will hopefully be holding in conjunction with the Windgate Museum of Art and the Hendrix chapter of the NAACP to create more awareness of how sexual assault affects people of color, and to emphasize the inclusivity aspect of the Awareness and Prevention Week.

Two other student activists on the Taskforce were able to provide information on two other exciting features of the Awareness and Prevention Week. Elizabeth Yang, a junior psychology major, has been helping the Taskforce organize a free self-defense night for all Hendrix students who want

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to learn more about situational awareness and self-defense.

Elizabeth’s dad owns Spartan Elite Krav Maga in Little Rock and he specializes in teaching students about situational awareness and simple, easy to remember tactics to get out of a potentially dangerous situation. Thomas, another member of the Taskforce, is working with the Art Club to create an interactive art display that will be up on campus during the entire Awareness and Prevention Week. The exhibit will allow students to show their support for survivors on campus and increase awareness of how prevalent sexual assault is in the community. All members of the taskforce seemed very excited for a lantern-release style event that will be very accessible for all students to come and write down anxieties and stresses and watch them burn away.

Finally, in further conversations with Lauren Allen, The Profile was able to get a glimpse at how the Taskforce seeks to create lasting change at Hendrix. “The biggest goal that we have is to create a big list—and just a place people can go when something does happen to them that is not connected to the Title IX Office. The Title IX Office can be a good resource if you just want to report what happened to you and have that included in the Clery Report and in the numbers that Hendrix releases every year. But there isn’t much, in terms of resources and or guidance in getting through this process, because [what] a lot of people don’t realize is that [the Title IX Office is] there to figure out the facts of the case and try to reach a decision for both parties. [The investigation] can’t be biased.” [The Title IX Office finds resolutions beyond reporting if gender-based misconduct has taken place. -Ed.] Lauren is hoping to use her time as Chair of the Taskforce to establish a whole network of support services for survivors and to use the Taskforce as an organization that works to connect survivors to the resources they need in addition to those provided by the Title IX office. Information on organizations that provide free legal aid, and a list of professors who are highly knowledgeable about the Title IX process and who are willing to be advisors and advocates are just two of the resources the Taskforce is working on implementing for students. Lauren is also advocating for the establishment of a staff position in the Administration that would advocate for survivors. “In a perfect world this wouldn’t be something that is student-run. There would be like, a real, paid adult doing this. And it really sucks that students are the ones—survivors are the ones—taking the lead on this.” Lauren wasn’t entirely sure how the future of the Taskforce would look when asked, but she was adamant about expanding the Taskforce into a formal organization on campus.

Regardless of whether the Taskforce ends up being a formal Senate Committee or if the Taskforce becomes its own organization, it’s clear that the members of the Taskforce are ready to put their organizing skills to work making Hendrix a much safer and more aware campus.

SHALL I COMPARE THEE Why People Love Love Poems (featuring Dr. Julia KolchinskyDasbach) Shayne Brannon |Staff Writer

Some things have become such classic symbols of affection that they’re almost cliches. Flowers, chocolate, and other gifts are easy to come by and send a very clear message to your partner. Other iconic gestures, such as love songs and love poems are a little more difficult to pull off but do add a personal touch.

Earlier this month I spoke to the on-campus expert regarding love poems, Dr. Julia Kolchinsky-Dasbach, a visiting Murphy Professor, to figure out why they’ve withstood the test of time and how to write a good one.

First, it’s worth noting that love poems are often written and read outside of relationships altogether, at least romantic ones. Dr. Dasbach told me her favorite love poem was by Alexander Pushkin, and is simply titled “I Loved You.” “It’s one that I had to memorize as a child and recite in Russian. It was my mom’s favorite so it became my favorite through inheritance.”

Dr. Dasbach was born in Ukraine but immigrated to the United States with her family as a child. She remembers being about six when she first heard this poem. Along with noting that this poem became her favorite because of familial influence, she mentioned that she thinks family relationships can influence later romantic relationships.

“That’s how I learned about love. So much of what we learn about romantic love comes from what we learn about familial love.”

Many love poems can even be read in different ways.

What one person may interpret as romantic, another might interpret as familial. In some cases (like this one) it depends on where a person first encounters the poem.

Dr. Dasbach told me she didn’t enjoy most English translations of Pushkin’s poem because they didn’t have the same musicality as the original. Russian Poetry is “very difficult to translate” because the language contains many more nuances and its alphabet has seven more letters than English. As a result, Dr. Dasbach ended up making her own translation of the poem.

I loved you, and this love by chance, Inside my soul has never fully vanished.

No longer shall it make you tense, I wouldn’t want to sadden you with anguish.

I loved you speechlessly, contently, With jealousy, with modesty was stressed.

I loved you so sincerely, and so gently, As God permit may love you someone else.

As for a more modern love poem, Dr. Dasbach directed me to “Ladybugs” by Ross White. You can find it in his book Valley of Want (which she is conveniently featured in). The poem describes the origin of it’s author’s nickname for his partner, “bug,” and uses heavy contrast rather than typical flowery language to show affection. One section of it says, “so many insects receive pejoratives- / plagues of locusts, clatters of spiders, / scourges of mosquitoes.”

“It’s so phenomenal in the way it positions all the things we don’t think about love with the things that we do.”

So love poems aren’t even necessarily defined by the overwhelming adulations we often associate with them.

They can often be very quaint or even comedic. Although Dr. Dasbach connected with the musicality in Pushkin’s poem, that aspect wasn’t what made it a love poem at all.

This led me to ask Dr. Dasbach very simply, what defines the genre.

“I don’t know. That’s a tough question. Is it something about the erotic? The sensual? It makes us question our own romantic relationship or long to connect to the poem in a romantic way. It is my desire to be loved the way that the speaker of the Pushkin poem loves. This secret invitation for you to inhabit the poem.”

This description opens up the door to interpretation quite a bit. Some people want to be loved the way that a poet loves ladybugs, others more how Pushkin describes.

That’s probably why love poems are so abundant. People love in different ways and people want to be loved in different ways. There’s probably a love poem out there for everyone and if not you can write one.

Photo by Rebecca Burks

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MISS HENDR Meet the contestants who will be gracing the stage on March 5th

Cashing in at 5’5’’, Jeff Bezhoes is ready to rock your life. Whether it’s a sugar daddy, obscure product, or advice on how to get out of legal trouble, they’re the best there is. His unimaginable riches are nothing compared to his invaluable skills in the sheets. And don’t worry - their package will always arrive right on time. Wherever, whatever, whenever - Jeff will be there when you need them. All you have to do is click your heels three times and say “Daddy Bezhoes” and his prime delivery will be there stat. Looking to get away from this American capitalistic hellscape?

For a small fee, Jeff can take you out of this world - and into space! His private rocket is almost as big as his...bank account! So don’t be shy! See what Daddy Bezhoes has to offer and prepare to make yours. Cashing out, it’s Jeff Bezhoes!

Fierce. Powerful. Sexy. She is everything that you think you want and everything that you really need. As the reigning queen of planet “HER”, Hold Ya Kat is a firm believer in all things that uplift women. Her hobbies include long walks on the beach, hyping up all types of women, and sticking it to the man. Yes, that was a joke about pegging.

With her life motto of “Gatekeep. Gaslight.

Girlboss”, Hold Ya Kat is here to let everyone get a taste of what goes down in the Mommy Milky Way Galaxy.

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RIX RETURNS

Photos by Becca Burks

A normal field trip? With the Jizz? No way! Everyone’s favorite carpet-munching science teacher is back and ready to let loose. After receiving her PhD in orgasmic sciences, Miss Jizzle moved on to higher education and became an expert of the anatomical arts. But don’t worry, she still has quite the penchant for getting into some pretty sticky situations. Now, with the help of her Magic Toolbus, she’s ready to impart some knowledge about life, love - and of course - shaking ass! So buckle in and prepare to blast off with Miss Jizzle and the Magic Toolbus on the ride of your lifetime.

Clitney Spears is the hottest new drag queen on the scene, and oh, baby, baby, she’s ready to Work, Bitch! Her in Toxicating performance will have you believing you’re more than just friends but be careful - she’s not that innocent!

By the end, you’re sure to be screaming, “Baby, one more time!

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RACE, HISTORY, HENDRIX

“Dr. Hancock leads his students in an often-uncomfortable exploration of Hendrix’s history with race...while creating awareness of how the campus can move forward” Phillip Powell|Staff Writer

Beginning in the summer of 2020 with a reinvigorated Black Lives Matter movement, colleges, universities, and governments across the country began grappling with many features of public history in their communities. Monuments, memorials, and buildings dedicated to figures with troubling views on race were reconsidered and renamed as many communities around the country decided they preferred their monuments, memorials, and buildings to better reflect their values today.

Students, Faculty and Staff at Hendrix are almost certainly aware of the deep history of racism and white supremacy in Arkansas; however, they may be unaware of just how close that history is to where they study and work every day. Since last spring, Professor Hancock has been working to spread awareness of this history in a course titled Race, History, Hendrix. Professor Hancock explains, “The course is about how Hendrix-affiliated historians, so Professors at Hendrix and alumni, have written about and taught about the Civil War and Reconstruction, and the way that those historical interpretations have changed over time.” Race, History, Hendrix is largely a course in historiography, as students learn how various figures in Hendrix’s not-too-distant past influenced the narrative on race in Arkansas in their time. Four of the prominent figures studied in the class are former Hendrix President and Professor John Hugh Reynolds, esteemed Professor Thomas Staples, Professor David Thomas, and Captain W. W. Martin. Reynolds, Staples, and Martin all have buildings named after them on campus—John H. Reynolds Hall, Staples Auditorium, and Martin Residence Hall. Professor Hancock further explained “John Reynolds was the President of Hendrix for decades and he’s an important figure in elevating the profile of the College. Without this guy, the College is probably not what it is today. Thomas Staples is another major figure—and these guys were early historians of Arkansas who have strong connections to Hendrix. But their early work just didn’t take black political participation seriously. And that’s probably the most charitable reading of some of the work they did.”

Reynolds notably authored the influential Arkansas history textbook Makers of Arkansas History that had editions published in 1905, 1911, and 1918 and that were used to teach middle school and high school students for decades. “Those textbooks were in some cases, valorizing the Klan—that’s kind of the most stark example. It’s also the case that, and I don’t know how familiar Hendrix students are, but there was a Klan chapter at the College, and the College yearbook has a picture.” In fact, a picture of the student chapter of the KKK can be found in the 1923 edition of the Troubadour.

Two of these students, seniors Lily Berry and Dre Henry, took the course last spring and had much to say about what they learned from the class. Race, History, Hendrix tasks students with designing a project that aims to educate the public about the College’s history with issues of race and civil rights. Lily, who is a history major who intends on attending a graduate program in Public History, focused her project on John H. Reynolds’ legacy at Hendrix. “He is writing Arkansas history from a viewpoint that is troubling. He understands Arkansas history very differently than we do because he’s only thirty to forty years away from Reconstruction.” For her final project, Lily wrote a podcast script that could be used to educate others on the racist narratives that Reynold’s, and other Arkansas historians’, put into the historical record. “I will say J. H. Reynolds was not the worst of all Arkansas historians at this time, and that is an important

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point. He’s not the worst, but his writing sets the foundation for later historians to uplift the KKK more outwardly and argue that Reconstruction threatened, often wealthy, white southerners.

He’s the earliest writer, so all of these writers in the twenties and thirties are citing him as evidence for their more radical texts.”

Dre, a biology major who also hopes to attend graduate program in education, created an informative brochure for his final project.

The brochure was created with the intent to be used to educate people on the history of Staples Auditorium, Martin Hall, and John H. Reynolds Hall. Dre explained his motivation for making the brochure further, saying “One of the biggest things for me was that we use these buildings every day. I’ve had to use these buildings as part of my major, and I didn’t live in Martin Hall myself, but I have friends who lived there, so it’s just eye-opening to learn this history. Martin was a Confederate soldier, and he openly and expressly vowed his allegiance to the Confederacy. He was also very influential in providing money to help keep the College afloat at times.

Staples was very esteemed in academia, and he was also very discriminatory towards minorities, and particularly black people. A lot of his writings just had a pretty racist tone to them.”

When Professor Hancock, Lily, and Dre were asked what they thought about how Hendrix should move forward given the complicated legacy of many of the College’s historical figures—their answers demonstrated a depth and nuance that could only come about from a deep understanding of Hendrix’s past. Dre explained, “I don’t really know the best way to do it, but the best thing we can do is acknowledge it and be able to have conversations. It’s a conversation that we shouldn’t fight and that we should be able to openly discuss. It’s a hard conversation to know how to start, but I think one of the best things that happened was Dr. Hancock creating that class—to get the conversation going.”

Lily added, “I’m definitely not calling for, like, we have to rename buildings. I think it’s a complicated conversation that we should start having. We name buildings after people because they matter to us, right? But the things that matter to us change over time. So, the people who have buildings or memorials, named after them might not matter in the same way to us now as they did when those buildings were erected or named. The question that remains is, when is the difference between past values far enough from what matters to us now that we have to reckon with name changes?”

Professor Hancock also importantly noted that, “All colleges across the country, regardless of whether they are in the south or not, have had to do some of this work. It’s not just a Hendrix-specific issue. So, I want the course to be about grappling with this unsettling past, but also not about just staying there.”

Professor Hancock’s point is well taken, and to its credit, Hendrix has come a long way since the Presidency of John H. Reynolds.

Kesha Baoua, the Vice President of Hendrix’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion since 2019, articulated the many ways that she has seen Hendrix become more and more diverse and inclusive since she started at Hendrix in 2006. “Our student demographic has changed quite a bit. After the Office for Diversity and Inclusion was created in 2016, since we started having an intentional approach to be more diverse, we have more than 30 percent of students coming from diverse backgrounds. There was a time early in my career, when multicultural organizations really struggled to have support, but now there is a lot more support.” However, both Vice

President Baoua and Professor Hancock were quick to note the many challenges the College still faces moving forward. VP Baoua stressed the need for more diverse faculty and staff, and how diversity in faculty and staff have not kept up with increased diversity in the student body. Professor Hancock made sure to mention that a committee had been formed, a committee that is working privately for now, to find “the most responsible path forward for broadcasting this information and considering building names. It is on the docket of Administrators and Trustees— just how do we contextualize this information, and what is the responsible way forward for building names.” The committee includes students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the Board

Maggie Ryan|Staff Writer

of Trustees.

All in all, Hendrix cannot be immune to the forces demanding the College grapple with its own troubling history with race and it must decide how to best move forward with features of its public history. The Profile encourages all readers and students to reach out to the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, to faculty members and to each other to begin these difficult conversations that Dre and Lily mentioned. For once in our history, everyone has a voice in deciding the future of our beloved community—and The Profile encourages everyone to use their voice and begin conversations about where Hendrix has been and where Hendrix should be.

CULTURE

MORE THAN A CELEBRATION: Members of the NAACP share their thoughts on Black History Month and what it means to them

February is the month-long celebration of Black History month. In public schools, this month is often celebrated through a curricular unit teaching students about prominent Black people in history, such as Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks. Executive and at-large members of the NAACP chapter of Hendrix shared with the profile what they think about the month, why it’s important, and what needs to change.

According to Christian Maddox, secretary of the NAACP chapter at Hendrix, it’s an important time to showcase the work and contributions of Black people, but too often the Black History Month curriculum in schools only teaches about a select few figures—and even then, their full stories are often glossed over. Maddox used Martin Luther King Jr. as an example, saying: “Most of the mainstream portrayals and perceptions of MLK are of this completely peace-focused individual, but he also had other politics like organizing against state structures, and also being anti-war and anti-imperialist, but that sort of goes against mainstream politics—so they kind of push this image of him being a pacifist when he was a lot more than that.” Other members of the NAACP also mentioned the curriculum’s repetition in following interviews, “It always was a unit, sort of the generic stuff every year, MLK, Rosa Parks, that sort of stuff just repeated every year.” said Dominic Diamond, current freshman and at-large member of the NAACP. Shaunell Henderson, president of the NAACP chapter at Hendrix, presented another concern with the month: “It feels really performative. If you really respected Black people and Black history, we wouldn’t need a month—like, I’m happy that we have a month, that’s baseline, but I feel like there’s a lot more that needs to be done than one month of teaching Black history.” Henderson, along with fellow NAACP members Makenzie Henderson and Monique Williams, still believes that it’s important to have a month dedicated to the teaching of Black history, but it shouldn’t be limited to a study of the same three figures or only one month of

Photo by Emma Sampson Green

inclusion in a 9-month curriculum.

“If it’s one month where we’re just focused on trauma, instead of celebrating black excellence throughout the year, I don’t think that’s good enough.” Said Williams, one of the NAACP’s at-large members.

“To me, it means a little bit more to me now, just because when I was younger all the social injustices were happening, but it didn’t come out as loud as it does now—like the BLM movement in quarantine, and police brutality—so I value it more now because I feel like its really relevant.” said Makenzie Henderson, the programs chair of the NAACP. These students all expressed a similar sentiment: their feelings about the month are complicated. One one hand, it’s an opportunity to celebrate and cherish Black excellence and achievement within local and global communities—on the other hand, it’s not a simple solution to the systematic racism and trauma that shapes the Black American experience, nor should it be used to paper over instances where Black history isn’t taught. But overall, the meaning of this month is one of hope for these students, a time to celebrate, learn, and take pride in their identity and experiences. “To me, it’s kind of like a feeling of pride, if that makes sense. It can, and does instill a sense of pride of who I am, and kind of an appreciation or gratitude, especially when I see other people celebrating too.” Said Joshua McNair, student coordinator for B.R.U.H. Dominic Diamond offers a similar sentiment, and advice for how others can join in and show their support: “It still holds the same meaning as it did when I was a child, you know, it was a time to learn and to listen, but I think now in today’s modern age with technology and social media, it’s a time to show your support in other ways. There’s not always a march you can go to, or a protest you can attend, or some sort of demonstration—just hearing Black stories, whether it be through Instagram or Netflix—things like that have made a big difference.”

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WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE

When We Were Young Festival Revitalizes Teenage Dreams

Sophie O’Reilly |Staff Writer

Calling all early 2000s emos: our ultimate reunion party is coming up this October.

The When We Were Young Festival is a music festival put on by Live Nation, a critically acclaimed Photo by Paige Guess entertainment company partnered with Ticketmaster. This year, it boasts a bold lineup of pop rock and emo groups, such Avril Lavine, Bring Me the Horizon, A Day to Remember, The All-American Rejects, Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, and My Chemical Romance. If you have been within twenty feet of a Hot Topic, particularly during the years of 2006-2015, you almost certainly know some of these names.

While there are some undeniable heavy hitters on this lineup, there are over sixty bands playing in total, so almost anyone with an interest in pop punk can find someone they would love to see live.

The excitement and feelings of nostalgia ring true for the performers, too. Frank Iero, guitarist and backing vocalist for My Chemical Romance, notes, “…there’s a bunch of old friends on the bill. Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, Alkaline Trio and Glassjaw to name a few, so I’m excited every time I get to see those guys on the road. And there’s a few bands I haven’t seen live yet but really want to, like The Garden and The Linda Linda’s, so that should be fun.

But really there’s so many bands playing and it really does seem like there’s something for everyone at this fest, so I don’t think you can really go wrong.”

The festival is a much-needed spark of joy for the music community. Much like Iero, Mike Kennerty, guitarist of The All-American Rejects, When We Were Young Fest “will be our first show since Feb 2020. By accepting this show we’re obviously putting hope into the idea that by Oct things will have turned a corner, but we’ve all seen that you can’t just count on time to be a healing factor with this pandemic, so we’ll see...”

Beyond the confines of an ever-changing pandemic, there have been concerns about the festival and just how stacked the bill is. Following the Astroworld tragedy, festival attendees have been hesitant about how the organizers will ensure that the environment is safe. Kennerty notes that, “it

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certainly is a lot to squeeze into a single day.” However, he doesn’t believe it’s abnormal in comparison to other festivals. “It’s a lot of bands for a single day, but having played many festivals, it definitely seems doable.” He adds, “I don’t think these organizers are newcomers to this, so I’m sure it’ll operate smoothly, at least on the performer side. I haven’t heard about safety concerns (aside from the Covid factor, obviously), but, especially after Astroworld, I doubt these guys are going to be cutting corners or playing it loose with the safety.” Iero concurs with Kennerty’s optimism for a safe, excited show. “[My Chemical Romance] had been planning on touring for about 3 years now and that has really been our only goal. This festival is just one of the stops. However, it is the only festival that I know of with this particular lineup, though, and I know a lot of people seem to be really excited about it… it seems everyone involved has done a pretty great job so far and I’m looking forward to playing.”

Most fans were not able to secure a ticket in time because of the incredibly high demand. If you are among the unlucky majority, but would like to get on the waitlist, you can do so by going to the When We Were Young Fesitval website and clicking the “Sign Up Now” button. In the meantime, dust off your rubber bracelets, find a clear backpack, and buy some box hair dye; you are going to need it!

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

COVID-19 AND ATHLETICS

SPORTS

Shayne Brannon |Staff Writer

Athletes discuss the different restrictions they face regarding COVID-19 Many Hendrix students were disappointed by the Spring semester starting online for a week. The omicron variant has resulted in the college continuing many of the previous safety protocols which students had hoped would be unnecessary right now.

Student Athletes in particular have been dealing with COVID-19 safety protocols from both Hendrix and athletic organizations such as the SAA. Many sports require them to be in close contact with their teammates and members of other schools which may have differing requirements.

Lilah Biggers, a sophomore on the lacrosse team, pointed out that sometimes guidelines from the CDC feel insufficient compared to Hendrix’s requirements.

She specifically referenced the CDC’s suggestions regarding masking after catching COVID, saying, “I would prefer that if one were to get covid that they would wear a mask 10 days post sickness instead of 5 days.”

Student Athletes generally said that they felt Hendrix’s safety protocols were sufficient, but Lauren Berry, a senior tennis player, also mentioned concern about wearing masks. Berry said, “I would like to see more masking protocol by the Athletic Department.

I recognize that it is really hard to play sports in a mask, and unsafe for contact sports, but I wish that there was more encouragement for those who aren’t playing to mask up.”

Contracting COVID-19 while actively playing a sport did not seem to be a concern for student athletes. The conditions while competing are often safer than day-to-day life. Kinsey Bryant, a senior softball player, said that “being an outdoor sport definitely helps,” and that current safety protocols “are sufficient to prevent Covid-19 transmission during practices and games.”

COVID-19 safety protocols are much more strict while traveling for away games. Bryant from the softball team said “we stay in our hotel rooms, wear masks in public areas, get all [our] food to-go, and aren’t allowed to mingle with our family members.”

Even some home games have stricter rules than usual. Berry says, “We also have spectators for home matches sign up for tickets so that we can limit the number of people at our matches and contact trace.”

By and large, the current rules seem effective.

According to Berry the women’s tennis team has had no outbreaks at all even though some players have tested positive. All three athletes seemed very confident in their teammates’ cooperation with the strict rules and trusted them to follow all the guidelines.

This is partially because of how much is at Photo

by Emma Sampson-Green stake for student athletes. Biggers’ main concern was

that a COVID-19 outbreak “could lead to us needing to forfeit a game due to lack of numbers/spread of covid to other teammates.”

Bryant echoed similar thoughts: “after having our 2020 Spring Season cut short, we all just wanted to play our sport again. Therefore, we have had no issue following Covid-19 protocols with athletics because we all just want to stay healthy to continue playing the sport we love.”

It seems that although current guidelines are very strict, Hendrix student athletes are committed to following them for the sake of their sport and their teammates. They’re certainly at a much greater risk due to close contact with students from other schools and traveling, and with that take greater caution.

Fortunately, according to Tim Purkiss, Hendrix’s COVID-19 testing and tracing coordinator, only six athletes tested positive for COVID-19 during the entire Fall semester and he was “not aware” of any community transmission at athletic events.

Purkiss reiterated similar thoughts to the student athletes, noting that they “have been great about surveillance testing and contact tracing” which has resulted in the successful isolation of student athletes who do test positive. Due to this, Purkiss noted that Hendrix athletic teams have avoided any major outbreaks.

Photo by Emma Sampson-Greene

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FEBRUARY staff picks songs - “Love is a Wild Thing” by Kacey Musgraves - “Lover” by Taylor Swift - “Track Shoes” by Rence - “Soulmate” by Lizzo - “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” by Alkaline Trio - “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift - “Higher” by Rihanna - Lovers Rock by TV Girl - “Love Someone” by Lukas Graham - “amor de febrero” by Jay Wheeler 16

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covid safe date ideas

- Just chat and watch a movie over zoom. You’ll both hate it—it’ll be great!

- Walking date on the Tucker Creek Trail or Creek Preserve Trail - Skateboarding the Tucker Creek Trail or downtown, make a fun stop at the patio cafe for an outdoor lunch - Consider writing your partner a handwritten letter that you send via snail mail. You can include stickers, pictures, affirmations, tea, face masks, or whatever else you think your partner would enjoy. If you’d like, you can tell them to give you a call so that you can see their reaction. It’s a great way to show your partner that you’re thinking of them, especially if you can’t be physically together.

- Picnic - Go for a hike at Pinnacle or Petit Jean - board game night + a bake off

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

OPINION

A Valentine’s Day Reminder to Chronically Ill People Sophie O’Reilly| Staff Writer

This is the third article I have written about living with chronic conditions during the pandemic. Something tells me it will be far from my last. I am not trying to sound like a broken record. Though if you find the drudgery of my content tiresome, imagine the monotony of living with medical conditions.

I no longer feel inclined to make that sound palatable for able-bodied people. It is not because I have not been met with compassion and understanding from many of my able colleagues, or that I am ungrateful for their support. My disinterest in sugar-coating comes from extreme emotional exhaustion. Like everyone else, I am experiencing some real pandemic burn-out. In addition, I am (to my knowledge) the only student who is still learning remotely. I have not been able to leave the house since before Christmas. And, as has always been the case for me and my conditions, feeling sick has left me sleep-deprived, overwhelmed by school commitments, and just plain tired.

While I cannot claim to have experienced anything close to the scope of the pandemic, people with comorbidities are always forced to grapple with feeling sequestered from public life. Disabled people experience feelings of loneliness, low perceived social support, and social isolation at approximately twice the rate of able-bodied people. Disabled people are eight times more likely than our able-bodied counterparts to experience all three symptoms. In saying all of this, I am not attempting to minimize the suffering and frustrations we have all felt because of COVID-19. I am, though, calling for all able-bodied people to closely consider how they have lived through the pandemic, and to ask themselves if they genuinely believe that their actions align with their social media proclamations. That’s about the nicest way I can think to put it.

I am tired. Please do not make disabled people beg for your mercy, your compassion, or to care for our safety. My willingness to frame this issue in polite terms is quickly wearing thin, and I think that is well to be expected.

Do not ask for disabled people to display immense emotional maturity that you yourself will not reciprocate.

It has never been more important for disabled people to protect and take care of themselves, so this article is not written with the intention of persuading the abled. This one goes out to everyone who has chronic conditions.

Media has not been kind to us during these past two years, has it? Perhaps you’ve heard seemingly harmless made by able-bodied people, such as “we’re all going to get it eventually,” or “the only people who are dying are people who were already sick.” I get it. It’s exhausting, and it undermines 100% of the self-care campaign that has been pushed for the duration of the pandemic. It is so easy to adopt a defeatist attitude in the face of so much public apathy, I want to re-affirm that your health—yes, you, the “unhealthy”, the “sick”, the immunocompromised—matters tremendously. While I know that it is sometimes impossible to treat all of your conditions, one area of our lives that we have true control over is how we take care of ourselves.

Self-care habits are statistically proven to be beneficial to everyone, regardless of their health status. Performing acts of self-love have been proven to decrease stress and increase

Photo by Lauren Allen

strength, as well as increased workplace efficiency. To be clear, you should not just take care of yourself so that you can do more work; you should take care of yourself because it is an inherently good practice to be in. However, I bring this up instead to frame self-care as a valuable life skill that is transferable outside of the parameters of a pandemic.

There’s no time better than the present. Here are some ways (suggested by disabled people for disabled people) that you can take care of yourself during this season of love, and each season after that!

Set boundaries: Not everyone is going to have the same risk-levels as you, nor will they have the same set of lived experiences that inform how they handle their health. You do not have to meet people in the middle when it comes to your wellness. You are a master of your body’s ins and outs; no one is more qualified to manage themselves than you are. Be willing to tell people in your life if you are uncomfortable or unable to do something. Do so unapologetically.

Listen to your body: One of the ways we can most effectively set boundaries is by having them with ourselves. In doing this, others will often follow our lead. This means that you have permission—and are encouraged—to take naps, cancel that coffee date, or miss class if you need to. Pushing through early signs of illness or exhaustion can defer the inevitable: burnout, frustration and sadness, and, sometimes, more illness.

It is okay to have moments where it is just hard: The endless stress of chronic illness can be crippling at times. If you’re like me, sometimes this means I end up having a “moment” in the middle of the work week, and I cannot explain why. What I am learning about my own body is that, when that happens, I need to stop whatever work I am doing and attend to myself. Yes, work must get done, but I promise you that it will. Do not postpone processing your feelings in favor of being “more productive”. Let yourself have your “moment,” and have an arsenal of tools you can employ to help you through them.

Sometimes, that means just having a good cry. Do it.

It is okay to take up space: There is nothing wrong with reaching out for help, asking for an extension, or otherwise needing accommodations if you have disabilities. Being accommodated in a world that views the able body as supreme is the absolute bare minimum. Dr. Toni Jaudon, Associate Professor of English and Chair of the Diversity and Dialogue Committee notes, “…I think it’s all the more important for disabled and chronically ill people to recognize themselves and each other as deeply and truly worthy and valuable, not in spite of their bodily limitations but rather with them and because of them. (You might notice that I’m saying “disabled and chronically ill people” instead of “people with disabilities and chronic illnesses”: everyone should name themselves in the way that makes sense to them, I think, but for me I think it’s insulting to suggest that I’m just a person who happens to have a chronic illness (as if having a chronic illness makes me less of a person?). I am who I am because of the things that have happened to my body and the way my body shapes how I live

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ROE VS WADE: 49 YEARS LATER How the upcoming decision puts a broken system on full display Charlotte McCombs |Staff Writer On January 22nd, 1973, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision — the infamous decision known as Roe v Wade. The decision stated that a woman has the right to receive an abortion without overbearing influence from the government — in other words, that a woman has the right to choose whether or not to receive an abortion. However, many people believe that Roe v Wade may not reach its 50th anniversary. The Supreme Court will make a decision this summer on the controversial Mississippi abortion ban — banning all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy — which may mark the end of abortion rights as we know them.

Every time Roe v Wade comes up in discussions with my friends, we inevitably think the worst. It seems like none of us think that it’s even remotely possible that Roe won’t get overturned. “Better not get pregnant!” someone usually says to end the discussion, and we all laugh, like we’re not just a little bit petrified of the possibility. It, sadly, is not that simple.

With the overturning of Roe v Wade, it’s not like abortions will just magically disappear. It won’t be a “historic change for life” like the President of March for Life, Jeanne Mancini, said. All it means is illegal, unsanitary and unsafe abortions. It means children being brought up by a parent who cannot provide for them, whether emotionally, financially, or both. It means that the crisis of children’s hunger, of child abuse, of child neglect will have more victims, more children to fall into the rut of an unstable upbringing. It means that misogyny will flourish and become even more prevalent than it is now. It means that millions of young women and children will become casualties of a system that claims to fight for them, but truly only ever fights against them.

As much as this is disheartening to contemplate, it seems that the root of all of this goes back to something, comparatively, inconsequential — like my friends’ reactions to the possibility of Roe being overturned. We all act as if it has already happened. We talk about hypotheticals as if they might happen to us any day now. As much as this kind of thinking is sadly necessary, it seems as though it is an illustration of a system that has been broken for years. Young women always assume the worst. We assume that if something negative could happen to us, and us specifically, that it’s inevitable — a side effect of being part of an overlooked demographic. It’s the reason many of us carry pepper spray to walk across a parking lot and check in the back seat of our car just in case. “I would love to take a long, quiet walk alone in the park. It’s such a shame 18

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I’m a woman,” one of my friends said recently.

We laughed, and yet, it’s really not all that funny.

Here, with the overturning of Roe v Wade, it’s a terrifying prospect that may very well become our reality. And therefore, we assume it will become our reality. By living a life filled with fear, cynicism, and anxiety, we become conditioned.

There’s no way I’ll take a walk in the park alone.

Just as there’s no way that the government won’t take away our reproductive rights.

Of course, the Court has not yet made a decision. They may prove me wrong. And yet, my friends and I will still prepare for the worst.

Photos curtesy of Creative Commons

COVID-19 AND ACCOMODATIONS How Hendrix is responding to the pandemic this spring

Photo by Margaret Sampson-Green

Maggie Ryan|Staff Writer

Editor’s Note: The College’s current policy regarding virtual classes states that if the College closes, virtual classes cannot be held. In addition to this, students that are isolated as a result of COVID-19 exposure are given the option to attend classes virtually. The policy also states that the College will not be resuming hybrid-learning. Students who are ill, whether due to COVID-19 or other illnesses, are not required to be given virtual class options. Students can reach out to their professors and the Office of Academic Success.

This semester is the first full return to in-person classes since spring of 2020. But the college is still figuring out how to balance a return to robust campus life with the still-concerning transmission and development of COVID-19, and with new variants like Omicron, there’s still reason to be concerned about the relaxing guidelines—especially when they involve students’ ability to attend and engage classes.

Since the semester began, Corissa Ross, ‘24, and Sophie O’Reilly, ‘24, have both had to navigate virtual accommodations amidst the return of in-person classes. Ross tested negative before coming back to campus, but a close contact tested positive a week later, the first Tuesday after in-person classes resumed. Ross started isolating and tested positive two days later.

Ross went home to quarantine, but now had to figure out how to attend classes and stay on track with homework—with the college no longer offering any hybrid learning options.

“I initially reached out to my professors [...] two of them asked if I wanted to come to class virtually, and I wasn’t feeling great, but I could sit in a TEAMS meeting, so I sat in those.” said Ross. But she still had assignments and readings for two other classes, where the professor didn’t offer a virtual option.

“I just feel like I missed a lot of class time, even though I was keeping up with the syllabus,” Ross notes, “I have a lot of classmates who were keeping me updated, but I’m still feeling very behind since I haven’t been in that class.”

Even after testing negative and coming back to campus, Ross says she notices a big difference in her understanding of the classes that offered her a virtual option and those that didn’t.

Sophie O’Reilly was also unable to return to campus for the first few weeks of classes— and had to have extensive conversations with college administration to figure out the best path forward. “Getting accommodations was a bit more complicated.

Because this is new territory for everyone involved, setting up remote learning involved conversations between my professors, my academic advisor, the Provost, my doctors, and my family.” O’Reilly said. “I was blown away by how people involved in those conversations stepped up to advocate for me and to reach a solution that worked for everyone.” O’Reilly was grateful that professors and faculty were willing and able to work with her to allow her to continue her studies without risking unnecessary exposure in the classroom, but the process was tedious—especially in comparison to Spring of 2021, where all classes had a potential virtual or hybrid learning option. In terms of what the college can do, even if virtual learning remains a thing of the past O’Reilly puts forward one hope: “I think that, if there were any areas I would push for improvement, I’d love to have a bit more transparency about how data is collected and used by the Steering Committee and the College.”

Taking these two accounts into consideration, it’s disappointing that the college has almost fully destroyed virtual course options—although the in-person classroom environment is an important part of the Hendrix classroom, as long as we’re living through the COVID-19 pandemic, it still makes sense to have virtual options in place for students who do get sick— especially as we all do our best to stay safe and prevent further outbreaks on campus.

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1600 Washington Ave. Conway, AR 72032