The Profile | October 2015

October 6, 2015

thehendrixcollegeprofile.com

Volume 104 | Issue 1

THE HENDRIX COLLEGE

PROFILE

Campus Safety___4 Arkansas Advantage___6 Stuff to Do in Conway___8 Restaurant Review: Shorty’s___15

IN OUR OWN BACKYARD THE LOCAL ISSUE

THE PROFILE

CONTENTS

Volume 104 Issue 1 October 2015

Photo by Megan Prettyman

NEWS 3 $26 Million Donation Implications for school’s future

4 Campus Safety New measures taken

4 News Briefs

National and international news

OPINION 5 Editorial

By Editor-in-Chief MK Barker

5 Pros/Cons of Cameras New initiative raises controversy

FEATURE 6 AR Advantage In-state scholarship aids students

8 Stuff to Do in Conway Hidden treasures beyond campus

10 HDX Bike Revolution Students take initiative

10 HDX Students

pg.6: AR Advantage

How to know you’re one

11 Local Internships

THE PROFILE STAFF

Passion beyond the campus

SPORTS 12 State of Football

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Program’s status after three years

13 Swim Team Coaches New coach stabilizes program

MARY KATHERINE BARKER 501-213-5885 BarkerMK@Hendrix.edu

MANAGING EDITOR

CULTURE 14 Fall Concert Preview of STRFKR

15 Shorty’s

LAYOUT EDITORS JACKIE OAKLEY LUCY MORGAN

PHOTO EDITOR

MEGAN PRETTYMAN

CASEY HAWKINS 501-231-6216 HawkinsCT@Hendrix.edu

COPY EDITOR

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS

CHIRAG LALA

Restaurant review

JAMES OWEN

MADISON DEALING JORDAN MAY KONRAD WITKOWSKI

15 Señor Tequila Location opens in Conway

16 Best Summer Movies “Mad Max”/”Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”

18 Calendar

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STAFF WRITERS

CONNOR NEWTON GINNY GREER MCKENNA JACQUEMET BAYLEY KRELL SARAH GILMOUR MARLEE BIRD GREER VEON

NEWS

The $26 Million Gift

Hendrix receives largest donation in its history

By Sarah Gilmour

O

an expensive one, but it’s been good for us.

“We attracted 160 first-year students from Arkansas this year, which is more than we’ve had in over a decade, and Mary Ann’s generosity will help us continue that program down the road.”

Other scholarships that the donation will be funding include scholarships that will increase diversity on campus and a variety of other scholarships to keep costs down, which Tsutsui was very grateful for.

Photo by Josh Daugherty

n Aug. 26, Hendrix College President William Tsutsui announced that the college received $26 million from the estate of Mary Ann Dawkins. The gift is the largest that Hendrix has ever received.

Tsutsui was surprised to learn of the donation last year.

“It was right after Christmas break, so this would have been nine months ago,” Tsutsui said. “I came back, and on the first day, the vice president for advancement, Ellis Arnold, called me up and said, ‘Bill, someone who I know has remembered us in their will has passed away, and I think it’s going to be a lot of money.’”

In the morning, Arnold told Tsutsui the donation might be around $5 million.

By mid-morning, Arnold told Tsutsui the donation might be closer to $10 million.

In the afternoon, the suspected size of the donation was still growing.

“End of the afternoon, [Arnold] calls me up and says, ‘Bill, this is the phone call everybody in development wants to make once during their career. I think it’s going to be more than 20 million.’ So, it’s really amazing,” Tsutsui said.

Many people in the Hendrix community, including Tsutsui, were interested to learn that the donor was not a graduate of Hendrix.

“What’s really incredible, though, is the story,” Tsutsui said. “Mary Ann Dawkins, after her husband died, went to a candlelight carol service in Little Rock and was so moved by it, she made a small gift to the college. For all we know, over the intervening decades, we never once directly asked her for money, but she remembered us that whole time. When she wrote her will, she made sure that the residual, after she made other gifts to other people, all the rest went to us. I think that was incredibly, incredibly generous.”

Most of the money received will be going towards scholarships and financial aid, including scholarships like the Arkansas Advantage program.

“Mary Ann Dawkins was clear that she wanted this to aid students, and so the vast, vast majority of it will be used to help us continue to offer those generous scholarship packages we offer to students,” Tsutsui said. “Things like the Hendrix Arkansas Advantage that we launched last year to keep Hendrix affordable for young people I think are very, very important. That program is

“The daily struggle we have is, of course we want to offer the best education possible,” Tsutsui said. “I think we’re doing a great job right now. But, really keeping Hendrix within the reach of all students and their families, to me, is at the top of my list. We can’t sacrifice what we’re doing on campus, but we’ve got to find some way to control those costs and keep the financial aid strong. I’m just so thankful to have the ability to do that with the Dawkins gift.”

Some of the money will also be going towards a new welcome center for the campus.

“We’ll be taking a very small part of the earnings of the endowment to put towards jumpstarting the building of the new welcome center,

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to get admissions and financial aid out of Ellis Hall and into a decent facility,” Tsutsui said.

“That building, the old president’s house here, is a lovely old place. It looks beautiful from the outside, but if you squeeze Karen Foust and all of her staff in there, and add to that several thousand students and their families every year… I’ve been in there, and the families have just been standing in the hallway, because there’s not enough room to sit down. That’s not a good first impression for the college. Since that’s something that really everyone on the campus will benefit from, and it really helps get the word out there about Hendrix to so many people, Mary Ann’s family thought that dedicating their funds towards that building would be very suitable. It gives us a permanent monument in her honor.”

The new facility will be called the Mary Ann and David Dawkins Hendrix College Welcome Center. “[The welcome center] will remind people when they come to campus... about someone who is so wonderful, so touched by what was happening on this campus, that she remembered us so generously,” Tsutsui said.

Although the new building will be replacing Ellis Hall in purpose, Ellis itself will remain on campus.

“Ellis Hall will continue to stand,” Tsutsui said.

“We will have people come in where the Raney building is currently. So, the Raney building will be coming down, and then the goal, eventually, is to renovate Ellis Hall, so hopefully either one or both of the departments currently in the Raney building will go in there.”

Tsutsui thanked the community for their support and joked that he will continue to search for the next donor.

“What I really love about this donation is that this wasn’t somebody we were chasing down,” Tsutsui said. “I’ve said many times that I wish I could take credit for this, and I know the development person wishes they could take credit for this, but credit really belongs to this community – to everyone that makes Hendrix such a wonderful place. I think Mary Ann sensed that specialness. That, I hope, will keep other donors engaged in the future, because the minute we had this gift, I was out looking for the next $26 million donor who can help us out. Believe me, we can spend the money easily!”

NEWS

Safety

Campus

New measures increase security

By Bayley Krell

S

afety has been a much-debated subject on campus following the sexual assaults and burglaries of the 2014-2015 school

year.

This discussion has been reinvigorated following the sexual assault at the Huntington apartment complex this summer. Campus administration has been working with Public Safety to take steps towards making campus safer for students. In an effort to create an open dialogue with students, the first Project Pericles of the year was centered on campus safety.

“I think we had some good ideas come out in the project, some clarification about concerns and questions,” Jim Wiltgen, dean of students, said. “As always, because it’s Hendrix, we had some good ideas come out of the discussion and from students after the meeting.”

One of the main topics covered in the discussion was the prospect of installing passive cameras in key locations on campus. Passive security cameras are cameras that are always recording but do not have someone actively reviewing them. The film would only be watched

if an incident was to occur and the recording would be needed.

The student life committee will review the issue of cameras and advise both Student Senate and the administration on what actions they believe are necessary. In conjunction with cameras is the matter of lighting. The school is looking to install pole lights, similar to the lights in parking lots, in the Huntington parking lot and other areas on campus.

“They’re broad, splashing lights to give us more lighting,” Wiltgen said. “They come in conjunction with cameras because you want to marry your camera and lighting together so you have the right lighting for the right camera.”

In order to correctly choose the placement of lights and cameras, Hendrix is working with an outside agency to explore options for the utmost security and coverage.

The other safety measure installed on campus is the blue light system placed in various locations around campus.

“I do know that people feel like there’s some safety in having those lights on campus, but

NEWS BRIEFS

By Ginny Greer

Teenager’s arrest inspires social movement 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested at his school in September for bringing a homemade clock to school. The administration called the police on the suspicion that the clock was a weapon, although Mohamed was not ultimately charged. Many Americans have come to the young man’s defense, claiming this incident is part of a larger issue of Islamophobia and ethnic profiling. President Obama included himself in the conversation by illustrating support for Mohamed’s ingenuity via Twitter. This is one of many civil rights issues that have galvanized people around the nation this year to critique the justice system and seek reform in law enforcement policy.

(CNN)

Pope visits United States The much-anticipated U.S. papal visit, announced in the fall of 2014, took place in the week of September 22-27 of this year.

Pope Francis was welcomed to the United States by a papal parade along the National Mall in D.C. Activities on Pope Francis’ busy itinerary included meeting with President Obama, addressing the U.S. Congress, and visiting local schools and correctional facilities.

(U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)

they don’t get a lot of use,” Wiltgen said.

The blue light phones were installed in a pre-cell phone era and have less of an impact as a tool to contact Public Safety in the event of an emergency. However, one function of the system is to alert Public Safety of your location if you are unable to speak or remain conscious.

At this time, there is no plan to remove, renovate or replace the existing blue light system.

Despite the precautions being taken by the administration to make campus safer, it is important to take personal precautions to stay safe. These include walking in pairs, locking your home and vehicle, alerting others to your whereabouts and watching for suspicious behavior.

“The campus is safest when we’re all helping each other and looking out for things that are out of the ordinary,” Wiltgen said. “It takes us paying attention to those things and calling them in. If you see something on campus that is a concern, if a light is out or something more serious, contact facilities or my office and we’ll address it.”

Trump rising in GOP polls; Clinton declines in Democratic race Affluent businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose comments regarding issues ranging from women’s rights to immigration has stirred the nation in a sudden re-awakening of political fervor, appears to be leading in the GOP presidential polls. As of midSeptember, 39 percent of Republicans identified Trump as the party’s greatest hope for securing the presidency. He is closely followed by Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon whose support has swelled from 6 percent to 23 percent within the month.

Hillary Clinton, conversely, appears to be shrinking in supporters for the Democratic nomination. Although she leads the polls as of now, her edge over Senator Bernie Sanders has been more than halved—falling from a 41-point lead to a 20-point lead.

(NY Times)

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Refugees face closed borders from EU nations Violence has broken out between Serbia and Hugary after a mob attempted to break through barriers at the Hungarian border to enter the EU. These refugees, desperate to escape violence in the Middle East, attempted to force Hungarian police to allow them admission into the nation.

The police used tear gas and water cannons to subdue the mob and force them back to the border. In response, many countries in the EU, namely Germany and Italy, have taken measures to secure border control, including shutting down train stations. Some nations, however, have adopted a more open policy. Croatia opened up its borders to refugees, offering them asylum. This adds to the pre-existing refugee crisis, as over 430,000 migrants have fled to Europe this year from countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea. Both President Obama and the EU are developing plans to accept more refugees. Google has also agreed to match up to an $11 million donation for refugees worldwide.

(CNN)

OPINION

From Milan to Conway: The return to “Homedrix”

By Mary Katherine Barker, Editor-in-Chief

F

rom the moment when we first step onto this pecan-covered campus as freshmen, we automatically become a part of “the Hendrix bubble.” We’ve all heard the phrase and I think, for the most part, we’d all agree that it’s true. No, there are no sticky, cellophane-like walls surrounding us and threatening to pop, but Hendrix certainly provides an environment unlike anything else I’ve experienced. When I drive into Conway, I feel no tingly sensation of familiarity – it’s only when I step foot into this red-bricked haven that I get the sense I’ve returned to my “Homedrix.”

When I’m here, I almost forget what the outside world is like. My life becomes controlled by classes, due dates, emails, and extracurriculars – not to mention the occasional party. The bubble closes in around me, and the rest of Conway (save for Chick-fil-A) becomes a blur, let alone what lays beyond these humble city limits.

But, what would happen if the bubble were to pop? What if we had to extend our reach beyond these comforting confines and go out into the world – would we still be our Hendrix selves, or would we transform into something entirely new?

These were the questions I grappled with as I frantically packed my bags around midnight on January 29, about five hours before I was supposed to leave for the airport to begin my semester abroad in Milan, Italy.

Struggling to zip my suitcase, I couldn’t help but wonder – am I going to change while I’m gone? Will I be able to return to Hendrix at the end of this journey and come back into the bubble once more, or will it have disappeared for me? These questions were soon pushed to the back of my mind as I sacrificed shoes for sweaters, and before I knew it, I was off to Milan.

For four and a half months, I ate nonstop, traveled to a new country almost every weekend, and made friends that I’ll have for a lifetime.

Hendrix was a mere blur in my memory, only brought to the forefront occasionally with a Facebook post or email, and my concerns about returning didn’t arise again until I was slowly stepping onto my flight home.

Suddenly, I was nervous – would I be able to go back to campus after all of this? Landing in Little Rock, I was practically shaking with excitement to see family and friends, but also with anxiousness. I was torn, feeling like I no longer

belonged anywhere.

Coming back to Hendrix was even stranger.

Gathering my things to move into my new apartment at the end of the summer, those questions I asked myself on the night I packed to go to Milan began swirling around once again. Am I my Hendrix self any longer? I didn’t know how I could come back after being gone, after having experienced so much. Once again, I felt like I was living in a bubble of my own – separated from anything, existing without attachment.

Now, after being on campus again for over a month, I’ve adjusted.

Once again, I’m managing my workload and spending time with friends, performing the balancing act that we all must do each semester.

I’ve learned that I can still be my Hendrix self, even after going abroad. If anything, I’m perhaps more Hendrix-y: “Unto the whole person” is our motto, after all, and I know that going to Milan has wholly changed me. And, while I long for a slice of real Italian pizza, I’ve learned to feel at home once again right here on campus.

There’s only one difference now: I think the bubble has popped.

Passive Cameras: Security or snooping?

By McKenna Jacquemet

I

n light of the recent sexual assault this summer, Hendrix has pledged to act to make the campus safer for students. The one action the college is contemplating that has set everyone on campus atwitter, however, is the installation of passive cameras.

Like many other students, I wasn’t very knowledgeable on the difference between passive and non-passive cameras. Passive cameras do not have someone constantly watching a screen, seeing everything the camera sees. Rather, the footage from the camera is saved and filed away so that should there be a serious or violent crime, the potential exists to use the cameras to identify the perpetrators.

The Committee on Gender and Sexuality’s recent online questionnaire reported that of the 376 responders, only 15 percent were opposed to the installation. To get more information on the concerns of my fellow students, I set out to ask others what they thought about the installation of passive cameras on campus.

Suffice it to say, people had a lot to say on the

matter.

“I am in favor of passive cameras on campus,” senior Lindsey Joyce Lauritzen said. “The presence of cameras will make no-gooder passerbys think twice about causing trouble. The campus is home for many of us, and cameras would give us a feeling of additional safety.”

This pro-camera sentiment was echoed in many of the people I asked. Most seemed open to the idea of cameras, so long as they remain passive, with the footage only being viewed when the situation calls for it. The difficulty of ensuring such security measures are followed, however, has caused some students to be unsure about whether cameras would be a good idea, after all.

“I am on the fence about this topic,” freshman Jenna Sandry said. “I believe it would be useful for students’ safety in the event of a crime committed against them, but I fear that it would be used against students to get them in trouble. Not that they would be monitored all the time, but say [Public Safety] is suspicious of someone do-

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ing drugs... if they could look and see the person committing a crime and then charge them with it, I am against it.”

So what should be done?

At this point, the decision is still very much up in the air. While the recent questionnaire shows majority pro-cameras, only 376 students responded out of 1,358 total, which is hardly a popular vote.

The one aspect that all students seem to agree on is that more information is needed. What will the cameras look like? What will the process for viewing footage be and what is defined as a “serious” crime?

Many people are worried that Public Safety would be watching for open container violations, or that “Big Brother” is spying over our shoulders. Should it be agreed on to have cameras watching our every move, assurances are needed that our trust will not be broken and that the camera footage will only be viewed if there is a serious or violent crime.

Getting the AR Advantage 2nd year of scholarship provides benefits for local students

By Ginny Greer

C

hoosing a college comes with a host of anxieties—finding the right program, evaluating each school’s graduate school acceptance rate, determining which cafeteria has the best chicken rings, and perhaps most stressfully, wondering how in the world to pay for it all.

Academically-driven Arkansas students who recognize the value of a liberal arts education often identify Hendrix as a leading candidate for college, but there’s no denying that, at first glimpse, public university tuition is much cheaper.

“During my time at Hendrix, I’m less worried about my academics and more worried about my being able to remain here to complete my degree, due to financial reasons,” senior Lexi Taylor said.

There’s no doubt that a liberal arts education is expensive. According to a study by The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), graduating from a liberal arts college can leave students as much as $100,000 in debt, compared to the national average of about $35,000.

And, in the modern world, undergrad is rarely the last stop. Many students aspire to matriculate law school, medical school or pursue other

graduate programs. Hendrix College has been producing well-rounded, competitive graduates prepared to take on the challenges of the professional world for over a century.

But, if students have to leave crippled with debt, the experience seems inconsequential.

“My number one fear when I walk into class is that it might be in vain—that I might not get the degree that I’ve been working towards because I simply can’t afford it and not because my grades aren’t up to par,” Taylor said.

The Hendrix administration is not ignorant to this plight.

“We know that cost is a critical issue for students choosing a college, and many families assume that private college is prohibitively expensive,” President Tsutsui said in an official press release announcing the Hendrix Arkansas Advantage last year.

Dedicated to eroding the fiscal barrier to higher education for in-state students, Hendrix instituted the Arkansas Advantage Scholarship program in the fall of last year. The program pledges to meet all demonstrated financial need to Arkansas applicants who maintain a high school GPA of at least 3.6 and earn a composite ACT score of 27 or above.

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FEATURE “Hendrix has always been a place for Arkansas students to have a world class liberal arts experience in their home state, and we always should be,” President Tsutsui said. “We should never, ever be out of reach to Arkansas students.”

Financial aid and eligibility for the program is determined by the evaluation of students’ needs through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Hendrix will meet all needs as determined by the cost of attendance minus the family’s expected contribution through scholarships, loans and work study.

Hendrix’s unique approach to financial aid comes as a relief to many students juggling a hectic schedule.

“Paying for college is difficult, especially considering all the responsibilities we already have,” freshman Lilly Atkinson said. “If it weren’t for financial aid, most of us wouldn’t be able to concentrate on what matters—getting the most out of our time here.”

There is no denying that a Hendrix education comes with benefits. Hendrix College has consistently ranked highly on the list of “Colleges that Change Lives.” After evaluation of Hendrix’s unique qualities such as the Odyssey program, the fact that over 90 percent of the faculty holds the most advanced degrees in their fields, and the recognition that Hendrix sends a higher percentage of its students to the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research than any college or university in the nation, one member of the “Colleges that Change Lives” council concluded that every state ought to have a higher education offering like Hendrix.

“When you consider the financial aid we offer and our four-year graduation rate, Hendrix is a very good investment for Arkansas students and families,” Tsutsui said.

As a senior, Taylor feels that although the financial burden is difficult, Hendrix will pay off in the long run.

“A question that always arises for some students is whether a liberal arts degree is worth the tuition,” Taylor said. “I’ve questioned it myself, but I know I wouldn’t be able to have the experience I’ve had here at Hendrix anywhere else, and in that regard, it is quite valuable.

Whenever I wonder if it’s worth the stress to pay for this school, I realize that as long as I am here and able to receive the education I’m paying for, the answer is yes.”

Still, Hendrix strives to eliminate the financial burden as much as possible, particularly for in-state students. The new approach to financial aid is one tool that Hendrix hopes will keep bright, high-achieving students in Arkansas in school. The college recognizes that young people are the future for the state of Arkansas in business, politics, and innovation.

“The Hendrix Arkansas Advantage is the best investment we can make in those students and in our state,” Tsutsui said.

Photos by Megan Prettyman

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Exploring Hendrix’s

Backyard What Conway has to offer beyond campus

By Greer Veon Photos by Jordan May

Beaverfork Lake If you’re dying to get away from campus, you should definitely check out Beaverfork Lake.

Located off of Highway 25 in north Conway, the park is perfect for any Hendrix student that either wants a day out in the sun or a simple study spot.

There are places for swimming and boating, several picnic tables with grills, bathroom areas, and a large covered pavilion that can be reserved.

Sounds like the next place for a Hendrix club event, right?

There are also fishing areas marked for those who want to spend an afternoon casting their line. For those that want to practice their athletic skills, this park has you covered with both a sand volleyball and basketball court, a baseball field, and a designated area for disc golf.

But if you’re just looking for a new spot to catch up on some reading, you can lay out a blanket on the multiple field areas that comprise Beaverfork Lake.

Downtown Conway One of the best things about Conway is the reimagined downtown area, which is bustling with people, dining destinations, and quirky shops.

What’s even luckier for Hendrix students is that the downtown area is located just a few steps away from campus. Take an afternoon and walk around the streets because you’re bound to find something that you’re into.

If you’re looking for somewhere to grab coffee and study, places like Blue Sail, The Black Orange, and The Patio Cafe offer both relaxed atmospheres and great lattes.

If you’re looking for a new place to shop, stores that range from Hipsway to E.Leigh’s offer great clothes and can be found along the main strip.

Great restaurants like Pasta Grill, Mike’s Place, U.S. Pizza, and J.J.’s are just a handful of the many different kinds of food that can be found downtown. If you’re looking to listen to great music and have a night out, you should definitely check out Kings’ one-of-a-kind atmosphere.

But besides food, clothes and nightlife, downtown also sports hair salons, art and antique stores, and even a vintage candy store called Rocket Fizz Soda that every student would love to visit.

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FEATURE The Hendrix Creek Reserve Sometimes a cool place to check out in Conway is right across the street – literally.

If you want to get off campus but don’t feel like going too far or being around a lot of people, you should definitely try walking around the Hendrix Creek Reserve behind the Village.

Although it seems small, this little place is a great hangout spot for anyone. There are a few trails that are perfect for your next cardio workout or just a simple afternoon walk. Also along the trails are a bridge, a play area, and a little wooden sitting area that could be an outdoor study space for studying by the water.

Many students have used this space not only as a park, but also as a way to appreciate the natural beauty of Conway.

The reserve is actually a watershed, and the whole purpose of it is to increase biodiversity. Hendrix cell biology lab students use this reserve to study the organisms that live there, and even a few non-science students like to go bird watching.

Oak Street Cuisine Every student loves our wonderful cafeteria, but there are times when you can’t ignore the craving you have for something other than chicken fingers and mac and cheese.

What’s great about being in Conway is that Oak Street has numerous restaurants that offer all types of food. Here, you can find typical fast food places like Jimmy Johns, Taco Bell, and Rally’s for all your late night study fuel.

However, if you’re looking for a place to try with your friends or with your next date, Oak Street has you covered.

Tacos 4 Life has some of the best Mexican cuisine possible, and for every meal you buy, the restaurant gives one meal to a child in need.

There’s also a great Greek place called Taziki’s, awardwinning barbeque at Whole Hog, and wonderful Vietnamese at Saigon. But if you have a major sweet tooth, Shake’s is also a great place for frozen custard and has both a drive-thru and indoor seating.

But if you only check out one place on Oak, you’ve got to make it Shipley’s doughnuts. After all, you’re not a true Hendrix student until you’ve made your first 3 a.m. Shipley’s run.

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Hendrix Bike Revolution

By Sarah Gilmour

Club appeals to bike enthusiasts

T

he student biking organization on campus, the Hendrix Bike Revolution, is setting out to improve the bicycle community on campus and in Conway. The club hopes to accomplish this goal with a variety of new projects ranging from monthly bike rides to getting Hendrix declared as a bike-friendly college by the League of American Cyclists.

The club has been on campus for a while but has recently been expanding its scope, senior Emily Kleinfelter explained.

“We have a bike shop over at Buhler that’s open from Monday through Thursday from 4-6 p.m., and we also have about 10 bikes at the library that we check out,” Kleinfelter said. “So we always had kind of maintenance for that.”

Although the group technically already existed, Kleinfelter wanted to improve its presence on campus.

“I kind of just took over during summer and this year to try and make [the group] more engaged with the actual student body,” Kleinfelter said.

Kleinfelter, along with her fellow club members, has been working on organizing

bike rides for Hendrix students as well as informational sessions for students wanting to learn more about cycling.

“At first I had the idea of trying to do weekly rides, but that’s kind of unrealistic with the stress of school, so I’m trying to do monthly rides,” Kleinfelter said. “I’ve been in talks with the Conway Advocates for Bicycling organization, otherwise known as CAB, and talked to them about having some of their members come in and having educational talks about safety for biking, or the history of bikes in Conway or something like that.”

As a part of her senior project, Kleinfelter will be analyzing the bike infrastructure on campus to try to get Hendrix certified by the League of American Cyclists.

“I’m going to analyze the current bike infrastructure on campus while using the actual application as a guideline for where we could improve,” Kleinfelter said. “The second part of the project is going to include recommendations on ways to improve on a small level and on a bigger level: simple improvements we can make right now and improvements for the future.”

This second phase will involve building on Hendrix’s already-available resources.

“We have a pretty good infrastructure already on campus,” Kleinfelter said. “We have bike racks, the bike shop and the bike share program, but what we don’t have is the engagement and educational side of it. There’s not an actual effort to get kids on bikes and outside of Conway riding or educating them about safety. That’s where we need to improve and that’s where I’m trying to step up.

Then, the third part is the actual application through the League of American Cyclists.”

Hendrix Bike Revolution co-president Graham Harris encourages students to get involved with the club personally.

“If students want to get involved, I would say the first way to do that would be to just come and say hi,” Harris said. “Just stop by the bike shop. We would love to teach people how to work on their bike. That’s something that we would really like to stress. We’re available not just to do things for people, we’re here to teach them.”

How You Know You’re a Hendrix Student

By Greer Veon

W

e’ve all been asked this question in some sort of fashion. Every time I’m around a group of people who aren’t from Hendrix, I somehow stumble into the “so, what’s it like to be a Hendrix kid?” conversation.

Obviously, some Hendrix students feel that the question is silly. You know that you’re a Hendrix kid because you pay the tuition and you attend the classes - duh. That’s the same for every college kid.

But from a cultural perspective, you can’t deny that our experience at Hendrix is very unique compared to other colleges across the U.S. For starters, most people know “Martin” to be a common name, but a Hendrix student knows Martin to the definition for Friday night plans.

These students also know that most of us have an entire bag dedicated to themed parties. I’m not talking just two or three accessories, but a collection of enough pieces to open up your own costume store. And, every

student admits that when the radio plays a song that you recognize from your Shirttails dance, you can’t help but perform the moves.

When I asked students on campus this question, most had to think about their answers.

“I know that I’m a Hendrix student when I find trails of glitter from the party thrown the night before,” senior Ruthie Daniels said. “Or when I find it everywhere else, including in my mini fridge on move out day.”

Calling Hendrix home goes beyond glitter.

Junior Joshua Knight said he knew he was a Hendrix student when he began to “dream [of being] in a school-sponsored drag show.”

But some of the answers I got were not about the amount of wristbands collected, the number of t-shirts from every campus event, or even the pecan shells that always appear in students’ shoes. These students immediately focused on the community.

“I know I’m a Hendrix student when I can find a professor at lunch that I’ve had previously for a class and talk about anything,” senior Grant Zurcher said.

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“Hendrix students are special because we truly have each other’s backs,” senior and Student Senate president, Mimi Spjut, said.

After other opinions, I really felt that one particular comment seemed to sum up how to point out a student from Hendrix.

“A Hendrix student is defined by the student’s pursuit of a college experience like no other through the challenge of not just surviving the classroom, but thriving in it, while knowing when to put the books down and have a good time,” junior Gray Stanton said.

The “Hendrix Bubble” thrives on Stanton’s comment. Yes, we do have unique parties and traditions. But, Hendrix students strive for excellence in all aspects of college, whether it’s in the classroom, in extracurricular activities, or even in competing for the best Ghost Roast costume. We work hard and aspire to make a difference.

So, how do you know you’re a Hendrix student? You live in the moment, you work towards excellence, and you wish to make your school a better place. Enough said.

FEATURE

LOCAL Internships

Students share stories from their summer experiences

By Marlee Bird

W

hile many students spent summer watching Netflix, relaxing by the pool, and eating way too much food - or, perhaps practicing a combination of these things - other Hendrix students were hard at work bettering their communities and learning valuable skills during their summer internships.

Through internships, students learned valuable lessons about the world around them and some were inspired to pursue certain career paths. These students found the internships to be great experiences of growth and a widening of their own perspectives of the world around them.

Senior psychology major Ashley Clayborn spent her summer working for the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance through a national program called Share Our Strength. Clayborn said the internship itself was actually paid for by the national program, but was carried out through the Hunger Relief Alliance.

Working from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, Clayborn always had plenty of work to do. Her mornings were filled with busy work, such as filing, and her afternoons were spent running food kitchens as well as teaching cooking classes to older generations.

Having no culinary background, Clayborn stated that she herself was learning throughout the course of the class. “My mom’s a pastry chef so I can make some pretty awesome cookies, but no, a lot of it was me learning as I taught, which was an interesting experience,” Clayborn said.

One of the biggest ventures Clayborn took on was a fundraising project in which she worked tirelessly for three weeks leading up to the event. The event itself, called Serving up Solutions, raised over $68,000, which, according to Clayborn, was double what they were expecting.

Clayborn said that she pursued this internship without connecting it to what she might want to do in the future, but realized that she wants to specialize in industrial organizational psychology. She plans to use this degree to eventually work for a nonprofit again.

“It’s kind of like human resources on steroids,” Clayborn said.

Jerad Fisher, a senior economics major, interned at 88.1 KUAR in Little Rock this summer. KUAR, he explained, is a public radio station that subscribes to NPR, but also covers a few stories of its own as well.

During his internship, Fisher contributed to

radio stories by conducting phone interviews and finding the segments from these interviews to put into the story.

“It’s always important to have accurate information, and you know, TV news is trash,” Fisher said. “It was cool to work with a news source that actually has some kind of sense of self-respect.”

He was able to present a few stories himself during the internship that focused on the prison rape standards in Arkansas, as well as on how the Arkansas Children’s Hospital is providing trainers for all Little Rock School District sports.

Although Fisher loved his experience and would gladly do it again, he said this internship did not persuade him to enter the news world.

“As a job, it would be a little bit stressful,” Fisher said.

However, he did learn to appreciate the work that goes into the profession and gained better insight into the world of news and media.

“Whenever I see information on TV, or on the radio, or magazines or whatever, I have a

“And so [curating] kind of lead me to what I want to do for the rest of my life.” - Michala Roberts better idea of what they are actually trying to say,” Fisher said.

Interning at the Esse Purse Museum in Little Rock inspired junior Michala Roberts to follow a career in curating.

“I loved helping to curate and I wish I could have done more,” Roberts, an English literature and history double major, said. “And so [curating] kind of lead me to what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Roberts held many jobs at the museum, such as being a docent and working at the museum store, where she helped shoppers pick pieces from local jewelers. She also worked on special exhibits for the museum. Specifically, Roberts helped with an exhibit on Barbie dolls, another on masks created by a local artist of the name Kwendeche, and an exhibit called “Threads” that focused on the art of sewing.

As she was leaving the internship, Roberts also helped coordinate an exchange with a shoe museum in Toronto. Roberts discussed

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how the Esse Purse Museum is one of only three brick-and-mortar purse museums in the world, and is especially unique as it is the only one that focuses on women’s history as its narrative.

“People love going to the Purse Museum,” Roberts said. “They don’t expect how much they are going to love it . . . [The museum] brings back all of these memories that people didn’t even realize were so special until the objects trigger them.”

Besides influencing her career path, Roberts said the experience introduced her to many fascinating and inspiring women. “[Working at the Esse Purse Museum] introduced me to a really amazing group of women and kind of put me into a sisterhood of women who run their own businesses and who have these wildly, wildly interesting lives . . . and who think about their place in the world and think about the place of other women in the world,” Roberts said.

Marissa Lee, a senior international relations major and Spanish minor, took on two internships this summer.

Lee started her summer working at the Clinton Library in the volunteer and visitor services. She then took a six week break to help with the Arkansas Governor’s School (AGS) at Hendrix.

While at the library, Lee was working as a full-time intern from 8 a.m. until 5 or 6 p.m.

She said it was busy but also a lot of fun, noting that she met President Clinton himself within the first two weeks of her internship.

At AGS, she was in charge of all social activities for the students, including a glow fest, slipn-slide, and a water balloon battleship.

“There was never a bad day,” Lee said.

Luckily for Lee, she had many friends working or interning in the area, so she never felt lonely being on campus when school was not in session.

“It never felt ‘not-Hendrix’ because there were so many of my close friends here,” Lee said.

After her stint at AGS, Lee went back to the Clinton Library where she is continuing to work over the course of this year. She hopes that the combination of these internship experiences will help prepare her to attend law school after she graduates from Hendrix.

“I am really lucky in that, in terms of law school, it is awesome to have something that has the name ‘Clinton’ on it,” Lee said.

A Growing Tradition State of the Hendrix football program after three years

F

Photos by Madison Dealing

ootball season has started once again and after three years, it’s time to reflect on the state of our budding football program.

In just three seasons, the football team has grown from 52 players to about 85, opening up possibilities for success and practicing at a game-like intensity. The team’s 45-34 win over Millsaps on Sept. 26 serves as evidence that rebuilding has worked.

Head coach Buck Buchanan - or as his players call him, Coach Buck - has been with the team since the reinstatement of the football at Hendrix and knows how much the program has progressed.

“Our immediate expectation is to try to get better every day,” Buchanan said. “We want to put the best product that we can on the field and in the classroom, and ultimately have a laugh on a daily basis.”

Buchanan’s goals are not limited to that of the field. He also hopes to instill the best possible perspective on life within his team.

“We want to be better than we were yesterday,” Buchanan said. “That’s kind of our goal this year - specifically, to be the best version that we can. I think that if we go through life like that and we give our best version of ourselves every day, we have a chance to be successful and hopefully our guys are taking part of that.”

While winning is important, it is more important to him that his team be the best people they can be, both on the field and in the classroom.

“We’re not too consumed with tomorrow and not too worried about what happened yesterday. We just play the next play and do it better than we did before and hopefully will continue to get better,” Buchanan said.

When asked about difficulties in recruitment, Buchanan said that the reality of the situation is that some recruits can be lost because of better

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By McKenna Jacquemet

scholarship offers or a higher division school.

However, he also said that Hendrix is able to offer a great education to the players who come to here.

“The air goes out of the ball for all of us and what we’re left with is the time we put in the classroom,” Buchanan said.

Now, three years after the re-birth of the football program, the team is closer than ever.

According to kicker Steve Crenshaw, the coaching staff plays a large part in the team dynamic.

“Coach Buck and his assistants are some of the best coaches that I’ve had since I started playing football,” Crenshaw said. “Sometimes it’s hard for a kicker to be involved, but with this team, I have made a bond with a great group of guys and I truly feel like a part of the team.”

The one thing that both coaches and players would like to see is a change in participation and attendance on the part of the greater Hendrix community. The players want to get the student body excited for the games, reminding students of the importance of having the players’ backs when it comes to showing support.

“I would love to see a band to play our school’s fight song and get our school’s student body excited for the games,” Crenshaw said.

Upcoming Home Games • October 10 vs.

Birmingham-Southern • October 31 vs. Rhodes

SPORTS

Swimming Through Transitions

Photo by Megan Prettyman

Swim team finds stability in new coach Marty Wahle

By Bayley Krell

T

hroughout the past three years, the Hendrix College swim team has been under the supervision of three different head coaches. The turnover began in fall 2012 when head coach Jim Kelly announced that he would be unable to coach any longer as he would be undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma cancer.

“I remember it like yesterday,” Jo Claire Robertson, Hendrix alumna and former team captain, said. “We were at our Black and Orange duel meet in September. After the meet was over, we all gathered and he told us. It was very quiet.”

This news came as quite a shock to the team.

“Some people were crying and some just didn’t know what to say. I looked at Coach and said, ‘How tall are you?’ and everyone yelled, ‘10 feet tall!’ We all cried and hugged. From that moment, our team had a very special bond and new purpose for swimming,” Robertson said.

Kelly’s retirement came after 31 years as both a coach and an educator at Hendrix. Throughout his time as head coach, Kelly coached 80 All-American swimmers, as well as several conference champions.

Following Kelly’s retirement, assistant swim coach Alyson Hannan stepped up as interim head coach with the assistance of Hendrix alumnus Brett Carr, and Tony Marleneanu, the local club coach. At the conclusion of the 2013 season, Hannan announced she had taken a position at another college and the search for a new coach began.

Through a series of interviews, the decision was made to hire Dan Lloyd, the former head coach at Wheaton College. With him came Bri Cone, a four-year letter winner, captain and graduate of Carthage College. Both the athletic department and the team looked forward to the season with renewed hope. However, they hadn’t found the perfect fit.

“It worked for a few months. Then, some frustrations or concerns came to the surface,”

John Byford, accounting student and former team captain, said. “Those concerns became situations that caused tension between the athletes and new staff. It broke [the] bond between coach and athlete.”

The disconnect between the team and the coaching staff grew larger as the 2014 season progressed and Lloyd continued to implement policies that contradicted the team’s opinions and desires.

“Honestly, [the team] didn’t trust anyone, so he had a really hard job,” Robertson said.

“No one likes change and all year we were fighting to compromise rather than just trust one another. Ultimately, it just wasn’t a great fit for any of us and there was too much anger to move forward, but Bri [Cone] helped a lot by putting things in a different perspective for us.”

Following Lloyd’s decision to leave, the Hendrix administration went back to the drawing board, this time with the help of assistant coach Bri Cone. After reviewing several potential candidates, Hendrix hired Marty Wahle to be the newest head coach of the swim and dive team.

“I knew Marty was ‘the one,’ for lack of better phrasing, as soon as I got his resume,” Cone said, going on to note the positive transformation Wahle had orchestrated for Ripon College’s swimming program in Wisconsin.

Wahle had his work cut out for him, as he was about to head up a program that had undergone a large turnover in a very short period of time. In addition to putting together a workout regime and training his swimmers, he also had to regain their trust.

“When coach Wahle was hired over the summer of 2014, I think everyone on the team was very skeptical,” senior swimmer Sarah McHugh said. “We’d had tough seasons the previous two years and so many changes in our coaching staff. Coach Wahle, along with assistant coach Bri Cone, have gone above and beyond anything I was hoping for in a new coach.

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I think that he has fully committed himself to Hendrix and embraced Hendrix’s values.”

Though Lloyd was an excellent coach, many swimmers agreed that he did not understand Hendrix as a whole or know how to identify a recruit who would also thrive in the Hendrix community.

“I’m pretty flexible and laid back,” Wahle said. “I think you need [flexibility] here at Hendrix with all the things that are going on.

Swimming shouldn’t control your life, and I feel like there are so many opportunities out there besides swimming: clubs, organizations and other sports. Just knowing what DIII athletics is all about helps me to fit in here.”

Wahle intends to build a swim program at Hendrix that focuses on the swimmer as a whole, rather than just as an athlete. This includes building a culture where swimmers feel comfortable enough to share their opinions and come to the coaches with their concerns.

One such change is the newly implemented open door policy.

“We want to talk to [the swimmers], we want to help [the swimmers], and we want to be advocates for you guys.”

In addition to an open door policy, Wahle and Cone have made the team’s GPA one of their main focuses. This resulted in both the men’s and women’s teams receiving College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-American Team Awards for spring 2015.

Having succeeded academically, Wahle has set his sights on success in the pool for the current season and seasons to come.

“I’m hoping we can take down [school] records and, at conference, start beating a couple teams,” Wahle said. “[We’ll] slowly work our way up the conference rankings in the next couple of years. I think all the returners are eager to get started. They’ve been working hard in the off-season and the freshmen have also been working hard. Everyone is here and ready to go.”

Photo from Youtube.com

I

’m listening to them now, as I write this - the band for our 2015 fall concert, STRFKR, and already I’m getting excited. Just by clicking their top hit on Spotify, “While I’m Alive,” I’m greeted with a bass drop, a creeping guitar riff, and an off-kilter melody of “oooh’s.” The song moves into the verse, a UFO of a synthesizer takes over the vocal melody, and right before the chorus, the sound drops out, opening up for a bright guitar to shake out a few chords on top of a funky bass line. My head’s bobbing, my foot is tapping, and I’m concerned about how loud my music might be on the second floor of Bailey library.

STRFKR, an electronic, indie-pop group hailing from Portland, Oregon, has what it takes to get peoples’ bodies moving and ears engaged.

I first heard the band a number of years ago, via a generous Pandora Radio station, and was intrigued by both their attention-grabbing name and the way their music was simplistically catchy. The song I heard was “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,” an early hit of the band, which revolves around a chugging bass line and a looping guitar riff. The vocals are subdued, as is often the case in their music, yet the song pulls you in many different directions, which is one of the appeals I find in their music.

KHDX concert director, junior Anna Conard, shares this sentiment.

“They have ‘dancey’ aspects, but not obnoxiously bass driven - everything is very moderate,” Conard said.

Moderate is a good word to describe their

By Connor Newton

music; I don’t believe they have a sound that is overwhelming. STRFKR provides an array of sounds and textures for each song, making them “easily enjoyable for the vast majority of people,” according to Conard.

The selection process for this year’s fall concert was different than years past. In previous years, the concert committee has sent out a survey of a list of bands for the student body to vote on.

However, this year, the decision was made solely by the concert committee.

“The decision was really based on the feedback I got from our concert committee as opposed to a huge student-body wide survey,” Conard said. “[In past years] those results usually didn’t help direct you towards who people wanted,” but rather “[made] clear whom the students felt strongly negative about.”

Generally, the results of the surveys would reveal a band or artist that the school was uniformly against, showing a more equal distribution amongst the top choices. And even then, that “top choice” might not be available at the right time. So, the selection process changed.

“I relied on my concert committee to represent a variety of groups and individuals,” Conard said, and she’s excited about their decision.

“I’m really hopeful for this concert because I think it will have the appeal of dance music, where people will want to come out and have a good time,” Conard said. “Even if they don’t know STRFKR, they can go back to their rooms after the concert and still get a lot out of [their music].”

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Anna Conard’s Mini-Playlist • • • • • • •

“Leave It All Behind” (Miracle Mile, 2013) “Laadeedaa” (STRFKR, 2008) “Pop Song” (STRFKR, 2008) “Boy Toy” (Jupiter, 2009) “Myke Ptyson” (STRFKR, 2008) “Beach Monster” (Miracle Mile, 2013) “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” (Jupiter, 2009) Photo from bigbrotherreviews.wordpress.com

STRFKR

A preview of this year’s fall concert

Shorty’s Restaurant Review A re you tired of modern, urban-sprawl restaurants and need a dining option with more character? If so, Shorty’s is your place.

Shorty’s is known mostly for its burgers and old-fashioned aura, bringing both the young and the new to experience something a little different from your everyday food chain. This blast from the past is just down the road from Hendrix at 1101 Harkrider St., but be warned: if you blink, you will miss it.

Once I found the restaurant, I walked in to discover memorabilia of every sort on the walls, specifically emblems of American and local pride, including an encased rifle and clippings of local news articles from years ago. The restaurant itself is set up in a peculiar way, in that the dining area seems to mimic a run-down Italian family restaurant, whereas the counter could have once belonged in a gas station.

While ordering at the counter, I noticed unique items on the menu, such as pigwiggles and tater babies; I soon realized these were the names used for curly fires and potato wedges, respectively. I thought this was a cute and personal touch that added more character to the restaurant.

I chose the very healthy bacon cheeseburger, pigwiggles, and a medium soda, all for a total of $8.97 - a fairly reasonable price for the amount of food I was getting.

As I took out my credit card to pay, the cashier

informed me that they only take cash or checks.

Perhaps they are keeping with their old-fashioned ways, or perhaps they really hate credit cards, but in whichever case, they will not be too friendly with your 21st-century currency. I was lucky that a friend was able to pay for me, or else I would have had to leave without my burger.

Speaking of my burger, it was delicious. The meat was full of rich juices, the bacon was good and not too overpowering, and the mayo on my bun added a nice touch of flavor.

I was disappointed with my fries. They came without salt, so I was left to salt them manually. In my opinion, pre-salted fries should be a universal concept of dining.

If burgers and fries seem too conventional, there are plenty of other items on the menu to satisfy your appetite, like the taco salad, which consists of deep fried tacos in a bed of lettuce. Or you can try the new menu item, the Petit Jean spaghetti, which is spaghetti and sausage named after the local state park. Shorty’s also serves allAmerican favorites such as chicken fried steak, BBQ sandwiches and hot dogs of various kinds, as well as shakes and malts.

Shorty’s is flowing with character, but not the kind you’d expect from this century. Be prepared to dive back to earlier, humbler times where credit cards were declined and salt was not a given, but where the food is still greasy enough to please the yearning need for saturated fats.

The new location in Conway offers a vast array of old and new clientele. Conway is a quaint college town with many Little Rock natives going to school here, so many students are already accustomed to the restaurant’s name.

“Señor Tequila is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Little Rock, so I was super excited to hear that we were getting one in Conway,” Kaity Heaps, a junior at the University of Central Arkansas, said. “The price of the food is especially great for a college student budget.”

Downtown Conway is a prime location for the restaurant because it offers easy accessibility for students at Hendrix, the University of Central Arkansas and Central Baptist College.

With all this hype over the opening of Señor Tequila in Conway, I decided to go check it out for myself to see if it would live up to its standards set by the locations in Little Rock.

The inside maintains the same structure and very similar design to that of the Table Mesa and Michelangelo’s; however, it still holds its usual authentic Mexican décor with Latin American paintings hanging from the walls.

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By Marlee Bird

Photo by Madison Dealing

Señor Tequila Comes to Conway T he long anticipated wait for the opening of Señor Tequila in Conway is over, as it finally opened on Sept. 12. This Little Rock and North Little Rock local favorite is now open on the first floor of the Halter Building in downtown Conway, in the same location of past restaurants such as Table Mesa and Michelangelo’s.

The Conway location is now the eighth Señor Tequila restaurant in Arkansas, with the other seven being in the Little Rock-North Little Rock area.

The story of how Señor Tequila was started embodies what one would think of as the American dream.

According to the Señor Tequila website, the owner, Sergio Atilano, was born in the Mexican state of Guanajuato and immigrated to the United States in 1985. After being first employed as a farm worker in California, he moved to Tennessee and worked in the restaurant business. This is where he learned his trade and, in September 1994, Atilano opened the first Señor Tequila restaurant in Little Rock.

CULTURE

Photo by Jordan May

By Jordan May

The overall service was fair, taking into consideration how busy they were at the time. I ordered the chicken chimichanga with no beans and extra rice and cheese dip, while Morgan Carrico, a Hendrix junior, ordered the shrimp quesadilla with rice and beans. The cheese dip was great; however, they do not split food items.

So, if you share a cheese dip, simply have one person pay for the cheese dip and the other leave the tip.

My dish was on point. The rice was delicious and the chicken was well cooked, but the chimichanga could have been a little crispier.

Carrico liked her dish as well. “I definitely was not disappointed, especially considering that queso was involved,” Carrico said. “My food came out reasonably quickly and hot. The only complaint I have was the quality of the shrimp.

I understand Arkansas is a land-locked state, but the size and flavor of the shrimp was lacking.”

Señor Tequila prides itself on bringing authentic Mexican flavor to Central Arkansas though delicious food, and its expansion in Conway has only added to the restaurant’s success.

Summer Movie

SPOTLIGHT

By Connor Newton

M

Photo from PopCulture-y.com

y choice for best secret film of the summer is definitely “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.” A film that took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, it far exceeded the expectations set for me after only getting a brief synopsis of it from a friend.

That synopsis was that a kid in high school befriends a girl with cancer that he doesn’t know too well, but it doesn’t get to the point of “The Fault in Our Stars.” It’s more casual and funny.

Oh, and the guy has a friend named Earl, and the two of them make really bad parodies of famous movies for fun.

The synopsis, coupled with the fact that it was Tuesday (so seeing it in the theater was just five bucks), sold me on the movie.

What “Me And Earl And The Dying Girl” really succeeds at is originality. My friend aptly noted that right when the film makes it seem like it might fall into another moment of Hollywood cliché, it turns in the opposite direction. This is what makes “Me And Earl And The Dying Girl.”

Mirroring the cinematography in the film, which often darts around the corner or snaps at sharp

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angles like a Wes Anderson movie, the plot of “Me And Earl And The Dying Girl” moves in unexpected directions, creating a film that feels distinct for its subject matter.

“Me And Earl And The Dying Girl” has to be the best movie I’ve seen about high school since “Mean Girls.”

Its success has to do with the film’s portrayal of high school life, depicted as a stratified and diverse place with definite ins and outs.

The film presents us with a main character, Greg, who doesn’t place himself into any one group; he floats on the outside, trying carefully not to make any enemies. Greg acts as the perfect vessel for the viewer to attach to. Moreover, his ability to make hilarious parodies encourages the viewer to like him, even if it’s tough at some points.

“Me And Earl And The Dying Girl” situates itself in just the right way that its often-nauseating subject matter doesn’t upset the stomach.

The film is charged with emotion, and it’s worth watching even if solely for the purpose of finding out who and how great Earl is.

M

y favorite film that hit theaters this summer is “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

For the current climate in which movies are being produced, I see it as strongly standing outside the mold that has been cast for us in recent years with regard to action movies.

While the film is indeed filled with the atypical flurries of action that we love so dearly, “Fury Road” doesn’t attempt to act like it isn’t just that.

Typically (thinking of a film like “Transformers”), we receive a plot, some minor narrative, weaved (poorly, generally) throughout the climaxes of action. So, we must become inclined to care when Optimus Prime gets shot at.

The narrative of “Fury Road” gets put aside, allowing it to function as a cinema of attraction: a spectacle designed solely to entertain. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no substance.

Looking further into the film’s narrative, Max is no hero, or he doesn’t want to be. He cares about himself; he is so beautifully selfish. He understands, through loss, that making relationships in the film’s new post-apocalyptic atmosphere is, at best, futile and banal.

Does “Fury Road” give you backstory as to who Max is? No. Does “Fury Road” revolve around Max and his ability to solve problems/save the day? No. Does “Fury Road” provide the viewer with any mundane rising action? Nope.

All background action, rising action, and, in some sense, narrative, have already been fulfilled before the camera starts rolling. This frees the viewer. “Watch,” the film begs (in more expensive 3D-XD, preferably), and you can, and it’s awesome. Indeed, “Fury Road” is the first movie in quite some time that propelled me to call my father and tell him, “You must go see this movie, in theaters, or else it won’t have the same effect.”

The last film to evoke this response from me was “Pacific Rim,” another CGI summer spectacular. However, “Pacific Rim” stands on the opposite end of the spectrum of action movies.

“Pacific Rim” had an incredibly structured and thought-out narrative, which I believed set it apart. If you haven’t seen it, please do. Though,

like “Fury Road,” I allowed myself to submit to the film’s ridiculousness and spectacle, which lets the viewer get the most out of watching one of these movies.

These two movies have renewed my faith in the summer-action blockbuster, and will properly guide me to taking a chance on another big-name, CGI movie next summer.

In some ways, “Fury Road” simply goes back to the bread and butter of a good action movie: the desert. To place “Mad Max: Fury Road” in the context of genre, the film acts as a neo-revisionist Western. In other words, it reworks tropes and themes that were initially seen and made popular by the western genre.

At times, the violence, the lack of dialogue, and the mystery floating in the sand hearkens back to Sergio Leone, director of western classics like “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”

Max’s blank stare, the cowboy hat shielding his face, and his black leather outfit place him with the likes of an Eastwood.

If a near-silent Tom Hardy is the future of action movies, I’m okay with that, and I look forward to purchasing a ticket – an expensive 3D one – to the sequels.

Photo from comingsoon.net

CULTURE

Make a Difference

The Hendrix Noyce STEM Teacher Education in the Arkansas Delta (N-STEAD) program prepares high-achieving Hendrix science and mathematics students to become effective – and employed – teachers.

Information Session November 12th, 4:30 – 5:30p.m.

Murphy House Learn more about the N-STEAD Intern and Scholar Programs.

Interns earn a $1,800 stipend for participating in summer science education. Scholars receive up to $15,000 in scholarships prior to graduation or a tuition-free post baccalaureate experience. www.hendrix.edu/n-stead N-STEAD@hendrix.edu (501) 450-1379

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Arkansas State Fair

OCT. 1 - OCT. 3 Thursday, Oct. 1 9:00 p.m. Aaron Lewis. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Friday, Oct. 2

7:00 p.m. Dana Louise & The Glorious Birds: Free Patio Show. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

9:00 p.m. Salsa. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Saturday, Oct. 3

7 a.m. Little Rock Farmer’s Market. River Market. Little Rock.

10 a.m. Fifth Annual Main Street Food Truck Festival. Downtown Little Rock.

1 p.m. Hendrix Women’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Millsaps. Conway.

3 p.m. Hendrix Men’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Millsaps. Conway

OCT. 4 - OCT. 10 Sunday, Oct. 4 8:00 p.m. Jose Gonzalez. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Monday, Oct. 5

7:30 p.m. Manchester Orchestra. Juanita’s.

Little Rock.

Tuesday, Oct. 6

6 p.m. Hendrix Women’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Evangel. Conway.

7:30 p.m. Salsa. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Wednesday, Oct. 7

7:30 p.m. Faculty Recital - Gretchen Renshaw, tuba and euphonium. Reves. Conway.

9 p.m. Meg Myers. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Thursday, Oct. 8

Chicken Shack. Little Rock.

5 p.m. Courtney Taylor. Art A - Hendrix. Conway.

Thursday, Oct. 15

9:00 p.m. Warren G. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

2015 Arkansas State Fair. October 9-18. Arkansas State Fairgrounds. Little Rock.

9 p.m. Little Rock Salsa Presents: Salsa Dancing.

Juanita’s. Little Rock.

9 p.m. The Eskimo Brothers. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack. Little Rock.

5 p.m. Hendrix Women’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Berry. Conway.

6 p.m. Hendrix Volleyball. Hendrix vs Berry.

Conway.

7 p.m. Hendrix Men’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Berry.

Conway.

9:00 p.m. Little Rock Salsa Presents: Salsa Dancing. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Friday, Oct. 9

Saturday, Oct. 10

7 a.m. Little Rock Farmer’s Market. River Market. Little Rock.

1 p.m. Warrior Football. Hendrix vs Birmingham-Southern. Conway.

OCT. 11 - OCT. 17

Friday, Oct. 16

Saturday, Oct. 17

7 a.m. Little Rock Farmer’s Market. River Market. Little Rock.

12 p.m. Hendrix Volleyball. Hendrix vs Oglethorpe. Conway.

4 p.m. Hendrix Volleyball. Hendrix vs Austin.

Conway.

10 p.m. Birdcloud. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Sunday, Oct. 11 11:45 a.m. Little Rock Pride Fest 2015. Clinton Presidential Library Park. Little Rock.

8 p.m. Theory of a Deadman. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

8:30 p.m. The Mallet Brothers Band. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack. Little Rock.

Tuesday, Oct. 13

7:30 p.m. Salsa. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Wednesday, Oct. 14

6 p.m. Hendrix Volleyball. Hendrix vs Rhodes (Dig Pink). Conway.

7:30 p.m. Monster Energy Outbreak Tour: Nothing More. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

8:30 p.m. Israel Nash. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll

ISSUU.COM/THEHENDRIXCOLLEGEPROFILE

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OCT. 18 - OCT. 24 Sunday, Oct. 18 12 p.m. Hendrix Women’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Oglethorpe. Conway.

2:30 p.m. Hendrix Men’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Oglethorpe. Conway.

8 p.m. Girl on Fire. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Monday, Oct. 19

8 p.m. An Evening with Tav Falco’s Panther Burns Feat. Mike Watt. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack. Little Rock.

october

CULTURE

CALENDAR CONWAY, LITTLE ROCK, & CENTRAL ARKANSAS Tuesday, Oct. 20

Friday, Oct. 30

7:30 p.m. Faculty Recital - Norman Boehm, Piano. Reves. Conway.

7:30 p.m. Salsa. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

8:30 p.m. The Trees Are Getting Harder to Climb: 15th Anniversary of the Polyphonic Spree. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack.

Little Rock.

6:00 p.m. Hendrix Men and Women’s Swimming and Diving. 53rd Annual Hendrix Relay.

Conway.

9:00 p.m. Little Rock Salsa Presents: Salsa Dancing. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Wednesday, Oct. 21 Thursday, Oct. 22

11:10 a.m. Founders Day. Staples. Conway.

9:00 p.m. Tremonti. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Friday, Oct. 23

7:30 p.m. David Ryan Harris. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

9:00 p.m. Little Rock Salsa Presents: Salsa Dancing. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Saturday, Oct. 24

7 a.m. Little Rock Farmer’s Market. River Market. Little Rock.

11 a.m. Hendrix Women’s Field Hockey. Alumni Game. Conway.

12 p.m. Hendrix Women’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Birmingham-Southern. Conway.

2:30 p.m. Hendrix Men’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Birmingham-Southern. Conway.

9:00 p.m. Knox Hamilton. Little Rock.

Saturday, Oct. 31

6 p.m. Warrior Football. Hendrix vs Rhodes.

Conway.

11:30 p.m. Hendrix Men and Women’s Swimming and Diving. 48th Annual Hendrix Classic.

Conway.

Photos by: Big Smo http://cdn.wmgecom.com/production/media/ catalog/product/cache/292/image/9df78eab335 25d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/b/i/big_smo_face_tshirt-girl.jpg

Jose Gonzalez

http://headlinerslouisville.com/files/2015/07/ Jos%C3%A9_Gonz%C3%A1lez_admat.jpg

Arkansas State Fair

http://media.arkansasonline.com/img/photos/2008/09/30/dLB4784.jpg

Big SMO

OCT. 25 - OCT. 31 Sunday, Oct. 25 11 a.m. Hendrix Women’s Field Hockey. Hendrix vs Sewanee. Conway.

1 p.m. Hendrix Women’s Soccer. Hendrix vs Centenary. Conway.

8:00 p.m. Big Smo. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Monday, Oct. 26 Tuesday, Oct. 27

7:30 p.m. Salsa. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Wednesday, Oct. 28 9:00 p.m. Barrett Baber. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack. Little Rock.

Thursday, Oct. 29

7:30 p.m. “Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work” by Edwidge Danticat. Reves.

9 p.m. Colony House. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack. Little Rock.

Conway.

9:00 p.m. Mat Kearney. Juanita’s. Little Rock.

Jose Gonzales

OCTOBER 2015

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1600 Washington Ave Conway, AR 72032 Cover image courtesy of Hendrix College