CONWAY, Ark. (October 27, 2014) – Sixteen Hendrix students visited
15 historic Civil Rights Movement in three states during Fall Break.
This is the fifth year for the three-day trip, funded by
the Odyssey Program and sponsored by the Dean of Students. This year’s
theme focused on youth’s impact on civil rights.
This year, the group read the graphic novel March co-authored by civil rights legend
Congressman John Lewis. Each student received an autographed copy of the
book, and the book was used as a framework for group discussion.
"We learned a lot about the history of the
civil rights movement from the trip, and the diversity of the group definitely
helps make the discussion very exciting,” said Jill Nguyen, a senior
international relations major from Hanoi, Vietnam. Nguyen and Rachel Parmer
were the student coordinators for the trip. “As the theme of the trip is Civil
Rights Movement and Youth Activism, Rachel and I want to inspire the
participants to think about civil rights issues in the current society and how
young people can make a difference."
PARTICIPATING
STUDENTS
- Anthony Arndt ’15
- Kelsey Atwood ’15
- Barrett Goodwin ’17
- Hannah Hill ’15
- Eric Minh Huynh ’18
- Ian McVinney ’17
- Hieu Nguyen ’17
- Jill Nguyen ’15
- Jackie Nyamutumbu ’16
- Nkechinyere O'keke ’16
- Carter Pacheco ’16
- Rachel Parmer ’15
- Pratheepa Ravikumar ’17
- Brady Rowe ’17
- Abigail Schlenk ’17
- Grant Zurcher ’16
“As with most
Odyssey projects, the students’ reflection about their experiences was
impactful. The students were particularly impressed by an exhibit at the
new Center in Atlanta, where they had an opportunity to have a simulated lunch
counter sit-in experience,” Hendrix Dean of Students Jim Wiltgen said. “Several
students wondered if they were brave enough to have participated in the
protests under those conditions.”
“This opportunity to have a common experience exploring the
complex issue of understanding the Civil Rights Movement helps students learn
more about themselves and learn from other students,” Wiltgen said. “I am
always impressed by the dialogue that is created for students during the
experience. The trip also helps students hone important critical thinking
skills and their ideas about citizenship and human rights. I am always so
impressed by the wonderful insight they find and how they share that
information with each other.”
SITES
VISITED
Birmingham,
Ala.
- 16th
Street Baptist Church
- Civil
Rights Institute
- Kelly
Ingram Park
Atlanta,
Ga.
- MLK
Center
- Ebeneezer
Baptist Church
- Sweet
Auburn Firehouse
- Center
for Civil and Human Rights
Selma,
Ala.
- National
Park Interpretive Center (Lowndes County)
- Little
Brown Church
- Edmund
Pettis Bridge
Montgomery,
Ala.
- Rosa
Parks Museum
- Alabama
Statehouse
- Dexter
Street Baptist Church
Civil Rights Memorial at the Southern Poverty Law
Center
Memphis,
Tenn.
- National
Civil Rights Museum
ABOUT
HENDRIX
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in
engaged liberal arts and sciences education. This year, Hendrix was named the
country’s #1 “Up and Coming” liberal arts college and #8 in the nation for
“Best Undergraduate Teaching” by U.S.
News and World Report. Hendrix is
featured in the 2015 Fiske Guide to Colleges, Forbes
magazine's list of America's Top Colleges, the 2014 Princeton Review’s The Best 378 Colleges, and the latest
edition of Colleges That Change
Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges.
Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For
more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.