<p>I'd like to hear from current Hendrix students about social life at Hendrix. With Conway being a small town & Little Rock only 30 minutes away, do people generally stay on campus on the weekends or is there a mass exodus to L.R.?</p>
<p>valuable1212 is a great resource...</p>
<p>When we visited, I recall them telling us about a social committe (made up of students) on campus that plans lots of activities for the students. I'm pretty sure I recall them saying they rent out the movie theater and the skating rink occasionally and there are several parties. I believe there are enough things on or near campus to keep them occupied, but it's probably like many schools near a bigger city ... the occasional road trip to that city for more adventure. I attended a large university in southern Kentucky where there were lots of activities and parties, but we still made quite a few road trips to Nashville.</p>
<p>Between school work and other things going on, I can't be addicted to CC like I used to be lol. So I apologize for not noticing the thread sooner. But I would love to answer your questions. Hendrix has a very diverse social life. I have to say, coming from NJ, I wasn't expecting Conway, or Little Rock for that matter, to be that exciting. Yet, Arkansas proved me wrong. Yes, it is not Philadelphia or NYC, but Little Rock has its positives. But first let me talk about what we usually do on the weekends here. Obviously Hendrix is a very small school and most of the kids that go here, if they are not from Arkansas, are from surrounding states like TX, LA, OK, etc. I would not say it is a commuter school at all. Yet, it is not odd to hear once in a while that a student is making a trip back home for a weekend (just for visiting). For the most part most people stay on campus.
Little Rock is nice for going out on a Saturday night, when usually the big parties are held on Friday nights. Students usually like to take it easy and go to a movie (Rave Theater in Little Rock is really nice), get something to eat at a down town restaurant (PF Changs, Macaroni Grill etc. since Hendrix doesnt serve dinners Sat. night), or go clubbing (from what I hear from students there are two decent clubs in LR). Conway has movie theaters but they arent as nice as Little Rocks theaters. Yet, there are some decent places to eat in Conway if you wanted something relatively cheap (Chilis, Marketplace, Dixie Café). There are also a number of coffee shops. Also Memphis is a few hours away, so you also hear about a few trips to downtown Memphis on rare occasions. Even trips to Dallas for the weekend are not out of the ordinary.<br>
For the most part, I guess your social life at Hendrix depends on where you find your niche. I will not lie and tell you that Hendrix does not have drinking on campus. I would not say that Hendrix is full of binge drinkers, but on a Friday night, a majority of people can be found partying at Martin Hall, Front Street, The White House etc. When I say majority, (when it comes to partying at Martin etc.) it is the same groups of people that frequent those parties. In exception to huge campus wide parties like Toga, Sham Roast (St Patties), Ghost Roast (Halloween), etc. Martin Hall can be filled on a Friday night with the regulars (after all it is a school with 1100 kids). Sometimes UCA kids come to our parties, or if you meet someone from UCA, a lot of kids visit their campus and party (UCA has frats, sororities) It is a nice option if you want to get away from the small feel of HC. Yet, there is more to do then just drink.
First off, not everyone at Hendrix frequents these parties. Couchies (Couch students) usually hold their own parties away from the trendy Martin scene. I hope I am wording this right without giving you the wrong impression. I say trendy because Martin is the obvious place to party, if you are looking for one.
SoCo (Social Committee) does a great job of organizing events for the campus. We have free skate nights, movie nights (they rent out huge screens), formals, casino night (where we gamble and then use our winnings to bid at an auction on futons, coffee makers, etc.), etc. Every Wednesday night is called Hump Night at Hendrix. Hendrix provides some sort of entertainment in The Burrow every Hump Night. Other things Hendrix offers are things like free paintball night, the outdoors club (they organize rock climbing, canoeing trips etc.) It is usually free but if it is an expensive trip, they may charge a cheap fee, like 10 dollars, since most of the equipment costs a decent amount to rent. They had an event called Hardstock (modeled off of Woodstock) where we booked local bands to play on campus for 3 days straight. We of course have a Spring Concert where we vote on one famous band/singer/rapper to visit campus and perform. I know the language house sponsoered a Spanish party for campus, with virgin margaritas and Mexican food. The end of spring semester is crazy here since Campus Kitty (a charity organization at HC I am involved in) holds a ton of events on campus (which raise money) but also entertain the students. An example is the traditional Miss Hendrix Pageant (one of the biggest events of the year), where guys from school dress up drag and compete for the crown (The phrase HC uses is It is so much more then a pageant. Lol) its a huge theatrical production. We have poetry slams, guest speakers, and we even had Second City Comedy Troupe perform. The Dance Team is always holding events that people enjoy attending. During the holidays, a lot of people attended the choir and orchestra concerts (They have one coming in the spring). The basketball games get huge turn outs (especially since we are doing pretty good this year). Soccer was pretty popular and I know our girls softball team is good too (softball and baseball season is coming up so people get excited around here). I guess the list goes on and on. If you had more specific concerns I could try and address those. I think Hendrix is what you make it. If you are extremely shy, I could see where getting out there could be a problem. Thankfully, in the beginning weeks, Hendrix has tons of ice breaker type activities and events to help people get out and socialize. I would not say that you need to be a drinker at Hendrix to survive. I know quite a number of people who chose not to drink and have a good time. Yet, I could see how a person more interested in city life or going out may get bored since it is small town Conway and Little Rock. Then again, that kind of person shouldnt be looking at a school like Hendrix and probably an urban type school etc. To be honest, the only downside of Hendrix (at least with my experience so far) is sometimes I want to just do something different and get away from the small feel of the student body. I come from NJ so maybe I am not used to being in a more laid back area. Yet, those feelings are usually fleeting. I may feel bummed out once in a great while, but ultimately my friends and I will go out and find something to do and I will totally forget earlier in the day. I would definitely suggest visiting if you know someone that is interested. I think Hendrix is amazing if you find your niche, but I can also see where it may not cater to what everyone wants in a college experience. I apologize for the poor grammar and typing errors. I am writing this late at night and I just got done watching a movie for my Spanish Comp. and Conversation class. I hope this was of some help. I honestly havent been bored at all and although you can leave campus, most people dont want to. The unity can be suffocating once in a great while, but it also is very comforting. I enjoy my friends here. I love the parties and day trips to Little Rock. It is just enough social life for me. Besides, with all the work Hendrix gives you, a party on a Friday night and a movie Saturday night is pretty tiring in itself! Before you know it, Mondays roll around and its back to the grind. Between homework, extracurricular activities, sports (if you play one), work studies etc. the little time Hendrix students have for themselves is spent with each other. I wouldnt worry about being bored. I would be more worried about exhausting yourself with options. :) Most people would agree. Hendrix students work hard all week and weekends (Saturday during the day the library is full and Sundays are usually days where people catch up). Yet its the whole "Study hard, Play hard" mentality. Hendrix does its best and considering it is in Conway, AR...I think they do an awesome job!</p>
<p>I do not have a lot of time to search the boards, but if I log on quickly, I automatically see if anyone has PM'ed me. If you have any more questions and I seem to be lagging behind, just PM me and I will try and respond ASAP. Thanks and sorry again for the delay</p>
<p>Gosh, there is obviously no lack of activity at Hendrix. I'm tired just reading about it all ... I can't imagine participating in it all! LOL! Thanks, valuable1212. We can always depend on you to answer those questions! I'm glad to hear you are doing well! :)</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks for the fantastic post & great info! Much appreciated!!!
:-)
ArkansasMom</p>
<p>I am more than glad to help out. Hendrix is a great place to be. You mentioned in the PM that your daughter may want to go far far away for college. I am from NJ and originally I thought I wanted to go far away (hence AR) but let me tell you, I get so jealous of the people that have their house only 2 or 3 hours away. Its far enough for them. It is hard flying back and forth and I do miss home. Nothing like having family near by. :) Just thought I would add that in incase you talk to her about flying for school. It can be a little bit a of a hassle, especially during holidays. Yet, if it is her dream, then go for it!</p>