The National Park College Board of Trustees welcomed almost 30 members of the school's new athletics program Wednesday during their regular monthly meeting.
Most of the students in the athletics program were introduced Wednesday in the board room of the Gerald Fisher Campus Center. The men's basketball team, women's basketball team and cheer squad includes more than 30 students, most of which Jason Hudnell, dean of enrollment and coach of the men's team, said would not have attended the college without opportunities in athletics.
Hudnell said the club sports teams beginning at the college in the 2017-18 academic year were born out of unexpected and overwhelming support and enthusiasm for the intramural program introduced the previous year. He said club sports and intramurals are components of the college's student life efforts and initiatives.
"It is more than just silly games," Hudnell said. "There is a method to the madness. We equip them with leadership skills. We equip them with how to be good members of society and our community."
More than 50 students, faculty and staff members compete once a week in volleyball intramural competition. The college added basketball, soccer and softball competition to its intramural slate.
"That is a time for us to engage with students," Hudnell said. "We get to have those conversations in between volleyball games that maybe would be difficult to have in a classroom, but faculty and staff are there engaging with those students during those times. That is why we spend those resources, time and investment in those."
Hudnell said students affairs staff members aim to engage, equip, educate and encourage students through a variety of events throughout the year. The Nighthawk men's and women's basketball teams will play in a coed Blue and White scrimmage on Monday at 3 p.m. in the NPC Wellness Center gymnasium. Their season will begin a week later with home games against Crowley's Ridge College
County Judge Rick Davis was invited to the meeting as a special guest. He expressed appreciation for the impact the college made on his sons, as well as other efforts in the community.
"I am proud of what the college is doing in the (Garland County) Detention Center," Davis said. "They are helping give people their high school education and giving them hope in life. That is a great thing. It is changing people's lives."
NPC President John Hogan praised an event the NPC Foundation held a week ago to honor Dr. Martin Eisele, for whom the auditorium in the Frederick M. Dierks Center for Nursing and Health Sciences is named. The event was hosted with Eisele's family and raised more than $11,000 for the Eisele Scholarship Endowment.
Darla Thurber, special assistant to the president, reported Holly Dean, clinical education director, was awarded the Respiratory Care Practitioner of the Year Award for the South District of the Arkansas Society for Respiratory Care. She also reported Chuck Burke, Health Sciences Division chair, was awarded the Respiratory Educator of the Year award for the state.
Local on 10/27/2017