Issue date: 1/27/06 Section: News

This fall, the Odyssey Program awarded funding to 14 student and 11 faculty member project proposals. Through funding a variety of projects, the Odyssey Program is fulfilling dreams by "stimulating students to be creative and take an active role in shaping their own educational paths," as Dr. Nancy Fleming, associate director of the Odyssey program, said. The funding will reach across the globe from Japan to Ghana, from Istanbul to London. More than 100 Hendrix students will be involved with these projects. In the spring, additional grants for summer and fall will be awarded, according to Janina Eggensperger, Odyssey office manager. Most of the programs supporters agree that the Odyssey Program will make a profound impact on the larger scale, but even more so on an individual level.
Tommy Dornhoffer, a freshman and aquarium enthusiast from Little Rock, Ark., will be converting one of the empty aquariums in the Donald W. Reynolds entryway into a saltwater reef tank. Easily mistaken as a simple task, Dornhoffer is committing to two years of work - converting the tank and then maintaining the tank. An important fact to note is that salt-water tanks are considerably more fragile than fresh water tanks, especially when corals are involved. For this reason, Dornhoffer plans to establish an "Aquarium Club" to help trim the corals that will reside in the salt-water tank along with beautiful saltwater fish and literally thousands of interesting invertebrates.
"The aquarium will bring a fascinating biotope [coral reef] to a place that would otherwise not be able to see such a thing," Dornhoffer said. "The tank will heighten appreciation…[and will provide] a living work of art on campus."
The trimmings from the corals in the tank can be used for coral-related research, a broad field, or sold to the local market, thus taking pressure off the already endangered wild reefs, according to Dornhoffer. Aside from the numerous benefits biologically and academically speaking, the Hendrix community will now have a beautiful "
"I never thought I would be getting a grant my freshman year," Dornhoffer said. "I also didn't think my aquarium hobby would end up amounting to anything more than a hobby. I would have planned to do this project regardless of whether or not it was a part of the Odyssey Program."
The Art Department faculty and students will be excited to learn of senior Ingrid Geisler's project to rebuild the gas kiln, a tool used in making ceramics. The bricks that make up the kiln have become prematurely worn and need replacing. Along with the advanced ceramics class, Geisler will dismantle and reconstruct the old kiln with the bricks she has purchased through Odyssey grant money.

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