Author: Donnie Sewell

The Arkansas School for Mathematics Sciences and the Arts’ Class of 2020 scored a composite 30.6 as a class. That tied the high-mark in school history set by the Class of 2017.

It was the fourth straight year that graduates had an average of at least a 30 on the national college admissions exam. It was the seventh year in a row that students scored at least a 29 average on the ACT as a graduating class. The Class of 2020 included 107 students.

The national composite average dropped a tenth of a point to 20.6 while the average composite score for Arkansas students taking the test was 19.

Students applying to ASMSA must initially take the ACT as parts of the admissions criteria. Students generally see an increase in their ACT scores during their time at ASMSA. The Class of 2020 had a composite average of 26.2 upon entering ASMSA.

“We are proud of the Class of 2020 for their commitment to success on the ACT as well as their growth on the exam during their time at ASMSA,” ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice said. “While the ACT is only a snapshot of students’ critical thinking and quantitative abilities, we recognize the role the exam plays in positioning students for college admission and scholarship programs and champion student efforts to improve scores in order to unlock opportunities.”

The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest possible score. Students also receive scores in four individual testing areas, which are combined for the composite score. The individual testing areas are English, mathematics, reading and science.

The Class of 2020 scored well on each individual testing area. The average scores on each subject were:

• English: 31.7
• Mathematics: 29.1
• Reading: 32.8
• Science: 31.1

Stuart Flynn, dean of academic affairs at ASMSA, attributed a significant portion of the students’ success on the test to the students’ hometown school districts throughout Arkansas.

“The scores are an indicator that schools around the state are preparing students to be successful as they progress through their school careers. The advanced coursework that students experience at ASMSA creates learners who are able to handle any kind of assessment,” Flynn said.

Alderdice said that ASMSA strives to be viewed as an extension of every school in the state. He said such scores are only possible with the combined preparation students received from their home institutions and continued study at ASMSA. All ASMSA classes are taught on the college level, and the school offers approximately 60 classes that allow students to earn college credit via a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Recent cohorts of graduates have completed an average of 50 hours of college credit through the ASMSA experience. While the ACT is designed to measure how prepared academically students are for the first year of college, it does not reflect ASMSA’s efforts to create confident learners who are able to handle college life and beyond.

“ASMSA is a college-bridge environment — it combines the academic rigor, research experience and opportunities to study abroad of college with the supervision, safety, support systems and structure of high school,” Alderdice said.

“There’s this idea of college readiness being measured by ACT score benchmarks, which predicts how likely a chance a student will have making a C or better in a college class, but there’s more to consider than academic capacity. Can the student live independently? Can they act autonomously and make appropriate decisions as a young adult?”

Jon Ruehle, Ph.D., a biology instructor at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts and a celebrated wildlife artist, died Saturday, Oct. 17, while in hospice care at CHI St. Vincent Hospital in Hot Springs.

Ruehle, 71, joined the ASMSA faculty in August 2005. Among the courses he taught at ASMSA were microbiology, AP Environmental Science, aquatic biology, zoology, immunology, developmental biology, neurobiology and botany. He served as the adviser for the Biology and Zoology Club, affectionately known as the “BoZo Club.”

No memorial service or funeral is planned, but ASMSA will hold a celebration of Ruehle’s life to allow students, colleagues and alumni an opportunity to pay tribute to him. Details will be shared at a later time.

In his ASMSA website biography, this question is posed: Is Ruehle a scientist doing art, an artist doing science or someone doing both?

Ruehle’s bio answers the question precisely and with detail that his students and colleagues would come to expect over the course of his career at ASMSA. “Science and art merge in his scholarly studies of morphogenesis and the genetic regulation of development complimented by his fieldwork and depiction of wildlife in bronze sculpture.”

Ruehle received his Ph.D. in plant developmental genetics from the University of California at Davis while his sculptures are in hundreds of public and private collections worldwide, including the National Academy of Design in New York City and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyo. These two pursuits represent his fascination with how people understand their world.

Ruehle initially studied anthropology and the cross-cultural formation of personality at the University of California at Berkeley, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Genetics. From this, he intended to become an ethnobotanist studying indigenous health practices in South America until most graduate programs in the field shut down.

He returned to school following a successful career as an artist and completed his Ph.D. He taught at UC-Davis, St. Mary’s College of California, and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway before coming to ASMSA.

In cooperation with Dr. Lindsey Waddell, a chemistry and geoscience instructor at ASMSA, Ruehle founded the Research in the Park program in 2014. The program provides students an opportunity to conduct real-world research throughout Hot Springs National Park. Waddell and Ruehle established the program in an agreement with the National Park Service, creating an easier path for students to gain access to areas of HSNP for research.

The program was recognized in 2017 by the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior as the recipient of the national George and Helen Hartzog Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteer Service Group for its work with Hot Springs National Park. In 2019, the program received the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools Innovative Partnership of the Year Award.

Research in the Park was one of the first capstone courses that was developed to encourage  students to get a start on their research from the outset of their ASMSA experience. All students at the time were required to complete a Fundamentals in Research Methods, or FIRM, project, but most of them would not begin their project until the second semester of their junior year.

Ruehle said the 2017 recognition by the National Park Service and the continued agreement to allow student research each year in HSNP speaks to the quality of students involved in the program and the research they conducted.

Ruehle broke down his approach to educating motivated students in a teaching statement on his LinkedIn profile.

“For me, the central components of teaching are the absolute confidence in the ability of all of my students, the consistent and equitable demand that students work to reach their potential, and the application of practical and creative means for students to grow and demonstrate their achievements,” he wrote.

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Ruehle was a professional sculptor since 1974, when he sold his first pieces to Zantman Art Galleries in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif. His works mostly focused on wildlife. For Ruehle, his sculptures provided an insight to how the animals actually live. Whether it’s a boar rubbing against a tree stump, a wolf on the hunt, a bear catching fish in a river, a sporting dog with a bird in its mouth or a bird in flight, his goal was to present that animal in a manner that showed them in their natural habitat, not in an idealized and artificial pose.

“I sculpt as part of my academic training and intellectual interest,” Ruehle said in a 2014 edition of the school magazine Tangents, adding that he always does extensive field and background research on an animal before he used it in one of his sculptures. “All of the pieces I do are demonstrating some kind of behavior, and it’s not just to depict some kind of carousel animal. So many pieces that you see that are wildlife art you can almost see the stake stuck up through their belly that goes up and down on the carousel. They don’t look like anything out in the wild.

“Somebody said once, and I thought this was the ultimate compliment, my sculptures are the kinds of things the animals would give each other for birthdays and Christmas.”

Ruehle credited capturing that natural action along with his unique approach to creating the mold to be cast in bronze for the popularity of his artwork. He shared his approach to bronze casting with ASMSA students in a 3D sculpture class during previous school years. He was pleasantly surprised at how well students learned his method to produce their own sculptures.

“The kids at the end of 12 weeks were about where I was after 15 years of work,” he said. “These kids are amazing. I told them what to do, and they go, ‘O.K., get out of the way. We’re going to do it.’”

Ruehle’s work has been featured in galleries around the world. In 2000, he was selected by an international panel of museum directors and art dealers as one of the 50 most influential contemporary wildlife artists in the world.

At least two Texas governors own complete collections of his pieces.  Another was given to Walter Cronkite as a retirement present, he said. He has sold more than 2,000 pieces since the mid-70s, he said.

The University of Texas used a special edition of a longhorn bronze as gifts in recognition of major gifts to the school totaling at least $250,000. That inspired a program in which members of the ASMSA Founder’s Society received a limited edition bronze hog. Gifts of at least $50,000 earned donors membership into the society.

“The most heartfelt and impactful acknowledgments come from those who directly benefit from a donor’s generosity — ASMSA students,” said Vicki Hinz, who was serving as the director of institutional advancement at the time. “Dr. Ruehle’s teaching philosophy is inspiring and his desire to give back to the school and the students he loves by sharing his art of sculpting is an incredible gift.”

Ruehle provided bronzes of other statues for dignitaries and friends of the school who were recognized for their contributions to ASMSA including former Gov. Mike Beebe, who was given a wolf bronze, and Eric Jackson, former general manager of Oaklawn Racing and Gaming, who received a bronze stag.

As for the question posed in his biography of whether he was a teacher or an artist, Ruehle expounded on his answer in the 2014 Tangents article. He began drawing and painting at a very young age, and art was an early and constant influence on him throughout life, but he loved teaching as well.

“I’m a professional artist, and I’m a teacher by avocation. So I teach because I enjoy it. I sculpt because I have to,” he said.

The ASMSA Foundation is establishing an endowment honoring Ruehle that will support a new science award to be given to a graduating student each year. To make a gift to the memorial fund, visit https://asmsa.salsalabs.org/jonruehle.

In Japanese poet Miyazawa Kenji’s poem “Strong in the Rain,” the main character spends his life going wherever he is needed by his fellow human beings, always concerned more about their well-being than his own during difficult times.

The sentiment of selflessness and giving in the poem is the reason it was chosen to serve as the inspiration for masks produced by the city of Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan’s Office of International Relations. Each mask includes the title of the poem in English and Japanese. The design is also inspired by a mural in Hanamaki of another of Kenji’s literary works — “Night on the Milky Way Express.” The office cooperated with Koyata, a local fabric workshop, to produce the masks to be shared with its sister cities during a time of struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hot Springs is one of those sister cities, and the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts was fortunate enough to be included in the gift. ASMSA students taking a Japanese language course this semester each received one of the masks. Mary Zunick, cultural affairs manager for Visit Hot Springs, recently presented the masks to the students.

Zunick said the two cities have a long history of supporting each other during times of celebration. Deer dancers from Hanamaki helped Hot Springs celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Hot Springs National Park. Representatives from Hot Springs traveled to Hanamaki for its annual festival and other milestones  dating back to 1993 when the partnership was established.

They also have been supportive of each other in times of crisis, she said. When evacuees from coastal areas fled Hurricane Katrina to Hot Springs, Hanamaki sent contributions to those in need. When the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami devastated the eastern coast of Japan in 2011, Hanamaki received thousands of evacuees who had lost everything. Hot Springs friends sent $25,000 to assist Hanamaki in caring for them.

“Now during a time of crisis, one that has impacted us in Arkansas on a much larger scale than Japan, they want to assist,” Zunick said. “Masks, which are a common sight in Japan, are worn anytime someone doesn't feel well and they want to protect those around them from possibly contracting what they have. These special masks sent by Hanamaki are decorated with artwork celebrating one of the writings of Miyazawa Kenji, who was from Hanamaki.”

Elizabeth Brown serves as ASMSA’s Japanese language instructor. ASMSA is the only public school in the state that provides local Japanese language instruction. Students from the school have participated in Sister City trips to Hanamaki, and ASMSA has a long-term educational exchange with Hanamaki Kita High School, with students from each school visiting their Sister School.

Brown said the city and the longstanding and deep relationship with the people of Hanamaki is profoundly important to the Hot Springs and ASMSA communities.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and it became clear that we would be unable to carry out our exchanges this year, my students and I were devastated,” Brown said. “I am so humbled by this gift from our friends in Hanamaki. The gesture reminds us that our relationship can weather even the strongest of the storms and that we must support and care for each other through hard times.

“Every time I wear my mask or see my students wearing theirs, I am reminded of the special bond between our communities and feel empowered to carry on.”

Brown’s students wrote essays about the poem, its meaning and the thoughtfulness of those who made the masks.

“Remaining ‘strong in the rain’ while simultaneously caring for others is critical during this time,” wrote junior Mika Brown. “A prime example of this is the masks from Hanamaki. This selfless act of the citizens of Hanamaki sending masks to its sister cities exemplifies the nature of Miyazawa’s poem. Despite also going through trying times, the people of Hanamaki were able to be compassionate and caring. Receiving the mask and learning about the poem honestly made my entire day.”

The Hanamaki Office of International Relations said it chose to use some of the funds originally given to the city for the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics that were to be held in Japan to help promote international relations.

“We are so grateful to be a part of this global community and feel that it is important to do what we can to help each other in times of need,” a statement from the office said. “While these masks may not be much, they are certainly sent with love, as we strive to keep alive Kenji’s dream of being strong in the rain. The sincerity and meaning behind this famed poem have helped us through many hardships, and this time, we’d like to share it with you.”

 

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts recently recognized educators from across the state with the annual Teacher Impact Award.  

The Teacher Impact Award recognizes educators who helped shape and influence incoming students at ASMSA. Students nominated teachers who aided their growth both intellectually and emotionally. There were more than 100 teachers nominated for recognition. Every educator who was nominated received a certificate of recognition. A letter highlighting their recognition also was sent to each educator’s principal. 

A committee of ASMSA staff members read through the recommendations to give further recognition to five educators from different regions within the state. These stand-out teachers received an additional gift provided by the ASMSA Parents Association. 

Teaching is hard work, and often teachers don’t know how much they have positively influenced their students once they have graduated or moved on to further their education. The Teacher Impact Award allows a more immediate recognition of how educators helped shape their pupils.    

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The five teachers who were recognized as standouts in their regions are: 

In the Central Region, Dylan Glover, an engineering instructor at Cabot High School, was nominated by junior Levi Pile from Cabot. Pile wrote that “He was exactly what I needed. … He introduced me to my passion and helped me develop it.” 

Jessica Helams, a history teacher at Valley Springs High School, earned extra recognition for her outstanding leadership in the Northwest Region. Junior Alyx Allred from Harrison shared that “she always tries her best to support students in any way she can and encourage them to be the best they can be.” 

For the Southwest Region, Monty Whitley, a math teacher at Glen Rose High School, was chosen after being nominated by junior Bonnie Mieirs from Malvern. “He’s an interesting and patient teacher,” Mieirs said. “He definitely made remote learning a lot easier.” 

From White Hall High School in the Southeastern Region, Zachary Winfield was nominated by multiple incoming students, but it was sophomore Talana Small’s recounting of geometry class that won him additional recognition. Small from White Hall said, “I wanted to succeed in his class. [Mr. Winfield] taught me to really work hard for what I want.”   

In the Northeastern Region, The Academies at Jonesboro High School biology teacher Jessica Nadzam stood out for junior Sheridan Dethrow from Jonesboro. “Mrs. Nadzam was an amazing biology teacher. She showed me that there is a whole realm of possibilities within biology that I have never known before,” Dethrow wrote. 

“ASMSA greatly appreciates our partnerships with schools around the state,” said Charlie Feick, director of admissions at ASMSA. “A student’s educational foundation is laid long before they arrive on the ASMSA campus. It is because of the dedication of their previous teachers that students are prepared to thrive at ASMSA.   

“Reading the students’ nominations each year reminds us of all the good in the world. The students’ descriptions of their former teachers’ impacts highlight how all teachers strive to give their students the very best preparation possible for their lives after high school. The Teacher Impact Award allows us to thank educators that helped each of our current ASMSA students get to where they are today.” 

U.S. Navy Commander Dominic DiMaggio, Ph.D., will be the featured speaker in the inaugural Association for Alumni and Friends of ASMSA (AAFA) Alumni Presentation Series at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The Alumni Presentation Series will feature alumni of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts speaking about their experience at ASMSA as well as their post-ASMSA academic and professional careers. The event will be broadcast live on ASMSA’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/armathsciarts.

DiMaggio is an alumnus of the Class of 2000. He currently serves as a meteorology and oceanography officer in the U.S. Navy, where he is responsible for collecting and interpreting environmental data, writing oceanographic and atmospheric forecasts, and incorporating the data into military operations.

He has served tours aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, at the Naval Oceanography Anti-Submarine Warfare Center, the Fleet Weather Center Strike Detachment and the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command. He currently serves as the Senior Meteorology and Oceanography Officer at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The AAFA is comprised of all graduates, attendees, past faculty and staff of ASMSA. Its mission is to serve as a resource for current ASMSA students, providing mentorship and support as they develop academically and professionally; to grow and strengthen the alumni network to provide the same guidance and support to alumni from all classes; and to collaborate with ASMSA administration to further the ongoing development of the school itself.

“Connecting alumni to current students is part of the core mission of the Association for Alumni and Friends of ASMSA,” said Amy Stvartak, an alumna of the Class of 2011 and an AAFA executive team member. “The Alumni Presentation Series is a great way for students to learn about ‘life after ASMSA’ and the broad spectrum of opportunities that await them. The committee is pleased to kick off this year’s series with Commander Dominic DiMaggio (’00).”

After graduating from ASMSA, DiMaggio attended the University of Arkansas, majoring in physics with minors in math and music. He developed a love for international travel during a semester abroad in Rome, Italy. His combined passion for science and travel led him to join the Navy in 2003. His first assignment was teaching math, physics and nuclear engineering to sailors training to operate nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines.

In 2008, DiMaggio transferred to the Naval Oceanography community and served as an oceanography and acoustics adviser to naval forces searching for and engaging with enemy submarines. He then attended the Naval Postgraduate School where he earned a Master of Science degree in meteorology and physical oceanography and a doctorate in physical oceanography.

During graduate school, he participated in a number of field experiments in the Pacific and Artic Oceans. His research included computational modeling and observations to characterize the effects of climate change on the temperature, salinity and acoustic properties of the Arctic Ocean.

As the Senior Meteorology and Oceanography Officer in the Indo-Pacific Command, he is responsible for meteorology and oceanography support for all military operations in the Indo-Pacific region. He has been selected to take command of a to-be-determined Naval Oceanography facility in 2022.

DiMaggio’s military career has offered him the opportunity to work in four oceans; eight countries; nine U.S. states and territories; on floating sea-ice in the Arctic; aboard Navy frigates, destroyers, cruisers, aircraft carriers and ice breakers; civilian research ships; and military aircraft, including the F/A-18 Super Hornet and MH-60 Seahawk.

DiMaggio grew up in Lake Village alongside his four siblings, three of whom also graduated from ASMSA.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts has officially opened the search for the Classes of 2023 and 2024 while taking a new approach to recruiting students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ASMSA is a public residential high school serving academically and artistically motivated students of all background from throughout the state of Arkansas. A cohort of230 students in 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grades attend classes and live on Hot Springs campus in a community of learning unlike any other in the state. The school was established by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1991 and opened in 1993.

This year offers a challenge unlike any other that the school has experienced. As is the case across the state, nation and world, ASMSA is adapting to living through a global pandemic. While members of the Office of Admissions would normally be on the road meeting students at their schools and in their communities across the state, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it unsafe do to so in the present circumstances.

“Our passion for connecting young Arkansans to the opportunities available to them at ASMSA remains as bright as ever,” said Charlie Feick, director of admissions. “The way we connect just has to be a little bit different this year. We are using the additional time we have in the office to expand the ways prospective students are able to interact with ASMSA.

“We have broadened our online information session offerings, digitized our annual Science and Arts Cafés, rolled out new multidisciplinary workshops, and are prioritizing personal and direct engagement with students utilizing phone calls and personalized mail.”

Just as its students persevere and adapt to changing and adverse circumstances, ASMSA has launched new approaches to admissions recruitment in light of the pandemic. While the institution has offered online information sessions previously, it has expanded the number of opportunities to allow students and their families to connect directly from their home with admissions representative, current students and ASMSA faculty members. Online information sessions will be offered throughout the fall and early spring semesters.

In addition of the introductory Life and Learning at ASMSA online information sessions, more than a dozen sessions with specific topics will be provided. Some of the topics covered include science at ASMSA; arts and music; world languages and global learning; humanities; math, computer science and entrepreneurship opportunities; research; residence life; and other topics. Two sessions will focus on the application process.

During these sessions, current ASMSA students as well as members of the faculty and staff will be available to answer questions in addition to admissions representatives. For a full list of online sessions and registration, go to visit.asmsa.org.

In place of physically visiting schools throughout the state, admissions recruiters will conduct video conferencing sessions with students at their current schools. Information with details on how to arrange the video campus visits will be sent to guidance counselors and Gifted and Talented coordinators at schools statewide.

ASMSA will continue to offer opportunities to visit campus through the traditional Preview Days and Focus Weekends. These events present the chance for prospective applicants and their families to meet with current ASMSA students, tour the campus and gain a better understanding of student life at ASMSA. Focus Weekends further allow participants to engage in a two-hour workshop in a subject of interest to them.

“Visiting campus affords families the opportunity to engage directly with current students, faculty, and staff,” Feick said. “Students will spend their remaining years of high school here; it is important they get a sense of the campus culture first-hand in order to envision themselves living, learning, and growing here.”

The format of all on-campus sessions has been adjusted in light of COVID-19 as ASMSA takes the safety and well-being of our current and future students seriously. The number of visitors allowed at one time have been reduced as well as the areas of campus included in the tours. Appropriate social distancing and face coverings are required to help protect our visitors and the students residing on campus.

Following these requirements for campus visitors, current students, faculty and staff has allowed the campus to remain COVID-19 free with zero positive student or employee cases reported to date.

Another positive change ASMSA has made is developing a more user-friendly application portal. Interested students will be able to complete all parts of the application packet within the portal. The checklist allows students to see what components of the application ASMSA has received as well as what still needs to be completed.

Students apply to ASMSA through a competitive admissions process that evaluates high school coursework, ACT/SAT scores, responses to essay questions, recommendation forms and other accomplishments. Finalist candidates are invited to attend Interview Weekends in April. The process is similar to application at selective colleges and universities.

The rigorous applications process assists ASMSA in identifying for admission well-rounded young Arkansans who possess a strong sense of character, actively give to their communities and seek out the most challenging coursework available to them while applying themselves to the best of their abilities.

Students must submit their completed application packet no later than March 1, 2021. To learn more about ASMSA’s application process and the requirements for admission, visit asmsa.org/admissions, call 501.622.5235 or email admissions@asmsa.org.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts 2020-2021 Science and Arts Café lecture series will feature topics ranging from gene therapy to Japanese history to the role Hot Springs played in shaping popular music and more.

This year, the lecture series will be conducted virtually through ASMSA’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ARMathSciARts/. The speakers will present their lecture through a combination of Zoom and Facebook Live. Each lecture will last about a half-hour followed by an informal question-and-answer session conducted from queries collected on Facebook.

This year’s lecture series is sponsored by Mid-America Science Museum. The lectures will be at 7 p.m. on Oct. 6, Nov. 17 and Dec. 1 in 2020 followed by sessions on Feb. 2, March 2 and April 6 in 2021.

The dates and speakers for this year’s series includes:

Oct. 6, 2020 — Gene Therapy with CRISPR-Cas9

ASMSA life sciences specialist Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak will explore the latest discoveries and applications of the new breakthrough in gene therapy called CRISPR-Cas9. She will share the origins, summarize the function and discuss the uses of this amazing new tool that could potentially cure most genetic diseases.

In 2020, Krakowiak was named one of 10 recipients of The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation Teacher Innovation Awards, recognized with a regional teacher award for her contributions to the Arkansas Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and named a recipient of the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award.

Nov. 17, 2020 — Meiji Restoration

In 1868 after a nearly 250-year period of isolation, a group of insurgents overthrew the Shogunate to reinstate the Emperor to power in Japan. This major shift in government and sudden opening of international trade led to immense changes. Elizabeth Brown, a Japanese instructor at ASMSA, will discuss this major moment in Japanese history.

Brown teaches Japanese language and culture courses at ASMSA. She is a Fulbright scholar, poet and was featured in the September/October issue of HER of Hot Springs magazine.

Dec. 1, 2020 — Hot Springs and Its Roles in Shaping Popular Music

Between the Southern Club, the Arlington, Black Broadway on Malvern and the National Baptist Hotel, Hot Springs occupies an interesting historical space when it comes to popular music — partially due to its organized crime past and partially due to its unique history as a resort town that only cared about the color “green.” Few Hot Springs residents know that some of the kings of rhythm and swing bands held prolonged residencies in town, and fewer still know that acts and bands would frequently try out new material in Hot Springs before playing larger cities and venues. Dr. Thomas Dempster, a music instructor and ASMSA’s band director, will chronicle some of the significant developments and figures to pass through or begin life in Hot Springs.

A lifelong musician, Dempster is a composer, performer, writer and teacher. His original music has been played in more than 30 states and 15 foreign countries. He directs the wind ensemble and teaches various music courses at ASMSA.

Feb. 2, 2021 — Animal Behavior Modification

Have you ever gone to a zoo and wondered how the keepers can control wild animals while your pets won’t even get off the couch when you ask? Here is a little secret — they don’t. The eagle flying over your head at a demonstration has the option to leave at any time and land on anything it wants, including you.

How do zookeepers communicate with animals to get them to perform and return? Deana Hughes, an admissions coordinator at ASMSA, will discuss operant conditioning as well as the selective process used to select animals that become zoo ambassadors. She will focus on how operant conditioning is used to create a language that animals can understand and factors considered to ensure an animal’s success as an ambassador.

For nine years, Hughes has trained raptors, parrots, corvids, shorebirds and the occasional chicken as animal ambassadors for various conversation organizations such as Raptor Rehab of Central Arkansas, the World Bird Sanctuary and the American Eagle Foundation.

She is a 2010 alumna of ASMSA and serves as an admissions coordinator in the school’s Office of Admissions.

March 2, 2021 — How We Know What We Know

Since the late 1980s, astronomers have discovered more than 4,200 planets around other stars. Most of these were discovered using two techniques — the radial velocity technique and the transit technique. Dr. Brian Monson, chair of ASMSA’s Science Department and a physics instructor, will discuss what makes these techniques possible.

Monson also serves as the director of the West Central Regional Science Fair, which leads to the Regeneron International Science Fair. He also teaches a variety of classes such as Optics, College Physics and Folk Music and Acoustics.

April 6, 2021 — Why a Foreign Language

There are numerous reasons to study a second language that go far beyond fulfilling a graduate requirement. ASMSA Spanish instructor Fernanda Espinosa will take a closer look at all of the reasons why learning a second language is beneficial on a personal level as well as for society as a whole.

In addition to teaching Spanish at ASMSA, Espinosa has lived in numerous countries, traveled extensively and fluently speaks English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.  She has presented about incorporating games into the classroom at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Language Teachers Conference. She is also active in the American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages and Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers’ Association.

A group of art instructor Sara Henry’s current students are sketching a portrait with charcoal. At least their drawings look like they are using charcoal.

In reality, they are using an electronic pen tablet and computer in a Digital Art class at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts. The One by Wacom pen tablet allows students to create artwork on the computer. The tablet comes with software that allows it to mimic various art tools and supplies, such as charcoal, paint, paint brushes and more.

Henry said it’s an advantage for students to be able to gain experience in different mediums while using one tool.

“You can do can just about anything you can think of — graphite, pastels, water color, acrylic painting,” Henry said. “It’s kind of limitless as long as you have the necessary plugins.”

The tablet is approximately 8 inches wide and 5 inches tall and connects to the computer via a USB cord. The accompanying stylus has small nibs that help the artist create precise marks. The software allows students to zoom in to see small details and back out to see the larger piece in whole.

It also provides students advanced methods that wouldn’t necessarily be possible on paper. Henry used the example of drawing faces. If an artist sketches a face on paper, they may initially draw a grid to determine the proper dimensions for the head. Using pencil, the artist would then need to either erase or somehow incorporate the grid into their drawing.

With the Wacom tablet, students may develop layers within their drawings. So a student could potentially use the same kind of grid to determine dimensions but place it on a different layer than their drawing. Once they no longer need the grid, they may delete that layer, Henry said.

Henry said she previously had considered integrating a digital art aspect into her drawing class. The COVID-19 pandemic which forced ASMSA to move to remote instruction only in the spring helped spur the plans along a little more quickly.

A traditional drawing and painting class would be difficult to do virtually. The supplies required for the class would not be easy to ship to individual students nor would it be convenient for them to submit their assignments. Using the Wacom tablet, however, allows students to create a digital file to turn in when the project is completed. All of the students in class, even if they are present on campus, are participating in the class virtually, she said.

But just because the students are using technology for their assignments doesn’t mean they aren’t learning the basic skills for art created using traditional media.

“I’m still teaching the traditional skills on how to build up layers, how to do shading, how to get a face to look three-dimensional on a two-dimensional plan. They will be able to go into a beginning drawing class in college and have the skills needed,” she said.

That also includes using the stylus to improve their hand-eye coordination. Depending on the setting the student is using, the stylus and board can be very sensitive, allowing the artist to barely touch the stylus to the tablet to create a faint line or press harder for a dark line. It’s a more natural artistic movement than using a mouse to draw on the computer would be.

Henry said she has seen the use of a pen tablet help improve a student’s physical artwork as well. One student in a drawing course during the 2019-20 academic year wanted to use digital methods more than traditional methods. Henry had the student learn the traditional way of drawing first but allowed more work to be completed digitally throughout the year. By the end of the class, the student was drawing strictly on tablet, but their basic skills had improved.

That was what initially gave Henry the idea for a digital class, although she had not taught a Digital Art class previously. This semester’s class has been a learning experience for her as well. She has been drawing using a tablet along with her students.

“It’s been challenging,” she said. “Sometimes if you want just the tiniest line somewhere, it might be difficult to get it the first time, but you just have to practice and put in the time. The good thing is, however, when you’re done for the day, you may just put it aside. It’s not as messy.”

The next project she has planned for the class is developing a character for a comic book. She will give each student a prompt about what their character looks like, what they can do, and other details. They will have to design the character.

After that, the students will have to create their own comic book, creating their own characters and designing a two-page layout complete with coloring and dialogue that tells a short story.

Those projects will showcase the versatility of the Wacom tablet, Henry said. “It’s just one thing that they need — one piece of equipment for many different projects,” she said.

Ghaida Fadah, a junior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, has been chosen to serve on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Student Advisory Council.

The Gilder Lehrman Student Advisory Council is a diverse group of middle and high school students who provide valuable feedback on the institute’s programs and materials while also giving opportunities to do research projects and introduce new projects. Students are recommended to the council by a teacher based on their academic achievements and interest in American history.

Fadah of White Hall was nominated for the council by Dr. Neil Oatsvall, the chair of ASMSA’s Humanities Department and a history instructor. Oatsvall was recently named the institute’s History Teacher of the Year for Arkansas.

Fadah said the current council has around 50 students. The council traditionally has been comprised of students from New York City, where the organization is headquartered, she said. But because of in-person meeting restrictions because of COVID-19, the organization opened the council membership to students around the country. Meetings are conducted virtually, allowing a more regionally diverse group of students to participate, she said.

“They offer so many courses and programs to help teach history,” Fadah said of the institute. “The feedback given by the council helps determine what is used and how effective it is. I wanted to be able to give feedback and make sure we are represented.”

Oatsvall said Fadah stood out to ASMSA’s admissions team as someone with a strong interest in history. She had taken some advanced history courses— such as African American History and AP World History — at Watson Chapel High School, her sending school. Oatsvall serves as Fadah’s capstone project advisor, giving him a personal perspective on her academic interests.

“My impressions of Ghaida so far as her advisor have been very positive,” he said. “She’s bright and hardworking, but more importantly, she’s inquisitive and asks great questions. If she wants to be one, she’ll make a great historian.”

Five Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students were named National Merit Semifinalists for the 2020-21 academic year by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the names of the Semifinalists for the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program on Wednesday. The students who are all members of the Class of 2021 will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $31 million that will be offered next spring.

The ASMSA seniors named Semifinalists are:

• Max Green of North Little Rock,
• Alex Guo of Jonesboro,
• Jacob Holmes of Rector,
• David Huang of Little Rock, and
• Catherine Kwon of Little Rock.

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“We congratulate these students for their exceptional accomplishment, and we wish them the very best as they work through the National Merit Scholarship Program's rigorous process,” said Stuart Flynn, dean of academic affairs at ASMSA. “This achievement offers them a learning opportunity that can become a springboard to an extraordinary senior year and the many possibilities beyond.”

To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of anticipated graduating seniors.

Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist standing, including a detailed scholarship application that includes information about a Semifinalists academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Scholarships are underwritten by the corporation with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions.