Searcy, Arkansas - Three local students from Dexter and Bernie attended the The Harding Honors Symposium.

This is a two-week academic program on the Searcy campus designed to challenge, encourage, and uplift rising high school Seniors. Students from all across the nation come together for the purpose of growing spiritually and academically. Three hours of university credit are awarded to all who successfully complete the Symposium.

Admission to the Symposium is based on ACT score, GPA, and a letter of recommendation from the student’s school outlining academic ability and leadership roles.

The typical day involved lectures, discussion groups, and interactive classes. Students participated in HUT, which is a poverty simulation. Students were grouped arbitrarily into nationalities and lived as these people would for approximately 12 hours, including overnight. Some students, including Kalee Howard and Zac Tanner, were refugees who had to stand in line for several hours filling out paperwork and then had to sleep overnight in a makeshift refugee camp tent that they had to put up. They were given enough “money” to buy cornmeal, a potato and an onion to cook and feed the 6 members of their “family”.

Tyler Stevenson’s “family” picked blackberries for two hours to be paid to purchase food. They were able to buy 1 potato for their “family” of six.

HUT is a 2 week unique missions training village at camp Tahkodah under the direction of Harding University.

Other activities the students enjoyed included a day of service in the community, rock wall climbing, and a one day canoe trip to finish out their two week experience.

Shown in the photo are from left to right: Zackary Tanner of Bernie, Kalee Howard of Dexter, Abby Stinnett of Quincy, IL, and Tyler Stevenson of Dexter.

Submitted by Kay Stevenson.