Ever since internet sensation Kai Cenat and his entourage of aspiring influencers descended on Hendrix College last week for Streamer University, internet warriors have been clashing.

Was the event that brought the likes of Lizzo and T-Pain to town and focused millions of virtual eyeballs on the Conway campus’ charms an embarrassing stunt or a savvy marketing move? Depends on whom you ask.

Some Facebook commenters questioned the wisdom of letting internet celebrities swarm the school, and worried the antique campus would be left vandalized and in shambles. Others applauded Hendrix for taking advantage of a unique opportunity to show off the school’s powerful Hogwarts vibes to the wider muggle universe.

A tidbit of information that might help people make up their minds – the amount of money Cenat paid to use the Hendrix campus – has not been shared. (Disclosure: My son heads off to Hendrix in a few weeks; his tuition balance has not been adjusted in light of any Streamer U-related windfalls.) 

Hendrix signaled this week that rumors the campus had been trashed and vandalized were unfounded. Press releases and social media posts from the college suggested everything would be back in shipshape before fall classes begin, and that “Hendrix’s campus is still the beautiful place our community knows and loves.”

“We brought people to Arkansas, virtually and physically, who’ve never heard of this place before, couldn’t find it on a map,” Hendrix College President Karen Petersen said. “We gave Arkansas and Hendrix unbelievable exposure in places around the world.”

Enigma to anyone over the age of 20, Streamer U seems to be a festival/workshop mashup where the streaming universe exists together, briefly, in the flesh. Only 120 participants came to Conway for the university aspect of the event, but millions beamed in on the internet to follow along. Gaggles of fans showed up to campus to peer in from outside the temporary fences set up to keep the fans at bay.

This year was only the second year for Streamer U, which was held at the University of Akron in Ohio last May. Analytics shared by the college suggest the second year was a success: “Roughly 6,000 channels broadcast content related to Streamer U, which logged nearly 57 million hours watched and 1.45 million peak viewers, Streams Charts reported. The numbers reflect more than a doubling over Streamer U’s first year, the outlet noted.”

The fall semester doesn’t begin until next month, but some Hendrix students were on campus to help with Streamer U, soaking in some lessons on technology, media production and digital communications. Students helped set up wi-fi and security, stream some of the events, and clean up afterwards.

The college touted that experience as a nice onboarding for Via Hendrix, a new program that establishes real-life work experience as a graduation requirement.

Hendrix students help with tech needs for Streamer U. Credit: Photo courtesy of Hendrix College