the
Signal
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03.05.15 Volume 123 Issue 18
Ouachita Baptist University
Nathan Dickard z The Signal
Kelsey Bond z The Signal
Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal
LEFT: Scott and Katie Haynes discuss their marriage and offer students advice at a lunch time event during last year’s Healthy Relationships Week. TOP RIGHT: Leigh Anne McKinney leads a women’s group disccusion during Healthy Relationships Week 2014. BOTTOM RIGHT: A group of male Ouachita faculty and staff lead a Men’s panel during last year’s Healthy Relationships Week. The panel consisted of (left to right): Jason Bean, Chris Brune, Tim Harrell, Jon Merryman, Bryan McKinney and Ian Cosh.
Healthy Relationships Week 2015 coming March 9-14 Each year, Healthy Relationships Week, hosted by the Elrod Center for Family and Community, features breakout sessions led by Ouachita faculty and staff, guest speakers at chapel, Noonday and Refuge, as well as a couple’s retreat for engaged and married couples. The week is designed as a time to focus on the importance of community and connection in our lives and help students make and strengthen relationships of all kinds, from friendships to romantic relationships. For more information about the events of the week or the Elrod Center, contact Judy Duvall at duvallj@obu.edu.
Monday, March 9, 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 12, 9:00 p.m.
Veritas: Misha Parker/Berry Chapel (Strengthening Relationships through Conflict Resolution)
Refuge: Kendall Calvert-Assistant Director of Campus Ministries (Intentional Friendships)
Tuesday, March 10, 10:00 a.m.
Friday, March 13-14
Chapel: Kim Yada-Professional Counselor (Mental Health and its effect on Relationships) Lunch Q and A: Kim Yada/Commons
Couples Retreat at Wingate in Little Rock for engaged and married student couples Speakers: Jay and Barb Barnes from Bethel University
Brooke Schmidt crowned Miss OBU 2015, will represent Ouachita in Miss Arkansas By CHELSEA WHELPLEY News Bureau
Brooke Schmidt, a sophomore business administration/management and marketing major from Rowlett, Texas, was crowned Miss Ouachita Baptist University 2015 on Feb. 28 at Jones Performing Arts Center. Schmidt will represent Ouachita in the 2015 Miss Arkansas Pageant this summer. “This school has been such a blessing to me, and I wanted the opportunity to give back,” said Schmidt, who represented EEE women’s social club’s 2015 pledge class in the pageant. “I transferred in this year and have been so blessed by the opportunities and people that God has placed in my life. The thought of representing this school and being able to reach out to this community excites me.” Along with being crowned Miss OBU, Schmidt received a $1,000 scholarship from the university as well as wardrobe, photography and other stipends from supporting businesses. Schmidt was also awarded the Kristen Glover Belew Private Interview Award, the Kiley Jane Wright Alpha Award, the Bethany Whitfield Alpha Swimsuit
Award, the Mac Sisson Alpha Talent Award and the People’s Choice Award. Schmidt is the daughter of Doug and Kelly Schmidt of Rowlett, Texas. She is a member of EEE women’s social club and is an OBU cheerleader. Her platform is battling teen substance abuse. In addition to Schmidt, 12 other contestants competed in this year’s pageant. First runner-up and winner of the Bethany Briscoe Toney Presence and Poise in Evening Wear Award was Kathryn Barfield, a sophomore biology major from New Boston, Texas. Second runner-up and winner of the Miss Congeniality Award and Photogenic Award was Mariah Gough, a sophomore biology and kinesiology/leisure studies major from Smackover, Ark. Third runner-up and winner of the OBU Student Senate Inner and Outer Beauty Award was Hailee Draughon, a freshman musical theatre major from Mesquite, Texas. Fourth runner-up and winner of the Academic Award was Ali Kinsey, a sophomore business administration/marketing and management major from Hot Springs, Ark. Noting that she is excited for future opportunities to “set an example for others as well as meet many new
people,” Schmidt added, “I am most looking forward to the opportunity to represent Ouachita at the Miss Arkansas Pageant.” Emily Long, a sophomore business administration/ management and finance major from Hot Springs, Ark., was also awarded the Academic Award. Lauren Ford, a freshman political science major from Cabot, Ark., was awarded the Spirit of Miss Ouachita Baptist University Award. Also competing in this year’s pageant were Mallory Breeding, a freshman communication sciences and disorders major from Bixby, Okla.; Rachel Chandler, a junior biology major from Little Rock, Ark.; Alyssa Delker, a freshman business administration/marketing major from Mansfield, Texas; Jordan Feltrop, a freshman biology major from Searcy, Ark.; Emily Graves, a senior biology major from Hot Springs, Ark.; and Micale Kocke, a senior biology major from Cabot, Ark. “Holding a title such as Miss OBU is something God has allowed me to do for a reason; He has provided me gifts and capability to hold such a position,” Schmidt see MISS OBU z 2
PATH, Ouachita to partner in volunteer training seminar for students March 13-14 By BARRETT GAY Staff Writer
The Partners Against Trafficking Humans (PATH) will co-host a two day volunteer training seminar with Ouachita’s International Justice Mission (IJM) Chapter and the Pruet School of Christian Studies in Berry Bible on March 13 and 14. PATH is a Christ-centered, non-profit organization based out of Little Rock that seeks to assist rescued victims in their road to healing and restoration. The sessions will include information on how to properly interact with the women, given their sensitive situations. Volunteers must know to behave with caution and respect. They will also
be informed of confidentiality rules and procedures. While this training is required to be a PATH volunteer, simply attending the meeting does not imply a commitment. Students are encouraged to go, if only to learn more about PATH and human trafficking in general. Indeed, those involved with IJM Ouachita emphasize that even if students cannot volunteer with PATH or IJM directly, prayer and awareness are two welcomed gifts they can offer. Dr. Franklin, the sponsor of the IJM chapter for Ouachita and Associate Professor of Christian Missions, said, “for a college student, the main activity that [they] can engage in to address this issee PATH z 2
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weeklyz CALENDAR GUEST ARTIST Bonnie Montgomery will perform in concert Friday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Verser Theatre. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased through the OBU Box Office. HOST/HOSTESS AUDITIONS for Tiger Tunes 2015 will be Saturday, March 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in JPAC. The singing portion of the auditions are open to the public. For more information contact Joey Licklider at lickliderj@obu.edu. SUPER SUMMER will be recruiting in the ESC lobby on Thursday, March 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information contact Tracy Reed at treed@fbccrossett.com.
Campus Integrity Project 2015: for more info, contact Byron Eubanks at eubanksb@ obu.edu or next week’s issue
“TRUST
Essay Video WORTHY” 1st place – $400 1st place – $600 deadline: 2nd place – $200 2nd place – $300 March 19 @ noon
MISS OBU
z Continued from Page 1 added. “This is an amazing opportunity to spread his word and love at a completely different level. I felt so honored at the fact that God chose me of all people to take on such a roll. This is truly a blessing.” Former Miss OBU and Miss Arkansas 2004 Lacy Glover served as emcee for the pageant. Guests presenting entertainment during the event included Miss OBU’s Diamond State Princess Chloe Hargis; Miss OBU 2014 Abby Lindsey; Carli Sasser, a 2014 OBU alumna; and musical group Triple Threat, composed of Caleb Conrad and Ouachita students Tyler Davis and Will Richey. Also providing entertainment throughout the pageant was this year’s Court of Honor, featuring Taylor Black, a junior psychology and mass communications major from
Benton, Ark.; Abby Lindsey, a senior business administration/management major from Van Buren, Ark.; Alexis Morgan, a sophomore choral music education major from Frisco, Texas; Christina Moon, a senior church music major from Carrolton, Texas; and Emily Weeden, a junior worship arts major from Rogers, Ark. Stacy Hawking, a junior musical theatre major from Sherwood, Ark. served as choreographer for the Court of Honor. The pageant was directed by OBU alumnus Justin Harper and hosted by Ouachita’s Student Senate and Office of Campus Activities. Ouachita alumnae, business professionals and pageant directors from the surrounding region served as judges for the event. For more information about the Miss Ouachita Baptist Univeristy pageant, contact Ouachita’s Office of Campus Activities at (870) 245-5597. n
PATH
z Continued from Page 1 sue is awareness. Just being aware that it’s out there is huge.” Anna Kumpuris, a junior Christian Studies major from Little Rock who helped launch the IJM chapter at Ouachita, said, “If you can’t be involved directly by volunteering for PATH or you don’t feel like that’s where God’s leading you, you can still be involved by being aware, helping others to be aware, and being faithful in prayer. I would say it’s definitely worth going to, if for no other reason than to learn.” Kumpuris mentioned that her involvement with International Justice Mission has helped her to realize that human trafficking is not just a foreign crisis. “It’s easy to think, ‘Oh, not
in America, not in Arkansas, not in Arkadelphia.’ But yes, in all of those places. [IJM] has made me a lot more aware and passionate about that. I think it’s important for Christians to not just get comfortable, but to look and see what are the needs in the world,” Kumpuris said. Dr. Franklin said he is very encouraged to see this generation rising up with a passion to end slavery and bondage. “I would hope that through IJM students would be inspired to maybe go into social work, into legal areas where they can actually be the professionals who are out there addressing these issues,” Franklin said. Human trafficking is a multi-faceted and complex social injustice. There are objectives that only specialized professionals can accomplish, like rescue missions, but there are specific ways
that even students on campus can help. “I’m expecting them to give us some helpful hints about what we can do. It’s encouraging when you can see action points: ‘here’s what’s going on, but here’s what I can do to get involved,’” Franklin said. PATH has worked with Ouachita on many occasions, such as the Glow Run. Their relationship with IJM, however, is newer. The “In Plain Sight” screening in January was their first official connection. Kumpuris says all— Ouachita, IJM and PATH— have the same goals and hopes of recovery and reconciliation for these victims. For more information about IJM, e-mail Sam Beary at bea53635@obu.edu, and for information about Ouachita’s involvement with PATH, email Dr. Viser at viserw@obu. edu. n
It’s Legal. It’s Safe. It’s Anonymous. Safe Haven is a law designed to protect babies. What is Safe Haven? In Arkansas, the Safe Haven law allows a parent to give up an infant anonymously. The purpose of Safe Haven is to prevent babies from being hurt or killed by unsafe abandonment. Unsafely abandoning a baby puts the infant in extreme danger that can result in the baby’s death. It also is illegal, with severe consequences.
There is an option. Don’t abandon your baby. 1-888-510-BABY 2 2 2 9 w w w. a r k a n s a s s a f e h a v e n . o r g www.HumanServices.Arkansas.gov | Division of Children and Family Services
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How to fight your clone: A guide By NOAH HUTCHINSON Opinions Editor @Hutch15 Was there someone standing on that roof? You’re walking towards campus from east village. Maybe you live there. Maybe you’re coming back from working up a sick pump at the gym. The reason doesn’t matter. What does matter is that, for a split second, you saw something that seemed wrong. On the balcony on the far side of McClellan, you could’ve sworn you saw someone who looked exactly like you. Staring at you. Despite your apparent doppelganger’s dashing good looks, they didn’t overflow your egotistical little millennial heart with the selfie inducing warmth you get from catching a glimpse in a mirror. Instead, you knew that at some point in the near future, you were going to have to throw down. If you ever find yourself in the situation described above, you’ve stumbled upon a clone of yourself, leaving only one option available to you. You have to kill it. Luckily for anyone out there who doesn’t sweep up their hair trimmings after going to the barber shop to keep their precious, precious DNA out of the hands of the government, I may or may not have already killed at least one clone of myself. The Pennsylvania drivers license I found in his pocket after the fact made the whole ordeal fairly confusing, but I was almost certainly in the right. Either way, the techniques I’m about to describe are highly effective against clones or stocky, innocent Pennsylvanians, so keep them close to your heart and let them guide you if you ever feel the man in the mirror staring back at you. First and foremost, you must understand that if you don’t kill your clone, it will kill you. No exceptions. I know, it’d be super cool if you could have it go
to the DMV for you or let it take half of your classes so you could marathon a new Netflix show every day for the rest of the semester, but clones were made by science, which is inherently boring. Because of this, they’re just humorless sacks of meat, destined to the roam the earth monologing about scientific hubris and complaining that they have no one to love. If that doesn’t already at least make you want to give your clone a good punch in the face, then you are the weaker of the pair and deserve to be phased out of the gene pool. Please give your clone all of your paperwork and prepare to receive your just desserts. For all of you good, red blooded Americans that love to fight just as much as George Patton knew you would though, this should give you sufficient motivation to show your whiney genetic poser no more mercy than it would show you. Now that you’re ready to watch your clone hit rock bottom, both metaphorically and in the sense that you’re going to attack them with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s signature move, you must keep in mind that the notion that you and your clone will just keep instinctively making the exact same movements during your inevitable confrontation is complete hogwash. If somebody bull rushes you, are you immediately, with a complete lack of fear, going to bull rush them right back? This misconception comes from the thought that both you and your clone are in the same situation, being that you’re locked in a fight to the death, and will have the same thoughts being that you have the same brains. You aren’t both going through the same experiences though. Who initiated? Did they catch their opponent off guard? Did the victim of said initial attack just gorge themselves on an entire five dollar pizza, leaving them too bloated, lethargic and content with the world to put up a fight? Saying that you and your clone would just right hook each other into infinity because you’d both be having the same ideas is like saying you’d make the same grade on a test whether you studied for two weeks or made a 3 a.m. trip to Waffle House the night before. Now that all of this misinformation has been
cleared up, that last point brings us to the fact that proper planning will be your biggest advantage. You want to make the first move, but this is almost impossible to follow through on. Your clone knows that it’s a clone. It can look you up on info, it can memorize your class schedule, it could tell your girlfriend she’s a greasy, pear shaped shrew to confuse and demoralize you the next time you try and talk to her. The clone has the element of surprise. That’s why I form tackle any and all people who look anything like me at the first moment we make eye contact. My scorched earth policy on clones far outweighs my policies on public safety and other people’s peace of mind. For those of you out there who look more like a normal person and less like an angry tree stump, this could be impractical. That’s why it’s best to transform your dorm or apartment into a tinderbox of booby-traps and security measures at the first sign that you may have been found by your clone. I’m not sure that I can instruct you on how to create such things in our Christian university’s student newspaper, but the PDF of Ragnar Benson’s “Trapping Man” is readily available on the internet for exactly these purposes. It even goes as far as to explain how to thwart your clones effort if it decides to attack on horseback or gains access to weapons grade explosives. Being that your clone will have any records to aid in hunting it down, that’s really all there is to it. Just rig your room and devote yourself to being a hermit until you’ve caught it. Remember though, you cannot warn your roommates about any of the measures you’ve taken to put your clone in the ground. No loose ends. If this person is really worthy of being your roommate, they’ll see the trip wire before they set it off. If not, you’re just doing nature’s work for it, and society won’t have really lost anything. If you ever encounter your clone, keep the truth at the forefront of your mind, fortify the home front and warn no one of what is to come. If you’re truly the better man, it’ll be almost impossible for you to fail. Keep an eye open, and when the day comes, happy hunting. n
Noah Hutchinson cartoon
Why “sing talking” must be stopped By Faith Sinele Staff Writer Never have I ever wanted to punch someone in the face more than when they “sing-talk”. If you’ve been out on campus at all the majority of this school year you’re sure to have heard someone partaking in this phenomenon so cleverly named “sing-talking” whether you’ve noticed or not. If you haven’t noticed then you probably need to be enlightened to what exactly sing-talking is. A little background information on sing-talking: the first thing you need to know is to never do it, no matter how tempted you might be. The name describes the action very obviously; it is truly a mixture of singing and talking. Worse than that it is a mixture of monotone singing and talking. Why anyone would want to walk around sounding like that makes me wonder what has come of our campus. However, I think I can answer the question of why people do it. The thing that gets me the most riled up is that everyone who partakes in this activity thinks very highly of himself or herself that they are able to accomplish the noise. Sing-talking has become a symbol of coolness if you will, on campus. One person started it, and it took off like wildfire because that person had influence over a large group of students. Like other fads on campus, sing-talking rose to popularity because of the influencer behind it. If this is you, please
see the title of this message. Can you imagine what your professors and other elders must think when they hear this odd form of communication secrete from your mouths? Not that we should spend our time worrying about what people think of us, but these leaders are people who we need to make good impressions on so they will be more willing to help us as we are preparing to leave this place. That is one of many reasons to not take part in sing-talking. A few more of those many reasons being, the only reason its funny is because one person said it’s funny, most everyone who doesn’t partake in this activity finds it to be extremely annoying, and most people who do partake in it find it to be annoying as well, they just got sucked in before they could do anything about it. In my extensive research, most of which has been involuntary, I have seen a trend in peoples’ thoughts on sing talking. Many people have admitted openly that even though they do partake in this phenomenon, they find it to be just as annoying as I do. This confuses me even further as to why people continue to keep this trend alive. Have they not thought to just stop doing it? Of course I do hold on to the hope that some day it will fizzle out like most things have done in my time here on campus. Remember the time when saying “doeeee” was the funniest thing? It certainly had its time in the limelight, and it is over. I am not so patiently waiting for the day that this trend hits the ditch.
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On a more positive note, I will say that it amazes me how far this has been able ot spread across campus. From freshmen to seniors, it has made its way through each class, and that is truly impressive. It’s amazing that one person made this noise, and people thought it was funny enough that it has become a campus wide disease. Unfortunately there is no cure for this except for being ignored by those around you because of their inability to take you seriously. For those of you whom this has become your new native language, it will only hinder you. The only way this can ever be beneficial to you is that there are a select group of people who will think you’re hilarious if you are able to accomplish speaking in their new favorite accent. Sure it’s great when people think you’re funny, so I do understand the appeal to taking a part in sing-talking, but is it really worth the cost of respect from others? I think that as soon as this phase has passed, everyone who partook in it will see that it was a mistake for him or her to do so. I’ll leave you with this; sing-talking is understandably appealing, but should not be at the cost of respect from peers and adults on campus. I urge you not to take part in this, and I promise you the pros of abstaining will outweigh the cons. I have spent the whole year not getting sucked into the trend of singtalking and I have not once regretted my decision. Sing-talking is not going to last forever, so why not just go ahead and put an end to it now. This is my plea, and I’m begging you to hear me out. n
The Signal is the student newspaper of Ouachita Baptist University, and is published every Thursday during the fall and spring semesters when school is in session. The newspaper is distributed free of charge; 1,200 copies are placed in more than 20 locations across campus. Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or university. The Signal is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press and is printed by the Hope Star.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters to the editor are encouraged and accepted, unless libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters should be typed and include a signature and contact phone number, and must be less than 500 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and style. Letters should be sent via campus mail to Box 3761 or via e-mail to signal@obu.edu.
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Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy TYLER FAUGHT celebrates with teammates after hitting a homerun against Arkansas Tech two weekends ago. This past weekend, the Tigers took on Henderson State where they lost the first game 3-2 and won the second game 3-2. The Tigers are now 8-5 on the season and take on Southeastern Oklahoma State this weekend.
Baseball ties Henderson State in weekend series By DIXON LAND Sports Editor @dixoncland
The Ouachita Tigers and the Henderson State Reddies battled to a 1-1 tie in two, seven inning games on Saturday. The series came as rescheduled games from earlier in the season as the Reddies and the Tigers missed games due to snow and ice. In the first game, the Tigers scored in the first inning when Jace Melby hit into a double play, where Justin Weigle would be tagged out as well; however, Parker Norris scored from third in an unearned run. Ouachita scored another run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Will Wallace flied out to right field on a SAC
fly. Weigle would tag third and score, giving Ouachita a 2-0 lead. Henderson's Jordan Taylor singled to right center in the top of the sixth, scoring Hunter Mayall pushing the score to 2-1. AJ Kruzel singled left just two batters later, scoring Taylor and advancing Hayden Lessenberry, who singled just before, to second base. The run tied the game at two in the sixth inning. Neither team scored in the seventh inning, forcing the teams to play extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Luke McGuire scored from third on a passed ball to win the game. Nick Vanthillo got the win for the Reddies, pitching two innings and allowing just two hits. Colton Lorance started for the Reddies, pitching three
innings and allowing six hits and a run. Connor Eller pitched five innings for the Tigers, giving up seven hits and two runs. In the second game, John Franklin Matros got the win, increasing his record to 3-0. Lance Cullum would also receive a save. The scoring started in the second inning when Ashton Roberts singled to right field, scoring Lance Fields to give the Reddies a 1-0 lead. Tyler Faught reached first on an error from the Reddie shortstop, scoring Will Wallace, unearned, and scoring Jace Melby, which was earned. After the play, the Tigers led 2-1. Ryan Hammer flied out to center field in the bottom of the fourth, scoring Reuben Miller on an unearned run. In the top of the fifth, Mayall sin-
gled up the middle, scoring Conner Brackhahn to give the Reddies just a one-point deficit. Neither team scored again, and the Tigers outlasted the Reddies through seven innnings 3-2. The Tigers recorded five hits in the second game, totaling 15 hits through 15 innings played on the afternoon. Norris, Weigle, Melby, Wallace and Miller all recorded runs on the afternoon. Faught, Wallace and Hammer recorded RBI’s as well. Cody Jones recorded a loss for the Reddies. The Ouachita Tigers (8-5) will play Southeastern Oklahoma State (7-6) on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. and a double-header on Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Rab Rogers Field in Arkadelphia, Ark. Stay tuned to obutigers.com for updates on weather cancellations. n
Ouachita sends five wrestlers to NCAA tournament By KYLE PARRIS Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy Softball players celebrate a win from earlier this season. The Tigers fell to Southern Arkansas 2-1 in a three-game series this past weekend.
Tiger softball falls to Southern Arkansas By BRANDON SMITH Sports Information
The Ouachita Tigers battled through awful weather conditions and a fourrun deficit but came up one run short. They dropped game the third game of their series to Southern Arkansas 8-7. Macy Nantz took the loss for the Tigers, who finished the series with the Lady Muleriders, 1-2. Both teams scored in the second inning to tie that game at 1-1. The Tigers took a one-run lead in the top of the third when Kailey Madden homered to straight-away center. Still leading 2-1 in the top of the sixth, Ouachita’s Kate Lacina homered for the second time in the series. Her two-run shot to center put the Tigers up 4-1 over SAU. In the bottom of the sixth, SAU scored
seven runs on only two hits. Four runs scored via two walks, one wild pitch and a hit batter. Trailing 8-4 in the top of the seventh, Ouachita’s offense rallied. A leadoff walk by Madden was followed up by a Sarah Johnson double. Delaney Bedunah singled to score Madden. Kate Lacina walked to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Jocelyn Jones brought home Johnson and the Tigers trailed by two, 8-6. Alex Jennings single through the left side to load the bases for Emily Acuna. Acuna’s sac fly scored Bedunah to make it a one run game with two outs. The tigers would fail to get another run home and the Lady Muleriders would hold on to take the game, 8-7. The Tigers will host Arkansas Monticello this Friday, March 6, at Sully Anderson Field. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. n
Sports Information Director For the second straight year, Ouachita Tiger wrestling will send five competitors to the NCAA DII National Championships. Ouachita finished third overall as a team at the NCAA DII Central Regionals. The Tigers had seven wrestlers place in their respective weight classes, five finishing in the top four and two earning regional championships. Garrett Evans, Nate Rodriguez, Josh Myers, Payne Hatter and Dallas Smith will all make the trip to St. Louis, Missouri, on March 13-14 and compete for All-American status and a national championship. Evans, Rodriguez, Myers and Smith will all be making return trips, while Hatter, last year’s JUCO champion at 174 pounds will be making his first trip to the NCAAs. Rodriguez and Smith both finished first at the regional championships. In the 133-pound final, Nate Rodriguez dominated Maryville University’s Dakota Brauer. Up big in the third period, Rodriguez won the match by fall to earn the regional title. In the 184-pound final, Dallas Smith was matched up with John Vogt of McKendree University. Smith fought a calculated match, winning the regional title by decision, 4-2.
In the 141-pound third-place match, Josh Myers was matched against James Krischke of Maryville University. Krischke had beaten Myers earlier in the tournament and was 2-0 against Myers this year. Myers wrestled brilliantly and won third place by decision, 2-0. In the 174-pound third place match, Payne Hatter was down 5-1 heading into the third period. Hatter took over the third, scoring 12 points and holding opponent Archie Williams of Central Missouri to one. Hatter won by decision, 13-6. 125-pounder Garrett Evans faced tough competition in his third-place match. He lost a close 5-4 decision to eighth-ranked Tim Prescott of St. Cloud State. Evans finished fourth to qualify for the NCAAs. Just missing out out on qualifying for nationals were 149-pounder Blake Clevenger and 157-pounder Dakota Head. The two freshmen wrestled well to finish fifth and sixth respectively. Clevenger won two matches by fall and Head lost by an overtime sudden victory and a two-point decision to ranked wrestlers. 285-pounder Blake Andrews made it to day two of the regionals, but lost his third round matchup by decision, 6-1. For full results of the Tigers’ regional tournament, visit www.obutigers.com. n
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Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy CONNOR ELLER pitches from the mound at Rab Rogers Field during a game earlier this year. Eller, a junior biology major from Sherwood, Ark., is the ace starter for the 2015 Tiger Baseball team.
Connor Eller makes big pitches for the Tigers By DIXON LAND Sports Editor
@dixoncland
“I
throw a four-seam, a slider, cutter, changeup and slider. It comes from a three-quarters slot so the four-seam is straight but fast…The sinker is hard, but drops off – it’s very good for ground balls. The cutter is my favorite because it looks like a fastball and then breaks left at the last second,” he said. For most people, this isn’t much; however, for Connor Eller, pitches like these are a culmination of a baseball career that extends as far as back as the age of three. “I have three older brothers that all played baseball, so I looked up to them,” Eller said. “When I turned three, I got on my first team and played a lot.” Eller attributes much of his early passion for baseball to supportive parents that encouraged him to follow his passions. “I always said that the biggest thing was my parents never pushed me to play. I think that’s why a lot of people get burned out from baseball so early on – their parents push them to play; but I stayed in it because my parents allowed me to play because I enjoyed doing it,” Eller said. While Eller did not feel pressure to play from his parents, he grew up with three older brothers, all of whom played on conference championshipwinning teams at Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Ark. He would do the same for himself. “The high school I went to was Sylvan Hills and for like ten years, they won conference championships nine years out of ten and the other year, they won state,” Eller said. “I grew up with my brothers on those teams, so when it was my time, I won a conference championship my senior year.” Eller was not recruited heavily out of high school, so instead he decided to attend a junior college in Missouri called Crowder College. At Crowder, Eller thrived, competing with over 20 other freshman pitchers. “So there was a lot of competition there and whoever can thrive off that competition will be the ones that are successful,” Eller said. “That was really tough with the workouts and the mentality that you had to have. It’s a great school and a great program and the coaching staff there really helped me get to where I am now.” Eller flourished at Crowder College, succeeded in the rotation and was noticed by many division
two schools. Ouachita visited Eller twice and offered for him to visit campus. When he did, he found a team that had potential. “Ouachita showed me what they saw me becoming and the role they wanted me to play,” Eller said. “I liked the campus and I knew that Ouachita had good potential and I saw the team that they were bringing back, so I was excited because I knew we would have a good shot to maybe win the conference and do well in the region and possibly make a
“That’s what baseball is all about— not just one guy, but nine as one.” —Connor Eller
run in the World Series.” Eller did say that initially he had to catch up coming from Crowder College to Ouachita. “Academics were a lot harder,” Eller said. “At first it was really tough, but my academics are based upon me being organized, and I fell behind at first and then I started to pick it up and got caught up. I started to get study groups and that helped me adjust.” Eller, a junior biology major, said he loves the biology department at Ouachita. “I enjoy the biology department, but it’s tough playing sports and doing biology,” Eller said. “You have to balance practice and workouts and home-
work and studying for tests and games and everything. I’m getting better at managing everything though.” Eller translates much of his diligence in the classroom to the field. Eller says that his focus is on each play, rather than trying to focus on too big of a goal. “I always tell my catcher, ‘One inning at a time, one pitch at a time,’” Eller said. “I used to put pressure on myself by trying to set how many hits in like seven innings, but then I started thinking, Why not win every pitch and then by the seventh inning, I can look up and realize I’ve thrown really well.” Many of Eller’s fans attribute his success to his pitching style. While some pitchers take their time on the mound, focusing on each pitch and thinking through the motions, Eller prefers to get into a rhythmic style of pitching, working on up-tempo at bats. “I’m big on rhythm and tempo. When I get an out or even have a good pitch, I want to get right back on the mound,” Eller said. “I want to keep my tempo up so I give the hitter no time to think when he is in the box. Basically, when I am in my tempo, I am at my best and sometimes that doesn’t come until the fourth or fifth inning whenever I start cruising in the game.” Eller has a unique set of goals as well. And what makes them more unique is where he puts them. “Coach Moore said he would put up post-it notes around his room,” Eller said. “It was a visual thing that you see everyday and then you start to believe it. Once you believe it, you start to achieve steps toward that goal and believe that it is realistic. Even if I don’t make that goal, I know I set a high enough goal that I’m never going to sell myself short.” Following college, Eller wants to go into physical therapy but doesn’t rule out maybe playing baseball in the future. “I think I could have a chance to play independent ball or maybe get picked up by a team, but the chances of that are slim and, realistically, you have to think about other things so I’m majoring in biology and I want to do physical therapy because I could never see myself doing anything outside of sports,” Eller said. Eller’s goal is to get 13 wins this season while not getting any losses. He believes that’s an attainable goal, but said the most important goal of all is to win. “Another thing that we have learned as a team is that when one guy messes up, another guy picks him up,” Eller said. “That’s what baseball is about – not just one guy, but nine as one. Nine players, producing one team that can do it.” n
Bracket busting March madness By IAN CRAFT Staff Writer
It’s March, and I can tell you who’s going to win the tournament. We’ve all heard April showers bring May flowers, but as spring comes into view there’s another rhyme that is stuck in folk’s minds. By that, I mean “Winter sadness brings March Madness.” It’s basketball season ladies and gentlemen, and the season is winding down. The universities are finishing up their schedules and preparing to enter the war zone known as Conference Championships. Anything can happen in these next few weeks, and this unknown leads up to the crazy event that is March Madness. Sixty-four teams, give or take the few who play each other elimination style for a seed, compete for the biggest honor in the country.
Conference champions from certain conferences automatically get their ticket punched to go to the tourney, as well as most of the top teams from across the country in various NCAA conferences. This format allows for truly the best team in the country, or hottest team in March, to get crowned the best team in basketball. Theoretically a 3,000 person school could win over a major SEC power such as Kentucky, which makes this the most exciting time in sports for most of the country. So as you think, study, pretend to know what you’re talking about and guess about what team will win here are a few things you should know. Number one, is that seeds do not matter. You can point to the lowly Butler University Bulldogs in 2010 and 2011 as an example. They were a 5th seed in ‘10 and an 8th in ‘11 but both years they made it to the Championship game,
beating heavily favored higher seeds Michigan State and Florida among others along the way. VCU, Loyola, Kent State and Florida Gulf Coast are just some of the many examples of lesser seeds crashing through the tourney like the kool-aid man through a wall. What are some teams that could potentially be bracket busters this year in my mind? Eastern Washington would probably be my most likely pick, but I wouldn’t sleep on Iona or Northern Iowa either. If you want a wildcard pick, Stephen F Austin is always a threat to upheave a much better team. Number two, picking the 1 seeds to go all the way is the last thing you should be doing. Since the beginning of the tourney back in the day having all four of the supposed “number one teams in the country” make it to the end has happened, you guessed it,
once. Bank on the safe side, don’t pick all 4 to make it to the end. Number three is pick a 4 seed and stick with them. Chances are one of the group of 4 seeds will end up making it to the final four. It’s said the past is the best predictor of the future, and in this case the safe bet would be to follow history. The beauty of the bracket however is you never know what will happen. Which is why my last tip is this; closing your eyes and a choosing can work just as well as days of studying so have fun, don’t make a big deal about it and get your nachos and dip ready cause The Madness is about to begin. Personally I’m going with Virginia to make it all the way to end and win, but popular logic would suggest Kentucky. Whoever you pick, go with your gut and go watch an unhealthy amount of basketball and remember; ball is life. n
6
Miss OBU
Thursday, March 5, 2015
www.obusignal.com
Photos by Kelsey Bond TWELVE CONTESTANTS competed for the title of Miss Ouachita Baptist University last Saturday, Feb. 28, in JPAC. The ladies were judged in categories of private interview, onstage question, fitness/lifestyle, talent and eveningwear/poise.
TRIPLE THREAT, comprised of Ouachita Seniors Will Richey and Tyler Davis plus Caleb Conrad, entertain the audience during the pageant. The group originally found success with their viral video, “Hey Grude.”
MICALE KOCKE, a senior biology major from Cabot, Ark., performed a jazz routine during the talent portion of the evening.
Miss Ouachita Baptist University Twelve contestants competed for the title of Miss Ouachita Baptist University last Saturday, Feb. 28, in JPAC. The ladies were judged in categories of private interview, onstage question, fitness and lifestyle, talent and eveningwear.
BROOKE SCHMIDT, a business administration/management and marketing major from Rowlett, Texas, was crowned by the outgoing Miss OBU, Abby Lindsey, as the new Miss Ouachita Baptist University.
ALI KINSEY, a sophomore business administration/management and marketing major from Hot Springs, Ark., was named fourth runner-up and winner of the Academic Award.
CHLOE HARGIS, one of Miss OBU’s Diamond State Princesses, performed a song and dance tap routine as part of the evening’s entertainment.