the
Signal
www.obusignal.com
04.09.15 Volume 124 Issue 21
Ouachita Baptist University
IN THIS ISSUE:
Cassandra’s Story A powerful story of hope and restoration, p.3
Be Bold The excitement and fears of dreaming big, p.4 Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal STUDENTS GATHER in front of the home they served after completing their service projects during last semester’s Tiger Serve Day. Tiger Serve Day is held once every semester since the first Tiger Serve Day in 1997. Each time, nearly a thousand students, faculty and staff work together to serve the Arkadelphia community.
Spring Tiger Serve Day this Saturday
Oscar-Worthy “The Imitation Game” sits pretty at the top of 2014’s movie list, p.5
Triple Crown Tiger athletics set sights on more conference championships, p.6
S News 1 n S Features 3 n S Opinions 4 n S Sports 6 n
By LAUREN SCARBROUGH News Bureau
This Saturday, April 11, nearly a thousand students, faculty and staff will gather for Tiger Serve Day, a semi-annual community service event, which serves residents of the Arkadelphia community. The student-led Tiger Serve Day is sponsored by Ouachita’s Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community. That morning, teams of volunteers will meet at the Elrod Center at 8:30 for breakfast provided by Sodexo. After breakfast, teams will begin their service projects within the community using tools and instructions provided by the Elrod Center. Service projects include various jobs such as yard work, cleaning and repair work. Teams will then meet back at the Elrod Center at noon for lunch sponsored by Sodexo.
Ellen Butler, a junior accounting major from Waco, Texas, has participated in Tiger Serve Day since the first semester of her freshman year. “I love Tiger Serve Day because the whole campus gets together to make a difference,” Butler said. “It’s so cool that students wake up early by their own choice on a Saturday to help someone else. Plus you get to be with your friends doing it!” The Tiger Serve Day leadership team is currently made up of 25 OBU students who aid the Elrod Center staff with recruitment, project visits, logistics and publicity. David Willhite, a junior Christian studies major from Rowlett, Texas, is chair of the logistics team. He and the rest of the Tiger Serve Day leadership team work weeks in advance to make the day go smoothly. “My favorite part of Tiger Serve Day prep is going to houses and talking to people in the Arkadelphia community
about how we can help them,” reflected Willhite. “My favorite part of Tiger Serve Day itself, though, is the satisfaction of seeing an empty tool room and thinking about how many people are out serving in response to how Jesus has changed our hearts.” Since the first Tiger Serve Day in 1997, held following a devastating tornado that hit Arkadelphia, Ouachita has continued to serve the community by meeting a variety of needs in practical, hands-on ways. “That first year, people thought that we started Tiger Serve Day because of the tornado. But in reality, it was providential that we already had plans in place to have a university wide serve day,” said Ian Cosh, OBU vice president for community and international engagement.” We had trees down and rubble everywhere. see TSD z 2
Four students present work at international English conference By STAFF
News Bureau Four students recently participated in the annual International Sigma Tau Delta Conference, an elite international English honor society gathering for college students from around the world. The conference took place in Albuquerque, N.M. Ouachita students participating in the conference included Aaron Hill, Megan McLaughlin, Shelby Spears and Marissa Thornberry. “It’s a great honor for our students and our campus,” said Dr. Doug Sonheim, chair of the Department of Language and Literature. “Every year we have students accepted and it’s encouraging to see them succeed in their academics. “The conference is a great experience where they can see another part of the world of literary activity,” Sonheim explained. “The experience is enriching to them and they bring a new level of enthusi-
asm back to campus for the English department.” Megan McLaughlin, a senior English major from Allen, Texas, agreed. “The event fostered my academic drive because it was a welcoming experience that encouraged learning and striving to continue after my career,” McLaughlin said. McLaughlin presented Scope, Ouachita’s studentproduced literary journal that compiles academic papers, as well as creative works including short stories, poems and art pieces by members of the Ouachita’s faculty, staff and student body. “We got such a great response at the convention, we are looking forward to submitting Scope to journal competitions,” said McLaughlin, who serves as editor of the publication. Marissa Thornberry, a senior English major from Mabelvale, Ark., expressed how the mission of the convention as a “celebration of love of see ENGLISH z 2
Deborah Root z The Signal CHELSEY WHELPLEY, Rene Zimny, Brooke Zimny and Trennis Henderson each received awards from IABC Arkansas for their work in Ouachita’s office of communications.
Office of Communications staff members, students earn IABC awards By STAFF
News Bureau Ouachita’s Office of Communications staff was honored with three Bronze Quill Awards of Excellence during the recent Bronze Quill Awards Ceremony hosted by the Arkansas chapter of the International Association of Business Communications. The recognitions mark the second consecutive year that the Office of Communications has earned three Bronze Quill
Awards of Excellence. The communications staff also received an Award of Merit for the Ouachita Online advertising campaign and Ouachita’s IABC student chapter received the only student award presented this year. Ouachita received five of the 23 awards presented during the annual statewide communications award ceremony. Some of the other winners across the state included the Arkansas Department of Parks see AWARDS z 2
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Thursday, April 9, 2015
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TOP
this weekzCALENDAR REFUGE will take place tonight at 9 p.m. at Second Baptist Church. For more information, contact James Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu. STAND FOR FREEDOM, begins tomorrow, April 10, at 7 a.m. and lasts until Saturday, April 11, at 7 a.m. in the Grant Plaza. For more information contact Sam Beary at bea53635@ obu.edu. SPRING FLING will take place tomorrow, April 10, from 3-6 p.m. on the campus lawn. For more information contact Tim Harrell at harrellt@obu.edu.
TIGER SERVE DAY will take place Saturday, April 11, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Elrod Center. For more information, contact Judy Duvall at duvallj@obu.edu. VERITAS women’s discipleship will meet on Monday, April 13, at 9 p.m. in Berry Chapel. For more information contact Kendall Calvert at calvertk@ obu.edu. CAB COFFEEHOUSE/KARAOKE will take place Wednesday, April 15, from 8-10 p.m. at Dr. Jack’s. For more information, contact Jimmy Phillips at phillipsj@obu.edu.
[from our perspective]
Emily Terry Editor-in-Chief
“A veterinarian. I don’t know why I thought I could handle that.”
Dixon Land Sports Editor
“A sports broadcaster, a pastor or a senator from Arkansas”
Best Paying Jobs (for those seniors still scrambling for one) Lawyer (avg. salary $131,990)
5 4 3 2 1
IT Manager (avg. salary $132,570) Marketing Manager (avg. salary $133,700) Dentist (avg. salary $164,570) Physician (avg. salary $188,440) according to U.S. News
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Noah Hutchinson Opinions Editor
Aly Smith Ouachitonian Editor-in-Chief
“A toy designer – specifically action figures.”
“An attorney. Elle Woods had a pretty big impact on me.”
TSD
ENGLISH
The city needed help to tidy up yards and move debris. We were able to send students out rapidly with the proper equipment to really make a difference. ” As students and faculty gear up to serve this spring, they are reminded of their commitment to the community around them. “One of the words on the Ouachita seal is service,” said Judy Duvall, assistant director of the Elrod Center. “When we serve it reminds us of who we are as Ouachitonians. We want to invest in our community and are always proud to have such a large group do so.” To sign up to serve with Tiger Serve Day or for more information about the Elrod Center, visit www.obu.edu/ serve or call the Elrod Center at (870) 245-5320. n
language and literature” was evident. “I valued the fact that we got to be surrounded by so many people who shared the same passion for writing,” Thornberry said. It was clear that everyone was in their niche of what ‘language’ they spoke, and we all learned from one another.” Thornberry presented her paper, “Interpreting the In Between: Boundaries in The Open Boat,” in which she identified naturalist patterns in the short stories of author Stephen Crane. Her paper was presented in the “Through a Lens, Darkly” session, which illustrated ambiguity and crossing borders. Aaron Hill, a sophomore English major from Benton, Ark., served as chair for the “Through a Lens, Darkly” ses-
z Continued from Page 1
AWARDS
z Continued from Page 1 and Tourism, Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods, Heifer International, Riceland Foods and Winrock International. IABC links communicators in a global network that supports the highest professional standards of quality and innovation in organizational communication. The Arkansas chapter’s Bronze Quill Awards are designed to recognize excellence in the fields of communications, marketing and public relations. “It’s always helpful to have our work critiqued by professional peers,” said Trennis Henderson, OBU vice president for communications. “While we value the recognition and feedback, our primary goal is to effectively communicate the Ouachita message for the benefit of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and future students. These awards are an
z Continued from Page 1
Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal FRESHMAN JAMIE FLOWERS helps her team bag leaves and yard debris at last semester’s Tiger Serve Day. Students typically serve on teams with campus organizations they are a part of or just with their group of friends.
affirmation of our staff members’ talent, hard work and commitment to excellence.” Among this year’s Bronze Quill Awards of Excellence, Ouachita was recognized for The Ouachita Circle alumni magazine, Grant Center for International Education recruiting booklet and Tiger Tunes program. The Ouachita Circle, the university’s semi-annual alumni magazine, has earned numerous state and national awards in recent years from IABC/ Arkansas, Baptist Communicators Association and Higher Ed Marketing. According to the IABC/Arkansas judges, “The writing in these publications is engaging, clear and attention-holding. The use of photography is very good, the layout crisp and consistent.” The Grant Center recruiting booklet was designed by René Zimny, assistant director of graphic services, to help recruit international students and missionary kids. Affirm-
ing that “the branding consistency is exceptional,” judges added, “This is a very nice recruiting piece. All aspects of campus life, academics and student services were covered. The photography is beautiful and demonstrates a variety of ethnic backgrounds to appeal to international students as well as the diverse cultures of the U.S.” The Tiger Tunes program was designed by Brooke Zimny, director of communications and marketing. It featured 3-D glasses and images. Judges called it “excellent and very creative,” and added that “the mock-up of 3-D glasses was a nice touch as well.” The Ouachita Online ad campaign featured print and electronic ads highlighting the new online degree programs. The ad campaign “addressed the need to align key messages with target audiences, the need for photography that fit the target audience and ad placement to reach the target
audience,” judges noted. “Well done. Great design for these ads – both print and online!” In addition to the Office of Communications awards, Ouachita’s student chapter of IABC received an Award of Merit for the chapter’s Cliff Harris Award Twitter campaign. Citing “good consistency between the work plan and the deliverables,” judges affirmed the “well-thought-out tweets that utilized photography, @replies and motivated users to be engaged.” “I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be involved in and recognized by a prestigious organization like IABC,” said Chelsea Whelpley, president of the student chapter and a senior mass communications major from Little Rock. “It’s been an honor to lead our student chapter and being recognized at the Bronze Quills served as an affirmation of the hard work of the entire chapter in making this campaign a success.” n
sion. “{The conference} really brought the study of English to life for me because I got to connect with other English majors from across the nation and around the globe,” Hill said. In addition to having the opportunity to polish his presentation skills, Shelby Spears, a junior English major from El Dorado, Ark., noted that the experience was beneficial in other ways as well. “{It} really helped me get to know the other English majors from OBU who went, let me experience a new culture and see some amazing sights.” Spears presented his paper, “Shakespeare and Petrarch,” in the Gendered Shakespeare session. For more information about the International Sigma Tau Delta Conference or aboutOuachita’s English department, contact Dr. Doug Sonheim at sonheimd@obu.edu or (870) 245-5554. n
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Thursday, April 9, 2015
Cassandra’s story By JESSIE BRANAM Guest Writer
T
he story of Cassandra Louise Muse is one that very few people know. It is about a young lady who went from struggling to survive, to learning how to thrive. She was born on a beautiful spring day in 1993, in Midland, Texas, to Keith and Celia Muse. Unfortunately her entry into this world was anything but beautiful. She was born several weeks premature and weighed slightly over four pounds. Because her respiratory system was underdeveloped, she was immediately placed on a ventilator. However, there was a far greater concern for Cassandra. She immediately went into convulsions, and the hospital staff knew they had a crisis on their hands. After some testing, the doctors found that her common law parents were both drug addicts. They knew then that Cassandra was a “crack baby.” The doctors told her parents that if their daughter lived, she would almost certainly be developmentally challenged. For the next month, Cassandra fought for her life in the detox section of the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Because of the excellent treatment she received, and her will to fight for life, Cassandra was able to leave the hospital after a month. But her fight for survival was far from over. Shortly after going home, her father went into a drug induced rage and attacked both her and her mother. Once again she was in the hospital, this time with contusions and cuts. When they were discharged, Celia took her baby and moved to Dallas. To support her drug habit, Celia took Cassandra to churches and used her to gain sympathy in order to get money for a place to stay. However the money she was given was used for cheap motel rooms and drugs. Celia often left Cassandra with total strangers while she went out to get high. Late one night when Cassandra was eight months old her mother called the pastor of a local church in search of help. Over a period of weeks the pastor and his wife worked with Celia, trying to help her find work, a car and a permanent place to live. They even kept Cassandra for days at a time in order to give her mother the freedom to search for a job and a home. Unfortunately, they later learned that Celia was not looking for a job or a home. She was looking for drugs and a good time. After several weeks, the pastor and his
wife took Celia to dinner and confronted her regarding her future, and that of her daughter. They urged her to enter a rehab program and offered to keep her daughter while she was away. But in the end, Celia was so addicted to drugs that she wouldn’t walk away from them. She did, however, walk away from Cassandra. It was then that the pastor and his wife, who loved Cassandra dearly, decided to adopt her. When she was old enough to understand, her adoptive parents told Cassandra the painful story of the first months of her life. Cassandra’s ill feelings toward Celia began that day and over the years the hatred grew worse. Her parents continually told her that she had to learn to love and forgive Celia. But her anger and hatred grew to the point that one day she angrily told her parents that she wanted to find Celia, “So I can look her in the eyes and tell her that I hate her for what she did to me!” In response to Cassandra’s anger, the only father she had ever known sat down with her and again reminded her of the need to find a way to forgive and love Celia. When she told him she had tried but couldn’t do that, he reminded her of how Christ forgives us and loves us in spite of who we are, what we’ve done, or how we have hurt him. Then he told her to pray and ask God to help her do what she couldn’t do on her own. A week later Cassandra went to youth camp and one night the speaker talked about the need to forgive and love those who had hurt them. He said God could help anyone do that if they were sincere. In that moment, Cassandra remembered her dad’s words and felt God was speaking to her. She went forward during the invitation and told God that she wanted to
Applications and payments are due to OSF by Friday, April 10, at 5 p.m.
forgive and love Celia. As she prayed and asked for his help, for the first time ever she felt release from her hatred and peace toward her birth mother. She couldn’t wait to call her mom and dad and tell them what God had done. They were excited for her, but they told her that she needed to go one step further and also pray for Celia’s salvation. Cassandra did that, and again she felt God’s peace. Over the years Cassandra continued to pray for Celia, and hoped that one day they could find each other. About a year ago Celia contacted Cassandra and asked if they could meet. They agreed to do so. After they finished talking, Cassandra thought back to what she had once wanted say to Celia if they ever met. But God had changed all that. When they did finally meet, they hugged, and Celia cried and asked Cassandra to forgive her. Cassandra told her birth mom that God had already helped her do that years ago, and that since then she had been praying for Celia’s salvation. Celia then told Cassandra that while she was in prison she had become a Christian and that for several years since her release she has been drug free. She married a wonderful man and was now faithfully serving the Lord. And whatever happened to Cassandra? Well, her life also took a dramatic turn. Like Celia, she, too, has a new life. She is now a month away from graduating from Ouachita Baptist University and pursuing her dream of coaching and helping other young girls learn how to rise above their circumstances in life. Oh, there was also one other important change in Cassandra’s life. When she was adopted, she also received a name change. Her name is now Jessica Leigh Branam, the author of this story. n
“The doctors told her parents that if their daughter lived, she would almost certainly be developmentally challenged. For the next month, Cassandra fought for her life.”
– Each team should be composed of exactly 8 members. (The number of men on a team cannot exceed four.) – Every member must be present for the duration of all events. – Cost: $20/member ($160/team)
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Thursday, April 9, 2015
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Be proud of your weird tastes By NOAH HUTCHINSON Opinions Editor @Hutch15 “What are we listening to?” asked Greg. “Oh, you know, whatever,” Dan replied. “Nothing in particular, it’s just on shuffle.” Dan and Greg were just making a simple run down the road for a five dollar pizza. A short errand that couldn’t possibly take more than 15 minutes. But Greg, the music Nazi that he was, couldn’t possibly endure the scalding torment brought on by a couple of songs that didn’t match exactly to his tastes. “Well change it,” Greg said. “This sounds like your deaf cousin’s ‘American Idol’ audition laid over a recording of a donkey giving birth.” “Bro, this is cool,” Dan insisted, getting markedly more defensive. “It’s like prague rock mixed with ska with 80’s speed metal undertones. This is the music I’ve been searching for my entire life.” Greg looked at him like a father who just stumbled upon his son’s extensive portfolio of “Gilmore Girls” fan fiction. Dan, racked with shame, unplugged his phone. They sat in silence for the rest of the ride. If you don’t have at least one favorite band that most other people don’t like, you’re probably a boring person. With the internet, stumbling upon weird music is almost a certainty for most members of our generation, which means that almost everyone prob-
ably has at least one musical guilty pleasure. I’ve had a few over the years, but my most recent is literally, as I said earlier, the music I’ve been looking for my entire life. That only makes it all the worse that I can’t find anyone else who will even tolerate it. However, being a man of so little shame that most people can’t even take me seriously unless they’re scared of me or know me on a personal level, I’m going to bring to light my cringe-inducingly weird favorite band in hopes that, by comparison, you won’t feel so bad about whatever weird stuff you might listen to. Currently, my favorite band is “Bird Eats Baby.” They’ve been called a lot of things, but the description that best fits them is probably orchestral punk, which would already have me rolling my eyes if I were reading this from an outside perspective. To give you an idea of what that actually sounds like, most people ask, “What musical is this from?” whenever they hear me listening to it. The lyrics are vaguely dark and extremely British, sung in a sarcastically light and bouncy way and weighted down with an appropriate amount of melancholy. While they do have a drummer and a guitarist, their most prominent instruments are the violin and piano. No matter what message their individual songs are trying to convey, all of these elements come together to create a cheerfully disillusioned sound with a purple prose vocabulary that never fails to capture my exact state of mind. The feeling brought on from their songs can range from the giant street brawl towards the beginning of “A Clockwork Orange” to a late night drive under a moonless, rainy sky. Depending on the song, I’ll listen to them on my last set of a heavy squat day and then
again to achieve the lethargic relaxation state needed to get to bed at a reasonable time. I’ve literally listened to one of their songs at least once a day since my sophomore year, and I’m still not tired of them. That probably says more about me than it does their music, but hey, if you’re going to listen to something off the beaten path, do it because you like it, not just so you can rack up some imaginary quirkiness points. If I were to actually recommend this to someone, I’d say to look up the album “Feast of Hammers.” But not on YouTube. Seeing how dull and uninspired their music videos are was like finding out that DMX secretly founded a chain of vegan cupcake shops. All the songs in “Feast of Hammers” have a certain musicianship that makes them sound a little closer to alternative than show tunes, although most of them lack the sugary sweet rage that really makes some of the songs on their older albums (specifically their EP “Bigger Teeth”). By far my favorite song on the album is “What the Water Gave Me” because the lyrics have a Jekyll and Hyde feel that get me amped to crush some weights or go for a (admittedly short) run. If you like a band that nobody has ever heard of, don’t be embarrassed over it. When Mishkin Fitzgerald, the lead singer for “Bird Eats Baby” liked a comment I left on one of her Youtube videos, I swooned for days. That, along with having what you feel is a fitting soundtrack for your thoughts and experiences, is worth stepping outside the box. You don’t want every memory for the rest of your life to remind you of whatever the most popular, and likely awful, pop song was that happened to be playing in the background at the time. n
“An unflappable spirit preferred”
line: “They Can Kill You But They Can’t Eat You” (Dawn Steel’s personal story of going from being a nobody woman without a college degree to the first female president of Columbia Pictures with By EMILY TERRY nothing but guts and ambition). All great books. Editor-in-Chief All have a recurring theme: It’s going to really @emilymterry stink before it rocks. You will live in a cockroach The last semester panicked search for the per- infested apartment before making it on SNL; you fect post-grad job is a funny thing. will have terrible haircuts before people fight I’ve learned more about myself in my quest for over the chance to prep you for the red carpet; my dream entry-level position than I would have you’re going to get made fun of a whole lot beever thought possible. Most important of all the fore you get people to actually laugh with you. self discoveries made is the fact that I probably Great things don’t come to those who wait. Or qualify as someone who is certifiably insane. those who fit a mold. Or those who aspire to be I spend my job searching combing though list- something average. Or those who don’t see the ing after listing of things that are three decades reward waiting just behind the risk. Or to people out of my experience level for anything that is who give in to others who try to deter them from anywhere up to three years beneath my actual really living. Most of all, great things don’t hapqualifications. Normally, this would not be rec- pen to people who don’t see the unknown as an ommended as a wise career move. But when indubitable adventure. you’re an Arkansas girl about to get an Arkan- So what if a 230-sq.ft. studio apartment in Bursas degree who has a white-hot burning desire to bank costs $900 a month? That’s less furniture I work in LA and, sadly, has no work experience have to buy and less money I can blow on junk in the entertainment industry, answering phones I don’t need from Target. Gas is almost twice as at Warner Brothers suddenly looks like a brilliant expensive as it is in Arkansas? That’ll teach me open door made of pure gold. to not think twice about what I consider “walk Unfortunately, not everyone seems to view my ing distance” – cardio is important. Moving to a aspirations as living up to my full potential. My city where I know only one other person? Dream favorite backhanded comments have included come true. I can be exactly who I’ve always such nuggets as: “Are you really sure you want wanted to be and nobody will try to tell me I’m to do that?” “faking it.” “You know it’s expensive to live in LA, right?” One of my favorite sayings is, “Attitude is the “When something goes wrong, you won’t have difference between an ordeal and an adventure.” anyone around to help you. Have you given that It was my lock screen for a really long time, so you any thought at all?” know I’m serious about it. All 4.7 billion times I And my personal favorite, “Well, that sounds looked at my phone each day, I saw that. I interlike a great waste of a $120,000 degree.” nalized it. Even though it might not have been I have just one thing to say to those people: my true belief in the beginning, it was something Watch me. I was very encouraged by when it came time to I’ve read “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without change my lock screen to another picture of my Me?” by Mindy Kaling, “Yes Please” by Amy dogs (I can’t help that they’re models). Poehler and “Bossypants” by Tina Fey. Next in I’m all about adventures. I just didn’t know
that until I got real with myself about what life after Ouachita will be. I don’t want to be the one who gets lost in the sea of others’ accomplishments. I want to become someone I’m proud of and do more than I ever thought possible. And I want to do it all while remembering who I am and where I came from. I want that studio apartment to someday be a home. I want the “new me” to just be “me.” Even though I have big dreams, I’m not so naïve as to think that God will definitely lead me to the City of Angels right after graduation and carve out the path exactly as I have imagined it. Maybe I’ll be in Little Rock for a while and get a great job that will catapult me into my next one. Maybe I’ll move to a slightly larger city and get a small taste of real city life before calling California home. But that’s okay. Because I think that having the courage to dream big – even if those dreams never actually materialize – is a pretty bold move. It’s saying, “I’m open to whatever happens. I refuse to strive for mediocrity.” I don’t say all of this to make a statement that taking risks is better than being careful. But maybe there’s someone reading this (seriously, if anyone is reading this, you’re my hero and I love you) who thinks that what they want is out of reach, I’m telling you it’s not. You have the power to do anything you want to do. It won’t be an easy step to take, but that’s how you know it’s worth it. During my semi-extensive job searching, I’ve come across some unique job responsibilities and requirements. Bar none, my favorite requirement (and one of my new favorite phrases of all time) was at the bottom of a job description for a lowman-on-the-totem-pole position at Sony. It simply read, “A love of television, a sense of humor and an unflappable spirit preferred.” If ever there were a job requirement I hope someday doubles as my life’s legacy, it would definitely look a whole lot like that. n
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Can Ben Affleck rescue the DC universe? By Nadalie Gill
Staff Writer It is now old news that Ben Affleck will be staring as the new Batman for upcoming installments of the DC movie universe. The era of Christopher Nolan’s Batman has effectively come to a satisfying end, and the world of DC comics is now starting to reconstruct their movie spectrum. With the release of the likes of “Green Lantern” in 2011 and “Man of Steel” in 2013, though, it’s beginning to look like DC comics is struggling to find proper footing in the world of film. Yes, many animated movies with darker tones have come out in recent years from the world of DC comics, but even those have found small critical acclaim and little revenue. But, it now seems that DC is starting to pick up tricks from its close rival, Marvel, and is now in the works for a full-fledged “Avengers” style, movie franchise that is sure to blow movie-goers away, whether it be for good or bad reasons. And to add to the already dicey water that DC is trying to stand on, it was revealed that Ben Affleck would be stepping into the role as the caped crusader. The mob of fan debate to come afterward, and that is still being tossed around now, has many wondering if the charismatic actor can in fact fill such big shoes with the help of director Zack Snyder when the combo of director Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale have already created a tremendously grand version of the “Batman.” Now, what brought about this dialogue in my own head was my recent viewing of a flick called “Gone Girl,” which starred the actor in question. “Gone Girl,” on a completely different spectrum of movies from the likes of comic book flicks, is an amazing movie wherein Ben Affleck portrays a husband who begins to come under question for the disappearance of his wife on their fifth wedding anniversary. It’s a surprisingly intense film that makes one question the regular formula for the average psychological thriller. But getting back to Affleck, one can clearly see his incredible acting skills come into play for this movie.
He at first plays a convincing problematic husband who is hiding a few secrets and would later convince the audience of his personal troubles in the whole affair while still being a sort of unlikeable main character, which, I believe, works in favor of “Gone Girl.” So, it is pretty clear that Affleck has the acting skills to potentially take on a larger than life role like Batman. He even has talents behind the camera as well, most recently seen in films like “Argo,” and which Warner Brothers will perhaps like to use in later installments of the new DC movies. Yet there is still a great fuss over the casting of Ben Affleck as the new Batman, with one glaring reason at the forefront. One word: “Daredevil.” Ben Affleck himself has gone on record to say that this is one of his greatest movie disappointments, and has probably taken on the role of the new Batman to try to redeem himself in the comic book film world. The 2003 action adventure movie “Daredevil” is a rather large scar in both the career of the starring actor and in the potential for decent films coming from the DC universe. But really, if one looks back at the choices behind certain DC movies, the problem is not necessarily in the casting of the movies. Ryan Reynolds would have probably been a great choice for the new “Green Lantern,” but it was marred by the CGI disaster that surrounded the entirety of the movie. Couple that with a lack of plot line and a weird dialogue, and you have effectively created one of the worst movies to come out in 2011, a year that went well for Marvel Comics with a reboot of the “X-Men” and the release of “Thor.” Even the new Superman, which implemented darker and more violent tones, was much different than the colorful red, white and blue classic that we’ve come to love. If anything, DC comics needs to take some advice from Marvel comics’ movies. Though Marvel they have had their fair share of more disappointing movies (“Ghost Rider” or “The Wolverine”), they have effectively created a franchise that can crank out great movies for public viewing. With “Avengers: Age of Ultron” just around the corner, we can look back
and marvel (pun intended) at how effectively Marvel Comics was able to create a flowing timeline that weaves in all of its favorite characters and brings to the screen, one of the greatest comic book series of all time. Are the Marvel movies Oscar worthy pieces of art with the most intriguing and complex storylines? Not necessarily. But they are simply fun movies that are engaging, exciting and well done all around. Those movies knew when to take it to darker tones and when to lighten up the mood a bit. You know that Marvel is at a comfortable stage in its movie making when they are willing to take a chance on a more obscure Marvel superhero lineup like the “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The film literally included a talking raccoon, an adorable lumbering tree and a bunch a sci-fi mumbo jumbo that probably went over a lot of our heads. But the point is: Marvel took the chance on a less-known comic book character and made a banging awesome movie with it. It also helps knowing that if the more unknown stories do not do too well at the box office, they always have a “Captain America” or “Thor” movie that can balance off the difference. So, what does this all mean for the DC comic world of film? Sure, they have found some success on the small screen with installments like Arrow and The Flash doing very well for themselves. But since the ending of the dark, stylized era of Christopher Nolan’s “Batman trilogy,” DC has struggled to find proper footing on the big screen. We have plenty of time to wait for the next installment of a DC movie, with the upcoming “Batman v. Superman” not arriving until sometime in 2016. It still makes us wonder what kind of flavor these next movies will bring. The choice to make Ben Affleck the next Batman in the series was a very interesting one indeed. Affleck is not usually a tough guy, but he does bring different elements to the character . Whether it will finally bring DC back from the ashes to become a true competitor to Marvel or will be the nail in the coffin, only the movie will reveal. n
Cumberbatch shines in “The Imitation Game” By Evan Wheatley
Review Writer “Can machines think? This is the primary question posed in “Computer Machinery and Intelligence,” a 1950s paper published in Mind by Alan Turing. The concepts that Turing explores in this paper greatly influenced his single-handed design and construction of a machine that was able to break the German Enigma codes during World War II…or so the film says. While the historical accuracy of “The Imitation Game” comes into question on several occasions, the outstanding quality of the film’s acting, direction and story is no enigma. The movie focuses on the life of Alan Turing, a British mathematician, computer scientist and cryptanalyst. The British Intelligence recruits Turing along with other cryptographic minds to crack the Enigma codes that the Nazis use as secret communication during the war. The film’s narrative interchanges between three significant times in Turing’s life: his time pursuing education at Sherborne School as a teenager, his classified work with Enigma during the war and the investigation surrounding Turing’s sexual orientation in 1952. The settings of the Enigma machines change daily as the war progresses. The small group of cryptographers has 18 hours each day to figure out the settings of the machines before the Germans alter the settings the next day. This is a virtually impossible task for the team to accomplish because of the seemingly infinite amount of possible settings the machine possesses, causing progressive insurmountable frustration amongst the team of code-breakers. Turing’s initial rudeness, apparent social detachment and unwillingness work with the rest of the team only adds to the growing tension. Turing conceives, designs and begins to build a
machine that he believes will be able to mull through the numerous Enigma settings possibilities considerably faster than his team. In the film, a machine like this has never been built, much less proven to work. Because of this, Turing’s endeavor brings about much skepticism and agitation from the team. Over time,however, especially after the acquisition of Joan Clarke (Keira Knightly) to the team, Turing begins to treat his colleagues with more respect and gain their trust. To say that Benedict Cumberbatch had an amazing performance at this point in his career is the equivalent of saying the sky is blue, and yet again it remains blue as Cumberbatch knocks it out of the park. Turing as shown in the film is extremely intelligent but lacks normal social skills. He is not the most likeable guy; he has trouble interacting with others, takes everything that is said to him literally and has a sense of arrogance that puts others off. However, there is also warmth about his character that slowly surfaces as the story progresses, and he has a genuine desire to be liked by others. Cumberbatch expresses both aspects of this persona beautifully. The supporting cast is equally fantastic. Those who play the members of Turing’s team (Matthew Goode, Allen Leach, Matthew Beard and Keira Knightly) are particularly solid, and have great chemistry with each other and Cumberbatch. Alex Lawther as the young Alan Turing mimics Cumberbatch’s portrayal exceptionally well, and viewers will truly believe the struggles he endures from being different than everyone else. Graham Moore took home an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on the film, and it definitely shows why. The well-written script is the fuel for the gripping, emotional drama exhibited in the actors’ performances. Morten Tyldum’s direction is not to be ignored
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either. The interchange between the various time periods in Turing’s life are done smoothly and the non-linear story telling is carried out excellently. The writing, directing and acting also convey his struggle as a homosexual in the 1950s well and the punishment that he had to endure because of it. While both aspects of the production are great from a narrative standpoint, the direction and writing are where the main issues of the movie lie. Being a biographical film, the story will no doubt contain fabrication here and there, but the question that arises is how much history do a writer and director sacrifice for the sake of more compelling storytelling? In “The Imitation Game,” viewers are led to believe that Turing built the machine that cracked Enigma and conceived its design virtually by himself. In reality however, the Polish Intelligence gave a primitive version of the machine to the Government Code and Cypher School in 1939. Turing was hired to make improvements on the machine based on his knowledge of computers. Unlike the movie portrays, Turing was actually well-liked by his colleagues and was placed as the head of the operation until 1942. This is one of several factual errors present in “The Imitation Game” that range from Turing giving his machine a name, to John Cairncross being a cryptanalyst and a somewhat influential character in the story. Despite these historical inaccuracies, the movie has received widespread critical acclaim. In addition to winning the Best Adapted Screenplay award, it also received nine Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. “The Imitation Game” is a riveting drama with stellar performances, excellent writing and solid direction. Among the better films of 2014, it remains a must-see for 2015. Rating: B+ 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.
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Thursday, April 9, 2015
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Softball falls in two games to Henderson State By BRANDON SMITH Sports Information Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy PARKER NORRIS hits a ball against Delta State earlier this season. Parker Norris hit a double to left center in the Saturday game against Southwestern Okla. State where the Tigers won 9-4.
Tiger baseball defeats SW Okla. State 9-4 By KYLE PARRIS
Sports Information Director Behind a four-run eighth inning and a four-run ninth inning, the Ouachita Tigers defeated the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs 9-4 on Saturday. The Bulldogs won the first two games on Friday, however, to take the series 2-1. SWOSU (16-19, 9-12 GAC) loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first inning, but Connor Reed forced two fly-outs to escape the inning without surrendering a run. The Bulldogs then put runners on first and third with two outs, but Reed struck out the next batter to once again hold Southwestern scoreless. In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs recorded four consecutive hits and eventually scored three runs to take the first lead of the game. The Tigers attempted to answer in the top of the sixth when Drew Feuerbacher scored from third on a groundout, but Ouachita was held to just one run. The Bulldogs then extended their lead to 4-1 after a balk in the
The Ouachita Tigers fell to 10-22 on the year and 6-17 in the Great American Conference on Tuesday, dropping two games to the Henderson State Reddies. The Reddies are currently at the top of the GAC standings with a conference record of 17-5. The Reddies jumped out to an early lead on a three hit, three run bottom of the first inning that included two doubles and one homerun. Henderson State then extended its lead with two runs over the next two innings. The Lady Tigers were held without a hit until the top of the fourth inning when Sarah Johnson led off with a single. A double play and a groundout ended the inning, however, keeping the score at 5-0. In the top of the seventh, Alex Jennings singled to shortstop in attempt at a comeback, but the Reddies recorded two consecutive outs immediately after to secure the win. Delaney Bedunah (5-3) was handed the loss for the Tigers, as she pitched for the first two innings. Macy Nantz then stepped in and pitched the final four innings without giving up a run. Henderson State homered again in the first inning of the second game, giving the Reddies another early lead. A threerun homer in the bottom of the third extended HSU’s lead to 4-0. Ouachita crossed home plate for the first time in the top of the sixth inning. Kailey Madden singled to right field with one out, and Johnson homered immediately after to bring the score to 4-2. The Reddies answered in the bottom-half of the inning with a one-run inning to extend their lead to 5-2 with one inning to play. The Tigers were then forced into three groundouts in the top of the seventh, allowing Henderson State to claim both games of the doubleheader. Jade Sones started at pitcher for the Tigers but was replaced by Johnson after 4.1 innings. Johnson led Ouachita’s offense for the day, recording two hits, two runs batted in, one run and one homerun. She has reached base safely in each of the last 11 games and currently third in the GAC in batting average. The Tigers will host East Texas Baptist University on Wednesday, in a non-conference doubleheader. The first game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Ouachita then returns to conference play on Friday, April 10, as the Tigers travel to Russellville, Ark., to take on Arkansas Tech in a four-game series. . n
bottom of the sixth. Ouachita’s offense came alive in the top of the eighth inning to score four runs on five hits. The rally started with a double by Feuerbacher, and he later scored on a single by Justin Weigle. After Jace Melby pushed Weigle to second on a single, Will Wallace drove him home on a single to center field. The Tigers then tied the game when Reuben Miller reached first on an error, and an RBI-single by Tyler Faught gave Ouachita a 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Zach Gloff picked up a strikeout before being replaced by Brian Krikorian. Krikorian struck out the second out of the inning on three pitches, and Lance Cullum then came in and struck out the final out to keep the Bulldogs from scoring. Parker Norris led off the top of the ninth with a double to left center, but Southwestern recorded two consecutive outs immediately after. After Wallace walked, Matt Sinclair batted in two runs on a two-out single. Faught followed with
two more RBI on a triple to left center, giving Ouachita a 9-4 lead. Cullum retired the next three Bulldogs in order, forcing one groundout and striking out two on 13 pitches, to seal the victory for the Tigers. Reed, who started at pitcher for Ouachita, went eight innings and struck out five. Gloff, who earned his first win of the season, pitched 2.1 inning and allowed only two hits. Krikorian was on the mound for one batter and recorded a strikeout, and Cullum was given the save on 1.1 innings of work. Wallace, Sinclair, Faught and Feuerbacher all recorded two hits in the game, and Faught led the team with three runs batted in. The Tigers (18-12, 11-5 GAC) are currently 1.5 games ahead of Southern Arkansas for the top spot in the Great American Conference standings. Ouachita’s next game will be at Rab Rodgers Field on Saturday, April 11, as the Tigers host Dallas Christian College. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. n
opponent in straight sets. Boskovic and Oliveira then teamed up to win the number-one doubles match 8-5. Braciszewicz and Mechali followed with an 8-3 victory in the number-two doubles match. Ouachita’s only two losses came in the number-six singles match and the numberthree doubles match. Boskovic, who is currently ranked 26th in the nation and first in the region, earned his 10th win of the 2015 season to go with just two losses. Oliveira, the 41st ranked singles player in Division II and fifth in the region, also grabbed his 10th victory, and the team
of Boskovic and Oliveira is currently 10-2 on the season. With the 6-4, 6-2 win at number-three singles, Lonneman moves to 9-4 on the year. He is currently ranked seventh in the central region. Braciszewicz earned his eighth singles win of the season, and Mechali won his seventh. The Tigers (9-4) are ranked first in the central region. The men’s tennis team also took on Harding University on Wednesday evening, where they defeated the Bisons 8-1. The Tigers will face Nebraska-Kearney tomorrow and Southwest Baptist University on Friday. n
Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy VITOR OLIVEIRA returns a serve in a match earlier this season. In a game against ECU on Saturday, Oliviera won a single match and then one a doubles match with Marko Boskovic.
They are also 13-4 at home and are a game and a half ahead. If the Tigers can win enough games (a projected four games) then Ouachita can accompolish something that has only been done three times in division two: win a football, basketball and baseball conference championship in the same season. What I’ve failed to mention so far is that Ouachita has also compiled another championship: women’s soccer. The Lady Tigers earned a conference championship by beating Southern Nazarene in a 1-0 thriller in November. Haley Hatcher was also named the GAC Offensive Player of the Year. Head basketball coach Dennis Nutt and head football coach Todd Knight both recieved the honors of being GAC Coach of the Year in their respective sports.
Head Baseball Coach Jeremy Haworth is soon to follow Nutt and Knight if he can lead the baseball Tigers to yet another conference championship for Ouachita. *** On March 14 of this year, Ouachita Baptist set more history in a truly historic year for Ouachita athletics. Dallas Smith, the only fourtime national All-American for Ouachita, won the first national championship match for Ouachita wrestling. Along with Smith, Nate Rodriguez, Josh Myers and Payne Hatter all earned All-American honors as well. It was Myers’ third and Rodriguez’s second. *** For a school pushing 1,600 students in a classification that boasts schools of well over 7,000 students, Ouachita has truly succeeded expectations
Boskovic and Oliveira lead #18 Tigers over ECU By BRANDON SMITH Sports Information
After falling to No. 28 Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday, the No. 18 Ouachita Tigers defeated East Central University 7-2 on Saturday. ECU is currently ranked 45th in Division II. The Tigers posted victories in each of the top five singles matches, starting with Marko Boskovic’s 6-3, 6-3 win. Ouachita then received wins from Vitor Oliveira, Lennart Lonnemann, Maciej Braciszewicz and Jason Mechali, with all five players defeating their
Triple Crown not out of reach for Tiger Athletics 37-9. When the Great American Conference was founded in 2011, Will Prewitt himself (let alone anyone else) couldn’t have predicted that a team could win three major sports in the same year. A symbolic triple crown could be achieved by Ouachita in the next few weeks: the result of conference championships in football, basketball and baseball. Combined, they have a total conference record of 37-9—a far better record than anyone else in the GAC. It started in football, when the Tigers defeated Henderson State to cap off a perfect regular season and a perfect conference record to clinch their second conference title in four years. Then came Coach Dennis Nutt’s basketball Tigers, re-
By DIXON LAND Sports Editor
cording a perfect 14-0 record at home and a 20-win season. The result of the season gave the Tigers a regular season conference championship where they fell just short of an at-large bid to play in the regional division two playoffs. Following basketball, the baseball team hit the diamond, where they have already racked up an 18-12 record.
this year. As the seasons continue to go on, Tiger Men’s tennis is currently ranked #18 nationally and is expected to make another GAC conference championship run. That’s five conference championships if baseball and tennis finish what they have started. Walking through the locker rooms and complexes of Ouachita athletics, it’s obvious of the potential of the student athletes that compete on a daily basis, representing this school all over the country. Ouachitonians should be proud of their athletes and support them as such because these student athletes represent a side of Ouachita that cannot be experienced anywhere other than the footbal field, the baketball court, the wrestling mat, the baseball diamond or the soccer field. n