04.17.14 Issue 23 IN THIS ISSUE:
Top Notch Communicators Communications office wins state and national awards, p.2
Learning with Friends Schedule of all Scholars Day presentions, p.3
@Ouachitonian Dr. Jess Kelly talks journey to OBU and loving Tiger life, p.4
A Note About Notes Importance of handwritten notes in an impersonal age, p. 5
Grace Finley z The Signal Dr. Randall Wight views a poster presentation during last year’s Scholars Day. Students from all schools across campus will present research, performances and other types of presentations during Scholars Day 2014 held on Wednesday, April 23.
Honors Program presents Scholars Day 2014 By BRITTANY EWART Staff Writer
Ouachita is set to host Scholars Day on Wednesday April 23, where students from all schools of study come to present their theses, theater performances, artwork and college research. The event will begin around 1 p.m. at several locations around campus. Dr. Barbara Pemberton, professor of Christian missions and director of the Carl Goodson Honors Program, believes it is a great way for students to get experience presenting and learn skills that will be helpful later in life, such as in graduate school. She also explained that Scholars Day is a
great way for students to hear about topics outside their fields of study. “Scholars Day is a great opportunity that we have at OBU to celebrate every school of academics. It is an opportunity for students to actually learn what other majors do,” Pemberton said. Scholars Day is more than just presentations; it is showing the campus a project or research that is high on the academic level. Honors president, Sarah Davis, a senior theatre arts and Christian missions double major, explains that Scholars Day is a way to see things other students are doing as well as share your own work with others.
Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal Sophomore Kaden Sosebee performs trombone in last year’s PRISM Concert. Each year the concert features a variety of Ouachita’s student musicians.
“PRISM” Concert to be held April 22 By CHELSEY WHELPLEY News Bureau
S News 1 n S Features 4 n S Opinions 5 n S Sports 6 n
see SCHOLARS z 2
Music students to present works in annual Composers Symposium
Grizz Reporting Students travel to Memphis to cover basketball game, p. 6
Family Matters Daniel Murphy paternity leave controversy, p. 6
“Presenting at Scholars Day, for me, gives a lot of satisfaction,” Davis said. “It is satisfying to take a paper or project that you’ve worked on for a class and be able to share it with others. Plus, it is a lot of fun.” Parents, along with friends and peers, are encouraged to attend this event. “It gives someone their first opportunity to present in front of their peers. Better here with friendly peers than off at some other conference somewhere else, though many have presented their works somewhere else before. For those who have not had that opportunity, it’s a great start,” Pemberton said. “Friends should come
Ouachita’s Division of Music will present its annual “PRISM” concert on April 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Performing Arts Center. It is free and open to the public. The concert will feature the Ouachita Wind Ensemble, Ouachita Symphonic Band and various small ensembles and soloists from the instrumental department. “The PRISM program is one of my favorite concerts we perform,” said Director of Bands Dr. Craig Hamilton, OBU’s Lena Goodwin Trimble Professor of Music. “It showcases many of our ensembles in the instrumental area. I know the audience will enjoy the variety of music and sounds of the various ensembles.” Dr. Hamilton explained the name of the “PRISM” concert came from the spectrum of colors produced when light is shined on a prism. “We use these cues to show the different ‘colors’ of the Ouachita instrumental area,” he added. “The concert is a showcase of all the different musical groups on campus. Everyone
gets to show off the product that they’ve been working on all year,” noted saxophonist Brent Nessler, a senior music performance major from Rowlett, Texas. “It’s always a great experience to get to work with so many diverse ensembles. The styles of the ensembles all differ and keeps the program fresh.” This concert is also unique from other ensemble performances because the audience sits in the middle of the auditorium encircled by the different ensembles. The music surrounds the audience from all directions. “The PRISM concert is always fun because of the musical diversity,” said trombonist Drew Ervin, a junior music and computer science major from Springdale, Ark. “Experiencing the coordination of all the ensembles is always entertaining.” The Wind Ensemble will perform “Rondo for Horns and Woodwinds” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Folk Dances” by Dmitri Shostakovich, selections from “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff and see CONCERT z 2
By TODD MCNEEL Staff Writer
O
uachita’s School of Fine Arts will present its annual Composers Symposium at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 21, in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall. The symposium is a concert of recent compositions by OBU student composers and was first performed over 50 years ago. Each year it rotates between instrumental and vocal repertoire. This year’s concert will feature selections of sacred and chamber music, as well as vocal performances from soloists and the Ouachita Singers. Ouachita Singers will be under the direction of David Stanley, instructor of music. This year’s student composers are: Kassie Coleman, a senior music composition major from Hot Springs, Ark.; Sean Jackson, a junior music composition major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; Joel Rogier, a senior vocal performance major from Glen Carbon, Ill.; Victoria Clark, a sophomore music education major from Bonnerdale, Ark.; and Emily Tucker, a senior music major from Hot Springs, Ark.. The program is an opportunity for composition students and professors to present some of their works and have them performed in a traditional concert setting. The composers have spent months working on their compositions for this symposium, drawing inspiration from various sources. “The choral piece I’m having performed is adapted from Job and chronicles the book as a whole,” Coleman said. She added that her grandfather read the book of Job to her as a child, and he was the inspiration for her composition. Dr. Patrick Houlihan, music theory and composition department chair, will lead the concert. He aids each composer throughout the creation of his or her work, helping each piece get performance ready. Houlihan also gives the composers advice and the necessary tools to adapt their works for opportunities of maybe one day having their pieces published. “A composer must find a publisher that is accepting works in a style and medium in which he composes. He then submits his manuscript and perhaps a recording. However, it is a growing trend for many composers to choose to self-publish their compositions,” Houlihan said. For more information about the concert and information regarding the theory and composition program, contact Dr. Houlihan at houlihanp@obu.edu or 870-245-5130. n
Thursday, April 17, 2014
www.obusignal.com
this weekzCALENDAR COMPOSERS SYMPOSIUM is Monday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. For more information, contact Dr. Scott Holsclaw at holsclaws@ obu.edu.
SENIOR COFFEEHOUSE presented by CAB, will be Wednesday, April 23, at 8:30 p.m. at Dr. Jack’s. For more information, contact Hillary Hill at hillh@obu.edu.
KAPPACHINO, presented by the Men of Kappa Chi, will be Monday, April 21, at 8 p.m. in the Tiger Den. Cost is $3 for singles and $5 for couples. For more information, contact Josh Reaper at rea54398@obu.edu.
RESLIFE YARD SALE is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, from 2-5 p.m. in the Village Circle. For more information, contact Andrew Davis at dav49908@obu.edu.
PRISM CONCERT is Tuesday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m. in JPAC.
SCHOLARS
z Continued from Page 1 encourage each other, plus professors should come; that may be scary but it’s not really.” This event not only gives students the opportunity to present their work but it also benefits the Honors program. It is open to all students across campus but it is also for Honors seniors to present their theses. “It’s a really fun, exciting day not just for Honors but the entire campus,” Davis said. Pemberton encourages everyone to attend the event, as it is a day filled with a variety of subjects and interests. There is also a Tiger Day on the same day, where perspective students are also encouraged to attend the presentations. “It gives you a venue for parents to come. We also now have Honors Tiger Day, and so we have bright and aspiring
high school students come and get to go and hear college research and that’s a good deal,” Pemberton said. Along with being a great event for perspective students to experience during Tiger Day, it is also exciting for Ouachita students as well. “You never know what exciting things could be happening at Scholars Day. We’ve had play readings, research presentations, musical performances and poetry readings before,” Davis said. “We genuinely have something for everyone.” The event also lets you get a good idea of the education, talents and research at a liberal arts school. “We would like to see lots of people participate. But everyone needs to go encourage their friends, they need to get a good idea of what other people do on a liberal arts campus,” Pemberton said. “It’s a great day to learn something.” n
Dr. Detri Brech receives nutrition educator award By JESSICA STEWART News Bureau
Ouachita professor of dietetics Dr. Detri Brech was awarded the Outstanding Nutrition Educator Award during the recent Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual meeting at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. “It is a delight to present information in class to students who love the field of nutrition as much as I do,” Brech said. “I feel blessed to teach students at Ouachita.” “It came no surprise to me that Dr. Brech was named the Outstanding Nutrition Educator,” said Dr. Tim Knight, dean of Ouachita’s J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences. “She is a great teacher, wonderful advisor and excellent researcher.” Emily Hastings, a senior dietetics and nutrition major from Leawood, Kan., nominated Brech for the award. Hannah Nolan, a senior dietet-
CONCERT
z Continued from Page 1 “Angels in the Architecture” by Frank Ticheli. The Wind Ensemble will be joined by the Symphonic Band to perform “Fusion” by Brian Balmages. The Percussion Ensemble will play “Log Cabin Blues” by George Hamilton Green, “Postlude No. 6 for Bowed Vibraphones” by Elliot Cole and “Wart Hog No. 3.” The Celtic Ensemble will perform a Celtic medley. Several instrumental sections also will take turns in the spotlight. Three Ouachita professors will present pieces, as well. Dr. Ryan Lewis, OBU assistant professor of percussion, and
ics and nutrition major from North Little Rock, Ark., and Sarah Pollock, a senior dietetics and nutrition major from North Richland Hills, Texas, wrote letters of support for the nomination. “Dr. Brech is such a dedicated professor and dietitian,” Hastings explained. “She’s incredibly passionate about her field, and she gives her all to teaching students.” Brech began her dietetics training as a student at Ouachita. A 1984 Ouachita graduate, she completed her master’s degree at Louisiana Tech in 1985 and earned her PhD at Oklahoma State in 1992. Brech has taught at the college level for nearly 28 years, including teaching at Louisiana Tech, the University of Central Arkansas and Missouri State University. She joined the Ouachita faculty in 2000. For more information about Brech or the dietetics department, contact Brech by email at brechd@obu.edu or by phone at (870) 245-5543. n Kristin Grant, OBU assistant professor of music, will perform John C. Moon’s “Musick of the Fifes and Drum.” Dr. Heather Thayer, assistant professor of music, will perform “Laudatio” by Bernhard Krol. “The PRISM concert is a lot of work. There is so much organization of ensembles, lighting, practicing and time that is put into it,” said Emily Tual, a sophomore member of the Wind Ensemble. “Seeing the efforts of so many different areas of fine arts being put together is really rewarding to me,” For more information about the PRISM concert, contact Dr. Craig Hamilton by email at hamiltonc@obu.edu or by phone (870) 245-5137. n
Art Receptions 5 p.m. – Emily Coles, Verser Lobby
Recitals
[located in McBeth Recital Hall]
Wednesday
8 p.m. – Caitlin Secrest (voice)
OBU team takes second place in national Enactus competition By RACHEL GILMER Staff Writer
Ouachita’s Enactus team took second place in the quarter final round of Enactus’ national competition in Cincinnati earlier this month. Each Enactus team had 17 minutes for an oral presentation. Ouachita’s team, composed of 11 students, spent months practicing. “In the weeks leading up to the national competition, our team was practicing almost every night for two to three hours per night. You get really close to your teammates when you spend that much time with them. We performed very well at nationals, placing higher than we ever have. I couldn’t be more proud of our team,” said Ouachita Enactus president Brittney Jones. The team presented three of its six projects during the presentation, including their partnership with the Arkadelphia Boys and Girls Club, the Mobile Pack event and Dr. Jack’s Coffee. Enactus students meet at the Boys and Girls Club several times each week to teach classes and help students understand the importance of money and provide hands on experience with savings.
In the past year, Enactus helped students host nine lemonade and hot chocolate stands on Ouachita’s campus. The proceeds from the stands go into bank accounts to help the students begin saving money for college. New plans for the project include hosting more stands at the Boys and Girls Club using a new snow cone machine and expanding the center’s recycling program. The Mobile Pack event, led by sophomore’s Elva Rosa and Griffin Peeples, packed over 100,000 meals in two days for Feed My Starving Children during March this year. In order to host the event, Enactus had to raise 22,000 dollars. To do this, they partnered with Rosa’s Mexican Kitchen, which donates 22 cents of every dollar raised towards the Mobile Pack. Future plans for this project include hosting a Mobile Pack every semester and involving more students in the packing process. Most impressive is Enactus’ Dr. Jack’s Coffee project. Enactus is the driving force behind Dr. Jack’s Coffeehouse, convincing Ouachita to change coffee brands, partnering with Westrock Coffee in Little Rock to provide the beans, and sending one third of the proceeds back to an orphanage in
Honduras. Central to the Dr. Jack’s project is senior Justin Young. In an interview earlier this year, Young said, “We are now benefiting people all across the world from a single cup of coffee that you buy. We are buying the coffee from Rwandan farmers, so you are giving them work and business, but also, every single month, some of our proceeds go to an orphanage in Honduras.” On top of that, Enactus helps provide great coffee for the campus coffeehouse. Future plans for the project include expanding Dr. Jack’s Coffee to churches and schools across the country. Other projects for the Enactus team this year include the Pregnancy Resource Center for Southwest Arkansas, Arkadelphia Promise and the Campus Store. Ouachita has partnered with Enactus for nine years and has 56 members from almost every discipline. Enactus is a global organization including 65,000 students in 36 countries. Over 200 teams competed in the national competition. The United States competition winner, Texas State University, will go on to compete at the World Cup in Beijing, China this October. n
Office of Communications staff earns seven state and national awards By TRENNIS HENDERSON News Bureau
Ouachita’s Office of Communications staff recently earned a total of seven state and national awards from two professional communications organizations. The Arkansas chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators honored Ouachita with three awards of excellence at the organization’s 2014 Bronze Quill Awards Ceremony held April 10 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law. The OBU communications staff also received four national awards at Baptist Communicators Association’s 2014 Wilmer C. Fields Awards Banquet held April 11 during BCA’s annual workshop at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina. Ouachita’s three Bronze Quill Awards of Excellence from IABC Arkansas were presented for the Ouachita mobile app, design of The Ouachita Circle alumni magazine and design of the “Discover the Ouachita Difference” student recruitment brochure. Awards presented by BCA included recognition of the Ouachita mobile app and integrated branding of the “Dis-
cover the Ouachita Difference” marketing campaign. Brooke Zimny, assistant director of communications, won an individual award for her design of the Grant Center Legacy Wall, and René Zimny, assistant director of graphic services, was honored for his design of a promotional poster for Ouachita’s fall 2014 opera, Die Fledermaus (The Revenge of the Bat). The Grant Center Legacy Wall, a focal point of the recent renovation and expansion of the Daniel and Betty Jo Grant Center for International Education, combines photographs and text layered on an antique world map. Shirley Hardin, assistant registrar and daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Grant, said the legacy wall was created to honor the Grants, provide information about global education both past and present and inspire others to become a part of Ouachita’s legacy of international education. The BCA judge evaluating Brooke Zimny’s design of the legacy wall described it as “a lovely display with photos and text that tell of missions.” The Die Fledermaus poster was created for Ouachita’s Division of Music/Opera Theatre to highlight Johann Strauss’ comedic opera set in Vienna during the Victorian era. The BCA judge critiquing René Zimny’s
poster design affirmed that the poster’s “images of Victoria era Vienna inside the bat work very well.” “We always appreciate the opportunity for our work to be evaluated alongside projects by fellow professional communicators,” said Trennis Henderson, OBU vice president for communications. “As we seek to tell the Ouachita story, it’s affirming to be honored by our peers in Arkansas and across the nation. “I am especially pleased for Brooke and René to be recognized for their individual talents and efforts,” Henderson added. “Their creativity and expertise are valuable resources for the benefit of Ouachita.” Among the other awardwinning entries, Ouachita’s mobile app features information for current and prospective students, alumni and others, including guides for campus events such as Homecoming and Welcome to Ouachita’s World new student orientation. The app can be downloaded in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Kindle App Store and more. For more information about the Office of Communications staff or these awards, contact Trennis Henderson at hendersont@obu.edu or (870) 2455206. n
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Thursday, April 17, 2014
NEWS BRIEFS n Thirty second recaps of the biggest stories of the week. NATIONAL ― A South Korean ferry,
WORLD ― President Obama on
Wednesday announced a pair of grant programs designed to bring academic institutions and businesses closer together so as to help prepare the American workforce for jobs that would otherwise go unfilled. The money for the grant programs total $600 million, money which is already in the federal budget. The decision to designate the money for these grants came about from a review of federal jobs programs by Vice President Biden, who joined Obama at a community college here outside Pittsburgh to make the announcement. “Too many Americans, if they are lucky enough to have a job, are working harder and harder to get ahead,” Obama said. “We’ve got to make sure we have an economy that’s more than just growing for the top down, but from the middle class out.” n
the Sewol bound for a resort island just off the South Korean coast capsized Wednesday morning, leaving nearly 300 of its 462 passengers unaccounted for. Most of the passengers were high school students from Ansan, a city just south of Seoul, traveling together on a school trip. Passengers were allegedly told by crewmembers to stay put as the vessel tilted and went down. Rescue teams were able to save the passengers who managed to jump off or make it to the top of the boat, but divers and search teams are losing hope that any passengers who were trapped inside are still alive. The cause of the disaster has not yet been determined. The ferry’s regular captain was on leave, but the substitute captain had 30 years of experience. The challenging rescue operations continue, but no other survivors have been found. n
SCIENCE ― Scientists on Wednes-
day announced the discovery of the impeccably preserved fossilized remains of a shark that lived 325 million years ago in what is now Arkansas, complete with a series of cartilage arches that supported its gills and jaws. Because shark skeletons are made of soft cartilage, rather than hard bone, finding anything more than scrappy fossilized remains of teeth and vertebrae is very rare. Finding a fossil shark in an almost three-dimensional state of preservation, boasting important skeletal structures, is exceptional. This primitive shark, which has been named Ozarcus mapesae, may lead scientists to rethink the process of shark evolution, erasing the notion that these beasts of the deep have remained little changed evolutionally since they first appeared at least 420 million years ago. n
HEALTH ― A study, published Tues-
day in the Journal of Neuroscience, is the first to link casual marijuana use to major changes in the brain. According to the researchers, the degree of abnormalities is based on the number of joints smoked in a week. Using different types of neuroimaging, researchers examined the brains of 40 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 who were enrolled in Bostonarea colleges. Twenty of them smoked marijuana at least once a week.The marijuana smokers were asked to track their cannabis use for 90 days. All were given high-resolution MRIs, and users and non-users’ results were compared. Researchers examined regions of the brain involved in emotional processing, motivation and reward. They analyzed volume, shape and density of grey matter - where most cells in brain tissue are located.n
Compiled by Anna Kumpuris, News Editor. Sources: cnn.com, USAtoday.com, washingtonpost.com, reuters.com.
Horton earns top chemistry award at Alphi Chi convention hopes his work eventually will lead to treatments for autoimmune diseases. Although the research he presented was performed at the University of California at Berkeley, Horton said, “It was the training I’ve received from numerous professors here at Ouachita that prepared me to get the position at Berkeley. “I feel that the award was an affirmation of the caliber of the science department here at Ouachita,” Horton added. “Our professors are willing to prepare you for whatever aspiration you’re willing to push towards.” A d d i t i o n a l l y, Ouachita junior Dustin Walter, a biology and chemistry double major from Marion, Ark., received the $1,500 Alfred H. Nolle Scholarship. The scholarship selection was based on Walter’s research, which involved
By MCKENZIE CRANFORD News Bureau
Ouachita student Tim Horton earned the best presentation in chemistry award at the recent Alpha Chi National Convention in St. Louis, Mo. Horton is a senior chemistry and physics double major from Arkadelphia, Ark., and serves as president of Ouachita’s Alpha Chi chapter. “The conference is a great forum for our top students,” said Dr. Lori Hensley, Ouachita’s Alpha Chi faculty sponsor. “Alpha Chi emphasizes academic achievement and servant leadership; their convention showcases this and provides an exceptional experience for our students.” Hensley also serves as a professor of biology and is holder of the J.D. Patterson Chair of Biology. This marked Horton’s second year to attend the convention. His award-winning presentation was titled “Inhibiting Recognition of the B-Call Receptor by the Tyrosine Kinase Syk.” He said he
modifying proteins to see if they could be used to treat fungal diseases. “It was really exciting to receive the award because I knew it was very competitive,” said Walter. At the convention, Rebekah Ward, a senior biology and chemistry double major from Little Rock, Ark., presented “Identification of Ajulemic Acid Receptors to Investigate the Mechanism of Cell Death in Ewing’s Sarcoma.” She conducted her research with Dr. Marty Perry, OBU’s Nell I. Mondy Professor of Chemistry, and Dr. Lori Hensley, Ouachita’s Alpha Chi faculty sponTim Horton sor as well as associate professor of biology and holder of the J.D. Patterson Chair of Biology. Crista Riggs, a biology and chemistry double major from Edmond, Okla., also presented at the conference. Her
presentation, “LPA Stimulates Ser/ Thr-phosphorylation of Argonaute-2 in Hypoxia-Stressed Ovarian Cancer Cells,” resulted from research she conducted last summer with the Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City. She worked with Dr. Danny Dhanasekaren, director of basic cancer research for the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. “Tim, Crista and Rebekah gave excellent presentations and represented Ouachita very well,” added Dr. Hensley. During the trip, the students also had the opportunity to explore St. Louis and attend other presentations at the convention. “I loved attending the keynote speakers who motivated students to become aware of global needs and to utilize their talents in meeting such needs,” added Ward. For more information about the convention, contact Dr. Lori Hensley by email at hensleyl@obu.edu or by phone at (870) 245-5529. n
SCHOLARS DAY 2013 - PRESENTATION SCHEDULE Wednesday, April 23
POSTER PRESENTATIONS Group A: 1:45-3:00 p.m. Riley-Hickingbotham Library
Gretchen Gosser. “Gratitude: A Precursor for ProSocial Behavior” Alex Trevino. “Germination Responses of Arabidopsis Thaliana in Low Pressure Environments” Devin Ball, Rickey Brown. “NFL Combine Test Comparison. Division 2 and Division 1”
Porphyrins”
Sugar Substitues in a Traditional Brownie Recipe”
Matthew Ehasz. “Home Protection in Your Household; Fight or Flight”
Ashley Bullington. “Media in America Today”
Sterling Bailey. “A New Day: The Growing Trend of Performance Enhancing Drugs Use in Athletics” Crista Riggs. “LPA Stimulates Ser/Thrphosphorylation of Argonaute-2 in Hypoxiastressed Ovarian Cancer Cells” Tim Horton. “Inhibiting Recognition of the B-cell Receptor by the Tyrosine Kinase Syk”
Rickey Brown, Devin Ball. “Comparing NFL Combine Football Players to Division 2 Football Players on 225 Bench Reps”
Group B: 3:15-4:30 p.m. Riley-Hickingbotham Library
Austin Ingram. “Improving the Health of Your Deer Herd Through the Use of Quality Deer Management”
Taylor Black. “Reaction to Marital Conflict Among People from Broken, Remarried, and Never Divorced Homes”
Brandon Sanders, Tracey Mardis. “That’s So Greek: Examining Natural Stereotypes in Social Clubs” Katherine West, Holli Middlebrook. “The Effect of Males’ Relationship Status and His Perceived Attraction” Emily Anderson. “The Effect of Pride and Shame Postures on Emotion” Katelyn Cribb, Parrish Reed. “Effects of Caffiene on Endurance Athletes” Katie King, Logan Bond, Abby Engelkes, Emily Harris, Drake Puryear, Alyssa Stubblefield. “Freshmen Find Phages!” Jessica Ashcraft, Jace Bradshaw, Will Hanna, Brett James, Julie Marcks, Mitchell Richards, Whitney Willis. “Genomic Analysis of Burger, a Novel Mycobacteriophage” Weston Smith. “The Prevalence of GIRD” Mason Wadley, John Simmers. “Use of Fish as Water Quality Indicator in Three Central Arkansas Streams” Austen Morgan, Austin Kennedy, Etauj Allen. “Running Form and Performance” Brianne Baley, Tyler Files. “Sarcophageous Insect Association and Succession on Pig Carrion During the Summer in Central Arkansas” Sara Cat Williams. “EMDR Increased Recall for Emotionally Charged Stimuli” Kelsey Brum. “Bacteriophage Classification by Restriction Fragment Sequencing” Stoni Butler, Ben Lange-Smith. “Are Movies Making Us Fat? An Analysis of Distraction’s Effects on Eating Behaviors” Emily Hays. “Sugar Substitutions in Ice Cream” Mary Rachel Wolf, Leith Hobbs. “The Role of Red, Green, and Blue Light in Combinational Treatments and the Effect of Clinostat Treatment on Arabidopsis Development” Robyn Getsee, Kaylee Parrott. “Music’s Impact on Memory” Whitney Turk. “Chocolate Chip Cookies Made with Sugar Substitutes” Cory Matlock. “Sensory Evaluation of Strawberry Bread Prepared With Sugar Substitutes” Rachel Gilmer. “Fermat’s Last Theorem” Hannah Nolan. “A Comparison of the Pre- and Post- Assessments of Height, Weight, and Body Mass Index of Children Participating in an Eight Week Nutrition/Physical Activity Program” Emily Hastings. “Sensory Evaluation of Chocolate Sheet Cake Made with Avocado Instead of Butter” Alayna Rutledge, Cheyenne Mitchell. “Ring By Spring: Examining Desire for Marriage at Religious and Secular Universities” Hannah Nolan. “Evaluation of Sugar Substitutes in Sour Cream Cake” Katy Alexander. “Death Penalty Options” Trinity Dial. “Photodynamic Therapy of Modified
Dallas Smith. “The Effects of Statis and Dynamic Warm-ups on Lower Body Explosiveness in Collegiate Wrestlers” Eathen Ramsey, Jason Pullano. “Project Marathon” Sarah Liz Carter. “What Are the Odds?” William Wooten. “Assessing the Impact of Zoloft to the Environment: Bioassays Using Selenastrum capricornutum and Daphnia magna” Abigail Baze, Teodor Anghel. “Motivation and Athletic Performance Under the Influence of Music and Reward” John Butler, Kirby Von Edwins. “Comparative Genomics Approach to Link Plant and Animal Oxidative Stress Signaling Pathways” Chlow Huff, Caroline Nimocks. “Racial Stereotyping in Marketing” Kate Collins, Dawson Pritchard. “The Effects of Dynamic Versus Static Stretching on Flexibility in Female College Students” Katie King, Logan Bond, Abby Engelkes, Emily Harris, Drake Puryear, Alyssa Stubblefield. “Freshmen Find Phages!” Jessica Ashcraft, Jace Bradshaw, Will Hanna, Brett James, Julie Marcks, Mitchell Richards, Whitney Willis. “Analysis of Burger, a Novel Mycobacteriophage” Seth Childers, Amy Campbell. “Benthic Macro Invertebrates as Used to Determine Water Quaily in Clark County Streams and Rivers”
Brad Hunter-Heird. “Evaluation of Sugar Substitutes” Ellie Quick. “How Race and Ethnicity Affect Social Class in the United States”
2:30 – Rebekah Ward. “Identification of ajulemic acid receptors to investigate the mechanism of cell death in Ewing’s sarcoma”
Hannah Osborne. “Evaluation of the Elrod Center’s ElderServe Program and the Elders Needs and Wants”
3:00 – Sarah Bishop. “Protective effects of aqueous extract of Terminalia arjuna bark against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity”
Barrett Burger, Jason Stevenson. “Using an Innovative Three-Dimensional Spheroid Model of Tumors to Study Pediatric Cancer”
3:30 – Alexandria Lemos. “The Effects of Physical Activity and Movement on Learning”
Alex Morrison. “Sugar Alternates on No-Bake Cookies” Dustin Walter. “A Radical DIffusion Assay for the Rapid Evaluation of Antimicrobial Peptides” Jessie Meyer, Mallory Burroughs. “Enntiospecific Analysis of CYP2C9 Through Computational Docking”
RECITAL
2:00-3:00 p.m. W. Francis McBeth Recital Hall Beth Crisler, Phyllis Walker. “Quando m’en vo” Jillian Turner. “Prelude in g minor Op. 28, no. 22” Chad Burris, Phyllis Walker. “A Bit of Earth” Molly Salmon, Kristen LaMadrid. “Oh, quante volte” Elizabeth Baker, Susan Monroe. “Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise, Op. 26” Joshue Wayne, Phyllis Walker. “It’s Hard to Speak My Heart” Jordan Denniston. “III. Danza del gaucho matrero” Caroline Dunlap, Joanna Horton. “Concertino Op. 94”
THEATRE SCENES 3:15-3:50 p.m. Verser Theater
Kenderick Scorza, Kathleen Suit. “Claptrap”
Emily Sanders. “Using the RbcL Gene and DNA Barcoding Techniques to Identify Members of the Cactaceae Family”
Chad Burris, Phyllis Walker. “Bigger is Better (When Pigs Fly)” Chad Burris, Phyllis Walker. “What is it About Her (The Wild Party)”
Michelle Wasmund. “Circle Of X’s” Pete Brunson. “Monitoring bis-Phenol A (BPA) in Water Exposed to Thermal Receipt Paper Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy”
Joe Ochterbeck, Lauren Linton. “He Gave Her the Eye”
Korey Byrd. “Should Cheerleading be Considered to be One of the Most Dangerous Sports” Jace Bradshaw. “The Determination of Electric Confinement Produced by a Glass Box in a Complex Plasma” Sarah Pollock. “The Effect of Sugar Substitutes on Roasted Brussels Sprouts” Jordan Howard. “Sensory Evaluation of French Coconut Pie with Various Sugar Concentrations” Abby Evans. “The Effect of Professors’ Age and Gender on Perceived Job Qualifications in Academia” Jala Rainey. “A Sensory Evaluation of Pumpkin Bread Made with Varying Amounts of Truvia” Shelby Pierceall. “A Sensory Evaluation Using
4:00 – Anna Wakeling. “The Call of the Sidhe: Poetic and Mythological Influences in Ireland’s Struggle for Freedom”
Group B: 2:00-3:30 p.m. Walker Conference Center C 2:00 – Clark Whitney. “The Relationship Between Natural Law and Mosiac Law in Philo: His ‘Rewards and Punishments’ as a Case Study” 2:30 – Christopher Redmon. ”Faithless Israel, Faithful Pagans, and the Delivered Prophet of Doom: Jonah as a Lens for Reading the Gospel of Matthew” 3:00 – Hunter Wolf. “Economic Leapovers” 3:30 – Alex Nelson. “PUREnovation, Inc.” 4:00 – TJ Bailey. “Multigenerational Worship” 4:30 – Katie Hopmann. “Show Me a Story: The Creative Process of Communicating Truth through a Picture Book”
Group C: 2:00-3:30 p.m. Walker Conference Center C 2:00 – Anna English. “Freeflight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature”
Tyler Wisdom, Stacey Hawking. “Slight Hitch”
Joe Ochterbeck. “Red”
ART EXHIBIT PRESENTATIONS 3:00-4:00 p.m. Verser and Hammons Galleries
3:00 – Craig Martin. Moses-Provine 203: “Awakening Text” 3:20 – Adam Oakes, Michael Connell. Hammons Gallery: “BACK” 3:40 – Brittany Ewart. Moses-Provine 203: “Senior Portfolio Presentation”
tures” 3:15 – Katelyn Barber. “Methods to Teaching Math” 3:30 – Madeline Martin, Shelby Davis. “The Effects of Cannabidol on VEGF and MMP-9 in Spheroid Models of Ewing’s Sarcoma” 3:45 – Ashley Glover. “Uptake of modified porphyrin photosensitizers by triple-negative breast cancer cells”
2:00-3:15 p.m. McClellan Hall 206 2:00 – Adam Dodd. “Buddhism in America” 2:15 – Matthew Ablon. “A Different Matrimony; An Examination of ‘The Storm’” 2:30 – Sean Jackson. “Two Short Stories” 2:45 – Hannah Wright. “Boys Will Be Boys: The Difference Between Good Good Boys and Good Bad Boys” 3:00 – Katelyn Smith. “Art in the Third Reich”
2:00-3:30 p.m. Young Auditorium 2:00 – Collin Battaglia. “Vajrayana Monastic Life and Rituals” 2:30 – Amy Simon. “Mary Rowlandson’s Captivity: The Evolution of Emotion Toward Her Captors” 3:00 – Megan Trout, Wade Stotts, Chelsea Whelpley, Molly Anne Turner, Sophie DeMuth, Daniel Ogier, Ben Schlieff, McKenzie Cranford. “OBU at Sundance”
2:00-3:30 p.m. Hickingbotham Hall 200
2:30 – Lacey Johnson. ”The Evolution of Fashion: Upper-Class American Women’s Clothing from 1860 to 1920”
2:00 – Emily Hastings. “College Students’ Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behaviors Related to Gluten”
3:00 – Sally Ferguson. “Women and Watchmen: Opening the Refrigerator of Alan Moore”
3:00 – John Hewitt. “Contextulization Trends in Missions Methodology: Cultural Acceptance or Syncretism”
3:30 – Ellen Eubanks. “Interwoven: A Fantasy Novel”
Kenderick Scorza, Kathleen Suit. “First Kisses”
Tyler Wisdom, Stacey Hawking. “Proof”
Breanna Harris, Jeremy Small. “Athletic Induced Asthma in the Environment”
2:00 – Jason Stevenson. “Caring for Cancer”
Kayla Roop. “How Cell Phones Effect Socialization”
Madison Myers, Breanna Fehlman. “Effect of Fatigue and Times on Eyewitness Memory”
Kyle Francis, Greg Williams. “Does Weight Affect Your Vertical”
HONORS THESES
Group A: 2:00-3:30 p.m. Walker Conference Center A
2:30 – Ellen Flint. “The Quedlinburg Art Scandal”
3:30 – Leah Anderson. “Mary Surratt: The Unfortunate Story of Her Conviction and Tragic Death”
PERFORMANCE THESIS
4:00-4:45 p.m. W. Francis McBeth Recital Hall 4:00 – Sarah Lynette Davis. “Shakespeare: The Mirror of the Human Soul” A thesis lecture-performance including a collection of ten Shakespeare monologues, staging, character analysis, discussion of process, and a question/ answer session to follow the presentation.
PRESENTATIONS 2:00-4:00 p.m. McClellan Hall 205
2:00 – Damaris Garcia, Haley Brown. “What Makes an Effective School”
3D CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS 2:00-5:00 p.m. McClellan Hall 100 2:00 – Dustin Walter, Jessie Meyer, Kaiti Walker, Jeb Little. 2:15 – Trevor Meece, Tyler Williams, Shelby Davis, Jacob Moreno. 2:30 – Brian Monk, Joel Ubeda 2:45 – Mali Crumpton, Lauren Decklemam, Taylor Fowler. 3:00 – Jesse Kitchens, John Givler, Lindsey Patrick. 3:15 – Elizabeth Willis, Jack Hunley.
2:15 – Carter Harlan, Kacie Richards. “Becoming an Effective Teacher: Planning for Success”
3:30 – Trinity Dial, Chris Price, Colt Thompson, Austen Morgan.
2:30 – Abby Pickett, Emily Crump. “Engaging Students Through Simulation in the Classroom”
3:45 – Sara Cat and Natalie Williams.
2:45 – Jessica Hillyard. “DNA Barcoding to Determine Relatedness Between Fish Caught in an Arkadelphia Stream”
4:00 – Rachel Pruett, Sarah Carr, Heidi Hughes. 4:15 – Caroline Groustra, Katie Brech, Katie Carroll, Reagan Parsons.
3:00 – Kelsi Bodine. “Women in U.S. State Legisla-
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Thursday, April 17, 2014
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The best part of my job, unapologetically and very clearly, is that I get to love students. – Dr. Jess Kelly
Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy
Biology professor continues to inspire, motivate students By EMILY TERRY Editor-in-Chief
@
@emilymterry
Ouachitonian favorited your Tweet. It is a rare occurrence to have a professor who is tech-savvy and active on social media. Unless that professor teaches at Ouachita. One of Ouachita’s most active and well-known tweeting teachers is also one of the most admired and respected, if winning the school’s “Most Inspirational Professor” award after only teaching full-time for one year is any indication. Dr. Jess Kelly, assistant professor of biology in the J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences (or better known as @Ouachitonian on Twitter) , is far from shy about his love for Ouachita and its students. But there was a time when teaching students about photosynthesis and microbiology was not what he wanted to do when waking up every morning. “I had really good English teachers in high school so I began to get really interested in literature. I went to Baylor as an English major and met a wonderful teacher there,” Kelly said. “She left that first year to go to SMU and that kind of ended my English majoring and I moved over to kinesiology. Even then, I wasn’t trying to be a scientist – I was just trying to get a degree.” His journey to graduate Baylor with that degree would soon be cut short, however, after a significant
knee injury ended his Baylor football career and, in turn, his funds for school. After moving back home, Kelly became a police officer and took an array of classes at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. It was in a labratory class at the college that Kelly discovered his fascination with aquatic life at the microscopic level. “I remember the moment I got hooked,” he said. “One of my teachers put a slide of pond water underneath the microscope and I began to look at it and about four hours had passed before I finally looked up and started talking to her. It felt like 10 minutes.” After a little time, he transferred and got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Kelly began to fall in love with the world of aquatic biology, but also had interest in being a doctor. “During my police days, I had three or four CPR saves and they were very emotional,” he said. Kelly was accepted into med school at the University of Texas San Antonio, but at the last minute, changed direction and accepted a position at Baylor to be their first full-time doctoral biololgy student. “It was a last second decision,” he said. “My wife and I moved off to Waco and I earned my PhD there and so did she. We graduated together on the same day. It was the first time ever that Baylor had a married PhD couple graduating on the same day,
so it’s a neat little story.” After graduating Baylor with his doctorate, he took a job with the state of Texas as an environmental investigator for 35 counties, where he was in charge of making sure chemical spills were properly cleaned up and taken care of. He then returned to Baylor once again as the school’s chemical specialist and environmental health and safety director. During that time, he also taught some classes in forensic science and biology. After getting turned down for a teaching job back at Stephen F. Austin because he had worked in administration for several years and had not been practicing science, Kelly made the decision to make some changes. “That really stung,” he said. “I went back and started teaching more and then they offered me the teaching position full time, so I resigned, at great cost, from my administrative position at Baylor.” Some time later, his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Kelly, was offered a position as the chair of Ouachita’s sociology department. The Kelly’s then had a decision to make. “She really wanted this position, so I knew that day I would be resigning,” he said. “It was an easy move – especially when your wife looks at you and says, ‘I really want this job.’ Pretty easy decision. Happy wife, happy life, right?” After living in Arkadelphia for about a year, Dr. Tim Knight called up Kelly and talked with him about an adjunct position. “We talked maybe five or ten minutes, and I had a
part-time teaching job,” Kelly said. “Later on, this slot was open and they did a national search, but ended up offering me the position and I took it immediately and was very happy to have it.” Kelly teaches an array of biology courses, but his favorite classes to teach are CORE science classes with non-science majors. “It’s challenging. There are students who are scared of science. The first rule of my class is no anxiety. If we can tear down that barrier, we’re going to have a good semester,” he said. “The job is not to make them science majors; it’s to expose them to new areas of learning. Hopefully we do that.” Whether they are non-majors in a life science class or upperclassmen biology students in applied microbiology, Kelly says getting to work with students is the number one reason he loves teaching. “The best part of my job, unapologetically and very clearly, is that I get to love students,” he said. “They bring vitality and energy and exuberance. When students show up, it brings life to this place and we as professors get excited.” Students of Ouachita love Kelly right back, as proven by his being awarded with the title of “Most Inspirational Professor” at last year’s annual Academic Awards Banquet. It was an honor that came as a complete surprise. “Elizabeth and I were invited to the dinner and we planned on not going because we had too many things going on,” he said. Word got around and Kelly
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was eventually talked into attending. “When my name was called, it was a complete shock. I don’t remember walking up to get it. I was just stunned. I don’t know if I ran up there or danced up there or what,” he said. “But once I got up there, I turned around and it was immediately just this emotional moment because I realized it was students who voted for it. I was struggling to keep it together.” Since winning the award, Kelly has strived to maintain the character and attitude of an inspirational professor, even through difficult situations. “There have definitely been some hard times,” he said. “During those times, the students really supported me. In a couple of my classes, they prayed for me. That was the moment I knew this was my spot and this is where I needed to be teaching.” Kelly has been a professor at Ouachita for three years now and he has no intention of going anywhere anytime soon. “This is where I hope to retire,” he said. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. There’s something special here. We’re doing something right and we need to do everything we can to keep it that way.” Kelly believes one reason Ouachita is such a special place is that it encourages pursuit and growth in both science and faith, allowing students to explore science with a Christian worldview. “A scientist is what I am,” he said. “A Christian is who I am.” n
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Thursday, April 17, 2014
Head carrying: not as dumb as it looks By NOAH HUTCHINSON Opinions Editor
@Hutch15 Somewhere, right now, there’s an emaciated African woman single handedly carrying a pot of water that would take two corn-fed southern boys to even lift to waist height. She may be at least a little bit superhuman, being that she’s on day number 12410 without WiFi and has still managed not to gouge out her eyes in boredom. But she doesn’t have superhuman strength. She can carry all that water because she carries it on her head, and despite what hippie pseudo-science might want you to believe, it’s the best way to carry anything. The reason is that you’re eliminating all of the weak links involved in carrying something in your hands. When you carry something in your hands, as soon as your fingers and biceps get tired, you can’t carry it anymore. Your legs, back and stomach muscles, however, are much stronger, thicker and more durable. By putting the load on your head, you’re taking your arms out of the equation. It’s just like carrying something on your shoulder, but without all the hassle of having to lean your head to the side, perch whatever you’re carrying on that tiny little bit of space and trying to keep it from sliding off. You’re essentially just placing the load at the most stable point of your body.
That pesky brain capsule just happens to be in the way. Head carrying, just like shoulder carrying, also has another benefit that’s oftentimes overlooked. It allows your legs to move through their full range of motion. When most people pick up something heavy, especially between two people, they carry it at the waist. This makes the process of moving the load agonizingly slow, because your thighs are constantly bumping into it. When carrying the weight on your head, however, you could break out into a full on sprint without any hinderance at all. On the same note, especially for short people, head carrying makes things much easier in the event that you might have to go around a sharp corner. The object you’re carrying won’t be sticking out as far away from your body because of that, there’s not as much to get snagged when you’re trying to move through tight spaces. The only thing that could go wrong is bumping into something due to your extra height, but in that case you can always just duck. It’d be a great workout for your quads. Now, when I say this is the best way to carry something, keep in mind that I mean in an instance completely devoid of technology. “Scientists” have compared women carrying things on their heads to women carrying things in backpacks and concluded that there’s no difference in how easy it is to carry something either way. I imagine that those same scientists immediately had their funding pulled and were then used as test subjects for a new form of weaponized common cold. Comparing a backpack’s load bearing capabilities against throwing something on
top of your head is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. At that point you might as well just give them a wheelbarrow. When I’m hoisting that 64-pack of Ozarka out of the back of my truck to carry it up to my dorm room, I’m not going to try and stuff it in a backpack. It’s either just bear hug it and go or, I don’t know, try some other way of carrying it that requires absolutely no extra equipment? That’s when I’d carry something on my head and that’s when head carrying makes more sense than any of the alternatives. Another argument against head carrying is that the people who do it oftentimes report neck aches in their old age. There couldn’t be a more obvious example of an outstanding circumstance though. The people who are known for doing it carry outrageously heavy things over long distances as part of their weekly, if not daily, routines. For the average guy trying to move his recliner from the living room to the game room a little more efficiently, the wear and tear from head carrying would be negligible. If you’re lugging around some huge weight on a day to day basis, then yes, invest in a cart. However, for what little heavy lifting the average student finds himself doing, carrying something on your head won’t kill you. Overall, head carrying is the best way to carry a heavy load if there’s no equipment available to you or if it’d just be a hassle to try and use any kind of equipment. You’ll probably get some weird looks if you do it in public, and you won’t get that sick bicep pump that may be necessary for impressing any nearby lady lovelies, but you’ll succeed in being an efficient little worker ant who can move anything that’s put in front of you. n
Dixon C. Land, Assistant Sports Editor facebook.com/obusignal twitter.com/obusignal instagram.com/obusignal
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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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Should the MLB grant paternity leave? By DALANEY THOMAS Staff Writer @delaneyyt Kristen Morris y Courtesy Kristen Morris and Dalaney Thomas pose for a picture at a Memphis Grizzlies game. Morris and Thomas got the opportunity to act as reporters for the game as a part of the sports journalism class, taught by Dr. Jeff Root.
OBU students get chance to cover Memphis Grizzlies basketball game
By DALANEY THOMAS
Staff Writer
I
can’t really say what it was about sports journalism that pulled me in. Everyone else was on the “get rich fast train” and here I was going the opposite route. There was just something about the idea of working in an industry that was so crucial to the unity of different groups of people; after all, that is what sports do. At a glance, being a sports reporter seems like a glamorous job. You have people like Erin Andrews in the spotlight who make it look much easier than it is. A behind the scenes look into the lives of the people writing the game stories and features on players is the ticket to seeing what it is really like to start working in the sports industry, and that is the ticket I got when I attended a NBA game as a part of the media. When I was told I would get to go to a Memphis Grizzlies game and sit with the media, I was overcome with excitement. Something in my mind just made me believe that this would be my big break. I would get to see what it was like to be behind the scenes of the game, as more than just a fan. As I traveled to Memphis, alongside another classmate, my mind raced with the possibilities of what the night would hold. Would I make a connection that could one day lead to a job? There were so many possibilities the night held and I couldn’t wait to discover them. As my classmate and I arrived at FedEx Forum, our first challenge came with finding where we were supposed to park. We had received a little information on parking and where to enter the arena so with a little bit of help from a GPS this was not too hard to accomplish. We entered through a side door that was labeled Employee and Media entrance. As I walked through the doors my head quickly condensed down to normal size. The lobby was full of security guards and coordinators that were trying to instruct me on where to go. As I attempted to get my credentials there was trouble finding my name
and the lady working the front doors didn’t have the Ouachita hospitality I was so used to. People kept asking me where I was supposed to be and as I explained to them, I felt like they looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. This was my first look at how fast I’d have to catch on. Eventually, we made it past security and upstairs to the media room and the locker room entrances. Upon exiting the elevator, I felt completely lost. The halls that seemed to go on forever were lined with pictures of the Grizzlies players, so I knew I was in the right place. As Kristin and I walked down the hall we passed several people and asked them if they knew of any pre game pressers. Apparently there would be none and entering the locker room was not an option. So, we were there almost two and half hours early with no real purpose. With so much time to burn we decided to go ahead and find our seats. A long row of seats with tables was labeled and sure enough one of the seats was reserved for me. I sat down and overlooked the Memphis court. Players were warming up and as I overlooked I already felt much different than I ever had as just a fan. I spent my pregame time learning all I could about the different players and preparing myself to understand all that would unfold. The seats beside us began to fill with other journalists from papers in a variety of places. One individual was even from a French paper, so I quickly realized my assumption of sports being a unifying element was quite accurate. As people filled in, several of them reached out to Kristin and me. They said they noticed we were new faces and that they’d be happy to help us out in any way possible. Up until this point I had been unsure of belonging in my surroundings. The feeling of being lost had stuck ever since I stepped in the building, but now with help from other people in the media, I realized how fun this profession could be. It was almost like the media was one big family. They were constantly in discussion in what was going on in the
game, and were nice enough to include Kristin and me in the discussions. They asked us everything about our lives from where we went to school to where we want to be in the future, and by the time the game was over we had built strong enough relationships that we now didn’t have to worry about finding our way around the forum. As Memphis wrapped up the win, we traveled downstairs with our new friends and prepared for the postgame presser with the head coach. The press conference room is much different than one would expect when they are watching it on TV. It was a small room that seemed to expand as people and cameras quickly filled it. As the coach entered the room, everyone quieted and recording devices went up on the table. Kristin and I looked at each other confused. We had prepared to record but were unaware that it was acceptable to place our recorders right next to the microphone. We still managed to record everything the coach said and left the room feeling informed and like a personal friend of the head coach of a professional basketball team. Immediately following the presser we made our way to the locker room. I have never considered a locker room to be aesthetically appealing but this locker room was as immaculate as one would hope. The walls were lined with lockers, each one labeled with a different player’s name. We made our way to Marc Gasol’s locker as he put it his shoes on. As people began to ask questions I as confidently as I could reached my arm high and stuck my recorder beneath his face, all the while attempting to act as if I belonged. By the end of the night I had come to understand that “acting as if you belong” is how sports journalists perform their jobs. It would be impossible to just jump in and feel completely comfortable, but the more you tell yourself you belong there, the closer you are to believing that. I learned that the world of sports journalism is quick paced, competitive and loud. I believe I will fit in just fine. n
For young married couples, one of the first delights is welcoming new members into their family. The birth of a child is a pivotal moment in the lives of both the mother and father and the days that follow are days that cannot be regained once gone. For this reason, it isn’t uncommon for both the mother and father to take a few days off from work following the birth date. Paternity leave for the father is seldom disputed and almost expected, but what if the job isn’t just an office job and the man is a professional athlete? Should paternity leave be obsolete? This is the controversy surrounding New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy. Murphy and his wife welcomed their firstborn son, Noah, on Monday, March 31, which coincidentally fell on opening day of the 2014 baseball season. Murphy learned late Sunday night that his wife had gone into labor so he rushed home to Florida and arrived just in time to see Noah be born around noon on Monday. As one could understand, Murphy did not make it back to New York in time for the Mets’ first game. As a personal decision made between Murphy and his wife, he decided to remain in Florida until Wednesday night, causing him to miss New York’s second game of the season. Murphy spent three days with his wife and new son, missed two games out of a season that will run through October and is being ridiculed by sport talk show hosts. New York radio hosts Craig Carton and Boomer Esiason have slammed Murphy saying that he should have returned to New York in time for game two and that his wife should have scheduled a C-section if there was fear of it interfering with baseball. Apparently it’s all right to be a family man as long as you aren’t a baseball player. These statements are completely absurd. The controversy over these opinions has exploded and for good reason. Not only was a child being born, but it was the couple’s first born. The entire childbirth experience was all new to Murphy and his wife, and to be absent from the birth would almost discredit Murphy as a reliable father. No other profession would expect a father to miss this occasion and holding a professional athlete to a different standard creates a stigma that baseball could do without. Furthermore, this child was being born in a different state. Murphy had to make a long trip down to Florida and chances are his wife will remain in Florida for quite some time before Murphy has a chance to see her and the baby again. Was Murphy supposed to just forgo spending time with his family for a game that will one day no longer be his job? Yes, this is his source of income through which he will support his family, but two games in a season where he will play 150 plus games isn’t a devastating blow to the Mets nor to Murphy’s pocketbook. All moral aspects aside, legally speaking, Murphy had the right to miss games for the birth. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) rules that baseball athletes are allowed 24 to 72 hours of paternity leave. Murphy returned to New York in time to meet the CBA’s 72 hour guideline. He respected his legal obligations as well as his moral obligations to his wife. A win-win in the eyes of Murphy I am sure. Since the statements were released criticizing Murphy’s decision, he calmly retorted saying that he knew about the criticisms but that the awesome part about becoming a parent was that he was allowed to make his own decisions. However, the manager of the Mets, Terry Collins, did fire back defending Murphy’s decision. Collins understood, saying, “He took two games off, it’s not like he took ten” (Daily News). As a result of the outbursts from fans and supporters of Murphy, Boomer and Carton have issued apologies concerning their statements. Baseball is America’s pastime. It is something you watch with your family and teach your children how to play. I am sure that one day when Murphy is playing catch with Noah he will look back on this situation and smile at the thought of how right he was for skipping those two games to be with his son in his first days. n
Tigers bat well, play good defense to defeat Dustdevils by four runs By DIXON LAND
Assistant Sports Editor The Ouachita Tigers (20-24, 12-12) defeated the Texas A&M International Dustdevils (1427, 6-15) 5-1 on Wednesday afternoon. “Winning mid-week games is good momentum for us going into the weekends,” said Coach Jeremy Hayworth. “We were on a four game loosing streak, but this gives us a huge momentum swing going into this weekend, playing our rival Harding at home.” SS Justin Weigel scored two runs on four at bats this afternoon. Jace Melby also recorded 3RBI.
The DustdevHayworth ils gained an said. early lead when In the botConnor Belvin tom of the fifth hit a SAC fly to inning, Melby center field and singled for 2 Nick Halas trotRBI scoring ted in for the first both Tavares run of the game. and Weigel. Down one in That would be the bottom of the the last score first, the Tigers of the day as scored three runs both teams to answer. Parkstruggled to Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy er Norris scored Jace Motley swings at a pitch. Motley had 3 RBI in today’s game against find hits in when Chris Tav- the Dustdevils. the 6th, 7th ares singled, The Tigers quickly gained a and 8th inning. leaving a runner at second. Just 3-1 advantage after the first in- Jake Cardoza of the Dustdevils one out later, Weigel scored on ning. earned one hit in the top of the a Dustdevil error and Tavares “We managed to get three ninth, but Texas A&M Internascored on the play after that. and that was pretty good,” tional was unable to capitalize.
Jacob May was on the mound for the Tigers. May threw 5 innings in relief of J Reeves. Coach Hayworth commented on May’s continual progression as a relief pitcher. “He started really getting some balls in the strike zone today,” said catcher Matt Sinclair. “Last year he had a good season for us, so it was really great to see him perform well today. I think he is in prime form for us.” The Tigers advance to 2024 on the season and will play the Harding Bison on Friday at Rab Rogers Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. They will then take on the Bison in a double header on Saturday. n