O U A C H I T A
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LIFESTYLE SECTION: Triple Threat talks about life after ‘America’s Got Talent’, p. 9
09.03.15
Vol. 124, Issue 1 www.obusignal.com
Continuing a Legacy How new Interim President Dr. Charles Wright will continue on the traditions of Ouachita Baptist University
By DIXON C. LAND Editor-in-Chief
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estled into the back corner of Cone Bottoms is a small office, not much bigger than a walk-in closet. Quiet and quaint, a desk and two chairs sit there, filling up the small room. Off that room is the official office of the president; however, that office is almost empty except for a big couch, some chairs and the official desk of the president. Dr. Charles Wright, interim president of Ouachita Baptist University, prefers the smaller room. But, if you went to visit that room, you may not be able to find him. A
much more likely place to find him would be closer to the intramural fields, in the maintenance office. “Those guys are really important to our community,” Wright said. “Without people like them, Ouachita wouldn’t be nearly the university that it is today.” Dr. Wright traces much of his roots to a humble beginning in McGehee, Ark., where he grew up. His house, located just one house over from Frank Hickingbotham’s, afforded him a childhood filled with laughter and joy; and of course, football. “We were best friends. We played football together and he was our center,” Wright said. “He was a year ahead of me, but we got to play to-
gether for a couple of years there. He was really good. He and I were running buddies so we spent a lot of time together and went to church together and till this day, we’ve been fast friends.” From football to choir, Wright found both enjoyable. But, what led Wright to Ouachita for his freshman year in 1955 wasn’t pigskin—it was music, and a few influences of others older than him. “Of course, he [Hickingbotham] came a year earlier, and I had another influence from a student named Dixon Rile, who was two years ahead of me,” Dr. Wright said. “I had been on campus two or three times for music camps, because we used to have
church music camps on campus, so we would come up from McGehee.” As Wright advanced in his studies and extra-curricular activities, his love for Ouachita grew. “I got hooked up with teachers— they cared about me and I knew that. I lived in Old North Dorm—it was a rat’s nest but it was big and we loved it. We had a great group of guys and they were very close together. We did everything on campus. It was just where God wanted me.” Along with living and enjoying campus life, Wright led worship in church on weekends. Though he was active on campus, his weekend busisee WRIGHT z 8
Local Churches prepare for students, gear up for a year of ministry with Ouachita and Henderson State By TARYN BAILEY Staff Writer
If you are a student at Ouachita and are interested in joining a church, many great churches in the area have specific events and ministries planned for college students. Park Hill, Fellowship Church, Third Street Baptist, Second Baptist and First Baptist are some of the churches from which students may choose. Park Hill’s service starts at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. Along with the typical worship service that features a live band, Park Hill Baptist Church also offers a Sunday school classspecifically for college students. Each week, Park Hill serves breakfast to the college Sunday school class starting at 9:10 with class beginning at 9:30. Some of the big favorites are Pancake Palooza and Muffin-Mania. Furthermore, Park Hill offers a Sunday night worship service begin-
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ning at 6 p.m. “A church home is whatever you make it, and Park Hill has some of the greatest community that I have ever experienced,” said Joseph Breckenridge, a senior at Ouachita who currently serves as an intern at Park Hill. Along with Park Hill, Fellowship Church, located at 2401 Pine St. offers similar services. Fellowship’s service starts at 10:30, with a Sunday school class for college students at 9:30. The church features more upbeat worship, incorporating modern-day worship songs with familiar hymns. “Our church is full of college students able to be nurtured and mentored by families…people encourage you all the way through your senior year when they send you off to take on life in the real world,” said Anna Kumpuris, a senior mass communications, Christian studies and Spanish triple major. “It is a great place to fellowship
with other college students from both Ouachita and Henderson State as well as meet Arkadelphia locals of all ages who will graciously invite you into their homes during your time at college.” Second Baptist Church, with pastor Stan Parris, begins service at 10:30. Similar to Fellowship, Second Baptist features music from both traditional hymns and contemporary worship. A special Sunday school class is offered to college students on Sunday morning at 9:15. “First, visit several church to find where God leads you. If he leads you to Second Baptist, we want to minister to you through worship, service and spiritual growth,” said Dr. Wesley Kluck, vice president for student services. Along with offering Sunday school class and Sunday morning worship, Second Baptist offers a program called Crossroads. Like many see CHURCHES z 3
Dixon C. Land z The Signal
Renovations to McBeth Recital Hall began in May and were completed in August. The renovated hall will open to the public with the McBeth Recital Hall Gala on Sept.10.
McBeth Recital Hall gets facelift as part of Mabee Hall renovations By CAROLINE POOLE News Editor
The School of Fine Arts recently renovated McBeth Recital Hall, one of the primary performance venues for students, professors and others in the community. After closing to complete the renovations over the summer, the hall will reopen with the McBeth Recital Hall Gala on September 10 at 7:30 pm.
THIS WEEK AT OBUSIGNAL.COM
y Rapid Fire Interview with Dr. Charles Wright y Who is Shane “the rec guy?” y School Spotlight: What’s going on in the business school?
The recital hall, named after the late Dr. Francis McBeth, a faculty member and well known composer, was built in 1975. The renovations began in May with a sanding and refinishing of the stage. Renovations stopped as various summer camps were using Ouachita facilities, but picked up again in July. Renovations include not only the stage see McBeth z 2
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this Tweets weekzCALENDAR of the Week
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Danny Hays @Haysdanny 15 Apr I love my job. I get to study God’s word & then teach it to eager college students who love the Lord. It’s a great job. Even on Mondays.
REFUGE is tonight at 9 p.m. in JPAC. For more information, contact James Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu.
CM BARN BASH will be tomorrow night, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. For more information, contact James Taylor.
TIGER DAY is tomorrow all day. LABOR DAY will15be OBU @Ouachita Aprthis upcoming For more information Tigermedia Day, -- to Monday. Have a great break and So how do you useonsocial affirm and encourage contact Lori Motl and at motll@obu.edu. enjoy dayanother.” without class!!! or to attack tear doen? “Be ye kind toaone (Eph. 4:32). Hmmm... TIGER FOOTBALL will play next TUNES PRACTICE will begin on weekend at Cliff Harris Stadium. The Monday at 6 p.m. at various locations. gameJustin begins at 7:00 p.m. and the Young @JustinYoung072 16 Apr Tigers will play SEOSU. The Harley Davidson leather vest must be the key to memorizing the entire Bible. MISS OBU INTEREST MEETING will occur on Friday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. For more information contact Josh Rubin at rub54928@obu.edu.
MCBETH RECITAL HALL will reopen after rennovations on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Garry Gerber at gerberg@ obu.edu
The Signal @obusignal 3 Sept. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for up-to-the-minute updates on everything going on around Ouachita Baptist. Twitter: @obusignal Facebook: facebook.com/obusignal Instagram: @obusignal
[from our perspective]
Freshman Mistakes
5 4 3 2 1
Using Chapel skips too early Showing up to anything on time Mistaking the bridge to East Village with the Student Center Bridge Going home on the weekend Mistaking Ouachita for camp
What is your favorite freshman memory?
Dixon C. Land Editor-in-Chief
Barrett Gay Lifestyle Editor
Caroline Poole News Editor
Katherine Carter Ed/Op Ed. Editor
Katie Kemp Copy Editor
““My favorite memory from freshman year is putting 800 balloons in my RA’s dorm room. We got in some trouble for that one.”
“Tiger Tracks because I am really competitive and the mud games were really fun.”
“TWIRP: 80’s night is my favorite because it’s so fun to dress up and dance with all of my friends.”
“Snow Day: I made a snowman on top of Lile Hall.”
“I didn’t do anything my freshman year, so.....”
McBeth
z Continued from Page 1 floor, but also a full LED lighting system with a control panel. Dr. Gary Gerber, dean of the School of Fine Arts, said that the updated lighting system will make the performances a more modern production. Other renovations include new flooring. New carpet was installed on the stairs and the aisles and new tile was installed under the seats. There is also new seating, which includes wider seats as well as handicap accessible seating. The hall now follows ADA standards with five handicap spaces with companion seating. “The hall already had great acoustics,” Gerber said. “These renovations will give our performances a freshness. It really gives it a professional quality.” The hall is primarily used
for student recitals, but it has many other functions on campus. In the performing arts class, students perform on stage in the hall on a weekly basis. Special concerts such as Lessons and Carols are also held in the hall. Ensembles use the hall for rehearsals. Guest performers and lecturers and other events for the Ouachita community are often held in the hall. The Arkadelphia community also utilizes the space for special events. “When we have special events in the hall and guest artists come in the renovations will really give the hall a nice impression,” Gerber said. “It gives a good sense that we are keeping up with the times and keeping everything looking as good as possible.” Francis McBeth was a professor at Ouachita and world-renowned composer. McBeth taught theory and composition. He composed
symphonic music and bands across the nation, including the top military bands, performed his music. Ouachita carries on his legacy through the recital hall. The renovations were funded through the Sturgis Foundation and through other private donors. Although the recital hall has not been opened for all students and other visitors to see, student reaction has been positive. “I think it’s really encouraging that we have something new,” Abby Root said. Root is a junior speech communication and theater education major from Arkadelphia. “McBeth is used by hundreds of students every week so I think that it is just nice that Ouachita has redone it and that it’s a really nice space for performances.” Students and faculty will continue to use the hall for similar purposes as before. Gerber hopes that the hall
Grace Finley z The Signal MCBETH RECITAL HALL sits empty right now, but soon will be filled with students showing off their talents to large audiences through concerts, recitals and performances.
will promote the department in new ways. “It will be an impressive space to show prospective students and parents,” Gerber said. “It might be used more often for special events now that it is new and updated.” Junior musical theater major Aaden Jones agrees with Gerber.
“I think it’s really pushing us forward,” Jones said. “The school already has a good music program but now when people come to visit they will see the nice recital hall that reflects the level of the program.” The McBeth Recital Hall Gala reopening event will be held on September 10 at 7:30 pm. Admission is free. n
Dr. Deborah Root y Courtesy
Dr. William David Downs Jr., or known by many as Dr. Downs, poses for a photo with former students at the 2015 Arkansas Press Association awards banquet in July of this year. Pictured with him are Mitch Bettis, president of Arkansas Business Publishing Group, Beth Shull, journalism teacher and yearbook adviser at Pulaski Academy, Dr. Deborah and Dr. Jeff Root of Ouachita, and John R. Schirmer, editor-in-chief of the Nashville Leader. Downs was presented with the Distinguished Service Award after his nomination by Schirmer. Downs remains one of Ouachita’s longest-tenured professors. Downs left a career in public relations in 1966 to teach at Ouachita, where he remained for 41 years. He retired in May of 2007 as chair of the department of mass communications. During his time at Ouachita, Downs served as the public relations director for 20 years, was the alumni bulletin editor, and served as the adviser to the Signal, the Ouachitonian and the photography student staffs. He was the only professor in the department from 1968 until 1987.
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Ouachita displays Moran, Bierstadt masterworks in Moses Provine Gallery By TRENNIS HENDERSON News Bureau
Grace Finley z The Signal SUSAN ATKINSON works from her new desk in the registrar’s office in Cone Bottoms. Atkinson, who succeeded Judy Jones as registrar and director of admissions, took over the position on Aug. 1.
Atkinson named Ouachita’s registrarsucceeds Judy Jones, 20-year veteran By TRENNIS HENDERSON News Bureau
Susan Atkinson, a Ouachita alumna and longtime staff member, has been named Ouachita’s registrar and director of admissions. She succeeds Judy Jones, who retired after 20 years in that role. “Judy Jones is highly respected both on campus and throughout the state for her work over the last 20 years as Ouachita’s registrar and director of admissions,” said Dr. Stan Poole, vice president for academic affairs. “We deeply appreciate the outstanding service she has given to Ouachita faculty, staff and students over these years. We wish her the very best as she transitions to retirement.” “We are fortunate to have Susan Atkinson stepping into this important role,” Poole added. “Susan brings to the position long-term experience in working with students and faculty in the School of Humanities. Her skills and abilities, as well as her integrity and commit-
ment to service, will make for a smooth transition in the registrar’s office.” Atkinson has served for the past 11 years as administrative assistant to the dean of the School of Humanities. She was named Ouachita’s 2012 Support Staff Member of the Year. Atkinson holds two degrees from Ouachita, a Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Master of Music Education degree. Her husband, Chuck; son, Richard; and daughter, Rebecca, also are Ouachita alumni. “Susan Atkinson has been a tremendous asset to the School of Humanities for more than a decade,” said Dr. Jeff Root, dean of the School of Humanities. “I will always be grateful for the outstanding work she did here, but I’m also pleased that her new role will allow her to impact the campus as a whole on a daily basis. She will be an outstanding registrar.” “I have enjoyed working and serving in the School of Humanities,” Atkinson said. “I look forward to serving the
broader Ouachita community in my new role.” Jones, who has served at Ouachita since 1990, recently was named registrar and director of admissions emerita by the Ouachita Board of Trustees in honor of her 25 years of service. Jones holds a master’s degree in secondary education from Ouachita and a bachelor’s degree in English from Henderson State University. She and her husband, Bobby, vice president for finance and administration at Henderson, have two sons, both of whom are Ouachita graduates, and eight grandchildren. “I have been blessed to serve as registrar and director of admissions at Ouachita for more than 20 years,” Jones said. “While I am looking forward to retirement and spending more time with my grandchildren, I will certainly miss the students, faculty and staff here at Ouachita. “I am excited for Susan Atkinson,” she added. “She was a perfect choice for the position and she will do a great job.” n
The Dr. Loyde Hudson Collection, including works by Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt, is on display in Ouachita’s Rosemary Gossett Adams Gallery Sept. 1 through Oct. 3. The gallery is located in Moses-Provine Hall, and the exhibit is free and open to the public. Dr. Loyde Hudson, a noted physician from Fayetteville, donated several sculptures and paintings to the university in 2014. The collection includes works by renowned 19th century American artist Thomas Moran and German-American artist Albert Bierstadt. Both artists have works displayed in the White House, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art among other venues. Donnie Copeland, chair of OBU’s Rosemary Adams Department of Visual Arts, described the works in the gallery as “a feast for our eyes.” In addition to Moran’s “Lookout Rock – Yosemite Valley” and two paintings by Bierstadt, the collection includes an etching by Moran’s son, Peter, and several pieces of sculpture by Chris Delabarto, as well as other works. Explaining his interest in donating the works to Ouachita, Dr. Hudson said during a campus reception last year, “I wanted it to be where students could enjoy it. I wanted it to be on the walls where they could see it. I wanted it to be among young liberal arts students.” He encouraged students to “enjoy it like I’ve enjoyed it for 50 years.” The collection appears on Ouachita’s campus on
Churches
z Continued from Page 1
PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
Will Combs, Michael Richardson, Tyler Lewis and Montray Wyatt pose for a picture during a timeout at the men’s soccer game on Sunday against the Arkansas United Comets. The men’s soccer team won the game, but the boys painted in purple won the most spirited award, chanting cheers in support of the Ouachita men’s soccer team.
other bible studies and discipleship groups run through the church, Crossroads is offered during the week in homes across Arkadelphia. Third Street Baptist Church offers two worship services on Sunday mornings–one at 8:45 a.m. and one at 11 a.m. The service at 8:45 a.m. is more traditional, while the 11 o’clock service caters primarily to a younger crowd. Like many other churches in the area, Park Hill offers a college bible study in between the two services at 10 a.m. Along with the two services in the morning, Third Street offers another worship service on Sunday evenings at 6 p.m.
a rotating basis, along with student work and work by professional guest artists. “It is great to have Dr. Hudson’s gift back in the gallery again,” Copeland said. “We would like to leave these works on display for longer periods of time, even a whole semester. However, we also have students and guest artists, and we want to see their work on the walls as well. While it is unusual for us to rehang a show that was so recently on display on campus, for these pieces, which are exceptional in a number of ways, I am glad to have them on display as often as possible.” Dr. Hudson, who holds degrees from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, has been an innovator in the field of thoracic surgery. His expertise was sought by hospitals and universities where he led medical school programs for heart surgery. He taught, conducted research and developed surgical facilities and programs for such institutions as UAMS, the University of Houston, the University of Michigan, St. Louis University and Temple University. He served as a founding member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Regular gallery hours are 8 a.m.5 p.m. on weekdays. For more information the Dr. Loyde Hudson Collection or the Rosemary Adams Department of Visual Arts, contact Donnie Copeland at copelandd@obu.edu or (870) 245-5559. n
Another great church on the list is First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia. FBC begins their worship service at 10:15 a.m. One of the biggest events that First Baptist Church does is family groups—many of whom are run by Ouachita connected families. Along with family groups, First Baptist’s college Sunday school class begins at 9 a.m. “Our church is a family. We strive to know and love one another as we grow in Christ and glorify Him. If you are looking for a church where you can worship with people of all ages, then come for a visit,” said Jimmy Darby, First Baptist Church Youth Pastor. For more information on each church, you can visit each of their websites, email them or call them. n
Ouachita ranked No. 5 in Forbes’ national campaign By TRENNIS HENDERSON News Bureau
For the second consecutive year, Ouachita has earned a national Top 10 finish in Forbes’ #MyTopCollege social media campaign. With students, alumni, faculty and staff posting comments and photos about why Ouachita is #MyTopCollege,
Ouachita finished this year’s competition ranked No. 1 in the seven-state Southeast region and No. 5 nationally, moving up three spots from last year’s No. 8 finish. A series of outdoor scenes by Sarah Waymire, a 2012 Ouachita graduate, was featured on forbes.com among Forbes’ favorite #MyTopCollege photos. Waymire’s tweet noted that “@Ouachita
is #MyTopCollege because it’s surrounded by Arkansas’ beautiful outdoors.” Forbes.com also highlighted a photo posted by Casey Knight, a 2013 Ouachita graduate, of Tigers football head coach Todd Knight and his players celebrating their 2014 Battle of the Ravine victory and undefeated regular season. “@Ouachita is #MyTopCollege bc I love rooting
on @OBUFootball #GACchamps #BOTRchamps #TigersRuleTheTown,” Casey Knight tweeted. A tweet by Dr. Keldon Henley, vice president for institutional development, also was featured on the Forbes website. It highlighted Ouachita’s new Loan Affordability Pledge which “provides incoming students a safety net for student debt.”
Citing an outpouring of “enthusiasm, school spirit and passion,” Forbes noted that “community was an undeniable component of the #MyTopCollege campaign this year.” Ouachita Baptist University, a leading liberal arts university, is ranked nationally among America’s top universities by Forbes and U.S. News & World Report. n
Op Ed
Thursday, September 3, 2015 u page 4
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More than just a vacation By Katherine Carter Ed/Op Ed Editor
I was given the incredible opportunity to work as a missions intern this summer for my home church, Immanuel Baptist Church, in Little Rock, Ark. There were three particular geographical areas we focused on: Southeast Asia, New York City and Little Rock. After a rigorous week of what I like to call “seminary lite,” five other interns and I were shipped off to Southeast Asia for a month. There we worked with a missionary whose ministry revolved around finding people who are believers or who are very receptive of the gospel and have the potential to become believers and discipling them so that they can one day become leaders in their own communities. The city we were in was extremely large, and it seemed to be an incredible feat, especially considering how few believers there are in that city to begin with. The job that the missionary asked us to do was to go to six different college campuses and meet as many students as possible. We hosted English clubs three nights a week, and we invited as many students as we could. The English clubs gave us the opportunity to share the gospel, and, if we were able to, we would share while visiting the college campuses as well. Many of the students spoke English, so that made it easier for us to build relationships. One of the most important things that the Lord taught me this summer was valuing people over projects. For me, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in a job and ignore the people you encounter along the way, but because our job in Southeast Asia was to build relationships, it showed me just how important those people are. I loved getting to know the people in the city. I never realized how inhospitable we Americans can be until I went to Southeast Asia. These people would drive us around the city on the backs of their motorbikes, pay for our cups of coffee, and invite us into their homes, and a lot of these would be people we had met just earlier that same day. These people were incredible, and most were very interested in what we had to say. The people always make the trip worth it for me. Anyone who’s ever been on a mission trip knows that Satan tries to attack us in some way in order to discourage us from doing what the Lord wants us to do, whether that’s through problems with friends, family, school or even ourselves. I’ve found that Satan enjoys attacking me physically; I always get sick on a GO trip. This time however, when I was in Southeast Asia, I became much sicker than I’ve been in a really long time. I became sick on our fourth day in Southeast Asia with stomach pain, and I was down for a week. After receiving some meds from the doctor, I got better, and I was able to serve again. But then I became ill again about five or six days after waking up at four-thirty one morning with a horrible sharp pain in my right side. The pain was excruciating, and I was left to stay in bed by myself in our hotel while the others were out serving. Those who know me will tell you that when it comes to doing ministry, I hate doing nothing. I have to be doing something, a job of some sort, and that not being able to do something while others are is miserable for me. I was stuck
Melissa Sponer y Courtesy
NEW YORK CITY from the empire state building. The picture was taken by a member of Carter’s mission team during their trip. in that hotel room for a little under two weeks total, and I’ve never felt more useless in my life. My church had provided for me to come here so that I could serve the missionaries in any way that they needed me. I couldn’t do that when I was stuck in the hotel barely able to move. I was also more isolated than I’ve ever been in my life. I was halfway around the world. It was infuriating. I initially felt very angry at God for allowing me to fall ill here in Southeast Asia when I could’ve been home where there were American hospitals and doctors. I remember asking Him why couldn’t this wait until I returned to America? Why did I come here if I couldn’t do anything? Why couldn’t this internship go according to my plan? Then it hit me. This wasn’t my summer; this was God’s. I quit feeling sorry for myself and then instead started asking God what He was trying to teach me. It became quite clear after I shut up. I wanted this to go according to my plan, not His. This wasn’t about me; this was about Him. I had to learn to be completely dependent upon Him, especially when I’m out in the mission field. The only thing I could do was pray, and I did. I prayed for my team, for the missionaries on the field, for the people we encountered everyday, and for anyone else we would meet. Through this experience, the Lord gave me freedom by taking the reins of my life from me. I’ve never felt freer. God did some phenomenal things in Southeast Asia this summer, and it was amazing to experience those alongside my teammates. I’m humbled that God allowed me to see the fruit of these trips, and I’m thankful for everything He’s done there. It was strange living outside of America for that long, but it was incredible. I returned from Southeast Asia on July 2, and I left for New York City five days later. I remember thinking to myself that if I could get through Southeast Asia, then New York
“None of us are good enough, that’s what makes our relationships with Christ so awesome. Anyone can get to know him.” —Katherine Carter
would be nothing. A lot of people scoff when they hear about people going on mission trips to places that they view as prime vacation spots, including New York. However, anyone who’s been there knows that if any city needs Jesus, it’s New York. The cool part about doing ministry in New York, which the church planters we worked with there confirmed, is that it’s like ministering to the world from one spot. Astoria, where the church planters planted their first church (Connection NYC) back in 2012, is one of the most diverse geographical location in the world. Centered in Queens, Astoria is home to a multitude of different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. I heard at least ten different languages a day, and supposedly there are over 120 languages spoken in the area. No two people there are exactly alike. We worked with two church planters and their family and staff during our stay. Both pastors were born and raised in the South, so their call to plant a church in Astoria was something new to the both of them. I remember thinking how strange it was for me to be experiencing culture shock in my own country, but I knew I wasn’t in Arkansas anymore. I feel better about going out to eat now that I’m back in Arkansas, where I hardly ever spend more than $10 on a meal versus the $20 meals I’d buy in New York. I went to this amazing Italian sandwich shop a couple times, but the sandwiches were $9 each, without chips or a drink. Even a Chipotle bowl was more expensive there than it is here. Thanks New York, but I’ll stick with my Little Rock Chipotle. New York is a city with a huge population, but it is full of incredibly lonely people. These pastors want to give these people a community, and one of the most important things they do is build relationships with the people around them. They had summer teams coming in from all around the country, and they wanted these teams to remember that they are here not only for the church but for the people in the surrounding community. This was a constant reminder for us as well, especially since we were staying a lot longer than most of the teams. The church is open to everyone, no matter their background. The pastors at Connection NYC befriend and minister to everyone, mostly to people with whom we wouldn’t honestly associate ourselves. They befriend the poor who survive off of food stamps, and they give them acceptance into a community. They befriend the elderly and give them the company they crave. They befriend the lowest of the low, according to our society’s standards, who work at strip clubs or other low-brow places where they
are constantly being told they are nothing, and they show them that they are someone who is loved and valued. The people at Connection NYC act a lot like Jesus did when He was here on earth. Seeing this type of ministry blew my mind. Sure, I’ve always been told to help the poor, pray for the desolate, and talk to people who are lonely, but I believe it’s been head knowledge for the most part. I grew up in a very large church in Little Rock, and I participated in a lot of the projects because I felt like I had to. Yeah, I’ll help these people as long as I can do something for myself afterwards. It didn’t really click for me until now. The people at Connection NYC were loving these people, and I mean truly loving these people as valued friends. This is what Jesus did, and what He wants us to do now. How had I
missed this for so long? I thank the Lord that He revealed my pride to me. I actually looked down upon these people, but I’m no different than them. I sin just as much as the next person. Going to a Christian college and studying Christian missions doesn’t make me better than another student drinking and partying at a state school every night. The only difference between a believer and a nonbeliever is that a believer recognizes Jesus as Lord and Savior, and they asked Him to forgive them of their sins. I knew this, but seeing it in real life really shook me up. As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, I don’t need to glare at someone who berates Christians as stupid conservatives. I need to look at them with the love of God in my heart and see them as people who don’t have the greatest God in their lives. I returned home from New York on my twentieth birthday, and I’ve been reeling from what all God’s taught me. Forgive me if this column seems to be all about me or if it seems preachy, but I want people reading this to think about some of these things. I think a lot of us here in the South who grew up in the “Christian culture” take ministry like this for granted, and we’re too quick to judge others for their mistakes. We’re blind to our own sins, but we have 20/20 vision when it comes to others’ sins. As followers of Christ, we are called to minister to others so that they may know Christ. Do we really want to keep the greatest friend we have from others just because others aren’t “good” enough? Honestly, none of us are good enough; that’s what makes our relationships with Christ so awesome. Anyone can get to know Him. n
The Signal set for Volume 124
By DIXON C. LAND Editor-in-Chief
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall,” said Jordan. If you like Gatsby, you may recognize the quote. But if you are obsessed with Gatsby, you know it by heart. I’ve reasoned with this quote for a long time. Summer is a great opportunity for most of us. We spend it with our families, we spend it working toward a future or maybe we just spend it catching up on sleep and binging on Netflix shows. But as autumn nears and the leaves begin to change into the beautiful colors of red, orange and yellow (just like the yellow Instagram tree outside Moses Provineupperclassmen, you know what I’m talking about), we begin a new season in life. A new semester brings new hope. Sure, it brings change and sometimes change can be hard, as I have found myself. But when I look to the future and all the wonderful things that I have been blessed with at Ouachita, I can only smile with anticipation. Tiger Tunes is already quickly approaching. The Tigers are battling at “The Cliff.” We are beginning to love our new teachers and beginning to appreciate the ones we’ve known for a while. And while all of this occurs, we push further and further into the semester not realizing that time is passing before our eyes. I think sometimes we take for granted how amazing
Ouachita is. Sure, it is a bubble. And at times, I get frustrated the same way that everyone else does. But at the end of the day, I can’t imagine how it can be any better anywhere else. I left the office one afternoon last fall. It was just about dusk on a clear, early October evening. I looked up to notice the leaves were falling softly. There was music being played on the quad. I walked over to see friends throwing the football around in the yards and a beautiful sunset was watching over them. The next morning, I threw on my Ouachita sweatshirt and headed out to a tailgate and then to watch the Tigers defeat a conference opponent. We have a great life at Ouachita. Brilliant Minds. Professing Spirits. Caring Professors. Ambitious Students. I hope and pray that you too will fall under that mindset this fall as we begin a new semester here. I pray that The Signal provides that sort of Ouachita-vibe that you get when you walk out onto the quad on a Friday evening in October. We are proud to represent the community of Ouachita. We serve the community. So as we enter into our next volume of The Signal at the same time that we enter another school year, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the paper and see what is going on. I promise you that it won’t disappoint. n
Editorial
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A summer of movies: the good, the bad and the ugly By: Evan Wheatley Staff Writer “Everything’s always in transition. If you focus, even now, just one week into summer, you can almost feel autumn coming.” —Final Destination Whether you felt it coming or not, the fall semester is upon us, bringing with it some highly anticipated films, ranging from Katniss’ assault on the Capitol to our return to a galaxy far, far away. Before discussing the upcoming film slate, let’s take a moment to look back at the sensational summer movie season of 2015. In 2012, comic book enthusiasts and the average moviegoer alike witnessed Earth’s mightiest heroes fighting side by side on the big screen for the first time ever. This year’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” however, did not have the same luxury granted to its predecessor. With the wow factor from the first installment gone, the sequel had to rely on a compelling story in addition to strong character development. Thankfully, the Avengers delivered both and kicked off the summer with a bang. Based on the film’s marketing campaign, one might assume that the movie’s tone was going to be much darker than the first. The film tends to lean more on the humorous side however, with much of the comedic relief stemming from James Spader’s Ultron. Despite some uneven pacing, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” does a good job setting up the events of Marvel films to come, and serves well as Joss Whedon’s final directorial entry in the Marvel cinematic universe. Rating: A“Tomorrowland” Brad Bird, known for directing great films such as “The Incredibles” and “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol,” actually declined on the opportunity to helm the next Star Wars film to bring us “Tomorrowland” this past May. Regardless of one’s opinion on Bird’s move, his choice to pursue an original project in spite of the glamour that Star Wars offered is without a doubt an admirable one, and the movie definitely did not deserve its poor box office turnout. Because of some intriguing concepts presented, it is better to go into “Tomorrowland” with as little knowledge of the plot as possible. The film’s acting is excellent, with great leads in Britt Robertson and George Clooney, and a surprising breakout performance from child actress Raffey Cassidy.
Bird has been known for his captivating visuals, and as expected, the film’s look is fantastic, adding to the wonder and amazement evoked by the world of “Tomorrowland.” While the movie drags in places and its third act feels a bit cliché, it is still quite enjoyable and is worth checking out when it hits Redbox in October. Rating B“Jurassic World” On June 12, 2015, Colin Trevorrow took viewers back to the iconic island of Isla Nublar, but this time not to Jurassic Park, but to a fully realized
“Inside Out” When it comes to animation, Pixar rarely disappoints. As of late however, Pixar has released more sequels than original concepts, so it was nice to see a company that has produced classics such as “Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo,” return to form in June 19’s “Inside Out”. “Inside Out” centers on a young girl from the Midwest named Riley, whose life is changed drastically when she and her parents move to San Francisco. While Riley is techn i cally the main character of the story, h e r
Photo Courtesy of Pixar
Jurassic World. In this fourth installment of the Jurassic Park franchise, Dr. Hammond’s original vision for Jurassic Park has come to fruition in the form of a fully functioning Disney World with dinosaurs. While the park controllers and scientists do manage to make Dr. Hammond’s vision a reality, they fail to learn from past mistakes, making an even larger one by creating a genetically modified killer known as the Indominus Rex. When the I. Rex escapes and wreaks havoc on the island, it’s up to velociraptor expert and trainer, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) to take her down. Simply put, this film is a blast. The dinosaurs look great, Pratt is superb and John William’s original “Jurassic Park” theme will have viewers grinning from ear to ear. The movie is not without fault though. Absurd decisions are made by a few of the characters, the dialogue is campy at times and the tone is all over the place. The nostalgia the film brings however, as well as the stellar final act overshadows these flaws. While it doesn’t touch Spielberg’s original, “Jurassic World” is definitely the best of the sequels, and I am looking forward to where the franchise takes us next. Rating: B
p e r sonified emotions of Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust comprise most of the screen time, with Joy and Sadness being the true stars of the show. These characters constantly control Riley’s emotional state like a well-oiled machine and also preside over her memories. Shortly following Riley’s move to San Francisco, Joy, Sadness and all of Riley’s core memories get sucked into a memory tube after a struggle over a memory that Sadness tampered with. The memory tube leads Joy and Sadness to the recesses of Riley’s mind, leaving the other three emotions with the task of keeping Riley psychologically stable, not knowing if Joy and Sadness will ever make it back. Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith shine as Joy and Sadness, and the character arc of Sadness is one of my favorite aspects of the film. While “Inside Out” is definitely marketed as a kid’s movie, the film’s humor and themes will most certainly hit home with older generations. The plot is extremely well written, and has a great balance of light-hearted comedy and tear-jerking moments. With a fantastic cast, eye-popping animation and a wonderful story,
“Inside Out” is a must-see for all ages. Rating: A “Ant Man” “Ant Man” endured numerous complications during pre-production. From casting alterations to creative disputes that led to original director Edgar Wright departing from the project, the film was set up for failure. Despite all of the doubt and fear however, Peyton Reed’s final product proved to be one of the most fun films of the summer. Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, a well-meaning former thief who is having a tough time getting his life together due to his criminal past. Unable to hold a job and being denied the privilege to see his daught e r
b y his ex-wife, Lang is coerced into assisting a burglary with his former cellmate and crew. The aftermath of the attempted robbery catches the attention of scientist Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas, which sets Scott on the path to becoming the next Ant Man. The special effects surrounding the Ant Man suit are breathtaking, and the suit’s powers are unlike anything seen in the Marvel films up to this point, providing uniqueness unmatched by the film’s predecessors. “Ant Man” is admittedly the funniest movie I have seen all year; with Paul Rudd bringing his comedic acting chops front and center. The supporting cast is top notch as well, despite having a rather bland and underdeveloped villain. A comedic heist flick at its core, “Ant Man” offers a breath of fresh air to the superhero genre, delivering a satisfying conclusion to phase two of the Marvel cinematic universe. Rating: A While the 2015 summer movie season is going to be hard to top, there are a good number of exciting pictures hitting the big screen very soon. To whet your appetite for the fast-approaching slate, here is a countdown of my top five most anticipated movies coming this fall: 5. Everest (September 18): The upcoming disaster thriller is based on the 1996 Mount Everest tragedy that took the lives of several climbers. With acting greats such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin mixed in with a solid supporting cast,
“Everest” has the potential to be great. 4. Spectre (October 26): After watching “Skyfall” recently and seeing the newest trailer for “Spectre,” I am determined to watch the two other Daniel Craig “Bond” films before this one hits theaters. The trailer nicely teases the spectacle to come, and it appears that fans of the timeless franchise will not be disappointed. 3. Bridge of Spies (October 16): A Steven Spielberg historical drama/thriller starring Tom Hanks and written by the Coen brothers? Say no more, I’m in. 2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (November 20): While some were not pleased with the decision to split the final act into two parts, I have thoroughly enjoyed the movie adaptations of the bestselling dystopian series. It’s what diehard fans have been hankering for: the Districts vs. the Capitol, Katniss vs. Snow…welcome to the 76th Hunger Games. 1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (December 18): It’s been 10 years since the last Star Wars film, and over 30 years since the last good Star Wars film. With a new trilogy on the horizon in addition to a handful of anthology stories, the beloved sci-fi franchise appears to be on the upswing. The original cast is returning, Lawrence Kasdan is co-writing and J.J. Abrams is at the helm. The trailers provide a glimpse of the wonder that this film promises to deliver, and if all goes well, this will be a merry Christmas indeed. As the sizzling summer movie season comes to a close and the fabulous fall films arrive, be sure to grab a copy of The Signal each week to stay in the know for seeing the best shows. n
“Whether you felt it coming or not, the fall semester is upon us, bringing with it some highly anticipated films, ranging from Katniss’ assault on the Capitol, to our return to a galaxy far, far away.” —Evan Wheatley
A lesson to freshmen: How to manage your money in a Godly way “Making Money Matter” By: Josh Reaper Being a student, a business major and an intern at a financial planning firm, I have learned plenty about personal finance that I wish I could have known as a freshman. How to manage money successfully as a Christian is one of those topics. The secret to success lies simply in how you use your Godgiven blessings. This implies that, in a way, managing our money properly will lead us to be successful. After all, God cares about us and does want us to be successful and happy. He promised throughout
scripture to bless us beyond our wildest dreams, so that means we’re all going to be super rich one day, right? Wrong. And that’s the beauty of the Gospel. God sees “success” in an entirely different light than we do. While we tend to see success in terms of money and possessions, God sees success in terms of how well we carry out his will. There is nothing wrong with being successful; we just need to be careful that we have the right definition of “success,” lest we fall prey to the “Prosperity Gospel.” When I talk
about success, this is the type of success to which I am referring. So how do we use our Godgiven blessings? We use them the way God would have us use them. I mean, it would make sense that he gives us specific talents, abilities, and opportunities for specific purposes for his Kingdom, but how do we know how he wants us to use them? Thankfully, God didn’t just throw us all on Earth and wish us the best of luck. He has given us several resources for our short time on this planet. The first he gives us is his Word. The Bible, a passionate love letter from God to all people, is full of instructions on how to live our lives. He has also made himself available to us through prayer, where we
can bring him our praises, lamentations, questions and requests. He has given us the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Using these resources allows us to better understand his will for us. While I cannot tell you specifically how God wants you to manage your money, I can tell you a few things about money management that apply to all Christians. First, we need to make giving back to our church a priority. Giving to the church helps carry out God’s will and spread the gospel, in one way or another. There is some debate among Christian scholars about the specifics of tithing, but 10 percent of your income seems to be the standard. Second, we need to be responsible with our money. This means pay-
ing our monthly expenses, saving money for emergencies, investing money for the future and providing for our families. This also means thinking about whether or not the way we spend our money glorifies God. You might be asking yourself, “How do I manage tithing, saving, paying my bills, planning for the future and having some money to spend on food or entertainment?” The best way to find the right balance in your money management habits is to make a budget. Next week, I will provide some strategies and guidelines about budgeting. In the meantime, I encourage you to search the Bible for wisdom, not just regarding money, but about carrying out God’s will. n
Freshman
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Begining the journey More than 400 Ouachita Freshmen walk through a wall of torches to put on their beanies during the 2015 Tigers and Torches ceremony at WOW 2015 8:30 a.m. s the sun begins to rise on a midAugust day, Ouachita Baptist upperclassman fill the parking lots outside Francis Crawford Hall and Flippen Perrin Hall. They’ve all been here before. They’re ready to be here again. Just over the hill on the other side of campus, is a major traffic jam—one filled with Tigers, but specific Tigers to be exact—freshman. More than 400 freshmen are on the other side of the hill and as they make the top of it, they coast down the other side into the next four years of their life. It’s freshman move-in day at Ouachita Baptist. With tears in their eyes—at least some moms, anyway—freshmen began to settle into their rooms as upperclassman flooded the halls with boxes and boxes. Loud and hectic, move-in day was almost over. But next came time to say goodbye and with the tears gone and the last cars moving out, freshmen began to meet their upperclassman leaders for orientation week. WOW started on a Thursday evening and ended on Monday afternoon. With events like a lake day, tailgate and dinners at professors’ houses, the freshman were
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quickly inundated with Ouachita culture from start to finish. But, as the freshmen began to settle into their classes, they have begun to enjoy the all-so-famous TWIRP week, where many of the freshmen men are tasked with the simple notion: just show up. Next will come freshmen family groups and intramurals, extra-circulars designed for Ouachita students to have fun and meet new people. They’ll join Tiger Tunes, they’ll focus on school and they’ll make new friends. Soon, Ouachita will turn into a wonderland of falling leaves, marking many Ouachitonians’ favorite time of the year. The freshmen will tailgate and they’ll cheer on their Tigers. They’ll watch as volleyball and soccer try to win championships. After Tunes will come midterms. They’ll be stressed, but they’ll make it through them. Their friends will help them. They’ll make a trip to Waffle House at 3 a.m. Fall Break will come and go and quickly home won’t quite seem like the same home that they left. Final exams will approach fast. The
speechies will light the tree. Festival of Christmas will wow them once again. Final exams will come and go and then before they even look up, it will be December. They’ll be back in their hometown, but it won’t quite feel like home. But what makes Ouachita so special? It’s the pride, the passion and the community. Freshmen emulate that passion everyday. As a freshman, you have the opportunity to experience everything for the first time. There’s no politics, there’s no stress. It’s having fun and enjoying new things. Freshmen are the backbone of the student body. They bring in fresh ideas, they help make the student section even bigger and better. TO THE FRESHMAN CLASS: Enjoy this year. You are only a freshman once. Soak up everything you can. Do things you wouldn’t think about doing. Try different things. Go places you’ve never dreamed about going. Switch majors, then switch them again. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to change your mind. Enjoy these four years, because they may just be the most memorable of your life.
A few pictures from Welcome to Ouachita’s World 2015
Grace Finley y The Signal Student Senate President Josh Rubin directs cars to unloading zones on freshman move-in day. Over 70 upperclassmen helped freshmen settle into their new home on Aug. 20. New students attended sessions and activities facilitated by Campus Activities.
Dixon Land y The Signal Seniors Brent Northington and Jacob Moreno perform a rap during an orientation to teach new students about Ouachita’s safety department.
Grace Finley y The Signal WOW leaders prepare to help their freshman WOW groups in a relay. The relay was a part of WOW week at Ouachita.
Dixon Land y The Signal Freshmen and WOW leaders gather at Cliff Harris Stadium for their first pep rally as Ouachita Tigers. Dr. Casey Motl, R. Voyt Hill chair of history and faculty sponsor of Tiger Nation, watches the festivities before speaking at the pep rally.
Freshman
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Who are you voting for? Here are the candidates for the Freshman Class President run off:
Ransey Joiner
“I don’t want to be president so that I can do what I want, I want to be president so that I can do what people in my class want.”
Freshman Checklist
Getting the most out of your freshman year y SIGN UP FOR A FRESHMAN FAMILY GROUP Freshman Family Groups are a tradition at Ouachita. More than that though, they are a source of making friends. Your mom and dad are upperclassmen that are well-liked on campus and have a good heart—that’s why they were picked! Let them pour into you. Furthermore, your “brothers” and “sisters” are also freshmen and can become some of your best friends for the next four years of your life.
y SUPPORT TIGER ATHLETICS You don’t have to know much about the sport to support them. Any athlete will tell you that there’s not much more encouraging than having people there to support them. Ouachita is a small school and those athletes you see on the field, on the court and in the pool are the same people that you sit next too in class—go support them, they’ll love you for it.
y GO TO THE GURDON LIGHT
Something that hasn’t been talked about much lately, but is almost a rite of passage for students, is taking a trip to the Gurdon Light. Located north of Gurdon, it is said that you will see the light somewhere between the third and the seventh tressel. Don’t worry, the tracks have been abandoned for years-that is, except for the light— it’s still there and waiting for you to visit.
Matt Savage
“I’m running for president because I’m from Arkadelphia and I feel like my connections here will help me convince others to fall in love with this school and the community like I did a long time ago.”
Kord Offenbacker
y PLAY ON AN INTRAMURAL TEAM Either playing on an intramural team or organizing one is a great way to get to know other freshmen. A lot of times, freshman intramural football teams are guys on a particular hall. Even if you aren’t good at the sport, it’s a great way to meet people and get involved. If you are good at the sport, get ready to compete against really good teams in upper leagues...seriously, they’re really good.
y ATTEND A PLAY OR MUSICAL AT OUACHITA Ouachita has some of the best muscians, actors and actresses at any school in the state of Arkansas. With many of our graduates going on to perform all over the world, talent is plentiful on the stages of McBeth Recital Hall, Verser Theatre and Jones Performing Arts Center. Take time out of your schedule to go see some of these events. Chances are, you’ll know someone in the performance and what a better way than to encourage someone else than by going to one of their events? Whether you go to a matinee or a Saturday night show, these events are topnotch and worth your time.
“My dream is to one day be student body president, and y GET A TEAM TOGETHER FOR TIGER TRAKS the freshman class presidency So like Tiger Traks is awesome. Seriously. What better is where I plan to start. If I can way to have fun on a Friday and Saturday in the spring learn and grow now, I can be a than to spend it playing mud volleyball in the hot sun? Get a team together and get out there! better leader for our school in the future.” Whatever you do to get involved your freshman year, do it! Ouachita is such a small campus, that it’s not hard to know people and get involved. Enjoy college! Go to refuge! Go to a dance hosted by a social club! Enjoy your time on campus, because before you know it, you’ll look up and see that it’s gone and you’re about to graduate. Love Arkadelphia, it’s a great place to call home.
Lifestyle
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Grace Finley y The Signal Dr. Charles Wright, interim president of Ouachita Baptist, speaks at chapel before pronouncing new students and faculty as “Ouachitonians.” Wright spoke to the Ouachita student body during convocation chapel on Tuesday on the topic of love. He is the fifteenth president of Ouachita Baptist University.
Dr. Wright
z Continued from Page 1 -ness kept him from joining a social club. “I was approached by the representatives of Beta Beta and Rho Sig and I just told them sorry, but that I didn’t have time. I don’t have anything against social clubs on campus: I really appreciate what every one of them brings to our campus and their contributions to make Ouachita better,” Wright said. After graduating from Ouachita, Wright taught junior high school and high school for a year while he finished up his master’s. Working only part time at the school, Wright knew that he had bigger aspirations in a much different industry. “At that point, I thought that was a pretty good deal. Then when I finished my master’s, I went into church music and that’s what I really wanted to do,” Wright said. Not long after he finished his master’s, he received a call from Dr. Ralph Phelps, the president of Ouachita at the time, who offered him a chance to serve as the choral director and teacher at his alma mater. “My wife and I started praying about it and we thought it was a good move and I never regretted it after that,” Wright laughed. During his time at Ouachita, Wright served as the director of the choir, the dean of the school of fine arts and interim vice president for academic affairs. In over 40 years of service, many stories continue to stick out in his mind, but the story of the Ouachita Singers and the crash of Flight 1420 is one that will forever be remembered. “Of course I knew the family well and I knew Rachel
[Fuller]. When I got that information about the crash, it was devastating. As it turned out, she didn’t make it and we went through a period of time where we would have an opportunity to speak through that and it was very difficult for me to get through those times because it touched my heart so much,” Wright said. “James [Harrison], the guy who worked for me at my house, he was the other kid that died. I had the opportunity to speak at his funeral service and it was an awesome experience but it was really hard because they were kids that I loved,” Wright added. With memories on his sleeve each year he taught, Wright finds himself in a much different role now. But before he was asked to become interim president, he was first challenged with something else. Following a ten-year retirement from Ouachita and teaching, Wright joined the development office and filled in for Dr. Gary Gerber while Gerber was on sabbatical. “I was at my home in Little Rock and I was praying and I said ‘God, if there’s something you want me to do, since I’m still in pretty good health, show me’ So, two days later I got a call from Dr. Gerber,” Wright said. “He said he was going to be on sabbatical in the spring of 2013 and asked if I could come teach concert choir for him. And I said, ‘well, I did that for 40 years, I think I probably could.’ So Wright came back to Arkadelphia to do the thing that he loved so much. However, he did it without a companion. “My wife had cancer and passed away nearly three years ago. We moved to Little Rock a few years back so
that she could be closer to her treatment and we were so blessed. The doctor gave her two years and we got almost ten years,” Wright said. Margaret Wright was a professor of accounting and also worked in the development office. “Her heart was at Ouachita just like mine,” Wright said.
Dr. Charles Wright So as Wright came back to teach at Ouachita, others couldn’t help but see him in other roles as well. When the development office and vice president for development, Terry Peeples, lost an officer in her department, she reached out to Wright to fill the gap. “I told her I didn’t want to work full-time because I would be teaching, but I would do three days. I started doing both of those for one semester, then I stayed in development after that semester,” Wright said. Wright takes over the presidency as the 15th in a line dating back to Dr. John Conger. But, since Wright has been at Ouachita, even during his time as a student, he has had the “privilege” of working with six presidents before him—Dr. Phelps, Dr. Donald Seward (also an interim), Dr. Daniel Grant, Dr.
Ben M. Elrod, Dr. Andrew Westmoreland and Dr. Rex Horne. If you count himself, he’s been around almost half of the presidents to walk the campus of Ouachita Baptist. “All of those guys are some great men. I hope that I can keep us between the ruts until we get our next president and I’ll be looking forward to that. But, I promised the committee that I would. When they asked me, I said ‘What else am I going to do,’” Wright said. As interim president, Wright is required to talk with a lot of different people including students, parents, faculty, administration and donors. But that rarely keeps him from walking the campus some afternoons, enjoying a late-August day in the sun. “I’m out on campus a lot and that’s just who God made me, I like doing that,” Wright said. “I made a policy a long time ago when I was a dean that if I wanted to talk to someone, I went to their office because I always felt like they would be more comfortable in that environment than sitting in my office.” In fact, rarely does Wright have meetings in his office. But, one of the few exceptions to that is with prospective students. “I had a meeting with the admissions counselors and I told them when they get a student on campus and they have time and I’m here, I want to see them and their parents, because I like to relate to them and enjoy recruiting,” Wright said. “Back when I was a dean, I had already told the faculty that when they have a prospective student on campus, to get them in my office. It was not very far into that process that I had a mother and father tell me in a meeting I
had with them that this was the fifth school that they had been to but the first dean that they had talked to.” So as Dr. Wright continues to use the presidency to make Ouachita a better place, he will continue to wander campus, searching out for people to impact. His spirit, his passion and his love for Ouachita will carry on long after his term as president. “I believe that my prayer to God brought about Dr. Gerber and Terry Peeples getting me back on campus and into development, which has been so valuable to me and I was here and had a presence here and they decided they needed an interim president and I think God prepared all of that,” Wright said. “So that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing and there’s no doubt in my mind that God impressed me to do this. n
“My love for Ouachita grew. I got hooked up with teachers— they cared about me and I knew that... It was just where God wanted me.”
—Dr. Charles Wright
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Triple Yes!!!
Lifestyle Thursday, September 3, 2015 u page 9
Triple Threat, not your ordinary boy band, stars in ‘America’s Got Talent’, takes trip to the Big Apple
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t the season 10 premiere of ‘America’s Got Talent’, three best friends from Benton, Ark. belted it out in the Big Apple, receiving a standing ovation from the audience and judges. These small-town singers blew away the big-time celebrity panel, especially Howie Mandel and Howard Stern, as Stern dubbed them “beautifully nerdy.” The friendship that resulted in the musical trio, Triple Threat, began on a football bench in Benton. Childhood pals Will Richey and Tyler Davis, 2015 graduates from Ouachita, became friends with Caleb Conrad, a senior at the University of Arkansas, after each were injured while on their high school football team. Upon getting to know Conrad better, they soon discovered they had music in common. All three had choral and performance experience. Richey and Davis had sung in churches and at school functions since their elementary days. They were also in choir their senior year of high school. Conrad was in choir from middle school until his first year of college. As the group developed, they found that Conrad worked best with the melodies, while Davis and Richey were strong with harmonies. “I think the thing that makes it click is that we’re all really easy to work [with]…we’re just really close friends and not a whole lot gets to us,” Richey said. The name ‘Triple Threat’ stemmed from the idea that each member had something special to offer vocally, and together they arranged songs in ways
that played to their strengths. “It makes everything really easy when we’re trying to arrange songs and figure out what we want to do because we all fit in a very specific area in every song,” Davis noted. “I mean, ‘Three Blind Mice’ was taken,” Conrad joked. After a few years of singing at preschools, nursing homes and smaller venues in their c o m m u - nity, the Benton na-
tives felt confident enough to take their talents to a worldwide audience. “It was kind of like a bucket list: let’s see how far we can go,” Conrad said. On opening night, the group sang MKTO’s “Classic.” While many people might freeze under the pressure, Conrad said he didn’t get butterflies.
By: Barrett Gay
“It was real hard to be nervous…because you almost have nothing to lose at that point,” Conrad said. No sooner had Conrad finished his opening line than did the audience burst into applause, and the judges responded positively with bright smiles and encouraging comments about their performance. “It was totally sincere, they really liked us…it proved
“…every professor was congratulating us, telling us how good of a job we’re doing, and just the friends that we’ve made at Ouachita have been so supportive, getting in contact with us, letting us know that they’re behind us and they’re really proud of us. So Ouachita has been a really good support system,” Davis said.
t o me that we could pursue this and that we could really make a career out of this,” Conrad said. “It was surreal… you’re like, ‘Is this really happening?’” Davis said, reflecting on the initial audition. The group was thankful for the outpouring of encouragement from their schools, community and friends and family.
“Everything’s been overwhelmingly positive. The community has always supported us in everything that we do, and so they are so proud and so ready to support us,” Conrad said. They also expressed appreciation for their manager, 2015 Ouachita graduate Tyler Rosenthal, who’d been there since the beginning. Rosenthal helps han-
dle the group’s social media, public appearances and photography, among other tasks. “He’s been like a super all-star manager,” Conrad said. In the Judges’ Cuts round, Triple Threat sang a harmonious version of Ariana Grande’s “Problem.” The judges liked what they heard and sent them on to Radio City Music Hall for the live performances. “Going to Radio City Music Hall is obviously any singer or performer’s dream. It’s literally the biggest stage in the country,” Conrad said. They then depended on America’s vote instead of the judges’ approval to get them through to the semi-finals. With much on the line, Triple Threat chose a rendition of “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child. Unf or tu na tel y, their journey on America’s Got Talent ended after their Radio City performance. However, Triple Threat’s future is far from over. “What this show does is it gives you maximum exposure to 15 million people each time you’re on and helps you build a fan base. …We want to use that fan base and still hopefully pursue a career because this show has definitely helped us put our name out there,” Conrad said. Triple Threat can be found on Twitter and Instagram, @itstriplethreat, and Facebook, ‘Triple Threat’. The Benton trio also offered encouragement to singers and performers pursuing their passions. “Any other group that loves to sing, anybody that has a passion for singing: sing! Go for it. You just gotta like what you do and do it,” Conrad concluded.
“I think the thing that makes it click
is that we’re all really easy to work [with]…we’re just really close friends and not a whole lot gets to us.”
NBC Universal y Courtesy
-Will Richey
Triple Threat sings Ariana Grande’s “Problem” in their round of Judges’ Cuts. The group made it successfully to the live performances at Radio City Music Hall but fell short enough votes to advance to the semi-finals.
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Thursday, September 3, 2015 u page 10
Tiger Volleyball set to build off success, look at tough in-conference schedule as an uphill battle By Dixon C. Land Editor-in-Chief
Dixon C. Land y The Signal KRIS “KO” OLIVER is tackled by a Ouachita defender in a scrimmage earlier this summer. Oliver, along with Brandon Marks is expected to have a breakout season behind an offensive line that Head Coach Todd Knight calls, “the anchor of our team.”
OBU Tiger football features talent but loses experience in graduated seniors By Dixon C. Land Editor-in-Chief
Picked to repeat as Great American Conference Champions this season, the Ouachita Tigers open the 2015 campaign against East Central University in Ada, Okla. tonight. The Tigers are ranked nationally by multiple Division II polls, ranked highest in the College Football in America Yearbook at #17. Fourteen starters from last season will lead the team into a brutal conference schedule where they will be challenged every week. Scheduled to play Harding University on Oct. 3, the Tigers will be tested by the Bisons early in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Cliff Harris Stadium. The Tigers will also face a tough road stint where the Tigers play back-to-back in-state games at Arkansas Tech in Russellville on Oct. 10, then Southern Arkansas in El Dorado’s Boomtown Classic on Oct. 17. Leading the Tiger offense this year is Austin Warford. Warford, a redshirt-sophomore out of Malvern, played in six games in 2013, his freshman year, after Jordan Benson suffered an injury. Last season, Warford redshirted for the Tigers, while Kiehl Frazier led the Tigers. One of the Tigers’ strengths is the running game, led by two returning offensive tackles. The offensive line loses an All-American center in Aaron Sprinkle, but Michael Russell and Javin Prunty, two senior tackles, will anchor a group that Head Coach Todd Knight said was the “anchor” of the team. “The strength of our team is right there. Because of their practice habits, returning starters, etc., we feel like that they’ve got a lot of leadership and the ability to get the job done,” Knight said. A versatile threat at running back, Brandon Marks will bring experience to a young, but talented rushing attack. Marks, who can also operate as a fifth receiver on passing plays, recorded 14 receptions for 198
yards and five touchdowns last season. But, Marks isn’t all finesse, as he recorded four touchdowns and 735 yards on the ground last season. Marks, who backed up All-GAC selection Stephen Kehner last season, will be backed up by Kris “KO” Oliver. The 5-8 redshirt freshman from Arkadelphia, Ark. was a three-time All-State selection in high school. “We love our running backs. We lost a great one in Stephen and Spence, but we love our young guys. We moved a sophomore into the fullback position— Tristan Walsworth comes over from defensive end,” Knight said. “At the running back position, Brandon Marks is back this year and he made a lot of big plays for us last season. Kris “KO” Oliver is ready to go as well. Got a lot of depth there and building good players is great.” Catching passes from Warford are two extremely gifted receivers. Ke’Vontae Pope, a junior from Jonesboro, Ark., and Ryan Perkins and Evian Hill, from Little Rock, plan to each have break-out seasons. “I feel like we’ve got depth with our receivers and experience with our starters, but not much with our backups, but they are really talented and it’s a learning curve that we’ll have to get them past as coaches.” Ouachita will play six home games this year, a program record, since the Tigers moved to the GAC. The home opener will be on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Predictably the two toughest games on the Tigers’ schedule will be at home, against Harding, and Henderson State. The 89th Battle of the Ravine will kick-off at 1 p.m. on Nov. 14. This year’s Battle of the Ravine will lose part of its star power in the quarterback position as both Kiehl Frazier and Kevin Rogers graduated in May. Dallas Hardison, a redshirt-junior out of Bentonville, Ark., will take over as quarterback this fall. Fans of OBU in Shawnee, Okla., and Arkadelphia, Ark., have yet to find an official name for the rivalry between Oklaho-
ma Baptist and Ouachita Baptist. The battle of the Baptist schools will be on Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. in Cliff Harris Stadium. Oklahoma Baptist features two first-team NCAA Division II All-Americans in defensive end Kimes Gilbert and place kicker Trey Tully. Oklahoma Baptist also boasts nine pre-season second-team All-Americans, with seven of those on offense. On defense, Ouachita boasts a strong defensive backfield with Shaquille Hunter, starting at outside corner and Alex Myres who will start at the other corner. Ricardy Joseph and Devin Price will fill out the two safety positions. “The secondary is the strength of our defense,” Knight said. “We’ve got a lot of guys back, a lot of athleticism.” The Tigers bring back two starters on the defensive line, including juniors Waymon Johnson Jr. and Andrew Gendi. Seniors Barkley Legens and Riley Wilson will be counted on all season on the line and sophomores Demetric Jennings and John Rachal will see playing time increase as the season continues. “Talented, just haven’t taken a lot of snaps,” Knight said. “We’ve got some experience with two of them, but two of them are going to be trying to learn on the run.” At linebacker, Mike Williamson is injured which hurts the Tigers in the short term. Williamson is expected to make it back by the second or third game. Williamson earned All-GAC honors and led the Tigers in tackles last season. Devin Flores and Luke Hold will be expected to take on major roles at the two outside linebacker positions this fall. “They will be expected to contribute early and often this season,” Knight said. The Tigers will play East Central tonight in Ada, Okla. at 6 p.m. The following week, the Tigers play at Cliff Harris Stadium for the home opener against Southeastern Okla. State at 7:30 p.m. n
The 2015 Ouachita Baptist Volleyball Lady Tigers come into the season looking to improve off a team that finished 16-10 and 10-3 at home. The Lady Tigers look to improve off a rebuilding year, one in which they fell to Harding in the first round of the GAC tournament. Leading Ouachita on the court will be sophomore Kori Bullard. Bullard, a 6-2 dualsport athlete (starts on the basketball team) she started in 24 games last season. In the final game against Harding, she had her best game of last season, recording 12 kills and 32 total assists. She also recorded 16 points in the match. Abby Pickett is entering her third season with the Tigers. During 2013, Pickett played in 28 matches and recorded a team-high 255 kills and 2.36 kills per set. She also recorded 52 blocks. In 2014, Pickett recorded 230 kills on the season (led the team) and also recorded 16 assists. She averaged 2.35 kills per set. Picket scored 267.5 points last season. She was also named as the Ouachita Offensive Player of the Year the past two seasons and was selected as an AllGAC Honorable Mention the past two seasons. The Lady Tigers combined for just under 1200 kills, averaging 11.7 kills a set. On the defensive side, the Lady Tigers recorded 17.9 digs per set last season and 1.8 blocks. The Lady Tigers signed four players to the 2015 team in May. Two of the players, Stormi Leonard and Madison Wilson, are from Texas. Leonard, named the 2014 Texas Small School Player of the Year, led Decatur High School
to the 4A State Title her senior year. She was named the 4A Conference MVP by the Texas Sports Writer’s Association and a member of the TGCA Academic All-State team. Wilson, the 2014 defensive player of the year for Sanger High School, was named to the AllDistrict first team and to the All-State academic team. Nikki Clay and Ashlie Dintleman. Clay, from Bryant, Ark., was a two year letterman for the Hornets. She received 2014 All-Conference honors and led Bryant to the 7A State Tournament. Dintleman, from Benton, Ark. Dintleman played in over 184 sets in three seasons with Benton. She recorded 311 kills and 70 total blocks. The Lady Tigers begin the season a week from tomorrow in Russellville, Ark. at the Arkansas Tech tournament. There, they will play out of conference games against Newman University, Missouri Southern State University, Midwestern State University and Arkansas Tech. A key conference matchup for the team will be on Sept. 29 in Searcy against the Harding Bisons. Following that game, they’ll play back-to-back home games against Central Baptist and Henderson State in the first week of October. They’ll wind down the regular season with three-straight road games against Lyon College, Henderson State and the University of Arkansas-Monticello. Senior night will be the following week against Southern Arkansas University. The Great American Conference Championship tournament will be Nov. 19-Nov. 21. n
Dixon C. Land y The Signal
Haley Hatcher attempts a corner kick in a scrimmage against Arkansas United on Sunday. The Tigers won the scrimmage and play Rogers State University at Kluck Field on Friday at 4 p.m.
USC, Auburn to surprise teams this year in CFB By ZACH PARKER
C
Signal Writer
ollege football fans rejoice, the dog days of summer are over, and one of the most exciting times of the year is finally upon us. The regular season kicks off tonight with a few games on national television, including the number 2 ranked TCU Horned Frogs against Minnesota. On Saturday, a full slate of games are lined up, headlined by a top 25 matchup between perennial powerhouse Alabama and Wisconsin. Of course the beginning of the season means now is the perfect time to make predictions that will, undoubtedly, be impressively wrong by the end of the year. First things first, I believe the four teams that will participate in the second annual College Football Playoff are Ohio State, TCU, Auburn and USC. Ohio State, the defending national champion, is
without a doubt the favorite to repeat at this point, and with good reason. Whether it’s J.T. Barrett or Cardale Jones under center for the Buckeyes, Urban Meyer will have the offense firing on all cylinders once again, while defensive end Joey Bosa might be the best player in college football. I have Ohio State, a near unanimous choice for number one in the USA Today Coaches Poll, running the table to clinch the first overall seed in the playoffs. The Horned Frogs were left on the outside looking in last season, despite some analysts arguing that they would have posed the biggest threat to the national champion Buckeyes. Last year’s tough luck loser gets over the hump this year and also finishes with an unblemished record to clinch the second overall seed in the playoffs. While it may be hard for him to duplicate his success of last season, senior quarterback Trevone
Boykin will once again put up video game numbers and be in the Heisman conversation all season long. Now we’ve reached the point where my predictions start to get slightly bold. Most college football fans would agree that the Buckeyes and Horned Frogs are near locks to finish in the top four so that’s hardly a stretch. The Auburn Tigers on the other hand, that’s a different story. The Tigers are coming off an embarrassing season that saw them finish at 8-5, including just a 4-4 record in the SEC. However, with Will Muschamp on board to improve the defense and plenty of hype surrounding new starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson, this season feels an awful lot like two years ago for the Tigers when they surprised the world and earned a spot in the National Championship. Auburn is my pick to win the SEC, which would make them a lock to compete in the College Football Play-
off. Last but not least, we have the USC Trojans. Once the kings of the college football world, it seems that we’ve been saying for the past five years that the Trojans were “back.” Call me crazy, but I actually believe it this time. With Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota moving on to the NFL, the Oregon Ducks’ stranglehold on the Pac-12 could finally be coming to an end. Senior quarterback Cody Kessler is coming off a season in which he threw for nearly 4,000 yards, to go along with 39 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. In his second season under head coach Steve Sarkisian, I look for Kessler to match, and possibly improve on those numbers, en route to winning the 2015 Heisman Trophy and leading USC into the college football playoffs and back into college football relevancy. n