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FEATURES | 3
SIGNAL
9.15.17
MEET THE TEACHER Ouachita welcomes back alumni as faculty members
Vol. 126, Issue 3
www.obusignal.com Ouachita prepares for reaccreditation visit by Higher Learning Commission By SAVANNAH HOGG Staff writer
Mike Pritchard z Courtesy MIKE PRITCHARD aids in swift water rescue with Arkansas Taskforce 1 and Arkansas Game and Fish. He and others transported about 40 people to a relief shelter.
Harvey marks OBU community By MORGAN HOWARD Staff writer
From August 26-30, Hurricane Harvey pounded the south Texas coast, leading to unprecedented flooding. The storm affected several OBU students. Alex Holder, a senior accounting major from Sour Lake, Texas, had four feet and nine inches of water inside her house. “All the flooring is destroyed, all appliances are destroyed, and kitchen cabinets are destroyed,” Holder said. “Everything that was left downstairs.” Winston Gentry, a senior music major from Houston, managed to escape damage. According to Gentry, his parents “are helping out as much
as they can, and they’ve taken in another family.” Both students were at OBU when the hurricane hit. “I was glad to be up here so I didn’t have to evacuate in a boat,” Holder said. “It was good not to be there while the waters were rising, but after it was all said and done, it was hard not to be with my parents.” “The hardest part for me was not being able to do anything about it, having to push it all aside so I can stay on top of school,” Gentry added. Mike Pritchard, a facilities management worker, made the trek to the Houston area shortly after the storm passed. Pritchard is a Tech 1 team leader for the National Association Search and Rescue, an Advanced Swift Wa-
ter technician, an Advanced High-angle Rope tech, a medical first responder and a firefighter. “My original orders were to deploy in Lumberton, Texas, with Arkansas Taskforce 1 and Arkansas Game and Fish to engage in swift water rescues,” Pritchard said. “Because of continuous flooding, before we arrived we were redirected to Kountze, Texas. There we transported about 40 people and supplies south of Kountze to Kountze, where there was a relief shelter.” OBU students can get just as involved, but in other ways. The Elrod Center is organizing a variety of ways for students to help hurricane victims. see Harvey z 2
Ouachita is in the process of preparing for its reaffirmation of accreditation visit by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a corporation that accredits universities in the North Central Region of the U.S. To receive accreditation, there are five criteria that universities are required to meet. The university must submit a detailed document that demonstrates a clearly communicated mission, ethical conduct, quality academic programs, effective evaluation and sufficient resources. The accreditation process involves writing a 40,000-word document in response to the criteria, as well as submitting over 200 evidence documents that support the report. A team of four to five HLC peer reviewers will visit campus December 4-5 and meet with faculty, staff, students and Board of Trustee members to determine if each criterion is met. Ouachita’s preparation is very extensive. An HLC Assurance Review Committee was named two years ago to prepare for the visit. The committee reviewed the report received after the previous visit in 2011, and immediately started evaluating strengths and weaknesses in preparation for the next re-
port. “An accreditation visit is not necessarily something you enjoy or look forward to, but it’s a valuable opportunity to understand at a very deep level your strengths and challenges as an institution,” said Dr. Stan Poole, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. Poole serves as Ouachita’s liason with the HLC. Preparing for the HLC report and visit is a very detailed process. “The university as a whole has worked very diligently over the past two years to prepare for this visit,” said Dr. Deborah Root, professor and chair of Communications and chair of the HLC Assurance Review Committee. “I believe in the purpose and role of accreditation. It’s valuable for the university to walk through this process as we assess and evaluate where we are now, and as we strategically plan for the future.” Root said the university is required to provide hundreds of evidence documents that show everything from assessment of student learning, financial records and catalog information, to student financial aid records and federal compliance information. The committee is hosting forums for faculty, staff, and student leadership on campus in order to prepare for questions the HLC may want see HLC z 2
Administration discusses MORE brings multicultural questions to attention changes in social club rules By KACY SPEARS By JULIA WILLIAMS News editor
A meeting was held at the start of the semester between members of Ouachita’s administration and the presidents, vice presidents and treasurers of each of the university’s social clubs. In the face of some minor changes in rules, some student members have found concerns with some new policies, while the administration assures that any changes made are in the interest of safety and convenience for those clubs. According to Tim Harrell, the director of student life, these meetings happen annually, with the single intent of aiding the social clubs with the information they need. Most of what is communicated regards basic club organization and leadership, meaning that clubs must submit a club roster, have an advisor in place, talk to the building supervisor of the building they are going to be meeting in and make sure to do event proposals. “The clubs have been here for a long time but the leadership is always new,” Harrell said. He elaborated that these meetings were simply “in order for us to have a campus
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that runs remotely smoothly, that we’re not double booking events or rooms. If one of our groups is having an event then we know about it.” The first concern arose with allegedly requiring social clubs to have financial accounts through the university. According to Harrell, this is not a demand, but merely a service offered. In the previous academic year, there had been issues with personal financial information being used in conjunction with club finances. Due to some of these concerns, the administration looked into the possibility of on-campus accounts being compulsory, but this was decided against. After talking with the university’s C.F.O., Jason Tolbert, it was decided that granting access to Ouachita’s tax ID number should be an option to social clubs, but it would not be required. “Clubs finances are their own thing to deal with, but being that they are on our campus and they are our students, we wanted to make sure they were set up for success,” Harrell said. “We want to make sure they are set up in a way in which they are not financially liable.” He further explained, “We were trysee Administration z 2
Staff writer
MORE, Multicultural Organization Reaching Equality, joined Ouachita this summer through Multicultural Student Programs in order to create a place for minorities on campus to feel welcome. Multicultural Student Programs is new to Ouachita’s campus. “Dr. Sells came in and noticed there was a need. He called me on maternity leave and asked me to do some research on other schools and what they were doing to support minorities, because at that time, we weren’t doing a lot,” says Nicole Porchia, director of Multicultural Student Programs. “He decided it was necessary that we establish Multicultural Student Programs.” Within Multicultural Student Programs, there’s a student organization called MORE. “It’s not necessarily new but renamed…It started with BASS (Black American Student Society), then it became ROMS (Reaching Out to Multicultural Students), and now it’s revitalized and renamed MORE. So, we’ve had a multicultural organization on our campus on and off for many years, but this is the new revitalized Multicultural Student Program,” says Porchia. She was a mem-
Stephanie Bell z Photo Lab NICOLE PORCHIA, right, joins student members of MORE. MORE began in the Spring of 2017 to shed light on the the concerns of minority studetnts.
ber of ROMS in her time at Ouachita and because of her experience in that organization--where she had mentors, made connections with alumni and felt supported in her collegiate life--she felt it was time to create MORE. The creation of MORE began last semester, when Nicole Porchia hosted two Coffee and Conversation events, and invited all students. “The purpose of the meeting was to come together and just talk…The questions were: ‘As a minority student on this campus, what can we do to better your experience here?’ ‘Where are we lacking?’ ‘What are things we can
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do as an institution to better support you?’” After those two meetings, Porchia began developing a list of areas of concern and what minorities want to see done on this campus. With that list, MORE is working to meet the needs of minorities on this campus. MORE’s tagline is Community, Culture, and Consciousness, identified by BASS alumni to provide guidance into finding their purpose and goals. “The goal would be for every minority student that comes on campus to understand that because this is a predominantly white institution, this is a place for minorisee MORE z 2
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thisTweets weekzCALENDAR of the Week 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.
FOOTBALL GAME this Saturday, September 16 at 6:00 p.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium playing Southeastern Oklahoma StateOBU University. @Ouachita
SOCCER GAMES today at Kluck Soccer Field. Men will play Lindenwood University at 1:00 p.m. Women will play John Brown University at 3:00 p.m. 15 Apr
So how do you use social media -- to affirm and encourage
CHAPEL will be Tuesday, REFUGE will be Thursday, or to attack and tear doen? “Be ye kind to one another.” September 19 in JPAC. Come September 21 at 9:00 p.m. (Eph. 4:32). Hmmm... hear about Study Abroad and at Second Baptist Church. Missions opporunities. For more information, contact atApr taylorja@obu. Justin Young @JustinYoung072 James Taylor 16 edu. The Harley Davidson leather vest must be the key to memorizing the entire Bible.
THE SIGNAL will now permanently move to Fridays. Look for new issues each Friday morning and find content online at obusignal.com.
The Signal @obusignal 15 September 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
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5
Better uses of $1,000 than the iPhone X Trip to Alaska to see a grizzly bear
The entire Cracker Barrel menu Front row Beyoncé tickets 1/32nd of your Ouachita tuition 900 hashbrowns from McDonald’s... plus tax
What’s your favorite fall food?
Camryn Reeves Copy editor
Julia Williams News editor
Will Blase Features editor
Katherine Carter Opinions editor
Katie Kemp Editor-in-chief
“Chili.”
“Chicken and dumplings.”
“Pumpkin pie.”
“Any type of soup.”
“Roasted pumpkin seeds.”
presented in the university’s report. One of the committee’s biggest concerns is making sure the students know their role in the accreditation process. In addition to attending one of the information forums, one of the ways students can provide feedback for the HLC team is by participating in a student survey that will be conducted by HLC. “We want to make sure students’ voices are heard in this process,” said Root. “It’s important that the HLC review team hear directly from students about their Ouachita experience.” A link to the survey will be emailed to students two months prior to the visit. Information about the HLC accreditation process
and visit can be accessed at home.obu.edu/hlc. The website includes a schedule of information forums for specific groups on campus, as well as possible questions students, faculty and staff could be asked during the HLC visit. Poole added, “To me, one of the most positive things about this process has been confirmation of how committed our people are to the university mission—including faculty, staff and students— and how our focus on love of God and love of learning truly prepares our graduates for the world beyond Ouachita. For most of us, we sense this intuitively, but the accreditation review gives us solid evidence of the life-changing impact of a Ouachita education.” n
Team (a group that works to look at that list of issues z Continued from Page 1 and propose solutions), and ties to have a voice. There’s a Alumni Outreach (talking to place they can feel supported. alumni of past Multicultural There’s a place where they Student Programs and makbelong,” says Porchia. “We ing connections). want to serve as a safety net Porchia says she sees the for those students with a lis- organization thriving in the future tening ear “ w h e re and fellowthey’re ship.” meeting Currentwith some ly, MORE of these has 45 minority members incoming on their students, roster, but NICOLE PORCHIA and they they had an make them ice cream social this semester where feel welcome, and they have they invited all of the fresh- a place where they feel commen. From that one ice cream fortable.” As the organizasocial, they had over 100 stu- tion grows, they hope to plan dents express interest in join- a signature event and focus ing MORE. MORE members on service and fellowship in have the option of serving the community and with one on one or more of their four another. committees: Public Relations The co-sponsors for MORE (working to get the word out are Dr. Kevin Motl, Dr. Myra about what they’re doing Houser and Jason Smith. within their organization), For more information, conEvents (planning and execut- tact Porchia at 870-245-5234 ing any events), Solutions or porchian@obu.edu. n
MORE
“This is a place for minorities to have a voice... There’s a place where they belong.”
Administration z Continued from Page 1
ing to give them a chance to make sure they had the correct IRS credentials and to make sure they were operating safely.” The next concern in question was regarding offcampus dances. According to Dr. Wesley Kluck, vice president for student services, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously in their June meeting that dances could now be held on campus, something that had been previously prohibited. “They checked with people in the Baptist Convention and in the churches,” Kluck said. “It was looked upon as ‘this is a really great opportunity for you. People stuck
their neck out.’ That’s how it was presented, but it wasn’t fully received that way.” Some club leadership allegedly viewed this as an administrative effort to take control of the clubs. However, Kluck insists that this was not in the interest of a controlling thumb on the club, but merely to serve as a resource should clubs be interested in it. For clarity purposes, Kluck explained that clubs are still allowed to go off campus, but encouraged to stay on campus to host their events. If they take advantage of this new resource, there will be less danger of travel, use of alcohol, non-OBU student attendance and excessive expenses. n
HLC
z Continued from Page 1 to ask. These forums will be with students such as members of the Ouachita Student Foundation, Campus Ministries, Student Senate and the Student Athlete Advisory Council. The students will learn about the HLC accreditation process. All students are invited to attend any of the HLC forums. The second part of the process is the actual visit. During the HLC’s time at Ouachita, the team is expected to request open forums on campus to ask questions and listen to observations about the university. The goal is to ensure the opinions of the campus community match the evidence that has been
Harvey
z Continued from Page 1 “The best way to help is to make donations. We are recommending that students send them to Arkansas Baptist Relief efforts as we have a high confidence that the donations will be used in a responsible manner to provide direct relief,” said Ian Cosh, vice president for community and international engagement. As an extension of Tiger Serve Day, the Elrod Center is organizing a disaster relief team to travel to Houston on Friday, September 22 through Sunday, September 24. The Elrod Center is equipped to take up to 50 volunteers and the team will focus on doing clean-up work in homes that were damaged in the Houston area. Cosh believes that although these efforts will take time, they will help unite OBU as a whole. “Common experiences, both positive and negative, always pull people together,” Cosh said. “In a major disaster, good people have the
chance to show their compassion and practical caring, and that is always inspiring and uniting. The key is to make sure that we understand we are involved in a marathon and not a sprint. The recovery efforts are going to take months and even years.” Pritchard and his team experienced the same sense of camaraderie in their cause. “My local team is all volunteers who love helping people in their hours of need,” he said. “I’m proud of what I do, but self-recognition is not why I do it. I do it to help others, with God’s help.” Both Holder and Gentry are managing to stay positive throughout the ordeal. “People aren’t worrying about political stuff, and are just helping people because we’re all in the same boat. Harvey didn’t care who it targeted, so we shouldn’t care who we help,” Gentry said. “From what I’ve heard from friends and family, the morale is pretty strong.” “There’s no point sitting there mourning what you’ve
Mike Pritchard z Courtesy
MIKE PRITCHARD wears a rescue uniform during hurricane relief efforts in the Houston area.
lost. You take what happened and you make the best out of it and move forward,” said Holder. “Just continue to pray for the area. A lot of people lost everything and it’s very devastating. Going and helping is good, but the best thing you can do is pray.” To sign up for the Elrod Center’s disaster relief team, go by the Elrod Center by today, September 15, between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon or 1 and 5 p.m. n
Features
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Friday, September 15, 2017 u page 3
Rich in youthful memories: Dr. Utter’s journey back to OBU By WILL BLASE Features Editor
D
r. Benjamin Utter, a 2002 graduate of Ouachita, has returned as a faculty member within the epartment of language and literature. Dr. Utter attended OBU from 1998-2002. Initially, he began as an undecided major; eventually declaring a biblical studies major, taking a handful of communication courses, and finally landing in the English department. “Ultimately it became a double major in English and political science. Theology became a minor, and I’m still three credits shy of a major,” Utter said. It was in the English courses that Utter met Dr. Jay Curlin, Dr. Johnny Wink, Dr. Susan Wink (who was still teaching at the time), Dr. Tom Greer and Drs. Doug and Amy Sonheim, all of whom would be very influential in his education while at Ouachita. “It was Jay Curlin singing a beautiful siren’s song when I took his English studies class. One of the things that he likes to say is that he gets paid to read books and talk about them, and for me that just made perfect sense,” Utter reminisced. Greer’s interest in China and the study of it in Utter’s classes inspired him to take a Mandarin class while at OBU. Utter would then go on to spend part of a summer in Beijing studying Chinese at a large university. After graduating from OBU in 2002, Utter traveled to China to teach for a year. Twelve years later, Utter and his wife adopted a daughter and a son from China. “It’s entirely possible that I would not have Serena (6) and Thomas (3) in my life if it had not been for him [Dr. Greer] and his love of Chinese literature.” Utter’s career has taken many fun twists and turns
along the way. “I assembled a strange and wonderful résumé of various things; taught school up in Boston, worked at Starbucks on Boylston street, I waited tables in Dallas. Afterwards I moved to International Falls, Minnesota and was a heavy metal Christian DJ, a duck master at the Peabody Hotel, and later I moved to Little Rock to see about a girl,” Utter said. He and his wife Brandy were married in 2006. Utter had been applying to graduate programs along the way, wanting to further his English education, but wasn’t sure about “when, where, or what.” During his wife’s residency, in which she matched at Wake Forest University for primary care, Utter was accepted into Wake Forest’s Masters program (20062008) and continued his education. Graduate school takes its toll on unsuspecting students, but Utter found himself ahead of the curve. “It was deeper into my twenties than I want to admit, that I began to realize the need to balance both body and mind,” Utter said. Endurance sports and strength training became very important to help him achieve this balance. He helped organize a conference in Toronto called the Sweaty Scholar, which featured professors giving papers on how their sports played a role in their scholarly lives. “It’s actually become an ongoing series on the The Vital, a website I help run,” Utter said. “While in graduate school, I was trying to recreate in my own classroom what I had experienced while I was here [at OBU].” The classes that began Utter’s deep love for English had a lasting impact on him, and the professors were the driving factor in the classroom. Utter finds it extremely difficult to name his most
Michael Richardson z Photo Lab DR. BENJAMIN UTTER (above) prepares his lecture for an afternoon class in his office. Utter graduated from OBU as an English and political science double major in 2002.
influential professors at OBU, however if he could, “the Sonheims, the Winks and Jay Curlin all truly felt like mentors and inspirations in many ways.” Upon finishing graduate school, Utter and his wife found jobs in Little Rock. Dr. Utter, who was still working on his Ph.D., began teaching at Episcopal Collegiate School, where he taught 8th grade Latin and 7th grade world history. “I really enjoyed the energy of the middle-schoolers; they were bonkers,” Utter said. Dr. Utter went on to complete his Ph.D. in English with a concentration in Medieval studies. When asked about how his interest in Medieval studies began, Utter said, “it was a nexus of things that fascinated me, classical learning and things that would come. Writers have looked back to this era with scorn or affection.” It was Dr. Doug Sonheim who contacted Dr. Utter with the prospect of returning to teach at Ouachita. “It still feels like a dream, because every square foot of this campus is rich in youthful memories.” Dr. Utter has been bungee jumping and complet-
Michael Richardson z Photo Lab DR UTTER (above) is currently a visiting professor for the 2017-2018 school year. He teaches Composition 1, World Literature and Chaucer.
ed a triathlon on the frigid Lake Superior, but hasn’t found a bigger rush than teaching in the classroom. Connecting with students and actively engaging brings much joy to Utter. “I’m having a thorough-
ly enjoyable time getting paid to read books and talk about them. I’m trying really hard to connect the past and the present in the class and having my old professors as colleagues is a wonderful treat,” Utter said. n
A familiar face in natural sciences: Dr. Johnson’s return to OBU By EMILY BROSIUS Staff writer
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ntering a new year at Ouachita, many will enjoy reuniting with old friends as well as many other aspects of “the bubble” that are so well known and loved. On the other hand, you may recognize some new things that have been introduced to campus this fall. Maybe it’s the extended open dorm rules or the ChickFil-A breakfast that has caught your attention. In addition, you might have noticed a fresh face in the science department. Anatomy and physiology professor Dr. Blake Johnson is a new member of the Ouachita faculty this year. Passionate about science and research, he plans to supervise his students as they conduct cancer research. He is joined in the area by his wife Rosamond, his son William, and a baby girl who is expected to arrive soon. Dr. Johnson is an avid outdoorsman and loves to hunt and fish.
While he is new to the faculty, Dr. Johnson is not new to the university. Coming from his hometown of El Dorado, Dr. Johnson is an OBU alumnus. During his time here, he was involved in several aspects of campus life, many being traditions that still exist today. He was a biology major and a member of the Beta Beta men’s social club, which he feels played an impactful role in his college experience. Some of his fondest OBU memories include participating in Tiger Tunes, Tiger Traks and Tiger Serve Day. After graduating in 2003, Dr. Johnson left Arkadelphia to further his education. He spent some time at UAMS in Little Rock, Scotland, and Houston, Texas where he earned his Ph.D. as he experimented in pediatrics. He also served as a biology professor in East Texas. Fourteen years after leaving Ouachita, Dr. Johnson has begun a new journey which he says has given him a better perspective. He has the opportunity to take what he learned over his time here and “bring it back home” to his
Michael Richardson z Photo Lab DR. BLAKE JOHNSON (above) stands outside the Harvey and Bernice Jones Science Center. Johnson, an OBU alumnus, had classes in the Jones Science Center and now calls his professors coworkers.
students. While much has changed and grown since he’s been gone, he still feels a degree of familiarity as many of his coworkers were once his professors. Overall, Dr. Johnson explains that he is very satisfied with where he is. “I’m new here, but I’m old here. I’ve always been open to my calling and being back here is allowing me to serve out my purpose,” Johnson said. Dr. Johnson is eager to dive into this new journey and to instill his love for science in his students. n
Michael Richardson z Photo Lab DR. JOHNSON (above) at work in one of the Jones Science Center labs. Johnson will supervise students as they conduct cancer research.
Opinions
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“Brooklyn 99”: funniest precinct in NYC By KATHERINE CARTER Opinions editor
I’m a fan of police procedurals, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. Some might consider the average police procedural low-brow, but I find them extremely entertaining. It’s fun watching the good guys catch the bad guys, especially from the dramatized perspective of those who actually do this in real life. Each episode usually centers on some case the main cop’s trying to solve, and he or she almost always ends up getting the bad guy in the end. With that being said, I also enjoy a good comedy. I like laughing when I’m watching TV. I can be a pretty serious person sometimes, so when I’m done for the day, turning on some sort of sitcom is a great stress reliever (until it prevents me from getting anything done). However, after having watched “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” through for the third time each, I knew it was time for something different. I got Hulu over the summer, so due to the fact that school wasn’t going on and I was only working part time during the week, I had a lot of extra time to
browse around and look for a good show. After scrolling through some of their options, I came across a show that was both a comedy and police-procedural: “Brooklyn 99.” I had seen advertisements for it, but I never watched it on TV and it wasn’t available on Netflix. My favorite show of all time is “Psych,” which is also a policeprocedural/ comedy, so I decided to give it a shot. I was not disappointed. “Brooklyn 99” centers on the cops in the 99th precinct in Brooklyn, NY. Among those cops is Jake Peralta, played by Andy Samberg, an obnoxious but efficient detective who, in spite of his childish mannerisms, turns out to be decent at his job. Along with his coworkers,
FOX z Courtesy
detectives Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), Captain Ray Holt (Andre Braugher) and Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti), Peralta always seems to get
in some sort of trouble. What initially drew me in to “Brooklyn 99” was the “Parks and Recreation” feel to it. Comedy wise, it’s relatively similar, which gave it a comfortable familiarity, even after only a couple of episodes. It’s bizarre and stupid enough to make me laugh out loud at certain moments, and the overall tone immediately got me hooked. “ B ro o k l y n 99” has an awesome cast that meshes
well. The characters for the most part are likable, but they are not without their quirks and faults. Boyle in particular was irritating and borderline creepy in season one due to his stalker-like behavior towards one of the female detectives, but once
the writers worked out some of the kinks, he got a lot better. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case with any of the other characters. What’s great about “Brooklyn 99” is that it doesn’t seem to take itself so seriously like other policeprocedurals do. While crime is a serious matter in real life, the over dramatization of most police-procedurals made “Brooklyn 99” a breath of fresh air. Similarly to “Psych,” it isn’t afraid to make fun of itself and the genre. With the exception of a few episodes out of the four available seasons, every episode was light, humorous and fun to watch. I was able to finish the series within a few months. “Brooklyn 99” offers a little bit of everything, so there’s always something in the show for people to enjoy, even if they don’t like policeprocedurals or comedies. “Parks and Recreation” fans especially should consider watching it, due to the fact that they were both written and directed by the same guy, Michael Schur. Anyone who enjoys slapstick and a little bit of action should definitely check this out. I’m already ready for the new season. “Brooklyn 99” returns September 26th on FOX. n
Being the hands and feet of Jesus Communication is key By ALEC EDMONDS
By CHRIS DIGIOVANNI
Is it really important to volunteer as a college student? Most of us ask ourselves this question quite frequently. We all have crazy schedules, tons of homework and countless practices, rehearsals or extra-curricular activities that consume our everyday lives. So how do we fit volunteering into all of this craziness? Volunteering is learning how to give up your time in order to help someone else. Better yet, volunteering is serving. In the Ouachita environment we see many things that we can do, but what is the point of doing them if we are not serving? What we must realize as a campus is that our hearts need to stop serving ourselves and start serving others. We all need to let go of our crazy schedules and start serving people that need it the most. Like most Ouachitonians, I personally consider myself a Christian. I believe that my God is not focused on doing unnecessary things, but focused on loving and serving others. So, if we consider ourselves Christians, then why aren’t we? We must start becoming more focused on serving like Jesus. This community is crying out for help day by day. I see people walking Pine Street that need help, but do I stop and help? No, because I am too caught up in my crazy schedule that I won’t stop and serve someone who more than likely needs it. We need to get rid of our pride. Not volunteering can become a huge pride issue— we can become more selffocused, which leads to not caring about anybody else. I believe we allow pride to become a huge idol that drives our every movement. As a community, we need to crush this idol and knock Satan on his face. But how do we it? Through volunteering and serving our community like Jesus.
I remember it like it was yesterday. My parents and I had taken the four hour drive from Rockwall, Texas to Arkadelphia the night before and stayed in the Holiday Inn in Caddo Valley. It was the day before my first ever college move-in. And I was pumped. I’m an only child, so I was amped to experience the independence that college afforded a kid like me. Part of that experience was the roommate I was assigned. I knew he was from Fort Worth, which isn’t too far from Rockwall, and that he played trumpet. Move-in came and went and all seemed well. My roommate had been homeschooled, something with which I had no experience. He was a trumpet and piano performance double major, so I knew he would be busy. We were both in band so we spent a lot of time together through band camp and some of football season as our friend groups grew and changed. Things were not as chipper as they seemed, however, and I started to notice little things that seemed odd. My roommate left clothes in odd places and his eating habits were unique. Life was fine until one day I walked into the room to do some homework. Flippen-Perrin has a unique set up when it comes to desk space, and the way our room was set up, the desks that were built into the wall opposite of our bunk bed. I sat down to get some Bible Survey done and noticed that my roommate was not wearing pants. This struck me as strange, since it was somewhere around 3 p.m. on a weekday. The next thing that became obvious was that he was eating peanut butter. I didn’t notice this by the smell, but by the sound of my roommate loudly sucking the gelatinous crunchy mess off his fingers. The sound was akin to a
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Guest writer
You might be saying to yourself, “but I do not know where I can serve.” Luckily, there are a multitude of ways to serve right here at Ouachita. One huge way is through Tiger Serve Day, or TSD. TSD focuses on serving individuals in the Arkadelphia community. Students have volunteered over 80,000 hours through TSD over the last 20 years. All you need to do is join a team and get ready to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Tiger Serve Day happens once a semester, and this semester’s is coming up soon--it is on September 23 at 8:30 a.m. If you are looking for a long-term way to serve the Ouachita community, you can sign up to be a part of the Ouachita Student Foundation. OSF serves Ouachita by organizing events like Tiger Tunes and Tiger Traks to raise funds for student scholarships. OSF uses these fundraisers to serve Ouachita and be Jesus to this community on campus. There are ways to serve beyond our own campus, as well. Campus Ministries and the Elrod Center provide several ways for you to get out
into Arkadelphia and be the hands and feet of Jesus to members of the community. You can do this through America Reads/Counts, Big Brother/ Big Sister, the Monticello Children’s Home, Backyard Bible Club and ElderServe. All of these programs give you a great way to pour into so many people and volunteer your time to people who are in desperate need of it. If you are interested in serving on a national or global scale, Campus Ministries supports many mission trips that serve people from all kinds of different backgrounds. For more information, contact James Taylor. All in all, we need to allow ourselves to become more aware of what is going on around us. We need to focus our minds on serving this community and becoming the hands and feet of Jesus. We need to serve Ouachita, Arkadelphia, Arkansas, the United States, and the world, just like Jesus would. We must transform our image to be more like His and volunteer our time and do it with a smile. n
vacuum mixed with what one would imagine a miniature toilet flushing sounds like. Then I noticed the loud Japanese speech. My roommate, it seemed, was watching anime with subtitles on (“subbed” if you will). This was the last straw, and I stormed off to study in the library. My roommate and I didn’t communicate much after that and he eventually moved out, strangely without ever informing me that was his intention. It made pledge week very easy for me, but still struck me as odd. Throughout all this, he and I were in band together, and didn’t seem to communicate much. Sophomore year came around and I decided to break the silence. I made him laugh and we have gotten along ever since. We have class together every day, we are in GroupMes together (that’s how you know the friendship is official) and we crack jokes continually. Now, not everyone will have a story quite like this one but if there is one thing I have learned about relationships with others, especially roommates, it’s how important communication is. Always clearly state what it is that you want--whether it’s something to change or something that you don’t like, tell them. My roommate and I rarely communicated besides figuring out shower order and telling each other to pick up their underwear from the bathroom floor. After that experience, I promised myself I would change how I approached roommates. I had some previous experience with random roommates from summer camps and such, but Ouachita, like any other place of higher learning, is not a camp. The people you live with and work with are also busy, stressed students who cannot read minds. So, in short, if you’re stuck in a strange, uncomfortable, awkward roommate situation, before you talk to your Resident Director or RA, simply talk with your roommate. Odds are, it will pay off. n
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Expectations abound for soccer By WILL JOHNSON Staff writer
Expectations are high for the Ouachita men’s soccer team as they prepare for a run at the 2017 Great American Conference title. The Tigers (2-2) aim to improve their second place GAC finish last year through returning experience, led by two-time GAC Goalkeeper of the Year Edward Pacheco. Pacheco was outstanding in goal last season, allowing just 1.02 goals per game with seven shutouts. Tyler Mouton looks to influence the team along the back line as he returns for his senior year. Mouton received exceptional honors in 2016 as GAC Defender of the Year as well as All-American Honorable Mention accolades. He hopes to lead a defense that also features First-Team AllGAC defender Hector Duron. The men’s team expects to create ample opportunities in front of goal this season, and forward Tinashe Chigede may be the pivotal player in those situations. Chigede, a two-time All-GAC performer, has been a catalyst for Ouachita’s offense since his freshman year. In the Tigers’ first two games of the 2017 season, against Dallas Baptist University and Southwest Baptist University, he has
Danielle Droste z Photo Lab COLTON CLARK, a sophomore forward from Coppell, Texas, dribbles past a defender in a game against Harding last season. The Tigers defeated the Bison twice last season before falling to them in the semifnials of the GAC tournament.
scored all four goals for the squad. When asked about the contribution on offense, Head Coach Wilson Jones remarked, “We have to be more dynamic in our attack this year to take the load off of Tinashe. We will look for Colten Clark and Joey Zerbo along with a mix of a few returners and freshmen to help ease that load.” Ouachita swept the week one conference awards as they launched the season with two shutout victories. Chigede was GAC Offensive Player of
the Week, Chris Garrett was awarded conference Defensive Player of the Week, and Pacheco merited Goalkeeper of the Week. In the opening game of the 2017 season, Chigede headed in the lone goal for the Tigers against Dallas Baptist off a cross from midfielder Blaine Hickman. The defense allowed just five shots on goal in the shutout effort. The second game, against Southwest Baptist, was a performance to remember for Chigede. He recorded a remarkable hat trick
in a 3-0 victory for the team, making him the first ever player to score three goals in a single game for Ouachita. In response to notching four goals over the weekend, Chigede admitted, “As a forward, I always look to score every game, but I’m also a team player. I have the best interests in the team. If that means passing up a shot for a better one then I will.” Ouachita has high hopes for the season, and they fully expect to contend for a cham-
Buzz around new coach By CALEB BYRD Sports editor
Ouachita athletic director David Sharp has a knack for convincing quality coaches to bring their talents to Arkadelphia, and Sharp seems to have made a quality hire once again in the form of new head wrestling coach Kevin Crutchmer. Crutchmer took an unusual path to Ouachita. He previously was the head wrestling coach at Tulsa Union High School in Tulsa, Okla., which was one of the top programs in a wrestling-enthused state. There, Crutchmer won multiple state championships and coached a number of All-American and national champion wrestlers. He did not actually get involved in coaching until later in life. Crutchmer wrestled from the age of five, but became more dedicated to football as he got older. He went to East Central University on a football scholarship and finished his college at Northeastern Oklahoma State. Post-college, Crutchmer pursued a career in law enforcement, but kept up with his first love of wrestling while coaching his sons’ Little League teams. “My sons were young, and I started doing some Little League coaching and got the
OBU Athletics z Courtesy KEVIN CRUTCHMER takes over as head wrestling coach this season.
fever of coaching,” Crutchmer said. ”I decided law enforcement wasn’t the career I wanted to do, so I switched to teaching and coaching. My anticipation was to be a football coach – I had played football in college but also had done wrestling all my life. But I ended up getting assigned to be a seventh grade football coach and a junior high wrestling coach, and I went on from there.” Crutchmer was an immensely successful coach, but after 10 years of coaching at Tulsa Union, Crutchmer felt it was time for a new challenge – collegiate coaching. “With being 46 years old, I wanted to try the next level,
and I didn’t want to get too old before I had a chance,” said Crutchmer. Crutchmer had coached a few of the original Ouachita wrestlers in high school and knew former head coach Kevin Ward quite well. When the head coaching position opened up, Crutchmer applied and got the job following an interview process. Now, after one month of holding the position, he has high expectations for the program. “The tradition around here is huge,” Crutchmer said. “Just a few years ago, they were ranked in the top 5 in the country. My intention is to build the program with numbers, try to bring in quality kids who are academically sound and technically sound in the sport of wrestling. I think if we can do the right things around here and continue to build on the tradition, I think this thing will turn around pretty quickly.” Bringing kids into the program will be a new experience for Crutchmer, however. As a high school coach, he never had to recruit his players – he just took whoever came into the school. But as a college coach, Crutchmer gets the opportunity to select who he wants on his team and attract the best talent possible to campus. The opportunity is some-
thing about which Crutchmer is excited. He has many connections to high school wrestling coaches through his time coaching in the talentrich state of Oklahoma and through his leadership experience in USA Wrestling. With his connections and a school like Ouachita, Crutchmer does not believe recruiting will be extremely difficult. Aside from bringing new talent into the program, Crutchmer is focusing on developing the talent which is already there, both on and off the mats. “We’re young. There wasn’t a lot of success here last year, but we’ve got some quality kids,” Crutchmer said. “My big thing is that we become knowledgeable about wrestling. We’re going to wrestle as many matches as we can. I’ve rearranged the schedule a little bit so we can do a lot of open tournaments where I can take everybody, so everybody can get matches in.” Coach Crutchmer inherits a program that has had a lot of success in the past and for which the wrestling community has high expectations. While he has a tough job ahead of him in leading the program out of a recent dip in performance, Crutchmer has the experience and connections to get the job done. n
This Week in OBU Sports
VOLLEYBALL (8-1) Tuesday, Sept. 19 @ SAU // 6 p.m.
W. SOCCER (0-3-1) Thursday, Sept. 21 vs. Okla. Bapt. // 2 p.m.
M. SOCCER (2-2) Thursday, Sept. 21 vs. Okla. Bapt. // 4 p.m.
FOOTBALL (2-0) Saturday, Sept. 16 vs. SE Okla. // 6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 21 vs. ATU // 6:30 p.m. facebook.com/obusignal twitter.com/obusignal instagram.com/obusignal
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pionship. Although the Tigers had one of the best defenses in the conference last year, they would like to see more offensive production as the season progresses. A greater focus has been placed on creating as many opportunities as possible on net. “Our focus thus far has been on developing an aggressive mindset when we go forward, and concentrating on developing chances on goal that might not be there,” Jones emphasized. “I’ve asked the guys to commit to going forward, and so far, I have been pleased with their attitude.” The Ouachita Tigers are projected to finish tied for second place in conference this season, according to the GAC Men’s Soccer preseason poll. Oklahoma Baptist, last year’s GAC regular season titleholders, are tabbed as favorites to win the conference. The Bison return the conference’s leading goal scorer along with previous Freshman of the Year. Ouachita is scheduled for a home-andhome with each GAC opponent. Nevertheless, the team is well alert of the impending challenge, as it will decide the true champion of the 2017 Great American Conference. Chigede reassured, “The team goals are to reclaim the GAC title and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.” n
Soccer on the rise in USA As viewer counts increase, so does the number of young players By MARCELLUS HILL Staff writer
Soccer is one of the sports in the United States that doesn’t get anywhere near the amount of attention that sports like football, baseball or basketball do (the so called most popular American sports). However, over the past two decades, it seems as though soccer is finally starting to dawn on people in the United States and the number of soccer fans in this country is increasing yearly. Originally founded in 1913 as the United States Football Association, U.S. Soccer was one of the world’s first organizations to be affiliated with FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, and has grown into one of the sport’s organizational leaders, integrating player participation and player development into arguably the world’s most successful top-to-bottom National Team program, according to ussoccer.com. Soccer really began to gain popularity in America when the United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup. During the 1990 World Cup, TNT (Turner Network Television) reported that 915,000 viewers in the United States tuned into the World Cup semifinal game. At the time, that was believed to be a good numsee Soccer z 6
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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Kori Bullard z Courtesy
Kori Bullard z Courtesy
Kori Bullard z Courtesy
Danielle Droste z Photo Lab Kori Bullard z Courtesy
TOP: Bullard discusses strategy with her teammates between sets. Bullard played with 10 other DII players in Brazil. BOTTOM: Bullard poses for a picture with her team after a game. The team competed against top Brazilian squads.
TOP: Bullard drapes herself in an American flag folllowing a hard-fought game. BOTTOM: Bullard (11) breaks a huddle with her teammates before action.
Bullard takes talents abroad By JOSH SALIM Staff writer
What would you do if you were invited to represent your country by competing overseas in your sport? For volleyball player Kori Bullard, that opportunity became a reality. Bullard is a senior at Ouachita and was chosen as an All-GAC First Team player in 2017. She was selected to go play in Brazil this past summer with other Division II volleyball players around the United States. The USA players made up two different teams that contained only 10 players on each. Bullard was one of the 10 placed on the USA D-2 Black Volleyball Team. Both teams competed against Brazilian teams in three different cities across the country: Sao
Soccer
z Continued from Page 5 ber, as the popularity of soccer in the United States still hadn’t really peaked. In the following World Cup, however, television ratings in the U.S shattered the 1990 FIFA World Cup. According to ussoccer.com, the success of the U.S. team, which advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since 1930, helped boost already high U.S. television ratings. Approximately 11 million Americans were tuned in to the USA vs. Brazil round of 16 match on July 4, an all-time high for soccer in the United States. Not only did television ratings boost during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, but the average attendance of each game did as well. The cumulative attendance of 3,587,538 broke the previous World Cup record by more than 1 million, and the average attendance for the 52-game tournament of 68,991 also established a new mark. U.S. stadia were filled to approximately 96 percent capacity during the World Cup. However, viewership decreased drastically in the 1998 & 2002 World Cups as the ’98 World Cup only had 78.2 million viewers in the U.S and the 2002 World Cup only had 66.8. It wasn’t until the 2006 FIFA
Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Jundiai. The trip lasted from May 29 through June 7. While Bullard was there, she competed against some of Brazil’s top professional and U22 teams, had the opportunity to visit some famous architecture and landmarks, and stayed on the Copacabana Beach with the team. The first day that the players were there, they had to practice for the upcoming game the next day. They played a total of four games against top professional and club teams. Bullard looks back on the trip as one of the best experiences of her life. “The best part was definitely meeting all of the other girls that were on the team and the level of play that was on the court,” Bullard said. World Cup where viewership in the U.S skyrocketed, with 148.5 million viewers tuning in. Since then, the viewership in the U.S has increased in every World Cup. The 2014 FIFA World Cup (the most recent World Cup) had 291 million viewers in the United States. The competition for broadcasting rights of the FIFA World Cup in the United States is hot. It has been proven that the most popular soccer event in the United States is the FIFA World Cup. Television companies recognized this and were willing to pay the big bucks in order to broadcast the games and generate revenue off of advertisements. In 2011, the U.S. television rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were sold to Fox and Telemundo for a record $1.1 billion, more than any other country in the world, and 147 percent higher than the 2010 and 2014 television rights. While the FIFA World Cup may be the most popular soccer event in the United States, other soccer leagues across the globe are being watched in the United States as well. According to a SBNation article, coverage of soccer in the United States is currently at an all-time high. Major television contracts for club competitions in the United
“After playing in the Division II Conference Championship at OBU, playing at this type of level was insane. The intensity that the Brazilian team played with and the intensity that we played with was new for me. I still talk with the girls that were on my team and we try to keep up with each other.” “Being recognized on a national level and getting the opportunity was easy to take because not a lot of people get asked to represent their country at all. It’s not everyday that you get this opportunity, so I was definitely going to make the most of it.” Bullard loved her time there, but does not know if she would take the chance to do it again if it was offered to her. “I loved everything about
my experience in Brazil, but it would take a lot of thought on whether I would do it again,” Bullard said. “It is not necessarily what I have in mind to do again. It was awesome to do once, but I don’t think I would really want to go back to play. I would definitely go back to visit Brazil and the places that we went while we were there. I don’t even know if I want to go on to play professionally after college in volleyball or basketball. After playing sports for the last 12 years of my life, my body has been through a lot and definitely has some wear and tear from over the years. I want to go to medical school as well, but I will just have to see what opportunities arise and go from there.” At Ouachita, Bullard is one of three seniors trying to lead
the team to another conference championship, as well as further into the NCAA Championship Tournament. Bullard hopes to take what she learned from playing at a high level Brazil onto the court at OBU. “My aggression in playing with the top players in the United States, as well as against the best players in Brazil has shown me the passion that professional volleyball players have,” concluded Bullard. “Since that has rubbed off on me, I want to transfer that to how I play and how my teammates play. If we can have high-intensity during all our games and feed off of each other’s energy, we are going to win a lot of games and go farther into the tournament than we did last year,” n
Danielle Droste z Photo Lab MARCELLUS HILL is a defender for Ouachita’s soccer team. He believes soccer has been on the rise in the United States over the past few years, as is evidenced through his family’s unexpected interest in both domestic and international soccer.
States include NBC Sports’ contract with the Barclays Premier League (England’s first division league) for $83 million, ESPN’s contract with Liga MX (Mexico’s first division league) for $50 million and Fox Sports’ contract with UEFA Champions League (Europe’s top club competition) for $10 million. Umbel.com released a list of 10 data points that proves soccer is establishing itself as one of the top dogs in sports in the United States. The list included Fox earning over $40 million in ad revenue
for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, more Americans tuning into the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup than both the NBA Finals and the 2015 World Series, a 2014 ESPN report that states soccer only trails basketball in popularity among 12-17 year olds, and participation in soccer in the United States being at an all-time high. There are over 3 million registered soccer players in the U.S as of 2014. I began playing soccer at the age of 4, and up until that point, nobody in my family
had even attempted to play the sport, let alone know anything about it. Everyone was either a football, basketball, baseball or volleyball player in my family. Now I can go home and see my dad watching an English Premier League game on television as opposed to watching an NBA game or my mom watching the Women’s National Team play as opposed to watching an MLB game. My family is just one example of soccer gaining popularity in the U.S., and I don’t see this trend declining anytime soon. n