Volume 132, Issue 10: April 18,2024

The heart of Ouachita news

Watson to graduate, move to Colombia

BY KATE ELLIS News Editor

Ouachita seniors will walk the stage soon and transform from students to alumni. They will then disperse, settling in central or Northwest Arkansas, maybe some in Texas, Oklahoma or Louisiana. For one graduate in particular, this relocation after graduation will require a plane ride and passport as she prepares to settle down in Colombia. Breanna Watson, a senior community and family services, communications and Spanish triple major, shares her story that has led her across the world and will lead her there again after graduation.

“In 2019, I went on my first mission trip out of the country to Guatemala with my church, which is a country that I love and is very dear to my heart,” Watson said. “We went to a school in Antigua that works with kids in poverty. That was my first time out of the country, and I fell absolutely in love with it. I knew that this is what I wanted to do with my life—poverty alleviation work and using that as a way to share the gospel. I didn’t speak a foreign language, and I knew that to even think about making an impact in another country, I needed to be able to speak the language because that type of work is very relational. There is no impactful relationship if there is no language connection.”

In the midst of her discouragement about her lack of exposure to a second language, Watson was told by a friend that it is possible to learn a foreign language in a month if given the right resources. She was eager to both learn more Spanish and to find a way back onto the mission field. She contacted her friends Kevin and Lauren Sanchez, owners of the English Academy in Guatemala, Academy of Future Leaders and expressed her desire to travel again.

“I had met them on this trip, and I asked them what it would take for me to be able to come back,” Watson said.“I told them I hadn’t experienced enough yet, and I was hungry for more.”

The Sanchezes told her they were looking for a missions intern for the Spring of 2020, her senior year of high school. Having taken concurrent credit classes, Watson had a free spring semester and was able to go. While there, she took intensive Spanish classes at the academy for almost a month until she was sent home on an embassy flight after the pandemic began.

“I was on fire learning Spanish; I wanted to keep learning Spanish, even during the pandemic,” Watson said. “And, the pandemic actually gave me that opportunity because there was nothing else to do. I knew that this was something that God had put on my heart.”

Watson was not discouraged by this major setback in her learning. She spent a great deal of time on HelloTalk, a platform that connects users with native speakers to help language development. Not only did this software grow her Spanish speaking skills, but it also helped her develop a very special relationship. It is on this app that Watson met her current boyfriend, Abdiel.

“COVID shut everything down, including everyone’s social life, so he and I connected on HelloTalk. Our friendship kind of grew over that point because he was learning English, and I was learning Spanish. I told him about my experiences in Guatemala and why I was so motivated to learn Spanish. I think it is so cool that from the very beginning we were helping each other reach a common goal. We were just friends who wanted to help each other achieve their dreams,” Watson said.

During the summer break of her sophomore year at Ouachita, Watson was invited to go to Colombia

to stay with her friends Vanessa Vives in Cartagena and Isabella Bejarano in Bogota. Throughout the entirety of this trip, Watson was eight hours away from Abdiel, who lived in Tauramena, Casanare. They did not meet on this trip, but Vives encouraged her to pursue the relationship more.

“Three days after our trip ended and I came back to the States, he and I shared that we were interested in each other,” Watson said. “That was the start of something really beautiful for me because I felt that the Lord had obviously brought our paths together, but I did recognize that this was very unconventional. This situation has required a lot of prayer and discernment from myself and other people and inviting others into our relationship.”

The summer before junior year, she was invited to return to Guatemala to work with the Sanchezes. Having kept up a relationship with Abdiel for quite some time now, she asked her parents for permission to make a stop in his town while on his continent. To her excitement, they said yes. Watson served at the English academy for a month and lived with a host family. Then, she packed up and went to Abdiel’s hometown for two weeks, which she now recalls as some of the best weeks of her life.

After that, Watson did everything she could to return to the country that holds such a special place in her heart. She worked extra jobs to make ends meet to keep planting roots across the world. In true fairytale fashion, her and Abdiel’s stories kept intertwining.

“This has been a story of God giving us the means to see each other,” Watson said. “The summer before senior year, we were given the opportunity to serve together at the English Academy in Guatemala, and he worked with the kids as the youth soccer director while I was the head English instruc-

tor. It was very sweet because we have this dream to share this kind of work together in the future. We have talked about opening up a community center in Colombia that can be a place where kids and families can be not only equipped with the word of God, but also other skills that can help break cycles of poverty.”

Watson plans to continue her current job, remote work for MJN Rental Management, where she oversees tenants and properties, when she moves to Colombia in July. Aside from this and spending time with Abdiel and their friends, she hopes to work alongside a Christian non-profit and potentially hold English lessons from her apartment as well. As of now, her current plan is to stay in Colombia for around two years and then one day be able to go back and forth from the United States and Colombia by means of a social enterprise that she and Abdiel run, once they are married and he has obtained his visa. Although she has much awaiting her in the future, this giant leap includes leaving behind some of her favorite people, namely her family.

“It is hard for all of us,” Watson said. “We are a very united family. I’m going to miss them so much, but I know if you were to ask them what they see me doing with my life, they would say they can’t see me doing anything else. I know that they are excited for me, even if that shows up through tears right now. In most of my classes, we have been talking about the grieving process that seniors go through, and I am definitely grieving more—the end of my Ouachita experience, but also grieving my family, Tennessee and my church back home.”

Watson is looking forward to daily life in Colombia and the shift in culture she has found there, which she describes as welcoming, generous, colorful and warm.

“I’m going to have to learn to slow down,” Watson explained. “Ouachita is wonderful, but it has you running at a hundred miles per hour. When you move to a new country, you have to give yourself time to adjust, so I’m not concerned about what I am going to be doing every second of the day. I know that I will be fulfilled because God is the One sustaining me.”

Breanna Watson poses during a day trip to Monguí, Boyacá. She explored the Colombian colonial town in January 2024. (photo provided by Breanna Watson)

Dr. Motley succeeds Dr. Hamilton as director

BY CAMRYN STROUPE Opinions Editor

The OBU band program will have a change in leadership next year after 41 years of excellence under Dr. Craig Hamilton, who is set to retire at the end of the 20232024 school year. Stepping into his shoes is Dr. Austin Motley, who has had the position of Assistant Professor of Music in Ouachita’s School of Performing Arts since Fall 2022.

Dr. Motley serves as the low brass instructor and directs the Ouachita Jazz Band. He will be directing the marching band and concert ensembles next year, as well as being the face of the band to the local community.

Motley’s road to being named director of bands for the next year has been a long one.

“Deep down, being a band director has always been my dream job,” Motley said.

Both of his parents received Master of Arts in Education de-

grees from Truman State and became music educators, and he was on that same track at Truman before deciding to study trombone performance at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio. Throughout Dr. Motley’s time in Cincinnati, he performed with many orchestras and other ensembles, worked with area band directors and their students and eventually directed and taught students at Wright State University. He mentioned that this busy time in life allowed him to see that teaching and leading students toward success is his true passion.

Dr. Motley has faithfully served at Ouachita and in the Arkadelphia community in recent years.

“I hadn’t heard of Ouachita until a few years ago when I saw a position posted,” Motley said. “I was intrigued because I had grown up Baptist, served in Baptist churches and have always wanted to work and serve in an environment that encourages a connection between faith and learning.”

He is especially excited to work with his music department colleagues in a new capacity.

“Dr. Caroline Taylor, Dr. Carlos Feller and Dr. Ryan Lewis have always been great to work with, and I am excited to serve alongside them in this new role,” Motley said. “I am especially looking forward to working with Dr. Lewis during the marching band season, as he will be playing a large role in the success of that ensemble. I am thrilled to work with such a strong team of educators and performers.”

In this position, Dr. Motley looks forward to working with more students from across campus.

“We play such an important role in how the university functions and experiences school spirit,” Motley said. “I’m excited to work with students in this capacity to enhance our campus environment and culture both now and in the future. It really is all about the students and getting to work alongside them.”

Dr. Motley looks to continue the patterns set by those before him

while also creating some new traditions of his own.

“I am excited to build upon the strong tradition of excellence Dr. Hamilton has infused in the Ouachita Band Program for the last 41 years,” Motley said. “Ouachita is a special place where faith and learning are closely intertwined, and my hope is to create a positive, Christ-like culture that will fit within the university’s mission.

“As a firm believer in student autonomy, I will be providing more student leadership opportunities that will help reinforce the positivity and connectivity of the program while also allowing the students to grow in a variety of practical ways. I also plan to enhance our campus and community engagement through new collaborations and an even greater emphasis on unique events like Tiger Tunes.”

Dr. Motley believes in the importance of music for all students.

“Music has so much to offer,” Motley said. “Involvement in music, and band especially, allows for

a greater sense of understanding and emotional connection to the world around us and the Creator who made us. It also offers practical life lessons, such as responsibility and how to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.”

Because of this, Dr. Motley is passionate about plugging more students into the band program.

“There are lots of benefits to joining the program, and students are very welcome,” Motley said. “There are scholarships for both music majors and non-majors, and on top of that, it will be an enriching environment and culture. I am excited to continue to build a strong and thriving culture of excellence and entertainment in the Ouachita band program.”

Students interested in joining the band program can email Dr. Motley at motleya@obu.edu.

“We have plenty of openings and instruments that can be rented,” Motley said. “If you played in high school and have interest, we would love to have you.”

Tiger Traks event to welcome pop duo Joan

BY KELSIE LAWHON Staff Writer

Ouachita students, alongside some faculty and staff, will compete in the beloved event Tiger Traks, commonly referred to as “Arkansas’ Most Exciting College Weekend,” on April 27. This year’s event has students more excited than ever before, and the culprit: a band with roots on campus.

“Tiger Traks is one of the longest-standing traditions of the Ouachita Student Foundation,”

OSF Special Events Co-Chair Joey Whisenhunt said.

The track and field day began in 1975 to raise money for student scholarships. This event helps as-

sist students who need financial aid to continue their education at Ouachita. Tiger Traks has evolved since its start in 1975, but many traditional field games have remained in place. Events in previous years have consisted of glow-in-the-dark dodgeball, group puzzle-solving games, inner tube relay races, obstacle courses, tricycle races, tugof-war and volleyball.

OSF members begin the planning process early in the spring semester. They communicate with various campus organizations as well as maintenance and athletic staff to coordinate the event. They also hold meetings to discuss what has worked in previous years and what could make the event better.

“The planning of Tiger Traks is a long yet rewarding process,” Whisenhunt said. “My favorite part of planning has been acquiring the supplies needed for Traks events. This involves making sure the trikes are in good condition and getting weird looks in the hardware store for buying a 100-foot long piece of visqueen for the slip n’ slide, which is a fan favorite.”

Events will commence in The Village Circle, continue in the Sturgis Physical Education Center (SPEC) and will proceed throughout Ouachita’s campus. Tiger Traks will end at the intramural fields.

The excitement doesn’t end there, though. The pop duo Joan will perform live in Jones Per-

forming Arts Center at 7:30 p.m., following Tiger Traks events. Joan currently has 411,353 monthly listeners on Spotify. Band members Steven Rutherford and Alan Thomas both attended Ouachita and accredit OBU as the place where their love for writing and performing music grew into what it is today.

General Admission to the Joan concert is $20 and $10 for Ouachita students. Tiger Traks is $15 per person to participate. This includes participation in the event, a Tiger Traks T-shirt and free admission to the Joan concert. Applications to participate in Tiger Traks and entry fee must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 22.

ACMAs honor student media publications

BY KELSIE LAWHON Staff Writer

Ouachita Baptist University’s communications department, faculty and students hosted the annual Arkansas College Media Association Conference Friday, April 12. Not only did Ouachita students help to host the 2024 conference, they also brought home 49 awards.

The Arkansas College Media Association was founded in 1929. They meet annually in different locations around the state to award students for outstanding media publications and productions. The conference recognizes the work that Arkansas communications students do by handing out awards, but that is only a small part of the conference. The conference provides networking and learning opportunities during breakout sessions based on different content areas and presentations from communications professionals. Content areas that were discussed during the breakout sessions consisted of

radio podcasts, digital marketing, freelance, magazines and television news reporting.

Ouachita had several alumni return to speak at the ACMAs. Dr. Jackson Carter, a Ouachita alumnus and current instructor of communications, gave a presentation about the use of AI in reporting. Mitch Bettis, the owner and president of the Arkansas Business Publishing Group, spoke to attendees about careers available in niche media. Aly LaBanca addressed new experiences for digital marketing. Caroline Derby of KARK returned to Ouachita to speak at the conference regarding television news reporting.

Ouachita was very successful at the conference. Senior communications major Kaelin Clay won Online Editor of the Year and Anchor of the Year. Senior communications student Chase Hartsell brought home the Reporter of the Year award, first place in the online sports writing category and other awards for individual stories. The

Ouachita Sports Digital Network, where Hartsell serves as a student director, was awarded TV Outlet of the Year for the second year in a row. Hartsell admits that it was very special to win Reporter of the Year, as this was his goal for his senior year.

“My motto for this year was, ‘Everyone has a story, and every person’s story is important.’ Whether it was about an All-American running back or the photographers taking his picture at games, I took great care in every story that I told,” Hartsell said.

The professors in the communications department showed immense pride for their students and each of their respective publications. The success that Ouachita had at the ACMAs reflects the students’ hard work throughout the year.

“It’s always exciting to see students receive awards for their hard work and dedication in producing Ouachita Student Media,” communications professor Dr. Deborah Root said.

Senior communications student

Sarah Dean won Photographer of the Year, first place yearbook academics photo, first place yearbook student life photo, first place yearbook feature photo and many other awards. Dean says that these awards will be helpful to her after graduation because they may give her the opportunity to outshine

other potential candidates for jobs. Dean received many awards, but her favorite part of the conference was the breakout sessions.

“I always find it interesting to hear from industry professionals, and even if the presentations aren’t about the specific things I’m working on, I always find something new to learn,” Dean said.

April spreads awareness on sexual assault

BY MADISON BASCO Copy Editor

Sexual Assault Awareness month is a national effort to draw attention to the issue of sexual assault. It provides an opportunity for education and prevention efforts. Unfortunately, cases of sexual assault are extremely common on college campuses. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety Survey, 11,582 sexual criminal offenses were reported on over 10,000 college campuses in 2021.

Title IX Coordinater Christa Neal weighs in on this issue on the importance of bringing awareness to an often shameful topic.

“Awareness on topics like this is so important because it keeps the conversation going, and it empowers survivors to tell their stories,” Neal explained. “It shines light onto this very dark topic.”

Neal has a student advisory team that helps her identify potential ways to highlight Sexual Assault Awareness month. Together, they plan for events on campus to bring people together to combat the issue of campus sexual misconduct.

“I hope people take away that we all play a role in preventing and responding to sexual abuse in a helpful way,” Neal said. “I hope students feel more comfortable with the topic and feel like they can report allegations to the appropri-

ate people. I also hope they know they can and should set boundaries in relationships, and they can empower their friends to do so, too.”

There have already been a few events to kick off Sexual Awareness month. On April 3, there was a booth set up in the Student Center handing out buttons and information regarding sexual misconduct.

On April 10, a panel took place in McClellan Hall titled, “Yes, we are talking about it.”

“We are glad to have lots of students, faculty and staff wearing our ‘In it Together’ pins around campus,” Neal stated. “Our panel discussion went really well. We had a great attendance and talked about a wide range of topics related

to sexual misconduct. I was very encouraged by the discussion and feel like it is just one more step in our campus journey of addressing this issue well and breaking down the taboo that often surrounds it.”

On April 18, there will be a final event to wrap up the month. “Prepare and Protect” training will take place in Walker C from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

“It is an effort of the Sexual Abuse Response and Resource Team (SARRT) of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention,” Neal explained. “The goal of the training is to help individuals and churches prevent sexual abuse, report it when it does happen and appropriately care for survivors. I think it will be very

helpful and informative for students. The planning for this began a couple of years ago when I developed the first version of this training to share with area churches. Over the past year, the SARRT offered this as an initiative across the state, and I have updated my original training to meet the needs of people who want to do a better job related to sexual abuse.”

Those that have questions about Sexual Assault Awareness or Ouachita’s sexual misconduct policy can access the team’s website at https://obu.edu/committees/ title-ix-leadership-team.php. Flyers have also been placed around campus to make information and reporting more accessible.

ACMA award winners pose outside of the conference with their certificates. The event took place in Walker Conference Center on April 12. (photo by Emma Mayes)

Ouachita Singers present spring concert

BY SYDNI WHITFIELD Staff Writier

Ouachita Singers, along with the faculty choir, have been working hard to put on a Spring Concert for students and the community of Arkadelphia. The concert will take place on April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the McBeth Recital Hall.

“Our Spring Concert is always so exciting. This year we will be having lots of soloists for different songs, including a solo from one of the professors,” Ouachita Singers’ member Kendall Wilson said.

Singers meet three times per week to work on the pieces for the upcoming concert. Being a part of the Ouachita Singers is a great opportunity for students on campus, as it helps them build their skills while having a supportive community.

“Ouachita Singers is an opportunity for students to grow and be stretched in their vocal skill and express the exceptional musical talent on OBU’s campus,” sophomore Ouachita Singers member Deanne Puryear said.

This year’s Spring Concert consists of many unique, captivating

song selections that the audience will not want to miss.

“The big piece that we are singing is Faure’s ‘Requiem,’” Senior Ouachita Singers member Meredith Medford said.

“Requiem” is considered to be one of The French composer Gabriel Faure’s most brilliant masterpieces and was created in memory of his father.

“It is made up of seven movements and will highlight soloists from the student ensemble as well as soloists from the music faculty,” Medford explained.

After performing “Requiem,” the choir will transition to an English piece composed by Sir John Stainer entitled “God so Loved the World.”

“This is one of my favorite songs in the concert as the lyrics come from John 3:16-17,” Wilson explained.

Ouachita Singers’ will even perform a piece composed by one of the students, Cordell Huffstedler.

“He did an absolutely amazing job on his piece, and I know we’re all excited for everyone to hear it all the concert,” Wilson said.

Dr. Ian Aipperspach, director of Ouachita Singers, encourages ev-

eryone to come out and watch the concert and support those involved in the production.

“It is going to be a great concert, and it will be the seniors’ last concert,” Medford explained.

“It has some really beautiful and powerful moments.”

Logan Babel, junior Ouachita Singers member, expressed how much time and work the choir has put into this concert.

“We would love to be able to share our hard work and heart for music for any ear willing to come and listen.”

Arts engagement credit opportunities wrap up

BY JANE ELLEN DIAL Arts/Entertainment Editor

With less than four weeks remaining until finals and the end of the semester, the pressure to cross everything off of students’ to do lists is building. On top of school work and extracurricular activities, students must also get their arts engagement credits for the year. Students must attend one arts event, one theater event and one music event each year. While students’ time is limited to attend events this school year, there are still plenty of

opportunities to get all of the needed arts engagement credits.

“There is still time to complete your arts engagement requirements for this year,” Nic Hazlett, arts engagement coordinator, said. “We still have a wide variety of events to attend, from jazz band to steel drum to a musical where you can get both music and theater credit. Don’t forget to complete your arts engagement by scanning your ID before and after the event.”

Hazlett shares all of the upcoming events each week in a campus-wide email. Students are encouraged to

keep an eye on their emails to see how they can earn their credits.

“There is an art show this month, but the dates haven’t been confirmed. Be on the lookout for it on my weekly emails,” Hazlett said.

Getting arts engament credit is a wonderful way to expand one’s cultural world. Students can also attend these events with friends and create lasting memories.

These credits are required, but students should think of them as an opportunity to engage with music, art and theater that they may never have encountered otherwise.

Arts Engagement Schedule

APRIL

18-21 : Anastasia - Spring Musical - 7:30 PM & 2:30 PM on April 21, Jones Performing Arts Center

22 : Chamber Winds - 7:30 PM, McBeth Recital Hall

23 : Concert Choir - 7:30 PM, McBeth Recital Hall

25 : Jazz Band - 7:30 PM, Jones Performing Arts Center

26 : Choreo Showcase - 7:30 PM, Verser Theatre

29 : Prism Concert - 7:30 PM, Jones Performing Arts Center

30 : Singers Concert - 7:30 PM, McBeth Recital Hall

MAY

1 : Steel Drum - 7:30 PM, Jones Performing Arts Center

A student studies the art in the Robert Bean Art Exhibit, which was shown in Moses-Provine Hall in March. This art exhibit counted as arts engagement credit and provided a space for students to engage with a new art form. (photo by Sarah Dean)

Should TikTok be banned in the U.S.?

BY EMILEE WEBB Print Editor-In-Chief

The United States House of Representatives passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act last month, which could possibly prevent app stores in the United States from allowing the popular app TikTok to be downloaded by users. TikTok, a video-based social media platform, was created in 2016 and grew greatly in popularity in 2018.

The site reached a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many were confined to their houses and spent their free time scrolling on TikTok. Now, four years later, the app still remains prominent in our society. Over two million users from all over the world spend their time scrolling through short videos, creating content and communicating with others through the app. However, this could all end shortly if the Senate shares the House’s sentiments.

National security is the main reason that the government is cracking down on the app. TikTok is owned by a company called ByteDance, which is headquartered in China. Lawmakers have concerns that the parent company will share data gained from American TikTok users with the Chinese government. The ruling in the House received support from both Democrats and Republicans, with both sides wanting to eliminate data sharing with this company.

The possibility of a nationwide TikTok ban has many, particularly Gen Z, reflecting on the importance of the app in their lives. While I am not a TikTok user myself, mainly because of the intense growth I saw in my screen time while I had the app, I can see the importance of it to some. There are several people who have made a career out of the app, creating content and interacting with followers. In addition, there are those that have found community through the social media platform. Because of the

nature of the app, users are shown videos on their “For You” page that are specifically targeted to them, ensuring that they are able to connect with those that enjoy the same hobbies or have similar opinions and points of view. This makes the app an exceptional way for users to connect with new friends that they may have never met in person.

The most important feature of the app to some is its openness. Every single user has the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions, encouraging all users to communicate their own personal worldview. The general public, rather than only a select few, is encouraged to share their own unique experiences for thousands, if not millions, of others to see.

The app is not perfect, though. Many have the same problem that I had; the app encourages users to spend several hours at a time scrolling and promotes regular engagement with the content. It is extremely easy to spend far too much time on the app daily. This

can lead to raising screen time for users, particularly the app’s younger audience. In addition, social media often brings about concerns about cyber-bullying and misinformation, and TikTok is not exempt from these concerns.

Overall, the legislature’s decision to ban or not to ban TikTok is still to come. I can see the concerns

that our lawmakers have with the app’s origin, but it is hard to ignore the importance of the app to so many people. Either way, this decision will be monumental for our generation, as the social media platform has become such a major part of our society. The decision is still to come, but for now, we can scroll for a little bit longer.

Dr. Viser’s retirement, a student reflection

BY SAM BENNETT Staff Writer

In the fall semester of the 20232024 academic year, I was fortunate enough to have Dr. Bill Viser as a teacher for the first time. In his 36 years as an Ouachita professor, Dr. Viser has taught several classes under the umbrella of the Christian Studies Department and has become a favorite teacher for many students, including myself, in the past several decades.

Dr. Viser began his Ouachita journey not as a teacher, but as a student. He began his freshman year as a Tiger in 1966, gradu-

ating with his B.A. in 1970. Dr. Viser also met his wife, Susan, here at Ouachita. He would go on to receive his M.Div., M.R.E and Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as the 1970s progressed. Ouachita always held a special place in his heart, however, and he returned to campus in 1988 to begin his nearly 40 year long teaching career.

Aside from teaching, Dr. Viser has been a highly sought after therapist throughout the state for over four decades. He’s had his own practice for over 25 years and also works in critical stress incident debriefing. He also has been very active in pastoral speaking and

church ministry for several years. Dr. Viser is also an author, with two published books available. These many different avenues of ministry and mental health services provide Dr. Viser with a wealth of knowledge that he’s taught to his hundreds of students for the past several years. Dr. Viser plans to retire at the end of this semester, ending a long and noteworthy career as an esteemed educator on our campus. Whether you’ve had him for Bible Survey, New Religious Movements, Addiction Counseling or his personal favorite, Christian Counseling, you probably won’t forget your time with Dr. Viser. I know I won’t.

In his retirement, Dr. Viser says he plans on staying busy by traveling with his family and doing more lectures overseas. He also hopes to complete the two book projects that he’s been working on as of late. As he reflects on his time as a Ouachita professor, Dr. Viser reminisces on all that he’ll miss from this chapter of his life.

“It’s been an incredible joy to teach for 36 years at Ouachita,” Viser said. “Most of all, I’ll miss my students and colleagues that have been such a huge part of my life for all these years.”

I deem myself very fortunate to have been able to have Dr. Viser as a teacher during my time at Ouachi-

ta. Some of my most humorous and memorable college stories are from interactions with him, and I’ll look back on my time in his classes fondly. As we see these legendary Ouachita professors start to retire, we, as their students, must take a moment to appreciate their legacy in college education and ministry.

I know I speak for many current and former students alike when I say that I appreciate Dr. Viser’s wisdom, care and, most importantly, his sense of humor. I will cherish all of the memories and all that I have learned in his classes throughout the rest of my academic career and even beyond it. I am thankful to have met Dr. Viser.

OBU names Hill women’s basketball coach

BY MATTHEW BRANCH Athletic Communications

Bringing with him three decades of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I and II levels, Kiley Hill has been selected as the head coach for the Ouachita Baptist University women’s basketball program.

Hill has been a head coach at the collegiate level for 22 years of his 30-year career, including the last five at D1 Western Carolina. In the three years prior to taking over the WCU program, he was the associate head coach at D1 Southern Miss.

His most notable tenure was 16 years as the head coach at Valdosta State (2000-16) in Georgia, where he led the Blazers to 14 postseason appearances and six NCAA Division II tournaments, highlighted by a pair of Sweet 16 teams (2008 and 2012).

Overall at VSU, Hill posted a 279-177 record for a .612 winning percentage. He was named the Gulf South Conference Eastern Division Coach of the Year twice

and was also named the GSC-East Coach of the Decade. In 2012, he was named the WBCA South Region Coach of the Year.

Hill and his wife, Molly, are coming home to the Natural State.

Kiley is from Hot Springs and is an alumnus of Arkansas Tech, where he lettered four years in baseball and then began his coaching career as an assistant with the women’s basketball team under current Little Rock head coach and Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame member Joe Foley. Molly (Longing) is from Russellville.

“Molly and I are excited to be coming home to Arkansas and join the Ouachita family,” said Hill. “We want to provide our deepest gratitude to President Ben Sells and Athletic Director David Sharp for believing in us to lead a program within a broader framework of the mission of the university. We are thrilled to rekindle long-standing relationships and foster new ones, and meet the expectations of the proud alumni of Ouachita.”

“To say I’m thrilled to have Coach Hill coming to Ouachita

is definitely an understatement,” said Ouachita Director of Athletics David Sharp. “His experience and success coaching women’s basketball, especially at D2, brings a confidence that will take us to the next level. His exceptional character, knowledge of the game, and ability to recruit and develop high-quality student-athletes are traits that will provide a spark to this program, the university, and the community.”

In 17 years as a D2 head coach, including his first top spot at West Alabama for one year (1999-2000), Hill has led his respective teams to 13 winning seasons and six seasons with at least 20 wins. His overall coaching record, including the last five years at Western Carolina, is 327-299. He earned his 300th win in 2020 with the Catamounts. At WCU, nine different players earned Southern Conference postseason honors under Hill’s leadership.

During Hill’s time in Valdosta, he coached three All-America honorees, two GSC All-Decade Team selections, two GSC Top 10 honorees, and 22 all-conference players.

Off the court, his teams produced 28 academic all-conference selections. The Blazers were twice selected to the WBCA Academic Honor Roll with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher.

As associate head coach at Southern Miss (2016-19), Hill helped the Golden Eagles compile a record of 56-40, including a run to the Conference USA championship game and a berth to the WNIT in 2016-17 with a final record of 23-11 as well as a trip to the second round of the WBI tournament in 2018-19.

Hill was on the bench at West Alabama from 1996-2000, the last

year as head coach, leading the Tigers to a 15-11 season at the turn of the century. For the three years prior, he was assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, and helped orchestrate the program’s first 20-win season in more than 15 years. He coached four all-conference performers and six academic all-conference selections.

Hill graduated from Arkansas Tech in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and then earned a master’s degree in continuing education from West Alabama in 1997.

The Hills have two adult children, Whitley and Skyler.

Hill is the head coach for women’s basketball. (photo provided by obutigers.com)