Volume 131, Issue 11: April 20, 2023

the

VOLUME 1 31 , ISSUE 11 APRIL 20, 2023

S GNAL The heart of Ouachita news

CONTENTS PAGE 2 | WWW.OBUSIGNAL.COM

COVER STORY.............................3 NEWS......................................4-5 ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT...............6 OPINIONS...................................7 SPORTS......................................8

CONNECT WITH THE SIGNAL

@obusignal Congratulations to Ouachita’s student publications for bringing home

SCAN FOR AN ONLINE EDITION

75 AWARDS at the Arkansas College Media Awards

the

Julia Shands

S GNAL

PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Valeria Gomez

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Emilee Webb NEWS EDITOR

Jane Ellen Dial

Isaac Bourne SPORTS EDITOR

Rachel Dunnam OPINIONS EDITOR

Madison Basco COPY EDITOR

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Dr. Jeff Root Adviser

Ouachita Baptist University Office: Evans Student Center Email: signal@obu.edu Phone: (870) 245-5210

Matthew Cheatham

AD COORDINATOR

Addie Chumley STAFF DESIGNER

Levi Dade

PHOTO EDITOR

Sarah Dean

PHOTO EDITOR

Dr. Deborah Root Adviser

Jackson Carter Online Adviser

The Signal is the student newspaper of Ouachita Baptist University, and is published twice a month on Thursdays 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 Nashville Leader.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters to the editor are encouraged and accepted, unless libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters should be typed and include a signature and contact phone number, and must be less than 500 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and style. Letters should be sent via campus mail to Box 3761 or via email to signal@obu.edu.

COVER STORY WWW.OBUSIGNAL.COM | PAGE 3

Allie Mooney finds self during internship in Chicago

BY CAMRYN MANNING Staff Writer

Allie Mooney, junior graphic design major, spent the spring semester interning for the Field Museum of Natural History through the Chicago Semester program, an off-campus experience aimed at challenging students to intergrate their faith with their personal, professional and public lives through internships. Through the program, she was able to expand on what she’s learned in the classroom with real-life application in the museum’s exhibitions department.

Mooney has worked as a 2D designer and has gotten many opportunities to try her hand at branding and messaging for an organization.

“I help with keeping the brand standards up in fliers and posters around the museum,” Mooney said. “I also help with exhibits themselves. Right now, I’m helping actually design an exhibit with a couple other people.”

During her freshman year, Mooney learned about the internship opportunity through a Field Museum spokesperson who came and spoke in one of her classes.

“At first, I heard about it and kind of blew it off,” Mooney said.

“Then I kind of looked more into it, and I realized how cool this would be. So, I talked more about it with the representative and decided I wanted to possibly pursue it.”

The city played no small role in drawing Mooney to the internship.

“I’ve always been drawn to bigger cities,” Mooney said. “I thought this would be kind of a great trial run to see if I would like living in one, and I had a lot of help along the way.”

The support Mooney received during the onboarding process helped her to transition to life in Chicago. “The fact that the staff was able to help me find an intern-

ship and help me with the process was really helpful and intriguing,” Mooney said. “Going into it blind and not knowing what to do would have been really stressful. So not only the work there, but also the

makes you rethink what science is.

Right now, we’re about to do one on a paleontologist here at the museum. Her name is Jingmai O’Connor, and she is one of the most fascinating people ever.”

cultures has been exciting and interesting. It’s really cool to be able to explore such a big city so different from Arkansas.”

Throughout the internship, Mooney realized how closely she

working with many different people to get it approved.”

Moving from a small rural town in Arkansas to the windy city while adjusting to the shift in culture left a lasting impression on Mooney. “I would say one of the biggest things I’ve learned is to just go with the flow,” Mooney said. “If you try and plan your future extremely meticulously, you’re going to be let down.

I definitely had some ideas coming into this, but things change. A lot of it was me just having to trust God, go with the flow and not be so rigid.”

Mooney has learned to become an advocate for herself while living in the city. “I just don’t take things and go anymore,” Mooney said. “I’ve become a little more

“

Just being able to explore different cultures has been exciting and interesting.

It’s really cool to explore such a big city so different from Arkansas.

— Allie Mooney

Allie Mooney interns for the Field Musuem of Natural History during her semester in Chicago. She has worked in the exhibitions department as a 2D graphic designer and has gained experience through hands-on work. (photo by unknown)

smooth process really drew me to this internship.”

As Mooney begins to pack her bags and head home, she reflects on her biggest accomplishment this semester. “I’ve been able to do a lot for it,” Mooney said. “It’s called ‘The Changing Face of Science’ and is an ongoing exhibition about women of color in science. It

When reflecting on her time in Chicago, Mooney noted that an overarching theme has been the stark difference between the sheer size of the city and the hometown feel of Arkadelphia. “It’s been amazing to just be able to work in such a big place,” Mooney said.

“Just being able to explore different neighborhoods and different

will have to work with others after graduation. “It’s more difficult when you add more people into the mix,” Mooney said. “You have to work super closely with a lot of different departments. It’s a big adjustment to have these personal projects at OBU and then have to collaborate on basically every single project in the real world, and

outspoken and able to speak my mind more.”

Saying yes to the opportunity of a lifetime took a big leap of faith for Mooney, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything. “It’s an amazing learning experience,” Mooney said. “If you’re considering going, just be prepared to be introduced to new ideas, new cultures and to learn a lot, especially in a bigger city like this, whether it’s Chicago or anywhere else. I would say just go for it, because now that I did this, now I know more of an idea of what I want to do long-term.”

NEWS

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Gold Tiger alumni return to OBU for 50-year reunion

BY MATTHEW CHEATHAM Staff Writer

The editors of student publications at Ouachita Baptist University pose with the awards they were given at the Arkansas College Media Association awards. The department won a total of 75 awards across all publications. (photo by Sarah Dean)

Ouachita communications earns big honors at ACMAs

BY JACIE SELLARS Staff Writer

The Ouachita communications department won 75 awards at the Arkansas College Media Association conference on April 14. Award winning media included the Signal, the Ouachitonian, the online Signal, the Ouachita News Shows and Ouachita’s Sports Digital Network. The conference was held in Searcy at Harding University.

The Arkansas College Media Association is an organization that recognizes excellent student-created media at colleges across the state at a yearly conference. Ouachita students attending the conference heard from guest speakers and received awards. The association gave a wide variety of accolades for print and broadcast journalism. Ouachita won 35 yearbook awards, 10 television awards, nine newspaper awards and eight

online awards. The communications department also won 13 general excellence awards. This adds up to 75 awards in total.

The awards won at this conference reflect strengths within the Rogers Department of Communications. Julia Shands, print editor-in-chief of the Signal, believes that the hands-on experiences offered by the communications program have helped her succeed.

“The communications department has given me countless opportunities to grow and stretch myself,” Shands said. “Throughout the course of four years, I’ve had a wide range of experiences.

I’ve gotten to create news packages, write stories, plan large-scale events and pitch an entire campaign to a client. They equip you with the tools and skills to lead with excellence and strive for nothing less than success.”

Valeria Gomez, editor-in-chief of the online Signal, credits the

communications professors for helping make the department strong. “Professors care so much and they invest in you,” Gomez said. “Whenever I got the job as online editor-in-chief, I didn’t think I was qualified enough, but my professors saw potential in me and challenged me. I’m a better communicator and creative because of Ouachita’s education.”

Ouachita’s success at the ACMA awards was made possible by hard-working students who edit publications and serve on staff.

“I’m only as good as my team,” Shands said. “I’ve been so lucky to have added many young, talented writers and section editors to the Signal this year. They have wanted to grow and learn and become the best versions of themselves. As an editor, this is all you can ask for.”

Students in the communications department are excited to continue creating excellent publications and broadcasts for the years to come.

The Gold Tigers are OBU alumni that graduated at least 50 years ago, and their induction and reunion takes place each spring. This year, the class of 1973 will be inducted, with the event being held on April 20 and 21.

Ouachita places an emphasis on alumni relations and keeping their connection with graduates alive.

To help with this mission, the annual Golden Tiger Reunion has been put into place.

The two-day event consists of the Gold Tigers arriving on campus Thursday for dinner, though the main events take place on the following Friday. Coffee, fellowship and campus tours take place prior to the luncheon and induction. The campus tours are given on the tiger trams by OSF members. A favorite, it gives alumni the opportunity to see the many different ways in which the campus has expanded and changed, allowing them to reflect on what their life looked like 50 years ago.

At the luncheon, President Ben Sells will make a guest appearance, presenting the medallions to incoming members. Current OSF students mingle with Gold Tigers during the event to build relationships and swap stories from their years at Ouachita. The Gold Tigers will also get the chance to see the theater’s department spring musical, “Mary Poppins.”

Jon Merryman, director of alumni relations and the Ouachita Student Foundation, knows the im-

portance of such an event for the community of Ouachita.

“It is a really special time for classmates to reconnect,” Merryman said. “They share stories of their time here, professors that meant a lot to them and more. It’s not necessarily the title that is special, but the gathering. They do receive a nice medallion presented to them by Dr. Sells, which is a nice keepsake.”

Sodexo makes sure that the alumni have meals fit for Gold Tigers, with Thursday’s dinner being an Italian style dinner and Friday’s lunch a southern picnic with pulled pork, cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans and banana pudding or cobbler for dessert.

The tradition of the Gold Tiger reunion is so significant because it works to keep the relationships between alumni and current students alive. Senior communications and political science double major Caroline Johnson reflects on her experience working with the Gold Tigers at the reunion.

“This tradition is so important because it cultivates relationships with alumni,” Johnson said. “It’s not about what those alumni could give to the university or about who they are. It’s all about celebrating their time on this campus 50 years ago. Hearing their stories from their time at Ouachita and their experience is always so impactful.”

Many hands have worked to prepare the Gold Tigers reunion.

Ouachita not only deeply cares for its current students, but the school also cares for those that once walked its grounds. Once a Tiger, always a Tiger.

NEWS

WWW.OBUSIGNAL.COM | PAGE 5

Left: All of the students and faculty advisors from Ouachita that placed at the Governor’s Cup pose with their awards. Ouachita had three teams of students that were recognized at the statewide competition. (photo by Tammy Woodruff) Right: Dr. Chris Brune (left) and Jillian Woodruff (right) celebrate their awards with a photo. Woodruff was awarded first place in the Small Business Division. (photo by Tammy Woodruff)

Ouachita sweeps Governor’s Cup

BY EMILEE WEBB News Editor

The Arkansas Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, hosted by Arkansas Capital, was held last Friday. Three business plan teams from Ouachita competed, and all three teams took home an award with a cash prize.

The competition was fierce, as the Governor’s Cup brought together undergraduate students from all across Arkansas to showcase their ideas and skill.

The competition itself was created over 20 years ago with the intent to foster entrepreneurship in Arkansas. By learning about what it takes to launch a business, gaining feedback from prominent leaders in the business world and having the chance to get their ideas some exposure, competitors gain knowledge and experience that is invaluable. Ouachita has been an active participant in this competition for many years and has even created their own annual competition to prepare for the Governor’s Cup with the support of Dean Bryan McKinney and Director of Entrepreneurship Johan Eriksson.

“At Ouachita, we have a class in the fall called ‘business plan competition,’ Eriksson said. “We have our own competition here with monetary prizes. This is open to students in the class or any student that would like to participate.

Last year, we awarded first through fifth place with cash prizes. This is to prepare for the Governor’s Cup Competition, which is statewide.”

This year, three teams were selected as finalists for the Governor’s Cup Competition from a large pool of applicants based on written business plans submitted to the judges. These three teams went on to deliver 90-second pitches at the awards ceremony and each brought home an award. Jillian Woodruff presented her business plan for the product, “Waderbuddy,” and took home first place and the $10,000 cash prize in the Winrock Automotive Small Business Division.

Madison Melcher’s business plan elaborated on her product, “Covered by Grace,” and she took home second place in the Winrock Automotive Small Business Division and a $7,500 cash prize. A team consisting of Jade Dorman, Keren Fernandez, Kaitlyn Montgomery, Emma Bynum and Conner

Bjerke created a business plan for their product, “MicroCures.” This team won third place in the HighGrowth / Technology Division and a $7,500 cash prize. Each team also had a faculty advisor. Dr. Chris Brune was the advisor for “Waderbuddy.” Johan Eriksson was the advisor for “Covered by Grace,” and Dr. Nathan Reyna was the advisor for “MicroCures.”

Each team put in a lot of hard work into coming up with their product idea. Senior Jillian Woodruff’s award-winning business plan was the result of a year’s worth of hard work, a lot of research and, of course, her imagination.

“My business plan was called ‘Waderbuddy,’” Woodruff said. “‘Waderbuddy’ is a product to assist duck hunters in removing their duck hunting waders. It can also assist others in removing hard-toremove boots and footwear. There are places on either side of the user to assist in balance along with a boot jack at the bottom to allow for easier removal of the boot.”

The Governor’s Cup Competition provided real-world experience for all of its participants.

Woodruff expands upon what she learned and gained from her in-

volvement with the competition.

“The judges were extremely nice and offered me lots of advice as I am beginning the process of launching my small business,” Woodruff said. “My favorite memory was getting on stage and presenting my 90-second elevator pitch in front of the crowd. I had worked a lot on it, so it was rewarding placing first in that category. I felt very grateful to win these awards. I put a lot of hard work into this, and seeing how people reacted to the product made me believe it is possible to launch it as a small business.”

Professor of Finance Dr. Chris Brune shares how important and exciting all three of these awards are to students, the business department and Ouachita as a whole.

This is not a small feat for any of the competitors.

“The competition is tough, and there are schools from across the state that participate,” Brune said.

“It’s often the culmination of a year’s worth of work. The fact that we would have three awards out of six at the undergraduate level is very significant. At the luncheon, there are a variety of business leaders that will attend, so this is really a way to bring recognition to

your school and show the quality of your students with the work they are doing.”

Eriksson expressed his support for the students, how hard they’ve worked and how they represented Ouachita very well.

“We have a proud tradition at Ouachita of entrepreneurship,” Eriksson said. “We are proud to represent the legacy of the school.

Many of us feel like the business plan competition is a capstone project for a lot of our business students, so this is a chance for our students to showcase how good they are. We know Ouachita students are awesome, and this year, the rest of the state got to see that as well.”

Eriksson also points out how the business plan competition is interdisciplinary and invites students from all majors to participate.

“It’s not just business school students,” Eriksson said. “The competition touches all areas of our campus. We want to invite everyone to participate and take the chance to run with some interesting products and ideas. We see a wide variety of products and services submitted.

Every great product and idea has to have a starting point.”

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 6 | WWW.OBUSIGNAL.COM

Theater presents “Mary Poppins” musical

BY RACHEL DUNNAM Opinions Editor

Ouachita’s production of “Mary Poppins” will be presented from April 20-23 as one of the last shows of the 2022-2023 season. The performances will be held in Jones Performing Arts Center this Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. The musical, based on the books by P.L. Travers, tells the story of the Banks family and their new magical nanny, Mary Poppins, who changes the environment of their household.

This is many of the seniors’ last productions of their careers at Ouachita. Julia Letcher, a senior musical theater major from Plano, Texas, will play Miss Andrew.

Letcher has been involved in many other productions with the OBU Theater Department such as “The Servant of Two Masters” and “Little Women.”

“A really cool thing is that I actually did this show my senior year of high school,” Letcher said. “It is really full circle for me because I

am ending another chapter with this show. One of the lines I love in this show is, ‘Anything can happen if you let it,’ and it is something I am going to take from this place as I graduate.”

The show will be different from the books and movie adaptations in various aspects, beginning with the additions of new characters.

Letcher talks about her character, Miss Andrew, who is in the theater production of Mary Poppins but not the movie version, and other differences from the fan-favorite movie that audience members may notice.

“She is a special character who comes to take care of the children for a little bit,” Letcher said. “[This show] is similar to the movie with classic songs like ‘Step in Time’ and ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,’ but it has some fun twists and turns.”

Annslee Clay, a junior musical theater major from Benton is playing Michael Banks and is excited to see this heartwarming production come to life on the JPAC stage.

“Some of my favorite memories of this show have been being able

to play and goof around with Genevieve Cooper, who plays my sister in the show,” Clay said. “Since we are playing kids together, we get to actually play like children, and it’s super fun. It reminds me to nurture my inner child and that everything isn’t always as serious as it seems.”

The Ouachita production of “Mary Poppins” will be a performance the whole family will enjoy.

With elements from the original story, as well as new and exciting characters, this show is sure to be one to remember. As Mary Poppins would say, this show is “practically perfect in every way.”

Tickets to see “Mary Poppins” are $12 and can be purchased at obu.edu/boxoffice or weekdays from 1-5 p.m. at the Ouachita Box Office in Jones Performing Arts Center. Ouachita students may receive one free ticket with their university ID, and Henderson State University students may purchase discounted tickets at $10 each by presenting their HSU IDs. For more information, contact the box office at (870) 245-5555.

Tiger City Limits band fosters friendship and growth

BY KYNDALL FOMBY-BELL Staff Writer

A group of Ouachita students, who share a love of performing and the study of music industry, wanted to create something new that would bring them closer together and give them a chance to showcase their talents to the campus. This notion sparked an idea, and then, the Tiger City Limits (TCL) band was born.

This band consists of ten members that are connected through their love of music and desire to grow as

stage performers.

Chaney Campbell, a senior music industry major and band member, shares her thoughts on the band’s inspiration and creation. “We are in the same major and have classes together, so we decided to form a band and put on a show,” Campbell said. “It’s been fun because we are all good friends.” Tiger City Limits has given each member the opporunity to perform together and grow as artists, while also providing a fun event for Ouachita students to attend.

Members of TCL include Bren-

non Humphry, Chaney Campbell, Meredith Medford, Chloe Wallace, Brynn Clark, Logan Talley, Ayden Bennet, Harrison Shuffield, Jenna Barnes and Dr. Bruce Johnston.

Tiger City Limits would not be the band it is today without friendship; this includes both the friendships between the band members and the friendships that listening to music can create. “It brings people together to have fun and sing loud,” Chaney said. “We love to make music, and this was a perfect opportunity to make it happen.”

TCL’s next performance will be

at Spring Fling on May 1. “It’s going to be a fun mix of pop, country and indie songs,” Campbell said. “It’ll be a celebration of the year and an entrance into spring.”

Brennon Humphry, a junior music industry major and band member, expresses the joy he has gotten from performing with the band. “I love performing with this crew,” Humphry said. “They are so talented and so easy to collaborate with. I am a newbie to this degree, and they adopted me with open arms. I have never felt more supported. I am so thankful for them.”

Humphry shares the practical knowledge and helpful experience he has gained from being a part of TCL. “The band has learned how to organize a show from start to finish and give people a quality concert experience.”

TCL is a group that allows students to collaborate with other musicians and put on a show that entices their audience. From quality performances to fun peer experiences, the band has it all.

Check out Tiger City Limits for a performance that brings the Ouachita community together.

OPINIONS

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Housing updates bring challenges

BY AUSTYNN CROCKER Staff Writer

Housing at Ouachita is constantly shifting and adapting to students’ needs. Some changes include the building of the new apartments and the restructuring of Lancelot and Starlight apartments into single-resident apartments.

Have these recent changes been beneficial for students here at OBU? Every student has his or her opinion, but often, each individual’s personal experience will shape their overall feeling toward residence life.

To get to the bottom of this question, I met with the Residence Life Director and Adjunct Professor, Quantel Williams. With an influx of freshmen in the fall semester of 2022, there is a higher demand for resident housing and apartments

going into the fall semester of 2023. This means that many studens may not be offered a spot in their preferred dorm or apartment simply because there is not enough space for everyone.

“Housing is very tight this year,” Williams said. “Retention efforts are good in retaining students, but this is making housing difficult.”

This is Williams’ first year as residence life director, and despite capacity challenges, housing has gone fairly well.

However, not every problem can be avoided. We have all heard the horror stories: residents searching for suitemates without any luck, a student being ditched by their suite at the last minute or a group of seniors being waitlisted for apartments just before their final year at Ouachita. These issues are not always easily preventable.

“Despite having the new apartments, there were a lot of people on the waiting list because there are so many people returning to apartments this year,” Williams said. With almost half of Ouachita’s apartments being minimized to one resident, it is not surprising that many seniors find themselves confined to residence halls in their last two semesters. This is unsurprisingly frustrating for many students, but there are not many options for improvement.

One of the reasons students are gravitating toward apartments is the rules regarding open dorm.

Open dorm, which allows female and male students to spend time in the opposite sex’s dorm for three hours in the evening, only applies to students living in residence halls. Open dorm is on Saturdays and Mondays for female dorms and

is held on Friday and Wednesdays for male dorms. Those residing in apartments do not have to abide by these rules and are allowed to have members of the opposite sex in their apartment from 10 a.m. until midnight every day of the week.

“I think it has been a good thing,” Williams added. “[Open dorm] builds community among the student body. Students can hang out and watch movies. It’s a good thing.”

To improve the community among students and offer residents of OBU dorms more freedom, Williams suggested offering open dorm more days of the week and for longer periods of time.

Although it’s a good suggestion to hold more open dorms during the week, Ouachita would run into the problem of having a shortage of staff. Someone has to sit at the

door of the various residence halls to take student IDs and be aware of who walks in and who walks out.

I think that it would be a good idea to revisit the open dorm policy.

The community aspect of Ouachita is so important. As students, I think we should be given more trust, but also, it is also important for us to be given consequences if we were to break that trust.

Students, faculty and staff take residence life and housing very seriously. Students may only spend a short time in university housing, but it often has a big impact on their overall college experience.

Although elements of residence life can be frustrating, improvements are being made every year and momentous changes, like the new apartments, are being made in order to provide students with the best possible living environments.

Experiencing escapism in movie theaters

BY WYATT ASHLOCK Guest Writer

Anyone who knows me personally, knows I love movies, and with any chance I get, I will use a movie quote in a conversation. I have written movie reviews for the Signal newspaper and my website, Sentient-Studios.com, for the last four years, including award-winning pieces. People have often asked me why I love movies so much, why I write movie reviews or why I spend so much of my time in a movie theater when there is, what they call “real life,” that I could be experiencing.

Movies have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but they aren’t just movies to me.

They are like my family. On Friday night when people are going on

dates or hanging out with friends, I drive to the AMC Chenal 9 in Little Rock because I’m going on a new adventure. I might go save the quantum realm with Ant-Man, to Exegol to defeat Emperor or Palpatine alongside Rey Skywalker or learn how to cast new spells at Hogwarts from Professor Dumbledore. For two hours, I sit in a dark theater and am transported to a new world.

It might shock you to know that I was not the most popular guy in high school. I was a nerd and an outcast who did not have a lot of friends while growing up, but I never felt alone. I had a best friend who was also bullied in high school and was a nerd

and an outcast just like myself. His name was Peter Parker and was portrayed by actor, Tom Holland. The

newest Spider-Man movies came out while I was in high school, and

they were the escapism I needed from some of the hardships of everyday life. Parker showed me that I wasn’t alone in being an outcast and that I shouldn’t be ashamed of being a nerd.

I went to see those movies as many times as I could, along with any other superhero movie, because it felt as if I was fighting alongside them. I found these characters who challenge the status quo and use their differences to become extraordinary. The movie theater became my safe space where I could exist and see all new worlds.

I love going to the movies to laugh, to cry or to care because we all need that.

That is where the Signal newspa-

per came in. I started going to see movies and reviewing them because I wanted to motivate people to consider seeing movies and to branch out to see one they maybe had not even heard of. I wanted to show people that movies are more than just two hours of video playing on a screen. They are a chance for people to escape to a new world and leave their anxieties and issues behind for a little while.

We all need some escapism in our lives, and for me, it’s movies. There is an indescribable feeling I get as the lights begin to dim and I get transported somewhere I have never been before. Action and heartbreak have a home there because of the theater’s very nature.Theaters are a place that is full of emotion, wonder and most of all, escape from everyday life.

SPORTS

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LaQuan Butler reflects on illustrious college career

LaQuan Butler Jr. has left a lasting impact on the court. He averaged career numbers across the board for the Tigers, with 15.6 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, 2.7 rebounds per game and 1.9 steals per game on his way to leading Ouachita to the second round of the GAC tournament, with a first round upset of one-seeded Southern Nazarene. (photos by Broc Ingold (Middle) and Levi Dade (Left and Right))

BY ISAAC BOURNE Sports Editor

Basketball was never a question for Ouachita graduate student point guard LaQuan Butler Jr. “I just always had a basketball in my hand as a kid, so once I started watching it, that kind of made my love grow a little bit more for the game itself.”

Butler, born in Benton Harbor, Michigan, lived in the city for 11 years before moving to Lancaster, Texas, where his love for the game eventually sprouted.

“My mom got a job in Dallas… and we just kind of continued the basketball thing from there, which made it a lot easier because there’s much more opportunity that way,” said Butler.

At Lancaster High School, Butler starred for the Tigers alongside big college basketball names such

as Wade Taylor IV (now stars for Texas A&M), Mike Miles Jr. (now stars for TCU), and TJ Starks (plays professionally in Greece).

“It was just everyday work,” he said. “Just iron sharpening iron, just going at it every day, getting each other better which helped us all in the long run.”

His play would eventually get him noticed by a small junior college in Marianna, Florida known as Chipola College. In his first and only season for the Indians, Butler averaged 5.8ppg, scoring up to 13 points in two different games.

“JuCo was kind of a learning curve I guess you could say,” Butler explained. “Coming into college at 18 years old and playing with a bunch of grown men…at the time, it helped me mentally know what my focus should definitely be–basketball.”

From Chipola, Butler moved

Westward to Hammond, Louisiana, where he would attend the division one university, Southeastern Louisiana. He averaged similar numbers as he did in JuCo with 5.5ppg while getting 12 starts for the Lions during the season.

“Southeastern was also another learning curve,” he said. “The coach that I was supposed to come in with ended up going to Southern Mississippi…so it kind of mixed things up for me, but I stuck it out and finished pretty solid.”

After that year, Butler was on the move again to his home state where he would find his two-year home in Edinburg, Texas, at the University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley.

“Heading there was kind of last-minute,” said Butler. “So I ended up having to walk-on there.

First year was really good. I was learning how to play basketball and making the correct reads.”

Butler averaged career numbers with 9.1ppg off the bench in his first season with the Vaqueros before tragedy struck. His head coach, Lew Hill, unfortunately passed away in the middle of the season, leading to the hiring of a new coach. Under this new regime, Butler’s numbers reduced to just 6.0ppg in his second season at UTRGV, causing him to contemplate transferring again.

All of this led him to the small town of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where Butler is today.

“It was kind of random,” Butler mentioned. “I had a DM from Coach Thornton and he wanted me to come here with him with this year being his first as well…so we made it work from there.”

At Ouachita Baptist University, Butler is thriving. He averaged 15.6ppg for the Tigers as the star point guard on a GAC contender

with another backcourt running mate in Ma’Darius Hobson to complement his game perfectly, and a bruising big man in Tylar Haynes to rebound for him.

“It makes my job a lot easier,” he said. “I know everybody’s capable of doing something and it definitely makes my job a lot easier and I haven’t had to hold too much weight on my back during the game.”

In his final season as a college athlete, Butler put up career-high numbers in every stat category.

The only thing now is what’s next. “[I’m going] wherever God takes me, I’m just on a journey,” Butler remarked. “I just take whatever he brings to me.”

After signing with Interperformances sports agency, Butler is ready to take the next step to the pro level. Wherever he goes, Butler will always bring his love for the game of basketball.