OBU Signal-October 23, 2014

the

Signal

www.obusignal.com

10.23.14 Volume 123 Issue 6

Ouachita Baptist University

IN THIS ISSUE:

Junk Rock Band Recycled Percussion to play one night show at Ouachita, p.2

Desert Storm to Ouachita Dr. Mark McGraw shares stories of his life as a Marine, p.3

Rec Life z Courtesy Ouachita’s office of recreation life takes students on a number of trips each semester including hiking, camping, rock climbing and rafting excursions. Director of recreational life, Jason Bean, plans and leads all of the trips. Upcoming events include a hike up Pinnacle Mountain and a fall bonfire.

Outdoor Rec plans November trips

By WILL LECHNER Staff Writer

A+ Teachers Should students be able to grade their professors? p.4

Movin’ On Up Tiger football team moves up in AFCA Top 25 poll, p.5

The month of November promises to be an exciting month for students who enjoy outdoor activites as Jason Bean, Ouachita’s director of recreational life, and his associates have been planning several fun, upcoming activities for students to take part in both on campus and in the surrounding areas.

The biggest annual event is the hike up Pinnacle Mountain. Ouachita students, led by Bean, hiked Pinnacle Mountain in Little Rock on Tuesday. Each year after

“We have also invited the International club to come out, so many of those who haven’t experienced this holiday can have some fun with that,” Bean said.

Rec Life has a few other activities planned including a trip to Winding Stairs and their big trip of the year, a ski trip to Colorado during Christmas break.

The trip is in conjunction with Campus Ministries. Weekly, Rec Life and Campus Activities send out an email detailing any upcoming events.

For more information about Rec Life events, contact Jason Bean in the Recreational Life office or email him at beanj@ obu.edu. n

Education students practice parenting skills with new “My Virtual Child” project

By SUZANNA RIEVES Staff Writer

S News 1 n S Features 3 n S Opinions 4 n S Sports 5 n

the hike, they then will treat themselves to Chipotle for dinner.

“We always go up to Pinnacle and climb it. Then you earn yourself some Chipotle burritos,” Bean said.

Along with the hike up Pinnacle, some other holiday activities are being put together to both celebrate school spirit and have some Halloween fun.

The night before the football game against the University of Arkansas-Monticello, students are invited to go camping at the Eubanks’ lake. The night of the event will be Halloween and there will be a bonfire and pumpkin carving to help put everyone in the Halloween mood.

This year’s Child and Adolescent Development class is pioneering a new online project called “My Virtual Child” in which students participate in a trial parenthood, raising the virtual child from a new born to the age of eighteen.

Through this project, students are able apply what they have learned in class and gain a new understanding of the impact you can have on a child.

The program starts out with a personality assessment and short questionnaire which assigns students a child, living situation and spouse. From there they have to answer questions on raising their child that vary from “What material of diaper will you use?” to “How will you discipline your child?”

The answers to these questions are what determine the development of the child and the family unit represented.

The professor of the course, Dr. Merribeth Bruning, professor of education and the dean of the Huckabee School of Education, approves of the new project and its impact on the students.

She explains that the course’s objective is to review the physical, cognitive, social and spiritual development of children in their different

stages of life.

This project helps to put that in perspective by seeing the importance of every decision made for a child’s life.

“The Virtual Child experience gives us an opportunity to apply what we are learning as we make decisions for our virtual child. We can consider the impact of our decisions on the child and our virtual family,” Bruning said.

Haley Brown, a student of Bruning and an early childhood education major, says that this class has been insightful and given her a unique set of skills to be a better teacher.

“We are learning that as teachers we will have a huge effect on the inner development of a child’s life,” Brown said. “So by understanding what’s going on in their minds at each age we are teaching, we will be able to better understand how to talk to them, rationalize with them, discipline them, reward them and ultimately just get across to them. Knowing these things is going to help us be all-around more effective teachers.”

She also says that the virtual child is especially helping her grasp the concepts of the class and how important her role will be as a teacher, and even one day a mother with children of her own.

For more information on the “My Virtual Child” project contact Bruning at bruningm@ obu.edu. n

Molly Bowman z Courtesy Senior Molly Bowman had the opportunity to visit New York City and appear on the Fox News show “Huckabee” earlier this semester.

Bowman featured on Fox News’ “Huckabee”

By CHELSEA WHELPLEY News Bureau

The voice of the millennial generation is powerful – and one that is increasingly receiving more attention.

Former Arkansas governor and political commentator Mike Huckabee recently addressed this topic on his Fox News show “Huckabee” in a segment titled, “Does the GOP need to start listening to millennials?”

Huckabee, a 1976 Ouachita alumnus, hosted a panel of three college students including Ouachita senior Molly Bowman, a mass communica-

tions and Christian studies/ theology major from Conway, Ark. During the segment, students discussed issues of concern to millenials and how they felt about the current state of the Republican Party.

Other panelists included students from the University of Notre Dame and Marist College.

Molly Bowman in NYCGov. Huckabee contacted his alma mater, looking for a Ouachita student to add to the panel.

After consulting with several campus leaders, Trennis Henderson, vice president for communications, decided to see HUCKABEE z 2

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, October 23, 2014

5

TOP

this weekzCALENDAR CAMP WAR EAGLE will be on campus recruiting this week in the student center. A recruiting video will be shown today between 4:30-7:30 p.m. in the Hampton Board Room.

REFUGE is tonight at 9 p.m. at Second Baptist Church. For more information, contact: James Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu.

SCREEN ON THE GREEN presented

by Chi Rho Phi will be showing “It Happened One Night” Friday night at 9 p.m. at the intramural fields to raise money for PATH. For more information, contact: Hannah Sweeden at swe51728@obu.edu.

FOOTBALL VS. AR TECH kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium. Tailgating begins at 11 p.m. outside the stadium. For more information, contact: Todd Knight at knightt@obu.edu.

VERITAS women’s discipleship will be Monday night at 9 p.m. in Berry Chapel. For more information, contact: Kendall Calvert at calvertk@obu.edu.

RECYCLED PERCUSSION will be in concert Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in JPAC. Students receive a free ticket with student ID. All other tickets are $15. For more information, contact: Adam Wheat at wheata@obu.edu.

News Bureau z Courtesy Bowman appeared on “Huckabee” along with two other college students to discuss her opinions about what attracts her to a particular political cause or candidate. Former Governor Huckabee also attended Ouachita, graduating in 1976.

HUCKABEE

z Continued from Page 1 submit Molly Bowman’s name for consideration.

“With Molly’s strong academic record, campus involvement and international travel experience, several faculty members suggested she would be a great fit,” Henderson said.

“Molly was eager to accept the challenge and did a great job representing Ouachita.”

Bowman was interviewed by the producer byphone about her worldview and opinions on how the nation’s authority figures should handle various situations. Within 30 minutes, Bowman was chosen to participate and booked on a flight to New York City.

The whirlwind experience included Bowman being recommended on Wednesday, contacted by the producer on

Thursday, flying to New York on Friday and taping the show on Saturday.

“I am so proud of our university and the truth that it actively takes a stand for, so it was easy for me to wear the Ouachita name with confidence,” Bowman said. “I think Ouachita’s liberal arts education has helped me to communicate more effectively on every realm.

“I am not a political science major, nor do I see myself as an expert on the topic, but OBU has instilled in me a love for learning and interacting with the world around us.”

On the panel, Bowman had the opportunity to communicate some of her views and opinions about what attracts her to a particular political candidate or cause. Bowman emphasized her desire for candidates to possess consistency.

“I want someone that is go-

Thanks for reading

ing to back up what they say.

I think most of the millennials get frustrated when they see someone in their campaign make promises they can’t keep.

“My goal for the show was to speak truth with grace and love,” said Bowman. “My desire was to treat others with respect while representing Christ and our university well both on camera and behind the scenes.”

“Our students are excellent ambassadors for Ouachita in a variety of settings,” noted Henderson. “Molly’s role on the ‘Huckabee’ show was a great opportunity to provide Ouachita national exposure while highlighting the quality of our students and their educational experience.”

To view the segment of “Huckabee” in which Bowman appeared, visit http://video.foxnews. com/v/3810141400001. n

Things you shouldn’t ask bae when navigating a corn maze

5 4 3 2 1

“So how about that Ebola?”

“Remember on ‘American Horror Story’ when that clown . . . ?”

“Are your feet not hot in those UGGs?” “Are your feet not cold in those Chacos?”

“Are you going to drink all of that pumpkin spice latte?”

Courtesy

Ouachita to host junk rock band Recycled Percussion on Oct. 27

By Rachel Gaddis News Bureau

Ouachita will welcome Recycled Percussion for a performance Monday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Performing Arts Center.

Recycled Percussion is a highenergy, junk rock band that incorporates athleticism and humor into its performances. The group has maintained a show in Las Vegas for the past two years and performed more than 4,400 shows and corporate events in more than 15 countries.

The band has been voted National Act of the Year a recordbreaking six times and featured on the cover of USA Today since its premiere on America’s Got Talent in 2009. Recycled Percussion has also made guest appearances on Carson Daly, The Today Show, China’s Got Talent and the Latin Grammy Awards.

Ouachita’s resident percussion expert, Dr. Ryan Lewis, said the show will be enjoyable for anyone with an appreciation for sound.

“Anyone who has ever tapped on a cooking pan or glass vase, enjoyed the sound of a pencil on a desk, or shaken a box of cereal or keys like a maraca will be immediately drawn into this perfor-

mance experience,” said Lewis, who serves as assistant professor of music at Ouachita.

Recycled Percussion’s performance will be the first ticketed event of the School of Fine Arts’ expanded Guest Artist Series.

Fine Arts Administrator Adam Wheat said he believes Recycled Percussion will appeal to a broad audience because of the group’s creativity and reputation.

“It’s going to be a high-energy show,” Wheat said, affirming the quality of the group and its performance. Wheat said he hopes Recycled Percussion’s visit will increase students’ interest and appreciation for programs that are already accessible to them through Ouachita.

“Art is all around us here; we have a lot of great faculty and student artists on campus all the time,” Wheat said. “Our goal is not only to develop them and our audience through interactions with professional artists but also to draw attention to the quality of their work.”

Tickets are $15 and may be purchased from the OBU Box Office or online at www.obu.edu/ boxoffice. Ouachita students may receive one free ticket by presenting their student ID at the box office. n

Our Textbook.

TRUETT SEMINARY

The Bible is the foundation of the Truett Seminary curriculum.

We believe the Scriptures are the inspired, authoritative, written Word of God. Truett students engage in thorough study of the Scriptures, examine a wide range of Christian texts and employ critical-thinking skills paramount to developing innovative ways to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Fall Preview Nov. 6-7, 2014

Living the Great Commission.

LEARN MORE baylor.edu/truett

S3 features n

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Dr. Mark McGraw z Courtesy Dr. Mark McGraw racing for the Texas A&M Cycling Team. Dr. McGraw was on the team while he was attending the school.

Dr. Mark McGraw z Courtesy Dr. Mark McGraw with his wife and two sons. Dr. McGraw met his wife at Texas A&M where she was a volleyball player. They have two sons, one is a senior at the University of Texas and the other is a senior at Arkadelphia High School.

From Desert Storm to Ouachita: Dr. Mark McGraw discusses a life of ambition, adversity and adventure

By ANNA KUMPURIS News Editor

@anniebananie14

Two decades as a U.S. Marine officer, 35 countries visited and more than 60 triathlons under his belt.

Dr. Mark McGraw does not have the biography of a typical Spanish professor, but it is the wisdom of his personal experience and the stories of his adventures abroad that make his Spanish classes so engaging for his students.

Still a new face to many on campus, this is only McGraw’s second year teaching at Ouachita, but he and his family have already made a home of the campus, and in the small town of Arkadelphia.

“When I was getting close to finishing my Ph.D., I started looking around for places to apply. I applied for the job here and came up to visit, and it was just the perfect fit,” McGraw said. “I wanted to go to a small, teaching-centric place, rather than a big research-centric place.

And I wanted to go to a place where we felt like we would have a good quality of life, not sitting in traffic all day, not spending every last dime on a place to live, so Ouachita has been perfect. It’s just exactly what we were looking for.”

Thirty years ago however, the thought of one day becoming a Spanish professor at a school like Ouachita was far from McGraw’s mind. His heart was set on joining the Marine Corps.

“I read a book when I was in junior high entitled Guadalcanal Diary, and it was about the Marines in World War II. It affected me in that it inspired me to go do that,” McGraw said. “I just thought, ‘Boy that would be cool to go do that,’ and at the time I was a little chubby kid in a small town in Louisiana and my friends kind of laughed at me and said, ‘Oh you’re not going to do that. They don’t take fat guys.’ So it kind of became a personal quest to prove them wrong.”

As an undergraduate student, McGraw attended Texas A&M with a Marine Corps scholarship, and he was commissioned into the Marines on his graduation day—just the beginning of an adventure that would last for the next 20 years.

“I only had a four-year commitment, but I just really liked it. It started to get tough after I got married and after I had kids and I had pretty much decided to get out, but the assignments I kept getting were so cool,” McGraw said. “I got a chance to learn Spanish and go work on the Amazon River in Peru. I can’t quit now. Even though it tore me up to leave my wife, and at the time little bitty kids, to me it was an investment in a future chance to do something really significant.”

Throughout his time in the Marines, McGraw had the opportunity to be the Marine officer instructor at Texas A&M, to work on a special team out of Miami that allowed him to travel all over Latin America, to lead a task force of Italian Seals, U.S. Marines and a Turkish recon platoon

in Turkey, and to parachute with Israeli paratroopers in Israel. His travels as a Marine took him all over the world—from Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and Korea in East Asia, to Spain, Greece, Tunisia, Italy and Turkey in the Mediterranean.

He was also able to live in Chile for two years with his family.

“Chile was just such an impactful experience for us. It was like being on a mission with your whole family, and we all had to come together to have success,” McGraw said. “Because it was initially so hard when I was the only one who spoke Spanish, the kids were in first grade and play school and you’re just having to work through so many layers of confusion that are not

“The idea that God has a plan for me and cares about what I do was really fundamental.”

-Dr. Mark McGraw even language.”

While in Chile, McGraw’s wife and children also learned to speak Spanish, though none of them speak it much anymore, and as their two years in that country passed by, they began to fall in love with it.

“It’s the only place I’ve ever lived where you go to somebody’s house for a dinner party and you stay there until four in the morning. And just the natural beauty was spectacular. You’d drive up and down the coast to this beautiful coastline and on a clear day you could see the Andes,” McGraw said. “We came back from that and we see the world now through different eyes than before we went down there.”

McGraw’s wife Margaret also works at Ouachita now as the Assistant Athletic Director. The two met in college at Texas A&M, where Mark was roommates with Margaret’s brother.

“She was a really good volleyball player, and she was kind of a big deal. I remember I’d go to

facebook.com/obusignal twitter.com/obusignal instagram.com/obusignal

Ouachita Baptist University Office: Evans Student Center E-Mail: signal@obu.edu Phone: 870.245.5210

Emily Terry

Noah Hutchinson

Caroline Poole

Dr. Jeff Root

Sam Cushman

Dixon Land

Tyler Rosenthal

Dr. Deborah Root

Anna Kumpuris

Tyler Davis

Will Wallace

Ms. Tiffany Eurich

z EDITOR-IN-CHIEF z ASSOCIATE EDITOR z NEWS EDITOR

z OPINIONS EDITOR z SPORTS EDITOR

z ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

z COPY EDITOR

z PHOTO EDITOR

z VIDEO MANAGER

z ADVISER z ADVISER

z ONLINE ADVISER

the games and watch them warm up and I really got a charge out of people around me kind of ‘ooh’-ing and ‘ahh’-ing when she would spike the ball,” McGraw said. “Just in warm ups she looked like she was flying and she would just flatten the ball. She was tall and athletic, good looking. She was big deal. And we met when I was a senior, when I was just about to graduate.”

Two years later after Margaret graduated and Mark had two years of Marine service under his belt, the couple married. They have two sons, J.D., who is 21 and Jackson, who is 17.

After his time in the Marines came to a close, McGraw eventually returned to school at Texas A&M to pursue his doctorate in Spanish, where he never felt out of place despite being nearly twice as old as many of the other students. While there he even joined the university cycling team.

“It was a lot of fun, and it was tough. You’d go to a race weekend somewhere and you’d do three races in a weekend, and you’d come back Sunday just destroyed but with so many good memories of racing other schools on these courses that you’d never been on,” McGraw said. “But you race in different categories so while your category is out there racing, your other teammates that are in other categories are cheering for you.

So for that moment, you’re not a 48-year-old grad student, you’re another guy on the team. It was kind of a chance to go back and relive college again in a really limited way.”

McGraw’s passion for cycling was another aspect that drew him to Arkadelphia, with the miles of mountain biking trails available just down the road at Lake DeGray. This passion also carried over into an enthusiasm for triathlons.

McGraw tries to compete in about three or four triathlons a year and has completed about 60 to date.

Throughout all of his travels, adventures and athletics, McGraw’s faith has been key.

“The idea that God has a plan for me and cares about what I do was really fundamental in all of that. Going to Desert Shield, Desert Storm where you see people get killed and you have this feeling of responsibility for the people who are with you, you’re very strongly confronted with your own mortality,” McGraw said. “I don’t know how nonbelievers do it, because that was one of the main factors that helped me be brave enough to do my job. When I saw people getting killed and people were scared, that eternal assurance was one of the main factors.”

McGraw’s faith also carries over into his teaching, and this along with the wisdom gained from his many life experiences and his fun teaching style, draws the admiration of his students.

Overall, McGraw hopes his students learn to be open and receptive to God’s plan for their lives.

“Don’t ball up your fists and say ‘No, I want to live in Bentonville and nowhere else.’ Don’t miss out on the adventure of going and living in a place like Viña del Mar, Chile. Don’t trade the good thing for the best thing. Be receptive to change. Be a little bit incredulous about your 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.

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 e-mail to signal@obu.edu.

4

opinions

Thursday, October 23, 2014

www.obusignal.com

Should teachers be graded?

Yes, they should. Nah, they’re fine.

By FAITH SINELE Staff Writer

How about we give the teachers a grade for a change! I know we’ve all thought about how great it would be to be able to give teachers a taste of their own medicine by evaluating their work and giving them a grade at the end of the semester (or maybe even each week).

Sure we do teacher/class evaluations and those are great, but do you ever feel truly satisfied after turning one of those things in? I can’t be the only one who would like a little bit more of an opportunity to share my opinions about my classes and teachers. We need another anonymous way of being able to evaluate our teachers that will allow for a more detailed response.

Of course there are pros and cons to this idea, just like any other, but in thinking about this I feel as though the pros win the battle. Here is what I could come up with: PROS: • Lets students have a voice in their education • Gives teachers the opportunity to grow • Students can let out bottled up feelings about a certain class • Teachers may open up more to their students about their teaching • Being anonymous will give students more courage to be honest CONS: • Some students wouldn’t take the opportunity seriously • Many teachers might not agree with this method, and ignore their “grades” • Students might take out their frustration on their least favorite class/ teacher • Could be emotionally harmful for teachers I may have only scratched the surface with these lists, but these pros and cons certainly cover the main point that I am trying to make. Looking at the cons list, I can see why this idea has been shot down so many times, but looking at the pros I think the reason for rejection is biased.

Doing something like this where the students get to share their true opinions about classes and teachers, there is a fine line between it being right and wrong. Because you cannot know what each student will put, you cannot know how many hurtful things will be said, but also you can’t count out all the good things that will be said. In the list of pros you can see how this would be beneficial to both teachers and students.

Students get to have a voice in their education and they can let out things that may have been bothering them about a certain class. Teachers benefit by learning from a younger generation, and being able to grow in their profession. In the cons list we can only see the

harm being towards the teachers. Yes of course teachers have feelings just like we do, and they’re sure to have opinions about their students. Technically they do get to share these feelings with their students, not so much by grading because there are right and wrong answers and they can’t help it if we get something wrong, but by the comments they are free to leave on anything they hand back to us. I’ve certainly gotten tests and papers back with comments that let me know what I was doing wrong and this is a teacher’s way of expressing how I can better myself in that class.

Now, because the pros prove that this is beneficial to both parties, I think that they outweigh the cons which prove that this could only be hurtful to one party. Thinking about this further, and trying to back up why it is OK for the teachers to take the blow on this one, I find that this type of exercise would create a better balance within the classroom. If we changed the subject to “should teachers be allowed to grade students?” the pros and cons list would be exactly the same, just with students and teachers swapping places. This would mean that in the pros, all is equal between student and teacher, but in this situation in the cons list, it is the students who are taking the hit. Therefore I think that students evaluating/grading teachers perfectly balances out the scale.

Some might argue that it is inappropriate for teachers and students to be equals. This point is valid, and I agree that it is not appropriate, but I do not think that this type of exercise would give teachers and students the type of equality that most of us think of when we hear that word.

This would not by any means give students the right to be less respectful towards their teachers. Instead, it would allow students an outlet for criticism while still mainting respect for their professors. There is no way to set a filter on this sort of thing, so teachers are sure to receive some grades that would be emotionally hard for them to process. But this is what comes with the territory. Maybe I’m wrong to say this, but students will have already been thinking these things, so why not give them the chance to share their thoughts? There are dangers in so many things we do, and we have to be careful because of this and that. Sometimes I think it is more important to think about how not doing something can be just as harmful for one group as doing it can be for the other group.

If students were able to grade teachers in the same way that they are able to grade us, then the world might be a tiny bit happier. It is indeed hard to know if this would be beneficial or not, but how will we know if we don’t at least try it out. Let’s do more than just evaluate our teachers, let’s grade them!

As long as you promise to behave and be respectful…I think it might work. n

By Noah Hutchinson Opinions Editor

I really wanted to talk about Brad Pit running over Nazis in a tank this week, but unfortunately, that’ll have to wait. Even more unfortunate than that though, is the fact that we 20 somethings constantly feel the need to announce that we know how to teach a class better than people with walls full of degrees saying that they’ve devoted their life to the pursuit of knowledge.

I would never give someone my respect solely on the grounds that they’re a professor. I’d never even give somebody my respect based on the fact that they’re older than me. When run of the mill old people tell me what to do, I typically challenge them to a fight and bray like a bull ape until they hobble away in confused terror. The majority of professors at Ouachita, however, have earned my respect. I didn’t give it to them because they were old or went to school for a long time. They earned it through knowledge and wisdom and experience and compassion.

The professors of Ouachita prove on a regular basis that they, for the most part, are above criticism from the average student. Let’s say that for even a semester students were allowed to give their teachers a grade for their methods. Think about how dangerous it would be for a trained professional to try to wade through and seriously consider mounds of written heckling from what would add up to be hundreds of uneducated voices.

“I prefer for the professors to put the powerpoints online so they’re easier to study.”

Taking written notes helps you remember things. Next.

“I really wish the teacher would include more visual examples, since I just really feel like I’m a visual learner.”

Well, you’re in a composition class, so it looks like you’re sunk. Next.

This is the exact process that any sane professor would go through when presented with this avalanche of sundry whining, which would basically make it a moot point. But what if they didn’t? What if, by tapping into some shaolin monk level of willpower, they actually managed to take all student-submitted criticism seriously?

It’d be a nightmare.

Bobby, Jenny and Sue would be off in the visual learning corner while Joey, Bill and Sarah were in the verbal learning chamber. There’d be a special morning session for Chad, all readings would be kept to 15 minutes at the slowest reading speed in the class to accommodate club meetings and intramurals, and everybody would be allowed to use their laptops for “note taking.”

If there was a more passive aggressive form of punctuation than quotation marks to put around those words, I would use it.

Even worse than the fact that students don’t know what they’re talking about is the fact that, in general, people don’t like to be made to do hard things.

Think about something you care about more than school. Sports. Couponing. Video games. Dance. Whatever.

If you’ve worked hard to be good at something, you’ve probably run into that person who swears up and down that they want to be good at that same thing, but won’t go through all the ridiculous preparation to get there. With academics, almost everyone is that person at some point.

You’re here. You want an A in Contemp World. But at the end of the day, there’s nothing that could make you care what the difference is between Mongols and Huns.

You’re not going to take the time to go through all the processes to truly learn that information. You’re going to sit in the student center for a few hours the night before the test looking at flashcards while talking to your friends, and then blame it on the professor when you don’t get the grade you want. That doesn’t qualify you to pass judgment on somebody twice your age who’s doing a job that you know nothing about.

If students really want to have a “say in their education” they’re free to go ahead and have one. Take an early pre-registration appointment and ask around beforehand to figure out which professor matches up with your “preferred learning style,” you bunch of special little snowflakes.

Start a study group. Since you know so much about how you need to learn, you could totally just teach yourself all the information from the book and notes in the exact way you need to receive it, right? If the professor of a class is really and truly the only reason you aren’t getting the grade you want, drop and take it next semester with somebody else. You’ve got four years.

I say all of this because I understand that the reason I’m an A-B student at best is because I’m a college kid.

Sometimes I wind up talking to my roommate for an hour or decide to watch “Sherlock” at half past midnight or close my textbook and realize that my eyes were just scanning the pages while I had imaginary conversations with that girl from my 2:00 class last semester.

If I studied for school like I studied up on how to optimize my titan in “Destiny,” the class could be taught by a stray dog and I’d still know the material by heart.

Students, don’t bite the hand that feeds you, and stop complaining. Professors, keep doing what you’re doing.

But don’t step into my lobby in “Destiny” unless you want to graduate with honors from Hutch’s School of Hard Knocks. I’ve spent as much time shotgunning pretend aliens as you’ve recommended I spend reading John Locke. n

Why celebrate Columbus Day?

By HANNAH HINES Staff Writer

On October 13, we celebrated Columbus Day. And by celebrated, I mean that some of us looked at the calendars on our phones, saw it was Columbus Day, and then moved on to find what we were really looking for. But in doing this, we have passed right over one of the greatest indignations of our time, preserved right on Google Calendar. When we celebrate Columbus Day, we are celebrating a thief, murderer and tyrant; a man who committed crimes against humanity, and helped jumpstart the Atlantic slave trade and Native American genocide. That sounds like someone we name a holiday after, right? I’m thinking Spongebob had it right when he celebrated Leif Erikson day.

As it almost always does, all of Chris’s problems started with his daddy issues. Columbus’s dad was a middle class wool-weaver and cheese seller. This wasn’t exactly the social standing Chris wanted people to associate with him, so it was a pretty sore subject, so much so that he applauded when his brother humiliated and mutilated a woman for suggesting that he was of lowly-birth. Columbus’s family problems don’t stop there though. Eventually Columbus “settled down” and married the daughter of the gov-

ernor of the Portuguese island of Porto Santo. However, he later abandoned her, dropped his young son Diego at a monastery, and two years later had a new 20-year-old Spanish mistress. So even before his American adventures started, this dude pretty much sucked at being a good guy.

Chris’s bad decisions don’t stop there though. Even before they hit the mainland this guy was a liar and a thief, all at the expense of poor Rodrigo de Triana. Ya see, Ferdinand and Isabella had promised a life-long pension to the first person to see land, and good ole Rodrigo here was the lucky winner. It was 2 am when he saw land, and thus claimed the pension. Rodrigo could make it rain all the way into the nursing home.

However, his jubilation didn’t last for long, because at about that time, Chris came up on deck and said, “Oh yeah, I saw that four hours ago,” (which wasn’t even possible). So ha. The pension was his. Rodrigo eventually converted to Islam after he saw all the atrocities that took place under the umbrella of Christianity.

Chris’s behavior didn’t improve once he hit shore either. There he hung men for rebelling against him, tortured people, enslaved thousands more and exploited everyone for his well-being. Indian tribes were forced to pay tribute to him in gold, and to work in mines and farm camps to gather resources for him, where one third of them died. Native Americans liter-

ally committed mass suicide rather than serve him.

They destroyed their food supplies so the Europeans couldn’t have them, set their fields on fire and even throw themselves off cliffs to avoid enslavement.

Anyway, Chris finally did get punished a little bit, but sweet talked his way out of prison time and was allowed to go back to America one more time.

After his third voyage he was removed as governor of Hispaniola, then was sent back to Spain in shackles, where he was stripped of all titles and wealth. A priest, Bartolomé de las Casas, was sent to look into all of Columbus’s actions and stated, "My eyes have seen these acts so foreign to human nature, and now I tremble as I write.…” “[the work of Columbus] was to exasperate, ravage, kill, mangle and destroy; small wonder, then, if [the natives] tried to kill one of us now and then..." Your elementary school teachers probably didn’t mention that part.

So basically, on October 13, kids get out of school because a man who pretty much just sucked at being a human being claims he saw America fist. So next year, instead of honoring a man who mutilated and murdered people for what seems like fun, I vote we celebrate Rodrigo de Triana day, the man who really discovered America and got totally ripped off in the process. It’s the least we can do. n

sports

www.obusignal.com

5

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Tigers tie, field named after Kluck family BY: DIXON LAND Sports Editor

Following a chance to put it away on a penalty kick in double overtime, the Harding University Bison tied the Ouachita Baptist Tigers 0-0 after 110 minutes of play on Tuesday.

David Henley had eight saves in the contest and played the entire 110 minutes.

The Tigers took fifteen shots, with only five on goal. All five of those shots were saved by Thomas Shults of Harding, who played all 110 minutes as well.

The Bison had two yellow cards issued in the game, one coming in the 75th minute and the other in the 104th.

The Tigers played to a completely scorless first half, with only four shots taken, allowing ten shots for the Bison. David Henly had five, first half saves.

The Bison would take three corner kicks in the first half, compared to only two from the Tigers.

In the second half, Harding was limited to just seven shots, and Ouachita took seven.

Harding would take three corner kicks in the second half and would only get one more in the second overtime.

Ouachita would rack up four corner kicks in the first

overtime, after recording two in the second half. They ended with seven corner kicks on the game, compared to Ouachita’s eight.

The Tigers had one issued as well, their yellow card came off of a David Henley trip.

That trip was inside the goalie box and allowed Harding the chance at a penalty kick in the second overtime. The kick sailed high and time expired on the game just a few minutes later.

The biggest storyline from the match came before the match ever began.

The field, which has been rennovated recently, was named after Dr. Wesley and Debbie Kluck. The ceremony took place just minutes before the game began.

Dr. Kluck currently serves as the vice president for student affairs at Ouachita.

Along with the naming of the field, the soccer complex also boasts a brand new scoreboard, a pressbox with wireless internet and a state-of-theart field house that will host locker rooms and a players’ lounge.

The men’s soccer team plays again on Monday, Oct. 27 against Southern Nazarene University at Wesley and Debbie Kluck Field. The game starts at 3 p.m. n

Tyler Rosenthal y Courtesy

Dr. Wesley Kluck and his wife Debbie Kluck deliver remarks at the ceremony to name the soccer field “Wesley and Debbie Kluck Field.” The Tigers would tie the Harding Bison in the men’s game that followed the game.

Tiger Volleyball defeats Arkansas Tech BY: DIXON LAND Sports Editor

Volleyball Schedule: OBU vs. Central Baptist 10.28.14, 6:30 p.m.

OBU vs. Henderson St. 10.28.14, 7 p.m.

OBU @ SE Okla. St. 11.01.14, 1 p.m.

OBU @ Texas A&M Commerce 11.01.14, 7 p.m.

OBU vs. Harding 11.06.14, 7 p.m.

Heather Ellis y Courtesy

The Tiger volleyball team dropped sets three and four as they were defeated by Arkansas Tech on Tuesday evening in Russellville.

Abby Pickett had eleven kills and two blocks. Kelley Ballard had eight kills and three block.

Ashley Wake also scored an ace in the contest.

After going up 6-3 in the first set, OBU allowed a 7-2 run from Arkansas Tech to make the score 10-8. Off an attack error from Kaci Jackson, the Tigers would lead the set 164. Tied at 19, Arkansas Tech would score four time and only allow two more Ouachita scores, as they won the set 2521.

In the second set down 9-7, the Lady Tigers went on a 10-1 run with a kill from Jayme Shell and two from Abby Pickett. In response, Arkansas Tech would score five of their own, making the score 17-15. The Tigers would finish the set scoring the next six points, un-

answered and closing out the set with a kill from Stephanie Pollnow.

In the third set, the Lady Tigers set an early run with a 6-1 run. At one point, they led 7-2. However, Arkansas Tech scored 7 of nine with the score 14-12 to grab a 19-16 lead. They would go on to win the set 2522 with a kill from Emily Todd of Tech.

In the fourth and final set, Tech racked up a 13-2 run in a 25-18 victory in the set and a 3-1 win in the game.

Chelsea Hess recorded 14 digs, Ashley Wake added 15 for herself and Jayme Shell put up 11 more for the game. Tara Wait led the team with assists at 32 on the game. Hess also had two and Pickett added another to the team total of 35.

The Lady Tigers did record 39 total spikes on the evening.

The Lady Tigers record is now 13-8 on the season and 5-6 in conference. However, OBU has already clinched a spot in the GAC playoffs.

The Tigers play Central Baptist at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. n

Why the Giants are the most underrated dynasty in sports Winning a championship is the most difficult feat to accomplish in sports. Winning multiple championships is almost impossible.

When discussing modern dynasties in sports, the Miami Heat, Alabama Crimson Tide football team and Connecticut women’s basketball team are usually the teams that come to mind. However, there is one team that has consistently been overlooked.

The San Francisco Giants are in the process of trying to make history by winning their third World Series title in five years.

This would put them in some very prestigious company, yet no one is talking about them as a dynasty.

Since 1970, only two teams have pulled off such an impressive run: the Oakland Athletics who won three consecutive titles from 1972-1974 and the New York Yankees who won in 1996 and from 1998-2000.

Despite the rarity of winning three out of five championships, the Giants have been

Zach Parker Guest Columnist outshined in the spotlight in recent years by the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and even the Los Angeles Dodgers, who haven’t won a World Series since 1988.

A lack of star power is one potential reason why the Giants don’t receive the attention that they deserve.

With only three representatives at the All Star game this year that puts them in company with the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, who finished at or near the bottom of their respective divisions.

Madison Bumgarner, Tim

Hudson, and Hunter Pence are hardly household names to anyone who isn’t an avid baseball fan.

The inability to hit the long ball is another way to avoid the headlines like the Giants have, even with their immense success.

Playing home games in pitcher-friendly AT&T Park is one of the reasons that Buster Posey led the team in home runs this season with a pedestrian 22.

In fact, in the last five seasons, San Francisco has averaged 125 home runs per season, as a team. In that same timeframe, the New York Yankees have averaged 192 and the Boston Red Sox have averaged 176.

To the average fan, the Giants just come off as a boring team.

They don’t get in free agent spending wars in the offseason like big market teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers.

Manager Bruce Bochy

“Winning a championship is the most difficult feat to accomplish in sports.

Winning multiple championships is almost impossible.”

-Zach Parker

doesn’t get in arguments with umpires nor does he provide overly entertaining press conferences to the media. There are no celebrity fans in attendance at home games, and perhaps the most famous player in team history, Barry Bonds, has been considered a villain in the baseball community since his retirement due to alleged steroid use.

There really isn’t anything special about the San Francisco Giants. That is, besides their ability to win.

They aren’t flashy, they have no real superstars and they just get hot at the right time during the end of the season.

Despite all of this, the Giants deserve and must demand more respect than they are getting. If they are able to get past the Kansas City Royals, the San Francisco Giants should undoubtedly be considered a modern dynasty and move ahead of teams like the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals when discussing the best teams of their era. n

6

sports

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, October 23, 2014

BY: HANNA DEAN Staff Writer

As for me, I’ll be temporarily wearing blue over my red shirt for the week.

Sometimes you just have to give the underdog a shot.

—Hanna Dean

New Episodes Debut Fridays at Noon Dr. Jack’s Coffeehouse

This Week: OBU Athletics update with Zach Parker and Dixon Land Intramurals: Tyler Davis cover women’s and men’s upper league soccer.

Watch online at www.obusignal.com

Sports Editor

The Tigers defeated the Bison by three points in overtime this past Saturday as the Matthew Ehaz nailed a kick to win the game.

Ouachita would start the game with 17 unanswered points in a 17-0 lead with just the first quarter gone.

The second quarter was all Harding with an Eric Simmons touchdown run of 44 yards and another touchdown, set up by a 50 yard pass to Donatella Luckett, to give the Bison a 17-14 deficit going into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Bison and the Tigers would not do much on offense with the only points from either team coming from a Matt Ehasz field goal of 27 yards. With the third quarter ended, the Tigers led the Bison 20-14.

But the Bison would not go quietly into the night, scoring on a possession that came from a Tiger fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Simmons would carry the ball in from 11 yards out to make the score 21-20.

On the next Harding possession, Romo Westbrook would take a run 92 yards for a touchdown to make the score 28-20.

Ouachita would get the ball

ranked higher when Ouachita travels across the street in just a few short weeks. Both teams could be undefeated.

Henderson St. has a tougher road ahead of them, as they still have to play 5-1 Harding.

That game will likely say alot about the outcome of the GAC. Ouachita will win the GAC championship if they win out.

If Harding wins and Henderson St. beats OBU, the three teams would be in a three way tie. If Henderson St. wins and the Tigers defeat Henderson St. later this season, the Tigers would win the GAC outright.

There is a chance for a two team GAC entrance into the division two playoffs if Henderson St. and Ouachita go undefeated up to the Battle of the Ravine. The selection committee could choose both teams or just one to represent the GAC. If Henderson St. beats Harding and wins out, and likewise, do the Tigers, this Battle of Ravine could be the biggest one in recent history. Imagine a game where both teams are undefeated in a winner-takeall mentality.

With their performances in Saturday’s game, Ehasz and Frazier were named GAC Players of the Week.

The Tigers will play the Arkansas Tech Wonderboys at Cliff Harris Stadium, this Saturday. Kickoff is 1 p.m. n

Ehasz, Frazier named GAC Players of the Week Kiehl Frazier:

t

Section 244. Row 15. Seat 15. I was two hours early just as I had planned. Clinging to my friend’s jacket, I found myself walking fast and pushing through the thickness of the crowd.

I was too excited to feel the countless number of people that stepped on my toes. The bruises would have to remind me the next morning.

With our tickets in our hand, we flashed them to the woman guarding the escalator and stepped on. Impatiently awaiting the rise to the top, I glanced around, and all I saw was red. I leaped over the grates of the escalator and skimmed the numbers posted on the wall. 242. 243. 244. Finally.

Pulling my friend along, we went out the glass doors and stood in shock. My first sight was the bright, white letters spelling out “Postseason” in the perfectly cut grass. The second was the thousands of people dressed in red, waving white towels in the air.

The third was by far the best.

I looked out into the outfield and saw four Cardinal players in red jackets warming up their arms. Anxiously awaiting the start of the game, we found the stiff, red chairs that were going to be the reason our legs went numb for the next four hours.

That certainly was not an exaggeration. Our legs did go numb, and our stomachs felt as if they had been stuffed enough to last for at least four more days. We yelled until our voices were strained and celebrated each strike delivered to the Giants. By the looks of the ninth inning, extra innings was a definite possibility. Knowing an eight hour drive home awaited us, we started to gather our things to leave. Seconds before we got up to leave, Kolten Wong hit a walkoff home run to end the game. Cardinals win 5-4.

While this was an ideal game for myself, an avid Cardinals fan, to watch, the boys could not pull off the rest of the series. The Giants clinched the pennant and advanced to the 2014 World Series to play against the Kansas City Royals.

So, is the World Series worth watching this year? I believe so.

This year will be the first time in World Series history for two teams to play each other that have both won less than 90 games during the season. San Francisco won 88 games and clinched the wild card after the Brewers lost to Cincinnati. In contrast, Kansas City won 89 games and clinched the wild card after their win over the Chicago White Sox. To some, it is a shock that the Royals have made it thus far.

The team’s one and only World Series title was won in 1985 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Unfortunately, that was the last time, 29 years ago, that the Royals made it to the postseason until this year.

Now, they are once again competing for their second title.

San Francisco has had a bit more luck in the past couple of years. Snagging titles in 2010 and 2012 from the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers, the Giants are prepared to continue their streak.

For many, the Royals are the favored pick of the Series. With a batting average 4th overall in the regular season compared to the Giant’s being 10th overall, it will definitely be interesting to see which of the two teams shows up to play.

Nobody expected this match-up for the Series this year, and that is the whole point of October baseball. No matter who you cheer for, the 2014 World Series will be worth your time.

So, use it as an excuse to put up the homework, invite friends over and splurge on the pizza you’ve been craving for the past month. As for myself, I will be temporarily wearing blue over my red shirt for the week. Sometimes you just have to give the underdog a shot. n

with 2:37 left in the game. With few seconds left in the game, Frazier snapped the ball. After looking for a bit, he found Brandon Marks in the corner of the endzone for a touchdown with no time left in regulation.

The Tigers would then convert a two-point conversion to tie the game at 28.

In overtime, Zack Mitchell recovered a Harding fumble and the Tigers would take over with a chance to win the game with a score.

Matt Ehasz set up to kick the game winning field goal from the Harding 18-yard line, but the try was blocked. Before the snap, the Tigers were called for a false start, which negated the play, giving Matt Ehasz another chance which he would not miss. The Tigers would win the game 31-28 in overtime.

Previous to the game, Harding was ranked no. 13 in the country; Ouachita was ranked 22nd. Following the game, the Bison fell to 23rd. The Tigers advanced to the 18th spot in the country.

With Henderson St. defeating Arkansas Tech 24-3 last Saturday, Henderson St. moves up to No. 4 in the country, behind Minnesota St.-Mankato, Minnesota-Deluth and North Alabama. All three of those teams play unranked opponents this weekend.

Henderson St. could be

BY: DIXON LAND

337 yards total offense 215 Passing yards, 122 Rushing yards 2 TD’s

Matthew Ehasz:

Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy

2/2 on PAT’s 3/3 on field goals Game-winning kick 11 total points

t

Bleeding red, cheering blue

OBU defeats Harding, moves up in polls

Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy

Great American Conference Standings: No. Team

Conf. Perct. Ovr. Perct. Home Away Nuetral Streak

1. Henderson State 6-0 1.000 7-0 1.000 2-0 5-0 0-0 W7 2. Ouachita Baptist 6-0 1.000 6-0 1.000 3-0 3-0 0-0 W6 3. Harding 5-1 0.833 5-1 0.833 2-1 3-0 0-0 L1 4. East Central 4-2 0.667 4-2 0.667 1-1 3-1 0-0 W2 5. Southern Arkansas 4-3 0.571 4-3 0.571 4-0 0-3 0-0 W2 6. SE Okla. State 3-3 0.500 4-3 0.571 3-1 1-2 0-0 W3 7. Arkansas Tech 3-3 0.500 3-4 0.429 3-1 0-3 0-0 L2 8. SW Okla. State 2-5 0.286 2-5 0.286 2-2 0-3 0-0 L4 9. UA-Monticello 1-5 0.167 1-5 0.167 1-2 0-3 0-0 L2 10. NW Okla. State 1-6 0.143 1-6 0.143 1-3 0-3 0-0 L4 11. So. Nazarene 0-7 0.000 0-7 0.000 0-3 0-4 0-0 L7