The Signal | Ouachita Baptist University | 11.14.18

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11.14.18 | Vol. 127, Issue 10 | www.obusignal.com

Thanksgiving baskets to give back to local community

By EMILY MCMASTER Staff writer The Elrod Center assembles around 75 Thanksgiving baskets for families in need. This event started in 2006, and ever since, the baskets have been collected, packaged and delivered by Ouachitonians. The Elrod Center works with Lighthouse Ministries to select and surprise elderlies, single-parent households and unemployed individuals with a Thanksgiving basket annually.

Judy Duvall is the assistant director/coordinator of Elder Serve in the Elrod Center and is also the chairman for the Thanksgiving Basket Program. She shared insight into the families that are provided the Thanksgiving meals.

“Families are not aware that they will receive the food. Calls are made to the homes right before the baskets are delivered. Most of the families are surprised and so grateful. It reminds these families that they are not alone and that there are people who care and want to help,” Duvall said. “The baskets include all of the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal, including a turkey. Along with this, this year the Kluck Grant is providing each family with a Bible for adults along with a Bible for kids.”

Students can stop by the Elrod Center either on Nov. 15 or Nov. 16 in the afternoon to help assemble

the baskets. The baskets will be delivered to over fifty families on Monday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m.

Lauren Archer, a junior speech pathology major and Christian studies minor from Fordyce, is the student leader for the Thanksgiving Basket Program. She encourgaged students to be involved in the event in various ways.

“I would definitely encourage students to be involved in this program. There are several ways to do so, such as bringing food items to place in the boxes around campus, help pack the boxes on the designated day or deliver a few boxes to families in the community,” Archer said. “It is okay that some people do not have a lot of time, because each activity will only take up to around 20 minutes. We are all busy right now with so much going on this time of year. Everyone can spare a few minutes to help people in need, and we need all the help we can get this year because we have more families than ever this season compared to the past several years.

The more people we have helping, the better.”

All students are welcome to help serve in the Thanksgiving Basket Program in any way. In order for this service to be a success, the Elrod Center needs as many hands to help that are available.

“I started delivering Thanksgiving baskets freshman year because I wanted to help some-

Josie Pringle z Photo lab THE ELROD CENTER gathers Thanksgiving meal foods as a part of their annual Thanksgiving Basket Program. This ministry gives students the chance to reach out to local families in need during the Thanksgiving holiday.

one, but I was definitely the one to receive the blessing. These baskets are such a huge deal for the families,” Archer said. “It is so sad to walk into a house, knowing they don’t have much, and them telling you that they really would not be able to have a Thanksgiving meal without it. One of my favorite things about Ouachita is getting to help these families each year, and we couldn’t do it without the students. We get to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Along with collecting canned

foods, helping assemble the baskets and delivering the baskets to families, the Elrod Center is welcoming volunteers to provide homemade baked goods to include.

If students are unable to contribute in any of these ways, money donations are being accepted in the Elrod Center, as well.

“It is just one huge meal for each family and doesn’t come with the promise of more food, better health or a job. However, this one meal at Thanksgiving goes a long way in providing hope and remind-

ing these families that there are people who care about them and want to pray over them,” Duvall said. “This act of caring for others creates a sense of gratefulness for all that we have and reminds us of our responsibility to share our resources and time with those who are going through hard times.

I hope many volunteers will get involved.”

For more information on the Thanksgiving Basket Program, contact the Elrod Center by calling (870) 245-5320. n

Ouachita students prepare for Rush week, discuss expectations with Panhellenic

By SARA PATTERSON Staff writer Ouachita z Courtesy

Anonymous donor gifts OBU with $1 million donation, unrestricted

By OUACHITA News Bureau For the second consecutive year, Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia has received an unrestricted $1 million gift from an anonymous donor.

“The gift is significant for its size and nature as well as its impact,” said Dr. Ben Sells, Ouachita president. “The contribution supports the President’s Innovation Fund that is focused on advancing the university’s new strategic plan, which includes new academic programs.”

An unrestricted gift means that Ouachita can freely decide where to use the money – no strings attached. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, colleges and universities in the United States received only 15 unrestricted gifts of $1 million or more in 2017.

“Ouachita is becoming more innovative, which is crucial to meeting the needs of students and responding to challenges in soci-

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ety,” Sells said. “For example, we recently launched a partnership with Baptist Health for students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at a pace that helps nurses enter the workforce faster, thus addressing Arkansas’ nursing shortage issue.”

The President’s Innovation Fund also supports enrollment and fundraising efforts. Earlier in the fall, Ouachita announced a 7.5 percent increase in enrollment including its highest freshmanto-sophomore retention rate of 83 percent.

The university also reported receiving a record $17.2 million in private support in academic year 2017-2018.

“We are so thankful for this friend’s confidence in the vision, mission and values of Ouachita and hope it encourages others to do likewise,” Sells said. “Ouachita is rising, and we are empowered by students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends who embrace and invest in dreaming a larger dream to advance our university.” n

With the fall semester quickly coming to an end, social club Rush week at Ouachita is just around the corner. Rush week begins during the first week of the spring semester, but the various social clubs on campus have already started preparing.

Last Tuesday, Nov. 7, all Ouachita girls social clubs gathered and invited all girls interested in the Rush process to an optional informational meet-and-greet event in Walker Conference Center.

At the event, each social club set up a booth with miscellaneous items representing their club, including shirts and photo albums from previous events. A small group of girls from each social club stood at their booths and talked to girls about the rush process and information relating to their respective club.

The different girl clubs on campus- Chi Delta, Chi Mu, Chi Rho Phi, EEE and Tri Chi- came together to give girls a preview of the clubs and answer their questions about rush week and participation in social clubs.

In addition, presidents of each social club and members of the 2019 Panhellenic Council also spoke about the benefits of being in a social club and going through

the Rush process and gave the girls in attendance advice about going into Rush.

The OBU Panhellenic Council is made up of a small group of upperclassmen girls from each club who have dropped their letters for Rush purposes. The members of this council became neutral to provide girls who are rushing with an unbiased intermediary person they can go to for guidance during the Rush process.

Presidents of the various girl social clubs include Chi Delta president Madi Morrison, Chi Mu president Allisha Bates, EEE president Elizabeth Bennett, Chi Rho Phi president Mattison Griffin, and Tri Chi president Katie Young.

Social club presidents, along with other social club officers, help to put on rush week activities and represent their clubs.

Annie Phillips, senior history and business major from El Dorado, serves as vice president of Tri Chi and is a primary coordinator of rush activities for the club.

“I loved my Rush experience because I met so many people that I wouldn’t have otherwise, and all of the parties allowed me to see how different and unique each club was. I’m excited for rush this year because I get to plan the parties for Tri Chi, and I’m so excited to give back to my club in that area and be a part in helping the girls have the same great experience that I had,”

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Phillips said.

The Rush experience is meant to be a fun, enjoyable time of bonding for the girls who participate. Phillips, along with other upperclassmen, encourage the girls to have a healthy mindset and prayerful attitude coming in to Rush week.

“My advice to freshman is to be yourself and God will place you in the club you need to be in or even if it’s not in a club. Being in a club is so rewarding but it’s important to always find your identity in God and not in a social club,” Phillips said.

Up next for Girls’ Rush, a mandatory introductory meeting will be held on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 28 to give the girls who plan to participate more detailed information regarding the schedule and expectations.

The boys social clubs on campusEta Alpha Omega, Kappa Chi, Rho Sigma and Beta Beta- are preparing their events for Rush week, as well.

Boys interested in rushing will likely have a similar meeting and will participate during the same week as the girls.

For more information, contact the Director of Student Life, Tim Harrell, the OBU Panhellenic Instagram page or any of the Ouachita students who are involved or hold leadership positions in any of the social clubs. n

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14, November, 2018 u page 2

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[from our perspective]

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

Julia Williams Editor-In-Chief

Will Blase News editor

Will Johnson Opinions/ Sports editor

Anni Williams Copy editor

Catherine Lyp Arts/ Features editor

“Mac and cheese.”

“Deviled eggs.”

“Dinner rolls.”

“Sweet potatoes with marshmallows.”

“Green bean bundles.”

TOP

5

Things you’ll hear at Thanksgiving dinner

5 4 3 2 1

“Well, you’ve gotten real tall!”

“How’s school?”

“What’re your plans after graduation?”

“Are you dating anyone?”

Politics.

News Briefs

A look at the biggest news of the week California Fires What has been deemed as the deadliest blaze in California’s history is still wreaking havoc on both ends of the coastal state.

The blaze hit the northern town of Paradise and reduced it to a hellscape of ash and rubble.

Firefighters on the scene not only battled intense flames, but strong headwinds that threatened to spread the fire out of their control.

8,000 firefighters are battling the flames statewide and won’t cease until they’ve quenched the last spark.

Firefighters have located the remains of 42 individuals that couldn’t escape from the blaze.

Over 230 Californian citizens remain unaccounted for as authorities and rescue teams begin to scour the burnt countryside.

An estimated 370 structures have been destroyed and the number continues to increase.

Source: AP

Stan Lee dies at 95 Creative genuis Stan Lee has passed away at the age of 95. The famed writer is well-known for his role in spawning superheroes like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Incredible Hulk.

Lee was once a top writer at Marvel Comics and later acted as its publisher. Esteemed by colleaugues and competitors alike, Lee’s career was filled with fantastic stories of superhuman abilities and human frailties.

According to some accounts, Lee came up with a new comic idea every week for 10 years.

Lee helped to oversee the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an industry nearly 10 years in the making.

The stories that Lee and his team helped create at Marvel saw a transition to the big screen, something that Lee never took for granted.

Source: AP

Amazon looks to the East coast Amazon announced that it would be deciding between a New York neighborhood and a suburb of Washington for its new headquarters.

The company, centered on the West coast, announced that it would be expanding its headquarters to the East coast earlier this year.

25,000 jobs are estimated to join the new headquarters, some of which will pay up to $150,000 in yearly salaries.

Both locations are prime areas of growth and seclusion for the corporate giant.

The company has looked into affordable housing within both areas to ensure that their employees will be able to adjust to the new headquarters.

Amazon is planning to make the final decision later this week.

Source: AP

Ministry opportunity: UK-USA Ministry Clark County election results, recruitment to be held at Ouachita Republicans fight ‘blue wave’

By BRODY BROWN Online staff writer

By CALEB BYRD Staff writer

Ministries coming to Ouachita to offer education and missions opportunities are not uncommon. Many have come repeatedly. However, U.K.U.S.A. Ministries will soon be here for the first time.

“We have a lot of people that come to campus that recruit for internships or mission opportunities or camp, and so this is a ministry that is coming to campus that helps connect students to ministry work in the United Kingdom,” said James Taylor, director of Campus Ministries.

U.K.-U.S.A. Ministries’ purpose, according to their website, is “making disciples in the United Kingdom through the local church and serving communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Some may ask why the group was formed to focus solely on a first-world country. As it turns out, there are actually very few evangelical Christians in the U.K. and all “denominations in England have declined by 50% in the last 50 years.” Therefore this first world country is in need of mission trips just like their third-world counterparts.

“One of the most memorable things there, it wasn’t necessarily a happy thing, but it kind of struck me very early on when I was there doing one of the after school clubs. I was talking with one of the kids, and she was 8-years-old. We were all drawing pictures and she had drawn a picture, and she had written that it was Jesus. And so I was talking to her about that and she said, ‘Oh, well I actually don’t believe in Jesus,” and I was like, ‘Okay, why is that?’ and she said ‘well, because my parents don’t believe in Jesus and none of my friends believe in Jesus,’” said

Clark County showed no signs of succumbing to the “blue wave” last week as Republicans won every election but one in the traditionally blue county for the first time since Reconstruction.

Clark County has long been considered a Democratic stronghold in the state of Arkansas. While Arkansas was a Democratic state as a whole until the mid-1990’s, Clark County remained blue even in the 2016 election, when it was one of only 10 Arkansas counties to vote for the Democratic candidate for Senate and elected Democratic candidates to a majority of local positions. This year, Clark County residents only elected a Democratic candidate in one race, the District 5 Justice of the Peace in Arkadelphia. The county voiced their approval for all three major statewide incumbent candidates, but also elected Republican candidates to the open seats of county clerk and county assessor.

“I think what is most indicative is the county races. If you look at the statewide races, in the big races, they were all incumbents. So Governor Asa Hutchinson, Attorney General Rutledge, Lieutenant Governor Griffin, all incumbents, don’t have a bad reputation. Clark County was not out of the mainstream. In fact, if you look at the vote totals in those three offices, those three incumbents didn’t do quite as well as they did statewide.

This shows a willingness to vote for incumbents who seem to be doing a decent job, but not on a party basis. This is more on competence,” said Ouachita political science chair Dr. Doug Reed. “The races that really matter in terms of reflecting the county are those that affect the courthouse. Who won the the race for circuit clerk -- an open race, no incumbent? Who wins the race for assessor -- again,

UK-USA Ministries Instagram z Courtesy

Ruthie Gaffner, current junior at Ouachita and Gap Year Worker in the program.

The ministry is coming here to both educate about the U.K.’s need for evangelical Christian influence and advertise opportunities to work with members involved “They offer year round internships as well as summer programs, gap years. They’re coming with the chance to let students know about this particular opportunity,” Taylor said.

The ministry also has a program called “The Journey,” which is “a one to three-year missional experience in the United Kingdom. The experience in “The Journey” will include church placements, school placements, sports outreach, café church (“small, acoustic worship services in local coffee shops”), after school clubs and servant evangelism.

Of course, applying to be apart of “The Journey” requires that you either be a senior, or are about to graduate from

Ouachita, but Gap Year work still offers great opportunities and experiences for students looking to get into ministry.

“Basically what we did is we would go into different communities, and we’d go into different schools in the area and mentor kids one-on-one. We had assemblies on like their thoughts for the day. We’d act as teacher’s assistants in the classroom and help people with their school work. We do after-school clubs where we did Bible stories and snacks and games and just give kids an environment that’s safe and healthy for them to be in. We were each stationed at a different church there, so we would act as a youth leader, totally different than here in America,” Gaffner said.

For more information, visit the Student Center on Nov. 26 or 27 starting after 9 a.m.to talk with the representatives.

“I just hope students get to hear about the opportunities they have and if it’s a good fit for them that they’ll be able to participate,” Taylor said. n

open seat? The seats were open, and you had contested races. Both of those races, the Republican comfortably won in Clark County.

That is clearly different than it has been in the past.”

The elections in Clark County were not deviant from Arkansas as a whole. Republicans won every statewide office, 13 of 18 state senate races and 76 of 100 state house races. Dr. Reed feels the wholehearted shift from Democratic to Republican politics Arkansas has experienced in the last 20 years is in large part due to a shift in party ideology.

“I don’t think Clark Countians have changed their political views at all,” said Reed. “I think Arkansas has caught up with the rest of the South. If you start looking at what used to be the conservative Democratic wing of the party, which were predominantly Southerners, those people don’t exist anymore. They don’t serve in Congress. Those seats have been predominantly won by Republicans. Ideologically, the parties begin to shift. It’s not a matter of Clark County really changing. It’s that events changed around it, and people stayed the same.”

In the South as a whole in these midterm elections, Democrats gained significant ground, but mainly in urban states and districts. Democrats took eight southern seats from incumbent Republicans in the House of Representatives, but likely lost two southern Senate seats to the GOP in Missouri and Florida. In the country as a whole, the Democrats will likely gain 34 seats in the House of Representatives.

While the country as a whole took a step to the left in the 2018 elections, Republicans can take pride in solidifying their base in southern counties such as Clark.

The conversion of the remnants of the old Democratic South shows the manner in which the country is increasing in its polarization. n

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Hunting season brings feelings of home, Southern culture

By JULIE WILLIAMS Editor-In-Chief

An Arkadelphia native named Kendall Hunter said to the Southern Standard several years ago, “There are three things that bring people together in southwest Arkansas. That’s Christmas, camp meeting and deer season.”

Christmas, of course, gathers people everywhere. But in an area like this, you might find yourself at family reunions and Christmas gatherings with people that aren’t even our family. However, you’re close enough that you might as well be family.

Camp Meeting is a weekly summer tent revival out near Hollywood, a small community a little but west of Arkadelphia.

For those of you unfamiliar with the area, some of you may call it “Camp Death.” That ghost-town looking spot in the woods is not deadly at all, but it is actually the home of a decades-old tradition of sharing the Gospel of Christ.

Deer season, however, comes with its own traditions and institutions. The entire month of November, including parts of October and December, are not shaped by a work schedule or by the kids’ activities schedule.

Life, instead, revolves around the woods.

For many students at Ouachita, this is true, as well. Some have grown up in such a world where the greatest part of a fall morning is rising before the dawn with a thermos full of coffee and an eyefull of creation. One of these avid hunters is Anthony Kennedy.

Kennedy, a sophomore Christian studies major, grew up in Mena a couple of hours west of campus, and as he described it, “was hunting since I can remember, maybe in diapers.”

“Well, I guess you could say it’s a family thing,” Kennedy said. “We’ve got pictures of me on my dad’s shoulders, and I was maybe three.”

Because of his upbringing in the woods and the everyday

Anthony Kennedy z Courtesy

Anthony Kennedy z Courtesy

conversation around hunting, Kennedy also said that coming to Ouachita was a bit of a culture shock.

“I’m surprised at the amount of people who have never been hunting before or have never shot a gun before or never even held a gun before,” Kennedy said. “It really amazes me, and it actually makes me really sad because of all the good memories I’ve had while hunting, and I want to share that with everybody.”

He elaborated that many of his greatest childhood memories have surrounded his time in the deer woods, mostly those outings he took with his great uncles and his grandfather. While they often never killed much because of all the “cutting up” and “making racket,” Kennedy said that he was close to a lot of these men and simply enjoyed the chance to do something together. These experiences are some of the best memories that he has of time with his family after they had

gone.

He also stated that many who are inexperienced with hunting or with guns may think that “hunting is a bunch of triggerhappy rednecks going out, and ‘if it hops, it drops’ kind of thing,” Kennedy said. “That is absolutely not the case. Hunting is a big part of the Southern culture. It’s how we manage the population and how we help things grow, because without deer management or hunting of any sort, it wouldn’t be good.”

He continued by elaborating on the conservation efforts of hunters and the Game and Fish Commission. During the Depression, he said, due to the poor economy, many people killed off a large portion of the deer population. It was only through bag limits imposed by the Game and Fish Commission later on that there has been a healthier deer population. He said that if deer populations were to rise too high, that it could be

LEFT: ANTHONY KENNEDY poses as a young child with his first turkey, his father and his younger sister. ABOVE: A young Kennedy walks to the water’s edge with his father in full camouflage. While Kennedy said that hunting is a celebration of Southern culture, it was also a family affair for him.

a safety concern for those in the community on roads, as well as cause disease and habitat crises for the deer.

Kennedy also encouraged anyone who might want to hunt to look into it. “I would absolutely encourage everybody to go hunting,” Kennedy said.

He continued that using common sense and being educated on the laws and practices is necessary before going into the woods to hunt.

Kennedy said that when he was still in high school, it was not uncommon for him to be able to hunt everyday during the season.

He hunted a lot of land close to where he lived that was only accessible by four-wheel-drive truck, and sometimes not even then if the roads were flooded.

Coming to Ouachita, however, offered some small, yet temporary barriers to his hunting practices. He soon began to hunt public land around Lake DeGray, and with an uncle who

lives nearby, he is able to store more of his gear. Being that Ouachita is a gun-free zone, not having his guns readily available can be more difficult to get him to the woods. He did state that his school schedule can usually be arranged to allow him more hunting time.

In addition to his hunting locally, Kennedy does still like to go home to hunt. Being away can make anyone homesick, but it hits him more during this time of year.

“One thing that college has taught me is that hunting is definitely not the most important thing,” Kennedy said. “This semester, it was hard to find the drive to do things, and you remember the beauty, and that beauty was in how simple life was living back home. You just woke up, worked hard and went hunting, but here, it pushes you and makes you grow in a way that you’ve never had to before.” n

First Baptist Church: serving Arkadelphia through faith

By KATELYN MYERS Online staff writer

First Baptist Church Arkadelphia on Pine Street opened its doors over 150 years ago and has served their community in many ways.

With three services and several ministries every week, members of the church have created a strong bond amongst the congregation and their peers within Arkadelphia.

According to the FBC website, their vision statement is “to demonstrate and share Christ’s love by putting our faith into action that confronts the human needs in Arkadelphia and around the world.”

FBC has traditional Baptist services with recent changes.

Three years ago, the head pastor of FBC decided to retire. Their youth pastor, Jimmy Darby, felt called to step into the role of head pastor and lead the church.

The transition between the two positions of youth pastor and head pastor felt seamless and natural.

Shane Seaton, recreation

director of Ouachita Baptist University and deacon of FBC, believes that Darby’s “heart for the community” continues to spread throughout the church.

Darby’s sermons since have given the congregation new challenges and thoughts that push their spiritual growth every Sunday.

“I love his challenging sermons,” Seaton said. “He does a good job of taking the scripture and making it truly applicable to life. There is always something that I can think and pray about at the end of his sermons.”

Darby’s start as FBC’s youth pastor gave him the opportunity to already be connected with the younger generation and the longtime members of the church.

The gap between the generations of the church is becoming less prevalent and displays that FBC is home for many types of people.

Jack Bennington, a sophomore mass communications major, grew up in Arkadelphia and attended FBC every week for most of his childhood.

Bennington enjoyed being a part of the First Baptist youth group

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with Darby as their youth pastor and appreciates Darby even more as his pastor.

Bennington is now an intern for the FBC youth group and ministers to the middle school aged students.

“I love the community of the church,” Bennington said. “For me, FBC is just really genuine.

It is my home. I know everyone, and their hearts are for the Lord.”

Families of Arkadelphia have seen growth not only within the church but have experienced the effects the church has had on members of their own family.

The strong feeling of community creates a safe place for the families to listen to the Word of God with their fellow peers.

Dr. Deborah Root, professor of communications and director of institutional research, recalls that her most admired aspect of FBC is watching her daughter’s spiritual walk grow because of the church’s ministry for her family.

“Our daughter was baptized in the church,” Root said. “She had a wonderful accountability group growing up with others

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kids from Arkadelphia. To watch her grow and see the influence of the church, even when she was in college, truly is what I admire.”

FBC’s vision to “confront the human needs of Arkadelphia” can be seen through some of their annual ministries.

“Arms Around Arkadelphia” is their vocal ministry opportunity that occurs every year for an entire week. Church members of FBC and other local churches volunteer their time to help the townspeople of Arkadelphia with tasks that they may not have the ability or monetary funds to do so on their own.

“Arms Around Arkadelphia” brings skilled workmen to homes that may need construction or plumbing done, as well as leaf raking or window cleaning. The ministry is designed to execute projects that cannot be done in one day and that may require more skills to accomplish the job.

“It’s not a mission trip, it’s a mission life,” Bennington said.

“That week is to show how the church is supposed to serve. We celebrate the fact that we can

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

serve in our community.”

A specialized team for “Arms Around Arkadelphia” makes food every day for all of the volunteers and the people who receive their help. Providing food allows families to not stress over preparing meals and gives more opportunities to create bonds within the community of Arkadelphia.

“It is neat because you also have people from different churches working on the projects to come eat,” Root said. “Not only are they out all day working on projects but they get to fellowship and worship together as well.”

FBC is continuously finding new ways to better serve their community and fellow church members. New Sunday school classes and home group bible studies are being added every year. FBC is excited for their future and the growth that God has blessed them with.

“I truly am spiritually fed,” Seaton said. “I feel like God restores my soul when I go to church at First Baptist on Sunday mornings.” n

The Signal is the student newspaper of Ouachita Baptist University, and is published every Wednesday 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.

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“Bohemian Rhapsody” displays Queen fame on big screen

By WILL JOHNSON News editor

The flashy Freddie Mercury shook the big screen in Queen’s energetic biopic: “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The film explored the life of a distinguished musician and his blistering course through fame.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” analyzes Queen’s rise to the top of the charts. The movie is paced by the band’s harmonious tunes and rock lifestyle in an attempt to carefully construct Queen’s history. “Bohemian Rhapsody” appeals to a range of audiences, from fans of ‘70s rock to movie connoisseurs to simply those looking for a good film to watch over the weekend.

Though the movie would be incomplete without all four band members playing a role in the story, the purpose of the biopic seems to center around the peaks and pits of a renowned individual.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” begins with lead singer Freddie Mercury, played to near perfection by actor Rami

Malek, showcasing his presence backstage directly before the concert. The opening scene encapsulates the film’s focus, as others gaze in awe of Mercury’s wild, distinct behavior while he gets ready to step onto the stage. Throughout the film, his personality evolves as a musically gifted, yet confused individual.

Between his relationship with family, band members and lovers, Mercury battles a constant struggle in his personal life.

Queen’s growth from a small British rock band picking up gigs around London to a worldwide sensation is truly one of the most interesting storylines in the film.

Director Bryan Singer elects to bolt through the group’s rise from local to international fame.

The growth from obscurity to stardom happens in the blink of an eye. Early in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Mercury impresses the band with his vocal range in order to secure the job as lead singer, a moment that begins to accelerate the film’s pace. After a few management and album decisions, Queen was one of the

“The Grinch” steals hearts of audiences members

By CATHERINE LYP Arts / Features editor

Last Friday, Nov. 9, “The Grinch” became available to the public. “The Grinch,” based on the Dr. Seuss book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” retells the classic story of a creature who dislikes Christmas in a town full of those who cherish the season.

The movie begins with narration to set up the story, just as the previous two versions of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

The narration, which is riddled with Dr. Seuss style rhymes, is added at the beginning and continues throughout the film.

Once the main characters, The Grinch, Max, Cindy Lou Who and Cindy Lou Who’s mother, Donna, are introduced, the narration takes a break and the film continues to build upon the existing plot.

Just as in the previous films and book, the Grinch’s dog, Max, acts as a servant and one of the few friends the Grinch has. After the Grinch wakes to Christmas music playing from his radio, and promptly throws various objects at it to stop the music, he drinks the coffee Max made him and goes downstairs for breakfast.

Upon sitting at his kitchen table and revealing his empty plate, the Grinch becomes aware that the stash of food he had purchased to last until January had not been enough, leaving no food in the cave. Begrudgingly, The Grinch and Max left their solitude and ventured into Whoville. After the Grinch bought his Who Hash and treated a few townspeople with a less than friendly greeting, they made their way back to Mount Crumpet.

The film continues as the large tree for Whoville is flown next to the Grinch’s home, resulting in the realization that Christmas has become too much, and he must stop it before it gets worse. In a methodical and well thought out plan, the Grinch and Max then prepare to steal Christmas. The movie continues with a the Grinch sewing, building and stealing various materials to complete his Santa Claus outfit and sleigh.

On Christmas Eve, after all those in Whoville are asleep awaiting Santa, the Grinch and Max make their way to the town and steal every indication of Christmas from the town.

Upon waking to find that their gifts and decorations have been taken, the Whos start out upset and concerned, but are quickly led by Cindy Lou to join hands

by the Christmas tree and sing.

The Grinch, looking down from Mount Crumpet as he prepares to push the sleigh and all traces of Christmas off the cliff, stops in confusion at the town below.

Soon, the Grinch is overcome by the beauty of the singing radiating from the town and decides to return what he stole.

After returning the sleigh and it’s contents, the Grinch, with his heart that has grown three sizes, takes Max back to their lonely cave in the mountain.

With his new found appreciation for Christmas, the Grinch gives Max a green chew toy when an unexpected visitor knocked at the door. As the Grinch open the door, he is surprised to see Cindy Lou Who, who climbed the mountain with an invitation to Christmas dinner. The movie ends with a small family gathering of Whos, the Grinch and Max celebrating Christmas together as new found friends.

With the two other films of the same name that precede this year’s release, I expected the new version to be almost identical to the others, yet I was surprised by all the new story developments added within this film. The previous films stating the Grinch have all shown the character as a person who simply doesn’t like Christmas because it’s loud and, in his view, unnecessary, and thus is blatantly mean to the Whos as a result. However, rather than having the Grinch be has he was previously portrayed, The Grinch showed him not as a spiteful Scrooge, but instead as someone who is troubled by their past and doesn’t understand the joy of Christmas because he has never experienced it before.

Similarly, other characters such as Cindy Lou and her family are given a backstory, while previously there was little humanization and character development within the other films.

Along with the characters themselves, the setting and animation in the film was phenomenal. The rounded edges within the three dimensional animation as well as the over the top decorating styles of the Whos perfectly illustrated the story’s setting, as if it had been directly taken from the book. The addition of technology to attempt to bring the Grinch into today’s society was subtle, yet effective.

Overall, the scenery and character design fit perfectly with the plot to create something that is reminiscent of the book and films, while still adding something new to the list of Christmas classics. n

most popular rock bands on the planet. Although I would have liked to see more depth in this segment of the movie, I respect Singer’s directing decision. The result certainly wasn’t a bore.

My favorite moment in the film was the humorous backand-forth dialogue between Mercury and record executive Ray Foster, portrayed by Mike Myers. The band argues whether they should record and produce an experimental album known as “A Night at the Opera,” which includes the world-famous track: “Bohemian Rhapsody.” I won’t spoil the negotiation, but there are a few laugh-out-loud jokes as well as a “Wayne’s World” reference.

Of course, “Bohemian Rhapsody” would not be the same without its effective musical presence to help pace the film.

The classic hits helped frame every scene. From “Somebody to Love” to “We Will Rock You” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” each song captured the story of Queen.

As mentioned earlier, “Bohemian Rhapsody” covers

Mercury’s personal life and relationships. His constant battle with homosexuality and partying greatly impacted his career.

Although Mercury contracted AIDS and passed away in the early ‘90s, his name will live on in rock-and-roll history forever.

The biopic successfully captures how critically Queen influenced music, with Mercury at the forefront.

Though I have always appreciated music released before my lifetime, I never grew up listening to Queen. I have seen a few music biographical films, including “Love and Mercy” which explored a band I know much more about. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was a different film, not necessarily because of the movie itself, but instead due to my lack of knowledge for Queen’s history. “Bohemian Rhapsody” wasn’t 100 percent accurate, but it introduced one of the greatest bands of all time, including a brilliant singer and songwriter, to younger audiences that may have little to no knowledge about the group.

I love Singer’s depiction of

Mercury’s character at the end of the film, as it circles back to the opening scene. “Bohemian Rhapsody” opens with Mercury’s back to the camera as he gets ready to go on stage – to absorb the spotlight for himself.

He is the sole focus in the scene.

Throughout the film, Mercury comes across as self-centered individual who believed he gained popularity on his own. In the waning moments of the film, prior to the Live Aid concert, Mercury learns the value of family. He realizes he didn’t experience fame on his own and needed the support of his fellow band members. Just before the concert, Mercury walks toward the stage; however, the camera shot instead shows Mercury from the front side, along with the other three group members.

The importance of the band as one instead of four separate affiliates is apparent here.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” wasn’t a perfect film, but it opened my eyes to Queen’s musical relevancy in the ‘70s and ‘80s, as well as Mercury’s inspiration for future rock singers. n

OBU awaits Thanksgiving Meal

OPINIONS

14, November, 2018 u page 5

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Tradition versus innovation during holiday season

By ASHLY STRACENER Staff writer

‘Tis the season of tradition. The Battle of the Ravine has just ended and students are eagerly awaiting Christmas, if Thanksgiving has not been forgotten yet. Traditions represent a wide, diverse range of customs, events or actions which symbolize the values of various cultures but despite differing religions, races and genders, typically everyone engages in tradition at one point or another.

Regardless of how they emerge or how silly they may seem, every family has them and they hold a certain power and can serve as a way to connect us to those who have gone before us. As we begin to transfix on the winter holidays, this power becomes overwhelmingly apparent. They give us a feeling of belonging and are comfortable in their predictability and familiarity, giving a sense of order no matter what is happening.

Whether simple or extravagant, tradition is a universal occurrence. For my family, holiday traditions always meant tables groaning under the weight of all the food, children running around underfoot and everyone gathering together to catch up, eat, cook, play games and love each other. Basically just picture a scene from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” but southern style. Just thinking about these old holiday traditions makes me smile because of the power memories hold. I am sure almost everyone can think of holiday traditions within their family that they think of fondly.

However, because of the strong-hold tradition does have on us, we can often become slaves to tradition and resistant to any sort of change, even if it is for the better. It leads to

Shutterstock Images z Courtesy

the question of which is better: tradition or innovation?

When I was younger, my parents added onto our house.

There was lots of noise, new people and worst of all, change.

They got rid of a lot of the grassy field I would play in, the slab of cement I would ride my bike on and worst of all, they changed the beloved color of our house. I remember one of the nice construction workers sat down beside me one day as I was watching the progress and asked if I was excited about the new house. Rude child that I was, I looked at him angrily, stuck my tongue out at him and ran inside, slamming the door in his face. Other than learning I was not always the sweetest of children, this anecdote shows

how horrible I was at accepting change. I absolutely hated any kind of adjustment and clung to traditions fiercely because they made sense, were recognizable and constant. It wasn’t until divorce entered my family that I realized the necessity of innovation.

Once relatives began splitting up, huge, traditional family meals were no longer a part of my life and once my parents separated, I realized I had no more traditions to cling to anymore and would have to learn to embrace change for once in my life. I think embracing innovation is what really prepared me for college life. No longer would I be able to depend on anything familiar but would have to figure out what made the holidays joyous to me.

Ask The Signal

By HANNAH WEBBER Staff writer

What made you decide to go to Ouachita, and do you feel you made the right choice?

For many people, serious thoughts about where to go to college usually begin sometime between sophomore and junior year of high school, but not for me. For me, thoughts about college began my eighth-grade year when my older sister, a junior at the time, started the process of college visits.

Despite my constant stream of arguments to convince them otherwise, my parents decided I was too young to stay home by myself and dragged me along to all my sister’s college tours. As you can probably guess, I was not very happy with the arrangement. But, after reminding myself this was not about me and wanting to be the supportive younger sister, I grinned and bared it. While there were some moments where my interest was piqued, none of the schools seemed to stand out to me.

After five or six colleges, hours of driving, the chronic boredom of listening to dozens of tours guides and professors talking about a subject I had little interest in and my constantly aching feet from

walking miles at a time, I was getting a little tired of it all. Before the visit, I thought the only unique thing about Ouachita was the fact the name was very hard to pronounce.

However, once I stepped foot on campus, I realized this one was different. Just the fact that there were actual trees on this campus made it stand out to me and the fact they were in the full bloom of spring made the campus even more beautiful.

But it wasn’t just the trees that made the school stand out to me. Every aspect of this campus seemed to radiate life: the people, the air, even the buildings seemed to breathe in their own way. I hung on every word of the tour guide, absorbing all I could about the school and even asked some questions of my own.

Ouachita was the only college that made me think about where I wanted to go to further my education after graduation, but the decision to go there did not come until years later.

Fast forward to my junior year of high school when the question of where to go to college became a very real and very time sensitive issue. I looked at other schools in my area, like LeTourneau and Mary-Hardin Baylor, but I knew in the back of my mind I really wanted to go to Ouachita. Ouachita was the only school I had done a college tour at, and every time I stepped on

campus for one of my sister’s many plays and concerts, it still felt like home. My only doubt was the fact that my sister went to Ouachita, as well, and I feared I would just be known as “Rachel’s little sister” and not have the chance to become my own person. However, my doubts quickly vanished the day Ouachita posted a list of new majors they would be offering.

The same day the list came out, I had finally decided I wanted to work in history museums, mainly as a tour guide, museum curator or an archivist. I believe that was no coincidence, as one of the new majors was public history, a major that trained you in how to be a tour guide, curator or archivist in a history museum.

I took that as a sign and did everything in my power in order to be able to afford this school. I was soon rewarded with an acceptance letter and scholarship from Ouachita.

Having been at Ouachita for nearly four months, taking classes, meeting new friends, having my first taste of a job and just having more responsibility in general, I now know I have made the right decision in going to Ouachita and have no doubts about going here. I truly believe God sent me here for a reason, and I am excited to see what it is. n

Submit your “Ask The Signal” questions at signal@obu.edu.

Instead of elaborate family meals, my mom and I would have a simple meal or have a potluck with friends who did not have large families to share the holidays with either. Since I rarely get to go home and am always on campus, as soon as I do get home, we set up the tree while listening to Bing Crosby, and I create traditions on campus with friends, as well. Every year, my suite and I attend the Speechie tree lighting and drink hot chocolate. We also love to change our door decorations with the seasons, and campus would just not be the same without our movie nights. Though simple, it is a way for us to make campus home through tradition.

I do not think one idea is better than the other, though I do tend

to favor innovation. Both have their merits and the struggle is to find the balance so that there is something new within the old.

I believe the issue is when we become so entrenched within our own traditions that they become old and tired and when change comes, we are unable to accept it, making us unaccepting of other’s personal traditions and customs. That is why, this holiday season, I believe we should all give something new a try. Family traditions do not have to be disrupted, but realize life will not always be static.

Learn more about those around you by sharing family traditions with your suite or friends and try making your own here on campus, learning to make any place home. n

Thanksgiving brings feelings of home

By WILL BLASE News editor

Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions in our lives.

Sometimes these decisions lead us to pursue an education far from home. Sometimes the opportunity to travel home doesn’t present itself until the Thanksgiving holiday rolls around.

Living 2,000 miles away from home presents itself with a plethora of difficulties. The biggest obstacle is, obviously, homesickness.

As my freshman year drew to a close, I was torn between remaining at Ouachita or transferring home to attend a university with friends that I’d grown up with. I’d made a great group of friends at Ouachita, but the distance between me and my actual home was creating a fissure in my day-to-day life.

An overwhelming amount of support through my professors and my peers, helped me make the decision to remain at Ouachita.

My sophomore year I returned invigorated. I planned to travel home as much as possible. My efforts saw little progress and in a last-ditch effort to return home before Thanksgiving break, I pitched the idea of traveling to my home in Monument, Colo. over fall break with a few friends.

The trip would require us to drive 17 hours following the close of classes on Wednesday and return back to Arkadelphia by Sunday afternoon.

Admittedly, this wasn’t my brightest idea. We drove an exhausting amount, spent two days with my family and then turned around and drove back to Arkansas—all within a fourday period. Just being home was completely worth the lack of sleep.

Junior year presented itself with a new obstacle. After

spending the better part of two years at Ouachita, I found a shift in my depiction of home.

After watching “Garden State” (2004) early in the semester, I was struck by a quote from the film.

“You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn’t really your home anymore? All of the sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff, that idea of home is gone… You’ll see when you move out. It just sort of happens one day, one day it’s just gone.

And you can never get it back.”

This resonated with me and began a period of deep reflection on my time at Ouachita and the prospects that the future holds for me. I’ve felt this shift where my familial home is beginning to feel less like my true home.

I’m a senior now and my time at Ouachita has felt like a home to me; I’m surrounded by people that I love and cannot imagine a life apart from. But I will have to leave this home eventually.

At the same time, life without my family and a set home scares me, but there is a truth to be found in this quote. Home is a people, a people that you hold closest to your heart and cherish every lasting moment. Nobody can take that away from you.

We’re pushed to “graduate” our homes and pursue a life of our own. And maybe, later down the road, you’ll begin your own home; a home with a new family and new people that you must begin nurturing and preparing for the next home.

As I look to Thanksgiving break, I look toward returning to a home, a home that I’m still very much a part of. I look to Bath and Bodyworks candles, burning into the long hours of the night, to pumpkin pie and endless coffee, to board games around the fireside and to deep and meaningful conversation with my family—my home. And for this, I give thanks. n

SPORTS

www.obusignal.com

14, November, 2018 u page 6

Tigers push for national championship after claiming top seed in region

By BATES YOAKUM Staff writer

The Tigers wrapped up the regular season this past weekend by defeating conference rival Henderson State, 38-10, in the annual Battle of the Ravine. This year, the Tigers crossed the street to play the Reddies in what proved to be an exciting game.

Ouachita’s victory capped off a perfect 11-0 regular season.

The NCAA Division-II Football Committee rewarded the Tigers with the 1-seed in Super Region Three during Sunday’s Selection Show, which means the team receives a first round bye. Ouachita will host the winner of Fort Hayes St. and the University of Indianapolis (UIndy) on Nov. 24.

The offensive effort given by the Tigers on Saturday was stellar as the rushing offense ran for a total of 246 yards, which also included four touchdowns. Arkadelphia native Kris Oliver led the rushing game for the Tigers with 68 total rushing yards in the contest.

Junior running back Brockton Brown also gave a nice boost to the Tigers rushing effort as he ran for a total of 63 yards. Brown also had three touchdowns for Ouachita in the contest, which led the team.

With the three touchdowns from the game, Brown now has a total of 15 touchdowns on the season.

Quarterback Brayden Brazeal passed for 66 yards and a touchdown. Brazeal also rushed for 67 yards, which also included a rushing touchdown.

Senior Drew Harris also proved to be useful for the Tiger offense against Henderson State as he led

Person z Photo Credit Kori Goudeau z Photo lab A OUACHITA TIGER faces a Henderson Reddie in Saturday’s Battle of the Ravine. With a 38-10 victory over their rival, Ouachita remains undefeated in conference play heading into play-offs.

the team in receptions with a total of three. Harris also led the team in receiving yards with 26.

Leading the way for the Ouachita defense was senior linebacker Airric Parker. Parker had eight tackles for the day and also intercepted a pass in the few remaining minutes of the fourth quarter, which would give the Tigers the edge to win the game.

Austin Guymon would also have a strong defensive presence with seven stops in the contest; Keandre Evans also added four tackles and two pass breakups for the Ouachita defense.

Jake Ford, the punter for Ouachita, showed up again where

he averaged 38.5 yards on a total of four punts for the Tigers. Ford ended up forcing Henderson State back inside of their own 20 yardline on three separate occasions.

The first touchdown for Ouachita would come in the first quarter in the second drive of the game for the Ouachita offense.

In the opening play of the drive, Kris Oliver found an opening in the Reddies defense and ran to the Reddies 23-yard line, which was a gain of 14-yards for the Tigers. A few plays later Ouachita was forced into a third-and-nine situation within the Henderson redzone. Brazeal got the opening score as he could not find an open

Ouachita athlete recalls swimming experiences

By CAITY HATCHETT Staff writer

Spencer Ewing z Photo lab FRESHMAN JACOB STREET passes the ball in last week’s game. This first game of conference play resulted in a 83-76 victory for the Tigers.

Basketball splits pair of games

By CODY POE Staff writer

The Ouachita Tigers faced off against both Oklahoma State University (0-1) in an exhibition match and opened their regular season up against Central Baptist University (1-1) making their official record 1-0.

In the exhibition match against Oklahoma State University, the Tigers came up short, losing 8059. OSU is a Division I school in the Big XII conference. Last season, OSU went 21-15 (8-10 Big XII) and finished fifth in the Big XII conference.

“First five minutes was a little overwhelming. We didn’t handle that situation as well as we should have. All in all, it was a great experience for our guys, and we learned a lot about our team. Things we need to work on, things we need to improve on. Just being able to have that opportunity was great for our program, and our guys at the end of the day really enjoyed it,” said Dennis Nutt, head coach of the Ouachita Tigers.

The Tigers started off the first half of the game rather slowly, getting their first points in the 15-minute mark by Kyle Wright from Newark, NJ. Matt Stanley from Cabot and Jacob Street from Nacogdoches, Texas started scoring later for Ouachita and closed the second half, trailing 39-24.

The second half of play did not go Ouachita’s way either. OSU went on a scoring outbreak this half and increased their lead by as much as 25 points. Despite OSU’s scoring, three Tigers were able to put-up double-digit points.

Stanley was three rebounds away from a double-double as he led the team with 18 points. Eric Brown from Greenville, Miss. put up 11 points, and in only nine

minutes of play time, Grant Jones from Glen Rose, Ark. scored 10 points.

OSU has a mixed team consisting of mostly juniors and freshman who range from 6-1 to two players that are 6-10.

“Going against that size and length was difficult, it was hard to get that look in practice. You would have to go against it once or twice to get a feel for it,” Nutt said.

Last Friday, the Ouachita Tigers opened their regular season in Bill Vining arena against Central Baptist University (1-1). In this early season matchup, the Tigers came out on top, 83-76.

This victory came off the shoulders of multiple Tigers including junior Trey Harris from Little Rock as he put up a career high 23 points, Stanley, Morris Talbert from North Little Rock and senior Mahlon Martin from Little Rock.

The first half of play did not go as fast as the Tigers hoped. They were shooting below 50 percent of their shots as a team. With their lack of scoring the CBU Mustangs took over the first half.

The first of the lead widening was after CBU’s Percell Washington’s scored and pushed the score to 15-8. The score difference grew as large as 16 points and by the end of the first half CBU led the Tigers by 11.

The second half was much better for the Tigers. After scores from multiple Tigers, a threepoint shot from Harris gave the Tigers their first lead of the night at 61-60. While their lead did not grow as large as CBU’s 16 point one in the first half, the Tiger’s 52 points in the second half were more then enough to give them their first victory of the season.

The Tigers’ next game will be Friday, Nov. 17, as they travel to Dallas, Texas to face off against Dallas Baptist University. n

receiver and ran 22 yards into the endzone.

The second touchdown came from Brockton Brown, finding the end zone from the Reddies’ 4-yard line for his first score of the game.

At the end of the first quarter, the Tigers led Henderson State 14-0.

With 10:50 left in the second quarter, the Reddies started their second drive which would give them their first score of the game with a pass from Stammetti to Johnson that resulted in a 36- yard touchdown.

Ouachita quickly responded with a 10-play, 57-yard drive.

Brazeal would take a sack on third down at the Henderson State 18.

This brought out Senior kicker Cole Antley who kicked his 11th field goal on the season and put three more points on the board for Ouachita.

To end the first half, Brazeal connected to La’Darius McElroy at the 10-yard line to give Ouachita a 24-7 lead going into halftime.

During the third quarter of play, Henderson State was the only one to put up any points, with kicker Temo Martinez, who kicked a field goal to push the Reddies up to 10.

At the end of the third quarter Ouachita still remained in control with a 24-10 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Brockton Brown looked to be down, but emerged from the hole on the right side of the field to run into the endzone for a 42-yard touchdown.

Late in the fourth quarter, Reddie quarterback Stammetti forced a turnover as Ouachita linebacker Airric Parker intercepted the pass and ran back to the Henderson State 3-yard line. Following this, Brockton Brown found his in to the endzone for his third touchdown of the game.

In last year’s Battle of the Ravine, played at Cliff Harris Stadium, Ouachita came out with a win against Henderson by a score of 4942. Following the conclusion of last year’s game, the Tigers claimed the 2017 GAC conference title and ended the season with a 9-3 overall record. As for the overall record for Henderson and Ouachita, following last weekend’s contest, the All-Time series is now tied at 43-43-6.

Ouachita plays the victor of Fort Hayes St. and UIndy on Nov. 24.

The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium. n

Being a swimmer holds a lot of memories for senior Noah Day. He began his career as a competitive swimmer in his freshman year of high school, but even before that, the pool was special to him.

“My grandfather had a pool at his house, and so, every single time after church, I would go to his house and go for a swim. He would tell me how I would have broad shoulders and how I have shoulders like a swimmer, and so he kind of put that dream inside of me,” Day said.

Day has been on Ouachita’s swim team for four years now, and it’s definitely challenging for him. He’s had to work hard, and there have been moments where he had to realize that his academics were his priority.

“You have to balance it, and sometimes I have to skip practice because I can’t swim if I don’t pass. And so that was my mindset sometimes: ‘I can’t go to this practice because I have a test tomorrow and I don’t feel prepared for it,’” Day said. “And Coach Bostick understands that; he understands that his swimmers are here to be students first and athletes second.”

Day relies a lot on planning ahead and knowing what’s coming up to get him through each school year. His best friend is often his planner.

“I have to plan ahead. Right before school starts, I have everything written down in my planner,” Day said. “It’s understanding how much more time you have to take out in order to be successful in the classroom, simply because there’s so much time that’s spent in the pool.”

Day has struggled a bit with being a student athlete, especially with not wanting swim to define him. He works hard in the pool during practice and swim meets, but also makes sure to work just as hard in his academics and involvement on campus.

“One thing that I wanted to do was swim in college. But I also didn’t want to look back on my four years and say the only thing I did was swim,” Day said.

“My dilemma was, ‘How do I be a student athlete but also be a

friend, also be involved in other things around campus? How do I be involved in ministry, but also be an athlete?’ I never want to be defined as ‘the swimmer.’ I want to be defined by a multitude of things, not just one. And so, I kind of had to pick and choose.”

Besides being an athlete, Day is also a member of Eta Alpha Omega, a Tri Chi Beau, and a part of the Tiger Serve Day leadership team. These activities allow him to be involved on campus, but don’t demand too much of his time. He genuinely enjoys being a part of all of these groups, and he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

“Being involved in all three of these organizations makes me feel purposeful, that I’m not just taking but giving back— especially with being on the Tiger Serve Day team,” Day said. “Eta and Tri Chi have allowed me the great opportunity of knowing people from all different backgrounds, which is a really sweet gift.”

As a Christian studies major, Day already has three potential paths for his life after college.

While none of them include swimming, they are fairly diverse.

“There’s a church in Dallas called Watermark that I would really love to be a part of in some aspect… There’s a residency program that I want to pursue, and it’s for a year. They’re going to give me a little bit more time to figure that out,” Day said. “After that, it’s either Watermark fulltime; seminary for preaching, biblical teaching, or biblical counseling; or medical school.

That’s very oddball because I came in as biology. And so, it’s not too odd, but it’s odd because I haven’t pursued that degree— that field—my whole college career. But I think that… it’s an option.”

As a senior, Day does have some regrets when it comes to being on the swim team. His biggest one is not taking the opportunities he had to spend time with his teammates. Day feels like he missed chances to just do life with the guys or to look after them a bit.

“I wish I would have taken advantage of the times that I had with the team in the pool,

Josie Pringle z Photo Lab

SENIOR NOAH DAY swims for the Ouachita Tiger team. As a student athlete, he juggles work between sport and school.

with the guys in the locker room… just getting to talk to them and do life with them and not distance myself so much from the team... Because I think it would’ve been an awesome ministry opportunity to love on guys who, at times, didn’t have it all together,” Day said. “But that’s me. Like, I don’t have it all together, and so for me to step away from other people who are like me and who don’t have it together, it was unfair.”

Day’s eight years of competitive swimming have definitely been memorable for him. At the end of the season, that’s what makes every practice, every meet, every struggle worthwhile for him. His hard work and determination have culminated in some incredible memories and relationships, and he really appreciates all of the amazing times that swimming has given him.

“The first team I got on was the YMCA team, and I was awful. My arms were flailing everywhere, and I did not know proper technique. And so, over time, I learned, and I think what makes it worth it is looking back and recalling all the different memories and friendships that I’ve made from swimming,” Day said. “At the end of my season, I have this one big meet that basically lays out all my hard work. And I love that. It’s very rewarding to get up on a block and do my best, leave it all in the pool, and step back and kind of wash my hands from the season and say, ‘Okay. I did my best, there’s nothing more I could have done.’” n