Signal
The
Since 1890
2.27.19 | Vol. 127, Issue 17| www.obusignal.com
Coach Mike McGhee passes away following battle with cancer By OUACHITA Communications and Marketing Ouachita Baptist University Head Softball Coach Mike McGhee passed away Feb. 24, 2019, after a short battle with cancer. McGhee was in the midst of his 17th season at the university. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Coach Mike McGhee. His influence on his players and the qualities and values he expected from them established a program respected by all,” said David Sharp, Ouachita Director of Athletics. “He was a tireless recruiter and would drive many miles night and day to watch his recruits and commitments compete. His hard work and relationships with others built Ouachita softball into what it is today. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in the days ahead.” McGhee joined the coaching staff at Ouachita as assistant softball coach in 2002 and took leadership of the team, along with Danny Prescott, in 2004 as he finished his bachelor’s degree at Ouachita. He was named head softball coach in 2006 and served in that capacity until his death in 2019. He also served as head cross country coach from 2007-2016. “Coach McGhee exemplified the higher ideals of Ouachita as he invested in student-athletes the past 17 years,” said Dr. Ben
Sells, Ouachita president. “We give thanks to the Lord for a life well lived and commit to pray and support Debbie and family as well as our softball team.” Since the establishment of the Great American Conference (GAC) in 2011, McGhee coached 42 softball players who were named to the All-GAC Academic Team and three named to the All-GAC
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Coach Mike McGhee. His influence on his players and the qualities and values he expected from them established a program respected by all.” David Sharp Tournament Team. He coached 19 cross country athletes who were named to the All-GAC Academic Team, one GAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete and two named to the All-GAC Cross Country Team. Additionally, 30 of his softball players were named All-American Scholar Athletes by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. He leaves a legacy of investing in his players both on and off the field. Along with coaching these
Coach Mike McGhee oversees the Lady Tigers Softball team from his position in the dugout. MCGhee had been the head coach of the Lady Tigers since 2006, but had been with the team for 17 seasons, his first being the assistant softball coach in the 2002 season.
players in softball, you end up looking after these girls,” McGhee said in a 2013 interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “That is part of being at a smaller religious school. It’s the OBU way. I get to know and love each one of my players. I feel like they are all my daughters.” McGhee was born on Oct. 31, 1960, and participated in baseball, basketball, football and track as a teenager. He competed on the
football team at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and later enjoyed playing adultleague softball and coaching girls fastpitch softball. McGhee, of Benton, Ark., was survived by his mother, Vyda Pearl McGhee; wife, Debbie McGhee; daughter and son-inlaw, Beth and Ronnie Goodwin; son and girlfriend, Ryan McGhee and Lauren Briggins; sisters and brothers-in law, Joyce and Bill
Farnam, Kay and Richard Moore, Dee and Todd Thomas, Carla and Mike Charles, and Trish and Curt McGhee; and brother-in-law, Jim McGee. A visitation will be held at Ashby Funeral Home in Benton, Ark., on Thursday, Feb. 28, from 6-8 p.m. Memorial services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mike McGhee Scholarship Fund at Regions Bank. n
Connect event to assist prospective Establishing relationships Ouachita students build relationships focus of week’s activities New event planned to grow fall freshman class
By WILL GOODSON Staff writer Ouachita will host the first ever Connect event this Saturday, March 2. Connect is the beginning of what administration hopes to turn into a long-standing tradition for prospective students. Connect will be an opportunity for prospective students to come see the campus and see the town of Arkadelphia. If you remember what it was like to be a senior in high school then you remember how nerve wracking the idea of college can seem, but after visiting campus it somehow seems less daunting. That is partly the objective of Connect. Another goal is to give prospective students a chance to meet faculty, staff, current students and other prospective students. During the Connect event prospective students will meet, with professors and the dean of whatever area of study they are interested in. This can be a great way to ease the academic worries prospective students may have. For most high school seniors, they will have never lived independently before. Often, they are intimidated by the idea of taking care of themselves and
school all on their own, but the Connect event is designed to show students the community of support and guidance that we have built in at OBU. In addition to meeting with faculty and staff, the prospective students will have the opportunity to participate in table discussions with current OBU freshman. This will serve as a great opportunity for prospective students to talk with someone who was in their exact situation only a year earlier. The Freshman at OBU still remember exactly what those college nerves feel like, but they have also overcome and settled in which is a process they can shed light on. Connect will also be an opportunity for the prospective students to meet each other and get to establish relationships before orientation. These introductions can go on to become some of the most important relationships one has in college. Adam Wheat, an admissions counselor and 2010 graduate, met his roommate of three years at a
student retreat. It is for that reason, “these relationship building events mean a lot to me,” Wheat said. The Connect event is very much a relationship-building event, and that makes it a great opportunity to give a prospective new student the chance to meet people without any of the stress of signing up for classes that comes with orientation. So by the time the first day of school comes around in the fall, new students will already have some established relationships
The Connect event is designed to show students the community of support and guidance that we have built in at OBU. with teachers and students to help make their transition easier. Students are invited to help with event. This is an opportunity to use your own experience to help a prospective student who may have been in the same position you were. For more information on the Connect event, contact Adam Wheat at wheata@obu.edu. n
By GRACIE STOVER Staff writer The Elrod Center will be hosting its annual Healthy Relationships week from Monday, March 4 to Saturday, March 9. “At the heart of community are the relationships that people enjoy with each other. Those relationships can be the source of the greatest joy when they are healthy and the source of the deepest pain when they become dysfunctional,” Ian Cosh, vice president for community and international engagement and director of the Elrod Center said. For one week, Ouachita will give students various opportunities to learn from knowledgeable individuals and experts to gain insight on applying these ideas in their own relationships. A key focus of the event is teaching students to be lifelong learners in managing relationships. Healthy Relationship Week is dedicated to helping students make these connections and strengthen existing bonds with one another through the development of healthy interactions, communication and listening skills. Events will be hosted on and off campus throughout the week. A chapel service will take place Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. This
SCAN FOR AN ONLINE EDITION
event will feature a panel of three OBU graduates, Dr. Robert Wilson, a family practice physician from northwest Arkansas, Haylee Garland, a counselor, and Dr. Matt Pryor, the senior pastor of Manilla First Baptist. They will be talking about what it takes to be a healthy Christian individual in body, mind and spirit. Following this year’s campus theme of “Living Lives of Meaningful Work,” the speakers will be autobiographical in their comments and talk about their own calling and what they do to be healthy individuals. Noonday will take place as usual, but will highlight Healthy Relationship week, as well as the week’s Refuge service on Thursday. Faculty and staff will be sharing about their relationships during these sessions. According to Judy Duvall, associate director of the Elrod Center, the importance of knowing how to establish and maintain healthy relationships is vital, and having good, strong relationships in your life can impact your sense of well being. The Elrod Center and Ouachita’s programs for Healthy Relationships Week have the goal of providing young adults with the tools they need to succeed in the world. For a comprehensive calendar of the week's events, visit obu.edu/ elrod/relationships-week. n
CONNECT WITH THE SIGNAL
Check out our latest multi-media content at obusignal.com.