OBU Signal – April 23, 2015

the

Signal

www.obusignal.com

04.23.15 Volume 123 Issue 23

Ouachita Baptist University

IN THIS ISSUE:

Service-minded Elrod Center Service Awards encourage a lifetime of service, p.3

Worth It Think before you adopt, p.5 Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal SOPHOMORE RUTH RUSSELL, senior Mali Crumpton, junior Scott Hartley, sophomore Alexis Morgan, junior Michael Butler, senior Tim Russell, junior Jacob Moreno and senior Rebekah Taylor, who called their team “Total Mexican Style,” compete together in the mud games at last year’s Tiger Traks. For the past 40 years of Tiger Traks students have formed teams and spent the weekend competing together in mud games, relays, egg tosses, scavenger hunts and more.

40th annual Tiger Traks set for this weekend

Trustworthiness Top three integrity project essay winners, p.6

Overrated Why Kevin Durant isn’t one of the greats, p.7

S News 1 n S Opinions 4 n S Trustworthiness 6 n S Sports 7 n S Scholars Day 8 n

By LAUREN SCARBROUGH News Bureau

The Ouachita Student Foundation will host the 40th annual Tiger Traks competition this weekend, from April 24-25, on Ouachita’s campus.

“Tiger Traks is something that sets Ouachita apart from other schools. It is a great way to be involved with your classmates in a fun, competitive atmosphere,” said OSF President Gracie Lundstrum, a senior mass communications and speech communications major from Springdale, Ark. “With college being so busy, it is great to have a weekend devoted to having fun with your classmates.”

“My favorite part about Tiger Traks is seeing how much fun everyone has and

how competitive they get,” Lundstrum added. “I have never seen seniors in college be so competitive while being covered in mud and passing oranges with their necks and be excited about it! All of the proceeds go toward student scholarships; this has to be the most fun fundraiser!”

The weekend will begin on Friday evening with an egg toss, mega relay, dodge ball and game center. After teams complete these on-campus events, they will then head to Arkadelphia High School to participate in the Relay for Life there. The games will continue on Saturday morning with raft races, tricycle races, mud tug-of-war and ooze-ball – a mud volleyball event.

“My favorite thing about Tiger Traks is definitely mud volleyball,” said Ti-

ger Traks participant Rebekah Holiman, a junior psychology major from Little Rock, Ark. “I also love all the memories of hiding in the back and watching my team, the Leafy Sea Dragons, dominate in dodge ball.”

“Arkansas’ most exciting college weekend” isn’t just for fun and games though.

The event helps to raise money for OSF student scholarships as well as for the surrounding community.

“This year we are doing something new,” explained Jon Merryman, director of the Ouachita Student Foundation.

“Traks is on Relay for Life weekend so a portion of the entry fee this year will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

After the final event on Friday night, we will all go to the high school and walk in see TRAKS z 2

Communications students attend collegiate media convention, win 32 awards

By DIXON LAND Sports Editor

Students from Ouachita’s Rogers Department of Communications took home 32 awards from the 2015 Arkansas College Media Association in Siloam Springs, Ark. at John Brown University last week for their work in student publications.

Aly Smith, a senior mass communications and graphic design double major from Sherwood, Ark., was awarded Yearbook Editor of the Year.

“I am proud of Aly for winning this award,” said Dr. Deborah Root, professor of communications and adviser of the Ouachitonian. “Aly’s hard work, dedication, talent and leadership skills have been evident throughout her four years as a staff member.”

Along with Yearbook Editor of the Year, Smith placed third for Designer of the Year.

In individual entry competition, The Ouachitonian won

23 awards including second place in “Theme,” “Closing” and “Endsheets.” It also received third place for the cover.

Sophomore Amber Easterly won four awards including first place in organization writing for a piece titled “Changing Lives.” Easterly, along with Smith, also received second place and honorable mention in organization layout for pages titled “Serving Campus” and “Collaborating Sound.”

“It’s pretty cool getting to represent our school in this way and getting to brag about being one of the best college yearbooks in the state. It really is an honor to be a part of a publication like this,” Easterly said.

Ben Cline, a 2014 graduate of Ouachita and former sports editor of the Ouachitonian, won three awards including Special Feature Writing. Cline, along with Smith, won awards for Yearbook Sports Layout and Student see ACMA z 2

Concert Choir to perform Handel’s “Messiah” this Tuesday in concert

By NADALIE GILL Staff Writer

Ouachita’s Concert Choir will perform George Frederic Handel’s “Messiah” on Tuesday April, 28 at 8 p.m. A preconcert lecture will be at 7:30.

The performance will be held in Jones Performing Arts Center. Tickets are ten dollars each and free to OBU students with ID. The performance will feature the Concert Choir along with members of Ouachita’s

Wind Ensemble and Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

Handel’s “Messiah” is originally a three part, two hour and forty-five minute piece composed in 1741, but has been condensed into an hour and thirty minutes for the Ouachita performance.

“It is always challenging to select the movements to perform because you want to represent the work but also tell the story as well” said Dr. Gary Gerber, the conductor see MESSIAH z 2

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, April 23, 2015

5

TOP

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

TIGER IDOL will take place Saturday, April 24, at 6 p.m. in the amphitheater.

For more information contact Brad Heird hei53007@obu.edu.

TIGER TRAKS will begin Friday evening, April 24, and continue through Saturday afternoon, April 25.

For more information contact Lauren Snow at sno54672@obu.edu.

CAB’S SENIOR CITIZEN PARTY will take place Sunday, April 25, from 8-10 p.m. at Dr. Jack’s. For more information contact Jimmy Phillips at phillipsj@obu.edu.

WOMEN’S CHORUS and Ouachita Singers will perform in concert on Friday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. For more information contact Dr. Gary Gerber at gerberg@ obu.edu.

AN HONORS COLLOQUIUM will take place Monday, April 26, at 12 p.m. in the Commons Alumni Room.

For more information contact Barbara Pemberton at pembertonb@obu.edu.

EARLY REGISTRATION will take place all day on Saturday, April 25.

For more information contact Stan Poole at pooles@obu.edu.

VERITAS WOMEN’S DISCIPLESHIP will take place on Monday, April 26, at 9 p.m. in Berry Chapel. For more information contact Kendall Calvert at calvertk@obu.edu.

[from our perspective] What’s your answer?

Tweet it at @obusignal and hashtag #FYP.

Emily Terry Editor-in-Chief

“Liz Lemon (30 Rock), Chandler Bing (Friends) and Jim Halpert (The Office)”

Dixon Land Sports Editor

“Well, people tell me I look like Chuck Bass from ‘Gossip Girl.’”

5 4 3 2 1

Successful People Who Started as Interns Anderson Cooper spent a summer as an intern with the CIA

Bill Gates was an intern for the US House of Representatives Oprah Winfrey was an intern at WLAC-TV in Nashville, Tenn.

Steven Spielberg was an unofficial intern at Universal Studios Steve Jobs was a summer intern at Hewlett-Packard

Compiled from top5bin.com

What television character(s) remind you most of yourself?

Noah Hutchinson Opinions Editor

Aly Smith Ouachitonian Editor-in-Chief

“The Hound (Game of Thrones)”

“Carrie Bradshaw (The Carrie Diaries)”

TRAKS

z Continued from Page 1

Kristen Young z The Signal TRICYCLE RACES are a beloved staple of Tiger Traks. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Ouachita Student Foundation event which raises money for student scholarships.

MESSIAH

z Continued from Page 1 for “Messiah.”

Gerber is the Chair of the Division of Music, Director of Choral Activities and professor of music at Ouachita Baptist.

He also directs Ouachita Singers and Concert Choir.

“There are three main parts to Messiah. The first part is the Christmas story. This is the section most choruses perform, especially during the Christmas season. The second part is the Easter story which concludes with the famous Hallelujah Chorus. The third and final part is a section about victory over death and ends with the chorus Worthy is the Lamb, Amen. So selecting the movements to represent and tell the story in each section is challenging since we cannot perform the entire oratorio,” Gerber explained.

The concert includes Ouachi-

ta faculty, staff and alumni.

“I have sung Messiah many, many times. Often as a soloist, but also as a part of the chorus. It is special to me because the text comes straight from Scripture. My favorite part of Handel’s Messiah is the weaving of music and scripture to tell the story of Jesus Christ.” said Dr. Becky Morrison, assistant professor of music.

Morrison, along with Dr. Margaret Garrett, associate professor of music, David Stanley, instructor of music and Aaron Harp, a 2007 Ouachita graduate, are the soloists for the concert.

“I have sung these solos several times with several different organizations. They’re like old friends. I always enjoy “revisiting” them. I actually had the opportunity to sing some of these tenor arias with the OBU Concert Choir when I was a student,” Stanley said.

“In my opinion, Messiah is one of the most exciting ora-

Relay for Life together.”

“It is a fun weekend, but it really is all about raising student scholarships and giving back to the community,” said OSF Co-Chair for Special Events Lauren Snow, a junior mass communications major from Wylie, Texas.

Tiger Traks is sponsored by several local businesses including Everett Buick & GMC, Farm Bureau Insurance, Young Life, The Fish Net, Adorn Boutique & Gifts, Mary & Martha’s Florist & Gifts, Knit Unto Others, Sodexo and TigerMart.

For more information about Tiger Traks, the Ouachita Student Foundation or its other events, contact Lauren Snow by email at sno54672@obu.edu or Jon Merryman by email at merrymanj@obu.edu. n

torios ever written,” Stanley said. “There’s a reason it’s so popular. It speaks to audiences, especially people who know the truth it contains. The solos provide an extra dose of drama.”

“I hope the audience will not only enjoy the music of Handel, but will have a greater appreciation for the role of this work in the choral world. I also hope they can take away the emotional and spiritual expressions of how the music represents the different aspects of Christ; from his foretelling and anticipation in the Old Testament, to the announcement of his birth, to the death and resurrection. All of these events are represented by soloists and chorus in a remarkable way,” Gerber said.

For more information, contact Gerber at gerberg@obu. edu. For tickets, call the Box Office weekdays from 1 to 5 p.m. at (870) 245-5555 or visit www.obu.edu/boxoffice. n

News Bureau z Courtesy PIANIST HIE-YON CHOI, a professor of Piano at Seoul National University in Korea, will perform at Ouachita Thursday, April 30. Choi will also be a guest judge at the upcoming Virginia Queen Piano Competition.

Ouachita to host pianist Hie-Yon Choi in concert Thursday, April 30

By CLAIR CHILDERS News Bureau

Ouachita will host guest pianist Hie-Yon Choi for a piano concert on Thursday, April 30, at 8 p.m. in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall.

The performance will be free and open to the public.

For the upcoming performance, Choi will perform a selection of Ludwig van Beethoven’s sonatas.

“I expect it to be a wonderful recital, especially for people who enjoy classical piano music and the music of Beethoven,” said Dr. Cai Lei, associate professor of music at OBU. Choi is a professor of piano at the Seoul National University in Korea. She has won many national and international prizes, including the Busoni in Italy, the Kapell in the United States, Clara Haskil in Switzer-

land and Maria Callas in Athens.

Her recordings include “Six Grand Etudes on Paganini” by Franz Liszt and the complete études of Frédéric Chopin. Her most recent work includes the performance of Beethoven’s complete 32 sonatas. Choi studied with Gyorgy Sebok at Indiana University and Hans Leygraf in Berlin. She frequently gives master classes in Korea, Germany and the U.S. Choi also will serve the next day as a guest judge for Ouachita’s annual Virginia Queen Piano Competition on Friday, May 1 that eight Ouachita students are scheduled to compete in.

For more information about the upcoming concert, Hie-Yon Choi or Ouachita’s music and piano programs, contact Dr. Cai Lei at by email at leic@obu. edu or by phone at (870) 2455140. n

S3 news n

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Spanish professor Mark McGraw publishes book translation

By MCKENZIE CRANFORD News Bureau

Annual Elrod Awards honors Percy Malone, student service leaders

By CHELSEA WHELPLEY News Bureau

Ouachita’s Elrod Center for Family and Community honored W. Percy Malone with the Community Service Excellence Award at its recent University Community Service Awards banquet. Many Ouachita students, faculty and staff also were recognized for their service during the past year.

“The Elrod Center awards banquet highlights the significant commitment that Ouachita students have to making a difference in their community,” said Ian Cosh, OBU vice president for community and international engagement. “The banquet not only highlights the intensity of the service in terms of hours served but also the diversity and depth of involvement that Ouachita students have in the community.”

Percy Malone, president and owner of W.P. Malone Inc., is an Arkadelphia native and a graduate of the University of Arkansas. Prior to construction of the new Elrod facility, Malone’s former home served as the home of the Elrod Center for Family and Community.

Malone’s support also made possible the Gary and Matt Turner television studio on Ouachita’s campus.

“Senator Malone has distinguished himself through many avenues of service and has been one of the key persons in the economic development of this community,” said Ouachita Chancellor Dr. Ben Elrod, describing Malone as a tireless advocate for Arkadelphia, Clark County and the state of Arkansas. “Cumulatively, the contributions that have been made to Clark County and surrounding areas as a result of his work in the legislature have amounted to over $2 billion.”

Malone served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1994-1999 and in the Senate from 2001-2012. He has served as president of the Arkadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Business Education Alliance and the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy. In the late 1970s, Malone became involved with Clark County’s economic development efforts, working with the local Chamber of Commerce.

He later created the Clark County Industrial Council through an effort with thenGovernor Bill Clinton and local leaders, which developed the county’s industrial park.

His dedication to children’s welfare led to the creation of the Percy and Donna Malone Child Safety Center in Arkadelphia in 2014 and his serving as chair of the Arkansas Legislative Task Force on Abused and Neglected Children.

W.P. Malone Inc., a pharmaceutical company that services long-term health facilities, prisons and the retail chain AllCare, employs nearly 150 people in Clark County with a staff that includes pharmacists, pharmacy and entry techs, ac-

countants and I.T. specialists.

Malone and his wife also own and operate the W.P. Malone Supreme Angus Ranch.

“I am extremely appreciative to be recognized with this award,” Malone said. “I stand here tonight receiving an award for what God has given me. I am truly humbled, and I love this place.”

Malone advised Ouachita students in attendance, “Ouachita has shown you what to do and how to do it. Now go use what you’ve learned, appreciate what God has given you and you will enjoy the same opportunities as me in your lifetime.”

Additionally, Shirley McMillan, director of the Foster Grandparent Program at Ouachita, was honored with an Outstanding Service Award.

McMillan is retiring after 31 years of service to Ouachita and the community of Arkadelphia.

Other Ouachita faculty, staff and students honored during the banquet include participants in America Reads, America Counts as well as special awards for America Reads adn America Counts seniors, Peake Partnership volunteer tutors as well as special awards for Peake Partnership senior tutors, Elder Serve, as well as special awards for Elder Serve seniors, Kluck Service Enrichment Grants for fall of 2014 and spring of 2015, Campus Ministry Student Ministry Leaders, Tiger Serve Day Leadership Team, as well as special awards for Tiger Serve Day Leadership Team seniors, and Transerve students with 75 or more service hours for spring of 2015.

Individuals who were recognized at the awards banquet include missionaries in residence John Mark and Amanda Page, who received the Missionary In Residence Service Award; senior biology major from Frisco, Texas, Kelly Cortez, who was recognized for her role in the Thanksgiving Basket Ministry; senior art/ graphic design major from Harare, Zimbabwe, Craig Martin, who received the International Student Service Award; and senior biology major from Shreveport, LA., Joel Ubeda, who received the Cargill Leadership Award for his role in various serice areas on campus throughout his four years at Ouachita.

Ouachita established the Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community in 1997 to encourage, coordinate and facilitate public service, volunteerism and community engagement throughout the state and region.

For information about the the Elrod Center, any of its student volunteer service programs or the Elrod Awards Banquet and its award winners visit www.obu.edu/elrod, call (870) 245-5320 or contact Ian Cosh by email at coshi@obu. edu or Judy Duvall by email at duvallj@obu.edu. n.

Dr. Mark McGraw

creative writing.

“What is interesting about this story is that it’s not your typical immigrant narrative,” McGraw said. “I felt honored to be able to give him a voice for an audience who needs to hear his story. There are a lot of misconceptions about what the immigrant experience is like here, so to put a human face on the experience of an immi-

grant, a guy with a lot to offer the United States and students, was a real privilege.”

Speaking about the process of translation, McGraw added, “Avski writes the book very conversationally, so I wanted to make the translation the same way so that you see his intelligence, his sense of humor, his humanity and his view of the United States.”

“Having Mark in the department is fantastic,” said Dr. Doug Sonheim, chair of OBU’s Department Language and Literature. “He has scholarship in translation, and he is skillful in working as a short story writer and a poet in English as well as in Spanish. We hope that he’ll be teaching our creative writing courses in the future.”

McGraw joined the Ouachita faculty in 2013. He earned his Ph.D. in Hispanic studies as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University and also earned a master’s degree from Webster University. He served 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps where he learned Spanish and worked in 35 countries.

For more information about the book or Dr. Mark McGraw, contact McGrawby email at mcgrawm@obu.edu or by phone at(870) 245-5551. n

Ouachita students to compete in Virginia Queen Piano Competition

By KATY FIRMIN News Bureau

The annual Virginia Queen Piano Competition will be Friday, May 1, at 3 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. The competition is free and open to the public.

The event was established nearly 30 years ago by Virginia Queen, a former Ouachita piano professor. She established the competition to encourage piano students to excel.

“The competition helps motivate students to practice,” said Dr. Lei Cai, associate professor of music, “and also helps develop their self-confidence

ACMA

z Continued from Page 1

Life Layout. Abbey Little, a sophomore mass communications and business double major, along with Smith, swept the Portrait Layout category with first, second and third place wins for spreads on “Katie Scott,” “Emily Harris” and “Buck Schroeder.”

Winning awards in both yearbook and newspaper, Zach Parker, a junior mass communications and political science double major, was the only crossover award winner.

Parker won second place in “Yearbook Sports Writing,” for a feature on the 2014 Ouachita wrestling season. He also won honorable mention in “Sports Column Writing” in the newspaper awards.

“It was an honor to win

check out the online, full color edition at obusignal.com

Alex Becerra z Courtesy DR. BEN ELROD (right) presented former state senator Percy Malone with the 2015 Community Service Excellence Award at Ouachita’s recent University Community Service Awards.

Ouachita professor Dr. Mark McGraw’s English translation of Joseph Avski’s book A un paso de Juárez (One Step from Juarez) has been published by Mouthfeel Press in El Paso, Texas.

McGraw, assistant professor of Spanish, has published two books with Avski since the two met in graduate school at Texas A&M University. The book is available for purchase online or can be checked out from Ouachita’s Riley-Hickingbotham Library.

“Dr. McGraw’s significant professional contribution highlights the strength of our Spanish program at Ouachita,” noted Dr. Jeff Root, dean of OBU’s School of Humanities.

“Spanish is a growth area for us, and it’s because of both the strong academic standing of our faculty members and their expertise in the classroom.”

“It’s a thrill and a dream come true to see your name on a book,” McGraw said.

“My mom taught me to value reading and books and to think about all the author went through to produce a book. So even to translate this and it not be my original work, I do still

take ownership of projects like this.”

A un paso de Juárez tells Avski’s personal journey of immigrating to the United States from Colombia. Avski earned a master’s degree in physics before moving to Texas to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in

and stage presence.”

The competition is held for music majors and minors. This year there will be eight students competing in the competition, including Caroline Dunlap, a sophomore piano performance major from Little Rock, Ark.; Sean Jackson, a senior music composition major from Milton, Fla.; Lauren Johnson, a junior music major from Little Rock, Ark.; Zhanxiu Lu, a freshman music major from Shaoxing, China; Courtney Stanage, a senior piano performance major from Hot Springs Village, Ark.; Blake Turner, a freshman music major from Fort Worth, Texas;

Jillian Turner, a senior music and vocal performance double major from Fort Worth, Texas; and Josh Wilkinson, a junior worship ministry major with a minor in music from Heber Springs, Ark. Each student will play two contrasting piano pieces, each in the classical repertoire.

“The students will be judged on how polished their pieces are, not necessarily on the difficulty level,” Cai said. “The pieces they will perform are pieces they have been working on for their studies.”

For more information about the competition, contact Dr. Lei Cai at leic@obu.edu. n

awards in both column writing for The Signal and feature writing for The Ouachitonian,” Parker said. “Both publications deserve all the awards they received and the fact that they won as many as they did is a testament to the quality work that they do.”

The Signal won seven awards in the competition.

Dixon Land, a junior mass communications and Christian studies double major, won five awards, including third place in “General Personality Profile,” third place and honorable mention in “Sports Column Writing” and third place in “Sports Feature Writing.”

“It was an honor getting recognized for our hard work,” Land said. “I think the awards are less a testament to my own writing skills and more of the amazing stories I had the opportunity to write, and the quality of editing done.”

Noah Hutchinson, a senior mass communications major also won an award for “Distractions,” and second place for his piece titled “Cartoon Strip.”

"The ACMA convention allows our students to see publications from across the state and compare notes on design, coverage, convergence with online publications and other emerging issues in journalism today," said Dr. Jeffrey R. Root, dean of the School of Humanities and adviser of The Signal.

The meeting began with two hours of workshops followed by the awards luncheon. The location of the meeting rotates each year between member schools. The 2016 convention will be held at the University of Central Arkansas.

For more information about Ouachita’s student publications contact Dixon Land at lan53957@obu.edu. n

4

opinions

Thursday, April 23, 2015

www.obusignal.com

The wonderful world of Oreos

By KATHERINE CARTER

Staff Writer I was on a Walmart trip about a month and a half ago when I discovered something while perusing the snack aisle for a box of Cheez-its. I went over to it to see whether it actually existed or if it was just a figment of my imagination. No, this was definitely real.

I had discovered Reese's Oreos. Some beautiful person had the idea to combine my favorite candy with my favorite cookie, and the product looked glorious.

Sadly, I was on a tight budget, and I decided to carry on with my shopping. However, I didn't forget about the Reese's Oreos.

A couple nights ago, I was in a friend's room watching “Braveheart” for the first time (yeah I know, a lot of firsts for me these past couple of months), and she happened to have a package of these magical cookies.

She also happened to be sharing. I happily took one, and I didn't even bother twisting one of the chocolate cookies off like I normally do (yes, I'm a twister when it comes to Oreos; don't judge me, dunkers). I must say, it was great, but it didn't have that "Reese's charm" like the original peanut-butter cups do. Even then, peanut butter and chocolate is never a bad combination.

My friend also had cookie-dough Oreos in her room as well, which she also shared with us. I wasn't as impressed with the cookie-dough Oreos as I was with the Reese's ones, but an Oreo is an Oreo. This got me thinking as I walked back to my room after the Scots secured their freedom from the English: just how many different kinds of Oreos are there? I've seen several types before, but maybe there are more than I'm aware of. I have noticed a few weird ones,

though, but I've also seen ones that are amazing.

One type of Oreo that I had seen before that I'd never try is the watermelon flavored Oreos. Apparently Nabisco, the company who brought us the Oreo, was experimenting with fruit flavors for the cream filling.

I love watermelon, but I'm not sure about putting that in a cookie. I just don't know about ruining a perfectly good Oreo cookie by making it artificial-watermelon flavored. It doesn't strike me as the best of ideas.

As for Oreos that I've actually tried, I found these amazing kinds in Target last summer while I was home. They are called, and I'm not making this up, Mega-Stuf Oreos. I repeat, Mega-Stuf Oreos. Those are the kinds of ideas that make dreams come true.

I found them while I was doing some college shopping, and I was so amazed that I simply had to buy them. This is the cookie for the ultimate icing-lover.

I'm not actually sure how much icing is "Mega-Stuf," but I'm pretty sure it's the equivalent of quadruplestuffed Oreos. I'm the type of girl who's put two Double-Stuf Oreos together to form a quadruple-stuffed Oreo many times in the past, so I'm pretty confident in my estimation. It was almost too much icing, however, which I didn't even know was possible. I actually had to eat some of the cookie with it to contain the sweetness of all that icing, which is hard to say being a person who always eats the icing by itself. You've got to have a major sweet tooth to be able to handle those bad boys.

My grandparents discovered the birthday-cake Oreos early last summer, and I'll confirm that these are pretty good as well. Nabisco released these back in 2012 to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Oreo cookie. My grandpa isn't a sweets guy, but he really liked these Oreos (at least for a little bit). The cookie

still retains the original chocolate cookies, but the icing in between them was buttercream-flavored with sprinkles. The flavor of these reminds me a lot of birthday-cake flavored ice cream, down to the sprinkles. I won't ever complain about something that tastes like cake. I liked these, and I felt better about myself when I ate these because I could only have about three in one sitting instead of eight of the normal kind. These were so successful that I still find them every once in a while, even though Oreo's 100th birthday was three years ago.

Even though I really like all of the Oreos that I've mentioned above (except the watermelon ones), my all time favorite Oreo is the Double-Stuf Oreo. It's the original. It's the perfect amount of icing for an Oreo.

I can't even buy the regular ones anymore becuase I find myself looking for the rest of the icing. DoubleStuf Oreos, fattening Americans since 1975, are the perfect cookies, and those are my family's go-to Oreos when we actually decide to buy a package of them.

There's just something about them that is simply incredible, and you can't go wrong with sticking with the original.

No, Nabisco didn't hire me to talk about these amazing cookies, but they are a huge part of the American culture. Oreos are in our ice cream, milkshakes, cakes, and just about any other dessert you can think of. It seems like every American has had an Oreo at least once in their life. I don't know, maybe some of you might think I like these things too much. I just think it's pretty amazing that one cookie can unite a unique people together. Don't believe me? try taking the Oreo away. If it's anything like the Twinkie uproar, then it'd be something amazing. Everyone loves milk's favorite cookie. n

“McFarland, USA” earns B, Girl’s got jokes deemed pleasant, effective (please laugh at them) t

By EVAN WHEATLEY

Review Writer You’ve seen it countless times before. A non-traditional coach takes up a down on its luck team of misfits and leads it to greatness. Did I mention that it’s based on a true story? Disney has presented viewers with this scenario in several movies such as “Glory Road,” “Miracle” and “Remember the Titans.”

Despite this formula being overused and predictable, add in a great lead such as Denzel Washington, Kurt Russell or in this case Kevin Costner, and time and time again Disney will show you that it still works.

Costner plays Jim White, a football coach with a bad track record in previous coaching positions, including an altercation with a student on his last high school team. Following this incident, he and his family move to McFarland, California, a rural, impoverished and primarily Hispanic community. He starts his new job as the assistant football coach, as well as taking up the life science/PE teacher position. It is clear from the start that White does not want to live in McFarland, and will accept a better job if the opportunity arises.

During PE class one day, Jim observes two Hispanic boys running laps. His daughter comments on how fast the boys run, and Jim notices the stamina that they possess. After continuing to watch them, he approaches the Principal of the school requesting permission to start a cross-country team with these young men to compete in upcoming state championships.

Coach White does more than simply coach a cross-country team, however.

He invests in the lives of the boys and provides them with greater opportunities that would not have been possible otherwise. He also learns humility and the value of hard work from the guys on his team, who spend their mornings working in their parents’ fields from the crack of dawn until they go to school.

Costner does an excellent job in portraying the various struggles that Jim White

endured to gain the trust of the guys on his team. Whether it be helping two of the boys pick in their father’s field so they will be able to race, or helping all of them study for the SAT to give them a chance at attending college, Jim holds nothing back in guiding his team to excellence academically, athletically and as upstanding young men. The supporting cast is top notch as well, especially the actors a part of Jim White’s team. They consist of Carlos Pratts, Johnny Ortiz, Rafael Martinez, Sergio Avelar, Ramino Rodriguez and Hector Duran.

The film shows the hardships that the boys and their families faced as Latino migrant workers during this time period. The town and a majority of its families are plagued with seemingly ebdless poverty, and their work is comprised of grueling, long hours with minimal pay.

The writing by Christopher Cleveland and direction by Niki Caro display this struggle well.

While the writing is solid, the film takes a little while to get going. The first 30 minutes of the movie leading up to White forming the cross-country team dragged on for me, however the information presented at the beginning is necessary build-up to the main plot, which is more than worth the wait.

Overall, the direction by Caro is superb, and I am looking forward to seeing her future directorial work.

The cinematography in the film is also commendable. Most of the locations where the competitions take place include rolling hills and lush countryside in addition to a few urban areas. The enormous hills at the last location the team competes in is stunning to view from a distance, and the camerawork in the movie captures its beauty effectively.

While “McFarland, USA” does not bring too many original ideas to the table, the execution and effectiveness of the film is a pleasant surprise. Fans of Costner and Disney sports movies alike will not be disappointed.

Rating: B n

By EMILY TERRY Editor-in-Chief @emilymterry “You know what character on ‘Friends’ I really love? Chandler. He’s so funny. I would totally marry him. Can you imagine just getting to spend all your time with someone like that?”

Since coming to Netflix on New Year’s Day of this year, “Friends” has reintegrated itself into popular culture (and reminded us that Jennifer Aniston is an ageless alien from planet Flawless). I didn’t watch a single episode of the show until Jan. 1, 2015. I don’t like watching shows out of order and I knew I would do it right someday. Thankfully, Netflix came in clutch on that one. As of today, I’m on episode 23 of season six. But that is neither here nor there.

One of the very first things I thought when I watched that show was, Hey, wait... Chandler is me. I am Chandler. Chandler Bing and Emily Terry shall henceforth be interchangeable and synonymous with one another.

I know, I know. You’re probably just thinking I’m being annoying and selfidentifying with a beloved character to make myself feel cooler than I actually am. But I’m not.

Chandler Bing is sarcastic and witty and has his foot in his mouth way more than anyone should. Sometimes he offends people with his quick jabs, but he never means any harm. His parents are divorced and humor is his defense mechanism. He makes people laugh because it makes him feel important and wanted and appreciated and like he’s a worthy member of the group, as if he’s trying every minute to earn his keep on the faded orange couch of Central Perk.

Anyone who has been around me longer than probably five or so minutes can attest to the fact that I am sarcastic with a quick tongue that can get me a big laugh or in big trouble. I bring humor to every situation, whether that be in meeting one of my favorite comics, trying to resuscitate a presentation that has gone lifeless halfway through or at the ER with my mom in the wee hours of the morning. I don’t see the need to not look for the humor, or as comedienne Tammy Pescatelli calls it, “find the funny.”

One small problem, though.

That first sentence up there? Nobody says that with “Emily” in place of “Chandler.” Most people find my style of humor off-putting. It annoys them.

They usually laugh (because I’m obviously hilarious), but they also roll their eyes because they just don’t see the merit in the ability to make a joke about everything under the sun. Yet they turn on the television and fawn over characters that are one-liner machines, praising the wit of the Chandler Bings, not realizing it takes a room full of professional comedy writers days to come up with those seemingly effortless quips.

I guess what I’m trying to say is there’s a double standard between Hollywood portrayals and real life. We watch “Friends” with tears of laughter in our eyes, but as soon as we meet a real-life funny person, we look at them sideways and watch them squirm as they try to deliver the perfect line at the perfect time.

Give the funny people in your life a break. They’re just trying to get you to like them. And, hey, you never know... The next Matthew Perry could be closer than you think.

Or maybe she’s the one typing this column. n

opinions www.obusignal.com

5

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Hutch, what is best in life?

By NOAH “THOR” HUTCHINSON Opinions Editor @Hutch15

“N

ever roll in a shotgun fight,” I sighed, loosening my grip on my controller and flopping back, defeated, in my recliner.

“Did you just give advice to yourself?” my friend asked, looking at me like I had just informed him that my dog had commanded me to commit unspeakable acts of terror. “What are you, a serial killer?”

I had just made the number one noob mistake that can be made in a “Gears of War 3” shotgun fight, and after having the contents of my in-game skull splattered across the screen, I did, in fact, coach myself on what I did wrong. I like to give advice. I’m a very opinionated person, and because of this, I usually wind up finding or inventing what I would consider the best ways to do things.

Being that I’m about to graduate, I decided to gather up all the tidbits of advice or criticism that I never managed to work into a column and combine them all into what may be the most helpful document ever crafted by human hands. So go ahead and get a frame ready, because you’re going to want to hold onto this paper for the rest of your life. #1. If you ever have to hit someone with a thrown weapon, such as a tomahawk, don’t try to peg them with a line drive shot. Arc it. Anything heavier than a baseball will fall with devastating force, far more than a rookie could ever achieve by throwing it. This will also free you up to focus on accuracy, rather than trying to kill whatever you’re throwing at, along with all of it’s cattle and offspring, in one fell swoop. If it was good enough for the barbarians, it’s good enough for you to stick a pine tree with the next time you and your friends are out camping with a hatchet and too much time on your hands.

#2. My next two cents worth of advice goes back to a more civilized note. Movies should have to submit an application to some kind of good movie idea arbiter in order to be granted a sequel. How many movie franchises were actually improved on by their sequels? “Terminator?” “Fast and Furious?” “Rocky?”

Really, the only movies where the sequels surpass the originals are the ones that can be improved on by taking up a mentality of, “Well, we got all of that dumb story stuff out of the way in the first one, now let’s see how many catchphrases and guns we can smash into this next one.”

If whatever you’re making doesn't fit into that category, just Kubrick it and leave with a walk-away home run. There’s no need to make everyone hate you by making them watch the characters they once fell in love with make increasingly questionable decisions. #3. Now that we’ve talked about something that the normals might be able to relate to, let’s get back to some barbarism. If you’re a dude, go pick up something heavy. If you don’t have at least the physical stats to be a starter on a JV football team, how can you even call yourself a man? If you’re below that level, there’s an entire squad of crackly voiced, brace-faced pubescents out there who could beat you up. Hang your head in shame.

I only say this because I oftentimes see people come into the gym once in a blue moon, bench 95 pounds for a couple of reps, yank on the chest support row machine one time and then leave. Don’t be an average guy who sometimes wanders around in a room full of weights. Be a beast who sometimes wanders around in an average world. #4. While a beast is a great thing to be, you need a balance of brawn and brains. The poem “The Tiger”

by William Blake is incredibly easy to memorize. Do it. This isn’t so you can be a neckbeard and recite it to every family member, soon to be former friend and passer-by on the street who you can corner and force to listen to you. Just have it in your back pocket, and when that once-in-a-lifetime instance rolls around where you might need it, whip out the poem. You

might look cultured. #5. Speaking of the difference between looking like a neckbeard or potentially being able to give yourself a little charisma, remember that while you should be true to yourself, sometimes you have to live in the box that society wants to put you in. Sure, listen to the kind of music you like, partake in a weird hobby or two or even secretly buy the entire DVD box set of “Two Broke Girls” in your basement so the world will never know your dark secret. Keep doing the things that you do for yourself. Remember though, people do judge a book by its cover. Unless you want to only ever garner the respect of people who chain smoke and unload theatre equipment out of 18 wheelers for a living, you’ll have to stop having pink hair some day. Or cover up those tattoos. Or take those piercings out of the places that aren’t your ears.

This is, of course, all coming from a place of love.

As someone who used to wear a top hat while unloading theatre equipment out of an 18 wheeler, I had to figure out for myself that life is a lot more enjoyable when people aren’t constantly asking you to do a magic trick. #6. Finally, whoever has the power to do so really needs to put bigger seats in JPAC. This is America.

Anybody over 200 pounds is crammed in there, shoulder to shoulder, like a bunch of sardines. It would’ve been great if this would’ve happened during my time on campus, but if those little elf seats are still there by the time I’m old and rich, I’m gonna donate enough to get some of those reclining movie theater seats put in. Every one of them will have a little plaque on the bottom that says “The Noah Hutchinson Bucket Seats of Super Comfiness.”

By this point in this column, you should basically have life figured out. Lift, don’t dress like someone who your mom would be wary of if she saw them outside of a gas station, throw projectile weapons in an arc, memorize a poem, be selective when watching movies with the number two in the title and don’t sit in an uncomfortable chair. If you need to know anything else, I’m here for two more weeks. n

Adoption not easy, but worth it

By DIXON LAND

Sports Editor There are over 400,000 children in foster care today.

Of those, almost 20 percent spend five or more years in the system.

Jamie Foxx, Jack Nicholson, Steve Jobs, Snookie and Faith Hill were all adopted.

Almost all of the children that have been through, or are currently going through the adoption system, suffer from psychological, emotional or physical distress.

Some are more lucky. I was one of them.

I was born in Memphis on Sept. 2, 1993. I was born to a single mother, 19 years of age and in no way equipped to handle a baby. In case you didn’t know, in the 1990’s, Memphis (and Shelby County) had an infant mortality rate higher than many third world countries. Recently, most of that statistic has been linked to fetal deaths, coming as a result of poor care while the baby was still in the womb.

Fetal mortality rates in Memphis in the 90s was at four times the national average. I was lucky.

To this day, I do not know my mother. I do not know my father. I know nothing about my adoption other than what I have shared with you. I think about it most days; some more than others.

I hear, almost daily, people say, “I want to adopt.”

And while intentions may be completely good, I would highly encourage those that say such to examine closely what adoption means before they start

planning it into their life.

Adoption is not easy.

Both domestic and international adoptions cost serious money (we’re talking between $25,000-$50,000).

And what you may be able to spend in money, consider potentially double in emotional, psychological and physical cost.

Adoption is not easy.

Recently, there has been a major increase in applications for international children, while the number of applications for domestic ones has fallen drastically.

What I say next might be offensive, but it is statistically a reality.

American parents prefer babies to any other age and most adoptive parents actively seek white children over all other ethnicities in domestic adoption cases. African American boys are at the bottom. Dr. William L. Pierce discusses this in his book entitled “Adoption.”

Those wanting to adopt healthy white children in the United States could have to wait as long as five or six years, while the wait time for a baby of African American decent can be as quick as a few weeks.

Basically, racism plays a huge role in adoption. But before criticism sets in your mind, set your mind in the shoes of the adoptive parents.

Adoption is not easy.

And then, once you finally adopt, it doesn’t get much easier. Most children that are adopted have emotional or physical retribution from the process or from their birth parents. Many of them have experi-

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enced some degree of physical, sexual, emotional or neglectful abuse. Some just suffer from relational issues and separation anxiety.

It has been proven that early trauma such as the adoption process or neglect of a child puts them at serious risk of cognitive and psychological problems way down the road. You may notice them in the form of self-esteem, internalizing or externalizing behavior, social awkwardness or mental health defects. This is real stuff.

Adoption is not easy.

Adoption is a ministry. It isn’t done because it’s the “cool” thing to do. For me today, I hear it so often-“I want to adopt at least one child.” And I think a lot of it comes from a misconception about adoption. People think that adoption is easy, but in reality, adoptive children bring a whole different set of problems to parenting.

We like to qualify adoption as a “right” thing to do.

The Bible says to take care of the widows and the orphans. But, I think a lot of us stick adoption into our life plans because we think it is an easy thing to accomplish.

Adoption is not easy.

I want to challenge you, the reader today. Before you tell someone you want to adopt again, do some prayer and research. Openly and honestly consider what adoption means and the physical, financial and emotional toll it can take on you, your spouse and your family. If you are up for the challenge, take it.

Adoption is not easy, but it is worth it. n

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.

6

integrity project

Thursday, April 23, 2015

www.obusignal.com

Integrity Project 2015 essay winners

For the second year in a row, the Sutton Center for Integrity hosted the Integrity Project, encouraging students to write essays and produce videos explaining and showing what a particular trait means to them and to the Ouachita community as a whole.

This year’s theme was “trustworthiness.”

The top three winners in each category were awarded cash prizes, as well as the chance for their work to be showcased.

McKenzie George first place

Trustworthiness can mean many different things to many different people.

When I first think of trustworthy or trustworthiness without looking up the definition I think of a few different things. I think of it as being a character trait. I also think of it being something or something someone has or gains through a process. In my opinion trustworthiness is directly linked to a few things, but one major link it has is to dependability. I do not believe someone or something can be trustworthy if you do not see them as dependable. The reason I keep including something is because every day we trust things that aren’t human. We walk outside trusting that our car is going to get us places, or when we wake up that our toaster will be able to make us toast. We find trust in these things because we know for the most part they are dependable and trustworthy objects, we can rely on them and depend on them. Another link I find is between trustworthiness and credibility.

How often do we just take our teachers or doctor’s word for something? Most days, because they are credible in their aspect of

training so we trust that they won’t lie to us.

We place our trust in them.

For my research on trust and trustworthiness, I asked some people I trust the most with important things in my life to give me their own definitions of what they thought trustworthiness was without looking it up. I first asked my Fiancé, Jared Wood (22), and his response was, “Someone or something that has done something to show you that you can depend on them.” His own definition went back to my thoughts about gaining trust, and it being dependable. I next asked my Mother, Grace George (47), and her response was, “Someone that’s character is true and honest.”

And she gave me the example of her own Mother, my Grandma. Her definition was a little different than what I had thought, but I do not disagree with her. You need to have honesty to be able to speak truth and therefore having trustworthiness. I then asked my older brother, Addison George (23), his definition was, “Depend on someone or something without question just like you know it will always have your back or keep

you safe.” I loved this response because he explained how it felt to trust somebody who had trustworthiness. Somebody who you know will always be there, somebody that is dependable. And last I asked my younger brother, Baylee George (17), his definition was, “Having something there whether emotionally or physically for the better good.” At first this seemed somewhat confusing to me because he did not associate people with trust, he associated it with things or objects. But what I found most interesting about this is that he linked trust and trustworthiness to only good. He could have left that part out and it still would have been a great definition, but he only sees trust in things that are of good not evil.

So what actually is trust and trustworthiness? My dad, Marvin George (49), sent me this definition from Google: trustworthy: able to be relied on to do or provide what is needed or right: deserving of trust, dependable.

I believe that each of these definitions are accurate and true to what trustworthiness and trust means.

Samantha Burgess

Michael Calhoun

Trustworthiness is a fundamental characteristic of the Christian life, but it is not a natural characteristic. It must be learned. As believers, we experience the ultimate display of trust in our Father. One way he has demonstrated his faithfulness is in history. The first promise occurs in Genesis 3:15 where God promises to crush the enemy’s head completely. Later, God promises to establish an eternal covenant with Abraham and his offspring. The rest of the Old Testament is the story of God keeping these promises. In Psalm 89 God declares, “I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips…

Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” God faithfully brought his people out of slavery, into the Promised Land, and later out of exile. He never once broke his promise.

Thousands of years after God made that first promise, he sent his son as the ultimate sign of his faithfulness. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that all the promises of God find their yes in Christ. When Christ died on the cross, not only did he show the trustworthiness of God, he also made a way for his people to be trustworthy as well. Humans by nature are selfish and deceitful. On the cross, Christ defeated the Deceitful One so that we who were once untrustworthy could now be called trusted.

Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we must choose to live lives of faithfulness.

Believers are called to be “imitators of God” (Eph. 5:1). In order to do this, we must strive to be trustworthy. Trustworthiness is not easily acquired for it requires a heart change. When someone is untrustworthy, they are not thinking about other people, but only the instant satisfaction they can receive by being self-centered. To be worthy of trust, one must also be selfless and eternally focused.

Not only is trustworthiness key to imitating Christ, but it is also crucial in facilitating growth within the body of Christ. Hebrews 13:78 says, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Trust is at the core of the community of Christ. The people trust their leaders to teach the Word and to lead them faithfully. They trust each other to encourage them, hold them accountable, and to be vulnerable with them.

And they live lives of trustworthiness in order to reflect to the world the faithfulness of God. All of this trust is rooted in Christ who always has been and will forevermore be faithful. When a believer trusts in the Trustworthy One and seeks to be a person of trust as well, then it will be said of him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt 25:21).

It seems that trustworthiness is at the core of a virtuous life.

Trustworthiness is like courage or perseverance in a sense, because the other virtues rely on it as a grounding. If a person collapses under the temptation of using dishonesty in pursuit of grades, money, or reputation, how can one ever be sure if this person will live out the other virtues instead of resorting to vice when a hard challenge comes? There are many such crucibles where the precious virtue of trustworthiness is refined, and college is a main one for many young adults. The pressure is on to make the grade whether a student is barely scraping by to make the minimum academic requirements, or competing for positions of honor at the top of the academic ladder. Unfortunately, according to the Boston Globe, 75% of college students admit to succumbing to this pressure and cheating. The article goes on describe some reasons for this, like ambiguity on what does and does not constitute academic dishonesty. Other times, according to the article, faculty and university standards are lax, unlike here at Ouachita, and this helps to promote cheating. A final catch all reason would be simple self-interest.

If I am honest, there are indeed times when it is hard to decide what constitutes giving or receiving help on an assignment and when this crosses over into cheating. This is a difficult area to consider and I remember it being discussed in OBU connections. In light of this, it’s important to realize that it’s easy to be frustrated with people who cheat on exams or large projects while sometimes neglecting complete honesty in the smaller details ourselves. I think if we all examined our academic careers closely, almost everyone could find a time when they crossed over into dishonesty, and it’s important for all of us to work together to prevent academic dishonesty, no matter the scale. It might seem strange that I care about academic honesty on even the smallest levels, but to me it seems plain. Every little copied answer, uncredited quotation, and period in a slightly larger font than the rest of the paper makes it easier to be dishonest again and be comfortable being dishonest with larger obstacles That’s why I care about trustworthiness and academic honesty. If I can be trusted with silly things like getting a certain letter on a piece of paper, than hopefully I’ll be trustworthy when there are much more important things at stake. My girlfriend and I recently talked about the most important virtues in a relationship and trust and selflessness were at the very top. I do not want to cut corners on my grades because I do not want my life to someday be characterized by cutting corners in my marriage, parenting, or career. I want my life to be characterized by working hard and honestly for my Creator, and I have an opportunity to practice that every day at Ouachita.

second place

Thank you to all students who submitted pieces for this year’s project.

third place

sports

7

Thursday, April 23, 2015

www.obusignal.com

Former Tiger tight end signs with Baltimore Ravens

By DIXON LAND Sports Editor

Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy JACE MELBY hits a ball earlier this season. Melby recorded to RBI in a 7-3 win over the Arkansas Tech Wonderboys in Russellville on Tuesday. The win sets up a big weekend of baseball against Henderson State. First pitch of the first game in the series is on Friday at 3 p.m.

Tigers take Wonderboys 7-3

By KYLE PARRIS

Sports Information Director The Tigers scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning and outfielder Jace Melby drove in three runs en route to a 7-3 non-conference road win over Arkansas Tech University in Russellville on Tuesday night. Zach Gloff picked up the win to improve to 2-0.

Jace Melby drove in the first two runs of the game on a home run to centerfield in the top of the first.

Caleb McKinnon grounded out in the bottom of the second

for the Wonderboys, scoring Patrick Castleberry and bringing Ouachita’s lead to 2-1.

The Wonderboys scored again in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Seth Wheeler.

Melby put the Tigers back ahead, 3-2, in the top of the sixth, taking four straight balls to draw the bases-loaded walk that scored Preston Speers.

Reuben Miller went 3-4 in the game and scored a run in the top of the seventh when Kyle Alexander hit a fly ball to centerfield. Preston Speers scored his second run of the game in the seventh on a

single through the right side of the infield by Parker Norris.

Leading 5-2, the Tigers added two more runs in their half of the seventh inning on throwing errors made by Tech.

The Tiger bullpen took the 7-2 lead and secured the win allowing only one run on two hits in the final three innings of play. Zach Gloff earned his second victory of the season pitching two innings of nohit relief. He allowed one unearned run, stuck out one and walked none. The Tigers pitching staff allowed only five hits in the game for Tech.

Both teams recorded two

Jamie Barker y Courtesy

errors on the day. Aaron Johnson received a loss for the Wonderboys, allowing three runs and six hits on five and a third innings pitched. He did record seven strikeouts.

The rest of the Wonderboy pitching staff recorded two and two thirds innings pitched, giving up four hits and four runs.

The Tigers will finish the regular season with a three-game home stand against the archrival Henderson State Reddies.

The 2015 Baseball Battle of the Ravine will begin tomorrow at Rab Rodgers Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. n

Doug Taylor y Courtesy

TIGER GOLF—The final tournament for Ouachita Golf occured on Tuesday, April 21. The Ouachita Athletic Department announced plans earlier this season

to suspend the men’s and women’s golf programs in the fall of 2015. Athletic Director David Sharp attributed the suspension to declining numbers and the cost of maintaining a competitive program. Men’s golf has been a competitive sport at Ouachita for years, while the women’s golf team was added in 2010, along with the addition of men’s wrestling. Coach Sharp has served as the men’s golf coach since 1998, while Coach Doug Taylor served as the women’s coach. The program will assume a suspesion of play for the time being; however President Rex Horne did say that if the golf program receieved funding from donors, university officials would reconsider the suspension.

Former Ouachita standout tight end, Phillip Supernaw, has signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

The announcement came Friday when the Ravens signed Supernaw to an exclusive rights free agent tender for $510,000.

By NFL rule, an exclusive rights free agent is when a player whose contract has expired and has three or fewer years in the league is signed to a one year deal preventing him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Supernaw’s contract signs him just short of $100,000 over the leauge minimum of $420,000.

Supernaw will likely be a free agent after the 20152016 NFL season.

In the meantime, Supernaw is expected to take an expanded role in the Ravens’ organization as Owen Daniels has signed with the Denver Broncos and Dennis Pitta’s uncertain future after serious injuries to his hip.

Supernaw will likely slide into the backup tight end on the roster behind starter Crockett Gillmore, depending on who the Ravens decide to draft in two weeks.

At Ouachita, Supernaw caught 64 passes for 710 yards and 10 touchdowns his junior season. During his senior season, Supernaw caught 22 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 30.1 receiving yards per game and 13.7 yards per catch throughout the season. During his senior season Supernaw helped lead the Tigers to the inagural Great American Conference Championship as well.

He was a four-year starter at Ouachita, earning first team AllGulf South Conference his sophomore year and all-conference selections in the GAC his junior and senior years.

Supernaw has been with multiple NFL teams since entering the league, including the Kansas City Chiefs (where he played two games), a short one year with the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens, where he is currently. Supernaw played six games last season. He caught two passes for 27 yards in those six games. n

The shocking truth about Kevin Durant

By ZACH PARKER Staff Writer

Basketball fans rejoice, the NBA Playoffs have finally arrived which means the time has come to binge watch basketball games until the middle of June.

Some of the biggest and brightest stars in the league will be facing off against each other to achieve NBA immortality.

However, while Lebron James, James Harden, Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis are still fighting to stay alive, there is one notable star missing. I’m talking, of course, about the reigning MVP Kevin Durant. But while we’re on the subject of superstars and Durant, I think now would be a great time to state my case as to why I believe the

Thunder small forward is one of the most overrated players in the league.

Now before everyone freaks out, I’m not saying that Durant is not a good player. I think he’s one of the best scorers in the NBA. However, I think we are severely overrating Durant when we put him in the same conversation as Lebron James for best player in the league. Even when he is at the top of his game, Durant is not a well- rounded enough player be considered one of the top two. Durant is what he is at this point in his career.

He is a fantastic scorer and that’s about it. He’s not a great rebounder or passer, he won’t guard the best player on the opposing team and he’ll never be a guy that makes his teammates better.

In my opinion, Durant is a slightly

better and younger version of Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks.

While Anthony is also a great player, he has never been talked about in the way that Durant is, even though their playing styles are very similar.

For his career, Anthony has averaged 25.2 points, 3.1 assists and 6.6 rebounds, while Durant has averaged 27.3 points, 3.5 assists and 6.9 rebounds. Those stats are nearly identical across the board, so why is it that Durant is repeatedly put in comparison with James for best player while Anthony is bashed for being a selfish player only concerned with scoring?

At the end of the day, the perception of these two players is skewed because of their personalities.

People are more likely to support

Durant because he’s played for the same franchise his whole career and has never really been involved in any controversies.

Anthony, on the other hand, went through the whole debacle of forcing his way to New York and was even suspended at one point in his career for his role in an on-court brawl.

If you ask me, the two players could swap teams and neither would suffer any real change. The Knicks would be no better off with Durant, while the Thunder would be no worse off with Anthony. So, basketball fans, I ask you to let these playoffs begin to change your mind and replace Durant’s name in the conversation for second best player with that of Davis, Curry and Harden. n

8

scholars day

Thursday, April 23, 2015

www.obusignal.com

Participants in this year’s Scholars Day pose together for a photo before presentations begin. Students from every major partipate in Scholars Day and give a wide variety of presentations on a variety of researched topics.

Blake Bowen presents on “Beauty and the Assumption of Intelligence” at Scholars Day 2015.

Scholars Day 2015 Students from every discipline across campus participated in and attended events during yesterday’s Scholars Day, hosted by the Carl Goodson Honors Program. Activities and presentations all across campus included inductions into the Alpha Chi honor society, poster presentations, recitals, theatre scenes, art exhibit presentations, senior honors theses, 3-D case studies and other miscellaneous presentations.

Jessie Little speaks during the Alpha Chi induction ceremony on the lawn. The organization is one of the nation’s top honor societies for all academic disciplines.

Caroline Poole discusses a film shown at the Sundance Film Festival during the OBU at Sundance presentation.

Photos by Tyler Rosenthal

Camila Ferreira speaks during a 3D Case Study Presentation that utilizes BodyViz projection system and software to present real patient data.

Nathaniel Shrader gives a poster presentation titled “Ego Depletion and Complexity” in RileyHickingbotham Library.

Buzz Hardin stars in “Lost in Translation,” an original play by Ouachita student Walter Dodd.

After the play, there was a talkback session with Dodd and the cast.

Katie Dreher attends a poster presentation in the library. Students all across campus were encouraged to attend presentations both within and outside of their majors.