The Signal | Ouachita Baptist University | 3.2.18

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03.02.18

WALKING WHERE JESUS DID Ouachita students take the trip of a lifetime to the Holy Lands

Vol. 126, Issue 17

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51st Annual Miss OBU Scholarship Pageant to be held in JPAC

Andy Henderson z Photo lab

Andy Henderson z Photo lab

By MALLORY MORRIS Staff writer

The 51st Miss Ouachita Baptist University pageant will take place tomorrow, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Performing Arts Center.

2017’s Miss Ouachita Baptist University, Tiffany Lee, will pass her crown to one of the seven contestants competing in this year’s pageant.

Contestants for this year’s pageant include Kara DeLaune, a junior Spanish major from Conway, Ark.; Lauren Ford, a senior political science major from Cabot, Ark.; Alayna Morphew, a junior elementary education major from Nashville, Ark.; Emma Pitts, a sophomore music education major from Clarksville, Ark.; Abigail Sanders, a freshman music industry major from Little Rock, Ark.; Caroline Sweet, a sophomore secondary education and English major from North Little Rock, Ark.; and Julie Williams, a senior mass communications and political science major from Arka-

LEFT: Tiffany Lee is crowned Miss OBU 2017 at last year’s 5oth anniversary competition. RIGHT: New Miss OBU, Tiffany Lee, poses with Miss OBU 2016, Suzie Gresham, and Miss Arkansas 2017, Savannah Skidmore, after the crowning of last year’s competition.

delphia, Ark. Contestants will compete in talent, evening wear, onstage question, private interview and fitness categories, with a portion of their overall score coming from each.

Over the course of the year, the winner of the Miss OBU title competes in the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant, takes an active role in community events and works to promote the platform she chooses. Additionally, fundraising to help the Children’s

Miracle Network is another responsibility each winner gets to be a part of.

Reflecting on her time spent as Miss OBU, Lee said, “I’ll miss the opportunity to meet people I would never come in contact with otherwise. Over the past year, everyone who I came in contact with inspired me. I came out being the gift receiver. It was the people who I met and their stories that inspired me the most.”

“I wish I could do it every

year forever. Just to be given the opportunity was amazing; it kind of feels like my own Disney World. I felt so much pride walking up to the mic each night at Miss Arkansas to say Miss Ouachita Baptist University,” Lee said.

Additional entertainment for the evening will be provided by the Court of Honor.

These performers will include Hannah Hines, a senior musical theatre major from Russellville, Ark.; Zach Myers, a junior musical the-

atre major from Greenwood, Ark.; Noah Nalley, a sophomore biology and Spanish major from Benton, Ark.; and Libby Villegas, a senior music industry major from Wylie, Texas.

The 51st Miss OBU pageant will be held in Jones Performing Arts Center, at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets can be purchased online at obu. edu/boxoffice or by calling the box office at 870-245-5555.

Tickets are $12 for individuals and $7 for students. n

Fine Arts hosts 20th Shambarger Competition Elrod Center to present

Healthy Relationships Week

By ANNI WILLIAMS Staff writer

Ouachita’s department of fine arts hosted the 20th anniversary of the Mary Shambarger singing competition on Tuesday, February 20.

First place went to Clay Mobley, a sophomore music industry major from Wylie, Texas, who sang “The Farmer’s Curst Wife” by Steven Mark Kohn. Mobley is a student of Dr. Jon Secrest and was accompanied on piano

by Kristen La Madrid.

“I feel humbled to have been able to be involved in this year’s competition and am very honored to have won,” Mobley said. ”I am extremely grateful for the guidance of our Ouachita fine arts professors and vocal coaches and owe much of my growth over the past two years to them. I will never turn down an opportunity to grow and learn as a musician so that I can reach the highest pedestal God allows me to––to shine his light throughout the world through music I sing.“ Second place went to Lizzy Griffin, a junior musical theatre major from Pittsburg, Texas, who sang “C’est L’exstase Langoureuse” by Clause Debussy. Griffin is a student of Dr. Glenda Secrest and was accompanied on piano by Susan Monroe.

Griffin, who changed her vocal selection at the last moment, assumed she wouldn’t place. When she won, she said she was “hilariously” surprised. “I literally got comfortable in my seat, because I wasn’t getting up and I knew it,” Griffin said. Then she heard her name called.

Third place went to Esther Atkinson, a senior musical theatre major from Rogers,

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By JULIA WILLIAMS News editor

Jon Secrest z Courtesy TOP: Senior Esther Atkinson sings “Danny Boy” during this year’s Shambarger Competition. ABOVE: Junior, Scotty Scott entertains the audience with vocal performance.

Ark., who sang “Danny Boy”

by Jake Heggie. Atkinson is a student of Dr. Arnold Rawls and was accompanied on piano by La Madrid.

Akinson described competing was just “another day at the office” after a string of graduate school auditions.

“I actually got to enjoy it, especially since I got to sing ‘Danny Boy.’ I kind of got emotional a little bit in the middle,” Atkinson said.

“I feel like I’m selfish. The Lord is allowing me to do what I’m getting to do and not a lot of people can say that. I keep feeling like I’m Jonah, and the Lord’s going to toss me into the whale for a second. I feel like I’m on the wrong boat, like this is not where I’m supposed to be because I’m enjoying myself,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson says she keeps waiting for a door to close, but so far God has kept opening doors for her to do what she loves so she’s following that path until God directs her somewhere else.

Fourth place went to Mi-

cah Brooks, a junior musical theatre major from Rockwall, Texas, who sang “The Song of Black Max” by William Bolcom. Brooks is a student of Dr. Jon Secrest and he was accompanied on piano by La Madrid.

“The competition, to me, is a very unique experience where you get to perform alongside all the people you’re learning with and in front of all the people you’re learning with,” Brooks said.

He went on to explain that, to him, the competition was less about competing than it was about performing.

Honorable mention was given to Hannah Saunders, a junior musical theatre major from St. Paul, Ark., who sang “Les Filles de Cadix”

by Leo Delibes. Saunders is a student of Dr. Margaret Garrett and was accompanied on piano by La Madrid.

Attempting to explain her love of singing, Saunders said, “There’s a Victor Hugo quote, ‘Music expresses that which cannot be put into see Shambarger z 2

THIS WEEK AT OBUSIGNAL.COM

y Style tips from Tiffany Lee y Humans of Ouachita y Introducing Katie Crouse

Ouachita’s annual Healthy Relationships Week will begin this Monday, March 5 and continue through next Saturday, March 10. Each year, this weeklong series of events is hosted by Ouachita’s Elrod Center for Family and Community in hopes of providing counsel to individuals on campus about any variety of relationships whether in dating, engagement and marriage, friendships or family relationships.

According Mrs. Judy Duvall, assistant director of the Elrod Center and the director of Healthy Relationships Week, the event began around the time that the Elrod Center was started 20 years ago.

“At first, we called it Marriage and Family Week,” Duvall said. “And we just wanted to introduce our students to individuals and couples that have strong, healthy marriages and could give them the tools they needed to have good marriages, as well.”

Duvall went on to say that after listening to students on campus, they discovered that students often wanted to discuss topics other than just marriage, so years ago it was renamed “Dating, Engagement and Marriage Week.” In the last few years, the Elrod Center renamed it Healthy Relationships Week.

According to Ian Cosh, Vice President for Community and International Engagement, “The genesis of it was through a very generous foundation that was trying to

strengthen families through touching the lives of college students… With feedback from the students, we were able to develop it into a much more rounded experience.

Cosh went on to describe that many events are targeted to be much more inclusive.

“We also want to get into the dynamic that this is about being a healthy individual,” Cosh said. “And while romance and relationships and all these things are an important part of that, there’s going to be something for everyone.”

During this year’s events, there will be a variety of breakout sessions both for men and women. Throughout the week, students can hear from a number of Ouachita’s couples like Matt and Angela Douglass and Ouachita seniors Ethan and Lindsey Edwards. On Thursday night at Refuge, there will be two seperate services for men and women. The men’s service will be led by Dr. Byron Eubanks and the women’s service will be led

by Bonnie Phillips of John Brown University. Phillips will lead a breakout session for women earlier in the day in the alumni room. Guy Grimes, a popular speaker with students, will be returning for the third year in a row, speaking in chapel and in a few breakout sessions. Mary and Jared Farley will also be presenting an event called “Blind Dates and Soul Mates: Navigating God’s Will in Relationships.”

On Friday and Saturday, there will be a Couples’ Retreat for engaged and marsee HRW z 2

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thisTweets weekzCALENDAR of the Week Danny Hays @Haysdanny 15 Apr I love my job. I get to study God’s word & then teach it to eager college students who love the Lord. It’s a great job.

Even on Mondays.

MISS OBU PAGEANT will be HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS Saturday night, March 3 at WEEK will begin on Monday, 7:30 p.m. in Jones Performing March 5 and continue through Arts Center. Individual tickets Saturday, March 10. For a full are OBU $12 @Ouachita and students are $7. schedule, see15 Apr the University Tickets can be purchased at the Calendar.

So how do you use social media -- to affirm and encourage Box or Office. to attack and tear doen? “Be ye kind to one another.”

(Eph. 4:32). Hmmm...

WIND ENSEMBLE will be REFUGE will be held at Second performing in Jones Performing Baptist Church on Thursday, ArtsJustin Center on Tuesday, March 8 at 916 p.m.

Young @JustinYoung072 Apr For more March 6 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact James The Harley Davidson leather vest must be the key to information, contact Dr. Gary Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu. memorizing the entire Bible.

Gerber at gerberg@obu.edu.

The Signal @obusignal 2 March Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for up-to-the-minute updates on everything going on around Ouachita Baptist.

Twitter: @obusignal Facebook: facebook.com/obusignal Instagram: @obusignal

from our perspective

TOP

5

TV shows from when we were little

5 4 3 2 1

Clifford Dragon Tales Out of the Box Arthur Blue’s Clues

If you could bring another restaurant to the student center, what would it be?

Will Blase Features editor

Will Johnson Sports editor

Julia Williams News editor

Katie Kemp Editor-in-chief

Josh Salim Copy editor

“Big Cheese.”

“Buffalo Wild Wings.”

“Taco Bell.”

“Tropical Smoothie.”

“Chipotle or Qdoba.”

Students to direct, act in Ten-Minute Play Festival

By VICTORIA ANDERSON Staff writer

Students will perform in the Eighteenth Annual AllNight Theatre: A Ten-Minute Play Festival, which will be held in Verser Theatre on March 9-10. Following the performances will be a Q&A session, which will give audience members the opportunity to voice their questions to the directors and actors. This event gives students from all areas of study the opportunity to write, act and direct.

The festival accepted submissions from Feb. 19-–Feb. 23 for consideration by an anonymous multi-disciplinary panel. Panel members included faculty, staff and students.

Student writers could submit more than one work, as long as those works were original and performable in ten minutes or less. The panel also accepted plays written by a group of authors.

Auditions for the plays were held Feb. 25 in Verser

Shambarger

z Continued from Page 1 words and that which cannot remain silent.’”

“Communication is so hard just using words,” Saunders said. “But with music, notes and sound, there’s so much more. You can create a feeling there aren’t words to describe. For me, music is a way to express myself and understand other people.”

This year’s competition was special because it marked the 20th anniversary of the first Shambarger Competition. The contest started

Theatre. All students were welcome to audition for a role or apply to direct in the festival, including those whose work was accepted for performance.

The Ten-Minute Play Festival has always been a student-run event. It was established by Jeffrey Villines, an English, Russian and theatre triple major who was interested in writing, directing and acting.

“The festival is a chance for students, majors and nonmajors, to be involved at all levels (writing, directing, acting, technical producing) in a theatre production that doesn’t involve a big time investment like our larger productions,” said Eric Phillips, professor of theatre arts.

“Students can run through the process in a couple of days and have a finished product in front of an audience. They also can get to be a part of the creative process of putting on an expressive event with their peers and know that they have created it all for their fellow students.” n

in 1998 as a way for Ouachita’s music students to expand their musical repertoire and gain experience auditioning profesionally.

The competition is named in honor of Mary Shambarger, professor emerita of music at Ouachita. Shambarger served on Ouachita’s music faculty as a teacher, voice instructor and choir director for 32 years and still serves as a judge in the competition each year. To commemorate the competition’s 20th anniversary, there was a banquet in Shambarger’s honor as well as a recital where former winners performed. n

“Dakota and I really enjoyed the couples’ retreat last year. It was all about communication. It gave really practical advice on how to communicate love and gratitude to each other in our day to day lives,” Shelton said. She went on to describe the enjoyment that came from meeting other couples that were in the same stage of life. “We still hang out with them today.”

When asked about the El-

Crawford Hall learned ways in which they could strengthz Continued from Page 1 en friendships with other girls. ried couples at the Wingate While Healthy RelationHotel in Little Rock. Accordships Week does place an ing to Duvall, an organizaemphasis upon the marriage tion that wishes to remain relationship, the week still anonymous gives grants to has something valuable to universities like Ouachita in offer any student at Ouachiorder to host these marriage ta, regardless of whether or retreats. not marriage is anywhere in “They provide the speaktheir near future. The Elrod ers, and we take 25 engaged Center’s website describes and married student Healthy Relationships couples,” Duvall said.

Week as “a week dedi“It’s really neat for “I think it is so important to learn cated to helping stuthese couples, because good healthy habits of relating to dents make connections it’s an intense mar- others early in life in order to have and strengthen bonds riage therapy time just long lasting relationships that stay with each other,” and over the course of a Duvall echoes this senweekend. But instead the course. Hopefully this week will timent. of going to eight dif- be helpful in giving students “I think it is so imferent counseling ses- practical ways to do this.” portant to learn good sions, you can just get healthy habits of relatit in Friday and SatJUDY DUVALL ing to others early in urday night, and it’s life in order to have just really good.” The long lasting relationfollow-up event called rod Center’s vision for ways ships that stay the course,” The Great Date Night is en- to grow Healthy Relation- Duvall said. “Hopefully this couraged for any couple who ships Week, Duvall stated week will be helpful in givattends the retreat. that she would love to bring ing students practical ways Mackenzie Shelton, a ju- back an event of men’s and to do this.” nior Christian studies major women’s panel discussions Healthy Relationships from Bryant, Ark., stated that in which members of fac- Week will take place March she and her husband, Dako- ulty answered questions 5-10. For more information ta, a junior kinesiology major from students. She went on or to find a full schedule of from Alma, Ark., attended to describe a girls night with events, visit obu.edu/elrod/ the couples’ retreat during communications professor relationships-week or conlast year’s Healthy Relation- Tiffany Eurich in which the tact Judy Duvall at duvallj@ ships Week. freshman girls in Francis- obu.edu. n

HRW

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SIGNAL

will not print for the next three weeks due to the College Media Association Spring Convention and spring break.

We will be back with a new issue on

MARCH 30

FEATURES

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Michael Richardson z Courtesy THE FILM TEAM on Mike Huckabee’s Israel trip poses for a selfie in Jerusalem. The team consisted of seniors Michael Richardson (from left), Kacy Spears, Sarah Davis and Kevin Barnard.

Walking where Jesus did: OBU students travel to Israel

By JOHN SHARP Staff writer

Going to a Christian college, we hear a lot about the significance of the holy lands and all that has happened inside them, but rarely do we ever dream of walking where Jesus walked. Last month, four Ouachita students were given the opportunity to do just that.

Every year, former Arkansas governor and Ouachita alumnus Mike Huckabee hosts a trip to the holy lands with the Blue Diamond Tourism group, and he almost always brings Ouachita communications students along to work as photographers and videographers for the trip. The students that traveled with this year’s group were seniors Kevin Barnard, Sarah Davis, Michael Richardson and Kacy Spears.

“Four Ouachita students were selected to attend, and I was very blessed to be chosen,” said Spears, a senior mass communications major from El Dorado, Ark. “Over 300 people went on this trip, so the videographers would try to get everyone on video by following different groups of people each day.”

To start off the trip, the group traveled to New York City for two days. The first day was spent preparing for the trip. This was done by going over packets and reviewing the agenda for the rest of the trip. The second day in New York City was a free day for them to explore the city before they headed off for Israel.

After traveling for 12 hours and switching to a time zone eight hours ahead of the one they were accustomed to, the group arrived in Tel Aviv, Is-

Kacy Spears z Courtesy

Kacy Spears z Courtesy ABOVE: tourists visit the Western Wall, or “Wailing Wall,” in Jerusalem. TOP RIGHT: tourists light candles on the Via Dolorosa, the road believed to be the path Jesus took on his way to be crucified. BOTTOM RIGHT: Camels rest in Jerusalem’s Genesis Land.

rael. Once landing, the group traveled to Jerusalem to stay at the King David hotel. They stayed in Jerusalem for the first half of the trip, then they traveled to Tiberias for the second half.

The trip was a tour of the life of Jesus. They followed his life and visited the famous sights that are believed to be where he once stood.

These sights included the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, David’s tomb, the Weatern Wall, the pools of Bethesda and Golgotha, the place that Jesus is thought to have been crucified. One of the highlights for Davis, a senior Christian studies and mass communications major from Beebe, Ark., was being able to visit the Garden Tomb on Valentine’s Day. “I was bawling behind the camera,” said Davis. “I was

Kacy Spears z Courtesy

excited to not have to be at school with a bunch of engaged couples on Valentine’s Day... but I realized how cool it was to be there on that specific day. You know, ‘no greater love is there than this: to lay down one’s life,’ and Jesus showed the ultimate act of love at this place. It was very emotional for me.”

One of the first places the group was able to visit on the trip was a Holocaust museum. The building is built in a bow. At the beginning, the building is on the ground floor, and exhibits tell the story of the beginnings of the Holocaust. From there, the building dips down until it reaches the point in World War II that the Allies started to liberate the different camps and reaches the ground floor again once Israel is its own independent nation in 1948.

“It’s kind of funny, too, the biggest thing about this trip is how it made everything more real,” said Richardson, a Christian studies and mass communications major from Frisco, Texas. “It’s like one of those things, you go on this trip and you get it. Like you get why Israel is important; you get why you need to protect the nation of Israel.

It’s one of those things that’s hard to explain. It’s weird, but I felt like I was home.

We like to look from afar, but when you are there, you realize that it is not just some hypothetical thing, but it is all real life.”

While the group was able to see and learn many things about the life of Jesus and the history of Israel, they were also able to do some reflecting and learn about themselves, both spiritually and

artistically.

“I learned that God chooses the perfect time to speak to us,” Spears said. “I was expecting to have my faith transformed during this trip at the sight of the Mount of Olives or the Garden of Gethsemane.” While it did change the way Spears reads scripture to see these places she had spent years reading and hearing about, she did not feel especially spiritually moved in these places.

“I thought something might be wrong with me, but then our group went to Magdala, the town where Mary of Magdalene was born. God affirmed in me that women can be strong spiritual leaders, and our work may look different than the work that men do in the church,” Spears said. “Also, I saw a mongoose in real life!” n

GOOD LUCK, ALAYNA! The women of Chi Mu are proud to sponsor Alayna Morphew in Miss OBU 2018.

Your sisters are cheering you on!

LIFESTYLE

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“The Shape of Water”: worth the hype?

By KATIE KEMP Editor-in-chief

Of all the films nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year at this year’s Academy Awards, by far the most divisive contender is Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.” It’s been highly praised and named as one of the frontrunners to win Best Picture by some, but other critics flat out hated it.

Set in the midst of the US-Soviet Space Race, “The Shape of Water” follows Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor at an aerospace research facility. The only friends Elisa appears to have are Giles (Richard Jenkins), the jobless artist who lives next door, and Zelda (Octavia Spencer), another janitor at the research facility. Elisa’s monotonous life begins to change when the facility acquires a human-like amphibious creature from the Amazon (Doug Jones). Elisa begins to develop a relationship with

Fox Searchlight

the Amphibian Man (as he’s billed in the credits) that eventually becomes romantic, but the scientists in the lab torture the creature in the name of research. When Elisa witnesses the pain the scientists are putting it through, she makes it her misison to break the creature out of the lab and free it into the sea.

The film is beautifully shot,

and it’s easy for the viewer to get caught up in the fantastical cinematography and special effects. The opening sequence is especially reminiscient of a fairy tale, but del Toro’s affinity for fables can’t quite redeem “The Shape of Water.”

The characters in this film are almost painfully overcharacterized. Each char-

“Painting the Roses Red”

By CATHERINE LYP

acter’s arc plays out pretty much exactly as the audience thinks it will, and despite how easy it was to like Elisa and her friends, it’s just hard to root for her relationship with a fish-man. Elisa’s character would be more captivating if a suffering hopeless romantic hadn’t been so overplayed in the past.

The film also leaves little

“Get Out” more than a simple horror flick

Staff writer

By WILL BLASE The story of “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll is a classic tale that has been reimagined in several different forms. There have been books, television shows and movies made showcasing the various ways the story could have taken place. Being a fan of the original and having seen several of its many versions, I thought I had seen all possible adaptations of the classic. However, after seeing “Painting the Roses Red,” I became aware that there are a multitude of angles to tell the same story in a beautiful and inventive way.

The play began not as I was expecting. Rather than beginning with dialogue, the play started with a focus on a couple and their daughters through interpretive dance.

The first few minutes of the play was solely a dance performance telling the audience the preface to the main plot. Starting on an empty stage, the actors portrayed the story of a couple who at first seemed happy, but soon after having a daughter, their life started to fall apart. With the stage now bathed in red light, the actors danced in a way that indicated the abusive relationships within the family. The dancing was not only beautiful in itself, but the storyline that their movements conveyed added depth to the main plot before it had even begun.

After the dancing, the play continued as a mixture of dialogue, song and dance. The present portion of the story began with a girl named Margaret who was admiring her white rose while appearing lonely and unhappy. A white rabbit puppet then appeared, stole the white rose and led Margaret to where she would later learn was Wonderland.

Along her journey, Margaret met several characters such as the White Rabbit, the March Hare, the Mad Hatter, the Blue Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat, among others.

Not only was the format of the play unexpected, but so was the plot. The story followed many of the activities Alice would come in contact with on her journey through Wonderland, yet they were slightly different. Just as

Features editor

Andy Henderson z Photo lab

Alice would encounter the Blue Caterpillar, the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat, Margaret would meet them in a similar scenario. Other parallels to the source material were sprinkled throughout the performance, which made it even more enjoyable, while also adding depth to the story. It wasn’t until the end of the play, when Margaret’s identity was revealed, that I became aware of such references. From the white rose to Margaret’s troubled past, every detail pointed toward who she would become.

The music sung by the cast contributed to the plot as well. Each song allowed for insight into what Margaret and the other characters were thinking, which furthered the story and added a deeper meaning to their actions. Overall, the actors’ performances of each character and the types of relationships they had with Margaret were magnificent. The acting allowed new depth and meaning to be added to the story and the actions of each character, without disrupting their classic mannerisms.

Such a performance set the stage for a beautiful concoction of old and new.

Not only was the actual performance wonderful, but the atmosphere created around the actors was as well. Various aspects of the play, such as lighting, costumes and props, came together to fully immerse the audience in the story. For instance, the costuming was absolutely superb. The costumes had small details, such as the Mad Hatter’s pocket for his teacup and saucer,

which contributed to the formation of their character.

Added elements such as rabbit ears to the White Rabbit and the March Hare allowed the audience to be drawn into the story and really believe each character could exist within the play. Similarly, the makeup and masks that actors wore allowed each character to be represented as they would be in Wonderland. The same effect resulted from the costume and prop combination that is the Cheshire Cat’s costume. By having the Cheshire Cat be made up of several people holding parts of a large, lighted cat body, the actors were able to portray the Cheshire Cat’s ability to disappear and reappear at will.

The vocal echo effects also added to this imagery by showing how the Cheshire Cat can exist both physically or invisibly, while still being present.

The lighting used also contributed to the atmosphere in which the story took place.

By using different colors of light, various emotions could be shown as being felt by the characters, such as in the beginning when Margaret’s relationship with her parents was portrayed through dancing under red light.

How the plot and characters were portrayed in the play were unexpected. I was expecting to watch a play of the general story of Alice in Wonderland; however, I was happily surprised by the performance that was provided instead. “Painting the Roses Red” was a beautiful retelling of a classic tale, with a twist that made it all the more enjoyable. n

room for the viewer to discover anything for themselves––the audience is forced to think feel what del Toro wants them to at every turn, as several of the film’s motifs are predictably connected.

The film’s redeeming quality was its message of finding your voice. Elisa, as a mute woman, is able to see herself in the Amphibian Man––she has been unable to defend herself all her life, and now that she sees someone (or rather, something) in a similar position, she feels it is her duty to help.

“The Shape of Water” leads the pack of Academy Award nominees this year with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Hawkins, Best Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role for Jenkins and Spencer, respectively, and Best Director for del Toro, among a host of many others. The 90th Academy Awards will broadcast live on ABC this Sunday, March 4, at 7 p.m. n

Jordan Peele is famous for his comedy sketch show “Key and Peele.” Nobody saw his directorial debut being this successful, much less in the horror genre.

“Get Out” follows the story of Chris Washington (played by Daniel Kaluuya). Washington is a photographer who leads a positive relationship with his girlfriend Rose Armitage (played by Allison Williams). The two plan to visit the Armitage household, so Chris can finally meet her parents. Chris is hesitant in going on the trip, worried that Rose hasn’t told her parents that he’s black.

The two set off on their trip with Rose behind the wheel. They continue their drive until the couple runs into a deer. This scene is alarming and places paranoia on Chris’s character.

They call the police and an officer shows up soon after. The scene becomes awkward when the officer asks Chris for his license, even though Chris was not behind the wheel. Rose defends Chris and angrily berates the officer, providing the viewer with a good reading on the two’s relationship. The officer leaves and the scene ends with the two continuing their drive.

As the two pull up the Armitage driveway, Chris notices that the family has a black groundskeeper. He shakes this off and they continue up the driveway. The Armitage family couldn’t be more welcoming to Washington, throwing away some of his initial worries.

Dean Armitage (played

by Bradley Whitford) immediately seeks to make Washington feel comfortable, stating that he would “vote Obama for a third term” and that his father had been beaten by Jesse Owens during the 1936 Olympic Qualifiers. Missy Armitage (played by Catherine Keener) is a successful hypnotherapist who offers to help Washington cure his nicotine addiction. Chris tells her that he

doesn’t want people rooting around in his head.

Peele takes us on a wild ride, psychologically toying with his characters and subsequently with the viewer. The Armitage family has deep, hidden secrets that begin to emerge as Washington’s safety is put into question. The film’s final 15 minutes will leave you on the edge of your seat.

“Get Out” is very much a critique on society. The film is an original screenplay by Peele, written to prove to himself that he could produce a feature length film script and make one that is socially relevant. And oh, does it succeed. Peele places commentary on society’s treatment and views on black individuals subtly at times and brazenly at others. This commentary is necessary. It’s hard to watch at times when the references are so blatant, but overall provides the film with meaning and a takeaway message. I’ve seen the film twice, and I’m still learning more about scenes that feature minute details that the casual viewer might miss.

This script keeps on giving.

Don’t let this deter you.

The film boasts incredible cinematography, fantastic plot pacing and a story that’s relatively easy to follow. Paranoia is ever present, and fans of psychological horror will find the film tailored to their likes.

“Get Out” is currently nominated for four Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Achievement in Directing and Best Original Screenplay. These nominations are not surprising. The film is wildly popular with audiences young and old. It’s seen massive success in the box office, exceeding the estimated $5 million budget by grossing over $250 million worldwide.

Peele has received endless praise over “Get Out” and is deserving of it all.

I look forward to his next feature film and can only pray that it lives up to the standard of “Get Out.” n

OPINIONS

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Friday, March 2, 2018 u page 5

All in the name of security

By KATHERINE CARTER Opinions editor

I watched a movie called “The Circle” a couple of weekends ago. It was about this “Apple-esque” corporation that had gathered everyone’s private information through their social media accounts. Through the use of tiny cameras positioned practically everywhere, they were able to save the main character after she went on a midnight kayaking trip. Out of gratitude to the Circle, she agrees to wear a camera 24/7, since having secrets (privacy) was the equivalent of lying.

I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t a great movie, but it did pose a good question— is forfeiting privacy in the name of security really a good thing?

While thankfully our reallife situation doesn’t involve a corporation like Apple, it does involve Edward Snowden, who opened up a big can of worms when he leaked information about the NSA and their surveillance

programs on U.S. citizens, and many more people have become wary of the government since. There’s even a joke going around on social media about the FBI agents who are assigned to watch us through the webcams in our computers.

There’s merit to both sides of the argument. On the one hand, privacy is considered by most to be a basic human right. We are entitled to share as much information about ourselves with others as we wish, regardless of the quantity. If I chose to delete every social media account I had in the name of privacy, I could.

That’s my right. If I wanted to post every moment of my day on every social media account I had, I could. That’s also my right.

On the other hand, surveillance programs allow law enforcement agencies, both federal and local, to prevent crimes and atrocities that otherwise could cause great harm. It allows them to gather evidence that helps prosecute criminals to the full extent of the law. If you have nothing to hide, what’s the

Living life without any roadmaps

By CODY POE Staff writer

We all have plans and dreams for the future, and we know that it takes time out of our days now to prepare for the future. Sometimes in life, there are going to be moments where your friends just show up in your room at 11 p.m. and force you to go to Taco Bell.

People sometimes ask me, “What are you doing next weekend?” and I usually respond, “I don’t know, I don’t plan that far ahead.”

I do this because I like living life in the moment and having fun while I still have time to. I have plans for the future and want to have a successful life, but right now I have free time and friends that I want to hang out with.

College is both a time to experience learning that you cannot get anywhere else and make unique memories with your friends that you will never forget. Many of these memories you will gain through spontaneous decision making.

One of my favorite memories was when a friend came into my room without any warning and forced me to get into his car. After that, we went to go wake up two of our other friends and physically pulled them out of bed and stuffed them in the car. We then drove all the way to Shreveport, La. at two in the morning.

Nothing was open, but it was still one of the best nights of my life because I went out on a pointless trip with some of my best friends. Should I have spent that time studying? Maybe,

but given the opportunity to do it again, I would without hesitation because I am not going to remember the grade I got on a test, but I will remember that trip.

Now, I am not saying don’t study. You absolutely need to study; your parents are spending $30,000 a year to make sure that you learn what you need to learn. What I am saying is that you need to go out and have fun with your friends as much as you can. Finding a balance is the key here, and that can be very hard to do depending on your major.

To put an end to this, live life now. Go out and get Taco Bell at 1 a.m., take spontaneous roundtrips with no destination, go float the river, or just go out with your hammock and music. Life is too short to keep your head buried in a book. Go out with your friends and make memories that will stay with you forever. When we are old and have kids and grandkids they are going to ask us “What did you do with your free time?” We will have two answer choices to respond to this question.

“I got lots of sleep,” or “I went with the people that you call your aunts and uncles on adventures and made some of the best memories of our lives.”

Education is a privilege, and it’s important to take advantage of the unique learning opportutnities we’re given as college students. But it’s also important to take advantage of the unique season of ilfe we’re in, because there will never be another one like it.

Life is now. Live your best life. n

the

SIGNAL

problem?

Are secrets bad? Are we allowed to have secrets? I guess it would depend on what the secret is. If your secret is that you love Nickelback, then you’re entitled to that secret (even if you have terrible taste in music). However, if your secret is that you’re planning to set off a pipe bomb in a subway station, then someone really should know about it.

The vast majority of people don’t commit violent crimes, but those few exceptions are what concern law enforcement. I’m sure there are incidents they prevent from occurring every day of which we have no knowledge. We’d all probably be shocked by the number of potential disasters that were stopped by law enforcement. For that I’m grateful, but what do we do with everyone else who just wants to live their lives peacefully?

My natural inclination is to let law enforcement do what needs to get done in order to stop the bad guys. If giving them personal information allows them to do their jobs

easier and more efficiently, then I’ve got no problem with it. It’s not as though I’m off the grid. Law enforcement officers have it hard enough without my giving them a harder time.

That being said, there’s still a line drawn in the sand.

How far is too far? Sure, if I get pulled over, I’ll hand over my driver’s license, but I’m not obligated to share what my plans are for the weekend and with whom I’ll spend it.

Security and privacy shouldn’t be mutually exclusive, regardless of what others might say. The law is there to keep the government in check while allowing them certain freedoms when investigating potentially dangerous people. While the NSA had seemingly good intentions for surveilling the American people in the name of national security, they violated our privacy in doing so.

The irony in a lot of this is that those who cried out against the NSA also have social media accounts. They post their personal business on the eternal internet every single day. We know what

Safety at amusement parks

By WILL JOHNSON Sports editor

Growing up, I always had a genuine fear of roller coasters. Just gazing at the towering theme park rides made me sick. The issue wasn’t the speedy turns and drops.

Besides, I could comfortably handle any water ride, drop tower or scrambler. Only one problem turned my stomach upside-down. The loops.

As a child, I couldn’t commit to the process of being strapped into a chair and jerked around an inverted track.

Any excuse to avoid those looping roller coasters would work just fine for me. My brothers would rotate from line to line, coaster to coaster, begging me to join them.

I frequently declined, coming up with some sort of excuse to turn down their offer. My fear of roller coasters truly damaged the exciting opportunities I could have experienced at amusement parks.

My connection with roller coasters is somewhat of a love/hate relationship. The childhood dread I suffered gradually changed as I aged.

Nowadays, I’ll take on any coaster without hesitation. I believe some of the fear was centered around the potential danger of roller coasters, or any other ride for that matter.

Though safety concerns are

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prioritized in theme parks, unfortunate injuries occasionally happen. From seatbelt issues to brake accidents, amusement parks around the world aren’t short of problems. Luckily, I’ve never been involved in a ride malfunction, but I’ve visited amusement parks where fatal injuries occurred.

Years ago, in Six Flags over Texas, a guest fell 75 feet off

a roller coaster known as the Texas Giant. Witnesses believed that the individual was not properly fastened to the seat. I attended this amusement park only months before the fatality.

Sadly, these problems occur at other theme parks as well.

Most incidents with rides do not involve any injury.

The ride may undergo a mechanical error without doing any harm to the guest. Unfortunately, there are times when the visitor suffers a serious injury that may put the

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they eat for lunch, what they did over the weekend, and sometimes even where they go on vacation. Privacy is becoming increasingly scarce, and it isn’t because of the government. Private companies behind Facebook and Instagram are the ones who broadcast the most of our personal business, and we give it to them of our own volition.

Clearly the government should be kept in check, and it probably is, for the most part. What worries me more are the private corporations who have my information.

They aren’t trying to keep us safe—they’re trying to make as much money as they can.

I’m already not a huge fan of social media, but it seems to me that these guys are the ones on which we need to keep an eye. I’m willing to sacrifice a little privacy in the name of security; I’m not willing to do so to line people’s pockets.

The whole issue’s murky, but we can all agree there is a line. We’ve just got to answer this question for ourselves: how important is privacy? n

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individual in the hospital, or worse.

With all this being said, is going to an amusement park really worth the risk? Absolutely.

These rare, but tragic issues certainly put a damper on the amusement park experience. However, these situations are highly uncommon, as mechanics constantly and carefully work to improve each ride. The Texas Giant has successfully reopened since the tragic accident to include safer seatbelts, among many other things.

Also, theme parks are designed for entertainment.

Many guests travel across the globe solely to attend different parks. Though height limits prevent some visitors from riding specific rides due to safety policies, many other attractions are available throughout parks.

Most parks develop their rides and attractions around a theme, which also enhances the guest’s satisfaction.

For example, Disney owns four separate parks in Orlando, Fla., which together are called “Disney World.”

Each park presents a separate theme while maintaining the Disney subject. From log rides and bumper cars to roller coasters and Ferris wheels, guests of all ages can appreciate a variety of thrilling rides at amusement parks. n

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

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Lady Tigers travel to GAC tournament for rivalry rematch

By JOSH SALIM Copy editor

The regular season for Ouachita’s women’s basketball team has come to an end, but the Lady Tigers hope to be far from finished. Postseason play begins on Friday for the girls, and they will be facing off against their rival across the street, Henderson State University. The two teams have played each other twice this season in the Great American Conference, and Henderson took the win away from Ouachita in both appearances.

In the first appearance, the deciding factor came out as a win for Henderson, because they outscored Ouachita 3414 in the paint and 11-2 on second chance points. Pink Jones also led all scorers with 25 points and six rebounds throughout the game.

Ouachita’s leading scorer was Morgan Miller with 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Tigers also struggled to stop Bree Bossier for the Reddies, who missed a doubledouble by two rebounds, ending with 10 points and eight boards.

For the second appearance for the Battle of the Ravine, Ouachita’s Shakyla Begnaud achieved her first career double-double and ended the

Aaron Jordan z Photo Lab FRESHMAN EDEN CROW shoots a contested jump shot for the Lady Tigers in Saturday’s Senior Night win against the Lady Muleriders. Ouachita faces off against Henderson St. in the first round of the GAC Championship.

night as the top scorer with 27 points. In the two times that Begnaud has played on the court at Henderson State, she has averaged 25.5 points.

Ouachita led by one point at half but struggled as the game continued and the Reddies went on a 12-3 run. Blu Jones led all scorers for the Reddies with 17 points but was joined by three of her teammates in double figures for scoring. This win clinched the sweep of the Lady Tigers for the Reddies.

Moving into the playoffs,

the 10-12 record for the Lady Tigers has landed them in sixth place behind Harding and Southeastern Oklahoma State, the fourth and fifth seeds. Henderson State clinched third place with a 16-6 winning record in conference play. Southwestern Oklahoma State sits at the top of the Great American Conference with a 20-2 record in conference and 25-3 record overall. Second place was clinched by Arkansas Tech University, who finished the conference at 19-3 and over-

all at 23-3. Ouachita was one of three teams to make it into the playoffs with a losing record.

In order for the Tigers to beat Henderson, they are going to need to shut down the high-scoring twins, Blue and Pink Jones, as well as defend three-point specialist Haleigh Henson. Rebounding is going to be very important for the Tigers, as well, as Hailey Estes and Bree Bossier have high percentages in the season category. Chasidee Owens for the Tigers is go-

ing to need to step up and score over her 10.7 average in points per game. The Tigers also need strong showings on offense and defense from Madison Brittain, Shakyla Begnaud, Morgan Miller and Kori Bullard.

In the regular season ending game against Southern Arkansas University, the Lady Tigers beat the Lady Muleriders on Senior Night, 98-83. Two important statistics from this game carry Ouachita forward as they go on to play against Henderson in the first round of the playoffs: second half scoring and points off of the bench. The Lady Tigers have struggled all season in the second half but scored 52 points against the Muleriders Saturday night. They also had 40 points off of the bench and need to carry that forward as every Lady Tiger will be needed to beat the Reddies.

In the third match-up of the season between Henderson State and Ouachita, the Battle of the Ravine playoff game will take place at 8 p.m.

Friday night at Bruin Fieldhouse in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Henderson State will be the home team against the Tigers, but Ouachita will try to move past the two regular season losses and upset Henderson as the underdog in the tournament. n

Freshmen to play vital role Relevancy, necessity of special teams in Ouachita baseball future

By SHELTON WOOLEY

By BATES YOAKUM Staff writer

Coming off of a tough season last year, the future is starting to look very bright for the Ouachita Baptist University baseball team. During the offseason, the coaches went to work and now the team has acquired quite the special and talented freshman class. Some of these freshmen are already starting players on the field and are quickly showing just how talented they really are.

One thing to note about this freshman class is how many pitchers they have, and how these freshman pitchers are already impacting the team.

“By the time these guys are juniors and seniors we are going to have a really good pitching staff that no one is going to want to play,” freshman third baseman Tyler Riebock said.

Freshman pitcher Luke Scaggs praised the upperclassmen for setting the example and helping the younger pitching staff, saying that the advice “don’t take one pitch for granted,” which was given to him by the upperclassman pitchers, has really helped him and the other freshman pitchers.

Scaggs has gotten some playing time and pitched in a few innings already this season.

“I just want to work hard and keep getting better and better to help this team out,” Scaggs said.

Scaggs also said that his goal is to “help out the bullpen any way I can and really close out those seventh, eighth and ninth innings strong.”

Another strong freshman player who has gotten some

playing time and definitely someone to keep an eye on is freshman catcher, Cade McBride. McBride’s case is unique in that after this year he will be the only returning catcher, as senior catchers Austin White and Kyle Alexander will graduate this year.

“I’m excited to take over this role and hopefully do a good job,” McBride said. “If we get a freshman catcher next year, I’ll be able to take him under my wing just like the seniors did for me this year.”

Team chemistry is a key element for this team, especially with the freshmen.

“The chemistry with this team is pretty amazing, especially with my other freshman,” Riebock said. “Some of these guys are already my best friends, even though I’ve only known them for six months and I’m definitely looking forward to playing with them for three more years.”

“The older guys really took us in and showed us the ropes and told us, ‘nothing will be given to you, you have to try all you can to get it,’” said freshman David Rainwater.

Scaggs used the word “brotherhood” to describe the team chemistry.

“Being with the same guys eight months out of the year really gives us a sense of brotherhood, and yes, being with guys for that long we may not always get along perfectly, but at the end of the day we are brothers and that’s what keeps us together,” Scaggs said.

It will be very exciting to watch these freshmen develop and how much they really are going to impact the team with their hard work and great attitudes. n

For more sports coverage, visit obusignal.com/category/sports

Staff writer

Special teams have been a part of football since the early 20th century. Field goals and the punting game have decided game results, and there is just nothing like the chills of an opening kickoff. But the game is changing, and it's changing rapidly. The attention span of fans is shortening, beginning to push out “boring” parts of the game in order to maintain a satisfactory level of steady excitement. The emphasis on player safety has also begun to reshape the style of all phases of the game. But what does this mean for special teams?

Is there a place for fourthand-outs or extra points in the future of football?

In a fast-paced game, it is no surprise why big-hit and great-catch fanatics wouldn’t mind getting rid of such lowexcitement plays, and it's not a surprise why. In 2017, there were only seven kickoffs returned for a touchdown in the NFL, and considering each team averaged over four kickoffs a game (except Cleveland, which averaged just over three kickoffs per game), a kickoff return for a touchdown practically never happened. The average punt return for the leading punt

returner Agnew Jamaal was 15.2 years a return. That's almost 5 yards less than Devin Hester’s average back in 2010, when he played for the Chicago Bears.

So is there an actual need for special teams in the game of football? This question is mostly responded to with opinions; however, in this scenario, I’ll provide the facts while you provide your own opinion.

In 2017, when a team started a drive on their own 25-yard line, it had roughly a 25 percent chance of scoring points. Keep in mind that a team begins a drive on the 25-yard line when the prior kickoff is a touchback.

When a team started a drive in between the goal line and their own 10-yard line, the same offense had a 5 percent chance of scoring points. This statistic stands true for any scenario, whether it be a kickoff, punt or turnover. Also note that the closer the drive started to a team’s end zone, the higher the percentages of scoring. In that light, special teams play a very important role in scoring statistics.

But what if special teams were to leave the game forever? What would we replace it with? The special teams substitute most talked about is the “artificial kick” rule, which simply gives a

team the punt and kickoff yards without actually using a punter or kicker. For example, say a team is on the 50-yard line, and it’s fourth down. Instead of sending the traditional punt team onto the field, the coach just tells the referees they’d like to punt, and the referees move the ball 40 yards down the field and change the possession. This rule is kind of elementary, literally, since that’s what most PeeWee and Pop Warner leagues do on fourth down. But it is a safe and easy way to get rid of what some people call a “pointless play.”

Whether or not the kicking game should remain in the game is pretty clear as of right now. Special teams aren’t going anywhere. In fact, there are many NFL players that would like to see them stay around, since, for a lot of players, special teams are a way to get their foot in the door to begin their playing career. Many players, including Clay Matthews for the Green Bay Packers, Antonio Brown for the Pittsburg Steelers and Ouachita’s very own Phillip Supernaw for the Tennessee Titans, began their NFL journeys on fourth downs. To those guys and many others, special teams will always be a golden ticket never forgotten in the beautiful game of football. n

This Week at Ouachita

Friday, March 2

Softball vs Arkansas Tech (DH) @ 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 3

Women’s Tennis vs Henderson St. @ 10 a.m.

Softball vs Arkansas Tech (DH) @ 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Sunday, March 4

Men’s Tennis vs Texas A&M-Texarkana @ 1 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs Texas A&M-Texarkana @ 1 p.m.