OBU Signal - April 4, 2013

theSignal O U A C H I T A

B A P T I S T

U N I V E R S I T Y

S I N C E

1 8 9 0

ELECTING TOM COTTON FEATURES, P. 5 Thursday, April 4, 2013

ONLINEAT:

•

Volume 121, Issue 20

www.obusignal.com

Career Services hosts social media workshop

By KATHLEEN SUIT Staff Writer

Ouachita’s Career Services will be hosting a social media workshop, Friday at noon for students in the Alumni Room at the Commons. Alumnus Brent Gambill will be the guest speaker for this event.

Career Services’ main goals are equipping students with the answers, opportunities, and connections needed to succeed both on and off cam-

pus. One of the techniques Career Services director Lauren Land is using to fulfill this goal is informational and educational workshops and speaking engagements that open students up to the workforce and life outside of our campus.

Over the next couple weeks, Ouachita’s Career Services Department will be hosting two different events based specifically around social media and networking.

“We are focusing on using social media as a professional.

That means not just using it for catching up with friends,” Land said, “But it’s how do you use social media not just for fun, but for branding. How you are presenting yourself as a competitive individual.”

2001 Ouachita Alumni, Brent Gambill, will be the special guest speaker for this event. The workshop is a “brown bag” or “bring your tray” meeting that will take

place from noon to 12:50 p.m. on Friday.

Gambill has a career in the public relations industry where he has worked in sports, radio and production.

Social media was on the cutting edge while he was working in communications, and he has been able to use social media as a technique to advance his career in many ways.

“When I started, social see WORKSHOP z 2

Brent Gambill z Courtesy

Grant Center to undergo renovations

Tuition Freedom Day honors OBU donors

By NOAH HUTCHINSON

By KELSEY LAMB

Students often joke about “living” in the building that houses their respective departments. With the upcoming renovations to the Grant Center for international education, the people heading up the project believe that students involved with the international program can feel a similar sense of home when walking into the facility.

“The renovations will occur this summer, and be finished when school starts back,” said Ian Cosh, vice president for community and international engagement. “What’s important about it is that, for the first time, we’re going to have a space completely dedicated to the needs of the international program.”

The new space will be much larger than what is in use currently, and will be updated with new technology to help the program accomplish what it needs to get done.

“We’ll have that whole wing where you come in through the bottom door of Lile,” Cosh said. “We’ll have everything all the way to the conference rooms. We’ll have a classroom, a conference room and a seminar room, one of which will be equipped with distance learning equipment.”

The international program sometimes needs to communicate face to face with people

The Development Office and Student Senate will come together on Wednesday, April 10, in the Student Center between noon and 1 p.m. to host Tuition Freedom Day to remind current Ouachita students of the donors who give money to put help pay for their tuition. The students will write thank you notes to show appreciation.

Tuition Freedom Day is a day for students to be made aware of how the Annual Fund affects their tuition. The Annual Fund provides aid for students as well as funds to help the University.

“The annual fund and the efforts of the entire team in the area of undesignated giving is critical,” said Terry Peeples, vice president of development.

The cost that each student pays for tuition and room and board only covers 80 percent of what it actually costs to be at Ouachita. The other 20 percent comes from the donors.

The money that is donated helps to pay for things such as the light bill and water bill and more importantly the faculty salaries.

“When I was a student from 1979 to 1983, I never knew that our tuition did not pay all the bills of the university,” Peeples said. “Now as vice president for development, I am fully

Opinions Editor

see RENOVATIONS z 4

Online Co-Editor

Heather Ellis z The Signal STUDENTS INDULGE in sweets and other snacks at Spring Fling 2012. Spring Fling 2013 is tomorrow.

Spring Fling exemplifies unity, family out the evening.

“One of my favorite things is to be outside on a beautiful day, enjoying God’s creation,” said Shelby Davis, a sophomore biology major from White Oak, Texas, and CAB co-chair with Pilcher. “I can’t say that I have a favorite event, but the little kid in me definitely loves the inflatables.”

Pilcher disagrees about the inflatables, saying, “I don’t love to play on the inflatables, but I love to watch my friends and peers play on them. Some of the best pictures and memories come from goofing off and having fun.”

Saturday morning after Spring Fling, students will have the opportunity to give back to the community with Tiger Serve Day. “We specifically planned for Spring Fling

By RYLEIGH SALMON News Bureau

Campus Activities Board (CAB) will host the 2013 Spring Fling tomorrow in Grant Plaza.

“It’s a way for students to celebrate the coming of spring,” said Hannah Pilcher, a senior Spanish major from North Little Rock, Ark., and co-chair of CAB. “It’s a way for us to have a huge play day and we want to give students free fun things to do.”

Spring Fling will begin at 3 p.m. and offer a variety of events for students to enjoy: inflatables, games, snow cones, popcorn and booths set up by clubs and organizations. Dinner will be served on the lawn and after it gets dark, “The Hobbit” will be also shown on the lawn to close

to be the Friday before Tiger Serve Day,” Pilcher said. “We want students to have a really great weekend on campus; Friday is full of having fun and then we turn around on Saturday and serve the community.”

“Spring Fling may seem like a little event, but to see everyone contribute a part and come together to put on a fun afternoon for all of campus really exemplifies the unity and family that Ouachita stands for,” Davis said.

Spring Fling is free and open to all Ouachita students, faculty, staff and their families. In case of rain, the movie will be shown in Walker Conference Center.

For more information, contact Allison Sweatman at sweatmana@obu.edu or call 245-4561. n

see TUITION z 2

Ouachita hosts Global Blood Fund blood drive for students, faculty

By MATTIE BOGOSLAVSKY Staff Writer

Ouachita will be hosting a blood drive for the Global Blood Fund on April 10 through April 11 in the Tiger Den between 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Students who want to donate must sign up in the Evans Student Center or the cafeteria. Students who donate must bring their photo ID.

Heather Ellis z The Signal REBEKAH TAYLOR donates blood at last year’s blood drive.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

THIS WEEK AT OBUSIGNAL.COM

theSignal theSignal theSignal O U A C H I T A

B A P T I S T

B A P T I S T

U

TIGERS OPEN HOME N I V E R S I T Y SEASONS SPORTS, P. 7

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012

ONLINEAT:

TIGERSHARK SHOOTS FOR OLYMPICS

n

itio

d A O • U Volume A C H 121, 1 B A P T I S T s IE TIssue

U N I V E R S I T Y

ne

Tu

l www.obusignal.com cia

Across closed borders

Sp

Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012

ONLINEAT:

see SaudI araBIa z 2

By NOAH HUTCHINSON Staff Writer

see neW YOrKer z 3

Leader in training

shop will be serving a variety of pastries and juices. Officially called the Library Café, the old coffeehouse was referred to as Starbucks by the majority of students because of the brand of coffee they sold.

Haney attends Institute in D.C.,

Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012

ONLINEAT:

•

Volume 121, Issue 5

www.obusignal.com

Staff Writer

There are many questions students face when entering college and even more as they begin the voyage into the “real world.” What am I doing, where am I going and how do I get there? Where do my priorities lie and what will happen if I can’t do it all? Before getting too bogged down, students can rest assured that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Career Services is available as a launching point for every Ouachita student, no matter their classification.

Whether you are an upperclassman preparing for your life ahead or a freshman that doesn’t know where to begin, you are not on this journey alone. Career Services is an organization at Ouachita whose main goal is equipping students with the answers, opportunities and connections needed to succeed both on campus and off. It’s never too early to start taking advantage of all that Career Services has to offer.

“I really hope that more people will get involved with Career Services as a freshman or a sophomore,” said Aly Smith, a sophomore Mass

Tiger Tunes 2012

Dr. Jack’s legacy inspires sense of school pride The fact that there is a new coffee shop on campus is old news. However, just reading the name or looking at the

JOEY LICKLIDER FEATURES, P. 4

By KATHLEEN SUIT

E

Photo courtesy of Dr. Barbara Pemberton.

Volume 121, Issue 2

Career Services offers students variety of tools, resources

News Editor

H: 73 L: 57

•

www.obusignal.com

On Jul. 30, 2012, Dr. Jay Curlin, professor of English, had a poem featured in The New Yorker. Curlin never submitted the poem, but after a remarkable set of circumstances, The New Yorker’s poetry editor, Paul Muldoon, contacted Curlin and asked him whether he might publish it in the magazine. The poem, entitled “Evidence of Things Not Seen,” was written in the fall of 2010 to feature

By Tanner Ward two words that appeared in the Editor-in-Chief Daily Word Game utilized by ight students and two professors got what will professors to enhance students’ probably be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in vocabulary. The words were May. They, along with a community member, were “Higgs-Boson,” the legendary granted an almost unheard of invitation to tour god particle and “hirsute,” a Saudi Arabia, a country typically closed to tourism outword meaning hairy. The poside of religious purposes. em’s title is a reference to the Dr. Barbara Pemberton, associate professor of Christian Bible verse Hebrews 11:1. missions and one of the professors who attended, said “After a couple of years of the trip was the result of years of talks between herself, playing the daily word games, a tour company in Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Arabian [Jay] would put [them] in his Nicole McPhate z The Signal embassy in thethe United Theofcertainty of the trip was in the reading in poems he STUDENTS ENJOY newStates. features Dr. Jack’s Coffeehouse recentlyquizzes renovated Evans Student Center. The first president’s unknown evenhelp to the last minute. wrote that he called lexical iconic mutton chops to reinforce the sense of school heritage among students.

Saudi Arabia, traditionally shy of tourism, invites student group for visit

PREPPING THE STAGE:

FEATURES, P. 4

e

New Yorker publishes Curlin poem in July issue

By Sam CuShman

H: 75 L: 54

The Signal eVersion

U N I V E R S I T Y

O U A C H I T A

H: 70 L: 46

Each donor will receive a complimentary T-shirt, health screenings and donor reward points. If students wish to not receive the T-shirt, the funds will be sent to the Global Blood Fund instead.

“Donating blood takes about 10 minutes of your time and it saves lives,” said junior musical theater major, Lauren Linton. “However, the blood you give doesn’t last very

son, vice president of communications. “He was elected president in 1886 at age 29 and was responsible for recruiting students, hiring faculty and developing the Arkadelphia campus.”

is important to have a reminder of where the school came from and the people who had a hand in making OBU what it is today.”

Dr. Jack stands out as a symbol for Ouachita and is more

The complete print edition in a new interactive format. Now compatible with iPhone/iPad.

long, so it’s important to keep giving each year.

“It’s just another way we can help someone else and you never know whose life you might save. Be a super hero, save lives.”

For more information about the Global Blood Fund Blood Drive, contact Bob Woodall by calling him at (501) 2826072 or through email at bwoodall@obi.org. n

CONNECT WITH THE SIGNAL

2 n news Thursday, April 4, 2013

www.obusignal.com

REFUGE will take place tonight from 9–10 p.m. at Second Baptist Church.

For more information, contact: James Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu.

LIVE MUSIC at Dr. Jack’s Coffeehouse will take place tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. in the Evans Student Center. For more information, contact: Allison Sweatman at sweatmana@obu.edu.

SPRING FLING will take place tomorrow in Grant Plaza. For more information, contact: Allison Sweatman at sweatmana@obu.edu.

SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP will take place tomorrow at noon in the Alumni Room of Commons. For more information, contact: Lauren Land at landl@obu.edu.

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW from a course is tomorrow. For more information, contact your dean.

BLOOD DRIVE will take place April 10-11 between 9:30 a.m. 5:30 p.m. at the Tiger Den. For more information, contact: Bob Woodall at bwoodall@ obi.org

1 2 3 4 5

Stress Relieving Activities Controlled breathing exercises Temporarily turn off your phone Exercise and work out Listent to music Yoga stretches

THE THE

HYPE

5

TOP

this weekzCALENDAR

From the Archives “Clubs play major role at Ouachita” September 21, 1989 By: Signal Staff

“Every Wednesday the parade of colors begins ― red Es, green Xs, maroon KXs and the alphabet marches on. If one didn’t know better, the campus could be mistaken for a kindergarten room, full of colors and letters.”

P

Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal DUSTIN WALKER dances with his partner during Spring Swing before spring break. Spring Swing is a fundraiser put on by the the honors program.

From Your

Tweets of the Week

What animal best represents your personality?

Taylor Lamb @tayloralamb 26 Mar Who else is coming to Little Rock to see Aaron Carter tonight? This is not a joke.

Maddie Myers @MaddieMermaid13 30 Mar There’s a time and a place for decaf coffee. Never and in the trash.

Kendall Calvert @Ken_calvert 3 Apr “Do you have clip on sunglasses”-@jamesataylor “those are nerdy James, you don’t want those” DQ Ian Cosh #TSD

“Otter.”

Logan Kuhn, sophomore

“Penguin.”

Rebekah Raine, sophomore

“Sloth.”

Paul Spann, sophomore

Burkett presents paper at Las Vegas conference

By RACHEL GREGORY News Bureau

Jennifer Burkett, lecturer in English and director of the Speer Writing Center at Ouachita Baptist University, presented her paper “Where Do You Think You’re Going?

Exploring Repercussions of Brain Drain in a Small Southern Community” at this year’s annual Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) in Las Vegas March 16. She and a panel of three other students from the University of Southern Mississippi shared their papers on “[Re]-branding Town and Gown: Bridging the Gap Be-

WORKSHOP z Continued from Page 1

media didn’t exist,” said Gambill, “Now it is a well grown sector and a large means of growing businesses in Arkansas and around the world.”

The following week, on Thursday, Career Services will be trying a new technique to help students build networking with Ouachita alumni in certain professions.

tween the Local Community and the Ivory Tower.”

“What we were trying to do,” Burkett said, “is look at communities and the public at large versus the college institution itself and how you can connect the two.” Burkett’s paper served as an introduction for the panel and focused on the disconnect between college students and their college-town communities, particularly in the South.

“What we wanted to do was discuss the idea of writing and how writing can connect the university with the community and its benefits for both the community and the student,” Burkett said. “Not only do

they [the students] see that there are worthwhile things in the community, the community members begin to see the students as potential members of the community.”

The other three panelists, Paige Grey, Laura Hakala and Courtney Watson, discussed the different approaches educators may use in composition courses to engage their students with the community.

The lecture recieved a positive response. There was even one local educator who said she would think about implementing Burkett’s ideas in the near future.

For more details, emial Burkett at burkettj@obu.edu. n

“I hate to equate it to speed dating, because that makes it sound kind of cheesy and negative,” Land said, “So, you are not eliminating people, but really growing your network.

You will have about two and a half minutes with each alumnus, and it is your time to do with what you wish.”

Career Services will bring together a set number of students, approximately 30, and a set number of alums, setting aside about two hours, from 4-6 to give the students

the opportunity to connect and grow their network of connections. This is going to be focused mainly for seniors and some juniors but will be on a firs./]t come, first serve basis as far as signing up. This is a test trial event, and if it goes well, Career Services will be doing more of this in the future.

For more information regarding Friday’s Social Media workshop or how to be a part of the speed networking event, contact Lauren Land at landl@obu.edu. n

Abby Lindsey @AbBy_LiZz 3 Apr I love it when professors say, “Man you guys look tired, we better stop here for the day before you guys pass out.” #winning

TUITION

z Continued from Page 1 aware of how important gifts are to OBU. Gifts to OBU are utilized to fund scholarships, buildings and technology just to mention a few [things].”

Around 1,600 people, mostly alumni, donate to the Annual Fund each year in order to make sure that every student at Ouachita does not have to pay that extra 20 percent.

“I love the symbolism of the whole thing,” said Emily Merryman, director of development, operations and annual giving. “The idea that an entire community of Ouachita alumni that loved their Ouachita experience are able to give back and then be thanked by the very students that they support.”

Tuition Freedom Day is symbolically recognized around a date that marks that 80 percent of the academic school year has been completed. This shows that from that point on, the rest of the school year is being paid by the donors.

“I was a student that benefited from the gifts of alumni,” Merryman said, “I am able to give back to the Annual Fund at Ouachita, and I’m able to facilitate acts of gratitude to others.”

This is a time for students to show how thankful they are for what the donors give to the Annual Fund. This is also a time for students to learn about what the Annual Fund is, how it personally affects them and what it does.

“It’s a chance to recognize how awesome our donors are, and how grateful we are that they make a difference in our lives,” Merryman said, “It’s also a moment to realize what an education at Ouachita is worth, and how we should be grateful for it.”

For more information about Tuition Freedom Day, contact Lindsay Fowler at fow46600@ obu.edu. n

It’s a chance to recognize how awesome our donors are, and how grateful we are that they make a difference in our lives.

— EMILY MERRYMAN

news n 3

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, April 4, 2013

NEWS BRIEFS n Thirty second recaps of the biggest stories of the week.

NATIONAL ― Political satirist

Stephen Colbert will host two highprofile fundraisers for his sister, South Carolina Democratic House nominee Elizabeth Colbert Busch. Colbert will host one fundraising event on April 15 in Washington and another on April 23 in New York, together with former investment banker Sallie Krawcheck.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (DMd.) and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) are listed as co-hosts for the D.C. event. Tickets to both events reportedly run as high as $10,000. Colbert Busch easily won her Democratic primary in March.

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and Republican challenger Curtis Bostic will meet in a runoff on Tuesday to decide who will face Colbert Busch in May. A recent poll showed Colbert Busch with a slim lead ahead of both Sanford and Bostic. n

WORLD ― The U.N. General As-

sembly has approved the first treaty on global arms trade. It ranges from light weapons to battle tanks and warships.

The treaty is intended to regulate the $80-billion-a-year conventional arms trade. The treaty will not affect the domestic use of weapons in any country but requires countries to establish national laws to control the transfer of conventional arms, parts and components and to regulate arms brokers.

The treaty prohibits transferring conventional weapons if it violates arms embargoes or if it would promote acts of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. It also prohibits the export of conventional arms to be used in attacks on civilians or civilian buildings such as schools or hospitals.

The U.N. voted 154-3 for a resolution that will open the treaty for signature in June. n

TECHNOLOGY ― According to a

San Francisco District Attorney, the next two iPhones were developed under Steve Jobs. District Attorney George Gascón had been interviewing cell phone makers and wireless service providers about the rash of phone thefts in Silicon Valley. Gascón told the San Francisco Chronicle he was disheartened by what he saw as a lack of commitment toward hardware solutions to the problem, such as “kill switch” for stolen devices. But he revealed that Apple’s government liaison, Michael Foulkes, told the DA the company was unable to add such a device to the next two generations of phones because they have already been developed under Steve Jobs. The latest Apple rumors say a new model, likely called the “iPhone 5S,” will be unveiled at a June event and go on sale shortly thereafter in July. n

HEALTH ― A new study from the

Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington has found that eating fish could cut an older person’s risk of dying prematurely from heart disease by more than a third. Researchers discovered that older adults with the highest blood levels of the fatty acids found in fish live, on average, 2.2 years longer than those with lower levels. In their study, researchers examined 16 years of data pertaining to 2,700 healthy U.S. adults aged 65 or older who participated in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS).The researchers also analyzed the total proportion of blood omega-3 fatty acids in participants’ blood samples at baseline. After adjusting for dietary, lifestyle and other factors, they found that the fatty acids were linked with a significantly lower risk of mortality. n

Compiled by Sam Cushman, News Editor. Sources: huffingtonpost.com, cdc.gov, heart.org, chs-nhlbi.org, voanews.com, foxnews.com, sfexaminer.com, politico.com.

Freshman organizes Stand For Freedom event Inspired by Passion Conference, Sam Beary raises awareness for slavery

By RACHEL GREGORY News Bureau

“Slave” is a loaded word.

But for freshman Sam Beary, a church media/production arts major from Batesville, Ark., as well as many students from more than 500 schools and universities nationwide, “slave” is a provocative word meant to draw attention to their “Stand for Freedom” efforts. Human trafficking, the sex slave industry and sweatshops are the modern-day equivalents of slavery that Beary and others protested against recently in the middle of the Ouachita campus.

“We’re standing here for 27 hours to represent the 27 million slaves worldwide,” Beary explained.

Many of the estimated 125 participating students echoed this view. They held cardboard, hand-painted signs that read “I Stand for Freedom” and displayed pictures of those whose lives have been impacted by slavery.

Beary and his fellow classmates gathered signatures to be sent to President Barack Obama through the International Justice Mission (IJM), an organization dedicated to eradicating all forms of slavery.

“We’re hoping that he’ll make it a part of his political campaign to bring awareness to worldwide slavery and hopefully give more power to organizations to end slavery and free slaves,” said David Headrick, a sophomore

We’re standing here for 27 hours to represent the 27 million slaves worldwide.

— SAM BEARY

Kristen Barnard z The Signal SAM BEARY, Nathan Perry, Shelby Sutton and Chelsea Hill hold signs raising awareness about slavery around the world at the Stand For Freedom event in the Flag Plaza March 8-9, 2013. Approximately 27 million people are enslaved worldwide.

worship ministry major from Farmington, Ark., who was standing for freedom alongside Beary. In addition to the petition, protesters wanted to simply “spread awareness about this current issue,” Beary said.

“Everyone’s a slave to something – slaves to temptation, slaves to our sin, our sinful nature – but people withholding the rights of other people and causing them to be slaves, I don’t feel like that’s something that God would want, so why not? Why would we not stand against it?” asked Dawson Pritchard, a senior kinesiology and fitness major from Denton, Texas.

“I hope that the event not only raised awareness, but helped students realize how their lives and activities affect the world around them and that we can be a part of redeeming the broken social structures right where we are and across the world,” said James Taylor, director of campus ministries, which sponsored the event.

“As Christians, we’re called to care for the hopeless and lost people in this world,” Beary said. “While we all do that in different ways, combat-

ting human trafficking is one way we all can.

“Here in Arkadelphia, trafficking obviously isn’t happening right outside our doorstep,” Beary said. “But we are all affected because many of the daily products we use are made, or some part of that product is made, by slaves around the world.”

“Eighty percent of people who are enslaved are women,” said Anna Kumpuris, a sophomore mass communications major from Little Rock, Ark., “so it’s mostly sex trafficking, but it’s also people who are in bonded labor ... who are forced to work and cannot leave.”

Debt bondage, she explained, is another type of slavery in which the debtor’s payments continually increase, making it impossible to pay the debt and gain freedom. Thousands of people are lured into the U.S. every year with promises of education or employment, only to find themselves victims of human trafficking. Child labor is another common form of slavery.

Although the 21st century definition of “slave” sometimes runs contrary to many Americans’ preconceptions,

based on the American Civil War and its aftermath, slavery remains a growing problem even in the United States.

There are, however, steps that can be taken to help stop these crimes, including: 1. Join the End It Movement, like Beary did. This organization partners with IJM to raise awareness about slavery. Learn more at www.enditmovement. com.

2. Sign the IJM petition online by visiting freedomcommons.ijm.org and clicking the “Take Action” link to “Ask the President to help Make Freedom Real.” IJM hopes to collect 150,000 signatures.

3. Even students can give financially, physically or spiritually by donating money, time, efforts and prayer.

4. Identify the products used every day that support slavery by going to www.slaveryfootprint.com and taking a quick quiz. Chocolate and diamonds are among the most pro-slavery products. Many computer and car parts are also slave labor products.

According to the End It Movement: • The annual revenue of the

•

•

• •

slave industry is approximately $32 billion.

About 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. every year – that’s 48 people a day.

There are approximately 200,000 slaves in the U.S. right now with that number continuing to increase.

An estimated 160 countries are affected by human trafficking.

Almost 80 percent of people enslaved are women.

Inspired by the Passion Conference he attended in Atlanta over the winter break, Beary said this is the first awareness event he has ever organized and he’s satisfied with the results.

“I would definitely call this a success,” Beary said. “We had a greater turnout than we expected. Many students and even some members of the community were awakened to the current problem of slavery in the world today. Eyes were opened.”

For more information about this or other awareness events on campus, contact James Taylor, director of campus ministries, at taylorja@obu.edu. n

Curlin presents for second time at international Sigma Tau Delta conference

By RACHEL GREGORY News Bureau

Ouachita senior Jason Curlin presented a paper March 21 at this year’s Sigma Tau Delta international English honor society conference held in Portland, Ore. “Last year was my first time presenting at this conference,” said Curlin, an English major from Arkadelphia, Ark. “This year, as a second-timer, there was no stress whatsoever.”

Curlin attended this year’s conference as Ouachtia’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter president.

Dr. Doug Sonheim, chair of

OBU’s Department of English and Modern Foreign Languages described the conference as “an immersion in the world of books and literature.” Sonheim also serves as faculty co-sponsor of Sigma Tau Delta and as OBU’s Clarence and Bennie Sue Anthony Professor of Bible and Humanities. He went on to explain that presenting at this conference often strengthens students’ interest in leadership roles within the club, like Curlin’s participation as club president. “It’s a very stimulating and energetic place.”

Curlin’s paper, “Wishful Thinking,” explored writing from the perspective of insane

persons. He based his literary approach to this subject on authors such as Stephen King and David Wong, who specialize in “horror stories,” he said.

“I also experiment with the aspects that the visual has on the reader,” said Curlin, citing the author of House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewki, as his inspiration for changing font styles, sizes and colors in his paper.

“Everything has to do with the book as the book,” he explained, “not just the content.”

Because much of what Curlin was seeking to convey was expressed in print by varying the font, he had to explain to

the audience after his oral presentation what they weren’t seeing.

“What you can’t get in the written word that you can from spoken is like how soft you’re talking, or how loud or how dynamic. It’s a whole lot harder to convey that in writing.”

“We’re always pushing students to submit their work so they can go to the conference,” Sonheim said. “We’ve had an excellent record for the past 15 years of sending students.”

Ouachita’s Sigma Tau Delta members have presented across the country in Portland, Ore., Savannah, Ga., San Anto-

Jason Curlin z Courtesy

nio, Texas, St. Louis, Mo., Pittsburgh, Pa., New Orleans, La., and Minneapolis, Minn.

For more information about Sigma Tau Delta, contact Dr. Doug Sonheim at sonheimd@ obu.edu. n

4 n news Thursday, April 4, 2013

www.obusignal.com

Yearbook awarded Silver Crown, among top nine

By RYLEIGH SALMON News Bureau

Ouachita’s 2011-2012 yearbook, the Ouachitonian, was awarded the title of Silver Crown by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) at the 2013 College Media Convention in New York City on Sunday, March 10.

Last December, the CSPA judged 1,344 digital, newspapers, magazines and yearbooks as well as the new category of hybrid publications at Columbia University. By earning a Silver Crown, the Ouachitonian was ranked in the top nine yearbooks in the nation.

“The Ouachitonian has been an award-winning publication for decades, but this was indeed a rare honor from the nation’s leading organization for college journalists,” said Dr. Jeff Root, dean of Ouachita’s School of Humanities. “To be the only book so honored from a small liberal arts university says a lot about the quality of Ouachita students and the quality of their instruction.”

Bruce Watterson of the CSPA, presented plaques to the award winners who were able to attend the convention.

Ouachita, with an enrollment of more than 1,500 students, was the only crown winner with fewer than 7,000 students.

Other Silver Crown winners include North Carolina State University, the University of

Oklahoma and Northwest Missouri State.

“The crown award was such a great accomplishment for the Ouachitonian and all those involved in its production,” said Tanner Huffman, a 2012 mass communications and graphic design graduate and editor of the yearbook, which celebrated Ouachita’s 125th anniversary. “Seeing it rank in the top of the nation speaks wonders for the program and for OBU and assures us that our talents are being used for a greater purpose.”

Additionally, the Ouachitonian was awarded 14 individual Gold Circle Awards.

“For the Ouachitonian to win 14 Gold Circle Awards is amazing,” said Dr. Deborah Root, chair of OBU’s Rogers Department of Communications and faculty advisor for the yearbook. “These awards are literally the first, second, third place and merit awards in the whole nation. For us to win 14 awards is outstanding.

“Tanner is a very gifted designer, and I knew from the beginning he would take us to a new level in yearbook design,” Root continued. “This is a student publication, and our students should be commended for their work. We have incredibly talented and dedicated students and it’s obvious by the work they produce.”

“It has been exciting to see students embrace the yearbook’s strong tradition and

Seeing it rank in the top of the nation speaks wonders for the program and for OBU and assures us that our talents are being used for a greater purpose.

— TANNER HUFFMAN take it upon themselves to reach new heights,” Dr. Jeff Root added. “Producing a yearbook with consistent quality on every page is quite a challenge. It requires both individual talent and coordinated teamwork … to create a beautiful book that celebrates a single year while paying tribute to the history of Ouachita.”

First place awards were given to Ben Cline, a junior mass communications major from Little Rock, Ark., for caption/ cutline writing and Tanner Huffman for headline writing, theme and concept, opening and closing spread design and “Who’s Who” in the people spread (single spread) division.

Two second place awards were given to Huffman for division page design and “Who’s Who” in the people spread (multi-page) division.

Tanner Huffman z Courtesy BRUCE WATTERSON presents former Ouachitonian Editor Tanner Huffman with a plaque at the Columbia Scholoastic Press Association Awards.

Third place awards were given to Heather Ellis, a junior early childhood education major from Texarkana, Texas, for her academic photo “Comedy;” Huffman for the index and “Tidbits” in the student life spread (multi-page) division; and Huffman and Hannah Shull, a sophomore mass communications major from Little Rock, Ark., for “The real difference makers” in the peo-

ple spread division.

Merit awards were also given to Tori Abellera, a junior mass communications major from Garland, Texas, and Huffman for “Post spring” in the student life spread (single spread) division; Emily Coles, a junior mass communications major from Plano, Texas, for “Connecting in the classroom” in academic writing; and Huffman for design portfolio. n

Two students to compete as finalists in TPCP Showcase

By RYLEIGH SALMON News Bureau

Two Ouachita Baptist University students will compete as finalists in this year’s Trinity Presents Collegiate Performance Showcase sponsored

by Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Ark. on Sunday, April 7, at 6 p.m.

Caitlin Secrest, a junior vocal performance major from Arkadelphia, Ark., and Bethany Swiontek, a senior musical theatre major from Colorado Springs, Colo., will represent Ouachita as two of five finalists from universities across the state. Four other Ouachita students received honorable mentions in the competition.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the music students from throughout the state of Arkansas to be recognized for the outstanding development of their performance medium,” said Dr. Jon Secrest, OBU professor of music and coordinator of Ouachita’s vocal studies program.

Other finalists in the competition include Amy Frenzel, a pianist from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Rachel Herman, a violinist from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; and Masaru Sakuma, a pianist from the University of Central Arkansas.

The finalists will be allotted

RENOVATIONS z Continued from Page 1

who are not readily available.

The “distance learning equipment” as Cosh describes it, will make that a possibility.

“This equipment will give us teleconferencing abilities,” Cosh said. “What we want to try to do, in a fairly modest way, is have the kind of equipment to at first have distance meetings with our colleagues involved in the study abroad program. Whether it’s a meeting or some kind of special teaching, we just want to have enough equipment in the room to give good visual and vocal communication.”

Part of the overall goal of the renovations is to make the fa-

12 minutes each to perform for a panel of judges, who will evaluate each performance and select an overall winner.

Caitlin Secrest, a soprano, will sing “Tarentelle” by Georges Bizet, “Prendi, per me sei libero” from L’elisir d’amore by Gaetano Donizetti and “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide by Leonard Bernstein.

This is Secrest’s third consecutive year to audition for the showcase and she was named an honorable mention recipient for the past two years. “As a freshman, I was introduced to this competition by my voice teachers/parents,” Secrest said. “The competition has grown larger and more

competitive with each year that I’ve participated. This affirmation encouraged me to continue to work hard and earn a spot in the finals of the competition.”

Dr. Jon Secrest and Dr. Glenda Secrest, professors of music, are “proud of the incredible work ethic and dedication that Caitlin possesses, and her willingness to spend the hours in the practice room which lead to productive work and results of this nature,” Dr. Jon Secrest said.

Bethany Swiontek, also a soprano, will perform the French aria “Robert, Robert toi que j’aime” from Robert le diable

by Giacomo Meyerbeer, “With You” from Ghost The Musical

by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard and “If You Hadn’t But You Did” from Two On the Aisle by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

“When I think about Bethany as a freshman and Bethany today, I am overwhelmed with pride for her and a sense of joy for the positive recognition she is receiving as a result of her years of hard work,” said Dr. Margaret Garrett, assistant professor of music and Swiontek’s voice teacher. “She does not simply ride on her talent, but continues to work hard to become even better at what she does.”

Four Ouachita students

cility stand out. Cosh believes that with the upcoming work, the center will be more recognizable.

“Everything we do in international communications right now, we can now do over [at the Grant Center],” Cosh said.

“It’ll house the training, as well as the teaching under one roof, which will give us one place where we can gather with larger groups. It’ll also give it a sense of geographic identity, one of our main goals.”

The renovations will, as stated above, provide more space. But specifically, several areas will be moved around and enlarged to provide a better home for the international program.

“We want to give them a home that fits the center,” said

Brett Powell, vice president for administrative services. “We’re going to be moving the walls around, enlarging the reception area, repurposing a few of the classrooms, and doing a few general renovations such as new carpet, new lights and new furniture.”

Overall, the renovations will provide a more modern and useful space to a program that the people involved with the renovations feel are well deserving of the effort.

“The University values the international program,” said Powell. “We have donors and friends of the Grant Center who want to see it grow and improve. It’s an investment to see that that happens, and make sure that it grows into what it can be.” n

We have an incredibly gifted and talented music program at Oauchita with professors who accept nothing less than excellence from all of us.

— BETHANY SWIONTEK

were also named as honorable mention recipients. Chad Burris, a sophomore musical theatre major from Van Buren, Ark.; Bradley Lindsey, a senior instrumental music major from Longview, Texas; Lola McClendon, a senior musical theatre major from Springdale, Ark.; and Joel Rogier, a junior vocal performance major from Glen Carbon, Ill., were chosen along with five other students from six universities.

“I was happy to be chosen as honorable mention, especially within the competition where there were so many amazing musicians,” Lindsey said.

McClendon agreed, saying, “The amount of talent in this competition is insanely amazing, so being recognized for is it unbelievable.”

“The last few years, OBU has had a strong track record of both finalists and honorable mention recipients in this competition,” Dr. Jon Secrest noted. In 2012, Grace Johnson was a finalist; in 2011, Jacob Watson placed first in the competition and Elisabeth Hipp was a finalist; and in 2010, Kyle Huey placed first and Hipp also was a finalist.

“We have an incredibly gifted and talented music program at Ouachita with professors who accept nothing less than excellence from all of us,” Swiontek said. “It never sur-

prises me when so many of us are able to succeed.”

For more information on the Trinity Presents Collegiate Performance Showcase, visit their website at http://www. tumclr.org/index.php/connect/music-ministries/trinitypresents. For more information about Ouachita’s Division of Music, visit www.obu.edu/ music. n

Bethany Swiontek z Courtesy

Caitlin Secrest z Courtesy

LEWIS ARCHITECTS ENGINEERS

Lewis Architects and Engineers z Courtesy THE RENOVATED Grant Center for International Education will provide more space and give a sense of geographical identity to Ouachita’s international program.

features n 5

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Dylan Haney z Courtesy DYLAN HANEY and Jamie Barker stand with Tom Cotton at a campaign event last year. Haney and Barker were among several college students who helped lead Cotton’s successful campaign; Cotton is now recognized as one of the fastest growing stars of the Republican party.

Cotton for Congress Students help send rising GOP star to Washington

By TANNER WARD Editor-in-Chief

@TannerWard He’s young, he’s tall, he’s poised.

He’s Politico’s “Most Likely to Succeed.” He’s a “future Mount Rushmore candidate,” according to the New York Times.

He’s your congressman, and he got elected with the help of two Ouachita students. He’s U.S. House of Representatives member Tom Cotton, and despite being a newcomer to politics, he’s already gained national attention.

Cotton represents Arkansas’s fourth congressional district, which is made up of 33 counties in south and west Arkansas, including Clark County. Cotton visited Ouachita yesterday to meet with president Dr. Rex Horne. “[Ouachita] is a great institution,” Cotton said. “It provides quality education for students with reasonable tuition and good student aid, so it’s a very valuable asset for Arkansas to get the next generation of leaders — whether it’s business or political or religious — the education and training they need to help move the state forward.”

While on campus, he toured RileyHickingbotham Library’s special collections department with library director Dr. Ray Granade, archivist Dr. Wendy Richter and Phil Hardin, assistant to the president. The department houses the papers of other political leaders like Sen. John McClellan and Gov. Mike Huckabee, and is in the process of acquiring the papers of Rep. Mike Ross.

For only 35 years old, Cotton has an extensive resume. He graduated from both Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He worked as a lawyer before joining the Army, where he served two tours of duty before leaving. He then worked for McKinsey & Company, a distinguished consulting firm in New York City, before coming back to Arkansas to work at his family farm.

He announced his candidacy for Congress in 2011 in what would be his first campaign for public office. He was elected in November 2012 and sworn in on Jan. 3.

Dylan Haney, a sophomore political science major, met Cotton the day he filed for office at the Capitol, and immediately joined his campaign.

“We ended up having dinner in El Dorado one night and he was like, ‘Here are some yard signs, and here’s what you need to do,’” Haney said. “I got on early and took care of a lot of stuff for him and stayed on ever since.”

At that point, Cotton’s chances of

winning were slim.

“I think he had a three percent chance of winning the election,” Haney said.

Campaigning continued through the spring, and in May 2012, Cotton won the Republican primary.

Haney invited sophomore biology major Jamie Barker to attend Cotton’s primary victory party.

“I had heard of [Cotton] before — I was friends with Dylan — so I knew who he was, but that night, they were looking for people to hire for the summer, and he asked if I wanted a job, and I said, ‘Of course!’,” Barker said.

Haney said Cotton’s chief of staff and district director were both adults, but “his campaign was majority run by college students.”

“It was all college students that made it happen, so that was pretty exciting that he chose to use young students to accomplish that,” Haney said.

On the campaign trail, Haney and Barker attended festivals, dinners and other special events either with Cotton or representing Cotton when he himself could not attend. Haney said each time Cotton received an invitation to attend or speak at an event, the campaign would work hard to make sure somebody could attend.

“We were able to maintain a presence all around the district at every summer festival or race,” Cotton said.

In addition, members of Ouachita’s College Republicans chapter volunteered at some events near the election.

Maintaining that presence was a challenge; Arkansas’s fourth congressional district covers 33 counties across south and west Arkansas — nearly half of the counties in the state — and is home to nearly 700,000 constituents.

Cotton said he chose to have such heavy involvement of college students in his campaign because they “work very hard and they bring a lot of energy to campaigns.”

Haney and Barker said the hardest parts of working on the campaign were the long nights and early mornings.

“There wasn’t a lot of sleep, and there were a lot of 4 a.m. mornings,” Haney said. “You know, campaigning is not always glorious. There was a lot of hard work, but in November, we felt the rewards of our work.”

Cotton received 59 percent of the vote.

Since being elected, Cotton has been recognized numerous times as a rising figure among Republicans. He has been featured on shows including “Larry King Live,” “CNN American Morning” and “Fox & Friends.” Revered publications including the Washington Post and

PERSPECTIVES Tom Cotton

U.S. House of Representatives Birthday: May 13, 1977 Home: Russellville, Ark. Favorite Color: Razorback Red Favorite Food: Ice Cream Favorite Music: Johnny Cash or Kid Rock Biggest Influence: My parents Politico have covered him.

“I think that people were excited to see someone new on the scene that could bring fresh perspective and young charismatic demeanor about himself,” Haney said. “And with Tom’s background, it was pretty evident that he’s very intelligent, and that he’s done a lot for the country, and I think that resonated with people.”

“You know, he went to Harvard and did great there, he worked for a few years and then was like, I want to serve the country, because I feel I could do something good for it,” Barker said.

“Then he went over to [the Middle East] and did his thing, came back and decided to run for Congress because he wants to help America here.

“It’s hard not to like someone like that; it sets him apart from everybody else. I think everyone can relate to him; he’s just like a Superman version of a normal Arkansas guy.”

Cotton said he wanted to run for office to preserve the opportunities for the young generation.

“For eleven generations, [our country] has provided everyone liberty and opportunity and a chance to achieve success in the world,” he said, “and I worry that given what’s happening in Washington in recent years, the next generation is not going to have the same kinds of opportunities that every generation before us had.

“I’m not going to leave that burden for the future, so I’m trying to fight for the freedoms that we have to ensure that we will always have them.”

He said among his goals is reform of education and student finance programs. “[I don’t want] students graduating with a mountain of debt on their own that often times will hinder them from advancing when they are young,” he

As a child, I wanted to: Be a professional athlete; first baseball, then basketball If I had to choose another job, I would be: Editor of The Signal Something nobody else knows about me: I’m partly colorblind

said. “They have so much debt that they have to repay before they can even get a mortgage, or a car loan, or a loan to start a small business.”

He said he is also working to get the economy growing again so students will “have opportunities for higherpaying jobs with good benefits.”

As much attention as Cotton is getting, a common question is what he will do next. Haney and Barker both agreed: “Big things.”

“Right now, he’s focused on the district and the people, and that’s priority number one,” Haney said. “As far as what the future holds — with him, there’s no telling; we’ll see. He’s going far, and we’ll be lucky to get to help him along the way.”

“Now he’s this big deal, most likely to succeed and stuff, and you can say, ‘I worked for that guy,’” Barker said.

“We can just refer to him as Tom. That’s pretty cool.”

Cotton related the legacy he hopes to leave behind to his days in the military.

“It’s the same legacy that you have in the Army when you’re in combat — that you pass on what you have, whether it’s equipment or conditions on the battlefield, better than you found it,” he said. “That’s what every generation of Americans has always done for the next, and that’s what I want to do for the next as well.” n

He’s just like a Superman version of a normal Arkansas guy.

— JAMIE BARKER

6 n features Thursday, April 4, 2013

www.obusignal.com

Mary Zucha z Courtesy MARY, STEVEN and Michael Curtis are triplets who all came to Ouachita. Steven (top right, bottom center) was a student for one semester before joining the Marine Corps, and Mary and Michael are seniors graduating in May.

Triplets reflect on life together

By EMILY TERRY Features Editor

@emilymterry

W

omb-mates. Twin telepathy.

Finishing each others’ sentences. Built-in best friends.

Double (or triple) trouble. More love to go around. Matching outfits.

These are just a few phrases that come to mind when thinking about twins, triplets, quadruplets and so on.

While there isn’t a set status quo for the relationship between multiples, there are always interesting situations.

For example, if you’ve grown up sharing life and toys and birthdays with two other people, you may think you would be chomping at the bit to get as far away from one another as soon as possible.

For triplets Mary Zucha, Michael Curtis and Steven Curtis, this was not the case.

When plans for Michael, a senior music major from Wylie, Texas, to attend Belmont and Mary, a senior psychology major from Wylie, Texas and Steven, a current Marine, to attend Mary-Hardin Baylor didn’t piece together correctly, they all managed to end up at Ouachita ― a place they had never heard of ― together, yet separately.

Michael first decided to give Ouachita a chance after hearing about it from his youth pastor.

“I had no idea what it was. I went and visited and checked out the music department, and the money and everything just worked out,” Michael said.

“It went from me going to one place to a completely different place very quickly.

Not long after, Steven and Mary followed suit and found the Curtis triplets reunited for a while. However, this was anything but a problem for “youngest” sibling, Mary.

“I knew I would feel more comfortable if I were with at least one of them” Mary said. “At that point, I started looking into Ouachita and had my youth pastor influence me and Steven and I both switched over to Ouachita.“ For Mary, the constant presence of

her two brothers has been a lifelong blessing.

“Whenever you’re a twin or triplet, since birth, you have gone through every single life stage together. I was never alone, ever,” Mary said. “On the first day of school, even if I didn’t know anybody else, Michael and Steven were always there.”

This presence has always played an important role in Mary’s life.

“Both of us could beat up all the guys who wanted to date her in junior high,” Michael said. “We never actually had to beat anybody up. They knew we were very protective of her.”

Having full-time bodyguards wasn’t the only perk of being the only girl for Mary.

“I love being the only girl,” Mary said. “I think it’s awesome. There were a lot of benefits, like getting my own things.”

The triplets also have a sister who is ten years older, which means growing up in a four-bedroom house left the girls with their own rooms and the boys having to share.

“They had to share everything because they’re boys and basically liked the same things, for the most part,” Mary said. “I think I’d prefer to be the only girl instead of having only one brother and another sister.”

One thing the three have always had to share is a birthday.

“If I want to be selfish about it, I can say it’s my birthday. But it’s their birthday too,” Michael said. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.”

The yearly triple birthday celebrations were a time when the Curtis parents were adamant about spending time together as a family.

“The one bad thing is that our parents want us to all get together and celebrate,” Mary said. “We have this big, joint thing and it can be fun. But it can be awkward.

For example, one year the kids all brought friends and soon realized how different their social circles were.

“Our friend groups do overlap, but sometimes there’s no relationship there. Kind of making that work can be

difficult,” Michael said.

Michael, I would kind of get this feel Part of that includes Mary meet- ing that something was wrong.” Mary ing her husband, Zach Zucha, a senior said. “Then I would talk to them and, business finance major from Wylie, Tex- sure enough, something bad happened as, through Michael. that day.”

Zach and Michael became friends Also, during emotional highs and in high school through the drum line, lows, Mary says she would feel hapjazz band and their own band. Once at piness and sadness for Michael and Ouachita, they were roommates until Steven as strongly as if the emotions Mary and Zach married the summer and excitement were her own, and vice before their junior year. versa.

Growing up with two brothers regu- “I remember in high school one time, larly by her side, Mary has adopted the I got broken up with and cried and Stenickname “Mother Mary” and admits ven cried with me,” Mary said. to being a motherly-type figure to her These shared experiences only help brothers and even their friends. to strengthen the triplet bond shared “I think I connect by the three and the with guys better than especially close bond most girls because I between Mary and grew up with two.

Michael that has only Our vacations were been strengthened by spent going to basetheir time together at ball games. I loved Ouachita. it,” Mary said. “Their “I can be talking to friends were guys on one of my friends from the team and I would back home and I have hang out with them. If to give them so much you come over to my context about my life,” apartment, there will Michael said. “But surely be three other when I’m talking to guys hanging out.”

Mary, she’s in the con Cracking a smile, text. She knows what’s Michael adds, “She’s going on.” like Wendy with Peter The bond the three and the Lost Boys.” from growing up — MARY ZUCHA share “Whenever you’re together gives them a a twin or triplet, since greater appreciation birth, we have gone through every sin- for the way their parents handled havgle life stage together,” Mary said. “It’s ing three babies at the same time. just this connection you have.”

“It’s different from having one,” This connection is the basis for what Michael said. “You have to raise them people may mistake as “twin telepa- individually and teach all of them and thy.” also cater to their needs because we’re “I wouldn’t say we could finish each very different people.” others’ sentences, but it’s very easy to Of course, with any child comes the communicate nonverbally,” Michael inevitable shotgun debate anytime the said. “If I were in a situation and we’re car prepares to leave. watching something happening, I “Steven would say he was the oldest, know what Mary’s reaction would be. so he got shotgun,” Mary said with a I just know her very well. “ grin. “I would say I was the baby and Taking that a step further, Mary says should get it. Michael was just in the she tends to latch onto the emotions of middle, so he kind of lost that battle.” her brothers in a unique way.

Shrugging his shoulders in long-ac “There have been moments where cepted defeat, Michael agreed. if I happened to think about Steven or “I just sat in the backseat.” n

Whenever you’re a twin or triplet, you have gone through every single life stage together.

I was never alone, ever.

opinions n 7

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, April 4, 2013

It’s time for equal rights privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Many Christians say allowing samesex unions compromise and threaten some of our most well-established moral standards and values.

We are Christians at The Signal. We believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. However, we realize that it is not our place to condemn those who believe otherwise, or to promote judicial restrictions that discriminate against anybody who is a citizen of the United States and who is guaranteed equal rights under our Constitution.

Marriage is in its basic form a contract between two people. It gives spouses control of each other’s resources and responsibility for each other’s debts. It establishes powers of attorney and guardianship over children. Marital status is relevant in more than 1,100 federal laws from taxes to healthcare, according to Fox News.

Marriage brings along with it tax breaks, surviving spouse benefits and the ability to buy health insurance through your spouse’s employer. Because the federal government does not currently recognize same-sex unions, these couples are not afforded benefits such as these. The New York Times estimated that this costs same-sex couples as much as half a million dollars over a lifetime.

For example, when Edie Windsor’s wife (they were married in Canada)

STAFF EDITORIAL

Editorial Board

Editor’s Note: The following represents the opinion of the editorial board of The Signal. It is not necessarily the official view of Ouachita Baptist University. In it, we are not advocating homosexuality; we do not dispute that it is a sin. However, under the United States Constitution, we do believe that same-sex couples deserve the same financial and legal standing as male-female couples. As a reminder, our Letter to the Editor policy is listed at the bottom of this page. Please be respectful.

F

or the past week, Americans of all backgrounds have been watching the Supreme Court as it considers whether California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex unions in that state, is in line with the spirit of the U.S. Constitution.

Many Americans believe same-sex unions are wrong, and therefore should not be legal. Others see this as discriminatory; marriage, no matter to whom, is a fundamental right for everyone. According to TIME, 53 percent of Americans favor same-sex unions today; that is compared to just 27 percent in favor in 1996.

Those arguing in favor of same-sex unions say Prop. 8 violates the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses under Section I of the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the

The last issue of The Signal featured articles from throughout our 123-year history as the oldest student publication in the state of Arkansas. Among the articles we ran was “Boone Conducts Lab Experiment to Make Alcoholic of Cat, Freida.” The article described a psychological experiment by 1959 graduate Gene Boone to see whether or not a cat would drink milk containing alcohol and whether or not the cat could become intoxicated.

I received a note from Mr. Boone last week outlining his embarrassment of the article, saying he believed the article to paint him as being cruel to animals. He informed me that following the experiment, he adequately fed and loved the cat for two months until two little girls down the street wanted it and provided the cat a good home, and wanted me to pass along his apologies for not showing as much sensitivity to Freida’s well-being as he thought he should have.

It is important to remember the time in which the experiment took place — 1959, a time when knowledge of alcoholism and the human body was not nearly as developed, and when experiments similar to Mr. Boone’s were not uncommon.

The article was printed for no reason other than to illustrate the differences between campus life then versus campus life now, as was every other article in that edition. Also, my staff reprinted the articles exactly as they appeared in the original editions.

Thank you, Mr. Boone, for your letter. We appreciate your readership.

To view the historic edition, visit obusignal.com and click on eVersion.

in a rational and loving manner. However, far too often, it seems our “teaching” turns into hate of an entire person just because of one lifestyle choice: Chick-fil-A Support Day ― need we say more? What may have started as a legitimate way to show support for traditional family values quickly escalated to a hate-filled war against the homosexual community by Christians that was covered by every news outlet under the sun. This was nothing other than homophobia on display for all to see.

Perhaps if we were more loving towards homosexuals, they would be more open to our beliefs and more apt to listen to our Gospel. A good first step would be acknowledging their right as American citizens to be in a legally-recognized union with one another.

For Christians to say marriage should exist only by our definition , and to not let anyone outside our beliefs enjoy it, is unfair. We aren’t giving people the same freedom that we enjoy: the freedom to make our own choices, no matter how sinful. It’s time for equality. n

For Christians to say marriage should exist only by our definition, and to not let anyone outside our beliefs enjoy it, is unfair.

Finding your inner hipster

By ANNA KUMPURIS Staff Writer

I’m sure you are all aware of the growing hipster movement these days. Hipsters are everywhere. They are changing the way we eat, dress, talk, the media we consume ― but what is a hipster really?

The Urbandictionary.com definition of hipsters says: “Definitions are too mainstream. Hipster’s can’t be defined because then they’d fit into a category and thus be too mainstream.”

The point is, everybody who is anybody these days has at least a little hipster inside, and I’m here to help all of you reach your fullest hipster potential.

The first thing you need to know about being a hipster is that there are actually many different hipster personas within the hipster movement. To begin your transformation, you need to pick which persona fits your hipster identity best: The Urban Hipster: The original hipster and now the most common type, Urban Hipsters are characterized by their skinny pants, V-necks, Oxford shoes, scarves, messenger bags and neatlyparted gelled hair. They are commonly found in locally-owned coffee shops reading free-verse poetry. They love obscure modern art, listen to minimalisttechno music and pretend they are film critics. They are typically proficient bass guitar or keyboard players.

The Granola Hipster: Picture Chacos (TOMS in the winter), rolled-up pants,

stud nose rings, earth tone t-shirts, dirty fingernails and scruffy facial hair. They love Clif Bars and Fair Trade coffee, and can often be found at your local Whole Foods or farmer’s market. Granola hipsters prefer bikes, but if they must drive a car, it will almost always be a Subaru.

These hipsters are characterized by their love for the outdoors, Indie music with a political agenda, passion for animal rights and mediocre acoustic guitar abilities. *Note: Not to be confused with hippies (think dreadlocks and long skirts).

The Prepster: Probably the fastestgrowing hipster population, Prepsters are a near-perfect balance between Urban Hipsters and your classic preppy kids (imagine if Abercrombie and Urban Outfitters had a baby). If you often find yourself pairing a polo shirt, seersuckers and TOMS when you get dressed in the morning, you might be a Prepster.

Prepsters love colorful skinny jeans, and care less about politics than the average hipster. If you absolutely must listen to mainstream music, then going Prepster is the only way you can fit into the hipster movement. Prepsters are especially popular among today’s 14-15 year-olds.

The Christian Hipster (Chripsters): Welcome to Ouachita. Fashion preferences for the Chripster can come from any of the above personas, but Urban and Granola hipster clothing trends are especially popular. If you hear a car drive by playing David Crowder, Hillsong or Jesus Culture, you might have just had

an encounter with a group of Chripsters on their way home from Bible study at Starbucks. Chripsters love reading C.S. Lewis, Acts and Francis Chan, and daily journaling is absolutely essential to the lifestyle of any Christian Hipster.

These are some of the main branches of the hipster movement, and if you wish to become more of a hipster, it is highly recommended that you build your hipster persona around one of them. Here are a few more tips and tricks that can apply to any persona and will help you become the best hipster you can be: Things to avoid: The teen section in Barnes & Noble, the iTunes top 40 list, Starbucks (unless you’re a Chripster), shopping malls, non-essential hygiene, fast food, Taylor Swift and non-hipsters.

Things you’ll need: Thick-rimmed glasses (regardless of your quality of vision), a blind loyalty to Apple products, an ironic sense of humor, Moleskine notebooks, bangs, an old camera (and mediocre photography skills), easy access to a thrift shop and an inherent sense of superiority.

Mainstream music acceptable to hipsters: Mumford & Sons. * * * There you have it. Follow these simple guidelines and you will have reached full hipster status in no time.

Just make sure it looks like you couldn’t care less and never refer to yourself as a hipster. Real hipsters don’t do that; it’s too mainstream. n

BLUNDERGRADS

EDITOR’S NOTE

died, she had to pay $363,000 in federal estate taxes, simply because her marriage didn’t count under federal law. Fox News said, “There is no dispute that if Windsor had been married to a man, her estate tax bill would have been zero.”

Marriage itself is a unique mix of church and state. For many of us, a marriage is a religious ceremony performed by members of the clergy. However, marriage licenses are still required and the officiant must be licensed for the union to be recognized by the government. We are not asking for religious institutions to be forced to provide or recognize same-sex unions, because the majority of religions believe homosexuality is wrong. However, the government — as a non-religious entity that is supposed to extend the same opportunities to all of its citizens — should recognize same-sex unions as having the same legal standing as traditional marriages.

A common fear among many who want to protect the family unit and not allow same-sex unions is that, among other things, a same-sex couple’s lifestyle will infect and plague every facet of society and will tear apart the fabric of a “normal” family. This would cause our society to spin into one that thrives on immorality and sin.

However, we have just as much power to make a difference in our society as anyone else does. We as Christians are called to spread the Gospel; would the downspin of our society not reflect a failure on our part to evangelize?

If we honestly believe that homosexuality is wrong, then it is our duty to teach others why we believe it is wrong

By: Phil Flickinger

theSignal|

Tanner Ward, Editor-in-Chief

theSignal

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

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

Tanner Ward

Noah Hutchinson

Kelsey Lamb

Dr. Jeff Root

Sam Cushman

Chelsea Byers

Nicole McPhate

Dr. Deborah Root

Emily Terry

Daniel Aylett

Abbey Fowler

Ms. Tiffany Eurich

z EDITOR-IN-CHIEF z NEWS EDITOR

z FEATURES EDITOR

z OPINIONS EDITOR z SPORTS EDITOR

z ONLINE CO-EDITOR

z ONLINE CO-EDITOR z PHOTO EDITOR

z ADVERTISING MANAGER

z ADVISER z ADVISER

z ONLINE ADVISER

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.

8 n sports Thursday, April 4, 2013

www.obusignal.com

Tiger Baseball looks to turn season around

By DANIEL AYLETT Online Co-Editor

In a typical spring in the state of Arkansas, the temperature is known to fluctuate sporadically for weeks. Like the spring-time weather in the state, the Ouachita Tiger baseball team has had its moments of ups and downs through the first half of the season.

The Tigers (15-16, 7-11), led by head coach Scott Haworth, have not began the season as anticipated but are looking forward to a strong finish heading into the conference tournament. The team consists of six seniors, ten juniors, five sophomores, and eleven freshmen.

“Our season has started off a little slow at first, but I feel like we’re starting to find our identity and who we are,” said Josh Everett, a senior pitcher from Paragould, Ark. “We’re going to be a pretty good ball club when we find that out,” Everett said.

“It’s important at this point not to panic because we did the same thing last year where we struggled early on in the year and then we came on strong at the end of the year,” said Duncan Collins, a senior infielder from Texarkana, Tex. “Last

year we were three outs away from winning the conference tournament for the first time,” Collins said.

Davis Ward, a junior pitcher from Little Rock, Ark, currently has a 1.41 ERA, but understands the frustration the team is facing.

“For games when we pitch well, we can’t hit and field well and vice versa. We’ve kind of been in a hitting slump, but everyone knows the quality of the guys on the team and the talent we have. We all know we can turn it all around, it’s just a question of when,” Ward said.

The club returns many starters from a team which a season ago made it all the way to the conference finals, which gives the players confidence in their abilities.

“It seems like everybody is putting too much pressure on themselves and trying to do too much. If we would get back to trusting each other more and just relaxing and having fun, that would be a huge boom to what we’re trying to do,” Collins said.

Though the tide has not fully turned for the team, the players and coaches are expecting the momentum to turn in their

Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy DAVIS WARD pitches during the Tigers’ game against Northwest Oklahoma on March 16. The Tigers won the game 6-7.

favor and the motor to start running at any moment.

“Some of the other coaches were telling Coach (Haworth) that we were the team to look out for in conference this year,” Everett said. “Although we haven’t hit our stride yet, I feel like our stride is coming and once we do hit it, we’re going to win a lot of games.”

Several newcomers to the team have made significant contributions and are expected to be relied upon in the future to accomplish their goal of winning the conference.

Freshman infielder Will Wallace of Arkadelphia, Ark and freshman pitcher Josh Reeves of Munford, Tenn have received high praise from their teammates.

“Will came in and early in the fall looked to be pretty salty at the plate, but I didn’t know if he would start or not. He got his opportunity this spring and he has taken it and ran with it,” Everett said. “He’s our next to leading hitter.”

“Josh looked pretty solid in the fall, but I don’t think anybody expected from him what he’s done,” Collins said. “He’s been incredibly reliable out of the bullpen for us, arguably our most reliable pitcher and has really filled a hole and helped us a lot there.”

The team knows the potential it has and are hoping the current setbacks will not become obstacles in the way of its goals.

“We’re just frustrated and mad at ourselves because we know what we can do,” Collins said. “We’re not playing up to that potential right now.

Once we get past that frustration and get back to having fun, we will get back to what we can do.”

The Tigers will move into conference tournament play after the team wraps up the regular season April 27 with a home series against Henderson State. For more information, visit obutigers.com. n

Meet the Coaches:

Asst. Basketball Coach Logan Johnson How did you get your start in coaching?

I’m from Knoxville Tenn. I played basketball my entire life. Around middle school I started knowing that coaching was what I wanted to do. I knew that I would rather do that than work in the business world.

I signed on to play basketball at Coastal Carolina University when I graduated high school. I was over there five years and that’s actually where I met Coach Nutt. I stayed in touch with him, and he was definitely one of my favorite assistant coaches I’ve ever had.

I had the opportunity to go play overseas so I was kind of battling between that or getting into coaching, but I decided I wanted to get into coaching at an early age and get started in the business.

Coach Nutt got this job down here, and he called me up and asked if I would want to work here, and it was really a no-brainer, coming to work for him, someone I knew I loved to work for.

What are your goals in coaching?

My dream has always been to be a Division One head coach, but it’s just a matter of working your way up and making connections.

What do you like about coaching at Ouachita?

It’s a great school, and the team is a close-knit group. It’s really neat running around campus and knowing the professors and faculty here. Also, getting to work for Coach Nutt, a guy I love working for, is great. Plus we have a great group of guys.

What’s your favorite moment while coaching?

This year, my third year in, at the championship game, we had a timeout and we were up with barely any time left.

Coach Nutt told the boys in the huddle that they were about to be champions, that they were about to get a ring.

Hearing him say that to the guys is something that will definitely stick in my mind for a long time. n

NCAAM Tournament: four teams, two games, one trophy CHELSEA BYERS Sports Editor

PRESS BOX

Well guys, this season’s tournament has been one of the most interesting that I have ever witnessed.

From the unexpected upsets of New Mexico and Harvard to the amazing victories like Marquette over Indiana, this year’s bracket has been loved by few and cursed by many.

I don’t know a single person who had more than two of their teams picked make it to the Final Four.

Florida was a let down, Duke was as well, and good ol’ Gonzaga and Wichita State messed everyone’s West up completely.

As our baby brackets have matured throughout the past few weeks, we have to come to the realization that it is almost over.

The Final Four are preparing to dominate the court, or at least two of the four teams will when they take the floor on Saturday.

1 Louisville

4/6

9 Wichita St.

6:09 p.m.

Side note in the middle of this column – I absolutely despise Louisville.

I really hope they lose epically, with a passion that could only be understood by any other Florida fan.

Now, with that aside, let’s take a look at the four teams who managed to stay alive throughout the tournament’s bloody battle to the top.

Wichita State in the West, Louisville in the Midwest, Michigan in the South (how ironic is that?), and Syracuse in the East.

Which of these teams did you have making it? I had one of the four, Louisville, unfortunately, making it this far. Florida let me down, just like in football.

Speaking of Florida in the South, how did Michigan manage to make it this far without losing to powerhouse teams like Florida and Kansas? Two words – Trey Burke.

CHAMPIONSHIP 4/8

4 Michigan

4/6

4 Syracuse

8:49 p.m.

Averaging 18.8 points per game, this kid knows how to work the floor.

He is also a strong rebounder, averaging three a game.

He has helped his team get this far, and honestly, I believe Michigan will pull out the win against the East’s winner, Syracuse.

Syracuse played only one worthy team in my mind, which would be Indiana.

The Hoosiers played a poor game compared to their usual matches and Syracuse managed to not only catch them on an off day, but extremely outplay them as well, ending the game with a score of 61-50.

Michigan, on the other hand, swept Florida, though it pains me to say, 79-59. So, watch out for Michigan to make a sweep on ‘Cuse.

On the other half of the bracket we have Wichita State and Louisville.

Wichita State, the underdog going into the Final Four, is my favorite team on the left.

They started out with the lowest ranking of all four teams, being ninth, with the others being fourth and one.

Louisville, on the other hand, is the favorite of the critics and sports analysts.

Unfortunately, my gut is telling me that they are going to show up on Saturday and show Wichita State how it’s done. It makes me sick, but it is practically inevitable.

This year, I believe we are going to see Louisville and Michigan duke it out (Duke. I couldn’t resist.) next Monday. Who comes out on top is to be decided.

My personal opinion? Louisville.

My personal hope? Michigan. So shred those brackets and cheer on the underdogs! That’s my plan. n

STATS & RANKS

Men’s Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–0, 5th Women’s Golf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1–1, 4th Brand New Sports Talk Show OUT WEDNESDAYS AT 12:15 p.m.

Baseball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16-1, 8th Softball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13–24, 8th Weekly Topic: Intramural Ultimate Frisbee Men’s Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–6, 1st Round Table Topic: Tony Romo’s contract Women’s Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–9, 5th and the Dallas Cowboys’ future decisions (wins – losses, conference rank)

Check us out: www.obusignal.com and @TheRundownOBU