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Signal
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11.07.13 Volume 122 Issue 10
Ouachita Baptist University
“BY THE BOG OF CATS” IN THIS ISSUE:
AfterDark Drew Holcomb, Joe White bring ‘thrill to worship,’ p.2
Give Thanks Students asked to write thank you notes to donors, p.3 Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal Top: KAYLA WALKER portrays Catwoman in “By the Bog of Cats.” The annual fall theater production opens tonight at 7:30 in Verser Theater.
Helpful Advice Counselor to offer substance abuse awareness tips, p.3
Army Brats ROTC Cadets learn skills, discipline, p.4
Left: JOE OCHTERBECK as Carthage Killbride and Sara Williams as Hester Swane perform on stage in “By the Bog of Cats”, a modern Irish retelling of the Greek tragedy “Medea” written by Marina Carr.
Modern retelling of Greek tragedy opens tonight By MARIE LINDAHL Staff Writer
Not Created Equal Not everyone deserves praise always, p.5
New Coach Former OSU star wrestler joins OBU coaching staff, p.6
S News 1 n S Features 4 n S Opinions 5 n S Sports 6 n
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he Department of Theater Arts will present “By the Bog of Cats” tonight through Tuesday. “By The Bog of Cats” by Marina Carr is a modern retelling of the Ancient Greek tragedy “Medea” by Euripides. In the original play Medea is a witch whose husband left her and her two children for another woman. The play revolves around her seeking revenge against her husband for his betrayal. In “By The Bog of Cats,” the plot is similar, but more relatable in its modern form. Kathleen Suit, a sophomore theater arts major who plays Caroline Cassidy, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, said of the play, “It’s very dramatic, it has like a dark kind of feeling to it. Each individual character has something they want from someone else even though they can’t quite get it.” Suit suggests for audience members to go into the production with an open
86th Battle of the Ravine to feature new festivities By KATY FIRMIN Staff Writer
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Signal
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10.31.13 Volume 122 Issue 9
Ouachita Baptist University
THIS WEEK:
Ring-a-ling Handbell choir to present concert, Nov. 4, p.2
Face Lift Required CORE for students altered, p.3
Green Thumb A look into the campus greenhouse, p.3
Signal staff recognized nationally by CSPA By JESSICA STEWART News Bureau
‘Trick ‘r Treat’ Perfect Halloween flick, p.6
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) has awarded The Signal three Gold Circle Awards for the 2012-13 year. “It is a great honor for Tanner Ward and The Signal staff to come away with three Gold Circle awards,“ said Dr. Jeff Root, dean of the School of Humanities. “They competed against college journalists nationwide regardless of the size of the university. It says a lot about the quality of our students at Ouachita.” Tanner Ward, editor-in-chief of The Signal and obusignal. com, earned a second place award in News Page Design for “Blue vs. Red.” Ward is a senior mass communications business management and finance major from Bryant. The Signal staff also received second place in Single Subject News or Feature Package for its “Ouachita Ripples” throwback edition and a certificate of merit in Editorial Writing for “It’s time for equal rights.” “These awards are a big deal for us,” Ward said. “We are competing against the largest schools from across the United States, and we — a small college in Arkansas — are able to keep up with them.”
Kristen Barnard z The Signal JOEL ROGIER and Caitlin Secrest perform in Johann Straus II’s The Revenge of the Bat, a comedic opera set in Victorian Era Vienna. Rogier plays Gabriel von Eisenstein, a baron, and Secrest, plays Rosalinde, his wife.
The complete printofedition ‘Revenge the Bat’ opera opensformat. tonight in a new interactive Compatible with mobile O and tablets. Attention Girls How to participate in No Shave November, p.6
Extra Cash Should college athletes be paid? p.8
S News 1 n S Features 4 n S Opinions 6 n S Sports 7 n
see AWARDS z 3
By TAYLOR TOMLINSON News Bureau
uachita Baptist University’s Division of Music Theatre will present Johann Strauss II’s comedic opera Die Fledermaus, or “The Revenge of the Bat,” on Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. as well as a matinee performance on Nov. 3 at 2:30 p.m. in Jones Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at www.obu.edu/boxoffice. Students with a current OBU ID may receive one free ticket. “Our cast is one of the best we have ever assembled for an operatic production at OBU,” said Dr. Jon Secrest, music director and conductor of the opera and coordinator of Ouachita’s vocal studies program. Secrest added that the opera contains “beautiful soaring melodies” and that the audience should recognize many of the tunes.
mind, ready to soak in anything that you see. “Be ready to just suspend your disbelief and really get wrapped up in the world,” she said. “I want the audience to ride the emotional roller coaster all the way to end,” said Garrett Whitehead, a senior musical theater major and the director of the play. “I want it to be a show that will start a conversation when they are leaving the theater.” This dramatic story offers plenty to learn from. Suit said she has learned a lot from being a part of this play. “I’ve learned how much your actions can affect the people around you, how much your words can affect them, and just about keeping peace in the midst of all the drama,” she said. Actors are not only challenged with capturing the dramatics of this play; they also have to learn it with an Irish accent. With the help of Timothy Drennan, the cast is learning to match their accents so they all sound like they are from the same part of Ireland.
Set in Vienna during the Victo- Revenge of the Bat rian Era, Die FleTonight–Saturday, 7:30 p.m. dermaus is a threeact opera centered Sunday, 2:30 p.m. matinee on retribution and mistaken identi- Jones Performing Arts Center ties of prisoners, wives, old flames Tickets: $10/each and old friends at free with student ID Prince Orlofsky’s obu.edu/boxoffice ball. As a comedy, audience members should “be ready for an evening of fun and laughter,” said Dr. Glenda Secrest, stage director of the opera and professor of music at Ouachita. According to Jon Secrest, the audience will also enjoy “the visual spectacle of the grand Viennese style.” Costumes for the performance see OPERA z 2
This year marks the 86th annual Battle of the Ravine. Beginning in 1895, it is the oldest rivalry game in the NCAA Division II. Much has changed over those 84 years however, and this year will attempt to provide a few new activities for students and the community. “The whole community is more involved this year, so we think it’ll be a big event,” said Allie Smith, a junior biology major. “Many local businesses have donated money and are helping to make this week bigger than it has ever been.” Smith is a member of the Battle of the Ravine committee in Student Senate. This committee is made up of a number of students that have been meeting weekly with people from the community committee for Battle of the Ravine, athletic directors, caterers and many others to plan the week’s festivities.
“Just like in America you can have a northern accent or a southern accent,” Suit said. “It’s like that in any country and so we all have to have not just an Irish accent, but be on the same page too. It’s been a struggle, but I think we are all starting to really get there.” The cast said it is excited to perform for an audience on opening night. “As a team we have made it through the emotional drainage, the stumbling blocks, and have developed a show that every single person is proud of,” Whitehead said. “You always look forward to [the audience’s] reactions and their involvement in the show,” Whitehead said. “What makes theater so exciting is the action onstage and the reaction from the audience. The more engrossed the audience is, the more energy the actors get to feed off of.” The show runs in Verser Theater tonight through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and Monday and Tuesdy nights at 7:30 p.m. Students receive one free ticket with their ID. To purchase tickets, visit www.obu.edu/boxoffice. n
Kappa Kappa Psi to host ‘Fall Brawl’ tournament
Through the week, each graduating class will have a designated night to spend guarding the tiger on campus from Reddie attack. “I really like how all the classes come out because we’re all in so many different majors,” said Gracie Lundstrum, also a Battle of the Ravine Senate committee member and a junior mass communications major. “It’s hard to have your entire class as one anymore, so it’s cool each night — each class gets to come out and no one is divided by major or anything, it’s just everyone together.” Guarding the tiger has been a tradition for many years. Students come out for the night to guard with classmates and spend it also playing games, laughing and trying to stay warm. This year T-shirts will be rewarded to students that make it through a full night of guarding. “I’m looking forward to guarding the tiger,” said Jamie Barker, a junior biology
“Up-B.” commands a mountain dew fueled gladiator. “Up-B! Up-B! Up-B!” The controller clacks as his fingers fly across the buttons like a virtuoso piano player. He makes one last lunge for his life, literally defying physics as he tries to overcome what may have been his coup de grace. It’s not enough. He falls to his death, exploding in a pillar of fire as he hits the ground and is then forced to applaud his gloating opponent. This is a “Super Smash Brothers” tournament. Fall Brawl is a “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” tournament sponsored by Kappa Kappa Psi at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow in the East Village theater.
see RAVINE z 2
see BRAWL z 2
By NOAH HUTCHINSON Opinions Editor