The Signal - Oct. 1, 2015

10.01.15 Volume 124 Issue 5

Homecoming at Ouachita

this week z CALENDAR TIGER TUNES is tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 5:00 and 8:30 p.m. For more information, contact Jon Merryman at merrymanj@obu.edu REFUGE is tonight at 10 p.m. in the Village Circle. For more information, contact James Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu PURPLE PLAZA PARTY is tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Grant Plaza. Lunch will be served and all students are invited to come KAPPA CHI COOKOUT is Friday night after Tiger Tunes.

There will be hamburgers, music and dancing in Tiger Alley. For more information, Richard Burke at burker@ obu.edu OCTIGER FEST will start on Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Cliff Harris Stadium parking lot. Alumni and guests are invited to tailgate with current students before the Homecoming game

Muggin’ ready to rock with rootbeer after Saturday night Tiger Tunes show

By EVAN WHEATLEY Staff Writer

As Tunes rehearsals come to a close and the Homecoming festivities begin, the Men of Eta Alpha Omega are hard at work preparing for Muggin’ 2015.

For the past 15 years, students have gathered in Grant Plaza outside Evans Student Center for free root beer and a good time following Saturday night’s Tiger Tunes finale.

The tradition of Muggin’ was started by Eta in 2000 as a safe alternative to off-campus partying. With a live DJ and over 1900 bottles of root beer, Muggin’ provides a unique celebration and a sigh of relief after a long, hard week of Tunes performances.

“Last year we had a really successful Muggin’, and I want this year to be the same, if not better,” said Jacob Moreno, president of Eta. Through T-shirt sales, posters and a YouTube video posted by the club’s pledge class, Eta has been heavily promoting the event, and is expecting a sizable turnout.

“The freshman class is bigger this year. We’re hoping they all come,” said Moreno. “The T-shirt sales have

Kelsey Bond y The Signal

The Men of Eta Alpha Omega will host Muggin’, an annual Homecoming event. The club will serve IBC root beer in Grant Plaza after the 8:30 Saturday evening Tiger Tunes show.

gone really well, so we’re expecting a lot of people. We’re going to have 1900 bottles so everyone can have as much root beer as they want.”

While it is a fun way to celebrate and hang out with other social clubs after Tiger Tunes, participation in Muggin’ is not limited to those involved in Tunes.

“As a freshman, I wasn’t part of Tiger Tunes because I wasn’t sure what it was. But I did go to Muggin’ because I heard everyone was going to

From your perspective:

it after Tiger Tunes,” said Josh Rubin, senior member of Eta. “Just seeing how excited everyone was, especially if they were in Tunes, kind of showed me more of the campus life here and how everyone interacts together.”

Regardless of one’s class, Tiger Tunes involvement or stance on root beer, the “Come to Muggin’!” invitation shouted at the end of the club’s show is for everyone, and the men of Eta Alpha Omega hope to see you there. n

Favorite Tiger Tunes show ever:

TIGER FOOTBALL will play Harding University in the 2015 Homecoming game at Cliff Harris Stadium. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. Pregame events, including the crowning of the 2015 Homecoming queen will be at 10:30 a.m.

For more information and a full schedule of Homecoming events visit www.obu.edu/ calendar

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JACOB SEXTON

My favorite show was: Kappa Chi Golfers

BEKAH DAVIS

My favorite show was: Campus Ministries Baptists

WILL HANNA

My favorite show was: Eta Alpha Omega Wild West

“We want people to have a good time.

We grill burgers, play music and just hang out together as one group.”

—Richard Burke Lauren Scarbrough y The Signal

The Men of Kappa Chi will host their annual cookout after the Friday evening Tiger Tunes show. The event will have hamburgers, music and dancing. The cookout is in Tiger Alley between JPAC and Jones Science Center.

All students are invited to come to the event.

Kappa Chi ready for cookout on Friday after Tiger Tunes

By ZACH PARKER Staff Writer

The Men of Kappa Chi will be hosting their annual Kappa Chi Cookout immediately following Tiger Tunes Friday night. There will be burgers, music and dancing for the whole campus as everyone gets together to celebrate Homecoming.

The free event takes place on Tiger Alley in between JPAC and Jones Science Center. The event is designed for the public and Tunes participants alike, to put Tiger Tunes aside for a few hours and just come together for a time of fellowship and festivities.

The event, which has been popular among the student body for years, will begin immediately following the Friday night performance. As participants in Tiger Tunes and audience members exit JPAC, they will be welcomed into Tiger Alley, where fresh drinks and burgers will be available for free. Their will be a live DJ and dance floor as well.

“Honestly we just want people to have a good time. We grill burgers, we play music and we just hang out together as one group instead of different social clubs,” said Richard Burke, a junior history and political science major from Hot Springs and president of Kappa Chi. “It’s a good

time for everyone to enjoy the night and just relax. We know how important Tunes is for everyone involved and we want everyone to just put that away for a few hours and grab a burger, hang out and maybe dance some.”

Although it takes place immediately following Friday night’s performances, the event is not limited to those participating in Tiger Tunes.

The whole student body is invited and even encouraged to come. The purpose is to have a safe and fun place for everyone to hang out after the excitement of the Friday night shows, without having to go off campus.

“I went to Kappa Cookout last year and I thought it was fun because you got to see all your friends after Tunes in a more relaxed atmosphere,” Maddie Brodell, a sophomore mass communications major from Little Rock, said.

Last year, over 600 people attended Cookout, and this year, the Kappas expect just as many.

“We want this to be a huge environment where people can have a blast,” said Dixon Land, a senior mass communications major and Christian studies minor. “It is one of my favorite times of the year to be a Kappa because everyone just enjoys getting to spend time together.” n

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Red Bus Project is back at Ouachita

By KATIE KEMP Staff Writer

The Red Bus Project will be making a stop at Ouachita for the second consecutive year on Friday, October 16. The project aims to get students involved and aware of the needs of orphans and how they can make a difference.

The Red Bus Project is a double decker bus turned “mobile thrift store,” with all proceeds going toward orphan care advocacy. Students can learn more about the Red Bus Project’s mission while they shop on the bus for clothing collected at previous stops. Students are also encouraged to donate unwanted clothing to the project for use on future stops. In addition to clothing donated from other campuses, Red Bus Project merchandise will be available for purchase.

As well as raising funds for orphan care, the project provides students with statistics regarding the orphan care crisis. Students will have the opportunity to speak to the people travelling across the country with the bus to learn more about the ministry of the Red Bus Project and how they can help meet the needs of orphans.

“We basically just set up on campuses so we can have conversations with college students about orphan care and ways that they can get involved,” says Brooke Lyle, student initiative program coordinator for the Red Bus Project. “Every 18 seconds, a child becomes an orphan, and we’re not okay with that…we’re here to represent and to kind of speak for those children that don’t necessarily have a voice.”

There are over 140 million orphans in the world, and the Red Bus Project hopes to lessen in that number by caring for as many orphans as possible.

“There’s a lot of kids out there that

CONGRATULATIONS ANNA AND ANDREW On your engagement!!!

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RED BUS PROJECT y COURTESY The Red Bus Project is a double decker bus turned “mobile thrift store,” with all proceeds going toward orphan care advocacy. Students can learn more about the Red Bus Project’s mission while they shop on the bus for clothing collected at previous stops.

need a home,” says Tim Harrell, director of the Campus Activities office.

“This is a program that tries to help put those two things together—a home and children.”

The Red Bus Project is the student initiative of a larger organization called Show Hope, established in 2003 by contemporary Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth.

Show Hope assists churches in setting up adoption funds and operates a Special Care Center for orphans in China, and launched the Red Bus Project in hopes of seeing college students become more involved in orphan care. Since the project’s launch in 2012, the bus has stopped at more than 60 colleges across the United States and has contributed nearly $50,000 to the care of orphans.

While the easiest way for students to get involved is through shopping on and donating to the bus, there are many ways that students can be involved with the ministry of the Red Bus Project after it leaves campus.

The project also provides opportunities for students to go on mission

trips to orphan care organizations in China and Haiti as well as opportunities for internships. Students also have the opportunity to be a campus “orphan defender,” which creates a partnership between the organization and college campuses to find needs within individual communities.

“Jesus says something very specific about orphans and widows,” says Tim Harell. “There is a need out there, to put it bluntly, for people to love these little kids. This is a way that students can indirectly but also a little bit directly influence this organization and help them out.”

This will be the second year that the Campus Activities Office has hosted the event with the help of the Campus Activities Board and the Ouachita chapter of International Justice Mission. The event will be held Friday, October 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of Evans Student Center.

To keep up with what the Red Bus Project is doing outside of their stop at Ouachita, you can visit their website at redbusproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. n

RED BUS PROJECT y COURTESY RED BUS PROJECT y COURTESY Students walk around the tents set up in Grant Plaza when the Red Bus Project came to Ouachita last year. The group, which is designed to help orphans, brings a big double-decker bus to campuses all across the United States to sell items. The proceeds of those items go to their foundation to help orphans.

RED BUS PROJECT y COURTESY Students pose with close from bins at the Red Bus Project event last year in Grant Plaza. This year, the event will be held in the same place on Friday, October 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is designed to help raise money for assistance to churches helping set up and operate adoption funds.

A group of leadership students with the Red Bus Project take a picture in front of the flag plaza following the Red Bus Project on the campus of Ouachita at Grant Plaza last year. This year, the students will assist the Red Bus Project when it comes into town on October 16.

RED BUS PROJECT y COURTESY Ouachita student Sydney Hoffman helps another Ouachita student check out at the Red Bus Project last year. The event, which is designed to raise money to help churches fund adoption programs, will be held this year at Grant Plaza, outside the Student Center on Friday, October 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Fanning to give Birkett Williams lecture at Ouachita on Oct. 20

By CIMBER WINFREY News Bureau

Ouachita will host Dr. Leigh Fanning, president of Versiera, LLC, a software engineering enterprise, as part of the endowed Birkett Williams Lecture series. Fanning’s lecture, “Ethics and Implications: Remembering the Private Citizens We Once Were,” is set for Tuesday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall.

The lecture series is held each semester and rotates between Ouachita’s seven academic schools. This semester the J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences invited Fanning as the guest lecturer.

“Dr. Fanning has been very successful in her career and has a multidisciplinary background in science, computer science and business,” said

Dr. Tim Knight, dean of the school and professor of biology. “Her experiences are so diverse that students from many different majors and backgrounds will find her interesting.”

Fanning earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1987. Following over a decade of work in industry, she earned her master’s in Computer Science from the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 2007 in the area of computational biology.

In 2014, after starting Versiera, she joined the UNM Molecular Computing Group where she received her Ph.D. in computer science. Fanning is currently co-founding a startup in genomics to commercialize technologies she developed within her Ph.D. research. Her research is centered on constructing molecular models of dif-

ferent drugs and determining which treatment mechanism will work best through computer programming.

The models work as preliminary trials by creating a chemical structure of a drug before it is tested in a lab.

Through her research, companies can save a lot of money by first narrowing the potential outcomes of a specific product before undergoing testing.

Fanning’s other interests include programming languages, cyber-privacy, combinatorics, representation methods and information theories.

Fanning is also an entrepreneur, creating Versiera, a software engineering enterprise, in 2001. Versiera is a web-based system that provides system administrators with a simple alternative to routine business tasks, thus reducing the price of ownership.

It also works to quickly identify functionality problems and detect system

performance issues within an organization.

Knight encourages students of all disciplines, especially business majors, to attend the lecture in hopes that they will gain a broader view of entrepreneurship and future career opportunities.

Ouachita’s Birkett Williams lecture series was established in 1977 as a gift from the late Birkett L. Williams, a 1910 Ouachita graduate. The series gives students the opportunity to extend their liberal arts education outside of the classroom by inviting scholars and public figures with diverse backgrounds to Ouachita’s campus.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the event, you can contact Dr. Tim Knight at knightt.obu.edu or visit www.obu.edu/news. n

Ouachita to exhibit prints by noted photographer Andrè Kertèsz

By ANNA HURST News Bureau

Ouachita’s department of visual arts will host an exhibit of prints by noted Hungarian American photographer Andrè Kertèsz Sept. 21-Nov. 10. The exhibit will be displayed in the Rosemary Gossett Adams Gallery on the first floor of Moses-Provine Hall on Ouachita’s campus, and it is free and open to the public.

Kertèsz, whose work spans several decades, is considered a leader in making street photography an art.

He is also widely respected for his revolutionary contributions to photojournalism and photographic composition. The ability to take the camera out of the studio came into existence just as Kertèsz’s career was beginning and his unique street style set him apart from others in his field.

In 1925, he moved from Hungary to Paris and worked for their first illustrated magazine, VU, gaining

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a reputation in the magazine industry. In World War II, he moved to the United States where he continued to establish himself through commissioned and magazine-related work.

Eventually, he returned to the more artistic aspects of photography, earning widespread international recognition.

“He was really one of the founders of being able to take the camera out into the street and photograph people as they live,” said Ferris Williams, OBU assistant professor of visual arts and curator of the exhibit. “I think his eye for composition and for the shot, those fleeting moments, was something that really stood out.”

About 20 numbered prints will be included in the exhibit. The prints are part of a collection donated to Ouachita by the Allen Tillery family of Hot Springs. This is the second exhibit of works from the collection to be displayed at Ouachita. The collection includes pieces from a wide array of art styles and eras and is val-

ued at more than $250,000.

“For a school Ouachita’s size and for a community like Arkadelphia, it is a great thing to have,” Williams said. “You don’t have to go to a large city museum to see art of this caliber, which is nice.”

The department of visual arts utilizes the pieces not only for display purposes, but also as educational tools.

“In my case, with these Kertèsz prints, I definitely plan on discuss-

ing things like composition because he is just such an amazing photographer when it comes to composing and finding the moment, this mysterious moment,” Williams said. “I can also even talk about printmaking. It’s definitely valuable to have access to that.”

Regular exhibit hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, you can contact Ferris Williams at williamsf@obu. edu. n

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2015 Homecoming Queen Finalists Photos are couresty of Dr. Wesley Kluck

TRI CHI WE LOVE OUR SISTERS!

HOMECOMING QUEEN 2015 Good luck to Morgan, Madi, Erin and Bonnie on Saturday!!

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3,974 Miles

The story of a life filled with adventure, adversity and halibut

By MATTHEW ABLON Staff Writer

Sierra Kinworthy stands apart from other Ouachita students in many ways. The freshman biology major and member of the Tigershark swim team is an avid fisher with a taste for halibut.

She’s also the only student on campus representing the state of Alaska.

Her story, however, begins in Conway, not too far from our own beloved Arkadelphia.

“My dad’s a pilot for FedEx”, said Kinworthy, “so we moved around a lot.”

Eventually, Kinworthy’s family settled down in Wasilla, Alaska. If the name sounds even slightly familiar to you, it probably is; former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was the mayor of Wasilla and, later, governor of Alaska. The Palin family just so happens to be Kinworthy’s neighbors.

“She lives seven houses down,” said Kinworthy, noting also that she didn’t live in the house she currently lives in during Palin’s run for office. “My house used to be a bed and breakfast and all of the reporters stayed at my house. So all of the reporters who snuck into her backyard to take pictures were staying at my house. Now she has a really big fence so no paparazzi can come over.”

Being a neighbor to a former vice presidential candidate, however, isn’t the only interesting thing about Kinworthy. She also enjoys fishing for some of the best fish she can reel in.

“You feed them salmon eggs, and man, you have to reel those suckers in because they’re huge,” said Kinworthy. “It’s like a 20-minute fight with this huge fish and when you get

it, you’re exhausted, but it’s totally worth it.”

Kinworthy says one halibut can feed her family for four weeks, and some of her friends back home rarely make trips to a store, often eating the moose and caribou they hunt.

Speaking of hunting, Kinworthy hunted her first bear this past summer. Yes, you read that right. Kinworthy has shot and killed a bear.

“Everyone’s like ‘oh that sounds so awful, what did you do’. I filled up a barrel with stale donuts and bread and baited a bear! That’s as good as it gets,” said Kinworthy.

Sierra Kinworthy is a neighbor of Sarah Palin, loves halibut, and has hunted a bear; but her Ouachita roots stem from something much different: family.

“My mother and my brother are both alumni,” said Kinworthy. “My mom was here in the 80’s and she was a tennis player. My brother was here in the early 2000’s and he was a swimmer.”

Just like her brother, Kinworthy now represents Ouachita in the water. While she may be the sole Alaskan representative on campus, she has found it easy to connect with her fellow swimmers, especially since one teammate lived in Alaska for a time. Kinworthy also said she’s been taking the distance adjustment fairly well, although the climate shock is a doozy.

“I remember when I came here I was miserable. I was so hot. It’s not even just the degrees. The humidity wiped me out, it was crazy.” said Kinworthy.

She also said people at Ouachita are much friendlier than she’s used to, a pleasant surprise for her.

“In Alaska, no one really cares about anything, it’s more like ‘do

SIERRA KINWORTHY y Courtesy Sierra Kinworthy is a long way from home—sitting 3,974 miles from her house in Wasilla, Alaska, Kinworthy is the furthest from home of any current Ouachita student that is not from an international country.

Her story is one of adventure—including a life spent hunting, fishing and being outdoors.

you’. Here, everyone’s more involved and it’s a lot more friendly. Alaskans are friendly, but no one goes out of their way to talk to you like they do here.”

Even though she’s over 3,000 miles from home, Kinworthy has taken that much better than the weather differences.

“I’ve talked to my family a lot and FaceTimed them. I always have them show me the lake.”

Being the naturalist she is, Kinworthy encourages people to visit Alaska if they can, citing the natural beauty of the state. Specific areas include

lakes and mountains that she takes pride in, especially with Alaska’s history from starting off as “Seward’s Icebox” to becoming a state rich in natural resources and habitats for wildlife of all kinds.

“The ports are beautiful, oh my goodness. My favorite places are Whittier, Homer or Seward,” said Kinworthy. “There’s so much wildlife. I have at least three moose come through my yard every week. I have bald eagles that live in my backyard. I live on a lake, so I’m ice fishing all the time. If you are a hunting or fishing fanatic, it’s all for you.” n

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Filling the shoes of a legend

BY Dixon C. Land They pack in. They pack in with a sense of anticipation—a feeling that only comes once a year. Ouachita alumni crowd the aisles of Jones Performing Arts Center as the lights slowly dim. As they do and the eagerness grows as quickly as the deafening roar of the crowd, one man sits back, waiting and watching. Ready to begin the three-hour show that is Tiger Tunes.

For Stephen Vaughn, this job wasn’t on his radar when he visited Ouachita for a prospective visit. A graduate of Lakeside High School in Hot Springs, Ark. just three years earlier, Vaughn started his lifelong passion of music as an audio and lights specialist in church at the early age of eight years old. From that point, he took on many rolls, specializing in the opera-

tion of sound boards, some of which he installed himself. From church to high school theatre and productions, Vaughn became an early expert in the study of stage production through music and lights.

“There was a guy who ran our whole music system in children’s music. I told him I wanted to help and he started me off with easy stuff and the basics and from there, I just kind of kept going and that’s just kind of how I really got interested in it,” Vaughn said.

Last year, Vaughn was on a 19-hour work study when his mentor and teacher Joey Licklider announced that he had taken a job in Florida, leaving the sound boards in JPAC unmanned for Fall of 2015. Vaughn, who was close with Joey, was given the job.

“He trained me up this whole last year to do this job without me even knowing it,” Vaughn said. “So, basi-

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cally he got the job and they didn’t have time to find a permanent replacement, so I said I would take this for a year. Joey recommended me for this job.”

From accepting the job to today, Vaughn is still wow’ed each time he enters the doors into Jones Performing Arts Center.

“It’s mind-boggling because I’ve been coming to camp since sixth grade here, and I’ve always thought of JPAC as massive and overwhelming,” Vaughn said. “I performed on that stage when I was twelve, so it’s kind of weird to be in charge of all of these things.”

Vaughn officially operates as a staff member at Ouachita Baptist focusing on running sound and lights for all JPAC shows and managing a group of work study students.

“Technically, I’m a staff member.

I’ve completed two years of school as

a student and I’m taking a year break to assume this role,” Vaughn said.

“I’m taking a few classes, but I won’t officially become a student again until next year. They will be doing a spring search for somebody to take over this role, and once they find somebody for that, I’ll be back to being a student.”

So for Vaughn, as the lights come up on Tiger Tunes 2015, it won’t be Joey Licklider running the show. Instead, it will be his hand-picked predecessor, making the shoes Vaughn has to fill so much bigger. However, Vaughn is up for the challenge, knowing full well that he’ll be ready for whatever arises, no matter what the crisis might be.

“I’m always nervous. I’m sure at the end there will be things that I’ll wish I would have done, but I’m going to do my best to make sure there are as few of those as possible,” Vaughn said. n

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Humane Society of Clark County: a temporar y home

By BARRETT GAY Features Editor The relationship between people and their pets in its purest form consists of mutual devotion. The animals grow up lovingly cared for, and in return they offer their owners unconditional affection.

Unfortunately, not all stories are picturesque. Sometimes the relationship is broken, and animals face abuse, neglect or abandonment. That’s when places like the Humane Society of Clark County step in to change the narrative.

Jesse Jones, director of the Humane Society, commits the majority of his time to the center. He manages the HSCC and cares for the creatures under his wing.

“The director’s job is to run the facility. That’s what I do. I take care of the animals and maintenance on the building and help run fundraisers,” Jones said.

Working faithfully alongside Jones are the volunteers, his wife included among them. This team shares the same goal of overseeing as many adoptions as possible.

“I’ve got people that [have] been here volunteering for 20 years,” Jones said. “They will continue to be here… that’s how passionate everybody is about the animals.”

Jones and his volunteers work to make these victims

Patrick Sworn y Photo Lab The Humane Society of Clark County currently houses around 88 cats and 45 dogs. The director and volunteers hope to see each animal adopted.

feel safe again, but as with any case of abuse, the animals don’t recover—emotionally or physically—that easily.

“It takes weeks and sometimes months for an abused dog to get used to getting treated right,” Jones said. “Seeing it hurts me more than anything.”

The HSCC currently houses

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more rescues than Pongo and Perdita. “I have about 45 dogs and about 88 cats,” Jones said.

With all their furry residents, it can be challenging to give every one personalized attention. To help remedy this, the Humane Society allows folks to play with the animals and even take some

on walks for a block of time.

Jones knows the value of these outings and encourages them.

“The dogs need to get out and get some exercise and be social. It helps with adoptions…they’re more used to people,” Jones said.

Lucky for the college kids, they can “rent” them for free.

“If they miss their animal— if they’re miles and miles away from seeing their animals—then they can come down here and visit with mine.”

—Jesse Jones Patrick Sworn y Photo Lab The Humane Society, located on 627 Walnut Street, allows people to play with the animals. Visitors are also encouraged to take the dogs out on walks, a great source of exercise and socialization.

“I don’t charge because the whole point of them coming down here is to…have fun and help,” Jones said. “If they miss their animal—if they’re miles and miles away from seeing their animals— then they can come down here and visit with mine.”

While Jones and the volun-

teers appreciate the students who spend time doting on their tenants, one of the best ways they can benefit the Humane Society is to volunteer. Some of their needs include cleaning kennels, sweeping and giving baths.

Although hopefully temporary, the HSCC is indeed home for these animals. Keep-

ing it tidy and organized helps to make it a comfortable one.

To learn more about out how to donate, fundraise or volunteer, visit http://humanesocietyclarkcounty.org or call their office at 870-245-1469.

Part of what gives Jones hope as he works in a field that is heartbreaking yet re-

warding is the knowledge that there are others across the country laboring just as diligently to change the outcome of these bleak scenarios.

He also feels uplifted by the animals’ cheerful spirits, “coming in every day and seeing them wag their tails or meow at me.

They’re happy,” Jones said. n

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The Do’s and Don’ts to financial planning

By JOSH REAPER Staff Writer

This article is the first in a series of articles on financial planning. I want to provide a brief overview for different areas of finance and then expand on them in later articles. For many people, personalized financial planning is an intimidating topic.

It’s something that’s very hard to do on your own. Luckily, there are several businesses that specialize in financial planning, such as Northwestern Mutual. While it is much easier to utilize one of these businesses’ services, it is very important to understand how they approach financial planning.

The most important part of financial planning is the goals that you set for yourself. When do you want to retire? How much money do you want to have in retirement? Do you want to fund your children’s college? Do you want to travel the world once you retire? Do you want to be able to have plenty of money to give to charity or your church? These are some of the areas that financial planners address.

Once these goals are established, your financial planner will ask you some questions about your debt, salary, insurance, investments and other areas.

Then, they will present you recommendations based on what you want to accomplish. Most of them will use advanced software that takes several different equations and tax codes into account.

Comprehensive financial planning works to achieve financial security.

This will mean something different to everyone, but there are a few areas that everyone needs to address. These can be split into two main areas: defensive and offensive planning.

Defensive financial planning is more of a safety net, put in place to protect you in case something bad happens. The first part of this is making sure you have enough money in savings to pay for any emergency.

A good standard for this number is three to six months of living expenses. Next, you would make sure that you have basic insurance in place: life insurance to provide for your family in the event of your untimely death, disability insurance to provide an income if you are unable to work, and long-term care insurance to protect your assets should you require assistance with day-to-day living.

Offensive financial planning is being more proactive with your money so that you can achieve your more long-term goals. The first area of this is your investments. You want to make sure you are putting your money to work for you through several different investment vehicles, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, 401(k)s and IRAs. The second area involves estate planning. This is making sure that your money goes to your loved ones when you die instead of being tied up in the courts.

A competent financial advisor will work to make sure that the money you choose to save for retirement is being invested in the most efficient way, taking into account both liquidity and taxation. Liquidity is simply how easy it is to convert your investments to cash. Stocks, bonds and mutual funds will be a lot more liquid than your 401(k), which normally has a penalty for early withdrawals. Taxation refers to how your investments are taxed. Some investments may not be taxed until you withdraw them, some might be taxed based on how much they grow in value and some might not even be taxed at all. It is important to have a good mix of all of these.

Hopefully my previous columns are starting to make more sense. I have really emphasized making a budget and saving money for this reason. Without having money saved up, or making sure you save money for the future, you cannot do a whole lot of financial planning. In my next article, I plan on talking more about insurance, the foundation for financial planning.n

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CONGRATULATIONS TO STAFF MEMBERS: ZACH PARKER AND DIXON LAND CSPA NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS FOR SPORTS COLUMN WRIITNG

ZACH PARKER

DIXON LAND

Dear Tunes, stop stealing my friends

By KATHERINE CARTER Ed/Op Ed Editor

I really enjoy this time of the year when everyone’s excited about homecoming and yes, Tunes. It’s easily one of the best events of the semester, if not the entire school year. The shows are always entertaining, the best part being the expressions of the alumni as they reminisce about their years at Ouachita (even those who graduated before Tunes even existed).

Alright, Tunes is great. Why do I hate it? Simple: Tiger Tunes has stolen my friends away from me.

I’ve never been in a Tunes show, mostly because I’m neither in a social club nor am I really the performing type, but almost all of my friends are in a show, whether they’re performing with their social club, Campus Ministries or Campus Activities.

Even though I’ve never actually been in a show, I know enough from observing from the outside and hearing from my friends that it is a huge commitment. Those in a show have no time whatsoever for anything else but school, work, and Tunes. Notice I didn’t include sleep in the list.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve texted my friends the past three weeks asking them if any of them can even go to dinner and they all respond with the same answer: I can’t. I have Tunes practice.

Oh, Tiger Tunes. You’re lucky I have a few, a meager few albeit, but a few friends who chose not to participate in your show who I can actually hang out with when I’m not studying or working.

Whenever I can steal some few precious moments with my friends at lunch, especially these past few days as they see the light at the end of the Tiger Tunes tunnel, I see how exhausted they are, barely able to hang on. Students involved in Tunes have

been juggling school (some taking an obscene number of hours), work and everything else that college throws at them, and fitting Tunes into their schedule already seemed impossible.

I know there will be many eyes on campus tonight with the premiere of the first show as these hardworking students see the fruit of their labor.

Tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night are the nights they’ve worked so hard for, and their work will finally pay off.

I know, I really shouldn’t complain about not having a social life these past couple of weeks. My friends in Tunes haven’t had time for sleep, much less social lives. However, most of them are too tired to even care about social interaction with people to begin with.

I know Tunes is worth putting up with all the late-night practices, sleepless nights and stress that comes with it, because people wouldn’t have participated in it for the last 37 years if it wasn’t. I’ve been told by numerous people that Tunes is crazy, but they wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. They’ve said that every Ouachita student should do it at least once during their college career, and I know that great friendships have come out of Tunes as well. Tunes unites the Ouachita community unlike anything else on campus, and it’s a favorite of almost everyone who is a part of that community. Whether one is five years old or 95 years old, it’s an experience that is always looked back upon fondly.

Okay, Tiger Tunes, so you stole my friends. I’m not that shaken up about it; I know you’ll give them back after the shows. I know I said I hated you earlier, but I don’t really hate you. I mean, come on! You’re one of the best parts of the school year! Just do me a favor: bring my friends back in one piece. n

10.01.15 x OPINIONS n 15

Prepared for success Ouachita isn’t the right place for everyone. But for others, it’s perfect.

For one freshman volleyball player, this couldn’t be truer. As conference season is just underway for the 2015 Ouachita Tiger Volleyball Team, one name sticks out in the assist column: Stormi Leonard, a freshman from Decatur, Texas.

“What I’m able to do stems from what everyone else does. It’s all a little cycle,” Leonard said. “I think that it has a lot to do with how our team passes. We have hitters that put the ball down. I have full trust in all of them. I’ve never been on a team where I’ve been able to just throw it up and watch my teammates just take care of business.”

Before she put on the purple uniform of Ouachita, she grew up almost five hours away. Born in Fort Worth, Leonard moved to Decatur just before kindergarten, where she would stay until graduating high school.

“I was at Decatur until graduating high school. I played basketball from kindergarten to the tenth grade and so I was always really involved in basketball and my dad and my best friend’s dad were coaches so we always got to play together,” Leonard said.

But, even though basketball was her first love, in fifth grade, she gained an intimacy with another sport that she hasn’t let go of to this day.

“In fifth grade, I signed up for volleyball,” Leonard said. “We were absolutely terrible my first year and then I started playing a spring league against older girls and we got to see better competition.”

Leonard didn’t stop with just a spring league. After her freshman year, she joined Texas Advantage Volleyball, traditionally one of the premier volleyball organizations for

16 n OBUSIGNAL.COM x 10.01.15

BY DIXON LAND

aspiring, young volleyball players.

“The things they do to develop you are incredible and I’m so thankful that I got to play there. I didn’t have one bad experience.”

From that point, Leonard led her high school teams to back-to-back state championships her junior and senior year.

“Those memories will stay with me forever,” Leonard said. “You can say that you played sports in high school, but very few people get to say that they won state and even less say they won it twice and it was an amazing experience.”

Growing up in Decatur, Leonard was always close with her family. Up to this past week, a family member of Leonard had attended every single one of her games, including her grandparents, who didn’t miss a single game her entire single senior year.

“I have a younger sister too and I’m very close with her. She is five years younger than me. I’m close to my

“What I’m able to do stems from what everyone else does. It’s all a little cycle.”

—Stormi Leonard

parents too and they never missed a game when I was in high school,” Leonard said.

Along with a close family, Leonard grew up with the support of a community that supported her.

“Everyone is really involved in the community. If you did something bad, everyone knew about it, but at the same time, everyone was there to support you too,” Leonard said.

With a transition from a close-nitch family in a small town, to Arkadelphia, Ark.—another small town with a diverse group of students—Leonard says that she has embraced the roll well.

“In high school, I was basically just friends with the people that I had similar interests with, but here, I’ve got my volleyball friends and pretty much anyone in the athletic community, and then I’ve got my honors class friends who are way smarter than me that I hang out with as well,” Leonard said.

Leonard, whose aspirations including either becoming a professional sports agent or “basically Erin Andrews,” as she says, currently is majoring in business with a double minor in Spanish and mass communications.

But her short-term goal is simple.

“Win conference. This is the first time in like 12 seasons that Arkansas Tech is beatable and that’s our goal and it’s totally achievable. It’s not about being 10-0 in conference, it’s about taking each game individually and winning each one,” Leonard said.

For Stormi, the goal is clear, the mission is set and her team is off to accompolish that goal. So as Stormi and her teammates chase after a coveted volleyball conference championship, she’ll do it with the support of her teammates, her family, her classmates and the Ouachita community. n

DR. WESLEY KLUCK y Courtesy Kris Oliver runs behind his blockers on a big run against Northwestern Oklahoma State last weekend at Cliff Harris Stadium. He and the Tigers will face the Harding Bisons this weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium in Arkadelphia.

Tigers outscore Bison 4-1 on Saturday

By BRANDON SMITH Sports Information

The Ouachita Tigers moved to 2-0 in the Great American Conference on Saturday, defeating the Oklahoma Baptist Lady Bison 4-1.

Miranda Hudleston gave the Tigers their first lead of the contest on a goal in the 32nd minute. The goal came on a cross from the left side of the field from Haley Hatcher before Hudleston one-touched the ball into the back of the net. The goal was Hudleston’s first of the season.

The Tigers (3-4, 2-0 GAC) added to their lead less than nine minutes later when Haley Hatcher scored on a breakaway after receiving a pass from Sammie Mack. The goal was Hatcher’s fourth of the season and put Ouachita ahead 2-0.

Six minutes into the second half, Bryson Thomas added her first goal of the season. Thomas received the ball on a cross, and after one shot was saved, she scored on the rebound.

Ouachita then went ahead 4-0 when Tori Stratton scored on a shot from 35 yards out.

With 26 seconds to go in the match, Oklahoma Baptist (2-3, 0-2 GAC) was awarded a penalty kick, but Llanes stopped the shot. Maddie Windham, who took the penalty kick, then received the rebound and put the Lady Bison on the board with a 90th-minute goal.

The Tigers took a total of 21 shots in the match, with 14 of them on goal. Oklahoma Baptist was held to 15 shots and 12 on goal. Hatcher finished with a match-high seven shots, while adding the goal and an assist.

Thomas followed with three shots on goal, and Bryson Rial finished with two.

Lauren Llanes recorded 11 saves while spending all 90 minutes at keeper for the Tigers.

The Tigers will be back in action tonight, when Ouachita travels to Alva, Okla. to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. n

KYLE PARRIS y Courtesy Haley Hatcher dribbles the soccer ball past two Oklahoma Baptist defenders on her way to score a goal in last Saturday’s game against the Bison. The Lady Tigers scored four goals, defeat Oklahoma Baptist 4-1.

The Lady Tigers play Nortwestern Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. in Alva tonight.

10.01.15 x SPORTS n 17

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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.

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