OBU Signal - Sept. 19, 2013

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Signal

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09.19.13 Volume 122 Issue 4

Ouachita Baptist University

TIGER TUNES 2013 THEMES

Kathryn Coffey z The Signal TIGER TUNES themes for this year include: Beta Beta chickens, Campus Activities North Pole, Campus Ministries prom, Chi Delta puppets, Chi Rho Phi chiropractors, EEE sheep, Eta Alpha Omega wild wild west, Kappa Chi paperboys, Rho Sigma plumbers and Tri Chi under the sea.

Paxton, library tech, passes away

By TANNER WARD Editor-in-Chief

@TannerWard

.com/obusignal eVERSION: NOW AT OBUSIGNAL.COM the

Signal

www.obusignal.com THIS WEEK:

Top 5 Tunes Themes We’re Glad No One Chose, p.2

Get a Job Career Services Plans Internship Panel, p.3

Name Change Women’s Discipleship redesigned, p.3

Poppin’ Tags More students turn to thrift store shopping, p.4

09.12.13 Volume 122 Issue 3

Ouachita Baptist University

Full speed ahead Cross country leads Gravett Invitational

Results, p.6 KASEY MCLEANE. PHOTO BY TYLER ROSENTHAL.

Renovated Grant Center dedicated this morning

PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER OPENS

By TAYLOR TOMLINSON News Bureau

Ouachita dedicated the newly renovated Daniel and Betty Jo Grant Center for International Education at 11:30 a.m. today on the first floor of Lile Hall.

The Grant Center is named in honor of Ouachita President Emeritus Daniel Grant and his wife, Betty Jo. Dr. Grant served as Ouachita’s 12th president from 1970 to 1988. This summer’s Grant Center renovation coincides with the recent celebration of Dr. Grant’s 90th birthday as well as the 90th anniversary of Ouachita’s international education efforts.

Highlighting the theme, “Bringing the world to Ouachita and taking Ouachita to the world,” the Grant Center recruits international students and provides Ouachita students and faculty opportunities to experience international study, both on campus and abroad.

The idea to renovate the Grant Center came after extensive remodeling of Lile Hall last year, which made available previously occupied office space. Primary funding for the project came from donations by Dr. Charles L. and Cindy Fuller. Dr. Fuller is a former dean of the Ouachita School of Fine Arts and Mrs. Fuller is a former instructor of voice at the university. During his service at Ouachita, Dr. Fuller served as chairman of the International Studies Committee.

Beverly Hankins z Courtesy A NEWLY renovated building on Clinton St. downtown serves as the home of the Pregnancy Resource Center for Southwest Arkansas. The center, which is currently operating but will hold its grand opening ceremony next month, has depended largely on student volunteers to help remodel, raise money and plan for the opening.

Student volunteers help The complete print edition pregnancy center open in a new interactive format.

T with mobile Compatible and tablets.

Take the Cake Shull runs summer baking business, p.4

‘The Eurich’ Get the perfect handshake, p.5

Work, Play Hard Volleyball team starts season on top, p.6

S News 1 n S Features 4 n S Opinions 5 n S Sports 6

By RACHEL TIMOKHINA Staff Writer

he grand opening for the new Pregnancy Resource Center for Southwest Arkansas (PRCSA) will be publicly celebrated Oct. 18 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. courtesy of Arkadelphia’s Chamber of Commerce, followed by refreshments in the center’s newly renovated facility.

Although the official opening is still weeks away, the PRCSA has been helping people through unwanted pregnancy situations since Aug. 12, and this organization’s future already looks promising.

Student involvement is setting records this year, a sharp contrast to Arkadelphia’s first attempt to establish a pregnancy resource center seven years ago, which ended due to insufficient funding and a lack of volunteers from the immediate community.

About the center’s previous attempt, Beverly Hankins, the current director of the PRCSA, said, “The community just didn’t support it.

People would come from Hot Springs to volun-

“Students at OBU really have more of an influence than they realize.”

— MEGAN HART

But this year we’re getting a lot of volunteers that live here.”

One of those volunteers is Molly Turner, a senior graphic design and mass communications double major from Sherwood, Ark. “I’m helping them effectively communicate their missions and goals for men and women in unplanned pregnancy situations,” Turner said.

She is currently helping the PRCSA implement a communication plan developed by Brooke Zimny, Ouachita’s assistant director of communications.

“Beverly Hankins and other volunteers had already done great work laying a foundation

Deb Paxton, 58, a former admissions counselor who worked most recently in technical services at Riley-Hickingbotham Library, died Sept.

12 after a battle with cancer.

Paxton was a 2002 graduate of Ouachita.

While a student at Ouachita, Paxton was a member of the Ouachita Singers. She was a past member of the Arkansas Symphony Chorus and Chamber Singers. She was also an active member of Third Street Baptist Church where she sang in the choir and performed in her church’s Passion Play for 19 years.

Dr. Deborah Root, professor and chair of communications, was one of Paxton’s professors.

“I first met Deb when she was a student in my Intro to Mass Comm class. We were close in age, so we had a lot in common and I cherished her friendship through the years,” Root said. “I admired her for her commitment to earn her degree, and for the way she embraced the Ouachita experience even though she was a non-traditional student. Her fellow students admired her, respected her and embraced her as one of their own.

“Whether she was performing on stage or carrying on a conversation with a student or colleague, her smile and energy were contagious. She

brightened everyone’s day.”

Paxton’s library co-workers described her as having an “infectuous smile.”

“Deb’s uniqueness seems to haunt us, though in a pleasant way,” said Dr. Ray Granade, director of library services.

“We speak of her on occasion, and she would be pleased to know that we always do so with a smile, with gratitude for the time we spent together, and with the knowledge that her heart touched others just as it did us.”

Paxton is survived by her husband of 36 years, Ray Paxton. Visitation is tomorrow night 6-8 p.m. at Ruggles-Wilcox Funeral Home in Arkadelphia. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Third Street Baptist Church. n

Facebook z Courtesy DEB PAXTON, a recent library tech, passed away last week.

Paxton, an avid singer who learned to harmonize by listening to the radio, had also worked as an admissions counselor.

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

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TOP

this weekzCALENDAR SECRETS OF PSYCHICS lecture

by James Plath takes place tonight from 6 – 9:30 p.m. in Hickingbotham Hall’s Young Auditorium. For more information, contact: Doug Sonheim at sonheimd@obu.edu.

FALL CHILDREN’S SHOW debuts tonight and goes on until Sunday from 7 – 9 p.m. with a Sunday matinee in Verser Theater. For more information, contact: Daniel Inouye at inouyed@ obu.edu.

REFUGE will take place tonight from 9 – 10 p.m. in JPAC. For more information, contact: James Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu.

CAB COFFEEHOUSE will take place tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Dr. Jack’s Coffeehouse. For more information, contact: Hillary Hill @ hillh@obu.edu.

TIGER SERVE DAY will take place this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Teams will meet outside the Elrod Center. For more information, contact: For more information, contact: Judy Duvall at duvallj@obu.edu.

MEN’S FRATERNITY meets Sunday, Sept. 22, from 8 – 10 p.m. in the Tiger Den. For more information, contact: Jayson Harris at har50994@obu.edu.

Things Longer Than Miley’s Hair

5 4 3 2 1

Vine videos #Kony2012 Trend An inchworm Kim Kardashian’s marriage The Chick line on a Sunday

Top 5 Correspondents: Megan Scarbrough, Brittney Jones

P

From Our

What would be your 1800s name?

King Thaddeus XVI Tanner Ward Editor-in-Chief

Genevieve Brown IV Emily Terry Associate Editor

Cattermole V Sam Cushman News Editor

Bramley Culverton Noah Hutchinson Opinions Editor

Clarisse of Genovia Chelsea Byers Sports Editor

Backyard Bible Club meets mission needs at home

By KATY FIRMIN Staff Writer

When asked about mission work, people often think of overseas trips to places like Africa or South America. While overseas missions are very important, people often overlook the mission opportunities in their own community.

There are many organizations at Ouachita devoted to service on and off campus. One way to reach out is to get involved with Backyard Bible Club, or BBC. BBC is a group of students that go out into the community to spend time with the youth of Arkadelphia. The mission of BBC is to minister to kids through playing games, story time and snack time.

“We are trying to present the gospel, that’s our goal,” said Katherine Melson, a junior speech pathology major. “We want each kid to know clearly what the gospel is and hopefully be able to understand it.”

Melson and Joseph Koon, senior biology major, are in charge of BBC this year. They are responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly and they are the “go to” people.

Along with Melson and Koon, Ashley Bulling-

ton, Katie Theriot and Cory and Jessica Bennett make up the leadership team. This team gets the snacks together, teaches the Bible studies and is able to split up and take Ouachita students to multiple locations.

“I love to see the smile on kids’ faces,” said Beau Daggett, a junior business major. “I love to see broken hearts restored by the love of Christ.”

Daggett attends BBC weekly because it gives him a chance to reach out to the community outside Ouachita.

“It opens my eyes to the broken hearts that live in our backyard,” said Daggett. “Hearts that are crying out for a mentor, young children who need love, encouragement, and leadership in their life.”

BBC meets on Monday and Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. by the mailboxes in the student center.

From there they will go to Ross Apartments, Cutler Terrace or Carpenter Hill.

Students can get involved by doing a background check in the Campus Ministries office.

Once completed, students are welcome to attend as often as they would like.

For more information about Backyard Bible Club, contact James Taylor, director of campus ministries, at taylorja@obu.edu. n

Anna Lincoln Anna Kumpuris Copy Editor

Marcellus Smith III Dixon Land Sports Reporter

Grant Center Renovations Dedicated

Kristen Barnard z The Signal DR. DANIEL Grant prepares to cut the ribbon on the renovated Grant Center for International Education, with Dr. Charles Fuller, who, along with his wife, was the project’s lead donor.

Career Services prepares for annual graduate, professional school fair

By HALEY MARTIN Staff Writer

Kathryn Coffey z The Signal

The Graduate and Professional School Fair is set for Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the student center. Twenty-two schools and organizations have registered for the event.

There are multiple schools returning from last year’s fair, but several new academic opportunities will be displayed as well. Representatives from Kaplan Test Prep, the Arkansas Department of Education and the Army National Guard will also be available to talk about helpful graduate school ideas and tools.

Students considering graduate school are strongly encouraged to attend this event. The atmosphere will give students

the chance to talk and ask questions to recruiters in any area of study about specific programs, financial aid, admissions or any topic about the school’s opportunities.

“The schools represented offer graduate programs in nearly every academic area,” said Lauren Land, director of Ouachita career services.

“These include MBA, law, natural science, liberal arts, physician assistant and physical therapy, education, counseling, public service and much more.”

Students will be able to seek answers in areas important to them that these representatives can answer. Schools with a focus on the Christian Studies major will be represented, but a more expanded seminary fair for those interested specifically

in this study will be held in November.

“Traditionally, a quarter of our graduating class goes on to graduate school so there is clearly a lot of interest in continuing formal education,” Land said. “Take advantage anytime recruiters come to our campus, they are investing their time into Ouachita students.” n

“They are investing their time into Ouachita students.”

— LAUREN LAND

S3 news n

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

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

NATIONAL ― A civilian contractor

and military veteran with a valid base entry pass went on a shooting rampage at a U.S. Navy command complex building Monday, killing 12 people before being shot dead himself, authorities said. Aaron Alexis, 34, a contractor from Fort Worth, was identified by officials as the shooter who was killed in a gunbattle with police responding to the morning attack at the Washington Navy Yard. A military official said Alexis had been a Navy reservist on active duty before being discharged for misconduct. The FBI said late Monday that Alexis had a valid pass and security clearance to enter the Navy Yard as a civilian contractor. Valerie Parlave, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office, said the shooter had “legitimate access to the Navy Yard.’’ Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier said there is currently no known motive for the shootings. n

WORLD ― Russia will give the U.N.

Security Council evidence implicating Syrian rebels in a chemical attack on Aug. 21, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. Syrian officials supplied the evidence, which Lavrov has not yet seen. A U.N. report released on Monday concluded the nerve agent sarin was used in the attack in Damascus, which the U.S blames on the Syrian regime. Russia has called the report one-sided and biased. The U.N. has hit back, saying its findings are “indisputable”. The U.N. report did not apportion blame for the attack, which sparked diplomacy that culminated in a deal for Syria to hand over its chemical arsenal by mid-2014. The U.K., France and the U.S. now want the disarmament deal enshrined in a resolution backed by the threat of military force. But Russia, which has repeatedly cast doubt on the attacks, has objected to any resolution authorizing force. n

SCIENCE ― A commercially built

spacecraft packed with cargo is now hurtling at 17,500 mph through outer space on course to rendezvous with the International Space Station.

The capsule was launched yesterday atop a 13-story rocket off the coast of Virginia at 7:58 a.m. PDT from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.

The two-stage Antares rocket and Cygnus capsule, developed by Orbital Sciences Corp. are part of a demonstration re-supply mission for NASA. It will deliver about 1,500 pounds of cargo to the space station’s Expedition 37 crew, who will grapple and attach the capsule using the orbiting outpost’s robotic arm as early as Sunday.

It is the company’s first trip to the space station. Orbital needs to prove to NASA that it can begin fulfilling a $1.9-billion contract for eight flights to transport cargo to the space station in coming years. n

HEALTH ― Children’s allergies to

peanuts, dairy and other foods cost the U.S. nearly $25 billion a year, according to the first survey to come up with a comprehensive price tag for a condition that affects 8% of American kids.

Researchers led by Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and a professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, surveyed 1,643 parents around the country who have at least one child with a food allergy. The parents’ responses were weighted to match the actual distribution of children with food allergies in the United States. Doctor’s appointments, hospital stays, trips to the emergency room and other direct medical expenses accounted for $4.3 billion of the tab, researchers reported. The lost productivity of parents who had to take their children to these appointments added $773 million. These costs totaled $5.5 billion. n

Compiled by Sam Cushman, News Editor. Sources: usatoday.com, latimes.com, bbc.co.uk.

Media room offers various services, new technology

By MARIE LINDAHL Staff Writer

Beneath the floors filled with books and desks is a basement full of helpful resources waiting for students ready to take their studies to the next level. This is the media room in the downstairs of Riley Hickingbotham Library.

The media room might be most familiar to students who have been assigned to view a movie for a class, but students might not be familiar with other resources the media room has to offer. Here students can get help preparing for the MCAT, listen to Christian counseling tapes, take an honors class on Vampire Cults, print from a color printer, get something laminated or gain access to a wide variety of media resources.

Much of the technology you see around campus is provided by Ouachita Media Resources. They are working to purchase and install new technology in the library as well as the rest of campus.

“We are starting to move forward and put up a lot of electric signs on campus for upcoming events,” said Lynn Valetutti, the media coordinator.

Media Resources is working on adding big screens, like the one by the library elevator, to other areas on campus.

Moving forward, they have been able to add some new technology to the library. A cell phone charging station has been installed in the library next to the circulation desk.

“So if you’re here, and your phone’s dying or something, you can plug it in, it’s right in front of the circulation desk,” Valetutti said.

Students can stop by and just take a few minutes to charge their dying phone instead of going back to their dorm room or apartment.

“Some people sit there beside it and like study while they wait,” said Lacy Wolfe, assistant professor and circulation and reference librarian. “Or if you want to be at a computer you’d still be pretty close to it.”

The Library will also soon open a new kind of study room. The room will offer a large monitor that students can plug their laptop and

“Reading is, and always has been, a subversive activity. It leads to thinking, and beyond that to independent thinking.”

— DR. RAY GRANADE

project the screen to help work on projects as a group.

“You can plug in your laptop and you can see it on the monitor, so everyone can see it and work together,” Wolfe said.

The “technology enhanced collaborative space,” as Wolfe calls it, will be a great place to work as a group and practice presentations.

“Especially if you are working on a group project, rather then everyone sitting around one computer, you can see,” Wolfe said.

While, the equipment support for our campus is very important, it’s not the most unique thing about the media room. The main specialty of Media Resources is to convert media to a more sustainable, researchable form.

“Nobody else on campus can do this, so it’s kind of like our little niche,” said Valetutti.

Work-study students spend time recording VHSs and cassette tapes to DVDs and CDs. While this might seem boring, this is the most important thing Media Resources does for the campus. The cassette tapes are filled with historic sermons and speeches, “they break so easily, they are irreplaceable, and that’s really the problem,” Valetutti said.

For more information about the library’s media room and the available resources, contact Velatutti through email at valetuttil@obu.edu or visit her office in the library. n

Gutenberg Conspiracy: socializing, reading, discovering since 1973

By NARA WESLEY Staff Writer

There is an almost unheard of book club on campus called the Gutenberg Conspiracy. It consists primarily of Ouachita faculty and staff, although it is really for “somebody on the OBU campus who likes some book,” according to Dr. Johnny Wink, professor of English.

The way it operates is that people send in suggestions to assistant professor of history Dr. Chris Mortenson, who will then, usually before summer break each year, send out a list of the chosen books. Members are then free to read the books ahead of time, read them as they are ready to be discussed or just attend the monthly Wednesday meetings as a means of a book review. Someone might attend and decide that if “Dr. So-and-so liked it, that’s good enough for me,” Mortenson said.

The Gutenberg Conspiracy was created in 1973 by Professor Jane “Missy” Archer.

“Dr. Joe Jeffers, [Missy Archer] and I [were each] readers for personal pleasure, and our conversation often turned to what we were currently reading, particularly when it was a piece of new or recent fiction,” said Dr. Ray Granade, director of library services and professor of history.

“Ms. Archer at one point suggested that we start a faculty reading club for those interested. Missy came up with the name. Johannes Gutenberg gets credit for originating a revolutionary printing press using movable type.

“Because its appearance coincided with more available (and better) paper and

renewed interest in education, it sparked a revolution in reading by providing more volume of printed matter and more variety.

“So ‘Gutenberg’ originated as part of the name in the same way that the inventors of Apple computers chose the traditional name of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and the allusion to The Fall - an apple with a bite out of it - as their logo.

“Any educated person would know that the Gutenberg Conspiracy would deal with books,” Granade said.

“As to the second part of the name, this was not an activity in which the whole faculty participated, [though] all were invited. So in number we met the traditional definition of a conspiracy.

“But more significantly, reading is, and has always been, a subversive activity. It leads to thinking, and beyond that to independent thinking. Education by definition is a do-it-yourself project; one may be directed by a teacher, but the individual learns. And since the process forms one into something new by changing the mind, it’s revolutionary. Conspiracies are generally bent on change, so again it seemed appropriate. So the Conspiracy we became.”

When Archer left after that year, the group temporarily ended. It was started back up in the 1980s by Dr. Randall Wight, professor of psychology and biology, now the Dean of the School of Social Sciences.

Since then, the leadership of the group has been passed on to numerous successors, with Mortenson leading now.

“My favorite part of being in

the Gutenberg Conspiracy is finding out about all the theses great books I never would’ve read or found the time to read,” Mortenson said.

As for the purpose of the Conspiracy, Wink said it is “just to socialize.”

“It is one of the things that has been good about Ouachita,” he said. “It gives different departments and schools the opportunity to get together and discuss topics that interest them. Some schools have no adhesion. The get-togethers make it possible to get to know lots of people. I regret not going to more; I would know more people.”

Although it was created for Ouachita faculty and staff members, students could attend if they wanted.

“We certainly wouldn’t kick them out,” Mortenson said.

Books read each month include all genres of prose: fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, historical, etc. The first book discussed this semester was “Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood which Wink described as a “futuristic novel about a grim time in the future where women are used primarily to bare children.”

Wink will be leading the discussion of “Sweet Tooth” by Ian McEwan in March.

Also included in the Conspiracy is a yearly “My Last Lecture.” This is an opportunity for a professor to be asked to give a lecture to the group.

A professor who is near retirement is usually asked to give a “Last Lecture.” The giver of 2013-2014 “Last Lecture” has yet to be determined. The late Tom Auffenberg, professor of history, gave a “Last Lecture” in 2007. n

LIVE, HD Broadcast of Tiger Tunes Saturday, Oct. 12 • 8:15 p.m. • obusignal.com Behind-the-Scenes • “The Rundown” Game Report • Homecoming Coverage • Exclusive Interviews

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Theater department presents ‘A Year with Frog and Toad’

By DIXON LAND Staff Writer

The theater department will present “A Year with Frog and Toad” in Verser Theater tonight through next Tuesday, Sept. 24. The Tony Award-nominated play is an adaptation of Arnold Lobel’s award-winning children’s book, “Frog and Toad.”

Composer Robert Reale, and lyrist Willie Reale bring the story to life with songs entitled, “Cookies,” “The Letter,” and many others that bring a jazzy, heart-warming feeling to the production.

Celia Wren, a writer for the Washington Post, said “‘A Year with Frog and Toad’ is a paean to uncomplicated diversions, such as sledding, tending a garden and drinking tea with your web-footed best friend.”

The play received other honors and is highly praised by critics as an instant classic.

Kenderick Scorza, a sophomore musical theater major, stars as Toad.

“A Year with Frog and Toad epitomizes the meaning of friendship,” said Scorza. “It’s a family classic for all ages that teaches and reiterates many life lessons.”

In addition to seeing the show, children will have a chance to experience a theater workshop with active members of the theater department and get to see some of the many things that a cast member or someone behind the scenes does to bring a play to life.

“One of my favorite things about being a part of the youth workshop is exposing the joy of theater to

audiences of all ages,” says Garret Sayers, a sophomore musical theatre major from Greenwood, Ark., “I cannot wait to see the excitement on children’s faces.”

The theatre workshop will be on Sept. 21 from 1-4 p.m. for Pre-K (3years) students up to 12th grade.

The cost is $30 per child and will include a ticket to one of the shows.

“Our young audience members are going to love the characters and laugh at their antics, while older patrons will connect well to the meaningfulness of the Frog and Toad friendship, “ noted Mary Handiboe, the director of the play and associate professor of theatre arts. “All are sure to leave with a warm heart.”

The cast list includes Sayers and Scorza playing Frog and Toad. Tyler Wisdom, a junior musical theater major from Russellville, Ark. will play Snail and Kayla Walker, a freshman musical theatre major of North Little Rock, will play the role of The Large and Terrible Frog.

“My favorite thing about directing the children’s show really is just watching the joy of these kids as they experience the magic of theatre,” Handiboe said. “Many have never been to a live production of a show and they get to come and experience one that is done especially for them.”

Performance dates for “A Year with Frog and Toad” are Sept. 19-24 at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Sept. 22, there will be a matinee at 2:30. Tickets are $8 each and may be purchased at the Jones Performing Arts Center Box Office on weekdays from 1-5 p.m. You may also purchase them online at www.obu.edu/ boxoffice or by phone at (870) 245-5555. n

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Obama’s road to Damascus

By DR. RAOUF HALABY Professor of Visual Arts

O

n Sunday, August 25, 2013, First Baptist Church, Arkadelphia, Arkansas preacher Lee McGlone delivered his morning sermon under the title “The Reluctant Witness” and used the text from the Book of Acts, Chapter 9, verses 10-22, as the centerpiece around which he wove his exemplum. In previous chapters from the same book Saul is portrayed for what he is: a belligerent fanatic whose zealotry earned him a reputation for harassing, bullying, and hunting down newly converted Jews. As a Pharisee and spiritual enforcer, Saul was an unwavering defender of the faith whose mission in life was to deliver converts into the hands of rabbinical courts.

Armed with the sword of religious piety and zealotry in one hand and warrants in the other, Saul embarked on his journey from Jerusalem to Damascus to arrest Damascene converts. Somewhere on the plateau overlooking Damascus Saul is blinded and has a life changing experience that has been celebrated in art, literature, speeches, homilies and exempla – so much so that the phrase “On the road to Damascus experience” has become an aphorism for life changing events. For me the most iconic representation of this experience is Caravaggio’s The Conversion of St. Paul, a composition that graces the walls of the Cerasi Chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, Italy.

In the form of Devine rebuke for his zealotry, Saul is blinded. His meandering path into Damascus leads him to the neighborhood where Ananias, a convert living in fear of Saul, is led by grace to seek out Saul and “to lay his hand on him.” Not only is Saul’s sight restored, but in this metamorphosis, Paul (now his new appellation) converts to Christianity and channels all his energies into an exemplary discipleship that has been celebrated for two millennia.

Referring to Ananias as the Reluctant Witness, and emphasizing the fact that except for this very brief appearance in the Holy Text, the preacher highlighted and utilized Ananias’ moral fortitude to draw a parallel to a historic 1962 decision made by the congregation of First Baptist Church Arkadelphia only one year before tens of thousands of people converged on the D.C. Mall to participate in the historic 1963 Freedom March. The church’s location is some 70

Saul is blinded and has a life-changing experience that has been celebrated in art, literature, speeches, homilies and exempla — so much so that the phrase “On the road to Damascus experience” has become an aphorism for lifechanging events.

— DR. RAOUF HALABY

miles south of Little Rock, the site of the 1957 Little Rock Nine incident.

Even though I’ve heard first hand narration of what transpired before, during, and after the discussions and the historic 1962 vote taken by my church, including a personal recounting of events by Daddo, my wife’s grandfather who was serving on the board of deacons at the time, I am going to draw on historian Ray Granade’s narrative because of its succinct and eloquent recounting of these events.

Some of the church’s story for the early 1960s would not fall under the heading of “business as usual.” The deacons recommended showing the Billy Graham film “Shadows of the Boomerang” at the end of April, 1962, no doubt on the new 16mm sound projector the church had bought in mid-1959.

But the great story of 1962 for FBC was the church’s acceptance of their first black members since November, 1868.

Mike and Mary Makosholo of Rhodesia had been converted to Christianity… .

Mike had entered OBC, and since [missionaries associated with FBC were instrumental in helping the Makasholos attend Ouachita Baptist University], Mike and his wife desired to become members too.

When the church discovered the Makosholos’ intentions, the deacons took up the matter. They voted twelve to eight against permitting them to join, but the issue persisted. On February 4, OBC psychology professor Kenneth Moxey brought a recommendation from the International Students Committee to a called Sunday morning business meeting at which the deacon Chairman moderated. Notice had been given in a pulpit announcement the preceding Sunday and in letters mailed to all members stating the purpose of the meeting: to vote on the motion “That the Church look with favor upon the application for membership of foreign negro [sic] students of Ouachita Baptist College who are recommended by two or more Southern Baptist Missionaries.”

Deacon O.J. Seymour requested that the church vote by signed secret ballot, a procedure which had been used for potentially divisive issues for over a decade. The ushers passed out ballots. At the motion of OBC Academic Dean J.W. Cady, the church recessed until the votes were counted. At the close of the evening service, the moderator reconvened the meeting to hear the report. Richard Ewing, deacon secretary, reported that 606 votes had been cast, with 304 necessary to approve the recommendation. The results were 419 for the motion, 182 against, with 1 ineligible and 4 irregular votes.

On Saturday morning before the Makosholos were expected to join, a group of deacons asked the chairman to call a special deacon’s meeting.

When it convened at the church that night, a spokesman for the petitioning group stated that if the Makosholos were truly Christians, they would not ask for membership and cause dissension in the church. The spokesman then requested that pastor Reeves and the deacon chairman visit the Makosholos that night and explain to them the considerable opposition to their joining the church, and that the positive vote had resulted only from the presence of large numbers of OBC students.

As soon as the spokesman had finished, Reeves [the church’s minister] took the floor. “During my entire years in the ministry,” he stated, “I have always assumed that the membership of a New Testament church was its final authority. Since the membership of this church has voted to allow these people to join First Baptist Church, any action of this type would be nothing short of insurrection against a New Testament church. You may fire me on the spot, but I will not be your messenger.” Then he sat down. The meeting adjourned.

On March 11, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Makosholo joined FBC on promise of their facebook.com/obusignal twitter.com/obusignal instagram.com/obusignal

letter from Sanyati Baptist, Gatooma, Southern Rhodesia, Africa. (Samuel Ray Granade, An Enlarged Tent: Arkadelphia FBC, 1851-2001, 2001, pp. 146147.)

In August of 1965 I joined First Baptist Church and, upon being welcomed into the church membership by Sam Reeves, he put his arm around me and stated the following: “Young man, my wife and I would love to have you join us for lunch.” The southern style fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and peach cobbler I had that day were the first real taste of southern cuisine.

In the post 1963 March on Washington people from all walks of life came face to face with the ghosts of the past and joined the march for a better and more equal American society. And, because of their own experiences with antiSemitism in America, many voices of conscience in the American Jewish community locked arms with and joined in the march and ensuing struggle for civil rights and human dignity. While some might argue that self-preservation might have been a motive for these Jewish voices to be in the vanguard of the civil rights movement, I believe that because of the ancient and rich Talmudic injunctions and admonishments for and about justice that are part of the fabric of Jewish lore, many American Jews committed themselves to this just cause.As testimony to this struggle, fifty years later a black man resides in the White House.

And, while fifty years ago this month America was a segregated society and life for African Americans, especially in the south, was fraught with challenges and the scourge of racism was a way of life, in 1963 life for Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza was better than it was for their African American counterparts. In a reversal of social, economic and political conditions, fifty years later life for Palestinians is a living hell on an even greater scale than that of 1963 life for African Americans.

Whether it is to attend school, go to work, market or seek medical treatment, on a daily basis the Palestinians experience indignities that include check points where they are herded like cattle through narrow metal guards and have to stand in long lines for hours to go just a few miles from one part of the West Bank to the other. Interrogations and strip searches are routine practice. Mass arrests at all times of the day, especially under the cover of dark, are the norm. Children as young as 5 have been arrested, and a revolving door of arrests and releases are the practice de jure. Live ammunition is used on peaceful demonstrators (see the Oscar-nominated documentary “Five Broken Cameras” by Imad Burnat), and just this week three residents of the Qalandia Refugee camp were shot dead under the cover of dark by Israeli soldiers. Churches and mosques are vandalized and torched by settlers with one church having its façade defaced with graffiti that read “Jesus is a monkey.” The expropriation of lands and demolishing of houses on a weekly, if not daily basis is routine. Some forty thousand Bedouins are in the process of being ethnically cleansed from their tribal lands in the Negev so as to build a new Jews-only city. Jews-only busses and highways crisscross the West Bank; housing policies and legislation that deny Palestinians access to housing in Jewish neighborhoods have been enacted, and marriage laws forbidding Arabs and Jews from marrying across national, ethnic, or religious lines have been sanctioned as unlawful by rabbinical courts and are currently debated in parliament. I wonder why it is that mainstream American media has not reported on the recently instituted policy of segregating pre-school Tel Aviv children in separate schools. Turns out that by the color of their skins Sudanese, Eritrean and other Sub Sahara African children are forced to attend preschools designated for dark skinned

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It appears that in his rush to judgment, Barack Obama is no different from his predecessor and from Saul.

— DR. RAOUF HALABY Africans. For those interested in the latter, read Lisa Goldman’s 8/23/2013 report in the Daily Beast under the title Israel’s Most Liberal City Introduces Racially Segregated Kindergartens.

Some of the most rabid racist sentiments were expressed in 2010 by Sephardic high rabbi Ovadia Yosef who stated that “Goyim were born to serve us. Without that, they have no place in the world; only to serve the People of Israel. Why are gentiles needed?

They will work for us, they will plow, they will reap.” (Mary Oster, JTA, 10/18/2010, Sephardic Leader Yosef: Non-Jews Exist to Serve Jews). Equally rabid are the statements of Colonel Eyal Qarim, IDF’s military rabbi, who told Israeli soldiers that during war it was o.k. to rape gentile girls. Do these utterances sound familiar?

It gives me great pride to know that Daddo voted his conscience, and I distinctly remember his comments: “This was the right thing to do, the only right thing to do.” And Sam Reeve’s decision to put his job on the line was an act of moral fortitude at its very best.

In like manner, there are many voices of conscience in the American Jewish community and Israeli society that include Noam Chomsky, Barbara Lubin, Elmer Berger, Norman Finkelstein, Adam Shapiro, Anna Balzer, Amira Haas, Gideon Levy, Mati Peled, Jeff Halper, and Uri Avnery, to name but just a few, who have taken a principled stand on Israeli policies and the myriad violations of human rights, policies of apartheid, and the continued dehumanization and abuse of Palestinians.

It is ironic that on August 28, 2013, Barack Obama waxed platitudes about the 1963 historic march and on the tremendous impact the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King had on setting America on the right course and the right side of history using peaceful and non-violent means, while at the same time he and his European cohorts have been drawing up plans to bomb yet another Arab country in which innocent civilians will suffer the most. That Syria is ruled by a dictator is a given, that Arab and Israeli dictators (the latter vis. a vis. Palestinians) — to whom America has cozied up during the past 50 years –rule from Morocco to Saudi Arabia is also a given. That, to do Israel’s bidding and use Syria and its people as a launching pad on the way to Iran is also a given.

That Obama’s legacy is going to be one of continuous wars, I hope, will not be a given.

It appears that in his rush to judgment Barak Obama is no different from his predecessor and from Saul. Armed with drones and cruise missiles in one hand and the egging and backing of the military industrial complex in the other, Obama is poised on the plateau that overlooks Damascus. It behooves Barak Obama to take note of Paul’s on the road to Damascus experience.

And it behooves members of the clergy, people of conscience from all walks of life, and especially the complicit media that has gone AWOL, to become Reluctant Witnesses, witnesses that will lay hands on the trigger happy leaders of the so-called free world. n Originally published in CounterPunch magazine.

The Signal is the student newspaper of Ouachita Baptist University, and is published every Thursday during the fall and spring semesters when school is in session. The newspaper is distributed free of charge; 1,200 copies are placed in more than 20 locations across campus.

Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or university. The Signal is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press and is printed by the Hope Star.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters to the editor are encouraged and accepted, unless libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters should be typed and include a signature and contact phone number, and must be less than 500 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and style. Letters should be sent via campus mail to Box 3761 or via e-mail to signal@obu.edu.

6

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

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College football hot topics

NCAA soundoff for beginning of 2013 season

By DIXON LAND Staff Writer

@DixonCLand

Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy JOHANNA CASEY sprints towards the finish line at the Bob Gravett Invitational held at Ouachita Baptist University. Casey claimed first place in the invitational, breezing past her fellow opponents.

Pursuing gold, pursuing perfection

By RACHEL TIMOKHINA Staff Writer

For Ouachita’s cross country team, it is an unusual occurrence and an amazing feat when, in a sport that honors the individual, everyone walks away successful.

That is exactly what happened, however, at the Bob Gravett Invitational held in Arkadelphia, Ark., on Sept.

7, when every runner on Ouachita’s cross country team placed and took home awards.

“We won as a team,” said Johanna Casey, a senior kinesiology and fitness major.

Casey has been running for the Tiger’s cross country team for the past three years and placed first overall in the race last Saturday.

Second place went to Katie Cunningham, a freshman education major. In third place was Rebekah Ward, a senior biology major.

Fifth place was awarded to Kasey McLeane, a junior accounting major.

The scores of the Ouachtia runners who placed in the top five added up to 21, a total score that put Ouachita’s cross country team in first place to take home the winning plaque.

Ashely Randels, a junior early childhood education major, placed eighth last Saturday. Abby Engelkes, a freshmen pre-dentistry major, placed 11th.

The top 10 runners received T-shirts and the top 20 took home medals, meaning that no one on Ouachita’s team walked away emptyhanded.

Parish Reed, a senior biology major, also participated in the race.

Other Ouachita cross country runners who did not compete in the Bob Gravett Invitational include, Hannah

Tiger Football

Diaz, a senior history major, and Crista Riggs, a senior chemistry major.

“I love running, the Lord has blessed me with a hard work ethic and some natural ability,” Casey said. “But better yet, He has surrounded me with girls that overflow with His love.

Running will never be eternally significant, but the relationships I build because of it will.”

One of the players on the tight-knit team is Engelkes.

During her three years here at Ouachita, Engelkes has been a part of its cross country team, but at one time she was happier on the track than on the field.

“I was more of a track person in high school,” Randels said. “If you had asked me if I would run cross country in college, I would have said, "No way," but here I am running cross country with no track.

I loved track, but have grown an appreciation for cross country since college.”

Like Randels, students here at Ouachita may need to warm up to cross country. “[Cross country] is not a relatively new sport to OBU,” “It’s just that most people don’t know about it.” Casey said. “I would just like to encourage people to support all of the student athletes. It’s hard to be involved on campus with other things outside your sport.

Sports demand a lot of time and energy. I would encourage students to reach out to the athletes in all sports.”

For Casey, her teammates and other Ouachita athletes, support from fans can make all the difference.

“I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face from all my friends at the OBU meet, even though I was exhausted,” said Casey. “It meant so

— DR. RAY GRANADE

much to me, I felt so loved and blessed to have such encouragement.”

The college women participating in the Bob Garvett Invitational ran a total of five km without stopping and without the fanfare that accompanies many other Ouachita sports events.

“It’s difficult and can get hard if there’s no one cheering at races,” Randels said. “[Cross country] just needs to be recognized more. We are fairly good in our conference even though we have a small team.

We only have one race at ‘home’ a year and people just need to come out and share support.

Bring your friends and go out to the intramural course on race day and just socialize, cheer, run around and have fun.”

The next closer-to-home game is on Sept. 28 in Clarksville, Ark. For more information, visit http://www.obutigers.com or contact Mike McGhee, Ouachita Baptist University’s Cross Country team coach, at mcgeem@obu.edu or call (870) 245-5083. n

PRESSBOX

Sept. 21 – OBU @ East Central, 6 p.m.

Sept. 28 – OBU vs. SE Okla. State, 6 p.m.

Oct. 5 – OBU @ SW Okla. State, 2 p.m.

Oct. 12 – OBU vs. NW Okla. State, 1 p.m.

Oct. 19 – OBU vs. Harding, 1 p.m.

Oct. 26 – OBU @ Arkansas Tech., 3 p.m.

Nov. 2 – OBU@ Southern Ark., 2 p.m.

Nov. 9 – OBU vs. UAM, 1 p.m.

Nov. 16 – OBU vs. Henderson State, 2 p.m.

Lady Tiger’s Soccer

“I love running; the Lord has blessed me with a hard work ethic ... and natural ability.”

As the season has started, there have been many story lines that have come and gone like the Manziel situation, the instant success of Jameis Winston, and the struggles that the SEC has had against SEC teams so far this year, namely Florida loosing to Miami and Clemson beating Georgia.

Though, there are many more story lines to come and lots of great football to be played, here are some of the major story lines that college football fans from all over the country are talking about.

Texas A&M: A&M played much better than most experts, including myself, thought they would. Manziel led the team to 42 points in a loss to number one Alabama last week.

Though they lost, Texas A&M did prove significant improvement from their first two weeks and were very impressive on the offensive end.

They still have many question marks on defense. This defense gave up 483 yards of offense to the Crimson Tide.

To succeed in the SEC and potentially still contend for an SEC West Title, the Aggies need to shape up the defense.

Mack Brown: In reality, Mack Brown is turning into the next Bobby Bowden - just a couple years past his prime.

Coach Brown is getting old, and while he has had success in the past, the expectations of Texas football are as high as anywhere in the country.

Texas fans won’t tolerate anything but BCS games and championships. Loosing to Ole Miss and BYU and looking very unimpressive on both sides of the ball, while doing so, has not helped to cool down the blazing hot seat that Mack Brown is already sitting on.

In fact, fans of the program have already started to speculate who Texas will hire as his replacement. If Brown wants to remain at Texas, he better shape his team up quickly, or he could be the next coach-turned-analyst on ESPN. Utah: Have you seen this? Recently, a video surfaced on twitter of Utah senior linebacker Brian Blechen being dumped in a tub by another teammate wearing a towel over his face.

The player then proceeded to “baptize” him into the tub. Some BYU fans spoke out, seeing it as a joke of BYU doctrines and an insult to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham told the press Wednesday that he would not discipline his players for it, “We have addressed this issue with our players, and although it was poor judgment on their part, there was absolutely no malice or disrespect intended towards any particular religion or right.” Nevertheless, this might up the tension between BYU and Utah when they play on Saturday.

Clemson: Not many people guessed before this season that Clemson would be nearly as good as they are. They racked up over 450 total yards on Georgia and physically beat them in the fourth quarter.

Taj Boyd has been overly impressive at quarterback leading the offense to 87 points in two games. Look for the Oct. 19 matchup between Florida State and Clemson to be a real barnburner.

Both teams, if they both are still undefeated, will be a huge matchup and great publicity for the ACC. Ohio State: Kenny Guiton, the backup redshirt senior quarterback came off the bench last Saturday against California.

He completed 21 of 32 passing attempts for 368 yards and didn’t throw any interceptions. There is no doubt Ohio State’s starter, Braxton Miller, will play when he recovers from his sprained knee.

Some say he could be back as early as this weekend against Florida A&M. Nevertheless, Ohio State definitely has a great problem in trying to find a spot to fit Guiton this season.

Oregon: Oregon continues to cruise through a very weak non-conference schedule. They beat up on Tennessee last week and look to do the same to a lot of their opponents this year.

Oregon has a very weak schedule and this could actually hurt them down the road. Assuming they do make it to a BCS bowl against a much more tested SEC, ACC, or Big Ten school, they could face potential problems.

Oregon has put up ridiculous numbers so far this year and no one expects them to stop. Look for many offensive records to be broken over the next few weeks.

While these are only a few of the stories throughout the college football world, it will be interesting to see how these story lines will affect the play on Saturday. n

Sept.10 – OBU vs. Delta State, W 3-0 Sept.13 – OBU vs. Texas Woman’s, W 2-1 Sept.14 – OBU vs. Rogers State, W 3-2 Sept. 22 – OBU vs. A&M Commerce, 2 p.m.

Sept.27 – OBU @ Harding University, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 – OBU vs. NE State, 4 p.m.

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