OBU Signal – February 20

02.20.14 7 IN THIS ISSUE:

Strut your Stuff Mr. Tiger pageant will return Feb. 25, p.2

“Acts and Canon” Dr. Osvaldo Padilla to present guest lecture Feb. 24, p.3

Home Away From Home International feels at home, even on foreign soil, p.4

Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal Abby Root and Joe Octerbeck, playing the roles of Tiny Wingfield and Dr. Galen P. Gray in OBU’s production of “Anatomy of Gray” opening tonight in Verser Theater at 7:30 p.m. The show will run through Monday and OBU students recieve a free ticked with their student ID.

“Anatomy of Gray” opens tonight in Verser

By CHELSESA WHELPLEY News Bureau

Making a Difference The power of some words and column space, p. 5

The Department of Theatre Arts will present Jim Leonard’s drama, “Anatomy of Gray,” in Verser Theatre Feb. 20-24. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. each night, except on Sunday, Feb. 23, which is a 2:30 p.m. matinee. Tickets are $8 each and may be purchased at www.obu.edu/boxoffice.

“Anatomy of Gray tells the story of June Muldoon and the relationships between the

residents in the small town of Gray, Indiana,” said Kathleen Suit, a junior theatre arts major from Hot Springs, Ark., who plays June. “When June loses her father, she prays that God will send her town a doctor so she will never have to lose anyone again. God answers her prayer, but in the most unconventional and life changing ways. Dr. Galen P. Gray comes into the picture as a mysterious disease starts to plague the residents of Gray.

“This story is one of love,

loss, redemption, sacrifice and life in the face of death,” Suit added. “It proves that no one, the righteous included, are exempt from the travesties of our world.”

“The play is about change and the difficulties and/ or miracles that come from that change,” explained Joe Ochterbeck, a senior theatre major from Maumelle, Ark., who plays Dr. Gray. “Though moments in this show are extremely painful and sad, the show leaves me with a feeling

Pitcher Perfect Ouachita pitcher Davis Ward talks life in baseball, p. 7

see GRAY z 2

Interview Workshop scheduled for Friday

Yellin’ Timber Interviews and photos from the demolition of A.U. Williams Field, p. 8

S News 1 n S Features 4 n S Opinions 5 n S Sports 6 n S Stadium 8 n

of hope. It is how we respond to these ‘changes’ that determine what our character truly is.”

The play uses humor and sorrow to move audiences to contemplate their own mindsets and prejudices. It is a journey with a strong message of how God often answers prayer and provides hope in unexpected ways.

“I knew I wanted a poignant work that still held a

By BRITTANY EWART Staff Writer

Show, but at Ouachita.”

Winkler and Lechner began brainstorming ideas, got a general feel for if the students would enjoy it and then proposed it to Campus Activities.

After getting their idea approved, they brought on a few students to help write for the show.

The show will be once a month and include opening stand-ups and jokes, desk bits and segments, guest interviews and musical guests.

Lechner hopes to use this as a means to display talent on campus.

“I’m looking forward to bringing something fresh and

It’s that time of year at Ouachita where students are busy learning and preparing for their future careers, and Ouachita Career Services is lending them a helping hand.

On Friday, Feb. 21 and Friday, Feb. 28, OBU Career Services will host an interview workshop in the alumni room from 12-1 p.m. to help students prepare for future internship and job interviews.

“The new Interview Workshop Intensive series is designed to give students a wellrounded understanding of the interview process, start to finish,” said Lauren Land, director of Career Services. “There is a lot more to an interview than the face-to-face conversation with a potential employer. This includes learning to market your skill-set, making great first impressions, researching the organization, preparing great questions, ‘closing’ the interview and follow-up etiquette.”

The interview workshops are designed to help students prepare and learn the correct skills needed for conducting a professional interview. Preparation is the key to having a good interview and the workshops teach just that.

“Students will get key advice directly from recruiters

see TONIGHT z 3

see WORKSHOP z 3

Ouachita “Tonight Show” premieres Tuesday night

By TYLER ROSENTHAL Staff Writer

Similar to popular nighttime talk shows like “The Tonight Show” or “Late Night,” Ouachita is hosting its own version called “The Tonight Show at Ouachita.” The live show will be hosted next Tuesday, Feb. 25, in Dr. Jacks at 10 p.m. The two hosts and masterminds behind the event are juniors David Winkler and Coleson Lechner.

Both Winkler and Lechner are on the W.O.W. steering committee, and while planning W.O.W. for this year’s freshmen class, the idea for a radio show during move-in was proposed. Winkler and

Lechner planned and hosted the first W.O.W. radio show and thought that the show was a hit. For last semester’s Tiger Serve Day, they brought back the radio show and hosted a radio program during for the students to listen to that morning.

The idea for the show came to Winkler, an avid “Tonight Show” fan, simply by chance.

“I was eating dinner one night at the booth next to the stage in the student center, when Hannah Bushey walked by and said ‘You look like you’re on a talk show.’ A light bulb immediately went off in my head,” he said. “I thought how cool it would be to have a talk show like The Tonight

Thursday, February 20, 2014

www.obusignal.com

this weekzCALENDAR ANATOMY OF GRAY debuts tonight in Verser Theater at 7:30 p.m and runs until Monday, Feb. 24. For more information, contact Daniel Inouye at inouyed@obu.edu.

REFUGE is tonight at 9:30 p.m. at Second Baptist Church.

LAST DAY TO DROP a course is tomorrow. For more information, contact your academic deal.

“Thor: Dark World” presented

by CAB will be Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. in Walker. For more information, contact Hillary Hill at hillh@obu.edu.

POETRY READING will be Sunday night from 6:30-8 p.m. in Young Auditorium. For more information, contact Doug Sonheim at sonheimd@obu. edu.

P

5

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Uses for Germ-X

1 2 Watching people get it in cuts 3 Removing hair dye from skin Cleaning every visible surface 4 in the @OBUNewsroom 5 Last minute birthday present Removing pen marks from clothes

From Our

Which actor would play you in a movie about your life?

“Nia Vardalos (Look it up.)”

“Emma Stone”

“Tom Hardy”

“Not Miley Cyrus”

“Tom Hanks”

Emily Terry Editor-in-Chief

Anna Kumpuris News Editor

Noah Hutchinson Opinions Editor

Chelsea Byers Sports Editor

Dixon Land Assistant Sports Editor

GRAY

z Continued from Page 1 great deal of humor,” said Director Mary Handiboe, associate professor of theatre arts, in choosing this year’s spring production. “I remembered ‘Anatomy of Gray,’ gave it a quick read and knew it would be a great show for our department. “‘Anatomy of Gray’ is an actor’s play.

The show moves swiftly from scene to scene, and the actors have a huge challenge to bring each climactic moment to life very quickly,” Handiboe added. “I am taking the actors through some very intense character work and am excited to see how each will process connection to his or her character.”

“Preparing for June is an ongoing process that will still be happening until the moment she walks onto stage,” explained Suit. “Our whole cast has been doing an extensive amount of table work to help us become our characters. Every day we journal our character’s thoughts and feelings relating to the events they go through on stage, as well as finding our real world connections to them.”

“The cast gets really deep into our

characters,” said Abby Root, a freshman speech/theatre education major from Arkadelphia, playing the role of Tiny Wingfield, the pastor’s spinster sister. “It is a very enlightening experience.”

“I am thrilled to see our department stretch and reach new heights with this show,” Suit said. “[It] is going to be unlike most shows you have ever seen performed on the Ouachita stage, and I am ecstatic to get to share the experience with our university and our community.”

Senior musical theatre major Garrett Whitehead of Cleburne, Texas, is the assistant director. The stage manager is Dallas Sleeman, a sophomore theatre major from Kentwood, Mich., assisted by freshman musical theatre major, Hannah Fender, of Maumelle, Ark. The scenic designer is Sarah Davis, a senior theatre and Christian missions double major from Bedford, Texas.

In addition to Suit, Ochterbeck and Root, members of the cast include Stacy Hawking, a sophomore musical theatre major from Sherwood, Ark., as June’s sensible mother, Rebekah; and Timothy Drennan, a senior musical theatre major from Paron, Ark., as the well-meaning,

but misguided, Pastor Phineas Wingfield.

Also cast are Aaron Pinion, a sophomore theatre major from Tulsa, Okla., as good-natured and whiskey-loving Crutch Collins; Tara Clem, a junior musical theatre major from Texarkana, Texas, as his to-the-point wife, Belva; Mattie Bogoslavsky, a junior musical theatre and psychology double major from North Little Rock, Ark., as Maggie, the tavern owner; and Chad Burris, a junior musical theatre major from Alma, Ark., as Homer, a simple young farmer with a huge crush on June.

Playing townspeople are Walter Dodd, a sophomore theatre major from Little Rock, Ark.; Bethany Gere, a junior musical theatre and communication sciences disorder double major from White Hall, Ark.; Bret Sanders, a freshman musical theatre major from Jonesboro, Ark.; and Tyler Wisdom, a junior musical theatre major from Russellville, Ark. Other lead production team members include Eric Phillips, professor of theatre arts, as the scenic design supervisor, lighting designer and technical director; Daniel Inouye, assistant professor of theatre arts, as the costume

designer, with senior Lacey Johnson, a double major in theatre and history from Rancho Mirage, Ark., as the costume crew head. Ben Stidham, a senior musical theatre major from Dallas, Texas, is the sound designer, and the sound board will be run by Lauren Hutcheson, a freshman musical theatre major from Bossier City, La. The light board will be operated by Kaylee Nebe, a senior musical theatre major from Mesquite, Texas, and the scenery construction will be led by staff technical director, Marshall Pope.

More lead production team members include Tyler Ford, a freshman prepharmacy and theatre double major from Dayton, Texas, as the properties crew head; Cody Myers, a senior musical theatre and psychology double major from Van Buren, Ark., as the marketing and publicity manager; Alison Smith, a senior psychology major and theatre minor from Jonesboro, Ark., as the lobby designer and house manager; and Linda Hatcher, JPAC box office manager.

Tickets are $8 and may be purchased from the Box Office or at www.obu. edu/boxoffice. Students with a valid OBU ID may receive one free ticket. n

OBU men to compete for title of Mr. Tiger Feb. 25

By ANNA MCCULLOCH Staff Writer

If you’re looking for a laugh, then plan to attend Mr. Tiger Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Tiger Den. Mr. Tiger is a pageant for men that the women of EEE PC ‘14 host as a fundraiser. There will be entertainment along with refreshments and a chance to see the men of Ouachita showcase their talents.

There will be three categories of competition: talent, sports wear and interview. The men pick a talent of their choice, whether it’s singing, interpretive dance, wrestling or ventriloquism.

The men then choose a sport they wish to represent and strut their stuff to try impress the judges. Next comes the hardest part of the competition, the interview. The men dress up in suits and answer whatever difficult questions the three judges throw their way.

Recent graduate Hunter Soper claimed the title of Mr. Tiger last year with his rendition of “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.

Soper talked about winning the title saying, “It was honestly one of the best moments of my life. I felt like I could

take on the world and there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish.” He has thoroughly enjoyed his reign as Mr. Tiger and is reluctant to hand the title down.

“It’s never an easy thing to do, but it gives me comfort knowing that it will go to a fine young gentleman,” he said.

This year’s event will be emceed by Kelsie Adcock and Abby Englekes, both members of the pledge class of 2014.

Adcock is delighted to help host this year’s event.

“Being an emcee at Mr. Tiger is going to be so much fun and I am super excited about it,” Adcock said. “I love being a part of such a fun tradition at Ouachita.”

Richard Burke, a sophpmore history major, is planning to participate in Mr. Tiger this year.

“I feel like it is going to be a lot of fun, and really funny to watch,” he said.

He is playing the piano for his talent and is excited to see everyone else’s talent.

If you want to sign up for Mr. Tiger, members of EEE PC 14 will be in the cafeteria and Evans Student Center during lunch tomorrow. The fee is $20 per person and sponsors are recommended. n

Molly Anne Turner z The Signal Ryan James is crowned Mr. Tiger at the EEE Mr. Tiger pageant two years ago. This year’s pageant will be held on Feb. 25 in the Tiger Den and will feature various Ouachita gentlemen competing for the crown in a series of talent and interview competitions.

www.obusignal.com

Thursday, February 20, 2014

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

NATIONAL ―The Federal Com-

WORLD ― Two American security

SCIENCE ― The Yale Project on

WORKSHOP

workshop is a wonderful way to seek personal growth in interviewing.”

Jones also encourages students to research the organization and job they are applying for before the interviewing process, to better understand the position.

Early preparation for interviewing is always the best.

“We hope these workshops will be beneficial and provide some tangible, real-world tips that will help students prepare for both their first job interview as well as ones to come,” Land said.

Thinking about possible questions and scenarios beforehand can be beneficial to a student to further their preparation process. Jones explains that interviews are just conversations and it’s a way to interact with a potential employer, and also for them to get to know you.

“In my view, that can be a very engaging and rewarding experience,” Jones said. “So, while interviews can

feel intimidating, they’re also really positive, and I would encourage students to approach them with optimism and through preparation.”

Career Services can help with that preparation in addition to the workshops.

“Our office can help with most anything, but we also can help with most anything related to career preparation,” Land said.

Along with resumes, personal websites, connecting with alumni and Career Services can also help students with internship opportunities and how to market themselves effectively.

The two workshops will be on Friday, Feb. 21, and Friday, Feb. 28. For the dinner event on March 13, students need to RSVP because spots are limited.

Students who attend one of the lunchtime workshops will be given the first opportunity to sign up for the dinner.

For more information, contact Lauren Land at landl@obu.edu. n

workers have been found dead on munications Commission said it will the Maersk Alabama, a ship that was rewrite sweeping broadband Internet made famous by the 2013 Hollywood rules known as net neutrality, endmovie “Captain Phillips” starring ing a legal battle that has thrown into Tom Hanks, said an oil and shipping question the agency’s ability to protect group yesterday. A.P. Moller-Maersk consumers on the Web. The FCC said said in a statement that the two men new rules will ban Internet service were found dead in a cabin on board providers such as Verizon and Time the vessel in the afternoon of February Warner Cable from blocking sites or 18 in Port of Victoria in the Seychelles. charging a firm like Netflix more for The Maersk Alabama was targeted faster and smoother delivery of conby Somali pirates in an attempted tent. The move comes after a federal hijacking off the east coast of Africa in appeals court last month vacated the 2009. The 2013 film “Captain Phillips” FCC’s 2010 Open Internet rules. The is based on the events of this hijakU.S. District Court of Appeals said the ing incident. Maersk gave no details agency overstepped its authority with the rules but also noted that the agency about how the two men had died.

Local law enforcement agencies were has some oversight over the broadinvestigating the deaths of the men on band industry. FCC Chairman Tom the Maersk Alabama, which berthed Wheeler said the agency wouldn’t apin Port of Victoria around midday on peal the court’s decision, adding that the court opinion allows for the agency February 17. The security contractors to rewrite net neutrality rules that con- had boarded the vessel on January 29, Maersk said. n form to communications laws. n Compiled by Sam Cushman, Associate Editor. Sources: usatoday.com, hngn.com, reuters.com, cdc.gov, abcnews.com.

z Continued from Page 1

which is invaluable,” Land said.

Some of the recruiters include Ouachita alumnae Monica Wood and Meghan Jones who first came up with the idea of having the workshops, and from that idea developed the threepart series that is now the Interview Workshop. Wood and Jones are leading the two workshops on Feb. 21 and 28, and on March 13 there will be a dinner event to teach students about business and dinner etiquette.

Another alumna who is very supportive of the interview workshop is Rebecca Jones, assistant professor of communications.

“These experts provide amazing insights and very practical strategies for students who are preparing themselves to seek professional opportunities,” Jones said. “I think the upcoming

Climate Change reports that millions of Americans are willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to reduce global warming. The new report, called Americans’ Actions to Limit Global Warming, researchers say that three in 10 have joined or would join a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming. Nearly four in 10 have joined or would join a campaign to convince elected officials to pass laws increasing energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy as a way to reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels. Also about four in 10 say that, if asked, they would sign a pledge to vote only for political candidates that share their views on global warming, attend a neighborhood meeting to discuss global warming and actions people can take and attend a public meeting or presentation about global warming.n

Pruet School to host Padilla as guest lecturer

By DIXON LAND

Assistant Sports Editor The Pruet School of Christian Studies will host a guest lecture by Dr. Osvaldo Padilla on Monday, Feb. 24, from 7-8 p.m.

The lecture is free and will be held in Berry Chapel. Dr. Padilla will speak on “Acts and the Formation of the Canon.”

Dr. Joey Dodson, assistant professor of Biblical studies for the Pruet School met Dr. Padilla while they were both studying for their doctorates at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

“When I first met Ozzy, I was both impressed and inspired by his incredible amount of knowledge and passion,” Dodson said. “Perhaps the only thing more remarkable was his testimony.”

Padilla grew up in the Dominican Republic and in Miami.

“If I remember correctly, Ozzy got involved in gangs when he was a teenager but was saved through the ministry of the Salvation Army,” Dodson said.

“Once saved, he got a scholarship for inner-city kids to attend Moody Bible College in Chicago. And it turned out that the dude was absolutely brilliant.

From Moody, he got a scholarship to go to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and aced everything there.”

Dr. Osvaldo Padilla

Padilla advanced quickly among his peers at every stage of his education and earned his doctorate from King’s College at the University of Aberdeen.

He finished his doctorate in just two years.

“If that wasn’t remarkable enough, his dissertation was picked up and published by Cambridge University Press,” Dodson said.

After completing his doctoral studies, Padilla worked on post-doctorate research in Switzerland. Following his post-doctorate work, he returned to the United States to teach at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

“He’s one of the smartest guys I know—well, aside from him being a 49’ers fan. But nobody is perfect, I guess,” Dodson said.

Padilla currently serves as assistant professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School. At Beeson, he met Kristen—an OBU alumna who would become his wife. Kristen has authored “My Story: A Study on Our Relationship with God and Identity: Who We Are in Jesus.”

As well as teaching, Padilla has also served as a pastor. While in Chicago, Padilla was the pastor of Jesus el Buen, a predominately Hispanic church. “[He] really has a heart for the church. He’s not simply up in the Ivory Tower,” said Dodson.

Along with his talk on Monday evening, Padilla is scheduled to speak in chapel on Tuesday morning. He and his wife will also be lecturing in a few classes.

All students are welcome to attend the lecture on Monday evening. Dodson said that the lecture would be relevant to non-Christian Studies majors.

“No matter what your major, Acts is crucial for understanding the birth of the church and our mission to the world,” Dodson said. “Here we have the opportunity to learn from a passionate, young, emerging scholar who—if not already—will emphatically be one of the leading experts in his field.” n

TONIGHT

z Continued from Page 1

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Faces

new to Ouachita, and hopefully showcasing people and talent that sometimes go unnoticed on our small campus,” he said.

He said that the planning process has been fun and his favorite part has been working with their writers and hearing the funny things they come up with.

Winkler assured that the event will be enjoyable for all types of students, as well as the Ouachita community. He wants the show to include something for everyone. Winkler also said that he hopes this will be the start of a tradition at Ouachita. They hope to pass it down after they graduate to people who would continue the tradition for The Tonight Show at Ouachita.

They encourage everyone to come out to see the show live, but for those unable to attend, plans are being made to live stream the show at www.obusignal.com. n

HEALTH ― The antidepressant drug

citalopram, sold under the brand names Celexa and Cipramil, significantly relieved agitation in a group of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

In lower doses than those tested, the drug might be safer than antipsychotic drugs currently used to treat the condition, according to results of a clinical trial led by Johns Hopkins researchers.

For the study Constantine Lyketsos and his colleagues recruited 186 patients with Alzheimer’s who showed a collection of symptoms including emotional distress, excessive movement, aggression, and disruptive irritability.

None experienced adequate symptom relief with non-medical therapies, and some experienced failed treatment with antipsychotic drugs. Though antipsychotics are often used as first-line medications for Alzheimer’s-related agitation, they significantly increase the risk of strokes, heart attacks and death, Lyketsos said. n

Shambarger competition to be held Feb. 25

By BETHANY PEEVY News Bureau

The Division of Music will host the 16th annual Mary Shambarger Competition for Singers on Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. in the W. Francis McBeth Recital Hall of Mabee Fine Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Jon Secrest, Ouachita’s chair of the applied music department, is coordinating the event. Secrest said that the competition is among the best events Ouachita’s vocal program has to offer.

He said he always sees the vocal students “achieve new heights” and “grow tremendously in their artistry” through the competition. He also encourages the public to come and watch.

“It enriches everyone’s lives who participates, and that includes the audience,” Secrest said. “I think that those who attend are stimulated so much and enriched by what goes on that day. It really is an exciting day.”

Each year the competition rotates to one of three different types of repertoire including arias from opera and oratorio, art songs and musical theatre.

This year, students will perform arias from opera and oratorio.

“These arias are very sophisticated, elaborate and virtuosic compositions that require a great deal of technical facility and accomplishment,” said Secrest. “They take longer to prepare because they require a much more elite level of accomplishment vocally.”

“This is a chance for music students to put their hard work on display; it is an opportunity for them to demand excellence from themselves,” said Kristen La Madrid, a staff accompanist who has worked with the students to prepare for the competition. “I hope my students will use this event as an opportunity to challenge themselves and sharpen their skills as musicians.”

A cash prize of $500 will be rewarded to the first place winner, $300 to second place, $200 to third place, $100 to third place and $50 for honorable mention.

The event is named after Mary Shambarger, professor emerita of music at Ouachita. While serving on staff at Ouachita, she formed the choral group, the Ouachitones, which later became the Ouachita Sounds.

After 32 years, she retired from Ouachita in 1998 and decided to fund a competition for voice principals that awarded the winners with monetary prizes. In order to participate, students must be voice principals in their fourth semester or beyond.

Judges for this year’s competition include: Dr. Charles Fuller, former director of Ouachita Singers and former dean of Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts, Mary Shambarger and Stephen Anthony Ray, a 2008 alumnus and former winner of the Shambarger Competition.

Students will be accompanied by the following OBU staff accompanists: Glenda Aldridge, John Briggs, Kristen La Madrid, Susan Monroe and Phyllis Walker.

For more information,contact Dr. Jon Secrest at secrestj@obu.edu. n

4 features Thursday, February 20, 2014

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Ben Lange-Smith y Courtesy

From Zimbabwe to Ouachita

By DIXON LAND

Assistant Sports Editor @dixoncland

Imagine stepping off a plane after a day’s

worth of travel into the humidity that is a late Arkansas summer afternoon. Imagine further that this is your first time to set foot on American soil and you’re headed to a college where you will spend the next four years of your life.

Ben Lange-Smith, a sophomore physcology major from Zimbabwe, knows the feeling. After deciding to forgo an engineering degree at the University of Cape Town, Lange-Smith made the decision to try and apply to Ouachita Baptist.

“My father knew the Cosh’s well in the past. They used to play tennis and drink sweet tea,” Lange-Smith said. “So my father sent him a message and we got everything figured out for me to be able to come here.”

Once Lange-Smith arrived on campus, he became an instant celebrity for his wonderful attitude and endearing spirit. He immediately fell in love with Ouachita and now considers himself a Ouachitonian.

“You’re supposed to go through a period of culture shock after the initial honeymoon when you visit another country,” said LangeSmith. “But I guess I’m still in the honeymoon period because after a year and a half, never have I felt like I didn’t belong.”

On his first weekend at Ouachita, LangeSmith decided to join Campus Ministries on their back-to-school retreat at Camp Paron outside of Bryant, Ark. “That was really my first time to meet a bunch of students in my grade,” Lange-Smith said. “There are a bunch of memories that I still think about from that weekend. For example, the first night, I got to take my first ride in a golf cart. I also learned that you can get chiggers from rolling on the ground ouside. I was disapointed to learn that there was a big difference between a chigger and a chinchilla.”

Following his weekend with the chiggers,

Lange-Smith then became more and more involved on campus.

“I really loved the start of school,” LangeSmith said. “I got invited to TWIRP and it was amazing. I loved my classes and loved taking trips outside of Arkadelphia.”

And although Lange-Smith didn’t get to participate in Tiger Tunes his first year, he did enjoy the show.

“I really didn’t know what to expect going in,” said Lange-Smith. “I paid my ticket and the lights went down and I was amazed at the amount of school spirit and pride that each group had.”

In the spring semester, Lange-Smith also participated in Tiger Tracks and decided to join Tiger Steel.

“America is so much different than Zim,” Lange-Smith said. “In America you can expect running water and electricity whenever.

It’s great.”

Lange-Smith talked about how much Ouachita has meant to him. He discussed in detail about how Ouachita has welcomed him, like many other international students with open arms.

“I find that its a human condition to always be looking in the future and missing out on the present,” Lange-Smith said. “When I’m in Zim, I’m always looking forward to getting back to America and enjoying some more sweet tea, but at the same time, when I’m in the States, I look forward to seeing my family back home and telling them all about all of the things I’m learning in America.”

For Lange-Smith, being able to study in the United States has been a privilege. In fact, this past summer, while in Zimbabwe, LangeSmith met up with the Cosh’s to talk about Ouachita to prospective students throughout the country.

For him, Ouachita was a place like noneother. Stepping off the plane into the hot August sun became more than just a step into heat. It became a stepping stone into a life filled with adventureous travel and compelling personalities. n

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

Smashing: the ultimate problem solver

By NOAH HUTCHINSON Opinions Editor @Hutch15 When’s the last time you picked up any kind of hammer for any reason? For the average Ouachita guy who wants to grow up to be a professional key masher/screen starer, the answer is probably not very recently. Why would you? Unless you do volunteer work or have a manual labor job or like to build stuff for fun, you just don’t need to use a hammer that often. But someday you will need to use a hammer. And you’ll probably be bad at it.

There’s a proper technique for everything from driving nails to tapping things into place with a rubber mallet to smashing stuff with a sledgehammer, but at the end of the day, you don’t need any of it.

All you need is the right hammer. Luckily for you, it’s relatively cheap (compared to most sledgehammers, which it can easily be used as), easy to make and all you need to be able to use it properly is some shoulder strength and caveman rage.

As I just said, this isn’t something you’re going to buy in the hand tools section. It’s just four pieces of steel pipe screwed together into the most powerful hitting tool you’ll ever wield in your life. Go to the hardware store, find the pipe section, grab a 1 inch steel T (the fitting that looks like the letter T), two 1 inch clean out plugs and a 2 foot long piece of 1 inch steel pipe. Screw it together and you’ve got your hammer. I’d recommend cutting the threads off the bottom of the pipe so it doesn’t shred your hands while you’re swinging it and welding the head on so it doesn’t come unscrewed if you go Thor on something. However, if you don’t have access to that kind of equipment, just putting a bit of duct tape over all

the threads before you screw it together will accomplish the same thing.

Now comes the fun part. You need to drive a nail?

This thing will knock it in in one hit. It’s much heavier than a normal hammer and the handle is much longer. Even if your past projects looked like dented, mangled porcupines due to the fact that you couldn’t deliver a straight hit, you’ll look like you’ve been moonlighting as a carpenter once you try it with this monstrosity.

Something needs smashing? No need for any fancy techniques with the steel pipe hammer. It’s light enough to swing like a baseball bat, and where normal sledgehammers have flat, broad heads that aren’t designed to deal much damage, the square clean out plugs your new hammer has for faces will bite into whatever you hit like a medieval weapon. It can tear through the side of a truck door with one hit, so wood and drywall stand about as much of a chance against it as Mayor McCheese at a fat camp. On top of that, no matter what you’re hitting, you don’t have to worry about the handle breaking. The entire thing is steel.

On top of all that, it can even double as a rubber mallet. The hammer faces are just screwed onto the head, so all you have to do is unscrew them and replace them with some of those rubber stoppers they sell for the ends of canes or metal chair legs to keep them from scratching up the floor. Then it becomes a whole new animal. A normal rubber mallet is only really good up to a certain point, but because of the brutal amounts of force this thing can generate, you can knock any peg into any hole. You may not be able to get it back out with anything less than a dogsled team of Mack trucks, though, so make sure you’re absolutely sure about what you’re wanting to do before you reach for the steel pipe hammer. Everything it does winds up being pretty permenant.

The steel pipe hammer is by far the greatest all around hammer I’ve ever used in my life. Somebody should probably give it a name, but I haven’t been able to think of anything good enough. Newton’s Gavel? The Killdozer? Teddy Roosevelt? Anything within 10 feet of it while it’s in motion should probably just call it Sir. n

By Noah Hutchinson

What oh what to write about? The “Robocop” remake: The column about everything Not worth the ticket price butter (no trans fat) because margarine is $18 for 30 blocks, compared to $80 for the same amount of butter. Scary, I know, but the real problem? The Caf goes through approximately 100 blocks of margarine in a week.

Or I could write about the rising food insecurity in Arkansas. It’s devastating to think that there is a little boy in second grade who will go home tonight and not eat dinner. Or a tenth grade girl who will eventually fall into prostitution because she doesn’t have anywhere else to go. The scary reality is that there are people in Arkadelphia who do not know whether they will have a house to go home to tonight.

By CAROLINE POOLE Copy Editor

@sweet_cpoole Thinking of what to write in a column is always a struggle for me. There are so many decisions to be made: do I write about something serious or something funny? And will people even think my funny is funny at all? I could write about what it means to be a hipster. The pressure to wear tall socks and oversized glasses is at an all-time high and I’m just not quite sure how I feel about it. Soon every girl will be wearing men’s shirts and every guy will walk around with a guitar strapped to his back and we will all be hipsters. But if we’re all hipsters, is anyone really a hipster at all?

Or I could write about love (ugh, pass).

I could write about the process of rushing and pledging a social club.

Many of you know from personal experience or from watching close friends go through the experience that it is definitely not easy, but so rewarding.

We stayed up late watching until the sliver of light under our door changed from light to dark and then light again, promising an invitation waiting for us as soon as we got up. Or the mysterious pledge week activities that made for the best memories and closest friendships and our indescribable gratitude for those that were able to bring us Taco Bell at midnight every night.

I could write that this year’s Olympics will sadly be remembered as the year of the horrible facilities. One reporter said that many of the athletes were greeted in Sochi with the shocking reality that they could not drink the water or flush the toilets. Reporters and other guests arrived to unfinished arenas and poorly prepared hotels, a devastating reality to the Olympics (insert tactless communism joke).

I could write about trans fat. Trans fat is that scary bugger we see on the back of zebra cake packages that raises our cholesterol and our risk of clogged arteries. What’s the big deal? The Cafeteria chooses margarine (which contains 3 grams of trans fat per tablespoon) over

I could write about the process of rushing and pledging a social club. Many of you know from personal experience or from watching close friends go through the experience that it is definitely not easy, but so rewarding.

— Caroline Poole I could write about how approximately 2.5 million people are forced into human trafficking at any given time.

We may think that slavery ended in the 1800’s, but the sex slavery market starts on average with children as young as 9, including those in Arkansas. When we eat a Hershey’s chocolate bar or buy clothes from Forever 21 we are supporting the products of slavery.

The campus was flooded during Christian Focus Week with the reality of what our words can do. Our words can build up or tear down. They can be a light in a dark world and an anchor to someone in a storm. Even though we may not know what to say or how to say it, we cannot keep silent. Our words make a difference. n facebook.com/obusignal twitter.com/obusignal instagram.com/obusignal

By HANNAH PEARCE Staff Writer

While a good number of you were out with your significant others on Valentine’s Day, we “single pringles” were left to our own devices. Long story short, I made a spontaneous trip to Hot Springs to watch “Robocop” with a few friends. Better than nothing, right?

Maybe.

I’ll just cut to the chase…”Robocop” is a terrible movie. Terrible. The 6.7 out of 10 stars it has on International Movie Database is generous. Now, I have seen some terrible movies in my life (District 9, for example, but I’m not getting into that). I’m not just saying this because I’m a woman and I don’t like action movies. On the contrary, those are traditionally the only movies I really like: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Super 8, Harry Potter, Prometheus – anything with fighting, explosions and a good story line. The last bit is where “Robocop” fell way short.

Now, the movie itself was probably ruined for me from the get go. There had to have been at least 100 people in the theatre lobby and we were all packed in like sardines. I was sent in ahead to go save two seats. Simple, right? Wrong. A middle-aged man, by himself, sat in one of the seats I was saving and after I very nicely asked him to move, he questioned whether or not I actually had any friends and then made me move. I was NOT a happy camper. Then he talked throughout the movie while eating his smelly jalapeno nachos.

“Robocop” had officially been set up for failure.

For those of you who haven’t heard of this movie, I’ll give you a brief synopsis. Sometime in the near future, a multi-billion dollar corporation has developed robots and other drones to serve as law enforcement and have proposed bringing them to the home front. Of course, the American people object to this because a robot can’t make decisions like a human. So, ingenuity kicks in. The corporation, called Omnicorp, comes up with an

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ingenious plan to combine man and robot. To save a cop’s life after nearly dying in an explosion, they take his brain, face, lungs and left hand (I have no idea why) and combine them with a robot body. The robot system has takes over his thought process, making him distant from reality.

Eventually he gets a grip, mentally and emotionally overrides the system in his head, and stuff goes down.

First of all, at one point in the movie, they reveal to the main character what his flesh looks like without the

I’ll just cut to the chase…”Robocop” is a terrible movie. Terrible. The 6.7 out of 10 stars it has on International Movie Database is generous.

— Hannah Pearce machine to cover it. I’m not squeamish, but only seeing a head with some lungs dangling beneath it was a little freaky.

Second, the best part of the movie was Samuel L. Jackson’s character.

He was all for these robots to be out on the streets of America and would literally say anything on screen. Anything.

Third, and most importantly, there was no major conflict. There were several small conflicts: should we put robots on the street or no, the main character almost dying in an explosion, the robot system taking over the character’s psyche. All of that and no major conflict. Because of this, there was no story line, really. There really wasn’t much of a climax, either.

The best part of the night was I got a free sweet tea from Red Lobster.

Don’t watch “Robocop.” n

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.

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OBU Tigers fall to Harding Bison 81-64

By DIXON LAND

Assistant Sports Editor The Tigers Basketball Team was outscored 48-33 in the second half by the Harding Bison on Saturday to lose 81-64 in GAC play.

Following a layup by David Day and Micah Delph’s 3-point shot, Ouachita made two free throws to lead 7-0 after two minutes of play.

Following the first media timeout, Ouachita continued its scoring run.

In fact, the Tigers were up 15-3 after the first six minutes of the game.

Following a three-pointer made by the Bison’s Jacob Gibson, the Tigers still held a 9-point lead. But Harding continued to fight. Layups

by John Hudson and Hayden Johnson brought them back to a two-possession game.

After trading a few baskets, the Tigers led 22-12 with 9:22 left in the first half. Sterling Bailey then nailed a three-point shot and Micah Delph hit a jumper from 10 feet to give the Tigers a 27-18 lead with 6:22 left in the first.

With just under five minutes left in the half, Harding’s Antoine Burrell laid in a layup to spark another Bison run. After scoring 14 straight points, Harding tied the game with 1:11 left

in the half off a John Hudson threepointer. With just a few seconds left in the half, Jacob Gibson then made another layup to give the Bison a 3331 lead going into halftime.

After halftime, the Bison gained an early lead, going up 47-33 on back-to-back layups by Jacob Gibson. But, Eric Baraeuer would not let the Tigers go out without a fight.

Following the layup by Gibson, Braeuer then responded with a twopoint shot of his own. Colt Fason then scored six straight and on the next possession, Sterling Bailey hit a three of his own to storm the Tigers back to within 3 with a 15-4 run.

That’s the closest the Tigers would come to tying the score for the rest of the game. Following this point, Harding pulled away with a 17-point win, 81-64.

The Tigers shot just 10% from the three-point line in the second half, going 1-10. They also turned the ball over 17 times which translated in 24 points for the Bison. On a good note, the Tigers did have 24 points from bench players, which helped them remain close until the Bison pulled away.

The Tigers play Northwestern Oklahoma State tonight at Bill Vining Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. n

Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy The Tigers fell 81-64 to the Harding Bison on Saturday Night. The Tigers were outscored 48-33 in the second half.

Jones’ homer leads Lady Tigers to big win

By BRANDON SMITH Sports Information

Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy

OBU Tennis suffers first loss

Tiger Softball defeated the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 7-0 on Wednesday in dominating fashion, scoring in every inning except the fourth.

The scoring began when Jocelyn Jones, the first batter of the game for OBU, homered to put the Tigers up 1-0.

Ouachita added one run to the score in the second inning off

The 24th ranked OBU Men's Tiger Tennis team suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling 7-2 to the 29th ranked Drury University Panthers.

Marko Boskovic, Division II's third ranked singles player, fell to Drury's Andy Blair in three sets (6-3, 2-6, 6-4). Teodor Anghel Valentin, Maciej Braciszewicz, Andre Stefano and Nathan Street all came up short in their singles matches, as well.

Ouachita's Vitor Oliveira, Division II's 19th ranked singles player, picked up the only singles win for the Tigers, defeating Maximilian Hepp 6-3, 5-7, 4-1. Oliveira then teamed up with Boskovic to grab an 8-5 doubles win. Oliveira and Boskovic are the third ranked doubles team in Division II. The Tigers will travel to Lawton, Okla. on Feb. 27 for a match against Washburn University. n

an RBI in the top of the sixth inning when she walked to score Kayla Golden, which set the score at 7-0.

Abbi Frakes earned the start for OBU and threw for six innings, giving up only two hits and recording five strikeouts.

Shelby McWhorter relieved in the seventh inning and closed out the game.

The Tigers will be at home this weekend, as they host Southeastern Oklahoma State.

Games start on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. n

Lady Tigers overcome by Harding

By DIXON LAND

Assistant Sports Editor

By BRANDON SMITH Sports Information

of a pass ball that scored Suzie Gresham.

In the top of the third, the Tigers scored three more runs, which started with an RBI single by Jessica Branam that scored Jones. Later in the inning, Teresa Mursuli hit an RBI single that scored Branam, and Gresham hit an RBI single that scored Kailey Madden.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Tigers added one run in the fifth after a sac fly

by Kate Lacina that scored Jenna Hendry. Hendry earned

The Ouachita Baptist Lady Tigers fell just short of upsetting #4 Harding University on Saturday evening with a final score of 72-65.

Erica Sharp led the team in points and also earned a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds on the night.

The Tigers got out to an early lead with layups by Nashia James and Erica Sharp. Following a steal by Katherine West, Sharp nailed a three, giving the Lady Tigers a 7-0 lead at 18:24 in the first half.

Harding then responded with a layup and two-point jump shot decreasing the Lady Tigers’ lead to 3. Following two made layups by Kristen Celsor of Harding, Nashia James sunk a three-point shot to bring the score to 10-6, OBU. Both teams then traded scores and after a three-pointer by Tabitha Haney for Harding, the Bison took the lead 15-14. The Lady Tigers would never regain the lead from this point. Harding then went on a run outscoring the Lady Tigers 20-8 over the next five minutes of the game. Harding then led the game 30-22.

Following a media timeout, the Lady Tigers closed the deficit to just five with a Katie Kapler three-point shot. Harding then responded with a basket of their own when Saurnders drove the lane and layed the ball against the glass to score an easy two points.

Zackary Scott Towers 6/25/94 – 2/19/14

Visitation Friday, Feb. 21, 5-8 p.m., First Baptist Church, Star City Funeral Saturday, Feb. 22, 1 p.m., First Baptist Church, Star City Zack Towers was the younger brother of OBU reciever and quarterback, Ty Towers.

On the next drive, Haney was fouled by Nashia James and was sent to the line for two free-throws that she made. Elise Holman than drove the lane and was fouled while going up for a layup. She made one of two giving the Bison a 34-26 lead with just 4:44 left in the first half.

After almost a minute of missed baskets and turnovers, Hardin’s Haney hit a jump shot in the paint to extend Harding’s lead to 10. On the next possession, Montanna Lewis would lay another ball against the glass for a layup and a 12 point lead.

Katherine West responded with a layup of her own with 2:43 left in the half to push the defecit to just ten points. Then after a Harding turnover, Breanna Harris drilled a 3 point shot to push Ouachita to just seven points behind.

The Tigers would score on their next three possesions on free throws by Kapler, a layup

by Kapler and then a layup with one second left on the clock by Ashley Johnson. Harding would go into halftime with just a two point lead.

In the first half, the Lady Tigers shot just 38% from the floor but did manage to hit half of their free throws. Harding did a little bit better in their shooting, managing to shoot 41%.

At halftime, Erica Sharp had already scored ten points and gotten 3 total rebounds.

In the second half, Harding scored to start the half with a layup by Saunders. The Lady Tigers responded with a three-point shot by Erica Sharp. Lewis would respond for Harding with a layup to push Harding to a three point lead.

With 14:38 in the second half, Kristen Celsor drove the lane and scored another layup for the Lady Bison after a steal by Shana Holmes.

Following a turnover by West, Harding scored once again with another layup from Celsor.

With the score 46-39, Breanna Harrris drove the lane and was fouled by Celsor. Harris made both free throws from the line to decrease the Lady Tigers’ defecit to five.

With 12:40 left in the game, Saunders floated a shot into the net to push the Lady Bison lead to 7. On the following possesion, Issac Boyce was fouled for the Lady Bison and made one of two from the free throw stripe.

Following a media timeout, Holman scored a layup and Johnson hit a field goal after a steal to push Ouachita within four points of the lead.

After a 12-4 run by Harding, the Lady Tigers found themselves down by 9 with just 2:21 left in the game. They began to fould but could not manage to cause enough missed free throws and get enough turnovers to come back before the final buzzer.

The Lady Tigers gave up 19 turnovers as they fell 72-65. Erica Sharp led the team with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Kapler scored 10 points and got seven rebounds.

The Lady Tigers will play Northwestern Oklahoma State tonight at Bill Vining Arena.

The tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be a “Pink Out” to support breast cancer research. and will include giveaways such as a chance at a $50 Walmart giftcard. Fans are encouraged to attend wearing as much pink as they can. n

TONIGHT 5:30 p.m.

Bill Vining Arena There will be special giveaways during the game and a chance at a $50 Walmart gift card.

sports

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“We used to have a big tree out in the front of the yard and my dad used to throw pop-ups over the tree and we would try to catch them.”

—Davis

Ward

Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy

Davis Ward: Pitcher Perfect

By DIXON LAND

Assistant Sports Editor @DixonCLand Amidst a mild February afternoon and the eyes of fans peering on, he took the mound once again to look into the eyes of a fearing batter. As he dug his cleats into the solid dirt, he began to reach into his bag of pitches to find the perfect one to confuse his opponent. As he wound up to deliver the pitch, he hurled the ball towards the plate. The batter dug in to smack the ball into the outfield, but before finishing his swing heard the loud thud of the ball against the catcher’s glove. Strike one.

For Davis Ward, this thud was emblematic of a lifetime of baseball. Hard pitches and good control came early for him. But, the earliest of baseball memories for Ward was much like many other people.

“We used to have a big tree out in the front of the yard and my dad used to throw pop-ups over the tree and we would try to catch them,” Ward said.

“The best development for me growing up was in my front yard experimenting on different ways to throw the ball with my brother.”

From catching popups, Davis’ dad (who played golf at Texas A&M) decided to put the Ward brothers in a city league.

“We went to a city league for a while, and found out that we were really that bad,” Ward said. “At 10, my father put us in Junior Deputy in Little Rock. We were scared that we weren’t going to be very good, but we started to do pretty well there.”

Once the Ward brothers began to take serious interest in baseball, their father decided to enroll them in a few baseball camps.

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

“We went to one camp at UALR. The director of the camp was the pitching coach from the UALR baseball team,” Ward said. “There were about 15-20 guys there and my brother and I were doing a particular drill and he singled us out. He looked at my brother and said, ‘You can throw hard.

You’ll go a long way.’ Then he looked at me and said, ‘You have good control. You’ll go a long way.’”

That coach, Karl Kuhn, who now coaches at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, is well known in baseball for his ability to spot and develop talent early on in their careers.

At Virginia, Kuhn has coached 11 NCAA All-Americans and over 20 All-ACC pitchers. For Davis, that recognition was a big confidence boost.

“The way he called me out made me really think about my potential,” Ward said. “I really gained some confidence from his compliment.”

Following success at Little Rock Christian Academy in Little Rock, Ward received a scholarship to attend Ouachita.

But, early on in his freshman year, things would go exactly as planned.

“I got mono my freshman year of school. I didn’t know I had it,” Ward said. “About a month into it, I was throwing about 10 mph less on my fastball from my senior year in high school.”

The Tigers’ former coach preferred to not use speed guns to measure velocity on pitches, so Ward was suffering and didn’t know why.

“I had to try different pitches to get outs because I couldn’t throw just four-seam fastballs,” Ward said. “So I developed a two-seam fastball, a cutter, a slider, a curveball and a changeup.”

The ability to throw so many

different pitches in different game scenarios gives Ward a significant advantage over other pitchers in collegiate baseball. Whereas most pitchers rely on 3-4 solid pitches, Ward can throw closer to seven consistently.

“I believe having those pitches has really helped me,” Ward said. “I think it’s really what allows me to be consistently successful. I can throw any pitch on any count and still feel confident while keeping hitters off balance.”

When asked about his thought process on the mound, Ward was quick to talk about Greg Maddox. For years, many fans thought that Maddox would memorize batters’ tendencies and then be able to strike them out. Ward said that Maddox’s response to the claims were influential to his pitching style.

“He told the reporter that asked him that he just tried to throw consistent strikes,” Ward said. “So I just try to make each pitch a good pitch.

It sounds simple, but it really does work. I really try not to overthink it.”

When not playing baseball, Ward prefers to get away with friends or golf.

“My friends are a great outlet for me,” Ward said. “I just love to get away sometimes.

When we have off days, a lot of times I’ll go down to the field and work, but sometimes its good to just have a day where I’ll go to the driving range and get my mind off of everything.”

For a little boy that grew up wanting to catch fly balls in his front yard, playing collegiate baseball has been more than he could imagine. On that mild February afternoon, Davis once again proved that a boy in a front yard with a dream can accomplish anything. n

Mad for March No shame in jumping the gun on March Madness

By CHELSEA BYERS Sports Editor

@Chelsea_Byers Here we are again. Staring at our computers, wondering how on earth football can possibly be over already, and how on earth our favorite teams can already be losing fifty percent of their games. Now, this may be you, but for myself I’m perfectly content moving on to basketball season considering my team is a solid 24-2 so far this season and a comfortable number one ranking in the Southeastern Conference.

Unfortunately, this isn’t about Florida and how their season will potentially play out, but it is nice to see them at the top, even if it is just the OBU Sports Editor’s top teams of the season thus far. Obviously these are predictions made very far in advance, and there is no way to be able to tell how the cards will fall in the tournament come March Madness. I just want to get a head start on basketball since my team is actually decent in this sport for the 2013-2014 season. So, let’s take a look at who should, or hopefully, will make it to the Final Four.

1. Florida – So for my top pick of the season, I have to show my bias by picking the Gators. Even though we’ve lost to Wisconsin and University of Connecticut (UConn) in the preseason, both top 25 teams mind you, our starters are top notch with the ability to make a splash come bracket time. With Casey Prather leading the pack again this year, their chances for claiming a seat in the final showdown is not out of reach by any means. They have outstanding team chemistry, great returners and some insanely talented point guards. I can easily deal with an undefeated They may have conference season going into quite a few more the tournament.

2. Syracuse – My pick for losses than some making it to the National Title game to hash it out with the other teams out Gators. They have come out there, but if you swinging this year, with a solid 25-1 in conference, although take a look at their we may see them struggle once conference and the tournament starts. They rolled over Villanova with a who they have had 78-62 win, as well as went toeto play this season, to-toe with basketball powerhouse, Duke University. They you will understand may not be the best, coming from the ACC and only having that Wichita State’s the Blue Devils and Villanova 25-0 record means to worry about, but they will be good enough to make it out absolutely nothing.“ to the Final Four. I chose them — CHELSEA BYERS for the National Championship, because at this point, no one else has impressed me other than Michigan State’s upset of Kentucky in the beginning of the preseason.

3. Duke – They may not be winning the popular vote for making it out to the Final Four, but isn’t that what we all expect every single year? They may have quite a few more losses than some other teams out there, but if you take a look at their conference and who they have had to play this season, you will understand that Wichita State’s 25-0 record means absolutely nothing. At all.

Although Duke has proven themselves to be a direct descendent of Larry Byrd and Michael Jordan, if they ever had a basketball team as a child, this group of Blue Devils will have to tough it out through the bracket to make an appearance in the Final Four. As in, they will have to battle those teams that Florida wouldn’t even give a second glance, and hope and pray their line up is good enough to make a run of it.

4. Michigan State – Here’s looking at Tom Izzo. His boys are looking strong in the conference season and are preparing for their run at the title. Although we all know they won’t stand a chance to win it all, considering Billy Donovan isn’t about to let another 2013 season happen again. With their strength of schedule ranked in the top 20 in the nation, they have played out well in conference and have a good shot of competing well in the tournament.

Though Duke is probably my most flaky pick of the season for Final Four, Michigan State is my biggest surprise. Aside from their consistency in the past as a national contender, the Spartans face their biggest challenge with trying to keep all of their key players healthy and out on the court.

5. Creighton – My Dark Horse of the groupies. They claim the eighth spot in strength of schedule and their RPI is 14. Not too shabby, if we’re looking at Wichita State and Syracuse with their strength of schedule being well below 20. I see this team making a beeline for the Final Four. Put your money on this team, I can guarantee they’ll give you a good show. n

New Episodes Debut Fridays at Noon Dr. Jack’s Coffeehouse

This Week: OBU Athletics update with Kirby Von Edwins and Jackson Carter Intramurals: Mitchell Kelley and Tyler Davis cover women’s upper league Watch online at www.obusignal.com Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy

8

stadium

Thursday, February 20, 2014

www.obusignal.com

Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy

Cliff Harris poses with former players and coaches, President Rex Horne, Coach Todd Knight, Rex Nelson and Dr. Jeff Root in front of the stadium on Friday afternoon. Tiger fans gathered to watch Harris attempt to bring down the old stadium in preparation for the new stadium, named after Harris, that will break ground in April.

Tough to tear down

By DIXON LAND

Assistant Sports Editor @DixonCLand

Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy

Cliff Harris operates the crane in an attempt to tear down the stadium at A. U. Williams Field. The new stadium will be named after Harris and is expected to be built by the start of the new season in August.

Kristen Barnard y the Signal

Cliff Harris answers questions from the media about the stadium demolition.

Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy

Stan Parris and Jim Boyette visit with Cliff Harris before the ceremony begins. Parris, who currently serves as the pastor of Second Baptist Church in Arkadelphia, played at Henderson against Harris and Boyette.

As the construction workers attached a 40-foot chain to the metal benches and steel support beams of A.U. Williams Field, the memories flooded back to him. He remembered the games that mattered most to him like his final game against Henderson State. The voice of coach Buddy Benson was once again in his ear telling him to push harder, run faster and be more physical. Yet, nothing could stop Cliff Harris from mounting the crane to pull down the stands of the famous field on Friday afternoon.

Erect since the early 1960s, the stadium has been a beacon of Ouachita football through much of its historic tradition. It’s been around for many great games and seen many seasons come and go.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Harris said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help be a part of something new here. My father played here as well.”

Recently, President Rex Horne announced the plans to tear down the stadium in order to break ground on the new football stadium, named after Harris. Harris, an All-Pro Safety for the Cowboys and former Ouachita star, was present to discuss the stadium and participate in tearing it down.

“This is something we have looked forward to for many years,” Horne said. “Now we have this opportunity.”

In order for the stadium to be built, the construction crew had to completely tear down the home side stands, which have been in their current place since the 1960s when Harris played at OBU. “For me it’s a feeling of passion that’s going to transcend a long time,” Harris said. “This new stadium is go-

ing to be here for a long time and I’m honored to have many of my teammates here with me to tear this thing down.”

However, the stadium didn’t quite fall to the ground when the crane began to pull.

“I thought all I would have to do is pull the cord and it would collapse,” Harris said. “When that didn’t work, I tried to do what I do best – just ram the thing.”

After an hour and a half of tearing, pulling and ripping, the construction crew attached the cord to the crane again and Harris finally pulled down the press box, sending it crashing to the ground and closing a chapter of Ouachita football with A.U. Williams Field.

And, while the new stadium will be constructed on the same grounds that A.U. Williams Field stood, Ouachita will have a new feel in the fall.

The new stadium is set to break ground in mid-April.

“My hope is that this will bring some new life to Ouachita and the great football program we have here,” said Harris. “I’m excited about the future and excited about what the new stadium will look like.”

While the new stadium will feature a state-of-the art press box, topknotch facilities for fans and new concessions and bathrooms, it will fail to supress the echoes of Ouachita’s rich football history. Memories of great football games at A. U. Williams Field will remain in the minds of many who watched them.

It is said by many that even today, if you find yourself down by the field at the right time on a Saturday, and close your eyes, you can hear the faint, but distinct sound of Coach Buddy Benson urging his players to push just a little bit harder to beat those boys across the street. n

Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy

Emily Terry y The Signal

After an hour and a half of demolition work, the press box and upper tier stands finally tumble down at A.U. Williams Field.

President Rex Horne and Cliff Harris address fans that gathered to watch the ceremony. Both Dr. Horne and Harris made general statements before Harris mounted the crane that would ultimately pull down the stands and pressbox.