OBU Signal – Dec. 4, 2014

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the

Signal

www.obusignal.com

12.4.14 Volume 123 Issue 11

Ouachita Baptist University

IN THIS ISSUE:

Finish Strong Advice and encouragement from professors as the semester comes to a close, p.2

315 or Bust You can bench press 315 pounds... Just do this, p.3

Ditch the Labels Don’t put a name on it – just be you and nothing else, p.3

RIP UAB Saying farewell to a program lost before its time, p.4

Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy Members of the Ouachita Concert Choir open last year’s Festival of Christmas. This year’s show will be Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in JPAC. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the box office. Students receive one free ticket with their student ID.

Christmas through the ages

F e s t i v a l o f C h r i s t m a s 2 014

By CHELSEA WHELPLEY News Bureau

Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts will present its 23rd annual production of A Festival of Christmas on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Performing Arts Center. Highlighting the theme of “Christmas Through the Ages,” the production will feature Christmas music from the 1930s to present day. Tickets are $12 each and may be purchased at www.obu.edu/boxoffice.   A Festival of Christmas began in 1992 with the opening of Jones Performing Arts Center as a way to give back to the community. The performance traditionally marks the beginning of the Christmas season for both the Ouachita and Arkadelphia communities.   This year Ace Collins, best selling author of “Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of Christmas,” will serve as narrator to briefly describe the history behind some of the famous Christmas

songs performed by Ouachita’s ensembles.  “This is something new that I think the audience will appreciate,” said Dr. Gary Gerber, musical director of A Festival of Christmas. Gerber also serves as chair of Ouachita’s Division of Music, director of choral activities and professor of music.   “The show gives the best of both secular and sacred Christmas music,” added Gerber. “It lets us enjoy the Christmas music that we as kids grew up singing during the holiday season, but it also reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas and how music is a powerful, emotional source of that meaning.”  Five musical groups will perform during this year’s production: Concert Choir and Ouachita Singers, both directed by Gerber; Women’s Chorus and Ouachita Sounds, directed by Dr. Becky Morrison; and members of the OBU Wind Ensemble.   “This is my fourth year to participate

in A Festival of Christmas and each year the music, choreography and overall effect continues to improve,” said Ouachita Sounds and Concert Choir member Anna Moxley, a senior worship arts major from Bluefield, Va. “For me personally, A Festival of Christmas has transitioned from being simply a performance into a way to share the joy of Christ with others.”  Highlighting the joy that is shared with the audience, Moxley added, “A Festival of Christmas brings both the Ouachita community and larger community together to celebrate the Christmas season. I think there is great significance in gathering together to honor the birth of our Savior.”   Tickets are $12 each and may be purchased at the Box Office weekdays from 1-5 p.m. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.obu.edu/boxoffice. Students with a valid OBU ID may receive one free ticket. For more information, call the box office at (870) 245-5555. n

Viser honored for service on Arkansas Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors S News 1 n S Opinions 3 n S Sports 4 n

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By MCKENZIE CRANFORD News Bureau

Service is a top priority for Ouachita professor Dr. Bill Viser, and the Arkansas Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors recently honored Viser for his 14 years of service on its board. Under former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s administration, Viser helped found the board and served as secretary, treasurer and ethics chair during his time on the board.   “The alcohol drug and abuse counselors needed some regulation, so we provided that,” explained Viser, associate professor of Christian ministries. “We developed criteria that every counselor had to meet to be certified with our board.”   During his tenure, he participated in monthly meetings to discuss legislative issues affecting the field of alcohol and drug abuse counselors and how to expand the field throughout the state. As ethics chair, Viser dealt with ethical violations against alcohol and drug abuse counselors and presented facts to the board

to help them make decisions concerning the practice of their code.   “I looked at the board as an opportunity for me to give back to a state that has meant so much to me,” said Viser. “Arkansas has always been good to me and become my home for the last 26 years. I love Arkansas and what Arkansas is about, and I felt like it was a chance for me to help make the state better.   “I especially love the idea of thinking that what I do has an impact on people that I will never see through the counselors that minister to them,” Viser added.   In addition to his service on the board, Viser recently presented papers at two conferences. Earlier this year, he presented on the topic “Treatment Issues with the Pornographic Addicted Female Client” at an international conference on counseling and education in Instanbul, Turkey. Viser was one of three Americans invited to the conference. see VISER z 2

Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal Sophomore Nathan Street performs in last year’s Lessons and Carols service. Ouachita first began this annual Christmas service 18 years ago.

Ouachita’s annual Service of Lessons and Carols set for Dec. 9 By RACHEL GADDIS News Bureau

Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts will present its 18th annual A Service of Lessons and Carols on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. The service is free and open to the public.   Ouachita adopted the traditional service from similar services that were once performed in 1880s rural England. These English services featured the singing of Christmas carols, as well as a num-

ber of Scripture readings to celebrate the birth of the incarnate Christ.   “The seriousness, formality and spirituality of this service are what make it special for so many people,” said Dr. Gary Gerber, chair of the Division of Music and professor of music. “The focus is the advent of Christ.”  The carols will be performed by several groups— the Ouachita Singers, Women’s Chorus and Handbell Ringers—while Scripture will see CAROLS z 2


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