COVER STORY

WWW.OBUSIGNAL.COM | PAGE 3 Dreams become reality for hosts, hostesses

BY CAROLINE DERBY

Staff Writer

Although several of this year’s Tiger Tunes hosts and hostesses had no idea about the impact of Tiger Tunes when they first saw it, they certainly do now. It took people from their hometowns, their churches, Ouachita alumni, and others congratulating them on the accomplishment for them to realize how big this role is in Ouachita culture.

The hosts and hostesses get to carry on a legacy that started before they were born and during a time when some did not even know if Tunes would be possible. After hundreds of hours of rehearsals, they are ready to hit the stage in the 43rd annual Tiger Tunes show.

This year’s hosts and hostesses are Meredith Medford, Landon Denman, Sara Kate Cole, Able Kusaloka, Payton Mixon, Brennon Humphry, Chaney Campbell and Sammy Campione. All with the exception of Denman will be performing as a host or hostess in their first Tiger Tunes show ever. For all of them, this role is a dream come true.

Tiger Tunes not only gives students a chance to dress up in costumes, cheer until their voices give out and practice for hours upon hours, it also raises money for student scholarships through the Ouachita Student Foundation. For Kusaloka, that is the most important thing about Tunes.

“I think the biggest thing for me is realizing that I am raising money for my friends to get scholarship money, and that some of them would never be able to attend school here without it,” Kusaloka said.

Tiger Tunes helps contribute to the over $100,000 in scholarships raised each year. For Kusaloka, a member of OSF, seeing the behindthe-scenes work that goes into Tunes as a whole drove him to want to help in the capacity of a host this year.

Medford’s dream was sparked by watching the hosts and hostesses of a previous Tunes show.

“I went and saw Tunes on a whim. It was my first year ever being on campus or literally hearing about Tunes. I watched and thought, ‘I want to be one of them very, very badly,’” Medford said.

For Campione, the experience was similar.

“I saw Clay Mobley come out on stage my freshman year, and I said, ‘I want to do that,’ Campione said.

It was the legacy of Tiger Tunes that drove each performer’s dream of being in this special group of eight.

“My family and I came to watch my sister in her first Tunes show, and they were all talking about how great the shows themselves were, but I really liked the hosts, and that’s when I decided if I came here, I wanted to do that,” Humphry said.

For Denman, the experience of being a host is familiar. He was a host during the Tiger Tunes Rewind performance in 2020. Last year, the hosts and hostesses were masked and socially distant throughout rehearsals. This year, they still follow some COVID guidelines but have more freedom within the rehearsals themselves. Tunes Rewind was a success, but Denman is happier than ever to be in Jones Performing Arts Center, in front of a live audience and living out the dream of being a host in Tiger Tunes.

“We were given a situation where we could look at it from all of the wrong angles, but we chose each individually to select looking at it from a positive outlook,” Denman said.

Although COVID has made changes to Tiger Tunes, this group of performers consider it an honor

This year’s Tiger Tunes hosts and hostesses (left to right) are: Landon Denman, Payton Mixon, Chaney Campbell, Able Kusaloka, Sara Kate Cole, Brennon Humphry, Meredith Medford and Sammy Campione. For each of them, hosting Tiger Tunes embodies a dream fulfilled. (photos courtesty of Tyler Rosenthal)

to be the group that welcomes audiences back. Junior Chaney Campbell is excited to experience this new chapter with the Ouachita community.

“Coming back after freshman year from being sent home for the end of spring semester was like a book had closed and we didn’t get to finish it. Now, being back in this atmosphere, it feels like the lights have been turned back on and the book has opened again. It has made it a really sweet experience. Welcoming back everybody is bigger than we all think it to be, or know it to be. It is going to be a really cool experience,” Campbell said.

There have been 42 groups of hosts and hostesses before this one. For Sara Kate Cole, that legacy includes someone close to her.

“I grew up knowing a little bit about Tunes because my mom was a hostess. She never told me too much about it, but when I was here as a freshman, that’s when I realized that it was something that I wanted to be a part of,” Cole said.

Cole, a dance captain for the group, realized the impact Tunes has on the local community through teaching at the local dance studio.

“The girls just go crazy about Tunes, and it made me realize the effect it has on everyone,” Cole said.

Mixon has also found the impact of Tunes to be remarkable, especially considering the small student population at Ouachita.

“It’s crazy how small Ouachita is, but amazing how big the reach is, especially with Tunes. The lasting impact it has on students is amazing,” Mixon said.

The hosts and hostesses cannot wait for the lights to come on, for the music to start and for the show to begin. To watch the Saturday 8:30 show live online, go to www. obusignal.com/tunes.