NEWS

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Dr. Jeremy Greer stands outside Berry-Peeples Bible Building, home of the Pruet School of Christian Studies. Greer began his new position as dean of the school this semester. (photo by Levi Dade) Dr. Kevin Motl stands in front of the Tiger statue. Motl began his new role within the Sutton School of Social Sciences as interim dean in September. (photo by Coleman Callan)

Greer, Motl start new roles as deans of schools

BY MACKENZIE HALL

News Editor

This academic year brings new leadership to the Pruet School of Christian Studies and Sutton School of Social Sciences. Both schools welcomed new deans, Dr. Jeremy Greer, dean for Christian Studies, and Dr. Kevin Motl, interim dean for Social Sciences.

As Ouachita settles into another year, the deans have been adapting to their new roles leading faculty and students.

Both Greer and Motl are no strangers to Ouachita. Greer graduated from OBU in 1998 and returned to teach in 2007 as an adjunct and visiting professor. Motl, although a Texas A&M Aggie, has been a history professor at Ouachita for 15 years. Serving as a dean is new for both professors, and they are thankful for the opportunities that come with the job.

“People are just fantastic,” Greer said. “Everyone is very supportive, encouraging, eager to help in whatever way possible. It’s the most supportive environment. As for the work, it has been a challenge, but it has been a great deal of fun. It’s something new all the time, stretching experiences and opportunities to learn and grow.”

Motl views his responsibilities as a way to better the university and cast vision for the future.

“The thing I am excited about the most is the way I get to work with people at Ouachita in different ways,” Motl said. “The capacity to be able to work with the Dean’s Council to develop coherent and effective strategic vision for the future of the institution, solve problems and make Ouachita better for all involved.”

Deans are able to greatly influence students as they encourage and guide them during their time at Ouachita. For Greer, he hopes to influence student transformation.

“The Lord is in the transformation business, and he chooses to let us be agents in that process. I hope to sustain a culture in our school in which the Lord is working to transform students to be and do what He desires them to be and do,” Greer said.

Motl wishes to look for ways to develop programs for students as the school responds to the everchanging higher education business.

“I want the Sutton School to be hungry looking for ways to develop programs, graduate or undergraduate, and modify existing programs for students,” Motl said. “Our goal is the same as the university, we want to increase the quality of education and prepare our students for the real world.”

As the deans continue to manage their new responsibilities and learn along the way, they are surrounded by support and honored to represent Ouachita within their schools.

“The workload has been intense, and the learning curve steep, of course, but the support I have received thus far has made me feel capable of anything,” Greer said.

“I am really honored to have this opportunity. I am following in the path of iconic faculty to work on this campus. It’s a high honor to me to even sit in the same space they occupied, and to have a hand in the future of Sutton, the faculty and students,” Motl said. “I feel really blessed by it.”

The Women of Gamma Phi stand on the steps of Cone-Bottoms. The social club will participate in Tiger Tunes for the first time since 1999. (photo by Levi Dade)

Gamma Phi flies back to Tiger Tunes after 22 years

BY MALLORY GATSON

Staff Writer

Gamma Phi was founded in a Cone-Bottoms dorm room in 1944 and has a strong heritage of supporting campus life at Ouachita. Gamma Phi went inactive as a club in 2000, but in 2019, the social club resumed active status and has been the buzz around campus ever since.

The last Tiger Tunes show that Gamma Phi participated in was the 1999 production of “Inspector Gamma P.H.I.” Gamma Phi will perform in this year’s Tunes show as “Gamma’s Angels,” a spin-off of “Charlie’s Angels.” Hannah Herrington, Piper Fain and Natalie Moore are directing this year’s show. The show will feature 38 girls and eight beaus.

Herrington is proud to be directing and leading Gamma’s show, a dream of hers since her sophomore year of high school.

“Setting the pace for shows to come is a big motivator,” Herrington said. “Sophomore year of high school I came to Grow weekend, and I said I was going to be a tunes director, and five years later that is happening for me.”

Tiger Tunes has been a standout tradition at Ouachita for decades, though the caliber of the show is higher now than in the past.

“It has been 40 years since I participated in Tiger Tunes as a member of Gamma Phi Women’s Social Club,” alumni Selena Kesner Bartmier said. “In the fall of 1981, the Gammas performed our interpretation of the Beach Boys music with our beach theme, ‘Surfer Girl.’ The shows were much simpler, but we still had fun doing them.”

Bartmier cherishes events like Tiger Tunes for the lasting relationships she formed with her sisters.

“Time spent in rehearsals as well as other club activities was a valuable tool for building friendships that remain today,” Bartmier said.

“I am so thankful for Tunes because we are getting the opportunity to bond heavily with the newest pledge class,” current Gamma Phi president Kayla Whittington said. “With COVID-19 attacking so heavily, the girls were deprived of getting to do a lot of things. It has been nice witnessing the progression that has been made from when we first started.”

Gamma Phi alumni look forward to the club’s return to the stage, and Whittington feels encouraged by that support.

“The alumni have been so supportive,” Whittington said. “It is very encouraging to know that sisterhood is not given, it is created, and Gamma Phi honors that. The Gamma Phi alumni are so excited to cheer on our campus sisters, and we could not be prouder of our Gamma Angels.”

NEWS

WWW.OBUSIGNAL.COM | PAGE 5 Homecoming to celebrate Tigers

BY EMILEE WEBB

Staff Writer

One of Ouachita’s most exciting weekends is quickly approaching. Campus will be filled with alumni, prospective students, parents and current students eager for the celebration. Homecoming will be held Saturday, Oct. 2 at Cliff Harris Stadium, and the festivities will extend through the weekend. From alumni teas, to the Purple Plaza Party in Tiger Alley, to Tiger Tunes, there will be something for all Ouachita fans to enjoy.

The annual Purple Plaza Party will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1. The fun will start on the campus lawn and in Tiger Alley. All of the clubs and organizations on campus will have tables set up with games, food and prizes. There will also be a pep-rally and live music to get fans excited to cheer on the Tigers. The Homecoming nominees and their escorts, upperclassmen football players, will be presented as well.

On Friday night, there will be two Tiger Tunes performances in Jones Performing Arts Center. Because the shows have limited seating capacity as a precaution against COVID, there was an extra performance added to Friday night’s schedule. The shows will be held at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m for both the Friday and Saturday night shows.

On Saturday, Oct. 2, every Ouachitonian will have a chance to show their Tiger spirit at some point in the day. The morning will begin with Tiger Fest on Cone-Bottoms Lawn from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Soical clubs will host events for their alumni and current members.

Tailgating will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium, directly followed by the presentation of Homecoming queen nominees at 11:30 a.m.

The Homecoming court consistening of 20 female students will fill the field and the 2021 Home-

Top Left: Members of Beta Beta play corn hole at the 2019 Purple Plaza Party. (photo by Abby Blankenship) Top Right: Football players huddle at the 2019 Homecoming game. Bottom: Betsey Patterson is crowned 2019 Homecoming queen. (photo by Justin Trostle)

coming queen will be crowned. The main event, Tiger football, will begin at noon against Northwestern Oklahoma State. Alumni, students and families will flood the stands with purple, gold and white as they cheer the tigers to victory.

After the game, Friday’s Purple Plaza Party continues onto day two. All of the clubs and organizations will once again set up tables and line Tiger Alley. The atmosphere will be high-energy as Ouachitonians of all ages gather.

Later that night, there will be two more chances to catch the Tiger Tunes shows. All of the clubs and organizations will perform their shows, and the hosts and hostesses will perform their set, for the last time this year. The winner and runners-up of Tiger Tunes will be announced at the end of the final show on Saturday.

“It’s amazing that we get to experience Homecoming weekend somewhat normal this year and have all these familiar faces come back to campus that haven’t been here in over 700 days,” Student Body President Madison McGhee said.

Homecoming weekend will not only commemorate another year at Ouachita, it will also a celebrate the community being able to come back together. After an uncertain year, an event that brings alumni and students back together will lift the spirits of all participants.