The Bison - Vol. 99, No. 05

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In this issue Volleyball, 1B

A H A R D I N G U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D E N T P U B L I C AT I O N NEWS . 2A NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2A OPINIONS . . . . . . . . . .

3A, 4A 3&4A OPINIONS SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1B 1&2B SPORTS COMMUNITY . . . . . . . . . . 2B FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . .3B FEATURES 3B LIFESTYLE 4B LIFESTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . .4B

THE

Oct. 20, 2023 Vol. 99, No. 05

Online at TheLink.Harding.edu

Searcy, Ark., 72149

Hamas group attacks Israel HUG group adjusts program itinerary as result

New Church, 2B

Courtney Eby, 3B Photo provided by International Programs

Students stand in front of the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel, during the HUG spring 2020 program. Recent attacks on Israel led to an itinerary change for the current HUG program.

MAGGIE SAMPLES news editor

Petting Zoo, 4B

Conflict broke out Oct. 7 after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel, causing adjustments to be made to the Harding University in Greece (HUG) itinerary two days before their scheduled departure for Israel.

Hamas launched an attack on the IsraelGaza border, leading to the death of around 1,400 and the injury of approximately 3,400 more, according to an article by Bill Hutchinson for ABC News. Hamas also took at least 199 people hostage, ranging from ages 9 months to 85 years old according to BBC News. Israel retaliated against the Gaza Strip, and their attacks have resulted in the deaths of around 3,000 Palestinian citizens and the injury of about 12,500. The bombings of the Gaza Strip have also left over 300,000 Palestinians displaced, according to Hutchinson.

The HUG group was scheduled to leave for Israel Oct. 9. After the events Oct. 7, the tour company the group was planning to travel with canceled the trip.

Audra Pleasant, executive director of International Programs (IP), said the program constantly monitors the safety of all of its program locations.

“While we never hope to change plans mid-semester, we are always ready with a

backup plan and work quickly as a team to adapt to new challenges,” Pleasant said.

Both Harding IP and the travel agency overseeing the HUG trip made the decision early Saturday morning. The HUG staff rearranged flight schedules and made arrangements for different travel plans the same day.

“Harding will continue to monitor the security of the region and adapt our plans as necessary throughout the course of this conflict,” Pleasant said.

Dr. Nathaniel Wiewora, associate professor of history and political science and director of the history graduate program, is the on-site faculty at HUG this semester. He said the student group and program directors have been flexible with the cancellation of the trip.

“After the conflict grew more widespread and information came out about the dangers facing civilians in Gaza and Israel, we were glad for our safety,” Wiewora said. “Our thoughts and prayers went out to the millions of people suffering in this conflict. It was an excellent opportunity for the group to feel more connected to the long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to learn about a complicated issue.”

Wiewora said he feels sorrow for the innocents suffering on both sides of the conflict.

“It ’s a major humanitarian crisis,” Wiewora said. “As a historian, I know this is

a complicated conflict that has ancient and modern roots. It seems unsolvable, more so today than in recent memory. The Psalmist tells us to ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem.’

I’ve prayed for that, and I hope that we can all pray for peace in the Middle East and act as peacemakers.”

HUG director Lacey Bortell said that after first hearing of the conflict, she hoped to just postpone the trip a few days but quickly realized the situation in Israel was worse than she originally thought. She commended the group for their flexibility in changing plans.

“There has been a clear spirit of thankfulness among [the students] as well — thankfulness for the freedom to make decisions about where in the world we choose to be, thankfulness that we hadn’t traveled to Israel days earlier and been in the middle of the conflict ourselves,” Bortell said.

Bortell expressed her sorrow and worries about the repercussions of the conflict.

“I am heartbroken for the people of Israel who are experiencing terror,” Bortell said. “I am so sad for the feeling of helplessness and fear that must be present among the families who have lost loved ones in such violent ways. I am sad for the many innocent Palestinians who have experienced and witnessed violence and oppression for decades, and I am concerned that they will likely experience severely limited freedoms as a result of the acts of Hamas.”

Grad lot opens to students for overnight parking TIANE DAVIS editor-in-chief Harding Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced during chapel last week that the parking lot near Graduate Hall and Brackett Library would be opened to students for overnight parking.

This change was a result of Public Safety’s constant reevaluation of student and faculty needs, assistant director of Public Safety Kevin Davis said. Every year, Public Safety takes time to compare the amount of registered vehicles on campus versus parking spots available.

“Parking is an issue on every college campus,” Davis said. “We evaluated all the needs and tried to balance what’s fair to most students in general. Everyone decided that it was the right time to open up that parking lot for overnight parking.”

Davis said the parking lot was previously only open for day parking to accommodate commuters because there were not as many parking lots available in previous years. He said in the past few years, Public Safety has added parking spaces to multiple areas on the north side of campus to help with that problem, which made it possible for the change to be made.

The main goal Public Safety has, Davis said, is making sure parking is accessible for all those who need it.

“We’re not out to punish anyone at all,” he said. “We are doing our best to balance the needs of all of our constituents here between faculty, staff and students, including the ones who commute.”

Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Zach Neal said the University has more parking spots than vehicles registered, but “feedback from students has consistently included the request for more centralized parking.”

“I fully supported Public Safety’s idea to allow overnight parking behind the Benson,” Neal said. “Kudos to their insight in responding to student requests.”

Amanda Colón, the residence life coordinator for Graduate Hall, said she has advocated for the change for years because it is often a major point of stress for students who live there to not be able to park nearby.

Every August, Colón said she has to clarify to students moving in that the parking lot is not available to them overnight because they otherwise assume they are allowed to park in white painted spots overnight.

“I think it’s going to make their lives a lot easier,” Colón said. “It just makes sense to have it available to them.”

Junior Jaxon Hardy, a resident at Graduate Hall, said having the parking lot open all night makes life much easier for him. He previously usually parked behind the Rhodes-Reaves Field House, and when that parking lot was full, he would park in the Ganus Athletic Center parking lot.

“I no longer have to stress about finding an open parking spot when I take those last-second Walmart runs at 11 at night,” Hardy said.

Hardy, who is a member of the track and field team, said his daily routine has changed since Public Safety made the announcement.

Photo by MORGAN PICKERING

Students leave cars parked between Graduate Hall and Brackett Library Oct. 17. Public Safety announced in chapel last week the lot would be opened for overnight parking after over 10 years of keeping it open exclusively for day parking.

He said having his car closer helps him get to morning practices more efficiently instead of having to leave earlier to walk.

“Having less of a walk for my car makes my life way more convenient,” Hardy said. “It just makes life in Grad dorm much easier.”

However, Hardy said he thinks the parking situation at Harding has room for

improvement, even after the change was made.

“It still is hard sometimes to find an open parking space when you really need it,” he said. “It gets even worse when there are visitors, to the point you have to take the ticket and park in a red parking spot so you are not late for class.”

2A NEWS

Friday, October 20, 2023

Kinney speaks for 1924 Experience

Photo by MACY COX

Dr. Jeremy Kinney, associate director for research and curatorial affairs at the National Air and Space Museum of the stands outside the Holland-Waller Center after a luncheon with students, faculty and staff. Kinney spoke on Oct. 19 for the 1924 Experience event about aviation.

ELI DEAN community editor Harding’s History and Political Science Department hosted its third “1924 Experience” Oct. 19 to celebrate Harding’s Centennial.

The event was at Cone Chapel and its theme was the world of aviation.

Dr. Jeremy Kinney served as the speaker for this event. Kinney is the associate director for research and curatorial affairs at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian, and he said that his love for aviation and his job at the Smithsonian are things he is really passionate about and he encourages students to find their own topics of interest.

“Go as far as you can,” Kinney said.

“The things you’re interested in — you’d be surprised finding out all the different ways you can make a career out of your interests.

If you’re consumed by learning about a topic, you can really go as far with anything.”

Assistant professor of history Kimberly Laing said the event was another opportunity for students to look back at the history of the world and how far technology have come in the past 100 years.

“I am hoping that The 1924 Experience will showcase what the world was like when Harding began,” Laing said. “When we see that every era has its great moments and its terrible moments, we are able to reflect

more optimistically on our own time and we can better understand the decisions that were made.”

The event focuses on the first aerial flight around the world, which was accomplished by four members of the U.S. Army Air Services and lasted 175 days. The 26,345-mile flight was the end of a global race to be the first to complete a circumnavigation mission, similar to the race to the moon that would take place 45 years later. Laing said it is important to understand the linkage between the past and the present.

“Our past informs every part of our present,” Laing said. “When we understand where we have come from we are better able to deal

with our present. I think that students gain a greater appreciation for how complex the past is and how many things are happening at the same time.”

Junior Jackson Trahant attended a luncheon Thursday with Kinney, and while he didn’t know anything about aviation going in, he was drawn to the idea of working in a field where his interests could take center stage.

“It makes me very appreciative of the world we live in where a specific interest can be a career,” Trahant said. “There’s a lot of different things you can learn about all sorts of things, and so for me it makes me hopeful that I could do the same thing later in life.”

Harding hosts seminar about domestic violence

Graphic provided by Hope Cottage

EMMA FIELD guest writer TIANE DAVIS editor-in-chief EMMA WEBER opinions editor As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, executive director of the White County Domestic Violence Prevention Program Bobbie Boozer held a seminar with Dr. Andrea Morris yesterday in an interview style discussion to inform the Searcy community about domestic violence.

The pair held the discussion in the Anthony Wright Administration Auditorium from 7-8:30 p.m. and discussed four topics: the signs of dating violence, how it starts, the role of isolation and how we can help someone affected by it.

Boozer, who gave a talk last year for a social work class at Harding, said it is very important for everyone to be informed about any type of domestic violence because it is something that affects the community in multiple ways.

“It actually costs the community,” Boozer said. “There is a lot of loss associated with domestic violence. That’s loss of wages, loss of work hours, and loss of productivity — the

worst thing being loss of life. It’s a problem that we all have to deal with that we’re all responsible for.”

Boozer said domestic violence is an issue of when a person’s free will is violated.

“I think it’s really important for particularly Harding students and people in the faith community to recognize that free will is ultimately one of the greatest gifts we have,” Boozer said. “We can’t let one person’s insecurities inf ringe upon the f ree will of another person. That’s something that college-age adults really need to protect is that ability to make their own choices and not be controlled and dominated by another person.”

To mark the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Boozer and Morris spoke during “Table Talk with Ella” at chapel on Oct. 2. Domestic Violence Awareness Month started in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic violence.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 10 million people per year, that’s about 20 people per minute, are affected by this epidemic; one in four women and one in nine men experience domestic violence. Types of abuse include: physical abuse, psychological and emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, verbal abuse, isolation, and stalking.

Dr. Andrea Morris, assistant to the provost for strategic initiative, said there are many common misunderstandings about domestic violence. Domestic violence happens regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, economic status or nationality.

“There are misconceptions that it wouldn’t happen at a Christian college or amongst Christians,” Morris said. “We want our students and community to recognize the signs. It can happen in a manner that we aren’t paying attention to.”

In the Searcy community, White County Domestic Violence Prevention offers Hope Cottage as a sanctuary for those seeking healing after abuse.

Hope Cottage is equipped with a large security fence, high-tech security system, communal kitchen, living room and laundry room. They can house up to 15 people, they provide food, linens and personal hygiene to individuals in need.

Morris said help and resources are available if students are experiencing domestic violence.

Students can reach out to law enforcement, Public Safety, the Student Life office, and the counseling office.

“First, I want students to know it’s not their fault, and they do not have to walk that alone,” Morris said. “There are ways to get help. If there is a professor that you trust, I

would encourage you to go to them and share.”

Domestic violence can happen at any time, in any relationship. It is not limited to coming from a romantic partner. It can be between romantic partners, parents and children, and through technology.

“Part of it is recognizing the signs,” Morris said. “Someone who is suddenly ‘absent’ and withdrawing from normal activities are things to pay attention to. It’s okay to step into their circle to probe a little bit. Scripture even says, ‘We are to take care of one another.’”

Manager at Hope Restored Janie Moore said the thrift store’s purpose is to bring awareness to domestic violence prevention, with fact sheets throughout the store and interaction through sales and customer interaction.

She said they “just support them and learn from places like us how to do that.”

All proceeds at Hope Restored Thrift Store go to supporting domestic abuse victims.

People seeking help can call 1(800) 799SAFE (7233), text “Start” to 88788, or visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s website to chat with a live representative.

Hope Cottage’s hotline number is (501) 278-4673.

3A OPINIONS

TheLink.Harding.edu

No Feeling is Final

Music gone gold Ben Evans

Emma Weber

Asst. Copy/Graphics

A

s we’ve looked back on the past 100 years during Harding’s Centennial celebration, I can’t help but look at the halfway point between now and then, 50 years ago, to 1973. Why ’73? Well, the year means a lot to me personally. 1973 was the year that my mom was born and adopted, so I want to honor this year by discussing it, and more importantly, its music.

It would be wrong for me to discuss ’73 without mentioning my favorite musician, Billy Joel. On Nov. 9, 1973, Joel released one of the most iconic songs of all time and a staple of his career, “Piano Man.” While most people know the lyrics, only a few know that the story of “Piano Man,” was actually Joel’s reality when he wrote the song. The album “Piano Man” was released before Joel’s breakout album, “The Stranger,” when Joel was traveling the country, living off of small gigs and piano bars. In fact, the album “Piano Man” is the closest thing to a concept album that Joel ever wrote. The songs are connected by a “travel” motif. Joel name-drops nine different states, mostly from the West Coast, throughout the album.

It also centers on repeated characters and themes of poverty, divorce, drug abuse and life as a musician.

“Piano Man” was a huge experiment for Joel, as it was before he found his iconic pianoled-rock-and-roll sound, so songs on the album range in genre.

Opinions Editor

“Travellin’ Prayer” is a bluegrass medley, “Ain’t No Crime” and “Stop in Nevada” are written like gospel tunes, and “Billy the Kid” was originally written as a movie soundtrack.

If you’ve never given “Piano Man” a proper listen-through, I’d highly recommend it.

When record shopping with my sister a few weeks ago, I just so happened to pick up another ’73 hit, “Band on the Run” by Paul McCartney and Wings. “Band on the Run,” the album and the title track, are considered some of McCartney’s best solo work, and I personally think it’s better than several of the albums he wrote with The Beatles.

If you’re going to listen to “Band on the Run,” you should know that it is one of those albums where you should listen to it completely, front to back, with no shuffling or skipping, as the songs interact in a very fun way. Many motifs, concepts, lyrics and even full-on samples of previous songs will pop up throughout the album, making it one of my favorite listens. Turning 50 this December, “Band on the Run” is definitely worth a listen.

One last album I would like to mention is “Call Me,” by my favorite soul musician and fellow Arkansas native, Al Green. “Call Me” turned 50 this April and has been re-

released this year to celebrate its birthday.

Much like the previous two albums, the most famous song from “Call Me” is its title track. “Call Me” itself is a beautiful song, but the album is full of funky music, including a soulful cover of “I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry.” As a huge Green fan, no song makes me happier than “Your Love is Like the Morning Sun,” the “Avengers: Endgame” of Al Green songs, as it makes reference to and quotes four of his greatest hits from his previous four albums.

Of course, these are only a few of the important songs and albums of ’73. A few honorable mentions: “Innervisions” by Stevie Wonder, a look into politics, race and culture that is still applauded today, turned 50 this year. “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd was released that year and it is still considered one of the greatest rock albums recorded.

Last, but certainly not least, “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye had a 50th birthday this August, and its title track is just as iconic as ever. If you want to listen to something new, or more accurately, something pretty old, I’d recommend giving one, maybe even all of these albums a listen. Here’s to the songs that have stuck with us for 50 years, and here’s to 50 more!

BEN EVANS is a graphics designer for The Bison. He can be contacted at bevans2@ harding.edu.

God Abroad

Two greiving pietàs Clara Kernodle HUE Student

“God Abroad ” is a travel column by sophomore Clara Kernodle. Each week, she writes about the different ways she sees God during her HUE study abroad trip. This week, she made one last visit to La Pietà in Italy. e leave Italy today, but I’m tempted to walk the hour across Rome to see La Pietà once more. After yesterday’s hectic visit to the Vatican Museum and a few minutes staring up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, I walked with some friends down the street to St. Peter’s Basilica. We arrived at the perfect hour, for the sun was set in golden layers across the pillared façade, and we walked inside during a musical celebration of mass. Inside, we looked up forever, drinking in 10 stories’ worth of nave and dome, and then to the left — there it was, the famous Pietà. Mary, downcast, holding the small and completely unexalted body of Christ, the marble bathed in gentle light behind protective glass. A handful of people gathered to look at the curves of the fabric, the lines of Jesus’s ribs, the sorrow in Mary’s eyes, and to read the following inscription: “Marble sculpture representing the Pietà dates 1499. The work was assigned to Michelangelo Buonarroti, who was then 23 years old … One should observe the silent dialogue between the two faces: it betrays suffering, hope, a longing …”

W

staff Tiane Davis

editor-in-chief Abbey Williams lifestyle/layout editor Maggie Samples news editor

Emma Field

The Florentine Pietà, Michelangelo’s last, is given a quieter exaltation. The unfinished, unpolished and unprotected sculpture, dated around 1555, stands in a small, plain room in the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence and is cast in a light that outlines the grief in the four figures presented. Michelangelo intended the Florentine Pietà for his own tomb and sculpted the figures of Mary, Christ, Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus to highlight the grief of an old man. The hooded Nicodemus, not Mary, is the focal point of this sculpture and was chosen by Michelangelo as a self-portrait. When you enter the dark gray room in the Duomo Museum, you can’t help but gasp — the yellow light on a rough-hewn, humbly beautiful sculpture will do that to you. And you are disappointed, since the Florentine Pietà is not nearly as masterful as the one in St. Peter’s, even though Michelangelo was older and more practiced when he did the former. You have to stand somberly in the gray room, looking at the lines in the twisted shoulder and the chisel scars on Mary’s face, and read the words of Michelangelo’s prayer-poem printed on the opposite wall, before you begin to see the passion and beauty of this sadder, less perfect sculpture. Its solitary placement reflects how its sculptor abandoned it,

Emma Weber opinions editor Nic Fraraccio sports editor Eli Dean community editor

Helen Strickland features editor Cianna Jay head copy editor Ava Bramlett asst. copy editor

Clara Kernodle

even tried to damage it after eight years of work.

Both pietàs — Michelangelo’s first and last pietà sculptures — tell a similar story, one which connects the biblical story of mother and son to Michelangelo’s own. In both, the composition of the figures and the expressions on the faces of Mary and her son represent the sculptor’s relationship with his mother, whose love he did not experience and, despite his efforts, could not return.

Ricardo, our guide through the Duomo Museum, told us that a pietà, whether in painting or sculpture, represents Christ’s sacrifice and the corresponding pain of his mother. He also pointed out a significant insight into the genius of Michelangelo, saying that the suffering of Christ’s and Mary’s faces may show Michelangelo’s and his mother’s desire to have (and inability to attain) a loving, thriving connection.

The two Pietàs grieve in their own ways.

In seeing both, I saw Isaiah 53:5, which is written on the plaques of each Pietà: “He was wounded for our transgressions … by his stripes we are healed.”

CLARA KERNODLE is a guest writer for The Bison. She may be contacted at ckernodle@harding.edu.

Ben Evans asst. copy/graphics Makayla McDonald graphic designer Macy Cox head photographer

Melinda Johnson

Morgan Pickering asst. photographer Caleb Chunn asst. photographer/ PR/marketing

What’s in your Sabbath?

B

arista’s Favorite, no cinnamon, with oat milk is my friend Bob’s regular order at my place of work, the cafe and coffee shop, Warehouse 4. He pairs it nicely with a number two on sourdough. The other day I found out he likes birds, so I asked him if he had seen the birdhouses around campus.

He smiled and informed me that he had built them.

Last semester I was walking with a professor discussing our frequent conversation topics: mole mating rituals, bugs and patterns of birds. We passed the front of the Heritage building, and he pointed out a numbered birdhouse. He told me that someone had built bluebird houses around campus, numbered them and made sure there was no map to find them. From then on I searched for the treasured numbered houses.

On Sunday I found a birdhouse on a walk with a friend, reminding me of my mission.

Since this is the most exciting thing to happen to me in a while, I’ve been talking a lot about it at work. When Bob walked in on Wednesday morning for his usual, I couldn’t help but tell him the news. That’s when I found out he was the mystery birdhousebuilder. He was happy to share the way he was helping the little guys around campus and rattled off his impressive stats. There are around 180 purple martins housed in front of Harding Press and around 150 bluebirds raised around campus that will be returning for the new season. He told me it’s his 49th year of being a purple martin landlord. I couldn’t help but think about how our lives almost missed each other but didn’t.

My friend Willie is the wrangler of cats around Midnight Oil that sometimes let people catch them. Willie taught me how to play chess and roll a cigarette, only one of which is a skill I practice. Willie normally brings his own coffee to MO, and I’ve never seen him without an opinion, especially when it comes to seatbelts. I met him sophomore year when I accidentally sat in his seat and he asked me what I was reading. He liked my jokes, and I liked that cats followed him wherever he went. Now we talk about life, occasionally write songs with our friend Hannah Atkins and brainstorm new article topics. Our lives should have missed each other, but now I get to know all the names of the cats that grace MO’s porch.

We often move through our lives only looking at destinations. White spaces in personal planners are rare. Gains become our new god. We reduce our lives to clubs, majors, extracurriculars or sports - anything that gives us straightforward status or achievement. We want God to show up only in the spectacular, so we force ourselves to be nothing less than amazing. The in-between becomes a sign of laziness. Capitalistic culture consumes us and trains us to view anything that doesn’t produce something as a failure. How do we compare this to the biblical principle of rest, of Sabbath?

Sabbath is a practice that doesn’t just happen.

It is a choice to rest. In today’s context, it means setting aside time to find birdhouses or sit at MO and talk about the news. My friendships with Bob and Willie have blessed me because I allowed space for myself to do nothing but rest in their community. I could have been more concerned about the fact that these conversations don’t add anything I could put in a graduate school application.

Instead, I saw the value in taking time to build on something other than accolades.

God reveals himself more in the wind than in the earthquakes.

Now I make empty spaces in my calendar for moments I can enjoy. I make sure to keep an eye out for numbered birdhouses, and I always carry cat treats in my backpack. I want to make my life more than just walking to my next appointment. This is how I Sabbath.

EMMA WEBER is the opinions editor for The Bison. She may be contacted at eweber1@harding.edu.

Gracie Cornett cartoonist Lyndsay Walton creative director Evie Cunningham PR/marketing

Elliot Coombes beat reporter April Fatula faculty adviser Michael Claxton narrative columnist

guest contributors

Lauren Simmons

Camille White

4A OPINIONS

Friday, October 20, 2023

For Love Tiane Davis

Editor-in-Chief

Everything is copy Most of the time, I feel like I have absolutely nothing to write about. This week, I wrote the full 600 words for this column and decided none of what I wrote was anything I would be proud to print. I had already been putting it off and was already late in finishing it when I decided to delete all of it and go to sleep.

When I came back to my blank Google Doc the next morning, I was reminded of an idea I had heard recently.

This summer, I watched a documentary about Nora Ephron called “Everything is Copy.” Ephron, a writer, journalist and filmmaker, played a major role in creating three of my all-time favorite rom-coms: “You’ve Got Mail,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” I could probably write another column just about Meg Ryan, who plays the female lead in all three. But I will save my Meg Ryan fangirl piece for another day.

The idea of the documentary was that in the life of a writer or filmmaker or any creator, everything is copy. Everything that we encounter in our lives is material from which we can create — every glance, every conversation, every laugh. Every leaf, blade of grass or worm — these are all little things that can hold meaning if we just give them the chance.

As a writer and person who loves to create, life becomes 10 times easier when I am told that anything in my life is worthy of being written about.

I don’t feel like the biggest part of the struggle is finding the right words to write about these things; I think the main obstacle — or at least for me — is figuring out how to be brave enough to share what they mean to me.

When I am in the mindset that everything is copy, I not only notice things I can write about, but I notice things in my life that can have meaning or bring me joy. I start to notice signs of a creator in everything I see, which gives me the motivation to create something in my own way — or even just laugh and smile a little more. I start to find meaning in things that I would otherwise overlook, which just makes life feel a little more beautiful and exciting.

When I am stuck in that place where I can’t seem to write a few short paragraphs, I probably have convinced myself that nothing is copy. I start to think that nothing I experience or do is worth mentioning to anyone, and I get stuck trying to think of an idea that is “interesting enough” or “heartwarming enough” for the people I am writing for. This way of thinking easily bleeds into other areas of my life sometimes. I might hide parts of myself out of fear that I am not good enough, or I find ways to complain about trivial things rather than find ways to enjoy them.

Every time I feel stuck in a bad mood or stuck at all in any way, it helps to tell myself that everything is copy. Everything I experience, good or bad, can be something I can find meaning in. I don’t think this means we need to glue rose-colored glasses on our faces and try to convince ourselves that our lives are perfect or that every possible painting we see in an art museum makes sense to us. To me, living life with the idea that “everything is copy” is another way of saying that we are allowed to find meaning in little things that might seem pointless to others. And we can be brave enough to share the meaning we find.

TIANE DAVIS is editor-in-chief for The Bison. She can be contacted at cdavis27@harding.edu.

Illustration by Gracie Cornett

Musing of a Middle-age Mom Melinda Johnson Guest Writer

B

rackish water… not quite fresh, not quite salt. Alligators, angler fish, crabs and crocodiles inhabit brackish waters.

There is danger, isolation, fear and hurts of many kinds. Brackish water is not the kind of water for kinder things, but it’s so easy to unwittingly find yourself engulfed and choking on this murky, salty, stale water.

There is so much to unpack throughout the much larger passage of Proverbs 4, but nestled in the midst of a great wealth of parental advice is verse 23. This small but priceless gem states, “Above everything else, guard your heart, because from it flows the springs of life.” This is an admonition that I’ve grown to understand at a deeper level over the years. When I was younger, I saw it as a warning to keep myself pure and abstain from things that would pull me away from Christ. A warning of things to passively avoid. However, as I’ve gotten older, I see it as so much more: It is an urgent call to arms.

You see, pain by many names — disappointment, disillusionment, hurt, shame, anger, fear, grief, rejection — has caused trickles and waves and sinister, potentially deadly, slow seeps of brackish doubt to enter

Storms of life my heart. When I’ve not stayed alert and actively guarded my heart, this brackish water has stolen joy, done its best to quench the Holy Spirit and caused my heart to start feeling numb and callous. I’ve felt like the proverbial “frog in a pot,” almost to the point of being unable to jump out of the water slowly killing me.

Can you relate? Unfortunately, this fallen world leaves none of us unscathed. Satan knows that if he can cause our hearts to become callous enough, our ears will not hear God’s promises and our eyes will not behold God’s beauty that is all around us; we will not be able to understand and rest in his goodness. Each drop of brackish doubt in our heart causes us to become less effective, or even ineffective, in our Christian walk and an unwitting carrier of this malevolence, splashing it into the lives of others ( James 3:9-11).

How, might you ask, does one defend against one’s spring turning brackish? Well, I wish I could say I was an expert on this, but I’m still “in process” and learning. However, Jesus tells us to come to him for living water. What I have learned is that flooding,

I

spent the summer watching Disney movies, slowly making my way through all the studio’s animated feature films produced during Walt Disney’s lifetime. Yeah, I know.

My commitment to this column is next level.

I’m a little embarrassed to say that I was seeing a few of these gems for the first time.

By the time I came on the scene — halfway through the studio’s century — Disney was still cranking out fare like “Winnie the Pooh” and “Pete’s Dragon,” but there was plenty of other stuff vying for a kid’s attention. As soon as I discovered “Star Wars” and “The Muppet Show,” Disney’s creaky old cartoons disappeared from my mind. That’s how I made it this ridiculously far in life without ever seeing “Pinocchio,” “Bambi” or “Lady and the Tramp.”

It was delightful to watch some of these classics this summer with my mother, who saw “Dumbo” and “Bambi” in the theater when she was a child in the early ‘40s. Her family was not wealthy, so going to the cinema was a real treat. She remembers a time when she could see a movie and buy popcorn, candy and a drink all for a quarter. To hit the movie theater today, you’ll need to take out a loan.

Given that it’s such an iconic brand, it’s hard to imagine a time when the Disney studio took out loans itself, but that was the case for the first few decades of its history.

“Snow White” was a huge success in 1937, earning $8 million during its initial release (over three times what it cost to make). Yet Disney struggled to stay afloat for years before and after that. “Bambi,” for example, lost money. In 1942, during the war, the public wasn’t into sad cartoons. Even Disney’s 9-year-old daughter complained that (spoiler

Michael Claxton

Narrative Columnist

alert) “Bambi’s mother didn’t have to die.”

When her father pointed out that he was just following the book, Diane shot back that he was Walt Disney and could do whatever he wanted.

She was not far off the mark. Her father was already a major celebrity and was well on his way to becoming America’s favorite uncle.

The runaway success of “Cinderella” in 1950 solved the studio’s financial woes. The next decade was a mixed bag, however, as Disney fashioned his brand of a positive, wholesome, utopian vision of America, partly inspired by his own Missouri childhood hometown.

His pioneering TV show was a major success, but after he released a tearjerker starring Hayley Mills as a relentlessly optimistic girl, the name Pollyanna became code for a naïve and unrealistic outlook. Critics complained that Disney had turned to sap, and for that film, many fans agreed. When “Pollyanna” made only $3 million at the box office in 1960, Disney conceded that perhaps it had been “too sweet and sticky.”

Then again, “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” grossed $14 million the next year, so Disney still had the magic touch. And by then, Disney was far less involved in the actual films — no more three-hour improvs to pitch a story idea. Instead, he was obsessed with his new playground, which had turned his vision of utopia into a reality.

flushing and steadily filling my heart with the truth found in God’s word helps dilute the doubts to where they are ineffective in causing catastrophic mayhem in my soul.

Seeking to know Christ through prayer, his word, his creation and his church — our brothers and sisters —allows his living water to flood our souls, fill us to the brim and then overflow into the lives of others.

The more living water of truth that’s poured in, the more doubt is washed away and the more satisfied my soul is in the promises I know will be fulfilled, even if it’s not in the timeframe I want.

Friends, this is not a “one and done” task.

It is an ongoing, lifelong process, but the doubts will become more and more diluted and the spring in our hearts will become cleaner, clearer and stronger as we continue to move toward Christ.

MELINDA JOHNSON is a guest writer for The Bison. She may be contacted at mmjohnson@harding. edu.

Graphic by MAKAYLA MCDONALD

He had worked on his dream for years, long before he acquired the property in Anaheim, California. During development, he supervised every inch of the hundred-acre park. When Disneyland opened to great fanfare in 1955, he celebrated with 28,000 guests, making notes as he walked around, spotting light bulbs that needed to be changed. The night before the opening, Disney had donned a mask to help spray paint a giant latex squid. The prop from the hugely successful film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” had deteriorated in storage.

A constant visitor to Disneyland, Disney would sometimes randomly jump on a ride with park visitors. “Like a child with a giant playset,” is how biographer Neal Gabler described him. He even had an apartment furnished so he could stay at the park on occasion, showing up early on a Saturday to stuff oranges into the juice machines.

With its “Main Street USA”and its “World of Tomorrow,” the park combined Disney’s love of nostalgia with his fascination with the future. Disney was constantly breaking new ground. He had been one of the first to embrace the Technicolor process. He jumped almost immediately into television production when many filmmakers feared TV as a threat.

His studio pioneered countless advances in animation.

Walt Disney would live only a decade or so after his beloved theme park opened. But he would be there to shepherd the film many would call his studio’s masterpiece. I’ll say more about that next time. Better yet, come to Homecoming and watch the story live on the Benson stage.

MICHAEL CLAXTON is a narrative columnist for The Bison. He can be contacted at mclaxto1@harding.edu.

Vol. 99, No. 5

Oct. 20, 2023

The Tampa Traveler Nic Fraraccio Sports Editor

Harding volleyball continues conference season

Tampa tantrum

The world of sports can bring the best and worst out of people. When your team wins, it gives you that little kick you need to get through another day. When your team loses, it gives you an excuse to lay in your bed all day and mope.

Emotions run high in the world of sports, and one team made me question my fandom during 2023. After watching this team since I was 4 years old, they taught me a valuable lesson during the last eight months: Great moments always have their dreadful downfalls.

The Tampa Bay Rays provided their 36 loyal fans with one of the wildest seasons in recent Major League Baseball history.

You might be wondering, “36 fans — how is that possible?” Don’t worry, I’ll get to that in a second.

The Rays tied an all-time record to start the season, winning their first 13 regular season games. I was shocked. This was some of the best baseball I’ve ever seen us play.

Our bats were on fire, the pitching staff was lights out and the fans made Tropicana Field a madhouse for the first month of the season.

However, as we all know, there has to be a downfall somewhere down the line. The downfall started with starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs. The tall lefty looked like one of the best pitchers in baseball to begin the season.

Unfortunately, the season was cut short for Springs after undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery (ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction) in April. That was only the beginning of the injury bug for the Rays.

Shane McClanahan, one of the best starting pitchers in the world of baseball, would also require season-ending surgery in August.

With injuries piling up, someone had to provide a spark plug for the Rays. Fortunately, the all-stars on offense would get the job done on multiple occasions. First baseman Yandy Diaz, outfielder Randy Arozarena and shortstop Wander Franco came in clutch for the Rays offense day in and day out.

All three players made the All-Star Game in July, giving Rays fans a glimmer of hope for a first World Series title. What could possibly go wrong during the second half of the season? The simple answer: a lot.

Arozarena’s bat was ice-cold during the second half of the season. Díaz continued to dominate but did not have much help.

That leaves us with Franco, the man who completely changed our season Aug. 13.

Let’s just say Franco got put in a temporary timeout and might not ever play the game of baseball again.

Despite the craziness behind Franco’s troubling story and the constant injury woes, the team finished with 99 wins ahead of the 2023 postseason.

We matched up with the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card series. Despite having a young squad of available players, I was confident in our ability to win.

Also, I was excited to see the Rays play a playoff game at home for the first time since 2021. My excitement turned into frustration in the blink of an eye.

The Rangers dismantled the Rays in two games to move on with ease. It was arguably the most embarrassing showing in team history.

The manager and players did not look like they cared at all in front of the small group of fans. Small group of fans? Yes, you read that right. The stadium was not sold out for either game during the Wild Card series matchup. Game one recorded the lowest playoff attendance since 1919 with a total of 19,704 fans.

Maybe if Stu Sternberg, the team owner, wanted to actually play baseball in Tampa we could get fans in the stands. The Rays play their home games in St. Petersburg, Florida, drastically hurting their attendance season by season.

The whole situation is embarrassing for Tampa Bay Rays fans like me, and I hope Sternberg somehow comes across this column.

Your team cannot stay healthy, your players don’t know how to act off the field and you want to continue playing baseball in St. Petersburg instead of Tampa. Show us you care this offseason so we can bring a title to Tampa Bay. Stu, it’s your move.

Graphic by BEN EVANS

NIC FRARACCIO is the sports editor for The Bison. He may be contacted at nfraraccio@harding.edu.

Photo provided by Nathan Looney

The volleyball team prepares to break their huddle against No. 15 Northwest Missouri State University. The Lady Bisons defeated the Bearcats in four sets for their first ranked win of the season.

NIC FRARACCIO sports editor Harding Volleyball has continued its success in the Great American Conference (GAC) during the 2023 season. In the conference standings, the Lady Bisons currently sit in first place after winning eight conference games in a row.

Multiple key victories have propelled the Lady Bisons to first in the conference. On Oct. 6, Harding defeated the Oklahoma Baptist University Bison in three sets for their fifth conference win of the season. Fifth-year outside hitter Logan Smith-Morgan and sophomore middle blocker Jacey Lambert led the team with 10 kills each.

This was Harding’s first straight-set victory against the Bison since 2018. Morgan said the victory was a big moment for the team during their undefeated start.

“Oklahoma Baptist is the team we always look at in our conference and know that it’s gonna be a competitive game,” Morgan said.

“It felt good to sweep and take three sets off of them quickly.”

Harding would win their next three matchups before losing their first conference game of the season against Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Oct. 13.

The four-set loss broke Harding’s 29-game conference winning streak that dated back to the 2021 season.

Harding’s success is driven not only by the team’s ability on the court but by their companionship off-court. Lambert said the family environment plays a big role for the Lady Bisons.

“We make it a point to get to know each other outside of volleyball and on the court,” Lambert said. “We’re all able to support each other in the ways we know best.”

Junior middle blocker Delaney Garner said head coach Meredith Fear helps build the family environment on and off the court.

“She notices people’s strengths and weaknesses and how they want to be coached,” Garner

said. “She really takes that into consideration, and I think it definitely helps to build that relationship.”

Harding’s remaining conference schedule will prove pivotal for conference tournament seeding. The Lady Bisons will face two rivals in back-to-back matchups. Harding will travel to Ouachita Baptist University on Oct. 31 followed up by a home matchup Nov. 2 against Arkansas Tech University.

As the season continues, Morgan said she would love to see the stands filled during home games.

“We need good turnouts to finish the season,” Morgan said. “I would love to see the energy there.”

The Lady Bisons will continue their conference schedule today as they host Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

The first serve is set for 4 p.m. in the RhodesReaves Field House.

Harding travel club sports adds spikeball ELLIOT COOMBES beat reporter NIC FRARACCIO sports editor

A new sport will be added this semester to Harding’s travel club sports program.

Spikeball, also known as “roundnet,” has successfully launched its debut this semester.

The spikeball team plans to play in matches against the University of Arkansas, Oklahoma State University and Union University.

The addition is part of a bigger movement from Harding to offer a more attractive variety of sports.

Spikeball is one of the 10 sports offered by the travel sports club program.

Braden Henderson, the Ganus Activities Complex manager, explained the goals behind adding the sport.

“Our primary goal is trying to find things that will bring people to Harding, and our secondary goal is to provide a cool experience for the current students,” Henderson said.

The travel team had interest boosted from its first tournament last week. They competed against 15 to 18 other spikeball teams from other schools. Club president Carter Fitch said eight other people currently comprise the team and are enjoying the experience.

“I’m excited,” Fitch said. “I was a little worried coming here because roundnet is a sport no one really plays competitively, so I didn’t know if anyone would want to commit to playing and learning how to play competitively, but now that we’re here, I’ve gotten many people who are committed and come out and play and who are also excited about the sport, so I’m excited.”

Fitch played a big part in getting the ball rolling. A freshman himself, he worked with faculty who helped him acquire funding

Photos by MORGAN PICKERING

From left to right: Junior Preston Huitt, junior Gordon Young, senior Andrew Williamson and freshman Carter Fitch playing a game of spikeball. The Harding spikeball team hosted their first tournament last weekend with participation from over 15 teams. and jerseys, and assisted in setting up the tournament.

“It’s not just a game to them,” Fitch said.

“It’s a real sport. Most people have played basketball or football for fun, and most people have also played spikeball for fun. The thing is, when you take spikeball to a competitive level, it becomes a whole different game. You have to start learning how to serve better, how to receive serves, how to get hits that are hard, how to get the ball up defensively.”

The spikeball team is open to additional members and welcomes people who want to play a casual game too.

Junior Preston Huitt said travel club sports offer a unique opportunity for those who do not play college sports.

“Travel has been a really great way of getting back into that competitive sports aspect,” Huitt said.

Freshman Carter Finch serves a ball onto the net on Oct. 18. Finch was chosen during the fall semester to captain the spikeball team.

2B COMMUNITY

Friday, October 20, 2023

New Searcy Methodist church opens EMMA WEBER opinions editor

Two of the formerly United Methodist Churches in Searcy have disaffiliated and changed their names, one to St. Paul Global Methodist and the other to Searcy First Methodist Church. St. Paul Global Methodist held its vote prior to Sept. 25, while Searcy First Methodist held their vote on Sept. 25, the last deadline recommended by the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church’s board of trustees.

Thousands of churches are voting to disaffiliate f rom the United Methodist Church, the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion & Democracy, said, “It’s been a much larger exit than both friends and adversaries of [the] exit expected.”

Since 2021, Arkansas has had over 100 churches disaffiliated. At least 6,410 of the nation’s 30,000 United Methodist churches have left since 2019. According to Frank E. Lockwood in an article published by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, a provision in Paragraph 2553 of the denomination’s Book of Discipline allowed local churches to disaffiliate if they were dissatisfied with the denomination’s handling of issues such as same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay clergy.

From this split, however, a continuation of the denomination has sprouted locally and goes by the name First United Methodist Church of Searcy. They have been meeting in the First Presbyterian Church of Searcy’s building at 5 p.m. on Sundays. Recently, however, the United Methodist Church of Searcy has partially moved into office space in downtown Searcy. This congregation was appointed leadership by pastor Michael Bolin.

“Our congregation is a congregation that has come together from the division of the two prior United Methodist churches,” Bolin said. “This space begins to give us something that makes us feel concrete in our presence.

We’re a nomadic tribe, and being nomadic is not a bad thing.”

Photo by EMMA WEBER

First United Methodist Church pastor Michael Bolin stands in front of the new church building Oct. 19. The church was established after members decided to not disaffiliate from the United Methodist church.

The church had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 11 to celebrate its new location. Bolin shared the congregation’s excitement about the opportunities this space can provide for their ministries. As they focus on the future, their first priority is the community. “​​How do you do ministry when being nomadic, when you’ve been conditioned to do ministry from an existing structure?”

Bolin said. “The ribbon cutting helps us to feel that we have a place that can be used for a community ministry.”

Sara Dacus, a member of the First United Methodist Church of Searcy’s leadership board, looks with excitement to the future of the church.

“We’ve got to start looking forward,” Dacus said. “We’ve got to move past the hurt.

I think we have done a good job of doing

that. The office is just one step towards us, you know, returning to a congregational life.”

The transitional period has allowed the congregation to make bonds with different churches around the community. Dacus said working with other churches on events such as Vacation Bible School (VBS) has allowed the community to be served and the congregation to be the hands and feet of Jesus, despite their nomadic style.

“VBS was kind of a three-congregation effort,” Dacus said. “So that has become one good thing about all the heartache that we went through; we have formed some bonds with some other bodies in town. We are going to be a part of Trick-or-Treat on the Square. We’re still here, and we’re wanting to do good in our community, and we’re wanting

to partner with other people.”

Bolin said the church’s current focus is on spiritual building instead of physical. The current circumstances are not deterring the congregation from serving those in their community.

“There is great opportunity for new ways of doing ministry that are not necessarily driven by numbers but driven by interactions, and bridging the gap to bring about new relationships, and helping people come to really know the Lord, to have a relationship with God, and to have that fullness of what it means to be a born again Christian,” Bolin said.

New dog parks, basketball courts arranged for Searcy ABBEY WILLIAMS lifestyle editor Searcy City Council approved a plan to implement new basketball courts and a new dog park in town, which will be located near each other and continue to improve Searcy’s parks.

Director of Searcy Parks and Recreation Mike Parsons said the community prompted this expansion.

“The dog park idea came from the public,” Parsons said. “We put feelers out during our 20-year master plan, and we got a very big reaction for basketball courts and to be more dog-friendly in all our parks.”

Parsons said because of the small size of the current dog park, he, the city planner and several others visited dog parks throughout the state for ideas for the new design. The new dog park will be much larger and located on the back side of the Carmichael Community Center, Parsons said. As for the basketball courts, the park currently has five,

but since they are outside the main area of activity, Parsons said the planning team decided to add two new courts north of the new dog park.

Parsons said construction should start soon. “ We have Richard Stafford on board, who has the knowledge and abilities to plan this out and make the design on a computer for us,” Parsons said.

“He started in January.

We’re hoping to put it out for bids in the next couple weeks and break ground and start construction in the next month.”

Planning and community development director Richard Stafford said the plans for the park and courts are coming along.

“We are working hard on the dog park construction plans, and then we did add a pavilion up by the dog park, that kind of is part of the dog park,” Stafford said.

Stafford says the basketball courts and the dog park will be visible from the Carmichael Community Center.

“At the very least, we love to go in and out of that property and clear the brush and clean up some of the trees,” Stafford said.

“They need to be able to see the dog park and basketball courts in the Carmichael Community Center.”

Junior Chloe Daniel said the new dog park will allow her dog more socialization.

“The new dog park would benefit me because I have a dog of my own that loves to go to the dog park and play with her friends,” Daniel said. “The dog park now is just a fenced-in area with grass and a few tires. Having a new dog park would allow my dog and others to have more than a fenced-in area to be able to play on.”

Daniel said the new dog park and basketball courts could bring the community together. “ The new dog park as well as new basketball courts could improve living in Searcy by bringing the community together, and it would allow people to socialize and build friendships,” Daniel said. “It would give people an activity to do after work or school, and give people time to relax and have a good time with people that could potentially become friends.”

Graphic by MAKAYLA MCDONALD

“Back theisDay” is asection special innewspaper The Bisoninnewspaper “Back in the in Day” a special in section The Bison celebration ofin celebration of Harding’s centennial year.during Eachthe print issue during the 2023Harding’s Centennial year. Each print issue 2023-24 academic year will 24 academic year pieces related toour thereaders centennial, connecting have pieces related towill the have centennial, connecting to Harding’s past. our readers to Harding’s past. weat get glimpse at the banter at faculty This This week,week, we look anaadvertisement from 1983between for Pizzastudents Hut encouraging students to stop by after Harding victory.

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October 15, 1976 issue: Vol. 52, No. 7, p. 7

TheLink.Harding.edu

FEATURES 3B

IMCO tours companies in Little Rock

Graphic by BEN EVANS

LAUREN SIMMONS guest writer The Integrated Marketing Communications Organization (IMCO) took a trip Oct. 19 to Little Rock and toured various companies to create marketing connections for the students.

The organization was scheduled to meet with Blue Flame Minerals, Tropical Smoothie, CJRW advertising agency and Apptegy software company as students heard from professionals about the future of marketing in a variety of companies.

Assistant professor of communication Lori Sloan, the adviser of the integrated marketing communications major and IMCO, said her goal is to provide students with future connections in the marketing field as well as open their eyes to the usefulness of the skill sets they learn at Harding.

“I want students who are in this program to be excited and confident about the opportunities that are out there for them and their skill sets,” Sloan said. “And I want them to be encouraged that they can make contacts in the workplace.”

Sloan said IMCO’s motto, “soft skills build strong bridges,” has been the mindset of the organization since it began in 2020. Through the support of the Center for Professional Excellence, IMCO has taken multiple trips throughout the school year at no cost to participating students.

IMCO president McKenna Oliver, a senior, said she has loved being a part of the organization throughout her college career.

Through past trips, Oliver has connected with professionals at JB Hunt, Walmart, the Memphis Grizzlies and other companies.

Oliver said she was interested in seeing how

different types of companies implement marketing strategies into their businesses.

“I [was] excited to get to meet people in organizations that I did not know before and spend the day asking questions to people that are willing to help college students gain knowledge about real-world experience,” Oliver said.

Sophomore Abby Britt, vice president of membership, said she joined IMCO because she wanted real-world experience and to see how the class work is used in real-life jobs.

She said the trip to Little Rock gave her a view of what happens behind the scenes in the marketing world.

“My favorite thing about being a part of IMCO is the trips and connections that are made,” Britt said. “The experiences are very

beneficial and teach me more than I could ever learn inside of a classroom.”

Sloan said the most important part of IMCO is collaboration. She said she wants her students to open new doors for themselves and to make their dreams happen.

“Our goal is not to self-promote but to use our skills to promote other good causes,” Sloan said. “We want to be behind the scenes to help cool stuff happen, and so I want anyone looking at us to see us as collaborators and cutting edge as far as certifications and hands-on experience go.”

Sloan said IMCO has additional future events such as the annual trip to Memphis, Tennessee, a communication department logo contest and a service opportunity at the Timothy Hill Ranch.

Courtney Eby seeks God’s presence through hiking MACY COX head photographer The exploration of God’s creation looks different for everyone. For senior Courtney Eby, it involves dedicating her weekends to expanding her boundaries by hiking and mountain biking.

Senior Courtney Eby is on what she’s calling a journey to redeem Arkansas through hiking, paddleboarding, mountain biking and trail running. She has already explored 14 different mountains this semester, including Pinnacle Mountain, Petit Jean, Rattlesnake Ridge and her favorite experience, Sugarloaf Mountain.

Junior Lydia Radke has known Eby for two years. They first met on a camping trip with

the club HU Explore and have since gone hiking, camping, running and paddleboarding together on different occasions. They camped together last weekend with HU Explore.

“Courtney is a great adventure buddy because she is willing to try anything, doesn’t take herself too seriously, has fun, creative ideas and quickly connects with new people,” Radke said.

Her freshman year, Eby and her friends left early in the morning to go to Sugarloaf and recite the Sermon on the Mount because they all had to memorize the scripture for their foundations of ministry class

together. They all hiked up the mountain with the intention of experiencing the feeling of being at the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus was teaching.

“I am making an effort to really see what God has done with just the state,” Eby said. “I had no idea this view existed, but here I am looking off a cliff into the river and just in awe of the way some people just don’t know about. I always fall back on how scripture is so clear about how the

trees of the forest and the mountains just sing praises to God, and that’s what I’m experiencing.”

Not only does Eby explore by herself but also with other clubs and organizations like HU Explore and Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL). Eby led the trail runs last year with HEAL and is a participant in HU Explore.

“Courtney is really active in the HU Explore club and comes on all of our hiking trips and camping trips,” sophomore Amelia Slater said. “She is always really excited to do anything outside.”

Eby plans to continue exploring and looking for God’s beauty and the challenges that exploration may bring with it.

Photo provided by AMELIA SLATER

Senior Courtney Eby poses on Sugarloaf Mountain Nature Trail while on a hike with the Explore Club. Eby has spent the semester exploring nature in Arkansas, traveling to 14 mountains such as Pinnacle Mountain and Rattlesnake Ridge.

Student, faculty commuters offer their perspectives

HELEN STRICKLAND features editor

Although a majority of students live on Harding’s campus, and a majority of employees live in Searcy, many people commute to work or attend classes every day. Among these people are sophomore Rebecca Dye and faculty members Jill Davis and Chantelle Taylor.

Dye lives in Sherwood, Arkansas, which is just outside of North Little Rock and a 45-minute drive from Harding. Dye commutes to Harding every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she works as a nanny.

Dye commutes alongside her friend, sophomore Rylie Griggs. Dye said their drive often consists of listening to music or listening to class lectures to study for upcoming tests.

“I love commuting because I love … getting to be here but also getting to be back home,” Dye said. “Having both worlds is really fun.”

Dye said she requests that Harding would implement commuter parking spots, as she has had trouble parking here.

Davis is an assistant math professor who also works with the Provost Office. Davis has worked for Harding for over 20 years, but this is her third semester of commuting.

She lives in Conway, Arkansas — an hour and five-minute drive from Harding. She moved to Conway from Searcy in 2022 after her husband got a job there. Davis said she anticipated the drive to be difficult when she moved to Conway, but she was met with a pleasant surprise.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” Davis said. “I enjoy it. In the mornings, I try to use it … for quiet time, and usually it’s been fun to watch the sun come up … It’s been surprising how much I’ve enjoyed watching

Graphic by BEN EVANS

birds flying over and just the quietness and the stillness of the morning.”

Davis often listens to worship music or podcasts on her drives to Harding. On her drives home, she listens to audiobooks or sports, or she calls her friends or children.

Davis said she appreciates commuting to Harding because it has remained a constant for her since her move. She often invites students to her home in Conway, and she hosts a Wednesday night Bible study in Searcy with a friend. Davis focused on the positive aspects of commuting to Conway.

“I think if you look at it over the long term, it seems really long, but I think as a Christian, we’re supposed to just take [it] day by day,” Davis said.

Davis said certain classes of hers have been changed so she can get more time at home in Conway. She emphasized her appreciation for Harding faculty who have worked with her to allow her commute to go smoothly.

Taylor, assistant professor of chemistry, lives north of Sherwood. Taylor said her drive is 45 minutes from Harding “on a good day.”

“I take that as my downtime every day,” Taylor said of her drive to Harding. “I always have an audiobook going. Occasionally, I will listen to a podcast.”

Taylor and her husband have lived in Sherwood for 17 years. Before getting a job at Harding, Taylor commuted to West Little Rock, which she said was a 25-minute drive in the mornings and a 35-minute drive in the afternoons. She has taught at Harding for three years.

Taylor’s husband commutes to southwest Little Rock. She said she appreciates where she lives because it allows both her and her husband to reach their respective workplaces.

To Taylor, a downside of commuting to Harding is missing out on events that happen on campus in the evenings. Overall, though, she said she is “very grateful that [the] opportunity to teach at Harding came up and that it is at a drivable distance.”

Though it is a different experience than living close to campus, Dye, Davis and Taylor all acknowledged the positive aspects of commuting to Harding.

4B LIFESTYLE

Friday, October 20, 2023

Photo by CALEB CHUNN

From left to right: freshman Noah Cozort, junior Scarlett Davis, senior Bailey Moore, freshman Henely Sanders, freshman Keaton Rochelle, and senior Rachael Bull gather on the front lawn to meet and pet various animals Oct. 10. Campus Life held a petting zoo during midterm week.

HU Campus Life organizes petting zoo CAMILLE WHITE student writer

Harding Campus Life hosted a petting zoo on the front lawn to provide students with a break during midterm week. The event lasted from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 10.

The mobile petting zoo, Cockrill’s Country Critters, is located in Austin, Arkansas. They brought about 25 animals from nine species, including piglets, ducks, chickens, rabbits, goats, cows, a llama, a pony and an alpaca.

Director of Campus Life Jane Chandler said two of her student workers presented

the idea to her after visiting the White County Fair.

“This is the same group that goes to the White County Fair every year, the petting zoo, and so one of them went to the fair, texted me and was like, ‘we should do a petting zoo on campus,’” Chandler said.

Chandler said she was nervous about getting the petting zoo approved since it was on the front lawn. However, Campus Life was able to host the event since they agreed to not put stakes in the ground and to clean everything up afterward.

“I wouldn’t say I wrote it off, but I was just like, how would we even do that?” Chandler said. “How do we get all these animals?

I just had no idea. Then the next day, not knowing that one student worker had said that, another one brought the business card of this company.”

Chandler said they wanted to do the petting zoo during midterms to provide a break from exams, and it fit well into the University’s schedule.

“Obviously, the library does therapy dogs during finals and things like that, so we thought this would be a fun midterm thing,” Chandler said. “It’s just nice to have a little breather, and who doesn’t love animals?”

Senior Hank Noblin, a student worker for Campus Life, said Lisanne Cheatham had the original idea for the petting zoo

and that he received the business card for Cockrill’s Country Critters. Noblin said it turned out to be a popular event.

“We advertised that it started at 3 p.m., and they were setting up at about 2:20 p.m. and there were already just a flock of students,” Noblin said. “I hope that everyone who came out had a good time.”

Freshman Danielle Morgan said she attended the petting zoo after hearing about it from a friend.

“I just had a test, so it [was] nice to come out here and see the animals,” Morgan said.

“I used to live on an alpaca farm, actually.

So it’s cool to see them.”

Spooktacular crossword: creepy clues for Hallwoeen fun ACROSS 4. disguises 5. who wears a pointy hat?

10. another word for cemetery 11. phrase used when asking for candy 12. two-word phrase that serves as a magic spell 14. scary creature DOWN 1. bones 2. winged mammal 3. character from the Addams family 6. home full of ghosts 7. carved pumpkin 8. sweet yreat 9. symbol of bad luck 10. haunted spirit 13. bug with eight legs

Graphics by BEN EVANS, MAKAYLA MCDONALD and ABBEY WILLIAMS