The Bison - Vol. 99, No. 10

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

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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

Feb. 2, 2024 Vol. 99, No. 10

In this issue New weight room, 2A

Basketball, 1B

Slader’s, 2B

Crossword streak, 3B

Online at TheLink.Harding.edu

Searcy, Ark., 72149

HUF welcomes new director MAGGIE SAMPLES news editor

International Programs appointed a new director for Harding University in Florence (HUF), effective this fall. Aleece Kelley will observe and work alongside Robbie and Mona Shackelford for the 2024 spring and summer groups, according to the International Programs January newsletter, which was sent to subscribers Jan. 25.

Executive director of International Programs Audra Pleasant said her role throughout the transition of leadership is supporting both Kelley and the Shackelfords as they support the students.

“Robbie and Mona are the [HUF] program to so many students and faculty and administrators at Harding, and that includes me,” Pleasant said. “They have devoted a huge portion of their lives to developing this program and honoring students and families and being hospitable to so many people who are both from the United States and from the community there in Italy.”

Pleasant said Shackelford and Kelley share a student-oriented focus, and this is what has made the HUF program successful. ”I had the opportunity to work with Aleece when she was working in our office here in Searcy,” Pleasant said. “She worked very hard to advocate well for students when she was helping to administer all the programs that we had, and I know she has really valued the opportunity she’s had to work and talk with students while they’ve been in Italy.”

Current HUF director Robbie Shackelford said he looks forward to working alongside Kelley during the transition period. ”Mona and I have already had many opportunities to be and work together with Aleece and Zac,” Shackelford said.

“Their love for Italy and Italians will bless future HUF students for years to come.”

Kelley and her husband Zachary have been working with Avanti Italia, a

Bible and English school in Scandicci, Italy, for the past seven years and said they have come to appreciate the work of the people who worked at the Bible school and HUF before them.

“I cannot wait to see [the students] delight in all the food, art and culture this incredible country and her people have to offer,” Kelley said. “[I look forward to] seeing how students are changed by their experiences studying here. When they encounter Italy through a lens of respectful, thoughtful scholarship, there is no way they will leave the same person.”

Chair of the Department of Music and former Avanti Bible school director Jay Walls has worked with Aleece and Zachary Kelley through his connection with the Bible school. Walls said he considers S h a c k e l f o r d ’s position difficult to fill, but that Kelley is up to the task.

”I was really pleased when Harding made the decision that they did, because it really necessitates a person who is immersed in that culture and already has lots of connections — and Aleece has that,” Walls said. “They already have a lot of connections throughout Scandicci, and she understands thoroughly the Italian culture, and she communicates extremely well in the language. So that, in my opinion, was a really good choice.”

Walls said the job of the HUF director is difficult and requires dealing with regulations and governmental bureaucracy.

“When she does things, she does them well, so I’m sure that will benefit the students in the program,” Walls said.

Photo provided by International Programs

New Harding University in Florence director Aleece Kelley stands in front of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence, Italy in November 2023. International Programs announced Kelley’s appointment Jan. 25.

Country artist Mason Ramsey performs on campus EMMA MCDARIS guest writer Campus Life hosted a concert last week, inviting the student body to hear from an artist who started his career going viral over social media.

Mason Ramsey, a 17-year-old known for his viral 2018 yodeling video, performed in the Anthony Wright Administration Auditorium Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. for the Harding community.

The office of Campus Life announced in the fall 2023 semester that Ramsey would be coming to perform at Harding and that Searcy native Silas Carpenter would open the show.

Director of Campus Life Jane Chandler coordinated the concert and had some takeaways from the student body’s reaction to the performance.

“I think the success of the concert showed that students have a wide variety of taste when it comes to music preferences,” Chandler said. “We haven’t had a country artist in a while, so I’m glad we were able to get someone who would attract people from the community, students who like country music and people who want to see someone they feel like they grew up with.

It was sweet to see such a variety of people in attendance — some ticket holders drove five hours to be there. I hope we get to have similar events that continue to draw a wide demographic in the future.”

Members of Campus Life said they had very high expectations for the concert and how the student body would react. Senior Brenley Colbert said she was excited to announce Ramsey’s performance and what it meant for Harding.

“I am mostly looking forward to just hearing Mason perform all of his other songs and getting to say we had him here at Harding,” Colbert said. “I think everybody was shocked when we announced it, and I know everyone will bring so much energy to the concert itself.”

Photo by BRILEY KEMPER

Illinois native Mason Ramsey, also known as the “yodeling kid,” takes a picture of himself with a fan’s phone during his performance in the Anthony Wright Administration Auditorium Jan. 28. Campus Life announced the concert last semester.

Junior Evan Carter supported the idea of bringing Ramsey to campus to get a wide variety of students together including country fans and those who watched Ramsey’s career go from yodeling in Walmart to signing his record deal.

“I am most excited for the fun vibes he is going to bring to the concert,” Carter said. “I know his Instagram has him always posting some fun things, and I know he will just bring a fun vibe to the concert. A lot of his songs are also so sweet, and I know there will be some girls in the audience who will probably be crying.”

The student workers of Campus Life help organize events such as concerts that will

engage students and give them something fun and inexpensive to do on campus. Junior Lexi Earnheart said she remembered the process of contacting and getting Ramsey to Harding.

“So Mason has actually asked to play at Harding before as he has family who have attended before,” Earnheart said. “We talked about it early last fall and all decided that he would be a great choice that was a balance of a fun and good quality concert, as well as being already well known.”

Campus Life also announced that they created a system to notify students about events involving reminders via text message.

Students who enrolled in these texts were entered into a raffle to meet Ramsey before his concert. Student workers saw this new system as an effective way to reach students and increase participation.

“I think our biggest goal with our recent text remind service we have been rolling out is that we want to make sure we are adequately marketing all of our events,” Earnheart said.

“We never want someone to not know about an event we are throwing, so hopefully with this system we will eliminate some gaps we have seen in that regard.”

2A NEWS

Friday, February 2, 2024

Construction begins at stadium

First Security Stadium to add new weight room and concession stand

Photo by BRILEY KEMPER

Silk Cavassa Marchetti Architects is building a new concession stand and weight room at First Security Stadium. The renovations began Dec. 11 as a continuation of the removal of the track field and used funds from private donations.

ELLIOTT COOMBS beat reporter Harding began building a new facility on the west end of First Security Stadium on Dec. 11. The 10,000-square-foot building will house new bathrooms, a new concession stand and an updated weight room for Harding’s athletes. This project will be a continuation of stadium renovations that began with the renovation of both the track and football field in 2023, along with the addition of the new JumboTron.

The last major improvements to the stadium were made during the summer of 2018. Since then, plans to continue improving

have been made and now have the funding for the next phase.

The weight room, located in the south side of the building, will service 250 or more student athletes, director of athletics Jeff Morgan said.

“We started this year with about 454 student athletes this year,” Morgan said.

“This will help 250-plus of those.”

The previous weight room, dubbed “the dungeon” by student athletes, has been in use at Harding since the early 60s.

“This is something that we’ve been looking into for years, because of the condition of this older building that floods quite frequently

because of where it sits,” Morgan said. “It sits pretty low to the ground over here.”

With windows on three sides of the building, athletes will have a bright view of the open field and the surrounding area. In a video on the Harding University YouTube channel, head strength and conditioning coach Michael Gragg spoke on the difference.

“Currently, about 30 student athletes can train at one time, and a new building will double that number while also providing space for the next team to warm up,” Cragg said.

The list of athletic programs receiving the upgrade include baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and track and field. The weight

room will also be an asset to academics, as Harding offers several programs in strength and conditioning; those students will find the new facilities useful.

The concession stand will have additional room for its patrons and new bathrooms.

Payment for the project has been provided through private donations, and the construction is being undertaken by Silk Cavassa Marchetti Architects.

Scott Leonard, a principal architect, said the restrooms will “nearly quadruple the size of our current facilities to create a better experience for the visitors and guests at Bison athletic events.”

Searcy prepares for solar eclipse ALAINA WOLF guest writer

“You’ll never be the same,” said Jenna Friday, eclipse coordinator of Searcy, Arkansas.

Speaking about a solar eclipse that will be visible to anyone in the Searcy area Monday, April 8, Friday said the event will be similar to “100 Super Bowls” happening simultaneously.

“This is predicted to be the largest travel event in U.S. history,” Friday said.

Arkansas has experienced a variety of eclipses within the past few years, including a partial eclipse this fall, but not one like this; Searcy has not experienced a total solar eclipse since the 1800s. Unlike partial eclipses, the solar eclipse is a scientific marvel, as the moon is the perfect distance between the sun and the earth to where there will be complete darkness when the sun should be shining. This astronomical event happens once every 18 months over the surface of the Earth. Multiple cities in Arkansas fall in the 125-mile-wide span of solar eclipse totality path, with Searcy being in the path of totality.

Dr. Cindy White, chair of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, has been preparing for this day on behalf of the University. She is organizing Harding’s first ever solar eclipse tailgate that will take place the day of the solar eclipse. All classes will be canceled from noon to 3 p.m. to ensure students and faculty will not miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. White said Searcy expects thousands of visitors from all over the country to travel to the area to watch the eclipse.

“The city of Searcy is expecting 40,000 people just in town,” White said. “That’s double the population.”

White purchased 30,000 solar eclipse glasses to prepare for the influx of people.

She also chose solar eclipse ambassadors within the student body to help educate those on campus and visiting campus about the historical and scientific significance. Two of those ambassadors are junior Melody Brooks and sophomore Ashley Daughety. The two emphasized the wonder and relational aspect the event will bring to campus, especially during Harding’s Centennial year.

“Obviously there is something special about once-in-a-lifetime events, but experiencing that with your closest college friends and your community of people is so powerful,” Brooks said.

Both mentioned how special the total solar eclipse will be because of who Harding represents. Students from other countries and different states may have never been able to witness such an event in their life, but because they’re here at Harding, they have the opportunity to go outside and see it.

“It’s hard to put into words just how special it really is,” Daughety said.

Senior Maci Claire Smith is one of many students who is looking forward to the eclipse, and she emphasized how memorable it will be to spend the day with the friends she’s made the last four years.

“I cannot wait to experience this natural phenomenon with the phenomenal friends I’ve made during my time at Harding,” Smith said.

Both Harding and the city of Searcy will be hosting various community events the weekend of and the day leading up to the solar eclipse.

Graphic by BEN EVANS

3A OPINIONS

TheLink.Harding.edu

Honey, I shrunk the Church!

Malachi Brown

Opinions Editor Emeritus

T

he Catholic Church has experienced three major schisms in its 2000-year history — once about every 500 years; church historians are looking at a fourth.

I will provide a brief history for those interested, but if that is not you, you may skip this paragraph. The first schism began in 451 A.D. with the Council of Chalcedon and was solidified by the following two councils, which confirmed the dual nature of Christ: divine and human. This doctrine cut off the further reaches of Ethiopia, Persia and India, who neither recognized this council nor were close enough to care to agree with the more centralized Euro-mediterranean church.

The second, or “Great Schism” between the now Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches occurred in 1054 over many issues, including the wording of the Nicene Creed, papal authority and of course the use of unleavened bread in communion.

The most recent and likely most recognizable to us is the Protestant Reformation, which began in 1517, splintering the Catholic Church into thousands of different fractions based on the terms of salvation, the requirements for and structure of clergy and papal authority (again).

Two-thousand years in the scope of an eternal church means some of these wounds are still fresh. Even today, none of these four major branches are in communion with one another.

Now it seems like Protestants split churches every day over whether we should worship with instruments; is this the cause of the next

great schism? The last schisms have partitioned God’s people into smaller and smaller groups.

Presumably, each new schism holds a smaller splintering group, but this coming schism is not so. Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants all are experiencing this coming (and I think already underway) schism.

Some of you already have an issue in mind, likely homosexuality or abortion. These are not the cause, though they are symptoms of a deeper divide. Despite what a Google search may tell you, I think every schism, even this current one, revolves around the same set of questions: “ Who is G o d ? ” “ What is the church?” “ W hat is the Bible?” and “How do I live as a faithful Christian in this new age?”

There is a new documentary out called “1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture,” with the tagline, “What if the word homosexual was never meant to be in the Bible?” Some may be tempted to parade this documentary around as if it unambiguously solves the issue on how Christians should address such a hot topic; however, if the issue is mistranslation, then how have those who read the Bible in English, Greek, French, Russian and German shared an opinion

Emma Weber

for the majority of church history? I do not say this as an argument for my position on homosexuality, but as proof that the issue is nuanced, difficult and impossible to leave to a science. Neither sciences nor arts produce decisive answers regarding faith.

When you are angry with your sister or brother over opinions on questions like, “Do you think homosexuality is a sin?” you do not just ask a “yes” or “no” question, but also, “What do you think the Bible is?

What role does church tradition play in the life of current faithful believers?” which I believe is a more productive conversation anyway. Perhaps the fervor, staunchness and rhetoric that has split the church in the past ought to be replaced with the meekness, mercy and peacemaking which our savior taught. It might help to remember that many of the people you argue with are praying, “Lord, have mercy on me,” just like you are.

Perhaps if we hold the beatitudes close to heart as we disagree, then one solemn and repentant Sunday, one can welcome the other to the table of Christ’s flesh and blood with open arms.

MALACHI BROWN is an opinions editor emeritus for The Bison. He may be contacted at mbrown33@ harding.edu.

Graph

ic by

BEN

EVAN

S

You are my campus celebrity

Amelia Slater

“C

No Feeling is Final

Guest Writer

ampus celebrity” is a term I love to use. The cafeteria worker who made my quesadilla is my campus celebrity.

The girl who wrote the funny Bison article is my campus celebrity. My favorite professor is my campus celebrity. The physics tutor is my campus celebrity. If you have an ounce of significance in my mind, I view you as a famous person in a way of respect and admiration for your stand-out qualities.

A campus celebrity is often someone whom I admire from afar, someone I will point out to my friends on campus, someone who may seem untouchable in my eyes. Usually after my initial star-struck feeling subsides, I will serendipitously end up meeting this person and maybe hanging out with them. In the best cases, I will end up having made a great friend with someone that I can still praise for their initial celebrity qualities.

An example of this is Malachi Brown. My sister was a Delta Nu member who graduated

last year, and she would come home at every holiday break when I was in high school and tell stories of her club and their beaux. I had heard about Malachi, and to me, he was the ultimate campus celebrity. My first week on campus, I remember seeing him and being giddy as if he were my favorite celebrity. As time has passed, and I have gotten to know Malachi through friends and street tacos, I am no longer a spectator of him. I am proudly just a friend, and isn’t that great?

It is silly now to think about how many times I have been nervous to meet someone because they are such a beloved person. This pattern has repeated with many people and professors across campus as I have acclimated to Harding life. This year, my friends Helen and Randi and I have been eliminating social media from our lives.

Randi and Helen initiated it because they noticed how social media made them judge people based on how they posted, and they

wanted to get to know people based on who they really were. In following their lead, I have found my tendency to revere others as celebrities to fade the more I stay off of my phone. I think this is for the best. As fun as it is to make this little Arkansas life more interesting via the people around me, I think I would rather just get to know people for their normal qualities and let them just be themselves rather than an idealized version in my mind. Hopefully pushing away this celebrity paradigm will allow me to value others without a hierarchical lens and instead to tell people when I admire one of their qualities. I have yet to delete social media though, so for the time being: You are my campus celebrity.

AMELIA SLATER is a guest writer for The Bison. She may be contacted at aslater1@harding.edu.

Graphic by BEN EVANS

staff

Tiane Davis editor-in-chief Abbey Williams lifestyle/layout editor Maggie Samples news editor Emma Weber opinions editor Amelia Slater Jacob Branson

Opinions Editor

Traditionnn!

I

had a teammate in high school who wore the same pre-wrap headband for our whole season of soccer as a sort of ritual. My dad still makes me and my older sisters write a note to Santa on Christmas Eve. One of my friends live-tweets her thoughts on every new “Saturday Night Live” episode as it premiers.

My roommates Ellie and Grace push their beds together, making a “megabed,” a couple weeks before school ends every semester to signify our departure. For most of my life, I could not understand “why” — I had found traditions monotonous and empty. Over the past couple years, however, I have begun to see the beauty revealed in repetition.

Christmas is probably the biggest contention for my dad and me. In my mind, Christmas traditions are an excuse for us to do everything he wants to do because it is “required.” “You don’t want to go look at lights? Too bad!

It’s a tradition, and you have to.” “You don’t want to watch the same claymation movie for the 20th time? Too bad! It’s a tradition.

Pop that movie in, even though we all know how it ends.” I feel even more for those in “Turkey Trot” families.

For a while, tradition was the reason I had to do things I didn’t want to. It was a word that said, “I can’t come up with a logical explanation, so I’ll call it tradition,and we will pretend it’s important.” I felt justified in my beliefs with every encounter I had with tradition — tradition told me I could only wear skirts or dresses to Sunday church and skinny jeans were bad. It seemed that all around me, people were dictating what I was allowed to do, say or think. As I got older, I either squeaked by on minimal effort to uphold a facade of compliance or openly rebelled against tyranny. I learned to be suspicious of everything wrapped in the world of expectations because I knew I would never be able to fully complete them.

My friend Malachi took me to a service for Lent freshman year. We sat in a beautiful Catholic church, and when we went through the service, I learned some very deep things about myself. I found myself moved at the unified standing, repetition of words and flow of the service. I received my eucharist and ash on my forehead under a beautiful stained glass window. I participated in the same ceremony that those in 325 C.E. did, and I didn’t spontaneously combust!

Compliance in this centuries-old tradition taught me the meaning of Matthew 5:1720, that Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Tradition for its own sake is Pharisaical; tradition that retains purpose teaches its partakers to reflect on that which is being honored. Only after laws or traditions can be written on our hearts instead of stone tablets can they be fulfilled to their fullest ideal.

Now I have started to see my personal customs all around. I pierced my nose as a tradition for myself — I wanted to symbolize my establishment as an adult by creating an observance to myself and others. My dad and I fight a lot about this, and even my friend Willie likes to respectfully engage in discussion with me. They both want to know, “Why?” The “why” is the life of any tradition.

Making something holy because it has simply existed for ages is empty. Knowing “why” gives fulfillment, but knowing “why” doesn’t always mean agreement. I am learning the delicate balance of peace in the contention that Christ seems to point out–– when we focus on the heart it is more difficult to see the results. Whatever other people may think about my traditions, I know the “why” should be something that reminds me of the stained glass window of my life, of the rebellion that is learning to kneel at the foot of the cross.

What I was once angry at has revealed f reedom to explore my deep love and dedication to fulfilling the law in my life.

I don’t need to run from tradition simply because it is tradition; I also know there is no need to pursue empty actions because they have been done for a long time.

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

Nic Fraraccio sports editor Eli Dean community editor Randi Tubbs features editor

Ava Bramlett head copy editor Ben Evans graphics Alyssa Toye asst. copy editor

Alaina Wolf Emma McDaris

Kelly Mahawanniarachchi asst. copy editor Makayla McDonald graphic designer Macy Cox head photographer Kenzie James

Briley Kemper asst. photographer Edgar Cardiel asst. photographer Elliott Coombes beat reporter

Caleb Chunn PR/marketing Gracie Cornett cartoonist Lindsay Walton creative director

Bailey Coffman

Evie Cunningham PR/marketing April Fatula faculty adviser Michael Claxton narrative columnist

guest contributors Malachi Brown

4A OPINIONS

Friday, February 2, 2024

For Love Tiane Davis

Editor-in-Chief

Here’s to living life Any time I travel or experience important events in my life, I get terrified at the thought I might someday forget the memories I made. In the middle of a great day, I will let my anxiety about forgetting it ruin the fun I am having.

Later, in a panic, I might jot down my favorite memories from the day, only to look back on previous journal entries and realize I’m already weeks behind on remembering.

I always worry my life won’t be as meaningful if I can’t fully remember every little detail of my favorite days. I find myself hoarding memories as if they were precious childhood toys, fearing that if they go, the fullness of my existence will diminish.

Beyond that, when I look back on weeks or months of my life and can’t pick out significant moments, I fear I haven’t been making enough of an effort to make my life meaningful. I tend to treat my memories like people, which makes me want to hold on tight and never let go. It feels like a huge loss when I realize I don’t remember as much about a trip or season of my life as I used to. To think I will someday forget the current moment feels like I will have to say goodbye to a person I love.

But it doesn’t have to be like that — not every moment needs to be etched in memory for it to have meaning.

When I look at the people who surround me, I realize that forgetting certain memories I have made with them does not mean they are leaving my life or that I am losing them.

I would love to write down everything I do every day so I can read my journal later and remember, but I often forget to do that. While cherishing memories is good and natural, it’s also important to find a balance and not let the fear of forgetting overshadow the joy of living in the present.

For the times I don’t remember to write down my memories, I have realized the people around me are the perfect journal. Relationships and connections with others are powerful anchors to moments in time. An old friendship with someone is a perfect representation of the time you have spent with them; a new friendship is a reminder you are not remaining stagnant.

Even a passerby you have never seen before is a sweet reminder you are just living life.

The people you make memories with are much more important than the memories themselves. Just because you forget something significant you did with your best friend doesn’t mean you have forgotten them or how much they mean to you. Memories are not people.

I have always loved the phrase, “Let’s make some memories,” because it gets me excited to spend time with my favorite people. However, I am starting to realize that “making memories” is only a lesser way of saying, “living life.”

We don’t just make memories. We live life.

We don’t do things just so we can remember them later, although that is a huge part of the joy. We do things so we can grow and invest in our future selves. We do things so the people around us can call us a friend.

If I think of everything I do in relation to the memories I make, I will eventually find myself at a loss because there is no way I can remember everything I do in my life.

In the present moment, the pages of my journal may not capture every nuance and every detail, but they serve as markers of the life I have lived. So, as I navigate the elusive nature of memory, I find comfort in the understanding that the richness of life extends beyond any recorded memories. The people who walk beside me, the connections I make and the moments I live are the real treasures. If I can embrace the beauty of the present, I can let go of the fear of forgetting.

So, here’s to making memories, but more importantly, living life.

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

Illustration by Gracie Cornett

In spirit and in truth Jacob Branson

F

Guest Writer

or as long as students have attended chapel at Harding, so too have they complained about it. Various aspects of the service have irked students, such as its early timeslot, the presence or lack of sheet music on screen, the assigned or unassigned seating, etc. Despite the University’s best efforts to fix chapel — including and especially the “I am the problem with chapel” skit — none of them have been entirely successful. I propose that the University has failed to recognize the problem with chapel is determined not just by the details of what occurs during the service, but is primarily inherent to the service itself.

Harding claims that the purpose of chapel is to provide a time of worship, and therein lies the problem. Mandatory worship, by its very nature, can never be worship. In reference to the prophet Isaiah, Jesus casts judgment on false worshippers in Matthew 18:8-9, claiming “these people come near to me with their mouth / and honor me with their lips / but their hearts are far from me / They worship me in vain / their teachings are merely human rules.”

With these words, Jesus demonstrates the most fundamental aspect of worship is the trueness of one’s heart.

How then, can one’s heart be true without choice? If an individual does good simply because it is required, then can that action sincerely be attributed to them as righteousness? When worship becomes

L

ast month, I lost two friends in the same week, at the same age and from the same illness. One I got to know over many years of sharing meals together, and the other I bonded with during an intense, two-month project. I’m grateful for a platform to share their stories.

Dr. Noble Goss taught Spanish and German at Harding for 25 years. He came to Harding just a year or so after finishing his Ph.D. in comparative literature. Having written his dissertation on two Renaissance epic poets would have been enough to make me like him, but Noble came to my rescue in a major way in 2012, not long before he retired.

There is no way to tell this story without nerding out, so thank you in advance for not judging us. At the time, I was writing a biography of a famous magician and her husband, who was a famous juggler. Dell was from Kansas, and Charlie was from Switzerland, and when they met in 1930, he was fresh off a decade of touring Europe and South America with his act. His mother lived in Zurich during that time, and he sent her postcards — sometimes several per day — from his travels.

During my research, I acquired a box containing over 800 postcards Charlie mailed to his mama. A biographer’s bonanza, they offered an almost daily portrait of a decade of his career that I knew nothing about. Only one problem. Charlie wrote in German. I did not read German.

I contacted Noble Goss, and he agreed to help. At the time, he was working from a tiny office in the Ezell basement, a place that was difficult for him to get to because he had Parkinson’s disease. Despite a heavy

mandatory, the opportunity for true worship — voluntary worship — disappears. When I worship God of my own choosing, I know my heart’s intent is true. However, when I worship God at 9 a.m. in the Benson every morning, is my intent true, or am I only there because of “human rules?”

More than this, the University has a detrimentally narrow-minded view of what it means to worship God. In making chapel mandatory for all students, we are consequently forced to exist within these narrow boundaries, rather than having the freedom to worship God of our own volition in our own manner of preference. While I recognize Harding is a Church of Christ institution and respect its desire to maintain those roots, there are a vast number of students who are unfamiliar with its traditions, and the University does nothing to justify their existence.

Graphic by MAKAYLA MCDONALD

Two Noble Men Michael Claxton

Narrative Columnist

workload of his own, he generously gave me two hours per week for two months. I had put the postcards in chronological order, and I would hand him a card, and he would read it in English while I wrote down the translation. You will have to trust me when I say we had a marvelous time.

Charlie was not a brilliant writer, but nonetheless, his messages charted an exciting story of a young, carefree man traveling with circuses and seeing the world. And thanks to Noble, I could go on the adventure with him.

Refusing any payment for this huge outlay of his time, all Dr. Goss said was, “I like to support research.”

I was not the only beneficiary of his skills.

For over 26 years, he edited translations of Bible study materials for Truth for Today. He passed away Jan. 12 at the age of 79 in Oregon, leaving a wife, Teresita, and two children.

My other friend was Phil Dixon. The guys of Chi Sigma Alpha knew him well as a sponsor for over 20 years, until advancing Parkinson’s made him give up the camaraderie he loved. He was a mentor to young men, investing time in them, counseling them, appearing in their Spring Sing shows and attending every club event, even when a sponsor wasn’t necessary. But that was typical of his approach to everyone he cared about.

These traditions dictate that the only form of worship to occur during chapel is singing, but is not worship more than just words in a songbook? If Jesus himself says it is not enough merely to honor him with our lips, then why should we suffice to make our creator settle for anything less than everything we have?

Furthermore, why should the University strip its students of our right to worship God with everything we have? By making chapel not only mandatory, but extremely limited in its scope and understanding of what it means to worship God, the University is not encouraging worship — it is actively preventing worship.

Given the immense popularity of Sunday church services, Downtown Church of Christ Singing, Fellowship Bible Church’s Sanctuary, Wednesday devotionals and more, it is evident that Harding’s student body is not at a loss for those seeking to attune their hearts with God in worship, whether they’re required to or not. Why then, does the University insist on forcing all students to “worship” in a vain effort to combat a problem by which it has never been plagued? If I attended a secular school, I could wake up at 9 every morning and worship God how I want to — with the fullness of everything I have and everything I am — a right which mandatory chapel has stolen.

JACOB BRANSON is a guest writer for The Bison. He may be contacted at jbranson1@harding.edu.

A native of Batesville, Arkansas, Phil graduated from Harding in 1967, having sung in two choral groups. Three years later, he married Ann, with whom he raised four children during their 53 years together. He specialized in estate planning in law school and worked in banking for most of his career, plus a few years raising money for Harding.

I knew him from our Sunday school class. For at least the last 15 years, Phil and Ann joined our lunch group each week after church. We talked, we laughed and shared each other’s lives. We still do. We will miss Phil’s hospitality — he never met a stranger whom he didn’t invite to join us for lunch.

We will miss his stories — even if he never left out a single detail and sometimes had to be gently encouraged by Ann to “finish the story, dear.” But his lifetime of interesting experiences gave him a ready reservoir of anecdotes. We will miss the fresh strawberries he loved giving away.

A quick story about Phil: a young couple at our church had a baby with major health problems, and they spent many long weeks at the hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. One day, Phil went on his lunch break to see them even though he had just met them briefly at church. He only planned to stay a short while, but as he held the ailing infant, the mother fell sound asleep from exhaustion.

She awoke two hours later to find Phil still there, gently rocking little Scout. He went back nearly every day.

If that isn’t the heart of a giver, I don’t know what is. Phil died Jan. 11 at 79.

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

Vol. 99, No. 10

Feb. 2, 2024

Softball, baseball teams begin season NIC FRARACCIO sports editor

The Harding baseball and softball teams will open their seasons this weekend with the hope of producing another successful season.

The Lady Bisons are coming off their highest win total season since 2017. The team finished with a 46-14 record at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

Despite falling to Southern Arkansas University in the Great American Conference (GAC) tournament semifinals May 6, 2023, the Lady Bisons continued to push through the postseason.

Harding battled their way through the Division II Softball Championships to advance to the regional final May 13, 2023 against No. 4 University of Central Oklahoma.

With their minds set on another postseason run, the lineup will look to continue their consistent hitting ability. All-GAC secondteam junior infielder Emma Curry said anyone in the lineup can contribute to Harding’s offensive success.

“Everyone has a unique little tool in their back pocket,” Curry said. “We just know that somebody’s there to help us if one of us can’t get the job done.”

Junior catcher Brooke Johnson said the lineup will be set apart from the rest of the teams in the GAC because of the confidence and support each player has for each other.

“The depth is crazy this season,” Johnson said. “There is not a single person that I wouldn’t trust in any situation.”

Photo by MACY COX

Senior pitcher Abby Burch, junior infielder Emma Curry and sophomore catcher Kate Pierce pose for a picture at the Harding Softball field. The Lady Bisons finished the 2023 season with a 44-16 record.

In the circle, the Lady Bisons will return said. “They’ve worked really hard, and I think two key members of the 2023 pitching staff. that it will show.”

GAC Newcomer of the Year junior Riley Price The Harding baseball team will enter the and All-GAC first team senior Abby Burch season with a vengeance following the 2023 will lead the Lady Bison staff throughout conference tournament. Despite recording a the 2024 season.

33-19 record, Harding’s postseason efforts Johnson said the two pitchers have fell short against a familiar rival. worked hard to improve their game during The Bisons were defeated by Ouachita the offseason.

Baptist University in two games during the “They’ve got some really good stuff and first round of the GAC tournament May some new tricks up their sleeve,” Johnson 5-6, 2023.

Senior pitcher Maddox Long, an All-GAC second team-pitcher, said the Bisons have scores to settle against multiple teams in the GAC, including the Ouachita Baptist Tigers.

“We’ve had some struggles in the past playing them in a series,” Long said. “I think everybody’s going to have something to prove this year. I think we have the talent to back up what we have to prove.”

Harding will bring back talent on the mound and at the plate. Long and AllGAC honorable mention senior pitcher Will Roguske will return to the Harding pitching staff.

In the lineup, the Bisons will return multiple hitters with valuable extra-base hit potential. 2023 GAC Freshman of the Year Cooper Newsom returns for his sophomore year after tallying a school-record 25 doubles during the 2023 season.

As the next season approaches, head coach Patrick McGaha said the team culture will be an important part of Harding’s success this season.

“Our culture has always been extremely important to us,” McGaha said. “We’re playing against the game more than we’re playing against the opponent, and we have to play for our brothers.”

Both teams will begin their seasons today.

The Harding softball team will play against Union University and Texas A&M-Kingsville University at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Louisiana. The Harding baseball team will travel to Mississippi to take on Delta State University.

Basketball teams push through conference season KENZIE JAMES guest writer The Harding men’s and women’s basketball teams are on a winning streak halfway through the season, which they credit to their confidence in each other and the growing student participation.

Both teams focus a lot on defense during their games, particularly during the games against Southwestern Oklahoma Jan.18 and Northwestern Oklahoma Jan. 20. Junior guard Rory Geer said that in the games against the Bulldogs and Rangers, the team gave up points during the game based on how they were guarding the other team.

“Even if we can’t score, we have to be able to get stops, and that’s what wins games,” Geer said.

A lot of what goes into strengthening the basketball team happens behind the scenes and off the court. Basketball season starts in November and goes through early March, so players have quality time to connect with each other.

“We all go through our own seasons in the season of basketball, so walking alongside each other through that is part of being a basketball player,” senior forward Sage Hawley said.

Head men’s basketball coach Weston Jameson described how he has tried to

prioritize the friendships between his players and how the connection between teammates becomes critical at the end of games.

“The closer your team is … when it gets to the end of the game, then you’ll battle for the person next to you if you’re connected to them off the floor as well,” Jameson said.

Harding’s performances have been impacted by the energy of the student section. Geer said the game against Northwestern Oklahoma on Saturday started to fill up with students in the fourth quarter, and the students energy helped the team come back to win the game.

The Rhodes Rowdies is the official Harding student section for the basketball games. In 2013, the Rhodes-Reaves Field House was voted “Best Road Trip Destination in College Basketball” because of the Rhodes Rowdies.

The basketball teams this year are trying to “Revive the Rhodes” and rebuild the culture and experience in the student section. Jameson experienced the Rhodes Rowdies when he played as a student at Harding and said the student section was filled with fans with face paint, costumes and signs.

“We’ve actually won every home game this year where students have been in school,” Jameson said. “We would love for [students] to support our guys.”

The teams are trying to increase the number of college students in the student section, but the Rhodes Rowdies isn’t just limited to

Photo provided by McKenna Oliver

Junior guard Rory Geer attempts a jump shot over a Ouachita Baptist player.

Geer led the Lady Bisons in scoring as Harding defeated the Tigers Jan. 27 with a final score of 64-52.

“They are the Rhodes Rowdies right now,” Harding’s college students. Faculty members’ kids and Harding Academy students have said Hawley.

Both teams will continue their conference been part of the Rhodes Rowdies this season.

Hawley said there are four elementary schedules tomorrow as they travel to Durant, and middle school boys at most of the games Oklahoma to take on Southeastern Oklahoma sitting under the basket, and they get the State University. crowd going.

Bisons launch 2024 indoor season in Kansas ELI DEAN community editor As the track season gets closer to the halfway point before the Great American Conference (GAC) meet, many athletes from both men’s and women’s teams are looking to start and finish strong during every meet until then to strengthen their times, meters and confidence.

Junior Hazel Jackson is looking to improve on her 9th place GAC finish for pole vaulting from last year and has put in the work to accomplish the goals she has set for herself to help not only herself but the team as well.

“If I had anything to say about how this season is looking, I’d say that we’ve put in a lot of hours this year, from working on strength to technique and everything in Photo provided by Brylee Stewart

Senior Kenneth Hatley prepares to release during the hammer throw event.

The No. 5 men’s Harding track and field team recorded six NCAA Division II provisionals Jan. 27 at the Pittsburg State Invitational in Pittsburg, Kansas.

between,” Jackson said. “We’re looking for some big personal records this year.”

As for the men’s team, motivation has been a primary focus. Sophomore distance runner Nate Perry said he is trying to improve on his own time as well as looking to improve mentally for the team as a whole. Perry said head track coach Don Hood encourages the team on a regular basis.

“As a team, we are trying to improve on showing up to practice and improving our mindset so that we are more optimistic in our training and more tolerant of our teammates,” Perry said. “Our coaches play a big part in our daily training and races. He reminds us that our hard work and discomfort in training will pay off in the end.”

Junior distance runner Luke Walling said he is hoping to lock in his third straight All-GAC campaign in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter categories and continue to climb up the NCAA provisional rankings at the end of the year. Walling said there are inner challenges every member of the team has faced, but giving yourself motivation is key to being successful as an athlete.

“Sometimes it can be hard to motivate yourself for the hard workouts, but something that helps me is my teammates,” Walling said.

“Having a great group of guys around you can make it easy to want to push yourself.”

The bond each member has with one another has been crucial to their success so far, and Walling said the team is leaps and bounds better from when the season started back in December.

“This track team has made such a huge jump in improvements,” Walling said. “The past couple of months, you can just feel that when you’re out on the track at practice. That there is a sense of confidence in this team in every person. And I know from my point of view the distance squad is ready to get on the line and race.”

The next meet for both teams will be in Maryville, Missouri, at Northwest Missouri State University this weekend, Feb. 1-3.

The fifth-ranked men’s indoor team and the women’s team will be looking to use the final three meets on their schedule before the NCAA Indoor Championships March 7-8.

The outdoor teams will begin their season March 14-15 as the Bisons host the Harding Invitational at the Ted Lloyd Track.

2B COMMUNITY

Friday, February 2, 2024

Slader’s Alaskan Dumpling Co. celebrates anniversary ABBEY WILLIAMS lifestyle editor

Slader’s Alaskan Dumpling Co. (SADCo.) celebrated 10 years of operating in Arkansas with a party. The family-owned business thanked its customers Jan. 21 in its Searcy location with a raffle for gift cards, a chance to win company merchandise and special discounts.

Alumnus Slader Marshall, owner and founder of Slader’s, said the company aimed to tailor to college students.

“With any business, especially a small business, you have to identify your niche and cater to the community you serve,” Marshall said “When I started, I was a 22-year-old restaurant owner who had recently graduated from college, so I identified my niche audience as mostly young adults/college students. In doing so, we kept our restaurant more relaxed and homey. We wanted students to feel like they had a place to go that felt like their own.”

Marshall said the company has grown as a Harding favorite since they opened in January 2014 after he graduated from Harding the year before. He said he exclusively hires Harding students, which has helped turn Slader’s into a favorite hangout spot for Harding.

“Building a community around your food or your brand is built over time by hiring the right people, doing things the right way and being consistent,” Marshall said. “We have really tried to do that and are thankful that we are still kicking around all these years later.”

At the 10-year celebration party, the prices were reverted back to the prices from when Slader’s first opened. Marshall said there are exciting things happening on the horizon, including their recently opened food truck in Bentonville, Arkansas, as well as another food truck in the Little Rock area.

“With three full-time operations, you can get SADCo. all over the state,” Marshall said.

“We always have little secrets happening on the horizon, but you’ll have to stay tuned.”

Summer Armstrong, an employee at Slader’s said Harding students enjoy Slader’s as a hangout spot, especially during the winter.

Photo by EDGAR CARDIEL

Students enjoy a quick cup of coffee at Slader’s Alaskan Dumpling Co. to start their day on Jan. 21. Slader’s is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Searcy with the goal of potentially opening more locations across Arkansas.

“We get really, really busy during the snow days,” Armstrong said. “We used to have events that the students loved, like we do trivia nights and things like that, and they seem to really enjoy that.”

Armstrong said being close to Harding’s campus has made it convenient for students to drop by.

“We still love having all our Harding people around,” Armstrong said. “Being so close to campus is definitely where a lot of our business comes from.”

Junior Claire Morrow said working at Slader’s has given her an opportunity to connect with the community.

said. “The renaming is really for recognition.”

These guidelines, established by the FAA, dictate what and how much travel can be done by an airport. Under the FAA’s guidelines of what a regional airport should fulfill, the recognition of a regional airport means that the Searcy airport should “support regional economies by connecting communities to regional and national markets.”

The city of Searcy has made new changes in many events and departments to update the city. Mayor Mat Faulkner saw the renaming of the airport as an update that would uplift Searcy.

“The recent name change from ‘Searcy Municipal Airport’ to ‘Searcy Regional Airport’ is indicative of the quality of facilities and

“I do really enjoy working for a small business,” Morrow said. “It is much more personable than other jobs I have worked at. I also love getting to connect with the community over the unique food and experience of the restaurant.”

Searcy airport renamed ahead of eclipse

ABBEY WILLIAMS lifestyle editor The Searcy airport underwent a name change as part of the city’s efforts to update the town and to more accurately recognize the airport’s facilities. The Searcy City Council voted Jan. 4 to change the airport’s name from “Searcy Municipal Airport” to “Searcy Regional Airport.”

This change not only allows the airport to be more recognizable for eclipse viewers to find, but it promotes the status of the airport per the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) guidelines. Airport manager Roger Pearson saw the renaming as a welcome change.

“We have actually met the FAA’s requirements for a regional airport for a while,” Pearson

services we provide, as well as our goals for growth and future expansion,” Faulkner said.

This change continued the trend of updates to the city of Searcy and its businesses in preparation for the eclipse. Faulkner said he felt confident this would continue to connect Searcy and benefit the city’s economy.

“I commend our airport director, Roger Pearson, and the airport commission for

their vision,” Faulkner said. “Our airport is one of our community’s strongest assets.

Aerospace is also one of our top four areas of focus in our recently released economic development strategy. There is a ton of potential through collaboration between our airport, educational institutions and industry.

I’m excited our city council approved the name change, and I believe it will serve us well into Searcy’s future.”

All parties were hopeful for the airport’s continued success and what it could mean for Searcy residents. The Searcy Airport Commission, led by Matt House, meets every first Wednesday of the month at noon.

These meetings are open to residents’ ideas and suggestions.

Graphic by MAKAYLA MCDONALD

“Back in theinDay” a special section in The Bison newspaper in celebration of Harding’s “Back theisDay” is a special section in The Bison newspaper in Centennial year. Each print issue during the 2023-24 academic year will have pieces relatcelebrationed of to Harding’s centennial year. print issue during the Centennial, connecting ourEach readers to Harding’s past. the 2023-

24 academic year will have pieces related to the centennial, connecting week, we at an election ourThis readers to look Harding’s past.from 1947 that gave the Searcy Airport $31,000 in funding during its first year of operation. The airport was established in April of 1946 and week, getMarch a glimpse at the at its faculty theThis election tookwe place 11, 1947.

Likebanter the townbetween of Searcy students that changed name from years past. Municipal We alsoAirport see will a bit of satire connecting the Airport Searcy in 1837, the Searcy be renamed to the Searcy Regional in hopeswith that Harding’s the change will reflect the mission the city has for the airport. community culture.

February 20, 1947 issue: Vol. 19, No. 19, p. 1

TheLink.Harding.edu

FEATURES 3B

Recital host celebrates Harding EMMA WEBER opionions editor

For many senior music majors, a senior recital is a requirement to graduate. Senior Emma Myhan, however, chose to host a recital to celebrate her time at Harding, despite only being a music minor. Her recital was similar to a vocal music major’s recital in the quantity of repertoire performed, with 45-50 minutes worth of music.

“Musical performance is something I want to do, and because of that, I chose to take this project on,” Myhan said. “It actually gave me an immense amount of freedom because there is no rubric I have to meet or grade I have to get. I get to be my own artistic director and make the recital look the way I want it to look, so it is an authentic reflection of me and my time at Harding.”

Myhan said she realized early on that she wanted to include something special in her recital. This important aspect of Myhan’s performance was the inclusion of those whom she calls her “community.” Myhan said she knew she wanted to bring other performers into her show because of their importance during her time at Harding — bringing 13 of her friends in on this project exemplified their importance in her college career. Junior Aubrey Jones was a vocalist who performed in the recital alongside Myhan.

“Even though this was Emma’s senior recital, she made a point to prioritize other people,” Jones said. “She was the one shining on stage on Saturday night, but it wasn’t all about her. She’s such a kind and gracious person, and through her performance, she made those of us singing with her and those listening in the audience feel loved.”

To get to the shining stage on Saturday, Myhan said she has been working on her project for years.

“I essentially have been working on my senior recital since I was a freshman,” Myhan said. “This includes brainstorming, thinking about pieces, making a list of people to rope into my recital. There is a lot of mental work and organizational work that goes on before the actual hands-on practicing.”

Myhan said she wanted the culmination of her college career to reflect the love she received from others and the growth she has experienced as a performer. Vocal coach Dr. Susan Shirel, who has worked with Myhan as her coach for the last four years, said she enjoyed the unique way Myhan approached this performance.

“Since it was not a required recital, she had the freedom to choose repertoire from the musical theater and commercial music canons and present it in a cabaret style, meaning she provided narration between songs as a way to help weave the songs together,” Shirel said.

“One of Emma’s strengths was her ability to collaborate with several other people on her recital and keep the performance authentic to who she is as a person and artist.”

Jones shared this sentiment of enjoyment with Myhan’s performance.

“Emma put together a program of songs that showed off her voice,” Jones said. “She chose different styles and vocal qualities to reflect everything she’s learned at Harding.

Recitals are a chance to showcase the cumulative experience of a performer at Harding.”

In the next few weeks, both Emily Metz and Kylie James will perform in senior recitals.

Myhan expressed her excitement for these performances.

“I would say to campus, whether or not you’ve been to a recital, if you have the time to support artistic students, it means the world,” Myhan said.

Senior Emma Myhan chose to host a music recital Jan. 27. Myhan put on her recital in honor of her time at Harding.

at all. For alumna Ellen Brumley, however, the story was different.

A little over two weeks ago, Brumley said she was looking through old yearbooks with a friend when a slip of paper fell out of one of them. The slip of paper was a Harding traffic violation ticket from December, 1971.

“I said, ‘I guess I need to pay that because I sure want to go to heaven,’” Brumley said with a laugh. “I don’t know how I got by without paying that, unless I really paid it and just kept the ticket.”

Brumley said her first concern was that Harding sometimes held transcripts and degrees if someone had an unpaid violation. She also said she wanted to “have a good time” with it and make sure all her debts were

paid. When she brought it to the business office, the workers asked if she had received the ticket recently.

“I told them, ‘Look at the date,’” Brumley said. “One of the girls in the business office said, ‘Oh my goodness, this ticket is older than me.’”

Dean of intercultural education David Collins, who works in the same office as Brumley’s daughter, Mary Ellen, witnessed the interaction and decided to take the $1 payment to the International Programs office to be kept there. Mary Ellen Brumley said she was not surprised her mother tried to pay the ticket when she heard about it.

“My mom is a very honest person, and she doesn’t like things hanging over her head,” Mary Ellen Brumley said. “She’s always been like that since I can remember.”

Alumnus and former Executive Vice President Jim Carr said he and Brumley

were close friends when they were students at Harding. He said she is “a person of impeccable integrity.”

“She would not want to leave anything undone that could be repaired or fixed,” Carr said. “I’m surprised she had an unpaid parking ticket, and I bet she paid it twice.”

Senior Alyssa Dodson, who said she paid a parking ticket last semester, said she felt it was her responsibility to follow the rules and pay it but that she was surprised to hear someone had made sure to pay a parking violation over 50 years old.

“If parking tickets were $1 today, I would also probably intentionally break the rule,” Dodson said. “I knew what I was signing up for when I parked in a faculty parking spot, but that didn’t make it more fun to hit submit on the payment.”

he recently achieved a one-year streak of New York Times crosswords. Though Huff has had on and off streaks for two years, he is on his longest streak of 365 days of completed crosswords as of Sunday, Jan. 28. “[The crosswords] engage me in an everyday habit,” Huff said. “They always wake me up a little bit, but they chill me out, too.”

Over the 2023-2024 Christmas break, the Honors College went abroad to Porto Rafti, Greece, where Huff began to share his hobby with his students. It became their daily ritual to complete the New York Times crosswords together.

“We started together pretty much every day on our trip over winter break,” sophomore

Eric Rice said. “I feel like they’re making me smarter.”

Huff and a small group of students have begun meeting every Friday in the Honors House to continue their group crossword solving. Huff projects the crossword puzzle onto a big screen, and they read through each clue together.

“We maybe would’ve eventually figured it out on our own, but when you play together, then everyone can bring in their experiences,” Huff said.

The group advises that if you would like to start playing, to start on a Monday. The crosswords get increasingly difficult each day, with Sunday being the biggest and most challenging.Tuesday through Thursday puzzles are themed, and Friday through Saturday puzzles are more demanding work. Daily mini crosswords are also available for free on New York Times, and a mid size puzzle is available once a week.

Huff says that a frequently asked question is if he cheats on his puzzles. He simply responds, “I don’t cheat, I learn.” Another question he often receives is what he does if he doesn’t have internet service. He said he just makes it work.

Rice and sophomore Aiden Joy have since subscribed to New York Times games to keep up with the crosswords they started abroad after seeing the benefit.

“You pay essentially 10 cents a crossword, or $3 a month,” Joy said.

Neither student played crossword puzzles before their trip to Greece. Huff openly invites all students to join him and other crossword lovers every week on Fridays at 3 p.m. in the Honors House to play along or to watch.

Photo provided by Rachel Myhan

Alumna pays 52-year-old parking ticket at business office TIANE DAVIS editor-in-chief

The usual parking violation at Harding is $25. Receiving and paying parking tickets is a common complaint among students, and most would like to avoid paying them

Graphic by BEN EVANS

Dr. Huff hits one-year New York Times crossword streak RANDI TUBBS features editor Dr. James Huff ’s claim to fame is not only holding positions as the senior faculty fellow of the Honors College and associate professor in the engineering department, but also that

Photo by BRILEY KEMPER

Dr. James Huff, senior faculty fellow of the Honors College, and a group of honors students play the New York Times daily crossword puzzle together Jan. 26. They began playing together over Christmas break in Greece and decided to continue to meet every Friday after returning to campus.

4B LIFESTYLE

Friday, February 2, 2024

Navigating off-campus living: A guide

Photo by MACY COX

Senior Anna Kate Farley demostrates where to find the reset button on the carbon monoxide alarm inside a off-campus house on Feb. 1. Students who live off campus can benefit from gaining home life expirence.

BAILEY COFFMAN guest writer In the midst of college life, the transition to off-campus housing has a significant step toward adulthood for many students. Beyond the comforts of campus dorms, renting a house brings a host of responsibilities that are perhaps unfamiliar to students who have not had to live on their own before. Understanding the essentials of living independently is very important, from knowing when to leave the sink running during cold weather to knowing what to do when your carbon monoxide detector goes off.

Senior Connor Manry shared his experience when his off-campus house caught fire in fall 2022 due to an electrical shortage.

“It was very random and out of our control,” Manry said. “We learned how to deal with landlords. All eight people in the house — this was our first communication with the landlord — so it definitely felt like the landlord was seeing what he could get past a bunch of college kids who didn’t know what was going on. He lost a lot of money from the house burning down, and he wasn’t in a rush to spend his insurance money on

us, so we had to stand up for ourselves and push him to fix it.”

Senior Luke Zeigler highlighted the differences between dorm life and off-campus living, mainly how costs and services are different once a student moves off campus.

“I currently don’t have any hot water because the landlord forgot to pay the gas bill,” Ziegler said. “Now it’ll be a day or two before my hot water is turned back on, which is really inconvenient and wouldn’t happen if you were living in a dorm.”

Junior Elle Brumley shared her insights on the maintenance aspects of living off-campus.

“Living off campus, you definitely have more maintenance things to handle than when you lived in the dorms,” Brumley said. “I live in an older house, so things are constantly needing maintenance. In the cold weather, we had to make sure water was always dripping. One simple thing me and my roommates sometimes still forget is to take the trash cans outside on our trash day before noon. Living off campus is sometimes more affordable than living on campus.

However, if you aren’t careful, your utility bill can get really high.”

“What is your favorite quote from a movie or TV show?”

“Windows are the eyes to the house.” -Andy Dwyer

Abbey Williams lifestyle editor

“What’s wrong, flat face? You gonna cry? You want me to call your flat face mommy?” -Mub

Macy Cox head photographer

“They don’t remember you, they remember the rep.”

-Rocky

Randi Tubbs features editor

Bear-y sweet dot connections

“Even if you know how something’s going to end, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride.”-Ted Mosby

Eli Dean community editor

Graphics by BEN EVANS