The Bison - Vol. 99, No.11

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THE

Feb. 9, 2024 Vol. 99, No. 11

In this issue Baseball, softball, 1B

Online at TheLink.Harding.edu

Searcy, Ark., 72149

Bible Project reps speak on campus

Kombucha, 2B

Photo provided by JEFF MONTGOMERY

Wild Sweet William’s, 2B

Michael McDonald, chief strategic relationships officer of The Bible Project, speaks in the Benson Auditorium during chapel Jan. 30. He and chief executive officer Steve Atkinson visited campus two weeks ago to give presentations.

ABBEY WILLIAMS lifestyle editor

On-campus jobs, 3B

Representatives of The Bible Project, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, recently visited campus and engaged with students. The Bible Project focuses on creating free educational resources to help people understand the Bible. They spoke in chapel Tuesday, Jan. 30, and participated in a Q&A later that day, which students attended.

Michael McDonald, chief strategic relationships officer of The Bible Project, said Harding struck him as an energetic place to be.

“I would say that Harding stood out,” McDonald said. “Even just walking on the ground, Harding was an energetic and exciting place to be. We thought all the students were amazing and engaged and asked great questions. It felt super hopeful for the next generation of leaders heading out into the workforce. We were inspired and impressed by all of the faculty and their love for the students. It was a wonderful campus.”

McDonald said he hoped students would get to have conversations about the Bible with people who aren’t like them.

“My heart for the chapel talk was that we can find safe places with anyone to have curious conversations about the Bible,” McDonald said. “That we would get beyond the idea of just memorizing and learning stuff for the sake of learning but learning the Bible for the sake of transformation. My hope was to share stories that would encourage people to get to know people who aren’t like them, to have non-defensive, curious conversations with them and really allow that to help grow our understanding of God’s word and not take away from it. The Q&A was just to be hopeful and answer questions.”

McDonald said if The Bible Project ever comes back to Harding, he hopes to focus more on students studying business.

“It was fun to get to meet some of the business people,” McDonald said. “I think the next time we come, if we do come again — which we’d love to come again — would be to meet more with the business students, the people getting their MBAs, marketing

students and all of that, because there’s a lot of fun things we get to talk about besides just Bible stuff.”

Director of theological studies Mac Sandlin said he was impressed by The Bible Project’s dedication to their message.

“I thought they were really inspiring,” Sandlin said. “Steve, the CEO, was just so completely devoted to the work of telling the story of Jesus to the world and had so little care for himself or the company’s future.”

Sandlin led the Q&A with The Bible Project, and he said McDonald’s character was something to be admired.

“All of that was just a tool to be used by God for the sake of the Kingdom,” Sandlin said. “I admired his humility and his wisdom a great deal.”

Logan Light, assistant dean of Campus Life and chapel programs, said The Bible Project was unique in its connection to so many majors and interests.

“It is a really unique company that intersects with a large portion of our student body across various majors,” Light said. “I think that’s really valuable.”

Carpenter gains new title in College of Arts, Sciences MAGGIE SAMPLES news editor

The College of Arts and Sciences appointed Heath Carpenter, associate professor of English and director of Interdisciplinary Studies, as assistant dean for Academic Innovation and Collaboration. The position focuses on the Big Questions initiative for the University as a whole, according to an email sent to faculty and staff Jan. 26.

Executive Vice President Jean-Noel Thompson said this role is about collaborating across departments and creating a culture of asking important questions.

“Dr. Carpenter has been instrumental in helping the University think about ways we could more effectively engage our students across all academic areas in important questions about God and our place in his kingdom,” Thompson said.

According to Thompson, the Big Questions initiative is about fully preparing students to work in and impact a broken world. The questions ask: Who is God? Who are we?

What matters? What are our responsibilities?

How do we know what we know?

“As a Christian University with required Bible classes and chapel, we don’t just want to assume that our graduates are fully prepared to engage a changing world and culture who increasingly doubts the relevance of God’s word in their lives,” Thompson said.

“We choose to be highly intentional in our collaborative efforts to produce graduates who are equipped with a deep understanding of who they are in Christ, and how this impacts their interaction with all types of people in all aspects of their lives.”

Thompson said he hopes students will see themselves as participants in the initiative, rather than recipients.

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Dana Steil considered the Big Questions initiative important because of the opportunity it provides for communal contemplation.

“I value a liberal arts education done right because it frees people to explore beyond their discipline, glimpse all the foreign places where God is at work, challenge the status quo, respect the God-given gifts of others and have confidence they can learn more,” Steil said.

Carpenter has worked at Harding in the English Department for 16 years. Carpenter

Photo by MACY COX

Heath Carpenter, associate professor of English and director of Interdisciplinary Studies, sits in his office in the American Studies building. Carpenter was appointed assistant dean for Academic Innovation and Collaboration this month. said he’s grateful for the collaboration across the University to support the initiative.

“This job isn’t about me,” Carpenter said.

“It’s about students and faculty. It’s about the academic spirit on campus.”

The goal of Big Questions is to create a clear connection between classes and disciplines.

“We have a solid foundation of academic excellence both in the liberal arts and in our majors, and there is an unmistakable ‘Harding experience’ outside of class, but we have not always done a good job creating shared language and a common story to unite that shared experience,” Carpenter said.

According to Carpenter, the initiative has some projects in the works, including a short book of essays about Harding classroom

experiences by employees and alumni, bringing in speakers to engage the Big Questions and a podcast with past Student Government Association presidents.

“To be clear, projects like that are fun, but the soul of the Big Questions is in the classroom experience with faculty and students,” Carpenter said. “I’m hoping we can further an entrepreneurial spirit with faculty to continue to innovate inside their classrooms to create meaningful experiences for students.”

Carpenter said that his Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing class is partnering with associate professor Stacey Rodenbeck’s biology class to ask “What does it mean to be alive?”

“The world needs wise people,” Carpenter said. “The world needs people who are excellent at their professional craft but whose life ambition is to live out the teaching of Christ.”

Carpenter said higher education is at a turning point between political polarization and a professional skills model but that the best schools in the United States are returning to a liberal arts education.

“I am convinced that students are starving for a place where they can combine honing dynamic skills for the marketplace with a higher calling, intellectually, spiritually and philosophically,” Carpenter said. “Harding is a place that does this, and the Big Questions helps us to recommit to those values and to better tell that story.”

2A NEWS

Friday, February 9, 2024

Searcy presents economic strategy

Photo provided by Al Fowler

Searcy mayor Mat Faulkner speaks to a group of prominent business leaders and city officals on Jan. 19. Searcy has worked on creating an ecomomic development strategy with the goal of attracting, retaining and growing new and current businesses in the area.

EMMA WEBER opinions editor Boyette Strategic Advisors presented the Searcy Economic Development Strategy in Cone Chapel last month. Prominent business leaders of the community as well as city officials attended the presentation, which was Jan. 19.

The goal of the strategy is a multifaceted approach to attract, retain and grow both current and new businesses in the Searcy area.

Del Boyette, president and CEO of Boyette Strategic Advisors, and his team were chosen to develop the plan. They identified four key target sectors including legacy business and industry, firearms and ammunition, aerospace and aviation, and data centers.

Searcy Mayor Mat Faulkner explained the interest in this plan.

“This plan outlines specific goals and tasks and key performance indicators to ensure we are making progress,” Faulkner said. “The impact of the economic development plan for the community will result in providing a qualified workforce to fill job opportunities, an ecosystem that supports startups and entrepreneurism and the attraction of new industry and business investments resulting in the creation of more jobs.”

With over a year of collaboration alongside Boyette Strategic Advisors, Searcy Regional Economic Development Corp. finished their economic strategy in October.This plan required the input of many area stakeholders between leaders in the community and commitment to ongoing and future projects.

“The economic development plan works hand-in-hand with the #MySearcy Master

Plan, which addresses quality of life topics like our parks system, active transportation and infrastructure. Having a comprehensive master plan allows us to have a road map toward strategic development and growth,” Faulkner said.

Boyette shared his excitement with the large amount of involvement in the plan.

“A significant number of people participated in the strategic plan,” Boyette said. “The reason that is important [is] it gave the opportunity to participate, and we could hear them out on what they wanted to see happen. They were heard, and the plan was designed with their input.”

A new community center, an outdoor water park, paved bike trails, and improvements to Riverside Park, Berryhill Park and Searcy’s sports complex all have a role in the city’s $93

million #MySearcy Master plan. This plan is partially funded by the previous one-cent tax, and further funding will be determined through voting March 5 of both temporary ½-cent sales tax for park and recreational improvement bonds and voter authorization to spend existing A&P funds on touristoriented facilities bonds.

During the presentation, Darrell Welch, chief executive of Searcy Regional Economic Development Corp spoke about the commitment the community had.

“The commitment that this community and all of you are making right now will set Searcy on a path to be an incredible place for us to raise our families,” Welch said. “I have been completely overwhelmed just with the sense of collaboration.”

Debate team competes in tournament RANDI TUBBS features editor Harding University’s debate team traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana, last month to compete at the Southern Forensics Championship Tournament, hosted by LSU-Shreveport.

The group arrived Friday, Jan. 19, debated in six general rounds Jan. 20, and stayed Jan. 21 for the elimination rounds.

Senior Abby Long competed in varsity, junior Hengel Zelaya competed in junior varsity, and sophomore Autumn Miller and senior Lindsay Walton competed in novice.

There were a wide range of schools that also competed, from Notre Dame to Mississippi State to community colleges.

Walton was the top performer with a 4-2 record in the preliminary rounds, and she advanced to the elimination rounds in novice debate. Walton joined the debate team her sophomore year, but became more active and attended her first tournament her junior year. She said she has deviated from the route of going to law school since joining the team, but she continues to debate because she enjoys it. She described her time debating as “riveting.”

“It’s exciting to become very familiar with a topic in less than 30 minutes,” Walton said. “The debate team has helped me improve skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, researching and the ability to form an argument under time constraints. It

also has helped me understand the idea that there’s two different sides to an argument.”

The debate was conducted under the International Public Debate Association system, essentially meaning there is a new topic each round. The recent debate was primarily one-to-one, or LincolnDouglas style, with one arguing affirmative and the other debating negative.

Graphic by BEN EVANS

The debaters received 30 minutes of preparation time once the topic was chosen.

“Parts of the tournament can be stressful,” Walton said. “The results for each round aren’t posted until very late that night or the next morning. I didn’t find out which debates I won until 11 p.m. that night, even though we

started debating at 10 a.m. that morning. It’s difficult not receiving immediate feedback after a debate.”

Miller is currently in her third semester on the team and also competed in the recent tournament in novice debate with a 3-3 record. Miller has been debating since high school and said debate helps with speaking off the top of her head, her confidence and her general knowledge. Sunday morning of the tournament, the coach of the team, Dr. Jared Dockery, associate professor of communication, got into contact with a local church to have a small service for the students. “[The service] was really good for us to regain our focus and set a foundation for our day,” Miller said. “[Dockery] makes it so much fun for us, he does whatever he can to make sure we get something out of it. He does a lot of work for us so that we can have a good time but also so that we can do well.”

Dockery was on the debate team as a student at Harding in the 1990s, and his dad was a member in the early ‘70s. Dockery is an advocate for debating and its benefits.

“Debate is useful because it forced me to consider both sides of an issue and made me examine issues more critically than I might not otherwise have done,” Dockery said. “I like to use the motto from the Bible, iron sharpening iron.”

The team competed at the End of HiBEAR-Nation Debate Tournament, hosted by the University of Central Arkansas in Conway Feb. 2-4. Junior Madeline Hansen Broshears advanced to the final round in novice debate. She ended up placing second in the novice division, out of 44 competitors, and she compiled a record of seven wins and three losses for the tournament. Long advanced to the first elimination round in varsity debate, and finished the tournament with a 5-2 record. Miller won fifth place in the best speaker competition in novice debate.

“I was also very pleased with Reed Wilson, who won three debates even though this was her first debate tournament since last March,” Dockery said. “ For that matter, it was also Madeline’s first debate tournament since last March, which makes her accomplishment this weekend all the more remarkable.”

The team continues to meet for practice every Tuesday and Thursday, which involves practice debates. After each debate, Dockery requires a one-page report of a self-assessment and ways to improve their skills.

3A OPINIONS

TheLink.Harding.edu

Oscars: Honoring film’s finest

Dr. Charles Bane Professor of Communication

W

ith the Academy Awards just one month away, critics are already complaining about why they don’t watch the show. The reasons tend to fall into two camps: that the nominated films are not actually the best films and performances of the year, or that the nominated films are only critical darlings that have not been seen by a wide enough audience. One extreme believes the nominees are too popular, while the other doesn’t believe that they are popular enough.

The result is that these groups will ignore the Oscars and probably spend the evening watching a movie they believe should have been nominated.

Not me. I will be watching with my ballot in hand, keeping score of my predictions. Like many critics, I think the Oscars are too long and too self-congratulatory, and I know there are deserving films that won’t win (or weren’t even nominated). I also know that some of this year’s winners will be forgotten down the road and join the ranks of the undeserving (“Crash,” anyone?). But I don’t care. Of all of the awards handed out by the various guilds

and critics’ circles, the Academy Awards are the only ones that award the full range of people that it actually takes to make a movie.

They are also the only awards that will force “Barbie” and “Poor Things” – both comedies – to battle it out against “Oppenheimer” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” – both dramas – that will say it’s either Lily Gladstone or Emma Stone (it can’t be both) and that will recognize all of the technical awards alongside the “major” awards. It’s the one night when it’s comedy vs. drama vs. action vs. sci-fi. And, regardless of the speeches heard so far, the thank yous and the tears, it’s the only one that all of the players in Hollywood actually care about. Just ask Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy or Tom Cruise if they’re completely satisfied with their Golden Globe or if they would happily give it up to have an Oscar on their mantles instead.

But more than that, the Oscars introduce us to films we might not have otherwise heard of: “American Fiction,” “The Holdovers” and “Poor Things” all experienced box office bumps once they were announced as nominees.

Anticipation is high, and streaming rentals are up for “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Past Lives” and “The Zone of Interest,” three international

films that made the Best Picture cut. “The Boy and the Heron”and “Nimona and Robot Dreams” remind us that Disney and Pixar aren’t the only studios making animated films.

Best Documentary shows us stories that are sometimes so raw they are not quite ready for the Hollywood treatment, like “20 Days in Mariupol” about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Finally, the shorts categories (Animated, Documentary and Live Action) give us snapshots into other worlds and often introduce up-and-coming filmmakers. This year, “The Barber of Little Rock” tells the story of Arkansan Arlo Washington, an African American barber, whose nonprofit community bank is fighting the racial wealth gap. The film will screen Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Clinton Presidential Library and Sunday, Feb. 18, at the Arkansas Cinema Society.

The Oscars aren’t everything.They sometimes “get it wrong.” But when someone wants to appreciate or study film either professionally, academically or just for fun, the list of past Oscar winners and nominees is often where they have to start.

CHARLES BANE is a professor of communication. He may be contacted at cbane@harding.edu.

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Gr by N

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Critiquing Hollywood’s golden standard

Aidan McGuire Guest Writer

I

think most Americans would struggle to keep quiet if they were asked what wins or losses at awards shows upset them.

You don’t need to be told the Academy makes mistakes. Of course that happens — it’s impossible to make everyone happy. It is not for personal disagreements that I avoid watching the Oscars, but a more fundamental problem in my eyes. Take, for example, one of their most egregious crimes: awarding Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) with best film editing despite most TikToks putting it to shame. It is instances like these that suggest something more sinister about the Academy.

Not only are they failing to recognize the truly brilliant, but they are actually rewarding the failures. It is evidence of a crack in the foundation — crucial failure that the industry has been marinating in for nearly a century.

The culture of the business and the voting structure shoulder most of the blame.

Imagine the Academy as the governing body of the film industry. What it awards and doesn’t award informs the “law” at the time. Female empowerment is in this year.

Superheroes are out. Maybe biopics are the new fad. It doesn’t matter. Depending on these trends, filmmakers (and more importantly, studios) know what to make to secure awards.

staff

Tiane Davis editor-in-chief Abbey Williams lifestyle Maggie Samples news editor Emma Weber opinions editor Aidan McGuire Charles Bane

And to the Academy, this must seem like they have a limited pool to choose from.

Such a system leaves both parties in a very boring feedback loop. Of course, supply and demand in the entertainment industry isn’t as simple as that, but if it doesn’t work in theory, why would it in practice?

Such a system leaves both parties in a very boring feedback loop.

– Aidan McGuire, senior

It is this dichotomy that spins the film reel round. Like American politics, the winners determine the voting as much as the voting determines the winners. The key difference being the body of voters in the Academy is somehow even more overwhelmingly white and male. And yes, the vast majority are old. Though such a state of affairs is neither shocking nor rare, surely even your most annoying film major friend could argue that an exclusive pool of industry veterans would appreciate film the best. But that isn’t true

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

Alaina Wolf

either. In fact, there are multiple instances of Academy members admitting they don’t watch all of the nominees before voting. And that’s just for movies. How many do you think are reading through the screenplay options?

If you care about the Oscars, there’s nothing wrong with that. Obviously filmmakers deserve recognition, and maybe attitudes like mine only pick apart the best option they’ve got. I just don’t think the Academy is in the recognition business. They are in the business business. Did Greta Gerwig get snubbed? Does it matter? I’m more concerned with the Mattel cinematic universe coming our way. Maybe we will finally get an Uno movie. Or an Apples to Apples trilogy. Talk to your friends about the movies you love.

Rank your favorites every year and argue and bicker and fight with one another. That’s the buzz that matters.

AIDAN MCGUIRE is a guest writer for The Bison. He may be contacted at amcguire1@harding.edu.

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

No Feeling is Final Emma Weber Opinions Editor

We’re playin’ basketball T

he other day, my friend Aja found film from my very mediocre highschool basketball career. We watched as my poorly bleach-tipped hair bobbed around the court getting into scraps over the ball. We were laughing at how odd it seemed that the person we were watching was a version of myself, a version I grew out of a long time ago.

If I could talk to my younger self, there would be a lot to say. If you asked me at the beginning of my college career, I would have pulled a list of my most embarrassing failures as an itemized itinerary for the conversation. Now, I think I would tell myself the importance of allowing failure to shape but not make my life.

Most of my younger life was spent running from the possibility of failing. My choices were made based on what I knew I could win and what I thought I might lose. I thought this would make me someone important. It was never enough just to win; I had to be a winner. I was also very angry — maybe this was completely unrelated anger, but I think it was a direct result of my outlook on life. How can you find joy in existence if you are constantly worried about where you are ranked?

Existence solely for gaining power is futile.

There is no true joy alone at the top of the ladder. I see many people who struggle with this concept. What they want is to matter, but their methods are like a constant scrambling around a basketball court: sometimes effective but overwhelmingly disappointing. People climb corporate ladders to the top but don’t know how to speak respectfully on Facebook.

People get the car, house or spouse everyone else wants but cannot look at their neighbor on the street and ask, “What can I help you with today?”

Failure illuminates a lack of control.

When I speak without thinking or lose a club basketball game, most of the time I am obviously missing something. High school Emma might have let this defeat define the larger concept of herself as a person, and I might begin to believe losing made me matter less. College Emma knows losing to another social club has no weight if I am having fun with my friends.

The beautiful thing life and basketball have taught me is we always have the power to make things matter. Maybe I will lose every basketball game I ever play for the rest of my life, but it still matters because I am choosing to show up for my teammates.

I have fun every time I see my teammate Elizabeth take a three-point shot because I know she is having fun doing it. There is something more important in my life than winning. There are blessings I might miss if I keep worrying myself about the power I don’t have.

I’m not saying I think it’s bad to want to win. Winning can be fun, especially when you have put a lot of work into whatever you are trying. That is the kind of work ethic that should be celebrated. However, it gets dangerous when winning becomes the only thing that matters. Winning for winning’s sake will only perpetuate a belief that you are nothing if you stop having power.

I think my younger self would most need a hug. It would be futile to try and explain to someone obsessed with winning what they are missing out on. I might ask her to play a pickup game of basketball and show her how fun losing can be when you believe in the worth we all have for simply being alive.

Obviously, I still get frustrated with those who still hold onto this mindset, but I’m old enough to know the grace I deserved at 16 can be extended to them. It’s all basketball to me.

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

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

guest contributors Emma McDaris

4A OPINIONS

Friday, February 9, 2024

For Love Tiane Davis

Editor-in-Chief

Happy me us day W

hen I was in preschool, my mom taught me how to make cutout paper hearts. My 5-year-old brain decided it only made sense to cut out a bunch of pink and purple ones to give to my crush on Valentine’s Day. I know for a fact I never intended to give them to him, but I put them in my school folder anyway, trying to convince myself that I was brave enough.

When Valentine’s Day came around, my mom dropped me off at the school building, and I walked in with my little backpack. When I took my folder out, all of my hearts fell onto the floor in front of everyone. No one knew why I had made so many or for whom, but I was embarrassed. I played it off and pretended I had made them for myself. Truthfully, I buried them in the trash the minute I got home that day.

When I was in first grade, everyone knew what my favorite colors were. I wore pink and purple almost daily, exclusively drew with pink and purple crayons and eagerly suggested pink or purple chalk any time my teacher needed to pick a color to write on the blackboard. If anyone ever asked me what my favorite holiday was, I told them I loved Valentine’s day.

When I was in third grade,the set of Valentines I had picked out for the class Valentine’s Day party had two cards that were bigger than the rest. I addressed them to my two crushes, which made perfect sense to me at the time.

Yes, I had two crushes — don’t lie to me and try to say you have never had two crushes at the same time. I made sure the two loves of my life got their noticeably large Valentine’s cards when the day arrived.

Of course, they both noticed.

“Oh! That’s so weird,” I said when one of them asked me why I had chosen to give them my best Valentines. “I have no idea how that happened.”

They knew I was lying, no doubt. Maybe I expected them to fight over me, or maybe I thought they would keep my little secret to themselves, but I forgot about it and dug through the Valentines I had received in hopes of finding something special for myself.

One year, my mom bought a poodle-shaped vanilla cake from Walmart for me on Valentine’s day. It looked like one of our dogs, and we thought it was funny that the more we ate of it, the less it looked like our miniature poodle.

None of these silly memories from my childhood really have anything in common except that they are related to Valentine’s Day. It is right next to Christmas on my list of “Most Memorable Holidays.”

Valentine’s Day is not my favorite holiday anymore, but it has always been a special day for me. I guess a crucial piece of information you need to know is that my birthday falls on this Day of Love. From a very young age, I was convinced that the reason I was born on Valentine’s Day was because I was the main character in everyone’s life. It made sense to me that Walmart and Dollar General put up decorations for my birthday because I just knew I was special compared to everyone else. I was in my own little world and paid no regard to anyone else in it.

The older I get, the less Valentine’s Day is a me day. It took me a while to realize it is much better celebrated with the people I love — whether romantically or platonically. No longer do I view hearts and hues of pink and red as extensions of myself, and no longer am I convinced the entire month of February is a Tiane celebration. I felt a strange ownership over the holiday for at least a decade, but since then, I have realized my birthday and Valentine’s Day are better treated as separate entities. Rather than waiting to receive birthday wishes, sharing such a holiday with my favorite people is a much happier way to spend the 14th of February.

T I A N E D AV I S i s t h e e d i t o r- i n chief for The Bison. She may be contacted at cdavis27@harding.edu.

Illustration by GRACIE CORNETT

Abbey Williams

Lifestyle Editor

T

aylor Swift accepted her fourth Album of the Year for her album “Midnights” at the 2024 Grammy Awards. This makes Grammy history as she surpasses Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon.

“I would love to tell you that this is the best moment of my life,” Swift said as she accepted the award, “but I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack the code to a bridge I love, or when I’m shortlisting a music video, or when I’m rehearsing with my dancers or my band or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show. For me, the award is the work. All I wanna do is keep being able to do this. I love it so much. It makes me so happy.”

Her album “Midnights” also won Best Pop Vocal Album earlier that night, marking her 13th win. For us Swifties, 13 means a lot because it’s her lucky number. That same night, Swift announced a new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which will be released April 19. This album includes features of Post Malone and Florence + The Machine.

I also want to recognize that Boygenius took home three Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for their single “Not Strong Enough” and Best Alternative Album for their debut studio album, “The Record.” Other artists

Y

ears ago, I took some students on a field trip to Piggott, Arkansas, a small town a couple of hours northeast of Searcy. We went to visit the house where Ernest Hemingway lived for a short time in the 1930s and where he wrote “A Farewell to Arms.”

Our tour guide that day made us smile with her gracious charm and her penchant for making up words. When a student asked what made Hemingway so great, she sighed and said, “I guess it was his humanarity.” We nodded politely.

Piggott was also the youthful stomping ground of my friend Robin Miller, professor of theatre, who is directing a show that opens this weekend. As he will soon retire after a remarkable 45 years at Harding, a few words are in order. The son of a preacher, he studied drama and speech education here in the 1970s, often working in the Admin. building, setting things up for daily chapel.

He gained lots of acting experience here and beyond, and he worked for a year on the grounds crew at Harding before joining the faculty in the Theatre Department in 1980.

During four-and-a-half decades, he has mentored hundreds of actors just starting their careers. Though his range spans from light comedy to Greek tragedy, his sweet spot has been musical theatre, with 25 Homecoming shows to his credit.

“Crazy for You,” “The Music Man,” “Pirates!?!” and “Singin’ in the Rain” have been some of my favorites. The year his team made it rain onstage was truly magical.

Like his colleagues, he is a jack-of-all-trades.

I’ve heard him eloquently explain that theatre is the sum of many art forms — playwriting, adapting, composing, singing, choreographing, set painting, costume building, light and sound design and more. It’s not unusual to

Taylor Swift stays winning, y’all can stay mad showed up and showed out at the Grammys, such as SZA and Billie Eilish.

Swift is still touring across 17 countries, from her beginning in March last year. She’s making Grammy history. She was the No. 1 artist on Spotify last year, and she has announced

her ninth album drop since 2019. Her Eras Tour movie grossed more than $250 million globally. Her tour has shaken the economy and the world. Her impact on the music industry and pop culture is timeless. Her music has changed lives, and it’s changed mine. Whether you like it or not, she is the music industry, and I couldn’t be more proud.

I’ve been a fan of Swift since her early career. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go see her on tour, but I still support her in every way I can. Despite all her success, she still faces massive controversy for simply being such a superstar. I encourage people who read this and still dislike Swift to listen to a song other than “Shake It Off!” I think a massive reason for the hate toward Swift and her fans is that most people only listen to her radio songs (which are still bangers) and have never heard the masterpieces of albums like “Folklore.”

In the end, she’s a storyteller, and she’s a woman sharing her stories. Let women like things! You’re allowed not to like Taylor Swift, but you can’t be upset when others do. From her song “The Man:” “I’m so sick of them coming at me again, cause if I was a man, I’d be the man.”

Graphic by BEN EVANS

An Earnest Friend Michael Claxton

Narrative Columnist

find him painting sets late at night or helping students learn to sew in the costume shop.

He even managed to teach sewing on Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. He taught stage combat for years and once alarmed the Department of Public Safety when he had students sword fighting on the front lawn.

He recently gave lessons on performing in hoop skirts.

We’ve had the pleasure of collaborating on a few shows, and it is a joy to watch him work.

While his tall stature gives him a commanding presence, he wears his authority lightly. He is gracious and encouraging, helping actors with everything from warm-ups to makeup tips to pointers on how to deliver a line, wait for a laugh, pace a scene or react to the unexpected. He mentors directors, too, who affectionately call his class “Life Lessons with Miller.”

In a profession sometimes known for its prima donnas, he is modest and calm.

Once after sitting in on a production team meeting, I marveled at how smoothly it went. “It’s amazing what you can do when there aren’t any egos in the room,” he said.

It’s something we both love about working here. Miller Robin especially enjoys mentoring future Christian professionals to work in challenging environments, and the spirit of Christ is evident in all that he does. For 20 years, he served faithfully on the committee that plans chapel.

ABBEY WILLIAMS is the lifestyle editor for The Bison. She may be contacted at awilliams18@harding.edu.

He has a painter’s eye for how things should look onstage, and it’s fun to watch him tell a group of actors to freeze and then literally move them around. Or, after a scene has been less-than-perfect, to listen as he carefully coaches the cast on how to do it better and why.

We all were thrilled when he married Donna Jo, a piano teacher who has been a rehearsal accompanist and a partner in every way. Their wedding in Cone Chapel was delightful, with Dr. David Burks playing the recessional (he was taking lessons from her at the time). They are a perfect pair, and it was never so obvious than when they fought her leukemia together several years ago. I’m blessed to call both of them friends.

This weekend is the opening of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The cast is fantastic, the script is hilarious, and you will never forgive yourself if you miss it. It’s also Mr. Miller’s last show as a full-time faculty member. While he’ll still enjoy teaching a few classes, he’s officially giving up committee meetings. As Hamlet would say, “It is a retirement devoutly to be wished.”

I am grateful to Robin Miller for all the joy he’s brought to our campus and to the Searcy community, as he and Morris Ellis co-founded our Summer Dinner Theatre years ago. He has helped train the next generation of theatrical talent, while raising our spirits, making us laugh, challenging us to think and giving us countless moments of wonder.

Since Miller never seeks the spotlight, he may kill me for writing this. But I hope he’ll coach me on nailing the death scene first.

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

Vol. 99, No. 11

Feb. 9, 2024

Bisons open 2024 season

The Tampa Baseball, softball teams begin nonconference schedules Traveler Nic Fraraccio Sports Editor

Buckeye Bullet What does one have to do to become a legend in the world of sports? Do they have to win championships? Do they have to break records? Do they have to be the greatest player of all time? All of these factors would certainly help someone become a legend.

However, I believe anyone can be a legend if they can inspire and impact those who follow their footsteps. Many athletes have been able to accomplish this dream, including the Buckeye Bullet.

You might be asking yourself, “Who is the Buckeye Bullet?” His name is Jesse Owens — an Olympic legend and a leader in the fight against racism around the world.

Owens’ rise to stardom began at Ohio State University. Under the leadership of head coach Larry Snyder, Owens developed into one of the best track athletes in the world.

May 25, 1935, the Buckeye Bullet put on a show at the Big Ten Conference meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Owens broke world records in the long jump, 220-yard hurdles and 220-yard dash.

He also tied the world record for the 100yard dash. If that was not impressive enough, Owens accomplished all of those in a span of 45 minutes.

Some called the performance the “Day of days,” and Owens was on track to lead the United States at the 1936 Olympic Games.

However, the Cleveland native did not know if he wanted to go. The 1936 Olympic games were set to be held in Nazi Germany.

Many members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) voiced that African Americans should not partake in the games.

Months before the start of the Olympics, Owens stood with the NAACP and declared, “If there are minorities in Germany who are being discriminated against, the United States should withdraw from the 1936 Olympics.”

After criticism from the media and members of the United States Olympic Committee, Owens and his U.S. teammates decided to make the trip to Germany.

While the fight against racism raged on in the States, Owens stepped into uncharted waters. At the time, Nazi Germany was a racist regime that continued to pick up steam. Many who lived there were being taken from their homes to be sent to concentration camps.

The U.S. team was entering Adolf Hitler’s world, and Owens had to live in it. Many athletes who dominated on the international scale hailed from Germany.

Owens was scheduled to participate in three events: the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the long jump. Despite facing the toughest opponents in the world, the Buckeye Bullet reigned supreme, earning three victories, three gold medals and three incredible performances.

Traditionally, the winner of each event meets with the leader of the host nation.

The meeting represents a sign of respect and congratulations to the man or woman who won the event.

Despite winning three events, Owens did not receive congratulations from Hitler at all. However, this disrespectful act did not phase the Olympic champion. There was still a point to prove, and Owens would be given another opportunity to shine his light in a dark world.

Four days after his third gold medal, Owens and Ralph Metcalfe would replace Jewish-American sprinters Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller in the 4x100-meter sprint relay. Owens was distraught by the decision to take out Glickman and Stoller.

However, he would decide to run after Glickman and Stoller convinced him to run for the fight against hate. The relay race was historic. The U.S. team set a world record, and Owens earned his fourth gold medal.

The Buckeye Bullet became the first American man to win four gold medals in a single Olympic games, serving as an inspiration to all with an incredible performance and message. It would only be fitting to let Owens finish our story today with a quote regarding his own relationship with God. “If I receive nothing else in life today, I felt that what he has done and the people that I’ve met and the things that have transpired within my life, I have one of fulfillment,” Owens said in an interview with Big 13 in 1976.

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

Photo provided by McKenna Oliver

Junior pitcher Javier Lobo prepares to throw a pitch in the Black and Gold scrimmage Sep. 21. The Harding baseball team defeated Delta State University in two out of three games to begin the 2024 season.

ELI DEAN community editor Harding’s baseball and softball teams had successful weekends to kick off each of their 2024 seasons. Harding softball kicked off their season at the Mardis Gras Invitational in Lafayette, Louisiana. The tournament gave the team two days of doubleheaders and brought mixed results.

On Friday, Harding collected two victories against Union University and Texas A&M University-Kingsville. However, the Lady Bisons dropped both matchups on Saturday against No. 3 University of Central Oklahoma and No. 24 Mississippi College.

Junior outfielder Macy Ham said the team is taking the two losses as a learning opportunity and hopes to get stronger as a result.

“I think this weekend was a learning experience for us,” Ham said. “We had a good day and a not-so-good day, but we would rather our bad days be now than later in the season. We are a very resilient and determined team. We understand that setbacks are a part of our sport, and we choose to let them help us grow rather than tear us down.”

Ham is coming off of an All-Great American Conference first-team season in 2023 and said she is hoping to have similar

results this year. After batting 0.308 during the tournament, Ham said she is looking to be more consistent on the field and the plate.

“As far as myself, my goals are to stay consistent,” Ham said. “I want to be a threat every time I step in the box on offense, and on defense I want my pitchers to trust that I will make plays for them in the outfield.”

Harding softball was ranked third in the preseason GAC rankings and is looking to have steady gains as the season progresses.

Senior outfielder Ashton Bryce said the first day of the tournament showed that when things come together, the Lady Bisons can have a special season.

“Friday was a really strong day with two wins to start the season,” Bryce said. “It’s really awesome to see everything you work for in the fall pay off. We have high expectations for this season, but we have a talented team, and I am excited to see us not only reach but exceed our goals.”

As for the baseball team, it picked up its first-ever series win against Delta State in program history, splitting a doubleheader on Friday and taking the rubber match on Saturday with a 10-3 victory. The offense was clicking throughout the series, totaling 32 runs in the three games and defeating Delta State by 12. Sophomore shortstop Cooper Newsom said the weekend was an all-around team success.

“The first series was an overall team performance,” Newsom said. “Every guy had each other’s back, the pitchers pitched great and got some huge outs, the hitters got some big-time hits and we played for each other.”

Newsom is coming off of one of the better freshman seasons in Harding baseball’s history, taking home the 2023 GAC Freshman of the Year award after hitting 0.305 with a 0.980 OPS while also leading the GAC in doubles with 25. Newsom said his number one priority for improvement this year is becoming a better teammate and to be the same productive hitter every game.

“As far as expectations for myself, I want to be the best teammate I can possibly be,” Newsom said. “Anything I can do to help the team win, I will do it. I need to keep being the same guy every single day — never too high, never too low; just be the same guy.”

The baseball team will play their first four home games of 2024 against Southern Baptist this weekend with two doubleheaders, while the softball team will participate in the Alvy Early/UAM Softball Classic in Bentonville.

The Lady Bisons will play their first home games March 8 with a doubleheader against University of Arkansas at Monticello.

“Back in the is a special in The Bison newspaper in “Back in the Day”Day” is a special sectionsection in The Bison newspaper in celebration of Harding’sofCentennial Each print the 2023-24 academic celebration Harding’syear. centennial year.issue Eachduring print issue during the 2023will haveyear pieces to the related Centennial, connecting ourconnecting readers to 24year academic will related have pieces to the centennial, Harding’s past. our readers to Harding’s past.

This we baseball get a glimpse atbegins, the banter between at alumni faculty As theweek, Harding season we look backstudents at Harding Preacher Roe.past.

Roe led Columbus baseball club to victory inthe the Searcy American from years We the also see a bit of satire connecting Association World Series in 1943. Roe pitched on the Harding baseball community Little with Harding’s culture. team for three seasons before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1938.

Oct. 12, 1943 issue: Vol. 16, No. 2, p. 1

2B COMMUNITY

Friday, February 9, 2023

Natural Food Store serves kombucha

Photo by BRILEY KEMPER

Natural Food Store employee Izreal Roberson showcases a freshly brewed cup of kombucha Feb. 6. The store created a membership plan that allows customers to pick and choose from a variety of flavors, with new ones introduced every week.

BAILEY COFFMAN guest writer Located off of Main Street in Searcy, the Natural Food Store houses local and organic produce, allergy-friendly food alternatives and countless nutritional supplements. In addition, the store has offered kombucha on tap from Natural State Bucha Brew since fall 2023.

Customers can purchase a membership at the Natural Food Store for the tea, which has new flavors every week. Flavors include Ginger Peach and Ginger Jazz and contain ingredients like rosemary and lavender, blueberry sage, and raspberry hibiscus.

Sophomore Alayla Darden, sales associate and health adviser at the Natural Food Store, explained the benefits of purchasing a membership.

“With the membership, which is an initial $10, you pay $8.50 for your growler refill of kombucha, and it’s for life,” Darden said.

Additionally, any Harding student has a 10% discount. The fermented tea is made locally by Judsonia-native Liz Stevenson who works with her daughter, Izzy Stevenson, at the Natural Food Store.

“Kombucha has all kinds of benefits if you consume it on a daily basis,” Izzy Stevenson said. “It is really helpful for your gut, and it helps people from digestion to acid reflux … It’s a medicine, but it also tastes good.”

Liz Stevenson spoke to the medicinal properties the drink carries.

“It boosts your immune system, and it helps with weight loss,” Liz Stevenson said.

“It helps ward off high blood pressure, heart

disease and it is even said to have hundreds of cancer-fighting properties.”

Studies show that kombucha has existed for centuries, Liz Stevenson said. If one were to drink about eight ounces per day for seven to 10 days, they would “definitely notice a difference,” she said.

Liz Stevenson was asked to take on the job of wholesaling kombucha when the owner of a recent kombucha dealer decided to close his doors.

“I don’t even feel like I’m at work when I’m brewing Kombucha,” Liz Stevenson said. “I’m 46 years old, and it was a calling that I never knew that I was supposed to do with my life.”

The process of making kombucha is relatively simple, requiring very few ingredients, but

the fermentation process can take weeks at a time, Liz Stevenson said.

“It’s just fruit and tea and time,” Izzy Stevenson said.

Liz Stevenson said she bought the brewery last fall, naming it Natural State Bucha Brew.

She went from brewing kombucha for herself at home to owning a brewery that contains 17 50-gallon vats.

“I never dreamed in a thousand years that I would be brewing kombucha at the capacity that I am now, and it’s just going to grow from this point on,” Liz Stevenson said. “Pretty soon you’ll be able to find it at several places around Arkansas, Squizito’s in Cabot, The Players Cafe in the Promenade and many more stores across the state.”

“I’m just constantly looking for ways that we can open the space so that it can mean the most to the community, and we have the best team of people that we’ve ever had,” Ford said. “And so we have the team, we have the space, we have the product and we have the community. And so it’s kind of a no-brainer.”

Staff members said they looked forward to the new hours and the space for the community and Harding to interact. Junior Magdalene Pruitt, a current staff member and Searcy native, said she hoped these nighttime hours would foster a new place to relax and connect.

“I hope it offers a good space for kids to get off campus, and also more of the community of Searcy because Wild Sweet William’s has a bunch of regulars that are Searcy natives,” Pruitt said. “… I feel like this would be a really good place for it to be kind of a middle ground of college students and the actual community.”

Pruitt’s coworker senior Collin McCook also said he looked forward to a new space for students off campus.

“I am really looking forward to creating a space for students to come study and hang out and not be confined to campus,” McCook said. “It’s going to be great to have a new student community spot.”

In the past three years, Wild Sweet Willam’s moved into a larger building and started serving lunch, which expanded its menu and brought in new customers. Ford

said she never changed her intention with the store and how she approached new additions to the business.

“I try to stay as present as possible in the moment,” Ford said. “And I find that when you are present in the moment, doors open, and you’re able to see what those doors are much more clearly than if you’re not in the present and you’re always looking to the future, and so that is what we have done, and that is what has worked for this business.”

Wild Sweet Williams introduces nighttime hours EMMA MCDARIS guest writer

A Searcy bakery recently began a new set of hours that allows students and the community to enjoy a different setting for nightlife.

Wild Sweet William’s, a bakery that serves various breakfast pastries, expanded their normal hours starting Feb. 6 to provide a late-night dessert and coffee option for the community. The store is now open Tuesday through Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m., offering drinks such as chai, decaf coffee and an assortment of teas. The bakery will offer classic Wild Sweet Willam’s pastries such as cookies, baby cakes and cinnamon rolls; however, it will expand this menu to include dessert items like bread pudding, cakes and cheesecake.

Lisa Ford, the founder and owner, said she was excited for this new time slot and what it could mean to the business and community.

Photo by BRILEY KEMPER

Wild Sweet William’s baking house stands open for business Feb. 6. The baking house, open five days a week, expanded its hours to better serve the greater Searcy community.

3B FEATURES

TheLink.Harding.edu

Fears lead Lady Bisons side by side NIC FRARACCIO sports editor

A married couple has continued to lead a Harding sports team to high levels of success and growth during their time at the University.

Meredith and Robert Fear have coached the Lady Bisons volleyball team side-by-side since 2012. Before coming to Harding, the Fears coached two seasons at York University in Nebraska.

The Fears have built a strong coaching partnership over their 11 seasons leading the Lady Bisons. Robert Fear said the duo complement each other well when coaching the team.

“Each year our coaching is getting tighter and stronger,” Robert Fear said. “I feel like we flow off each other really well.”

Meredith Fear said she is proud of the way the couple has adapted and evolved throughout their coaching careers.

“Anytime there is change, there can be bumpy waters, so being able to roll with those punches and figuring out ourselves has not always been easy,” she said. “We have always seen that it is worth the work to get in the right direction.”

After the couple brought their coaching talents back to Searcy, the Lady Bisons pushed toward victory on the court. The Fears have led Harding to six Great American Conference regular season championships and three GAC tournament championships.

In addition to the success, the Fears have continued to focus on the growth of the women as players and Christians. Meredith Fear said the coaches want to help the players develop into better people on and off the court.

“We want to help them along their personal journey and their spiritual journey,” Meredith Fear said. “We work hard at helping and not harming. We try really hard to make sure it is our greatest measure of success.”

Photo by MACY COX

Meredith and Robert Fear stand on the Rhodes-Reaves Field House volleyball court. The Fears have coached the Lady Bisons volleyball since 2012.

Robert Fear said he views the Fears’ positions as guides and enjoys watching the players develop during their time at Harding.

“I like seeing the growth process from start to finish,” Robert Fear said. “Seeing them when they first get here and where they end up, not just skills wise. I like seeing that growth.”

The coaching duo has provided a shining light in the Harding community for players, students and fans.

Harding alumna Chloe Ingersoll, who played for the Lady Bisons 2020-2023, said playing under the Fears was a unique experience because of the family culture they created for the team.

“Your first few years they may seem intimidating and like your boss, but as you grow through the program they start to become your closest friends and mentors,” Ingersoll said. “This dynamic creates such a special environment in which I felt equipped

to flourish not just on the court but more importantly in life.”

As the fall season approaches, Meredith Fear said she would love to see the students and fans support the Lady Bisons throughout the 2024 season.

“It is a new era, but it is still Harding volleyball,” Meredith Fear said. “So you can expect it is going to be dynamic, it is going to be fun and it is going to be high-level.”

Sophomore Tyler Hill has worked for sports information for two years, working at many football, soccer, basketball and baseball games.

The students work a variety of jobs during the home games, including updating the sports social media accounts and recording plays.

“For example, at football games this year, I just did Twitter updates,” Hill said. “And there’s a bunch of different other things they have us do.”

Hill said that this semester, his job is to record highlights during basketball games to use for replays.

For students looking for a more artistic opportunity, there are still many jobs available on campus for them to use their creative talents.

Junior Maddie Canterbury has worked in Harding’s costume shop for three years. The costume shop designs and builds costumes for the Homecoming musical, Spring Sing and all of the other theatre productions throughout the year. The costume shop’s most recent project was creating the dresses for “The Importance of Being Earnest” from scratch.

Canterbury said one of her favorite memories from working in the costume shop was creating the dresses for “Another Day of Sun” in last year’s Spring Sing show.

“It’s a beautiful thing to be able to see something that you put 50, 60, 100 hours into come to fruition and go on stage,” Canterbury said.

Junior Andy Weatherford runs a hand-held camera for Harding Sports Network at a football game Nov. 7. Harding Sports Network is one of several campus jobs available to students.

Students take advantage of available on-campus jobs KENZIE JAMES guest writer

Plenty of on-campus jobs are well-known to students, whether it be working at the desk in the Watson Center, one of the restaurants in the Student Center or Midnight Oil in the library. A variety of jobs are also offered around Harding that are less known to students.

Many campus jobs are through different departments, but applicants are not limited to students within that department; students of any major can apply for these positions.

The Department of Communication offers several jobs for students, including working with Student Publications, KVHU radio station or HU16, the broadcast station that covers sports and events around campus, as well as Live at Five, a five-day weekly 30-minute news broadcast.

Junior Ella Brumley joined the Live at Five staff as a reporter last semester and is an anchor this semester. Brumley, a political science and public administration major, said she took a couple of journalism classes as electives, where she learned about HU16.

“They were looking for people, and I was like ‘I can do it if y’all need someone,’ just kind of trying something new because I thought it would be interesting,” Brumley said.

Another lesser-known student job is working for the sports information office.

Photo by MACY COX

Sophomore leads student-led ballet lessons ELLIOTT COOMBES beat reporter

Those who always wanted to dance now have the opportunity, thanks to student-led ballet classes. Sophomore Reed Wilson hosts the classes by taking advantage of room reservations in the Reynolds Center.

Friday or Saturday nights, depending on availability, W ilson uses Room C207, or

the “mirror room,” for open-door, informal classes for her fellow college students. All students are welcome, and participants don’t need any kind of sign-up sheet to attend.

“I have no idea how many people are gonna be there until it starts,” Wilson said.

Wilson, who has been leading ballet classes for approximately a year, said some of her friends had expressed interest in it.

“I started it up last spring, and I was talking with some friends about how they always, as kids, wanted to learn how to do ballet,” Wilson said. “And I was like, ‘It’s never too late to start.’”

W i l s o n’s most central advertisement has been word of mouth, spreading from everyone she knows to everyone they know.

She structures her class just as a typical ballet class would be.

All the lessons are choreographed. She teaches the steps first, then introduces music.

“We start in the center at first, and I go over some feet and arm positions, and then we go to the bars, so you’re holding on to the wall, and we do some stretches,” Wilson said. “And then we do combinations across the floor, and some more combinations across the center, and then we stretch, and then we’re done.”

What makes the class atypical is its casual focus. No equipment or experience is needed, and there are no expectations. Everything is aimed at beginners.

“A lot of times people ask what to wear,” Wilson said.

“The biggest thing I always say is just wear whatever you’re comfortable in. I think that’s representative of what the whole class is: just do what you’re comfortable with. If it’s too hard, then don’t do it. Or if it’s too easy, make it harder.”

One attendee, sophomore Baylor Cooper, expressed his first impressions regarding the class.

“I was nervous to go at first, just because it was a bunch of different people that I didn’t really know,” Cooper said. “But the environment there is just so supportive, and everybody’s just so encouraging, and there’s no need to do well, because nobody’s great at ballet. We’re all just there having fun, and you just slowly become friends with the whole community.”

Attendee senior Will Nixon explained how much the class has grown.

“I think the last ballet we had last week, there was close to 80 people there, and it probably started out with 15 or 20,” Nixon said.

Nixon gave his thoughts on Wilson’s decision to share what she is passionate about.

“This is something she’s been doing since she was really little, and it’s her passion, so I think it’s really cool how she’s sharing that with other people,”

Nixon said.

Wilson’s goal is for people to have fun but also to learn. In addition to teaching the moves, she teaches the technical French terms.

“People who come to a few classes, they remember those words,” Wilson said. “Things like that, people learn over time the more they come to the class.”

Above all, Wilson emphasized the nopressure atmosphere.

“What I tell people is, just come for 15 minutes, and if you don’t like it, then don’t stay,” Wilson said. “And people always stay.

And a lot of times they come back too, because it’s fun.”

Graphic by MAKAYLA MCDONALD

4B LIFESTYLE

Friday, February 9, 2024

Racing for Valentine’s Day coffee

Photo by MACY COX

A specialty Valentine’s Day latte is offered at Midnight Oil Coffeehouse, which is among the many Searcy coffee shops with limited time offerings. Students and locals can also enjoy Valentine’s Day specialty coffees from 7Brew, Mr. Postman, and Perk and Post.

ALAINA WOLF guest writer For such a small town, Searcy has a lot to offer within the coffee department. Local coffee shops have become a bridge connecting our campus with the community around the holidays. The two come together in hopes of a palette pick-me-up.

Harding students often play a major role in the creation of these flavors, (if not done on their own.) Valentine’s Day is one holiday that is not being overlooked within the coffee community all on the same street. Here’s a sneak peak into what three coffee shops are doing this February. Senior Ellery Gardner

works at 7Brew Coffee and explained the secret to receiving any favorite drink year-round.

“They have featured flavors, but you can order those anytime throughout the year,” Gardner said.

Although 7Brew may have only recently started advertising their Valentine’s drinks, you can order any holiday-themed drink any month. Such as Raspberry Truffle Breve, Love Potion RedBull and Cupid’s Special Chiller.

Representing Perk and Post, the second location to Mr. Postman, freshman Amanda Toye has grown into filling more roles at this location since working there for a little over a year.

Toye, who runs social media for Perk and Post, emphasized how this location is different from others in town.

“We have a lot of variety,” Toye said, “I think that’s what sets us apart.”

She said she is looking forward to the Valentine’s season drinks because of the unexpected latte combo of chocolate and anything fruit-flavored, such as the Strawberry Patch.

Sophomore Mikayla Jones has been working at Midnight Oil Coffeehouse for three years. Jones loves emphasizing the creativity Midnight Oil houses behind their espresso machines. This is especially true in the creation of their featured holiday menu

for Valentine’s Day. Their holiday drinks include Stupid Cupid, Charry Styles, and Florist’s Favorite.

“I made all of our featured drinks for Valentine’s,” Jones said.

With syrups made in-house, each Midnight Oil barista is able to create a drink made with love celebrating the pink and red holiday.

Jones explains how the team consists of people who grew up in Searcy and people from afar, which brings to the table a beautiful blend of old and new flavor ideas.

“We are all creative,” Jones said.

Make sure to invite a friend and race over to try out a new coffee, because our Searcy coffeeshops are not falling short this Valentine’s Day.

“What’s your favorite pickup line?”

Emma Weber opinions editor

Nic Fraraccio sports editor

Can I get your jersey...?

You know, your name and your number...

Excuse me, do you have any raisins? No? Then how about a date...

Word Search

Graphic by MAKAYLA MCDONALD

Graphic by BEN EVANS

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