The Bison - Vol 99, No. 15

Students, faculty, alumni gather on campus to witness total solar eclipse

Searcy experienced totality during the solar eclipse from 1:52 p.m. to 1:55 p.m.

Monday, April 8. Harding, however, began celebrating the historical moment days before.

Friday, April 5, NASA Day was held in the American Heritage Conference Center, educating nearly 1,500 elementary and middle school students about space research and the upcoming solar eclipse.

Professor and Chair of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Departments Cindy White was the head coordinator and organizer for the campus events centered around the solar eclipse April 5-9. She started planning a year in advance after obtaining a grant from NASA, holding meetings with departments across campus and with student ambassadors. Students applied and were chosen as solar eclipse ambassadors by NASA to educate about the solar eclipse.

“Planning any event is difficult, but two big events very close together is challenging,” University Marketing and Communications Director Cherisse Gregory said. “[White] created a team and delegated duties to make everything a great success.”

Gregory was involved with UCM in designing graphics for the shirts available in the bookstore and the photo backdrop that was available on the day of the solar eclipse. UCM was also responsible for sending out press releases for the ASI speaker and the

concert and worked with local media.

Students enjoyed canceled classes from noon to 3 p.m. the day of the eclipse. Former NASA chaplain Mike O’Neal spoke in chapel and presented a guest lecture at 3:30 p.m. in the Anthony Wright Administration Auditorium.

A “Cosmic Cookout” was held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Bison Park, sponsored by the University in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences, Campus Life and the Centennial Committee. A multitude of activities and entertainment was offered, some including a NASA-themed bounce house and an inflatable planetarium along with cosmic-themed snacks and merchandise. Four information stations were dispersed throughout the park and First Security Stadium distributing eclipse glasses. Students were able to use their meal plan at the cookout, and three food trucks were also available. Belles & Beaux performed during the cookout from noon to 1 p.m.

First Security Stadium opened at 12:30 p.m. as the viewing site for the solar eclipse. A presentation was held in the stadium along with the NASA live feed of the sun. During the moments of totality, a sound embargo was in place. This moment of silence was to experience the moment fully, while potentially hearing wildlife, such as songbirds and insects.

“Things get weird in a total solar eclipse,” assistant professor of engineering and physics Will Waldron said. “No matter who you are, experiencing dusk at midday is a strange sight to behold.

There appears a sunset on all horizons. The temperature drops slightly. The trees display ‘shadow bands.’ We can see the corona of the sun with the naked eye.” Waldron had experienced a total solar eclipse before and said he hoped everyone who was able to experience the April 8 solar eclipse appreciated it fully.

“This is not a common thing,” Waldron said. “I have told many people it is worth their time to see this event. I would be grieved if Harding or anyone else attempted to keep that from people. Therefore inversely, I am pleased that Harding is doing what it can to give people the opportunity to experience this.”

After the total solar eclipse concluded, “Silas and Celcius” took place from 2 to 3 p.m., where local musician Silas Carpenter performed while Campus Life gave away the new celestial line of Celcius energy drinks.

That evening, ASI Speaker Jerry Linenger gave a

lecture at 7:30 p.m. in the Benson Auditorium. Linenger served as an astronaut for 10 days on the Spatial Discovery during the Space Shuttle Program and spent five months on their National Space Station.

The next day the Harding Grand Chorus performed “Music of the Spheres” featuring the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. in the Benson to conclude campus events related to the solar eclipse.

Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Heather Kemper was also heavily involved in the event planning process.

“It has definitely been a campus-wide effort,” Kemper said. “We hope it’ll be a really special day for our students, alumni and guests that visit campus.”

RANDI TUBBS features editor

Graphic by BEN EVANS, Regan McClure Photos by MACY COX

Students gather at Bison Park and the First Security Stadium to watch

HU16 Special, 2A

Astronaut Visits, 2A

Baseball, 1B

ASI hosts former astronaut Linenger

Astronaut Jerry Linenger visited Searcy this week to experience the total solar eclipse and participate in the American Studies Institute Distinguished Lecture Series. Linenger was interviewed on the HU16 live eclipse special Monday and spoke in the Benson Auditorium later that day at 7:30.

Linenger said the total solar eclipse is a special event and that his experience in space has led him to appreciate the world more. During his talk on the Benson Auditorium stage, he discussed the adversity he faced while in space as well as the beauty he saw.

“Going out there and looking at God’s creation — that’s a moment that will be etched in my brain forever,” Linenger said.

In 2008, Linenger received the Distinguished Service Medal, NASA’s highest award, for his courage and outstanding service to his country. He is also the author of “Off the Planet” and “Letters from Mir: An Astronaut’s Letters to His Son.”

Experiencing the eclipse is something that should lead to awe and wonder for the viewer, Linenger said. However, “we should just be rejoicing every day and smiling every day,” he said.

“The way God makes these things– it’s amazing,” Linenger said. “We should just be amazed. On the other hand, I think a night where you just go out in your backyard and look up at the universe and creation– we should just be awestruck all the time, but maybe especially so today.”

Linenger, who is a retired U.S. Navy flight surgeon, spent nearly five months aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1997. He was also the first American to complete a spacewalk in a Russian space suit. Executive director of the American Studies Institute J.R. Duke said the idea of inviting an astronaut to speak on campus on the day of the eclipse came from professor and chair of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department Cindy White. ASI has a long

history of hosting speakers about space exploration, he said.

“His specific story of some of the challenges and adventures he faced spending time aboard the Russian space station MIR in the late 1990s is a valuable addition to the information that American Studies tries to provide to our students and broader community,” Duke said.

Duke said Linenger spoke in a few classes Monday and talked to several students, which is what most ASI speakers do when they visit.

“We hope to have programs that inspire conversation on campus,” Duke said. “This program certainly was exciting and got people talking. Everyone that met him was excited to meet an astronaut.”

O’Neal speaks on faith at NASA

O’Neal worked for the Kennedy Space Center for over 31 years and has written four books published by 21st Century Christian. He was awarded the agency’s outstanding leadership medal and two exceptional service medals.

In both his afternoon lecture and his chapel presentation, O’Neal spoke about his experience at NASA and the ways that astronauts incorporated their faith into their time in space.

“When I was with NASA, for two years, I researched how we would provide spiritual support for the astronauts on long duration missions,” O’Neal said. “As a part of that study, I looked into the history of spirituality and spaceflight. I had to make recommendations and so I had to understand, ‘What have those astronauts been doing?’”

For the rest of his lecture, O’Neal shared stories about specific astronauts and the ways they incorporated and adapted their faith into their time in space.

“One of the things that we bump into as Christians in our society is the entertainment industry and the media,” O’Neal said. “They tend to look down on us nowadays, and our ethics and morality are becoming antiquated. We have these astronauts who are men and women of great intellect and great courage, and a lot of them are men and women of great faith as well.”

O’Neal said these astronauts can serve as good examples of Christians in society and that he is grateful for the God-given opportunity to travel and spread this knowledge.

“I can’t tell you how many people have told me just how encouraging that is for them to hear, because of all the negative things they always hear,” O’Neal said.

Freshman education major Charlie Foster said she appreciated the lecture and the spiritual aspect of the conversation.

“I really like how he had so many stories to tell,” Foster said. “It’s just really cool to hear how many people changed their perspective of God and creation.”

Freshman software development major Nathaniel Kinonen said he enjoyed the lecture.

“I thought he was knowledgeable and did a really good job linking everything to the spiritual aspect of space and NASA’s mission,” Kinonen said.

During his talk, Linenger said he became desensitized to the emergency alarm that went off every day, which indicated a potentially life-threatening event. Sophomore engineering major Ashley Daughety said this part of his talk was meaningful.

“It is inspiring how many obstacles he overcame to finish his mission and come home to his family,” Daughety said. “It was interesting to hear about how he overcame isolation and constant stress during his mission.”

Daughety said Linenger’s work with Russians who did not speak English showed that some things can rise above any cultural difference or language barrier.

“The crew was able to use their differences to work together and succeed beyond what anyone expected of them,” Daughety said. “The human race is stronger together, and when we can use our differences to our advantage, we can accomplish feats that currently seem impossible.”

Daughety also said Linenger was friendly and showed interest in getting to know students on campus.

“He asked questions about each of us who met him and wanted to know more about what we were studying,” Daughety said. “He also had a great sense of humor that made it easy to pay attention during his talk.”

events, recordings of chapels, unique concerts, recitals and special events.

“Not a lot of people even know how to create a televised news broadcast, so the fact that we can come together and do that is awesome,” Thweatt said. “I think the eclipse broadcast will be even more unique since it’s a special occasion outside of what we usually do, so I think it will be really satisfying to see it come together.”

Three reporters were posted for the program in different locations including Bison Park, downtown Searcy and outside of Heber Springs. One reporter, freshman Hailey Stevens, said she could not have had a more eventful freshman year at Harding.

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“I’m really grateful that Harding is letting us be the official coverage of the eclipse on all University channels,” Thweatt said. “It’ll probably be the biggest audience we’ve ever had, and more people will get to see the eclipse because of it.” Thweatt explained how unique of a show it was, since the students who run the daily news show have a variety of majors and involvement across campus. HU16 offers the campus and extended community many live streamed forms of entertainment: sports

“My favorite thing about HU16 is the creative freedom I have to come up with my own stories, and the ability to improv live with other anchors is really fun,” Stevens said. “This translates into the eclipse in that I can really kind of make my off site report what I want it to be. Noah has been super encouraging and helpful for giving me ideas of what to talk about based on the location and what makes the eclipse special.”

Another freshman who has grown into her role at HU16 is Lilli Burch. Burch said she enjoys working alongside the students of HU16 and expressed her appreciation for each student’s contribution to the newscast.

“I love the community of HU16,” Burch said. “I believe that every person who is part of the eclipse day will put in so much work and effort to make it be the best newscast Harding has ever seen.”

Harding hosted Mike O’Neal, a former NASA chaplain, in honor of the eclipse on Monday. He spoke in chapel and presented at 3:30 p.m. in the Anthony Wright Administration Auditorium.

ALAINA WOLF guest writer

MAGGIE SAMPLES news editor

TIANE DAVIS editor-in-chief

Former astronaut Jerry Linenger speaks in the Benson Auditorium April 8. Linenger was a part of the American Studies Institute’s Distinguished Lecture series.

Former NASA chaplain Mike O’Neal speaks in the Anthony Wright Administration Auditorium on April 8. O’Neal was on campus as part of the on campus eclipse celebration.

Seniors Bailey Coffman, Carter Thweatt and Mattie Powers stand in the HU16 studio on April 8. They anchored the eclipse show, which was streamed on University channels.

Photo by EDGAR CARDIEL

Photo by EDGAR CARDIEL

Photo by MACY COX

[This article contains spoilers for “Enola Holmes 2,” “Knives Out,” and “Death on the Nile.”]

Murder mysteries have become a popular movie genre in recent years, but as their popularity rose, the mystery waned. It has become easier to identify “whodunit” in recent movies because they all follow a pattern.

Many murder mysteries reveal the culprit early because they introduce the character and almost immediately back away; they don’t delve into the character’s story until much later. My theory is that if you pay attention and find this character, you can guess the murderer in the first half of the movie.

I started forming my theory a couple years ago when I consistently guessed the culprit in Hallmark murder mystery movies. I first thought my theory only applied to Hallmark mysteries but later realized it worked for many popular films including “Enola Holmes 2” and “Knives Out.”

Playing detective

Ms. Troy is introduced when Enola sneaks into the match factory office. She remains a minor character until she is revealed as Moriarty at the end of the film. Mysteries like “Enola Holmes 2” follow the detective’s thought process, so the culprit isn’t suspected until the end of the film. This is a good start to identify the murderer: It is commonly a minor character from whom the focus is drawn away for most of the film.

“Knives Out” also follows the same format, allowing the audience to identify the murderer ahead of time. The focus is trickier to follow, as Ransom, played by Chris Evans, is not present at the beginning of the film. He is mentioned at the beginning and focus is drawn away from him until Blanc reveals him as the culprit.

Interestingly, I’ve found that modern remakes of Golden Age novels follow my theory, yet I don’t succeed with the original novels. I think this is because the movies are made in an age where mysteries follow a pattern, though the

might not. Take “Death on the Nile (2022)” for example.

This movie is more difficult because Jackie was the obvious killer, and she is a culprit. Simon is hard to identify because he has a larger role in the story compared to Moriarty or Ransom, who are both minor characters. However, Simon’s character isn’t explored until Poirot suspects him, so Simon still follows the theory.

I’ve stopped trying to solve the Golden Age novels I read like Hercule Poirot because the plots are more complex than the movies. The novels follow the detective’s unique way of thinking, uncovering hidden relationships and motives. I choose to sit back and enjoy reading a good mystery.

But if you want to play detective, try this theory next time you watch a mystery movie and see if you can solve it faster than the detective.

As a freshman, I have not felt limited while attending Harding University when it comes to my academic life. I was able to jump on The Bison staff right away and have been able to do a lot of cool things with HU16 that fit what I want to do with my degree. However, there is one thing I feel limited in as a student, and that is where I can hang out with my group of friends.

Recently, Harding Public Safety has noticeably started locking a lot more (if not all) doors in campus buildings on weekends that used to be free for students to use whenever they needed them. For example, the PryorEngland and Mabee buildings would always have a few rooms or large lecture halls open that I and a few of my friends would use to watch a movie or a new TV series we wanted to try out. This was super helpful for a lot of my friends to get together when there wasn’t a dorm open house or something like that where we could convene together — men and women. This is the biggest issue for my particular group, which is finding places we can be together, not just my clubmates but our queens and their friends too. With most if not all of the dorms having their last open house already, there isn’t really a place on campus for us to meet, and I’ve found that extremely frustrating.

March 22, which was the first Friday that my group found out that all of the doors were locked, there were a few assumptions and guesses as to what happened that forced the change to take place. One popular theory was about a certain group of students who would play Hide and Seek in the hallways while we were in a room.

They were always loud, sometimes louder than they needed to be, but I never got the sense they were being reckless college students, or at least reckless enough to mess around or break things

Locked doors on campus

in the classrooms they’d hide in. When me and my friends found all of the rooms locked that night, we assumed they took their game to the night before and were caught being loud by a professor working late at night, and that was the cause. Suddenly, the rooms were locked, with no explanation for the decision. It annoyed me not just that the rooms were locked, but that there wasn’t any communication between students and the leaders who made the decision to lock them. Fast forward a few weeks later, it didn’t seem like that communication would ever come. April 6, my group called Public Safety and asked if one of the rooms could be unlocked for just our group to use for a few hours. The respondent said Public Safety was

not allowed to unlock doors anymore and apologized for the inconvenience. I came away from that conversation with the feeling it was department heads who made the call to lock all of the doors, but that still gave me more questions than answers.

I know the intention of whoever requested for Public Safety to lock the rooms was not to divide the student body or force us off campus, but that’s what’s inherently happened. After trying a lot of different options over the past few weeks, my group has found a place to hang out off campus, but I don’t think that addresses the key issue at heart.

Forcing students to drive off campus so they convene with people from the opposite gender in groups feels like the exact opposite of what Harding should be striving to do. And again, locking the doors without much explanation gives my group, and I’m sure many others who used the rooms in the past, a lot of questions, but as a journalist, I know some questions will always go unanswered no matter how many times you ask them.

I don’t expect this to change anyone’s feelings about the issue, especially with the school year wrapping up. However, as a student at a university where dorms are separated by men and women and most students happen to live in dorms, classrooms are where people naturally go to hang out when wanting to watch something together, not just with “me and the boys” or “the gals.” Taking away the togetherness and forcing it off campus feels unnatural, especially considering this University has been celebrating 100 years of togetherness. I don’t want to imagine what Harding looks like without togetherness, but every time I have to drive off campus to watch anything from “Harry Potter” to “X-Men ‘97” with my friends, well, it makes me wonder.

Doctors and patients pursuing in vitro fertilization treatments (I.V.F.) in Alabama were shocked by the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that recently occurred. What has continued to unfold is a backsliding of support from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, as lawmakers struggle to legislate the beginning of life. The all-Republican court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. In vitro fertilization offers a possible answer for those having difficulty getting pregnant. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the procedure freezes the woman’s eggs and fertilizes them in a lab with sperm from either a chosen partner or donor. Alabama legislation is serving as a case study to the attitudes plaguing America: People have no problem regulating what others can do until it infringes on their own desires.

Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in the majority ruling, “Unborn children are ‘children’ ... without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics.” In a concurring statement, Chief Justice Tom Parker cited the book of Genesis and the prophet Jeremiah among other theologians. He wrote, “Even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”The overwhelming response of doctors and patients seeking I.V.F. treatment reveals another side, that perhaps patients’ lives are the ones being destroyed.

Since 2019, anti-abortion language has been slowly creeping into the Alabama State Constitution in order to “protect the rights of unborn children.”

When the House Bill 314, called the Human Life Protection Act, ruling was made, Ivey said, “To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.” Now Ivey has signed a bill to protect doctors from potential legal liability after facing massive pressure to get services reinstated. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump told Fox News he would “strongly support the availability of I.V.F.” Despite this, Republicans in the Senate have blocked multiple bills proposed by Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois that would protect access to I.V.F. treatments.

Dr. Michael C. Allemand, a reproductive endocrinologist at Alabama Fertility who provides I.V.F. services, said after the first ruling, “The moments that our patients are wanting to have by growing their families — Christmas mornings with grandparents, kindergarten, going on the first day of school with little back-packs — all that stuff is what this is about. Those are the real moments that this ruling could deprive patients of.”

Dr. Allemand is pulling from the Christian ideals of family and tradition to fight the Christian reasons for ending I.V.F. in the first place. This seems to be a consequence of unchecked political wielding in discussions that should belong to field experts, not politicians. When one party refuses to listen until voter appeal is damaged, everyone feels the detrimental effects. No one wins when no one listens.

What I hope this article exposes is the complexity that comes with every side of any issue and the hypocrisy that flows from those who attempt to control others. Moving the line from what is “right” when it is convenient is dangerous to our society and for the very people policy is supposed to protect. We should demand that those who seek to represent us take the time to let experts inform decisions so our laws are not unintentionally ignoring the voices of people with very real concerns and feelings.

Continue, 100%

For most of my life, I have tended to give a lot of focus to my weaknesses or things I think I should enjoy, while neglecting the things I actually do enjoy. As I approach graduation, the search for a good job that I like has me thinking a lot about the experience and skills I have yet to gain. In a world where no two people are the same, it is easy for me to label a difference in strength sets or interests as undesirable.

One required skill that stood out to me on a recent job listing was “Willingness to undertake simple and complex tasks with equal enthusiasm and energy.” I also had a friend who, after a mock interview, the interviewer told him he should try to show more excitement for the “boring stuff.” I don’t think these requirements are an invitation to force interest in things we don’t enjoy; I think they are an invitation to pursue a life of work and activity that we do enjoy.

These are things that did not surprise me, but they definitely made me reflect on the things I do and why. For a long time, especially during high school and my first year of college, I was under the impression that if I did not enjoy something I was good at, that meant there was something wrong with me or that I was failing. I guess an idea that I am trying to welcome into my thought processes is — if I am spending time on something that does not interest me, I might want to question my motives.

Your motive might be money; your motive might be pressure from family or peers; your motive might be joy. No matter your original purpose, I think a good question to ask yourself is, “Am I being honest with myself about what I truly want?”

I am learning that a big part of doing a job well is the level of interest involved. Someone could be really great at a sport or skill, but if they hate it, the effort they put into it won’t produce a result good enough to be considered well done. If a person sticks with a job that they do not like, I would question whether they are being honest with themselves about their passions. Sometimes a person might stay with a job to provide for their family or to serve as a stepping stone for a better job, and that is okay. As long as we are being honest with ourselves about who we are and who we want to be.

If you think of the work you do as a percentage of how interested you are in it, everything you put energy into should have close to a 100% level of interest. If you are doing something with a 0% level of interest, question your motive. If your motive aligns with your values, continue.

I think one thing that has always tripped me up is comparing my interests and strengths to others.’ If someone is great at math and I’m not, does that mean I don’t have my own strengths? No. If someone is great at public speaking and I’m not, does that mean I won’t be able to do a job well done somewhere else? No.

Working in such a collaborative environment with The Bison has taught me so much about the value of building on a person’s strengths rather than their weaknesses. If someone is doing poorly with a job they are expected to do well, they probably have better strengths that just need to be recognized and utilized. Those strengths are often the ones they enjoy the most. Part of being a functioning member of society is knowing how to recognize when someone might be better at or more interested in a task than you are. If someone wants to delegate tasks to a person who is better at executing them, that is not a sign of laziness or poor work ethic on the delegator’s part; it is a sign of a good leader and often a willingness to be vulnerable. If we lie to ourselves about our interests in an effort to prove our capabilities, the overall result is at risk of diminishing.

As I was writing this, I wanted to reflect on everything I do with The Bison, but I can save the reflecting or final thoughts for our next issue. In this moment, although I have been through stages of questioning in the past, I am doing what I love, and I will continue.

You are reading a milestone column today. If you told the high school version of me I would someday write 300 essays for a college newspaper, I would have fainted on the spot. First, because that sounds like way more work than I would have wanted to take on at 18. But also, because it would mean one of my two career dreams had come true.

First, I wanted to be an English teacher. The wonderful teachers in my life stoked my love of writing and reading literature and helped me get better at both. As I watched them in front of the classroom day after day, I thought to myself, “I want to do what they do.” Granted, they made it all look much easier than I have since discovered teaching to be, but they set me on a path that has blessed my life for nearly 30 years.

My second dream was to be a humor columnist. I grew up in Georgia and often read a writer named Lewis Grizzard, who wrote weekly for the “Atlanta Journal.” As I devoured his witty musings on life, love, sports and the Waffle House, I thought to myself, “I want to do what he does.” I shared that dream with a friend who told me jobs like that were hard to get and that I had best stick to teaching. So, I put the idea on the back burner.

It stayed there for over a decade. Two years into my career at Harding, I had Heather Browning in my class. She was the editor for this newspaper and liked my sense of humor. Heather invited me to write an article for The Bison, and I sent in a piece about a recent trip overseas. That turned into an invitation to submit more, and by the next semester, I was

writing for nearly every issue of the paper. I have now been doing that for 18 years.

It will save time if you complain to Heather directly.

I’m so grateful to Student Publications for putting up with my nonsense and giving me space to write about whatever I want. From stories of my childhood to tales of funny things that happen to me in restaurants, from thoughts about pop culture to tributes for friends who have passed on, I’ve had the freedom to write 800 words a week on things that mattered to me.

I’ve written deeply confessional pieces about my ineptitude at lawn maintenance or my affection for the Toyota I drove for 23 years or the fact I have seven file cabinets in my house. I’ve even taken on challenges sent in by readers, such as the time I wrote a whole column without using the letter “E,” or the week I submitted one entirely in limericks.

I have a few favorite stories I’ve gotten to share, such as the one about my one-and-only adventure in babysitting, or the time I tried to purchase a woman’s pocketbook as a Christmas gift, or the day I was mistaken for Mr. Noodle at Wendy’s, or the time I tried to help transport a basketball goal from one side of town to the

next and nearly bought the farm riding in the back of a truck and trying to hold the crazy thing down in the wind.

Of course, I’ve tried to tackle serious issues, too. I’ve written about the national air guitar championships, the world’s oldest piece of fruitcake, and the guy who got so fed up with politics in his native Belgium that he put the whole country up for sale on eBay (I love the fact that eBay took the listing down “to avoid confusion”).

I need to thank my editorial board — a group of colleagues who have heard drafts of many of these articles over the years. They have helped me catch all kinds of mistakes or come up with better ways to say things. They even told me one time that I should cancel a column. You see, as a man who lives alone with his file cabinets, I have no one at home to say, “You think that’s funny, dear, but it’s not.” So, sometimes the editorial board has to step up.

But they may not have prevented enough of my nonsense. I’ve just done the math, and it seems I have inflicted over 240,000 words on the Harding nation since 2005. I feel the need to apologize.

But not necessarily to stop. As long as readers tell me they enjoy what I write, I plan to keep going. I am seldom happier than when composing a new “Just the Clax,” and I’m thankful to Harding for this wonderful ride. And to my loyal readers — thanks, but you may need a hobby.

Harding defeats GAC rival

Tales of Madness Bisons

Ladies and gentlemen, the exciting month of March has faded away like the SEC’s hopes of hoisting another championship in the big dance. Although it was not my favorite March Madness, it still provided some amazing stories.

Talking about the champions is easy, but today’s story will focus on those who gave their fans a new sense of hope within the world of sports.

The tournament provided some insane upsets that sent shockwaves through colleges and universities around the country. Yale, Duquesne, Grand Canyon — the list goes on and on.

There is one upset I want to highlight, and specifically, one performance as well. Kentucky fans, you might want to skip ahead a few lines.

May I introduce the Golden Grizzlies of Oakland University: a team led by an unlikely hero. His name is Jack Gohlke, a guard who attempted 364 three-point field goals throughout the season.

Before watching the Golden Grizzlies and Wildcats battle, I knew Gohlke had a chance of making an impact. However, I did not realize I was watching the second coming of Steph Curry.

Whether it was a contested step back or a catch-and-shoot, Gohlke hit shot after shot. He buried the Wildcats and sent them home early. Who knows where Gohlke will be in the coming years — but he certainly deserved this moment.

Many players caught the attention of fans who watched the heart-wrenching tournament. However, a certain team picked up steam and slowly became “America’s team” during the national tournament.

After clawing their way through the ACC championship tournament, the North Carolina State men’s basketball team earned an automatic bid to the tournament March 16 after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 84-76.

The Wolfpack entered March Madness as a No. 11 seed. Led by senior guard D.J. Horne and senior forward D.J. Burns Jr., NC State continued their hot streak and battled through the tournament.

After defeating No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 14 Oakland University and No. 2 Marquette University, the Wolfpack faced off against No. 4 Duke University in a highly-anticipated Elite Eight matchup.

This matchup could be given a four-word title: The D.J. Burns Show. The 275-pound forward caught the hearts of fans around the nation. Burns finished the game with 29 points as NC State defeated Duke 76-64 to advance to their first Final Four appearance since 1983.

Sadly, their road to glory ended against Zach Edey and Purdue University April 6, but the story gave fans a glimmer of hope for a Cinderella run in the big dance.

Finally, I want to give credit to the most influential college athlete of our generation. What started as a dream in Des Moines, Iowa, is now becoming a reality for Iowa Hawkeye superstar Caitlin Clark. With a career that is unmatched and legendary within the realm of collegiate sports, Clark, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer, inspired generations of fans across the country. I wish Clark’s collegiate career would end in glory. Unfortunately, the slipper did not fit, and the Gamecocks finished their undefeated season in style.

However, Clark’s career illustrated more than just winning and setting records. It taught us that anything is possible for anyone who puts their mind and heart towards something. Caitlin, your career as an athlete and hero is not over — it is just beginning. Not all teams have a hero or star that can lead them to the big dance. One team that suffers from this reality is the University of Arkansas men’s basketball team.

I will end my column with a word of encouragement for my fellow Razorback fans. I share your disappointment — I really do. You did not get a special moment in March this season.

Luckily for you, the University of Arkansas has confirmed John Calipari’s appointment as the head coach for the men’s basketball team. Hogs fans, it is time to run it back.

win series against Ouachita Baptist University

Harding baseball pulled away with a crucial home series win against Ouachita Baptist University, one that sets them in a good position to host a playoff series at Jerry Moore Field.

The Bisons took two out of three against the Tigers, and it was a collective team effort in each game. In game one, a pitchers’ duel saw the game tied going into the bottom of the eighth inning. After two straight outs, a double by sophomore catcher Collin Helms put a runner in scoring position, leading Helms to score on a base hit by another sophomore, third baseman Logan Lacey. The score would be 3-2 heading into the ninth, and junior Javier Lobo shut the door down for the win. The win gave Harding their 100th win against OBU in the program’s history.

Head coach Patrick McGaha said it is always a good feeling to pull off a victory against one of Harding’s biggest rivals. “It’s something I’ve been a part of for a long time,” McGaha said. “When I played here it was a big rivalry then. They’ve been really good the last few years, so for us to beat them, it feels good.”

Each series win is important, as Harding sits tied for fourth in the Great American Conference standings. McGaha said the team knows the implications each game possesses and that the series win against OBU puts them on the right track as they finish off the in-conference schedule.

“Winning a series is so crucial because the top four teams get to host the first round,” McGaha said. “So every time you can win a series it’s crucial, and it really does build momentum towards your midweek and the next weekend series.”

The series hit a rough patch in game two, as OBU scored two runs in the ninth to take their own 3-2 victory. Senior outfielder Sawyer Price hit a home run in the first game of the doubleheader and brought in three RBIs in the rubber match for the series as the bats sparked an 8-3 win which clinched the series win. Price said the team’s resilience and inspired work ethic for each other has played a big role in bouncing back from defeats.

“We’ve been playing some really good baseball, and we’ve been staying together through thick and thin,” Price said. “Stuff is going to happen, and we’re doing our best to stay together and love each other.”

The pitching staff also had a strong weekend, as they held OBU scoreless for the last four innings of the final game of the doubleheader. That game’s starter, sophomore Merritt Jay, struck out five over five innings of work and threw 100 pitches, which was his most in a start this season. Jay said the team is determined to finish the year strong and is looking forward to the last two conference series.

“Being able to put ourselves in a position to play meaningful games late in the year always brings excitement and motivation for everyone on the team,” Jay said. “As long as we keep playing for each other and our brand of baseball we will have confidence for any challenge the rest of the season may bring.”

Looking ahead, the Bisons take on Southeastern Oklahoma State University this weekend, with the series opening today at home at 6 p.m. and a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, with the first game at 1 p.m. Sophomore shortstop Cooper Newsom said the team is right where they want to be on and off the field.

“We are really playing together and for the person next to us,” Newsom said. “For the rest of the year if we play hard and compete every pitch we will end the year in a good place.”

Golf teams battle through 2024 season

NIC FRARACCIO sports editor

The Harding men’s and women’s golf teams are continuing their 2024 spring season with positive rounds and results in recent tournaments.

In their last tournament, the men’s team finished in second place April 1-2 at The Showdown at Shangri-La in Monkey Island, Oklahoma.

Senior Sam Tandy, who is currently the No. 10 ranked golfer in Division II, finished as Harding’s top scorer. Tandy shot an 8-under 205 to finish second out of 93 golfers in the field.

As a team, the Bisons finished the tournament with a 2-under 850, the fourth-best 54-hole total in school history. As the team pushes for an NCAA regional berth, junior Finlay Cummings said the team will look to “keep it rolling” as the season progresses.

“They were all very mentally sharp,” Cummings said. “Cutting out the mental mistakes is huge in golf as it’s a game of fine margins — so this is important.”

Following his performance in Oklahoma, Tandy earned GAC Men’s Golfer of the Week. Cummings said Tandy is beneficial to the team as a player and a friend.

“Sam is always fun to be around and is a great asset to the team,” Cummings said. “He wants the best out of every one of us and pushes us all to be the best golfer and best Christian we can be.”

The women’s team continued their success

Sophomore Madeleine Wilson and fifthyear senior Kodie Winnings both shot a 7-over 77 to finish in the top five. As a team, the Lady Bisons finished with a 33-over 318. Wilson said the tournament win will boost the team’s morale as the season progresses.

“We know we can win a tournament and we know we can play good golf,” Wilson said. “I believe with this mindset, we will be able to perform well at our conference tournament.”

Winnings said the pre-round preparations contributed to the strong finish in Fort Smith.

“We also prepared ourselves for a brutal day of cold and windy weather and being present over each shot was going to be key,” Winnings said. “The girls and myself set ourselves up for a great round beginning in our warm up, and it set the tone for the day.”

As the season continues, Winnings said the team’s confidence will affect the results in the upcoming tournaments.

“Overall, I think [we need] to improve our mindsets going into tournaments, knowing we stand a chance to win over these teams and remembering each shot counts,” Winnings said.

Both teams will play one more tournament before heading to Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 21 for the GAC Championship tournament. The men’s team will host the Natural State Golf Classic April 15-16 at Cypress Creek Golf Course in Cabot, Arkansas. The women’s team will travel to St. Louis, Missouri, to play in the UMSL Ladies Spring Invitational at Northwood Hill Country Club.

March 26 at the Hardscrabble Invitational in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Lady Bisons finished in first place after rain shortened the tournament from 36 to 18 holes.

ELI DEAN community editor

Senior Sam Tandy hits a drive Oct. 18 at Cypress Creek Golf Course in Cabot, Arkansas. Tandy earned GAC Golfer of the Week after finishing second in The Showdown at Shangri-La.

Sophomore shortstop Cooper Newsom swings at a pitch April 6 against Ouachita Baptist University. The Bisons collected 22 hits during the three-game conference series against the Tigers.

Photo by MACY COX

Friday, April 12,

Searcy lies in path of totality for eclipse

To ensure these events went safely, Chief of Police Steve Hernadez dedicated time planning and organizing officers to work the event.

The Searcy Community experienced the excitement of being in the path of totality for the eclipse. For events preceding the event to run smoothly, many areas of Searcy had to dedicate time and work to plan and prepare. Events started as early as April 6 at the Pioneer Village open house. On April 7, downtown Searcy came alive with activities during “SUNday” on the Square. Eclipse coordinator Jenna Friday led the effort in the community events and managed many different committees to ensure access for the Searcy Community.

“All of the events did really well,” Friday said. “ We were prepared for whatever came our way, which was our mission. From Saturday through Monday we had events going on that saw great numbers for attendance. There were a couple of viewing sites that had low attendance, but overall our events were very successful.”

“We’ve been meeting for the last two years on this event,” Hernandez said. “The state came in and told us to prepare for two to three times our population increase. My job was to plan for the amount of visitors and keep the community and visitors safe at all the viewing sights and events.”

On Tuesday, April 8, four official viewing sights in Searcy were available to watch the total eclipse. Searcy police had around 50 officers managing these gatherings as well as maintaining normal patrols. The community event center offered entertainment at Galaxy Fest that hosted 10,000-12,000 people from 40 states and 12 countries throughout the day. Although the projected number of visitors did not occur, Hernandez said he was grateful their work kept the community safe.

Additionally, the Searcy Fire Department prepared for maintaining events. Training Captain and EMS Coordinator Corbry Swain

said he was pleased with the preparedness of those dedicated to emergency response.

“The eclipse planning committee had a sub-committee that was for Public Works, Police Department, Fire Department, and North Star and we met together at least once every few weeks,” Swain said. “We came up with an accident plan and our department increased those on duty the day before the eclipse, the day of the eclipse, and the day after the eclipse as well as equipping a few vehicles to be first line response vehicles.”

Similar to many towns in the path of totality, the projected number of visitors were not met. This was due to many different factors, some including locals with family in town staying home on eclipse day due to fear of traffic. However, safety in town was the first concern of all who had a part in planning, Swain said.

“We prepared for the worst,” Swain said. “We didn’t have any major incidents thankfully, but we felt that we were pretty adequately prepared to handle the situations even if we did have an influx of people they said we would.”

Businesses in the Searcy area also prepared to engage in the celebrations around town. Multiple businesses extended hours to accommodate the projected amount of visitors as well as made preparations to offer more eclipse themed services. Burrito Day General Manager Chloe Cooper operated the Searcy location during the eclipse and said she enjoyed the community engagement.

“A while back, like maybe sixish months ago, the owners of Burrito Day, Brandon and Kari Fox, along with many small business owners in town, began going to city meetings that were all about how they should prepare for the eclipse,” Cooper said. “During the past couple months, we’ve introduced a couple new pieces of merchandise in preparation for the eclipse, including a pretty cool alien abduction tote. We also had special stickers and temporary tattoos for the day. We had very special hours for eclipse weekend. We were open on Sunday and Monday, which was something very new for us, but it was worth it for such a cool occasion.”

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra headlines Music of the Spheres concert

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performed Tuesday in succession of the total solar eclipse. The performance, which took place in the Benson Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., was titled “Music of the Spheres” and featured several solar system-themed pieces. Students were offered tickets at a discounted price. Jay Walls, chair of the Music Department, said the performance was a collaboration with the University Centennial committee as well as the committee that organized events related to the eclipse.

“We decided to do a concert that will sort of wrap up all of these events in a really big way,” Walls said. “... One of the pieces is going to be collaborating with our Grand Chorus, so it’ll be members of our two large courses here at the University plus the Harding Academy chorus.”

Walls said the Arkansas Symphony traveled to Searcy with the largest orchestra they have ever brought outside of Little Rock. With those numbers as well as the University and Academy chorus joining, Walls said around 130 singers and a 90-piece orchestra were on stage.

“We hope that the Harding community will realize that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see all of these musicians performing together,” Walls said. “It’s even been about seven years or so since the Arkansas Symphony has been in Searcy.”

Choral Activities Director Kyle Pullen said students could experience new and unique music at the performance.

“The symphony will open your ears to music you’ve probably never heard before,” Pullen said. “These are not really popular pieces. I think it’s just good to hear great music performed by great ensembles.”

Pullen said anyone can enjoy the orchestra.

“I think it’s a kind of music that appeals to people of all walks of life and not just about the music, but about the content, the subject matter of the music,” Pullen said. “You could be interested in astronomy and like this music because of that. You can be interested in all types of things and enjoy this. It brings together people from different walks of life so the community is brought together through music and then it’s not just Harding performing.”

Junior Kylie James said the orchestra is “the biggest and most prestigious orchestra” in Arkansas, and it performed songs such as The Planets, Galileo’s Eyeglass and more.

“There will be some incredible music and this will be a concert that people will not want to miss,” James said. “I have been a part of ensembles for 10 plus years, and I have never been a part of a group of this skill level before.”

James said she encouraged her fellow students to attend the event because it is a way to bring the University and Searcy communities together.

“Music connects people through emotion and the communal experience of belonging. At concerts, we are all viewers,” James said. “The performers on stage are playing to interact with the audience in hopes to draw us into the art they have created. ”

Main Street Searcy hosts Sunday on the Square to ramp up for eclipse

“I think it’s great,” Payne said. “I think Searcy’s always been really good about community and bringing the community together.”

Main Street Searcy hosted Sunday on the Square April 7, a street festival to hype up the eclipse. Many downtown businesses were promoted to attendants, and vendors from in and out of Searcy had booths to promote their products.

One of these booths was Searcy business Topshelf Productions, operated by Kyle Payne and Alec Bruer, who sold paintings. Their table featured live paintings made with spray paint. Payne said he thought Sunday on the Square was a great way to bring people together in Searcy.

Payne said he was grateful to have a booth available on the square during the weekend of the solar eclipse.

“I’m pretty excited,” Payne said. “I have a booth, and it’s going to bring a lot of people here, and I’m kind of excited for the town of Searcy in general.”

Bruer, who was working alongside Payne, said the city means a lot to their business.

“We plan on making the most out of today,” Bruer said. “We always love Searcy — we always get a good outcome from it.”

Another booth featured traditional blacksmithing from Casey Arms with a full welding forge. Based out of Romance, Arkansas, Casey Arms works with leather

and metal to create swords, knives and many other items. The booth could be recognised by the Scottish and Irish flags celebrating the ancestry of traditional bladesmith Daniel Casey. “We’ve had a lot of people come through,” Casey said. “We’ve given out a lot of business cards and made a couple sales, and that’s what it’s all about, getting your face out there.”

Casey said he was excited to meet more local people, and do more demonstrations in the area.

“It started out a little slow this morning, and the wind’s giving us some trouble, but from what I hear, there’s a lot of people that have come into town already, so I’m excited,” Casey said.

In addition to vendors, the festival included live stage music, face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides, bouncy houses and fire breathing performances.

Searcy police officers and firefighters were at the festival to help keep the roads clear and keep people safe.

“We’re stationed here all day just in case anybody needs any first aid, or if anything happens, we’re here to make sure everything’s okay,” firefighter John Gernenz said. “I love being out with the public and talking because we really appreciate them. In this city everybody’s so good to us.”

The moon begins to get closer towards blocking the sun and reaching totality during the Great North American Solar Eclipse April 8. Members of the Searcy community were able to skip the travel and experience the eclipse in their backyards.

Photos by MACY COX AND ELI DEAN EMMA WEBER opinions editor

ABBEY WILLIAMS lifestyle editor

Photo by BRILEY KEMPER Arkansas Symphony Orchestra violinist Meredith Maddox Hicks performs in the Benson Auditorium April 9. The event was the final event on campus focused on the Great North American Solar Eclipse, which happened the day before.

MAKAYLA MALOTTE guest writer Graphic

ELLIOT COMBES beat reporter

Solar eclipse ambassadors help with events

BAILEY COFFMAN guest writer

Harding University’s solar eclipse ambassadors worked hard to prepare for the solar eclipse earlier this week, as Searcy was in the path of totality April 8. Dr. Cindy White, professor and chair of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, expressed pride in her students’ dedication.

“They have been preparing for months now, and they have done so much work,” White said. “They were huge in putting on NASA Day, as it was all the students that were running all the stations and doing all the activities and the teaching and learning that was going on.”

Over 1,300 middle school students from surrounding county schools participated in NASA Day, a series of events hosted by solar eclipse ambassadors on Harding’s campus Friday, April 5. Freshman Raquel Webb spoke to her participation in the events of NASA Day and her role on the day of the eclipse. “Dr. White sent out an email to chemistry and biology majors about the job,” Webb said. “I applied, and we’ve just been preparing and planning for NASA Day. My station was building bottle rockets, and on Monday for the solar eclipse we’re going to be handing out solar eclipse glasses and galaxy-themed foods.”

Sophomore Katherine Hewitt, another solar eclipse ambassador, shared the importance of engaging with local schools in collaboration with such a monumental event.

“Each group of kids came for two hours, they got to see a telescope, do astronaut training and watch a movie in a planetarium,” Hewitt said. “Lots of their questions caused me to wonder the impact that this would make on their future degrees or jobs. The events of NASA Day were neat because we were able to partner with the kids’ teachers in explaining to them the stations we had planned, encouraging the kids’ excitement about space and the eclipse.”

The solar eclipse ambassadors, supported by the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium and endorsed by NASA, were instrumental in organizing educational activities and events on campus for the day of the eclipse. Hewitt emphasized the collaborative effort of varying scholastic disciplines, all coming together because of a mutual interest in the events of the eclipse.

“Overall, it’s been really cool to work alongside the professors and hear their passion for their subject and their ability to explain it to us,” Hewitt said. “I’ve also gotten to know a few other science majors, and it’s so cool to me that we all have different majors and skills to use in the events this weekend.”

‘Cookie Ministry Chapel’ replaces ‘Muffin Chapel’

A beloved chapel tradition will get a new update next week due to a class project connecting the Harding student body to women in the community.

The “Muffin Chapel” tradition will be replaced with “Cookie Ministry Chapel” April 16 when women in the Searcy community will hand out over 1,500 cookies they have baked for the student body. This project was created by students in the Department of Communication’s PR Campaigns class as a new way to interact with and appreciate the women of Harding and the Searcy community.

Senior Matti Otto was one of the students organizing Cookie Ministry Chapel and explained the process and intentional thought behind the change.

“We have redirected the attention of muffins to cookies in honor of the women whose dedication is reflected in the pages of the Harding cookbooks,” Otto said. “Cookie recipes often carry sentimental value and personal touches from their cooks. By embracing these cookie recipes crafted by the women themselves, we foster a bridge between past and present generations of students.”

Assistant professor of mathematics Jill Davis interacted with both students and the women who made the cookies for the project

and said she has high hopes this project will encourage different generations to engage with and learn from one another.

“I hope that the Harding students see another generation of people that have something to teach them and get curious, or you know, maybe go ask their aunt or grandma or something,” Davis said. “So that’s one thing I also hope. I really hope that they recognize the effort that was put into it.”

Harding Ambassador Lisa Williams asked Cheryl Finley, one of the women who participated in making cookies, to partake in this experience.

“I asked some ladies in my Wednesday morning Bible study group to help bake cookies and consider being there to pass them out,” Finley said. “Not sure how many signed up, but they thought it sounded like a great idea. We all agreed that the students would probably like it — much like muffin chapel but with a personal touch.”

The theme of hospitality and honoring previous generations consistently stays at the forefront of the event’s intentions.

“So the idea is sometimes people think hospitality is hard, and it really doesn’t have to be hard,” Davis said. “Most people can get good at one thing. You know if you can find your go-to cookie or your go-to pie or cake.”

“Back in the Day” is a special section in The Bison newspaper in celebration of Harding’s centennial year. Each print issue during the 202324 academic year will have pieces related to the centennial, connecting our readers to Harding’s past.

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

This week, we get a glimpse at the banter between students at faculty from years past. We also see a bit of satire connecting the Searcy community with Harding’s culture.

This week, we can see the longevity of Harding and NASA’s work together. In this issue Harding worked with NASA through hosting NASA Day, working with NASA chosen solar eclipse ambassadors and more.

Sophomore Abby White presents with a telescope to area students on NASA Day April 5. White was selected as a solar eclipse ambassador to educate others about the April 8 total solar eclipse.

Photo by BRILEY KEMPER

Graphic by Alaina Wolf

EMMA MCDARIS guest writer

Film program starts 48-hour Film Fest

A group of Harding film students and faculty produced the first Harding University 48-Hour Film Festival last weekend.

Participating students had 48 hours to write, film and edit a short film, from April 5 at 6 p.m. to April 7 at 6 p.m. Five student teams participated in this year’s

After the films were judged, they were shown at the festival April 11. The entire Harding community was invited to the screening of the films, where the winners were also announced. The winning team, which was announced after the

time of publication, received a cash prize of $100. Other placing teams received prizes from businesses around Searcy, including gift cards.

Junior Alita O’Leary was a part of the production team and worked on outreach and contacting sponsors for the festival.

O’ Leary said part of the purpose of the festival was to create another opportunity not only for film students to gain experience but for all students to participate.

The festival was open to anyone to enter, including members of the Searcy community, with the requirement that at least one Harding student was on each team.

“Even in my own team I am working to include people that are not in the film department because you get so many different perspectives,” O’Leary said. “You witness so many different types of people that bring so much life to a film set.”

Freshman film major Kinsey Curo said she was involved with previous student films

for classes and was on one of the teams competing in the film festival.

“I really like to just be a PA, which basically just does all of the fill-in work, like goes and grabs batteries, or makes sure the actors have water and everyone has gaffer tape, or whatever needs to be done,” Curo said.

The 48-Hour Film Festival provided an opportunity for all students to try new roles in the film process. Film students could try new creative or leadership roles, and all students could try acting, writing or even doing makeup for a film.

One of the faculty supervisors, instructor of communication Bryan Hudkins, said one of his students did the project mostly by himself, just to make a film for fun and make all the creative choices for the film himself.

“I think anyone can enjoy it,” Hudkins said “It’s [for] all experience levels. You have an iPhone and iMovie on your iPhone, right? You can go direct your own film and have a good time with it.”

Abundant Living hosts annual retreat on campus

Abundant Living hosted its biannual retreat at Harding University for the first time in its 18-year history. The retreat was dubbed “Heaven and Nature Sing” and took place April 9-12. The spring event previously has been held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Hot Springs, Arkansas, but was on campus this year to celebrate Harding’s Centennial.

Director of Abundant Living Teresa Castleman designed the event as a getaway experience for Christian seniors 55 years and older with Harding alumni in mind.

“The Abundant Living program exists to keep our alumni connected with the University,” Castleman said. “We want to foster community between our retirementaged alumni.”

Many seniors in the program have grandchildren and relatives who are enrolled at Harding, and Abundant Living gives them a chance to connect with those students while reliving the days of their college experience. They were given opportunities to join students in activities they also did when enrolled, such as eating in the cafeteria and attending chapel.

Castleman said the event would feature ample opportunities for alumni and seniors to worship and learn together. The retreat included speakers such as NASA engineer Mike O’Neal and lectures on grandparenting and faith.

To reflect the idea of student and alumni cooperation, Abundant Living will host chapel in the Benson Auditorium Friday, April 12. The chapel is a collaboration of junior Josh Mellor and alumni Dr. Leon Sanderson. Sanderson has served as a worship

leader for Abundant Living’s retreats since their beginning. He works in ministry in Memphis, but he has deep connections to Harding’s history. Sanderson’s father, Dr. Lloyd O. Sanderson, collaborated with Florence Cathcart to write the University’s alma mater, and he has continued his father’s legacy by writing the alma mater for the Harding School of Theology.

“One of the [songs] I picked out that relates to Harding is the alma mater because this is all about the Centennial, and the alma mater was written 100 years ago,” Sanderson said.

Josh Mellor, a vocal music education major, said he wants to communicate to others the significance of worship.

“What we’re putting together is like a joint song leading chapel,” Mellor said. “We’re sharing stories about songs. I just

want to really share that the worship that we’re sharing is important to us.” Worship is one way students and alumni can connect during the spiritual retreat, Mellor said.

“I think [it’s important] to show the intergenerational connection with praise to show that it’s not something that has been lost in this younger generation,” Mellor said. Sanderson said remembering the legacy of Harding and wanting to better its original vision is important for both seniors and students.

Solar eclipse quest: an out-of-this-world wordsearch puzzle

“When we’re there for occasions like the Centennial, it allows us to remember some of those that paved the way for wonderful Christian education, and it allows us to see [students] that are in the classes when we graduated,” Sanderson said. NASA

BEN EVANS graphic designer

Junior Natalie Mooney participates in this year’s 48-hour film fest. The event took place April 11.

Photo by EDGAR CARDIEL

Graphics by Abbey Williams, Ben Evans, Makayla McDonald

Photo by EDGAR CARDIEL Abundant Living members share coffee at their annual retreat. The group chose to meet at Harding in honor of the Centennial year.