The Bison Newspaper - Vol. 97, No. 11

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Searcy, Searcy, Online atatat TheLink.Harding.edu Searcy, Online TheLink.Harding.edu Searcy, Ark., 72149 Online TheLink.Harding.edu Online at TheLink.Harding.edu Searcy,Ark., Ark.,72149 72149

Searcy, Ark., 72149

Warehouse 4 toto open Feb. 21 help remember ‘I want to beNever able Never forget forget update search Presidential and tell their stories’

Photo by MADISON MEYER Photo by MADISON MEYER

Dr.Jack Jack Shock, Shock, distinguished distinguished professor professor of of communication, communication, and Dr. and Dr. Dr. Ginger Ginger Blackstone, Blackstone, associate associate professor professor of of communication, share share their their firsthand firsthand experiences experiences in in media media from from Sept. communication, Sept. 11, 11, 2001, 2001, with with honors honors communication communication Photos by MADISON MEYER students. Students and faculty visited the 9/11 memorial in Downtown Manhattan on Thursday, Sept. 9.

Photos by MADISON MEYER students. Students and faculty visited the 9/11 memorial in Downtown Manhattan on Thursday, Sept. 9.

Junior Emily Stinnett was a student on “My job was to bring the story out,” Blackstone worked as a producer for CNN Photo

by JEFF MONTGOMERY Junior Emily Stinnett was a student on “My job was to bring the story out,” Blackstone worked as a producer for CNN Photo

by JEFF MONTGOMERY EVERETT KIRKMAN Charles Ganus, head of the Harding presidential president the board Lindy aIngram, member of the tripand and created video documentary of Atlanta in Septemberof2001.

She andof hertrustees; Shock said.search committee; Dr. RobertinWalker, EVERETT KIRKMAN Charles Ganus, head of the Harding presidential search committee; Dr. Robert Walker, president of the board of trustees; and Lindy Ingram, member of the trip and created a video documentary of in Atlanta in September 2001.

She and her Shock said. editor-in-chief the board of trustees, leave the American Heritage building oncorrespondents Sept. 10. team have since received an Emmy Award it. A shorter version of her work, specifically Even national newson editor-in-chief the board of trustees, leave the American Heritage building Sept.

10.

Even national news correspondents team have since received an Emmy Award it. A shorter version of her work, specifically for“ There’s their reporting work over the course of Solomon, from outlets like NBC, ABC and Eleven honors communication students University focused on theofreflection of students, chair the Lipscomb Board of a number good things president.

This marked theCNN first for“ There’s their reporting work of over the course of Solomon, from outlets like NBC, ABC and CNN Eleven honors communication focused on theof reflection of students, Photo by JULIANNE BAKER EVERETT KIRKMAN students University chair theon Lipscomb Board a number of good things president.

This marked the firstas the EVERETT KIRKMAN was shown in chapel Friday, Sept.

10.of weeks following the attacks, as America had restricted access at ground zero, and five communication department faculty Sophomore Meredith Blue practices her latte art during a staff training at the Searcy location of Warehouse 4.

The cafe will host their grand opening Feb. Trustees, said in a statement at the time happening here at Harding right now,” time an outside executive search firm was editor-in-chief the weeks following the attacks,right as America hadan restricted access at search groundfirm zero, as happening and five communication department faculty time was shown in in chapel on Friday, 10.

Trustees, said a statement at Sept. the here Harding now,” outsideGuard executive was editor-in-chief Her documented the visit to time the learnedsaid. about the at terrorists’ motives and the of the National patrolled was an Ganus members traveled to New York City from on 21, following two days of soft Feb. 17 and 18. patrolled theproject announcement.

“I’m looking forward to the hired by the University for thiswhat process. learned about the terrorists’ motives and the the National Guard what was an members traveled to New York openings City from hired Her project documented the visit to the of the announcement.

Ganus said. “I’m looking forward to the memorial, by the University for this would process. as wella as visitsalso to St. Paul’s U.S.president government’s responsethe in mission real time. ongoing investigation.

Journalists often new Sept.

8-12 Charles to observe the 20th York College, school continuing “We are conducting a nationwide search Alumnus Ganus, boardanniversary member Harding and Searcy communities,” Freshman Bailey Moorethe is mission currently which very exciting,” York U.S. government’s response in real time.of investigation.

Journalists would often new Sept.

8-12 Charles to observe the 20th memorial, as wellais as visits to affiliated St. Paul’s CAROLINE BIRDWELL YorkTrinity College, school also affiliated president continuing of drive-thru, “We to are conducting a nationwide search Alumnus Ganus, boardanniversary memberontheongoing chapel, Church and the Engine 54, For Blackstone, Sept.

11, 2001, was her speak Shock as a liason, who would then of the Sept.

11, 2001, terrorist attacks with the Churches of Christ, announced Harding — work continuing for 2001, it to be the for a said. president that will blessed lead would Harding and chairman of 2001, the presidential search Neely “We are very to be training to at Warehouse 4 and said.

“It looks [kind of ] bare in there For Blackstone, Sept.

11, was her speak to Shock as a liason, who then of the Sept.

11, terrorist attacks on chapel, Trinity Church and the Engine 54, head editor in New with the Churches9of Christ,on announced Harding — continuing for itplane to be the Ladder for a president that area will to lead Harding andthe chairman ofcopy the Center presidential search 4, Battalion firehouse 8th Ave. day off.

Unaware of the initial crash, enter the Red Cross find someone World Trade York the appointment of also a 9new president on June special place it hasof been.

Ithe look forward University in its Cross vision as a Christ-centered committee, saidTrade while Center the process isNew ongoing, able to have this opportunity and work was able to work during snow day. right now, but it has a unique look day off.

Unaware the initial plane crash, enter the Red area to find someone the World in York Ladder 4, Battalion firehouse on 8th Ave. place it has been.

I look forward theMidtown appointment of a new president on June inshare its vision as a Christ-centered special committee, saidstudent while the ongoing,an University in Fifteen firefighters the second plane hit the second tower, 12, willing toof their story.

Each on process the tripisfulfilled 2020.

Dr.Manhattan.

Samuel alumnus thewas next building on that.” theCity. presidential search committee’s roleanwith institution higher education,” Walker said towhen when the second hit the second tower, to willing toofshare story.

EachTIANE student on the trip fulfilled in it, Midtown Manhattan.

Fifteen firefighters Harding on their it,education,” and we can’t wait “It apresident totalplane spur-of-the-moment which I love.A. ItSmith, is veryan open and to the next president building on that.” institution higher Walker said theCity. presidential search committee’s role 12, 2020.

Dr. Samuel A. Smith, an alumnus DAVIS from Engine has Co.served 54 went to the World two cell phones,also landline and BlackBerry “At that“We moment, that firefighter became herOther honors contract on ahe topic related to 9/11, in February. of the college, as president since colleges affiliated with the are searching forstrive a mature ishonors now over.

He said andrelated other to board her two cell phones, landline and BlackBerry “At that moment, that firefighter became contract on a topic 9/11, from Engine Co. 54 went to the World to give back to Harding as we to decision, but it was really worth it,” looks like it fosters community to me.” sports also affiliated with the Trade is now over. He saideditor he and other inmy February.

“We aresaid. searching a to mature of the Center college,on hasSept. served president since 11,as2001, and allOther began colleges to ring at the same time.

After client,” Shock “It wasfor up me the events surrounding it the and theboard effects 6, 2020, after 20 none years of Christ have recently gone of the church of“It Christ who ledto members were grateful for time and member all began to“It ring at the same After July mythe client,” Shock said. was up tois to Churches the events surrounding it the and time the effects Trade Center on spending Sept.

11, nearly 2001, and none business.” said. was fun gettime. to work Jones said opening new Churches Christ have recently gone member Christ who isme led members were grateful for and grow July 6, 2020, after spending years — the most menthe lostnearly fromlocation a20single learning ofofthe events, shetowas advised to returned ensure of hethe hadchurch a safeof experience that did Moore felt worldwide. a variety of Lipscomb.

Smith’s through presidential transitions. the word of God and theaHoly Spirit, effort every committee member put into byL learning of the events, she was advised ensure heehad a safe experience that did felt worldwide. returned —has theroles mostatmen from a single a s exploit t word we k’s w i n tand edid r we tput h e rhim s e nin t a as a big crew, and was funto in in a lost few challenges, through presidential transitions. effortThe every committee into bynot the of God the Spirit, in Searcy a variety of brought roles Lipscomb.

Smith’s engine company thatatday.

The firefighters stay home and restit up foreven the more work that him, that notHoly group visited themember Sept. 11put Memorial willstaff take day. placeThe today.

Onhome Aug. 5, Lipscomb in inauguration narrowing the visited search forSept. the University’s committed tohim, the that spread the gospel of a tostay and rest up forUniversity the the workfirst that not exploit didof not put him in The group the 11 Memorial engine company that firefighters Warehouse will host their students searching for things have customers for between there sharedwith their stories with the would ensue in Lipscomb daysinside and weeks to come. zone that would unhealthy forgospel him, and and Museum at ground zero ongrand Thursday,Harding On Aug. 5, University in especially committed to thebe spread of the of narrowing the4search for the University’s inauguration willpersonal taketraveling place today.

“Smith has proven himself bethe a Nashville, Tennessee, the Arkansas Christ and focused strengthening the next would ensue in days andannounced weeks to come. zonesothat would be on unhealthy fortohim, and time andpresident.

Museum atwith ground zero on Thursday, there shared their personal stories to with opening Feb. 21, soft openings on to do, Warehouse 4 decided have [in a while].” and Ohio. andhas faculty and shared memories “All of the Turner networks, allthe of students also toand accompany to and throughthe the Nashville, Sept.

9. While there, Dr. Jack Shock, Christ Tennessee, announced focused him on strengthening next president.

“Smith proven himself to be a thoughtful listener with a visionary spirit,” appointment of the university ’s 18th University in its pursuit of excellence in On Oct. 30, 2020, the retirement of Dr. “All of the Gabriella Turner networks, all of students alsosecond to accompanyopening him to and the 9. While there, Dr. Jack Shock,their and faculty and shared memories Feb.Sept.

17 and onthrough Feb. 4.

Sophomore “Our district and colleagues thatmanager had been lost.operations them — even like TBSFields — they were of interview.”in soft distinguished professor of communication, its pursuit of excellence in appointment of TNT, the university ’s went 18th On Oct. 18.

30, 2020, the retirement of Dr. University thoughtful listener with a visionary spirit,” Dr. R. Wayne White, chairman ofback the York president — Dr.like Candice McQueen, former Bruce McLarty as University president was They higher education.” them — even TNT, TBS — they were interview.” distinguished professor of communication, of colleagues that had been lost.

The cafe — based in Dayton, Ohio announced through an Instagram to the Warehouse 4 preview on Feb. 4. manager have been traveling and saidWhite, one of chairman the most memorable all simulcasting CNN,McQueen, including former CNN Dr.Stinnett Shock described the many interviews president wasMcLarty interviewed by multiple news outlets — Dr. Candice higher education.”

Bruce as University president was R. Wayne of the York Board of Trustees, said.

“After Tennessee commissioner ofincluding education and College announced to the Harding community via post Two weeks after this announcement, all simulcasting CNN, CNN Shock described the many interviews was interviewed by multiple news outlets Stinnett said one of the most memorable —announced has been under construction since that there would be baked goods, “My f riends and I met for brunch forth from Dayton to Searcy to train our moments of the of trip to her was reading International,” Blackstone said.

“The thinking heweeks took part in, where he stood directly Tennessee about histo experiences at ground zero invia the that of education and interviewing the Harding community Two after this announcement, College Board Trustees, said.

“After several great candidates, it former deancommissioner ofday, the and university’s department Harding constituents received anenjoy email on anabout email from Board ofchanged Trustees Chairman International,” Blackstone said.

“The thinking that he took part in, where he stood directly his experiences at ground zero in the moments of the trip to her was reading spring 2021 and has grand lattes and drip coffee for all to the snow it was amazing,” staff,” Jones said.

“I actually moved names of the 2,977 people that diedto was, there’s point in us clamoring over the behind the camera andreceived the interviewer, weeks following the attacks.Chairman Shock was Harding former dean no of the university’s department constituents an emailas of an email from Boardon of Trustees interviewing several great candidates, it was apparent that Smith’s experiences in education.

McQueen was the first female from the presidential search committee, Dr. Robert Walker behalf of the entire was, there’s no point in us clamoring over behind the camera and the interviewer, as weeks following the attacks.

Shock was the names of the 2,977 people that died opening dates several times; however, f rom 9the a.m. to noon. search committee, Fields said.

“The egg and cheese Searcy atseeing the that beginning of the year on 9/11, their faces in photos andto resources right now,bacon, we just need to centralize a presence of familiarity. called to Walker New York by a former student, from presidential of education.

McQueen was the first female Dr. Robert on behalf of the entire was apparent Smith’s experiences in were the best match for input for future president hired in the Church Christ board.

On Feb. 10, Walker the requesting resources right now, we need toofcentralize a presence of familiarity. called toIrby, Newnational York bymarketing a announced former student, on 9/11, seeing faces in photos and there have several soft openings “The snowinput day opening waspresidential something were great.

I’mjust glad that now higher get thiseducation place uptheir and running.” learning more about their individual lives. the message.”

“I could stop the if I saw him biscuits Darren officer president hired inhistory. the Church ofweChrist forinterview future presidential board.

On been Feb. 10, Walker announced theof requesting higher education were the best match for the challenges and opportunities ahead.” school’s 130-year candidates.

The survey included questions formation of a presidential search committee the message.”

“I could stop the interview if I saw him Darren Irby, national marketing officer of learning more about their individual lives. toformation preview their baked goods lattes. didn’t even consider until 9 p.m. the a breakfast option campus with theMoore sheto isdefine looking ward “Ichallenges think said it’s easy thosefor people Blackstone said the on channel stopped in distress, and I madeincluded that clear with the have the American Red Cross, to and assist with Redwe school’s 130-year history. of a presidential search committee candidates.

The survey questions and opportunities ahead.”

Candidates foreasy the role of Harding president “IBlackstone am confident that her vision, deep regarding characteristics qualities in a ncampus-wide committee saidbreaks the stopped in distress, and Warehouse I made thatand clear with one the a running American Red Cross, tod assist “I think it’s to define those people Othe e rmedia B e n relations.

Neemail. eemail. l y s aThe iThe wcommittee h ewith n h eRedprevious by the their death,” Stinnett said.

“I mean it for two full weeks. reporter,” Shock said. “The Cross night,” 4number manager variety of pastries and channel alternatives to to grand opening.

“I amcommercial confident that her vision, deep regarding characteristics and qualities in awcampus-wide Candidates for the role of Harding president will interview with the University board expertise, passion for faith-based education included seven board members, three Harding students, alumni, faculty and staff considered running commercial breaks for two full weeks. reporter,” Shock said.

“The number one Cross media relations. by their death,” Stinnett said.

“I mean it purchased Warehouse 4 in Ohio in was a huge event, and it was a huge attack “You just had to go on feeling,” Blackstone issue here is the safety and wellbeing of Seated in the same spot in the New York Makayla Jones said.

“It was a last minute coffee.

I can’t wait for it to open for “I’m so excited to finally open up and students, alumni, faculty and staff considered expertise, passion for faith-based education included seven board members, three Harding will interview with the University board of trustees, who will then vote on finalists. and love for Lipscomb will lead us boldly most important for a president and what faculty members and three Harding alumni.

“You just had to go on feeling,” Blackstone issue here is the safety and wellbeing of Seated in the same spot in the New York was a huge event, and it was a huge attack 2015, hismembers original vision was expand — buthaving they who deserve for their fullon stories to said.love “There was no rulebook this.usNothing the subject, at this brutal time.

Marriott Marquis where hetomet with thedecision we hadespecially made hearing about hours. start steady customers,” Moore and Lipscomb willfor lead boldly The important for aafter president what““ normal faculty and three Harding alumni. of willpublicly then vote finalists. board not announced a into newfor season greatness, exemplified challenges theespecially president should beand prepared Upon the announcement of met theSeptember search said.athis “There was noof rulebook for this. when Nothing theDr. subject, at this brutal time.

Marriott Marquis where he with the most —trustees, but theyhas deserve for their fulltostories to be remembered and told.

I want be able like had ever happened.

Like, is rest of his team each morning in Ginger Blackstone, associate professor toUpon have several shops in Ohio. the multiple closed businesses due to Junior Meleri York is also training to said.

“I really think Harding, and Searcy into athis newhad season of greatness, exemplified the announcement of in theSeptember search challenges the president should be prepared The board hasthey not publicly announced a date on which expect to announce a by excellence, diversity and immersion in to address. committee, Walker also announced the like ever happened.

Like, when is Dr. Ginger Blackstone, associate professor rest of his team each morning be remembered and told.

I want to be able to help remember andexpect telllove their stories.” a it okay to run diversity a commercial again? ofaddress. communication, Shock in work 2001, Shock students of hisin twothe “Although attold thethe time, a shop snow storm. We was not beside only wanted at Warehouse 4 and said theWhen cafe as a whole, is going to Warehouse by excellence, and immersion in to committee, Walker also announced the date on which they to announce regarding and the new hiring.

Incommunication, the meantime, Ganus hethe felt blessedin our community together again? we work to decision appointment oftold anzero executive search firm, it it okay to run a as commercial When wassaid beside Shock 2001, Shock the of two of to help remember tell their stories.” the seating area,out, sharing with is weekswas at ground withplan, the Red Cross.

Arkansas not part of students the wehis are to get ourmeantime, name butsaid we he wanted to has a appropriate?” lot to offerascustomers. and I regarding think they bringing In the Ganus feltstudents. blessed our we work to 4, appointment of to anzero executive search decision the’renew hiring. some transform the lives oftogether our students,” David Dr. Davidarea, Burks’ interim CarterBaldwin, aid the search for afirm, new bythe is itcommunity appropriate?” weeks at ground with the Red Cross. seating sharing withpresidency. the students. soCarterBaldwin, excited to be to able for Burks’ the students Harding “Customers canofexpect a variety of really fun stuff to town.” transform the lives our students,” David Dr. David interim of presidency. aidto thebring searchwhat for a we new bebypresent have created in Ohio to Arkansas to serve during all of those closes.” great drinks, pastries [and more] and a

Students respond respond to to Students Possible vaccine vaccine mandates mandates to affect private companies, Possible to affect private companies, Supreme Court’s ruling on Potential liberal arts curriculum changes Supreme Court’s ruling on universities universities Required hours Texas abortion ban Texas abortion ban to be reduced from 53 to 47

Brands Association wrote a letter to the GABRIEL HUFF Brands Association a letter to the GABRIEL president requesting clarification, asst. copy HUFF editor problems instead ofwrote attacking the asking woman GABRIEL HUFF and the creative spirit.

According to the president requesting clarification, asking asst. copy editor problems instead of attacking the woman EVERETT KIRKMAN questions such as, “Must an employee who’s already in a tough situation, I think GABRIEL asst. copy HUFF editor University catalog, the current liberal arts such “Must anand employee already inas, atotough situation, think I n a n eeditor-in-chief f f oasst. r t tcopy o c ueditor r b COV I D - 1 9 questions bewho’s vaccinated to work?”

“What wefully wouldn’t have ban abortions toI make requires hours I n Ina na 5-4 ePresident f f ovote, r t tthe o cSupreme u r bBiden COV I D -of1on 9 curriculum be fully vaccinated toban work?” andwithin “What we wouldn’t havething.” toeights toone’s make numbers, Joe said are the consequences of abortions falsifying Court the abortions a rare numbers, President Joevote saidU.S. are the consequences of falsifying one’s and moral values; ninedoes hours In9a 5-4 vote, thewill Supreme ofon thespiritual abortions a or rare thing.”

On Tuesday faculty toCourt approve Sept. that hedeclined is requesting the vaccination testing status and the United States toBiden block Texas’ new Freshman Skyler Marcellus, secretary or testing status and does the Sept.

9 tment that isSept. requesting the U.S. United States declined to to block Texas’ new Skyler Marcellus, secretary communication and critical thinking; a proposed change to the1.core University Depar of Labor require all invaccination responsibility rest with the individual abortion lawhe on forFreshman HU Students for Life, said he agreed responsibility rest with the individual Depar tment of Labor to require all abortion law on Sept.

1. the HU Students Life,and said hesocial agreed hours the individual companies with more than 100 employees orfor employer?”

Liberal Arts curriculum.

The current Liberal The Texas law, coined Texas Heartbeatnine with thein Texas lawforbecause it the aligns with companies with more than 100 orwith employer?”

The Texas law, coined the Texas Heartbeat theKlein, Texas law because it aligns L ori assistant of toAct, mandate vaccinations or environment; nine hours inprofessor the natural seeks to abortions when a fetal his Christian values.

Furthermore, he with said Arts Program isCOVID-19 aprevent 53-hour core ofemployees classes L ori Klein, professor of to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations orinworld; Act, seeks prevent ainfetal his Christian values.

Furthermore, hesix said history political said Harding weekly heartbeat or cardiac abortions activity iswhen detected the law holds people more accountable for sixand hours inassistant thescience, creative spirit; required oftesting. allto undergraduate students history and political science, said Harding weekly testing. heartbeat or cardiac activity is detected in the law holds people more accountable University would also be subjectand to these The mandate will affectbegins 80reduces million which typically aroundhours theirofactions and saves lives. historical perspective; sixfor orderthe to womb, graduate.

The proposal The University would also be subject these the their and saves lives. m p weeks lwomb, o mandate y eminimum einto swhich , wpregnancy. hwill i ctypically h affect i s More aarts l begins m80 ohours smillion t around t wtoo - hours mandates if that they become effective — six specifically, “I believe we need to fix thetosystems ofactions global perspectives. theerequired liberal ethirds m p l o y e e s , w h i c h i s a l m o s t t w o mandates if they become effective — six weeks into pregnancy.

More specifically, “I believe that we need to fix the systems of the private sector workforce, since it has more than 100 employees the act permitted individuals to sue anyone that the government is trying to fix with The current University catalog lists 47, among other shifts within the makeup thirds of the private sector workforce, since it has more than 100 employees — the act permitted individuals to sue anyone that the government is trying to fix with who performs or assists abortions.

The law abortion,” Marcellus said.

“So I believe unless it appliesthat for represent religious exemption. according to AP News. The task of eight outcomes the skills of the core curriculum. who performs or assists abortions.

The law abortion,” Marcellus said.

“So I believe according AP News.

Thefall task of it applies forand religious exemption. allows citizens to produce lawsuits instead of unless we need to gosaid in wean need to fix the However, she such exemption issuing thetomandates will upon and perspectives that are gained in the The proposed includes allows citizens tocurriculum produce lawsuits instead of However, we need to gosaid inbecause, and wean need toasfixto the she exemption issuing the mandates will upon necessitating public officials tofall enforce the foster system.

Isuch believe we need go may becare difficult as far she the Occupational Safety and Health ofbethe liberal arts.

Outcomes include eight required class hours in scripture, necessitating public officials enforce thestudy care system.

I believe wesystems need go may difficult as far as to she the Occupational Safety and Health law.

If plaintiffs win a case, they can obtain inaware, and we need tobecause, fix all that Administration (OSHA), atoregulatory isfoster the Church of these Christ does not knowledge and application, truth hours historical law.

If ethics; plaintiffs win adepartment. case, they canBiden obtain in and we need to all systems that Administration (OSHA), adamages regulatory is aware, the Church of‘Ifthese Christ does not a and minimum $10,000 inin alongbiblical the is fix like, youvaccinations just have an agency of theofnine labor have agovernment precedent of rejecting critical global literary perspective; nine hours inexecutive literacy awith minimum $10,000 in an damages alongcommunication, is like, ‘Ifwill youvaccinations have an attorneys’ fees. abortion, this other stuffthinking, bejust taken care have agovernment precedent of rejecting agency of the labor department.

Biden also said he of would sign asthe a group, though individuals can apply citizenship, historical perspective, creative and expression; nine hours in inquiry, withsaid attorneys’ fees. abortion, this other stuff will beto taken care Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed as ofa ’exemptions. because they areindividuals not trying fixapply those group, though can also he would an executive order to mandate allsign federal employees for scientific investigation and reasoning; nine hours intakeperspective, Texas Governor Greg Abbott of ’exemptions. because they are trying not trying torid fixand those act into law inall May, allowing it signed to systems; they’re just to get of the order to mandate federal employees for tothe get vaccinated, exempting them from “You have to have aperspective, basis,” Klein said. perspective. the act intoand law inexempting May, allowing itthe to take systems; they’re just‘Itrying to get rid of the effect Sept.

1.

Some have criticized newwellness problem that’s those systems.” selfto and three hours in them aesthetics getsociety; vaccinated, from “You have tooverloading have aobject basis,” Klein said. weekly testing options.

Furthermore, “You can’t just say, religiously.’ effect Sept.

1. have criticized the problem overloading those systems.” law, saying sixSome weeks is not enoughwill timenew for “You weekly testing options.

Furthermore, can’tthat’s say, ‘Itoobject religiously.’ beginning Oct. 1, immigrants be You have tojust be able say why.

We don’t law, saying six weeks is not enough time for You someone seek abortion.

There are also beginning Oct. 1,animmigrants will be to say We don’t have,have sorttoof,bea able history in why. the Churches required toto receive vaccinations as well someone to seek an abortion.

There are also controversies regarding the medical accuracy sort saying of, a history in the required to permanent receive vaccinations of Christ we don’t do Churches that.” to become residents.as well have, of a term used in the the bill: fetal heartbeat. regarding medical accuracy saying don’t do that.” tocontroversies become permanent residents.

Klein also saidwethe mandate would The announcements supplement the of Christ Some professionals have said a heart does notKlein of a term used in the bill: fetal heartbeat. applyalso to students.

Biden administration’s supplement six-prong plan The announcements the said the mandate would not form around sixhave weeks into professionals said a pregnancy. heartplan does not“ The toSome reduce the spread of the coronavirus are not covered by Biden administration’s six-prong applystudents to students.

Senior Julia Carrell said she was disappointed not form around six weeks into pregnancy. and keepthe thespread countr on coronavirus track. The that provision,” said.covered “They are “ The studentsKlein are not by to reduce ofythe with the Julia Texas Heartbeat Act. Senior Carrell was disappointed plan listed or tssaid to vaccinate the that moreprovision,” likely to be Klein affected by testing said.

“They and are and keep theeff countr y she on track.

The the government should attack the more with“Ideally, the Texas Heartbeat Act. vaccine requirements forby large venues unvaccinated, booster shots, plan listed effadminister or ts to vaccinate the likely to be affected testing and roots of thethe issue,” Carrell said.

“Lotsattack of people “Ideally, government should the vaccine — football, basketball,for etc.” keep schools open, increase testing, assist unvaccinated, administer booster shots, requirements large venues searching abortion is said. aysymptom larger — Klein roots of thefor issue,” Carrell “Lots ofof people said basketball, states and private with economic recover and improve keep schools open, increase testing, assist football, etc.” companies issues like poverty, access toand childcare being searching for abortion ispatients. aysymptom of larger care for COVID-19 The full may filesaid lawsuits the government Klein states and private companies with economic recover improve limited …

Itthe could bepatients. that woman can’t issues poverty, access childcare summary of plan cantothe be viewed on may will face challenges Biden’s file lawsuits andenforcing the government care forlike COVID-19 The being full afford another child could be thatcan’t the will limited … could be[or] that woman the White House website. executive order since OSHA,Biden’s which summary ofIt the plan canit the be viewed on face challenges enforcing woman doesn’t havewebsite. emotional support.

There afford another child [or] it could beBiden’s that the executive Many questions arose after serves as the primary only the White House order sinceenforcer, OSHA,has which are so many factors that go into deciding woman have emotional support.

There announcement as the administration didto serves 800 enforcement officers for the as the primary enforcer, hasentire only Many doesn’t questions arose after Biden’s Graphic by COOPER TURMAN take ofafactors adetailed child. And we of attack those country. COVID-19 are socare many goifinto deciding mandates not release course action. enforcement officers for the would entire announcement as thethat administration didto 800 Graphic

by COOPER TURMAN take care ofato adetailed child.

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“The outcomes are introduced and assessed there were several drafts of the proposal initially through the structured liberal arts before that date and that most served as program and all majors programs continue examples to see what was possible regarding to develop the outcomes as appropriate to curriculum change. The proposal was the their discipline,” the catalog said. “The only topic of discussion at the most recent program reflects the principles contained faculty undergraduate academic affairs in the University mission statement and meeting on Feb. 2. Brownfield said that provides a foundation for study in major the main discussion point was how the and minor fields.” proposal would be implemented successfully Director of Academic Affairs Jake if approved and what the next steps in the Photolike.

by MADISON MEYER Brownfield said in an email statement process would look

by MADISON MEYER Flowers are propped up beneath an American flag at Photo the Engine 54, Ladder that it had been over 10 years since the Brownfield said that the vote on Tuesday Flowers are9propped upon beneath aninAmerican at the Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion firehouse 8th Ave., Midtown flag Manhattan commemorating curriculum was9reviewed. willfirehouse be theManhattan first step.

4, Battalion firehouse Ave., Midtown commemorating the firefighters who diedon on8th Sept.

11.in This lost the most firefighters “It9/11. ’s good practice to review what the proposal is most approved by the on the firefighters who died on Sept.

11. This“If firehouse lost the firefighters on 9/11. we’re doing,” Brownfield said. “Especially faculty, then we will finalize the criteria something like the Liberal Arts because that will be used to guide course content it impacts all students.” for the new student learning outcomes,” Brownfield said that the Liberal Arts Brownfield said. “A new science course Photo by MADISON MEYER Committee and the greater faculty at large, will also be created for MADISON the liberal arts.

Photo byCOVID-19 MEYER Second year pharmacy student Claudia Sifford administers atvaccination the outset ofshots this review, wanted more We’ll have to adjust every major program at the student vaccine Claudia clinic held in the Liberty Room on Aug. 27.

Second year pharmacy Sifford administers COVID-19 than a review: shots They wanted a renewal. theincatalog for allRoom futureon students or vaccination at the vaccine clinic in held the Liberty Aug. 27. important,” Kelley “Because delivered bymany law rather than an executive “We had robust discussions on any“Very returning student who said. chooses to use delivered by law rather an executive important,” said.

“Because know that lot Kelley ofthe folks who have order, said. why theKlein liberal arts [are]than important, and we the “Very catalog yearawhen new liberal arts we know that a lot of folks who have order, Klein said. immune systems that don’t respond as A Centers for Disease Control and what benefits we want students to gain plan goes into effect.”

Prevention committee met Sept.

22 to robustly did not develop enough of an A Centers for Disease Control and immune systems that don’t respond as from our liberal arts curriculum.” discuss who should be eligible for a immune response; it looks like from the Prevention committee met Sept.

22 to robustly did not develop enough of an As stated in the catalog, the mission COVID-19 dose of the Pfizerwithresponse; the thirdit booster they discuss whobooster should be eligible foralla data immune looks likethat from the of the Liberal Arts Program is to “give BioNTech vaccine.

A U.S. andPfizerDrug are. it ’s just takingbooster a little bit dataSowith the third thatmore they COVID-19 booster doseFood of the students a basic understanding of specific Administration panel voted Sept. to to getSothem there.”

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17 to to get them there.” fundamental skills; develop a Christian 65 or older who are atshots high of approve the and Pfizer booster torisk those world view that brings a spiritual perspective severe illness but declined to approve 65 or older and who are at high risk of tothe every academic and nurture shots for other people in U.S. severe illness butdiscipline; declined tothe approve both a readiness for learning and an of nursing Karen Photo by MADISON MEYER theAssistant shots forprofessor other people in theethical U.S. consciousness that will of sustain Junior Emilyprofessor Stinnett tries onstudents a Karen firefighter’s gear at the Engine 54, Ladder 4, Kelley said the booster shot is ver y Assistant nursing Photo

by MADISON MEYER Battalion 9 firehouse on 8th Ave. in Midtown Manhattan. for living in afor world of with complexity andy impor tant those immunoJunior Emily Stinnett tries on is a firefighter’s gear at the Engine 54, Ladder 4, Kelley said the booster shot ver Battalion firehouse on 8th Ave. in Midtown Manhattan. compromising conditions. change.” impor tant9for those with immunoThe proposal that will be voted on was compromising conditions. finalized on Nov. 30. Brownfield said that Graphic by COOPER TURMAN

2A

NEWS

Friday, February 11, 2022

Breyer’s retirement paves path for Biden nomination BEN LANE news editor

Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 27 after almost 28 years of service, allowing President Joe Biden to fulfill one of his campaign promises.

Breyer, 83, served over 42 years in the federal judicial system and intends for his decision to take effect when the Court rises for the summer recess of this year (typically late June or early July).

Breyer’s retirement gives Biden the opportunity to nominate his first Supreme Court justice of his presidency and fulfill his campaign promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Biden has said he intends to nominate a candidate by the end of February.

“The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity, and that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court,” Biden said in a Jan. 27 press conference.

Politico reported Jan. 26 Biden’s shortlist includes Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger, J. Michelle Childs and Leslie Abrams Gardner with the front runner being Jackson.

Jackson, 51, currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of

Columbia Circuit. She served as a federal district judge from 2013-21 and as vice chair and commissioner on the United States Sentencing Commission.

Jackson received her undergraduate and law degree from Harvard University and, if nominated and confirmed, would be the only former defense attorney on the court.

Biden’s decision to specifically nominate a Black female has received backlash from some Republican members of Congress.

“The fact that he’s willing to make the promise at the outset that it must be a Black woman … I got to say, that’s offensive,” Rep. Ted Cruz said Jan. 30 on his podcast “Verdict.”

Dr. Steven Breezeel, professor of political science, said he expects to see political partisanship during the process, which is normal, but he believes Biden’s nominee will be confirmed despite the rise in Supreme Court confirmation partisanship in recent years.

The combination of Biden’s pick and who is retiring will likely not change the ideological makeup of the Supreme Court or cause a “firestorm” as has been seen in recent Supreme Court confirmations, Breezeel said, and it’s expected a 6-3 conservative majority will stand.

Three outside advisers have been named by the White House to the Supreme Court process: Doug Jones, nomination adviser for legislative affairs; Minyon Moore, nomination

Graphic by COOPER TURMAN

adviser for engagement; and Ben Labolt, nomination adviser for communication.

Biden has diversified the federal judicial makeup of the courts during his first year in office, the Washington Post reported Jan. 27.

Of Biden’s 42 federal judicial confirmations, the most in 60 years for a president’s first year in office, 22 are minority women while White men have been the least selected.

Janae Bradshaw, secretary of the Black Student Association, said she is encouraged

by Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman but fears his announcement may take credibility away from the nominee because people may criticize her credentials by claiming the woman was only chosen because of her race.

Bradshaw said that having a Black woman on the Supreme Court will allow for a voice that has not yet been heard. “I think [diversity is] important, because, how many people are represented on the Supreme Court?”

"I love all my students; I love the Harding community. I appreciate the challenge of trying to educate people for eternity, to teach them how to go about living when things are well and when things are dysfunctional. And I believe one of the ways that you can help yourself and your friends and your family and those that you’ll never meet is by vaccinating."

Dr. Kevin Klein, professor of history

Ten countries boycott Winter Olympics Graphic by COOPER TURMAN

CAROLINE BIRDWELL head copy editor The White House announced on Dec. 6 that the U.S. would stage a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics — occurring Feb. 4-20 — because of human rights issues.

“The Biden Administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the [People’s Republic of China’s] ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news briefing Dec. 6.

China is allegedly forcing labor and human rights abuses in Xinjiang against the Uyghur population and other minority groups, both ethnic and religious. A Chinese media outlet — Xinhua News Agency — spoke for China, denying accusations of abuse.

Pushes for boycotting continued when Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared

from public view after she accused a government official of sexually assaulting her. All posts related to the accusation were also removed from the internet in China. Peng was then seen later in videos posted by Chinese state media journalists, according to the New York Times.

Other countries — such as Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and more — have joined the U.S. in boycotting the Beijing Olympics. Though government officials will not attend the Olympics, athletes can participate as usual.

Professor of kinesiology J. D. Yingling — who teaches a course on the global perspective of sports — said controversies like what is happening in China are terrible, but controversies surrounding the Olympics are to be expected.

“China is accused of genocide, forced sterilization of women, and sending Uyghur people to ‘reeducation’ camps, where they are discouraged from using their language or other customs,” Yingling said. “If true, these things are terrible, and no group of people should be treated that way.”

Yingling also said China is not alone in accusations and histories of genocide and oppression.

“The United States was a nation that was doing the same things to Native Americans about 100 years ago,” Yingling said. “I’m not sure we have the moral standing to point our collective fingers at China. The parallels … are shocking and undeniable.”

A diplomatic boycott is a way for nations around the world to show public displeasure toward China’s actions. However, assistant professor of kinesiology Tom Ritchie said he thinks the world doesn’t care what diplomats do.

“The boycott is meant to shame the host country but doesn’t seem to be doing that, partially because American companies are broadcasting the games but not calling attention to the boycott,” Ritchie said. “The athletes are there and competing, and that is what the world watches.”

Nations have boycotted the Olympics before in 1956, 1964, 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988; however, the athletes of these nations did not participate in the Games. Yingling

said having a diplomatic boycott is the more preferable option.

“The boycotts of 1980 and 1984 impacted a lot of athletes who lost their opportunity to compete in the Olympics,” Yingling said.

“I don’t think much was accomplished in the political realm as a result of these boycotts.

The diplomatic boycott is a way for the U.S. to try and diminish some of the worldwide goodwill generated by China hosting the Olympics.”

Yingling said that, in the future, people will remember the athletics of the Olympics rather than the political incidents that occured behind the scenes.

“I don’t think the diplomatic boycott will do anything long term except to antagonize the Chinese leaders,” Yingling said. “The Olympics is about the people, not the governments. At its purest form, athletics bring people together and breakdown barriers.

It’s politicians that tend to forget that and mess things up.”

OPINIONS 3A

TheLink.Harding.edu State of the BSA

A more perfect union Eric Johnson

Say it to my face

Halle Miller

T

Opinions Editor

BSA Public Relations

oday I walked around the Student Center in a daze. The post-chapel rush to grab a bagel or check your mailbox felt oddly sinister as I was reminded of a harsh reality.

We can’t win. Black people can’t win.

Whatever we say or do will be met with the harshest criticism. If we speak up about issues in our community, we’re just getting upset about things that happened over 100 years ago. We’re just complaining about all of the reasons that we’re the victims. We’re just taking things too far. These aren’t just random sayings, complaints that I am pulling out of thin air. These are quotes from you: students at Harding University right now.

People who feel empowered behind a screen.

One of many in the White majority that fill the Benson seats. Even though I don’t have Yik Yak, specific ones get shown to me. The ones with things that people would never say to my face.

So, I challenge you to say it to my face.

To whoever said “these White people don’t want to hear this” or “Black people are just making themselves the victims,” after someone shares their opinion or perspective from the chapel stage, look me in the eye and tell me how you feel. Next time you see me in the library, or the caf or, even better, right after you get out of Bible class — please say it to my face. I have a feeling it would make your casual racism much harder to stand by.

Again, I ask you to say it to my face because then I could tell you about the lived experiences of racism I’ve had. Not just my ancestors who were kidnapped from their homeland, or my grandpa who was spat on and called a monkey while he was serving our country, or the — quite literally — hundreds of stories of things

that just my family alone has endured, but my experience. And not just my experience in other places, but also my experience of racism in Searcy, Arkansas.

It is still astonishing to me that someone can sit in church on Sunday and hear a sermon or sing a song about loving your neighbor and come to chapel the next day and do the exact opposite.

– Halle Miller BSA public relations officer

To some extent, it does not matter what I write. As much as anyone wants to deny it, there are students on this campus who will discredit me because of the color of my skin. There are people reading this article coming up with their counter arguments right now. “Health care issues have nothing to do with race and everything to do with socioeconomic status,” “As of 1964 discrimination from our governement is illegal, so the system can’t be racist,” “Black History Month itself just highlights the very differences that Black people complain about.” Or, my favorite argument, that because something happened a long time ago (even though the effects are experienced today) it doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t have to speculate about these things. Harding students wrote them down for me.

Expecting more of my peers is not driven by a spirit of criticism or complaint, but of hope. I still have hope that the individual and systemic sin of racism will be conquered.

Additionally, I am now coming to see that the narrative that Black people like to complain or victimize ourselves really has an agenda of silencing. No matter how much I am made to feel it, I am not just being dramatic, and I am not simply complaining. I will not be shamed into apathy or scared into silence. The little things matter. The Yik Yaks that you share don’t just exist in a void.

It is still astonishing to me that someone can sit in church on Sunday and hear a sermon or sing a song about loving your neighbor and come to chapel the next day and do the exact opposite. I could leave you with a cliche “what would Jesus do?” (which is probably not posted on Yik Yak), but instead I will leave you with a task.

Read about medical racism and not from the source where you typically get your news, but from a peer reviewed academic journal. The library gives you access to a wealth of objective knowledge. Lastly, to everyone who posted something unkind on Yik Yak, thank you. Thank you for the reminder that the Harding community still has so much work to do. You have motivated me to be even louder about the issues facing minorities and those who are disenfranchised, which I am sure is exactly what you wanted to happen, and upon reading Luke 4, is probably what Jesus would do.

HALLE MILLER is a guest writer for The Bison. She may be contacted at hmiller10@harding.edu.

Faculty Finds

Justin Bland

Exercise Science

C

an you believe a quarter of your life is wasted just sleeping?” I have heard that sentiment often, and I confess in my younger days I even thought it myself. I recently finished a book by Dr. Matthew Walker, a sleep scientist, titled “Why We Sleep.” Walker provides readers an overview of the importance of sleep based on research data. Although the book is secular in perspective, “design” language is prolific, which is not surprising: Creation points to the creator. You may remember the lines early in Genesis: “There was evening and morning…” I find it interesting that God began each day with evening. It is as if his design is to give rest, as if he infused the order of creation with rest.

Walker discusses the different phases of sleep, each with unique purpose and qualities. At the highest level there are two stages: non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM).

Although every 90 minutes we go through a cycle of NREM and REM, they do not occur in equal amounts throughout the night, which carries implications of going to bed too late and/or waking up too early. The rich, deep sleep of NREM predominates the first half of the night and coordinates the healing of the body.

It seems the gradual build up of the molecule adenosine throughout the day contributes to the sensation of sleepiness, and is washed away by deep sleep. This

“

staffEverett Kirkman

editor-in-chief Sara McClaran features editor Ben Lane news editor Tiane Davis sports/digital editor

Sleep: physiology and worship process takes about eight hours to complete. Evidence indicates that when NREM sleep is prevented, one cannot recover f rom the demands of the day.

This cannot be overstated: Death from sleep deprivation and starvation happen on the same time scale. Sleep is also the mechanism by which you get physically stronger. Exercise induces the stimuli, but full sleep is how getting stronger works.

The discipline of sleep is an act of obedience to the father who knows better.

– Justin Bland, associate professor of exercise science

The other stage, REM, dominates the second half of the night and is critical for brain growth. As often stated, the brain is not fully developed until a person reaches their mid-20s. Evidence indicates a causal connection between sleep loss (less than 8 hours a night) and delayed brain development in adolescents. Cognitive maturation in rats has been halted when deprived of REM sleep: not slowed, halted. Furthermore, sleep is required for memory storage, and sleep deprivation has been shown to induce amnesia. Sleep is

Sophie Rossitto community editor Eric Johnson opinions editor Maggie Samples lifestyle editor Caroline Birdwell head copy editor

the mechanism by which information is stored to your long term memory. Consider this before pulling another all-nighter. It gets worse, just 19 hours of being awake produces cognitive impairment equal to a blood alcohol content of 0.08, the legal limit. And similarly, both the drunk and the sleep deprived fail to perceive their own impairment, fully believing they are capable.

Walker demonstrates the necessity of sleep to accurately discern facial expressions.

It may sound strange, but without sleep your brain will perceive people are angry or upset when they are not. You are unable to nuance your friend’s positive facial expressions and will interpret them negatively. Increased depression/anxiety from loss of sleep combined with negative facial expressions is a terrible way to go through a day. A terrible way to live.

“Why We Sleep” transformed the way I think about how to love the Lord with my whole being. Obedience to the father is an act of love on our part. The discipline of sleep is an act of obedience to the father who knows better. He designed sleep as a gift, which equips me to love him more.

Sleep is beautiful and complex, rich and giving. And necessary. And foundational.

We ignore it at our peril.

JUSTIN BLAND is a guest writer for The Bison. He may be contacted at jrbland@harding.edu.

Gabriel Huff asst. copy editor Cianna Jay editorial asst.

Madison Meyer head photographer Julianne Baker asst. photographer

American exceptionalism revisited F

or as long as there has been an America, there has been the idea of American exceptionalism. While it has changed and adapted over time, the belief that America is unlike and superior to all other countries — and is a uniquely important and moral actor on the world stage — has persisted since the inception of our nation to the present day. It ignited the spirit of the American Revolution in the 18th century, guided the nation’s course of manifest destiny in the 19th century, directed our foreign policy in the 20th century and lives with us today in the politics of the 21st century.

American exceptionalism is a very important part of our national identity; it captures much of how both Americans and non-Americans see this country.

American exceptionalism, as commonly understood, exalts American democracy, liberty, industry and morality. The thinking goes that the American experiment created a nation superior to all other European nations, and that it is because of America’s differences from Europe that it has flourished as much as it has. Proponents of American exceptionalism would point to the American Revolution and Constitutional Convention of 1787 as evidence that America was built on an unprecedented commitment to human rights, republicanism and rule of law. That same nation would go on to spread these grand ideas around the world and build an economy that would come to dominate the globe in the 20th century.

Winning the Cold War could be seen as the last nail in the coffin for any who still had doubts of America’s exceptionalism.

There have always been critics of this thesis, however. In fact, there have been many who have prosecuted America for being exceptionally evil and abusive. William Apess’ 1833 essay “An Indian’s Looking-Glass for the White Man” and Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?” are two notable historical examples that make this case. Both of these examples claim that America is, in fact, an exceptional nation, distinct from all others, but due to the crimes committed by White Americans against non-White Americans.

These indictments reveal the presence and importance of the racial components at play in the American exceptionalism conversation.

Additionally, criticism leveled against the exploits of the United States military abroad is another major issue that leads many away from an exceptional view of American history.

The Vietnam and Iraq wars are the two most striking examples in modern times.

What are your thoughts? Is American exceptionalism a valid and credible idea, or a myth that ought to have been abandoned long ago? I would suggest that American exceptionalism, as commonly understood, represents a distorted, imperfect picture of the American story. I would also reject both the view that America is the most morally pure nation in history, as well as the most evil. I think both of these views can largely be ascribed to inflated notions of our own importance on the world stage and in world history. The fact is that there are exceptionally great things as well as exceptionally terrible things about our nation and its history. Which coincidentally makes us just like every other country. While we are a great empire with monumental power and influence, we are not the first world superpower and will not be the last. Insisting that we are fundamentally different from the rest of the world is therefore both misleading and rash. There is a space that exists between blind patriotism and burning hatred for our country, and I suspect that is where we all ought to end up.

ERIC JOHNSON is the opinions editor for The Bison. He may be contacted at ejohnson7@harding.edu.

Balazs Balassa asst. photographer Theo Westbrook video/social media Hunter Woodall pr/social media Cooper Turman graphic designer

Blue Billingsly illustrator Michael Claxton narrative columnist April Fatula faculty adviser

guest contributors Justin Bland Cassie Cohu

Ethan Conn Sam Jackson

Halle Miller

Jake Mooney

Jackson Saylor

4A

OPINIONS

Friday, February 11, 2022

Work in progress Everett Kirkman

Editor-in-Chief

Your mom B

abies used to freak me out. Like pretty much all babies. Toddlers were generally fine, but babies? They kind of looked like little aliens to me. And, they can’t really do anything yet — except eat, sleep and cry. But then, a couple months ago, I became an aunt. It’s hard for me to admit it, but babies don’t freak me out much anymore. (If Amelia and Harry — my infant niece and nephew — are reading this, I even think y’all are cute now. Ask any of my friends that I show pictures to almost daily.)

Further than babies freaking me out, though, I think I was agitated with the entire ideal of traditional femininity, and a view of womanhood as synonymous with motherhood, and I sought to reject it as a whole. Distancing myself from a part of it was a microcosm of keeping myself out of it completely.

D uring my time in college I have done a lot of work in deconstructing my beliefs, picking apart and analyzing my own instinctual actions, and reconstructing my worldview based off of what those wiser than me have revealed to me about myself and the world around me. So, I have found that I correlated babies with motherhood, and motherhood as a limiting patriarchal perception of all that a woman could be — and therefore not what I wanted to be. But, at the same time, I think motherhood is beautiful. Mothers are some of the most powerful forces in our society. Mothers literally bring every person in existence into this world — that’s noteworthy. But, I still want to be known for and seen as more than that. I want to be seen holistically — as I think all people should be seen.

Windows of influence Cassie Cohu Guest Writer

I

never thought of myself as a control freak until I realized I have no control at all. People will react in ways you don’t want, and no matter how hard you plan, situations will almost always never line up with what you had in mind. I have come to realize that control is ultimately an illusion.

When we look back, since the beginning of time, humanity has always wanted to control something or someone. When we realize that we can’t control, we start to complain. It is in our DNA. If anyone says they have never wanted to control a situation or a person, they are lying. We think we ultimately know best, but we know very little.

Over time, I have come to learn that I have control over no one, and most of the time I don’t have control over my circumstances.

As much as I don’t like this basic fact of life, it is the truth. The only things I can control are my actions and responses. Trying to maintain control over everything and everyone is an act of selfishness. However, giving up our sense of control is ultimately an act of

CASSIE COHU is a guest writer for The Bison. She may be contacted at ccohu1@harding.edu.

To have an opinion published in The Bison, contact Eric Johnson at ejohnson7@harding.edu.

– Everett Kirkman, editor-in-chief

EVERETT KIRKMAN is the editorin-chief for The Bison. She may be contacted at ekirkman@harding. edu.

ambassadors of the ministry of reconciliation.

Paul wants us to persuade others to be reconciled to God, instead of seeing others as another tool that can help with us in our personal gain.

At this stage in my life, I am 21 years old, and I will have no control over those in government, school administration or anyone for that matter. However, I do have a small window of influence on those around me. Instead of trying to control everything or complain that I don’t have any control, I can focus on what I do have, and that is the opportunity to be an example for those around me. Choosing to see relationships as an opportunity to grow the kingdom of God instead of our own personal agendas will further God’s plan. There is freedom in letting go of the idea that we have ultimate control.

What’s your opinion?

I want to be seen holistically — as I think all people should be seen.

Motherhood is often one part of the shared identity that can be found in identity as a woman, but it does not encapsulate everything. I don’t think one single title or category truly can.

Something else that I have found myself denying in the name of denying something greater, is feeling my own emotions. Emotional vulnerability and emotional intelligence are often tied to women specifically in society, but are sometimes simultaneously viewed as weak.

I have seen a lot of progress made, even in my own lifetime, in a rise in the value of the validity of emotions. There have been peer reviewed articles published about the positive effects that properly processing and feeling emotions can have on an individual. And yet, at least in my anecdotal experiences, a man is seen as weak and effeminate if he so much as cries in front of someone else.

Of course I can’t change the whole of society on my own, but I like to think I can contribute to positive change by working on myself and hoping that it can affect those around me. So, for now, I’ll work on my emotional competency and emotional intelligence. It’s not weak to show and feel emotion. It’s not weak to show and feel love and empathy toward my neighbors. For now, I’ll keep my focus there. Lucky for me, Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to practice.

obedience. Because focusing on our responses and attitudes will ultimately do better than micromanaging and complaining.

We don’t have the ability to control, but we can have influence. Ultimately, we should be striving to have a positive influence on others instead of trying to control everything in our world. Christians need to be witnesses to everyone in their lives. The ethical way to treat people is that they are an end to themselves and not a means to an end, not looking at them as pawns to our own or someone else’s agenda.

We trick ourselves into thinking if we do something a specific way, people will react how we want them to, and that is not the case at all. As Christians we need to be influencing those around us for the good, and we do that by investing in them. We must be stewards of things such as faith, honesty, humility and perseverance.

Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 5 that we should no longer look at someone from a worldly point of view because we are now

W

e’ll start with a riddle: “What does a dentist have in common with an auto mechanic?” This is the part of the exchange where you say, “I don’t know, Clax, what does a dentist have in common with an auto mechanic?” Now I’ll tell you.

Three weeks ago, I took my car in for a routine oil change, and they told me I needed $800 worth of work I didn’t know about. Last Tuesday, I went to the dentist, and they told me the exact same thing.

I was thinking about getting a haircut this week, but now I’m not so sure. With my luck, the stylist will take one look at the top of my head, frown, and announce that I need an $800 follicle transplant.

Maybe she’ll throw in a free box of hairpins.

And with inflation the way it is, I was nervous at the grocery store check-out this weekend. I bought a box of corn flakes and wondered if they might have started charging by the flake.

Which reminds me of a joke: A man gets arrested for shoplifting. His wife comes to the hearing. When the judge asks what the man stole, he says, “A sixpack of Pepsi.” The judge wants to try some mathematical discipline, so he says, “OK, that will be six nights in jail.” That’s when the man’s wife pipes up and says, “He also stole a can of peas.”

The last time I told that joke, incidentally, was at my great aunt Elizabeth’s funeral.

Some years before, she had asked me to deliver the eulogy, and when I asked her what she wanted me to say, she shrugged and said, “I dunno. Tell a joke.” So I did.

You may have noticed that I am stalling. It’s because I don’t want to talk about what happened at the dentist. The reason for that is because they told me I

In too deep

Michael Claxton

Narrative Columnist

have gum disease.

When I said, “OK, so I’ll give up Spearmint,” no one laughed. Tough crowd, those hygienists.

In layman’s terms, this is what has happened: Bacteria have made themselves at home in a pocket somewhere around my gumline and have started gnawing away at the bone. The cure for this, so they tell me, starts with a “deep cleaning.”

I always thought that scraping tartar off my bicuspids with an iron hook was a deep cleaning, but apparently not.

Now, every late spring, I do a deep cleaning at the office and at home. I take everything off the shelves and dust.

I scrub the oven with a Brillo pad. I use Comet on the shower walls. I move the couch and vacuum underneath it, and I wipe the cobwebs off the back of the furniture. And, in a nod to a classic episode of “Seinfeld,” I uncoagulate the top of the dishwashing liquid.

I wonder what the dentist means by “deep cleaning.” It does not sound good.

Please do not email me to tell me about your experience with a deep cleaning at the dentist. I do not want to hear your story at all. The only thing you can possibly say that would be of comfort would be to tell me that your dentist called the night before and said, “There’s been a mistake.

We’re canceling the deep cleaning. Keep

your $800 and spend it on something fun.” If that happened to you, please let me know.

Here’s one thing they told me. I’ll have to go home with a water pick. I looked this device up on the internet and discovered that it’s a miniature plastic faucet for your mouth that shoots a tiny stream of water with the same amount of pressure as Niagara Falls. I guess if one of my Matchbox cars ever catches fire, this is the hose I’ll use.

I am not looking forward to the water pick, but I have to come to terms with reality. You see, I am about to have a milestone birthday next month, and I believe that the original warranty they gave my parents when I first came home from the hospital has expired.

You’ve heard me talk about my 1997 Toyota Camry. That warranty gave out three presidents ago. It now has 316,000 miles and a new set of brakes. Both of us — the car and me — will probably need a new timing belt soon.

My deep cleaning is scheduled for Thursday. I guess they will take all the teeth out, dip them in Efferdent for an hour, and then dust the gum line with a mini-vac. Surely they will collect the cobwebs from the periodontal cavity, along with some popcorn husks, a sesame seed or two, and a tiny wedge of pork that’s been stuck since Christmas.

But I’ll keep the Camry running. If I see one Brillo pad, I’m out of there.

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

At The Bison, it is our goal to serve the Harding University student body with integrity, truth and open ears. However, we believe that meeting that goal is a two-way street between our staff and the public it serves. We pledge to keep our eyes and ears open to what our community has to say and hope that, in return, that community will be an interactive audience, sharing its stories with us. We also pledge to do the basics: Report accurate and relevant information, check our facts, and share them in a professional, timely manner. If you have any story ideas, questions, comments or concerns for The Bison staff, please email Everett Kirkman, the editor-in-chief, at ekirkman@harding.edu. “The Bison (USPS 577-660) is published weekly (except vacations, exams and summer sessions), 20 issues per year,

by Harding University. Periodicals postage paid at Searcy, Arkansas 72143. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Bison, Harding University 11192, SEARCY, AR 72149-0001.” BYLINE POLICY: The Bison provides an opportunity for class writers to contribute work under the byline “guest writers.” Due to this arrangement, staff writers may rewrite a portion of the guest writers’ stories as they deem necessary, while still identifying the work as the guest writers’ own.

Vol. 97, No. 11

THE

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

February 11, 2022

Online at TheLink.Harding.edu

Searcy, Ark., 72149

Track athletes splinter school records SAM JACKSON guest writer TIANE DAVIS sports editor Harding’s track team has broken a slew of indoor records this year, with many athletes having surpassed their own previous records.

Both the women’s and men’s teams competed in the Washburn Open with over 60 teams in Topeka, Kansas, on Jan. 28-29 and broke four school records total.

Senior Anne-Noelle Clerima, who already held the school record of 56.61 seconds in the 400 meters, surpassed her own record with a time of 56.56 seconds.

Clerima said she has a lot of hope for the upcoming season, especially having broken her previous record.

“What I did is just a rift, and I am working to break it for real,” Clerima said. “I hope to be selected for the national in both outdoor and indoor, and I also hope that the stadium will be full in our home meeting.”

Senior Thibault Waeles also set a new mark of 1:11.94 in the 600 yards, while sophomore Tad Kirby broke his own previous record in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.08.

“I hope that, as we progress in our training, I can consistently drop my times and see slow but steady improvement,” Kirby said.

“Indoor season isn’t the biggest of my worries.

Although I love to run on those cool banked tracks, outdoor season is where the real fun starts, so I’ve got my eyes set on the outdoor conference championships.”

Kirby also emphasized how important it is to him to be proud of his teammates and encourage them.

“I loved seeing [Clerima] and Thibault break those records, because as a huge team player, I know that when other people on the team are doing well, our rankings go up, and that’s just going to bring more and more attention to the team and this awesome program that is going nowhere but up from here,” Kirby said.

Sophomore Mariah Miller also broke her own record in the triple jump, surpassing her previous mark by one centimeter.

Clerima said the team has so many athletes that do good, so they celebrate every personal record, national ranking and school record at the same level.

“Every victory is important for me or the team,” Clerima said. “Breaking records is like making history, and each of us are already thinking about how to break it again.”

Head cross-country and track coach Don Hood praised Clerima, Kirby and Waeles for breaking the new records.

“These three are great examples of the spirit of this team,” Hood said. “They work

Photo by BALAZS BALASSA

Left to right: sophomore Tad Kirby, senior Nanou Clerima and senior Thibault Waeles stand together on the track at First Security Stadium on Feb. 8. Each of the three, as well as sophomore Mariah Miller, broke school records at the Washburn Open on Jan. 28. hard and compete at a high level. They came team here. It’s exciting to see them grow as to Harding because they believe they can athletes and in their faith.” reach their potential and be part of a great

Bison basketball approaches end of season

MAGGIE SAMPLES lifestyle editor The women and men’s basketball teams are nearing the end of their seasons.

The women’s team has had a successful season with a record of 15-6 as of Feb. 9.

Their conference record is 11-5 and they are ranked second out of 12 teams in the Great American Conference (GAC).

Senior guard Hannah Collins said the team’s Feb. 5 win against Southwestern Oklahoma State, the current leader of the conference, was one of the highlights of the season. Collins said the ultimate goal of the team for the season is a GAC win.

“Right now, we’re just focusing on taking it game by game and really just focusing on how we can get better each day,” Collins said.

“I’ve just been trying to soak in every moment.

Really just cherishing every moment with my teammates and my coaches and taking in every practice and game with them.”

Head basketball coach Tim Kirby said that with few games left in their season, the team has been working hard to finish it off strong.

“We have eight regular season games left, so we are wanting to continue to improve and compete for a GAC Championship,” Kirby said. “We are just wanting to improve every day.”

Kirby said this team’s strength was the support the basketball players gave their teammates and how well they all got along.

“We only have four home games left and would like to see Rhodes-Reaves Fieldhouse full and loud,” Kirby said.

The men’s basketball team has a record of 4-17 with a conference record of 2-13 as of Feb. 9.

“Even though it hasn’t necessarily shown up in the win-loss column, I think we’ve made a lot of improvement, and these guys continue to work really hard every day, invest in the

process and their growth,” men’s basketball head coach Jeff Morgan said.

Morgan said the team has had a tough season, but they are a young team that is growing through the hard work they are putting into the game. Right after Christmas break, the team had a big win against Southeastern Oklahoma. Morgan said their momentum

was slowed down by a two-week break due to COVID-19 cases among the players and coaches.

This time off has made the team reschedule their games, and Morgan said the team is approaching a stretch of 11 games in 22 days. This leaves little time to practice, but Morgan said he feels confident in his team.

Trice receives cross-country All-Academic honors JAKE MOONEY guest writer

Junior Jada Trice earned NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country All-Academic Athlete honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association Jan. 28 after completing the cross-country season last semester.

Trice is a Nashville, Tennessee, native with a major in Spanish. She has been on the cross-country team since she came to Harding in 2019.

Harding distance running coach Victoria Hindman said that to receive the award, a student athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and finish in the top 30% of a regional cross-country championship meet.

Trice met the requirements by obtaining a GPA of 3.65 and finishing 79th overall in the Joplin, Missouri, Central Region meet.

“It’s a big award, and Jada is very much a leader on the team,” Hindman said. “By winning this award, it solidifies her place on the team as a leader.”

Trice said even though she has been running for a long time, she still has to make the time to be able to work on assignments and study for tests.

“You have to plan ahead and make sure you have your assignments turned in before you leave for a competition,” Trice said. “You have to remember to prioritize school first and athletics second.”

Sophomore distance runner Kylie Phillips said Trice is always putting in her best effort and time to succeed both academically and in cross-country and track.

“It can be hard at times to balance both athletics and academics, so her winning this award shows her perseverance and commitment,” Phillips said. “She is so dedicated to being the best version of herself that God wants her to be, and it shows.”

Photo by JULIANNE BAKER

Senior guard Hannah Collins dribbles the basketball in the Rhodes-Reaves Field House on Feb. 5. The Lady Bisons defeated Ouachita Baptist 79-72.

Photo by BALAZS BALASSA

Junior Jada Trice strides to the finish line at a home meet on Oct. 23. Trice received NCAA Division II All-Academic Athlete honors on Jan. 28.

Though the athletes have very little time to work on their school assignments, the coaching staff encourages them to keep academics a priority, and they give the students time to work on their assignments.

“We try to do a study hall,” Hindman said.

“It’s important for the freshmen coming in to have that time to settle in and find that time to get work done.”

Trice said it is really inspiring to see all the awards the team earns after conference meets.

“It shows that Harding students are working just as hard as everyone else, if not harder,” Trice said. “Coach Hood reminds us in meetings that we have a purpose after college, and we are only here for a couple of years before we leave. But you have a purpose after school, and your body won’t last forever.”

This was Trice’s first time winning the award.

The Harding women’s cross-country team has earned All-Academic Team distinction honors since the award was founded in 2003 by securing team GPAs of 3.0 or higher.

2B

COMMUNITY

Friday, February 11, 2022

Photos by MADISON MEYER

(Left) Jean Ann Bell watches as Jan Smith speaks at a press conference Feb. 8 about plans for the new Searcy Public Library. (Right) Architect Barry Hoffmann and Larry Crain unveil the rendering of the renovated library on Feb. 8 at its new location on 954 Skyline Drive.

Donor gives $2 million to help fund Searcy Public Library renovation SOPHIE ROSSITTO community editor

Searcy Public Library officials announced Tuesday, Feb. 8, the name of the donor who helped kick start fundraising for renovations at the new location on Beebe Capps Expressway.

Longtime Searcy resident and businessman Larry Crain agreed to donate $2 million for a project to renovate the Searcy Public Library, according to Jean Ann Bell, the library board president. Bell revealed the donor’s name in a press conference at 10 a.m. outside the library’s new location at 954 Skyline Drive, which was previously home to the Searcy Athletic Club.

Bell said the new library would be named the Janett Crain Memorial Library in honor of Crain’s late wife, who worked with many

service organizations in Searcy. At the conference, Crain and Barry Hoffmann, the architect for the project, unveiled a rendering of the new library’s exterior.

Bell said the new public space was designed for all Searcy residents to enjoy.

“It’s really a community center, and we want people to feel that way about it,” Bell said.

Crain said he wanted to support the library renovation so people would have access to free internet services and because the project could have a positive impact on the local economy and commerce. Crain said he was also inspired to donate to this project because his wife loved education, children and serving the community.

“So she’s really the heart of this,” Crain said.

Crain said he grew up in Searcy and went on to work in the accounting and business

fields. He owns multiple companies, including one that oversees car dealerships throughout Arkansas, the Crain Automotive Team website said. He also owns Crain Media, which runs seven FM radio stations in the state.

Friends of the Library Foundation board member Jan Smith said the renovation project would cost $5.3 million, according to a 2021 feasibility study. The new library would contain 33,000 square feet, three times more than the current building on East Pleasure Avenue. The money would go towards adding a coffee shop, career center, space for teenagers and children, media program room, and other features to the library, Smith said.

“I envision this new library as a showplace for Searcy and a place we can all be proud to share,” Smith said.

“I wanted this band to be like, ‘Okay, we’re going to play this music, and it’s going to be heavy, and it’s going to be loud,’” Edwards said. “But we’re going to have an energy like, ‘C’mon, let’s have a party; have a fun time with us.’”

Edwards said some of his friends and members of the community contributed to making Zash Bash a success by helping to set up equipment and get the venue ready before the concert.

Edwards said he and two of his fellow band members, Daughety and drummer Beckham King, all went to high school in Searcy, and Edwards met Ash through a mutual friend. Ash said the group attempted to start their own band multiple times before forming Zashed last summer.

The band members met frequently during Christmas break to practice, Edwards said, but Ash attends college in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, which has made it difficult for the whole group to meet during the school year. The other three members have been

meeting about twice a week to rehearse at a friend’s house, Edwards said.

Edwards and King said their fathers introduced them to rock music growing up, while Ash and Daughety said their friends kindled their passion for the genre. King said heavy metal music provided a healthy way for him to deal with resentment and other emotions.

“Honestly, it’s just kind of like a good release sometimes,” King said. “It’s like a good outlet to express if you’re frustrated or anything.”

Edwards said the group hopes to play another concert in Searcy and record their own music in the future. Ash said the band members have a lot of work to do to reach their goals, but they would eventually like to perform in other Arkansas towns and cities such as Arkadelphia, Little Rock and Fayetteville.

“We have a lot planned out, and I’m really excited about all of it,” Ash said.

The board unsuccessfully campaigned for a new public library in 2017, Smith said. In early 2021, the Searcy Athletic Club building became available, so library board members teamed up with city officials to fund the purchase of the building.

Regional library director Darla Ino said she was thrilled and surprised when she learned about Crain’s donation. She said the board hopes to reach 75% of their fundraising goal before advancing to the public phase of the renovation.

Library fundraising committee member Willie Abrams said he hoped Crain’s donation would encourage others to contribute money to renovating the library.

“This is a major gift to challenge others in Searcy to step up so that we can have this in our community,” Abrams said.

Local heavy metal band performs concert in Center on the Square

SOPHIE ROSSITTO community editor

A local rock band took the stage Saturday, Jan. 29, to put on a free heavy metal concert at the Center on the Square performing arts center in downtown Searcy.

The four-member band Zashed played a combination of covers and two original songs at the Zash Bash concert. Guitarist Ian Daughety said he had a great time performing and loved the atmosphere at the concert.

“It was so much fun,” Daughety said. “There was so much energy from the crowd. There was so much energy from just everywhere.”

Lead singer and Harding junior Jackson Edwards said he was nervous going into the concert because the heavy metal genre could often come across as dark and off-putting to listeners. For the performance, Edwards said the band members focused on bringing lots of energy and inviting people to have a good time.

Photo by ELIZABETH FISHER

Jackson Edwards sings at the Zash Bash concert at the Center on the Square in downtown Searcy on Jan. 29.

got the vaccine for me, but I also t it for people who depend on me: "I got the vaccine for me, but I also my children, my wife, got it for people whoHarding depend on me: University, and the students." my children, my wife, Harding University, and the students."

- Ellis Sloan, assistant professor of business

- Ellis Sloan, assistant professor of business

TheLink.Harding.edu

FEATURES 3B

Theatre Department performs ‘Antigone’ ETHAN CONN guest writer

The Harding Theatre Department is performing “Antigone” — an ancient Greek tragedy and the final installment in the Oedipus trilogy.

“In this reimagined epic tragedy, we watch a war weary nation,” the Theatre Department’s Instagram page wrote. “Following a deadly siege, Antigone defies the orders of her uncle and leader, Creon, and in doing so sets forth a series of events of political unrest, devastation and rebellion.”

Harding theater professor and “Antigone” director Robin Miller said Harding’s production has placed the play in a more modern setting.

“We’re moving the show to the end of World War II, so that it’s going to have a more modern feel,” Miller said. “We’re setting it in a bunker, kind of like Churchill’s war rooms, and it’s at the end of the war with all these people trying to keep things going.”

The play has not lost any relevance, despite being a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles well before the time of Jesus. Miller said he is pleased that the play’s themes are still applicable to today’s society.

“The play deals with a lot of themes that are very, very timely,” Miller said. “Some people go with their own beliefs. Some people go with, ‘Well, the people in power say we need to do this.’ That parallels our themes today of what’s going on in our society all over the place.”

Junior Jonna Fields, who plays Antigone, said the type of character is not one she has much experience with.

“I’m mostly a musical theater person, so I went from being Deb in ‘Elf ’ and just getting to sing and dance and be quirky to having to play a serious role, and I’m not a super serious person,” Fields said. “I like to laugh.

I like to make jokes, and I’m the title role in a Greek tragedy, so I was trying to figure out how [that adds up]. But I feel like I’ve grown a lot because I can now portray actual emotions and not just surface level things.”

“Antigone” will have five performances over two weekends. It opens today, with another show tomorrow, Feb. 12. The final three performances will be the next weekend starting on Thursday, Feb. 17, until Saturday, Feb. 19. All performances will be in the Ulrey Performing Arts Center starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at hardingtickets.com for $10.

“Antigone” Cast List: ANTIGONE CREON HAEMON TEIRESIAS ISMENE EURYDICE SOLDIER MESSENGER

Jonna Fields Matthew Floyd TJ Brown Kat Ream Cianna Jay Ocean Furbee Conner White Asher Patten CHORUS

Trey Bailey Sara Beeksma Davis Buckley Andy Chavez Kylie Coffey Ben Hendrix Lydia Radke

Photo by MADISON MEYER

Junior Jonna Fields stars in the title role in Harding University Theatre Department’s “Antigone.” The show will have five performances over two weekends in the Ulrey Performing Arts Center.

APRIL FATULA faculty adviser

Harding remembers David Crouch

Everyone should have a mentor like Mr. C. As it turns out, everyone did.

Of course, “everyone” is an exaggeration.

But the stories shared in the wake of the death of David Crouch, who served nearly 50 years in service to Harding University in various public relations roles, reveal the depth and magnitude of his impact among his family, friends and colleagues.

“He made all of us who knew him feel like we were the special one,” Executive Vice President David Collins said.

In true PR pro fashion, Crouch, who died Jan. 31 at age 74, planned much of his funeral ahead of time, asking Collins to read his prewritten message — a humble autobiographical profile of a man who admitted he preferred to work behind the scenes.

“David Crouch was an honorable, godly man,” longtime friend Kay Gowen said. “He lent his wisdom to the decisions I had to make regarding some extremely difficult situations that arose in that historic year.”

Crouch served as assistant editor to Gowen, who was editor of The Bison in 1968-69.

After graduation, they remained colleagues at the University for decades.

“He quietly, unassumedly ministered to those who were in need,” Gowen said. “In every area of his life, he served — and served well. In all of the 46 years that he gave his heart and soul in service to Harding, he never sought recognition

— and he received very little. Although he held an important position that required interaction with the campus community and the general public, he fulfilled his responsibilities without fanfare. He worked behind the scenes and made an incredible impact on the mission of Harding.”

Crouch served as Bison editor in 1969-70.

In hiring employees for the University’s public relations office that he directed from 1987-2016, Crouch often looked to Student Publications alumni. Longtime employees Tom Buterbaugh and Jeff Montgomery served in various capacities on the Petit Jean yearbook staff. Both were involved in Crouch’s memorial service.

Hannah Owens, who held several roles on the Petit Jean, worked in the University’s public relations office from 2011-2020, reporting to Crouch many of those years. She recalled her first day on the job in a blog post tribute after his death.

“When I showed up for work on my first day, he showed me to my office, told me how to log into my computer and said he needed a news release about an event that was happening next week ready to fax to Little Rock media by noon,” she wrote. “After googling how to do everything I just typed, I got to work. I showed up that day with no idea why he took a chance on this fresh college grad who sucked at science, but he changed my life and taught me more about communications than anyone ever has.”

Outside of Harding, Crouch belonged to the Searcy Optimist Club, serving as president,

Photo provided by UCM

David Crouch and his wife, Lola, pose for a photo in 2014. Crouch served Harding for nearly 50 years in various public relations roles. vice president and secretary/treasurer. In 2021, he was named Optimist Citizen of the Year.

Part of the Optimist Creed, shared by Collins as part of Crouch’s prewritten funeral message, is: “Promise yourself … to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.”

Former President Bruce McLarty also spoke at the funeral per Crouch’s request years ago.

“David Crouch was a pillar in this church,” McLarty said.“He was a rock in this community.

He was a devoted follower of Jesus, and he was my friend: the kind of friend that you know makes you a better person.”

Longtime friend Dan Newsom concluded the tribute to Crouch before Buterbaugh’s closing prayer.

“He has truly left this world better than he found it,” Newsom said.

Arts and Life program hosts Valentine’s Day dinner and concert TIANE DAVIS sports editor

The Arts and Life Program is hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner in Cone Chapel Monday, followed by a concert in the Anthony and Wright Administration Building.

Director of the Arts and Life Performance series Jay Walls said the dinner will start at 5:30 p.m. with salmon and filet mignon. He said anyone who pays for a dinner ticket will have free admission to the concert afterward at 7:30 p.m.

Walls said this will be the third time the Arts and Life program has organized a Valentine’s Day concert and dinner. Last year was canceled due to COVID-19.

The Argentinean duo Rosa Incaica will play Argentinean folk music and tangoes at the concert. The theme of the concert will be “Love Lost, Love Found.” Walls said anyone with a Harding ID will be allowed in the concert free of charge.

Director of piano studies Scott Carrell will be playing piano love songs and jazz at the banquet, as well as a few songs with Rosa Incaica and the faculty chamber group 242 Strings.

“This is a fabulous opportunity,” Carrell said. “I’ve never played with anybody from

Argentina before. I’m not sure what all will be played at the concert, but I’m sure it will be really entertaining and different from any other concert we’ve had.”

Associate professor of music Andrew Cook said he will be playing his saxophone alongside the duo, as well as one song with 242 Strings. Cook said he and Pablo Gonzales, the guitarist of the duo, collaborated in graduate school and became friends there.

Cook said he likes having the Arts and Life performance series because they tend to draw good crowds and provide the opportunity to watch artists from around the world perform.

“I also get to play music that I don’t usually get to play,” Cook said.

Walls said admission to a similar event in Little Rock, Arkansas, or Memphis, Tennessee, would most likely cost twice as much or more than the upcoming Valentine’s dinner and concert.

“We bring this world-class entertainment right here to our own campus,” Walls said.

“It brings me personal satisfaction to provide high quality musical events to the Harding community and also Searcy.”

Tickets to the dinner and concert can be purchased online at hardingtickets.com.

Photo provided by the Department of Music

Husband and wife duo, Rosa Incaica, will perform a Valentine’s Day concert in the Anthony and Wright Administration Auditorium on Feb. 14.

Harding professors Scott Carrell and Andrew Cook will also be performing that night, along with the faculty chamber group 242 Strings.

Friday, February 11, 2022

What the Wordle JACKSON SAYLOR guest writer Whether it be crossword puzzles, Scrabble or Words with Friends, many continue to try their hand at brain puzzles surrounding words. The most recent of these puzzles is the popular online game, Wordle, in which a new five-letter word is chosen every day, and players have six opportunities to guess that word by inputting various other fiveletter words. The game itself is quite popular, grabbing the attention of Jimmy Fallon and other celebrities, but it has also attracted the attention of students and faculty on campus.

While the game may be popular among the older generation, students are just as involved as faculty in the game, perhaps maybe even more.

“I started playing about five weeks ago because I saw people posting their attempts on Facebook,” senior Sydney Bryant said.

“After that, I hopped on, and I love testing my brain at the beginning of the day.”

While the popularity of the game hasn’t surprised Bryant, the time it took for the younger generation to stumble upon it did.

“I’m not too surprised it broke out like it did,” Bryant said. “What is so surprising is that the older generations figured out the game before we did. I think for a change, we copied something that they started doing.”

Bryant is not the only student who isn’t shocked about the popularity of Wordle.

“The element of provocation that goads people in their daily lives can be quenched by

"This isn’t experimental anymore. Currently omicron is like a straight line up.

Things have changed, for the worse, considerably. If you’ve been going, ‘Well I’m not going to get it until I have to get it,’ you really have to get it now. It’s time."

Lori Klein, assistant professor of history

the thrill of solving a seemingly unconquerable obstacle while playing Wordle,” senior Tyler Turner said.

There are also people on campus like associate professor of communication Charles Bane, who enjoys the fact that there’s a certain finality to the daily puzzle.

“For me it’s fun because you can’t binge play it,” Banes said. “It’s one puzzle a day, and you either solve it or you don’t.”

Bane also said he has been surprised that Wordle has blown up the way that it has.

“It is pretty surprising that something so simple has caught on in such a big way,” Bane said. “I get the appeal for people who have always liked the word games, but this does seem to have a much broader appeal.”

Graphic by COOPER TURMAN

Bane isn’t the only professor, as there are a number of faculty members in the Communication Department who take their shot at the daily puzzle.

“I’ve been playing since early January when Dr. Jack Shock introduced it to me and other colleagues,” Bane said. “I don’t know about the whole campus, but several professors in the Communication Department play, [including] Jack Shock, Noah Darnell, Ginger Blackstone [and] Jim Miller.”

There may come a time when the thrill of trying to solve the daily puzzle wears off, but as of now, the popularity is only increasing.

Wordle is like a good cliffhanger; it just keeps players coming back over and over again.