The Bison Vol. 101 No. 05

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Facebook: Harding University Student Publications

Department of Theatre presents:

KENZIE JAMES news editor

The Harding University Theatre Department celebrated Halloween and Homecoming weekend with a holiday-themed musical: “The Addams Family.”

Director Dottie Frye said she decided on the musical in April when she found out Homecoming was on Halloween.

”That one seemed to be kind of like a no-brainer,” Frye said. “How often does it fall that way? Almost never? … People would know [the show]. It should be fun. It’s family friendly, even though it’s about a really strange family.”

“The Addams Family” gave the theatre department a chance to try new things on stage. Senior stage manager Sully Hickman said some of the new aspects for the cast and crew involved a revolving set, new lighting system and using new equipment to create set pieces. Many scenes are blocked downstage, closer to the audience, which Hickman said changed the feel of the show for the audience.

“It will feel like how close and weirdly in your face a Spring Sing show is,” Hickman said.

Another difference for the musical was that most of the roles were cast in April. For past shows, a few name roles have been cast but most of the cast was chosen in the August auditions. Senior Campbell Gilreath, who played Uncle Fester, said the cast communicated over the summer, which has not happened as much in previous years.

“[It] was good for everybody,” Gilreath said. “I think it’s most helpful for Dottie because

by EDGAR CARDIEL

she got a lot of her early blocking done. … She knew exactly who would be where and, like, height differences [between actors].”

One aspect of the show Frye, Gilreath and Hickman were excited for the audience to see was the ensemble of Addams family ancestors. Performing the Homecoming musical on the Benson stage meant Frye could cast a larger ensemble. Frye worked with the 20 ensemble members during rehearsals to create individual identities from various time periods. Some of the ancestors include a 1920s flapper, a Regency era ancestor, a gladiator, an Oregon Trail fatality, one of Henry VIII’s wives and a caveman.

“We have all sorts of different ancestors and see how they choose to portray being an Addams, being undead and being whatever era, century, occupation, type of person they were, and how they would react to whatever’s unfolding,” Hickman said. “The Beinekes can’t see them. The Addams can, but the Addams don’t necessarily interact with them all the time, so it’s really interesting to see how that plays out.”

Gilreath said the cast has become as close as family during the rehearsal process and he was excited to share the Addams family’s story with the audience.

“I think people will be surprised by how sweet it is. I find it to be a very surprisingly human and relatable story for people who are so out of the ordinary,” Gilreath said. “I think it’s great for Homecoming; I think it’s very fun for Halloween. I’m very excited for people to find themselves maybe getting choked up at ‘The Addams Family.’”

perform the homecoming musical “The Addams Family” at a dress rehearsal in the days before the live performance. The homecoming musical will premiere tonight.

‘The

Addams Family’

ASI hosts civil rights journalists Parker, Mitchell

opinions editor

Harding University’s American Studies Institute hosted investigative journalist Jerry Mitchell and the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. on Oct. 14 in the Anthony and Wright Administration Building. Parker shared his firsthand perspective on the murder of his cousin, Emmett Till, a historic tragedy that became a turning point in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Before the evening’s main event, Parker attended a private dinner for students, faculty and guests in the Burks American Heritage Building ballroom. Dr. John Duke introduced both speakers to an audience of roughly 300 people. After brief remarks by Parker, attendees moved to the Administration

Building auditorium, where Parker spoke for about 30 minutes before Mitchell joined him for a Q&A session.

Parker, now 86, was just 16 when Till was abducted and murdered while visiting family in Mississippi in 1955. He told the audience that many parts of Till’s story have been exaggerated or misunderstood.

“He was the only child in the whole city to get polio,” Parker said. “That left him with a stutter…I say that because things have been said that he said that he couldn’t have said because he stuttered all the time.”

Parker explained that Till’s wolf whistle directed at a white woman in a grocery store was meant as a joke among friends—not a flirtation.

“We could not believe he did it,” Parker said. “He just whistled at a white woman in

Mississippi in 1955. Nobody said, ‘Let’s go,’ we just made a beeline to the car.”

Later that night, two white men came to the home of Till’s great-uncle, demanding to see Till. Parker said he thought he would be killed.

“I closed my eyes to be shot,” he said. “And I wasn’t shot right away—I open my eyes, and they’re passing by me.”

Till, who had just turned 14, was taken away and never returned. Parker recalled the incident felt like a nightmare.

“My grandmother offered money,” Parker said. “But they would not take it. They came for Emmett, and that’s what they did. They took him.”

The next morning, Till’s body was found in a nearby river, identifiable only by a ring on his finger.

Mitchell, known for his investigative work reopening cold civil rights cases, joined Parker on stage to discuss the media’s role in shaping the narrative around Till’s death. He called out early coverage of the case for helping cement false details about Till and the events leading to his death.

Parker said those stories left him feeling helpless.

“Emmett was not the kind of person they portrayed him [to be],” he said. “I lived next door to him, I was raised with him.”

Over the years, Parker said he has found closure through sharing his story and righting a false narrative.

“If you’re going to go forth in life, you cannot have hate, animosity or ill will,” he told the audience. “You got to love your enemy.”

ANDREW RENEAU

Starting from top right, senior Weston Eades, freshman Selah Galyean, junior Isaac Linnett, freshman Brody Smith and Sophomore Emma Jernigan

Alumnus Jerry Mitchell (right) interviews Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. (left) Oct. 14. Both Mitchell and Parker worked as journalists for civil rights cases.

Photos

Photo by EDGAR CARDIEL

CPE, COBA mourn loss of director

RANDI TUBBS editor-in-chief

Brian Harrington executive director of the Center for Professional Excellence, passed away Oct. 15, 2025, at home in Searcy, Ark., following an almost three-year battle with cancer. He was 51 years old.

Harrington attended Harding University, graduating in 1996. He met his wife, Ann (Bartak) Harrington during the inaugural semester of Harding University in Greece (HUG) program. The two married in 1996 and eventually had three children, Delaney, Kacey and Jack. The family returned to Searcy 15 years ago, and have found their home in the Harding community once more.

For the last 10 years, Harrington helped students in their professional development and career searching through the Center for Professional Excellence. He prioritized student-facing opportunities like mock interviews, visiting classrooms and coordinating career fairs.

Assistant director of the Center for Professional Excellence Anna Yingling worked in the same office as Harrington and was able to experience his work ethic and reach first hand.

“The community that he built during his time here extends far beyond Harding,” Yingling said. “He was proud of all of the students that moved through the office and he loved coming to work. He never complained during his whole journey. I have taken a lot of inspiration from his work ethic.”

She noted how deeply he cared for the people that his work benefitted and would keep up with them long after their graduation.

“He was always so proud of graduates and where they ended up,” Yingling said.

“He was constantly cheering people on even after graduation.”

Harrington spent time working with students all over campus, and was especially admired in the communication department. Lori Sloan, assistant professor of communication, worked with him on many projects and career fairs.

“He was always someone willing to help me make things happen,” Sloan said. “Brian was a constant encouragement and willing to help bring ideas to life. He was an incredible example of faith and endurance as he continued his work through his battle. Brian was a coworker that never let you down.”

Professor in the College of Business Administration and director of the Waldron Center Phil Brown has known Harrington since he was a student at Harding. Harrington was in one of Brown’s classes and the two of them built a friendship upon Harrington’s return to Harding to work.

“Our story epitomizes the Harding experience—one that starts out as a facultystudent relationship but blossoms into a lifelong friendship,” Brown said. “He was a great friend and, needless to say, I miss him very much.”

Harrington’s dedication to the faculty and students of Harding is evident. He will be remembered for his admirable leadership and genuine care for each student he worked with.

Campus Life, Downtown Singing hosts night chapel

MICHAEL WRYE beat reporter

On Thursday, Oct. 16, Campus Life partnered with Downtown Singing to host an optional nighttime chapel on the front lawn for students to attend instead of the standard morning chapel service. Over 400 students were in attendance. The service was scheduled right before social club visitations began. This was intentionally planned to give students a chance to recenter themselves on Christ, just days before the beginning of Club Week.

Levi Huddleston, college minister for Downtown Church of Christ, planned the event. “Club week starts on a Sunday night, and typically we’ll go from having about 450

students at Downtown Singing, to only about 30 because of Club Week, so we wanted to connect with those students at a different time and different place,” Huddleston said.

“Overall, it was an opportunity to improve the way Downtown Singing connects with students in the face of a very chaotic week.”

Senior Drew Liddle gave the devotional thought for the chapel. The goal was to merge the two ongoing themes of both morning chapel and Downtown Singing’s devotionals: Consider it all Joy and Turn Your Eyes to Jesus. Liddle began with Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?”

“We talked about how important it is to see God clearly, because that is what allows you to consider everything as joy,” Liddle said. “Since our eyes are so important, the devil tries to attack our vision and change the way that we perceive not only ourselves and others, but also how we perceive God.”

Liddle has interned with Downtown Singing for two years, and he has seen it grow from an average of around 200 people to now having just under 1,200 attendees at their first service this semester.

For many Harding students, Downtown Singing is an integral part of their Harding

experience, so having it on campus was a unique yet still familiar setting. Freshman Libby Hyden enjoys the social and worshipful nature of Downtown Singing.

“I like to get there early and stay late to socialize,” Hyden said. “I love the feeling when you can tell the person next to you

is feeling very passionate because they’re worshipping, and it makes the worship so much better because you’re experiencing and embracing the same connection they want to embrace. It just brings everyone together, and having that right here on the front lawn was really special.”

White County organization holds protest on abortion

White County’s Right to Life chapter held a protest on Oct. 5 near Harding’s campus, fighting for a cause embedded in the University’s values.

“We’re here to be the salt and the light and let folks know about abortion,” Frances Dow, active member of Right to Life, said. “Nobody seems to talk too much about it—and I know that there are people affected by it.” Dow and around 10 other members gathered outside Harding’s north entrance next to Midnight Oil, a coffeehouse bordering Harding’s campus. Across the road from the protestors, the College Church of Christ’s doors opened, releasing people from a Sunday service. The group stayed from about 10 a.m. to noon.

The group participated in an international demonstration called the National Life Chain, a day set aside by some who hold pro-life values as an opportunity for public prayer and devotion to God. Groups creating a life chain typically gather on sidewalks outside of churches.

“You’re trying to be in the most trafficked area,” Dow said. “We’ve had lots of folks walking on the sidewalk, cars going by.”

The group flashed signs at passing cars and handed pamphlets advertising their group to pedestrians. A table was set up with small rubber dolls depicting the stages of a fetus’s development.

“Churches are called to talk about it,” Dow said. “I would love to see some churches around Searcy talk more about [abortion].”

In 2020, students at Harding University restarted Students for Life, an organization

taking action against and addressing suicide, euthanasia, human trafficking and abortion. The club has worked to rebrand itself over the past few years and held their first meeting for the semester about four weeks ago.

The club is frequently contacted by outside organizations looking to collaborate on events, such as Deeper Still, a group that works with parents who suffer from shame and guilt after having an abortion.

“Deeper Still works with us because it’s not just preventing [an abortion], but it’s being there with the mother who made that decision,” Helina Butler, senior and president of Students for Life, said. “We’ve worked with Friends for Life…they help facilitate supplies and counseling for women who have had unplanned pregnancies but choose life instead of aborting their baby.”

Dr. Jack Shock, the interim assistant vice

president for University Communications and Marketing, said over email that Harding’s administration has no restrictions on organized protests on or near Harding’s campus. Harding’s student handbook mentions abortion one time in 42 pages; the section dictates that Harding reserves the right to uphold and apply its religious beliefs about abortion to, among other matters, its admissions, enrollment and employment policies.

Photo provided by JEFF MONTGOMERY

Photo by KENZIE JAMES

Frances Dow stands on Race Avenue on Oct. 5 during a Right to Life protest. The protest was part of the National Life Chain demonstration on abortion.

Students sit on the front lawn on Oct. 16 during a night chapel service.

Campus Life partnered with Downtown Singing to host an evening alternative to the traditional morning chapel.

Graphic by MELANIE GUYETTE

ANDREW RENEAU opinions editor

Photo provided by JEFF MONTGOMERY

CPE director Brian Harrington poses for a yearbook photo. Harrington died on Oct. 15 after a years-long fight with cancer. Graphic

As we move into the last half of the first semester, I can confidently say that I am extremely proud of the work the Student Government Association has accomplished so far. This year, a theme that has naturally developed, and one that I’m very excited about, is our commitment to being partneroriented. Nearly everything we have done has centered around collaboration, whether it’s helping plan campus events, gathering new ideas or working behind the scenes to make Harding better one step at a time.

One of our biggest focuses this semester has been improving campus facilities and safety. We’ve had ongoing conversations with administration about adding more bike racks across campus and increasing security measures.

Administration has also been very receptive to our ideas about improving lighting, particularly around the walking loop, to make campus safer and more welcoming at night.

Another area of tremendous progress has come from our international

State of the SGA

representatives. In my three years in SGA, I have never seen our international reps as active and engaged as they are this year. They have organized initiatives such as visiting local schools to share their cultures and traditions, helping build meaningful connections between Harding students and the broader Searcy community.

Our Cafeteria Committee continues to meet monthly with dining staff to review menu feedback, suggest adjustments and

On Oct. 14, a panel discussion on domestic violence was held during chapel, led by three senior social work majors: Riley Myers, Nicole Burnell and Abigail London. The event focused on the impact and signs of domestic violence on and around Harding’s campus. The panel featured the following experts:

• Bobbie Bozzer , Executive Director of the White County Domestic Violence Program

• Dr. Kathy Helpenstill , Chair of the Social Work Department

• Shannon Holman , Arkansas Coalition for the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking

• Dr. Klay Bartee , Harding University Counseling Center

• Kevin Davis , Title IX Coordinator and Assistant Director of Public Safety

At the end of the presentation, Myers, Burnell and London requested that chapel attendees complete a brief survey online to assess their awareness of domestic violence and experiences related to domestic violence.

Of the 2,787 students who were counted present in chapel that day, 319 students, four staff members, and two faculty members completed the survey.

The panel concluded with a call to awareness and compassion. Through both the discussion and the survey responses, it became clear that domestic violence, which is often unseen, affects far more people than many realize, including members of the Harding community. By opening space for honest dialogue and education, events like this help break the silence and foster a campus culture of safety, empathy and support for those affected by abuse.

ensure student voices are represented in everyday campus life. We have also strengthened our relationship with the City of Searcy, seeing firsthand the improvements they’re making—such as infrastructure updates and beautification projects—that enhance the experience of Harding students living here.

Overall, I am incredibly proud of the direction this year’s SGA has taken. None of what we do is for recognition or credit; it’s all about serving others, lifting up student voices and working toward a stronger Harding community. As we look ahead to the rest of this semester and into the spring, our team is eager to continue building on this momentum.

We also want to hear from you, our fellow students. If you have ideas, concerns, or initiatives you’d like to see happen, please reach out. Together, we can continue making Harding better, one step at a time.

Domestic Violence, A Harding Survey

1. Do you/did you know what domestic violence is?

45.3% reported yes, I have experienced, or know someone who has experienced domestic violence

• 51.9% reported yes, I have heard about it 1.9% reported maybe, but I don’t really know

• 1.1% reported, not really

2. Have you or someone you know experienced domestic violence?

29.5% (145 respondents) reported knowing someone at Harding who has experienced domestic violence 44.4% reported knowing someone outside of Harding who has experienced domestic violence • 25.8% said they did not know anyone who had experienced domestic violence

3. Did the conversation in chapel raise questions or concerns for you or a friend?

4. Have you had a situation with a partner, friend, or stranger on campus where you did not feel safe?

RILEY MYERS

NICOLE BURNELL

ABIGAIL LONDON guest writers

Opinions editor Andrew Reneau

SGA President Grayson Hume

GRAYSON HUME is a guest writer for The Bison.

Samples of gold Sisterhood

Editor-in-chief Randi Tubbs

Sisterhood means three things to me — the relationship between me and my all time best friend, my sister; the sisterhood found in Christ; and most recently, sisterhood has referred to the women I call sisters in my social club, Delta Nu.

Over the years, my view of club week has ranged from deep disgust to high excitement.

In past years, my feelings about club week mostly mirrored those around me — until this semester, when my perception completely changed.

This year, I wasn’t only a senior going into club week, but I was also the First Lady (AKA, the president, in lay terms) of my club. Planning the week had been a rollercoaster since returning in August and all the way up until the final day of the week. People dropped out of their positions, had to step down, flaked out of and lied about getting things done. It was beginning to make me feel anxious every time I thought about the week’s actual execution.

I additionally felt somewhat alone in the midst of women that I am meant to be bonded to for life. Most of my close friends within the club have graduated and left the bubble, leaving me to realize how many connections I could’ve formed sisterhood around, but missed out on.

That is how I entered this club week: frustrated and honestly lonely.

Even in that loneliness, God was preparing me to see the samples of gold in Delta Nu. It wasn’t until four days in that everything I’d been missing about sisterhood came rushing back.

On Thursday of club week, Delta Nu gathered around two trees, one honoring a sister, Kailey Massey, and the other for Maggie Samples and Phillip Hawkins. I read a letter written by a friend of Kailey’s that had been read around this tree for over 10 years. The words in the letter hit insanely close to home. What our club was experiencing is not an original experience — Delta Nu had experienced an extremely similar loss just over 10 years before.

Kailey Massey died in a car accident over Christmas break of 2014. The letter, written by alumna, Eva Beck said, “Since I am a senior now and girls after me will never know [Kailey’s] face, her character, her laugh, it’s heavy on my heart to make her tribute right. Kailey is just a few words on a page for you. But I don’t want her to only be remembered as someone who passed away too soon, but as a characteristic and embodiment of Delta Nu and more importantly of Jesus Christ.”

Reading Beck’s letter, I realized that Delta Nu’s sisterhood has always been built on carrying each other’s stories forward — even when those stories are painful.

At Maggie’s tree, three girls read words dedicated to Maggie; Kerra Felzien, Allexia Ferren and Karli Krone — women who held Maggie close in their hearts. I had the honor of standing with them, hugging and crying with them. Actions I wouldn’t have done without this service.

Before this week, I didn’t feel a reason to pursue more friendships. I felt that things were okay where they were, even if I did feel lonely sometimes, and even if I did wish I was closer with some of these women.

By Friday night, exhaustion should’ve broken me, but instead, I saw strength rising all around me. Josie and Kerra reminded me that leadership doesn’t mean standing alone — it means trusting the sisters beside you. Kerra was sick, leaving our other newly appointed Duchess (vice president), Josie Smith, to head the night. I have always adored the both of them from afar, but I now admire their character and strength. Josie stepped up as a leader that night, especially in times when I was borderline crashing out, and I am so grateful to her for that.

As First Lady, I thought my role was to hold everything together. But I learned that sisterhood isn’t something you hold — it’s something you fall into. This week, through embracing memories of the sisterhood that Maggie formed, I fell right into the arms of Delta Nu, and I’ll never take that for granted again.

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

Club Week: Well being versus tradition

Club Week at Harding has officially concluded as of last Friday, Oct. 24, which signifies the end of the 2025 social club process season as a whole. Students are weighing in on how the undertakings affected them, as both directly engaged participants as well as indirectly involved outsiders. These different lenses may help to shed a more impartial (or at least inclusive) view of the evolution and traditional aspects of the social club process overall. Since the length of a club’s “generational” cycle is a relatively short four years, due to the (hopeful) graduation of most students within this time, club evolution is not only common but unavoidable. With a yearly influx of new members, leadership changes shape clubs as a whole. Of students interviewed, a current club member (who requested to remain anonymous) lauded the progress made by their club in the past year, specifically in terms of the recruitment process and Club Week activities themselves. The student stated that their club has become more open about their values and has made deliberate efforts to offer an inclusive alternative to those to whom the energy of some of the larger clubs may seem overwhelming or “extra.” Other students for whom Club

They were Goth before Goth was cool. Decades later, those pale teenagers in the ‘90s with spiked hair and dark eyeliner were actually 25 years behind the times. They thought that black clothing and a macabre pose would shock their parents, not realizing that Mom and Dad had grown up watching “The Addams Family” on ABC.

The sitcom ran for only two seasons from 1964 to 1966, but it took on a ghoulish immortality in the re-runs I well remember watching as a kid. Gomez Addams smoked firecrackers as cigars, had a foghorn for a doorbell and carried two pocket watches, taking the average time between them. His wife Morticia wore a skin-tight witch’s dress, cut the buds off roses and fed steak to her meat-eating plants.

The kids—Wednesday and Pugsley— tortured each other and pulled the heads off toy dolls, while Uncle Fester played with dynamite and sucked on lightbulbs. Their butler was a cross between Frankenstein’s monster and Jeeves, assisted by a disembodied hand called “Thing.”

The show was a hilarious parody of family sitcoms from the era—offering the opposite of the homespun wisdom of Andy Griffith or the wholesome antics on “Leave it to Beaver.”

While most TV shows defined middle-class normalcy for their decade, “The Addams Family” did the opposite.

Instead of the usual charming house with a porch swing, the Addams family lived in a creepy mansion decorated with grotesque taxidermy—a giant two-headed tortoise and a moose with crooked antlers. They had a live pet lion named “Kitty.”

It’s no surprise that as a child growing up in New Jersey, the cartoonist Charles Addams (1912-1988) used to hang out in the cemetery. As an adult, he sometimes wore a suit of armor at home and had an embalming table in his living room. His doorknocker was shaped like a bat, and he loved showing visitors his medical mannequin with removable plastic organs.

Week was a new experience may not have had as much background knowledge about clubs’ evolutionary histories before going into the process, but were able to glean personal insight and perhaps altered outlooks as a result of their experiences.

Freshman Noela Hunt, new member of Chi Omega Phi, is a prime example of the post-club mindset shift.

“Once you do it, you realize it’s not as bad as they made it seem. There were a few things that seemed dumb when I was doing them, but now that I did them, I’m like, they were actually useful to be a part of the club,” Hunt said.

Despite Club Week’s notoriety for being grueling and at times painful, there seems to be a concerted effort by many clubs to be more intentional about the activities planned for their pledges. The aforementioned anonymous source reflects on a particular activity which is tradition for their club on Rough Night, (the Friday that marks the end of Club Week, so named for its reputation of being particularly challenging for new members) which they believe is crucial to the bonding of new pledge classes.

“It’s a task that takes at least two hours, and it’s meant to seem impossible at first, even though it really is doable. You start to see the pledges bonding a lot in the span of that time, and by the end they’re usually so tired they start to open up and share more personal things with each other,” the student said.

Not all of the challenges faced by new pledges are solely motivated by club bonding, however. Several clubs are known for having more difficult Club Weeks, sometimes for reasons aside from just camaraderie. There is a large weight placed on tradition for many clubs. This is due to the carryover of some of the practices that have continued over the years by students who evolved from the recipients of rituals

However, the rumors that he drank martinis with eyeballs in them are gross exaggerations. Addams was actually a cultured man who dressed sharply, collected art, and was distantly related to two US Presidents.

For fifty years, his single-panel cartoons appeared in “The New Yorker,” and for decades beginning in 1938, readers enjoyed the antics of his ghoulish family (They weren’t named until the TV series). In one cartoon, the father reads “A Christmas Carol” to his kids during the holidays, but he changes the plot so that Scrooge remains fittingly awful. Of the 1,300 cartoons Addams drew during his lifetime, 150 of them picture his famous spooks.

In the early ‘60s, a TV producer saw one of his books in a store window, and the sitcom was born. A similar spirit was in the air, as “The Munsters” and “Bewitched” also debuted the same year, so viewers had their choice of freakish households.

Yet the great irony of “The Addams Family” was how genuinely nice they were. In one episode, newlyweds move in next door, and Gomez and Morticia invite them over to play cards. Horrified to find themselves in a scary funhouse—as Thing lends a hand in their bridge game—the couple stares in fright at their hosts and the décor, especially a mounted swordfish on the wall with a human leg sticking out of its mouth. The Addams are touched by their good taste and generously give them the taxidermic treasure.

The running joke of the show is that the family never can understand why other

to the imposers themselves.

“If people are miserable, they want to make the next generation of people miserable,” Hunt theorized.

It makes sense that people will be more likely to keep a practice alive if it has already been in place for years before them. No one wants to be the one to swim against the current and suggest change. This is not to say that all club activities need to be amended, per se, but simply a reason why close care should be taken in ensuring safety for all current, new, and future members. There has definitely been progress made in recent years in this area.

“Anti-hazing” has certainly been a buzzword over the past month, and all Club Week activities have had to be approved and reported to director Jane Chandler, so steps are certainly being taken to ensure the wellbeing of those participating.

The approximately 50% of Harding students who do not participate in social clubs, however, are not exempt from the influence of the festivities. Freshman Addy Bettis recalls being surprised by the sheer noise being emitted by different clubs during their chants while marching across campus.

“I remember walking from Stephens to Sears, and I could just hear screaming the whole way back,” Bettis said.

Another student, freshman Jessica Strode, had a similar experience.

“I would go from any of my classes, and at any point in time I could hear people chanting,” Strode said.

Thus it is important to remember that clubs are an elective choice for students.

people are scared of them. I was once talking about the sitcom with a friend of mine who explained why he loved it so much. “The whole family is a bunch of nutty eccentrics,” he said, “but they’re OK with each other.” He saw them as models of cheerful acceptance. And daring PDA. Every time Morticia speaks French, it drives her husband wild, and he begins kissing her hand and working his way up her arm with amorous attention. Completely unlike the bickering Kramdens on “The Honeymooners,” or Lucy and Desi, who famously slept in separate beds.

The cartoons inspired the sitcom, an animated series, three feature films, a Netflix drama and a Broadway musical. As we watch Harding’s production of “The Addams Family” this weekend, we’ll enjoy Gomez and company once again, as they try to impress the “normal” parents of Wednesday’s fiancé. It’s sure to be delightfully creepy and kooky. And as we applaud the cast, let’s give a tip of the witch’s hat, not only to the late Charles Addams, but also to John Astin, who, at 95, is the last member of the sitcom cast still living. “You folks sure don’t hold back on Halloween,” says one visitor on the TV show, and it’s true. What better day to celebrate “The Addams Family.” Be sure to snap your fingers.

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

Altogether Ooky

Narrative columnist Michael Claxton

RANDI TUBBS

Guest writer

Savannah Gingerich

SAVANNAH GINGERICH is a guest writer for The Bison.

Graphic by MELANIE GUYETTE

Comic by ELI OLREE

Graphic by MELANIE GUYETTE

The Dugout Dispatch

World Series Lunacy

When someone hits a walk-off home run and is rounding third and headed for home, I think of heaven.

I’m not sure where I saw it, but several years ago, I came across an online post that described the way teams celebrate at home plate as they wait for their teammate to touch home like how loved ones encourage someone to take one final step and reach heaven. Each look on their faces is of pure joy, and depending on how crazy the game was before the final pitch, full of delirious lunacy.

On Monday night, delirious lunacy was on full display in the highest possible way, on the biggest stage baseball can offer. Game 3 of the World Series, tied for the longest game in World Series history with 18 innings, ended in familiar fashion from a year ago, and once again reminded me of how life, often unpredictable, still can give moments worth remembering for decades.

Freddie Freeman did it again. He’s the only player to do it twice, and in a sport where it’s common for no-name players to steal the spotlight from the superstars, Freeman has been a constant reminder that sometimes the names aren’t so obscure. The only player to be as heroic as Freeman might be David Freese, who 14 years to the day of Game 3’s marathon, has his moment during a wild Game 6 in the 2011 World Series.

Down to the final strike in the ninth inning in a win-or-go-home game for the Cardinals, Freese, who was raised in St. Louis growing up, roped a triple off the right-field wall to tie the game. Later, in the 11th, Freese led off the bottom half of the inning with his own walk-off home run to force a Game 7 the next day, which the Cardinals would win in part due to Freese, who doubled in two runs in the first inning to tie the game early. For his efforts, Freese was named the MVP of the World Series, etched in the rich history of baseball forever.

Baseball’s history is complicated, but beautiful all at the same time. Nobody really knows who created it; some say it was a man who commanded Northern forces during the Battle of Fort Sumter, which started the Civil War. Others claim that it was a group of twenty men from New York who established the first baseball team with a set of rules in the early 1800s. Regardless, baseball as America’s oldest sport rarely has moments that haven’t been seen before. When Freeman’s home run went over the centerfield wall on Monday night (or Tuesday morning in most parts of the country), he was the first player ever in the history of the World Series to have two walk-off home runs. Babe Ruth played in 10 Fall Classics, Yogi Berra played in 14. Neither of them ever did it, but Freeman has done it twice, including the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history last year.

Like players, coaches in big moments choose their spots to be aggressive. Sometimes it’s the right move to be aggressive against a team’s best hitter, sometimes (in the spirit of Halloween) it’s better to be scared to death and let them get a free pass to first base. In 1998, Barry Bonds was walked with the bases loaded to intentionally score a run, and while it didn’t work at all (the next batter won the game for the Giants), it only added to the allure that Bonds brought to the batter’s box. In Game 3, the Toronto Blue Jays intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani four times after he tied the record for the most extra-base hits in a World Series game with four (two home runs and two doubles). He reached base 9 times, which hadn’t been seen in any capacity since 1942 and only four times ever. Ohtani, arguably the greatest player in baseball’s history, is matched by no one in how often he sets records. The biggest stages should feature the biggest players, and after wasting away with the Angels and never making the postseason in six years with the team that plays in Anaheim yet claims Los Angeles as their home, he is certainly making up for the lost time to deliver postseason magic game after game.

I don’t know what I will remember most. I have watched hundreds of baseball games, but none like what happened this week. The last time a World Series game lasted that long, I fell asleep in the 13th inning back in 2018. I was determined to stay up for every out, to not fall in the same trap that my eighth grade self fell into. And I’m thankful that a bottle of cherry Coke was enough to keep me up. I’m thankful for my friend Isaiah Phelps, who let me crash in his room and watch it on his TV with him when I got back to my dorm. I’m thankful that I was able to share the moment with someone. Because no matter the result, being able to be with people makes any game so much better, delirious lunacy and all.

Intramurals sees change as soccer moved to fall

the intramural fields as a place to practice.

Team captain and senior Adria Stirrup has noticed the impact on the team.

Club and intramural sports are valued parts of Harding student life, but this year brought major changes to the schedule.

As many students are involved in sports on the intramural fields and courts, making changes impacts a large population of Harding students. For the first time, club and intramural soccer was moved from the spring to the fall. Junior Luke Hollis approves of the changes.

“I like them,” Hollis said. “It allows us to play more games without the weather affecting play.”

Hollis, who is athletic director for men’s social club Theta, has thoughts on what could be done to improve the changes even further.

“I would change the amount of games we play to be more than what we play now,” Hollis said.

The schedule changes affect the Harding Sky Bisons Ultimate Frisbee team, which uses

“We are grateful for the fields that Harding has to offer, as many others are, because we get to gather and play or watch sports together,” Stirrup said. “However, being unable to have a set location for our practices has made it difficult to establish ourselves as a travel club sports team. If we have practices in the evening, then club sports get priority for fields, but if we try to move our schedule to earlier, then the track team has priority over the football field.”

Stirrup loves the Ultimate Frisbee team and is deeply committed to it.

“Ultimate Frisbee has been one of the best things I have put effort into during my college years,” she said. “That being such, I believe it’s a shame for the women’s Harding team to not have a permanent home and place to practice.”

The schedule changes are made by Tom Ritchie, the Recreation Program Director,

who says that he takes multiple factors into consideration when making changes.

“There are always two main factors when choosing when to play certain sports,” Ritchie said. “One factor is the weather and the other is field availability. Due to the amount of rain we have had in the past springs, we decided to try soccer as a fall sport this year.” Ritchie also noticed how they were hampered by a few factors that caused them to rush the finish of each of the fall sports, such as home football games, fall break, and Club Week. Ritchie already has changes on his mind for next year.

“Chances are very good that we will change the order next year and put soccer back in the spring with hope for clear weather,” Ritchie said. “That will allow us to possibly start volleyball or basketball right after Club Week depending on the school calendar.”

Softball field gets upgrade with turf installation

During the fall 2025 semester, the Harding University softball team announced the construction of a brand-new softball field.

The field, named after Lindy Lunceford Ingram, who played for the team in the ‘80s and died in December 2022, broke ground on Oct. 21.

It marked the start of a full-scale renovation that transformed every aspect of the facility.

One of the most significant upgrades was the installation of turf, replacing the old grass surface. This change not only modernized the field’s appearance but also enhanced its functionality and durability. The adjacent batting cages were upgraded with turf as well, allowing players to continue training even in wet or rainy conditions. The new surface provides superior drainage, enabling the team to practice and compete without the interruptions that often plagued the grass field after inclement weather.

“Having turf will give us so many days back,” Coach Ashley Perry said. “We missed

several practice days due to bad weather. This will be a blessing in so many ways. Last season we were tied for first and we got a lot of rain that week. Our games were set for home but because of weather we had to move them to our opponent’s location. Not what you want to happen.”

Senior catcher Kate Pierce said she is very excited for the new field.

“Harding softball is beyond grateful for all of the donations that made getting a turf field possible,” Pierce said. “It is going to make such a big impact on the program

and future Harding softball players.”

Beyond its practical improvements, the new turf field symbolizes the University’s continued investment in its athletic programs and student athletes. With the new field, Harding officially achieved the best field in the Great American Conference.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to have a wonderful new field that will require little upkeep all while allowing us to have the best field in the GAC,” junior Lana Danielson said. “Having a new field will give us an edge in attracting future players to Harding.”

The Lady Bisons are poised to take their program to the next level, offering both players and fans a state-of-the-art environment to enjoy for years to come. For the Lady Bions, this is more than just a field, it is a symbol of years of hard work and generosity of those who believe in their future. With the new, top of the line field and facilities, the team looks forward to continuing a legacy of excellence.

Eli Dean

Members of Harding University intramural soccer teams compete in a match Sept. 29. Normally a spring sport, soccer was moved to the fall for the first time, which pushed back other sports like softball and flag football in hopes of avoiding the uneven weather that the spring brings.

Sports Editor

Photo by REESE MALLETT

CARTER OWENS beat reporter

SIDNEY DAVIES beat reporter

Graphic by GRACE BROWN

Fall Festivities bring Searcy Together

Across Searcy, church congregations have been prepping their parking lots for their annual transformation into community-wide fall carnivals and trunk-or-treat events which kicked off on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Organizers say the festivals, which have grown in popularity over the past few years, are intentionally designed as a safe and welcoming alternative to traditional neighborhood trick-or-treating.

“We want to provide a positive atmosphere for families to join together, for kids and parents to have a fun time in a safe environment,”

Todd Miller, an organizer for the Fall Fest at Downtown Church of Christ, said.

At most events, congregations create a safe environment by blocking traffic from parking lots, allowing children to walk freely between rows of decorated cars to collect candy.

“We kind of block that off to keep … traffic for safety purposes,” said Ryan Nix, an organizer for the CARnival at West Side Church of Christ.

For many churches, these events started small but have evolved into major outreach efforts.

“Probably about six to eight years ago ... we decided that we needed to open this up,” Nix said. “We need to make it more of an outreach opportunity.”

The outreach focus is now central to the events’ identities. Miller noted that Downtown’s festival was moved from a rural location to the church’s city-center parking lot specifically because “It made it easier for our community neighbors and guests to come.”

The public has responded; 300 people pre-registered for Downtown’s event, and Miller said that “About 125 of those already are community guests and neighbors and friends that are not [church] members.”

To entertain such a crowd, Downtown’s Fall Fest featured a trunk-or-treat, hayrides, inflatables, train car rides and a chili supper.

Nix expects “Between about twenty to thirty trunks” at West Side, along with inflatables and concession machines.

But the outreach goes beyond candy and games. Nix said care groups at his church will use the opportunity to serve families in practical ways, with a table “handing out diapers and baby wipes and things like that.”

While the events are focused outwardly, residents note they also serve a vital internal function, strengthening the church communities themselves.

“Trunk-or-treats are great for helping the intergenerational aspect of churches,” Searcy resident Tiag Campney said. “Allowing older members to get to meet the young children and bridging the gap between each other.”

Burrito Day Celebrates 10 Years with block party

A Searcy staple for those looking for burritos, quesadillas, nachos and more, Burrito Day celebrated a decade in business with a block party at Center Avenue on Oct. 25. Burrito Day invited members of the community to the event, which featured music performances from Joe Oliver, Eva

Gaugh and The Pepaw Collective. They also gave locals the opportunity to participate in yard games, giveaways, pumpkin painting and other fun activities throughout the day.

Manager Kari Fox and her husband, Brandon, opened Burrito Day’s doors in 2015, and she said they chose to do a block party as a callback to their first anniversary block party in 2016. She said that it hasn’t felt like

that long since they opened the restaurant.

“We wanted to throw a huge party to the community because they’ve supported us for ten years,” Fox said. “It’s kind of incredible. It’s flown by but also felt like forever. We have really established a place in Searcy. The community is the reason we’re here, that’s why we do it. We don’t do it just for the food, we do it to create a space for people to be able

to hang out, talk and develop revlationships.”

A percentage of proceeds from the event was donated to Mission Machine, a local nonprofit organization that provides assistance and temporary or long-term housing to the unhoused. Manager Brett Hawley said that they will use the money to build additional facilities.

“This is a safe and permanent place for them to stay,” Hawley said. “We’re going to have [the new facility] off of North Main.”

Hawley said it was encouraging to see how the community rallies behind not just Burrito Day and Mission Machine, but other small businesses and non-profits throughout the Searcy area as well.

“I love how the community is coming together for Mission Machine,” Hawley said. “It’s amazing to see.”

Junior Rick Walker attended the event with friends and enjoyed the various activities.

“It’s a really great atmosphere,” Walker said. “The music has been incredible, and there’s a lot of different shops and tents you can walk around in and enjoy.”

Walker said that he was inspired by the community’s desire to celebrate a small business’ success.

“I think it’s really special,” Walker said. “Towns like this getting together and just enjoying someone’s time in the same town is really cool.”

Community Falls for Firehouse Pup Ember

In late September, the Searcy Fire Department received a dalmatian puppy named Ember. Jennifer Flint, a Searcy resident, donated Ember to the department to serve as a mascot.

When the department found out they were going to get a dog, excitement rang throughout the station.

“The guys were pleased. They have now fallen in love with her,” Brian Dunavan, the fire chief, said.

Michelle Allred, the administrative assistant to the fire department, shared how the community has stepped up to show love and affection to Ember. This has benefited the department in many ways.

“There has been much help from the community itself,” Allred said. “Like sponsorships, donations and people coming by to see her and give her treats and toys.”

Not only have the firemen and the people who have taken daily care of Ember fallen in love with her, but the community has too.

Alli Bullard and her family have been the live-in residents of Harbin Hall for eight years. This role involves many challenges, including repetitive and disruptive fire alarms.

“If the alarm goes off, the firefighters have to come, and they’re always super nice,” Bullard said. “They take good care of us, and even when it’s just burnt popcorn, they are ever gracious to us.”

When Ember made her first public appearance, Bullard and her son, Benny, came to see her. Bullard enjoyed meeting the newest member of the department’s team.

“I think it’s so cool and super exciting,” Bullard said. “It’s fun that they are bringing the community and allowing them to be a part of this. I think it’s such a sweet way to bridge the relationship.”

Not only is Ember helping the community, but she may also become a major help to the ones taking care of her.

“She’s so smart she could become a service dog,” Allred said. “Maybe even an emotional support dog.”

Ember has quickly become a light to the community in her short time with the department.

“I’ve had some battalion chiefs go out and come back to get her,” Dunavan said. “So they come to the station, get her, and then take her back.”

TUCKER ALLEN guest writer

ELI DEAN sports editor

LORELAI CURTIS community editor

Harding University President Mike Williams meets Ember during her visit to campus on Sept. 30. The Searcy Fire Department brought their mascot to greet the public.

Guests ordere food at Burrito Day during the community event. Proceeds went to Mission Machine, a nonprofit supporting the homeless.

A Searcy family vists a table at fall fest hosted at Cloverdale Church of Christ on Oct. 25. Many from the community gathered for the annual event which featured activities for all to enjoy such as booths with food, karaoke and games.

Photo by KENZIE JAMES

Photo by ELENA KALLENBACH

Photo by LORELAI CURTIS

A living tribute made for Hawkins, Samples

A memorial tree planting service was held recently to honor the lives of Phil Hawkins and Maggie Samples. Phil, a senior, and Maggie, an alumna, died in a car accident on May 25, 2025.

On Oct. 14 a plum tree was planted in front of the Thornton Center to honor the lives of the couple. The planters invited those in attendance to help pack the dirt surrounding the new tree.

Senior Jacob Jenkins, friend of Phil and fellow member of men’s social club Knights, said that while he had attended both Phil and Maggie’s funerals and served as a pallbearer for Phil, the planting was especially impactful. He said that it was an honor to place the dirt that would give the tree life, and create new life out of Maggie and Phil’s.

“I shed a few tears, but it felt so powerful,” Jenkins said. “I take that road every day to get to and to leave campus, and so it’s nice to be able to pass that tree every day and think of my amazing friends Phil and Maggie.”

Junior Kerra Felzein, a friend of Maggie’s and fellow member of women’s social club Delta Nu, said that Maggie and Phil were so much more than just who they were at Harding, or what people saw of them as they walked past.

“I love remembering Maggie’s rants after an annoying class, or the silly songs that she would sing in the car, her angry eyes she would make at Phil when he said something stupid,” Felzein said. “I like remembering Phil’s crazy stories he would tell in the Stu. I think it’s most important to remember them by our memories, not by their death . . . their legacy is the silly, beautiful memories they gave to their friends and families.”

Dr. Jaime Murphy, a sponsor for Delta Nu, said that from the memorial held for Phil and Maggie to the recent tree planting

Students gather to watch the memorial tree planted in honor of Phil Hawkins and

Samples were memorialized with a ceremonial tree planting in front of the Thorton Center.

ceremony, the club members have continuously supported each other in their grief.

“The loss of someone with so much to share with the world is always devastating,” Murphy said. “And the young women of Delta Nu have not allowed the grief to drown them

but have committed to continue sharing her love with the world.”

Murphy said that there is another tree on campus in honor of former club member Kailey Massey. During Club Week, Delta Nu holds a ceremony of ribbons to remember her.

Maggie and Phil’s tree will become a part of that event to continuously honor them and the impact their lives made on everyone who knew them.

Students unite to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

This month, several student organizations held a campus-wide event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, bringing together students and faculty to honor the Hispanic community’s culture. The event was co-hosted by the Young Democrats, Black Students Association, Social Work Association, International Students Committee and Smiles for Christ.

“The Hispanic Heritage Month event is about bringing our Harding community together to celebrate the rich culture and heritage that the Hispanic community has to offer,” senior Young Democrats president Stephanie Perez said.

The celebration offered attendees a diverse selection of traditional foods and beverages, such as pupusas, conchas, coffee and a fruit station. Additionally, several Hispanic students gave presentations, sharing insights into their cultures. The presenters included senior Anthony Kummerfeldt and juniors Danae Lucio, Brisa Laredo, Guido Alpizar and Pablo Alexander. Kummerfeldt emphasized the importance of cultural exchange.

social media graphics, securing donations and purchasing supplies. Campbell sourced the popular conchas from a family friend’s business in Jonesboro. Stephanie Perez said the event was designed to be inclusive.

“I believe that it’s important for any and every organization to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month,” Perez said. “Young Democrats just wanted to provide a space where diversity could be celebrated and enjoyed by all, which is a goal that I hope all organizations on campus can get behind.”

Both the president and vice president expressed their hope for the celebration to become a recurring event. Stephanie Perez concluded with a message of gratitude.

“I want to thank all who attended, presented, and worked together to make this event happen,” Stephanie Perez said. “We hope to continue this new tradition for years to come.”

The leadership of the Young Democrats collaborated to plan and execute the event. Senior Skarleth Perez, the organization’s vice president, worked on an informational slide presentation and organized activities, including coloring pages highlighting Hispanic people.

“I believe it is important because it gives you the opportunity to learn and understand from somebody else that did not grow up in your same context,” Kummerfeldt said. “There are so many things that we differ but that we also have in similitudes, so much history about efforts in our countries ... To learn about our politics, religions, customs, food, music, education, etc., is to understand us.”

“I believe celebrating diversity should be a goal for everyone on campus and in the community,” Perez said. “I think the fact that Stephanie and I are Latinas and have lots of Hispanic friends greatly contributed to how passionate we were about creating this event for others.”

The leadership team, including Young Democrats secretary sophomore Carmen Campbell, divided tasks such as creating

Sky Bisons celebrate their 20th year anniversary

The Harding Sky Bisons women’s Ultimate Frisbee team is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Founded in 2005, the Sky Bisons compete in intercollegiate travel tournaments and recruit women from all kinds of athletic backgrounds.

Former player Shelby Petty graduated from Harding in 2018 and now plays for the Sidewinders, a professional women’s Ultimate Frisbee team in Arizona. She remembers her time at Harding fondly, having begun playing Ultimate for the first time as an undergraduate.

“I did not play in high school,” Petty said. “I saw a bunch of people playing on the front lawn in the rain one day, and that was it. The team was my favorite part of being at Harding. My best friends were on the team; it was my whole social circle, both the men’s and women’s teams.”

Petty captained the Sky Bisons when the team went to nationals in 2014, which is the highest level of college competition.

Former player Sophie Balentine, who graduated with a master’s from Harding in 2025, helped revive the team after it took a break during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I joined the men’s team at the beginning because that was the only option,” Balentine said. “I heard about it through a chapel announcement. There was a very successful women’s Ultimate team that had stopped playing before I got here, but we restarted it because we wanted to preserve the legacy of women’s Ultimate and have a league of our own.”

Junior Makenna Watson was among the initial eight players to revive the team in 2023 and is a captain for the 2025-2026 school year. Watson played softball in high school but joined the Sky Bisons her freshman year.

“I liked playing Frisbee with my youth group back home and joined the team here because I saw a poster on the door to the caf,” Watson said.

Watson values the team’s close-knit community. “I made some good friends my first semester, so one of my favorite things about the team is growing those friendships and also playing a sport together that we all love,” Watson said.

CLARA KERNODLE assistant copy editor

TUCKER ALLEN guest writer

NONA NIELSEN beat reporter

Maggie Samples. Hawkins and

Students from various organizations gather to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. They celebrated with traditional food, beverages and student presentations

The Sky Bisons women’s Ultimate Frisbee team pose for a photo. The team was founded in 2005 and has been on campus for 20 years.

Photo by KENZIE JAMES

Photo by REESE MALLETT

Photo provided by CLARA KERNODLE

Graphic by MELANIE GUYETTE

Graphic by MELANIE GUYETTE

MO hosts Taylor Swift party

LORELAI CURTIS community editor

Midnight Oil Coffeehouse hosted an event on Oct. 2 to celebrate the release of Taylor Swift’s new album. “The Life of a Showgirl” marks Swift’s 16th studio album.

The event was held on MO’s outdoor patio, filling the atmosphere with excitement and enthusiasm. Decorations reflected the album’s theme with streamers, balloons, colored lights and a projector playing Swift’s music videos. Some students danced to the playlist,

while others relaxed on picnic blankets, watching the videos on the big screen. Harding alumna Tristan Carpenter and her sister Enid have both worked at MO since last December. Their mom, Hannah Carpenter, is one of the managers, so they had a role in the decorating and coordinating

of the event. Tristan Carpenter described the responsibilities that she shared with her sister.

“We designed the poster, hanging it up all around campus, coming up with mocktail ideas, food ideas, and then trying to promote it,” Carpenter said.

The MO team invested a great deal of effort in ensuring the night went as smoothly as possible and cultivated a fun and electric atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.

“Honestly, I thought it was going to be inside, we’d all be sitting, very sophisticated with our coffees,” freshman Landon Meinhard said. “I was really pleasantly surprised.”

For many students, the event wasn’t just about music; it was a chance to take a break from classes and celebrate together.

“I came because I love Taylor Swift, all things MO, girlhood and womanhood and fun,” sophomore Holland Oliver said. “I was really excited when I saw the flyers up.” ”

Students made their way to the back porch of Midnight Oil to enjoy the night’s lighthearted festivities. .

“I really like the balloons, the glitter, the mirror ball; the song selection is great,” Oliver said. “The food and drinks were not expensive.”

The event was not intended to generate revenue and took place after hours. MO served

food and drinks, including hot dogs and colored mocktails that sparkled in the lights.

“The main purpose of it is to have a little fun, not to further the business,” Enid Carpenter said. “It’s for college students or anyone to have fun on a random night.”

Farrar Center for Health Sciences opens new deli

TUCKER ALLEN beat reporter

Bison Hospitality has expanded the University’s dining options with the grand opening of the Bison Deli, located in the Farrar Center for Health Sciences. Offering sandwiches, salads and smoothies, the deli is designed to serve as a convenient and quality food destination for the campus community.

The launch event on Oct. 3 was attended by a crowd of almost 200 students, which far exceeded the event’s goal of 100 attendees.

“We’re thrilled with the incredible turnout for the Bison Deli’s opening,” said Jason Warrington, marketing manager for Bison Hospitality. Warrington noted that faculty and students from the nursing program, the Reynolds Center and nearby residence halls came to sample the new offerings. The concept of Bison Deli came from an online poll of food options that students wanted.

“After an extensive online poll, we found that faculty and students were looking for a fresh deli option on campus, with many

of them asking for smoothies,” Warrington said. “Students were especially happy to hear that the new smoothie options, like piña colada, strawberry and mango, were included in the meal exchange program.”

Student feedback on the deli was positive. Sophomore Emmanuel Ragira, whose opinion was affirmed by senior Lance Marek, gave a positive review.

“I had a turkey BLT, and it was pretty

good, and I like the fact that the deli has a panini maker,” Ragira said. “I got my sandwich with the piña colada smoothie, and it was really refreshing.”

The deli aims to provide a quick meal for students studying in the Farrar Center area. The space also serves as a welcoming space for students to fellowship.

“I thought that the deli was a pretty nice place,” Marek said. “It’s not super big, but it has enough room for multiple groups of friends to come and eat or study.”

While the location is convenient for students in the surrounding buildings, Ragira noted its distance from central dining areas.

“I could definitely see myself going back to the deli,” Ragira said. “It’s just that it’s kind of out of the way from everywhere else that you can eat.”

Despite the location, the successful launch and popular menu items suggest the Bison Deli is poised to become a competitive lunch destination, adding a fresh twist to Harding’s campus dining. The deli is open for lunch on weekdays from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.

Students enjoy the brightly lit porch of Midnight Oil while celebrating the release of Taylor Swift’s new album. The album was released on Oct 2, 2025.

Freshman Abbie Morrow enjoys free smoothies courtesy of Bison Deli, given away on opening day. Students can use meal exchanges at the deli.

LORELAI CURTIS

MELANIE GUYETTE

Photo by ELENA KALLENBACH

Harding dating: Then vs. now

SIDNEY DAVIES beat reporter

To the average New York Times Connections player, phrases like “three swings,” “bell tower,” “MRS degree,” and “ring by spring” may appear entirely unrelated. But to a Harding student, the connection is unmistakable. Though they are often humorous, the many superstitions surrounding couples at Harding University reveal a distinct dating culture on campus. Many students feel that the pressure to find “the one” at Harding is very real. Sophomore

Graphic by MELANIE GUYETTE

Brady Owens is no exception, sharing his own experience with that expectation.

“People emphasize it to an extreme point,” Owens said. “It kind of feels like if you aren’t dating someone by the end of your freshman year, that needs to be the sole point of your sophomore year.”

But has Harding always been this way?

In the 1998–1999 Petit Jean yearbook, an article titled “Harding Dating Expectations Uniquely Applied,” offers a glimpse into the University’s romantic past. Written by April Mouser — now assistant professor of communication April Fatula — the piece sheds light on Harding’s past dating culture.

“Everyone knows that ‘three swings means a ring,’” Mouser wrote. “But does three dates mean the same thing? Holmes said three or four dates are well within the qualifications of ‘casual dating.’”

While some elements of the article might resonate with today’s students, others feel almost foreign. For students like Owens, casual dating seems to be a relic of the past.

“A date doesn’t have to be a commitment,” Owens said. “But that’s what it is interpreted as now.”

The 1999 article, however, touched on this tension as well. Quoting a junior from that era, it read:

“‘You go out once or twice with some of the girls here and they want to get married,’ he said. ‘I went out with one girl three or four times and she just assumed we were a couple and started talking about marriage.’”

Many current students, including senior Olivia Abrams, can’t help but acknowledge the pressure to get married that has remained at Harding all of these years.

“I didn’t know a lot about Harding and its dating culture, and when I got here, I thought it was a little weird that everyone wanted to get married so soon,” Abrams said. “By junior year, pretty much everyone dating in my class was getting engaged and it made me think that I was behind. But in reality, not every 21-year-old is going to find the one they want to marry in four years at a school of 4,000 students.”

Although certain mindsets and stereotypes remain, Harding has adapted to modern trends. Social media, for instance, has introduced new platforms for connection. Several Instagram pages cater specifically to Harding students seeking relationships, including one called @harding_dating. The page has been received in different ways — some take it seriously, others enjoy it as entertainment. The creator, who wished to remain anonymous, explained their intent:

“I originally created the account with the intent of providing a space where students could ‘put themselves out there’ in a light, fun and non-intimidating way,” the creator said. “I started it with the intent that the submissions/posts would be taken somewhat seriously; however, I also wanted the page to maintain a light and fun mood.”

Social media has undoubtedly changed the dating game, though whether those changes are for better or worse depends on who is asked. Over the years, the search for love at Harding has taken on new forms, but the intensity of that pursuit seems to have stayed the same. While each generation brings its own approach, some aspects of Harding’s dating culture never seem to change.

Harding alum featured on CNN’s Champions for Change

NATALIA LAGO beat reporter

Harding alumnus and CEO of Mana Nutrition Mark Moore was recently interviewed on the CNN series “Anderson Cooper’s Champions for Change.” In the interview, which was part of a CNN series intended to spotlight innovators making a change in the world, Moore and Cooper discussed the invention and development of Mana Nutrition and the RUTF packets.

Mana Nutrition creates and distributes therapeutic food designed for severely malnourished children, providing packets of peanut butter that each contain about 500 calories. The food packets are called RUTF (Ready-To-Use-Therapeutic Food), and Mana distributes it to countries in need. Moore described a life-changing story of watching a child not getting RUTF in time and passing away as a result. He explained that there is a business in France with a similar mission, but that he felt the United States needed one too. Moore founded Mana as a result.

Moore said he hoped that people become “aware of global food aid, that it’s not the sort of hopeless, terrible story. It’s optimistic that we’re making a difference. And it’s possible that we can end starvation. It’s a hopeful, realistic, measurable, positive story that we can get engaged in. That’s what I hope people see.”

Moore attended Harding University from 1985 to 1990 and majored in communication and minored in marketing. He was also a member of Knights social club. He said that his years here at Harding are very special to him and have helped make him who he is today. He also said that his time on campus set “the direction, the compass bearings of my life.”

Dr. Heath Carpenter, associate professor of English and a close family friend of the Moores, expressed how proud he was to have seen Moore on CNN.

“Sometimes on a college campus that’s really interested in, you know, philosophical, ethical and theological issues, we can feel like we’re doing something by talking about it all the time,” Carpenter said. “And I think that, obviously, learning and debating and discussing, and growing intellectually is a key

part of a good life. But Mark is someone who models for us what it’s like to implement this in a very tangible way. He saw a need in the world and tried to do something about it.”

Moore met his wife, Marnie Moore, at Harding, and their four children, Benjamin, Grady, Cooper and Rylee, have also attended Harding. Rylee Moore, his youngest daughter and a current sophomore, reflected on her moments with her dad.

Rylee Moore explained that this was a full-circle moment for her and her family.

“We would watch ‘60 Minutes’ every Sunday night as a family,” Moore said. “And so I grew up knowing who Anderson Cooper was and watching on TV all the time and seeing his ‘60 Minutes’ story about RUTF, which was what inspired my dad. And then, my dad got to meet him and came up on Anderson Cooper

Champions for Change series, and I got to watch a fundamental part of my childhood celebrate my dad. It was a really cool and surreal experience and made me very proud to call him my dad.”

Moore, a graphic design major, made a homemade Emmy for Cooper that is now on display in his office. When Mark Moore toured Cooper’s office, he noticed a closet full of Emmys and inquired about them. Moore explained he felt that Cooper needed an Emmy for inspiring him to start Mana, and he hired his daughter to make one.

Rylee Moore explained, “I put a packet of Mana to replace the globe the Emmy was holding. And then labeled it Anderson Cooper, and my dad gave it to him.”

Cooper called Rylee over FaceTime to thank her, but she missed the call while in

a class. Instead, Cooper sent her a video thanking her personally and explaining how honored he was, showing her where he had it displayed on his desk while the other Emmys remained in the closet.

To this day, Mana has saved over 10 million children from starvation all over the world. Moore continues his work with an ever-growing team and warehouse in Savannah, Georgia.

Mark Moore, left, walks with a guest through the Mana facilites during a visit. Moore, a Harding alumnus, was recently featured on a CNN interview series.

Photo provided by MANA

Graphic by CARYS BIRDWELL

Graphic by MELANIE GUYETTE

community editor

Located on Race Avenue, the Searcy Art Gallery was established in 1994, although the building originally served as home to the Black family in the 19th century.

Searcy native Deborah Higgs has directed the art gallery for 10 years. She knows and loves the home and its deep history.

“In the mid-1800s, people were coming to Arkansas from the East Coast, and back then, this was called the frontier, and those people were called pioneers,” Higgs said. “People who were already in Searcy were building cabins.”

The building now used as an art gallery is not the exact same place the Blacks called home over 100 years ago. The two-room cabin, which now serves as the front and back parlors of the home, was built in 1858. Its longtime owners, Benjamin and Molly Black, raised 11 children in the house after Benjamin returned from fighting in the Civil War. The additions they made to the house were inspired by the couple’s honeymoon to New Orleans.

Their daughter, Lorraine, returned to the home in 1906 to care for her ailing mother after Benjamin’s death.

“Because she was the only daughter who never married or had children, the family decided that she would be the one to come back to the old house in Searcy and take care of their mother,” Higgs said. “And so, she did, with no regret.”

Lorraine lived the rest of her life in the home her parents built. She passed away at the age of 101 in her bedroom, in the very bed still in the home today.

The Black house stands next door to the site of another piece of Searcy history, one that ended in a murder in 1974.

Porter Rodgers Sr. and Fern Cowen Rodgers were a married couple living in Searcy next door to the Black house. Today, however, the Rodgers home is no longer standing.

In the book “A Murder in Searcy,” published in 2021, authors Deana Hamby Nall and Mike Allen recount the events leading up to the murder of Fern Cowen Rodgers in 1974.

“Their next home purchase—a white Colonial Revival house on Race Street—finally brought some stability to the family,” Nall and Allen wrote. “It became a landmark in

The Black House, haunted

town that would simply become known as ‘the Rodgers house.’”

Porter Sr. and Fern did not have the best relationship, even though they parented two children, Porter Jr. and Anne.

“By the summer of 1974, Porter Sr. and Fern were mostly estranged, communicating only about routine matters involving the family, house and finances,” Nall and Allen wrote. “Porter had moved into a room at a local motel, a little over a mile away from Fern and their home.”

Peggy Jean Hale was a 19-year-old waitress in 1972 at a place called Bill’s Grill when she met Porter Sr., a regular at the restaurant who tipped nicely. Hale grew up in a strict home in a small town, where her father was a preacher. She tested the boundaries of her upbringing and became involved with a married teacher during her senior year of high school.

“In the fall of 1973, Peggy quit her job as a waitress and began working full-time as a secretary for Porter,” Nall and Allen wrote. “From that time on, Peggy and Porter became inseparable.”

A year later, in September 1974, tragedy struck the Rodgers family and the town of

Searcy.

“By 8:45 a.m., housekeeper Betty Jean Ross … discovered the body of Mrs. Rodgers and [had] called for an ambulance,” Hall and Allen wrote.

Fern Rodgers had been shot twice in the right temple, killing her.

The gun that was used to kill Fern was approximately .25 caliber. Peggy owned a .25 caliber gun, as evidenced by a hole of the same size in her trailer floor.

“The results are ‘positive’—all three bullets came from the same gun—the one Peggy fired into the kitchen floor of her trailer,” Hall and Allen wrote.

On Nov. 8, 1974, Peggy Hale was arrested by White County Sheriff John Davis in the office of Dr. Porter Rodgers.

“The murder shocked the state, and the trials captivated the public,” Chris Raff, former Prosecuting Attorney for the Arkansas 17th Judicial District, said. “People still talk about and want to know exactly what happened that day.”

In the aftermath of his mother’s death, Porter Jr. and his family moved into the home where his mother died. It was at this time that he bought the Black house next door.

by

In later years, Porter Jr. sold the Black house to the city of Searcy, when it came into its current use as an art gallery.

One day, when Higgs was given a tour of the gallery, a group of children reported seeing a ghost in the upstairs room that faced the former location of the Rodgers home.

The visitors asked Higgs if she knew anything about ghosts in the house.

“The kids swore that they saw a lady in a red dress,” Higgs said. “Well, you know, in the house that is torn down, the grandkids [of Porter Sr. and Fern] saw a lady in a red dress.”

Despite some of the paranormal activity Higgs has heard or witnessed in the art gallery, she does not want the house to become a place where people hunt or try to find the remnants of ghosts or spirits.

“I don’t even know if that’s possible, and I’m not going to find out,” Higgs said. “Don’t know, don’t care. She has never bothered me.”

As the director of The Searcy Art Gallery, Higgs does not allow any kind of ghost hunting or attempted communication with spirits. Anyone is welcome to the art gallery for a tour or to rent the home for an event.

A tragic history of the deaths of Harding social clubs

ABBY DAVIDSON features editor

Since Harding’s founding in 1924, social clubs have been a crucial part of student life. Over the years, there have been more than 100 social clubs on campus. Some clubs, such as Ju Go Ju and Sub T-16, have been present from the start. Others, like ROME, have been formed more recently, while still others, like Tri Sigma Delta, have been revived. Yet there are social clubs that have been forgotten with time, and others that will forever live in Harding infamy.

Among those dead social clubs are Kappa Gamma Beta, Tri Kappa, Alpha Tau, Zeta Pi Zeta, Seminoles, Theta Psi, Alpha Alpha Alpha, Trojans and many more. Dr. Jason Darden, assistant professor of New Testament and the director of the Center for Ministry, was a founding member of Kappa Gamma Beta and served as a beau for Tri Kappa during his time as a student.

“Kappa Gamma Beta was a club for a year and a half,” Darden said. “We chose not to wear jerseys, and what we would do was wear dog tags that were engraved with KGB.”

Past social clubs on campus had traditions unlike anything seen on campus today, such as petting zoos featuring baby bison, community-wide free barbecues and Battle of the Bands events at Midnight Oil.

“We used to do step shows and stuff like that,” Darden said. “We also used to

do something called the Seminole Stomp, where we would build a big campfire and tie ribbons on our arms, take our shirts off and stomp around. And that did not last very long either.”

Archives and Special Collections Librarian Hannah Wood keeps records of what clubs were present on campus, when they were founded and when they were disbanded.

“Social clubs come and go for all sorts of reasons,” Wood said. “There are a couple of clubs that were around when I was on campus 25 years ago that are not here because of

actions taken by club members at the time.”

Kappa Gamma Beta was disbanded due to the adoption of a club mascot.

“We had a mascot, and we weren’t supposed to,” Darden said. “We passed it around, and we raised the dog in the dorm. Yeah, not great.”

Wood spoke about social clubs that students have entirely forgotten, once the most prominent on campus.

Wood spoke about the shock alums feel when returning to campus and seeing how Harding social clubs have changed.

“Some are like, ‘Whoa, what happened?’” Wood said. “One of the hardest things for alumni is to see when they come back that these clubs are either gone or incredibly small.”

Darden shared his experience with this feeling.

“One of the first true social clubs was the Woodson Harding Comrades,” Wood said. “There were also a couple of different junior clubs, like Ju Go Ju Junior and LC Junior.”

“I am really sad about the KGB being disbanded,” Darden said. “When Homecoming weekend happens, and everyone comes back and gets to hang out with their clubs, we do not have that.”

In recent years at Harding, the number of clubs present has remained steady, with the most recent edition being women’s social club Tri Sigma Delta’s revival in 2023. Meanwhile, men’s social club ROME recently faked its death before revealing a rebrand during Club Week on Monday night.

“We tend to be a dramatic club and love to draw things out excessively,” said senior ROME member Gabe Keigel. “A lot of people were completely convinced.”

Though many clubs have faded into Harding’s history, every club has left its mark on campus in some way. Whether they have been revised, rebranded, disbanded or remembered by all, social clubs have and always will be a crucial part of campus culture and community.

The Searcy Art Gallery, also known as The Black House, stands on Race Avenue in Searcy with haunting allegations. Next door, a plot of land where another house used to stand, is home to a infamous murder from 1974.

Photo

BRILEY KEMPER

Search continues in 1960s professor murder

A Harding English professor was murdered in 1963, the case remains cold.

The portrait of Francis Ruby Lowery Stapleton hangs in the Brackett Library, but many current students do not know her story—one that has haunted her family and Searcy for 62 years.

Stapleton, an English professor, disappeared from a Searcy washateria on Oct. 8, 1963. Her body was found 11 days later in a Beebe creek bed.

On the night of Oct. 8, Ruby visited her son, Glen Dewey Stapleton, and his family. Glen Dewey’s washer was broken, so Ruby took his clothes to Norge’s Launderama, on what is now Main Street.

The Arkansas State Police case file said an employee left the washateria at 10:10 p.m. while Ruby was there. A customer entered at 10:55 p.m. to retrieve his laundry and saw Ruby’s station wagon outside and damp laundry inside a dryer. Ruby was gone.

One witness saw a woman alone doing laundry between 10:30 and 10:40 p.m. Another witness, Zell Mills, passed Norge’s on his delivery route between 10:30 and 11 p.m. and saw a dark-colored automobile parked perpendicular to Ruby’s car.

Ghost ‘Gertie’ haunts the residents of Pattie Cobb

CLARA KERNODLE

assistant copy editor

For decades, Harding students and faculty have heard the story of “Gertie,” the ghost that roams the halls of Pattie Cobb Hall. Few see or hear her firsthand.

Fifth year Sophie Thompson shared her experience with the ghost, which happened while studying alone in her room for an exam.

“My studying went on just as normal until I decided to take a break and go take a shower,” Thompson said. “As I jumped out of my bed I heard Jenna, my roommate, saying my name, which I thought was strange, because she was in Little Rock for a night out. I turned and looked instinctively, and for a glimpse I saw her standing there, but I couldn’t see her face. At that moment I ran out into the hallway. [...] Later, when I took a shower, the lights turned off on their own. This had never happened. That was my breaking point.”

As legend has it, Gertie was the name of a student at Galloway Women’s College — which once occupied Harding’s current campus — who died falling down an elevator shaft. Since her death, Harding has heard the stories of a woman walking down the halls of Pattie Cobb in a white

dress, or making strange noises at night.

Alumna and former Pattie Cobb RA Jenna Gaessler shared a fellow RA’s story from the 2021-2022 school year.

“There was a group of girls on [the] second floor that thought Pattie was haunted,” Gaessler said. “So they did a little ‘séance’ at curfew and sat in a circle to call the ghost. But the only person they really saw was the RA that walked in and saw them.”

Heather Davis has been the residence life coordinator in Pattie Cobb for five years.

“I think it’s all stories,” Davis said. “But I did pray through the building when I first moved here. I’ve personally never seen any activity that made me think it was a ghost.

I don’t like being here all alone, though.”

Davis shared a story that a dorm janitor had told her recently.

“She said that a ping pong ball went flying across the floor twice, a couple months back,” Davis said. “She texted me, ‘You got a ghost.’”

“Mills observed one man holding one woman by the arm,” the case file said. “He said that this woman appeared to be trying to pull back from this man. Mills saw another man following the man and woman.”

21-year-old Jerry Bass found Ruby’s body on Oct. 19 while squirrel hunting. The autopsy report said the cause of death was strangulation, but her body was too decomposed to determine time of death.

The police spent months investigating a list of suspects. Ruby’s family and Searcy residents believed the offender was either Ray Stapleton or Oren Ray Hays.

Ray Stapleton, Ruby’s husband, taught at Harding until he was asked to leave in the early 1950s because he was a homosexual. Ray lived in Superior, Wisconsin, in fall 1963, but people suspected he was involved.

“There’s just no way [Ray] cannot be involved because he was so guilty of so many things,” said Catherine Raithe, Ruby’s greatniece. “It just always kind of led back to the money aspect of it—what the motive was, who gained and benefitted from her death, and that would’ve been Ray.”

Oren Ray Hays was a bootlegger in Searcy. Ruby’s granddaughter Heather Bates said Ruby was opposed to students having alcohol and made multiple trips to the sheriff’s office about Hays.

“In one of [Hays’] interviews that I read in 1993 … he admitted that he and a friend … had been drinking and had driven around by the washateria,” Bates said.

The police ran out of leads, and no one was charged. By the late 1960s, Ruby’s case was cold.

Bates said there is little hope for Ruby’s case to be solved, but she and Raithe tried to bring their family closure. Bates requested a copy of the case file for her mother and Ruby’s daughter, Mary Claire. Her request was denied, so she sued the ASP in 2013 and won. Raithe published “The Washeteria Mystery: Who Killed Ruby?” in 2024 and produced three podcast episodes to share Ruby’s story.

“[My mom] was 8 years old when Ruby was murdered,” Raithe said. “That completely traumatized her. … [The book gave] my family … not some closure, but just some healing.”

Alumnus Mike Allen, a co-author on an upcoming book about the case, said his father, Jimmy Allen, talked about Ruby growing up, but not all Searcy families did.

“Some people, very much like me, who grew up in Searcy, never heard of Mrs. Stapleton’s murder,” Allen said. “Then other people that I’ve talked to about it know a lot of information.”

Ruby was involved at Harding from the time the college opened. She was voted ‘Best All-Around Girl’ for two consecutive years and graduated in 1926. She returned to teach in 1932 and sponsored Student Publications, social clubs and held offices in the Alumni Association. Ruby was also responsible for coordinating Harding’s move from Morrilton to Searcy in 1934.

“She was a leader… [and] she was highly thought of,” Allen said. “She was definitely respected, there’s no doubt about that.”

Harding installed a portrait and plaque in the late 1960s, which were later moved to the second floor of the library. She also has a memorial brick on the front lawn.

“I would love for Grandmother to be known more, for who she was and what she meant to Harding,” Bates said. “She was very involved with her students and was very dedicated.”

KENZIE JAMES news editor

Francis Ruby Lowery Stapleton, an English professor, sits for a portrait in the 1963-64 Petit Jean Yearbook. In that school year, Stapleton was murdered.

Photo taken on Main Street near the intersection at Lincoln, the supposed location of Stapleton’s kidnapping.

Photo provided by BRACKETT LIBRARY

Photo by KENZIE JAMES

Comic by GRACE BROWN Comic by MELANIE GUYETTE

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