Ouachita Baptist University News

Henderson, Ouachita’s vice president for communications, earns two national awards 

Trennis Henderson, vice president for communications at Ouachita Baptist University, earned two national awards from Baptist Communicators Association during BCA’s annual workshop April 16-19 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Henderson, who joined the Ouachita administration in March, previously served nine years as editor of the Kentucky Baptist Western Recorder in Louisville. He also is a former editor of the Arkansas Baptist News in Little Rock.

During BCA’s annual Wilmer C. Fields awards competition, he received a first place award for news writing for the article, “Baptist World Alliance Urges Reconciliation.” The article highlighted BWA’s call for “freedom for the 27 million people still trapped in modern-day slavery across the world” as well as “freedom from all forms of racism."

Henderson also received a first place award for editorial writing for the article, “Are Diverse Baptist Groups Open to Unity?” The editorial addressed the “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant” hosted in Atlanta in January by former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

Baptist Communicators Association is the professional development organization of Baptist journalists, photographers, graphic artists and other communications professionals throughout the nation. Henderson served as BCA president in 1995-96.

Ouachita tennis director receives national community service award 

Craig Ward, the director of tennis at Ouachita Baptist University, was recently honored by the United States Tennis Association and Intercollegiate Tennis Association as the recipient of the national USTA/ITA Community Service Award. 

Ward, who has served at Ouachita since 1990, also helped organize Arkadelphia’s Community Tennis Association, Matchpoint. Since 1998, Matchpoint has provided tennis instruction and volunteer opportunities, as well as financial support for programs and local players, according to USTA Magazine.

He and his wife, Kim, also have helped Arkadelphia grow from one local tennis team to seven Team Tennis teams, three Combo League teams and one Senior Mixed Doubles squads.

Ward noted that Johnny Heflin, one of his mentors, was an example and an inspiration when it came to charity and community involvement. Affirming the significance of receiving the award, Ward added, “I hope it inspires other college tennis programs to reach out and give to the surrounding community.” 

Ward said he and his wife “feel fortunate to work at a university that is so community oriented.  This award belongs to the university as much as it does to anyone. Ouachita makes it easy for us to do this.”

Ward is a 1978 graduate of Henderson State University with a bachelor of arts degree in recreation. He is a member of the Arkansas Tennis Hall of Fame and also has been named Intercollegiate National Coach of the Year, United States Professional Tennis Association College Coach of the Year and Arkansas Tennis Professional of the Year.

Duvall named Ouachitonian Beauty 

Junior Christian studies major Ashley Duvall from Arkadelphia was awarded the title of Ouachitonian Beauty on March 28.  Duvall was selected for the honor by a panel of four judges who based their decision 70 percent on her interview and 30 percent on her poise and beauty. 

The event was coordinated by Ouachitonian yearbook sponsor Dr. Deborah Root with assistance from Dr. Keldon Henley, vice president for student services and dean of students; Nathan Shelburne, director of student development and campus activities; and Avery Shelburne, an OBU admissions counselor.

The Ouachitonian Beauty competition was started in 1962 and has undergone many changes since then.

“When I was editor of the Ouachitonian in 1981, we had a pageant in Mitchell Hall, and the contestants modeled evening gowns and sportswear,” Root said.  “They were also featured in a slide presentation with responses to various questions. The format eventually changed to where the contestants were judged in a private interview and photogenic quality only.”

For several years, the competition was run by the Blue Key National Honor Fraternity, which is no longer in existence, and the proceeds went toward outfitting Miss OBU for the Miss Arkansas pageant.  After the dissolution of Blue Key, Henley began working with the Ouachitonian staff to keep the contest going.

“It is scaled back this year, but we will evaluate the process soon and make plans on how to best continue the competition,” Root said.

Ouachita recognizes outstanding service volunteers 

In an effort to highlight service at the heart of campus life, Ouachita Baptist University held its annual University Community Service Awards on April 22. The event was hosted on campus by the Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community.  Ian Cosh, director of the Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community and assistant to the president for community development, set the tone for the evening with his opening words on service.

"The awards banquet allows the university to honor the many students, faculty and staff who serve in ways that often go unnoticed throughout the year,” said Cosh. “The Elrod Center is committed to raising the service profile of Ouachita as an institution where learning involves learning to become a person of compassion and caring.…Our theme this year has been ‘Service: A Way of Life,’ and it captures what we are trying to achieve through our programs.”  The evening highlighted this year’s service work conducted by students and faculty, as well as the dedication of those in the community.

The Community Service Excellence Award is presented to an individual who is committed to making the community of Arkadelphia a better place and who leads the way in promoting and exhibiting a spirit of volunteerism. This year’s recipients were Mr. Jimmy Bolt, Arkadelphia city manager, and Rev. Jerry and Mrs. Barbara Schleiff.  Bolt was recognized for his service to the community and efforts to see Arkadelphia succeed and continue to be “a great place to call home.”  The Schleiffs were recognized for their service to international students and missionary kids. Cosh said, “These adults are living examples of the fact that a life of service brings its own reward.”

The Foster Grandparents Program Award is given to the program’s volunteer of the year, recognizing an individual’s excellence in serving. This year’s award was given to Mrs. Mary Lewis Hunter of Sparkman, Ark. Over the past 19 years she has served more than 13,000 hours in Arkadelphia schools and the Sparkman ABC program. Her dedication and selflessness have allowed her to impact many people in the community.

Miki Arkhipova, a senior psychology major from Moscow, Russia, was the recipient of the International Student Award. The award was presented to her for outstanding service contribution to fellow students. Also recognized were students Cami Jones and Daniel Graham for their outstanding hours of service. Jones is a sophomore early childhood education and Spanish major from Mansfield, Texas. She has 256 hours of service documented for the 2007-2008 school year. Her hours of service have been spent planning Tiger Serve Day, tutoring in Arkadelphia schools, as well as volunteering at the Clark County Humane Society, Clark County Food Bank and more. Graham is a junior business management major from Richardson, Texas.  He has 344 hours of service documented for the 2007-2008 school year. His hours of service have been spent playing with kids at Backyard Bible Club, participating in Tiger Serve Day, leading a Freshmen Family Group and volunteering with Fellowship Church Youth and Children.

Others recognized for their service were volunteers of America Reads/America Counts, ElderServe, Campus Ministries, Community Outreach Program through English and those who are a part of the TranServe program, allowing their documented service hours to be placed on their transcript.

For more information about service opportunities at Ouachita, please contact the Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community at (870) 245-5320.

Ouachita congratulates winners of the 31st annual Virginia Queen Piano Competition 

Ouachita Baptist University would like to congratulate the student winners of the 31st Annual Virginia Queen Competition, held on Ouachita’s campus April 25.

First place was awarded to Carrie Brown, a sophomore piano performance major from Knoxville, Ark. Second place was awarded to Molly Rose, a senior music education major from Keithville, La. Third place was awarded to Emily Adams, a senior music education major from Germany, and to Grant Turner, a sophomore music major from Fort Worth, Tex. Honorable mentions was awarded to Natalie Carroll, a freshman music education major from Zimbabwe, and to Rebecca Seago, a junior music education major from Worland, Wyo. Kristen Cordell, a junior piano performance major from Fort Smith, Ark., was the recipient of the Little Rock Musical Coterie Virginia Queen Piano Award.

The Virginia Queen competition is named after a former Ouachita faculty member who served there for more than 40 years.  She established the endowment to provide awards for a competition which would hopefully motivate our Ouachita piano majors to excel in their instrument.

For more information regarding the music department at Ouachita Baptist University, please contact the School of Fine Arts Division of Music at phone 870-245-5145.

Tiger Blast presents spring concert 

DeWitt presents “A Christian Perspective on Environmental Stewardship” 

Environmental scientist and author Dr. Calvin B. DeWitt visited the campus of Ouachita Baptist University on April 15.  In light of the recent concern with environmental consciousness, OBU has launched several “green initiatives” to do its part toward protecting the world.  DeWitt was invited to campus as a part of the Birkett Williams Lecture Series to present “A Christian Perspective on Environmental Stewardship.”

DeWitt addressed the university community at chapel, talked with students in several zoology classes and met faculty, staff and students at an evening meal and reception.  His visit culminated in his presentation of the Birkett Williams Lecture.  OBU continued the theme of Christian environmental stewardship later in the week by celebrating Earth Day and offering a free canoeing activity.

During the lecture, DeWitt discussed the biblical principles of earthkeeping, fruitfulness, sabbath and conservation.  “This world is God’s creation—period,” DeWitt said.  “It’s because of Him that all these things exist.  Environmental stewardship means that we image God’s love for the world.

“Being enthusiastic for God’s creation means you will not have to do it alone,” DeWitt added. “We are a Christian community.”

DeWitt serves on the faculty of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  A noted environmental scientist, lecturer and award-winning teacher, he is the author of Earth-Wise: A Biblical Response to Environmental Issues, a practical handbook for discussing Christian environmental stewardship in the church.  He holds degrees in biology from Calvin College and in biology and zoology from the University of Michigan.

DeWitt has been influential in many collaborative efforts among evangelicals, scientists and politicians, including the Evangelical Climate Initiative, a statement calling for concerted action to battle global warming.

Among his awards is the 2005 National Wildlife Federation “Connie Award” which recognized his work in bridging environmental science and ethics.  He has given addresses at more than 70 North American colleges and universities and worldwide in such countries as China, Korea, India, Indonesia, Russia and the United Kingdom, most recently at the Faraday Institute for Science at Cambridge University.

Dr. Mike Reynolds, associate professor of kinesiology and leisure studies at Ouachita, was one of the committee members responsible for inviting DeWitt to campus.  “With climate change, ‘green initiatives’ and Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth making daily headlines, we felt like a Christian perspective on these topics would be of interest to OBU’s faculty, staff and students,” Reynolds explained.  “Dr. DeWitt’s lifetime commitment to Christian environmental stewardship, his academic credentials, his speaking experience and his involvements with current Christian organizations dealing with climate change made Dr. DeWitt our No. 1 candidate.

“Dr. DeWitt stressed that part of our mission as a Christian liberal arts institution is to consider not only the human global impact of our decisions, but the environmental impact as well,” Reynolds noted.

Ouachita’s Birkett Williams Lecture Series honors the late Birkett Williams of Cleveland, Ohio, a 1910 graduate and benefactor of Ouachita.  In 1977, Williams established a generous endowment to extend the concepts of a liberal arts education beyond the classroom environment.

Ouachita students serve at BeachReach 

More than 800 college students from across the United States, including more than 40 from Ouachita Baptist University, participated over a three-week period in BeachReach, a ministry organized by LifeWay Christian Resources. 

Ouachita has been sending groups to participate in this spring break mission trip since 2003.  This year was no exception, with a total of 44 Ouachita students making the trek to Panama City, Fla.

Stacy Breeding, OBU’s assistant director of campus ministries and the coordinator of this year’s trip, said that LifeWay organized the event extremely well.  This made it easy for her as an administrator, she said, even though this was her first year to serve in that capacity.

While at BeachReach, students hand out information cards on free van rides and serve pancake breakfasts to fellow students on the beach.  They provide van rides until 2 a.m. and serve pancakes at 10 a.m.  It is estimated that over 8,000 van rides were given and 50,000 pancakes were served this year.  For a week that is usually considered a vacation, the students participated in a week of intense witnessing to their peers.

“In my opinion, this is the best short-term mission trip experience for college students that I’ve seen,” Breeding said.  “It forces them to get out of their comfort zones and to share Christ in a very up-front, real way. They learn from this experience that sharing their faith is a very easy thing to do. They also see how the power of prayer is inseparable from evangelism.”

This was Alex Hargis’ first time to participate in BeachReach.  Hargis, a sophomore biology major from Camden, Ark., said that he most enjoyed the van rides because of the gratitude expressed by those who accepted the rides.

“They wanted to know why we were doing this, so that really opened the doors for a lot of conversation and allowed us to share Jesus Christ with them,” he said.

Hargis said he found the trip to be a truly unique experience.  “You engage the people right where they are,” he noted.  “You love them despite the circumstances they are in.  You come to the end of yourself and find yourself being sustained by God.  It's a wonderful thing.”

For more information about BeachReach, please contact Stacy Breeding at (870) 245-5536 or via e-mail at breedings@obu.edu.

LaRosa to perform senior recital 

Ouachita Baptist University student Jon LaRosa, a senior instrumental performance major from Texarkana, Texas, will present his senior recital on April 29 at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall of Mabee Fine Arts Center.

LaRosa was the 2007 winner of the Ouachita Baptist University 2nd Annual Concerto Competition and a member of the 2007 Arkansas Intercollegiate Band.

LaRosa will perform “Sonata” by Halsey Stevens; “Let the Bright Seraphim” by Handel; “To J.S.” by Fisher Tull; “Concerto in E” by Haydn and “Caprice” by Turrin. He will be accompanied by Glenda Aldridge.

The recital is free and open to the public.

Wilson to perform sophomore recital 

Ouachita Baptist University student Sean Wilson, a sophomore vocal performance major from Spotsylvania, Va., will present his sophomore recital on April 25 at 11:00 a.m. in McBeth Recital Hall of Mabee Fine Arts Center.

Wilson will perform “Lungi da te” by Giovanni Bononcini; “Widmong” by Robert Schumann; “Ô Richard, Ô mon Roi” by André E. M. Gretry; “At the River” and “Zion’s Walls” adapted by Aaron Copland and “I’ve Heard It All Before” by Peter Udell and Gary Geld.

The recital is free and open to the public.