You already know that October brings Fall Break, which also means the semester if flying by.  We have gone through several accrediting visits for our various schools and the university as a whole recently, and I have observed yet again what fine young men and women we have here.  My desire is to see all of you complete your degree right here, so avail yourselves of the exceptional professors and classes.  A Majors Fair will be offered on October 26.

We are only days away from Homecoming Week and Tiger Tunes.  I don’t have to tell you that no university has any more excitement than Ouachita for these few days each year during this week.

I want to encourage all of our student body to be involved in some way during Homecoming.  Check the Tigernet for information about Homecoming activities, Tiger Tunes, the OSF Silent Auction, etc.  You also can hear more about Homecoming Week during Chapel next Tuesday, when the Homecoming Court and Hosts and Hostesses will be presented.  Don’t miss it!

Shortly after your return from Fall Break, Ouachita will be hosting a community celebration for the citizens of Arkadelphia as a part of our 125^th celebration.

This truly is a special time of year.  It is my privilege to be your president.  “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.”  Philippians 1:3-4.

Rex M. Horne, Jr.

What a question! It seemed easy as we were brainstorming topics, yet as I ponder that question to actually write about it, it is so big. OBU fills so many parts of my life now.

My college experience was second to none. Amazing memories. My memories from college are some of the best of my life.

I have friends from that time who are like family. The friendships I made during college are different from any I’d made before or since. Living together and going through the college experience bonds students in a unique way. But even more than that, those bonds seem stronger at OBU. Maybe it’s living in a small town where we made a lot of our own fun. Maybe it preparing for Tunes. Maybe its our common belief in our savior. Maybe it’s all of it combined. You know those friends that you might not see for a while, but when you do it’s like you just saw them yesterday and pick up move right along without missing a beat? That’s how my OBU friends are.

Mike Huckabee was here in chapel last week and he talked about meeting Ouachita graduates all over the world and how there is just a common bond there. An instant kinship. I feel it too.

But that was all from my college days. Now, OBU is ingrained into every aspect of my life. My husband, a history professor, and I both work at OBU. We count it as a privilege to have the opportunity to serve here. He has served here going on six years. I have am in my third year. Unless God has different plans, we hope to be here when our kids are in college and beyond.

Our friends are on this campus. Our children learned to ride bikes and roller blade and rip sticks on this campus. Our children have almost 1600 big brothers and sisters in the Ouachita Tigers.

We work here and we play here. We are invested in the lives of the students, faculty and staff alike.

It’s home.

One great part about living in Arkadelphia is the way that OBU can contribute to the education of my children. Today, my 4th grade daughter was on campus with her class to see our theater department’s children production for the year, School House Rock. How that took me back to to the Saturday mornings of my youth. I’ve been singing “Conjuction Junction” all day! I just peeked in for a couple of minutes and then headed back to the office, but I can’t wait to take all three kiddos to the full production this weekend! The theater students have done has amazing job.

Also today Dr. Horne was on one of our morning news broadcasts sharing about OBU’s recent enrollment increase and festivities surrounding our 125th anniversary. Take a look!

What better time to launch our new blog?

It is my hope that it will be a source of information (and maybe a little entertainment) for you…prospective students, parents, alumni, friends of OBU.

As Director of Admissions Counseling at OBU, you will hear from me, Lori Motl, periodically. But I will not be the only one you will hear from on this blog. We have some current students contributing regularly. Administrators from around campus will post periodically. Professors, as well. We want it to be a place where you can get a peek into campus from personal perspectives.

We also want to hear from you. Let me know your suggestions on who you would like to hear from on this blog.

Until next time,

Lori