To be named a University Scholar, a student must exhibit the highest level of academic achievement with the goal of serving Christ as a scholar in the university community. 

Stark is a member of Alpha Chi, participates in campus intramurals, has written for The Signal campus newspaper and coaches the TigerSharks Aquatic Team, a club swim team who practices at OBU.

“I am very excited about being recognized as a Scholar, especially with my unique situation of being chosen as a freshman,” Stark said. “I look forward to the many opportunities it will provide, especially as I get closer to choosing and applying to graduate programs. I would encourage anyone who plans to attend graduate school to find out more about becoming a University Scholar.  I'd love to see other freshman and sophomores applying too.”

Students applying to become University Scholars must have at least a 3.5 GPA, a recommendation from a faculty member, and they must craft written statements describing their Christian faith and their interest in pursuing a Ph.D. and teaching at the college level. As a final step in the process, the candidate is interviewed by members of the College Society Advisory Board.

University Scholars from Ouachita have won prestigious fellowships, including a Pew Graduate Fellowship and a Fulbright Fellowship, and they have been accepted at graduate programs at Baylor, Duke, the Eastman School of Music, Emory, Florida, the Medieval Institute at Leeds University, Notre Dame, Oxford, Southern Methodist University, the University of Illinois, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Yale.  Stark joins Andrew Curtis, Laura Harrington, Seth Richardson and Will Smethers as OBU’s other University Scholars on campus this semester.

The publications also won a total of 22 awards at the annual meeting of the Arkansas College Media held recently in Jonesboro, Ark. Ouachitonian awards included: first place, endsheets, Lauren Farabough; first place, special features, Brittney Selvidge; second place, organizations layout, Lauren Farabough; second place, organizations writing, Megan Lindsey; third place, yearbook cover and academic layout, Lauren Farabough; third place, organizations writing, Kim Lindsey; honorable mention, student life layout and sports layout, Lauren Farabough; and honorable mention, sports photo, Anna Tohlen.

The Ouachitonian yearbook also won third place in overall general excellence.

The Signal newspaper awards included: third place, feature writing, Caleb Quick; third place, personality profiles, Ariel Bealer; honorable mention, news writing and general column writing, Chloe O’Conner; honorable mention, meeting and speech coverage; Myra Houser; honorable mention, cartoon, Trey Baldwin and Jared Tohlen; honorable mention, front page layout, Holland Powell; honorable mention, sports page layout, Lola Runyan; and honorable mention, editorial page layout, Ariel Bealer.

Yearbook judging was based on the 2007 Ouachitonian, which was edited by Lauren Farabough, a 2007 graduate from Dumas, Ark., and current resident of Arkadelphia. The adviser is Dr. Deborah Root, professor and chair of OBU’s mass communications department. The editor of The Signal is Chloe O’Conner, a senior mass communications major from Louisville, Colo. The adviser is Dr. Jeff Root, dean of the school of humanities.

The 2008 commencement service will be held Saturday, May 10 at 9:30 a.m., on the lawn in front of Cone-Bottoms Hall. A reception in the center of campus will be held immediately following the ceremony.

“Those involved in the ceremony have been working very hard and are excited about the change and the new traditions that will start with this commencement,” said Judy Jones, Ouachita’s registrar and director of admissions. “How special that the grads will all walk down the ‘senior sidewalk’ as they approach the commencement ceremony.”

Ouachita President Rex M. Horne, Jr., proposed the new tradition after attending an outdoor graduation ceremony elsewhere. The lawn of Cone-Bottoms was chosen because the location will provide all of the guests a good view of the ceremony and because it is considered one of the most beautiful areas of campus.

“I am excited about this year’s class beginning a new tradition with graduation being held in front of Cone-Bottoms,” Horne noted. “The ceremony will be enhanced by the beauty of the campus and by being in the center of our academic buildings.”

Those unable to attend the ceremony can watch a live Internet broadcast, or watch a recording of the ceremony posted on Ouachita’s website. Please visit http://www.obu.edu/broadcast/ for the webcast.

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in OBU’s Sturgis Physical Education Center.

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.

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 is a member of the EEE Women’s Social Club, College Republicans, Campus Ministries, Theta Alpha Kappa, and has been named to the dean’s list and president’s list. She is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Scott Duvall.

First runner-up was Sarah Johnson, a sophomore political science and theology major from Brazil. She is a member of the Tri Chi women’s social club and Student Senate. She is a sophomore class officer and has been named to the dean’s list.

Second runner-up was Kristen Glover, a freshman chemistry major from Stuttgart, Ark. Glover is a member of Tri Chi women’s social club, College Republicans and has been named to the dean’s list.    

The event was coordinated by Dr. Deborah Root, professor and chair of the mass communications department and Ouachitonian sponsor, and Dr. Keldon Henley, vice president for student services and dean of students. They were assisted by Nathan Shelburne, director of student development and campus activities, and Avery Shelburne, an OBU admissions counselor.

"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.

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.

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 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 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.

Dickinson, known as the Dean of American Church Musicians, served as an organist, choirmaster, composer, performer, author and teacher prior to his death in 1969. Dickinson edited the 1933 Presbyterian Hymnal and was organist-choirmaster of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City for 50 years. A concert of his music was presented as part of the Mississippi event.

Garner, who was invited to deliver the speech because he currently is writing a biography about Dickinson, noted that “it was meaningful just to be asked.” He added that he gave a similar presentation last year at William Carey University.

In his speech, Garner highlighted details about Dickinson’s family and education, as well as Dickinson’s role as the founder of the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Garner pointed out that it was the first school in the nation that gave students the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in church music and become full-time church musicians.

 “Dickinson’s legacy doesn’t end with the founding of the School of Sacred Music,” Garner added, “but with its graduates, who will and have gone on to be influential church musicians and teachers spanning across the globe.”

Garner, who has served 18 years on the Ouachita faculty, previously taught for three years at William Carey University.  He holds a bachelor of church music degree from William Carey as well as a master of church music degree and doctor of musical arts degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

English is a sophomore mass communications and psychology double major. She is the daughter of Dr. Tim and Cindy English of Hot Springs and the granddaughter of Jack and Olga English of Magnolia and Lee and Jane Little of Camden. She is a member of the EEE Women’s Social Club and the Ouachita Student Foundation, and participates as a mentor in the Big Sister program. English’s critical issue platform for the pageant was “Changing Children’s Lives: Promoting Partners for Arkansas Children’s Hospital.”

English was crowned by the outgoing Miss OBU, Nicole Daye. As Miss OBU, English was awarded a $1000 scholarship by the university, and will represent Ouachita at the Miss Arkansas pageant July 16-19 in Hot Springs, Ark.

The nine contestants were nominated by campus clubs and organizations. First runner-up was Jennifer Neely, a freshman music education major from Warren, Ark. Second runner-up was Melissa Collier, a freshman Christian studies major from Longview, Texas. Third runner-up was Audrey Anna Harrell, a junior communication sciences and disorders major from Russellville, Ark.

At Ouachita, Richardson has been consistently named to the President’s List.  He is involved in Campus Ministries as a leader for Refuge, a weekly student-led worship service, and is a K-Group leader for Fellowship Baptist Church of Arkadelphia.

“I felt honored to be recognized among some of the brightest Christian students around the nation,” said Richardson, “specifically those who have come through OBU.”  He gives this advice for future Pew Scholar candidates, “Be diligent in doing what is necessary. These types of honors (like the Pew) don’t fall in your lap.”  He adds that an import key to remember is to “speak honestly and carefully in your essays.”

Richardson plans to attend Trinity Evangelical Divinity School to pursue a master’s degree in New Testament upon graduation in May.

Students applying to become Pew Scholars must have at least a 3.5 GPA, a recommendation from a faculty member and a written statement describing their Christian faith.  Students must also have an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. and teaching at the college level.

Previous Ouachita Pew Scholars have won prestigious fellowships, including a Pew Graduate Fellowship and a Fulbright Fellowship.  Pew Scholars have been accepted to graduate programs at Yale, Notre Dame, Duke, the University of Illinois, Emory, Oxford, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Florida, the Eastman School of Music, the Medieval Institute at Leeds University and Baylor University.

The panel was composed of deans she met at the 2007 New Deans Conference.  Each member of the panel researched an aspect of the topic and wrote a paper that was shared in the presentation.  The group represented institutional, racial, ethical and gender diversity and used a variety of sources including their own testimonies and those of other experienced deans to discuss leadership and change.

“We wrote the paper for our reflection and extension of our learning and with the hope that it would benefit others in leadership positions,” Bruning explained.

Bruning has presented a paper on education reform in a similar situation, but she had known those colleagues from working with them at several state meetings.  This time was unique due to the short time to get to know these colleagues.

“We had enjoyed working together for the week of professional development [at the New Deans Conference], and I had developed great respect for this diverse group of individuals and their various leadership styles,” Bruning said.  “We laughed a great deal as we discussed the organization of our presentation and how to best share our experiences.  It was not dry and boring.”

The panel was introduced, and then each member presented his or her own paper on the various visions of leadership.  A question-and-answer session followed.  Bruning said that the group was initially anxious about the attendance of their session because they were slotted to present at the same time as other, more prominent speakers, and they were not named in the program, only their topic.

“The room was quite full,” Bruning said.  “It was very affirming, as several experienced deans made comments and joined in the discussion at the end.”

Bruning noted that her paper may be incorporated into a larger paper and publication in the future, and that, as a panel, the deans hope to present a sequel to this year’s presentation for the conference next year.

For more information, contact Dr. Bruning at (870) 245-5154 or via e-mail at bruningm@obu.edu.

A  1975 graduate of Ouachita, Huckabee also has served as a Southern Baptist pastor, president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and chairman of the National Governors’ Association.

Acknowledging that “the whole experience was, in many ways, surreal,” Huckabee said the pace of a national presidential bid “is happening so fast that you don’t have time to stop and absorb it or even take it in.”

“At many times, I had to stop and remind myself that I was actually running for President of the United States,” he added. “The schedule was grueling and brutal. … It was early morning to late night and constantly being pushed and pulled—almost treated like a property as opposed to a person.”

Despite the hectic schedule under the glare of the national media spotlight, Huckabee emphasized that “there were a lot of special times” on the campaign trail, including guest appearances on Saturday Night Live, the Colbert Report, the Late Show with David Letterman and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

“Doing Saturday Night Live was a real kick,” he noted. “Another fun time was the Leno show. … I got to see there were some great people you get a chance to know in a casual way. All that was a lot of fun and it kind of made up for the days that were anything but fun.”

Reflecting on the political impact of his presidential run, Huckabee said one result was the clear reminder that “ordinary people really can affect the process.”

“For virtually a dime to the dollar of the other candidates, we took this campaign to the Final Four and most folks didn’t think that could happen. I think it’s a transformational kind of experience in politics,” Huckabee declared. “It was very important as a hallmark of the campaign--and hopefully future campaigns--that people will pay attention to the candidates and their message and not just their bank accounts.”

Concerning his decision to seek the presidency, Huckabee said, “I deeply felt there was a need for someone, frankly, to be president who understood the real world where most Americans live.  I think there is a disconnect with most people who have been in Washington for a good while.”

As an example, he cited a Republican debate on the economy in which other candidates “were all singing the Republican song of a great economy.” By contrast, he said he emphasized that “for people in the real world, the economy is not doing that well.”

Taking a page from his campaign playbook, Huckabee detailed such economic concerns as rising fuel prices, education costs and “health care costs rising at twice the rate of which pay was rising. That meant people were working harder this year than they were last year and not getting ahead; in fact slipping behind.”

A key reason for many voters’ concern over the economy is that “when the economy is prosperous, it has a trickle-down effect, but when the economy begins to go into a recession, it’s a trickle-up effect,” he explained. “It hits the people at the bottom first and the hardest because they have the least margin with which to deal.”

Amid his increased influence in conservative Republican circles, Huckabee said one of his goals is to “continue to make the case that there can’t be a separation between economic conservatism and social conservatism.”

“The most basic form of government is self-government,” he added. “Civil government is the result of the breakdown in self-government, family and community. … The degree to which those structures break down, you’re going to have more civil government whether you want it or not.”

Highlighting the need for individuals, businesses and communities to take greater responsibility for their actions if they want to reduce government involvement, he said, “I think that’s missing out there in the discussion.”

Giving a nod to Ouachita’s influence on both his life and political career, Huckabee noted, “I’ve always said that the education I received here gave me a platform that I never had to be ashamed of or run from. I have held my own with people who had Harvard law degrees or MBAs from Harvard or Yale. I don’t feel like I ever had to say, ‘Gee, I don’t belong up here.’ Academically, Ouachita was as good of an education as I could have had.”

Ouachita’s Michael D. Huckabee School of Education was named in Huckabee’s honor in 2005 in recognition of his statewide education reform initiatives as governor.

Huckabee, a former Ouachita trustee, said he believes that “the value of a liberal arts education is more pertinent today than it ever has been.“

“I can’t imagine a student not seeing the value of a liberal arts education today,” he added. “The broader the background one has, I think the better prepared they are to get out there and make it in the real world.”

Huckabee said another benefit of his education at Ouachita “was that it helped me come to deep convictions about principles that I believed in and not just what they were but why—and the ‘why’ is more important than the ‘what.’“

“A lot of people know what they believe; they don’t know why,” he pointed out. “They’ve never followed their beliefs to their logical conclusion.”

“The best value that I had from Ouachita was an analytical education, an education that taught me to think critically and to question and to put my own convictions to the test,” he affirmed. “It was truly a challenging education and I value that a lot.”

Looking to the future, Huckabee acknowledged, “I haven’t really settled on ‘Gosh, here’s what I want to do when I grow up.’ I think I will continue to be involved politically and also from a policy standpoint, helping people to get elected and keeping my own options open for the future."

“I want to affect the discussion of public policy as it relates to the bedrock issue of why individual morality and the structure of the family really does have an impact on the direction of civil government,” he added. “And the respect for human life is fundamental and foundational to our culture.”

Emphasizing that respect for life is not limited to the abortion issue, he said, “That’s where people get messed up. It deals at the heart of whether or not we are, as our forefathers said, all equal. If there’s intrinsic worth and value in each person, then one person is not more valuable than another or less valuable than another.”

What about another run for the presidency in four or eight years? “I won’t rule it out,” Huckabee responded. “I mean I’m not making an announcement to say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to.’ The circumstances and everything, who knows what they’re going to be? But it’s not like I’m saying, ‘Boy, I’ll never do that again.’ I won’t rule that out.”

Asked about the possibility of helping her husband conduct  a future campaign for the Republican nomination, Huckabee’s wife, Janet, who also attended Ouachita, answered simply, “I’m with him. Whatever he does, I’m there.”

“It was a very, very rewarding experience,” she said of the campaign. “I wouldn’t trade any of it.”

Glancing at the former presidential candidate, she added, “I was very proud of what Mike did. He came from virtually nobody knowing who he was; as we say, he came from being an asterisk to second man standing.”

In addition to the 10 finalists, fifteen Ouachita students were named semi-finalists in the NATS auditions.  Two hundred singers participated in the auditions.

The following Ouachita students were NATS finalists, in order of hometown:

Dalworthington Gardens, Texas—Andrew Miller, a sophomore vocal performance student of Jon Secrest, earned first place in the sophomore men division.

Forney, Texas— Samantha Parrish, a sophomore musical theatre student of Jon Secrest, earned fourth place in the lower music theatre division; Hannah Chapman, a sophomore vocal performance student of Glenda Secrest, earned second place in the sophomore women division.

Grapevine, Texas—Kyle Huey, a junior musical theatre student of Jon Secrest, earned first place in the upper music theatre division.

Harriman, Tenn.—Melody Taylor, a senior musical theatre student of Glenda Secrest, earned first place in the senior women division.  Taylor also was a semi-finalist in the upper music theatre division.

Little Rock, Ark.—Chris Straw, a junior musical theatre student of Jon Secrest, earned second place in the junior men division and third place in the upper music theatre division.

Memphis, Tenn.—Elizabeth Hipp, a freshman choral music education student of Glenda Secrest, earned third place in the freshman women division. 

Saginaw, Texas—Doug Brady, a sophomore music education student of Glenda Secrest, earned first place in the lower music theatre division.  Brady also was a semi-finalist in the freshman men division.

Spotsylvania, Va.—Sean Wilson, a sophomore vocal performance student of Jon Secrest, earned second place in the lower music theatre division.  Wilson also was a semi-finalist in the freshman men division.

Wynne, Ark.—Jacob Watson, a freshman musical theatre student of Jon Secrest, earned first place in the freshman men division and third place in the lower music theatre division.

The following students qualified as NATS semi-finalists, in order of hometown:

Amity, Ark.—Sarah Skinkle, a freshman vocal performance student of Glenda Secrest, was a semi-finalist in the freshman women division.

Arlington, Texas—Jody Lee, a junior musical theatre major student of Cory Schantz, was a semi-finalist in the upper music theatre division.

Beebe, Ark.—Cortnie DeVore, a freshman musical theatre student of Anne Beloncik, was a semi-finalist in the lower music theatre division.

Booneville, Ark.—Jessie Sanders, a freshman choral music education student of Glenda Secrest, was a semi-finalist in the freshman women division.

Cleburne, Texas—Chelsea Cunningham, a freshman vocal performance student of Jon Secrest, was a semi-finalist in the freshman women division.

Jonesboro, Ark.—Haley Broadaway, a sophomore musical theatre student of Cory Schantz, was a semi-finalist in the lower music theatre division.

Litchfield, Ill.—Beth Anne Shrader, a freshman choral music education student of Steve Garner, was a semi-finalist in the freshman women division.

Little Rock, Ark.—Brooke Ault, a freshman musical theatre student of Jon Secrest, was a semi-finalist in the freshman women division.

North Little Rock, Ark.—Molly Jo Watts, a freshman choral music education student of Jon Secrest, was a semi-finalist in the freshman women division.

Olney, Ill.—C. E. Fifer, a freshman musical theatre student of Cory Schantz, was a semi-finalist in the lower music theatre division.

Pine Bluff, Ark.—Emily Peek, a freshman choral music education student of Glenda Secrest, was a semi-finalist in the freshman women division.

Waxahachie, Texas—Danielle DeNicola, a freshman vocal performance student of Cory Schantz, was a semi-finalist in the freshman women division.