Ouachita Stories

Previously published in the 2021 Ouachitonian yearbook

TikTok took the world by storm in 2020 as a social media app that allows users to create and share fun videos. Each video can consist of dancing, comedy or anything in between.

Hunter Swoboda, a junior political science and business double major from Bentonville, did not hesitate to jump on the TikTok bandwagon. When he first downloaded the app, Swoboda said, “It was just for fun. I wasn’t expecting to get a lot of followers or attention.”

Despite the unbelief, his account took off. Less than two months after Swoboda started making videos, he struck stardom. Swoboda said, “It all happened overnight. I went to sleep, and when I woke up, I had 10,000 followers.”

Swoboda’s new fan group clicked the follow button after an argument originated over Swoboda’s shirt in one of his earlier videos. During the video, Swoboda was wearing a purple Ouachita Tigers shirt; the audience was clearly drawn to the content, but his odd shirt with an odd word like “Ouachita” sure helped his cause. That video alone received over 665,000 views. The intrigue did not stop there. Soon after that video, Swoboda found his niche. More fitting, his fans found his niche for him.

Swoboda said, “My followers told me I look like Chandler Bing from ‘Friends.’ I had never been told that in my life, but so many people on TikTok have commented and told me that I look just like him.”

While most of Swoboda’s TikToks are Swoboda impersonating Bing, a “Friends” heartthrob, he has also used his platform to make the social media app a mission field. He said, “I don’t want to stuff Christ down someone’s throat, but it’s a big part of what I do.”

Swoboda continued, “I’ve gotten a really positive response. I use my own personal convictions, mostly about relationships and physical boundaries, to make videos.”

On an app that’s certainly not G-rated, Swoboda’s Christ-centered videos have made his content stand out. Swoboda aims to go against the grain and says, “My sisters hold me accountable; they keep me in line.”

Swoboda’s three teenage sisters Bessie, Lilly and Maggie watch each video the Bing lookalike shares.

What started as a fun pastime for Swoboda has certainly turned into something that means just a little bit more. “I’m broken and I’m a sinner, but God has allowed me to use TikTok as a way to reach people,” Swoboda concluded.

Photo by Abby Blankenship

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