Return to Sundance

Every other spring, Dr. Rebecca Jones, professor of communications at Ouachita, takes a group of students from the OBU at Sundance class to Park City, Utah, to experience the Sundance Film Festival. This was the first year for the trip since the COVID-19 pandemic. Jones and 12 students – some of whom experienced Sundance virtually in 2021 – spent Jan. 22-27 in Utah participating in the festival.

Creating community, one amazing dish at a time

Ouachita Baptist University has been a home away from home for students from all over the world. Although Ouachita was founded in 1886, the first international student only stepped onto campus in 1923 and came all the way from China. In 2023, we have reached 100 celebratory years since Ouachita’s first international student arrived, and our campus continues to value the attendance and presence of international students.

Spinning the wheel and chasing a dream

Hollywood really is where the American dream is made.

A life-changing experience

Many Christians have a chance to go on a mission trip, whether it be local or somewhere no one would ever think about going. At Ouachita, students are given the opportunity to travel and share their gifts and talents with people around the world. This summer, I got to travel to Poland to work with Breakthrough, teaching English to university students as well as having the opportunity to share God’s word.

From the "Ouachitonian": Valeria Gomez

One thing that high school does not teach in classes is what happens when your dreams do not work out. Valeria Gomez, a junior communications & media/multimedia major from Alajuela, Costa Rica, has a testimony that encompasses this challenging path she had to navigate.

From the "Ouachitonian": Dr. Tim and Coach Todd Knight

Ouachita’s favorite set of faculty football brothers – Head Football Coach Todd Knight and Dr. Tim Knight, dean of the J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences – continue to make a lasting impact on campus. As Coach Knight led his team to wins on the football field year after year, Dr. Knight experienced his victories in the classroom. This purple-and-gold bleeding set of brothers truly make Ouachita a better place. Coach Knight keeps Ouachita’s successful football program on the map as his brother is the face behind the entire Jones Science Center operation. These two brothers are special assets to Ouachita, and Ouachita wouldn’t be the same without the Knight family.

From the "Ouachitonian": Noah Barker

Riding in ambulances, answering calls from patients in desperate need and starting his day off at the crack of dawn each morning describes a small part of Noah Barker’s fast paced job as an EMT.

From the "Ouachitonian": Mary Madison Tolbert

Mary Madison Tolbert, a junior Christian studies and social justice studies major from Rockwall, Texas, spent her summer interning in San Francisco, Calif. She was located in the middle of the Tenderloin district with San Francisco City Impact, a nonprofit organization. Tolbert was connected to this organization through a longstanding relationship with her home church in Texas and a past mission trip where she worked with City Impact. Tolbert described the Tenderloin district as an area concentrated with homelessness and poverty.

From the "Ouachitonian": Kevin Merino

The Ravine Rovers began their journey during the first semester of the 2021-2022 academic year at Ouachita as a group of students looking for an organized league in which to play soccer. The team was initially created by Kevin Merino, a senior biology major from Wylie, Texas, and Logan Daust, a senior business administration/sport management major from Plano, Texas.

From the "Ouachitonian": Joey Whisenhunt

Joey Whisenhunt, a sophomore business administration/entrepreneurship and business administration/management double major from Conway, Ark., grew up engaged in the world of piloting. When he turned 15, his own journey to become a pilot began.

Developing students' leadership potential

5 tips to make acquiring career experience less overwhelming

Whether you are a senior in high school or about to graduate from college, it is never a bad idea to gain job experience. Most professional careers require employees to have some – if not significant – experience in their chosen field in order to be hired.

Honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As we reflect on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, it is important to remember that Dr. King was a civil rights activist who fought continuously for racial equality and social justice. Dr. King condemned discrimination and segregation because of race, and he affirmed that the American dream belonged to all citizens and that everyone should have an equal opportunity to reach that dream.

From the "Ouachitonian": Wyatt House

Leaving all other sports behind, Wyatt House decided to pursue powerlifting. House, a freshman biomedical sciences major from Little Rock, Ark., achieved first place in the 90kg USPA for his junior class in April 2021. He held the state record deadlift of 507 lbs. His current personal records include 430 pounds in squats, 245 pounds in bench press, and 585 pounds in deadlifts.

From the "Ouachitonian": Drs. Amy and Doug Sonheim

The infectious laughter of Dr. Amy Sonheim and the careful clicking of a keyboard from Dr. Doug Sonheim would help fill the Language and Literature department for years before their combined retirement from Ouachita in Spring 2022. In the years that they have worked at Ouachita, the couple has made some amazing changes to the university.

From the "Ouachitonian": Ryan Wheeler

Ever since he was young, Ryan Wheeler obtained a passion that would follow him the rest of his life.

From the "Ouachitonian": Meghann Bledsoe

Meghann Bledsoe was one of many people in America who grew up bilingual. Her second language is not spoken, though. Bledsoe grew up fluent in American Sign Language.

From the "Ouachitonian": Mallorie Warner

Many college students have struggled with time management when it comes to school, sports and other extracurricular activities. For Mallorie Warner, a freshman Christian ministries/missions and graphic design double major from Benton, Ark., this included running a full-time business.

From the "Ouachitonian": Kellen Church

At the age of five, a young girl established a love for a sport that would impact her for the rest of her life. Years following, a love for another sport blossomed, leading her to play two sports throughout her life.

From the "Ouachitonian": Jaymee Dotson

Many university students begin college life and choose to become involved in something that brings them joy and fulfillment, and this case is no different with soccer player Jaymee Dotson, a senior kinesiology/leisure pre-professional studies major from Princeton, Texas. At the age of six, Dotson developed a deep appreciation for the sport, a passion that continues as she reflected upon God’s plan in bringing her to Ouachita through her devotion to soccer.