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Meet the human behind Humans of OBU: Marissa Pilcher

January 01, 2020

It probably was strange for Marissa Pilcher to sit down at the table as the one answering questions and telling her story. Usually she is the one asking questions and telling someone’s story.

Meet the Ouachita student who runs the Humans of OBU account on Instagram.Marissa Pilcher could be described as kind with a bubbly spirit. She is a senior mass communications and Spanish double major at Ouachita. She is interested in music and animals and never imagined handling a popular Instagram account for her university.

Marissa Pilcher Ouachita Baptist UniversityMarissa took over the little-used account, inspired by the popular Humans of New York series, in spring 2016. She sees it as a platform for students to connect and to
tell the stories of the Ouachita campus community.


The account is a branch of Ouachita’s student newspaper, The Signal, and has gained a following of more than 1,100 while featuring more than 80 stories. A variety of people have been featured including students, professors, staff and faculty kids. The account also has featured twins, best friends and campus couples.

“Even though Ouachita is really small, I think Humans is a really cool way for people to connect. Maybe they won’t be friends, but from the stories people share, others can connect with them,” Marissa said. “It’s just a cool way to build relationships. They are getting to know more people on campus without the pressure of ‘you have to be friends now.’ People get to see a glimpse of others’ lives.”

There is an obvious impact across the campus because of the Instagram account. What was already a small university community has now become even more tight-knit and personal. The way the stories are told shows a part of each person’s personality. The account doesn’t just showcase the students who are involved in every activity on campus, but also highlights those who aren’t.

“It sounds really cliché but everyone has a story and wants to be heard,” Marissa shared. “Even if it's a funny, goofy, awkward story, how many times do they get to share that with a lot of people? They normally just share them with their friends. It’s a cool outlet for people to share their stories.”

Here are a few of our favorite @HumansOfOBU posts. Be sure to follow @HumansOfOBU and @Ouachita on Instagram!

 








"One time there was this girl that I was interested in and there was a big group of us sitting at the lunch table. It's a big lunch table, lots of people laughing and giggling. I was complaining about the fact I'd never gone on a date before and everyone around was saying how sad it was. I said, 'I don't understand why not because I think I'm a pretty good guy.' So I singled the girl out and was like, 'Don't you think so?' And she said, 'Yeah, for sure!' I said, 'Yeah, because you would go on a date with me, right?' She said, 'Oh yeah!' I said, 'Wait, so you're saying yes?' And the table got really silent and I said, 'Yeah, you wanna go on a date with me, this is kind of me asking you out.' It just got really awkward and quiet for a little bit. Luckily, everybody that was there thought it would be a good idea to start some normal conversation. In the end she actually went on the date with me but for those few moments it was so awkward." Kenderick Scorza. Senior. North Little Rock, AR

A photo posted by Humans Of Ouachita (@humansofobu) on











"My freshman year I was playing on the scout team, so basically we were just running the plays that the other team was gonna run that week. I was playing receiver and there was this guy that was playing linebacker for the defense that was one of the biggest human beings I’ve ever seen in my entire life. He was huge. So I thought that once he sees that it’s a pass he’ll just kind of drop back and my life will be spared, basically. I was running across the middle, looking back at the quarter back and all of a sudden I realized I was in mid-air. He put me five yards behind the line of scrimmage. It was embarrassing to watch. It wasn’t so much that my body was injured but my pride was pretty damaged after that." Ryan Perkins. Senior. Little Rock, AR

A photo posted by Humans Of Ouachita (@humansofobu) on



































Rachel: "So we had been matched 'potluck.' We had talked a few times on Facebook, but she was in Colorado and I didn't care enough. So we met on move in day. I got there really early." Treslyn: "And I got there really late." Rachel: "I had already set up all my things and I was sitting on my bed and my family was still there because they wanted to meet her. She comes in and comes over and gives me a hug, but I'm sitting on the bed and she's standing so it was a really awkward hug and maybe the last time we've ever hugged." Treslyn: "I think we've hugged twice since. We both realized that were both not huggers, but it's okay." Rachel: "And then from that moment on we did everything together. Then three day's later (from meeting) we were walking and talking about how we first met. I think I said something about how I was so nervous that I didn't know if we were gonna be friends. Then I said, 'It's good because now were like best friends.' And it was three days in. I was freaking out, thinking, 'Man that was way too soon.'" Treslyn: "I don't think I thought anything of it. Then later on we talked about that conversation and how Rachel freaked out about it being too soon." Treslyn Shipley, Senior. Arlington, TX Rachel Wicker, Senior. Benton, AR

A photo posted by Humans Of Ouachita (@humansofobu) on











Sarah Davis Ouachita Baptist UniversityBy Sarah Davis, a junior mass communications and Christian studies/Christian ministry double major from Beebe, Ark.

 

 


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