From the "Ouachitonian": Harry Jeffrey
October 17, 2022
- Kathryn TottyYears before attending Ouachita, Harry Jeffrey, a senior biology and chemistry double major from Camden, Ark., knew that he wanted to become a Tiger Tunes director.
“The first thing that I came to at Ouachita was Tunes. I saw all those people dancing and singing, and I knew I wanted to do that too,” Jeffrey said. “I saw the hosts and hostesses and knew that I wanted to do that, but then I realized that, logically, I can’t dance. After realizing this, my sister told me about how you can direct a show. From that moment in the eighth grade, I decided that I was going to become a Tiger Tunes director.”
Jeffrey’s dream of becoming a Tiger Tunes director became a reality during his junior year when he was asked to be a junior director for the Eta Alpha Omega men’s social club Tiger Tunes show. However, his dream was suddenly ripped away as COVID-19 surged across the nation and led to the cancellation of the Fall 2020 Tiger Tunes. When the opportunity of leading a possible spring Tiger Tunes show emerged, Jeffrey volunteered to assume the role of the head director.
“I chose two other directors to help me. We were excited, then it got canceled. I was heartbroken, my dream of being a Tunes director was slipping away,” Jeffrey said.
As COVID-19 began to settle down, Eta began elections for the 2021 Tiger Tunes directors. Jeffrey decided to run for the position again in hopes of finally fulfilling his goal of becoming a director. Jeffrey won the election and began his eight-year long dream of directing a Tiger Tunes show.
“I worked at UAMS over the summer and any chance I had, I was working on Tunes. I would set up a reaction or put something in the gel purifier, then while I waited, I would work on Tunes. After work, I worked on Tunes. This dream that felt impossible was finally coming true.”
After many practices and long nights, Jeffrey’s long-awaited show became a reality. Jeffrey and his two co-directors created the show Eta Vikings with the intention of having a fun and memorable experience. Jeffrey’s dream had finally come true, but little did he know, his attitude and pure excitement toward Tunes carried over to everyone around him.
During the final night of Tiger Tunes, Jeffrey received the Spirit of Tunes award, given to the person who embodies the energy, spirit and excitement of Tiger Tunes.
“When they announced the Spirit of Tunes award, I stood there in shock for a moment. I don’t think there is any way to put it into words, but the emotion and happiness that I felt in the moment was truly indescribable,” said Jeffrey. “Tunes is coming together from all backgrounds, majors, locations and producing this one thing that brings so much joy to the community. It allows us to come together as one, and it will always be something that I can look back at with overwhelming joy.”
Photo by Abigail Blankenship
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