Ouachita Stories

From the "Ouachitonian": Dr. Wesley Kluck

After moving back to Arkadelphia, his hometown and town of his alma mater, following his time in medical school and residency, Dr. Wesley Kluck was asked what his dream job was while playing a newlywed game at church.

From the "Ouachitonian": Wade Wilson

Wade Wilson, a Christian studies major from Springdale, was one of only two sophomores to be selected as a Tiger Tunes Rewind host. Prior to being selected, Wilson loved to sing and play guitar but did not have an outlet to do so. After seeing that sign-ups had opened for Tunes host, several friends encouraged him to take a chance. He decided to try out.

From the "Ouachitonian": Tyrese Allen

Freshman year of high school included moving from Kansas to Savannah, Georgia, for Tyrese Allen, a senior biology major and student body president. His family packed up their rental car, and all Allen cared about were his clothes and fishing poles. While living in Savannah, in the 10th grade, Allen created a mass college application to hundreds of schools.

From the "Ouachitonian": Sam Conine

Many students spent quarantine with their eyes glued to the screen, but Sam Conine, a freshman business entrepreneurship major from Little Rock, was on the other side of the camera. Over the summer, Conine wrote, produced, directed and starred in “AEGIS,” the film of his dreams.

From the "Ouachitonian": Sabaoot Esho

Sabaoot Esho, an international student from Erbil, Iraq, made a 6,841-mile trip to small-town Arkadelphia to attend college at Ouachita Baptist University at the mere age of 17. Before moving to America, Esho had only seen Ouachita’s campus through a computer screen. From her first steps on campus, Esho immediately felt welcomed and seemed at home.

From the "Ouachitonian": Emily Watson

One family’s dream to help a country that they do not even live in has encouraged their daughter to lead a life in the same servant-hearted way.

From the "Ouachitonian": Elizabeth and Madeline Steely

Most Ouachita students have several different roommates for four years during their time in Arkadelphia, but for twin sisters Elizabeth and Madeline Steely, having a roommate is all they have ever known. The Steely twins have shared a room together for as long as they can remember, and that tradition continued throughout their years at Ouachita.

From the "Ouachitonian": Riley Carson

What seemed like the flu for senior Riley Carson, a worship arts major from Springdale, turned into several nights of hospital stays throughout Spring 2020. In late February 2020, Carson went home for several weeks because of what he thought was the flu. After a trip to the emergency room and a negative test result for the flu, Carson was told he could return to Ouachita. However, Carson’s stay on campus did not last long.

From the "Ouachitonian": Rickey Rogers Jr.

For Rickey Rogers Jr., a freshman communications and psychology double major from Arkadelphia, Ouachita has always been home. When Rogers was 10 years old, his family moved into O.C. Bailey Hall because of his father’s new position as the Tigers’ wide receiver coach and residence hall director.

From the "Ouachitonian": Dawson Bray

Being in love with the music industry gave Dawson Bray, senior music industry major from Little Rock, the drive to succeed as a musician. Bray decided to spend his pandemic summer in Nashville, Tenn., as an intern at the music label SSM Nashville on Music Row.