Collegian - Fall 2014

The Collegian News from the campus of Oakland City University

Fall 2014 www.oak.edu Volume 66, Number 2

Enter to Learn . . . Go Forth to Serve

Freshmen looking forward

By Fletcher Boyd and Jessica Eberhardt

Staff Writers The contrast between college and

high school can be unexpected. Often, universities concentrate on their successful graduates, as they should, but we wanted to know, how do freshmen feel after beginning their higher education?

We wondered why they chose Oak-land City University, what they were looking forward to and what sur-prised them about our campus. As such, we asked them a few questions to find out.

What drew you to Oakland City? “OCU originally caught my atten-

tion at an event night they have annu-ally at Camp Allen down in South-east Missouri. Their different ministries, the Great Com-mand, Earthlight and Good News Players, are what really sparked my interest to check out OCU. After getting to know OCU more, what really drew me in was the compassion that the university has for their students to not just grow their education, but also their faith. I never looked at another school. (OCU is where I started and ended [looking] for colleges.)” – Jennifer Brown, Worship Arts Major

“The small, homey campus. The campus felt very inviting and re-minded me of home. It isn’t legalistic and filled with an excess of rules. Higher graduation rate than other, similar colleges. Not terribly expen-sive.” – Tristan Nagelkirk, Elementary Education Major

“Andrew Goldman. OCU wasn’t my first choice, but I met Andrew at an event and he convinced me to visit. Everyone I met while I was here visiting was so nice and helpful, and I realized that OCU had everything I wanted in a college. I’m so glad I chose to come here because I don’t think I would feel so at home at a larger university.” – Lindsay Prow, Business Major

What are you looking forward to most in the next 4 years?

“Growing academically, spiritual-ly, and as a person. Meeting new people. Gaining experience that I can use my whole life.” – MaryGrace Fendrich, Psychology Major

“I can’t wait for the day when I just know for sure what I want to do with my life.” – Lauryn Davis,

Accounting Major “Growing as a runner and improv-

ing my broadcasting skills as well as making incredible new friends.” – Louis Guzman Dubon, Commu-nications Major

What has surprised you the most so far in your college experience?

“How much I enjoy it. The people, the classes, the independence. I tend to live in the past sometimes and miss things I did, but I am genuinely enjoying every moment of the here and now.” – Lindsay Prow, Business Major

“I love going to chapel, and my favorite part of the week is Wednes-days and going to the 812! I love it there, and the people that lead it are so amazing that I can’t wait to hear the next message and sing at the next week’s 812!” – Daniel Wag-goner, General Studies Major

“I think what has surprised me the most being here is the diversity of the students here at OCU. We all come from different walks of life but somehow have come together here at OCU.” – Jennifer Brown, Worship Arts Major

As they are looking forward, we wish them well. Be sure to look for our companion article, “Seniors Looking Back” in our next issue.

Sponsors of The Collegian

We would like to thank the following sponsors for donating to our campus newspaper.

Brian and Jamie Baker Emily Taylor Julie Hensley

Caleb Fendrich Julie Brewster Teresa Hibbs

David and Megan Depoister Cheryl Yates

David and Heather Hose Nickolas John Heather Smith Stanley Coy

To be a sponsor of The Collegin, contact Heather Smith at [email protected] for details.

Dr. Ronald L. Mercer named OCU 2014 Teacher of the Year

By Kimberly Dudley Assistant Editor

Oakland City University’s Dr.

Ronald L. Mercer Jr., of Evansville, Ind., received the university’s Teach-er of the Year Award for 2014. Mer-cer is a five year Associate Professor of Philosophy at OCU. Dr. Mercer teaches Philosophy courses in the Chapman Seminary and helps volunteer with OCU’s volleyball team whenever he has the opportunity.

Dr. Mercer believes the new class he taught last semester is the reason for his award. “I had joked with my Challenge of Atheism class that that particular class would either win me Teacher of the Year, or get me fired,” Mercer chuckled. He was still modest about his achievement and stated he truly wasn’t expect-ing the award. “I was very honored to get it. Very honored,” Mercer said.

Dr. Mercer taught a new course in the spring 2014 semester called Challenge of Atheism. He was excit-ed to be the first professor to teach the course. “I think that par-ticular class really enjoyed what we did. It was new. It was different. It was the product of a lot of research I had been doing….We were trying a new topic that worked,” Mercer said.

Dr. Mercer grew up in Lexing-ton, Ky. He attended the University of Kentucky where he played volley-ball and pursued his Bachelor of Arts in English and classical lan-guages and literature. During col-lege he travelled with USA Volley-ball all over the United States, with the majority of his games in the eastern part of the country. After the University of Kentucky, Mercer attended Southern Baptist Theologi-cal Seminary for his Master of Di-vinity. He then returned to the Uni-versity of Kentucky for his Master of Arts in classical languages and litera-ture and a Doctor of Philosophy. For

20 years, from 1988-2008, Dr. Mercer pursued a higher educa-tion.

I had to ask Dr. Mercer how he found OCU after being affiliated with such large universities. He described how he was walking in the mall in Evansville, Ind., on a random, unimportant Saturday, and ran into his Pastor from Lexington. Mer-cer’s Pastor had been at OCU and told Dr. Mercer about the university and described the atmosphere. He informed Mercer that he should get in touch with Dr. Barber. At the time, Dr. Mercer was doing adjunct teaching at the University of Evans-ville. He was offered a position in the Chapman Seminary, which he gladly accepted. “It is nice to be in a religious environment. It’s of course nice to deal with students in a more personal way.” Mercer said.

Philosophy is a difficult subject, and combined with difficult subject matter and a man who has pursued his education for 20 years, and that can be intimidating to students. Dr. Mercer is well aware of how intimidating it can be to OCU stu-dents, but he also knows the more he can challenge a student and the more he can pressure them to think outside of the box, the better graduate they will become. “The more challenging the better…the more you can shake a student’s foundation, not break them…the better end product of a graduate you will get,” Mercer said. Dr. Mercer has a word of ad-vice for OCU students, “The greater the challenge, the greater the re-ward.”

Outside of his work at OCU, Dr. Mercer stays busy with his three children. He has a 19-year-old daughter who attends college, one son, 11, and another daughter, 10. He also stated he prefers, PC over Mac, dogs over cats, and the Pittsburgh Steelers “All the way.” If you have never visited Dr. Mer-

cer’s office, his Terrible Towel and a variety of photos show his Steeler pride.

Dr. Mercer doesn’t take his job lightly. He enjoys mixing his faith with his love of philosophy, and sharing that with his students. Mer-cer also enjoys watching the quality of graduates that leave OCU and takes pride in knowing he had a hand in it. He looks forward to what he hopes will be a very long career with OCU.

Dr. Mercer feels he has found a home at OCU, and thorough-ly enjoys sharing in future graduates knowledge and achievements, saying “I am not here for a job. I am here for a calling.”

In the Chapman Seminary, Dr. Ronald Mercer takes advantage of his office hours. Photo by Kimberly Dudley

By Heather R. Smith Editor

Among Oakland City Univer-

sity’s modern structures, a piece of intriguing history lives on.

Cockrum Hall, a two-story brick home built in the Italian villa style, reminds passersby of OCU’s found-ing family. Col. William M. Cockrum and his wife Lucretia do-nated land whereupon Oakland City University stands today.

Students at OCU eventually will hear hair-raising tales of ghosts roaming the halls of the Cockrums’ former home. The identity of the anecdotal apparitions varies. One account claims Lucretia hanged her-self in the tower of the home, yet her presence lingers. In another leg-end, fingers point to Lucretia

in the event of her husband’s death.

The chilling fog of folklore is dispelled by cold, hard facts. William died seven years after his wife Lucre-tia. This, of course, absolved Lucretia of mur-der. Also, pneu-monia, not sui-cide, claimed the life of the aged Lucretia.

Upon the exit of the Cockrums’ daughter Zoe (Cockrum) Aldrich in the late 1950s, Cockrum Hall became the property of Oakland City College

and accommodated the music depart-ment until 1995.

Former OCC music professor Glo-ry Kissel Heyde recalls how the mu-sic department took advantage of Cockrum Hall’s inherent eeriness. “We held a haunted house to make money for our choir trips. It was great fun. We decorated with dead bodies! I hid in the closet at the top of the stairs dressed as a witch and jumped out when people least ex-pected it. Lots of fun and laughter.”

Associate Professor of Music Car-olyn Spitler remembers playing spooky organ music to set the mood in the haunted house. “My daughter Kim dressed like a witch, and she would crank the organ as I played,” Spitler said with a smile.

Mysterious occurrences happened on ordinary days as well. Heyde

remembers “one night…the lights went totally out and then came back on again within 10 or 15 seconds. I calmly picked up my purse, locked

Cockrum Hall: A place of myths and memories…

The Collegian Fall 2014

From the Archives

Ms. Spitler at Senior Roundup in 2010.

Glory Kissel Heyde

A photo of Cockrum Hall. Ca. 2014. Photo by Heather R. Smith

Memories from our alumni I'm a 1962, OCU graduate with a

bachelor’s degree in music educa-tion. My memories of walking down the narrow dirt path through the woods to Cockrum Hall are very dear. When the Cockrum house was selected as the music hall of OCC, there had been very little renovation to its structure. I recall the main the entrance was from the east side of the porch. Upon entering, we heard the sounds of the old wooden floors, which provided a sense of antiquity. The rooms were very small, designed for no more than eight students per class. All of my music classes, except for choral directing and a few mu-sic technique courses, were taught at the stately residence of the Cockrum house.

The ceilings in Cockrum Hall were very high and the windows were far less desirable for the cold wintry months. There seemed to be no insulation at all. Air-conditioning was nowhere to be found, especially at Cockrum Hall. As the temperature began to increase, one could inhale the smell of multiple layers of wallpaper, etc. I believe the gas furnace, which heated the water for the large iron registers, was located in the dark, dingy basement. One could gauge the amount of time that it took for the water to heat by the popping sounds of the huge registers, inter-rupting the lectures by either Dr. Neva Barnard or Mrs. Mamie Dufford. Mrs. Dufford seemed to be rather agitated at times when the windows had to remain open so to provide some much needed fresh air.

The path which led from the ad-ministration building to Cockrum Hall was not very long, but it seemed long. We had only 10 minutes be-

Third, there was the college job I had of overseeing the space during the evening hours. Those were times when others were present to practice the piano, talk or do class work. Dur-ing some of the more quiet hours I, myself, would practice my voice or violin lessons.

Finally, there were the many clas-ses and lessons I had in Cockrum under Dr. Neva Barnard (sight reading and voice), Mamie Dufford (organ), Phyllis Pohl (violin, string methods and music education), and Jerry Spitler (organ, theory and music history). Of course, I took lessons on the old, seven-rank pipe organ at First General Baptist Church, but did manage to get the old Estey reed organ running from time to time.

You’ll note that I didn’t tell any secrets shared during my many hours in and around Cockrum.

For me, Oakland City and Cockrum Hall were just what I need-ed. As a result, I received a quality education as a music major. That education was of great value when I went on to pursue a master of church music degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. Oakland City provided me with the opportunity to really get to know my teachers. More than once I visited in their homes for purely social reasons (and to help fill some lonely hours when being with peers did no good). Cockrum Hall provided a focal point for getting acquainted with other students (for those times that being with a teacher were avoided).

Whether trekking from Lucretia Street past the library and through the path to the east door of the breeze-way or pulling into the parking lot and entering from the west, Cockrum Hall was always there to say “welcome home” with a warmth

tween classes. Sometimes we students had to run in order to make it to class on time. I can still recall how our small classes created long lasting friendships. Many have remained until this day. Our interac-tion as students would invariably lead to the many homestead pictures of the Cockrum family that graced the sacred walls of their home. Their faces seemed to reflect a deep appre-ciation for music and a welcome to the many young students entering and leaving their home. Music seemed to resound from room to room in a place where there had once been so many secrets and hiding places. Cockrum Hall had become a place where a society of students could meet to advance the art of music at OCU.

By Rev. Dr. Ray Phelps

'61 & '62 One of the great things I experi-

enced about Oakland City as a music major from 1965 to 1969 was Cockrum Hall. First, there was get-ting acquainted with the history behind this Italian villa, the family that had it built and how it came under the possession of the school.

Second, there was the oppor-tunity to make it my “social center” since the large, overstuffed chair in the breezeway provided a won-derful place to sit and relax while talking with whomever was coming or going. Of course, if you didn’t grab the chair, you could sit on an arm, or if really crowded, sit on that green, vinyl couch that normally adorned the waiting rooms of medi-cal offices back then.

the door and left. It was unnerving to say the least, but it was probably only a glitch in the electricity. Or at least that’s what I told myself!”

The aesthetically-pleasing Corn-well-Reed Fine Arts Center cur-rently houses OCU’s music depart-ment, but alumni and faculty lucky enough to attend music classes in Cockrum Hall certainly have some stories to tell.

The Cockrum Family

that only it could provide. What made it thus? The teachers, the students, the old tapestry, the creaky floors, the winding steps, the soft chair or the ghost of Col. Cockrum? The correct answer is — all of the above.

Cockrum Hall - what a treasure!

By Byron Songer Louisville, KY

The Collegian would like to share your photos. All photos of sporting events, campus, dorm life, alumni, traveling, and anything OCU-related, are welcome. To share your pho-tos with us, simply like our page, Oakland City University Collegian, on Facebook, and when uploading your photos tag us by including, #TheCollegian. We could possibly feature your photos in our next issue. Photos must adhere to OCU stand-ards and policies to be considered for print.

Tagging Photos

The Drama Club Presents

And Then There Were None at the

Cornwell-Reed Music and Arts Center on Nov. 13, 14, and 15 at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Doors open at 6:30

The Camp Allen experience

lish is spoken, creating quite a lan-guage barrier.

Those interested in attending the trip should follow a few basic in-structions when packing. During services, men are to wear pants with a nice shirt, and women are expected to wear dresses/skirts. Sleeveless shirts are frowned upon in Honduran culture.

Tyler Rust Staff Writer

The Honduras mission trip is a

highly anticipated program offered through Oakland City University that sends a team of willing, eager OCU students south to help Faith Home Orphanage. Students are given the life-changing opportunity to spend a week of their summer teaching and ministering to orphans.

Each fall, the Honduras mission team discusses plans to prepare for the next summer. The team is headed by Dr. James Pratt and raises funds throughout the school year by selling T-shirts and food at basketball games and other on-campus events. Off campus, students raise support by sending prayer letters to local churches.

OCU student Morgan Bassett at-tended the 2014 mission trip to Hon-duras, and knows that Christ is pre-sent in the work they are doing. “It amazes me how Christ uses us to uncover so much truth, and by that, he can then bring light to the dark places. He uses us so we can make the unknown known. Being in Hon-duras demonstrated…how Christ never fails, never gives up and never runs out. We may have left the people there, but God is still there,” Bassett said.

Students interested in applying for OCU’s 2015 mission trip should contact Dr. Pratt. Approved applicants will need to attend a short training session and a study in basic Spanish.

The program is a blessing to the village where Faith Home is located, and the orphanage provides a safe haven for children in need. OCU student SarahJane Fendrich fondly remembers the children she met in Honduras and the lasting impact it had on her life. “I’ll never forget the week I spent in Honduras…The children that we met at the orphanag-es there were so sweet, and it was

amazing to be able to show them Christ’s love,” Fendrich said.

Volunteers get to make a difference in many lives by helping children with school, games and songs sung at daily services.

Honduras is a republic in Central America, located at the western bor-der of Guatemala, southwest of El Salvador and southeast of Nicaragua. Some of the workers at the orphanage know a little English, and in the village, little to no Eng-

Honduras: Go forth to serve

First General Baptist Church 224 W Harrison St., Oakland City, IN

(812) 749-3724

Sunday School – 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship –10:30 a.m.

Choir Practice & Bible Study – Wednesdays 7 p.m.

The church family welcomes you to OCU and hopes for a success-ful year. We would like to invite you to attend with our church family. If you are interested in joining the choir, we would like to have you.

Precious Words By Heather Smith

Editor

Suggested Scripture Reading: Luke 1:20; 59-66 VERSE TO PONDER: [B]ut no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8 (NRSV) Talk, talk, talk. Words are everywhere—telling us what to fix for sup-per, where to vacation and how to build meaningful relation-ships. As media vie for our attention, words have been reduced to white noise. On the contrary, if we were limited to only a few words a day, how would we choose to use them? Would we limit the strings of trivial, some-times hurtful, words that thoughtlessly spill from our mouths? Instead, would we choose to tell a loved one we care for them, or offer a kind word to a stranger in need of encouragement? Zechariah learned how precious words were when his disbelief in God’s promise of a son cost him his ability to speak. How sweet Zechari-ah’s restored voice must have sounded to his own ears after he had written down the name of his newborn son John on a tablet! God knows the power of words. Words have the power to lift up, to tear down, to sustain and to give comfort. We must try to be good stewards of words, for they are a powerful resource and gift. PRAYER: Dear Lord, please give me the discernment to use my words for good and never for evil. Amen.

By Tyler Rust Staff Writer

I am Tyler Rust. I had the privi-

lege of traveling to Southeast Mis-souri to serve at a church camp from June 15 to Aug. 8. Camp Allen is a General Baptist church camp located in the middle of the Mark Twain National Forest 25 miles north of Poplar Bluff, Mo.

I had lost my job as a cashier be-cause the store was closing. When I brought this up in a conversation with a friend, she recommended ap-plying for a position at Camp Allen. I decided to apply for a staff position, which means I would help prepare meals, set out salad and dessert, mix drinks, do dishes and cleanup after the campers finished eating. My re-sponsibilities didn’t include jobs that are between meals, such as lifeguard-ing, watching the waterslide and cleaning bathrooms.

Clearly, I was busy, but serving meals, wiping down tables, sweeping and checking on campers became oddly enjoyable. I worked with a pretty good staff, most of whom had volunteered in the past. I wasn’t the only staff member from OCU who worked at Camp Allen this summer. Ashley Yount and Lindsay Shell were both cabin moms, and Summer Griffin was on staff with me.

Yount said, “All of my years of experience at Camp Allen have been amazing. As a camper, I grew in my faith and learned more of how amaz-ing God is. As a CIT (Counselor in Training), I learned the meaning of serving others for God and the joy it brings to lead campers to Christ.

Teaching kids the love of Jesus and guiding CITs has made Camp Allen “a life changing experience” for Yount.

Shell recalls, “I’ve gone to camp since the third grade, and each year has been a bigger blessing in my life. This summer, I had the pleasure of being a cabin mom for three out of four camps. Being able to lead camp-ers of varying ages to Christ in a different way was even more phe-nomenal….It was at Camp Allen that I felt called to become a counselor.”

Griffin admits “there were ups and downs on some days, but somehow we as staff were able to pull it off, working as a team. As a lifeguard at camp, it was great to see kids enjoy-ing what camp had to offer and to see the life-changing experience through their eyes.”

The best word to sum up my expe-rience at camp in a word would be fulfilling. I now know that God want-ed me to be there, to meet the people that I met, to learn from their experiences and, of course, to grow as a Christian in a secular world. There was a level of satisfaction that I hadn’t had in years while working at Camp Allen. For eight weeks, I wasn’t selfishly wasting time doing the simple things I enjoy. For once, I was really serving God by working at this camp, and I am a better person for doing it. I also have a better rela-tionship with God because of it.

Fall 2014 The Collegian

Faith

The Honduras team is getting ready to leave Indiana for their mission trip.

Our students and staff putting a roof on a building at the Faith Home Orphanage.

Ashley is having a great time at Camp Allen.

By Heather R. Smith Editor

Nastya Koptelova fondly remem-

bers riding a bicycle around her home city of Snezhinsk, Russia, and vacationing with her family near the Black Sea.

In 2009-2010, Koptelova at-tended Crawford County High School in Marengo, Ind., as an ex-change student. Culture shock struck Koptelova when she found herself encompassed by corn fields in Southern Indiana. “I thought it was going to be a big city like New York City, and when I got here, there was a corn field. Just so you understand, Crawford County is the only county in Indiana without a stoplight,” Koptelova said with a giggle.

Koptelova adjusted to life in the Hoosier state, and she decided to attend Oakland City University. She was glad to learn that OCU offers scholarships to international students.

Her decision to pursue a career as a medical doctor accompanied the selection of a human biology major

at OCU. Koptelova mentioned that her choice to study medicine came “later in life than it does for some. It seemed to be a good fit for me. Edu-

cation has always been important in my family.”

During the summer of 2014, Koptelova had the opportunity to acquire specific skills medical

Following the path to medical school: Nastya Koptelova

Join us at The Collegian

Want to learn about what it takes to be a newspaper reporter? Interest-ed in knowing how a newspaper is laid out? Want to be in the know of what is happening on campus? If you do, we have a place for you on The Collegian. You can either regis-ter for the Campus Practicum (COMM310) next semester or join us as a volunteer.

Interested? You can contact your academic advisor or me at [email protected]. to answer your questions.

Nastya at the virtual hospital at KU Medical Center.

By Fletcher Boyd Staff Writer

Chocolate and Cara-mel Mug Cake

Hello, Little Chefs! When you

have that burning hunger in your gut and don’t know what to do about it, there are only three questions you need to ask yourself:

Do I have a microwave ready and willing to cook the culinary concoctions of my dreams?

Do I have a coffee mug, empty and clean, just waiting to be filled?

Do I happen to have the follow-ing ingredients lying around my place of residence?:

4 tablespoons all purpose flour 4 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg – beaten 3 tablespoons skim milk 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 caramels If you do, Little Chefs, then be

prepared, for Chef Beau Yardee will assist you in vanquishing that crushing hunger! In only a few sim-ple steps, you can create a choco-late and caramel mug cake of your very own. When you are prepared for this culinary adventure that will have you searching into the depths of your soul, or at least the depths of your cabinets, read on and follow me! 1. Select a suitable vessel of your choice (maybe bowl, maybe mug, maybe mortar and pestle), and gently place into it the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, egg, milk and vegetable oil. Be sure to treat your ingredients with respect, Little Chefs, for the result of their fusion is a crea-tion that will satisfy your innermost desire: chocolate cake. 2. Mix the aforementioned ingredi-ents inside the suitable vessel of your choice with a passion and fervor unmatched by anything except the studying you are undoubtedly under-going for your future exams. 3. With your coffee mug in one

hand and your suitable vessel of choice in the other, pour the com-bined ingredients from the latter into the former with the grace and preci-sion of an Olympic ice-skater per-forming the final dizzying act that will land her Olympian gold. If, Lit-tle Chefs, your suitable vessel of choice was in fact the coffee mug, then this step may be a tad unneces-sary. 4. Gently, drop the caramels into the center of your mug, one at a time, like an artist placing the last drops of paint on his next masterpiece. 5. Do not make your micro-wave wait in anticipation any longer! Place your mug inside the center of the microwave, carefully close the door, and with determination equal to a master chess player mak-ing the final move to land him world renown, set the timer to one minute and 30 seconds. If necessary, such as if the cake you have devised is still gooey, you may place it again in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Be aware that your chocolate cake will rise from the bottom of the mug like a teenage rebel phoenix rising from the ashes of her old home to make her getaway; this is supposed to happen! All cakes, just like all teenage phoenixes, go through this phase. 6. With fork or spoon in hand, con-sume your new chocolate and cara-mel cake with a righteous fury!

Are caramels not quite to your taste? Have no fear! A recipe such as this is as customizable as a mas-

Dorm Dish Divine, with Chef Beau Yardee

students need while interning at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC).

Interns at KUMC performed exam-ination procedures on dummies that simulated real-life patient behav-ior. “They were completely realistic because there was someone sitting behind a mirror wall talk-ing, and it seemed to be coming from the patient,” Koptelova said.

Koptelova admitted that the dum-mies in KUMC’s virtual hospital were “a little creepy looking.”

Koptelova plans to specialize in anesthesiology in medical school. Anesthesiology requires “a lot of precision. It shuts down your nerv-ous system for a while. If you don’t do it right, you could kill a person,” Koptelova said.

While many people would be daunted by the meticulousness anes-thesiology requires, Koptelova is energized by the exacting responsi-bilities in her prospective profession. “It’s a lot of pressure, and, for some reason, that attracts me to it. I’m a perfectionist, especially with num-bers.”

As Koptelova excitedly awaits her spring 2015 graduation, she has been busy submitting applications to 15 medical schools throughout the United States. Her advice for medical school applicants? “Allow yourself a lot of time to prepare your applica-tion.”

She mentioned the possi-bility of participating in medical international missions trips in the future. Indeed, a fulfilling and mean-

ingful future lies ahead for Koptelova.

Nastya with the famous Kansas Jay Hawk.

sive block of ice, prepared to become a beautiful, cold sculpture of renown! Instead of adding cara-mels, simply add another ingredient of your choice. If peppermint is your favorite flavor, crush a pepper-mint candy or two in a plastic bag and mix them into the batter. If you prefer the chocolatey-hazelnutty spread that is Nutella, simply add a scoop of that into your cake. If you want to get exotic, put some peanut butter and a little jelly of your favor-ite flavor into the cake for an amaz-ing peanut butter and jelly choco-late cake. The possibilities are as endless as the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle!

Until the next time your hunger is overpowering your senses and you need another recipe to take back

control, Little Chefs, I will bring to you another recipe that is Dorm Dish Divine!

Chef Beau Yardee


Around Campus

Oakland City University Presents

The Hoppers

and The Booth Brothers

Oakland City University

Johnson Center Friday - November 7,

2014 7:00 P.M. CST

Ticket Prices $14 - Groups of 10 or More - Ad-

vance $15 - Single Tickets - Advance

$16 - At the Door - Night of Concert CHILDREN UNDER 16 FREE DOORS OPEN AT 6:00 P.M.

For Ticket Information Con-tact:812-749-1231 Doors open at 6:00

By Jessica Eberhardt Staff Writer

The OCU Student Am-

bassadors are an on-campus group that works closely with admis-sions, giving tours to prospective students and their families and help-ing out with university events, along with many other activities. The student ambassadors’ majors range from education to business to psychology. We have athletes, musi-cians, and student leaders, but, most of all, we have students with diverse personalities who are excited about OCU. This year, we, the stu-dent ambassadors, along with our friends in admissions, are focusing on making memorable moments. Together, we joined in and created a memorable mo-ment of our own─a group art project of what OCU is to us. Check out our “Meet OCU’s 2014 Am-bassadors!” video on Y ouTube.

Student Ambassadors make a memorable moment

The Collegian Oakland City University

138 N. Lucretia Street Oakland City, IN 47660

www.oak@edu

Staff

Heather Smith: Editor Kimberly Dudley: Assistant Editor

Fletcher Boyd: Staff Writer Tyler Rust: Staff Writer

Jessica Eberhardt: Staff Writer Maria Cottier: Staff Writer

Stephanie Herndon: Staff Writer Tristan Nagelkirk: Staff Writer

Louis Guzman Dubon: Staff Writer Stan Coy: Senior Editor

Printed by Princeton Publishing, INC., Princeton, Ind.


Can you find this photo? The Collegian is get-ting students out and about on campus. Every issue, The Collegian is going to take a picture of an object that is located on the OCU cam-pus. The first person to iden-tify the photograph via private message on The Collegian Facebook page will win a $5 Starbucks gift certificate. Happy hunting!

By Tristen Nigelkirk Staff Writer

Kimberly Dudley Assistant Editor

OCU’s Student Life Center cafete-

ria was a bundle of excitement on Monday, Sept. 15, as students invad-ed the building for the first “Dorm Wars.”

Dorm Wars is a year-long competi-tion implemented by the Student Government Association (SGA) among the dorms on campus. The competition was created to instill a sense of pride in each student’s dorm, mixed with a healthy competition hearkening back to the age-old adage—Battle of the Sexes.

Each dorm is given its own color: Jordan Hall (orange), Dearing Hall (green), Cox Hall (purple) and

Brokaw Hall (blue). Each dorm will obtain one point per person who attends a Dorm Wars event, five points if each dorm has 15 or more in attendance wearing their dorm color, and 10 points are awarded to the winner of each event.

At the end of each se-mester, points will be totaled, and the winning dorm will house the tro-phy until the next War victor is crowned. The victorious dorm also re-ceives a massive prize that SGA is keeping un-der wraps. Each student on the winning team will also receive a T-shirt personalized with his or

“Dorm Wars” brings excitement to OCU campus

her dorm name. SGA president Stephanie Herndon

was pleased with the initial turnout for the event. “Who doesn’t enjoy an old fashion battle of the sexes mixed with a battle of the ages…it was created to build a sense of unity and pride within each individual dorm, possibly a new tra-dition, and enhance the way campus events are attended and perceived. It was created to be fun,” Herndon said.

Teams gathered to hear the rules before they were set loose to uncover their first challenge. Each dorm had 10 paper bags with a marking of their dorm colors hidden throughout the SLC. Once students retrieved their bags, they returned to the Cafeteria to collect their prize. A surprise bag was hidden which gave bonus points to the dorm that discovered it.

Dearing Hall took first place, fol-lowed by Jordan, Brokaw and Cox. Cox Hall discovered the secret bag with extra bonus points. The final competition, Dorm Wars: The Showdown will be at the end of the fall semester.

Bookstore

Located in the Student Life Center, Room #212

Mighty Oaks Apparel & Gear Gifts & Fashion Books & Supplies Drinks & Snacks

Open Mon-Fri 9am-3pm Closed Wednesdays 11am-12pm for Chapel

Bookstore Coupon

Get a pair of OCU sunglasses for only $3 when you purchase any tee shirt at regular price. Expires Dec 5, 2014

By Tristan Nagelkirk Staff Writer

The audience members’ excite-

ment is palpable as the drama troupe performs powerful skits. The venue? Not a theater as one might think. Aptly dubbed the Good News Players (GNP), OCU’s traveling drama ministry conveys Christ’s message in churches and camps.

The Good News Players meet on Tuesdays to practice and critique one another’s acting. Christian Doyle leads the group and assigns various skits to each GNP member.

The skits vary in length and nature, comprising anything from an eight-minute satire to a three-minute dia-logue. Each skit’s lesson is different, but every skit is performed with an equal amount of serious consid-

eration and conviction. Doyle commented that GNP goes

“wherever a church would like us to go.” Frequent visits to Indianapolis, Ind., and to various locations in Missouri and Mississippi are common. Summer perfor-mances have been requested as well.

Whether GNP is visiting chil-dren’s camps, volunteering or fund-raising, their purpose remains the same: spreading the good news.

The Good News Players

Hoosier Heritage Magazine

Stanley Curtis Coy – Editor 103 South Evergreen Drive Grandview, Indiana 47615

Email: [email protected]

Photo by Tristen Nigelkirk

By Dr. Randy Mills Guest Writer

Several months after my mother,

Mary Alice Mills Pierce, passed away in January of 2013, a fami-ly member stumbled upon scores of letters boxed up in a closet in my mother’s basement. Most were ones sent to me while I was a student at Oakland City College from 1969-1973. Each letter was faithfully ad-dressed by my mother in her precise handwriting to Jordan Hall, Box # 60.

Reading this correspondence would soon unlock for me a long repressed experience from my first year at Oak-land City College. It was a life-changing event that gave witness to the strange and powerful qualities of fate.

In today’s language, my mother and father would be called helicopter parents, the kind of parents who hov-er over their college freshman son or daughter in an attempt to insure success. My mother’s early letters certainly revealed this feature. “I hope you’ve calmed down enough to start sleeping and studying,” she advised in one early letter. “Keep your bed made and your room neat. Don’t fall in love yet. It has not been long enough. Now Randy, get up and eat breakfast. It’s only a few minutes earlier to get up and you’ll feel better all day.” Of course this was wise council, and, of course, I did not follow up on any of her advice.

Those first year letters also re-vealed a problem for college students typical of that time. In 1969, college students had no cell phones or Inter-

net capacity. Instead, one wrote letters or tried to call home on a com-munity pay phone. For me, the latter was a scarred pay phone on the sec-ond floor of Jordan Hall. Here, a long line of college males always seemed to be waiting their turn to call girl friends and/or family.

My first letter from home had ar-rived on the Wednesday after my parents had first left me at my lonely dorm room. In that initial corre-spondence, the constant theme of almost all my mother’s letters to me would appear—the fear of my failing to take care of myself or my failing to keep up a “B” average and losing a scholarship I had received. “When you write me, be sure to tell how you’re feeling so I can either quit worrying or worry more. Be sure to get more sleep! Also study. I hope you like all your classes and teach-ers. Be sure to write your assign-ments down and pay attention.”

A portion of my very first letter home captured an early sense of the academic difficulties I would face as a college student. “I am writ-ing this letter during my break be-tween history and English. . . . I can see right now that I am going to have to dig down and study if I’m

going to stay here. I’m now carrying eighteen hours this quarter.”

My mother worried about my growing homesickness during the fall quarter, perhaps projecting on to me her own fears regarding her failed college experience from being home-sick at Southern Illinois University back in 1946. “I hope you try to get calmed down and relaxed this week,” she wrote. “Make yourself study, go to bed early and get up to eat. And get over the blues and being home sick! Just be like the Apostle Paul—be content where ever you are.”

About halfway through the fall quarter, my letters home, few as they were, began to indicate an interest-ing turning point. I was starting to develop new friendships and becom-ing more involved with college activ-ities. I also grew very proud of my performance in a western civilization history class. It was taught by a young and popular instructor, Roger Sublett, who gave very few high grades.

“I made an A on Mr. Sublett’s history test,” I proudly wrote my family. “There were only 3 A’s made out of forty-five students. Many were upperclassmen. It was rather shocking.”

My mom, perhaps getting a glimpse of harder school work on my part, wrote back, “Keep up the good grades. See, it does pay to study but try to do it earlier in the day. Try to get to bed earlier and get rested.”

Unfortunately, I would fall into my old habit of working obsessively on any class I liked and waiting until the last minute to prepare for those I did not care for. Perhaps too, I as-sumed that the instructors would grade like my high school teachers, giving me some slack for attendance and cooperation. Of course, my mother warned me about such things, writing, for example, “Don’t wait until the end of the quarter to study and then have to cram so much.”

My mother must have sensed the train wreck coming. A few days be-fore my first quarter finals, she wrote, “Don’t hurry too much with your math test on Friday in your rush to get home and make a bad grade. Just take your time even though it will make you late getting home for your break. Take your time in all your tests and study in your spare time. Get to bed early so you can think.”

Responding correspondence sug-gested that I certainly planned to cram to make up for earlier lost study time. “By the way, I studied from 1:00 to 6:00 for my exam Monday. I just hope I can keep it up.”

Shortly after the end of fall break, two days into the winter quarter, my mother began inquiring about my fall term grades. Surely, she did not suspect how poor my grades were going to be, or her comments would not have been so teasing. “You surely know your grades by now. I’m getting real curious. What did you make? If you didn’t get a B

average, you better stay in more and study every night and weekend. Are they going to send us your grades or will it remain a deep secret forever?”

The axe fell in early Decem-ber when my fall grades arrived home in Illinois through the mail. I had received a hard earned B in history along with a B grade in edu-cation and English. Biology and math, however, were both disap-pointing C grades. Most disturbing, I had missed getting a B average by a fairly wide margin.

My parents’ responses were amaz-ingly restrained, perhaps because they knew of the shame I surely car-ried. Dad wrote, “Y ou really didn’t do that bad so I wouldn’t worry about it. That’s really pretty good for the first quarter with all the running around you’ve done.” My mother’s response, however, was a bit more critical. “Concentrate on [your] clas-ses and pulling some A’s this quar-ter. I believe you could if you really set your mind to it. Somehow, some way, try to get rested up.” She ended the letter with “Chin up.”

For the winter quarter, my advisor pushed for me to take English 112, Bio 112, Music appreciation, Math 102 and another Sublett history class for a total of seventeen hours. It promised to be as tough a set of clas-ses as the previous quarter, and some of my depression and homesick-ness returned. In a letter home, I mentioned that there “was not much going on and my new classes are okay.”

On the verge of winter quarter finals, my mother gave her last push of encouragement. “Now forget everything like girls, etc. and think about your exams and grades and do your best. Good Luck!”

Shortly after the spring quarter began in March, my hopeful Mother wrote, “We should be getting your winter term grades soon. I bet they’ll be better than the last time.”

When my winter grades came once more through the mail, my parents must have been staggered by what they saw. I had made two C’s, one in biology and, the real shocker, one in English. I managed to get a B in music appreciation and an A in histo-ry. Despite the impressive grade I had earned in Mr. Sublett’s class, my overall grade point average had sunk even lower.

I now faced a tough uphill battle in the spring quarter. I would be taking four classes for fifteen hours, includ-ing another difficult Sublett histo-ry class and a very demand-ing research composition class.

I had to make at least three A’s and a B to keep my scholarship. It was my last chance.

I knew what was expected of me in Mr. Sublett’s history class and was motivated to work as hard as I could for another top grade. Letters to and from home, however, re-vealed the primary problem I faced

Jordan Hall, Box # 60: Letters from home to a homesick OCC freshman

that quarter. I explained how my English composition class involved “research writing and documentation,” and that I would have to write what the instructor termed “two substantial library pa-pers.”

My mother’s advice wasn’t too bad and for once, I listened. “Be sure and start work on your research paper and do a good job so you won’t have to slap it together at the end.” In another letter, my mother wrote, “How are your lessons coming? Get busy on that research paper and don’t wait till the last minute. You need every advantage you can get so don’t forget it.” My hope of doing a better job in all my classes, however, turned out to be illusionary.

I was surprised in the third week of April when my English instructor called me over to talk after one of the composition classes. This was in the middle of the semester, right before the last few days we could drop a course. I was in a bit of a hurry to get to the Oaks and grab a sandwich. It did not help the atmosphere any ei-ther that the composition classroom was located in Madison Hall, the oldest, most rickety building on cam-pus.

Whenever anyone ran down the stairs, it seemed like the whole build-ing would quiver.

The English composition professor told me I had better drop out of the English comp class as I would proba-bly not pass the course, or, at best, make a D grade. I was stunned.

A long and heated conver-sation did little to resolve the problem. Nevertheless, he would not back down from his initial pronouncement. I, in turn, told him not only could I not drop the class but I had to make at least a B and, in all probability, an A in the class to keep my scholarship. I did not tell my parents of this develop-ment.

For the rest of the quarter I was in a deep depression. The thought of losing my scholarship and go-ing back in shame to southern Illinois was beyond imagining. I found myself wandering in the evenings around Oakland City, fretting and trying to come up in my mind ways to gently break the news to my par-ents who were already upset at me for goofing off during the first two quarters.

One evening, almost at the end of the spring term, I was walking by Madison Hall. I heard people talking on the building steps, although the darkness hid their identity. One of them, however, called my name. As I approached the steps, I saw Roger Sublett and my English composition professor. Mr. Sublett, unaware I was taking an English course, introduced us by saying I was one of his better students and one of the brighter freshman at Oakland City College. My English comp professor and I both kind of looked down at the ground. I said a quick hello then I excused myself and hurried away.

See Page 7, col. 1

Continued from

One week before finals I

received the last letter from home for that first year at college. My mother, usually long winded when writing about what I should be doing to bring up my grades, surprisingly wrote a simple message to me regarding my upcoming tests. “Good luck with your exams.”

When the spring quarter ended in early May, I went home to southern Illinois. Whenever I could, I made sure that I got to our mailbox before anyone else in the family.

The letter finally came in mid May, stamped with the Oakland City College return address. It lay in the

mailbox like a slumbering snake. I suddenly remembered how almost exactly a year before I had taken the OCC scholarship award letter from the very same place. I steeled myself for what was to come and tore off the end of the envelope.

I had to look over the letter several times to understand what I was read-ing. It just did not seem possible. I had made 3 A’s, including one in the English composition class, and a B. This gave me the B average I needed for the year.

To this day, I believe whatever Roger Sublett said to my English professor that spring evening I chanced to be walking in front of Madison Hall influenced the profes-sor to reconsider my grade. What-ever happened, from the bottom of my heart, I will always be grateful to Dr. Sublett for helping to make it possible for such an unso-phisticated country boy from south-ern Illinois to make it through col-lege.

****

I discovered rereading the old col-lege correspondence my mother had sent me was a bittersweet and hum-bling experience. It helped, howev-er, when I found an especially quiet and secluded place to read through them, a back room of my house where I could set a letter down for a moment and glance out the window. The things I saw outside—the red flash of an Indiana cardinal, a light breeze stirring the leaves—gave me a sense of the ongoing rhythms of life and allowed me to go back to read-ing.

Besides feeling humbled while reading the letters, I also came to feel blessed when I realized the unfailing support of some of my professors at Oakland City College and of my own mother’s sacrifices and support dur-ing one of the most difficult periods of my life. I was certainly content to spend the summer after my first year at OCC toiling once more in the southern Illinois hay fields, glad to be working with my hands and feel-ing the sun on my face for a change. By early August, however, I was physically exhausted and ready to go back to books, to school, and to Jor-dan Hall. I returned to my second year of college at Oakland City a bit wiser and certainly a more respectful son and student.

I am in the foreground, wearing glasses, at a 1969 OCC event taking place in front of the old Administration Build-ing.

Page 6 The Collegian Fall 2014

Our Alumni

One of my favorite OCC profes-sors, Roger Sublett. His chance comment to another one of my instructors would impact the rest of my life.

Heather Smith Freelance Pianist

“Beautiful Music for All Occasions”

Phone: 812-610-5780



Petition signatures needed to make OCU license plates a reality

Alumni of Oakland City University may have the opportunity to become

mobile ambassadors of their alma mater. A petition form is available at www.oak.edu until the end of March 2015.

Hard copies of the form may be obtained on OCU’s main campus at the Foundation building, the Murray Center, the Office of Intercollegiate Athlet-ics and the Office of Campus Life located in the Bower-Suhrheinrich Student Life Center.

Petition signatures are regarded as pledges to purchase an OCU license plate upon availability. Five hun-dred pledges are needed.

OCU license plates cost $40 and would be available at any Indiana Bu-reau of Motor Vehicles office. A tax-deductible portion of the purchase ($25) will support the Oakland City University Alumni Association.

Visit

Calligraphy By Tyler Rust Staff Writer

In 2-D Design class, Dr. Donna Hazelwood gave a lesson on lines that the students first ap-plied on the computer. After that exercise, the class practiced using a bamboo brushes and ink. Through varied pressure of the bamboo brush, one could create varied lines, a technique used by Chinese calligra-phers. The class also practiced on various types of paper.

Painter of : an artist's s

By Estelyn (Class of

Looking back over my 90 years

of life, I never dreamed of exhibit-ing my work the Dunn Gallery at this age. I also wish to convey in this exhibit my belief that life on and hope transcends time. This exhibit is a reflection of my life and the changes have taken place through the years, but changes that still offer hope for the future. I

thankful for the help of Carolyn Browning Weng in deciding to make Art my major college. Art Students, remember that after teaching and retirement, you can still have wonderful life of

I believe that a really good paint-

ing is not just about the subject but also mood, sensitivity and feel-ing. Painting permits me to bring out my emotional spiritual reaction to life happenings. I have observed that I can envision a sce-ne, becomes etched in my memory until I can "dream" it for a painting and then create it. is not always the exact scene but it be-comes my interpretation of what I visualized. strokes on the canvas or watercolor paper will not only show my frustrations but will show the love and light that is guiding me to paint it in a realistic or abstract visual

is my great pleasure to dedicate this exhibit of my work to my hus-band of 73 years, our chil-dren, grandchildren, great

grandchildren, and family who have by me and encouraged me to

continue to paint. I would also like to thank Roger and Dr. Marie McCord for helping through the

So to every artist I would say,

"Paint...Paint... Paint!" Age does not Young or old, just be a

"Painter of Life."

“Moonscape of Emotions” by Estelyn Eversoll.

The Michael Dunn Gallery an-nounces the showing of Estelyn Eversoll paintings titled “Painter of Life.”

The event takes place from Sept. 30 through Oct. 31, 2014.

Gallery hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday or by appointment.

The Gallery is located in the Corn-well-Reed Fine Arts Center.

You can contact the Art Center at 812-749-1426.

Estelyn Eversoll’s paintings on dis-play


as your younger brother David? It has always been fun playing

with David, and we usually play well together.

Do you ever dream about playing professional soccer?

All soccer players dream about playing professional soccer, and I

Follow us on Face-book

Go on Facebook and search for The Col-legian. Then LIKE us and you will be all

set. Be informed of campus events and up-to-date schedule of the next issue of The Collegian.

Jonathan Stroup: One tough act to follow

would love to play, but that is a little out of my reach.

Is there anyone in your life that you look up to as a role model?

I have always looked up to my dad. He has been an excellent exam-ple of the proper way to live life.

What are your future goals in

Sports

By: Carlie Nichols Guest Writer

Jonathan Stroup, a 22-

year-old human biology major from Danville, Ind., has been playing soc-cer ever since he could remember. Since picking up the sport at the young age of five, he played all four years at Bethesda Christian High School in Brownsburg, Ind., before graduating in 2011. Stroup began playing at Oakland City University in the fall of 2011. As a college freshman, Stroup was blessed to be a part of a team that ended up winning the National Chris-tian College Athletic Association Regional title. From there, the team went on to play in the NCCAA Na-tional Championship, which Stroup recalls as one of his favorite soccer memories that he has experienced in his life thus far. Stroup recently completed his third season with the Mighty Oaks. Shortly after Stroup underwent anterior cru-

ciate ligament (ACL) surgery in May, I was honored to finally get to interview him.

First, did someone inspire you to play soccer?

I grew up watching my uncle play, so that made me want to play as well.

Is there one game that you played in that really stands out compared to all of the others?

No one game in particular, but there are a few of them that stand out. Some of them include my first collegiate game, the very first game I scored in, and every year that we play against Lindenwood Univer-sity.

What is one thing you like about playing soccer at Oakland City University?

I enjoy the diversity of the team every year. Also, I have friends from the team throughout the years that I still keep in contact with way after they leave.

Random question, how much do you like playing on the same team

Stroup battling against Harris-Stowe State University on August 29, 2014. Photo by Heather R. Smith

Integrity Martial Arts Academy

Isaac Birch and Dr. Robert Asa

Location: 171 West 650 South, Fort

Branch, Indiana

Phone: 812-753-3307


By Maria Cottier Staff Writer

“Walk with me,” Em-

manuel Awotula said as he led the way towards the container of white paint for OCU’s Aigner Field.

In fall 2014, Oakland City Univer-sity hired a new women’s soccer coach to train and lead the team into the next season. Before coming to OCU, Awotula was the assistant coach and, later, the head coach of women’s soccer at Tennessee Tem-ple University.

Awotula is glad he came to coach for OCU. “One of the biggest things that drew me here was that the school is a Division II college, but the biggest thing for me was that I coach at a Christian school.” He also appre-ciates that OCU has its own locker rooms and soccer field.

Awotula has high hopes for the women’s team. “I think the team will do well once we start to jell together. When a team gets a new coach it’s

A new coach in town and cares about them, as a Chris-tian, is what has happily surprised me most since I came to this university,” Awotula said.

difficult for everyone because they learn a new system, but we will be fine.”

The new coach said the team’s biggest disadvantage is not having more players on the field in practice and in games. “If I had about 25 people on the team, every position would need earned, and we would jell well together,” Awotula said.

Wanting to go pro as a young soc-cer player, Awotula loves to coach and being a part of soccer every day, even though it is a busy sched-ule for a college coach. “A coach’s job is never done, you are always working, recruiting, watching videos of soccer players that are sent to you. The job is 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Awotula said.

Although Awotula is originally from a large city, he enjoys how different it is from where he used to live. “My wife is originally from Cleveland and enjoyed the move…. The kids love it here….They’re already making friends,” Awotula said.

The kindness of his co-workers and students has left Awotula very happy he came to OCU. “I am over-whelmed by how friend-ly people are, because at the end of the day, they are paying me to be here, no one is required to be nice to me,” Awotula said. The most impactful observance by Awotula since he came to OCU is how the president demonstrates the Chris-tian character of the University by how he interacts with the stu-dents. “The fact that Dr. Barber breaks bread and eats with the students

life? I plan on attending medical school

to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon.

Being able to get the chance to interview Jonathan for this blog arti-cle, gave me a better understanding of who he really was as a soccer player and a person. Next time you get the chance to see Jonathan Stroup out on the soccer field, just remem-ber that he has put a lot of time, ef-fort and dedication out onto the play-ing field to make him the best possi-ble player he is.

OCU setting records! By Maria Cottier

Staff Writer Oakland City University’s cross

country runner, Jesse Stanley recent-ly set a new course record for a 6K run in St. Louis.

Stanley ran the 6K faster than any other male who had run that course before, which is remarkable for a college freshman.

While a freshman at Boonville High School, Stanley discovered his passion for running. “I’ve always loved running cross country and track. I just enjoy running in gen-eral,” he said. In high school, Stanley went to semi-state three years in a row. He made it to state his senior year of high school.

Stanley is happy to attend OCU. “I

always planned and hoped to run cross country in college. I was look-ing to go here when OCU’s cross country coach and I started talking.”

Always striving for im-provement, Stanley plans to start practicing alone in addition to team practice in order to shave time off his already stellar record.

When Stanley is not running, he enjoys getting to know others and finding things to do at the university. “I like OCU, I like hanging out with my team and friends. I always have a good time. You have to make your own fun. The biggest challenge for me is staying out of trouble and not being too dumb,” Stanley said with a grin.

Stanley’s current time is approxi-mately 5:20 minutes a mile. He need-ed to run about 6 minutes a mile in order to qualify for nationals. “My goal was to run the 8K for men’s cross country so I can go to nationals in New York this November,” Stan-ley said.

Stanley accomplished this goal and is looking forward to competing in nationals his first year in college.

“News Trav-els”

The Collegian is looking for photos to share in our upcoming is-sues of students, alumni and faculty and their travels. To have your photo printed in The Collegian, bring a copy of a printed Collegian with you when you travel. Take a photo of yourself holding the paper in front of a landmark to help readers iden-tify your location. Include family, friends, pets and whatever you want to share with our readers. Let’s see how far The Collegian can travel!

Jesse taking the lead in the Great-er Louisville CC Classic in Lou-isville, Ky., Oct. 4, 2014. Photo by Zachary Keeney.

Come out and support

our OCU Mighty Oaks!

The Collegian Staff endorses this ad.

Collegian - Fall 2014

Documents

Transcript of Collegian - Fall 2014