By Camryn Stroupe, Opinions Editor
Barn Bash is nearly a thirty-year tradition and a hallmark event of the Ouachita experience. This year, Campus Ministries hosted a total of 250 students at the event on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Brent and Beverly Bridges’ farm.
Campus Ministries director Dustin Wagley reflected on Barn Bash’s rich history. “It was still going when I was here in the 90s as a student,” Wagley said. “Back in the history of Barn Bash, when we weren’t allowed to have dances, students had games, cornhole and horseshoes, and it was a lot of fun. Now that the school does allow dances, we teach both line and square dancing at Barn Bash.”
Wagley discussed why Barn Bash has been so successful over the years, especially since square dancing was added. “It’s an opportunity to get off campus and gather with students in an environment that is different than the typical day at Ouachita,” Wagley said. “It’s actually at a barn. About 250 folks outside by a barn, all square dancing together at the same time is a party. I’d never square danced before this year, and it was great fun. I understand now why so many elementary P.E. programs teach square dancing; it’s physical, easy to pick up and fun.”
Senior Jonathan Scott has attended Barn Bash all four years of his time at Ouachita. “My favorite thing about Barn Bash is the square dancing,” Scott said. “It’s easy to learn and something different to do.”
The event also included barbecue provided by Sodexo and photo opportunities with a farm tractor and bale of hay. The weather provided a conducive environment to dancing, with rain patting down the dust the night before, and cooler temperatures made it a pleasurable experience.
In the square dancing portion of the event, Ainslee Webb served as an instructor and dance caller. “Ainslee called last year as well,” Wagley said. “There are lots of different square dance calls, and we didn’t explore all of them, but Ainslee taught us the moves first with her knowing how to call. She made it easy for everybody to learn.”
Barn Bash, with a rich heritage, may be best known as an event that brings people together, especially freshmen. “I think an event like Barn Bash brings lots of different students together around the commonality of dancing and the country farm kind of atmosphere,” Wagley said. “It doesn’t matter whether you’ve ever square danced before or not; we can come together and enjoy something fun and goofy for a few hours. I think that brings unity to students that choose to come in doing something out of the box. It creates an opportunity to connect with different students that they wouldn’t normally connect with around an activity that they normally wouldn’t participate in.”
