By Avery Walker, Staff Writer
Sports are a vital part of campus life at Ouachita Baptist University (OBU). They bring together the student body, highlight talented athletes, and encourage school spirit and camaraderie. Ouachita sports also serve as a means for alumni to connect with their alma mater. However, none of this would be possible without the hardworking members of the Ouachita Sports Digital Network (OSDN).
OSDN, the newest practicum in the communications department, recently celebrated its sixth anniversary. It is a diverse multimedia organization, offering live streams, podcasts, highlight reels, and other sports-related content. Isaac Bourne, a junior Communication Sports Media and English Writing major, OSDN’s director of talent, and the voice of Ouachita Sports, summed up the work of OSDN: “If it’s sports at Ouachita, the media runs through us.”
However, OSDN is much more than simply streaming and uploading videos of Ouachita’s home games. A talented team of directors puts in hours of work each week. The four student directors of OSDN are Isaac Bourne, the director of talent; Chloe Veulemen, director of personnel; Gavin Wallace, director of technology; and Priscilla Leverett, director of social media. Each director sacrifices their time and energy to ensure OSDN is the best it can be. Chloe Veulemen, a senior strategic communications major, described her typical workweek: “In a week with games, I work upwards of 25 hours; in a week without games, it’s more like 4-6 hours.”
The busiest season for OSDN is what they refer to as “crossover season.” In the fall, this season involves the transition from football to basketball; in the spring, it is the overlap between swimming, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball. Veulemen succinctly described this experience: “Tiring is a good word for it. We have to split our team up between multiple fields.” For a team that covers every home game, this means a lot of work on all ends.
Gamedays for Ouachita sports are usually on Fridays and Saturdays. A typical game day for Veulemen begins immediately after classes, around 12:00 p.m. Before the games begin, she and her team must set up the cameras and ensure the broadcast is ready to go. Veulemen delegates the recording of the game, making sure someone is on each camera. After the game, there is a complete tear-down of all equipment.
Veulemen is also responsible for training new OSDN members, which enables her to delegate responsibilities if she cannot attend a game. For Veulemen, this is the most rewarding part of the job. “I love being able to miss a broadcast and having trained my people so well that I know everything is in good hands. [The OSDN] is like my baby.”
Behind the scenes of the broadcast, Isaac Bourne works as a commentator. During his time at OSDN, Bourne has called upwards of 70 OBU games, as well as being the creative force behind the Ravine Report, the sports section in The Signal. Bourne commentates most games, produces the podcasts, and edits any sports-related news pages. “While taking classes,” Bourne added, “because I’m a college student.”
When asked about his experience working with other OSDN members, Bourne stated: “You’re not gonna find a harder-working group of people who care more about the broadcast than themselves. I’m really just proud of us this year and what we’ve been able to do.” He also expressed his gratitude for his time at OSDN: “I honestly don’t believe there is any school that gives you as many opportunities as OBU in sports media.” In fact, the OSDN is almost entirely student-run, which is a unique feature of the institution.
OSDN is an integral part of campus life at Ouachita Baptist. It offers opportunities for students to learn about sports media, connect with each other, and be a bridge for alumni to engage with the school through sports
