It’s amazing to think that summer’s almost here again. Even though it’s hard to believe four months have already gone by this year, so much has already happened.
President Donald Trump will mark his first 100 days in office later next month, and it seems no one can agree on the quality of his performance. It’ll be fascinating to say the least what these next four years will look like.
Syria has continued being ripped apart by civil war, with the most recent chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel-held town that resulted in around 70 deaths, 10 of those being children. In reaction to the attack, President Trump authorized a missile attack on a Syrian government airbase. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the U.S.’s relations with Russia, who are huge proponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. Many have remarked that U.S.-Russia relations haven’t been this strained since the Cold War.
The University of North Carolina won the NCAA Division I March Madness championship game, beating Gonzaga University 71-65. For many Arkansas fans (including myself), it was disheartening, especially given how close we were to beating them in the second round. Baseball is going to have to satisfy sports-lovers until September rolls around.
Enough about what happened everywhere else; what happened here at Ouachita this spring?
Tiger Serve Day was on April 1, marking the 20th anniversary of the original Tiger Serve Day (or Into the Streets, as it was known back then). Hundreds of OBU volunteers went out into the streets of Arkadelphia and served their community selflessly. Tiger Serve Day is easily one of the highlights of every semester, and it allows students and faculty alike to serve alongside each other and help make this city we live in a better place.
Tiger Traks was held on April 7-8, providing OBU students and faculty with a healthy dose of competition. Hosted by the Ouachita Student Foundation, teams competed in a variety of activities, from Pictionary to mud volleyball. I’m personally amused by anything that makes people look ridiculous, so even if you don’t want to participate in Traks next year, you can at least enjoy watching other people slip face-first into knee-high pits of mud.
Ouachita’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” had showings this past weekend, from April 20-23. The spring musicals, like pretty much all of Ouachita’s productions, are always worth going to, and even though I wasn’t able to go this year due to my chronic procrastination, I heard amazing things about the show. Plus, those who go see the show get credit towards Arts Engagement; easily the most entertaining homework assignments I receive.
Scholars Day was held yesterday, April 26, and celebrated the hard work our best and brightest put toward projects they’re passionate about. Students presented their findings on research projects and their senior theses, and we got to celebrate their accomplishments with them. It’s a great way to support friends in the honors program.
Commencement will take place on May 13, and we will be forced to say goodbye to our beloved seniors. Coming in as freshmen, we all assume that this day is so far into the future that it’s not even worth thinking about; however, looking back, I didn’t realize how quickly time flew by. It’ll be strange coming back next year in the fall without all of those special people here, but the good thing is we get to welcome the new kids that’ll show up.
There’s a lot we can learn from this spring. In the face of adversity and horror, we look to a better future. We seek ways to unite ourselves as a country in the midst of division. We enjoy one another and savor the short times that we do have here at Ouachita. Time goes by quickly, and life is short. We celebrate our victories and mourn our losses. While I’m sad to see this one come to an end, I look forward to what this next year will hold for all of us.
by Katherine Carter, Opinions editor
