The following is a list of recorded responses given by Dr. Horne.
How do you feel about the upcoming semester and the ongoing changes at Ouachita?
Well, I’m always excited when a new semester starts. Because one of the wonderful things about Ouachita is that you do have a sense of new start each year, and to a degree, each semester. So, they always hold a lot of promise. I enjoy seeing what’s taking place. One of the things I enjoy most is showing up at different things, whether it’s lectures or whether it’s a play or whether it’s a recital or an athletic event, or whatever it may be. It’s always great to see how our students are progressing, but also the excitement that our faculty have for what they’re doing, investing in the lives of our students. It may be in art. It may be our honors program that Amy Sonhiem leads. And we have Scholar’s Day—just all kinds of things that you look forward to seeing. Because it’s never the same; it’s always different. Because there’s different people involved and different growth in the people who are participating on campus. So, really looking forward to that. And we just continue to have such great students that it makes it a privilege to serve here.
What do you hope will be the most significant aspect of Ouachita’s growth and development as we continue to change and progress?
Two things. One would be, that hasn’t changed for years and years, when a person studies at Ouachita and leaves Ouachita that they feel prepared, that they are better people for having been here, and that they have the outlook of truly being a difference maker as they go forth into their careers and families and various communities and countries. The second thing I would like to see as we grow and improve is that the Ouachita story and who we are is known even more widely. Now obviously, with US News and World Report ranking us number one for the third year in a row, now, that’s a great honor, but we would like rather than just a great news magazine recognizing that, we want more and more people, students and families to see what a great place to study Ouachita is.
What do you think sets Ouachita apart from other campuses and why is this a special place?
I think one of the things that sets Ouachita apart is a sense of calling that those who serve here have; I mean, professors, staff, those who work in various places. I think you could almost take any position that’s an employee here and every one, just about every one, would feel they are here because this is where God wants them to be. And that is a sense of calling to serve at Ouachita. The other thing I would say is because of that commitment people have, that Ouachita is not a 8-5 or 9-5 kind of place, as far as, that’s when the education takes place, then everyone goes off campus or goes to a another town or whatever else, that because we are residential, and because our faculty and our staff are close by, the experience of Ouachita continues in some ways, 24/7, and I think that sets us apart as well.
What do you most hope graduates of Ouachita will bring to the outside world?
Well, I hope that they’ll bring a commitment to Christ and also that they will reveal excellence in whatever they do, that they will be men and women of great character. And also that it will be obvious that they are prepared to go out and perform well in whatever discipline or work that they do.
What is your favorite part of being president at Ouachita?
I enjoy the interaction with students. And I enjoy the promise that you always feel when you walk on campus. You know, even in the summer, you anticipate the return of the students. It’s just a place to me of promise. It’s a place of hope. It’s a place that as I walk around I think about the generations that have come before us. I think about the people who served as presidents before me. And I think it’s just a great privilege to serve, because it’s always new, it’s always fresh. And again it’s a place of promise and hope.
