CenArk Grotto turdll.ock I . HtcAGO Central Arkansas Student Grotto. Smith - sponsor, Hernandez , Samples, Johnson. - photo by Chris Lasley. •-~he Central Arkansas Student Grotto was a small group of people who were connected together by the bond of exploring - caves, that is. Dr. Carroll Smith was the sponsor of this group that emphasized safety and conservation of caves and caving areas. The grotto took several trips each year to explore different caves in Arkansas. They normally travelled about 60 to 100 miles away from Searcy, since those locations were the closest areas with limestone caves. This year, the club took a trip before school had even started. They went to the caves in Alexandria. They also took a trip to the Fit and Beauty Cave by the Buffalo River. Much of their time together was spent practicing for the caving trips they took. They usually did this at Riverside Park or at Wyldewood. This consisted of repelling and learning safety features. Dr. Smith had been interested in caving for many years, and had formerly worked in the Carlsbad Caverns, located in New Mexico. When he came to Harding, some students found out about his caving history and asked him to be the sponsor. The Celestial Singers were a group of about twelve members of Skotia, a club that centered on black heritage. They performed together at youth rallies and at various area congregations. They were the sponsoring group of the annual Gospel Explosion, which was a performance by several groups such as these singers. The group, which tried to practice twice a week, sang music that was considered to be contemporary gospel/soul. They didn't hold auditions for acceptance into the group but did expect a good donation of time and effort from each member. The Celestial Singers were a self-supporting group. They payed for their own expenses on their evangelizing trips. They usually limited their travel time to less than an hour from Searcy. Plans were possibly being formulated to take some weekend trips and travel a little further - sort of a mini-tour. They were directed by one of the members who was also a student. This year's director was junior Terrance Talley, a former Spring Sing host from Columbus, OH. His assistant was Darryl Gregory, a senior from Washington, D.C. The Celestial Singers were formed a few years ago by alumna Veronica Williams. They had made one recording, entitled, "God Is." When asked what the group was trying to accomplish, Talley stated, "Our goal is to communicate a message - one that will touch all souls." - Darin Martin 1 00 Celestial Singers Cenltra/ Arkansas Student Grotto Sing your praise to the Lord! Sophomore Yolanda Usry from August.a, GA and freshman Don Strader from New Orleans, LA , join the rest of the group "Celestial Singers" in rehearsal. The singing group traveled throughout the neighboring towns of Searcy, singing in the churches of Christ. Travel time was generally less than an hour, as were performances, but rehearsals were longer. Tent.ative plans for a weekend tour were underway in the early part of the spring semester. - photo by Christy Cox . Celestial Singers Celestial Singers. Front row: Amos, Walker, Green, Jones, Usry. Back row: Cannon, Clark, Talley, Sipfle, Curry. - photo by Bill Tripp.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==