COOPER THOMPSON S enior Cooper Thompson, a marketing major from Panama City, Fla., found an unexpected hobby in an activity class during his senior year of high school. He enrolled in an outdoor education class that honed his skills in activities such as archery, boating and survival techniques. Fly-fishing, however, was one pastime he had never done. He learned the proper technique in high school, but it was not until Thompson's sophomore year at Harding that he got on the river and practiced it. Thompson always read about fly-fishing in the sporting magazine Field and Stream, but he grew up fishing by spin casting, the traditional technique. The constant contact with the sport of fishing in Florida instilled a deep interest in Thompson, but he became bored with the traditional technique and aspired to develop his skills even further. Spin casting was more restricted in its versatility, leading Thompson to expand his knowledge by taking up fly-fishing. Fly-fishing required fishermen to hand-tie nearly weightless model flies to their lines before casting. The casting itself was very different from traditional technique; rather than using a heavier lure or bait to pull the line through the air, the line itself was weighted for casting. The sport required a lot of patience and precision. "Mastering fly-fishing is a level that all fishermen try to reach I think," junior Will Richter, a friend of Thompson's, said. "It's the ultimate climax in skill." Richter continued by saying that he often fished with Thompson and was impressed with Thompson's extensive knowledge of the sport. He also commented on how well his own skills had developed while learning from Thompson; his ability to share his skills made him a valuable fishing companion. "Cooper is a really good teacher," Richter said. "He knows his Rebecca Abbud Communication Sciences & Disorders/Spanish Lindsey Ahrens Psychology Jordan Alexander Criminal Justice Celeste Allen General Studies/Leadership and Ministry Grace Allen Music Education-Vocal Claire Allensworth Bible and Religion for Women/History Isaac Alvarado Computer Science Lauren Ammerman Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Spanish James Anderson Biology Eric Apgar Electrical Engineering stuff and how to explain it but can also demonstrate the proper technique first hand." According to senior MilesThompson, another regular fishing friend of Cooper's, if the weather was warm the three could be found out on the river with rods and reels in their hands. Since first meeting at HUF fall of 2012, Cooper, Richter and Miles became good friends and regular fishing companions. The three formed their friendship as they explored Europe together on independent travel. Once they returned to the Searcy campus, they still explored together; however, their trips became a little closer to home. The Little Red River was only a short drive from campus but provided world-renowned fishing. Many sportsmen took advantage of the river as a local opportunity to test their skills. "We didn't know each other before going overseas, but we eventually discovered our similar interests and often talked about how we wanted to become fishing buddies," Cooper said. Miles said that the bonds they formed while traveling together in Europe helped form a lasting friendship when the three returned home. "Being able to fish together back in the States has helped us stay connected," Miles said. "I would have never thought that three months together overseas would make us so close." Spending th~ir weekends on the river together and trying to improve their fishing skills became the basis of what they hoped would be a lifelong friendship. The decision of one person to take an outdoor activity class in high school made a major difference in the lives of three people. Cooper devoted the same intentionality to his unexpected relationships that he did to his unexpected hobby. "Fly-fishing is an art," Cooper said. "I'm just trying to master it." Grant Schol
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