49 Bluegrass, Barbeque & Baristas Community Calls | Sitting on the Heritage Park lawn, members of the Searcy and Harding community listen to live music at the Bluegrass, Barbeque and Baristas event on Sept. 15. In addition to music, several local food vendors and coffee shops catered the event. Photo by Jenna Gaessler Bluegrass, Barbeque and Baristas also furthered the mission of the Beats and Eats series to build a sense of community with all of the members of Searcy, including Harding students. “I see Beats and Eats on its own when it’s downtown, but when they do stuff on campus, it does kind of feel like they’re connecting more,” Selvidge said. Local businesses and officials also felt a closer connection between Harding and the community through this series. The Searcy and Harding community could at times feel separated, but events like Beats and Eats have helped close the gap. Assistant director of community connections Kyle Thompson served in a unique role as both staff at Harding and as a co-director of Beats and Eats. “One of the things that Beats and Eats tries to do is bring in some type of education and culture to the community, which is where the partnership with Harding and [the Arts and Life Program] is important,” Thompson said “They have the resources to bring in a variety of artists that Beats and Eats alone wouldn’t be able to do. That’s the value of the partnership.” The presence of these events allowed the seemingly two different communities to mold into one, unifying people of Searcy, residents and students alike. “It is wonderful to see Harding students and faculty mingling with the Searcy community while enjoying music, activities and great food,” Faulkner said. “We hope these events help strengthen existing relationships and establish new ones with neighbors all across the community.” Written by Emma McDaris “We hope these events help strengthen existing relationships and establish new ones with neighbors all across the community.” - Mat Faulkner
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