249 Bison Year in Review Friday, January 31, 2025 4A OPINIONS Narrative Columnist Michael Claxton MAGGIE SAMPLES is editor-in-chief for The Bison. She may be contacted at msamples@harding.edu. Illustration by KIT MOORE As a graphic designer, I see other people’s creations, designs and artistic endeavors every day. I love seeing how hard people work on creating visuals of substance, knowing they put effort, thought, context and a little bit of themselves into their project.There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing art that fulfills and is fulfilling to make. Recently I was at Hobby Lobby getting supplies for a class when my boyfriend called me over to the decorations sections; horror, I was greeted with an aisle selling wall art. It was painfully obvious everything was created using a graphic designer’s worst enemy: AI. I looked upon a picture of a raccoon in a suit, upon first glance it seemed normal, like something my grandma would laugh at. After looking closer, I found the hand had seven clenched fingers going in the wrong direction and distorted waistcoat buttons that looked as if they were created by an alien who almost knew what a button looked like. The sad excuse of a fancy raccoon was not the only devastatingly distorted creature in the aisle. There were similar portraits of cows, armadillos and bears. It was not only confined to these dapper woodland animals; there were other sections of game controllers with backgrounds and effects to smooth backgrounds and lines that did not match up. This type of “art” was not just confined to Hobby Lobby, but Walmart has started selling AI slop as well. There are giant Valentine’s Day cards that have the airbrushed style characteristic of design with no human touch. It is genuinely disappointing to see this accepted into society so casually.There are real designers out there who would love the opportunity to create something for these companies that are actually satisfying to look at. This all boils down to capitalism not valuing the creation of art or integration of it within our society.The artist or designer is becoming an undervalued profession simply because big companies want to save time and pump out ridiculous trash that has no business being called decor, art or design. There are plenty of ethical debates about how to use AI the correct way, but allowing AI to replace designers should not even be a topic of discussion. I do not think it is wise to consume or become tolerant of AI “art;” find designs that you enjoy and were created with empathy and reason. Furthermore, as Christians, find decor that speaks to you and was created by someone who was divinely inspired to create. Commission artists who are eager to make visuals beyond the imagination. Admire the talents God has given to people so that they may worship in their act of creation. Remembering Arthur Shearin (1948-2025) From under the fig tree Real art AIn’t made by computers I have always known what I wanted to do. I wanted to write about fun things, like cultures, parties and people. From a very young age, this had always been my plan, in one way or another. Even when I had brief fancies of being a wedding planner or a funeral director, I always returned to telling stories. I have never changed majors in college. I was certain that journalism was what I wanted to do. Then last semester, I took a law class and decided to have a crisis. I really enjoyed the class, both the time spent in the classroom and the subject matter. To my shock and horror, I began researching the LSAT and law schools. How was it that after 10 years of being certain of my purpose,and four years of studying it, I was now considering a different path? In “The Bell Jar,” Sylvia Plath talks about sitting under a fig tree and looking up into the leaves. Each fig represents a different future she could have. One fig is her life as a great poet, another her life as a mother, and still another, a life of travel. Plath says, “I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.” As I have been thinking about my future after graduation, this passage from “The Bell Jar” has been at the forefront of my mind. I don’t want to stall out at this crucial moment and fail to make a decision. I don’t want to stay nestled into the roots of the fig tree, glancing between the “writer” fig and the “lawyer”fig, and then forget to pick a fig at all. Probably, I am simply afraid that, after 16 years of school, I no longer know exactly what my future looks like. Maybe this lawyer business is simply a passing idea, like the time I was certain I would one day be a trapeze artist. Perhaps, being a lawyer is what I am called to do. I have no idea. The important thing is that I don’t get stuck thinking about living and forget to live. I have to make a choice. I have to move to the next stage of my life. It might not be the path I stick with forever, but the biggest thing is that I pick one and start walking. Soon, probably sometime in May, I have to reach up and pick a fig. Editor-in-chief Maggie Samples Gold in the Sand One time I flew on a small airplane with Arthur Shearin. It was my first trip on a private jet, and I wanted documentary evidence to show my friends. I asked if someone could take my picture. Arthur volunteered and—knowing I was a bachelor—he said, “Now you can put that on eHarmony and see if it helps.” He was always quick on his feet, either with a sharp piece of wit or a word of encouragement. When he died Jan. 13, 2025, just shy of turning 77, Noel Whitlock told this story at his funeral. After his first Sunday as the preaching minister at the College Church, Noel was heading to his car. Another car was pulling out of the parking lot when the driver slammed on the brakes, spun around, and stopped next to him. A smiling man jumped out and said, “Hi! I’m Arthur Shearin, and I’m here to make sure you succeed.” As Noel Whitlock told the large crowd, “I realized later that Arthur was here to help everyone succeed.” Such was his role as a music teacher at Harding, where he taught for nearly 35 years. As the founder of the Concert Choir and its director for two decades, he nurtured several generations of singers, some of whom have carried his guidance into their own choruses. Since his death, many have posted tributes to their favorite teacher, mentor and voice coach. In one year alone he performed 12 weddings for couples who met in his choir. He was an expressive man and could be demanding. “You always knew what he was thinking,” said Robin Miller, who was in Shearin’s chorus in the early ’70s when he first taught at Harding. Once, Miller said, he was recording their performance to submit for his own doctoral work. “We sang perfectly,” Miller recalled, “until the last note.” Arthur nearly blew his top, but after he composed himself, the group did it over, and they got it just right. That perfectionism would be a hallmark of everything Doc Shearin did. He learned his work ethic growing up on a farm in Bolivar, Tennessee, and practiced organization and punctuality in the military. All these qualities, along with being famously frugal, made him a first-rate administrator, and as chair of the Music Department for 15 years, he led the planning of the Reynolds Building and carefully supervised its construction. He was a stickler for detail, and former Provost Larry Long praised him for excelling in the dreadfully tedious work of checking academic catalogues to see if each program had the right number of hours. A gifted singer, he first led singing in worship at the age of eight, belting out the blustery hymn “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.” He was masterful as a worship leader—joyful, reverent, and funny, too. I remember one Sunday night he stood up to lead singing at College Church and announced to this very traditional congregation, “We have assembled a praise team tonight.” He paused for effect and then added, “And all of you are on it.” Arthur served as an elder at College Church for 16 years and co-taught a Bible class with his good friend, Dan Newsom. They loved bantering, and Dan affectionately called his colleague “Sir Arthur.”When Doc had to stop teaching because of struggles with memory, he still retained his sharp wit. Once Dan said,“Good morning, Sir Arthur” to him, and he shot right back, ‘That’s King Arthur to you!” He had a marvelous voice and often sang at weddings. At Harding he taught voice, vocal pedagogy, diction and music appreciation. He sponsored the Alpha Chi Honor Society and was the musical director for several Homecoming shows, including “Annie,” “My Fair Lady,” and “The Music Man.”In Searcy he worked with the Kiwanis Club. He was a regional leader in the National Association of Teachers of Singing. At church he was a dedicated shepherding group elder, thoughtfully tending to those in his care. In 2010, when Harding put up a statue to his colleague Uncle Bud, it occurred to me that current students would have little knowledge of this campus icon who died in 2005. So, I planned a day in chapel to tell his story. Arthur helped me organize that program and narrated the tribute, insisting that we get all the details right. He was married for 53 years to the love of his life, Sheri. Together they had two children and nine grandchildren, who called him “Papa Doc.” There’s an old hymn from the 1930s that looks forward to the time “When all of God’s singers get home.” Now, Arthur has joined the spiritual chorus. I suspect he’ll soon find a way to get it better organized, under budget and on key. Guest Writer Anna Claire Curtis Graphic by BEN EVANS Graphic by BEN EVANS Graphic by BEN EVANS TheLink.Harding.edu FEATURES 3B Students visit Van Gogh Experience In their most recent effort to build and serve the Harding community, the Table held a cooking class Oct.16. Students and faculty could reserve one of 25 spots to learn how to prepare cheap, quick and nourishing food.The Table event coordinator, sophomore William Tomlinson, said he continues his passion for service. “Generally, my goal in life is to serve the needs of others around me just in whatever capacity that looks like,” Tomlinson said. “Jesus walked this earth to serve others, and I strive to do the same in all I do.” The cooking class takes advantage of Harding’s “free grocery store,” providing fresh, free produce daily for their events. In addition to her work as the assistant provost for Curricular and Community Engagement, Dr. Andrea Morris, a sponsor for the Table, picks up these groceries. One can often see her wheeling these vital supplies in a buggy across campus with a smile on her face. Morris believes events like this class are not Harding students view the artwork at Van Gogh Experience Oct. 18. The traveling exhibit stopped in Little Rock where over 60 Harding students and faculty enjoyed the display on a sponsored trip by Harding’s History and Political Science Department. EVELYN FILLEMAN guest writer JACKSON TRAHANT beat reporter Photo provided by Evelyn Filleman Photo by ABIGAIL CALLICOAT The Table hosts cooking class for undergraduate students The History and Political Science Department sponsored students and faculty to visit the Van Gogh Exhibition: Immersive Experience Oct. 18. The exhibit, temporarily located in Little Rock, travels worldwide and offers a perspective into Van Gogh’s work. It features copies of Van Gogh’s most treasured paintings, life-sized sets of his scenery and a 20,000 sq. foot, 2-story, 360-degree screen that transports viewers into the works. The screens transition from a wide selection of Van Gogh paintings and sketches, bringing just necessary for serving individuals, but for building a stronger community as a whole. “The Bible tells us that we are the body, that if one of us is hurting we are all hurting,” Morris said. “Resilience in a community is built by healthy use of the resources available, and that starts with the individual.The most common denominator in the resilience of a community is the individual person, and then household, and then it goes up from there.” The ultimate goal of The Table is to eliminate food insecurity in the Harding community, which is why they offer free resources like produce and recipes. But these tools aren’t enough unless someone knows how to use them, which is where Morris believes the cooking class comes in. “One of the most important tools in the fight against food insecurity is making your dollar stretch,” Morris said. “The things that we provide at the Table are things that are nutritious and healthy, but also cheap and will fill the belly. So the next thing you ask yourself is, ‘Well, how do I cook with rice and beans and these staples?’That’s what we want to demonstrate how to do.” Freshman Jaden Bowie, signed up to exercise his cooking skills that have gone unused since moving into a dorm.“It brought into my mind how you can make good and healthy food on a smaller budget,”Bowie said. The Table is offering another cooking class Nov. 13. the scenes to life with moving images, surround sound, and animation. Over 60 Harding students and faculty experienced the exhibit, whose tickets were paid for by assistant professor Kimberly Laing. Dr. Liann Gallagher coordinated the trip, and said she wanted to inspire her students’ love for history. “[The exhibit] was going on,and we thought the students would love this, so we decided to try and make it happen,” Gallagher said. “We weren’t necessarily trying to spread Van Gogh, but the goal was to inspire the love of history in students.” Junior Camille Bewley attended the event and found it an informative and unique way to view the artwork. “The immersive experience allowed me to see what I believe Van Gogh was hoping for: painting in such a way that the art comes to life,” Bewley said. “By digitizing his work, we can see what [was] likely [seen] in the mind of the artist as he painted famous works like ‘Starry Night or Sunflowers.’” All historical figures offer a lesson. Some lessons we do not want to have to learn for ourselves because they are painful, while others we can use to move forward and expand our knowledge. History is the formula for today, and without it, we would not be the contextualized humanity that we are.” Junior Arden Cravy found that the study of art goes beyond the mind and into the heart. Art means various things to each individual, and for Cravy, it becomes an emotional experience. “‘Irises” was my favorite of Van Gogh’s works,” Cravy said. “They make me think about my mom, childhood and home. We have irises in our backyard, and viewing them in Van Gogh’s artwork brings back an emotional connotation for me.” The department wanted to inspire students to appreciate and connect with history on a deeper level, visually, intellectually and emotionally. “We weren’t necessarily trying to spread the love of Van Gogh, but he’s an important historical figure,” Gallagher said. “He’s important in art and history, so it kind of fit the bill.” Searcy local and community health advocate Katie Cullum and Harding freshman Jaden Bowie teach students cooking skills Oct. 16. The Table plans to host more of these events which are open to all in the Harding community. Vol. 100, No. 4 Sept. 27, 2024 Sports Editor Eli Dean The Dugout Dispatch terday, Sept. 26, 2024, the Oakland tics played their last game in the city kland. I’m writing this in advance, so I ll you who won, attendance numbers or ng specific to the last game. But I can se you this: What happened yesterday d have never happened at all. What has ired over the last eight years since John took full control of the A’s has been equivocal disaster.The worst part is, all could have been prevented. Still, the s in charge of Major League Baseball B), commissioner Rob Manfred and st of the 29 other owners have taken omise of extra revenue, and have stood as the sport is being embarrassed by man’s belligerent hatred of his team’s ans. 58 years old, The Oakland Coliseum for fourth place as the oldest ballpark use by a Major League team. When moved from Kansas City to Oakland 68, it was because of the brand-new m. In 2024, they are leaving Oakland se of its poor conditions. To give the dit, it was pretty clear they needed a tadium. when it came time for a new stadium built, in 2018, after much negotiation, s and the city of Oakland agreed to a stadium at Howard Terminal, with mated cost for the city of around $350 n. According to Casey Pratt, now the of communications for the Oakland ’s office, but previously employed by cal ABC affiliate as the senior sports cer, the city allocated $375 million in nse to the estimate from the Athletics. the COVID-19 pandemic started, that ated number jumped to around $565 n. Pratt estimated that when Fisher nced plans to leave Oakland for Las , the city was less than $90 million from reaching the necessary funding e new stadium. It’s a lot of money to yman, but when stadiums cost billions illions of dollars, $90 million really hat much. e problem is, John Fisher bolted before the city a chance to collect the extra million. Fisher sold his share of the um for $125 million in August. The y was there, but Fisher was set to move ince MLB owners gave him the go to seek relocation. clear looking back that John Fisher his team apart intentionally well before nts to admit. It started when he traded starting pitcher Chris Bassitt during 22 offseason after a year he made the ar team for practically nothing in return. the days that followed, Fisher traded vorite first basemen Matt Olson and Sell The Team! As the conference season begins, the Harding women’s soccer team will search for its first conference tournament berth since 2021. Before their first Great American Conference (GAC) matchup, the Lady Bisons played five non-conference games to kickoff the 2024 season. The team collected their first win of the season Sept. 4 against Rogers State University. Harding collected a 1-0 victory following a goal from fifth-year forward Carmen Gunn. Sophomore goalkeeper Maysa Willis collected her third career clean sheet against the Hillcats. Willis said the defense has continued to build confidence ahead of the GAC season. “Our team cohesion out of the back was a lot better,”Willis said. “The energy all over the field really impacts our back line because we get more confidence.” It was a special game for Harding on and off the pitch. Women’s social club Delta Nu and men’s social club Knights hosted a soccer tailgate to support the women’s team. Furthermore, the two clubs supported two specific Lady Bisons during the tailgate. Senior midfielder Lauren Service is a Delta Nu member and Knights queen and sophomore forward Gabie Eddins is also a Knights queen. Service said the club tailgates have a true impact on the game being played. “It is hard to describe what it feels like to know that people are there to support you,” Service said. “It makes you want to do it for them.” Eddins said the events can benefit both the team and the clubs involved. “Having people out there to support helps us on the field,” Eddins said. “You are supporting your classmates, but it is also good for club recruitment.” The Lady Bisons began the conference season in Ada, Oklahoma, Sept. 5 against East Central University. Despite Harding’s vast chance creation, the game ended in a 0-0 draw against the Tigers. Service said the team play has looked good despite the goal-scoring struggles in non-conference play. “I really feel like we are in a good spot,” Service said. “We have the ability to be successful this season.” Harding will be back in action Oct. 3 as they host Southwestern Oklahoma State University at the Stephens Soccer Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Following their game against the Tigers, the Lady Bisons will have a day off before hosting Northwestern Oklahoma State University Oct. 5. NIC FRARACCIO editor-in-chief Women’s soccer starts GAC tilt Bisons extend country’s top winning streak 63-3 victory vs. Arkansas-Monticello puts winning streak at 22 Photo by ABIGAIL CALLICOAT Sophomore midfielder Kendall Jerkins attemps to get the ball past a defender druing the team’s home opener against Union (TN) Sept. 5. After 5 non-conference games, the Lady Bisons are preparing for their GAC conference games. Women’s soccer starts GAC tilt Story from The Bison Sept. 27, 2024; Vol. 100, No. 4. Opinion and graphics from The Bison Jan. 31, 2025; Vol. 100, No. 8. Story and photo from The Bison Oct. 25, 2024; Vol. 100, No. 6.
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