th e Tower Volume 9 | Issue 6 | Central Baptist College | February 19, 2016 | Conway, AR

HEART “...but the greatestof these isLOVE”

Contents03 Homecoming04 House on South05 Perspective06 Tacos4Life07 Friendships08

Women’s Basketball

The TowerCentral Baptist College

1501 College Ave. Conway, Arkansas 72034

(501) 205-8802thecbctower@gmail.com

Cj McClung - Managing EditorMati Spencer - Page EditorKelly Gordon - Page EditorHannah Bowen - Page EditorJessica Jones - Page EditorJake Tyson - Senior ReporterDaniel Slusser- Senior Reporter

Jessica Sawyer - Senior ReporterJon Sims - Senior ReporterYoYo Cho- PhotographerRuth Cheng- PhotographerPranay Borde- PhotographerBridnei Smith- PhotographerChelsea Reichert- Distribution ManagerAnn Gardner - Adviser

The Tower is a student-produced, monthly publication of Central Baptist College. The newspaper is a public forum, and reflects the views of the writers and editors. It does not reflect the views of CBC, its faculty, staff, administration, board of trustees or the BMA of Arkansas. Readers may send letters to the editor at thecbctower@gmail.com, with the author’s name, or drop the letter off at room number KB106 in

the Cooper Complex. The Tower reserves the right to edit or reject any letter, column or advertisement.

Freshmen Taylor Gasaway and Jessica Hager exihibit their love for the campus on a sunny afternoon.Cover Photo:Yoyo Cho | the Tower

Yoyo Cho

Winning photography from December 3’s Gallery X was a sunflower taken by senior Yoyo Cho, chosen by facilty and staff, and a light post in downtown Conway by junior Raquel Westerman, chosen by students.

Raquel Westerman

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February 19, 2016

Jake TysonReporter{ {

The air fills with the smell of funnel cakes as students play carnival games, color shirts at a tie-dye station and jump in a moon-bounce house. This cele-bration will take place on Friday, February 19, one of many activ-ities for the 2016 Homecoming.

“This year we’ve added the Mus-tang Carnival Friday night,” says Meagan Lowry, alumni coordinator.

The carnival is just one of the festivities that will take place during Homecoming week. Monday through Thurs-day was packed with events tai-lored specifically for students.

Senior Alyssa Fontillas, sophmore Mati Spencer, junior Addie Bender, junior Krista Abel, sophomore Lenee Gib-son, sophomore Hannah Bowen, and junior Chelsea Reichert as the 2016 homecoming court.

There’s no place like home-coming

“In years past, Homecoming has really been focused on alumni,” says Michael Mayo, director of campus life.

This year, Mayo says, students had their own share of events, such as hall decorating contests. Events during the weekend will be more for alumni.

“Before that, it’s stu-dent-focused,” Mayo says.

The weekend events will start on Friday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. with the Stampede Open House, during which prospective students will come to the Community Room and learn about the campus. Af-ter the open house, there will be a chili cook-off from 4:30 p.m. until the carnival starts at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, February 20, Homecoming events will contin-ue with an SOS Reunion in the

Community Room from 10-11 a.m. and the Alumni and Friends Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. Lowry says about 150 alumni plan to re-turn for Homecoming each year.

“The alumni luncheon is where we see the biggest num-ber come back,” Lowry says.

After the luncheon, the Hoshaw event will begin in the Story Li-brary. Rita Hoshaw, the wid-ow of CBC’s former president, Ralph Bradley Hoshaw, donat-ed many of his personal belong-ings to the library, Lowry says.

“She has everything from when he was a student here to when he was president,” says li-brarian Rachel Whittingham.

The donated items include Hoshaw’s degrees, diplomas and

pictures, along with his clari-net and a gold pocket watch giv-en to him by CBC’s Class of 1984.

Finishing out the Homecoming weekend will be two basketball games on Saturday afternoon, the Lady Mustangs at 2 p.m. and the Mustangs at 4 p.m. Both teams will be playing against Hannibal-LaGrange Uni-versity in A.R. Reddin Fieldhouse. Between the games, the Homecom-ing Court will be presented, includ-ing the new Homecoming Queen.

“I have high hopes this will be the best Homecoming CBC has ever seen,” Lowry says. “Everyone in-volved in planning Homecoming has gone above and beyond this year to fill up an entire week with events that both students and alumni can enjoy!”

What homecoming event are you most excited for?Basketball Games

29Crowning of homecoming queen

7Mustang Carnival

SOS Reunion

Chili Cookoff

4

4

3

FeaturesPage 4

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Conway college ministries create positive atmosphere

Jessica Jones | the Tower

City Church band perfroms for service. Students enjoy worship music before the message.

{Catey PayneReporter{

Community is when believers live in unity as the body of Christ. When asked to define City Church or their college ministry, College City, students often sum it up with that one word.

Every Sunday morning there is a gathering at the Boys and Girls Club where a sermon is delivered by either lead pastor Joey Cook, ex-ecutive pastor Daniel Tyler or collegiate pastor Matt Hepp. On Thursdays, College City meets at the House on South, located at 1950 South Blvd., to have their nightly service.

City Church just seemed to click with junior Jacob Lowery.

“I struggled with finding a church home for a year,” Lowery said. “But as soon as I waked into this church, I felt like I belonged. It was home to me.”

Junior Megan Speer describes her first im-pression of the College City as welcoming and genuine.

“They seemed to be comfortable in their own skin, and yet were very real and down-to-earth,” she said.

Speer remembers how closed off she used to be, and how open she says she has become with College City’s help.

“The friends I’ve made there have taught me that it’s okay to share burdens, because we were

meant to walk through life together,” she says. Speer describes College City as a place where you can be 100 percent yourself, and know you are loved.

City Church offers city groups and colligate internships, with an internship specific to CBC stu-dents launching in the spring of 2016. City groups are a small-group format that meet each week to spend time in fellowship with one another.

“The internship is designed for people who want to spend the next few years of life seeking the heart of God and being poured into so they can be effec-tive leaders,” Hepp says.

The goal is to eventually have interns be part of the leadership team.

“The leadership is good at teaching how to serve well, so that when those opportunities arise, people jump on them,” says Lowery.

These acts of service help to bring City Church members together, enabling them to know each other better and to build trust, he says.

“It’s an incredibly positive environment where God is promoted above all other things and people are truly cared about,” Lowery says.

“God is working in big ways through the growth of City Church,” says Jade Williams, freshman.

Just two years old, it has expanded to having two services on both Sunday mornings and Thursday nights for College City.

“City Church has helped me realize my faith in Christ is not supposed to be private. It is meant to be shared with others,” says Hepp.

City church provides haven for local college students

What is your favorite part about church?

Worship- 22Message-5

Small Groups- 5Fellowship- 6

Community- 5All- 4

47 students surveyed on February 3, 2016.

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Conway college ministries create positive atmosphere

Jessica Jones | the Tower

February 19, 2016

{Catey PayneReporter{

Perspective allows fellowship and worship

Perspective, a college ministry located at Antioch Baptist Church, is another example of what it means to come together as Chris-tians and live in true fellowship. Perspective is known as a very personal and raw place of worship according to group members. Starting at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, students gather to hear the sermon given by Shawn Hammontree, Antioch college pastor and director of Perspective. Hammontree says, “Beginning with members primarily from CBC, the ministry has really taken off in the past few years.”

Perspective is made up of students from CBC, University of Central Arkansas, Arkan-sas State University at Beebe, Hendrix College, University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton, and University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

“It’s such an amazing way to get involved with college kids at other schools around Conway outside of CBC. It brings believers together from all over,” says sophomore Casey Slayton.

There are lots of great preachers in Conway, but what is it that draws so many students to this particular college ministry? The factor that sets Perspective over the top is often cred-ited to Hammontree’s unique way to make

each person feel individually cared about. “He is very good at remembering people

and making effort to learn every new per-son’s name each week,” says senior Lauren Eyre.

Students says it’s even small things about Hammontree that draws in members, such a taking the time to notice when they are absent, and sending text messages, saying he missed them when they weren’t there that really makes all the difference.

The impact that Hammontree and his wife, Tonya, have had on Eyre doesn’t stop there. For her, the Hammontrees are much more than just her pastor and pastor’s wife.

“They have impacted me in a huge way. They’ve taken me in as family, and I con-sider them to be my ‘Arkansas parents’,” she says. “We get to move past shallow relation-ships with each other and really open up so we can get to know each other.”

Whether through their men’s and women’s small groups, retreats, prayer meetings at Panera or through game nights, everyone at Perspective takes the time to connect at a deeper level.

“Lots of people walk away from their faith after high school, and I want to stand in the gap so that they can serve God post-high school and into adulthood, without wasting these years of their life,” says Hammontree.

Every week at worship, it’s evident that loads are being taken off of people’s backs,

says sophomore Preston Jones. “God has used Perspective as a refuge

and a mid-week re-filling of God’s Word for stressed out students,” says Jones.

Jessica Jones | the TowerPerspecive band provides worship music to students.

OpinionPage 6

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Local restaurant deserves praise{Daniel Slusser

Reporter{

If you’ve been around Conway for a while, or even if you have only been here for a few months, then you know how much everyone has fallen in love with Tacos 4 Life.

This restaurant, which has locations on both Salem and Oak, has quickly become a town fa-vorite, due to the uniqueness of the southwestern style food, the fun and festive atmosphere, and their remarkable passion to help provide meals for the hungry. T4L not only feeds the grum-bling bellies of the locals, but they are raising thousands upon thousands of meals for starving children across the globe. When you buy a meal at T4L, you are also purchasing meals to be sent to those who are less fortunate. Because of their stewardship business model, along with the outstanding food, this restaurant has become a

personal favorite of mine. The first time I went to Tacos 4 Life, I was

incredibly overwhelmed by the dynamic and diverse menu. They have everything from classic quesadillas to Asian-inspired tacos. I never order the same thing as they have so much to offer. I have never been disappointed with my food!

The atmosphere of the restaurant and the atti-tude of the employees is something else that has really impressed me. T4L is decorated with bright colors, mismatching chairs, and a slew of mis-cellaneous items that create the coolest environ-ment for the customers. The décor really sets the tone for a fun, energetic, and community-focused experience that you will have when you eat there.

I have lived in this area my entire life, so I have been to many of the restaurants here in Conway, knowing what each has to offer, and ever since Tacos 4 Life opened a little over a year ago, I have

recommended it over and over again to those who are new to the area and to those who are just looking for a good taco! I personally don’t know of another place that offers phenomenal food, while at the same time, changing lives of children who are in desperate need. If you can’t tell by now, I am most definitely a fan.

Eat tacos; save lives

What does your relationship with Jesus look like?

Many times in college, we seem to pass up the opportunity to really get to know the character and identity of God. As we are mak-ing decisions that may affect us for the rest of our lives, we get so caught up in what we need to do for ourselves rather than what we can do to greater glorify our creator and grow closer to Him.

Throughout our college years, we build many close friendships, make countless mem-ories, pursue our goals and ambitions and maybe even find our “special someone”. While all of this is great, our most important priority should be growing our relationship with the Lord. He has gifted us with so much love and

grace and we should deeply desire to live a life that glorifies his Holy name.

Our main focus should always be on Jesus Christ. This doesn’t just mean that we read our Bibles and that we try not to sin. Christianity is so much more than that. We need to be actively involved in church. We need to seek community and accountability. We need to serve others more than we serve ourselves. And above all else, we need to relentlessly chase after Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to “…look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect.”

So ask yourself these crucial questions: What is at the center of your life? Is it Jesus? Or is it something that ultimately has no eternal value?

Pursue what matters. Jesus matters.

Having a heart for JesusMeredith Hammontree | the Tower

Tacos 4 Life is located at 716 Oak Street.

Ruth Cheng | the TowerFreshman Amanda Hall reads her Bible in the Story Library. She works to deepen her relationship with God.

Making time despite busy schedules{Meredith Hammontree

Reporter{

EditorialPage 7

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T h e h e ar t o f f r i e n d s h ip

s t a f f e d i t o r i a lthe C H I M E

From the time we are old enough to understand what it is to socialize, we begin to form friendships with those around us. Even as toddlers, we interact with others our age and form bonds of friendship. But the older we get, the more we begin to truly realize what friendship is, and the more important it becomes to us.

College friendships tend to last even longer than friendships we make in high school. Those we grow close to in college will often stay with us for the rest of our lives.

For Christians, it is especially important to have good, stable friendships to keep us going. Although Jesus Christ should be

our closest friend, the Bible clearly shows how important it is to find other believers in Christ and form bonds with them.

Even before the days of Christ, we see friendships form in the Bi-ble. Perhaps the greatest example is that of David and Jonathan, son of Saul. For David and Jonathan, the Bible says in 1 Samuel 18:1, “Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.” These two friends were so connected that their two souls were as one. Jonathan, the heir to the throne, gave David his birth-right both in reality, and sym-bolically, when he gave David his clothes, his sword and his bow in 1 Samuel 18:4.

Jonathan even put his loyalty to David above his loyalty to his father. In 1 Samuel 20:33, when Saul tried to kill David in a rage,

Jonathan protected David, to the point that Saul tried to murder Jonathan with a spear. Finally, in 1 Samuel 20:42, Jonathan sacri-ficed his friendship with David by telling him to run away, because his father was set on killing him.

This is perhaps one of the greatest examples of broth-erhood, and we as Christians should seek to emulate it in our own friendships. We should buffer each other and help each other to grow stronger in our love for God and for others, and in our service to God.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another,” says Proverbs 27:17.

We “sharpen” each other by

being friends. A Christian should help his friend become a better Christian and steer him away from wrong decisions. Often two min-istry-minded people will discuss aspects of the Scriptures for long periods of time, sharpening each other’s wit and intellect.

In a world where social media is so prevalent, we have it easier than perhaps any other generation in keeping in contact with friends. Even if, after college, we live hun-dreds or thousands of miles away from those we were privileged to be friends with during these four years, we can still keep in con-tact much more easily than ever before.

So, keep sharpening each other. Friendships are important and we should never neglect them. God gave us the ability and the desire to have friends for a reason. We should not let that ability go to waste.

Who’s your best friend?

Senior Grace Sanders with her best friend, Aaron New behavioral sciences chair

Junior Marley Ruple with her best friend, junior Sam Long

Freshman Hopi Horvat with her best friends junior Paige McCain and freshman Au-tumn Jones

Junior Carter Mayo and his best friend, freshman Austin Lewis

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Senior Rachel Etherington enjoys pushing herself through the hard work out sessions and practices to become a better shooting guard for the women’s basketball team.

Etherington came to CBC from Union University in Jackson, TN. She will be graduating this May.

Etherington has been playing basketball for 13 years. She says she plays because it is a sport that comes

naturally to her, and because she has a passion for it.

“It’s something that I can just do to enjoy and it’s not necessarily something I have to work for. It’s just something I can do for fun,” she says.

Etherington is a kinesiology major with a focus in Exercise Science. She is considering becoming a person-al trainer or a chiropractor. She says being a kinesiology major has helped her become a better athlete by showing her how workouts affect her ability to play basketball.

{{ Jessica Sawyer Reporter

Jessica Sawyer | the Tower

CBC Mustangs Senior Rachel Etherington before practice.

Player profile: Rachel Etherington

Ruth Cheng | the Tower

Jon SimsReporter{ {

Junior Lady Mustang DeNesha Dillard passes the ball during the William Woods game.

Lady Mustangs take the court

“It’s given me more of a passion to want to work out. It’s helped me realize the importance of that, and to appreciate being able to have that opportunity,” she says.

Overall, the team has won four conference games this season. Ether-ington says the positive relationships between teammates has been helpful with team dynamics on and off the court.

“I’m pretty close to most, if not all, my teammates,” Etherington says. “We’re like a family.”

The Lady Mustangs have had a short bench all season, oftentimes with only seven or eight players available for each game. Add on com-peting in a new conference, and playing with a limited roster is just another obstacle they have been willing to face.

Even with all of this, junior DeNesha Dillard thinks the Mustangs are playing well together.

“I honestly feel like this has been a journey,” she said. “Only the strong survive… we’re fig-uring it all out, that we’re all we have.”

Junior Aaliyah Block compared practice time to that of a roller coaster ride.“Not all of us would be there at the same times, so we would still have to go through the drills with the few [players] we had,” Block said.

Practicing with less than 10 players makes it hard to do anything but drills. Without enough to play five on five, the preparation for games is

difficult. “At first in my head all I could think about

was how could this be possible,” Block said.But the Lady Mustangs have shown resilience,

winning four games and losing one in presea-son games not deemed exhibitions.

Block recognizes that just because the team hasn’t had a deep bench doesn’t mean their op-ponents are playing a lot of players, either.

“We only had eight girls, but then again you have to think about it all the other teams we have played this year have had more players then us, but only played six or seven girls,” Block said.

The team has remained positive about what they have been able to accomplish on the court.

“We’re pressing strong and giving it all we’ve got!” said Dillard. “We’re playing better as a TEAM.”