@HUStudentPubs Facebook: Harding University Student Publications
A H A R D I N G U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D E N T P U B L I C AT I O N 2A
NEWS
THE
November 6, 2020 Vol. 96, No. 07
Online at TheLink.Harding.edu
OPINIONS
3&4A
SPORTS
1&2B
FEATURES
3B
LIFESTYLE
4B
Searcy, Ark., 72149
McLarty to retire mid-year Photo by AUDREY JACKSON
University President Bruce McLarty speaks to students and faculty during the lighting ceremony on the front lawn Nov. 2. The Harding University Board of Trustees announced McLarty’s retirement the previous week on Oct. 30.
University announces Dr. Burks to resume role Dec. 1 MADISON SCOTT editor-in-chief Last Friday, Oct. 30, the Harding University Board of Trustees announced University President Bruce McLarty’s retirement, effective Nov. 30. This announcement came on the Friday of Homecoming weekend and exactly one month before McLarty’s retirement will take effect. McLarty is the fifth president to serve at Harding, and the only one to retire in the middle of an academic year. The Board of Trustees met in Searcy Friday, Oct. 23. The Oct. 30 email said that “recent economic and higher education trends have created an extremely challenging business environment that has impacted the institution, leading the board to make a change.” Chancellor David Burks, who was University president from 1987-2013, will resume this role beginning Dec. 1 while a committee is formed to oversee a broader presidential search.
“This is a sad time,” Burks said. “This is a tough transition. All transitions are hard whenever you have a change in presidents, but when you have one in the middle of the year, I think it’s harder. I respect Dr. McLarty a great deal, love him very much, appreciate all that he has done and wish him the very best.” In 2011, Burks also announced his retirement during Homecoming weekend; however, his would not take effect until spring 2013, giving the board and search committee — which was composed of then-current chairman of the board and six other board members — over one year to select a new president. “This is definitely not typical for Harding presidential retirements,” Hannah Wood, archives and special collections librarian, said. “They’ve usually occurred at the end of a school year.” Senior Ellie Akins said she was shocked by both the timing and content of McLarty’s announced retirement. “I was so shocked by the announcement on
Friday,” Akins said. “I never once considered losing Dr. McLarty as a president during my time at Harding as even a possibility, so hearing that was very surprising.” For his second time assuming this role, Burks said it is different in a lot of ways. “It’s not the same as it was in 1987 when I was young, excited and enthusiastic and didn’t know what was in front of me,” Burks said. “So, it’s different. I do know what the job entails — I did it for 26 years — and I know it’s tough to take over in the middle of a COVID-19 year, but as I told Dr. Walker … I’ll simply do the best I can until a new person is selected.” Junior Hannah Arnold also said she was shocked and confused by the announcement. “It just doesn’t seem real still,” Arnold said. “I’m very anxious for this transition that is happening in the middle of this year. I feel like it will be very apparent on campus next semester and it will be different for all of us. [McLarty] really cares about us as people, not just numbers.”
Burks said there is no definite time frame for when a new president will be selected. “They simply don’t want to be in a hurry,” Burks said. “They want to have enough time to do a thorough job — [it could be] a year, it could be a little less than a year, it might even be a little bit more than a year. They have not set a definite timetable other than they want to have enough time to do a thorough job, and I commend them for that.” Burks said his focus for his time as president is similar to that of McLarty’s: to continue Harding’s mission of providing the best Christian education and college experience possible for students. As mentioned in the University’s original email, Burks said he also wishes to increase enrollment numbers for the school. SEE MCLARTY, PAGE 2A
DPS alters safety Country awaits 2020 procedures after on-campus presidential election results harassment incident
Photo by AUDREY JACKSON
A Harding student uses their ID to enter the Mildred Taylor Stevens Art and Design Center after 5 p.m., Oct. 27. GAEL LANGDON news editor During the two weeks after a man was accused of harassing several students on campus Thursday, Oct. 22, the Harding administration and the Department of
Campus holds lighting ceremony early, 2A
Public Safety (DPS) worked on improving response protocol for DPS, as well as for students who find themselves in a situation where they feel unsafe. Friday, Oct. 30, Harding released a campus-wide email concerning DPS efforts, encouraging the campus community that the administration, along with DPS, were working to ensure the safest environment possible. After the incident on Oct. 22, Harding sent a notification to the campus community at 10:35 a.m. the next day. In the email on Oct. 30, Harding wrote that DPS leadership “has developed a better process to ensure campus warning messages go out in a timely manner.” Harding announced a new effort for the Student Life office and DPS to work more closely together to ensure more in-depth assistance for students after an incident. SEE DPS, PAGE 2A
ERIC JOHNSON beat reporter
For the first time in 20 years, the media has not called a presidential race on election night. Regardless of the Electoral College outcome, it appears that former Vice President Joe Biden will win the popular vote, just as Hillary Clinton did in 2016. Both candidates addressed their supporters on election night, yet with very different messages. Speaking at a drive-in rally in Delaware, Biden encouraged supporters to “keep the faith,” while also calling for patience. “We’re going to have to be patient until the hard work of tallying votes is finished,” Biden said. “We’re feeling good about where we are.” Meanwhile, Trump held a White House press conference where he claimed to have already won the election.
“We were getting ready to win this election; frankly, we did win this election,”Trump said. Trump went on to suggest that voter fraud was threatening the election’s credibility and indicated that his campaign will seek legal action. “This is a major fraud on our nation,” Trump said. “We want the law to be used in a proper manner, so we will be going to the U.S. Supreme Court.” SEE ELECTION, PAGE 1B
Graphic by ISABELLE CUTTS
In This Issue Spectators enjoy club sports again, 1B
HUG cook creates= cookbook, 3B
Cultivating cozy corners, 4B