Harding College - Petit Jean Yearbook (Searcy, AR)

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Support Reagan elected to a third term as governor of the state with a substantial victory over Repub- lican Woody Freeman. The Arkansas con- gressional delegation now stands at two Democrats in the Senate, three Democrats and one Republican in the House of Representatives. 2: net loss of one Republican seat in the House. Harding University students were par- ticularly active and involved in the 1984 election. For most of them it was their first ballot and one to long remember. Coliege Republicans, a campus organization, spon- sored a voting drive and over 800 students registered to vote locally. Even though there was some controversy over students voting locally, students were encouraged to go to the polls and cast their ballots ac- cording to their consciences. Most of the students voted in Searcy Ward 48 at the Heritage Center. With the exception of the governor's race. the students voted over- whelmingly Republican for every office. The Presidential results were Ronald Rea- gan 563 votes. David Bergland, a Liber- tarian candidate, two votes, Lyndon La- Rouche, the Independent Democrat one vote, and Walter Mondale 17 votes. In the U.S. Senate race Congressman Ed Bea thune had 485 votes and David Pryor 54 votes. The student vote in the US Senate race put Congressman Ed Bethune over the top in his own county, which is one of the few counties that Mr. Bethune had in the plus column. In the US. Congress race Judy Petty led the three candidates with 482 votes to Jim Tayloris 10 votes and Tommy Robinsonk 51 votes. There was almost an equal split for gevemor. Bill Clinton received 236 and Woody Freeman 267 votes. Students voted 204 to 84 for ordinance 6'75 and 194 to '77 for or- dinance 6741 Both of these had to do with annexation of sections outside Searcy to the city limits. In the county judgesl race, Democrat Waylon Heathscott received 59 votes and Republican Gerald Parish 338 votes. With the exception of the Presidential race, the students were largely out-OfsSte-P with the state wide results. This was especially true with some of the amend- ments. For example, amendment 67 which would have increased the sales tax for the benefit of the Game and Fish Com- mission failed state-wide by a 70 to 30 per cent margin. The students box voted 289 to 119 for the amendment. While the 1984 Presidential election broke many records, it will not go down in history as the most exciting. According to the polls, Walter Mondale never had a chance. He trailed badly all along and on election night only the margin of victory held the major interest, With the exception of the Second Congressional District race, the state and local elections were equally dull. The Democrats took all of the races. Yet, significantly different from the past, student involvement and participation was high with many young voters casting their first ballot. For many, the 1984 election did bring victory and excitement M - Dr. Thomas M. Howard Reagan is the Man of the Hour. Newly re: elected President Ronald Reagan waves to his fans as he walks with First Lady Nancy. - photo by Associated Press. I'm Making My Vote Count. Tom Hobbs casts his vote in one of the booths set up in the American Heritage Building. - photo by Wes Holland. Presidential Election 31

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Mondale is Welcomed in Iowa. Walter Mons date campaigns across the nation prior to ' November 6, 1984. - photo by Associated Press. Bethune Visits Harding. Republican congres- sionai candidate Ed Bethune visits Harding's campus as wel'i as Searcy during his unsuc- cessful campaign. - photo by Wes Holland. Campus Colored by Politics. Red, white, and blue dominates the Hammon Student Center weeks before the election as College Republicans set up a campaign booth hoping to sway student voters. - photo by Wes Holland. 30 Presidential Election Harding and Arkansas Record breaking events marked the 1984 elections on both the national and local levels. From the landslide victory for PreSident Ronald Reagan all the way down to the formation of a new democratic organization for Harding students, 1984 presented a number of allwtime firsts. President Reagan won reelection with 525 electoral votes which made him the largest electoral college winner in history. Mr. Reagan also became the first president ever to get more than 50 million votes and with 59 percent of the popular vote he is second only to Lyndon B. Johnsonts 61.1 percent in the history of the presidency; Walter Mondale, the Democratic Presiden- tial Nominee, attributed his landslide defeat to President Reaganis unshakable popularity. Given the small gain of GOP seats in the House and a loss of two seats in the Senate, Mr. Mondalds evaluation of the Presidential election seems accurate. The most plausible explanation for his 49 state electoral sweep was Mr. Reaganls personal popularity among the American people, Fifty-three Republicans and 47 Dem- ocrats now govern in the United States Senate. The Republicans gained 15 seats in the House of Representatives and now have a total of 182 while the Democrats still enjoy a narrowed majority of 253 seats. The Congressional election results indicate the Presidential election was not one of deep-seated concerns and issues, but one of a very popular president in a time of some economic progress and a weaker personality on the part of Walter Mondale. President Reagan, while savor- ing an immense personal triumph at the polls. already has begun work on a second term devoted to fending off higher taxes, dealing effectively with a record-setting deficit and revitalizing the arms-control pro- cess. Time will tell as to whether or not Mr. Reagan will be successful. Whether or not the election of 1984 goes clown in history as a watershed for the future posterity of the Republican Right is yet to be seen. Economic conditions and yet unknown events will tell the difference in the 1988 election about which rumors are already circulating. Republican Ho- ward Baker of Tennessee and Democrat Gary Hart of Colorado will be two of the highly probable candidates. Governor Cuomo of New York and Ted Kennedy are still outside chances to be the next leader of the Democratic party. Vice- President Bush certainly will be in a posit tion to help decide the future of the Repub- lican party. In the 1984 Arkansas state elections. Mr. Reagan won the state of Arkansas handily, but the Republican party in general did not make significant gains at the polls. Pulaski County Sheriff, Tommy Robinson, was elected with a plurality of the vote over Judy Petty and Jim Taylor. Senator David Pryor gained a second term with a substantial victory over Seatcy rest; dent and 2nd Congressional Congressman Ed Bethune in the Senate race. President Reagan's last minute historic visit to Arkan- sas for Petty and Bethune was not impor- tant to the outcome. Governor Clinton was -.

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32 Ministry of Quiet Encouragement Exemplifies Christianity tllf you want to catch someonels attention, whisperf' an old cliche, true, but an inspirr ing ministry on Hardingls campus is based on an idea much like it. The Campus Ministry, led by Dwight and Barby Smith, believes and is founded on the idea of Hquiet encourage- ment.w liThe whole approach of our ministry is not to make a big show. We really feel that this idea of quiet encouragement, not showy or ostentatious, is the way Christ would have us minister, Dwight stated. The program, which began in July, 1981, has grown to include a volunteer student team of over 250. The first semester the Campus Ministry team formed, it consisted only of eight studentsBarby attributes this incredible growth to one-on-one relationships. 0W2 have never advertised, not even just the fact there is a campus ministry team. We try to involve as many people as we can in ministering to one another, she explains. itWe try especially to encourage the leaders on campus to lead others to a closer relationship with God and one another? She felt the success of the program and the teams growth resultedfrom a natural desire to encourage and be encouraged. Dwight also felt the groups nature, non-selective, unclosed membership, allowed all involved to feel very at ease and welcome. The team which meets once each month is only the foundation for the work of the Campus Ministry. This group aids the Smithls in their work with the University. Five main projects demand much of their time: foreign student events, freshman-transfer events, the Adopt-a-StudentXFamily program, prayer meetings and devotionals in the dorms and apartments, and inter-club dinners. The foreign student events include monthly parties ranging from international dinners to gym-days. The Smiths also hold a Christmas party for those students away from their mother country. Throughout the year the students have opportunities to share with one another and others the culture of their homeland. These events are also designed to ac- quaint the students with one another and ease the burden of being so far from frineds and family. For many of the same reasons, the Smiths also work closely with freshmen and transfer students. Early in the summer each member of the campus ministry team receives the names and addresses of four or five new students enrolled for the fall semester. The team members then correspond with these students and by so doing ac- qaint them with Harding and what to expect while attending school. When the student arrives in September, a Harding friendship has already been established. The Smiths coisponsor the AdoptsasStudenttFamily program with the College church of Christ. This program allows Harding students to interact with families in Searcy and viceeversa. For many this helps ease homesickness, for others it simply provides a close relationship with another family group while separated from relatives. One of the most important aspects of the Campus Ministry work includes the prayer meetings and devotionals which it supports and encourages. These usually meet after curfew and allow the men and wornen to gather separately in smaller groups than the all- school devotionals and meetings. Topics at the devotionals range from dating to friend- ships to confidence. At the prayer meetings time is set aside to pray for individual needs and problems. These events come to hold a very special place in the hearts of those who participate. ' The inter-club dinners which began in 1983-84 as an experiment continued in 1984-85 and seemed to be setting a tradition. The dinners were held at the Smiths home each Sunday evening after late worship services. At the beginning of the year each menls and womenls club was drawn at random and two clubs who were not brother-bister clubs were invited to dinner on one of the Sunday nights. This idea became increasingly popular with the students and the Smiths decided to continue them. HOften campus sud- denly shrinks to that comfortable group or club and you stop reaching out, Barby ex- plains. The dinners, she said, helped the students to reach out without feeling awkward. In 1983-84 the Smiths welcomed over 1,000 students in their home through this pro- gram. Dwight and Barby Smith met at Harding, became engaged in a swing, were married at the College Church of Christ building, and experienced the birth of their first child in Searcy at Hawkins Clinic. Their relationshop with Harding continued as all of their children attended classes here and eventually they too returned from New Jersey to minister to Hardingls students and faculty. It is a relationship with a definite beginning point but without an ending. gg 7 Karen Roseberryl Campus Ministry nThe Balanced Woman. Barby Smith also spoke in the 6Ist Annual Bible Lectureship along with her duties at the Campus Ministry house. She lectured on tiThe Balanced Womanll during three consecutiue lessons for women. - photo by Wes Holland. From the Lily Pool to the lobby. Tim Gentry, a junior from Alabama, speaks at a Thursday night devotional which is one of the many pro- grams the Smithls and their Campus Ministry team encourages and supports. - photo by Wes Holland.