Thirty-six Student Orientation Staff (SOS) members welcomed new students to the CBC campus beginning on Saturday, Aug. 12. MUD Week, which is an acronym for Mustangs Under Development, officially kicked off with dinner that night. Following dinner, the new freshmen and transfer students were placed on one of four teams (Green, Orange, Red and Yellow) and they met their SOS leaders and other teammates.
MUD Week activities included events such as Bunco Night, Hunger Games, Karaoke Night, Minute to Win It, Capture the Flag, Water Games and finally concluded with the MUD Run on Thursday, Aug. 17, which was also the first day of classes for the Fall 2023 semester. The MUD run consisted of several relay games leading to a giant mud slide. The tradition is that once students slide down the MUD slide, they are officially Mustangs! Afterward, all students were invited to attend the Blue Party, where they were given a blue MUD Week t-shirt!
The class, hometown and major are listed below for each 2023 SOS member:
• Senior Team Leader Hannah Varnado (Sr.); Franklington, La.; Psychology and Counseling.
Abby’s Aliens (Green Team)
• Team Leader Abby Wilson (Jr.); Lufkin, Texas; Elementary Education.
• Team Members — Caleb Claiborne (Soph.), Clarksville, Music Education; Lydia Dunlap (Jr.), Conway, Middle level Education; Kane Harrell (Jr.), Conway, Health and Physical Education; Landon Hitchcock (Jr.), Broken Arrow, Okla., Business; Jayla Kramer (Sr.), Conway, Elementary Education; Joshua Ramirez (Soph.), Little Rock, Business; and Kailey Sullivan (Soph.), Conway, Communications.
Crymes’ Outlaws (Orange Team)
• Team Leader Mason Crymes (Jr.), Mt. View, English.
• Team Members — Anna Battenfield (Soph.), Gentry, English Education; Bryson Jones (Sr.), Conway, Business Management; Heidi Maxwell (Soph.), Saint Clair, Mo., General Studies; Sheridan Rogers (Jr.), Russellville, Exercise Science; Lily Seaver (Soph.), Montague, Mich., Business Management; Peyton Thomas (Soph.), Shreveport, La., Accounting; Heath Truett (Jr.), Conroe, Texas, Education; and Ashanti Williams (Sr.), Jonesboro, Elementary Education.
Grace’s Aces (Red Team)
• Team Leader Grace Vandergriff (Jr.), Lufkin, Texas, Communication.
• Team Members: Eden Brister (Jr.), Conway, Psychology and Counseling; Nathan Dodson (Sr.), Conway, Bible; Emily Gentry (Soph.), Greenbrier, Psychology and Social Services; Kimbrow Harrell (Jr.), Conway, Business; Aubrey Jackson (Sr.), Glen Rose, Exercise Science; Jack Papera (Jr.), Greenbrier, Bible; David Platt (Soph.), Tuckerman, Exercise Science; and Carolien Skinner (Jr.), Bryant, Psychology and Counseling.
Dilly’s Ducklings (Yellow Team)
• Team Leader Dilon Hall (Sr.), Damascus, Bible.
• Team Members: Andrew Davis (Jr.), Mena, Bible; Sierra Dodson (Sr.), Quitman, Psychology and Counseling; Rebecca Haney (Jr.), North Little Rock, Accounting; Cayce Harper (Sr.), Oklahoma City, Okla., Business Marketing; Audrey Johnson (Soph.), Jacksonville, Texas, Elementary Education; Abbie Rusher (Soph.), Greenbrier, Health Sciences; Parker Thomas (Soph.), Shreveport, La., Biology; and Trey Tippen (Soph.), North Little Rock, Exercise Science.
SOS Dinner & Awards
Student Orientation Staff is a group of returning CBC students whose primary role is to help new students feel welcome and at home at CBC. SOS team members are selected based on maturity, work ethic, friendliness and value-driven servant leadership.
New students entering CBC are faced with numerous questions related to registration, housing, financial concerns and academic survival. Each SOS member plays a vital role in helping new students with these and other questions and issues as well as building true relationships with them. SOS members are tasked to plan and implement activities to help new students develop lasting and meaningful relationships to help them feel connected to CBC.
SOS has been a highlight of CBC’s new student orientation program for well over a decade. The 2023 Student Orientation Staff was directed by Student Activities Coordinator Blake Pittman.
To celebrate SOS for their hard work and service during MUD Week, a dinner was held in their honor on the evening of Aug. 18. Team Leaders presented the SOS Spark Plug Awards (one per team) and the SOS Reflector Awards (one per team). The MUD Week 2023 Leader Award and the Team Spirit Award were also presented.
The SOS Spark Plug Award is given to the team member that is the heart of the team. This team member is energetic, encouraging and tireless in their efforts to motivate their team. Spark Plugs were awarded to Joshua Ramirez, Trey Tippen, Nathan Dodson and Heath Truett.
The SOS Reflector Award is given to the team member that best reflects the core values of SOS — respect for others, friendship, integrity, fun, service and servant leadership. Reflector Awards were awarded to Lydia Dunlap, Audrey Johnson, Caroline Skinner and Heidi Maxwell.
The MUD Week 2023 Leader Award is presented to the team member who excelled in their role on SOS. The award recipient is given an automatic spot as a Team Leader for the 2024 Student Orientation Staff, without having to go through the application and interview process. The Leader Award was presented to Joshua Ramierz.
The Team Spirit Award is presented to the team that goes above and beyond throughout the week. The team does an exceptional job planning their assigned events, is on time, is encouraging and helpful to the other teams and is actively engaging new students. The 2023 Team Spirit Award was presented to Dilly’s Ducklings, led by Dillon Hall.
Though MUD week can be a crazy time for both new students and members of the SOS, Student Activities Coordinator Blake Pittman said, “The SOS staff contributes many hours of prayer and preparation into MUD Week each year. It is always a tone-setting moment for the upcoming school year. I am excited to see what the rest of the year brings because of the excitement and encouraging moments I witnessed this week. Though tiring, MUD Week is always rewarding to SOS staff and freshmen alike!”
