Tacker’s Shake Shack of Marion, Arkansas, announced plans to open a new location in the University’s Student Center on their Facebook page on Dec. 22. As of Jan. 19, the Tackers plan to hold a grand opening the week of Jan. 31. The new location will replace Tu Taco in the pit of the Student Center. 

The American Studies Institute hosted Tim Tebow — NCAA champion, Heisman Trophy winner, ESPN commentator and author — Jan. 18 in the Benson Auditorium at Harding University for a lecture titled “The Power of Persistence: Lessons in Leadership and Life.”

Harding University canceled the first week of chapel for the 2022 spring semester to assess the health of the campus community while the omicron variant of COVID-19, which is known for its high transmissibility rate, spread throughout the U.S. Chapel resumed Tuesday, Jan. 18 after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. 

Searcy is currently experiencing a dramatic increase in active COVID-19 cases, which is consistent with the rest of the state and country, largely due to the new omicron variant. Local health care providers, such as Unity Health, are struggling to keep up with and manage the increasing COVID-19 numbers.

Several students, from a variety of majors, are taking on internships this semester. Some students will be gone for up to eight weeks, while others for only a week. One such student is sophomore Topher Hearn, an accounting major interning at CBIZ in Memphis, Tennessee. 

The first two Searcy Historic Christmas Tours were held Saturday, Dec. 4, and the White county Historical Society plans to host two more tomorrow.

A group of people at Harding began organizing the first Searcy spring break mission trip this fall, with the goal of helping students connect with local residents and organizations.

Start Her Running took a group of approximately 50 students to run in the St. Jude half marathon and 10K in Memphis, Tennessee, on Dec. 4.

The Harding men’s and women’s track and field teams began their 2021-22 competition schedule in Pittsburg, Kansas, on Dec. 4 and 5. The teams traveled to compete in two events hosted by Pittsburg State University at the Robert W. Plaster Center.

The Harding University Department of Music hosted three concerts between Dec. 2-6 in collaboration with multiple of Harding’s ensembles and First United Methodist Church.