ARKADELPHIA, Ark.—Ouachita Baptist University’s 2020 production of Tiger Tunes REWIND has won a national Pivot Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Affiliated Student Advancement Program (CASE ASAP).

The Pivot Award was introduced by CASE ASAP this year to acknowledge changes made to programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s one of six national awards categories that recognize students, organizations and schools for achievement in college or university advancement. Other universities honored in the Pivot category include Virginia Polytechnic Institute and the University of California, Los Angeles.

“This award was a blessing and great representation of how hard the Ouachita community worked despite the obstacles of this past academic year,” said Tunes REWIND Assistant Director Maddie Bailey, a senior political science major from Bauxite, Ark. The production “surpassed all dreams and expectations. We set out with the goal of raising $10,000 and ended the night at $60,000.”

An adaptation of Tiger Tunes, the Ouachita Student Foundation’s annual flagship event of themed shows produced by Ouachita student organizations, Tunes REWIND showcased recordings of favorite shows from years past in a single virtual event. The fundraiser was available to watch online; winners were chosen by donations in a “give to vote” format, which OSF typically uses to determine the recipient of the event’s People’s Choice Award.

Each year, Tiger Tunes draws thousands of spectators to the Ouachita campus and raises more than $100,000 earmarked for student scholarships. Since COVID-19 restrictions prevented the production of a live show in 2020, OSF members reimagined Tunes and created a new format in order to sustain fundraising for the academic year.

“After Tiger Tunes 2020 was canceled, my initial concern was how we would be able to raise enough money for student scholarships. When the idea of Tunes REWIND presented itself, we knew it was our best chance for making this happen,” said OSF President Anna Roussel, a senior communications & media/strategic communications and political science double major from Searcy, Ark. “Knowing our peers rely on these scholarships to stay on campus provided all the motivation we needed to successfully execute REWIND. The Ouachita community is always so supportive of what we do, and I think the nostalgia of Tunes REWIND was something everyone could buy into and enjoy.”

Bailey added, “That night will forever be a favorite Ouachita memory for me as I got to sit on the lawn of Cone-Bottoms Hall refreshing the fundraising page and watching thousands of dollars roll in so quickly, all for student scholarships.” 

Within days of its premiere, Tunes REWIND raised more than $65,000 toward OSF’s year-end fundraising total of $100,000.

“We are so excited and honored to receive this recognition for pivoting during the pandemic,” said Jon Merryman, director of OSF and alumni relations. “Our students and alumni really embraced the online Tunes REWIND format, allowing us to continue our mission of ‘students helping students’ by providing scholarships helping juniors and seniors complete their degrees. With every student organization in the country having to pivot, what an honor to be recognized by CASE ASAP.”

CASE in an international organization that serves educational institutions in the areas of communications, marketing, alumni relations and development. Within CASE, ASAP helps organizations such as OSF elevate their programs and practices. It has honored OSF twice before, recognizing Tiger Tunes as Outstanding Advancement Program in 2018 and the group itself as one of three Outstanding Student Advancement Organizations in the country in 2019.

OSF has raised $1.8 million for Ouachita student scholarships since its inception in 1974. Besides overseeing fundraising efforts, OSF members serve as ambassadors for the university president and work closely with the university’s admissions and recruitment offices.

For more information about the Ouachita Student Foundation or Tiger Tunes 2021, contact Jon Merryman at [email protected] or (870)245-5500. Watch Tiger Tunes REWIND on the Ouachita YouTube channel here.