The Messenger - Fall 2017

THE MCMURRY UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS

FALL2017

ANTHONY WILLIAMS ’93 From McMurry to the Mayor’s Office

FROMTHEPRESIDENT

Alumni and Friends,

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s we end the first semester of 2017-18 academic year at McMurry, we are excited about the progress we have made to reach the goals we set for our Centennial in 2023. For the third consecutive year, enrollments has increased so that McMurry University now educates over 1,100 students from 11 different countries. This fall is characterized by new academic and student affairs programming, new additions to continuing partnerships, and a new intercollegiate sport.

Here are some highlights of the additions to our campus this year: On the academic front, we added a new major in Criminology this fall – and an online major in Criminal Justice will launch in January, pending final approval by our accrediting agency. Enrollments have doubled in our on-line general business degree, which is designed for non-traditional students. We completed the $10,000,000 campaign to endow the Walter F. and Virginia Johnson School of Business, which will help fund new initiatives and new scholarships.

We are offering our students an enhanced fall programing schedule in an intentional effort to provide activities for students on the weekends. This summer on campus we developed a communication plan specifically for first year students, and continued our efforts to strengthen connections with families by providing additional family events during SOAR, Welcome Week, and this fall, Family Weekend.

McMurry recently completed a two-year selfstudy on the internationalization of the campus. The self-study was accomplished with the guidance of the American Council on Education and a cohort of twelve other universities. We are also working on internationalizing the co-curriculum, seeking ways to ensure that domestic and international students learn from each other, and developing additional study abroad opportunities. Like internationalization, interfaith studies and leadership are ways to prepare students to live and work in a global context and we are working on developing a minor in Interfaith Studies or Interfaith Leadership.

This is a very exciting year for McMurry University’s partnership with the Abilene Independent School District. We have expanded from 24 students to 48 and from one to two teachers in this gifted and talented program for AISD fifth graders. The newly named “Center for Innovation” is housed in two classrooms in the Iris Graham Education Building. Both faculty and education students assist in delivering art, science, music, PE, and Spanish instruction. The Curriculum and Instruction department has pre-clinical teaching students assisting in math and reading. Fifth grade students get a chance to see what life is like on a real university campus.

And finally, in the athletics area, softball is making its debut as an intercollegiate sport on the McMurry University Campus during the 2017-18 school year.

Under the leadership of Head Coach David McNally ’07, the inaugural War Hawks team is expecting a roster of over 25 players to take on a schedule which will include many top-ranked opponents. The full schedule is available on the athletics website – mcmurrysports.com – and the team will be playing its home games on a local Abilene city field until a stadium of our own is completed. When the McMurry softball team begins play next spring, we hope that everyone will make plans to take part in supporting the softball team during this historic season.

The enrollment increases, new programs, and the new sport are all examples of the vitality of the McMurry University experience!

SANDRA S. HARPER, PH.D. PRESIDENT

FALL2017 A PUBLICATION OF MCMURRY UNIVERSITY

PRESIDENT

Dr. Sandra S. Harper VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS/ DEAN OF THE FACULTY

Dr. James Hunt VICE PRESIDENT OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

David Heringer VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

Lisa Williams VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Debra Hulse ’80 DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Sam Ferguson UNIVERSITY CHAPLAIN & DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Rev. Marty CashBurless ’78 EDITORIAL OFFICE PUBLISHER

Daniel Manson EDITOR

Gary Ellison DESIGNER

Craftsman Printers PHOTOGRAPHERS

Stephanie Ellison Steve Butman Matt Tate Laurel Cochran CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jennifer Pilgrim Loretta Fulton Wendy Taylor Dave Beyer Gary Ellison 1 McMurry University #938 Abilene, Texas 79697 325-793-4610 mcm.edu marketing@mcm.edu THE MESSENGER is published by McMurry University. ©2017 McMurry University.

The views and opinions presented in this publication are not necessarily those of the editors or the official policies of the University.

TO UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS: 325-793-4750 goodnature.patricia@mcm.edu

inthisissue

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From McMurry to the Mayor’s Office Passion for Community Service Emerged on Campus

10 14 16

Public Service

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A Fork in the Road

The McMurry Colorguard sings the Alma Mater at Homecoming.

DEPARTMENTS 2 Around Campus 22 Alumni and Friends Corner 24 Class Notes 27 Athletics 28 Friends We’ll Miss

Fits Alumnus “To a T” SOCIAL.MCM.EDU

Homecoming Celebrating Our Connections

Learning to Understand In a World Filled with Differences Student Volunteers to Help Refugees

Opens the Door to Service

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AROUNDCAMPUS Community Leader Receives Honorary Doctorate Abilene businessman and community leader Tucker Bridwell received the Honorary Doctorate of Humanities during McMurry University’s 2017 Commencement on May 13 in Hunt P.E. Center.

Bridwell served on the McMurry University Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1999. During that time, he served one term as chair, was part of the steering committee for the Shaping the Future Campaign which raised $39 million, and since 1997 has been extraordinarily instrumental in ensuring support to local charities and Abilene universities.

Through his 16 years of service on the McMurry Board of Trustees, Bridwell supported the mission and goals of the University’s focus on academic excellence, contributed financial support to move the University toward achieving its goals, and drew on his strong business acumen to provide guidance and counsel to the president and the board leadership. He played a pivotal role in helping the University launch a $10,000,000 campaign to endow the Walter F. and Virginia Johnson School of Business, ensuring that McMurry students will receive the highest possible quality business education and opportunities to build their resumes through experiencing internships, externships and travel abroad.

Band and Chanters to Perform at Carnegie Hall The McMurry University band and chanters will perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 15, 2018. The two groups will travel to New York City for a four-day residency, and share the stage for a concert performance in Carnegie’s main performance venue, the Isaac Stern Auditorium.

Located in midtown Manhattan, Carnegie Hall is home to three performance spaces. Opened in 1891, the venue is one of the most prestigious concert locations in the world and has hosted more than 46,000 performances. Carnegie Hall was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1962.

The McMurry band and choral programs were established in 1923 and will celebrate their 95th anniversaries along with McMurry University in 2018.

The McMurry concert band and Wind Ensemble, is directed by Dr. David Robinson, director of bands. Dr. Robinson is in his fifth year at McMurry; this is his second appearance at Carnegie Hall. The Chanters are directed by Dr. David Wallis, director of choral activities. Dr. Wallis is currently the chair of the Department of Music and has been with McMurry for eight years. This will be the second ensemble he has taken to Carnegie Hall.

Band Director Gives Presentation Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music David Robinson has been accepted as a presenter for the 2017 Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference. Dr. Robinson will co-present an hour-long clinic entitled “S.M.A.L.L. Band Programs: Strategies for Success” with Dr. Brandon Robinson, associate director of bands at Wake Forest University. The Midwest Clinic will be held December 20-23, 2017, at McCormick Place West in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1946, the Midwest Clinic is the largest instrumental music education conference in the world, with an average attendance of 17,000.

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AROUNDCAMPUS direction, reviewing proposals, and getting fast-track decisions on personal book proposals.

Also, Dr. Hollingsworth’s new book, Native America in the 21st Century, has been published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

The book, which is dedicated to McMurry’s first president Dr. J.W. Hunt, investigates the social problems and the status of Native Americans in the United States in the twenty-first century. It identifies and describes Professor Joins the social problems faced by Native Cambridge Scholars Americans today, and brings up a Editorial Board valuable argument: Have the Native Dr. Jerry W. Hollingsworth ’94, professor Americans really assimilated? of sociology and criminology, was

Dr. Hollingsworth has spent invited to become a member of the the past fourteen years travelling to Editorial Advisory Board for Cambridge developing countries, researching and Scholars Publishing for the Humanities observing various social conditions in and Social Sciences. Founded by former Latin America, Africa and Asia. He has lecturers and researchers from the published two other books as well, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Children of the Sun: An Ethnographic Scholars Publishing prints original Study of the Street Children of Latin academic work across a wide range of America, and The Social Problems of subjects, with a particular focus on The Children in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. numerous articles and studies on the

His responsibilities include social problems of children and their editorial duties, as well as having development. His most recent research the opportunity to shape and guide has involved the social problems of Cambridge’s future publishing Native Americans.

Alumna Accepted Into Leadership Program English and Writing major Dorothy Williams ’17 was accepted to the NEW Leadership Texas program held at the University of Texas (Austin) June 1-6, 2017. She was one of 36 women from 21 different institutions across the state chosen for participattion in the program.

NEW Leadership™ is a national bi-partisan program developed by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University to address the underrepresentation of women in American politics. The six-day residential summer institute educates college women about the important role that politics plays in their lives and encourages them to become effective leaders in the political arena.

Students Present at the Texas State Capitol Two different groups from McMurry attended the Undergraduate Research Day at the Texas State Capitol. The event showcased the experiences of undergraduate students engaged in research for Texas legislators and the public through poster presentations. The program highlighted how research conducted by undergraduate students positively impacts Texas—and Texans—with the theme: Transforming Texas Through Undergraduate Research.

Dona L’Ne Kirkes ’17, Rachel Thompson ’17, Kelsey McKiernan ’18, Heather Jimenez ’17, Emily Garza ’18 and Dr. Malaney O’Connell ’10, presented their poster titled “Evaluating Collagen Dependent Metastatic Breast Cancer: Development of Novel Diagnostic/Prognostic Strategies.”

Recently Nathan Cole Baggett ’17, presented his poster titled “Testing the Power of the Past: New Findings in Class Assortative Mating.” This work is part of his Honor’s thesis that was completed under the guidance of Dr. Robert Wallace.

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AROUNDCAMPUS Faculty Member Attends Seminar on Interfaith Learning

Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts Numerous students, faculty and staff stepped up quickly with their time and donations to assist in humanitarian aid efforts for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Working in conjunction with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), both the Biology Club and Athletics led efforts to put together “Flood Buckets” of cleaning supplies. Through donations from the McMurry community, the Biology Club assembled 20 UMCOR Flood Buckets during a War Hawk Wednesday. Also in September, with more than 60 members of its teams and staff directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey, Athletics identified three events to use as a means to acquire donations. At its annual “Welcome Back” ice cream social, well over 700 items were brought to the collection table. Donations were also taken at the September 13 volleyball game at home versus Hardin-Simmons, with both schools participating in a “challenge,” and proceeds from ticket sales from football’s home opener on September 16 against Howard Payne went toward the cause, raising nearly $2,000.

In addition, a large group of faculty, staff and students gathered together to volunteer at Global Samaritan Resources to help organize a shipment of goods to aid with hurricane relief in South Texas.

Alpha Lambda Delta Award McMurry University’s chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta, a national academic honor society for first-year students, received a 2017 Delta Silver Award from the national organization for a 29% increase in the chapter’s membership in 2016-17.

Membership is open to students who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher during their first semester of college. Dr. Philip LeMasters and Dr. Jori Sechrist ’01, serve as co-sponsors.

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Dr. Mark Waters was selected from a competitive national pool of nominees to participate in a faculty seminar on the teaching of interfaith understanding.

The seminar is offered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), with support from the Henry Luce Foundation.

Twenty-five faculty members participated in the five-day Teaching Interfaith Understanding seminar on June 18–22, 2017 at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The program aims to broaden faculty members’ knowledge and strengthen their teaching of interfaith understanding, with the development of new courses and resources.

New Endowments Established McMurry has received gifts for the establishment of two endowments benefiting the Athletics and the School of Business.

Sara Graham ’63, established The Paul and Sara Graham Athletics Endowment to honor both Paul and Sara’s love for sports. The endowment will be utilized exclusively to provide annual operating support for the athletics at the discretion of the director of athletics.

Rev. Bill Libby, adjunct instructor of Religion established the Rev. Bill Libby Student Support Endowment for the Walter F. and Virginia Johnson School of Business. The endowment will provide internships, externships and other experiential learning opportunities for McMurry business students.

AROUNDCAMPUS

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

participation in our academic community, albeit in a different role.”

After 36 years, Shanafelt feels good about his track record, with many of his former students going on to graduate school. He also feels good about McMurry. He has seen major changes in the University’s physical appearance, with elaborate landscaping, a renovated Old Main, addition of a swimming pool, and more.

That goes for programming as well. Shanafelt cited the University’s Model UN, its multi-cultural inclusiveness, and openness to new ideas.

On the down side, Shanafelt said he will miss the esprit de corps that comes with being a part of the team of full-time professors.

Shanafelt joined the McMurry faculty in August 1981. He earned a doctorate in modern European history from the University of California at Berkeley and held two short-term positions at the University of Wyoming and Washington University in St. Louis before beginning his tenure at McMurry.

In May, he was named Outstanding Faculty Member. He was

Dr. Sandra Harper, who has known cited for his knowledge and teaching Dr. Shanafelt for 32 years, observes, skills, his service on numerous “Dr. Shanafelt is one of the unsung heroes at McMurry University. He has a committees, and his support of brilliant mind, a dry wit, and a genuine student activities.

Thankfully, that support and love for his students. His service to the knowledge continues to be available University included participating in to benefit a new generation of major curricular renovations, editing the Faculty Handbook, and supporting McMurry students as Dr. Shanafelt takes on his new role at the University.

McMurry students in the performing arts and on the athletics teams.

We look forward to his continued

Longtime Professor Retires - Sort of This fall, just like every fall since 1981, eager students file into Dr. Gary Shanafelt’s world civilization classes.

But the Dr. Shanafelt they see standing at the front of the classroom is a little different from the one seen by former students. He might look a little more relaxed. This Dr. Shanafelt carries the word “retired” beside his name, although he will still be teaching two world civilizations classes this fall as an adjunct professor.

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From McMurry to the Mayor’s Office Passion for Community Service Emerged on Campus

BY WENDY TAYLOR-TANIELIAN

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hen McMurry alumnus Anthony Williams ’93, was elected mayor of Abilene in June 2017, many pointed out the historic achievements of the night. It was historic that his run-off election victory, which resulted in 57 percent of ballots cast for him, brought out more voters than the initial three-way election. That was a first for Abilene since the 1980s. It was also significant that the 15year city council member became the first African American to lead the city.

However, in the end, much of the historical

...students worked together on public service projects and Williams found himself motivated to speak out on victim’s rights. “That experience was so overwhelmingly positive for me,” Williams recalls. “It motivated me to want to do something.”

significance Williams recalled as he reflected on his campaign victory was his own personal story. Specifically, he recalls the strong public service drive instilled in him during his junior year at McMurry. It was at that time when he had his first taste of activism in the class of Dr. Marc Orner, former professor of psychology.

During that semester, students worked together on public service projects and Williams found himself motivated to speak out on victim’s rights.

From passing out t-shirts on campus to giving

interviews on local radio, once Williams got a taste of activism, he was all in. It turned out to be the seed planted for things to come for this Abilene native.

“That experience was so overwhelmingly positive for me,” Williams recalls. “It motivated me to want to do something.”

“It really awakened some things from my childhood that were painful and really motivated me to want to be on the frontline to get some things done,” said Williams, whose father was murdered when he was four years old. “It was that psychology class – the very foundation of what got me interested in serving in a very public way.”

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Williams’ inspiration from Dr. Orner’s class led him to work with his childhood mentor and McMurry graduate Earnest Merritt ’84 the next year. Merritt sought Williams’ help in establishing Abilene’s “Late-Night Basketball” youth program. Williams joined his former Boys’ Club leader to pioneer the landmark youth program at the height of increasing threats from West Coast gangs. Merritt, who Williams credits in his own decision to attend McMurry, named the then-McMurry senior as director of the program aimed at helping at-risk youth,

ecause of the context of the crisis of my childhood, I’ve always been really focused on young men who were at risk,” Williams said. “It’s personal to me. I make it personal. One of my goals is that I want to help our at-risk youth to assess value to themselves. When they do, we’re all better for it.”

Today, Williams combines that passion in working on a seemingly endless variety of issues facing Abilene. Williams now balances the community’s needs in addressing water issues, balancing infrastructure necessities, championing Dyess Air Force Base and expanding economic development opportunities. He feels all of these issues, but especially the economic development work, remain essential for his long-established goal of helping at-risk youth. It’s a direct tie in his mind to the work he started years ago of building dignity, motivation and opportunity for every individual.

Photo: Abilene Reporter News

ages 15-19. It sparked a passion that has motivated every move of his public service career.

Anthony Williams ’93, is sworn in as mayor of Abilene.

“It’s personal to me. I make it personal. One of my goals is that I want to help our at-risk youth to assess value to themselves. When they do, we’re all better for it.”

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Williams feels his role should be one of vision and articulating the expectations of the community with the city council until they reach fruition. It’s a role he savors in his innate desire to give back and ensure equal As he entered the mayor’s office this year, he realized there were needs to respond to the community, as well as to work preserving the area’s ability to make their best decisions. He responds respectfully but forcefully when discussing issues of local control and potential state and federal oversight.

“I’m a big believer that the greatness starts at the local level, and that we ought to have the opportunity in Abilene, Texas to succeed or fail based on what we do,” Williams said. “I don’t want Austin dictating to me and I don’t want the federal government dictating to me – although they have a role. I don’t think we should play that down, but I think that no one knows better what’s best for Abilene than Abilene.”

Williams feels his role should be one of vision and articulating the expectations of the community with the city council until they reach fruition. It’s a role he savors in his innate desire to give back and ensure equal opportunities for all.

“We live in the greatest country that the world has ever seen – unmatched,” Williams said. “I would not want to live in any other place than the United States of America. What makes us so special is that ideally the individual has an opportunity to be all he or she can be.”

From a challenging Abilene childhood to the classrooms of McMurry, the streets of service to the mayor’s office, Williams embodies that ideal on a daily basis.

Photo: Abilene Reporter News

opportunities for all.

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“To a T”

BY JENNIFER PILGRIM

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It was 2014, McMurry alumnus Gonzalo Serrano ’06, a UT Law student was stressed out.

In the midst of usual worries like exams, he’d lost two of his grandparents. Now, with graduation looming ever closer, he also had to contend with studying for the boards and preparing for a job hunt.

Always an important part of his life, Gonzalo’s passion for public service intensified during his time at McMurry. As a first-generation university student, Gonzalo says he sometimes felt “like a fish out of water.” Dr. Paul Fabrizio and Dr. Tina Bertrand, professors in the department of political science, played an instrumental role in guiding him through his college years. It was also during his time at McMurry that Gonzalo met Texas state senator Judith Zaffirini, who represents Laredo.

Gonzalo had travelled to Austin with a group of students to lobby for a scholarship program, where he had the opportunity to meet with Zaffirini.

After graduation, Gonzalo served as Senator Zaffirini’s campaign coordinator for the 2008 election, and later worked for her as a clerk at the state capital.

Always an important part of his life, Gonzalo’s passion for public service intensified during his time at McMurry.

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As a fellow at the Equal Justice Center with its mission to empower, Gonzalo was able to harness his passion for public service to fight for employment justice for immigrant men and women.

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Gonzalo recalls a conversation with his wife in which he described his ideal job—a position back home in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, with a focus on public service. And then, something extraordinary happened. Bill Beardall, executive director of the Equal Justice Center, extended an offer that fit what he was looking for “to a T.” As a fellow at the Equal Justice Center with its mission to empower, Gonzalo was able to harness his passion for public service to fight for employment justice for immigrant men and women. He remembers one case in which an agriculture worker called to report an issue with his employer. The worker was initially so frightened that it took several calls before he felt comfortable enough to even share his first name.

But Gonzalo and his colleagues were eventually able to earn the worker’s trust, and the Equal Justice Center wound up representing over 100 workers in a lawsuit naming multiple labor violations and abuses.

open mind, don’t be afraid of challenges, and listen to the people around you. In Gonzalo’s case, the people around him include his parents and his wife. He believes it was his parents who first molded his idea of public service, and he credits his wife’s hard work and support with allowing him to achieve his dream of a career serving others. Last month, he and his wife Monica welcomed their first child—Gonzalo Serrano III. These days, Gonzalo is a labor-employment attorney with the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. He enjoys the camaraderie at the DA’s office and going to trial, but most of all he relishes having the opportunity to help victims and bring justice to the community. “It feels wonderful when you can be a tool to carry out justice”, he reflects.

Interactions like the call from Bill Beardall are somewhat of a recurring theme for Gonzalo.

Often, Gonzalo muses, people seem to be put in his life for a reason. Gonzalo’s middle school principal, McMurry alumnus Harvey Oaxaca ’77 and his wife Rebecca, a guidance counselor, encouraged Gonzalo to consider McMurry and even brought him to visit campus for the first time.

From an early age, Gonzalo knew that he wanted to serve others. Growing up in McKinney, Gonzalo often found himself helping members of the immigrant community, whether that meant serving as a translator or going to court to help fight a traffic ticket. And as an immigrant himself—Gonzalo is from Mexico originally—he says he witnessed many injustices against his own friends and family that “planted the seed” for his career in public service.

Gonzalo’s advice to students who might be considering a career in public service. Keep an MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 13

n i m o c e m Ho d n e k e e W

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ng

We want to thank all of our alumni, families, friends, and visitors for a great Homecoming celebration! Tipi Village, the bonfire and pep rally, football victory, class and club reunions, and many more events made for an exciting three days on campus. We hope you can make plans now to join us next year from October 18-20, 2018.

Ala Cumba!

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N U O T G N I N R LEA IN

BY K ATHER

In a world filled with different backgrounds, cultures, languages and beliefs, everyone yearns to be understood. Christina Martinez ’20, witnessed firsthand that universal desire while volunteering at San Antonio’s Center for Refugee Services this past summer.

While assisting refugees, many of whom did not speak English, Martinez was able to directly help the people she had learned about as they struggled with tasks like applying for jobs and making appointments, due to a language barrier.

Martinez is studying political science with a minor in sociology. She became interested in helping refugees after taking a human rights course taught by Dr. Tina Bertrand, a professor of political science, that focused on the history and general struggles of what refugees go through on their journey. She says it was her Christian faith that pushed her to take action and help.

E B E T TS

“I wanted to help refugees and I felt like the only way I could do that was to volunteer. I wanted to actually do something hands-on and learn from refugees to best understand and give them what they need. I’m interested in other cultures and learning from people who are different from me,” explained Martinez. “Volunteering at the Center for Refugee Services gave me that opportunity to get to know someone from another culture or religious background.”

In addition to her political science courses, Martinez’s passion for helping refugees was sparked by her time spent with the University’s campus ministries and the interfaith organization, Better Together Alliance.

As a member of Better Together Alliance, Martinez traveled to Georgia and Oklahoma with fellow students to receive training on interfaith work, and she met many people from different

“I wanted to help refugees and I felt like the only way I could do that w volunteer. I wanted to actually do something hands-on and learn from r best understand and give them what they need.”

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D N A T S UNDER cultures and religious backgrounds. It was through Better Together Alliance that Martinez became friends with Yousef Al Qanbar an International student.

“I have a new outlook on how to work with people,” explained Martinez. “You need to have a lot of patience to help people who speak a different language than you and learn to understand their needs. We are not better than any refugee or any country, simply because we are different than they are. Refugees are not helpless; they are just like everyone else and it’s important to listen.”

As a political science major with a passion for politics and helping others, volunteering at the Center for Refugee Services was a perfect fit for Martinez, and a way for her to put her education into action.

“Politics is always on my mind. This volunteer service allowed me to stop and think more about

t was to m refugees to

where people are coming from. I can do more than just talk about politics; I can do something about it,” she said. “Every time I think about the current political situation concerning refugees, I cannot help but think of the sonnet by Emma Lazarus that sits under the Statue of Liberty; “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” I am extremely upset when any policy does not follow the spirit of America as a country of opportunity and freedom.”

Martinez wants to impact the world, and it begins by impacting those she comes in contact.

After graduating from McMurry, she dreams of completing a master’s degree and opening a nonprofit organization for refugees. Martinez says she also has interest in becoming a civil rights lawyer.

“The biggest lesson I learned while volunteering this summer is that people yearn to be understood. No matter what language or culture or religion someone is, we all laugh in the same way, we all feel emotions the same way, and most importantly we all want the same things: safety, human rights, and to be understood.”

A FORK Opens the Door to Service

BY WENDY TAYLOR-TANIELIAN

As another school year begins, many students feel the pressure of trying to anticipate their future careers as they start school. When Kelly Cheek ’99, director of Big Country Area Health Education Center (Big Country AHEC), started McMurry as an undergraduate student, he planned his career in his head. He started as an education major, planning to be a history teacher and maybe a high school baseball coach. Those plans quickly changed when he got his first taste of public service and local government.

NEW PATH...FUL

CHEEK SAYS ONE OF THE GREATEST ADVANTAGES MCMURRY S “What changed my interest is that I was offered an internship at the city manager’s office in Abilene,” Cheek said. “The other intern and I got to see the ins and out of local city government. As that job evolved, my interest shifted.”

He soon changed his major from education to indulge his interest in political science and service.

His internship combined with the guidance of his McMurry advisor at the time, Dr. Paul Fabrizio, professor of political science, helped him determine his new path toward public service. In an example of Cheek’s McMurry journey coming full-circle, he’s remained friends with Dr. Fabrizio, who now sits on the Big Country AHEC advisory board.

Cheek says one of the greatest advantages McMurry students have is knowing that they aren’t just a number. He said it is just part of the University culture for professors to truly know students and take a personal interest in their growth as they stretch to find their true calling.

“I had a lot of good one-on-one conversations with my advisor (Fabrizio),” Cheek said. “He was very hands-on and worked with me. His door was

He soon changed his major from education to indulge his interest in political science and service. His experience there combined with the guidance of his McMurry advisor at the time, Dr. Paul Fabrizio, professor of political science, helped him determine his new path toward public service. always open as I was trying to find out how I’d get

into city government. We had many conversations in his office. He would listen to me, give me advice and he opened up some doors.”

Although Cheek’s post-McMurry journey

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LFILLING CAREER

Y STUDENTS HAVE IS KNOWING THAT THEY AREN’T JUST A NUMBER. took him to Houston for a bit, his taste for West Texas government soon brought him back to Abilene. His various roles in public service led to his current position as center director of Big Country AHEC during a time when healthcare delivery systems seem to be on the forefront of people’s minds and political debate.

The program joins West Texas communities, healthcare providers and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to improve healthcare delivery in the 105 West Texas counties it serves.

The department primarily addresses provider shortages throughout the region and keeps the pipeline of quality healthcare workers filled by encouraging health profession careers. Much of the work centers around introducing young students – from the elementary level on - to healthcare careers. The group also assists existing providers, frequently in underserved areas.

“Being out in West Texas, the population is getting older and dwindling,” Cheek said of the constant struggles to keep up with healthcare needs in the more remote portions of the state. He works to constantly ensure that the entire region operates in equal importance as those in large metropolitan areas. “We’re trying to be more of a mechanism to educate folks.”

This education also extends from those looking into healthcare careers to improving the health educations of individual community members, especially populations such as Medicaid and Medicare recipients. Cheek and Big Country AHEC often work on Texans’ individual, independent roles in impacting their own healthier outcomes, with activities such as cooking classes and proactive, preventative health training.

“That’s the nice thing about our agency,” Cheek says. “We kind of get our hands in a lot of

issues and can be involved in various community concerns, but we’re neutral. We’re not the hospital, so we don’t have the cost associated with serving patients. We’re just looking at the overall picture and what we can we do in the community. That’s our focus.”

Especially in times of great change to healthcare as a whole and in shifts of population density around the state of Texas, many people are often reassured to know someone is working for their needs and community health improvement.

It’s frequently the times working with individuals that put the stress of budget issues and legislative debates into greater perspective.

“With our jobs, we really focus on being present in the region,” Cheek said. “When talking to that provider who’s been there for many years or that student that’s shadowing in a clinical rotation, that’s rewarding.”

And although his journey started close to home, took him away and brought him back again, he can narrow the origins to one distinct step. It’s a message he shares with anyone looking to engage in public service: get involved sooner rather than later. Doing so changed his own career path substantially and guided him to a future he couldn’t have imagined as a young, baseball-loving student entering McMurry.

“If someone really wants to pursue public service, I would encourage them to look at every internship opportunity,” Cheek said. “If you’re interested in a certain field in the public sector – whether it’s healthcare, city planning or city government – until you really know, you need to experience it firsthand.”

And, like Kelly when he first came to McMurry, you don’t even have to know what it is when you first step on campus.

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 21

ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER

ALUMNI EVENTS Christmas Concert in Abilene The Abilene Philharmonic presents Christmas at My Place on Saturday, December 2nd at 7:30 p.m. McMurry alumni and families at the Abilene Convention Center for a wonderful evening at the symphony - we hope to see you there! For more information visit connect.mcm.edu/events/abilenephilharmonic-17 Holiday Pops in Lubbock Enjoy Holiday Pops, The Heart of Christmas with fellow McMurry alumni and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra!

On Saturday evening, December 2, the show starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Civic Center Theater. For more information visit connect.mcm.edu/events/lubbockholiday-pops-17 McMurry Serves

McMurry Serves is a one-day, nationwide event where students, alumni and members of the greater McMurry community come together and participate in community service projects. Our 2018 event will be on Saturday, February 10th. For more information visit mcm.edu/mcmurry-serves.

McMURRY UNIVERSITY’S

Night of Distinction

CELEBRATING ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT

Join us on campus next Spring for our very first Night of Distinction. On Thursday, April 19 we will celebrate alumni achievement at our new signature alumni awards event. We hope to see you there!

22

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2017

Members of the McMurry Alumni Association Board of Directors after their Fall meeting at Homecoming.

Spring Alumni Weekend Have you ever spent time thinking about how you’d love to come back for Homecoming and visit with classmates, friends and fellow alumni, but just never have the time or freedom of schedule to do so? We’ve got the perfect solution! Join McMurry alumni in Grapevine, Texas, for the last weekend in April (4/27-4/28) and celebrate our Second Spring Alumni Weekend! For more information visit mcm.edu/spring-alumni-weekend.

Calendar For an up-to-date calendar of all alumni events and activities, please visit connect.mcm.edu/calendar. We hope you’ll join us for an alumni event soon!

Send-Off Ice Cream Social in Abilene Alumni, faculty and staff welcomed new McMurry students from the Abilene area in August at our annual “Send-Off” ice cream social.

McMurry Alumni Awards Do you know alumni who should be honored for their dedication to McMurry, their professional accomplishments, and/ or their selfless service? Nominate them for one of our awards at: connect.mcm.edu/alumni-awards McMurry Alumni at the Ballpark McMurry alumni gathered in Arlington for a Rangers baseball game in July!

mcm.edu/give

“McMurry has become my home because of the outstanding support of our alumni and friends. McMurry is the best second family I could ever ask for, and that’s because of you!

Ala Cumba.”

J. TREY SPIVEY ’18 MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 23

ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER

ClassNotes ’60s | RUSSELL ’67 AND GLORIA

ROBINSON MASON ’67 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 22, 2017. Many McMurry alumni attended.

Front row: Melinda Mason (ex), Gloria Robinson Mason ’67, Russell Mason ’67, Carol Sewell Lewis ’67, Middle row: Sharon Robinson Reid ’71, Martha Mason Bailey (ex), Sarah Brown ’68, Mary Gill King ’67, W. O. King ’67, Sharon Reeve White ’66, Gwen Landrum Cate ’68, Amy Henry ’97, Back row: Mike Reid ’69, Melissia Mason ’96, Charles Cate ’69, Jerry Lane ’68, Mary Lou Lane ’65.

BOBBY CAMPBELL ’86 was named new athletics director, head football coach and head track coach at Ranger High School.

TONJA GRAY ’88 was elected the ATPE State Secretary for 2017-18.

Congratulations Tonja!

’90s | JOLISA HOOVER ’92

testified at the Texas Capitol twice and writes an op-ed in the Austin AmericanStatesman about the importance of mentoring, as part of her Teach Plus Texas Fellows responsibilities.

’80s | KYLE

BALLEW ’80 completed a six mile run/walk on his 60th birthday in September, 2017. He currently practices podiatric medicine in Waco, and wishes good health to all his classmates.

’00s |

JASMINE MEG MAYFIELD MAJKOWSKI ’00, received her Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Higher Education and Leadership, from Hardin-Simmons University in May, 2017. She is an adjunct instructor at McMurry, as well as President of the Leadership Training and Development and Grant Writing division at the Paradigm Team. Majkowski and her two sons, Noah and Chandler, reside in Abilene.

REV. CAM BURTON ’01 was recently approved as a Board Certified Chaplain by the Association of Professional Chaplains.

Cam currently serves as the Chaplain and Spiritual Care Department Coordinator at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center in Austin, Texas.

Consider Rolling Over Your IRA Today!

By taking a distribution from your IRA this year, you will likely pay more in taxes and may even be in a higher tax bracket. Rolling over part of you IRA’s “required minimum distribution” or RMD to McMurry University can help to reduce your tax bill and while supporting the University.

An IRA Charitable rollover gift can benefit both you and McMurry’s mission! Contact your IRA Administrator to get started with you gift. While you will not receive an income tax deduction, you will not pay taxes on any distributions made to McMurry.

Please inform us of your plans so we use your gift in a way that means the most to you.

Debra Hulse | 325-793-4761 | hulse.debra@mcm.edu

24

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2017

70 1/2 or Older You Can Direct Up to $100,000

ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER S TAY C O N N E C T E D

Moved? New Job? Update your information and submit a classnote to let your fellow McMurry alumni know about the milestones in your life—including everything from weddings to births, retirements to awards, adoptions to promotions. We’ll print your update and photos in The Messenger and deliver to over 11,000 of your McMurry friends and family!

Send your note by email to Suzann Couts, Director of Alumni Relations, at couts.suzann@mcm.edu or fill out and mail this form to The Messenger, 1 McMurry University, #938, Abilene TX 79697.

NAME

Dr. Sandra Harper visited with two of our clergy alumni - DAVID JOHNSON ’01 and SEAN SMITH ’06 - as well as future graduate HALEY SHEPARD ’19 at the Ordinand’s Reception held in June at the Northwest Texas Annual Conference gathering in Lubbock. Congratulations to David and Sean as they continue their pastoral journey with The United Methodist Church.

ALLISON KUTY DELOACH ’08, got married on May 20, 2017 in Caye Caulker, Belize. Congratulations Allison!

her little War Hawk bib from the Alumni Association. Congratulations on the beautiful little girl!

ZANE ’08 AND AMY WILSON ’09 welcomed twins, Aidan and Byron, on May 10, 2017 – Congratulations Wilson family!

CALEB GONZALES ’15 was a four-year baseball letterman and one-year golf letterman. On July 1, 2017, he married his high school sweetheart, Bridgett Mitchell. The happy couple will reside in Alpine, Texas.

KATRINA CULBERSON ’09 now serves as the Director of Youth Ministries at Plymouth Park United Methodist Church.

MAIDEN NAME (IF APPLICABLE)

EMAIL ADDRESS

STREET ADDRESS

CITY, STATE, ZIP CLASS NOTE:

’10s | KRISTEN

COTTON ’10 and Tyler celebrated the birth of Riley Cotton on March 1, 2017 – here are Kristen and Riley with

(use additional sheet of paper if needed)

The Messenger reserves the right to make the final selection of all photography based upon available 25 MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu space, subject matter and photo quality.

ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER

M

arty CashBurless ’78, didn’t hesitate when asked what she was looking forward to after returning to McMurry as University chaplain and director of religious and spiritual Life.

“Homecoming!”

CashBurless earned a bachelor’s degree from McMurry in 1978 and had not been back for homecoming since then. She’s had a good excuse.

For the past 16 years, she has served as chaplain at the University of Mount Union, her husband Tom’s alma mater, in Alliance, Ohio. Before that she served pastorates in the North Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church and held an administrative position in the Little Rock Conference office.

“Now, I’m back at my alma mater,” CashBurless said, as a pastor to the entire McMurry community students, faculty and staff.

26

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2017

“Everybody is on my prayer list,” she said.

It’s too early for CashBurless to know what, if any, changes she might want to make in religious life programming. Her resume is filled with causes and programs she was involved with on the Mount Union campus. For now, she is an observer on the McMurry campus.

Born in Dallas, CashBurless grew up in Lubbock.

She made a couple of educational stops before enrolling at McMurry, where an aunt and a cousin had attended.

McMurry turned out to be the perfect choice. In the 1970s, not a lot of women were becoming pastors, but CashBurless knew that’s what God was calling her to be. She found the encouragement she needed from Dr. Robert Monk, former professor of religion.

Monk, who is retired and lives in Abilene, is just as impressed with his former student today as he was in the 1970s. He believes she will bring a new strength to religious and spiritual life at McMurry. And perhaps more importantly, Monk said, the students she met during interviews were impressed with her.

“I thought that was really an extra compliment for her,” Monk said.

CashBurless recalled that when she was a student, Bert Affleck ’55, and then Tom Fuller ’71, were the campus chaplains. She saw how they interacted with the McMurry community and was affected by how they carried out their duties.

“Because of them,” CashBurless said, “I was able to see what a chaplain did.”

Besides experiencing her first homecoming since 1978, CashBurless is eager to jump in and work with who God has put under her care. She intends to let them know that they are loved and cared for.

“That’s my life’s challenge,” she said.

CashBurless recalled that when she was a student, Bert Affleck ’55, and then Tom Fuller ’71, were the campus chaplains.

She saw how they interacted with the McMurry community and was affected by how they carried out their duties.

For the latest McMurry sports information, visit mcmurrysports.com

ATHLETE PROFILE

David McNally ’07

When David McNally ’07, was tapped as McMurry University’s firstever softball head coach, he knew exactly what he was getting into.

Few coaches get the opportunity to put their stamp on a program like he has been able to do.

After all, most of the time a coach is hired to take over a team and then gets to build upon its history.

But in McNally’s case, he has had to figuratively grade the ground and build the footers before pouring the proverbial concrete to establish a “foundation” for War Hawks softball in the first place. He has, in the truest sense, built from ground zero.

In the few short months with McNally as the program’s “architect,” the progress has become noticeable.

“McMurry Softball” has grabbed a foothold on the campus and in the community long before the first official pitch is even thrown in Spring 2018, an intentional aspect by McNally. Perhaps the biggest part of that was getting the right type of player to represent the War Hawks inaugural team.

And McNally has come through.

With a target of a 15-player roster for the War Hawks’ first team, McNally brought in a class of 27 players.

“I was fortunate that I was given a semester prior (spring 2017) to recruit kids,” McNally recounted. “What I got to do last year was physically go watch kids play, which many coaches do not get to do, because the college and high school seasons run at the same time. We have a lot of excitement that’s going on. Every kid that I

brought in – all 27 of them – are my recruits. A lot of ground was covered to find the right kind of kids to start this program. Yeah, there’s a lot of stuff we still are working on, but at the same time bringing in the right type of kids is the most important part of starting this program.”

“(The players) understand what they do and don’t have and what it’s going to take for us to get there.

Right now there’s still that ‘hype’ about being on the first-ever team. There’s an excitement that we – as a team are the ones putting in standards and building expectations for this program.”

“I went out and found those kids who are good in the classroom; kids I don’t have to worry about outside the softball field. All these recruits can play softball. It is about players learning their roles and the expectations of what we are going to do in the next couple of years. I wanted a kid who was extremely intelligent in the classroom, someone who could set the bar extremely high. I also wanted a kid who wants to be involved in service projects and the campus. We are going to get involved. The kids I’m going to get are about what they can do for the team, not for themselves.”

The members of McMurry’s 20th intercollegiate program have announced their presence with that involvement, too. Softball players have volunteered at home football games, as well as community-wide at the annual Big Country “Mudslingers” Fun Run event. The squad has more on tap as the year progresses.

The relationship has been reciprocal, too. As it gets its foothold in terms of both reputation and facilities, War Hawks softball has found support and the “family” feel that is emblematic of the McMurry University campus and community.

“Every place I’ve ever been –

ATHLETICS

or most people have ever been at – there’s already been a facility in place. With us it’s a little bit different.

Everything takes time. It’s about adapting to what you do, or don’t, have. We’ve been patient and made a “checklist” to make things work. We’ve been very fortunate to get a city field here in town (for practice and games); when it comes to offices, baseball allowed us to take over an office at Driggers Field so we have a place to work from.”

In return, McNally knows his team will give the McMurry faithful something of which will be proud.

“These scholar-athletes are dedicated,” McNally explained. “They are willing to work hard and put in the time.

Fans are going to be excited. We are supporting every other athletic team; we are working hard when it comes to preparation. We are doing our part. If you haven’t heard already, you’re going to start hearing a lot of buzz about McMurry University softball. We’re going to come out and we are going to compete at a very, very high level.”

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 27

FRIENDSWE’LLMISS Martha Kim Martha Zoellers Kim, 90, wife of President Dr. Thomas K. Kim, died on September 14, 2017 in Abilene.

Mrs. Kim earned her bachelor’s degree at Berea College in Kentucky where she studied math and physics.

Martha met her husband, Thomas K. Kim, over an ice cream freezer at a college social at Berea College. They soon married, and moved to New Orleans where he was beginning a doctoral program in economics at Tulane University.

After completing his degree, the couple moved to Ohio for Dr. Kim’s first teaching job where their first child, Lawrence Thomas Kim ’83, was born.

They traveled next to Kansas where their daughter, Catherine Ann Kim

-

Marilyn King Aldridge ’61 of Abilene, TX died September 20, 2017.

McMurry University, or the United Methodist Food Pantry.

Sue Carney ’49 Longtime McMurry University employee Maudell Frances “Sue” Carney died on Saturday, July 22, 2017.

She was born January 18, 1926, in Snyder TX, the fourth of six children.

Carney received her bachelor of science degree in 1949 and joined the McMurry University business office in May 1949. She retired in May 1994 after 45 years of service to the University.

She was a long time and devoted member of St Paul United Methodist Church in Abilene. Memorials may be made to a personal favorite charity in her name.

Dwight Crenshaw ’69 of Tatum, NM died June 13, 2017.

Earnest Kimbrough ’64 died September 17, 2017.

Elton Davis ’56 of Albany, TX died June 12, 2017.

Phillip Leonhart ’06 of Hawley, TX died March 27, 2017.

Lee Stecher died April 8, 2017.

Lin Ellison of Abilene, TX died June 7, 2017.

Schooler-Samukawa Leverton of Sweetwater, TX died April 26, 2017.

Delinda Cogburn Verner ’61 of Abilene, TX died June 6, 2017.

Arnold (E.A.) Griggs of Abilene, TX died March 31, 2017.

Thomas Nelson ’83 of Magnolia, TX died April 5, 2017.

Richard von Ende ’66 of Leawood, KS died May 1, 2017.

James Gryder ’71 of Tuscola, TX died August 4, 2017.

Deverise Crouch Ohre ’95 of Abilene, TX died July 29, 2017.

Jane Horne Wyatt ’66 of Coleman, TX died April 11, 2017.

Vernon Henry ’65 of Coosada, AL died August 4, 2017.

Edwin Plowman ’77 of Abilene, TX died April 6, 2017.

Crandall Young ’57 of El Paso, TX died March 27, 2017

Maudell “Sue” Carney ’49 of Abilene, TX died July 22, 2017.

Rosalie Forester Holden ’50 of Abilene, TX died September 6, 2017.

Robert Pritchett ‘59 of New Home, TX died October 20, 2017.

William Zavatson ’76 of Arlington, TX died August 7, 2017

Marjorie McIntyre Cloud ’92 of Abilene, TX died October 9, 2017.

Sandra Vaughn Hollis ’88 of Hawley, TX died June 2, 2017.

Richard Richey ’52 of San Angelo, TX died April 17, 2017.

Eric Swendsen ex ’09 of Humble, TX died October 2, 2017

Michael Coker ’88 of Abilene, TX died June 23, 2017.

Martha Kim of Abilene, TX died September 14, 2017.

Jane Abbott Ayers ’50 of Abilene, TX died August 7, 2017.

Lylia Moore Bennett ’55 of Sweetwater, TX died May 19, 2017.

Nancy Richards Bentley ’78 of Abilene, TX died March 23, 2017.

Patricia Bogar ’59 of Abilene, TX died July 19, 2017.

Madeleine Johnson Brown ‘70 of Tuscola, TX died October 19, 2017.

28

Fowlkes, was born. Soon after, they moved to Lubbock, Texas where Dr. Kim taught at Texas Tech University.

In 1970, the family moved to Abilene where Dr. Kim held the position of President of McMurry University for the next 23 years.

During this time, Martha’s passion and talent for cooking and taking care of people became very important.

She embraced her role as hostess for countless student groups, faculty and board events at the home where she prepared and organized all the meals herself. Martha remained an avid sports fan, growing up on Kentucky basketball and developing a love for football after moving to Texas.

Memorials may be given to St. Paul United Methodist Church,

THE MESSENGER / FALL 2017

Frances Mingus Sears of Sweetwater, TX died August 4, 2017.

“Why do I love McMurry so much? They just took care of me, and I really felt blessed to be at McMurry.”

A MCMURRY LOVE STORY AND A LEGACY OF GIVING

A

sk Barbara Seidel Swagerty ’56 and ’58 about McMurry University and she will tell you about a love story that has lasted for decades.

“Why do I love McMurry so much? They just took care of me, and I really felt blessed to be at McMurry. People just came over and showed their love. That created in me a fondness for the campus and I thought if I ever get some money, I am going to have a tennis center at McMurry.”

She credits her alma mater with shaping her life’s journey and preparing her for future service.

Her dream for the Seidel Swagerty Tennis Center began growing in 1962 when Barbara started coaching tennis and other sports. She vowed then to do what she could to build a tennis facility that she and her alma mater could be proud of.

The first gift, a joint donation from Barbara and her father, came in 1998 and the final phase of construction, which included a pavilion

with offices, locker rooms and a classroom, was completed in the spring of 2013.

Barbara’s generosity didn’t end with the tennis center. Students in music, physical education and elementary education all benefit from scholarship funds she endowed in honor of family members and friends.

In addition, she regularly provides support to T.I.P. Social Club which she came to love when she served as club sponsor. Her most recent capital funding project was the paving of a parking lot near the Tennis Center and repaving of the lots between the Bynum Band Hall and Wilford Moore Stadium.

In recognition of her many years of service to McMurry University, she recently received the John Wesley Award for exemplary service and giving to the University.

Barbara’s love for McMurry will continue to benefit our students far into the future through her legacy of giving.

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY / mcm.edu 29

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