Vision - Summer 2014

ISION OC IS HOME

OC GROWS

OC IS MISSION

SUMMER 2014

www.oc.edu/alumni

GOLDEN OLDIE HAROLD FLETCHER STILL GOING STRONG AT 90

SAL-VATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

CARIAGA HELPS TYPHOON VICTIMS

From the

P r e si d e n t

Read more from john at www.oc.edu/president

Dear Alumni and Friends, We’re basking in the glow of an action-packed academic year as we move into a summer buzzing with hundreds of guests on campus for camps, educational events like our Honors Summer Academy and Engineering Summer Academy, and other special activities.

Our staff is working hard getting ready for 2014-2015, and we still have a lot of students and faculty around for undergraduate and graduate summer classes.

We’re also putting faith and learning into action beyond our 240 acres. Dr. John Fletcher (82) is leading our Summer European Studies group, Dr. Jeff Simmons (90) connected OC students with a US-China Student Summit in Beijing and Shanghai, and we have students spread out around the world on mission campaigns. Please keep all of them in your prayers.

This issue is filled with stories of Eagles who are shining God’s light in their lives and careers. You’ll read about John Fletcher’s father, Dr. Harold Fletcher, on page 12. As far as we can tell, he’s the oldest active professor in the United States, still sharp and spry at age 90. We’re grateful that our students still get the blessing of his knowledge and experience.

One of those students, Amelia Hamrick, is a secondgeneration Eagle who made an attention-grabbing artistic discovery last semester. You may have heard about her on CNN, NPR, or some other media outlet in the spring. You can read her story on page 22.

I am so impressed with the way our students, faculty, staff, and alumni rally to help people in need. We saw that last year after the Oklahoma tornadoes, and we saw it again after

Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in November. OC grad Salvador Cariaga (83) has been in the eye of the storm, helping provide physical and spiritual needs for people in his home country. Read about his work on page 14.

This issue also offers a look back at the distinguished guests we hosted at OC over the past few months, including Bible scholar Dr. N. T. Wright and Little Rock Nine heroes Carlotta Walls LaNier and Dr. Terrence Roberts.

I’m thrilled that our community – especially our student body – has the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by guests like these.

We’ll welcome another special visitor this fall when author Nicholas Sparks (of The Notebook fame) is here for the McBride Lecture for Faith and Literature on November 21.

That 10th anniversary event will give us the chance to honor our beloved colleague, Dr. Bailey McBride (54), who retired this spring after 50 years of service to Oklahoma Christian.

Mark your calendars for that special event and for our annual Homecoming celebration on November 14-15.

You honor us with your presence when you return to campus, and with the prayers you continually lift for your alma mater.

We’re proud to call you Eagles. Talons Up! In His Service,

John deSteiguer President

SUMMER 2014

On The Cover: YOU are on the cover! Grads like you have more than doubled the number of OC alumni givers in the past two years. Read how awesome you are on page 36.

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OC’s first faculty member continues to share his knowledge with our students as the oldest professor in the USA.

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20 a walk thru rwanda

Eagles making a difference overseas 20 years after the genocide.

35 SAVE THE DATE

Upcoming events at your alma mater.

36 HOMEWARD PRIDE

32 Milestones

40 news

History grad stays humble in a world of billion-dollar deals.

Comings and goings of your former classmates.

Recent nursing grad using her skills to provide medical care at home and abroad.

26 JAY TABOR

25 JOE WATSON & THE JOHNSONS

18 REAGAN HIGHTOWER

In the wake of a deadly typhoon, OC alum helps people in need.

Engineering professor blessed with a new kidney and a new family.

Follow us online www.oc.edu/connect #OCisHome

Alumni break another record and help increase OC’s degree value.

Summary of recent highlights and accomplishments.

VISION STAFF President:

Editor / DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS MARKETING:

Photographers:

John deSteiguer

Wes McKinzie (98)

Vice President for Advancement:

WRITERS/CONTRIBUTORS:

Chris Adair (97), Judson Copeland (02), Steven Christy (01), Jana Miller (09), Henoc Mugishakivuye (14), Dawn Shelton (90), Kris Strobeck, Laura Vanderzee (12)

Kent Allen (79)

Risa Forrester (96)

Chris Adair (97), Will Blanchard (07), Jenny Dahl, Murray Evans (89), Dana Holley, Tori Jones, Christine Merideth (91), Jana Miller (09), Hallie Milner, Dawn Shelton (90), Amy Dee Stephens (95), Brooks Stephenson, Josh Watson

executive director of alumni relations:

Designers:

Bob Lashley (74)

Judson Copeland (02), Jonathan Curtis (03), Tessa Wright (12)

Vice President for ADMISSIONS & MARKETING:

VISION Alumni Magazine of Oklahoma Christian University (USPS 405-420) Volume 15, No. 2, Summer 2014 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VISION Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-1100

© Oklahoma Christian University 2014 Oklahoma Christian University admits students of any race, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, handicap, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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OC IS HOME

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The extended family of our Legacy Award honorees, the Davises, on campus during the 2013 Homecoming weekend.

2 Gladys Burcham and Mark Brazle (75).

3 OC freshmen during the annual Homecoming Parade.

4 President John deSteiguer with Morgan and Meredith Burdett.

5 Iota Kappa Phi was in the 60s spirit during the Homecoming Parade.

6 Lauren, Carl (85), Heather (Weber 85), Lane and LaVon (Dennis 12) Wheeler sing the national anthem at the Homecoming basketball games.

7 Katelyn Jackson and Kendall Mayes were elected Homecoming Queen and King.

8 Alfred Branch (84), Dr. Jeff McCormack (83), Cindy (Hassmann 85) Young, and Dee (Crowley 85) Dobson at the Homecoming basketball games.

9 Dr. Bob Carpenter, Connie (Hanks 90) Cave, Taylor Cave (89) and President John deSteiguer after Taylor was honored at the College of Biblical Studies’ distinguished alumnus for Missions.

10 Kelli (Davis 89) Mitchell at the 80s Barn Bash.

11 Ken Murrell (92), Tina (Wiggins 83) McCormack, Kelli (Davis 89) Mitchell, Carl Bishop (83) and Mollie (Davis 86) Sparks hypnotized at the 80s Barn Bash.

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WATCH A VIDEO RECAP OF LIGHTING OF THE COMMONS. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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Lighting highlights

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“Santa” Mickey Banister (69) and President John deSteiguer watch the fireworks show at the end of Lighting of the Commons.

2 Students spread Christmas cheer at this popular holiday event.

3 OC’s New Reign acappella group sings a Christmas carol.

4 The Freede Centennial Tower illuminated by fireworks.

5 Students Caleb Eggleston and Natalie Howard.

6 Nathan (06) and Anna (Markle 07) McBroom with their daughter Makinzie.

7 Ben (03) and Monica (Baggett 06) Thompson with their daughter Evangeline.

8 Marlyne Umuhoza, Alix Kylie Mugisha, Anne Ingabire Kivuye, Anitha Ingabe, Michelle Umurungi, and Aimee Pascale Dushime.

9 Liam Fraser, Penny Blanchard, and Finley Jones.

10 Kelly Lawson, Ricky Lawson (93), and Pat (Davidson 67) Lawson with Kellan, Aidan, and Teegan Lawson.

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Spring Sing 1 2 3

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Chi Lambda Phi won first place for the 11th time in the last 13 years with its “Back to the Future” show.

Megan Helterbrand and Adrian Hernandez perform.

The women of Gamma Rho show off many of their “Spring Sing faces” in their second-place “Candy Land” show.

Brandi Williams delivered a power-packed rendition of “Say A Little Prayer for You.” The men of Kappa Sigma Tau captured third place with their “Frankenstein and the Monster” show.

WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FROM SPRING SING. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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1 WATCH VIDEO RECAPS OF THE GLOW RUN AND THE BENSON HALL RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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Tom Heath Field at Lawson Plaza under the lights.

Steve Gault, Jessica (Hauf 10) Ruckman, Curtis Janz (86), John deSteiguer, Teagan Lawson, Kelly Lawson, Sammi Lawson, Ricky Lawson, Aidan Lawson, Tom Heath (71), Dillon Ripley (06), Sarah (Peoples 14) Endres, Jay Jones (74) at the ribbon-cutting for Tom Heath Field.

Neil Arter (90), Darci (Grisso 00) Thompson, John deSteiguer, Sue Wedel, Mack Wedel, Judy Boker, Greg Wedel, Valari (Boker 82) Wedel, Colby Wedel, Kinney Bryant (76) and Jay Jones (74) at the ribbon-cutting for the Eagle Trail.

Students get ready to start the inaugural Glow Run. Don Millican, John deSteiguer, Jill (Johnson) Brown, Terry Johnson (64), Marty (Mitchell 71) Johnson, Royce Clark (90), Jennifer (Johnson 90) Clark and Bill Goad (79) at the ribbon-cutting for Benson Hall.

John and Darla deSteiguer and Marty and Terry Johnson.

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DISTINGUISHED GUESTS 1

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At “History Speaks: Little Rock Nine,” Carlotta Walls LaNier talks as Gary Jones (06) and Dr. Terrence Roberts look on.

OC students with Dr. Terrence Roberts.

OC Rwandan students with General Romeo Dallaire and President John deSteiguer.

General Romeo Dallaire speaks to students at OC’s daily Convocation.

Missy Robertson speaks during the She Speaks event at the annual OC Lectureship.

Peggy West (Missy’s mom), Mia Robertson, and Missy Robertson sing during She Speaks.

A capacity crowd of almost 2,700 people packed the Payne Athletic Center to hear N. T. Wright.

N. T. Wright signs a book for an OC student.

N. T. Wright at an academic panel discussion featuring fellow scholars Richard Hays, Jerry Sumney and James Thompson.

N. T. Wright during the academic panel discussion.

Former NFL All-Pro Chris Spielman speaks to students during Convocation.

Harold Hamm speaks during a “Conversations with the President” event in Adams Recital Hall.

Harold Hamm with OC students.

Emanuel Tov speaks in Scott Chapel.

WATCH JOHN DESTEIGUER’S INTERVIEWS WITH CARLOTTA WALLS LANIER, ROMEO DALLAIRE, N. T. WRIGHT, HAROLD HAMM, CHRIS SPIELMAN, AND EMANUEL TOV. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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90 years and counting Harold Fletcher is nation’s oldest active professor For his 90th birthday, Dr. Harold Fletcher’s children and grandchildren threw a party for him in OC’s McIntosh Conservatory. Everyone came.

It was on a Sunday afternoon, the weekend of Thanksgiving. While of course, “everyone” did not attend, hundreds did making up a heavenly throng of friends, students, mentees and family who came to say “Happy Birthday” and “Thank You.” He hugged necks, shook hands, posed for pictures and remembered them all.

The venerable sage. The crusader for civil rights. The philosopher. The composer.

The lover of music and books and learning. THE Harold Fletcher. The one who doesn’t want a fuss made about him.

The party was lovely.

And the next week, after celebrating his 90th birthday, the Professor Emeritus finished out another semester of teaching a college class.

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Those of us who have sat at his feet, were conducted in one of his choirs, or discussed the big questions with him over coffee are not surprised that Dr. Fletcher remains in the classroom.

Indeed, aren’t we grateful that his health allows it? And we are grateful that some of our children and even grandchildren have the opportunity to be around him.

Though we are not surprised, it is a big deal. No one else is still teaching at the college level at 90 years old! Granted, our research isn’t exhaustive, but we’ve had outside researchers on the case and we can’t find anyone else who does it.

Dr. Fletcher is the one who gave us our alma mater, “Hail to Oklahoma Christian,” which we sing every Monday morning in Chapel. He composed The Oklahoma Set, showcased during the State of Oklahoma’s centennial in 2007.

In OC’s relatively short history of

little more than six decades, the Fletcher Legacy certainly includes his efforts for equality among students during the Civil Rights fight in the 60s.

To look at the tapestry of our campus today, it seems almost implausible that OC dealt with segregation, a sit-in, arrests and expulsion of African-American students. It happened, though. Dr. Fletcher was there – an advocate for the students. It was another time.

Do the “kids” in class these days appreciate him? Yes, they do. And so does he.

“I have to be conscious constantly that I’m a lot older than they are. I have a picture in my office of me, a headshot (from the 1950s),” Fletcher said. “Every day I come to class, I look at it to remind me of how old I am and how long the distance between my time in life and their time in life. Being in the classroom is addictive. I’m a student and that’s what

Left: Dr. Fletcher teaching OC’s Music History class during the just-completed academic year. Above: Photos of Dr. Fletcher through the years, including a conversation with student Ron Wright.

I’ve spent my life being. Viewing the He has a restless, world from here, searching desire to learn I don’t know how how everything is connected. old I am.”

Says the man A person like him never gets who gave up his ‘old’ in his thinking. passion for piano to enlist in the Navy in 1941, yes, the year of the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. When he returned home from service, he pursued his dream to teach. He began teaching in Florida in 1948 before being named OC’s first faculty member – at then-Central Christian College in Bartlesville a short time later.

His class preparation then and to this day involves reading anew his material, listening afresh to music – even rap music – and still asking the big questions, not just in music, but in life as well.

“Intro to Philosophy is my favorite class. It has meant more to me than anything else,” Fletcher said. “There are many things more important than music – the great questions, those studies are more important, by far.”

Jeff Bingham (88), an accounting major, remembers those questions from Fletcher’s Topics in Philosophy class during his senior year.

“One morning in particular, he set a plastic orange chair in the center of our semi-circle of 25 or so students. He asked, ‘Does this chair exist? How do you know that? Do you exist? How do you know that? What does existence entail?’ So went the conversation for the balance of the hour,” said Jeff, now a major gifts officer at Oklahoma Christian. “His efforts to help me learn to think about why I believe what I believe have been invaluable as I’ve moved through life.”

David (87) and Leah (Powell 89) Hamrick were among the music students who learned life lessons at Dr. Fletcher’s feet.

“He has a restless, searching desire to learn how everything

is connected,” David said. “A person like him never gets ‘old’ in his thinking. He still has a childlike wonder at the works of God, including those that shine through God’s creatures in great music and art. No matter how many weeks we spent studying J.S. Bach, he still grumbled that there was still so much more he should cover, he just didn’t have time.”

The Hamricks’ daughter Amelia currently is an Honors Program student at Oklahoma Christian who recently became pretty famous for a discovery of her own. (Read about Amelia on page 22).

“Dr. Fletcher is the kindest, gentlest of Christian men and is so humble. I am so glad to have had the privilege of studying with him and that our daughter is the third generation in our family to benefit from his teaching,” Leah said.

As alumni, Dr. Fletcher is among our beloved teachers. We hold so fondly to them because they gave so much of themselves to us.

And that meant that others had to share. In this case, the Fletcher children – Alicia Burch (70), Sylvia Hurst (77), Nancy Snyder and John (82) – and Harold’s beloved wife, Mary Helon, who passed away in 2001.

“The years of my mother’s declining health set an example of how to lovingly care for someone who needs the care of their spouse. Perhaps that is the greatest legacy he gave me,” said John, also a “Dr. Fletcher” and professor of music at Oklahoma Christian. “He is the Energizer Bunny of a professor. Truly the process of studying and preparing for classes helps keep him feeling young and vibrant.”

He has been in the OC classroom for more than 55 years – pursuing a love of learning and a love of teaching.

Happy 90th Birthday, Dr. Fletcher!

By Dawn Shelton (90)

WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH HAROLD AND JOHN FLETCHER. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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TURNING TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH CARIAGA AIDS PHILIPPINES’ RECOVERY AFTER STORM Salvador Cariaga (83) is the executive director of ministries for Shepherd’s Hill International. OC president emeritus Mike O’Neal (68) is on the board of trustees for the ministry, which includes the Give A Goat initiative in Salavdor’s home country, the Philippines.

On November 7, Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines with the strength of a Category 5 hurricane, claiming almost 4,000 lives and injuring more than 12,000 people.

In the aftermath of one of the most destructive storms in Southeast Asia’s history, Salvador and Shepherd’s Hill were on the ground in the Philippines providing relief.

These excerpts from Salvador’s Facebook page show his passion for the people in his home country along with the real-time triumphs and trials of Christian disaster relief.

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November 7 Lost contact with our

Arapal brothers and sisters. The eye of the storm must be over the camp by now.

There will be no live updates for a while.

Wind and rain will continue raging for 4-6 hours before everything subsides. Their silence is deafening. Prayers please ...

November 8 Rescue. Relief. Rebuild.

Renew.

November 8 LATEST DISASTER

REPORT IN ARAPAL: GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS! The good news is that my worst fear did not happen; there are no major or many casualties in our area. I have not gotten much update on death or injury yet, but the fact that I have not gotten

much is good news.

The bad news is that my second worst fear happened. Collateral damage is complete. All our buildings in Arapal were destroyed, even Arapal Children’s Home is now roofless. There was no report of injuries of those who took shelter there (We have a concrete and rock basement that can hold 100 people). But all the huts were either gone or uninhabitable. Goat houses disappeared as expected.

Outside of our 100 acre campus is even worse. They were facing the brunt of the wind. We had their hills to protect us, somewhat. There are deaths reported there. Their devastation is more complete.

The wind and rain smashed their houses at will. Initial reports give a very grim picture of our neighbors.

November 9 Arapal Livelihood

Center, Arapal Christian Camp and Arapal Children’s Home were destroyed and decimated by the recent typhoon.

Seven years of hard work, gone in seven horrifying and traumatic hours.

Fortunately, lives were saved in the building BANDS (Body and Soul) Ministries donated. About 50 people huddled in the basement while the roof was mercilessly ripped off, but failed to harm them. With God’s help, we will rebuild. We will restore.

November 12 Distributing food and tarp in Arapal now. Got generator set and chain saws. Gerry Bastonero and crew taking more relief supplies to be distributed in and around Arapal Christian Camp. Hope to set up a temporary refugee camp there soon. Working on logistics and coordination. The government is overwhelmed. Too many people homeless. Meeting today in Fort Worth with US Relief Organizations BANDS Ministries, Christian Relief Fund, Healing Hands, Shepherds Hill, and other groups to help the Philippine disaster victims.

November 20 On the way to the

disaster area. Prayers please. Thank you.

November 27 Worship is not limited

to a physical structure. Even underneath a plastic tarp (during the day) or the moonlight (evening service), Arapal Christians and visitors continue to worship. I find open air worship more spiritually intimate than enclosed buildings.

December 1 I have been involved with

a lot of disaster works in the Philippines since I was a kid. The Philippines is the most disaster-prone country in the world, unfortunately. However, I have never been hit so close to home before. This time, “HOME” is ground zero. People who are victims are not just faceless folks I just met and may never meet again, not that they are less important. This time, I have known the disaster victims’ faces, names, stories, and families for years.

I have given them goats, seeds, and chicken.

On behalf of my people, please extend your help if you have not done so yet. The US Board of Trustees of Shepherds Hill committed to send 100% of your donation to the disaster work in the Philippines.

This is a volunteer driven organization led by Dr. Mike O’Neal, former president of Oklahoma Christian University. For more information, please contact him at mike.oneal@oc.edu or send your gift to Shepherds Hill, PO Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136. Contributions will be promptly acknowledged by volunteer Dr. Elaine Kelly and will be tax deductible.

December 2 Have a house full of international disaster volunteer workers.

More arriving.

December 5 I am in Arapal, Cebu.

6am here. No electricity in this disaster area for another three months or more.

Nice paradise weather this week. 70s & 80s. Am in my tent. I can hear villagers hammering and rebuilding. Enjoying sunrise, sound of birds, chicken and goats.

God is good!

December 31 HAPPY NEW YEAR! Going out to deliver rebuilding materials with young volunteers today. House to house. First day of the year is the best day to help rebuild homes and lives. If you wish to join me sometime this year, please let me know. This is a long and massive effort. We need all the help we can get.

Help us REBUILD ARAPAL! January 3 MORE BAPTISMS TODAY

IN ARAPAL. We need new fresh volunteer church workers, teachers, preachers, even if just for two weeks so that our worn out laborers ‘in the vineyard’ can get some rest. We also need to follow up on our new brethren, mentoring them and guiding them every day so that they will stay. School is starting next week. Our volunteers will be depleted down to 80% or more. Please share or email cariaga@ yahoo.com for information.

January 4 FROM VOLUNTEERS TO VICTORS. 15 young men and women were baptized in this beautiful San

December 6 Another beautiful sunrise in Arapal. A new day. A new beginning.

God is good.

December 8 DISASTER WORK can

also be a DISASTROUS LIFE. Lots of conflicts, jealousy, brush fires to put out – from the victims to the volunteers. Goats are so much easier to handle and herd. He he he.

December 14 Worshiping with the

faithful on a hilltop church few miles from Arapal. Under a tarp roof because chapel roof and walls have been yanked away by the typhoon. Only the foundation is left. Although their building was crushed, their spirit is not destroyed.

December 24 Feeling very MERRY today. The container has been unloaded and cleared. Several sleigh were filled and on their way to ARAPAL. HO HO HO!

Remegio beach yesterday near Arapal.

They are all high school students from Lambusan who served as disaster volunteers during Christmas break.

January 5 Dodong Cabarles baptized

most of the 65 who came forward today in Arapal. He has worked tirelessly here for years with only a little success in building up the church. This week, this little man became a giant in many eyes, including mine. His years of sacrifice and hard work suddenly came to life. His message and delivery has also stepped up like I

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volunteers. Theirs are stories of turning tragedy into triumph.

January 30 Another incoming typhoon

due to hit landfall. Prayers please.

January 31 In my tent. Typhoon Signal #2. Wind blowing harder and harder in Arapal. Raining off and on. Just had 13 baptisms late today IN THE OCEAN. 23 this week. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want …”

have never heard him preach before. God shined upon him brightly after the storm.

January 11 Singapore, Malaysia, Japan,

Europe, Canada, and the US have been extremely generous in helping make it possible for us to do relief and rebuilding work in Arapal. We would like to thank all our donors, especially the Americans, for their help. I will again share in our church today that I am just a conduit, not the source. But ultimately, God is the ultimate source of all. We are all just stewards. Happy Lord’s Day everyone.

God bless …

January 21 Almost eight years ago,

Angel was fighting for her life as she tried to outrun the rush of incoming mudslide from the mountain. It buried her whole village and took the lives of her loved ones along with over 2,000 others. Her grandmother who was running with her fell, but urged her to keep running.

She did not make it. Her sister who was also with them was covered with mud, but Angel and an uncle rescued her. Her grandfather who raised Angel and her sister Lyka survived, but mysteriously died a week later.

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January 31 All is well here now.

Stopped raining. Wind is not as strong.

Everyone safe. No report of major damage or any injuries here in the camp. Praise God. Thank you all for your prayers and concerns. Will update more later.

retired police colonel. He came to church Sunday to donate a piece of land for one of our new church buildings. He told me before our morning service that he liked what we are doing in his community and want to help. He had no plans of being baptized, but when the invitation was extended, he came forward and was immersed. People come to Arapal for various reasons. Many come for aid, others want to help, while some are just curious. God meets people at the point of their needs and draws them to Him. That is what’s happening in Arapal today.

Please share.

February 15 God does not waste hurt

or hunger. Many of the people who followed Jesus in the hills were after bread. He provided them more than bread to eat. He gave them the bread of life.

Happy Lord’s Day!

February 16 I asked the patriarch of this family who will donate a valuable land for our new church in Arapal, what led them to decide to donate a valuable property.

He said, “I heard of Arapal and what you have been doing through my employees and relatives. I think what you are doing is great and I want to support that.”

For over eight years, we have labored in Arapal serving the poorest of the poor.

Never it crossed my mind, that the rich were watching us through the eyes of the poor. And it was even further from my mind that rich and poor land owners will donate properties for our new church buildings around Arapal.

God works in mysterious ways. God is Great!

February 24 Over 300 souls have been

baptized since after the big typhoon in Cebu. We have been averaging 500+ in our Sunday morning attendance for three months now. Yesterday, we had more than 730. 32 souls accepted Christ. One of those who was born again was Willy Claren, a

February 24 One of our new

temporary staff members gave her share of roofing material to let a neighbor have it instead. She said, “They need it more than I do.” A typhoon disaster victim lost her home the second time due to fire, one of our longtime staff workers donated pots and pans from their own personal funds. Today, we have volunteers bringing sacks of potatoes, cassava, pounds of fish, fruits, and vegetables. With school being out, there are over 300 men, women, and children in Arapal today. We are becoming a huge close-knit family here. Imagine what our lunch is going to be like. he he he “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to

anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:42-47

February 26 Activities are super full. Another baptism yesterday. 300 volunteers working. Some brought chicken, vegetables, fish, and fruits.

One lady brought her whole family to cook special Filipino desert of “puto ug bodbod’ from scratch. It was a culinary demonstration of native food for everyone to see and later on enjoy. Building relationships. Building communities.

Building churches. Praise the Lord.

March 9 Every Sunday, our pictures will

show that there is always something new in Arapal. Again, our stage is bigger and better. The “Big Tent” is now longer again to accommodate more people. 722 attended our morning worship and 19 more souls

March 21 The burden of sustaining

this momentum, discipling and mentoring new members, developing an organizational structure that meets the needs of our new brothers in Christ is quite heavy and complicated. We still have an ongoing relief and rebuilding work to do, along with our existing programs of livelihood, children’s home, Christian camp, Christian schools, etc.

In April and May, we will be conducting VBS in 20 different sites around Arapal and Cebu.

Please pray for this work, that God may give us the wisdom what to do and the means to capitalize on this extraordinary situation and opportunity. Growth this fast and this big in a disaster situation is full of complications, confusion, and conflicts. Majority of our workforce are young and inexperienced. Our key leaders have been stretched and stressed. We have no blueprint or pattern and had to start from scratch and make things up as we go. We need your prayers and support now more than ever.

April 22 355 attended Sunday morning worship service in Arapal. 120 Sunday night. Six souls accepted Christ, one of them is Fernando Naparuta. His parents, brother and sister were killed in the Leyte disaster (mudslide) eight years ago. He joined our team this summer as a volunteer. From victim to volunteer, to victory in Jesus.

April 24 GIVE A PIG. Oink! Oink!

March 16 This 80+ year old lady came

with a bag of mongo beans as her offering.

She was proud of her gift. Her response to my interview cracked the audience. She has a great sense of humor and obviously a sincere will to serve the Lord.

May 3 500 Families around Arapal still

need disaster aid in forms of roofing, walls, nails, gutter, wood, etc. Rebuilding mission will go on for another six months to a year. Lots of homes still need repair. We are budgeting about $100 per household.

April 8 VBS starts today in four different villages around Arapal. Targeting 20 or more different sites. Teachers mostly teenagers. Prayers please.

were added to the Lord, including an 80 year old man who wanted to be baptized with his ‘new’ necktie on. LOL!

May 2 In Arapal, we have been partnering for almost six months with various individuals, churches, and nonprofit groups (local and international).

Among them are BandS Ministries, Disaster Tech Lab, Disaster Missions, Christian Relief Fund, Ecoweb, Peace Relief Mission, etc. We are grateful to all our partners and welcome any new ones who wish to come.

Arapal Livelihood Center has been developing its organic pig farm for over two years. Now we are ready to expand by sharing our knowledge and experience to help fight poverty and break the cycle of dependency through organic pig raising. For more information, please message me or email me at cariaga@yahoo.com or donate directly to Shepherds Hill, PO BOX 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136. Note: Give a pig.

Please help. Send your aid through Shepherds Hill, PO Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136. Kindly share this with your friends, family, or home church.

May 11 There are now 21 new converts

here in the islet. One of the converts is Arse Lopez. He is one of the patriarchs of this place with 12 children and 40 grandchildren. When l first approached him for Bible study in his village, he answered, “We need to hear God’s word in this island.”

May 13 27 Souls were baptized in the last few days in Arapal and surrounding areas, 18 of them in Arapal Island. Over 350 attended worship in Arapal Sunday morning, over 50 attended Sunday night in the islet. 603 have now accepted Christ since typhoon Yolanda (Hainan) six months ago. To God be the glory. Praise the Lord!

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NURSING THE WORLD OVER Helping others is in recent grad’s blood

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Reagan Hightower is one of the growing number of OC alumni who are addressing the nursing shortage in the United States and abroad.

For this 2011 grad, her work as an emergency room nurse at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City is a labor of love.

But she isn’t content to punch the clock, put in her time, and provide medical care for the patients who come through Mercy’s ER. Just within the past year, she’s helped with a mobile clinic after last May’s deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma, traveled to Rwanda with a group from Mercy to assess medical needs at the hospitals there, and spent vacation time helping survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

“It’s been a passion of mine from the beginning,” she said. “The driving force is that I’m able to use my skills and use the knowledge I’ve

been blessed with to go places with people that are seeking medical care who wouldn’t normally get it. I’m able to help be part of a team that can provide it.”

During their two weeks in the Philippines, Reagan and the other medical missionaries – including another OC grad, Erin Downing (11) – traveled back and forth to different cities and provinces, set up a mobile clinic, and spent six to 10 hours per day treating typhoon injuries and giving tetanus shots or medication to those who have never had medical care.

“They already don’t have a lot of material things, and then they lost everything they had. Some people lost friends. Some people lost family,” Reagan said. “But it was very encouraging to talk to the people there. They weren’t angry at their situation. They were so

happy for the help they were receiving.

They were turning to God for support.”

Reagan was a 19-year-old OC student when she went on her first mission trip to Tanzania.

More mission trips followed, including OC’s HonduraServe program, which provides overseas field experience to nursing majors.

“HonduraServe is a unique adventure.

You’re able to really put to work what they’ve been teaching you in class all year,” Reagan said. “As a student, I never imagined I’d be able to go overseas and give medical care. It was a neat experience to go see how a different country deals with healthcare. We were able to study

I wouldn’t say you go to work with your cape on to save the world. It’s something I’ve chosen to do and I love that I’ve chosen to do it.

Left: Reagan Hightower during her mission trip to the Philippines. Above Left: Reagan meets Rwandan president Paul Kagame during Mercy’s survey trip to Rwanda. Above Middle/Right: Reagan at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City.

their healthcare system as well.”

That experience served Reagan well last year on Mercy’s survey trip to Rwanda. At the Rwandan government’s request, the team evaluated four hospitals in Kigali and assessed what they were doing well and what could be improved.

“I was really honored to be part of that opportunity,” she said. “I felt like we were really able to make a difference while we were there. It’s rewarding to take two different cultures and merge them together to help people.”

Helping others is in Reagan’s blood.

Whether she’s facing medical challenges in a third-world country or dealing

with the tension and trauma of a metro emergency room, Reagan feels blessed to serve.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s something where you go to work with your cape on and you’re going to save the world.

It’s something I’ve chosen to do and I love that I’ve chosen to do it,” Reagan said. “OC prepared me very well. The opportunities I’ve had as a result of being an OC grad are amazing. And I love being a nurse.”

By Wes McKinzie (98)

WATCH A VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH REAGAN. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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RWANDAN MEMORIES Sheltons visit EAGLES in Kigali Last Christmas in Kigali, Rwanda, Keli (Hopkins 92) Shreck set her table with napkins bought more than 20 years ago, when she was an OC student on the Vienna Studies Program, at the renowned “Christkindl” market.

They were a present for her mom, who thought they were too pretty to use. So the package of napkins (serviettes) ended up in the Shrecks’ shipping container in 2010 for a trip across the ocean to Rwanda, where they would live as missionaries with their four children.

When I asked Keli about those napkins as we spread out the fare for our “Rwandan-American” Christmas feast (complete with green bean casserole with the French-fried onions that my daughter and I brought in our luggage), I marveled at how God had planted the longing for mission in the hearts of Keli and her husband Brett (91).

Brett and Keli moved to Rwanda not long after adopting two sons from an orphanage in Kigali.

The son of former OC faculty members, Drs. Gary (62) and Paulette (Patten 75) Shreck, Brett serves

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as the lead minister at Christ’s Church Rwanda, an English-speaking congregation of about 300 believers from Rwanda and all over the world.

Keli leads the children’s ministry. And their family has grown by two more children they hope to soon adopt, a precious newborn girl (now 2) who was abandoned in a field, and a sweet newborn boy (also 2) who was abandoned in the jungle outside of town.

As the practice of adoption grows in Rwanda, the Shrecks are able to model the joy of bringing more children into their family.

The Shrecks work on a team with several OC ties.

Dr. Holly Hixson, former chemistry professor, and her husband, Bryan, who ran OC’s North Institute for Learning, moved to Rwanda six years ago.

Alumnus Rusty Linden (07) and his wife, Onawa, have been there for four years.

This spring, the team began shedding a few tears when medical doctor Dr. Brian Robinson (92) and his family, prepared to head back to the states.

The team does life together with many families,

Left: The Shreck family. Middle: Dawn Shelton with Alain Shema’s parents, Celestin Sekagilimana and Marie Mukamana. Right: Choir from Christ’s Church Rwanda during the Christmas Day service.

government officials, business leaders, expatriates, neighbors, and a growing number of native Rwandans who have moved back home to Kigali after graduating from Oklahoma Christian.

It’s a rich life of church activities, school events, projects, Bible studies, small group meetings, and getting pizza or Chinese food together. It is a very cosmopolitan city!

They also have come to do life, patiently, with the power outages, intermittent Internet and water scarcity issues that are part of the growing pains in a developing nation.

Still, Rwanda is making advancements in technology, business, agriculture and infrastructure, which led to the opening of an OC MBA program in Kigali a year ago. It’s so successful that it has a waiting list of students who want to enroll.

Jean Rindiro (11), the director of the OC MBA program in Kigali, has an endearing smile, resolute eyes and a heart of forgiveness. He was 12 years old during the 1994 genocide that claimed the lives of almost one million Rwandans.

After losing most of his family, Jean survived for months alone in the jungle – nourished with nothing more than twigs and leaves – until the Army found him, clothed him and taught him again how to eat and live.

He proceeded to get his education, including an MBA degree from Oklahoma Christian.

In a country now 20 years removed from the war that claimed nearly a million lives, there is reconciliation and forgiveness – just as there remain grim reminders and pain.

This pain – and an inspiring hope – is what captured the hearts of so many in the OC community when the first students came to campus in 2006 as part of the Rwandan Presidential Scholars Program.

One of those students, Alain Shema (10), became part of our

family. That’s when I began yearning to go to Rwanda.

Although he was in the U.S. during our recent trip, one of the most precious moments was walking into his family’s home and seeing a picture of MY three children along with Alain in his OC graduation gown and cap.

On the wall in their home. Across the world.

Recently, Christ’s Church Rwanda embarked on 30 days of prayer from Ephesians 3:14-19. Brett asked everyone to pray that God would give us inner strength and that we would be transformed by God’s love.

Dear Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that from your glorious, unlimited resources you will empower Christ’s Church Rwanda with inner strength through your Spirit. That Christ will make his home in their hearts as they trust in him.

May their roots grow down into your love and keep them strong.

And may they have the power to understand, as all your people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep your love is. May they experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then they will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Shrecks do not know how long they will be in Rwanda.

They have built a beautiful life and rhythm, interspersed with the normal struggles of fundraising for missionaries.

But they are committed to go where God sends them; a fine example of how OC is both home and mission.

By Dawn Shelton (90) WATCH A INTERVIEW WITH BRETT SHRECK AND OTHER EAGLES MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN RWANDA. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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Getting to the Bottom

Amelia Hamrick never expected to become famous for discovering and recording a line of music hidden in a 500-year-old painting. But funny things happen to college students in the middle of the night.

The discovery occurred in February on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University.

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You might expect this to happen to a student working in a darkened library, poring through books to find a thesis-worthy project, but no, the scene was far different.

Instead, imagine a white-walled conference room in the Honors dorm, with a few tables, chairs and a white board with calculus written on it.

It’s one o’clock in the morning, and the room is occupied by a few scattered students.

Amelia and some friends are chatting about the odd 1500s Hieronymus Bosch

painting they learned about in history class.

She pulls up a high-resolution version of the painting and scrolls around for a closer look. She finds a unicorn, a porcupine, and, lo and behold, musical notes.

“Hey, guys, this dude has music written on his rear end,” Amelia says. “I’m totally going to transcribe it.”

Within 30 minutes, she has entered the notes into musical composition software, and she and her friends are the first to hear a piano version of a five-centuriesold tune.

It’s a little overwhelming to be goofing around and accidentally making a historical discovery.

After posting the audio file to her blog, she’s surprised by the online response – more than 200,000 plays, inquiries from around the world, a feature story by Anderson Cooper of CNN. Everyone wants to know – is it true that Amelia is the first to ever play Bosch’s song? It seems likely, at least to Oklahoma Christian music professor, Dr. John Fletcher (82).

“This is a well-documented painting.

I thought someone might come forward with doctoral research, but interestingly, nothing has surfaced in the weeks since this has been publicized,” Fletcher said.

Although Amelia accidently stumbled onto this discovery, Fletcher isn’t surprised because of all the factors influencing her.

“Both of her parents were students of mine, both music majors who now work as research librarians,” Fletcher said. “Considering her upbringing in a research-oriented family, it’s natural for her to explore something like this.”

It does seem that a rare combination of circumstances came into play that night while studying.

After all, how many students have a double major in music and information sciences – oh, and have a father with a doctorate in musicology who specialized in music from the 1500s?

The Bosch painting, named “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” was painted around 1500 AD. It is speculated to be either a narration of creation or a commentary on social temptations.

Amelia describes it in modern terms as a “Where’s Waldo from 500 years ago.” She wonders if Bosch was being symbolic or just being weird.

“I’d like to clear that up and learn if those notes are an actual song significant to the painting, or if we’re reading too

much into his painting,” she said.

Unsurprisingly, Amelia is already looking ahead to her senior project and is hoping to transcribe the other musical notes from the painting.

She finds it funny to hear the university’s highly-respected professors discussing the man’s naked rear end in her classes.

Other students at the university have already found creative ways to expand upon the music, such as a choral arrangement with “interesting” barebottomed lyrics, and the idea of creating a Sweat Band version of the song to play at basketball games, although the tune is fairly tuneless. According to Amelia, “This is a really bad Gregorian chant.”

She speculates that the notes might have been randomly painted for their looks, not their musicality.

However, the song has gained cyberspace fans who have begun recording their own versions, including one sung in actual Gregorian chant.

For Amelia, she’s unsure if this historical discovery is going to have a long-term effect on her life, but it made the semester exciting.

“It’s a little overwhelming to be goofing around and accidentally making a historical discovery,” she said.

The question remains, did Bosch intend for this now-internationallyfamous song to ever be played?

It’s too early to tell, but Amelia might be the perfect person to get to the “bottom” of this 500-year-old mystery.

She can certainly take credit for bringing this posterior story to the forefront.

By Amy Dee Stephens (95) Courtesy of the Edmond Outlook

HEAR THE SONG AND SEE THE MEDIA COVERAGE OF AMELIA’S HISTORIC DISCOVERY. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

Isabella and Michael Mitchell

LIFE LESSONS “Savor every moment you have together. Today, she might be crawling around the house in diapers.

Tomorrow, you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle.”

There’s plenty to savor in the new book by OC director of admissions Michael Mitchell (04): “Life Lessons for Dad: Tea Parties, Tutus and All Things Pink.”

The book draws from his popular Life to Her Years blog (lifetoheryears.com) and features endearing photographs with plainspoken parenting truths and words of advice.

Michael started his blog in 2011 to capture the many thoughts he had as “the doting father” of Isabella, who was born in 2010 to he and his wife, Annaleise (Hartman 04) Mitchell.

He packaged his favorite posts into an article called “50 Rules for Dads of Daughters” and started shopping it around.

It got posted on the “From Dates to Diapers” blog and became a viral sensation, helping Michael’s blog attract more than 2 million people (and counting).

In August 2012, Michael got a call from the Broadman & Holman publishing company. A few weeks later, he’d signed a book deal.

“Life Lessons for Dad” is now available on amazon.com and through other booksellers.

“The coolest part about this whole experience is that I’m constantly hearing from people: dads with daughters who tell me they’re better dads because they read my blog; daughters who email to tell me that I’m basically blogging about their awesome dads,” Michael said. “I can’t believe God blessed me with this platform. It’s turned into this amazing opportunity to encourage thousands of fathers to be the best dads they can be for their families.”

By Wes McKinzie (98)

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BALD AND BEAUTIFUL Alum writes books to help children with cancer Brianne (Lytton 01) Banning will always remember an education class with Dr. Robyn Miller (85). Brianne learned about writing a children’s story, but didn’t think she had the creativity to achieve it. Today, inspired by her daughter’s cancer battles, the author of two children’s books finds that day humorous.

“I really thought I didn’t have any story to tell, and that I probably wouldn’t have one in the future to tell,” Brianne said.

A few years after graduating from OC with a degree in physical education, her daughter Baylee was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer at just six months old. The cancer was at stage four, and involved seven tumors. Baylee underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and a two-month stem cell treatment.

“We were totally shocked to learn that our baby had cancer,” Brianne said. “We never even looked on the Internet to learn more about the disease. We knew the statistics for survival were not good. Plus, we knew there was only one physician who could heal her and that was the Great Physician.”

Nearly four years later, Brianne and her husband Aaron received a final clear scan indicating the cancer was gone. But Baylee began having stomach pains the next year, just before starting kindergarten.

“As a parent of a child who has had cancer, every little illness scares you and can make you flip out,” Brianne said. “But you can’t ignore anything. Once again, I found myself on my knees praying, ‘How am I going to do this?’”

The doctors discovered that Baylee had a Wilms tumor on her ovary, a different cancer than before. Fortunately, the cancer was not on a kidney, so the doctors were able to completely remove it.

Baylee once again had to receive 15 rounds of chemotherapy, but none were as harsh as her first cancer treatments.

This time, Brianne really struggled with telling Baylee about how she would lose her hair.

“I looked and looked for books that would help me, but so many were dark and very cancer-centric,” Brianne said. “I needed something else.”

Brianne found the answer in Baylee.

“I told her about losing her hair again and she just laughed.

She thought it was funny,” Brianne said. “So we sat down and

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wrote a story about a little girl who had to lose her hair. We came up with the idea of a hair fairy, and we really just wanted the story to have positive, affirmative messages. We didn’t even want to mention cancer.

“After we developed the story, Baylee looked forward to the day the hair fairy would come and get her hair, and then when the fairy would return it for Baylee being so strong and brave.”

After Brianne told others of the story, friends encouraged her to turn it into a book. She self-published “The Beautiful Bald Princess” with illustrations by Tricia Weber, a friend and fellow member of Northside Church of Christ in Wichita. Tate Publishing contacted Banning and agreed to publish the book.

“The book has really allowed us to give back,” Brianne said.

“We’ve worked with the Ronald McDonald House, where we had stayed ourselves. I spoke to nearly 1,000 women at the Women Walking with God conference. Friends and church members have bought the books and asked me to give them to children they know. So many people helped our family, and we are more than willing to share our story to help others for God’s glory.”

Another way Brianne has been able to give back is by visiting children in hospitals – dressed as the hair fairy – and reading the book to patients.

This year, Brianne developed a book for boys called “The Brave Bald Knight.” Both books and other materials are available at bravebaldandbeautiful.com. Brianne wants the books to get into the hands of parents and children who need them.

Today, Baylee is cancer-free. Her final treatment was in February 2013, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation is helping her get to Disney World in September.

“It is so exciting to see her play soccer,” Brianne said. “People don’t know how God has worked in her life.”

That perspective reminds Brianne of her time in her mentor’s class, Teaching The Disabled Child, taught by Dr. Max Dobson.

“Working with kids with disabilities in his class allowed me to look at difficult situations differently,” Brianne said. “There are positive ways to help, and there is always something you can do to brighten their day with a story.”

By Josh Watson

Professor of Electrical Engineering Joe Watson may sit halfway down a church pew from Kara Johnson, but he certainly didn’t expect her response when his kidney began to fail.

Three years ago, after numerous visits to the doctor, Joe was directed to a kidney specialist.

“After several sessions with the doctor, I was informed that I was experiencing kidney failure,” Joe said. “And, while it could be slowed down some, I would soon be reaching ‘end-stage renal failure’ and would then have three choices: transplantation, dialysis or death.”

Joe and his family began looking into kidney transplant options. Due to his age, he was informed that he would not be considered a candidate for the National Organ Transplant Waiting List.

“However, I was told that I would be approved for a transplant if I could find a living donor and could arrange for a transplant within about six months,” Joe said.

None of his family members were donor candidates, but they actively prayed for a solution. Joe asked for prayers and help from his church family at Memorial Road Church of Christ, as well as his campus family at Oklahoma Christian.

Kara and her husband Craig, an associate professor of mathematics at OC, were moved to respond to the request.

“I thought, ‘Why not?’ I remember thinking how sad it would be if one Sunday Joe wasn’t there sitting beside Nancy, and how

guilty I would feel if I didn’t at least try to help,” Kara said.

After a worship service at Memorial Road in November, Kara and Craig approached the Watsons with a simple question: “How do we start the process?”

“Joe looked shocked, and Nancy started crying,” Kara said.

“And then I thought there was no way I would ever back out and disappoint them.”

Craig didn’t have the right blood type to be a a donor match.

But after two months of testing, Kara qualified as a donor. The transplant happened in February, and it was a great success.

“I was totally at peace with the process. I was confident that the Lord would, in fact, bless this event and work through these medical experts to do something that was within his will,” Joe said. “I am an only child, but I have a wonderful sister in the Lord who has given me a greatly improved quality of life.”

Kara emphasized her conviction that this is “God’s story.”

“I was truly honored that God allowed me to be a solution,” she said. “This has been his story from the very beginning, and I will continue to trust him to finish it in a way that will glorify him.”

By Jenny Dahl WATCH A TOUCHING VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH JOE WATSON AND KARA AND CRAIG JOHNSON. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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BILLION-DOLLAR BRILLIANCE

OC launched Tabor into remarkable law career

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A 4.0 grade-point average, magna cum laude Harvard Law graduate, and renowned corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer are just a few of the notable things on Jay Tabor’s resume.

Jay (86) recently represented Kinder Morgan in its $38 billion acquisition of El Paso Corporation, for which the Am Law Daily named him “Dealmaker of the Week.”

He has represented General Electric in numerous important transactions, including its $20 billion joint venture with Comcast for the ownership of NBC Universal and its $3.3 billion acquisition of Lufkin Industries. Jay is even the youngest of the 11 lawyers ranked by Chambers USA in the top tier of Corporate/M&A lawyers in Texas.

But these accolades tell a very small part of his story.

Jay has a history and political science degree from Oklahoma Christian. Dr. John Maple (72), whom Tabor listed as his biggest faculty influence at OC, raved about his former student and the success he’s had.

“Jay was always very, very intelligent. That is apparent by his record,” Maple said. “He is one of the most diligent students I have had. Not many people can graduate with a 4.0 in three years, and I believe he is one

buddies who cared a lot about each other and everyone on campus.”

Jay and Dewey Leggett (86) were friends before college, roommates at OC, in each other’s weddings, and stay in contact today. Even though Dewey could rattle off many humorous stories about Jay, he knows his intelligence is elite.

“Jay is one of the world’s nicest guys ever. He’s also probably the smartest guy who has ever graduated from OC,” Dewey said. “We both graduated with a 4.0, but mine were always like 91 and Jay’s were always 98. That’s who he was; he would just study, study, study. He always wanted knowledge.”

the late Dr. John Thompson (78).

Thompson taught both Tabors, and they both had an extreme respect for him. When he passed away in 2008, the Tabors helped begin the John Thompson Memorial Endowment.

“We wanted to acknowledge the role that he played in our success and many others in the school,” Jay said. “OC gave Susan and I the educational start we needed, not only academically, but in developing the all-around person. The blessings we received have enabled us to be in a position to now give back ourselves.”

The Tabors also gave the anchor gift for a history scholarship endowment to honor

OC helped mold me and helped me grow scholastically, spiritually and socially. It made Harvard easier.

of only two OC grads to be accepted to Harvard Law.” Jay will not take credit for his brilliance, though.

He credits his parents for giving him a strong sense of commitment, one of the biggest secrets to his immense success.

“My parents always taught me to work hard, and that if you want something to devote yourself to it,” Jay said. “You can make up for less talent with more work.

You may have to get up earlier and stay up later than everyone else, but if it means enough, you can do it.”

Jay has never let his drive to succeed overshadow others. In fact, Maple remembers him as a student that people loved.

“Jay was very fun to teach,” Maple said.

“He was congenial, personable – just an overall nice guy. He had a great group of

Along with his parents, Jay praises his alma mater for helping him to develop into the person he is today.

“OC focuses on the whole person,” Jay said. “It helped mold me and helped me grow scholastically, spiritually and socially. Most of the faculty could have gone and made more money elsewhere, but they were there to cement and instill Christian values and to build relationships. They taught me to write clearly, express myself clearly and think analytically, and it made Harvard easier.

“OC’s size also made it very personable and gave you a good opportunity to develop long-term relationships. I came into OC a kid, and left as an adult who had matured a lot.”

Jay and his wife, Susan (Fuller 87), share many of the same qualities and values, including their emphasis on relationships. One relationship that is near to their hearts is the one they made with

Maple and his wife Connie (Hukle 95).

(Read more on page 42.)

It is easy to look at success stories like this and focus on the perfect GPA, impressive honors and billion-dollar deals. But doing that does an injustice to Jay’s story.

When OC honored him as a distinguished alumnus from the Department of History and Political Science at last year’s Homecoming, the university recognized Jay’s hard work, humility and heart for others along with his accomplishments.

“Obviously, Jay is very successful and could get the award solely based on that,” Maple said. “But he is also deserving because of his generosity and all that he stands for.”

By Brooks Stephenson WATCH A VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH JAY TABOR. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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Kent Allen with Valerie and Allen England

INVESTING IN OUR YOUTH Englands help fund ministry endowment Allen England does some of his best thinking in the deer stand and some of his best discussing with his wife, Valerie, on the long drive from their Oklahoma City home to their hobby farm in Turkey, Texas.

A lot of the thinking and discussing involves thanking God for their blessings and asking Him how they might help grow His kingdom.

Before retiring, the couple spent their careers in public education, investing a lot of time and heart in young people in the classroom and administration.

They also invested in students at church, particularly when their children Sharry (98) and Jerred (04) were growing up. Being so attuned to each generation, their prayers and discussion led to establishing a gift for the youth ministry program in OC’s College of Biblical Studies.

“We made an appointment with our friend, Kent Allen (79, OC’s vice president for advancement). He was instrumental in helping us decide that the endowment in youth ministry was the path to help attract future youth ministers and assist them with the funds needed to complete

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the program,” Allen said.

The $100,000 gift seeds the Allen and Valerie England Endowed Scholarship for Youth Ministry. The timing is perfect with much recent research and discussion about “millennials” not participating in the church, and a generation growing up in a postmodern society.

Jerred, a youth minister at Del City Church of Christ, says he has seen his parents wrestle firsthand with these realities.

“My dad has always been able to tell stories about students whose parents are counting down until they are 18 years old to get them out of the house. Not like how Cliff Huxtable joked on The Cosby Show; these students genuinely felt unloved by their parents,” Jarred said. “There are really heartbreaking stories about students with really crummy or virtually non-existent parents. My parents felt it was important to have a caring, loving adult like a youth minister in students’ lives.”

Valerie said that all parents, engaged or not, can use all the help they can get.

“Parents today face even more challenges than the parents of a few years

ago. The influences of the Internet, cell phones, Hollywood, and the media in general make their job very difficult,” she said. “Youth ministers are the connection many young people need to assist parents.”

Valerie said the church also needs willing parents and a supportive congregation to give of their resources and time. Jerred has seen his parents model that willingness, meaning the thread runs deep when it comes to helping children and teens.

“The ‘why’ to all this isn’t really to help youth ministers. It’s more about helping children and adolescents,” Jarred said. “I think they hope it will have exponential payoff in that, if they invest in youth ministry, that the youth ministers will invest in the lives of children and teens who need caring, loving and spiritual persons in their lives.”

Allen and Valerie say the biggest surprise in this process was that such an endowment didn’t already exist.

“Our challenge to OC alumni and others who love OC is to not assume that it has been done before,” Allen said. “Be willing to take on a challenge and give toward a program you think is important for the future. If you can help in any way, don’t wait for someone to ask you.”

By Dawn Shelton (90)

Carolyn and Ray Lovejoy

NANNY & PAPA’S GIFT Branches fund Ray & Carolyn Lovejoy Scholarship No sooner had their youngest child graduated from OC did Alfred (84) and Judy (Lovejoy 85) Branch offer a new scholarship to students in dire financial need. Dawn Shelton (90) interviewed them about their gift.

What led you to establish this new scholarship?

Al: My parents, Charles and Sylvia Branch, established an excellent example of sending many other students besides their own five children through OC. It is a fitting tribute that Judy and I continue that tradition. We are humbled to launch the Ray and Carolyn Lovejoy Student Scholarship. The graduation of our son, Lee, marked the end of 15 years that Judy and I have either been employed at OC or had our children attending. Given that close relationship, we are continually aware of students from within our church or children’s circle that sometimes have difficult financial challenges.

What do you pray for the students who will receive this scholarship?

Judy: This past year, we were personally affected by our relationship with a student who lost a parent. Without financial assistance, our adopted daughter

would not have been able to return to OC. This event was the thing that started the idea of creating this scholarship.

With God, all things are possible and I hope God can use us to fulfill that promise for families in crisis that want a Christian education from our alma mater!

My parents love OC. They are “nanny and papa” to many students. They have blessed so many students who have become their adopted grandparents over the past 10 years, and those students have enriched my parents’ lives as well.

Maybe it should be the Nanny and Papa Scholarship Fund?

What can you advise other OC alumni (and true empty nesters) about giving back to OC? Al: One of the fundamental foundations and core values of our lives is trying to be generous. We have had great examples in our lives from our parents. I am so pleased that so many new alumni givers are now giving back though our Homeward campaign. I believe that as many see OC shining brightly under John deSteiguer’s leadership, more alumni will be engaged to give back in greater ways.

Many of our friends are now reaching

“empty-nester” status; Judy and I would encourage those in that situation to find new “children” at their churches or within their families to encourage and support in getting a great OC education.

We remember your leadership as OC’s fifth president and first lady … thank you! But if you had ONE more day as president, what would you do?

Al: I’d walk the campus (on the Eagle Trail now), count my blessings, pick up trash, and find some students to talk with, as it is those energetic and optimistic 1822 year olds that give everyone in higher education a sense of joy and satisfaction in what we do. Can I come back and do that? (Editor’s note: President deSteiguer says you can!)

Alfred is president of Moriah Real Estate Company and a member of OC’s Board of Trustees. Judy is retired as children’s ministry director at Memorial Road Church of Christ, allowing her more time to support her parents.

Daughter Meagan (Branch 11) Lytton just completed her third year teaching fifth-grade science at Crossings Christian School. New graduate Lee Branch (14) is off to Dallas to join the accounting firm of Ernst & Young.

29 WWW. OC. E D U

CHARLES BRANCH LEAVES A LEGACY

Sylvia and Charles Branch

Dr. Charles Branch, Sr., one of the most cherished members of the OC family, passed away in San Antonio on December 6 at age 87.

Charles and his wife Sylvia are the patriarch and matriarch of a family in its fifth decade of leadership and involvement with OC. The Branch children – Charlie (77), Warren (77), Dan (80), Alfred (84), and Cynthia Branch Adams (86) – and four of their grandchildren – Daniel Branch (05), Henson Adams (11), Meagan Branch Lytton (11), and Lee Branch (14) – have called OC home. The Branches received the university’s inaugural

“Legacy Award” in 2010.

Dr. Branch served on OC’s Board of Trustees for 20 years before becoming a Life Trustee.

He was an active member of MacArthur Park Church of Christ, where he served as a Sunday school teacher, deacon, medical missionary and elder for more than 43 years.

“Dr. Charles Branch is an OC hero,” President John deSteiguer said. “He was always encouraging us and always championing us. Charles and Sylvia are inspiring examples of faithful, committed Christians. I will miss this great man whom I loved and admired.”

OC MOURNS Elmo Hall’S passING

Elmo Hall

Professor Emeritus Dr. Elmo Hall, 83, passed away on May 13 with his loving family at his side.

He came to Oklahoma Christian in 1967 and taught English and literature classes for hundreds of OC students over the next four decades.

He also was integrally involved in campus life, handling PA announcer duties at OC basketball games, assisting with alumni callouts, and hosting and performing at First Week Follies.

He made a worldwide ministry impact through extensive mission work, leading OC students on annual campaigns for more than a decade.

“Whether playing basketball or teaching or studying the Bible, Elmo always wanted to do his best,” Distinguished Professor of Bible Dr. Stafford North said. “He was fully dedicated to his work, which he considered his work for the Lord – whether that work was preaching, teaching a Bible class, teaching English, or leading a group on a mission trip.”

Elmo and his wife, Anita, married in 1951 and spent almost 62 years together before her passing in February 2013.

Their surviving children, Janet Hall (74) and Teresa Wilguess (86), are both OC alumni.

OC GRAD LOST ON MALAYSIA FLIGHT OC alumnus Philip Wood (85) was on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that went missing in March and is presumed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean.

Philip, who graduated from Oklahoma Christian with a degree in computer science, was the only adult American on board.

Philip had recently moved from North Texas to Beijing, where he worked as an executive with IBM.

30 VI SI O NSUMM ER2 014

Milestones Keep up with milestones online at www.oc.edu/alumni

Condolences Todd Brooks (92)

Haskell Sinclair

Todd Brooks passed away September 16, 2013, after a long battle with cancer.

He was 44 years old. He was a popular musician and performer who appeared in numerous productions while studying music education at Oklahoma Christian in the late 80s and early 90s.

L. Haskell Sinclair, who coached basketball and baseball at Oklahoma Christian during the formative days of our athletic program, passed away in January at age 79.

Sinclair is one of only six men’s basketball coaches in OC’s history. Athletic Director Curtis Janz said Sinclair “was one of the men on whom the foundation of OC athletics was built. He coached players such as Frank Davis and recruited players such as Mike Gipson, who set the standard for the future of our program.”

Sinclair arrived in 1962 as Oklahoma Christian was about to enter only its second full season of competition against other four-year colleges.

Led by Frank Davis’ still-standing school record of 26.2 points per game, the Eagles went 17-5 in 1962-63 and followed that with a 7-13 mark in 1963-64.

Sinclair stepped down after that season and was succeeded by Davis.

“He was the best coach ever,” Davis said.

“He loved coaching and we loved playing for him. Coach Sinclair believed in us and made us believe in ourselves. He made a huge difference in my life as a person and as an athlete. I will always remember him and his wonderful family.”

Rod Carroll (74) Rod Carroll, the pulpit minister for Ninnekah Church of Christ in Oklahoma, died March 1 when a bus lost control trying to avoid an ice-related accident Rod had stopped to help with. He was 61 years old.

DAVID OWENS (64) Former Oklahoma Christian public relations director David Owens passed away on April 22 at the age of 71. He served during the presidency of Terry Johnson, who returned to Oklahoma City to preside over David’s memorial service.

Rick Reed (95) Rick Reed passed away at age 42 on November 5, 2013. Rick was a missionary to Japan for many years and dedicated his life to knowing, serving and teaching the people of Japan across numerous contexts.

Rick battled various health issues the last 12 years of his life and ultimately was not able to overcome them. Many remember Rick as passionate OC basketball fan and a talented player in his own right. More significantly, he knew how to love people well, without expectation or pressure, always willing to share himself and all he had. His legacy of Christ-like love extends to thousands of people throughout the world and echoes into eternity.

John deSteiguer; Justin Barrett, an MBA student who served in the Navy; Lisa Bennett, a nursing student who served in the Air Force; Damon Fithian, an MBA student who served in the Marines; Kyle’s father, Dan Seitsinger; and OC vice president for advancement Kent Allen.

OC honors student killed serving in Afghanistan “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) That’s what OC student Kyle Seitsinger did 10 years ago. Serving as an Army Sergeant in Afghanistan, he died along with seven other U.S. soldiers when a weapons cache exploded. Kyle was less than a year away from graduating with a dual major in journalism and Spanish when he died.

On January 29, 2014, the 10-year anniversary of Kyle’s death, the OC family remembered him during a special Chapel service. Dr. Philip Patterson, distinguished professor of mass communication, delivered the Chapel message in memory of his former student.

Kyle enrolled at Oklahoma Christian in the fall of 2000 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves to help pay for college. He was called into active duty in November 2003.

When Kyle and his fellow soldiers were killed, it was the United States’ largest loss of life in Afghanistan at the time. Kyle was the first Oklahoman killed serving in “Operation Enduring Freedom” and is the only active student in OC’s history to be killed in the line of duty.

“That makes Kyle unique among us for that greater love,” Patterson said, invoking John 15. “Kyle stands alone.”

WATCH DR. PATTERSON’S MOVING SPEECH IN TRIBUTE TO KYLE SEITSINGER. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

31 WWW. OC. E D U

1968

(13) and Nathan (10). mwlee1995@gmail. com

Alan Taylor has retired following a 45year preaching career. He served the past 29 years at Mountainside Church of Christ in Albuquerque, NM. Alan is married to Lanell (Green 68) Taylor. alan10813@ yahoo.com

1978 Mary Snyder graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a MSN degree on Dec. 14, 2013. She also holds a BSN degree from Wichita State University and an M.Ed degree in professional health occupations from the University of Central Oklahoma. msok53@yahoo.com

1979 Danny Henderson has been permanently reassigned as Deputy Director of the Manpower, Personnel and Services Directorate for HQ Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) on Peterson AFB, CO. eagle7579dan@hotmail.com

1995 Lee and Anissa (Wardell 95) Hodo adopted their third son on October 31, 2013. They now have five kids; the oldest will begin at OC this fall, making her a fourth-generation Eagle! lee.hodo@gmail. com

1992 Ken Sayers is the pulpit minister for Northside Church of Christ in Mena, AR. His wife Paula (Perry 92) is an Admissions Coordinator for the Mena Regional Health System. Their daughter, Tabitha, is a freshman at Harding University. Ibkensayers@yahoo.com

1993

Troy Baker was honored with the Nebraska School Psychologist Association’s 2013 award for “Outstanding School Psychologist.” He has been with Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln, NE, as a school psychologist for 10 years. Troy is married to Kathleen (Eroh 99) Baker.

Brent and Jill Nichols announce the birth of their son, Jack, on January 3, 2014.

He was 7 lb., 8 oz., and 19 inches long.

Blanc he Famil y

Charles Perez was promoted to Manager of Pharmacy Services at CommunityCare Managed Healthcare Plans of Oklahoma.

CommunityCare, one of the largest health care companies in Oklahoma, is locally owned and operated by Saint Francis Health System and St. John Health System in Tulsa.

Blake Bru ne

Kacey and Jennie (Ziegler 04) Goss announce the birth of Kamdyn Beckett on October 3, 2013. He was 8 lb. and 21 inches long. His proud siblings are Kyndall, Kynlie and Korbyn.

Kamdyn Goss Jack Nicho ls

Rick Rossing has self-published his first full-length novel, “A Time To Build: The Umea Bakearen, Book One,” on Smashwords.com. It will be available electronically and in print. www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ RickRossing1968 / dkoi2003@charter.net

2000 Clint Everhart became a CPA in May 2013.

He is a senior in Assurance Services at Cole & Reed PC in Oklahoma City.

William and Nicole (Elder 04) Jackson announce the birth of their second son, Tanner Bryant Jackson, on September 8, 2013. He was 9 lb. and 21 inches long.

So ph ia Sk inn er

2003 Chris and Andrea (Brophy 03) Moyer announce the birth of their daughter, Adelyn Emery Moyer, on February 26, 2014. She joins big sister Ava and big brothers Grant and Owen.

Tan ner Jac kso n

Trevor and Jennifer (Reagan 04) McIntyre announce the birth of their third daughter, Jordyn Eloise, on January 28 in Maryland.

Big sisters McKenzie and Maxine are excited! coasterdot@gmail.com

Clin t Eve rha rt

1994

2002

Michael Lee was promoted to Navy Commander 1 in October 2013. He is stationed in Mayport, FL, with his wife, Cheryl (married 18 years), children Megan

Josh and Krista (Johns 03) Blanche reside in Tulsa, OK, and are members of Park Plaza Church of Christ. Their children are Ashley (7), Emily (5) and

VI SI O NSUMM ER2 014

Amber (Holley) and Beau Brune announce the birth of their son, Blake William Brune, on March 24, 2014. He was 9 lb., 7 oz. Blake joins big brother Eli who turned 2 in May. amber.brune@cox.net

Mike and Angela (Guinn 02) Skinner and their son Owen (3) announce the birth of Sophia Faye on August 14, 2013. She was 8 lb., 3 oz., and 19.5 inches long.

Larry Redmond had original research published in the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling (professional peerreviewed journal) on March 24, 2014.

The research, “Spiritual Coping Tools of Religious Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse,” explores use of spiritual tools and their outcomes. Larry attended OC from 1976 to 1979 and graduated in 1993.

32

2004

1999

1981 Lisa (Dalton) Bishop received J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Learning Environment Award in May 2013. This “good helper” award is given for civility and good citizenship within the college community. She has worked in the library at Reynolds since 1992. ldaltonbishop@ gmail.com

Kayley Elizabeth (2), who was born on February 14, 2012. Josh works for UPS at the distribution center and Krista works for Tulsa Public Schools as an Elementary Assistant Principal. j.blanche1@cox.net

Ad ely n Moye r

The McIntyre kids

2005 Kris Austin became co-owner and CEO of Draft2Digital, LLC in August 2013.

The company does electronic book formatting and distribution for independent authors. Nicki (Parker 02) Austin became a physician assistant for Lighthouse Healthcare in Oklahoma City in March 2014. Nicki and Kris and their two children live in Edmond. nicki.austin@gmail.com

Jacob and Jennifer (Verner 07) Wright announce the birth of their son, Colt Tyler, on September 1, 2012.

LI’L EAGLES Email alumni@oc.edu to get your child’s shirt and submit their pics!

Callie Cox, daughter of Caleb (07) and Amanda (Coulter 04) Cox, born January 7, 2014.

Colt Wright

2011

Sam DiMaggio, son of Matthew (02) and Katie DiMaggio, born March 15, 2013.

Tiffany Arnold and Brent Merrill were married June 8, 2013, in Middletown Springs, Vermont. Brent works at his father’s discount food store in Poultney, VT. Tiffany works as a 1:1 paraeducator in Castleton, VT. They live in Poultney.

Austi n Famil y

Liam Fraser, son of Todd (07) and Jamie (06) Fraser, born May 11, 2012.

Landon (and Leigh (Brown 06) Cobb announce the birth of their son, Bryson Hunter Cobb, on February 5, 2014.

The Merrills

Bryson Cobb

Nick and Michelle (Britt) Sanders announce the birth of their son, Kolby Nicholas Sanders, on May 22, 2013. He joins big sister Ellie.

Jared (2011) and Cassie (Ramsey 2011) Scism were married December 29, 2012 in Wichita, KS. Jared is the son of Tom Scism and Karen (Koger 85) Scism. Cassie is the daughter of Scott (85) and Cindy (Shanks 84) Ramsey. Jared and Cassie live in Oklahoma City.

Emilee and Jaxon Hamblin, children of Josh and Lauren (Drew 05) Hamblin, born March 12, 2013.

Owen Moyer, son of Chris (03) and Andrea (Brophy 02) Moyer, born March 30, 2012.

The Scisms

Kolby Sand ers

2006 Elliot Thomas Mueller, son of André and Amanda (Davenport 01) Mueller, born September 22, 2012.

Tasha (Turney) Diesselhorst coached Pond Creek-Hunter to the Oklahoma Class A girls basketball championship.

2009 On January 6, 2009, Benjamin Knittle was promoted to rank of captain in the U.S. Air Force. Captain is the highest rank of the company grade officer category in the Army and Air Force. bjk3bjk@gmail.com

st Tas ha (Tur ney ) Die sse lhor

Titus Nichols, son of Brent (99) and Jill Nichols, born May 2, 2012.

33 WWW. OC. E D U

NAC SPOTLIGHT

A CLOSER LOOK AT NATIONAL ALUMNI COUNCIL MEMBERS

NAME: DONNA SUE ARNOLD (77) Hometown: McAlester, Oklahoma, and La Habra, California Current Job: Ministry and Charity Volunteer

Childhood Ambition: An author of Nancy Drew-type mystery books.

Fondest Memory: Anything with my daughter Amanda ... shopping, family vacations, talking, watching movies, laughing, even fighting!

Wildest Dreams: A month-long antique junking trip through the northeast corner of the country.

Alarm Clock: Only on Sundays - 7:00 am OR for last-minute bidding on eBay auctions!

Favorite Bible Verse: Romans 8:28, inherited from my dad, and because I have witnessed how even tragedy shapes us and honors God.

Proudest Moments: Our commitment to God and our church family, Amanda’s baptism, and her choice and marriage to a Christian husband.

Biggest Challenge: Saying “No” and reserving time for myself.

Indulgence: Always Chocolate, and Disney as often as possible.

Inspiration: Queen Esther and my parents.

My Life: God has blessed me in so many ways. I want to live my life with gratitude, and serve and bless others.

My School: OC gave me (and my siblings) lifelong friends and family – my husband Mike and many close friends who are still in my life regularly. It’s always special to bump into alumni or

students who shared my life on campus, or who have their own memories to share of life at OC. I’m so thankful to my parents for giving me the gift of OC!

NAME: ANDY LASHLEY (00) Hometown: Edmond, Oklahoma

Current Job: Involvement and Communications Minister at Memorial Road Church of Christ Childhood Ambition: To play for the New York Yankees.

Fondest Memory: Proposing to my wife (given that she accepted).

Wildest Dreams: To play for the New York Yankees. Just waiting for the call.

Alarm Clock: 7:00 am

Favorite Bible Verse: Philippians 2:3-11

Proudest Moment: Receiving compliments about the character of my kids.

Biggest Challenge: Avoiding complacent consumerism in church, culture, personal growth, etc.

Indulgence: Watching a game or movie on the couch with late-night junk food. Yes, please.

Inspiration: My wife Summer (brownie points accumulating rapidly!)

My Life: To reflect more consistently the truth that serving God and others is joyful, not drudgery.

My School: OC has, in many ways, shaped my family. My parents met there; I met my wife there; and my faith, my knowledge, my cultural awareness, and my confidence all owe debts to Oklahoma Christian. In my case, it’s no exaggeration to say that I can’t quite imagine my life without it.

34 VI SI O NSUMM ER2 014

SAVE THE

DATE

find out about the latest events going on at Oklahoma christian university and how you can get involved with your alma mater by visiting www.oc.edu/calendar

CELEBRATING 12 YEARS OF

HONORS SUMMER ACADEMY HONORS SUMMER ACADEMY • JULY 6-11, 13-18 www.oc.edu/honorsacademy

SEE YOU AT HOMECOMING 2014 HOMECOMING • NOVEMBER 14-15 www.oc.edu/homecoming

CHECK OUT THESE

OTHER GREAT

OC EVENTS

ASSOCIATES DINNER • SEPTEMBER 18 www.oc.edu/associates

OC LECTURESHIP • october 5-7 www.oc.edu/lectureship

Faith Literature & NICHOLAS SPARKS • november 21 www.oc.edu/mcbride

LIGHTING OF THE COMMONS • DECEMBER 2 www.oc.edu/lighting

AR T S

ADMI S S I O N S

AT HLE T I C S

w w w.oc . e d u/a r ts

w w w.oc . e d u/a d m i ss i o n s

w w w.oc e ag l e s .co m

T HEAT RE PR O DU C T I O N • O c t . 2 - 4 GRAND C O N C ER T • O c t . 5 C H O RALE C O N C ER T • N ov. 2 H O MEC O MING MU S I C AL • N ov. 1 3 - 1 5 IN S T RUMEN TAL C O N C ER T • N ov. 2 0 C O C OA & C AR O L S • D e c. 4 T HEAT RE PR O DU C T I O N • D e c. 4 - 6

C AMPU S C O NNEC T • S e p t . 1 , S e p t . 1 9, O c t . 1 3, O c t . 2 0, N ov. 1 4 , N ov. 2 4 , D e c. 3, J a n . 2 3, Fe b. 1 6, A p r. 3, A p r. 1 7 FRE S HMAN FANFARE • S e p t . 1 9 - 2 0 S PRING V I S I T • M a r. 6 - 7

FALL S P O R T S • Au g u s t - N ov e m b e r WIN T ER S P O R T S • N ove m b e r- M a rc h S PRING S P O R T S • Fe b r u a r y - M ay GLOW RUN • O c t . 2 3 H O LIDAY HU S T LE • D e c. 6 h a l l o f fa m e d i n n e r • Fe b. 1 7

35 WWW. OC. E D U

HOMEWARD PRIDE

The Delta guys with the Homeward Pride trophy.

OC alumni shatter another record Alumni participation rates are going down nationwide. Fewer and fewer graduates are giving back to their alma maters each year … except at Oklahoma Christian.

In 2012-2013, Eagles bucked the trend through Homeward.

A record-shattering 1,479 grad givers grew OC’s alumni participation base by more than 500 and rocketed Oklahoma Christian past the national average.

This success presented a tough question for 2013-2014: “Could the Homeward lightning strike twice?”

“A major hurdle with alumni participation is that it zeroes out each June,” Director of Advancement Operations Will Blanchard (07) said. “To stay on the leading edge of the important U.S. News rankings in this area, our graduates need to give every year.

We needed to find a way to thank and celebrate our grads for their incredible outpouring in Homeward’s first year, but also excite them about breaking a whole new record. That’s a difficult message to send without coming across as disingenuous.”

OC’s marketing, alumni, and advancement teams decided to say “thank you” with free t-shirts for all interested grads.

Responding to the tagline, “Your maroon and gray are showing,” more than 2,380 Eagles ordered free OC tees.

The #OCHomeward hashtag launched on Instagram, and a video of Dr. Stafford North and Dr. Bailey McBride (54) taking “selfies” in their new tees went viral.

This spring brought the inaugural Homeward Pride social service club competition. Sponsored by OC donors, Homeward Pride encouraged students to get involved by challenging them to raise participation among their club’s alumni.

Each club earned $500 for adding 50 new grad givers between February and April. As an added incentive, the club with the highest participation rate at the competition’s end received a trophy, bragging rights and another $500.

Clubs selected their own fundraising projects, which included a mission trip to Tipton Children’s Home, international

36 VI SI O NSUMM ER2 014

missions, welcome kits HOMEWARD PRIDE RESULTS for international students, scholarship funding, OC’s 1. Delta Gamma Sigma (55.2%) Student Success Center, 2. Chi Lambda Phi (54.3%) and more. In just two 3. Alpha Gamma Omega (34.7%) months, club alumni added 4. Iota Kappa Phi (34.4%) more than 900 grad givers 5. Psi Epsilon (29.4%) for Homeward and gave 6. Theta Theta Theta (29.1%) $24,470 toward their club’s 7. Gamma Rho (26.1%) designated projects. Only 8. Lambda Chi Zeta (26.0%) 940 grads gave all year in 9. Omega Psi Omicron (25.9%) 2011-2012.

10. P i Zeta Phi (22.6%) 11. Kappa Sigma Tau (21.7%) The winning club, Delta Gamma Sigma, raised more than $8,000 and posted an astounding 55.2% participation rate, meaning more than half of all Delta grads gave to OC projects this year.

“The response is mind-boggling,” Vice President for Advancement Kent Allen (79) said. “It’s obvious we haven’t done enough before to tap into the positive pride and the competitive spirit of our alumni. Their love for this special place and for our students continues to floor me, even as I nod and think, ‘I shouldn’t be surprised.’”

At press time, 2,243 graduates had given to OC projects through Homeward in 2013-2014. That number more than doubles (137%) the number of grads who gave in 2011-2012, the year before Homeward launched.

At the end of the year, OC’s alumni participation rate will be more than 19%, which should be more than eight percentage points above the national average for schools of our type.

“What we’re doing is unprecedented,” Blanchard said. “But our maroon and gray run deep, our spirit for giving and doing is unsurpassed, and I think we’d all agree: Eagles were made to do the unprecedented.”

For 64 years, we’ve been equipping minds, swelling hearts, and filling souls. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been powerful. Today, as higher ed changes, as the economy ebbs and flows, and as time marches dizzyingly ahead ... We stand.

Unafraid of the next challenge. Unflinching in our Christian mission.

Unchained in our pursuit of educational innovation. Because our purpose transcends yesterday.

And today is not our day to survive.

oc.edu/thrive #octhrive

Today, We

June 1, 2014 - May 31, 2017 3 Years

DOLLARS 30 MILLION

Creating Dynamic Colleges that Work

PROJECTS 30+ FAST-IMPACT

Enhancing the Facilities Where We Live & Learn

College of Natural & Health Sciences Launch Fund

Nursing Transformation – Heritage Plaza

$1,000,000

$1,750,000

College of Engineering & COMPUTER SCIENCE Launch Fund

FUNDED

Academic Building Refresh #1 – Davisson American Heritage

College of Business ADMINISTRATION Launch Fund

FUNDED

Das Millicanhaus

$1,000,000 $1,000,000

$350,000

OKLAHOMA CITY Marketing & Recruiting Initiative

Apartment Refresh – 10 Suites

Strategic PLANNING Fund

Campus-Wide Fitness Equipment Overhaul

$1,000,000 FUNDED

$500,000

$250,000

$250,000

$250,000

Hardeman AUDITORIUM HD Digital Projection

Investing in Community & Nurturing Spirits

Campus Café Reboot $3,000,000

$100,000

Embracing Eagles Near & Far

Common Grounds Coffee Shop

General Scholarship Fund

Ethos – Spiritual Life Transformation

Homeward Alumni Participation Goal

$500,000

$700,000

$1,000,000

Year One GOALS

14 Projects to

2,300 Grad Givers

$12,650,000 to raise

2,300 Grad Givers

Enthusiastic Spectators Coale recruits OC students to cheer for Sooners Like everyone else at McCasland Field House on Nov. 4, Sherri (Buben 87) Coale heard Oklahoma Christian’s loud, boisterous fan section when the Eagles faced Oklahoma in an exhibition game.

It was impossible not to.

As OC raced to a 41-38 halftime lead and played the Sooners tough before eventually falling 88-76, the Eagles’ fans drowned out not only their counterparts from Oklahoma, but also the OU band.

It also reminded Coale, OU’s women’s basketball coach, of her days as a point guard for the Lady Eagles from 1983 to 1987, which she said was “such a special experience.”

“And it made me proud,” she said, “proud of the tradition of support and encouragement and passion that continues at OC still, and I just wanted to honor that in some way. I want those students to know what a vital role they

38 VI SI O NSUMM ER2 014

play in the heartbeat of their institution.

It’s a privilege to be a part of the Oklahoma Christian family.”

It’s a family that extends over decades and through generations, which gave Coale an admittedly offbeat idea to bring OC’s students to Norman to cheer on Coale’s Sooners when they hosted secondranked Duke.

Coale provided the tickets and two buses to transport the OC students to Norman. She also gave each student the same pregame meal she eats – Cheetos and Mountain Dew – and recorded a video message that played in each bus.

At the end of the game, Coale joined the OC students to sing “Hail to Oklahoma Christian,” our school’s alma mater.

She recently returned to speak at Oklahoma Christian and personally thank the students who traveled to Norman on an icy December day to support her.

“It’s cool for our students to get to do that,” said Neil Arter (90), OC’s vice president for student life. “There’s not a person at OC who doesn’t know about Coach Coale. It’s great for our students to honor her that way.”

Coale is in her 19th season at OU, but she’s always remained close to her alma mater. She’s made it a regular practice to schedule the Lady Eagles for exhibition games, and when OC applied for NCAA Division II membership in 2012, Coale narrated the video the university sent to the NCAA membership committee.

Ben Meaders, a senior from Portland, Oregon, has led a revival of the student fan section at OC games, returning the section to one of the rowdiest in smallcollege circles.

“It’s a win-win for everyone,” Meaders said. “OU gets to say, ‘Our coach is sticking to her roots and helping out her alma mater.’ For us, it’s a validation of what we’ve been doing. The biggest school in the state saw our work at that game and said we need to get that here.

They reached out and asked us for help.”

By Murray Evans (89) WATCH A DOCUMENTARY OF THE OC STUDENTS’ TRIP TO THE OU GAME. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

SPREADING THE WORD THROUGH TECHNOLOGY Earlier this year, Oklahoma Christian connected with a popular Bible app for a technological approach to Bible study.

Many OC students, faculty and administrators read the Bible together through the popular YouVersion Bible app. “WORD: OC’s 60-Day New Testament Plan” includes devotionals written by many Oklahoma Christian students, faculty and staff members.

Summer (Sehon 00) Lashley from OC’s Office of Spiritual Life came up with the idea because she knew almost 90 percent of the people at the university have smartphones or other mobile devices.

She said she thought the Bible reading plan would be a way to connect the campus, which she considers a large extended family.

“I wanted to find a way to challenge the campus spiritually,” she said. “It’s common for this generation of students

to have an app on their phone, so to make this available to them gives us a lot better chance of reaching them.”

She said those who started using the plan at the beginning of 2014 will have read through the New Testament by finals week.

Lashley said working with the YouVersion Bible team was a “double blessing” because of their cooperative approach and the fact that the Bible reading plan is available not just to OC, but to others as well.

“People tell us over and over again that Bible plans have been instrumental in helping them stick with a daily Bible habit, and we’re excited to see how the Oklahoma Christian University community grows through this plan,” said Bobby Gruenewald from LifeChurch, the creator of the YouVersion app.

Two OC students who wrote

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devotionals for WORD said they have enjoyed seeing people around campus participate in the Bible reading plan.

“I thought it was a really good idea to unite the student body because it’s something that we could all do together.

It just kind of fit,” said Vivian Edmunson, a psychology major in OC’s Honors Program.

Zekariah McNeal, a junior majoring in electrical engineering and Bible, wrote a devotional focused on the importance of mentoring, based on Scripture from 1 Timothy.

“I think people are fans of having a Bible app that’s tailored to them for a semester,” he said.

By Carla Hinton Courtesy of the Oklahoman FIND OUT HOW TO GET OC’S BIBLE READING PLAN ON YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. WWW.OC.EDU/VISION

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Keep up with YOUR ALMA MATER at www.oc.edu/NEWS

OC maintains affordability with 2014-15 pricing After keeping undergraduate prices flat for three years, Oklahoma Christian announced a small increase for 2014-15.

OC’s cost of attendance will move to $25,790 per year (including tuition, room and board), a 3.26 percent increase over 2011-12, the last time Oklahoma Christian raised prices.

OC’s approach contrasts with the nationwide trend; according to the College Board, the average cost of attendance at private colleges rose 7.9 percent during OC’s multi-year price freeze, including an increase of almost 4 percent this year. Total charges at private schools averaged $40,917 this year while public schools cost an average of $31,701 for out-of-state students.

“Our commitment to affordability makes OC a tremendous value for students seeking premier academic programs in a supportive Christian environment,” President John deSteiguer said. “We’re dedicated to holding prices down, even as we’re faced with higher operating expenses. We know students and families will appreciate that OC is bucking the trend of the large price increases seen at many colleges nationwide.”

Oklahoma Christian is continuing its policy of not charging undergraduate student fees. This allows students and families to better compare OC with schools that charge numerous fees on top of their tuition “sticker price.”

On the graduate level, OC’s tuition will remain flat for all students in the Graduate School of Theology ($400 per credit hour) and Graduate School of Engineering ($495/hour), and for returning students in the Graduate School of Business ($470/ hour). New graduate business students who enroll this fall will pay $484 per credit hour.

Complete pricing information is available at oc.edu/costs.

OC starts online RN to BSN program Oklahoma Christian launched an online RN to BSN degree completion program in May. OC will offer two classes every eight weeks, allowing students to complete the entire program and earn their bachelor’s degree in nursing in just 16 months.

All classes – including prerequisites like Microbiology, Statistics and Humanities – will be offered online. Because the program is online, it is convenient to nurses in rural areas, and is available to nurses outside Oklahoma as well.

“Hospitals need most of their nurses to be educated at a BSN or higher degree level in order to achieve ‘Magnet Recognition,’ which signifies nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes,” said Rhea Ann Lee, OC’s RN to BSN coordinator.

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OC nursing grads scored five points higher than the state and national averages on the National Council Licensure Examination last year.

“By getting their degree quickly and conveniently through our online program, nurses will be able to expand their professional opportunities.”

OC’s program is nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The university’s 2013 pass rate of 88 percent on the National Council Licensure Examination was almost five points higher than the state and national averages.

OC’s program also emphasizes Christian service and leadership.

The Health Care Missions and Christian Service Strategies course focuses on the needs of diverse and underserved populations.

“Our faith-based approach sets our program apart,” said Kay (Redgate 78) Elder, chair of OC’s Department of Nursing.

Prospective students can apply for free by entering the code “RN2BSN” at www.oc.edu/RN2BSN.

OC ranked among best schools for video game design The Princeton Review and PC Gamer magazine ranked Oklahoma Christian No. 14 among the top undergraduate institutions to study video game design.

The rankings highlight 25 undergraduate and 25 graduate schools from the U.S., Canada and Ireland.

OC is the only Oklahoma university and one of just five programs in the southwestern United States on the list.

Jeff Price The rankings are based on the quality of the curriculum, faculty credentials, facilities and infrastructure, scholarships, financial aid and career opportunities after graduation.

“Our students are versed in the most advanced techniques

such as level design, modeling, texturing, rigging, animation and programming,” said Jeff Price, OC’s director of gaming and animation. “We have made investments in the latest software and train for the latest game engines.”

OC’s ethics team places 5TH in the nation Oklahoma Christian’s ethics team took fifth place out of 32 teams from across the nation in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl.

The team debated topics such as in-vitro fertilization, outsourcing surrogate mothers, the morality of FBI involvement in potential cases of terrorist coercion, and the use of off-label prescriptions with anti-psychotic drugs.

Jeff Simmons The Eagles, who defeated the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University on their way to winning their second-straight state championship, advanced to the national quarterfinals before losing to the eventual champion, the University of Montana.

Associate Professor of Business Jeff Simmons (90), the team’s sponsor, led the team as it practiced at 6 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday morning. The students’ championship success and early-morning dedication gained notoriety with a lengthy feature in The Oklahoman.

“I am proud of our students’ commitment to excellence and of how they’ve embraced the importance of ethics in the business world,” Simmons said.

OC music students, faculty honored OC’s music students and faculty were recognized as some of the best in the state in February.

OC’s Chorale and Jazz Ensemble, led by Dr. Kyle Pullen and Dr. Heath Jones (94), respectively, performed at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association Conference.

Jones was recognized as Oklahoma’s Jazz Educator of the Year for the second Heath Jones time in four years.

“I am especially proud of Heath for being recognized for his excellent work, as well as helping make OC’s music program more visible in the state,” Department of Music chair Kathy Thompson said.

An accomplished musician, Jones has performed with The Temptations, The Four Tops, Natalie Cole, and other top artists.

Eagles on Wall Street class visits New York City OC’s Eagles on Wall Street class experienced the Big Apple during Spring Break as part of OC’s Topics in Finance course.

“This trip is a great way to learn about the world’s leading financial markets firsthand,” Associate Professor of Business Jody Jones said.

The 15 OC students attended the Global Asset Management Education Forum, interacted with Wall Street leaders and learned best practices in investment management.

Director of Multicultural Services Gary Jones (06, far left) and OC students at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The group visited numerous historical sites in the southeast as part of the university’s third-annual Civil Rights Movement Tour during Spring Break.

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Students also visited the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Bloomberg offices, the World Trade Center, the Museum of Finance, the New York Federal Reserve and the Broadway debut of “Aladdin.”

OC students have attended the GAME Forum the last eight years, but this is the first time a group has attended for class credit.

Next year, OC’s International Finance class will travel to Washington, D.C., for a similar experience.

O’Neal TAPPED to lead Rwanda’S university OC president emeritus Mike O’Neal (68) has been named chancellor of the University of Rwanda, the umbrella institution under which all state universities in the country fall.

OC’s relationship with the nation of Rwanda began and flourished during O’Neal’s 10-year tenure as the university’s sixth president.

The Rwandan Presidential Scholars Program has brought hundreds of Rwanda’s top students to OC to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The first graduating class from OC’s MBA degree program in Rwanda.

OC presents first MBA degrees in Rwanda Oklahoma Christian held its first-ever international commencement ceremony in March, presenting 38 Rwandan students with Masters in Business Administration degrees.

The MBA program in Rwanda started two years ago as the latest step in a fruitful relationship between OC and Rwanda.

OC president John deSteiguer gave the commencement address, praising Rwanda’s rebirth after the 1994 genocide as well as the dedication of OC’s newest MBA graduates.

The OC delegation’s trip included a meeting with Rwandan president Paul Kagame.

President Kagame visited OC’s campus in Oklahoma City in 2006 and 2010, giving the spring commencement speech during his second trip.

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OC expands to five colleges, appoints new deans OC will expand from three to five colleges this fall. OC’s five academic colleges will be the College of Biblical Studies, the College of Business Administration, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Natural and Health Sciences.

“Our academic and leadership teams have been planning, praying and discussing how to build on OC’s legacy of exceptional success in science, engineering and business,” said Dr. Scott LaMascus (80), vice president for academic affairs. “Our new colleges will focus on growth in these areas and implement strategic planning to help us serve more students.”

Dr. Jeff McCormack (83) will be the new dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences and the Lawson Professor of Microbiology and Immunology.

Dr. McCormack has been on the Lipscomb University faculty since 1999 and is currently associate provost. He is the son of OC professor emeritus Joe McCormack and his wife, Lottie.

Jeff McCormack Dr. Byron Newberry (91) will serve as dean of OC’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. He is a professor of mechanical engineering and chairs OC’s Graduate School of Engineering.

After graduating from Oklahoma Christian with a degree in mechanical engineering, Newberry went on to earn his master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Jeff Simmons (90) will serve as Byron Newberry interim dean for the College of Business Administration during the search for a permanent dean.

Dr. Alan Martin and Dr. David Lowry will continue as deans of OC’s College of Biblical Studies and College of Liberal Arts (formerly the College of Arts and Sciences), respectively.

OC ESTABLISHES JOHN & CONNIE MAPLE SCHOLARSHIP OC honored one of its faculty giants with the establishment of the John and Connie Maple Endowed History Scholarship.

Dr. John Maple (72) has been a fixture on the OC faculty for 37 years, serving as chair of the Department of History and Political Science, and teaching History and Western Civilization to thousands of students.

He and his wife Connie (Hukle 95), a longtime university librarian, met at OC and have sent their four children here: Becky (94) Valentine, John (95), Joel (99) and Rachel Huddleston (01).

“For multiple generations of OC students, the study of history – particularly European history – is inseparable from the quiet,

but profound, counsel of Dr. John Maple,” Vice President for Advancement Kent Allen (79) said. “Dr. Maple’s work has been a passion project with divine purpose. This scholarship celebrates a giant’s ongoing legacy by bringing talented, faith-driven historians to OC.” Multiple donations helped fund the scholarship, including an anchor gift from alumni Jay (86) and Susan (Fuller 87) Tabor.

OC HONORS OUTSTANDING FACULTY, STAFF At its spring commencement ceremony, OC presented four faculty members with awards for their outstanding accomplishments, service and leadership.

Professor of Music Heath Jones (94) and Department of Management and Marketing chair Jeff Simmons (90) received Faculty Leadership Awards; Gaming and Animation director Jeff Price earned the Gaylord Chair of Distinguished Teaching Award; and Associate Professor of New Testament Richard Wright received the Jack and Barbara Rowe Distinguished Scholar Award.

OC also presented awards to outstanding staff and faculty at its annual Spring Dinner. The university named Director of Residence Life Judy Davis (88) as the Staff Employee of the Year.

The Second Mile Award, sponsored by Citizens Bank of Edmond, was presented to missionary-in-residence Kent Hartman (77) and associate professor of biology Eric Phelps (99).

Jay and Susan Tabor with Connie and John Maple.

McBride Lecture welcomes Bellwether winner Award-winning novelist Naomi Benaron delivered the ninthannual McBride Lecture for Faith and Literature in October.

Benaron received the Bellwether Prize for social justice in fiction in 2010. Her bestselling novel, Running the Rift, tells the coming-of-age story of a young athlete during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Benaron’s visit included discussions with OC’s Rwandan Presidential Scholars.

OC provided Running the Rift free as an e-book to incoming first-year students. Professors used it in various courses, including the Symposium class in OC’s Honors Program.

“The novel provides a look into another culture and gives students insight into some of their peers they might not have understood before,” Hannah Bingham (14) said.

OC will host Nicholas Sparks, whose best-sellers include The Notebook, on Nov. 21 for the 10th-annual McBride Lecture. For more information, go to oc.edu/mcbride.

OC earns reaccreditation from NCATE OC earned reaccreditation for the next seven years from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

The reaccreditation reflects that OC’s School of Education met rigorous standards that ensure graduates are among the most prepared in the country to teach students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

OC’s School of Education, which is also accredited by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation, has a 100 percent job placement rate for its graduates.

Judy Davis receives the Employee of the Year Award from President John deSteiguer at OC’s annual Spring Dinner.

Academic departments honor outstanding alumni OC’s three academic colleges honored distinguished alumni during Homecoming weekend.

The College of Arts and Sciences recognized Dr. Randel Estep (86) – Chemistry and Physics; Jason Leger (00) – Art and Design; Matthew Loeber (02) – Nursing; David Jones (94) – Communication; Dr. Travis Montgomery (02) – Language and Literature; Leah Ries (83) – Music; Dr. Neil Roberts (99) – Biological Sciences; Jay Tabor (86) – History and Political Science; and Dr. Nick Wisdom (05) – Psychology and Family Studies.

The College of Biblical Studies honored Taylor Cave (89) – Missions; Bob Herndon (79) – Preaching/Ministry; Ryan Russell (06) – Youth Ministry; and Ben Glover (86) – Alumnus of the Year.

The College of Professional Studies honored Kevin Arledge (92) – Mathematical, Computer, and Information Sciences; Ted Norton (84) – Business Administration; Anthony Rose (07) – Teacher Education; Bahvahnie Smith (00) – Mechanical Engineering; and Jim Theisen (97) – Electrical and Computer Engineering.

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Artistic alum named to prestigious list

OC names Baird, Driskill to Registrar leadership roles

OC alumnus Taylor Goad (01) was named to the “20 Under 30” list by Print magazine, which celebrates young designers who are making a mark in the art world.

Print reviews thousands of illustrators, photographers and designers, and honors the top 20.

“My education at OC really was second to none,” Goad said.

“I’ve worked with people who went to ‘brand name’ design and art schools, and I feel I was much more prepared for my career.”

Stephanie Baird and Karen (Carter 01) Driskill are OC’s new Registrar and Associate Registrar, respectively.

Baird filled the post vacated by Mickey Banister, who retired after a distinguished career in education, including the last 19 years at Oklahoma Christian.

Baird is completing her doctorate in higher education at Oklahoma State University.

Stephanie Baird She has a bachelor’s degree from Flagler College and a master’s degree from Iowa State University.

Driskill has worked in the Registrar’s Office since 1997, most recently as the registration coordinator for administrative services.

She earned her bachelor’s degree and MBA degree in leadership and organizational management from OC.

OC students chosen for Teach For America OC Honors Program students Katelyn Jackson and Hannah Ketring and mechanical engineering major Joanna Sutton earned selection to the competitive Teach For America program to teach in low-income public schools.

Jackson subsequently chose to participate in a similar program in Tennessee, Memphis Teacher Residency.

“Students at any age level need people Katelyn Jackson in their lives to support them and tell them that they’re competent and capable so they don’t get trapped in these patterns of failure,” Ketring said.

OC graduates Henson Adams (11) and Wil Norton (11) joined Teach For America when the program expanded into Oklahoma City in 2011.

They are now in law school at the University of Texas and Georgetown University, respectively.

Hannah Ketring

OC elects Compton to Board of Trustees Oklahoma Christian elected Silicon Valley executive Marc Compton (86) to its Board of Trustees.

Compton is a managing director and market executive for U.S. Trust and Bank of America in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco East Bay. “Marc is an ideal OC graduate and he will be an ideal OC trustee,” OC president John deSteiguer said.

Marc Compton “He built on his engineering physics degree to become a respected leader in business and finance.

He is a man of God who is dedicated to his church, family and community.”

Marc serves as a deacon at Southwest Church of Christ in Tigard, Oregon. He and his wife Jody (Anderson 87) have three children: Cassidy, Riley and Carley.

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Karen Driskill

PETERS PICKED FOR BAUGH PREACHING CHAIR Dr. Doug Peters will be the first Baugh Chair of Gospel Preaching in OC’s College of Biblical Studies.

He has 27 years of experience in ministry and preaching, including the last 13 years as the pulpit minister for North Davis Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas.

He has been a guest preacher and teacher in more than 60 congregations, Doug Peters 10 states and eight foreign countries. He received his doctorate from Abilene Christian University in 2006.

OC names Winn as executive director OC’s new executive director of human resources is Terry Winn.

Winn comes to OC from Edmond Public Schools, where he has served as human resources director. He has 25 years of experience in higher education at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

He has been active in the Our Town Terry Winn Ministry through Memorial Road Church of Christ. His wife, Tina (Olmstead 82), is a professor of psychology and family studies at Oklahoma Christian.

SPORTS NEWS Keep up with OC SPORTS at www.ocEAGLES.COM

2014 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Luke Anderson, Rhein Gibson, Matt Clark, Amy Vanderpool Sievert, Eric Wiens, and David Lynn.

6 standouts join Athletic Hall of Fame OC’s Athletic Hall of Fame membership grew to 53 with the induction of Luke Anderson (01, men’s track and field), Matt Clark (06, men’s soccer), David Lynn (95, men’s golf), Rhein Gibson (08, men’s golf), Amy Vanderpool Sievert (01, softball), and Eric Wiens (96, men’s basketball/track. and field) in January.

“These inductees are part of OC’s success story in athletics and we are proud to call them Eagles,” OC athletic director Curtis Janz (86) said. “We are proud that each of them chose OC and grateful for the honor that they brought to the university through their accomplishments on the field and in the classroom.”

Anderson was a four-time NAIA All-American, two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection. He placed fifth nationally in the 55-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles as a senior. He earned the NAIA’s A.O. Duer Award and Leroy Walker Sportsmanship Award, the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance National Award, and the Woody Hayes National Scholar-Athlete Award.

Clark was the only four-time All-America selection in OC men’s soccer history, earning honorable mention in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006. He holds school records for goals in a season (23) and career (71) and for points in a career (162). He was the SAC’s most valuable player and offensive player of the year in 2004.

Gibson was a four-time NAIA All-America first-team selection (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and a three-time NAIA All-Tournament pick (2005, 2006, 2008). He helped OC to two runner-up finishes and two third-place team showings at the NAIA Championships. After his OC career, he’s won the Oklahoma state amateur title and multiple professional tournaments. He shot a world-record 55 in May 2012.

Lynn guided the Eagles to the NAIA national championship in 2011 and the NCCAA crown in 2012. He has been OC’s coach through most of a 14-year streak of placing in the top four at

nationals. He is a six-time conference coach of the year and two-time national coach of the year. Lynn’s teams and players have won 47 tournaments and 46 individual titles, earned 20 combined All-America honors and nine Scholar-Athlete honors.

He was a four-year track and field letterman at OC, earning NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors in 1995.

Vanderpool Sievert was a three-time NAIA All-America pick, a four-time NAIA All-Region selection, and a two-time All-SAC first-teamer. She holds single-season school records for batting average (.470), stolen bases (31) and singles (84), as well as the OC career mark for singles (284). She ranks second in OC history with a .403 career batting average.

Wiens was an NAIA All-America selection in both basketball and track and field. In basketball, he was an All-America secondteam pick and conference defensive player of the year in 1995.

He was a three-time all-conference honoree. In track and field, he earned All-America honors in the high jump and pentathlon in 1996, finishing fifth at Outdoor Nationals in both events. He is OC’s indoor school record holder in the pentathlon.

OC alum Gibson qualifies for British Open This year’s British Open will have a little OC flavor to it. Alumnus Rhein Gibson (08) qualified with a fourth-place finish at the Australian Open.

He finished the tournament at 9-under, nine shots behind the winner, Rory McIlroy, and eight behind runnerup Adam Scott. Scott won the 2013 Masters while McIlroy won the 2011 U.S. Open and the 2012 PGA Championship.

Rhein Gibson “It means the world to me to play in my first major championship. That’s what we all want to do – to play majors – and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Gibson said.

OC women 3rd, OC men 4th at NCCAA golf championshipS The OC women’s golf team earned its second-straight topthree national finish with a third-place showing at the National Christian College Athletic Association Invitational.

Anna Arrese Cortadellas placed third individually to earn AllAmerica honors for the second straight year.

The OC men, seeking to defend their 2012 NCCAA title, placed fourth overall. It was the 15th straight year the Eagles finished in the top four of a national tournament.

Sam Johnston finished second for the second straight year.

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The OC softball team celebrates its NCCAA Central Region championship.

The OC baseball team with its 2014 NCCAA regional championship banner.

Wallace wins NCCAA decathlon championship At the NCCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Austin Wallace became OC’s third athlete to win a national title in the decathlon.

The sophomore joined Jeff Bennett (1969 and 1970) and Gary Hill (1972), who both won NAIA championships.

“It’s weird to hear my name next to those guys because they’re such great athletes, but it feels good,” Wallace said.

“It’s pretty fun to win the decathlon, Austin Wallace because you go through two whole days, five events a day. It feels good to be able to finish it up and do well in most events.

Wallace also finished sixth in the javelin after placing second in the NCCAA indoor heptathlon the past two years. His father, Tony Wallace (93), was a former decathlete for the Eagles.

lady eagles 2nd at nationals after winning region title The OC softball team captured its first-ever postseason title with a 5-2 win over Central Baptist (Ark.) in the championship round of the National Christian College Athletic Association Central Region tournament at Tom Heath Field.

The Lady Eagles outscored their four opponents by a combined 47-4 in the regional tournament and took an 11-game winning streak into the NCCAA Championship.

OC advanced to the national semifinals before dropping their first game in the double-elimination tournament, beat defending champion Union (Tenn.) 10-5 in the losers’ bracket final, then lost a 2-1 extra-inning squeaker to top-seeded Shorter (Ga.) in the championship round.

The Lady Eagles (42-16) tied the program record for wins in a season (1996, 1998).

Eagles finish 4th at XC national championship The OC men’s cross country team placed fourth at the National Christian College Athletic Association Championship,

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The OC women’s basketball team won its second-straight NCCAA regional title.

its fourth straight year to finish in the top six nationally.

Sophomore Bryant Keirns helped the Eagles keep another streak alive, finishing fifth individually to make it seven straight years that at least one OC runner has earned All-America honors.

Roberto Diaz won the Heartland Conference championship.

Lady Eagles take 5th at NCCAA tournament Oklahoma Christian led from start to finish and was never threatened in the second half en route to an 81-65 win over Emmanuel (Ga.) in the fifth-place game of the National Christian College Athletic Association Championship.

OC went 2-1 in the NCCAA tournament, bouncing back with two strong wins after a heartbreaking defeat in the quarterfinals.

The Lady Eagles finished 19-12 (including a 12-1 home record) and won their second-straight NCCAA Central Region championship along the way.

Eagles repeat as region baseball champs The OC baseball team set a school record for wins and captured its second-straight NCCAA Central Region championship on the way to the NCCAA World Series.

OC rolled past Grace (Neb.) 11-1, then held on for a 3-2 win over McMurry (Texas) at Dobson Field to complete an undefeated five-game sweep through the regional tournament.

The top-seeded Eagles won their opening game at the World Series when Zac Cobble scored on a wild pitch in the 11th inning for a 4-3 victory over Trinity Christian (Ill.). But OC finished pool play with a 1-2-1 record to miss out on a semifinal berth.

The Eagles (38-17-1) set a single-season school record for wins.

Track teams place 8th nationally The OC men’s and women’s track and field teams both placed eighth at the National Christian College Athletic Association Outdoor Championships in May. It was the fifth straight top-10 performance for the OC men at a national track and field meet. The Eagles never have finished outside the top 10 in any of the four NCCAA meets in which they’ve participated.

Coaches capture milestone wins Women’s basketball coach Stephanie (Stark 82) Findley won her 550th career game in January and softball coach Tom Heath (71) claimed his 600th career win in April.

Heath’s milestone win came on the same day of the “grand-opening” celebration for OC’s new $3.9 million softball home, Tom Heath Field at Lawson Plaza.

Tom Heath Heath started OC softball in 1995 and has been the program’s only head coach.

“It is an honor. I’m glad I’ve been around long enough to get to that 600th win,” Heath said.

Findley, who has recorded more wins than any women’s college basketball coach in Oklahoma history, has spent her entire career at her alma mater.

The four-time conference coach of the year has 16 seasons of 20 or more wins.

Stephanie Findley She serves on the board of directors of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

OC totals 37 All-America selections Twenty-four OC student-athletes combined for a total of 37 NCCAA All-America honors in 2013-14.

The honorees were led by national decathlon champion Austin Wallace, who also placed second in the indoor heptahlon, and other NCCAA runner-ups Sam Johnston (golf), Larry Brown (outdoor hammer), Roberto Diaz (outdoor 5,000), Roz Hamilton (outdoor heptathlon), Miranda Ostlund (outdoor javelin), and Timothy Zuercher (outdoor 10,000).

OC’s other indoor track and field All-Americans were: Kyle Broaddrick (seventh in the 5,000); Bryant Keirns (fourth in the 5,000 and sixth in the 3,000); the women’s 4x400 relay team of Rebecca Bloodworth, Wilmina Gley, Somer Helms and Andrea Dennis (fifth); the women’s 4x200 team of Bloodworth, Gley, Helms and Dennis (seventh); and the men’s 4x200 team of Austin Kruzich, Joshua Jones, Winston Ogletree and Jamal George (seventh).

OC’s other outdoor track and field All-Americans were: Makenzie Brown (fifth in the discus); Hamilton (third in the shot put); Helms (eighth in the 200); Keirns (sixth in the 5,000); Katie Ostlund (third in the javelin); and the 4x400 relay team of Bloodworth, Maegan Cowan, Helms and Dennis (fifth).

Softballers Martha Thomas and Shea Coats earned first-team All-America honors.

OC had basketball All-Americans in Hamilton and Kendre Talley (both second team) and a women’s golf All-American in Anna Arrese Cortadellas (third at nationals). OC honored

Hamilton and Talley as Ms. and Mr. Eagle, presented to the female and male student-athletes who best combine success in their sports with representing the ideals of the university.

OC nets 35 Scholar-Athlete honors Oklahoma Christian tied a program record by placing seven players on the NCCAA Scholar-Athlete list for women’s basketball: Emma Gade, Roz Hamilton, Logan McKee, Kaitlyn Morris, Krista Stevens, Talor Ward and Andee Wayne.

OC also had seven baseball Scholar-Athletes: Matt Brown, Caden Cleveland, Cameron Keener, Jordan Lopez, Ryan Nash, Robert Rosser and Garrett Stephenson.

To qualify for the award, a student-athlete must be at least a junior academically and have a GPA of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale.

OC’s other Scholar-Athletes were: Casey Covalt (men’s basketball); Tavia Hoheisel, Brennym Kaelin and Timothy Zuercher (cross country); Trey Payne (men’s golf); Connor Davenport, Matt McLain, Octave Mugiraneza and Angel Nisi (men’s soccer); Carley Cave (women’s soccer); Sarah Endres and Lauren Pittman (softball); Rebecca Bloodworth, Kara Drewke, Hoheisel, Kaelin, Bryant Keirns, Ryan Lutterloh and Zuercher (indoor track and field); Brayden Barrientez, Bloodworth, Drewke, Hamilton, Hoheisel, Kaelin, Keirns, Lutterloh and Zuercher (outdoor track and field).

McLain also was named to the Capital One Academic AllAmerica Division II men’s soccer third team.

Lady Eagles achieve Scholar Team status The OC women’s golf team and women’s cross country team earned Scholar Team status from the National Christian College Athletic Association.

OC’s cross country ladies had a 3.523 team GPA, earning the honor for the second straight year. The Lady Eagle golf squad, which finished third at this year’s NCCAA Invitational, had a 3.492 GPA. To earn Scholar Team status, team members must have a combined grade point average of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale during their season of competition.

Agency honors coaches for outreach The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services honored men’s basketball coaches Dan Hays, Terril Hankins and Rob McKinzie for their work at the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh. The residents are between 12 and 19 and have been convicted as delinquent or youthful offenders.

OC’s staff conducted a basketball clinic at the facility and invited DRS clients and COJC staff to attend OC home games.

“The support of Coach Hays and his staff’s generous work with these disadvantaged youth at the detention center is helping Oklahoma be a better place for everyone,” said Richard Yahola (85), a vocational rehabilitation counselor at COJC.

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ALUMNI ACTIVITIES & REWARDS We love our alumni! To thank you for being an Eagle, we offer several benefits we hope you’ll enjoy.

1

Legacy Program

The Office of Alumni Relations would like to recognize your children at key times in their development with these gifts.

Birth – Li’l Eagle toddler shirt – Sent when you notify our office about your child’s birth.

Start of School – OC Eagle backsack – We scan our records in mid-summer for alumni children with birthdates that make them 5-6 years old.

Age of Mobility – Eagle lanyard and keychain – We scan our records monthly for alumni children with birthdates that make them 15-16 years old.

Be sure to help us keep your records complete and up to date. To update your contact info, use the ‘Manage Profile’ link after you’ve logged in at www.oc.edu/ alumni.

You also can email contact info updates to alumni@oc.edu.

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Alumni Discount Card Each alum receives a personalized discount card good for discounts on campus. Make sure you keep up with your card so you can use it when you come back home!

Alumni Job Network Type in “Oklahoma Christian Alumni” at LinkedIn.com to connect with a network of alumni professionals across the country.

This project, designed to serve new graduates and other alumni by giving them job leads in their desired geographical areas, is a cooperative effort with OC’s Office of Career Services.

Eagle Excerpts Our monthly online newsletter features recent stories and upcoming events. Between issues of Vision, it’s a great way to keep up

with what’s happening at your alma mater.

Subscribe to Eagle Excerpts by contacting us at alumni@oc.edu.

EAGLE LANDING You may remember our announcement about a structure to be built on campus that will honor all of our Central Christian, Oklahoma Christian and Cascade grads.

We want to make “Eagle Landing” a place on campus where people will gather to relax, study, visit, and have small outdoor classes and devotionals.

Thank you for your feedback and encouragement on this project. The new design will feature a garden look, with seating mixed among the water feature, large rocks and all graduates’ nameplates.

To help verify your class and spelling for your nameplate, our goal is to mail all

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OC seniors are joined by “Rumble” after watching an Oklahoma City Thunder home game during a Senior Sendoff event.

Sydney (Sisk 87) Zaldivar and her twin sons Daylen (14) and Connor (14) at OC’s “Toast and Tassels” on graduation day.

Daylen and Connor are third-generation Eagles; their grandparents Marvin and Sandra Sisk graduated in 1962.

Alumni photo from a recent OC Road Show at the home of Richard and Pat Lawson in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Dr. Gary Shreck (62) was honored at this year’s OC North Texas Alumni Auction. In the photo, he’s flanked by Dan Branch (80) and Alfred Branch (84).

OC’s National Alumni Council. Left to Right: Dr. Mike Walker (76), Glen Davis (84), Donna Sue Arnold (77), Alan Phillips (76), Neal Hunter (86), Bob Lashley (74), Keith Hall (82), Dr. Jennifer Gray (77), Pat Lawson (67), and Adam Parkhurst (07).

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alumni a letter later this year.

Much time has been spent confirming our records from transcripts, but we know there may be discrepancies with your information.

A method for confirming your records will be made available in the process.

Watch for the mailing!

Alumni Chapters We expect more alumni chapters to be developed in the near future to join the chapters we have in North Texas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Wichita.

The objective of these chapters is to unify local alumni to advance OC’s work in their areas of the country.

For information on how to start a chapter in your community, contact Bob Lashley at 405.425.5110 or at bob.lashley@oc.edu.

National Alumni Council

This select group of alumni functions as a sounding board regarding alumni programs and events, and as a conduit for OC alumni with questions, thoughts, and/or concerns about our alma mater. Feel free to contact members with questions, concerns, or ideas.

Their info is available at www.oc.edu/NAC.

Alumni Finder

We can help you locate classmates from your OC days; check out our Alumni Directory at www.oc.edu/alumni! Contact us at alumni@oc.edu for assistance.

What You Can Do

Keep your info up to date with any changes by registering at www.oc.edu/ alumni. You can update your records to continue receiving information about your alma mater and alumni perks, plus search

for your friends and classmates who are on that site.

Watch for and join in alumni gatherings and activities in your area. Many cities host recruiting/alumni gatherings in alumni homes (Road Shows), summer sendoffs for OC students (Eagle Exits), and tailgate parties for away athletic games.

Watch for info on Homecoming as well.

This year’s event, scheduled for November 14-15, includes a reunion for 90’s alumni.

Consider helping us financially when you can, in order to pass on to current students the generosity that many passed on to us during our OC years.

The Homeward program has been a tremendous success, and even a few dollars a month from a large number of people can make a big difference. To find out how to get started, contact us at 405.425.5110 or go to www.oc.edu/homeward.

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Ryan (95) and Allison (Crown 92) Day at the Chatsworth House in the Peak District of England.

Michael (07) and Brittany (Baird 09) Johns at Disneyworld.

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Jimmy Ross (71) at Vatican City over Easter. The Pope is on screen behind him.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OC? The next time you take that vacation or mission trip to some famous or exotic location, do this!

1 Take some OC gear.

2 Take your picture with you wearing it.

3 Tell us where you are and what you’re doing.

Professor Jody Jones and OC students in New York City during their “Eagles on Wall Street” Spring Break trip. Read more on page 41.

Send your photo to alumni@oc.edu and it might appear in the next Vision. We look forward to seeing those pictures!

Tre Lorick, son of Patrice Lorick (14) and Oklahoma Christian graduate theology student Freddie Lorick, feeling right at “home” at OC!

Michael (07) and Brittany (Baird 09) Johns at Disneyworld.

Lynneth (Miller 13) Stingley at the St. Andrews Cathedral in Scotland, where she is pursuing her master’s degree on full scholarship.

OC Campus Police chief John Matlock and his son Ryan at McDonald Lake in Montana.

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aerie Archive

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A blast from the past

We look back 25 years as our alma mater prepared to close out a remarkable decade of growth in the 80s and launch into the 90s with a new name, Oklahoma Christian University.

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1 Lisa Landrum (89) scores against Phillips University.

2 Bill Pink (90) shoots a layup during practice.

3 Left to Right: Amy Westerholm, Shauna (King 90) Anderson, Matthew Goad, and Melissa (Wood 92) Woodson graced the cover of one of the Aerie’s 1988-89 editions.

4 President Terry Johnson (64) discussing OC’s With Wings As Eagles campaign, which bolstered the university’s endowment, launched the undergraduate engineering program, and raised funds to renovate the Payne Athletic Center and build the Prince Engineering Center, the WilliamsBranch Center for Biblical Studies, and the Thelma Gaylord Forum.

5 John Fletcher (82) stylin’ in his office. Love the beard!

6 Administrators and faculty slice the ribbon at the opening of the Prince Engineering Center.

7 Michelle (Thompson 89) Stephens was OC’s first female student body president.

8 Dr. Howard Norton, then the chairman of OC’s Bible division, lectures graduate theology students.

9 One of the forerunners of Homeward was OC’s Nationwide Alumni Challenge. Bob Lashley (74) tracks the early progress in 1988-89.

10 On his journey to an impactful career in ministry, Shon Smith (91) put his gift of gab to use as a disc jockey at KOCC.

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BOX 11000 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73136-1100 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Visit www.oc.edu/alumni to update your name, address, email and other information.

Check out #OCisHome for more warm fuzzies about OC on

twitter & Instagram @okchristian: Proud of all our graduating seniors! RG @theryedog: graduating #OCGraduation @okchristian: We loved being a part of this surprise Skype with the Clubb family in #OCChapel! Proud to call Lt. Col. Glen and Tammy Clubb Eagles!

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@TBrass84: 2 apps made top 100 last week. Trying to do it again this week. @okchristian gave me 1st iPhone. w/o it, would never have done this #OCIsHome Instagram ok_christian @okchristian: RT T_F_Bowen: I love that I can type in “O” into Google maps and the first thing that pops up is @okchristian #OCisHome #OCSpringSing @EEliliseeMpirwa: My President #Kagame receives @KDTrey5 jersey from @okchristian president! Wow!!! pic.twitter.com/oG8MvUwA71

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ok_christian: Congrats Alex! #OCAlumni RT @heres_waldo1: So some of my artwork is hanging in and around the #Vatican. Kinda cool.

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@KaKiSlacks: From hubs to clubs, common’s lights to late nights, monday’s alma mater to pond water. It’s been a great 4 years @okchristian! #OCisHome

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@thethirdmiller: Our team with our favorite Li’l Eagles at The Haven in Zambia! @okchristian #OCisMission pic.twitter.com/ zE6wjo6Wct

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@Krindsey: Found an #OCIsHome rock in Spain!!!! pic.twitter.com/ TRUU9dEnvK

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F O L LOW OC O N L I N E at w w w.o c . e d u/CO N N EC T

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