Southwestern Spirit–Summer 2014

The Presidency Changes Hands Southwestern’s New Fire Science Degree KJRN The Journey: Real Work and Real Ministry Brain Games 2014 Summer Spirit.indd 1

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Letters to the Editor

I graduated from 12th grade in 1942 at Keene. Received this year’s Spirit the other day.

As I leafed through the magazine I came to the article “A Spiritual Past: Southwestern Celebrates 120 Years” written by Glen Robinson. Wow. The picture of brooms made me remember the night that the broom shop burned to the ground not far from the girl’s dorm.

As I turned the page, the picture of colporteuring students grabbed my attention. That man to the right looked so very much like my uncle John Penner. The man next to him could be none other than George Penner, also my uncle!

As a pre-teen girl on the farm in Oklahoma, near Okeene and Hitchcock, I used to listen to the hair raising stories they had to tell. Stories of frightening hitchhiker rides, and fatigue as they canvassed many parts of the state. I surely wished I could do that when I got older.

As a family, we have many pictures of these boys but none that refer to this part of their life. Thank you for printing it. I also remember some names of other students. How can we find who they are? Who submitted the picture?

Maybe Roger Baker, Carl Grentz, Don McAdams are names that bring back memories.

The photo, like many of those we use for our historical articles, was taken either from the Hopps Museum here on campus, or one of the two books that chronicle the history of Southwestern: Lest We Forget and The Chronicle of Southwestern Adventist College. Pictured above are, from left, Branson Crispens, Sam Crispens, Carl Gaede, Dan McAdams, Roger Baker, George Penner and John Penner.

I get, read and enjoy the Southwestern Spirit magazine.

I would like to make a comment about the picture at the Acrofest. I have noticed over the years that Seventh-day Adventists are becoming more like the people of the world in all respects. For years we talked about things that happened on the seventh day as Sabbath now it is Saturday.

By the picture it states the Saturday Church Service. I would like to think it was the Sabbath Church service like it has been in years past.

I have had family over the years who were students at SWAU since it began. Two of our children graduated from there so I have a real interest in the school. Thanks for letting me express my opinion.

Tricia Sorensen I am sorry if you misunderstood the intention of the article. You and I believe and understand that Saturday is the Sabbath, but not all of our potential readers do. Because some readers may think of Sunday as Sabbath, it is more inclusive and less likely to cause a misunderstanding by referring it by the day of the week. I apologize for the confusion.

–Glen Robinson Do you have something to say about an article, a photo or the University in general? Want to share your experience with other readers? Send your letters to Editor, Southwestern Spirit, Southwestern Adventist University, 100 W. Hillcrest St., Keene, TX 76059 or email us at dforce@swau.edu.

Betty Ilene Loewen Christianson

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Southwestern Spirit

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From The Editor M y mother became a Seventhday Adventist Christian when she was pregnant with me (she often told others that I was baptized twice!). And from the first moment of that commitment, she was a complete supporter of Christian education as well.

I grew up in a blue-collar family, and although Mom had a strong commitment, my father didn’t see it the same way. “They can go to Christian schools,” he told her, “but you will have to pay the tuition on your own.

I won’t help.”

She took on that challenge with four children and only a partial education of her own. She spent many days working to pay that tuition and spent many nights on her knees in prayer, asking God to help her work it out. Finally she was led to a wealthy woman named Mabel who needed a live-in nurse. Mom started working with Mabel when I was in fifth-grade and continued until Mabel died the year I graduated from college.

I was the first person in my family to complete a college degree, but I knew that Mom felt that she was the

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one who graduated. Scholarships may have helped me get through school, but it was Mom who was the driving force behind my college experience, and it was Mom who had to sacrifice to make it happen.

In his book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller suggests that “every conflict, no matter how hard, comes back to bless the protagonist if he will face his fate with courage.” It reminds me of the Ellen White vision of the pathway to heaven, with a path that starts out wide, then gets narrower and narrower until finally there is no path and travelers are forced to swing on a rope descending out of heaven to get to the other side.

Both sources tell me that the sacrifice we hear about by Southwestern students and their parents will be rewarded manyfold someday, ideally with a college degree and a brighter future, but definitely in the Land Beyond.

I completed my PhD in 2004, and it was my privilege to have my mother attend the graduation ceremony at the University of North Texas. She

took the trip from California with my teenage niece, who was amazed that we didn’t all have cacti in our yard, don’t all wear boots, and that Southwestern turned out to be a pretty nice place. That trip was one of the last major trips that my mother ever made. She died in 2006.

Higher education, specifically Christian higher education, has been all the difference in my life. I can’t even imagine my life without my education. But even more, I am awed by the sacrifice my mother was willing to endure to make it a reality.

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CONTENTS

3 From The Editor 6 Waking Up To Change

What would a pioneer of 1893 think of Keene today?

8 Southwestern Introduces New Two-Year Fire Science Degree

Unique among Adventi st colleges and universiti es, the Fire Science program trains students as Firefi ghters, EMTs and Fire Inspectors.

10 Presidents and Their Influence

Here’s a brief look at how fi ve Southwestern presidents have helped make the school into what it is today.

13 Southwestern Adventist University Names New President 15 Brain Games: An Academic Challenge

The annual Brain Games is a unique, mentally challenging event where academy students get a chance to compete, experience Southwestern, and earn scholarships.

18 Making A Difference

Five Southwestern alumni carry the Southwestern spirit of service into the world.

22 Real Work And Real Ministry: KJRN The Journey

There has been a radio stati on on Southwestern’s campus since 1973. But there has never been one quite as successful as KJRN, The Journey.

26 Homecoming 2014: Through the Mizpah Gate A ti me to reacquaint.

32 Mileposts

Marriages. Births. Deaths.

34 AlumNotes

Catch up with old friends. Give them a chance to catch up with you.

36 Campus News

Offi cials Choose Southwestern ESL; Enactus Places in Nati onal Competi ti on; Students Perform at Music Festi val

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Southwestern Spirit

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Editor

Glen Robinson

Associate Editor Darcy Force ’04

Design

Elia King

Photographers

Darcy Force ’04 David Pollock Matt hew Mendoza ’14 Catherine Wiist ’14 Emily Nolasco ’16

Contributors

Eric Anderson Makala Coleman ’15 Darcy Force ’04

Emily Nolasco ’16 Glen Robinson

Office of University Advancement Harvey Byram Director of Planned Giving

Darcy Force ’04 Director of Marketing and Public Relations Tiff any McMearty Director of Development Bev Mendenhall Director of Alumni Relations David Pollock Graphic Design Manager

Correspondence

Southwestern Spirit Editor Southwestern Adventi st University P.O. Box 567 Keene, Texas 76059 dforce@swau.edu

Address Changes

Offi ce of University Advancement Southwestern Adventi st University P.O. Box 567 Keene, Texas 76059 bevm@swau.edu

Phone

(800) 433-2240 or (817) 202-6321

On the Web

www.swau.edu Southwestern Spirit is the offi cial magazine of Southwestern Adventi st University, produced by the Offi ce of University Advancement, for alumni and friends of the University.

Cover and page 13 photos courtesy of Adrienne Elle Creati ve.

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Southwestern Spirit

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W

ashington Irving’s short story, Rip Van Winkle, is familiar even to people who have never read it. You know— the man who woke up after a magical sleep of 20 years.

The story goes like this. Lazy and good-natured Rip wanders off on a hunting excursion into New York’s Catskill Mountains. After mysterious strangers offer him a taste of an unfamiliar liquid, he falls asleep. When he awakes, he stumbles back home, only to discover that 20 years have passed. He is an old man with a long beard, King George III no longer rules America, and his village has become a “busy, bustling, disputatious” town, with none of the “drowsy tranquility” he remembered.

It is easy to imagine rewriting the story for Keene and the present-day.

Southwestern Adventist University (“the college in Keene”) was born 120 years ago. What if one of our founders, after a nap six times longer than Rip Van Winkle’s, woke up in the year 2014? Can you imagine his reactions?

It is easy to laugh, as we imagine our Rip’s response to present-day fashions and hair styles. (“Men who are not pirates wear earrings?”) Or we could guess how our automobiles and airplanes would look to the eyes of 1893.

An encounter of Keene’s Rip with a smart phone or a laptop computer would be entertaining—at least for us.

But if we showed Rip our campus and introduced him to our students and teachers, he would recognize the kind of school we are.

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But after an hour or two, we could get down to more serious business with Rip. Rip the Second would tell us that we live in an incredibly rich country, in which ordinary people now enjoy luxuries unthinkable in 1893. He would be shocked, but ultimately pleased, I hope, to discover the sharp decline of racial animosity in Texas and the United States. “Lynching has disappeared?” I can hear him ask. “The president of the United States is a black lawyer who was born in Hawaii?

When did Hawaii join the Union?”

Rip would have a hard time understanding the power of the United States. We would have to explain to him that our navy now dwarfs the once-mighty British Royal Navy, that the dollar is the reserve currency of the world, and that we have solemnly promised to defend many nations, ranging from Japan to Poland. (“Are you sure we can afford that?” he might ask.)

He would be amazed to discover that any conversation about war and peace—or religious freedom—needs to take into account “the Mohammedans.” In his world there were no American Muslims, or Latin American Pentecostals, or militant Hindus.

But if we showed Rip our campus and introduced him to our students and teachers, he would recognize the kind of school we are, I think.

We could show him our seal, with its biblical motto: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and he would nod his head. We say that character development is the heart of our kind of education, and he would understand.

“Education is about eternity,” Rip might say. The point of Christian education, he would know, is disciplined learning, seeking out the permanent things, and learning how to serve. As he toured our high-tech classrooms, he would notice that learning in 2014 still requires wise mentors and the right questions.

“Who is this Einstein?” he might ask. “What do you mean by the phrase

‘Big Bang’? But he would not be surprised to find students still learning Euclid’s laws, studying Luther’s theses, memorizing Greek grammar, and examining Lincoln’s speeches.

After he had a few days to adjust, and this Rip Van Winkle had trimmed his beard and bought some new clothes, he would feel right at home at Southwestern Adventist University.

It is quite possible that his first text message would say something like this: “U have upheld r founding principles.”

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The Fire Science Program is designed to provide students with the skills and education to become state-certified firefighters.

Southwestern Introduces New Two-Year Fire Science Degree

Unique among Adventist colleges and universities, the Fire Science Program trains students as Firefighters, EMTs and Fire Inspectors.

By Glen Robinson

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outhwestern Adventist University has received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the University’s official accrediting body, to offer an associate of applied science degree in fire science beginning in Fall, 2014. Administered by Southwestern’s department of kinesiology, the Fire Science Program is designed to provide students with the necessary skills and education to become state-certified firefighters. Students will also receive emergency medical technician (EMT) certification as part of the program. Upon successful com-

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pletion of the degree program, the graduate will be a certified firefighter, EMT, and fire inspector. Students can also choose between obtaining a fire investigator certification or a fire apparatus driver/operator certification.

This new program is possible through a collaboration between Southwestern Adventist University and Training Division, an emergency services training company located in Crowley, Texas. Students who complete the program requirements will receive an A.A.S. degree from Southwestern, while certification is awarded by the State of Texas follow-

ing successful completion of the state exam. State certifications are eligible for out-of-state transfers through International Fire Service Accreditation Council (IFSAC) reciprocity to other IFSAC participating states and countries.

Southwestern anticipates two target audiences for this program—certified firefighters who wish to complete their degrees online through the Adult Degree Program (ADP) and traditional college students who will participate in the program.

The first on-campus cohort will begin in August, with an expected Southwestern Spirit

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enrollment of 15. The firefighting curriculum (FIRS and FIRT courses) is delivered via a mixture of supervised distance education, hands-on practical experience, and classroom and lab settings for the on-campus segment, while the general education portion of the degree will be delivered through traditional courses. Training Division will also provide a two-week on-site boot camp required of all students.

“Southwestern’s Fire Science Program reflects the spirit of our dedication to educating individuals for Christian service,” says Amy Rosenthal, vice president for academic administration. “The program is consistent with the mission and goals of Southwestern and its kinesiology department to promote lifetime physical activity and healthy lifestyle for all students at the University.”

Firefighting is a job that requires intense physical activity, often under severe conditions. Firefighters need to be in good physical condition and need to adopt a health lifestyle in order to be successful in the profession. As such, Rosenthal feels the addition of the Fire Science Program is a logical extension of the kinesiology department’s mission and goals.

The Fire Science Program also supports the institution’s mission by meeting the needs of a growing population of students who seek two-year occupational degrees as part of a Sev-

Firefighting is a job that requires intense physical activity under severe conditions.

enth-day Adventist residential university experience that lead directly to employment. Many professionals with degrees continue to find it difficult to find employment in the private sector. Public sector opportunities, such as the fire service, have become attractive options for several reasons, such as stability, decent pay, decent benefits, and retirement benefits. The fire service is receiving an increasing number of applicants per position and the market is becoming more difficult and competitive. Most applicants do not have a degree. A degree often places those applicants ahead of those

Southwestern’s new program prepares students to become a certified firefighter, EMT and fire inspector.

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without. Therefore, a graduate of Southwestern’s Fire Science Program with a degree and both a firefighter and EMT certificate will have a significant advantage in the job market and many opportunities for employment in their chosen field.

The Fire Science Degree Program opens the door for other programs under the Public Safety umbrella.

Several local resources exist, such as Johnson County Emergency Services District, several area fire departments, and Training Division’s Emergency Training Center that give Southwestern the material, logistical, technical and educational/instructional pieces needed for such a program without Southwestern having to purchase all of the necessary equipment normally required for such a program.

More importantly, this program is unique among Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities. Graduates of this program will graduate not only with a degree, but several technical certifications that will allow them to become employed by fire departments around the nation.

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Presidents and Their Influence A SPIRITED PAST:

Here’s a brief look at how five Southwestern presidents have helped make the school into what it is today.

By Makala Coleman

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n the past 120 years of service, many men have stepped forward as president to lead Southwestern through its academic, economic and spiritual challenges. Each one influenced Southwestern in a different way, not just during his time as a leader, but for years after he was gone.

People might not realize that there’s not a detailed job description for a president. It’s not that simple. What determines a president’s task at hand is often how he sees the job and the type of person he is. Different presidents focus on a variety of priorities: some on financial, others on academics, and others on spiritual life. No matter what focus a president takes, all have had an influence in some way.

Changes might not be immediately noticed, but they’re felt in the long run. It’s slow, incremental changes that often make the biggest difference.

Here are five that demonstrate the difference that one man can make.

Cassius B. Hughes: The First President

In the 1890s, Keene, Texas was still a wilderness. Forest, field and stream produced a landscape perfect for a new school, but the task of starting one would be difficult. It would take a strong leader. Cassius B. Hughes accepted the challenge.

As the first principal of Keene Industrial Academy, Hughes had his work cut out for him, literally. He and his wife, Ella, arrived by train from Walla Walla, Washington on Christmas Eve, 1893. They found an unfinished

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house, a makeshift classroom and greenbriers everywhere. However, the husband-wife team had come prepared to work, and started school just two weeks later, on January 7.

“Professor Hughes had come to open a school here,” writes C. N. Woodard as quoted in Lest We Forget, “and what did it matter if to begin with they only had one small, and very temporary building and few facilities? He knew how to work and went at it vigorously.”

Hughes strongly believed in a workstudy program. He thought that too much free time would cause a student to become arrogant, lazy and unconcerned about the needs of others.

When Cassius B. Hughes accepted the principalship of Keene Industrial Academy, it is unlikely that he realized he would be starting a 120-year tradition of presidents, or that his small school would one day be a university.

Under his direction, students were required to work 20-hour weeks and strict rules were set in place.

The school opened with 56 pupils arriving from all over Texas. Before school started, the students had spent a lot of time in social events and relaxing. When Hughes came, he said that there would be no more of that. Students were to focus on work and study, and interaction between boys and girls would be miniscule. As extreme as those rules may sound today, they were not uncommon then.

Most importantly, Hughes put God first in all things. He led a mission-minded Bible study for young people on Saturdays, and was known to lead in week of prayer. He even had the privilege to baptize several students. As one of the founders of Southwestern, his influence would point Southwestern in a direction for many years to follow. Little choices here and there can seem inconsequential, but over the course of time prove an enormous difference. The hard-working, Christian attitude of Hughes set the stage for all principals and presidents to come.

Hughes spent 14 total years as principal of Keene Industrial Academy, but not consecutively. He encouraged the students, was strict but kind, and was also good at handling money.

“He was a true representative of what God requires of his servants, a Christian gentleman,” writes Woodward. “Half-hearted service is not acceptable to God at any time, but he greatly needs young men and young Southwestern Spirit

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Cassius B. Hughes and H. H. Hamilton had the opportunity to work together at the turn of the 20th Century, when Hughes was president and Hamilton was an instructor.

women who will give themselves as fully to his work as did Professor Hughes.”

H. H. Hamilton: Guiding a Growing College

No longer a landscape of greenbrier and swamp, Keene Industrial Academy transformed into Southwestern Junior College in 1916. Technology improved, and buildings became more permanent. Minimum wage was 25 cents per hour. In 1935 Southwestern installed an experimental power plant, which successfully provided electricity for the entire campus. That same year, Harry Heber Hamilton became president.

Perhaps his most well-known contribution to Southwestern is the Mizpah Gate. He designed and built it in 1937. The Hamilton Hall dormitory was also named after him. A not-so-tangible, but equally substantial influence Hamilton had was on the students of Southwestern. He was no new face at Southwestern; in fact, he had taught there for several years under Cassius B. Hughes. He had an approachable manner, making rules easier to understand and mistakes lighter to bear.

“Hamilton was a master at the art of story telling,” writes Walter R. Beach, faculty at Southwestern Junior College with Hamilton, in Lest We Forget. “He often illustrated a point he wanted to make with a humorous anecdote that set his audience roaring with laughter, even if the intent of the story was a reprimand. Never have I

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known anyone in a position of leadership to use more tact with young people, especially with those who were recalcitrant or rebellious.”

Once, a student failing in her English class was sent to Hamilton’s office. The conversation, below, is found in Lest We Forget.

“So you are finding English difficult to master?” he began the conversation.

“Yes, sir.”

“Why, that surprises me about a bright girl like you. You do know the difference between a plural and a singular verb, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes, I think so,” was the timid answer.

“Would you say,” he asked, smiling wryly, “Girl, are my hat on straight?”

In that way the tension was erased, and Professor Hamilton could go on to advise and encourage the student.

He looked at the big picture when it came to decisions. After a tiresome staff meeting, he often enjoying gazing at the stars. He not only shared the rules, but also explained the motives behind them. One time, students petitioned to attend a concert put on by violinist, Jascha Heifetz. It was a wholesome event, but the concert was expensive. Hamilton announced that permission would be granted. He also gave students a warning.

“The tickets to this concert will cost five to seven dollars a piece,” said Hamilton. “That is a large sum of money for a boy to spend on a girl.

In fact, my personal opinion is that no young lady should let a college boy spend that much on her unless she is

engaged to him. And if she is engaged to him, she had better think twice before she lets him spend that much money on her, for she will need the money very much after she’s married.”

Hamilton had a profound influence on students of Southwestern, not only for being down to earth, but also for his deep-rooted faith. A mission mindset was his greatest goal for Southwestern Junior College.

“The only excuse for the existence of our colleges is to train missionaries for the fields at home and abroad,” writes Hamilton, “and to give the trumpet sound. The Bible is taught definitely and specifically. This enables our students to speak with authority and assurance.”

Hamilton was determined to keep the original motives of a Seventh-day Adventist school pure, preparing students to be missionaries in any field of work. This stream of thought bled into every aspect of his role as president.

Ed C. Wines: From Junior to Senior

Ed C. Wines took over as president of Southwestern Junior College in 1964. He came from a rich background in education, serving seven years as an academy principal, six

Though he is best known today for Mizpah Gate and Hamilton Hall, Harry Hamilton accomplished much more during his tenure.

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years as a junior academy principal, and five years in educational work in Ethiopia and Egypt. In his first year at Southwestern, Wines quickly developed ideas about the future of the school.

The first thing he did was separate the academy and college, which up to this point had combined faculty, one student association, one yearbook and school paper and one Sabbath school. Chisholm Trail Academy was created. The next step was his effort to move toward senior college status.

The effort to move from a junior college to a four-year school took several years, but full accreditation as a senior college came in 1970, arguably the second-most significant event in the history of Southwestern. In addition to this achievement, during his seven-year tenure, Wines was responsible for the groundbreaking for Scales Hall, Southwestern’s first student missionary, turning the open-walled Pultar Pavilion into an enclosed gymnasium, developing the new Keene Shopping Center, breaking ground for the Committee of 100 Cafeteria and overall campus beautification.

“There will always be challenges in a going program,” Wines said following the accreditation. “There are no natural breaks and there is no time when all goals and projects are Ed C. Wines was responsible for many changes during his seven-year tenure as president.

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completed, except as we become stagnated.”

Wines felt that there were three basic qualifications for a good teacher: (1) a sincere, dedicated Christian experience; (2) academic qualifications as well as a continuing interest in personal academic improvement; (3) a willingness to be of assistance to students in and out of the classroom.

In 1971, remaining faithful to his love for Christian education, Wines stepped down from the presidency to become educational secretary for the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, overseeing all elementary schools and academies in the Southwest.

Don McAdams: Academic Improvement

As president, Don McAdams was passionate about academics. At the start of his leadership, Southwestern had only been a four-year program for a few years. McAdams was determined to make Southwestern as successful a four-year college as possible.

One way he did this was by hiring new faculty. He hired many professors with a Ph.D., both to meet the requirements of a four-year program, and because he had a love for academics.

McAdams made it his goal to bring in as many doctors to teach in as many fields as possible at Southwestern.

McAdams also put more emphasis on curriculum, and improved general education classes. He thought it imperative that the college should continue to grow and expand so it could better serve the youth.

While he was president, the college name changed from Southwestern University College to Southwestern Adventist College in 1977. Under his leadership, the Committee of 100 was organized, for which the current cafeteria is named, and the Mabee Center was constructed. McAdams called it “the house that philanthropy built.”

McAdams wanted to improve class quality and student life, but also thought it important to be personable with students outside of class. It was not uncommon to see McAdams walking around campus in shorts, or riding a bike. Students appreciated

Don McAdams put a strong emphasis on academics, as well as being personable with students.

his kind nature, and faculty enjoyed working with him.

Donald R. McAdams was 34 years old when he became president of Southwestern Adventist College in 1975. In his nine years at the helm, he inspired faculty, staff, and students with the great potential of Southwestern, only recently accredited as a senior college. With boundless energy and an inspirational vision, he left a lasting mark on this institution. He sought out excellent faculty and staff, some of whom are still shaping the University today.

After he left Southwestern, McAdams was influential as an educational reformer and management consultant. He served in several important posts, including president of the Texas Independent College Fund, trustee of the Houston Independent School District (1990-2002), and president of the Center for Reform of School Systems (2001-2011).

He has published articles on wide variety of subjects, educational, historical, and political. Two books on urban education have been widely noticed: Fighting to Save Our Urban Schools...and Winning! Lessons from Houston and What School Boards Can Do: Reform Governance for Urban Schools (both published by Columbia University’s Teacher College Press).

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Southwestern Adventist University Names New President

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he Board of Trustees announced on May 12 that Dr. Kenneth L. Shaw, Dean of the Panama City Campus of Florida State University, has been named President of Southwestern Adventist University, effective July 1. He will succeed Eric Anderson, who is retiring in June after a nine-year tenure as President.

Shaw’s appointment comes as the University finishes its 120th school year.

“We are thrilled that he has accepted the invitation,” says Larry Moore, chairman of Southwestern’s board of trustees. “We’ve felt the Lord’s leading through this entire search process and are happy to welcome Ken and his wife Ann into leadership.”

Shaw comes to Southwestern with a wealth of experience. He began working at FSU in 1989 after completing a doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Georgia. Shaw holds degrees in mathematics from Southern Adventist University (B. A., 1980) and Middle Tennessee State University (M. S., 1983). A much-published scholar, he

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spent nine years as a full-time teacher in mathematics education at FSU Panama City.

After the Panama City dean announced his retirement in 1998, Shaw was asked to serve as Acting Dean until a replacement could be found.

Those 18 months as dean opened his eyes to academic administration and he found it rewarding and enjoyable.

From 2000-2005, while Shaw was the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, FSU Panama City was able to start 10 academic programs and added 25 full-time faculty to their campus.

Shaw also assisted in the expansion of the campus by adding a $32 million Academic Center which houses engineering labs, offices and large meeting spaces for the community.

When Shaw was elected Dean in 2009, the small Panama City campus faced the threat of closure. An FSU Presidential Blue Ribbon Committee (consisting of community leaders) studied operations of FSU Panama City and recommended that the 985student campus meet an enrollment target of 1400 by 2013. Under Shaw’s

leadership this challenging goal was met. Currently FSU Panama City serves more than 1600 students.

The new president also comes with fundraising experience as Shaw is currently leading a $5 million campaign to support the endowment for FSU’s College of Applied Studies. Within two years, they have raised nearly $3 million. Community is important to Shaw as he sits on various boards, such as: United Way of Northwest Florida Board, American Heart Association, Community Service Foundation, and two Chambers of Commerce. He is also an active lay leader in his local Seventh-day Adventist church.

“Being offered the presidency of Southwestern Adventist University is both exciting and humbling,” states Shaw. “It is exciting, as it will provide my wife and me new opportunities to meet and work with the great people associated with the University. With Southwestern celebrating its 120th year, I am humbled to be asked to serve as president of an institution with such rich history. It is an awesome privilege.”

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Continued from p.12 In May, 2014, Southwestern Adventist University honored Don McAdams with a Doctorate of Humane Letters honorary degree during commencement services.

Eric Anderson: Leaving A Legacy

The current president of Southwestern is finishing his ninth and final year in office.

He often quotes a comment from another Christian university president: “The most important word in my vocabulary is and.” Eric Anderson explains that his friend meant that it is not enough for a Christian school to be excellent. Such a school must be both “excellent” and “faithful.”

Anderson has encouraged teachers to integrate faith and learning in the classroom. “My most important goal has been to enhance Southwestern’s academic quality while preserving our distinctive Christian environment,” he says. According to Bill Kilgore, professor of religion, Anderson brought “a unique blend of scholarship and spirituality” to his leadership.

One of Anderson’s innovations was to create a “vice president for spiritual development,” a “hybrid position” that combined academic and administrative functions. Spiritual development, as he sees it, should involve the whole campus, not just special programming for students. “In a school like this, every teacher ought to be a spiritual leader.” He sought to promote discussion of issues in science and religion with the Saxon Lecture Series, an event featuring speakers ranging from biochemist Michael Behe and mathematician David Berlinski to journalist David Neff and historian Ronald Numbers.

He devoted personal attention to the ceremonial or symbolic parts of academic life. Thanks to him, Convocation was restored as the formal beginning of the school, the Mizpah Ceremony was created, and graduation became an occasion for worship and high culture, as well as family pride. He encouraged the creation of

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an Educator of the Year Award and promoted what he calls “academic content” in University assemblies.

The physical appearance of campus changed during the Anderson years.

Pechero Hall was completed, Scales Hall renovated, and a new “campus center” emerged after extensive landscaping ended the bisection of campus

by Mockingbird Lane. The old bookstore was transformed into a bright and welcoming Student Center. With the encouragement of the President’s wife, Loretta Anderson, the lobby of the main women’s dormitory underwent major remodeling. This year, he adds, “we unveiled a beautiful new gym floor.”

An experienced teacher, Anderson taught several courses during his term as president, including four upper division history classes, several honors seminars, and one business class. “He is a strong believer in the honors program,” declares director Andrew Woolley, who co-taught a seminar on The Brothers Karamazov with the President. With Anderson’s encouragement, according to Woolley, the honors program has expanded and developed a new emphasis on “great books.”

“I think I will be remembered as much for things I didn’t do as for the things I did,” comments Anderson.

“We avoided the temptation to make graduate work more important than our undergraduate program. In the face of financial challenges, we did Eric Anderson was a mixture of academic, spiritual and fi nancial improvements.

not decimate our teaching faculty. We did not downplay our general education program. Most important, we did not compromise on religious identity.”

“Being president of a university is like being the captain of a big ship,” observes one faculty member. “You can’t change direction rapidly, throwing the rudder sharply to one side.”

Even vital reforms must come as steady, “incremental changes,” rather than as drastic turns that make waves or even swamp the ship.

Anderson’s most memorable moments, he says, were the two surprise visits paid to campus by Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons. On each occasion, Simmons dropped in unannounced, asked a few pointed questions, and ultimately made two separate million-dollar gifts to the University.

He believes that he is retiring at a good time. “Our freshman class grew dramatically this year, there’s an effective administrative team in place, and we see strong progress in departments ranging from nursing to music and English. We have one of the most effective pastoral training programs in the denomination.”

“He liked living in Texas,” notes one Board member. “You could say he became one of us.”

Past, Present and Future

“All presidents have influence in different ways,” says Woolley. “They each make contributions. In some way, being a president of a university is like being a captain of a ship. You can’t make any major changes or the ship will sink. The president makes slow incremental changes that make a difference in the long run.”

As the University enters a new year with a new president, there is both anticipation and excitement. The future president, whoever he or she may be, has many past presidents to look to as an example of great leadership. Their work will be felt and admired for many years to come.

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BrainGames: An Academic Challenge

The annual Brain Games is a unique, mentally challenging event where academy students get a chance to compete, experience Southwestern, and earn scholarships.

By Emily Nolasco

S

ome annual events hosted by Southwestern for academy students might give them the impression that college life is full of music or sports. After all, the University’s Music Festival and annual Hoops Classic draw hundreds each year to its campus to socialize, compete and have a good time. But Southwestern also wants academy students and potential incoming freshmen to know how important it is to have a balanced development. Students who excel at basketball or music can also be those who are good at math or science, engineering or history. That’s where Brain Games comes in.

Brain Games is a unique activity hosted by Southwestern Adventist University every spring. “We invite a variety of Adventist academies from all over the country,” says Dr. Amy McHenry, assistant professor of biology at Southwestern and 2014 Brain Games coordinator. “Specifically, we invite them to send a team of their top three students academically, generally juniors or seniors, to come and participate in some sort of

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challenging, problem-solving event.”

Thirteen academies sent teams to this year’s event.

“The idea of Brain Games is that we want academy students to be challenged academically,” says McHenry.

“We wanted to show them what campus life is like and what we have to offer is unique. But it’s more than

just problem solving. They can get intellectual stimulation anywhere. We wanted to show that students can find a spiritual environment as well here at Southwestern.”

Past years include CSI-type investigations, epidemic outbreaks, and one that was titled Siege of War where students used mathematics and prin-

An important part of weekend acti viti es takes place on Saturday night, when school teams compete in Mathleti cs.

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ciples of physics and engineering to build catapults, trebuchets, rockets, and other siege engines. Held in March, this year’s Brain Games was sponsored by the biology department with the theme of Belly-up: Death in the Duckpond. The event was designed to introduce academy students to the implications of environmental science.

“It’s a simulated fish kill investigation,” says McHenry. “Sometimes you get these massive fish kills and it can be caused by a variety of different things: pesticide poisoning, a specific toxin that’s been dropped into the river or pond, temperature fluctuation, parasites, bacteria, viruses, or even massive fertilizer runoffs.

“I broke it down into a variety of activities and then I had different faculty members responsible for particular activities,” says McHenry.

Dr. Arthur Schwarz, associate professor of biology here at Southwestern, was in charge of students’ efforts to sample water from the pond at Callicott Student Park. “I’m more of an outdoor biologist,” says Schwarz.

“So I worked at the duck pond and we would row out to the middle of the pond to take water quality samples.

From there, we would try to figure out what had caused the fish kill.”

Participating students used bioinformatics and chemical analysis to explore the impacts of man and disease on the environment. Stu-

Parti cipati ng students used bioinformati cs and chemical analysis to explore the impacts of man and disease on the environment.

dents took part in dissecting real fish, taking lake water samples, measuring chemical concentrations, extracting and identifying environmental DNA and screening for invasive species.

“A new technique makes it possible to harvest what is called environmental DNA,” says McHenry. “You can filter a large quantity of pond water, and the ‘gunk’ that’s left has enough DNA that you can extract it to see if different types of invasive species are present.”

Broader issues of care for nature were also discussed. “Side by side with all of the academic investigations, we also did a different number of worships, focusing on a Christian’s responsibility to the environment,” says McHenry.

Dr. Arthur Schwarz and two academy volunteers draw water from Calicott Lake for evaluati on by students.

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On the first night, Schwarz had the opening worship and it was based on Genesis 1:28: “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’”

“My thoughts on the matter were: What is the responsibility of man in terms of our environment?” says Schwarz. “The garden is our environment. It sustains us. It is everything we need. It is the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, the food that we eat. Earth is a finite sphere floating around in space, but it is the only livable planet we’ve got. God told us to take care of it.”

On Saturday night the academy students competed in Mathletics, an elimination type of quiz game that involved math. It was the only competitive portion of the event. Students who won at Mathletics received scholarships to attend Southwestern.

In addition, the winning academy received a scholarship that could be spent on equipment for their science and math department.

First place in Mathletics went to Chisholm Trail Academy; the three CTA students who participated each received a $2,000 scholarship and the school received $1,000 for their math/ science program. Second place went to Orangewood Academy; student received $1,000 scholarships and the school received $500. And third place went to Dallas Christian Academy Southwestern Spirit

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with students receiving $500 scholarships and the school receiving $250.

Thirteen academies came from different parts of the country, including 39 students and several sponsors, totaling 54 participants.

“This event gives students an opportunity to be on campus and to connect with our University kids,” says McHenry. “We actually involved our biology majors quite a lot as well.

I cancelled my genetics class that day and had all my students assist with various portions of our program.”

Academy students ended up getting a lot of interaction with Southwestern students. “It’s something unique that only Southwestern does,” says McHenry. “There isn’t any other Adventist college/university that does this. So I think it’s a special thing that happens here and I think it’s fun for the high school kids that come.”

Brain Games gives students and sponsors alike the opportunity to see what Southwestern is all about. “We’re about really strong academics and a really strong spiritual campus and those are the things that are important. Students who want to have a campus like that will come here,” says McHenry. “I think it’s exciting and it’s something that shows that science is cool and fun. It’s something different.”

“It works,” says Schwarz simply.

“Brain Games is an event that has

A new technique makes it possible to harvest environmental DNA. Filtered pond water indicates what invasive species are present.

been ongoing for a long time and every year we have more students interested in taking part.”

“Our students enjoyed the experience and I got to see how things are done that I’ve just read about, since we don’t have the equipment,” says Tyke Connell, who teaches biology at Chisholm Trail Academy in Keene.

“It’s a good thing. Keep doing it.”

“It was a fantastic Brain Games,” says Tom McNeilus, biology teacher at Shenandoah Valley Academy in Virginia. “My students had a great time. Each of them was excited about something different, including the dinosaur bones, the religious meet-

ings, and the variety of the food.

My crew really liked the Mathletics. They’ve been talking to the other students about the friendliness of all the staff and students at Southwestern and what they learned. Hopefully we’ll send some more students your way.”

In future years, McHenry wants to try and incorporate some of the public schools in the local areas. “Those are kids that I think we have an opportunity to recruit,” says McHenry. “They need to be aware of what we have and what’s available here.”

“I just want to say thank you to everyone involved in running this radio station. I have been incarcerated since January and I just got released yesterday! I listened to nothing but this station the whole time. I’ve been a lukewarm Christian and had been running from the Lord for a while.

It was an absolute blessing to have this radio station. It helped me keep my peace and keep my head up while I was going through this difficult time in my life. Words can’t even begin to express how much I appreciate you guys! This station saved me, changed my life and helped me get back to where I need to be with the Lord. And for that I truly, truly thank y’all!!! God Bless you guys!!!!”

Geoff

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Making A Difference

Five Southwestern alumni carry the Southwestern spirit of service into the world.

By Glen Robinson

O

ne of the greatest joys of a teacher—and a university— comes with sharing in the successes of their graduating students.

With 120 years of students to choose from, Southwestern Adventist University has many, many stories to share. Here are five alumni who have found a way to contribute to society and make Southwestern Adventist University—and its teachers—proud.

Charles Sims ‘54

Not very many people can say that what they do has led to the existence of 50,000 people. But Charles Sims ’54 and the company he helped start have the distinct honor of distributing donor specimens over the past 35

Charles Sims has pleasant memories of Keene while he lived in Hamilton Hall from 1948 to 1954.

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years that have led to the birth of that many children.

Sims is corporate medical director and CEO of California Cryobank, the largest human sperm bank in the United States and possibly the world.

In addition, about 20 percent of their business is dedicated to stem cells.

Sims got into the cryobank business in 1977 when he was chief of pathology at a hospital in southern California.

“A member of the medical staff told me he wanted to start a sperm bank,” Sims said. “After talking, I realized that even though I didn’t know anything about sperm banking, he didn’t know anything about running a lab.

I told him if he wanted a partner, I would help organize and set it up.

And that’s how it happened.”

Since that time, business has done well, showing yearly growth for quite a few years. Today California Cryobank has five physical locations: two in Los Angeles, and one each in Palo Alto, California, Cambridge, Mass., and New York City.

Sims has very pleasant memories of being a student in Keene, living in Hamilton Hall from 1948 to 1954.

He was class president of his junior and senior year in academy, and he still keeps in touch with much of his academy class.

After Southwestern, Sims went to Union College, then Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He interned at White Memorial Medical Center and spent three years in general practice in Crescent City, California, where he says he “did a little bit of everything, including some

things they probably shouldn’t have let me do.”

“It took about a year before I realized that I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life,” he says today. “I think it was a noble thing to do, but it wasn’t for me.”

Sims decided that he liked the science, the puzzle-solving part of medicine, and went back to do a four-year residency in pathology.

What followed was an extensive career in pathology at various hospitals throughout central and southern California.

When he started California Cryobank in 1977, he was also working in hospital pathology in Century City, on the outskirts of Beverly Hills. He stayed in that job until 2004. In 1983, he started an independent reference laboratory and ran it for 10 years, concurrent with his other two jobs.

He sold the lab in 1993, because he “got an offer from someone willing to buy it for more than it was worth.”

Sims retired in 2004 when the hospital in Century City closed. He went to work full time at California Cryobank and became chief medical officer and CEO in 2008.

Beyond his financial success and the fact that he has helped thousands of parents realize the joy of having a child, Sims finds satisfaction in the fact that he has influenced national policy on reproductive medicine. He has had extensive interaction with multiple associations that deal with reproduction, has participated in policy discussions and panels and made many presentations. In addiSouthwestern Spirit

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tion he was appointed to an advisory committee for the United States Department of Health on stem cell transplantation.

“I had to swear to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States, just like the president. It’s sort of a ritual,” he says, one that he was privileged to take part in.

In addition to his busy career life, Sims had time to raise five children, and today also has nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Wanda Smith ’66

After 45 years in education and two retirements, Wanda Smith knows exactly what she misses the most.

“I miss the students,” she says bluntly.

After finishing two years as a student at Southwestern Junior College in 1959 and 1960, Smith went on to Union College to complete her degree. She moved back in 1970 and was hired as a kindergarten teacher in Waxahachie ISD, where she was eventually named Teacher of the Year for Outstanding Classroom Individualism.

She earned her master’s degree in counseling and guidance from Texas Christian University in 1974, and became a counselor at a Waxahachie school. She later transferred to Keene ISD to teach seventh and eighth grades, and applied and was accepted into a part-time superintendent’s position for a kindergarten through eighth-grade program.

Smith became a full-time superintendent for Keene ISD in 1981. She started with an ISD program that had no federal programs, includ-

Wanda Smith has spent 45 years in educati on, most of it in Johnson County.

ing no breakfast or milk programs, and a bare-bones plant facility. Smith worked with a local co-op of other local schools to raise needed funds.

Their campaign for a bond issue resulted in a new building, offices, a cafeteria and a gymnasium.

At that time, high school students from Keene attended the nearest high school in Cleburne. In 1983, Smith led in the purchase of land and the construction of Keene’s own high school.

Grades 9-12 were added to the existing elementary school one at a time.

The high school program was complete in 1990, and in 2006 the high school was named Wanda R. Smith High School.

Smith also served as president of Texas Association of Community Schools from 1989 to 1990, the first woman to do so. In 2001, the Texas House of Representatives voted to recognize Smith as the longest-tenured female superintendent still working in Texas.

Smith retired for the first time in 2006, and was promptly called to consult for Itasca ISD, then worked as an elementary principal for Grand Prairie ISD and as a junior high principal at Cleburne ISD. In 2011, she resumed her post as superintendent at Keene ISD until her second retirement in summer, 2013.

Even though she was a student at Southwestern Junior College for only two years, Smith looks back fondly on those days.

“I loved it,” she says. “The campus was pretty, and the school had a major influence on my life. I came here from public school, and had never experienced a church school. I really enjoyed it.

“I am tickled to death when students tell me they want to be a teacher,” she says today. “I tell them, get your degree and come back and interview with us.

“There’s not a lot of money in teaching. You have to love it. You have to love the children. It’s a great career.”

Derek White ’06

When Derek White ’06 left Southwestern and then completed law school in 2009, his first job was in

Lebanon, working for the United Nations, assisting Palestinian refugees.

Five years later, he is still working with refugees, but this time in Denver, Colorado. White has a law practice there, as well as a ministry to not only refugees but other immigrants as well.

“My wife and I caught ourselves waiting for God to send us back overseas before we were really ready,” he says. “And then we resolved to live on mission wherever we are. For us, that meant moving into the same neighborhoods where the refugees we were serving and befriending lived.”

White and his wife, Alicia, work with refugees from all over the world who have been resettled by the United Nations and the United States government. An example of this is Somali refugees who fled Somalia during their civil war. After fleeing to refugee camps in Kenya, they were finally settled in Colorado with their families. White helps them with their various legal needs, such as simply reuniting their families. Once they have eligibility, they can bring family members here and earn U.S. citizenship. Alicia, a registered nurse, helps refugee families with medical needs and helps with the children. It’s a busy life, but an intentional, committed one, says White.

“My wife and I were just touched by what Jesus did for us, I guess,” he says. “He came here and lived among us, and so we actually live in the same neighborhood as most refugees in Denver.”

The neighborhood includes a majority of immigrants, as well as Hispanic Americans, whites, and many young people. It is also one of the poorest neighborhoods in Colorado and in the country.

“It has been a rewarding adventure, because we have been blessed by so many glimpses of Jesus,” he says. Their mission has come with its own set of challenges; they have been burglarized at night, and their car has been broken into several times. Finances can be a strain, and they are currently fighting a pest infestation in their home. White feels he is only doing what others do who are forced to live

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Derek White stands with neighbors in their community garden.

Beary called him in one day and told him he should consider medicine as a career.

“Other people had brought that possibility up, but I thought they were saying it simply because I was getting better grades,” he says. “But when Beary brought it up, I had to take him seriously.”

Ask visited Loma Linda University School of Medicine and told them that he felt it was stupid for him to consider medicine with his past record of a 1.4 GPA. “They told me that they take into account changes in direction,” he says.

“I knew I was just coasting in school.

I was torn between doing something I knew I could do and being bored, and accepting something I wasn’t sure I could do, and accepting terror.

And it’s been a good journey. I haven’t regretted it.”

Today Ask is medical coordinator for the alcohol and drug program at the VA Hospital in Loma Linda and serves on the faculty at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He is also chairman of the well-being committee for both hospitals.

Mickey and Ladan have faithfully sponsored Keene reunions in the Loma Linda area for years. In addition, the hospitality-conscious couple regularly hosts both the Christian Medical-Dental society students as well as the junior medical auxiliary.

A family project has been their garden-themed backyard, which has been the site of numerous weddings, including their own daughter’s. The

in these circumstances.

But the experience has become more than just ministry to them. By living among those they minister to, by befriending them, it has become a mutual community where everyone helps each other. Their neighborhood has a community garden, and about 80 percent of those who garden are refugees from Burma, Bhutan, Sudan and other places. The community garden also acts as a social center for those who live in the neighborhood.

That’s not to say that Derek and Alicia spend all of their time in ministry. All people need time to get away occasionally, and the Whites enjoy life in Colorado, including trips to the mountains, running and walks.

They are also enjoying the community garden tremendously.

“We honestly don’t know anything about gardening, but we enjoy just being at the garden and being with our friends there.”

training missed going to Vietnam by two weeks, and instead he was sent to Germany.

He later met a girl at the servicemen’s center in San Antonio who told him she planned on attending Southwestern. He decided to follow her to Keene and “check it out.” Enter the turning point.

Ask liked the small school he found there. “It was a great experience for me,” he says. “It was exactly what I needed.”

Ask attended Southwestern with a new attitude. He sat in the front row, got to know his teachers, took the initiative and got involved. His experience at Southwestern got more interesting when one Sabbath afternoon he was invited to dinner at chemistry professor Karl Konrad’s house, where he was introduced to Ladan Ehteshami, a student from Iran, who later became his wife.

Finally, his biology professor Dexter

Mickey Ask ’76

Mickey Ask (center, kneeling) climbed Uhuru Peak on a recent trip to Tanzania.

Even when we have turning points in our lives, we don’t always recognize them when they happen. That was the case for Mickey Ask. In the late 60s, Ask struggled at another Adventist college, earning a 1.4 GPA and having no personal spiritual life. When the draft lottery came out in 1969, he decided to let the Army take him and see if that helped him figure out his life.

“I hadn’t been watching any TV and so I had no mental picture of what the reality of Vietnam was like,” says Ask today. Fortunately, Ask’s class in basic

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yard features multiple nooks and crannies with a variety of themes, including meditative, self-reflective, contemplative and expansive. The Asks have a butterfly garden, a secret garden and a rose garden.

In addition, 10 years ago Mickey decided that his couch-potato days were over. Since that time, he has participated in 20 marathons, about 10-12 triathalons, and recently did a complete Ironman triathlon in Florida.

But despite all of his experiences, some of his Southwestern memories remain the fondest.

“Random people would take the initiative and be friendly to me,” he remembers. “They’d say, ‘Y’all come over and visit some time.’ I wasn’t quite sure if they would accept me were I to just show up on their doorstep, but it was a good feeling.”

Tara Vincross ’02

When one hears the words “mission field,” one rarely thinks of the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States. Philadelphia has six million residents, and yet only 10,000 Seventh-day Adventists. So when Tara Vincross ’02 got a call with her husband Caleb ’03 to come to Philadelphia and start urban ministry there, it was something special.

“I’m the only woman pastor serving in this conference, and our conference president knew that it would be a major objection for the church,” says Vincross. “He first approached them with all my qualities and who I am as a pastor but not saying my gender.

He said, ‘Is this the pastor you want to have?’ And they said, ‘Absolutely, when can he come?’ And then he told them who I was and showed a picture and they said, ‘No way.’ And he said, ‘What changed?’

“We came and interviewed and it was one of the most profound and moving experiences I have ever had with the Holy Spirit working,” she says. The church held a 3½ hour interview. Vincross preached, shared her testimony and took questions.

“There were tears, people saying I was against you but now I see God’s leading,” she says. “We had so many

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Pastor Tara Vincross (center) stands with her urban ministry team.

confirmations that we were meant to be here. And God has really backed that up by giving me the strength to do it.”

Today Vincross is senior pastor of Chestnut Hill Church in downtown Philadelphia, and has inherited a city and a church with a rich heritage.

Vincross has seen church records dating back to the 1870s, stating that in its previous location, her church was located over a storefront in the 1800s, with likely visits by James and Ellen White.

Before Tara and Caleb came to Philadelphia, they were located in Washington Conference, where they served for 2½ years before heading to the Adventist Theological Seminary in Berrien Springs, Michigan. In 2008, Tara saw an ad for a pastor to come to Philadelphia and to help the church make a difference in an urban context.

It was just what she wanted to do, but she dismissed it because of where it was. She got three phone calls from people who felt she was being called to pastor the church.

The church’s urban ministry really started after Vincross led the elders and the church board to pray for them to love their community in the same way they would love their children. That led them to the Pennsylvania Youth Challenge Program with 30 youth and young adults who are engaged in mission for nine weeks during the summer. And it also led them to realize that they wanted to keep the ministry going year around, leading to the sponsorship of seven two-year internships under the

umbrella of Reach Philadelphia. Ministry includes a tutoring program, urban agriculture and block parties, and has led to a church planting.

“We definitely make it up as we go along,” says Vincross. “We ask God every day what to do next. I’ve been trying really hard as a leader to not speculate, and only share what I have been given. Sometimes God will give us clarity for something and we’ll go with that, and we will not know the next step until we get there.”

Vincross feels “extremely blessed” with mentors throughout her young life, including strong relationships with professors at the Seminary, as well as influential professors and pastors at Southwestern. She thanks Lloyd Willis and Bill Kilgore for their mentoring, Lane Campbell for his willingness to delegate and let students learn while they ministered, and Ron Halvorsen, Jr. and Ron Halvorsen, Sr. for infecting her with the joy of evangelism.

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Real Work and Real Ministry: KJRN The Journey There has been a radio station on Southwestern’s campus since 1973. But there has never been one quite as successful as KJRN, The Journey.

By Brisa Ramirez

L

ike all Southwestern students, communication majors are not only concerned about passing their next class but in landing that first job after graduation. One way the department helps is by providing students with real-world experience at the campus radio station. And students are getting an experience that’s hard to find anywhere else.

Although students at Southwestern have had opportunity to gain radio experience on campus for the past 40 years, today’s experience is

For the fi rst ti me, the radio stati on will be fi nancially independent this year, thanks to the support of listeners and underwriters.

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decidedly different. It includes learning from an award-winning general manager while working at one of the fastest-growing Christian stations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the number-five media market in the United States.

This year, 88.3 The Journey is on course to raise $225,000 in donations.

The station’s audience has grown from 13,000 listeners in 2007 to 51,300 in January of this year. For the first time in its existence, the radio station at Southwestern will be completely financially independent this year, thanks to the support of listeners and underwriters. In addition, plans are in motion to replace the current 185foot broadcast tower with a new 400foot tower. While the current station reaches a potential audience of about 400,000 listeners, this new tower will reach about a million more people.

Since 1973, Southwestern’s radio station and its staff have followed the threefold mandate of (1) training Christian broadcasters; (2) representing Southwestern Adventist University to its community; and (3) sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Students learn not only the techniques

and skills necessary to speak on the air or record a program, but learn the business and ministry of Christian radio as well.

Over the Years

A radio station at Southwestern was first seriously discussed in 1968. A few years later, Raymond and Anna Beem wanted to donate a gift to the college. At that time their plan was to put money toward a planetarium and solicit other gifts for the same cause. When other funding fell through, however, they looked around for another project they could use their gift for. Their son Donald, who worked at a radio station in Los Angeles, suggested a radio station for the college.

In 1973, Bob Mendenhall was appointed general manager for the new station. Mendenhall had been hired as a men’s dean in 1970, but with a degree in communication and a background as a co-founder of a commercial radio station in northern California, he was soon asked to manage the station and teach communication classes. After the ribbon cutting in June of 1974, Raymond Beem turned Southwestern Spirit

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on the transmitter, and KSUC (for Southwestern Union College) began broadcasting with the frequency of 88.3, chosen because it rhymed with KSUC. The broadcast studio was Anna Beem’s old dormitory room from her time as a student at the college. It was on the west end of the third floor in Heritage Hall, where Chan Shun Centennial Library now stands. Three other rooms were used as well.

Initially KSUC was on the air from noon to midnight Sunday through Friday and six a.m. to midnight on Saturday. Students were volunteers and the communication department was in its infancy.

In February 1980, the station held its first “I Love KSUC” Week, with a goal of $5,000. Instead, supporters donated nearly $10,000. The week’s success allowed KSUC to add morning broadcast hours on Sunday.

A subsequent fundraiser the next year called “Project 18” allowed KSUC to equip the production studio and broadcast 18 hours every day of the week. The first 18-hour weekday was on April 1, 1981.

The station’s call letters were changed from KSUC to KJCR on March 1, 1984. The school had changed its name to Southwestern Adventist College, so the old call letters were no longer relevant.

In 1987, KJCR and its staff had outgrown its cramped studios in Heritage Hall. The station’s studios and offices were transferred to its current location on North College Drive.

KSUC began in the third floor of Heritage Hall with a view of the campus.

The move took place between midnight and six a.m. in one night, with no regular airtime lost during the process.

In May 1989, 110 mile-per-hour winds ripped through Keene, toppling the station’s 135-foot tower, which had withstood less violent storms for 15 years. Six 10-foot sections were unsalvageable, and two of the four antenna elements were destroyed. Two days later, with the help of Southwestern’s maintenance crew, KJCR was back on the air under temporary authorization with a 75-foot tower and just 925 watts. In the fall, construction began on the new transmitter, 180foot tower and antenna facility at the north end of what was once the old college airport runway and was completed in May, 1990. The new effective radiated power was now 23,000 watts directional toward the west.

A Southwestern student, circa 1980, cues up a record in the KSUC studio.

Mendenhall served as station manager for 25 years until 1998 when new faculty member Glen Robinson replaced him. Robinson served as general manager for six years, being responsible for changing format to soft Christian contemporary and for “Project 24,” which raised funds to bring in automation, making it possible to broadcast 24 hour a day, seven days a week. Robinson also began computer programming of music selection based on national Christian music charts and completed the transition from records to CDs. In 2004, Robinson earned his Ph.D. and was called to teach full time.

Randy Yates, a former student employee at the station, became the next general manager. He managed both the radio station and the TV station and also taught some classes.

“It was busy, but it was also a lot of fun,” he says. Yates made the transition from CDs to mp3 format for music.

A Leap of Faith

During a violent evening thunderstorm in October 2009, the station was hit by lightning and a fire started in the attic. Yates happened to be in the station working at the time. He called 911, and even though the fire was controlled very quickly, smoke and water damage in the station was catastrophic. Computers were rescued and temporarily relocated to the campus TV station, KGSW, and within 24 hours, the station was back

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New station manager Mike Agee supervises work on the new studios in 2010.

on the air.

When it became clear that extensive damage called for a major overhaul, the University decided to take a giant leap of faith.

The new general manager, Mike Agee, had worked at KSUC as a student from 1977 until his graduation in 1981. His on-air experience at KSUC led to a career in radio. He worked in Christian radio for 30 years before returning to Southwestern to work on The Journey, including the founding of KTSY, a top-five Christian station operating out of Boise, Idaho. Under Agee’s management, KTSY won three Dove Awards and Makala Coleman is one of several students who serve as station announcers, gaining valuable hands-on experience.

was a Marconi Award finalist from the National Association of Broadcasters.

The hiring of Mike Agee signaled a major investment in rebuilding the station. In addition to gutting and rebuilding the structure itself, the station got all-new state-of-the-art equipment, giving students an opportunity to learn on the equipment that they would use when they graduated, as well as making it easier for the station to actually compete in the marketplace for the audience’s ears.

Agee called for a clean slate, and the radio station got new call letters.

KJCR became KJRN, The Journey, which Agee used to signal his emphasis on helping fellow Christians along their walk of life.

A Benefit for Students

Agee held on to the station’s original purpose of training students, but added to it a knowledge of what the industry and the audience expects.

It wasn’t enough to train students to operate a microphone; they needed to know what it was like to compete in the radio market. The standards for quality of announcing went up, as did every aspect of how the station did its business. Agee took over the morning drive shift himself, and through the magic of automation and the Internet, was able to add professional Christian announcers from elsewhere in the U.S. to fill in the weekday shifts and give The Journey its professional sound. Students had their own shifts on the overnight time periods as well

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as weekends.

Agee has hired communication majors who are working toward different goals. Whether their goal is work in radio, television, public relations, or print media, they all have the option to apply at the radio station.

Regardless of what happens after graduation, students can still gain valuable knowledge and experience by working there.

Freshman Matt Forner chose to come to Southwestern mostly due to the radio station and the opportunity he would have to work there. He is a radio-TV-film emphasis communication major and has wanted to work in radio since the seventh grade. Upon arrival at Southwestern, he started working on air immediately. By the time Forner graduates, he will have four years of experience working as on-air talent at The Journey.

“Working under Mike Agee teaches me the day-to-day operations of a radio station, which I look forward to using when I graduate,” he says.

“Being an on-air talent doing overnights gives me a really unique and cool way to connect with and serve our listeners by playing contemporary Christian music.”

The station benefits students by providing them with real skills and experience. Students leave with a better understanding of what it means to work at a radio station. They leave knowing how to talk into a microphone without being shy about it.

They become acquainted with a real radio audience. They learn about the ministry behind the radio station.

Jaime Baldwin, a communication major with emphasis in public relations and advertising, has been working at the station for nearly a year now. She has gained a lot of experience through her time at the station and has grown because of it.

Her time at the station has given her more than just work experience. “Working at the radio station has been a huge blessing,” she says.

“I get to share God with others and it also helps my relationship with Him to grow. I love finding cool or thought-provoking quotes and ideas throughout the week and being able Southwestern Spirit

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to share them.”

Ministry for the Community

The Journey serves a radio listening area that stretches from Fort Worth in the north to Hillsboro to the south and west to Granbury and beyond.

Agee has a vision for the kind of outreach he wants the radio station to be.

“My focus has been on the audience,” he says. “We are a radio station that is focused outward, on our audience, as opposed to being focused on an internal message.”

“We try to encourage our listeners.

We give them the tools in music and short programs that help their walk, which is why we called it The Journey,” Agee says. “It’s about walking with our audience and being beside them in the good days and the bad days without preconceived notions. We go to them. We don’t make them come to us. That’s the difference between externally focused outreach and internally focused ministry.”

That is the vision and the ministry of The Journey. “We see ourselves as kind of like salt,” says Agee. “We kind of disappear from the process. It’s not about us. It’s about our audience, about the music, about what other churches are doing. That’s the focus that we’ve taken in the last few years.”

Agee bases his outreach idea for the station on Matthew 5:13-16. From here, he sees that there are two types of ministries that the station could become—either light of the world or salt of the earth. While a light shines bright and leads the way in the dark, it is something that people see and go to.

Salt is different, because it is mixed in with everything else. Once it is added to a plate of food, it’s no longer easily seen, but it’s very obviously there.

In everything that happens at the radio station, the big concern is on what the audience wants and needs.

“What do they care about?” Agee asks. “What’s relevant to them? These are the questions that my staff and I keep in mind every day.”

Listeners are being blessed by what they hear on The Journey. As the audience grows and more listeners are blessed, more donations are received at the station. Twice a year, the station

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With three generations of radio experience, Mike Agee brings to the station not only an opportunity for students to learn and grow in radio, but a greater witness in the larger community.

holds a Sharathon. During each of these Sharathons, on-air time is taken to ask listeners to make pledges toward donating a certain amount of money monthly or making a onetime donation to the station.

“I listen to The Journey every day.

It’s so much a part of my life,” one lis-

“We are a radio station that is focused outward, on our audience, as opposed to being focused on an internal message.”

“There’s not a word to describe how thankful I am for The Journey. It takes me to heavenly places,” another listener says. Listeners write and call in telling the workers at The Journey how much the station means to them. These are people that are being touched by the ministry the station is doing.

With all of this, the ministry and the business of The Journey have both been very successful. The students are benefitting from all of this as Agee continues working to help the station grow. He is very pleased with the success of the station so far and sees good things for it in the near future.

“It has been gratifying,” he says.

There is so much more to come, and it will be exciting to see how the station continues to grow in the years to come.

tener says. Although he has donated to the station every year for the past few years, he almost opted out of making a donation this year. “Then I thought what it would mean if I skipped even one day of listening to The Journey,” he says. “The thought also came to me that I have the privilege of sharing in your wonderful radio ministry through my donation.”

The songs and messages listeners hear on the station touch them and serve as a reminder of God’s love.

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Through the Mizpah Gate Alumni Homecoming 2014 Upper left : This year’s honorees included (from left ): Alfreda (Wallen) Knight ’54, Alumni Hall of Fame; Larry D. Hiday ’79, Alumnus of the Year; Jerry L. Becker ’69, Alumni Volunteer of the Year; Josephine (Griffi n) Benton ’44, Alumni Hall of Fame; Paul G. Proctor ’44, Alumni Hall of Fame; Joseph L. Ray ’49, Alumni Hall of Fame; Cheryl (Haskell) Whitt en ’84, Alumna of the Year. Upper right, awardees received a plaque at the banquet. Lower right, festi viti es for this year’s Homecoming started with Thursday night’s banquet in the Committ ee of 100 Cafeteria. Lower left , Benji Leach spoke for second worship service on Sabbath morning.

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Top photo: the annual Golf Tournament was held Friday morning at The Retreat in Cleburne. Middle photo: The morning’s winning team included (from left ) Michael Merrifi eld, Paul Gnadt, Mike Phillips and Richard Bothe. Bott om left , golfers get ready to tee o . Bott om right, the day was ideal for golf and for just socializing.

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Upper left : Verna “Bunny” (Voth) Reid ’64 spoke for fi rst worship service. Upper right: Joseph L. Ray ’49 and Alfreda (Wallen) Knight ’54 (middle photo) helped out with Sabbath services. Lower left , for those who weren’t playing golf, the highlight of Friday morning was the prayer breakfast. Lower right, prayer breakfast speaker was Ron Scott ’74.

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Clockwise from upper left : the 50-year class of ’64. Sabbath potluck servers have as much fun as those they are serving. The Leiske-Pultar Gymnasium was fi lled to capacity for the potluck.

Russ Laughlin, vice president for spiritual development, laughs with an alumna. All ages were represented at the potluck. The 60-year class of ’54.

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Upper photo: Sunday acti viti es included a pancake breakfast that raised funds for student missions. Middle right and lower photos: friends and classmates, many who haven’t seen each other in years, got together Saturday night for the honored class parti es.

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Consider our exciting new program

A.A.S. in Fire Science Enrolling students for Fall 2014 Associate of Applied Science degree with Firefighter, EMT, and Fire Inspector certification In partnership with Training Division, Crowley

Apply Now!*

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Admissions questions: Email Rahneeka at rahneeka@swau.edu Program questions: Email Chad at hutchinsonc@swau.edu To register or visit, call 800-433-2240, email enroll@swau.edu or go to www.swau.edu

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Births

Weddings

Our Sympathies

Zipporah Rose Spooner, daughter of Andrew ’08 and April (Bauder) ’08 Spooner. Born Aug. 21, 2013. [1]

Kevin ’07 and Sarah (Gane) Burton.

June 3, 2012. [11]

Sharon (Betz) Garver ’61. Sept. 10, 2012.

Scott ’94 and Natalie (Taylor) Cross.

Nov. 4, 2012.

Arley Vernon Smith ’65. Oct. 19, 2012.

Mark and Christine (Enger) ’92 Love.

Dec. 12, 2012. [12]

Courtney (Hendryx) Seth ’50. March 1, 2013.

Jermaine ’00 and Cherech Ross. April 20, 2013.

Glen D. Farnsworth ’55. July 16, 2013.

Ruby-Joy Heath, daughter of David and Jaime (Seekford) ’03 Heath. Sept.

25, 2013. [2] Evie Grace VanBebber, daughter of Justin and Andrea (Stewart) ’04 VanBebber. Born Oct. 28, 2013. [3] Clover Mae Greer, daughter of Kevin ’04 and Chejwa Greer. Born Dec. 2, 2013. [4] Samson Jesse Valencia, son of Duane (staff) and Erica (Manzano) ’08, ’10 Valencia. Born Dec. 5, 2013. [5] Jacob Howard Renken, son of Jason ’98 and Amy (Jeter) ’02 Renken. Dec. 23, 2013. [6] Jonah Benjamin Garza, son of Jorge and Marissa (Gonzales) ’03 Garza.

Born Jan. 10, 2014. [7] Sam Michael Gendke, son of Marcus ’02 and Lindsey (Jackson) ’08 Gendke. Born Jan. 21, 2014. [8] Emma Skyler Loewen, daughter of Adam ’06 and Nidia (Martinez) ’06 Loewen. Born Feb. 5, 2014.

Forrest Aron Walker, son of Anthony ’92 and Dawn (Anderson) ’98 Walker.

Born March 26, 2014. [9] Blake Kyle Henderson, son of Josh ’02 and Karessa Henderson. Born May 6, 2014.

Grant Carlton Perry, son of Ian and Brigit (Warner) ’02 Perry. Born May 23, 2014. [10]

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Arthur ’49 and Vivian (Strayer-Raitz) ’50 Carlson. June 23, 2013. [13] Mario ’06 and Jing Marrero. Aug. 11, 2013. [14]

Ronya (Tuesta) Lowen ’79. Aug. 12, 2013.

William H. Johnson ’42. Sept. 2013.

June (Kenyon) Laue ’44. Oct. 26, 2013.

John and Courtney (Jenkins) ’10 Jordan. Sept. 1, 2013.

Laura Ann McNeilus ’88. Dec. 11, 2013.

James “Ben” ’06 and Millene Gleason.

Sept. 21, 2013. [15]

Arlene (Ebel) Schultz ’43. Jan. 4, 2014.

Paulo ’12 and Linda (Koh) ’02, ’03 Barbosa. Sept. 22, 2013.

Elizabeth “Beth” (Hainer) Lowry. Jan. 14, 2014.

Jim and Marsha (Martin) ’74 Torres.

Oct. 5, 2013.

Raymond L. Desjardins II ’77. Jan. 18, 2014.

Jeffrey ’00 and Kimberlee (Low) Anderson. Oct. 5, 2013. [16]

Clarance C. Newton, ’51 and ’53. Jan. 19, 2014.

Tyler ’11 and Taylor (Turner) ’13 Chavez. Oct. 6, 2013.

Ralph Bailey (Former Faculty). Jan. 21, 2014.

Trent and Tonya (Carden) Vonhof.

Nov. 3, 2013.

Ida (Allmen) Johnson. ’49. Feb. 2, 2014.

Richard and Katie (Andreasen) ’01, ’04 Layon. Nov. 30, 2013. [17]

Marilyn MaeNell Gaines ’57. Feb. 14, 2014.

Ken ’81 and Sandy (Rivera) Turpen.

Dec. 15, 2013.

Sudie (Moore) Clark ’28. Feb. 15, 2014.

Faisal and Yvette (Lax) ’78 Husseini.

Jan. 31, 2014. [18]

Betty (Fortner) Roberts ’55, ’57. May 6, 2014.

Marland ’07 and Anniella (Rigacci) ’11 May. March 2, 2014. [19]

Howard E. Sinclair ’48. May 6, 2014.

James R. East ’54. Jan. 5, 2014.

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alumnotes 40s

Arthur C. ’49 and Vivian (StrayerRaitz) Carlson ’50 live in Dalton, Georgia, where Art is a retired Seventh-day Adventist pastor and Vivian is a retired music and wholistic health instructor. They were married on June 23, 2013 after Vivian had been married to Robert Raitz ’49 for 56 years and Art had been married to Lucille James ’49 for 62 years. Both lost their spouses, and God used Irma Anderson-James ’50 to bring them together.

70s

Marvin Mathews ’77 is a military family life consultant, a civilian who does contract work for Mental Health Net, which has a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide consulting (counseling) services on military bases. He is currently on a six-month assignment in Baumholder, Germany, after which he will serve for six months in Aansbach, Germany. He is married to Del Jean Mathews ’74.

Bill Sinock ’78 taught English in China for eight years, and has returned for several six and three months stays over the past 10 years.

He currently teaches one English and one Bible class over the Internet.

After 35 years of service, Police Corporal Duane Utt ’78 bid farewell to police service in Arlington, Texas recently. His first day on the job was April 23, 1979. Over the next three decades, Utt upheld the values of the Arlington Police Department “with integrity and honor.”

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80s

Tami (Wood) Zambrano ’83 was nominated for Who’s Who in American Business Women. She lives in Siloam Springs, Ark.

90s

Norman Rangel ’91 was featured in the April 2014 issue of BurlesonNOW magazine for his work in the community and his influence on children at Burleson Adventist School, where he is principal. A social work and history graduate from Southwestern, Rangel has worked with MHMR in Johnson County, as an insurance salesman, pastor of the Denham Springs Adventist Church in Louisiana, and principal of Baton Rouge Adventist Christian School. Since his arrival at Burleson Adventist School in 2010, he has found many opportunities for students and their families to assist the community through fundraisers and hands-on experiences. He lives in Burleson with his wife, Robin.

Benjamin ’99 and Silvia (Cairus) ’98 Orian have moved to Brighton, Colorado, where Ben is the new senior pastor of the Brighton Seventhday Adventist Church. They have two children: Dominic and Siena.

00s

Tabitha Martinez ’02 now serves as associate treasurer for Columbia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. She has also served as an assistant staff auditor for the General Conference Auditing Service. She recently earned an MBA at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland. She lives with her husband, Robert ’01, in Spencerville, Maryland.

Amie Regester ’03 is president of Greater Than Rubies, a project dedicated to providing resources and experiences that empower young women to live their best lives possible for Christ. Her first online course, Rock Your Life, is an interactive program guaranteed to assist young women in discovering identity, life purpose, quick start success tips, Godly relationships and how to serve their community—all with a Biblical foundation. Her website is at: greaterthanrubies.org.

Aaron Hall ’04 was pleasantly surprised on May 21 to learn that he was named Teacher of the Year for the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This award is given to only one teacher each year for excellence in teaching. The announcement was made at Hot Springs Adventist School commencement services on May 21. Aaron is married to Alisa Hall.

G

1 o a m W a t p K t

Mario Marrero ’06 was selected Teacher of the Year for the Hartford School System in Hartford, Conn. He is currently a fourth-grade teacher at STEM Magnet School in Hartford, and recently married Jing Sun, a second-year medical student at UConn School of Medicine.

J

Dr. Kwasi Agyeman ’08 works as a pharmacy intern in Moreno Valley, Calif.

Deyvy Rodriguez ’08 works at 3ABN with the pastoral staff, and serves as the pastor of the Duguoin Adventist Church in southern Illinois. He writes: “I am very happy to know that Southwestern still remembers me.

Southwestern will always be in my

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heart. It was the greatest investment I ever made.”

10s

Dayra Terreros ’10 is a marketing coordinator for Florida Hospital. She lives in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Dennerd Ovando ’13 was interviewed recently on Univision KUVN Channel 23 in Dallas regarding the health fair United to Serve being sponsored by his current class at UT Southwestern Medical School. He was the appropriate person to be interviewed since the TV show was in Spanish and he was the only one in his group that spoke Spanish. United to Serve is an initiative to address the needs of the underserved in Dallas, with a particular focus on the health issues facing the Hispanic community.

It’s always special when Southwestern alumni get together. In this case, it was during Acrofest weekend. It was the fi rst ti me they had been together since they were 23. From left : Greg ’90 and Keila (Rodriguez) Birge ’90, Donnie ’92 and Michelle (Abrams) Beeson ’89, Cindy (Pechero) Boyko ’89, Lisa (Vollberg) Klein ’90, Doug ’89 and Wendy (Pechero) Bishop ’89, and Wendy (Wood) Trevino ’89 and Ethan.

Give the gift of opportunity 120 years ago the Adventists of north Texas dreamed of an education for their kids. They pooled their funds and scores of them sold their homes and farms and moved to a wild patch of cross timbers south of Fort Worth. Within months they cleared the land and built a school, establishing a tradition of generosity with their time and treasures. Gabriella (photo), and her parents before her, are beneficiaries of this tradition.

Keep the dream going and be an annual donor to the Southwestern Opportunity Fund.

Join today:

817-202-6628

www.swau.edu/tradition

2014 Summer Spirit.indd 35

100 W Hillcrest St Keene, TX 76059

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us

campusnews Adventist Officials from EuroAsia Choose Southwestern ESL

The Euro-Asian Division of Seventh-day Adventists has decided to work exclusively with Southwestern’s ESL (English as a Second Language) program in the future after a visit in January.

Monica Kowarsch, director of ESL, was contacted in August 2012 by the secretary of the Euro-Asian Division.

The Euro-Asian Division wanted to send their leaders to an Adventist school to learn English. They also wanted to know what kind of ESL program Southwestern had, because they were looking at several schools to determine where they would send their leaders.

In January of 2013, the EuroAsian Division sent two leaders to visit various Adventist institutions in the United States, including Southwestern, to review their ESL programs. EAD’s education director and IT director came to Southwestern in January.

“They fell in love with Southwestern. Not only did they like our ESL program but the university as a whole,” says Kowarsch. “They were very impressed with how active the students were in campus life as well as spiritual activities. There were so many different activities that the school was organizing and doing and they saw that it was student led.”

Prior to coming, the directors had never heard of Southwestern.

Over and over again, the two directors praised the friendly and Christian atmosphere that Southwestern represented.

“This year, the Euro-Asian Division contacted me again and they said that their board had voted to work exclusively with Southwestern,” says Kowarsch. “They are very happy with the environment here.”

Southwestern’s ESL program is unique in regards to size and course

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The Euro-Asian Division of Seventh-day Adventists sent two leaders to visit Southwestern in January of 2013.

load. A small class size allows for more individual attention and one-on-one training for the students during class time.

“The teachers know you by name and they can work directly with you,” says Kowarsch. “Our ESL program is also one of the more intensive programs.” Southwestern’s ESL program features four classes, a lab, and an everyday worship. With a worship every day, ESL students can work on pronunciation through singing and reciting Bible verses. Another strength in the ESL program is the student tutors, allowing ESL students to work on one-on-one conversation with other students.

“We’re hoping to get more and more out of this,” says Kowarsch. “Now with the good relationship we have with the Euro-Asian Division, we hope it will spread to other relationships.”

Some of the leaders talked about college-aged children of their own they would like to send here, which Kowarsch supports wholeheartedly. “I think having a diverse campus helps with the education of our students,” says Kowarsch. “Because when you’re in the workforce, you’re working with people from different cultures and backgrounds. That just opens your world and expands opportunities to get along with different people and see different perspectives. Diversity gives you a well-rounded education.”

Many Southwestern ESL alumni have gone on to be successful across the world. “Three of my old students got accepted to Loma Linda,” says Kowarsch. “They start from zero, some of them. One of the Loma Linda acceptees started from zero; now he’s studying to be a doctor. If students are motivated and follow the process of the ESL program, they can be very successful in their careers.”

Saxon Lecture Series Features Lectures, Play on Freud

Southwestern’s Saxon Lecture Series for the 2013-14 school year started off with a bang with a presentation by physicist Dr. Roy Campbell. His presentation topic on November 16 was “Finding Deep Down Beauty in God’s Creation: The Search for the Higgs Boson.”

Campbell has a Ph.D. in theoretical particle physics from Florida State University. He taught physics and astronomy at Southwestern for 17 years and is currently teaching at Walla Walla University. He has held NASA fellowships in high energy astrophysics and won teaching awards both at Southwestern and at Walla Walla.

On March 1, the Series took a decidedly dramatic turn when Southwestern welcomed to the stage “Freud’s Last Session,” a play that features an imaginary encounter between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. Expected to be called on the carpet for satirizing Freud in a recent book, Lewis realizes that his host has a more significant agenda, and on the eve of World War II, the two clash on the existence of God, love, sex and the meaning of life.

The final presentation for Southwestern’s Saxon Lecture Series was presented by the creator of the series, Dr. George Saxon, retired physics professor. His topic for the April 5 presentation was “Confessions of An Southwestern Spirit

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From left: The Sandia View Knights won the Small School Men’s Division championship, while the Takoma Varsity Lady Tigers won the Large School Women’s Division for the second year in a row; Takoma Academy’s Tigers beat the Greater Atlanta Academy Knights for the Large School Men’s Division title.

Old Earth Creationist: Reconciling Faith and Physical Sciences.”

Saxon has promoted and supported the series financially with the goal of promoting scholarly discussion on science and religion since 2007. Since then the series has featured topics such as Galileo, John Harvey Kellogg, evolution, dinosaurs, Ellen G. White, and the new atheism.

Hoops Classic, Intercollegiate Tournaments Draw Athletes to Campus

“The Hoops Classic is an exciting event that allows us to showcase our university to students from across the U.S.,” says Enga Almeida, vice president for enrollment. “They get to see what a beautiful campus we have and experience for themselves the friendliness of our students, faculty, and staff.”

Staff in various areas of the university (student services, marketing,

enrollment, campus services, physical plant, spiritual development, and the kinesiology department) spend countless hours putting together a thorough program, masterminded by James The, vice president for student services. “It’s a total team effort,” says Tina Bottsford, director of enrollment.

“Southwestern is committed to the physical, mental, social and spiritual development process of the student

Above, “Freud’s Last Session” drew a capacity crowd on March 1. Below, Dr. Roy Campbell discussed the search for the Higgs Boson on Nov. 16.

Southwestern hosted its first intercollegiate basketball invitational Jan. 18-21, featuring eight different teams, including Southwestern and Andrews University.

The remaining six teams were local colleges and universities that Southwestern regularly plays: Arlington Baptist College, Ranger College, Texas Wesleyan University, Parker University, El Centro College, and Champion Baptist College.

“We’ve got good relationships with the local schools and they’re all committed,” says James The, vice president for student services. “Our hope is to start a rotation between Adventist schools to host a tournament and bring our Adventist schools together.”

The day after the invitational ended, more basketball mania ensued.

Every January excitement spreads across campus, due largely to Southwestern’s Annual Hoops Classic. This year marked its 19th run, drawing basketball players from 50 teams across the United States.

Thanks to the efforts of many, Southwestern’s Annual Hoop Classic is now known as one of the biggest and best Adventist sports tournaments for high school students in North America.

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athlete,” says The. “The Hoops Classic is dedicated to athletes who can compete in any setting with the elements of fairness, courteous behavior and gracious acceptance of both individual and contest results.”

Last year, Southwestern implemented an ambassador program that was repeated this year. Each team was presented with their own Southwestern ambassador that cheered on their teams during games, ate with them at Friday night supper and lunch on Sabbath, and spent time with the teams, giving them a chance to just talk with them. “The role of the ambassador is to foster good will, be the go-to person and answers any questions about Southwestern or the tournament,” says Bottsford.

“This started out as a Southwestern Union event for our academies,” says Bottsford. “But it has caught on as an exciting event to attend for people who live in the area. When I go to our different academies I hear, ‘Oh that’s my favorite event!’ so I know how much it means to a lot of people.”

The tournament started the afternoon of Jan. 22 and went through Saturday night to Sunday morning ending at about 3 a.m. Southwestern also awarded trophies to the winning teams of each division, as well as two $3,000 scholarships for Most Outstanding Male and Female Player who demonstrated skill on the court as well as sportsmanship at its best.

For Takoma Academy, the 19th annual Hoops Classic ended very well considering all three of their teams won the championships in their divisions: Small School Women’s, Large School Women’s, and Large School Men’s. In the Small School Women’s Division, the Takoma JV (Junior Varsity) Lady Tigers beat the South Texas Christian Academy Lady Panthers for the title. Last year the Takoma Varsity Lady Tigers won their division, making this year’s win the second championship they took home playing against the Spencerville Lady Hornets in the Large School Women’s Division. The Knights from Sandia View Academy managed to hold their own in a close game against North Dallas Adventist Academy

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The Music Festival ended with “A Night at the Meyerson,” an opportunity for students to perform at the world-class Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.

to win the Small School Men’s division championship title. And rounding out Takoma Academy’s victory, the Takoma Tigers beat the Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy Knights for the title.

Enactus Places in National Competition

Southwestern’s Enactus team placed as finalists out of 200 teams in the annual Enactus U.S. National Exposition competition. The Enactus U.S. National Exposition took place April 1-3 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The event is a cross-generational leadership experience for student, academic and business leaders and includes a national competition.

Enactus students showcased how they are transforming lives and enabling progress through entrepreneurial action before a panel of leading business executives. But the projects are more than just entrepreneurial. They are a form of community service and make a difference in the world.

Business in a Box is an afterschool program conducted on the elementary campus of KISD. Twenty-eight fifth graders learned about business topics and free enterprise in a fun and engaging way. Teams created products that sold at a marketplace hosted at the school.

Southwestern’s Enactus adopted the local business, Celeste’s Kitchen. This was their enterprise in action. The team helped Celeste’s Kitchen grow through a social media campaign, on

campus promotions, and increased marketing awareness.

Southwestern also helped with the Johnson County Christian Lodge.

They helped to cook and serve meals, made Christmas gifts and assisted residents with resume writing. The team has future plans to help with a construction project.

Finally, Southwestern’s Enactus helped rebuild computers and provide new laptops and iPads for the youth center run by Rez Refuge. This was in collaboration with the Navajo Mission trip in Fort Defiance, New Mexico.

This is all just the beginning. The projects listed here are first-year projects and Enactus looks forward to doing even more in years to come.

“I’m really proud of them and all the projects they’ve accomplished,” says Ana Patterson, Enactus faculty sponsor and business administration assistant professor. “I think the students have been doing a great job.”

Academy Students Perform At Annual Music Festival

This year’s annual Music Festival took place March 26-30, with high school and academy musicians traveling to Southwestern from across the U.S. and even Brazil. The annual festival features three festival ensembles: a 400-voice choir, a 90-piece symphonic band, and a full symphony orchestra.

Eighteen academies and schools participated in the event.

In addition to the festival ensembles, elite musicians performed for a Music Festival Scholarship. All Scholarship Finalists had the opportuSouthwestern Spirit

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nity to perform in a Showcase Recital on March 26. Finalists were Caralissa McQueen, flute, from Chisholm Trail Academy; Dana Wilson, violin, Atlanta Adventist Academy, Georgia; Italo Opazo, viola, Temuco, Chile; Jennifer Ramirez, soprano, Chisholm Trail Academy; Michael Won, organ, Santa Monica High School, California; and Trent Muse, piano, Chisholm Trail Academy. All finalists received music scholarships to Southwestern.

As is its annual tradition, the Music Festival ended with “A Night at the Meyerson,” an opportunity for students to perform at the world-class Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. Under the direction of Jonathan Wall, music department chair and director of choral and vocal studies, the Festival Choir consisted of 400 singers representing many different high schools and academies from across the country. This year the choir performed selections from Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and music from composers Moses Hogan, L.L. Fleming and Eric Whitacre.

The Invitational Festival Symphonic Band, conducted by Dr. Rudyard Dennis, professor of music and director of instrumental studies, consisted of 90 select instrumentalists. The group performed pieces ranging from the classics to electrifying new wind band literature, several in collaboration with Meyerson’s massive C.B. Fisk op. 100 pipe organ.

The Symphony Orchestra was directed by Dr. Marc Elysee, assistant professor of music and director of orchestral studies, and gathered 80 instrumentalists from the woodwind, brass, percussion, and string families.

Students who were a part of this eclectic ensemble performed some of the most significant and colorful works of the symphonic repertoire such as Debussy’s Claire de Lune and Camille Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre.

“For more than two decades now, we have been hosting ‘A Night at the Meyerson,’ a concert that features both our own students and high school students from around the country,” said Eric Anderson, university president in anticipation of the

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event. “These concerts are designed to provide scholarships and musical equipment for Southwestern’s music department. They are also intended to glorify God.”

University Singers Tour Montreal Cathedrals, Host New England Music Clinic

Southwestern Adventist University’s University Singers, under the direction of Jonathan Wall, traveled over spring break to Montreal and parts of New England. The tour included concerts at notable venues such Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal, Christ’s Episcopal Church of Montpelier, the South Lancaster College Church, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, and several other Adventist churches and schools.

One of the biggest blessings of the trip didn’t happen in a church but on the subway. As the group traveled home late one night, they made some new friends. “A woman asked us what kind of group we were,” says Makala Coleman, senior communication major. “Mr. Wall, our director, told her that we’re a choir from Texas. She responded, ‘Well, then sing!’ We sang Amazing Grace.

“In the background, a young man tuned in. Eventually speaking up, he told us that he had experienced the worst day and was so discouraged.

It was completely unexpected to run into us on a late night train. Hearing us sing made a huge difference. It turns out that he had been a Sev-

enth-day Adventist. We invited him to our upcoming concert at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. And he came! You never know when or where God can use you.”

Southwestern’s Music Department produces many recitals and concerts each year. The University Singers features 33 students, each of whom auditioned for their position in the choir and represent a wide variety of majors. In addition to touring all over Texas and surrounding states, the group recently toured Costa Rica and the Czech Republic. The University Singers have the been the guests for the Society of Adventist Communicators convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the Hope Channel, on 3ABN for the NAD Year-End Meetings in Washington, D.C., and for retired Rear Admiral and Senate Chaplain Barry Black at the Senate Bible Study.

While in the Czech Republic, the Singers performed for churches and schools as well as at the American Spring Festival in Slany as guests of the International Dvorak Society.

They also sang for the U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia, Theodore Sedgwick, and for the German/Austrian Hope Channel at Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen in Austria.

For more information on upcoming concerts, and to access complete bios on the featured faculty, please visit www.swau.edu/academics/music.

One of the highlights for the University Singers tour was a performance at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

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“I don’t know why I’m still alive but I know God has a plan for me.”

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Important Registration Dates July 27 - Core Enrichment August 17 - Freshman Orientation August 24 - Registration To register or visit, call 800-433-2240, email enroll@swau.edu or go to www.swau.edu I’m an Enrollment Counselor at Southwestern. Call, email, send a carrier pigeon… or meet me a camp meeting! Come say hello.

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