http://spirit.swau.edu/index/news-app News from spirit.swau.edu en 2010-09-07T02:59:54-05:00 hourly 1 1970-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://spirit.swau.edu/index/news-app/story.13/title.southwestern-s-international-reach People unfamiliar with Southwestern would assume that a small school of higher learning in a small town in the middle of Texas would exist to serve Texans and very few other people. And they would be wrong. Main 2009-03-11 http://spirit.swau.edu/index/news-app/story.18/title.alumnotes 1950s Amy (Turner) Bushnell ’56 lives with her husband Jack Green in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Both are retired historians, and their many travels are a frequent and welcomed distraction from the books they are writing. They have four grown children. 1970s Sandra (Shoemaker) Cole ’72 graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in December, 2007, with a master’s degree in social work, and a specialty in direct practice mental health. She lives in Mansfield, Texas, has three daughters, and is expecting her first grandchild soon. Stanley Patterson ’77 lives in Berrien Springs, Michigan, with his wife Glenda. He is now serving as an associate professor in the Christian ministry department of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, and completed his PhD in leadership and administration in July of 2007. Vialo Weis ’77 resides in Yukon, Oklahoma, with his wife Shannon. Vialo graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2006, with the degree juris doctor. He currently works for the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. He is active in his church, and serves as secretary of the Oklahoma Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. Yvette Lax ’78 designs hats and accessories, and sells her creations online at www.yvettegifts.com. She is a faithful member of Emmanuel Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cleburne, Texas. 1980s Linda Buckingham ’80 was recently named district life insurance specialist for Farmer’s Insurance in northern California. She lives in Chico, California, and also operates the Linda Buckingham Insurance Agency as an independent agent specializing in commercial and group health insurance. Michael ’81 and Rhonda (Elder) ’81 Tomlinson reside in Jacksonville, North Carolina, although Michael is on active duty as a U.S. Navy chaplain stationed in Iraq. He was recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander while serving with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, 2nd Marine division. He has been working on many different humanitarian projects to help the Iraqi people, including a drive for used eyeglasses and shoes for children. Patrick Snell ’82 retired to Tyler, Texas, after 20 years of social work for the state prison system. He spends four days a week volunteering at the ETMC Cancer Center, and loves to spend time in his garden. Jerry D. Thomas ’83 has accepted the position as vice president for editorial for Pacific Press Publishing Association in Nampa, Idaho. He leaves the position of director of communication for the Southwestern Union Conference of SDA and editor of the Southwestern Union Record. He and his wife Kitty (Barron) ’78 officially left Texas on October 29. Jerry was inducted into Southwestern’s Hall of Fame at Homecoming Weekend in 2008. Kevin Easley ’87 operates a private travel company called Costa Rica Gateway in which he leads photography and birding tours to Africa, Central and South America, Thailand, and virtually any other place someone would want to explore. For more information, check out www.costaricagateway.com. Ivan ’89 and Sonja (Darrell) ’99 Bartolome have three children and live in Shawnee, Kansas, where Sonja works as a doctor. Ivan served at Shawnee Mission Medical Center for 11 years and is now the senior vice president of FaithSearch Partners, Inc., which is the only executive search firm in the U.S. focusing exclusively on faith. 1990s Wesley ’97 and Gigi (Fernando) ’97 Marquart reside in Burleson, Texas, with their son. Both Wesley and Gigi earned doctorates of medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Wesley recently launched a general surgery practice at Huguley Memorial Medical Center. Wesley R. Schmidt ’97 previously worked for the Simi Valley Hospital as director of human resources, and is now Valley Presbyterian Hospital’s vice president and chief human resources officer in Van Nuys, California. Liliana Gil ’99 works at Johnson & Johnson as director of worldwide marketing services. In 2001 she was one of the founders of Johnson & Johnson’s Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Achievement.  She has been recognized with multiple awards, including the National Latin Pride Award in 2008.  Jim Heald ’99 recently moved to Chaing Mai, Thailand, where he is supporting the local Seventh-day Adventist Church and hopes to get a job teaching English. Formerly he worked as a teacher in Bundang, Korea, then transferred to the Seventh-day Adventist Language Institute’s main campus, located near Seoul Adventist Hospital. There he served on the Institute’s textbook editing committee, preparing new textbooks for students.  Amy Leach ’99 is now living in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband Matt Lukens, who is a teacher at Northshore Adventist Junior Academy. Amy has been teaching at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, after receiving her M.F.A. from the University of Iowa in 2005. In recognition of her lyrical nature writings, she received a Rona Jaffe Writers’ Award, given annually to six women who show promise early in their careers. The $25,000 award will allow her to concentrate full time on writing. 2000s Yvon Accius ’00 now lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, and works for the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. as a citizen services specialist and coordinates with U.S. embassies in the Western Hemisphere to facilitate adoption in the United States. He was the recipient of the State Department Pickering Fellows Foreign Affairs Scholarship, an award for outstanding students with leadership potential. Ben ’01 and Kimberly (Carter) ’99 Protasio live in Keizer, Oregon, with their two daughters. Ben works at SAIF (The State Regulated Compensation Fund) maintaining their website. He makes use of his spare time working on freelance/contract work, including his church’s website, and Kimberly is busy at home with their two daughters. Lavenda (Finau) ’04 Tuionetoa lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where her husband Michael is the associate pastor for the Green Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church. Lavenda served as head of the music department at Wisconsin Academy last year, and is now a stay-at-home mom with their twin girls and an infant. Tyler ’07 and Jessica (Najera) ’07 Bray live in Fort Worth, Texas, after spending one year in Denton, Texas, where Tyler attended Texas Woman’s University to earn his master’s degree in adapted physical education. He now teaches in Dallas ISD, and Jessica works for Commerce Energy. Brooks ’07 and Jaclyn (Darmody) ’07 Pruehs live in Loma Linda, California, where Jaclyn is the alumni affairs officer for the LLU School of Allied Health Professions (SAHP), and Brooks is attending the School of Dentistry. AlumNotes 2009-03-11 http://spirit.swau.edu/index/news-app/story.20/title.campus-news SWAU BUSINESS STUDENTS TAKE  FIRST IN ETHICS MATCH A team of four business students from Southwestern Adventist University took first place in the Texas Independent College Foundation’s Fifth Annual Ethics Match on October 31, 2008 in Fort Worth. The Ethics Match is part of the TICF’s effort to promote the discussion of applied business ethics on private college campuses. The team also won first place in the West Division, taking home two trophies, individual medals, and a $1,000 prize. SWAU business instructor David Phillips advised the team. “Phillips’ fierce dedication and tireless endeavors were very instrumental to this success and honor,” said Dr. Jerry Chi, chair of the business department at SWAU. “The judges were deeply impressed by the critical thinking skills and ethical minds that our business students demonstrated.” The SWAU student team was composed of Keene residents Katie May, a master’s of business administration student; Chanda Reins, a senior accounting student, Jorge Catumbela, a senior accounting student, and Cleburne resident Timothy Sinclair, also a senior accounting student. The Texas Independent College Foundation is an association of community leaders in philanthropy and private colleges in Texas. The TICF raises funds for student resources, such as scholarships, and promotes the values of independent higher education. Eighteen colleges competed in this year’s Ethics Match, including second- and third-place winners, Southwestern University – Georgetown, and Schreiner University, respectively. ALICE CAPPS HUDGINS NAMED PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR Keene resident and former teacher Alice Capps Hudgins has been named the 2008 Philanthropist of the Year for Southwestern Adventist University. Capps Hudgins received the honor at the annual Committee of 100 and Mizpah Society Appreciation Banquet on Sunday, Nov. 9. Last December, Capps Hudgins donated $100,000 to the University and asked that the school use the money creatively to attract highly dedicated and talented students. Because of her generosity, Southwestern is now able to reward outstanding students from Chisholm Trail Academy with scholarships to the University, offer stipends to those who qualify for the University’s honors program, and begin a stronger recruiting effort. “I only wish I had more to give,” said Capps Hudgins as she accepted the award. Capps Hudgins was born in India, the child of Adventist missionaries. She is a graduate of Atlantic Union College and is a former teacher. She has four grown children, including daughter Sammie Hooten, a graduate of Southwestern Adventist University’s nursing program. She has one son, David E. Capps, and two other daughters, Irene Van Cleve and Julie Smith. As a teacher, she has always shared Southwestern’s passion for education. Dena King, assistant vice president for university advancement, says, “The money was a transformational gift, one that allows us to do things we weren’t able to before.” “Our donors at Southwestern do so much for the University. We are always looking for ways to give back to them and show them our appreciation,” says King. “Awarding ‘Philanthropist of the Year’ is just one small way we do this.” NEW PRAYER ROOM OFFERS SPIRITUAL RETREAT Students at Southwestern now have a place of quiet retreat to commune with God whenever they need it. The Prayer Room in Evans Hall room 11 is open every day except Sundays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. There, students can go to offer their prayers in a peaceful, dedicated environment. “There is a need for prayer on any campus,” says Islem Mattey, assistant to the vice president for spiritual development. “We wanted to create a place for students to give attention to that side of their spiritual life. Somewhere they could go anytime. A pace that would lead them through the four elements of prayer.” According to George Hilton, vice president for spiritual development, the original idea is credited to Carol Mancilla. She was the religious vice president of the student association two years ago. “Islem got really excited about the idea and got to work improving the room,” says Hilton. “I had a lot of help from the students,” says Mattey. “I couldn’t have done it on my own.” One of the students who put a lot of time and effort into the project was junior theology student Adam Keating. “We wanted a place where students could get away. We talked with other campuses and found out what they were doing.” The prayer room offers four stations as well as other spiritual props to help stimulate thoughts about God. “We wanted to include the four different styles of biblical prayer,” says Keating. “If people are not sure what to pray about, the different stations give them ideas.” The four stations are Adoration & Worship; Confession, Repentance and Forgiveness; Thanksgiving; and Supplication. Each station offers slips of paper in which to write down thoughts and concerns and little buckets in which to place the papers. The Department for Spiritual Development prays over the prayer requests. “We look over the adoration, supplication, and thanksgiving, but we choose not to invade the privacy of the confessions,” says Mattey. The prayer room includes a reading corner. “We are building up a selection of books about prayer,” says Mattey. A poster displays the many names of Jesus mentioned in the Bible. A table is set for a feast upon the words of Christ. A corner includes pictures and a request to pray for student missionaries and U.S. troops. And there is a mirror with the word “chosen” written above it. The prayer room opened its doors last year, but was only available before and after vespers. “This is the first year that it has been open all day, every day,” says Keating. Posters around campus invite students to come enjoy “a quiet place of rejuvenation, retreat, and renewal.” But Mattey puts it this way: “We hope that students can find a little haven where they can talk to God and listen.” LORENA MARIN JOINS IN THREE-DAY CANCER WALK Lorena Marin, SWAU’s assistant registrar, participated in the annual Breast Cancer three-day walk in Dallas, November 7 to 9. Marin decided to join this year because she wanted to honor several of her friends who suffered from and survived breast cancer. Among them were Michelle McCormick of Keene, Teresa Macomber, SWAU student accounts advisor, and Sharon Potter, former SWAU staff member and wife of Jerry Potter, SWAU assistant student accounts director. Marin made pink ribbons with the names of her friends and of other victims and/or survivors. With the help of Laura Yanez, SWAU computer manager at ITS, the ribbons were sewed on the shirt which Marin wore during the event. Marin joined a team of seven members for the three-day walk. The team had to raise $2,200 in order to participate. “It took a lot of hard work to raise the funds but everything worked out. I feel like I’m doing something meaningful and I’m really excited.” Marin said before the walk. “People were so supportive and I want to give my special thanks to SWAU students, faculty and staff who helped raise about $250 by simply placing a jar right outside my office.” In addition to raising funds, Marin and her teammates had to condition themselves physically. According to Marin, they were advised to train by walking 10 miles at least every other day. Other advice included staying well hydrated and the use of Vaseline on their feet under the socks to prevent blisters. For the actual event, participants had to walk about 20 miles per day rain or shine, which added up to a sum of 60 miles after the three days. The event is an annual national philanthropic trust project by the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It helps to raise awareness and funds towards breast cancer research as well as prevention. KLSU - PBS AUSTIN TO AIR SWAU-PRODUCED TRAINING VIDEO In late 2007, the chair of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Johnson County approached Associate Professor of Communication Randy Yates about creating a training video to help those who work with children removed from their homes by a state agency.  “After some investigative research on the issue,” Yates says, “I knew that with the caliber of work our students at the Studios @ Southwestern were doing, we could make this a training video like none other.” The project, funded by a grant from the Texas Bar Association, was coordinated with CASA employees and volunteers, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS), Child Advocacy, and the Texas court system.  Yates says, “Our goal was to make this as real as possible.  Because there would be people in many agencies watching this video for training, we wanted to create something that was not only interesting but educational.” The video covers what a child goes through from the time the state comes into the home until they are either adopted or returned to their parents who have followed the recommendations of the court.  Team members had to find adults as well as children to play the parts. It was decided that the first scene would show children being taken out of a dangerous home environment – specifically a crack house where they lived with their parents and an uncle who molested the girl.  “We worked with the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team of Johnson County to help us find a real crack house.”  Immediately after the SWAT team finished a raid, the Studios team was cleared to enter the place to see where they might best set up cameras and lighting.  Yates notes, “The SWAT team left the house just as they found it.  No  electricity, running water, or food in the place.  There were pornographic books and magazines and drug paraphernalia everywhere.” A few days later, Yates and his student team rode with the SWAT team and the Cleburne Police as the raid was reenacted.  The entire block where the house was located was closed for the shoot.  The students used the Studios’ new HD cameras as well as a new Steadicam™ for the shoot, and Yates was very pleased with the result.  “Our cameras clearly captured what it must have been like to live in the filth of that place.” The video shows a boy, 8, and a girl, 11, taken from the crack house and placed in the custody of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The action follows the children through Child Advocacy and the court system to foster care, using real state agency employees each step of the way. The video has been distributed to all the Texas CPS branches, as well as all CASA and Child Advocacy offices in the state.  It has also been sent to every state legislator in Texas. Shooting and post-production for the 50-minute video was executed entirely by the Studios @ Southwestern.  Yates says response to the project has been outstanding.  Comments include, “This is the best training video on this subject I have ever seen” and “I didn’t know there was so much a child went through and the challenges they have living in an environment like this.” KLRU – PBS Austin has asked for permission to air the program, and Yates has given the station the okay to do so.  No specific air date has been given. Campus News 2008-04-28 http://spirit.swau.edu/index/news-app/story.11/title.what-is-christian-education- A president's discovery. Main 2008-04-24 http://spirit.swau.edu/index/news-app/story.12/title.hidden-treasure You don't have to search very hard to find treasure at Southwestern. Main 2008-04-24