Texas Tidbits_122203

Posted: 12/19/03

Texas Tidbits

HSU graduates 198. Tommy Brisco and Pam Williford were keynote speakers at winter commencement ceremonies at Hardin-Simmons University Dec. 13. Brisco is dean of HSU's Logsdon School of Theology. Williford is dean of the Irvin School of Education. Aileen Culpepper, retired residence hall director, received the honorary doctor of humanities degree. Bachelor's and master's degrees were awarded to 198 students.

Spanish course offered. The Baptist University of the Americas will offer a Spanish-language immersion course Feb. 9-13. Participants will learn conversational Spanish through a variety of classroom and practical experiences during a week of training on the San Antonio campus. Tuition is $100, but members of churches and missions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas receive a full-tuition scholarship provided through the Mary Hill Davis Offering. For more information, contact Mary Ranjel at (210) 924-4338 or [email protected].

Potter receives UMHB honor. Clark Potter of Belton received the honorary doctor of humanities degree during the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's winter commencement Dec. 13. Potter served on the university board of trustees 27 years and twice was elected chairman of the board. He also served twice as the mayor of the Belton. Degrees were awarded to 279 students.

HSU students create profit for charity. As part of the requirements for the Hardin-Simmons University introduction to business course, groups of students conducted business projects on the HSU campus and in the community. These projects included producing and selling pens, key chains, afghans, foam spirit hands, seat cushions, shirts and golf towels. Other groups sponsored video game tournaments and one provided laundry services to HSU students. These student enterprises began with $3,100 in venture capital and returned nearly $4,900 at the end of the semester. Three checks for $600 each were given to Toys for Tots, Food Bank of Abilene and Abilene Baptist Association Social Ministries.

DBU gives big to Christmas Child. Dallas Baptist University students, faculty and staff contributed 2,677 gift boxes to Operation Christmas Child this fall. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse. Shoe boxes are filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items, candy and other gifts for either a boy or a girl. Among the creative means of generating student involvement, Laura Stafford, a DBU resident assistant, organized an Operation Christmas Child dinner party for the women on her hall to meet and put their boxes together. Other campus organizations held wrapping parties. DBU started participating in Operation Christmas Child in 1996 with a total of 194 boxes. The university used to transport the boxes to the drop-off location in a van. Now it rents a 25-foot moving truck.

UMHB gets Hillcrest grant. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor received a $100,000 grant from the Dallas-based Hillcrest Foundation. The grant is designated for construction of and equipment for the Mayborn Campus Center Exercise and Physiology Laboratory. The equipment will be used for the degree programs in exercise and sport science.

UMHB offers writers' festival. The 2004 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Texas Writers' Festival, Jan. 8-10, will feature keynote speakers Marie Chapian Jordan, a poet, playwright and novelist, and fiction writer Debra Monroe. Many workshops also will be offered, including one by acclaimed poet Barbara Crooker and another by novelist Greg Garrett. For more information or to register, contact Audell Shelburne at (254) 295-4561 or [email protected].

DBU honors Reyes. Albert Reyes, president of Baptist University of the Americas in San Antonio, received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Dallas Baptist University during commencement ceremonies Dec. 19. Reyes already holds one earned doctorate and is working on another.