Around the State: HSU Cowboy Band welcomes high schoolers

Hardin-Simmons University’s Cowboy Band hosted high schoolers from around the Big Country region for High School Band Day. During a football game, a group of 30 students from Anson High School played their instruments in the stands and marched with the Cowboy Band during a half-time performance. Also participating were students from Abilene High School and Cooper High School in Abilene, as well as students from Hawley, Merkel, Wink, Hutto and Eastland. One student even traveled from Houston to participate. Bill Harden is director of bands at HSU.

Diego Silva, director of the Buckner Family Hope Center at Penitas, was part of the inaugural Faith and Opportunity Fellowship Sept. 16-20 in Washington, D.C. He was one of only 37 fellows selected for the fellowship, organized by the USDA Center for Faith and Opportunity in the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. The fellowship emphasized skill-building, particularly focused on the creation of local prosperity councils and long-term strategic planning Silva can implement in the Rio Grande Valley. Silva made presentations to government officials regarding Buckner International’s work in the Rio Grande Valley, including a detailed breakdown of the model behind the Buckner Family Hope Center at Penitas. He reported on the economic strengthening program, annual home builds and Agri-Hope program Buckner offers families in the Rio Grande Valley.

Baylor University received two $1.5 million gifts—from Grady Rosier, president and CEO of the McLane Company Inc., and John and Nancy Jackson, who are co-chairs of the national Give Light fund-raising campaign steering committee—to create new faculty positions within the Hankamer School of Business and in support of the university’s Baylor in Latin America Initiative. Because of a $100 million gift for the Baylor Academic Challenge from an anonymous family, the gifts will result in two $3 million chairs—the W. Grady Rosier Endowed Chair in Free Enterprise and the Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America.

Two East Texas Baptist University students, sophomore Alana Goodson from Lufkin and senior Leovardo Sanchez from Waskom, were selected to receive scholarships provided by the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas Foundation and its national partner, the Council of Independent Colleges. Goodson is a Christian studies major, and her scholarship is funded by the PACCAR Foundation. Sanchez is studying kinesiology, and his scholarship is funded by the UPS Foundation.

Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology launched two new undergraduate degree programs—a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry and a Bachelor of Behavioral Science in Worship Ministry. Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Ministry degree program can fulfill the foreign language requirement by taking Spanish to use in the context of missions, or they can take Hebrew or Greek to gain proficiency in the biblical languages. Students in the program not only take courses in theology, church history, ethics, Old and New Testament, and ministry, but also experience mentoring in a ministry internship. The Bachelor of Behavioral Science in Worship Ministry program is similar to a double major in music and ministry. Students take courses in music theory and composition, music history and literature, church music, Bible, theology, Christian history and ministry.

For the eighth time, Baylor University has attained Honor Roll status as a 2019 Great College to Work For, according to a new survey of 236 colleges and universities. Only 85 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition, with 42 named to the Honor Roll as the standouts in their size categories. Baylor is included in the large university category with 10,000 or more students. The Honor Roll recognizes colleges that get top ratings from their employees regarding workplace practices and policies. Baylor received special recognition in 11 areas: collaborative governance; compensation and benefits; confidence in senior leadership; facilities, workspaces and security; job satisfaction and support; professional/career development programs; respect and appreciation; supervisor/department chair relationship; teaching environment; tenure clarity and process; and work/life balance.

At a luncheon following his chapel address at East Texas Baptist University, Baptist Standard Editor Eric Black met with faculty and mass communications student. Black (center) is pictured with (left to right) Helen Kay Sperling, Joshua Bumpas, Caleb Kwok, Ronni Ward, Abigail Shaheen and Tom Webster. (ETBU Photo)

Baptist Standard Editor Eric Black spoke in chapel at East Texas Baptist University on Sept. 16. Black spoke to students about God’s guidance and assurance in times of trouble. During a luncheon for faculty and mass communication majors, Black discussed how God guided him from the pastorate to his position as editor, publisher and executive director of a news organization.