When we invited the community to join HSU, and media sponsors KRBC and the Abilene Reporter News on the evening of 7 Aug in a community-wide event for families, we knew we'd have a lot of fun activities for parents and their children. Now, thanks to a generous donation by WalMart, we'll have a packet of school supplies for the first 100 children to stop by. But don't just come to score materials for the coming school year, stay to enjoy the food, entertainment, a jumping castle, CHS, AHS, and WHS cheerleaders, and the Six White Horses riding team. The Abilene Reporter News will have their booth, and KRBC will be reporting live from the event. Come to the best backyard cookout in Abilene, on the HSU front lawn. Things start at 5:00 p.m. and run until 9:00.

Don't forget the Joe Black Classic golf tournament the following day. There is still room for a few more teams and bidding is heating up on Joe's PGA memorabilia. You can see the items listed on the silent auction at joeblack.hsutx.edu and call HSU golf coach David Sherman at 670-1374 to enter a team. So you don't have a team and you still want to get in 18 holes for collegiate golf? Call David and he'll put you with a team. The prizes are great and the 8:00 start will take advantage of the morning breeze and the great shade on the Fairway Oaks course.

Posted by Dave Coffield · July 31, 2008 4:26 PM · Comments (0)

HSU's Board of Young Associates (BYA) meets for the 2008 summer retreat 1-2 Aug, planning strategies for the new school year and welcoming new members. Jenni Sims Pulley, class of 1998 and president of the BYA, leads this year's group through two days of professional development and board business.

The theme, "Investing in Meaning," examines the influence each member has on the meaning of their Hardin-Simmons University degree, the meaning of a Christian education, and the meaning of the HSU experience. The retreat begins with dinner and a presentation by the creative performance improvement team of Michael Daggs and Kevin Tutt. Tutt and Daggs will guide board members through a strength finder assessment and suggest techniques for learning to capitalize on individual personal strengths.

The Board of Young Associates was established in the early 1960s, and met for the first time in 1964 during Homecoming. The Board is comprised of young men and women who are under the age of 40 and three or more years past their graduation date. These alumni are dedicated to assisting the University in recruitment, scholarships, fund raising, public relations, and alumni activities. In recent years, the Board has become involved in assisting with student placement, career counseling, and leadership development programs. Members serve with an eye to future leadership roles at HSU in capacities ranging from the Board of Development, Board of Trustees, and other volunteer positions.

This year, the board also plans to clarify its objectives and the individual accomplishments of its members by introducing a three-year challenge designed to guide members to achievable goals they can reach individually and collectively. The challenge is a 14-point compendium of specific ways members can actively support HSU now, as well as in the future. The challenge spans activities from college fair representation, to connecting with potential donors, and networking with church contacts. Members are asked to commit to at least three challenge items and will receive a special "thank you" when they report success.

Officers for the 2008-2009 year are: President Jenni (Sims) Pulley, Speech Instructor, Tarrant County College, of Keller, Texas; President Elect Clint Buck, manager of Financial Planningand Reporting, Abilene Christian University of Abilene; Vice President Jay Lester, Director of Fine Arts, Victoria ISD, Texas; Vice President Wayne Lisenbee, Assistant Director of Water Utilities, City of Abilene; Vice President Jon Sibert, Chiropractor, Water Street Family Chiropractic, Kerrville, Texas; Secretary Kathryn (White) Mitchell, Director of Education, Old Jail Art Center, Abilene; Chaplain Jennifer (Mitchell) Dunn, Director of Ferguson Dorm, HSU; Parliamentarian Dave Cone, Speech Teacher, Hebron High, Texas; and Immediate Past President Brian Kickhoefer, Account Manager, Pinnacle Sales & Merchandising, San Antonio, Texas.

Posted by Dave Coffield · July 31, 2008 4:22 PM · Comments (0)

The prestigious academic publication The Princeton Review released its ratings of top colleges and universities in the United States. HSU was cited as a "Best in the West" university for 2009, one of 120 in the western United States, 630 in the nation, and one of only 21 so honored in the state of Texas. These institutions represent only about 25% of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges and universities.

In their annual survey, The Princeton Review asks 110,000 students nation-wide to rate their schools and report on their campus experiences. The 70 question survey includes topics such as academics/administration, life at the school, their fellow students, and themselves.

Dr. Bill Ellis, Provost of Hardin-Simmons University, expressed pleasure with the rating, "This recognition from The Princeton Review is revealing, because it is an opportunity for our students to rate us. It gives prospective students and their families a much better tool than those rankings that rely primarily on questionable criteria and ratings from other institutions to evaluate the true quality of the educational experience. We're very pleased that our students continue to tell the world that they are receiving an exceptional education from Hardin-Simmons University."

The Princeton Review divided the country into four regions and identified 630 colleges they feel stand out as academically excellent institutions of higher learning. Their listing is "fueled by a desire to raise awareness of academically excellent colleges with students looking to study within a specific geographic area." Many of the schools are nationally known, but other may be less familiar to the students the publication targets. According to The Princeton Review press release, "Each college we chose this year had to meet two criteria. First, they had to meet our standards for academic excellence within their region. And second, we had to be able to survey their students anonymously, either through an on-line survey, a paper survey, or an on-campus visit."

Posted by Dave Coffield · July 31, 2008 4:18 PM · Comments (0)

Whether you're a golfer or not, a family evening of food, fun, and relaxation is always a good way to end the summer. And, if you do have a passion for the game, you'll want to play a round the next morning in Joe's annual golf classic. If it involves golf, Joe's done it. President of the Professional Golf Association (PGA), PGA Tournament Director, Pro Golfer, PGA Treasurer, and Rules Committee Official for the PGA and the Master's Tournament, he's looking for a good crowd at the 19th annual Joe Black Golf Classic, Friday, August 8.

Joe Black at Fairway Oaks

Black led the Hardin-Simmons University golf team to a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics title in 1953, and joined the PGA tour in 1955. A 1982 Texas Golf Hall of Fame inductee, he is credited with placing the PGA in the solid financial position it now enjoys. He established the Joe Black Golf Endowment at HSU in 1989, and organized the Joe Black Golf Classic to raise funds for the University golf program.

Join HSU, and media sponsors KRBC and the Abilene Reporter News, on the evening of 7 Aug, in a community-wide event for families as they host an evening of food, soft drinks, dance/cheer teams, musical entertainment, an inflatable jumping castle, and the HSU Six White Horses. Whether fueling for the following day's golf, or having a last outdoor night before the start of the Summer Olympics, you'll want to bring the kids to the front lawn of the HSU campus from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Family night is free and open to the public.

Friday's tournament, scheduled at the Fairway Course of the Abilene Country Club, is a 4 or 5-person scramble, but individual players may still register and will be placed with a team. The tourney features a Par three "Hole-in-One Prize Bonanza" sponsored by Lawrence Hall Chevrolet. For hole four that means a seven-day cruise. A hole-in-one on eight nets a set of irons, an ace on 11 lands a brand new Chevy, and the prize for hole 16 is $500 worth of merchandise.

The entry fee of $125 includes greens fees, cart, unlimited range balls, prizes, hot breakfast, on-course soft drinks, and a full buffet lunch following play.
A recent inductee into the HSU Hall of Leaders, Joe Black is not only a legend in
the golfing community, but a selfless mentor and leader. In the 1962 Portland Open, he penalized Jack Nicklaus two strokes for slow play. After the game, he asked Nicklaus to join him in the clubhouse so he could explain what was slowing his game. Nicklaus mentions, in one of his books, that Black's action that day was one of the best things that ever happened to him.

This year, Joe Black has donated rare PGA and golf memorabilia for silent auction. Items include:

A signed poster of past Ryder Cup captains

A signed Ryder Cup team poster from 2004

A pin flag from the 1994 PGA championship signed by winner Nick Price.

A framed photo of cowboy golfers Ed Smith and Jeff Weiss playing in Arizona during the early 1900's. Their horses wait in the background as they drive down the fairway. Dean Beman, Commissioner of the PGA Tour, saw the print hanging in Joe's office and asked for a copy. It still hangs in the Tour Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida as a priceless artifact of the early days of golf in the American West.

Any golf aficionado may bid, and items are on display at joeblack.hsutx.edu or http://www.hsutx.edu/alumni/joeblack.aspx . Bidders need not be entered in the tournament and may email bids to HSU golf coach David Sherman at dsherman@hsutx.edu . Bidding will close at noon on 8 Aug.

A number of sponsorships at various levels are still available that net great exposure and exclusive inside action. Call Dennis Harp at 670-1467 to show your organization's support for collegiate golf.

The Joe Black Classic is open to the public and reservations may be made by contacting David Sherman, HSU's head men's and women's golf coach at 670-1374.

Posted by Dave Coffield · July 28, 2008 9:07 AM · Comments (0)

Fairy Orr

Hardin-Simmons University announces the establishment of the Fairy Orr Endowed Memorial Scholarship. Established in her memory, by husband Clarke Orr, the scholarship benefits students in the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts. The recipient must be majoring in English, may only receive the scholarship once, and is selected by the Head of the Department of English. If a qualified English major is not available, the scholarship may be awarded to a major in chemistry.

Fairy enrolled in Hardin-Simmons University in the fall of 1938. While at HSU, she majored in chemistry and among her many activities, played the trombone in the Cowgirl Band. She would have graduated in the spring of 1942, but World War II and the many uncertainties presented by that conflict interrupted her education. She married Clarke Orr and was occupied for almost three decades with raising her family.

She went back to college and graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in 1967 with a degree in English after staying at home to raise their children, Suzanne, Elizabeth, and John all of whom attended Hardin-Simmons. Fairy was a loyal alumna and friend of Hardin-Simmons until her death on October 24, 1998.

Recipients for the scholarship must be professing Christians who demonstrate a significant financial need. They must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and maintain an active campus life.

Posted by Dave Coffield · July 15, 2008 2:30 PM · Comments (0)

Over 300 students from Kindergarten through 10th grade gather at HSU this week and next to discuss and research unusual and thought provoking topics that follow this year's theme, "Structures." Now in its 29th year, "Threshold" is an intense summer enrichment program designed to challenge minds, stretch the boundaries of imagination, and stimulate the curiosity of the gifted child. Gifted learners need a place where they can be with other children who love to learn, learn quickly, and are passionate about things that most children don't consider. In this setting, they feel "normal" because they are one of others like them instead of "different" because they may be the only gifted child in their classroom or school.

The program, offered by the Irvin School of Education, is designed to be an interactive and integrated learning experience according to program director, Dr. Mary Christopher. Younger students will study the structure of nature, Egypt, or Italian art and architecture, while older students, in grades 6-10, will explore the structure of societies, architecture, machines, brains, and comedy. Wait, comedy? "There are structures in comedy that make things funny--either visually or linguistically," says Dr. Christopher, "As we study this field we can determine patterns that make things appear funny and how things may be funny in particular cultures but not in others."

Threshold is unique in Texas and maybe the nation, "There are camps for gifted high school students and a few for middle school, but I don't know of any for elementary children," says Dr. Christopher, "Since students are exposed to topics and information that they often do not have time or opportunity to study in school, we hope they leave with the 'aha' that they never considered before. We want them to get home and have conversations with their parents about this spark of learning. We also want them to develop a healthy self-concept that helps them feel good about who they are. One would assume that a gifted learner has high self-esteem but he/she may struggle with perfectionism, asynchronous development, the need to "fit in" rather that share their ideas and thoughts, internal pressure on himself/herself, etc. While gifted learners often are well-adjusted and even popular, some of these students struggle with finding their place among peers and in school."

The program is so popular, that students attend from cities throughout Texas and as far away as South Dakota, Connecticut, and Indiana, even though "Threshold" is not an in-residence program. Parents of participants think the program is so important that they will stay in a hotel for the duration of the camp just so their child can have a deeper educational experience. Since most schools design curriculum around the average student or skills testing objectives, gifted students often face the same educational deficit that challenged students do. Most schools are simply unable to keep the gifted student interested and engaged because the coursework is often not intellectually challenging enough. "Research shows that gifted learners learn new materials in 1-5 repetitions while average learners need 17-25 repetitions," notes Dr. Christopher, "think how frustrating it would be to 'tread water' while the rest of the class learns the material you got the first time," notes Dr. Christopher. "Threshold" is a showcase for the gifted learning environment and a testimony for the need for gifted programs in public education.

"Threshold" teachers are HSU graduates with master's degrees in gifted education.
Co-teachers are HSU graduate students currently working on an M.A. in gifted education. Parent seminars are held in conjunction with student seminars to educate adults on the unique challenges of guiding the gifted child.

A few openings are still available in week two (21-25 Jul) at Threshold, and at $85 for grades K-5 and $145 for grades 6-10, it's a bargain, "We work to keep our costs low so children can afford to come," says Dr. Christopher noting that upper grade camps run $900 - $1,200 per week at the few universities that have them, "and we have limited scholarships available." Parents can contact Dr. Christopher at 671-2150. Threshold is held in Abilene Hall on the HSU campus.

Posted by Dave Coffield · July 15, 2008 2:22 PM · Comments (0)

Hardin-Simmons University announces the establishment of the Shaelly Beth Rausch Endowed Memorial Scholarship. Established in her memory by her family, the scholarship benefits students in the Irvin School of Education. The recipient must be majoring in Education, must be a student with a disability (physical, learning, or mental), and is selected by the Dean of the Irvin School of education. If a qualified graduate or undergraduate student majoring in Education is not available, the scholarship may be awarded to a student with a disability in any academic discipline.

An Abilene native who taught English at A.J. Breismeister Middle School in Seguin, Texas, for seven years, Rausch completed her master of education degree as a reading specialist at HSU on 21 Apr, 2006. Two days later she died of lupus disease. Her degree was awarded posthumously, during a special presentation at Spring Commencement, and accepted by her brother David Rausch, and sister, Michelle Holcomb.

Shaelly Rausch was an advocate of the Lupus Foundation, Seguin Independent School District Teacher of the Year, president and member of Kappa Pi Gamma Sorority, a Sigma Lambda Chi little Sister, a devoted Sunday School teacher at Faith Lutheran Church, and a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education.

Recipients for the scholarship must be professing Christians who demonstrate a significant financial need. They must maintain a 2.5 grade point average and be students in good standing, free from any disciplinary action.

Posted by Dave Coffield · July 15, 2008 2:20 PM · Comments (0)