HSU Insider

"Emily displayed creativity, vision, and aspiration," says Leland Harden, one of the judges who awarded the $18,750 scholarship to Albany High School senior Emily Raymond.

The "Lights, Camera, Free Ride" contest started three years ago as the brain child of HSU's marketing office, Enrollment Services, and the folks at KRBC TV.

A quick upbeat commercial, put together by Hardin-Simmons video guru and webmaster Erin Leeper, poses a musical question to the tune of the 1979 hit song 'My Sharona.' High school seniors answered the question with videos of their own entitled, "What I Would Do With My HSU Diploma".

For over a month, DVD's and videos submitted on You Tube have been piling up, so to speak, in the office of Marketing Director Amanda Etter. "This year we received more videos than ever, which really made the judging process much more difficult," says Etter.

"Each video was unique and creative as each student showed us what they would do with their diploma from HSU. These incoming students are already beginning to feel connected and a part of the creative environment that makes our university unique."

Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Leland Harden, says the concepts in the videos were so good that, when it came to choosing the winner, it just came down to simple packaging.

Both Harden and Etter delivered the news to Emily in a surprise visit to her biology class at Albany High School. Emily's parents were on hand for the announcement, both of them teachers at the high school.

Emily stated in the video that she wants to be a doctor that she would use her biology degree as a ministry. The video concludes with Emily referring to a group of photographs of HSU alumni who have become physicians. The photos line the second-floor hallway of the Holland Health Sciences building as a series of ads created by HSU called "Greatness."

Last year's winner, Raul Anthony Diaz of Coronado High School in Lubbock, plays football at HSU and has enrolled again for another year at Hardin-Simmons as a sophomore.

You can see the Lights, Camera, Free Ride video submitted by Emily by at this link...
http://www.hsutx.edu/lcfr/09winner/

You can see the Lights, Camera, Free Ride "My Diploma" commercial by going to this link...
http://www.hsutx.edu/video/mydiploma/

Etter says the contest to find a student who wants a free year of college will continue next year.

"These are the invisible kids," says Greta Black who is a tutor in a new program spreading rapidly across the United States called AVID.

Black is one of several adults accompanying about 50 junior high students who arrived at Hardin-Simmons University. The students are here to get a feel for what they can expect from a college campus.

AVID is an acronym for Advancement Via Individual Determination.

Teacher Amanda Hart explains that most of the students in the program come in to it making grades in the 70s or lower. "The college prep program takes students who have been fairly disinterested and gives them an opportunity to focus their lives and see their potential."

Leaving at close to seven this morning, the Bonham Junior High students had a three-hour drive on a yellow-dog bus ahead of them as they left the parking lot of their school in Odessa.

Their enthusiasm and high spirits is apparent as they arrive on campus. The first stop is the Dyess Welcome Center where they organize with HSU student tour guides.
Ron Rossingh, a 15-year-old AVID student says, "This program has changed me. I'm not perfect, but I don't mind telling you I'm making high grades now, like in the upper 90s."

Ryan Deeds says, "I do the best I can now on everything I do! It makes me think through my dreams. I want to be a guitarist. Now I'm doing it--not just sitting around and thinking about it."

Ron adds, "It makes me more focused. I don't procrastinate anymore. I just do it!" Both say they are definitely more organized.

Hart says seventh, eighth, and ninth graders in the program are tutored by college students. "This helps the AVID students see where they themselves could be one day. That's why we are exploring campuses like HSU, so these students can see what's out there--see what the opportunities are and where they are."

This is the second AVID group from Ector County that has visited the Hardin-Simmons campus in the last several months.

Dr. Shane Davidson, who is HSU's vice president for enrollment says, "We are glad to partner with groups who help students. Summer is a great time to do it. I think our central location and the fact that there are many colleges here makes Abilene a top choice. The sooner we can introduce students to college life, the more opportunity we have to show them what college can do for them."

Hart concurs. "We come to Abilene because it's like Jackpot; there are several universities here that we can look at." She says her students have also visited Odessa College and UTPB.

Tutor Greta Black, who has over 200 hours of college credit herself, says of the students, "I probably have learned more from them than I have been able to teach them. I've learned, for instance, that the more you expect from them, the more you get! This program gives them the support and opportunity they need to be successful. It absolutely rocks!"

Davidson says he is thrilled that Hardin-Simmons can be a part of such a program and he hopes all of the colleges here will make lasting impressions on the students.

Photos: AVID students with teacher Amanda Hart (right) and tutor Greta Black (left) in front; Students Ron Rossingh and Ryan Deeds

"My great-great-great grandmother was Choctaw and part of the Trail of Tears," says Krystal Kight, a Hardin-Simmons University student. "But she never made it to Oklahoma," adds Krystal. Oklahoma was the end of the trail for the Choctaw and other native tribes who lived in the eastern and southern part of the country in 1831.

The senior from Coleman, with strawberry-blond hair and a hint of freckles, says she just needed a few more classes to have enough hours to graduate in December with a degree in criminal justice.

For her minor in sociology, she needed three more credit hours, so she signed up for the Maymester class enticingly labeled "Navajoland."

Arriving early to the 9 a.m. class, Krystal observes a "Study Overseas" flyer tacked on a bulletin board in the Skiles Building with a photo of a group of students. She points to the photo saying, "That's me -- that's when we studied in England, Ireland, and Scotland."

"I love the whole cultural experience," says Krystal. She and 12 other students will most certainly be immersed in the cultural experience as they travel this week to Fort Defiance, Arizona, a former powder keg of bad blood between soldiers and Navajos during the late 1850s and the early 1860s.

Dr. Joanne Roberts, head of the HSU Sociology Department, and Melissa Milliorn, assistant professor of social work, are guiding the students on the trip. Milliorn tells the students, "You will have the need to understand other customs and beliefs as you encounter people in your career field."

Roberts explains to the class that they will witness religious ceremonies that are off-limits to people not in one of four Navajo clans. "Part of the ceremony includes the use of peyote, a hallucinogen," she muses. "It has been used for thousands of years by some native tribes who believe that it is God-given and planted in this world for people to use as a cure."

"We may also get to witness ceremonies that could include the customs of stargazing, hand trembling, sand painting, and other herbal medicines."

Roberts and Milliorn want the students to understand and respect customs and beliefs that may seem strange to them. Roberts tells the students the Navajo version of the creation story, which is quite different than the version in Genesis. Roberts asks, "Can we use our creation story as a frame of reference? Can you see any similarities; any parallels?" Krystal taps her pencil as she ponders that question. "Christianity: are we that far away from the Navajo?"

Roberts continues to build the picture for the students, "There is a great deal of mistrust of Christianity. Little wonder," she continues, "considering their first encounters with Spanish missionaries in the 1700s." Roberts plays an educational clip posted on You Tube on the classroom's Smart Board. A Native American woman quotes her father,"They taught us to pray by closing our eyes and bowing our heads. When we looked up, they had taken our lands, our language and our traditions," says the woman in the video.

Krystal and the other students left for Ft. Defiance this past Sunday. They will also study the Navajo language, which itself has a very interesting history. Athabaskan, as it is called, is part of a family of languages that has been mostly lost. The Navajo did not have an alphabet. The language is mostly tonal and was not written until 1939, explains Roberts.

Oh, by the way, if you are wondering what happened to Krystal's great-great-great grandmother...why she never made it to Oklahoma? "The Trail of Tears for her stopped in Conway, Arkansas. She was one of two children traded for food," says Krystal.

Krystal's family has quite a line of genealogy. Explaining her reddish hair and freckles, "My family is kind of a mixture. We're like mutts, I guess. My family had a castle in Ireland called Beeston that's now in ruins...and we can trace our family heritage back to William the Conqueror. But both sides of my family claim Indian tribes. My mother's side comes from at least four different tribes."

Krystal says she hopes with this experience, and a June internship in child advocacy through the Abilene Police Department, she will one day be prepared to work for Interpol, the international police organization, which she says is her dream job.

Chances are the other 12 students taking this enticingly labeled course will not be disappointed either.

It is funny how lives intertwine. It is also odd how someone you have never even met can greatly impact your life. Even stranger, is how someone born in the mid-19th century can affect the life of someone born in the late 20th century.

For instance, take the case of Neal Springer and Theodore Presser. Neal is a music student at Hardin-Simmons University. Theodore Presser, at the age of 14, molded cannon balls during the Civil War. By the time Theodore was Neal's age, he was managing the sheet music department in C.C. Mellor's Music Store in Pittsburg.

Neal Springer graduated from R.L. Turner High School in Carrolton and moved to Abilene three years ago from Farmers Branch. Springer will be a senior next year at HSU. He plays viola in the Hardin-Simmons Orchestra, acts as the orchestra librarian, plays in various string chamber ensembles, and sings in the HSU Concert Choir.

Presser studied piano with a Lutheran minister, played guitar with his brother, and instructed his fellow classmates at the New England Conservatory in sight-reading music. A couple of years later, he joined the faculty at an Ohio university and earned enough money to begin a study of music in Europe.

What changed Presser's life was a tiny magazine, Etude, he started on $250 after he returned from Europe. By the turn of the century Presser was a wealthy businessman who had not forgotten his humble beginnings. In 1906, he established the Presser Foundation, that still today, helps universities help students.

Neal is one of about 40 students in the School of Music at HSU who will share in about a $100,000 of endowments set up by donors to HSU. Springer is also the recipient of the prestigious Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award.

Hardin-Simmons is one of the colleges chosen by the Presser Foundation this year to receive a sizable amount of money to be awarded to a student who "shows excellence" in music study and who is well-rounded in other studies.

Neal was chosen by the faculty of the School of Music to receive the award. Neal meets the requirement very well. According to Lawson Hager, Dean of the HSU School of Music, "Neal is an excellent musician, is in the top of his class, and participates in theatre productions on campus. He also serves as a student leader for New Student Orientation."

It's funny how lives intertwine. It's odd how someone you have never met can impact your life. Even stranger is how someone born in the mid-19th century can affect the life of someone in the 21st century.

That is the case of Neal Springer: musician, violist, HSU student; and Theodore Presser: cannon ball molder, musician, publisher, and philanthropist.

Jared DeMartini of Merkel pops his knuckles as he puts his game face on and gets ready for the big finish.

This is the day he has worked for, sweated for, practiced for, and dreamed of for years. May 9th, 2009, the day students lives are summed up on one piece of paper. The speaker reads: Jared DeMartini, Bachelor of Behavioral Science, Hardin-Simmons University.

DeMartini is one of 245 candidates for graduation mustering in the Van Ellis Theatre on the Hardin-Simmons campus. The momentous occasion starts with students getting final instructions from Professor of Bible, Dr. Larry McGraw. Among other things, he reminds students to make sure their tassel hangs on the left side of their mortarboard caps, and draws a laugh from the students as he instructs them, "If you fall down, get up."

Meanwhile, '98 graduate Christina Nolan Dooley, on the Board of Young Associates, and Assistant Football Coach Stephen Barrows pass out programs to parents and other family members. Other alumni volunteers help usher parents into the auditorium which is quickly filling to capacity.

University Organist Hye-Jean Chio, and an Assistant Professor of Music, helps to build the anticipation for the event with a skillfully rendered Toccata in Seven.

Seated in the audience, John and Debra Murphy have come from Avery, Texas to see their daughter Jennifer Higgins. She is graduating with a Masters Degree in Education and Human Development.

Coming from slightly further away, Jennifer's husband Kevin Higgins, who is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, has just arrived from Bosnia on an unexpected, surprise visit.

Kevin's dad, Mike Higgins, has come from Ft. Worth to his daughter-in-law's commencement. He explained that troops were getting a little bit of a break while they repositioned in Bosnia. "My son asked if he could come home to see his wife graduate, and within hours he had a ticket on a commercial airline headed for Texas."

Students and families alike are light-hearted during the day's activities, Roy Juarez and Jonathan Kouba, both getting a Bachelor in Business Administration, managed to start an infectious laugh among some the graduates prior to the start of the ceremony. From the audience, whistles, applause and lots of flashes of cameras make the occasion festive.

This is the 117th commencement for Hardin-Simmons University. Over those years, 21,098 degrees have been handed out to graduates. Dr. Jesse Fletcher, President Emeritus, who is presiding over the ceremony until new President Dr. Lanny Hall arrives, tells the audience he retired 18 years ago adding, "Old presidents never die, they don't even fade away."

Chris Coltman, who has been recognized in Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges, beautifully delivers a marimba solo of Etude in E Minor. Coltman graduates with a Bachelor of Music and will head to SMU for his Masters degree in performance.

HSU does its commencement twice in one day. Candidates for degrees from the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts, the Logsdon School of Theology, Holland School of Sciences and Mathematics, and the School of Nursing receive degrees during the morning ceremony. Kelley College of Business, Irvin School of Education, and the School of Music and Fine Arts confer degrees in the afternoon.

Stan Allcorn of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church gave the morning charge to the graduates. "Today I speak not as a preacher, but as a parent." Explaining he has two sons currently at Baylor, he identified with parents saying he was suffering from "mal-tuition...for which the cure is graduation".

Drawing an even bigger laugh from the crowd he says, "I have one son who is a double major, physics and economics, maybe that's why he is spending my money at the speed of light!"

He reminded students to keep learning, "Everything you do will be a final exam," he says. "When it comes to the waters of life, be a pipe, not a bucket. Let the waters of life flow through you. There are people in this world who are waiting for you, who need you."

President and CEO of Hendrick Health Systems, Tim Lancaster, gave the charge to the graduates during the afternoon commencement.

He advised students to "Be grateful for what you have and you will be a happy person." As for getting a job, "Go to work on time, dress appropriately, don't lie, don't steal, and actually do some work."

He urged students to volunteer their time outside of their work. "Volunteering is what makes you appreciate what you are doing."

As degrees are conferred, Dr. Dorothy Barnes and Dr. Sue Robinson, both professors in Counseling and Human Development, have made it a tradition to stand as their students receive diplomas. Barnes said this was probably the longest they have stood, with a record number of students receiving degrees in that area of education.

After the ceremony graduates and families gather outside of Behrens. Faculty members are on hand to meet parents and even help with the picture taking. Sonia Chavez, also a "Who's Who" gets a big hug from friend and HSU alumni Jenae Lysinger.

Richard Green, of Abilene, who received a Bachelor of Behavioral Science, gathers up his family for a group shot. Green's dad is a teacher at Reagan Elementary, and without doubt, will have plenty to tell his students on Monday.

Volunteers hand out bumper stickers to new graduates that say "Hardin-Simmons Alumni." Families also enjoy searching the alumni wall which bears brass plates displaying names of all of the graduates from Hardin-Simmons since the University started in 1891.

Richard Hess and Crystal Hess, who are brother and sister and both new graduates, pose while pointing to their names, conveniently located together, while dad snapps the photo.

Now all students have to do is to pack their bags and head out into the world. As they leave, they will probably recall the words of Stan Allcorn, "Be good stewards of your education. Congratulations Cowboys 2009. Saddle up your horses; you have got a trail to blaze!"

Josh Greer is a friendly guy with a strong handshake.

Greer came to Hardin Simmons University five years ago to visit his friend, Michael Weehunt. He thought the campus was cool and decided HSU was where he wanted to go to college.

Now, the graduating senior from Early, Texas, says he is a stronger Christian because of the people he met along the way.

Greer is the first in his family to attend college. "We are a real close family," he confides. "My dad is part owner of Cen-Tex Body & Paint in Brownwood and my mom works for Wes-Tex Printing. I am the first in my family to attend college, or to graduate for that matter, but I probably would not be here if it were not for the support from my parents growing up," says Josh.

Greer decided to major in advertising and public relations and is currently looking for a job. He says he really hopes to eventually find something in the food and beverage industry. "The education and the experiences I have had while at HSU have given me the opportunity to pursue a career in a field I am passionate about. I am confident the education I received has prepared me to be successful."

Josh says he had a lot of great professors during his college career, but he has been especially influenced by two of them.

"I had the privilege of taking several classes with Dr. Tim Chandler in the Communication Department. Not only is he an awesome teacher, but he provided me with guidance, career advice and several great laughs."

"Dr. Coleman Patterson, in the Leadership Studies Program, is another professor who has influenced me," he says. "He really cares about his students and wants them to succeed. That passion is evident in the way he teaches class and the countless activities he has developed to involve students."

When asked to recall one of his memorable experiences at college, Josh gets a kick telling about an old couch. "My freshman year, my roommate Kreg Boyd and I were in need of a couch for our dorm room in Anderson Hall, but had no money to pay for one. Another student informed us you could find "decent" furniture in back allies that has been thrown out. So, me, Kreg, and our suite-mate all loaded up one Friday night on a mission to bring a couch back."

"After about two hours of searching we found the perfect couch and brought it back and cleaned it up. It smelled a little funny but none of us thought much of it and named it the 'poop couch.' About a week went by and we all started getting sick. Well, turns out, the couch had all kinds of mold and mildew in it so we had to get rid of the 'poop couch,' after all that work acquiring it."

Now, as Josh is about to walk the stage, he is thinking about paying off his student loans. He says he does not want his parents to have to pay for his education.

"I believe that it is my education and I should be responsible for paying back the college loans. I worked for Dr. Pepper for a while and have managed to pay back several thousand dollars so far."

He says, now, he is focusing on getting a job in his career field so he can continue steady payments on the loans.

"Coming to HSU has allowed me to meet many great people who love Jesus and have helped me grow in my relationship with him. I know I would not be where I am today spiritually if it were not for the Christ-like examples all around me."

"I am extremely thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to come to Hardin-Simmons, for the friends I have, the experiences I gained, and the education I received. I will never forget the time I have had at HSU and I will never be the same."

Now, Josh's younger brother is attending Hardin-Simmons. Austin Greer will be a sophomore when the fall semester starts in August.

To call Chris Coltman a "Mallet Maniac" is not only good alliteration, it is also very, very true!

Coltman will graduate from Hardin-Simmons University this Saturday, taking the stage three times in one day: twice to perform, once to get his diploma.

Coltman is the senior selected this year for a special performance during the spring commencement ceremony. Coltman will play Etude in E Minor on the marimba for students and parents attending the two commencements this weekend.

Coltman plays with four mallets, and you pretty much have to see it to believe it's really only one person playing. The marimba is a fairly large instrument. To reach all of the keys, Chris incorporates the grace of a trapeze artist as he flies from end to end.

Coltman says music to him is more than just notes on a page. To him, music is an inspiration and a passion. Coltman says it was one of his teachers who taught him how to look into a piece of music and try to understand what the composer meant by the notes and rhythms.

"I want to be able to teach my students a deeper sense of musical expression, like my percussion teacher taught me," says Coltman. "My parents always encouraged me to do what I wanted, and at the end of high school, I was better in fine arts than anything else."

That may be part of the reason Chris is getting his Bachelor of Music degree. The other part may have something to do with his dad's occupation. Dr. Charles Coltman is an Associate Professor of Woodwinds at HSU.

Chris plays for the Abilene Philharmonic and recently took second place in the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. First place, he says, was taken by a student from the University of Kentucky, which makes Coltman feel pretty good -- to come in second in a competition dominated by huge universities.

Coltman says marimba is not even his main instrument. He says that he is really better on a trap set.

Coltman says his Hardin-Simmons education has developed not only his musical appreciation, but also his faith in God, and in the importance of building relationships.

Coltman plans to move to Dallas to attend SMU for his graduate studies in music performance. On May 24, Chris will marry Melissa Moran who is getting her Hardin-Simmons degree from the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing.

Coltman says he feels very honored to be chosen for the graduation performance, especially since it was by a vote from the faculty of the School of Music.

Commencement ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. this Saturday in HSU's Behrens Auditorium. Stan Allcorn, pastor of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, will deliver the charge to the graduates.

Candidates for degrees will come from the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts, Logsdon School of Theology, Holland School of Sciences and Mathematics, and the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing.

For candidates receiving degrees from the Kelley College of Business, the Irvin School of Education, and the School of Music and Fine Arts, ceremonies begin at 2:00 p.m. in Behrens Auditorium.

Tim Lancaster, the president and CEO of Hendrick Health Systems, will deliver the charge to the graduates entitled "What I Have Learned on My Journey So Far."

Chelbie Bolton says it's hard to believe the reality of it. "In some senses, graduation doesn't seem like it should really be so near," says Chelbie, a student at Hardin-Simmons University who will graduate this Saturday.

Bolton is a Communications major from Sulphur Springs who will receive a Bachelor of Behavioral Science degree from the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts.

In fact, Chelbie is one of about 260 graduating seniors and masters candidates who are getting ready for the Saturday ceremonies.

Earlier this week students got a chance to get final instructions during two rehearsals for the upcoming events.

On Saturday, May 9th, there will actually be two commencements. The 10 a.m. ceremony will feature a charge to the graduates by Stan Allcorn, Pastor of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. Students from the College of Liberal Arts, Logsdon School of Theology, Holland school of Sciences and Mathematics, and the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing will receive degrees.

Tim Lancaster, President and CEO of Hendrick Health Systems will deliver the charge to the graduates receiving degrees from the Kelley College of Business, Irvin School of Education, and the School of Music at the 2:00 p.m. commencement.

Hardin-Simmons is never without her traditions. From the iconic "Dam-it" the dog (how he got his name is still a matter of speculation some 89 years after his passing), to the World Famous Cowboy Band, and the crowd-pleasing Six White Horses, here's one more from the book of History, Traditions, and Landmarks, published during the Presidency of Dr. Jesse Fletcher.

The tradition is Graduation Celebration, hosted by HSU Alumni. Graduates gather for a reception in Centennial Square following each of the commencement ceremonies. The plaza is surrounded by a circular wall that has the names of every graduate since 1891 engraved in bronze plaques corresponding to the year of graduation.

Director of Alumni Relations, Britt Jones, explains that Graduation Celebration is the brain-child of the Board of Young Associates, a select group of alumni under the age of 40.

Board members and other alumni volunteers distribute "HSU ALUMNI" window decals to each new graduate and welcome them as the newest members to the Alumni Association.

New graduates are encouraged to stay connected with HSU. Alumni are available to take photos so the entire family of the graduate can be in the picture. Also, one of HSU's White Horses is often on the scene, making for a great photo op.

Faculty members enjoy visiting with graduates and their families at celebration. New graduates' look for their names on the Alumni Wall so they can imagine what the real plaque will look like, once it's created. Cookies and lemonade is another popular feature of this event, says Jones.

Graduation Celebration is held by the Alumni Wall immediately following each ceremony from approximately 11:20-12:00 and again from 3:20-4:00.

As for Chelbie, she says, while it is an exciting time, she is also scared. "All of my life there has always been something else on the horizon. The end of something was always the beginning of something else. There has never been a question of what I will do next," says Chelbie. After high school, there was college, now that plan is up to me, not my parents, just me, and that's a little scary."

Fortunately, as a graduate of HSU, Chelbie and other graduates are never alone. Alumni are ready and willing to guide her and other graduates to safe harbor.

The thrill I get is to see what my students learn and what they find," says Hardin-Simmons University Geology Professor Dr. Mark Ouimette. "My reward, as a teacher, is to show young men and women the features of the Earth as exposed in West Texas and Southern New Mexico."

But today, Dr. Ouimette has a new role. He is the newly selected Faculty Member of the Year at HSU. Members of the faculty and staff select who among them should be the Faculty Member of the Year and Staff Member of the Year.

Before school is out each spring, the HSU Alumni Association honors the University faculty and staff members with the presentation of service pins during the Faculty/Staff Appreciation Dinner, themed "Stars of the Purple and Gold."

The selection of the Staff Member of the Year and Faculty Member of the Year are kept "super-secret", says Alumni Director Britt Jones, until the presentation at the dinner.

Nominees for these two awards must show loyalty and service to the University. They must exude competence and dedication in their responsibilities. They must also be friendly, have good rapport with their HSU constituents and have a willingness to work productively with everyone. Finally, nominees must have high Christian ideals.

Ouimette is Head of the Geology Department and the President of the Faculty Council. Colleagues say of Ouimette, that he is an excellent teacher and has a great sense of humor. He received the 2008 Holland Award of Excellence from the American Association of Petroleum Geologist and most recently served on the HSU Presidential Search Committee.

Receiving the most nods for Staff Member of the Year is Gracie Carroll. Carroll is the Associate Vice President for Academic Advising and Retention at HSU. Carroll has been in that position since 1999 and was previously in the Registrar's office from 1993 to 1995. She also served on the HSU Presidential Search Committee. She is Past-President of the Staff Senate. Her colleagues say, "She is the poster child of patience and wisdom and she is dedicated to helping all students succeed at HSU.

President Emeritus, Dr. Jesse Fletcher, told employees attending the dinner that the service pins and plaques, and the dinner are gifts from the alumni and friends of HSU who have made special donations toward the annual event.

About 50 service pins are handed out to members of the HSU faculty and staff. Service pins are awarded in five-year increments beginning with the employee's first five years of service.

Since 1967, when the first group of pins was awarded, 1,607 pins have been presented to employees representing 18,120 years of service.

The tradition of the Service Pins began 42 years ago under the presidency of Elwin Skiles. He told the first employees who received the pins, "Wear your pins proudly, remembering the tradition and loyalty shared by the University and her community of faithful personnel--past, present, and future--who have worked, as you are doing now, to provide students with "an education enlightened by faith."

The service pin bears the official HSU seal, which displays an open Bible representing the Christian foundation of the institution and the continuing commitment afforded through education. The cross of the risen Savior has been placed over the torch, symbolic of the priority and sovereign rank of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Jaynne Middleton, Professor of Voice and Associate Dean of the School of Music and Fine Arts, is the faculty member receiving a pin for the most longevity, some 35 years of service. Dr. Jesse Fletcher, President Emeritus says of Jaynne, "She is a mentor, guide, and cherished friend to a host of students and colleagues. Her masterful teaching is evident as seen in the successful careers of her students."

Also receiving a special award, Caroline Volbrecht, who is this year's lone retiree. She has been with the University for 19 years. She was the secretary to the Social Work Department. Caroline attended her last student awards banquet this past Thursday evening that she helped put together.

Chris Carnohan, President of the Alumni Association Board, says "Caroline's knowledge of automation, faculty and staff, and how to get things done will be sorely missed."

An award is also given to a former faculty member and a former staff member. These awards are chosen by the HSU Fellowship, a group comprised of former employees.

Margaret Forrester was chosen as Former Staff Member of the Year. She was employed at HSU for 38 years as an assistant in the business office. Even though retired, she still works occasionally in the Alumni Office.

Dr. Julian Bridges was selected as the Former Faculty Member of the Year. Bridges retired in 2004 after 31 years at HSU. He was a Professor of Sociology and Social Work. He has been honored in Who's Who Among American Teachers and was elected to the Abilene City Council.

Below is a list of all faculty and staff who received pins for their dedicated service to the University: