September 2009 Posts
Popular Metroplex Artist and HSU Alum to Exhibit In Jail Cell
Meet the Artist Reception
With John Frost
BA 1996, Hardin-Simmons
Sunday, September 27, 2009
2:30-4:00pm
Old Jail Art Center
201 S. 2nd Street, Albany, TX 76430
A Cell of One's Own: John Frost
Exhibit runs Saturday September 26, 2009 - January 24, 2010
Upstairs in the historic jail
In 1928-29, British author Virginia Wolf (1882-1941), made the case that in order to write, it was necessary to have a room of one's own.
The Old Jail Art Center (OJAC) is turning over its historic cells to contemporary artists in this series, A Cell of One's Own, in the hopes that each artist will create unique works of art for the two galleries.
The fall Cell Series features Dallas artist and Hardin-Simmons University alumnus John Frost '96. The museum was intrigued by site-specific works Frost had done in gallery exhibits over the last several years, incorporating wood, metal, porcelain, and graphic components.
Dr. Pam Williford, dean of the Irvin School of Education says she wouldn't miss this. "John has achieved so much in the world of art. He has had exhibits at universities within and without the state of Texas and at most of the reputable galleries of modern art in the DFW area. He is such a fine young artist; I don't think anyone will be disappointed in his exhibit!"
Hosted by the Hardin-Simmons University Board of Young Associates in partnership with the Old Jail Art Center...
Photos: Art by John Frost; John Frost, 1996 HSU graduate
From Abilene:
Albany is just a 30-minute drive northeast of Abilene. Take State highway 351 northeast of Abilene, and follow it for about 20 miles. Then take the ramp onto U.S. Highway 180 East. Follow this road for about 10 miles, all the way into Albany until you come to the stoplight. Turn right at the light. The art center will be two clocks down, directly on your right.
HSU Authors and Professors Play Key Roles in West Texas Books and Music Festival
HSU authors sign books 9:00-3:00, Saturday at Civic Center Steven
By Steven Wegrzynowicz, HSU student
The West Texas Books and Music Festival is geared toward promoting literacy and reading throughout the community. The festival is used to encourage new authors as well acknowledge more experienced writers from all around Texas. Funds raised are gene
rated toward the success of the Abilene Public Library.
This Saturday's events are of special interest to Hardin-Simmons. Several HSU authors will be signing and selling their books in the Hall of Texas Authors. Dr. Carol Layton, professor of educational studies at HSU will be moderating the panel of the "Writing for Children" workshop.
Interested in the process of becoming a children's author, Dr. Layton looks forward "not only teaching at the workshop, but learning along with everyone else."
The workshop will prove to be a strong learning experience for anyone interested in writing for children. Following the workshop, held from 9:00-10:30 a.m., Dr. Layton and other panelists will be available for questions.
Several Hardin-Simmons authors have been featured during the books and music festival.
Leland Harden, Vice President for Institutional Advancement wrote Digital Engagement, a book about internet marketing. Dr. Bernie Scheer, assoc. professor of music theory and composition wrote Organ Preludes. Professor of Bible, Dr. Larry McGraw's latest book is The Bible Says: Daily Devotional Insight from Matthew. Graduate Bill Neal's latest book is "Sex, Murder and the Unwritten Law". He is a retired trial attorney. Dr. Dan Stiver, professor of theology, wrote Life Together in the Way of Jesus Christ. HSU grad Chad Mitchell wrote "The Superman Syndrome."
World-Class Pianist To Perform and Instruct Students
How often do you get to hear a finalist in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition?
Friday will be the chance of a lifetime for Abilenians to hear this world-class pianist for FREE.
Di Wu made her professional debut with the Beijing Philharmonic at the age of 14. She will perform with the Abilene Philharmonic on Saturday but is conducting a master class in the Woodward-Dellis Recital Hall at 3-4:30 on Friday, September 25th at HSU.
HSU faculty and staff, as well as the public, is invited to come and hear Di Wu perform and instruct our students.
Several students have been selected to play a piece and then be instructed by Di Wu on how they might improve their performance.
HSU Master classes are a fun and inexpensive way for people from all over the Big Country to see some of the best musicians in the country! You also get to hear what our HSU students are capable of and you will be amazed!
Dean Lawson Hager encourages you to take advantage of this unique opportunity on Friday. He will even drag out the 9-foot grand Steinway just for you!
Go to: www.diwupiano.com for photos, music, bio, etc. or to www.cliburn.org.
Piano Master Class
Friday, September 25, 2009
Woodward-Dellis Recital Hall
Hardin-Simmons University
Photos: HSU students Abigail Michel, Julie Holleman, Briana Isaac with Di Wu and Nathan Hamilton of ACU
Riders Compete for Spot on Iconic Team
Kristin Akin doesn't mind grabbing a horse's front leg and bending it back so she can clean the hoof. In fact that is why she is in the coveted position as a rider of one of the Hardin-Simmons University Six White Horses.
The Six White Horses team has been a Hardin-Simmons tradition since the 1930s. The horses and their riders have been featured in inaugural parades going as far back as Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The girls chosen to share the stage with the famous horse team must be skilled riders and be able to carry a flag representing one of the eight changes of sovereignty in Texas.
Each year the team of riders is selected from a tryout which is judged by some of the toughest critics around. Rancher and Taylor County Judge Dr. George Newman was on hand for the tryouts to assess which of the candidates could best handle the horses. The HSU professor emeritus knows a good rider when he sees her, and the completion is stiff.
Linda Boeshart is another judge with a critical eye of a good rider. She is responsible for several of the intercollegiate rodeo trophies you will see in the HSU horse facility trophy case.
Six White Horses program director Debbie Jones says, "I can tell how much someone knows by just watching them saddle the horse. We also watch as the girls maneuver the horses through a gauntlet of barrels and figure eights." Jones says, "Speed is also something we look for. If a candidate will only trot the horse, I know she hasn't ridden in a while."
Akin has already been a member of the team for two years. Even so, she and the other current riders must try out again. Jones says, "We have to have the best riders available, but often the current riders can be pretty hard to beat."
The confident HSU junior from Hawley says she loves what she does. She recently was one of the six riders who helped lead the West Texas Fair and rodeo parade. She is one of six returning riders.
New riders are Amanda Hollingsworth of Whitt, Texas; Jamie Lou McCarley from Gatesville; and Mandy Roloff from Spring.
Returning riders for the 2009-2010 school year are Becky Daniels of Truscott; Whitney Hicks from Hamby; Rachel Newman from Paris, Texas; Kristen Ringler of Alvarado; and Amy Turner, a Rochester native.
The next big event for the team is the Buffalo Days Parade in Snyder on October 3. The team will ride in the opening ceremonies for the Homecoming football game at Shelton Stadium on October 17. The team will also ride in the Veteran's Parade through downtown Abilene in November.
http://www.hsutx.edu/sixwhitehorses/
Photo: Kristin Aken, Dr. George Newman, White Horse Team in West Texas Fair Parade
Dinner Theater Kicks Off Season of Diversity
By Melissa Green
Hardin-Simmons University Department of Theatre presents a diverse season of works as part of its 2009-2010 season. The season will feature the traditional fall and spring dinner theatres and the annual children's show, along with a unique off-campus production honoring an Abilene Landmark.
The season will begin with the fall dinner theatre production of the classic Southern drama Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling.
The play focuses on a group of women in Louisiana who spend their days at the local beauty shop talking, but in the end shows a stronger connection between the women besides their interest in gossip. Steel Magnolias is directed by Melissa Green and assistant director Jaclyn Rosbrugh. It will run the weekends of September 24th-26th and October 1st-4th.
The next production will be Museum by Tina Howe, October 29th-31st in The Grace Museum's Main Gallery. This production focuses on patrons and employees within a museum and will have no better location than Abilene's own Grace! This production will be in association with The Grace Museum's Centennial Celebration and is directed by Melissa Green.
The final production of the fall semester will be the family favorite Alice in Wonderland, based on the classic story by Lewis Carroll. Patrons will be able to join Alice through her trip down the rabbit hole and meet classic characters such as The Mad Hatter, The Red Queen and the Caterpillar. Alice in Wonderland will be directed by senior theatre education major Hope Hayes and will run November 19th-21st and December 3rd-5th.
The spring dinner theatre will be the beloved musical Once Upon a Mattress, Music by Mary Rodgers, Lyrics by Marshall Barer and Book by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer and Dean Fuller.
The story follows Princess Winifred as she is tested to be the bride of one Price Dauntless and features well-known songs such as "Shy" and "In A Little While." Once Upon a Mattress, is directed by Melissa Green featuring musical direction by Dr. Jaynne Middleton and runs February 25th-27th and March 4th-8th.
It will be HSU's entry into the Christian University Theatre Festival to be held March 8-10, 2010 on the Hardin-Simmons campus.
The Down Center Stage Lab Production will be Mindy Kaling ("The Office") and Brenda Withers's farcical play Matt & Ben. The play looks into the creation of the Academy Award winning screenplay "Good Will Hunting" and its creators Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The comedy of the play, however, is found in the fact that Matt & Ben are portrayed by women. Directed by senior theatre major Adam Singleton, Matt & Ben will run April 8th-10th.
The season will end with DirectFest, the directing class of 2010's one-act play festival. Dates and titles for these shows will be announced at a later date.
Season tickets are available now for only $40, granting one admission to each mainstage production, including both dinner theatre productions. For more information on season tickets or the 2009-2010 Season, contact the HSU Theatre Box Office (325) 670-1405.
Students and Faculty from Three Christian Universities to Hear Jewish Theologian
"We gather to declare publicly that our different religions and cultures will not separate us, but rather unite us," says Dr. Rob Sellers. The professor of Missions Ministry at Logsdon School of Theology has invited students and faculty from all three 4-year universities in Abilene to participate in a rare opportunity.
Celebrated Jewish author and lecturer Dr. Marc Ellis will be on the Hardin-Simmons campus to speak about religious identities and how different faiths can talk with each other. The author of Toward a Jewish Theology of Liberation will hold two sessions this Thursday at Logsdon Chapel.
The student/faculty session at 3 p.m will specifically discuss Ellis's internationally acclaimed book, which is in its third expanded edition. The book's forward is written by South African Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Peruvian "Father of Liberation Theology" Gustavo Gutierrez. Gutierrez writes, "This is a vigorous and important work - passionate for justice, rooted in a strong love for his people, and [showing] a deep sensitivity to other human communities."
Ellis is the director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Baylor University and the only Jewish professor at the largest Baptist university in the nation. Ellis has authored over 20 books and spoken at more than 250 universities on five continents.
The evening session is open to the public and will feature a community forum by the Abilene Interfaith Council. The topic Ellis will present is "Speaking Honestly to Ourselves and Each Other About Our Religious Identity."
The Interfaith Council is comprised of people representing nine religious faiths in Abilene, including Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Christian. The group gathers each month, guided by the motto "Breaking Bread Together in Peace."
Dr. Sellers, who is a member of the Abilene Interfaith Council, says, "We want to increase understanding and strengthen friendships despite our religious distinctions. We gather to post a sign for our community: a message that says we believe people can disagree, but do so amicably, and then leave the session still in relationship."
"We hope that we are role models of respectful and reasoned dialogue for our community. And, when appropriate, we desire to join hands in worthy projects on behalf of all people who live in the Big Country."
Sellers says of the HSU public forum, "As an academic institution that offers 'an education enlightened by faith,' Hardin-Simmons fittingly welcomes the Abilene Interfaith Council Community Forum to the Forty Acres. Let us celebrate the fact that a group of our fellow citizens are dedicated to the dream that our community will be known as a welcoming, generous, and thoughtful place to live."
Both events are September 17th in Logsdon Chapel at the corner of Ambler and Pine. The public event starts at 7 p.m. and will include desserts and coffee. It is free and open to everyone. Dr. Ellis' lecture will be followed by questions from the audience. There will also be an opportunity to have a book signed by the author.
Golf Heavyweight Back
Joe Black Golf Classic Helps Golf Team for the 20th Year.
David Sherman says his favorite part of the golf tournament he organizes is seeing the camaraderie that goes on among the participants.
Sherman has been organizing the Joe Black Golf Classic for ten years and says it is always a lot of fun to see new players making friends. "We have a team coming in from Midland-Odessa," he says in his always friendly tone. "The players have never played in our tournament before, but they heard about it from a friend." In fact says Sherman, "We have about nine first-timers we are looking forward to meeting." 
Anyone who has every met the Hardin-Simmons golf coach knows that Sherman will slap you on the back and give you a hearty welcome. That is just one of many reasons the tournament is so popular. Sherman won't take in any credit, however, for its growing numbers. He simply says, "It's the fun, the food, and the course that keeps the tournament participants coming back each year."
One of the longest returning players is a former HSU golf team member. "Bobby Sharp has been coming even long before I started organizing the tournament," says Sherman. "Tommy Hale is another one, but of course Joe Black himself tries to come every year. Last year, he wasn't able to come because of his participation in the PGA Championship."
That is why the Joe Black Golf Classic was moved to September, so it would not conflict with PGA events in which Black might be involved. "This is the first year it hasn't been in August, and I think we are going to really like this," says Sherman. "The weather is better, our players have started school so they are all here, and this month does not conflict with other golf events in Abilene during the summer."
This year, the tournament has grown to 90 players. Sherman says he's pretty happy with those numbers. "That's more than we had last year, so I'm pretty pleased, especially in this economy."
The money raised from the tournament goes to help the HSU golf team cover expenses. Many of the participants are former players themselves. Faculty and staff also participate, as well as friends of HSU, and some personal friends of Sherman's.
Sherman says it is a great year when Joe Black can get away from his duties with the PGA, "People enjoy seeing him, and I am particularly pleased that he and the other players can meet all of our students on the golf teams."
Black is a professional golfer and former president of the Professional Golf Association. He has also been the PGA tournament director, and the longest-running rules official with the Master's Tournament.
Black led the Hardin-Simmons golf team to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics title in 1953, and joined the PGA tour in 1955. He is also 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. You may see his plaque on the wall in the HSU Athletic Hall of Fame in Mabee Complex.
Also 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.
The Joe Black Classic is open to the public. It is a four-person scramble September 11th at the Abilene Country Club Fairway Course. This is the 20th year for the fundraiser. That means Sherman becomes the event's longest-running organizer.
Photos: David Sherman, HSU Golf Coach; Joe Black, former member of HSU golf team
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Hall Installed as President on Birthday
You Will Have to Read to Find Out Which One
"I pledge to work hard to see that the value of your diploma continues to grow," says HSU president Dr. Lanny Hall to students filling Behrens Auditorium. The annual convocation ceremony kicked off Hardin-Simmons' 119th year. The pageantry of faculty in robes and dignitaries from across the state marked not only the annual convocation, but also the installation of HSU's 15th president.
The event brought coveted keynote speaker, Dr. Belle Wheelan, the president of the commission which accredits all universities in the southern United States. Hall said they have been friends since 1983 when they were at the University of Texas, both working on their doctorate. Dr. Hall drew a laugh from the audience when he said, "I have followed Dr. Wheelan's professional pilgrimage, and I knew she had hit the big time when I saw her on C-Span."
Hall came back to HSU in June, after having served as the 13th president and then later chancellor of HSU for a combined 13 years in Abilene. He has also served as president, most recently of Howard Payne University and previously at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview.
Board of Trustee chairman Hilton Hemphill told the capacity crowd, "When we began our national search for the new president of this university, we did so with God's guidance." Hemphill praised Hall for his skills and urged him to draw strength from his predecessors, then added jokingly, "except for the tenure of the 13th president."
Wearing the traditional robe with purple collar and the presidential medallion bearing his name twice, Dr. Hall reminded the sea of students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the accomplishments of presidents who have gone before him. "When you look out over the campus and see the pond, or enter the Johnson Building, or see the stained glass of Logsdon, we owe a great debt to Dr. Fletcher," he said turning to the president emeritus.
"We build on the good work of the past to become stronger and more effective. This is an institution on the move! Let us keep dreaming big dreams," he told the crowd.
Keynote speaker, Dr. Belle Wheelan, has been president of a university herself. She has also been Secretary of Education in Virginia, and currently serves as president of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
"Let me begin by giving praise to God from whom all things are given," said Wheelan as she started her speech which addressed all segments of the university. "To the faculty --be sure students leave here believing they can conquer the world. Remind students they can acquire the skills to make them successful."
"It is for the students that we are here," Wheelan said. "It may be the 100th time you have answered the same question. Remember it is the first time for the student who asked."
She went on the address the student body, "Students - choose the statistic you want to be - a graduate or a dropout; employed or unemployed. You are in charge of your future!"
Sophomore Sarah Leathers said afterward, she enjoyed the levity of Dr. Wheelan, but especially her brevity. While Wheelan spoke less than ten minutes, "what she said had a tremendous effect," says Leathers. Erica Fairbanks concurs. The president of the student congress says "Wheelan got to the heart of how students feel."
A highlight of the event, and somewhat of a surprise to many on the lower floor of Behrens, was the orchestra, band and choir waiting in the balcony to perform a composition written solely for the installation of Dr. Hall as president. 
Cowboy Band director and professor of music Dr. Wayne Dorothy conducted over two-hundred students in Psalm 139 for Chorus and Orchestra, written by HSU's own Dr. Bernard Scherr. To a roaring round of applause, Dorothy points from the balcony to Associate Professor Scherr, sitting below. Scherr takes a quick bow while applauding the superb performance of the students.
The events included an early prayer service, which was a request from Dr. and Mrs. Hall as a way of setting the context as to what lies ahead. In attendance for all of the day's events were two of the most important people to the Hall's, granddaughters Ada, four, and Lilly, who is nine. Along with first lady Carol Hall, also present was daughter, Lana, and her husband Jonathan McCutchen.
Oh yes, one last thing. All of the events just happened to have occurred on Dr. Hall's 60th birthday.
Photos: Hilton Hemphill, Dr. Lanny Hall, Dr. Jesse Fletcher, Carol Hall; Dr. Bernard Scherr; Lana McCutchen, Lilly, Ada, Carol Hall, Dr. Lanny Hall
