THE MAGAZINE of TExAs LuTHErAN uNIvErsITy MArcH 2011 …c919297.r97.cf2.rackcdn.com/wxqafgyjbzcmibzcfib6e0... · 9 The Next Generation of Living & Learning at TLU New campus master

THE MAGAZINE of TExAs LuTHErAN uNIvErsITy • MArcH 2011

TORCHService & Sustainability

Taking Steps That MatterAn alumnus gives back in more ways than one Service: A TLU

TraditionThe history of Bulldogs getting involved in the community

2 Texas LuTheran universiTy

Torch is published three times annually in September, December and March by Texas Lutheran University Development & Alumni Relations office. Inquiries and submissions should be directed to the editorial staff at [email protected]. AlumNotes submissions and change of address may be sent to the Alumni Relations office at [email protected].

THE MAGAZINE of TExAs LuTHErAN uNIvErsITy

TOrChVol. 35, No. 3, March 2011

Sarah Story

Jenni M. Loer

Naomi Urquiza

Tim ClarkDerrick Collins

Danny BatistaDrew C. EngelkeTerry PriceJudy SamfordDustin Wyatt

Taylor CarletonDirector of Alumni Relations

Nancy HershfieldVP for Development & Alumni Relations

Jenni M. LoerMarketing Communications Specialist

Mandy OwenDirector of Admissions

Terry PriceAssoc. Prof. of Dramatic Media &Director of Emerging Media

Sarah StoryAsst. VP for Marketing Communications

Steven VroomanAssoc. Prof. of English & Communication Studies

Publisher

Editor

Editorial Assistant

contributing Writers

contributing Artists

Editorial Board

Photo by Terry Price

mailto:[email protected]


TORCH • MarCh 2011 3

FEATURES5 Taking Steps That Matter

José Alejandro Flores ’03 merges international business, social responsibility and eco–friendliness.

9 The Next Generation of Living & Learning at TLU New campus master plan raises sustainability awareness.

12 A Talent for Service Students form Service Through Music group.

13 Classroom Meets Outdoors Recreation courses take on mountain biking and more.

15 The Watoto Project Taking on the epidemic of orphaned children in Tanzania.

16 Operation Backpack Fighting child obesity and hunger one backpack at a time.

DEPARTMENTS4 Letter from the President

5 TLU Today Feature articles

17 Campus Life Events scrapbook

18 Growing & Giving From the development office

20 Scoreboard TLU sports

24 Bragging Rights Accomplishments

25 Flame Q & A Person of interest interview

26 Lucky’s Pack TLU point of view

28 AlumNotes

34 Flashback Blast from the past photo

35 Save the Date Events calendar

5 9 13 18

THE MAGAZINE of TExAs LuTHErAN uNIvErsITy • MArcH 2011

TOrCh

Check out the online edition and special features at tlu.edu/torch.


Reflections on an interimTexas Lutheran may well have named a new president by the time you are reading this. The new president will bring enormous energy to the campus and the entire TLU community. Next year, and beyond, will be great years for the university.

What about this year?

Three expectations were established for this year. First, that it be an outstanding year for students and student learning. We are well on our way to fulfilling this expectation. It has been a grrrrrreat year to be a Bulldog.

Second, we wanted to position the university to attract a strong pool of candidates for the presidency. The search committee has reviewed the resumes of nearly 70 applicants, many with the qualities, experience, and commitment to Lutheran higher education the university is seeking. The Board of Regents is confident a new president will be named this spring and begin serving this summer.

Third, we were determined to use this year to position the University for the future. It is important that we all perceive that good things are happening at TLU and believe that even better days are coming. To this end, the Board of Regents is investing, carefully and strategically, in keeping TLU affordable, providing new facilities and supporting an exciting transformation of the university’s core-curriculum.

This has also been a great year for Sally and me. We have been so impressed with TLU. The soul, sense of community and mission of this place are to be valued and supported.

We have been made to feel at home. TLU people, wherever we have encountered them, have been more than generous and gracious to us.

There is much we will miss about TLU. The people, Chapel, rooting for the Bulldogs, Vespers and all the special events and activities, large and small. And the weather!

These have been and will continue to be grrrrrrrreat days to be a Bulldog.

God bless you all.

Dr. Robert Vogel

Interim President

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dr. Vogel lends a helping hand during TLU’s annual Day of the Dogs day of service in February 2011.

Phot

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Ter

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José Alejandro flores ’03 has three passions: soccer, helping others and international business. He led a cultured and charity driven life growing up in both Guatemala and the united states as a dual citizen. Drifting between the developed and developing worlds exposed him to poverty and humanitarian needs in both countries and inspired him to make a difference.

Taking Steps That Matter

How one alumnus found a way to give back globally and locally and make it count.


“Growing up, and still to this day, I’ve been exposed to individuals without proper footwear through the sport of soccer,” says Flores. “I have been involved in the sport in both the developed and developing world and have been collecting and giving footwear and soccer balls to individuals in need my entire life.”

It was this inclination to give to those in need, coupled with his affinity to multiculturalism, that led him to start his own business following his graduation from Texas Lutheran University in 2003 with a degree in International Business and earning his MBA the following year at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Founded in 2008,

DeFlores, LLC is an export-import merchant trading company currently focused on environmentally friendly, sustainable and socially responsible brands. VOS Flips, the initial portfolio brand launched in March 2009, truly exhibits the mission of TLU to pursue one’s passion and purpose and give back.

VOS Flips are eco-friendly, 100% recyclable natural rubber sandals and represent a brand founded to answer one simple question: “Can people afford to care?” The sandals were introduced along with the Two Steps At A Time™ social initiative that promises to give a pair of sandals away to someone in need for every pair sold in addition to supporting

TLU TODAY

On a recent visit to TLU, Flores talked to students, faculty and staff about the possibility of selling VOS Flips in the TLU bookstore. He also discussed workstudy opportunities for students interested in representing the brand while gaining real world experience. He made a great first step when his flips received positive response from students at TLU’s Fair Trade and Global Gifts Fair.

Phot

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.“It was then that I realized

that I could realistically couple my ongoing life experiences of helping

others with my passion for international business. I was definitely shaped most by my International Business professors and mentors during my time at TLu.”


rubber-producing communities with health care and education, starting in Guatemala. Two Steps At A Time™ partners with international shoe charity Soles4Souls, Inc., AgroSalud Guatemala and the Guatemalan National Rubber Association.

So, can people afford to care? VOS was founded on the principle that most people want to help others and the planet, but lack the resources to make a significant impact on their own. VOS offers people a way to give back for the price of a pair of sandals. VOS has been featured in The

Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and on Inmigrante TV. Along with the TLU men’s soccer team, athletes and teams across the globe are outfitted with VOS Flips including: Seguin’s own Will Heyward of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Dallas Cowboys’ Andrew Sendejo, Michael Griffin of the Tennessee Titans, Leone Cruz of the Seattle Sounders, Bruno Guarda of FC Dallas, Kieron Bernard of Orlando City Soccer, the Houston Toros and the Haiti Men’s National Soccer Team.

Flores isn’t just passionate about supporting soccer; he played professionally in 2005 with the Deportivo Suchitepequez in Guatemala. To Flores, soccer is not just a global sport, it’s a universal language that unifies nations, languages, cultures and ethnicities—something he hopes the VOS brand can do. Soccer also influenced the design of the sandal. Instead of the traditional thong style flip-flop, VOS Flips feature a strap perfect for athletes wearing socks hoping to trade cleats for something a little more comfortable.

The ideas of charitable work and soccer sandals merged into an Eco-Giving™ business model when Flores took a

400-level international business course at TLU focused on the ever-growing importance of conscious consumerism in the international marketplace. “It was then that I realized that I could realistically couple my ongoing life experiences of helping others with my passion for international business,” says Flores. “I was definitely shaped most by my International Business professors and mentors during my time at TLU.”

After Flores took steps in his educational journey, it was time to take a few steps to ensure the social responsibility he wanted his brand to represent. Two Steps At A Time™ incorporates the right step—giving away a pair for each pair sold—and the left step—providing basic health care and education for rubber production communities in need. Through its partnership with Soles4Souls, VOS Flips is able to contribute to the over 7 million pairs given away since 2005. The initial efforts are focused in Guatemala because it is currently home to the rubber production communities that cultivate the raw material used in the sandals. Just as Soles4Souls reaches over 125 countries

Flores traveled to one of the rubber producing communities in Guatemala that cultivates the raw material for flips. Flores gave away the first pairs of flips himself to workers, children and families.

The Haiti National Men’s Soccer Team receives VOS Flips from Flores.


TLU TODAY

across the globe, VOS hopes to expand its global giving as well. With Gremial de Huleros and AgroSalud, VOS Flips supports over 500 rubber plantation workers and their families by providing health care, education and improved living conditions. An on-site health promoter, much like a school nurse, provides individual face to face basic disease diagnosis and treatment, which is critical to people who may not necessarily have access to simple medications like aspirin. In addition to providing essential medications, the health care component helps maintain good nutrition in children and provides childhood vaccinations and biannual deworming campaigns. Education goes hand-in-hand with good health, so VOS is helping to promote accident prevention in the workplace, oral hygiene and family orientation lectures. VOS even considered the basic necessities of potable drinking water, garbage disposals and latrines.

Flores is extremely effective in inspiring involvement and getting people excited about his full-circle business model. International education director Charla Bailey, remembers Flores from his time at TLU and is interested in working with the business department to bring students

to Guatemala for the full experience of working with and giving back to the community where a business is literally cultivated. While students may not necessarily have the opportunity to be as immersed in a culture as someone who lived in the community, TLU certainly offers a similar experience through study abroad—one that Flores took full advantage of while at TLU. “He wanted to

study in a Spanish-speaking country and chose Granada, Spain,” Bailey recalls. “He was very focused on immersing himself in the Spanish language and culture and represented TLU in the most positive manner. He took every opportunity to engage with people in his classes and in co-curricular activities.”

It’s that talent to engage people that has brought the message of VOS to organizations like the Cibolo Green

Elementary School, the first eco-friendly school in San Antonio’s North East Independent School District. “By joining forces, we’re able to work closer to raise awareness of the ever more apparent necessity to live a sustainable lifestyle while giving back to people in need,” says Flores.

In addition to spreading the message of sustainability and environmental responsibility, VOS Flips is also expanding its customer base. VOS recently signed a contract to distribute its product through Flip Flop Shops, an international retailer specializing in marketing casual flip flops and sandals. The marketing partnership aligns the VOS brand with sandal brands such as Reef, Crocs, Teva and Quicksilver. In February, VOS Flips were showcased at one of the largest trade shows in the world in Las Vegas, providing great exposure for the brand. But Flores doesn’t limit himself to spreading the word about VOS domestically. He’s created quite a photo gallery featuring a traveling flip that is featured in each image. In addition to Haiti and Guatemala, the flip is also pictured in Guadalajara, Brasil, Honduras, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Flores shares the secret to his success: “I try my best to capitalize on every opportunity that crosses my path. Carrying that mentality in all walks of life, I minimize the risk of overseeing a potential opportunity, no matter how small or large they might be. As for advise to students pursuing a career like mine, I’d advise them to travel the world as much as possible. The more one travels, the more one realizes how enormous and diverse our world is. I’d also advise them to learn as many spoken and written languages as possible and cultivate an appreciation for a wide variety of cultures, cuisines and music genres. All of these details coupled together with an education and passion for international business creates an extraordinary professional offering marketable skills across an array of international spectrums.”

VOS Flips takes the next step at Cibolo Green Elementary School.

“The more one travels, the more one realizes how enormous and

diverse our world is.”

Follow the traveling flip on the VOS Flips Facebook page.


The campus has been buzzing with talk, but may soon be buzzing with bulldozers and building contractors. At the February 2011 Board of Regents meeting, the members unanimously approved a motion to hire an architect and contractor to develop schematic designs for a new residence hall. The residence hall is the first step in the new campus master plan, which promises to surpass expectations and output of past campus rejuvenation and construction projects. In the fall, the board will be presented with conceptual

drawings for a new fine arts center that will incorporate the existing Jackson Auditorium while adding practice, performance and exhibition space for each of the fine arts disciplines. The board also got a sneak peek at renderings of the new athletics stadium. These are just a few of the main components of the plan that has been circulating around campus.

With so many new buildings, the plan also calls for renovation and demolition. As one of the oldest buildings on campus, Emma Frey’s bulldozing is rather inevitable, but that didn’t stop people from raising the question of repurposing the building. Part of what the campus master plan intends to focus on is sustainability, which is a key factor as the campus community works towards becoming more environmentally friendly and responsible. While Emma Frey may

be too old and sick to repurpose, other longstanding buildings like Langner Hall are structurally sound enough to be gutted and brought into the 21st century.

Since cost is always a factor, getting the highest LEED certification may not be the most realistic goal. But there are plenty of ways TLU can lessen its environmental impact and improve the quality of life and personal well-being of those who interact with the campus on a daily basis, which is, after all, the goal of any LEED certified project. LEED stands

for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to determine green building certification based on the implementation of environmentally sustainable design, construction, operation

and maintenance. It’s important to note that the level of LEED certification (certified, silver, gold or platinum) is essentially a point system, which considers much more than low-flow toilets and solar panels.

“The goal is to provide an environment people can live and function in in a healthy way,” says alumnus Mike Farringer ’02, a LEED certified estimator for a construction and engineering firm in San Antonio. Out of the 69 total possible points a LEED project can earn, only a few are required, such as preventing

construction activity pollution, reducing energy consumption, recycling and improving indoor air quality. Farringer already has some possible point opportunities for TLU, “There are a lot of flat roofs on campus, which are great for solar panels,” says Farringer. “High roofs like Jackson Auditorium’s would be perfect and they won’t be as visible as some of the other buildings.” Farringer recommends simple considerations like not destroying the current landscaping during construction, managing runoff water and leaning towards energy efficient lighting and appliances that will have a domino effect on the overall sustainability of the project. Even something as small as replacing windows with thicker glass and adding insulation will decrease energy consumption. While TLU isn’t necessarily seeking LEED certification, the plan intends to incorporate and components necessary to obtain it.

Another proposed key feature of the campus master plan is water. Farringer is very familiar with just how much water the TLU campus can hold during rainstorms, since he was living there during the 1998 flood in Seguin. He believes that water reservoirs surrounding the campus will help in collecting some of that rain water in addition to improving the air quality and providing a more tranquil environment

The Next Generation of Living & Learning at TLU

Rendering of the new residence hall.

Perspective of proposed new stadium.


AT&T Supports Plans for New Fine Arts Facility with $75,000 Contribution

AT&T recently awarded $75,000 to Texas Lutheran University to fund the development of conceptual plans for a new fine arts facility on the TLU campus. The conceptual drawings will be presented to TLU’s Board of Regents at a fall meeting.

With a new fine arts facility in place, TLU will seek an increase in participation and enrollment for students interested in band, strings, choir, dramatic media and the visual arts.

“In recent years, the TLU fine arts program has grown to include nearly 25 percent of our student population—more than 300 students—and we have significantly outgrown our existing facilities,” says Nancy Hershfield, vice president for development and alumni relations.

“Many students already choose TLU based on its excellence in fine arts education,” says Laura Sanford, assistant vice president of AT&T and member of the TLU Board of Regents. “New facilities will enable TLU to attract and retain additional students; further enrich arts instruction; enhance student life; and increase the many ways in which TLU serves as an arts focal point for the greater Seguin-area community. This is essential to TLU and its continued educational and community leadership.”

Aerial view of the proposed new quad, which includes the new residence hall and fine arts complex. Images courtesy BGK Architects, Inc.


for students’ well-being. The ponds would also be used to irrigate the campus. Another idea is to create a reflecting pool down the main avenue of campus, which will complete the L-shaped mall from Tschoepe Hall and Beck Center to the chapel and extending out to Highway 46, which was proposed during the siting of Tschoepe Hall in 2002. The beautification of the campus and making it more student-friendly is all part of the Image & Infrastructure (I2) ideal the campus is striving towards. In addition to the reflecting pool and ponds, the campus will become more pedestrian friendly by moving parking lots to the exterior of campus and prohibiting on-street parking. The campus will be tree-lined and landscaping will play a big part in making public spaces welcoming.

The new improvements to campus are meant to not only boost enrollment, but increase the number of residential students. A new stadium would be a step in the right direction to keeping students on campus, but Steve Anderson, assistant to the president for administration and public affairs, envisions the entire campus as a living, learning community. The new residence hall is not just a place to sleep. The first floor will be a public space for classrooms and meetings spaces that can be utilized by the whole TLU community. To take it a step further, the Alumni Student Center and Blumberg Memorial Library will be connected, to truly integrate the social and academic aspects of campus living.

In addition to the first floor public space, the new three-story dorm will accommodate 150-plus beds. It will be a traditional coed freshman dorm with double rooms and community bathrooms. First year students will be able to take classes downstairs and meet with peer mentors. Groundbreaking will take place in the coming months and the residence hall will ideally open in August 2012 to replace Hahn and Kraushaar residence halls.

Skeptics on campus have lived through various iterations of grandiose campus plans, only to see few aspects come to reality. While groundbreaking may be a good start, it’s the ribbon cutting that makes a believer. Anderson is confident the novelty scissors will make an appearance during the 2012-2013 academic year for the opening of the new residence hall, but the stadium and fine arts complex might be a few years away. “Right out of the gate the Board of Regents made a commitment,” Anderson says. “They are fully committed to investing in the future of the campus.” The amount of research done is much more extensive than previous plans and is based on faculty and program director needs. “There has also been an intentional effort by the president and many others to identify and cultivate potential donors,” Anderson assures. Interim president Dr. Robert Vogel even hosted tailgate parties during football games to show off the preliminary stadium sketches and drum up interest and excitement.

As an alumnus, Anderson recalls the parking lot in front of the library and how then president Joe K. Menn had 200 oak trees planted across campus. “At the time, they were sticks in the ground,” Anderson remembers, “but now they’ve come to be iconic and beautify the campus. It shows how a vision can play out over time and really define the campus.” So as the campus transforms, those responsible for the outcome will be monitoring the environmental impact, residential appeal and overall sense of well-being the campus embodies for this class and those for decades to come.

Reducing environmental impact

With the launch of a new recycling program, sustainability goals in the new campus master plan and measures to lessen overall environmental impact, TLU is turning green.

On April 12, 2011, Greenstar Recycling of San Antonio will bring its educational trailer to the TLU campus to help kick off the new recycling program. The TLU community will be able to recycle not only paper, but plastic bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard. Coordinating collection with facilities and sorting with the student Environmental Action (EnAct) group, and getting the right kinds and amount of containers to outfit the entire campus are some of the details taken into consideration. The late semester launch will give students, faculty and staff an opportunity to become familiar with the new program before summer break. Any issues or concerns can be worked out during the summer months to prepare for a full-fledged functioning recycling program in the fall.

The new recycling program is just one of the ideas implemented by the Environmental Sustainability Committee established in January 2010. The students, faculty and staff who make up the committee meet once a month to find ways to reduce TLU’s carbon footprint, practice sustainability and be more environmentally responsible.

Here are some of the current initiatives:

• Paper towels, toilet paper and napkins are made of 100% recycled paper

• Graduation gowns and hats are made of recycled bottles

• Recycled pool water is used to water athletic fields• A “bulb gobbler” was purchased to dispose of

used fluorescent bulbs• An aerosol can reclaimer is used to capture

emissions from used cans• Cooking oil is recycled by a third-party company,

Liquid Environmental Solutions• Garbage bags are made of 75% recycled material• Bookstore bags are made of 98% recycled

material• Gas-fired chillers were replaced with high-

efficiency electric absorption chillers• Boilers were replaced with high-efficiency boilers• Scrap metal is sent to CMC in Seguin for recycling• The paper in the campus paper shredders is

recycled• Students collect aluminum cans, plastic bottles

and paper from residence halls for recycling at local facility

• Trayless cafeteria saves 600 gallons of water and 1,200 lbs. of trash per week

• AT&T science building features rainwater collection system and motion sensor lights

• Students, faculty and staff participate in Earth Day programs on campus and in the community

• Students have the opportunity to minor in Environmental Studies/Science


Students are finding new and talented ways to give back to the community. The new Service Through Music (STM) group, founded by junior vocal performance major Zachary Fraley and junior music education major Jeremy Morgan, encourages its members to share their musical talents while simultaneously spreading awareness and uplifting spirits.

STM was formed to fill a gap in the Greek service organizations on campus, which catered mostly to music students in band. “We have a love for music and want to serve others,” says group president Fraley. “We wanted to provide a philanthropic opportunity for students to share their talents.”

Since April 2010, STM has performed concerts bimonthly for a cause. At each concert, STM members give a 25-minute performance, share a fact about a current cause and make sure to leave time to visit with the residents at each location. “There are nice places with good lighting, but there are others, too,” says Fraley. “We try to visit those most in need. We try to do as much uplifting as we can. It’s always a good feeling to get that helper’s high.” Fundraising helps to offset the cost of gas for traveling to the different performance locations. The money raised for each cause is through freewill donations.

Unlike many other organizations, STM doesn’t collect monetary dues, but instead asks members to bring in canned

goods that are then donated to Christian Cupboard in Seguin. From the original seven members, the group now boasts 30 participants. Membership candidates must participate in a service project, perform in concert with the group and perform a recital for a cause.

The concerts are always a medley of instruments and musical tastes. From Brahms and Mozart to students’ personal compositions, the concerts provide vocalists and instrumentalists with not only a performance outlet, but also an opportunity to rehearse for recitals required for their degrees and perfect compositions. STM doesn’t exclude non-

music majors interested in joining and uses the Involvement Fair and music classes to recruit new members.

The next concert day will be April 3, 2011, when STM plans to reach out to nursing homes and women’s shelters in New Braunfels, culminating with a concert on campus. While it’s hard to anticipate the kind of reception they’ll receive from their audiences, there are times that make it all worth it. At one nursing home, a wife brought her husband to the STM concert. Although he had been unresponsive for five years due to Alzheimer’s, a Christmas hymn from his childhood inspired him to sing along.

TLU TODAY

A talent for service

Junior vocal performance major and STM president Zachary Fraley with a friend he made on concert day.

French horn duet by sophomores Kristi Dietert and Nate Raschke.

STM’s biggest fan.

First concert day in spring 2010.

Check out performances on youtube.com/TLUSTM.

http://youtube.com


On any given Tuesday afternoon alumnus Pete Silvius ’98 can be found leading a group of 15 TLU students through area mountain biking trails, usually at Seguin Outdoor Learning Center.

The mountain biking class kicked off this spring as the first of many new outdoor recreational courses to be included in the TLU curriculum.

Professor of kinesiology Dr. James Newberry, director of campus recreation Debbie Roberts, assistant professor of kinesiology Dr. Noah Dean, and professor of biology and kinesiology Dr. Bill Squires, were all involved in the initial discussions of the program.

“The objective of the outdoor recreation program and the mountain biking course is to create an interest and inspire students to have fun moving and to promote cardiovascular health,” Dean says. “It’s another outlet for those who do not want to play tennis or golf.”

The first part of the course focuses on familiarizing the students with the facts of mountain biking—repairing bikes, learning how to balance, the common injuries and how to deal with them, different types of courses and where they are located.

One of the most important aspects of the program is to initiate lifestyle changes for participants of the course. According to Silvius, the effects of a lifestyle where recreation has become more closely related to technology and become a sedentary activity is becoming a public health concern.

“The term ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ was coined by author Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods to describe what happens to young people who become disconnected from their natural world,” Silvius explains. “Louv links this lack of nature to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. While much of this attention is placed on school-aged children, TLU

students also need to learn how important nature is to their well-being.”

“If students know where mountain biking courses are, know about maintaining equipment and being prepared for the activity, such as in case of injury,” Dean says, “then they would be more likely to incorporate that activity into their daily lives and therefore promote lifelong wellness.”

In the future, the goal of the program is to increase the number of the classes offered and to branch off into different areas of recreation—like offering more than one class in each activity and adding activities like wakeboarding or other water sports, self defense or cardio dance.

The list of potential recreational courses is also expected to bring a unique aspect to TLU and set it apart from other universities.

“TLU is located in a great region of Texas,” Silvius says. “We have mild weather, several local lakes and rivers, and close proximity to several state parks and recreation areas. An Outdoor Recreation program could help develop these resources into assets for TLU.”

So far the first course has been well-received. “The feedback from students is phenomenal. Pete Silvius is getting really good reviews, so he’s doing a great j o b , ” D e a n says.

These courses are created to be available to all students at TLU. According to Dean, the courses are not designed specifically for any major, but are designed for an overall appreciation and awareness of alternate recreational activities.

“Is taking a mountain biking class going to directly help an engineer? No. Is it going to help a psychologist or a nurse? Of course not. But will taking these activity classes instill in them something that they enjoy doing?” Dean asks. “Will it be something that they revert to as some sort of fitness later on in life? Yes. So our engineer lives to be 80 instead of 40.”

By Naomi Urquiza, Senior Communication Studies Major

Classroom meets outdoors


TLU TODAY

“service learning is at various levels of development and quality at TLu,” says center for servant Leadership Director Tim Barr. “some courses are more along the lines of volunteerism—not very integrated into the course—while others are great exemplars of this pedagogical approach.”

Barr hopes to lead a shift on campus away from an exclusive focus on service learning and into an embrace of civic engagement, which implies a larger focus on developing “glocal” citizens who are not only concerned with charity and understanding poverty, but also seek social change as they engage the surrounding community.

This abbreviated list of 2010-2011 courses provides a snapshot of how TLu ties academia to serving the community:

BUSI 476: Corporate TaxStudents get hands-on experience preparing tax returns for actual clients in New Braunfels and Seguin, applying theories they learned in class.

COMM 271:EthnographyStudents will immerse themselves within a cultural group within our larger community, conduct fieldwork and observations, map out cultural phenomena at work, and share the results of their inquiry with the community—in some cases contributing to community archives.

ISYS 133.01: Computer ApplicationStudents will demonstrate their knowledge of common applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel by teaching community members who lack basic computer literacy.

KINS 377: Early Childhood Motor ProgrammingStudents will work as individual physical educators for preschoolers at Faith Lutheran Preschool in Seguin. As a result, students should be able to write lesson plans, conduct learning and fitness activities to groups and individuals, of varied age and ability.

PSYC 332: Abnormal PsychologyStudents in this course will be involved in a national campaign targeting college students to be mental health advocates. Service learning will include a field trip to a San Antonio homeless shelter, visits to a Seguin MHMR program, and presentations on and off campus.

SPAN 375: Advanced Conversational SpanishStudents will interview one Spanish-speaking Seguin resident in order to learn about local Mexican-American history.

service learning (n) a teaching method that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, encourage lifelong civic engagement, and strengthen communities for the common good.


On Oct. 7, 2010, the Watoto Project kicked off with a benefit concert performed by John Cusack and The Cavior Kings. The Watoto Project, named with the Swahili word meaning “child,” began when TLU professor and instructional technologist Rodrick Shao approached TLU Center for Servant Leadership Director Tim Barr about raising awareness and funds for Tanzanian orphans, a ministry Shao’s family has supported through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania for years. Shao and his wife Elly are both originally from Tanzania. They have approached local churches to enlist their support, but wanted to open up the opportunity to the TLU campus and community.

Along with Shao and the Center for Servant Leadership, three student groups (Minga, Shabach Choir, and Global Student Organization) came together last year to begin planning how student groups would be able to sponsor a Tanzanian child and connect with them via letters, the Internet and social media. The Watoto Project provides students with the opportunity to think and act globally.

“It’s an opportunity to remind the TLU campus that even though we can be insulated from some of the grinding poverty and harsh realities of life in other places, it doesn’t mean we should claim or choose ignorance,” Barr advocates. “In partnership with good people here and around the world, we can make a real difference.”

The Shaos hope to return to Tanzania this summer to check in on the children in Tanzania. “We are their ambassadors

and voices representing them in America,” explains Shao. The donors from communities outside Tanzania supplement the minimal support grandparents and siblings are able to provide to the orphans. Grandparents sell vegetables, chickens and eggs from small home gardens for income, while many siblings of orphans are still children themselves. “This is an epidemic that doesn’t discriminate against class or religion,” Shao points out.

According to the Tanzania Commission of AIDS, the number of orphans due to AIDS will increase to 4.2 million by 2014. In 2010, the number was only 1.1 million. Out of a population of about 44 million, almost one in 10 Tanzanians will

be orphaned due to AIDS. While AIDS is the largest factor, other diseases and deaths in childbirth and during pregnancy also contribute to premature deaths in Tanzania. Deaths in the working force are also taking a toll on the country’s economy. Without able bodies to drive the economy, teachers to educate and medical personal to treat people, it’s an ongoing battle to keep

the country running and keep orphans clothed, sheltered and fed.

The Watoto Project, along with Faith Lutheran Church, Lutheran Mission of Seguin and TLU, works directly with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania Northern Diocese to provide funds for basic education, school supplies, food, shelter, a safe place to play and compensation for careworkers. In December 2010, the Northern Diocese received approximately $6,700 for the Watoto Project. While the diocese represents many villages, the funds are starting in Lole. The funds will support the orphans until they can become independent. Each orphan has a sponsor in their village, often a clergy member,

who reports to the Bishop on the progress of the child in school and verifies their level of need. The church sees it as a moral and ethical responsibility to help the child advance in school and pursue secondary education in hopes they will return to their village and help others.

Shao estimates the Watoto Project is helping over 2,000 orphans. “One or two makes my day,” says Shao, “but 2,000 is over anything I expected.” With three children all under the age of 10, Shao often thinks of how any one of the orphans could easily be his own child.

“We’re making a huge impact,” Shao says. “When they hear Seguin, it’s like an angel coming. They talk about TLU because of the help they’ve received.”

The Watoto Project

The library and IT staff raised around $200 to support the purchase of a goat to donate to the Watoto Project. A female goat is given to an orphan child because of the many resources it provides—like milk, baby goats, manure, meat and skin—which can either be used by the child or sold for financial support.

Orphans from Lole village in Tanzania.


Texas was named the 13th most obese state in the country, according to the seventh annual “How Obesity Threatens America’s Future” 2010 report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). With more than 61 percent of Texas adults categorized as overweight or obese, the Seguin community is taking matters into their own hands. Various Seguin organizations are pulling together to take on a new initiative, setting up community youth to begin learning how to eat well and value their health.

According to the Children’s Aid Society, adult obesity has the potential to be reduced by instilling healthy eating habits at a young age, helping individuals learn early on to make healthier choices throughout their development into adulthood.

In an effort to begin inspiring a change in the future vitality and health of Seguin’s youth, TLU has partnered with the Student Health Advisory Council of the Seguin school district to establish and incorporate a program that educates and encourages elementary students and their

parents to adopt healthy eating habits. This launched the Operation Backpack project which kicked off in early February with a delivery of about 10 backpacks filled with healthy snacks to randomly selected students at Rodriguez Elementary, and it’s quickly gaining momentum across the TLU campus as more organizations are volunteering to sponsor backpacks.

For organizations participating at TLU, backpacks are available for pickup in

the Fitness Center Monday-Thursday evenings and are due back Friday morning. An organization or individual sponsoring a backpack is responsible for filling it with healthy foods that will provide a well-balanced meal. The list of recommended contents for the backpacks includes vegetables, fruits, grains, low fat snacks, milk, beans, fish, nuts and seeds and healthy beverages. The list also recommends hygienic products. Once the backpacks are

returned to the Fitness Center, they are taken to Rodriguez

Elementary where the counselors hand them out to different students each

Friday, so that over the weekend healthy eating options are available and can serve as a reminder to the students who receive them.

In addition to tackling issues of obesity the Operation Backpack works towards remedying the issue of hunger as well. According to Dr. Bill Squires, associate professor of biology and kinesiology at

TLU, many students will have their last meal at lunchtime on Friday and may not eat again until they return to school on Monday.

In 2009, three national organizations released reports focused on child hunger, detailing the extent, economic costs and potential solutions to the problem. According to Census data and Texans Against Hunger, Texas has the highest rates of child hunger of all states with one in five children facing food insecurity.

The importance of the Operation Backpack initiative is one that extends into the future of the Seguin community. Studies show that a child who is obese by age 12 has more than a 75 percent chance of becoming an obese adult. Childhood obesity also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and adult long-term illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, asthma and certain cancers.

The TLU Center for Servant Leadership, the TLU Wellness Center, and the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center are all working together, along with support from Blue Cross Blue Shield and great effort from the University of Texas School of Public Health’s CATCH Program to promote initiatives like this throughout the district to help maintain and increase healthy living among children.

By Naomi Urquiza

December 2010 Students jumped into 54

degree water at the annual Polar Bulldog Swim.

January 2011 Steve Neves presents

“Charge” gallery exhibit.

TLU TODAY

Operation BackpackAlumnus and Rodriguez Elementary PE teacher Pete Silvius, student Chris Reyna representing Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Bill Campaign, Rodriguez Elementary principal Yomeida Guerra, TLU biology/kinesiology professor Dr. Bill Squires, TLU campus recreation director Debbie Roberts, student Jarrad McAdams of Alpha Phi Alpha, Rodriguez counselor Yuvia Henry, and student Kevin Isokpeh from Alpha Phi Alpha deliver backpacks to Rodriguez Elementary in Seguin.


CAMPUS L IFE

December 2010TLU hosts Fair Trade and Global

Gifts Fair. December 2010TLU presents annual Vespers concert.

December 2010 Students jumped into 54

degree water at the annual Polar Bulldog Swim.

December 2010MASA and Modern Languages Department celebrated La Posada.

January 2011 TLU honors Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr.

January 2011Dr. Z. Randall Stroope headlines annual Youth Choir Festival.

January 2011 Steve Neves presents

“Charge” gallery exhibit.

February 2011TLU celebrates Black History

Month.

February 2011Dr. Rabbi Stahl returns to TLU for annual lectures.

February 2011 Hundreds of students

volunteered in the community during the annual Day of the

Dogs day of service.

February 2011Ambassador Ronald McMullen talks about foreign service at TLU.

February 2011 Canadian Brass performs at TLU.

February 2011David Gergen, CNN political analyst and former presidential advisor speaks at TLU.


As part of the larger new Student Giving Program, TLU introduced the Bulldog Bank Campaign to this year’s freshmen class. This new campaign is geared toward teaching freshmen the importance of philanthropy at TLU and in society. Also, the campaign serves as an opportunity to educate the students about the importance of the Development and Alumni Relations office and the significant impact TLU alumni have on the university because of their philanthropic support.

Freshmen students were given a Bulldog Bank and encouraged to collect loose change throughout the semester. Over the next few months, students will receive email and Facebook updates authored by the Bulldog Bank regarding important facts about giving—why every gift is important regardless of amount—and why students should participate in the campaign. This is the first step in connecting the dots on the importance of philanthropy to TLU. The Bulldog Banks were sponsored by the TLU Development Board and the program and kickoff event was sponsored by the Student Alumni Association.

At the end of the spring term the development office will sponsor a “round up” week to measure the change collected. Every student who fills up his or her bank above the bulldog bank logo will be entered for a chance to win a Toshiba laptop donated by Advanced Micro Devices of Austin. All funds raised in the campaign will be pooled together and awarded directly back to randomly selected students for scholarships to offset the cost of textbooks. The Bulldog Bank Campaign will be introduced to all freshmen classes going forward and will continue each year as students progress to graduation.

Last year, graduating seniors and parents joined forces to support the new Senior Class Scholarship (SCS), another facet of the Student Giving Program. This scholarship was started by the class of 2010 who decided to use their gifts to support a deserving incoming freshman. Over $1,700 was raised in 2010 and the first SCS was awarded to freshman Nick Hernandez of Converse, Texas. Scholarship recipients are selected by the director of financial aid based on financial need and high school GPA.

The goal of the Student Giving Program as a whole is to prepare all current students to understand the importance of supporting their alma mater as well as their philanthropic passions, and instill a sense of philanthropy in each student. The program also allows student donations to go directly back to students, so the immediate effect of a student’s donation is extremely visible, creating a sense of ownership and pride in philanthropy to TLU and their community.

“I am excited about the opportunity to educate our students about the effects philanthropy can have on TLU,” says Brian Danforth, director of annual giving. “It is important that we encourage students to support TLU, but more importantly that we instill a passion for philanthropy that will also encourage support for the needs of the communities in which they live. This new program is a great start to that educational process. These are the future supporters of Texas Lutheran!”

Read Nick’s story at tlu.edu/student_philanthropy.

GROWING & GIVING

Bulldog Banks are here!


“I truly desire that all Christians would love and regard as worthy the lovely gift of music, which is a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given to mankind by God… next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits...” –Martin Luther

The annual TLU Vespers concert could be described as spiritual, uplifting and a glorious music tradition, but the word that best describes the backstage situation is chaotic. As soon as one choir finishes singing their selections, they rush offstage so the next group can take the spotlight and perform. It’s more than a shuffle of people—it’s also a shuffle of choir robes. Because the choir lacked enough robes for each member of every choir, singers would have to perform quick changes

before returning to the stage to sing the next tranquil arrangement. Now, thanks to the generosity of TLU Corporation Board member Jo Murphy, the TLU choirs performed their spring 2011 tour with enough robes for everyone.

Last spring, Nancy Hershfield, vice president for development & alumni relations, visited with Murphy in her Houston home. As they discussed the happenings at TLU over coffee cake, the conversation turned to the newly proposed fine arts center. While the grandiose plan would incorporate the current Jackson Auditorium and make a new home for the overflowing music, dramatic media and visual arts programs, the choir itself was more concerned with having enough robes for each student.

As a dedicated fan of the annual Vespers concerts and an avid tour participant, Murphy took a special interest in the choir. Every time the tour stopped in Houston, she came to support the singers. While there is a need to upgrade and expand the current facilities, the touring program offers an immediate opportunity to promote not only the choir program, but the university as well. So when Hershfield mentioned there were not enough robes for each choir member, it struck a chord with Murphy.

“Dr. Boyer is the holder of the Mary Gibbs Jones Chair in Choral Music and I want to support that chair,” says Murphy. “He does a wonderful job and the students are so talented. I love the choir. They deserve to look good and feel confident when they perform and it’s important to TLU to share the choir with as many people as possible.” Murphy’s sizeable donation covered the funds needed for the additional robes and helped to offset the cost of the 2011 tour, where the choir will visit Houston, Humble and Galveston before returning home for the culminating concert at TLU on March 29.

When Hershfield shared the check with Dr. Boyer, he was overwhelmed. “What an incredible gift the additional robes are to the choral program,” he says. “For years, we’d have up to 25 students in the lobby taking off robes, putting on robes over and over again as quickly as they could during the Christmas Vespers performance. While the audience was singing a hymn, mayhem was ensuing in the lobby! Not this year. What a blessing to have a robe for every student. Now they can stay focused on the music and the moment.”

Violet Glover: A TLU Treasure

After 32 years of faithful service to Texas Lutheran, Violet Glover retired from her position in the Development & Alumni Relations office in January 2011. Throughout her years at Texas Lutheran,

she served in many roles—administrative assistant, goodwill ambassador, parent of alumni and a friend to many. Her love and dedication to the mission of Texas Lutheran over the years is plainly evident by the number of people who stopped by the office to visit or call her directly concerning development matters.

To honor her for the many years of dedicated service as an employee, co-worker and special friend, The Violet Glover Endowed Scholarship has been created to assure a permanent place for her in TLU history.

“Violet has always been a terrific team player for TLU’s development staff. She was always willing and able to help staff members secure information they needed in their contacts with friends of the University. This was especially valuable when we were ’on the road.’ She has become a special friend of the supporters of Texas Lutheran and has earned their respect as a dedicated representative of the University.” –Bob Haugen, Retired Development Officer

“Violet’s skill and demeanor with people initiated and sustained relationships that have proven to be of great value to Texas Lutheran. And these strengths of hers she demonstrated persistently—year after year. Her trustworthiness, ability to know and respect the boundaries regarding public, private, and confidential matters, and her sense of humor so evident in both her private and professional life made her a wonderful colleague. And I am so grateful that she continues to be a close friend!” –Harold Sager, Retired VP of Development

Giving back to the choir


SCoREbOARD

Women’s Track & Field

Texas Lutheran sophomore pole vaulter Ligia Bolivar qualified for her second consecutive NCAA Division III Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Bolivar competed at the championships in Columbus, Ohio on March 12. The championships were hosted by Capital University in the Capital Center Fieldhouse.

Bolivar was the 12th-ranked competitor entering the championships. She qualified for the championships with a clearance of 12 feet, 0 inches at the Missouri Southern Radio Shack Open on Feb. 18.

Bolivar finished 13th at last season’s indoor championships in Greencastle, Ind. Bolivar cleared 11-4 ¼ in 2010.

Bolivar earned All-America honors at the 2010 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She tied for eighth with a vault of 12-2 ¾.

The TLU women’s track and field team, coached by Patrick Zarate, is the defending outdoor team champion of the American Southwest Conference.

TLU started its outdoor track season on Feb. 25 at the Trinity University

Invitational. The Bulldogs defend their conference title on April 29-30 at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas.

Baseball

TLU, which went 32-13 overall (15-6 ASC) in the 2010 season, totaled 177 points and collected 14 of the 24 possible first-place votes to be named the preseason favorite in the American Southwest Conference West Division Preseason Poll.

Head Coach Greg Burnett’s Bulldogs have won five of the last six ASC West crowns and eight overall. Last year, the Bulldogs led the division with a 4.54 ERA and .966 fielding percentage. TLU won three straight overall ASC titles from 2005-07.

Each team in the ASC picks two “Players to Watch” for the 2011 season. The Bulldogs’ two players to watch for 2011 are junior pitcher Brad Orosey and junior catcher Evan Curtis.

Orosey is a preseason First Team All-American as chosen by D3baseball.com. He is a two-time All-American and 20-2 in his two seasons with the Bulldogs. In 2010, Orosey was the ASC West Pitcher of the Year after going 10-1 with a 3.15 ERA. He struck out 104 batters in 97.0 innings. He walked only 21.

In 2010, Orosey was named a Third Team All-American by D3baseball.com and a Second Team All-American by American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings.

In the final 2010 NCAA Division III statistical rankings, Orosey ranked fifth in the nation in strikeouts. He also ranked ninth in victories and 32nd in hits allowed per nine innings.

Curtis enters his second season as the Bulldogs’ starting catcher. Last season, in his first year on the TLU varsity, Curtis played in 40 games and made 33 starts at catcher. He hit .356 with 27 runs scored, 42 hits, five doubles, and four home runs. He handled a TLU pitching staff that led the ASC West in ERA and finished second in the entire ASC in ERA.

Softball

Texas Lutheran sophomore left-hander Megan Carmichael tossed a no-hitter in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 2-0 win over Southwestern on Feb. 12.

The no-hitter, the ninth softball no-hitter in school history, was just part of a dominating day for the Bulldogs. TLU won the second game against Southwestern 12-1 in five innings.

Southwestern managed only two hits all day and did not get its first hit of the afternoon until the fourth inning of game two.

Carmichael just missed a perfect game. She allowed only one base runner and faced one over the minimum. Carmichael hit a batter in the third inning. TLU also made a throwing error in the third on a pick-off attempt.

Sophomore Ligia Bolivar pole vaults for a spot at the NCAA DIII championships Photo by Patrick Zarate.

Junior catcher Evan Curtis is chosen as an ASC player to watch along with teammate junior pitcher Brad Orosey. Photo by Patrick Zarate.

from pole vaulting to record-breaking fundraising, Bulldogs are taking athletics to the next level.

bulldogs continue to raise the bar

http://d3baseball.com

Carmichael struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Carmichael headlines a young Bulldog squad that has been picked sixth in the preseason poll for the American Southwest Conference West Division.

In 2010, the Bulldogs were 14-24 overall and 8-16 in the ASC West Division. The Bulldogs were fifth in the ASC West a year ago.

Texas Lutheran returns ASC West 2010 award winners Nicole Hatley (senior shortstop), Stephanie Childs (sophomore outfielder), Carmichael (pitcher/utility player), and Brittany Upton (sophomore catcher).

Hatley, Childs, and Carmichael were named to the ASC West Division Second Team in 2010. Upton was an ASC West Honorable Mention selection.

Women’s Basketball

Texas Lutheran junior forward Tamisha Timpson earned a spot on the American Southwest Conference West Division Second Team.

Timpson, a three-year starter, led the Bulldogs in scoring (361 points,

15.0 ppg), three-point shooting percentage (.382), free throws made and attempted (112-of-149), assists (86), and steals (37). She also ranked second on the team in rebounding, at 7.0 per game.

Timpson and the Bulldogs finished sixth in the ASC West Division with an 8-17 overall record and a 7-14 conference mark.

Timpson played in 24 games and made 22 starts. She made 46.5 percent of her field goal attempts and 75.2 percent of her free throw attempts.

In 2010-11, Timpson set career-bests for shooting percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage. She also set a new career high for assists.

After 73 career games with the Bulldogs, Timpson is 10th on the all-time TLU women’s basketball scoring list. Timpson has scored 908 points and averaged 12.44 points per game. She holds career averages of 7.0 rebounds, 2.37 assists, and 1.89 steals.

Keep up with Bulldog stats at tlubulldogs.com.

2,332.75 School record amount raised by the TLU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for Susan G. Komen for the Cure as part of the ASC’s “Make A Change in 14 Days” campaign.

39 Rebound margin in favor of the TLU women’s basketball team in an 80-40 home win over Sul Ross State. The Bulldogs grabbed 66 rebounds to the Lobos’ 27.

38 Free throws made by the TLU men’s basketball team in a road win over Concordia Texas. The Bulldogs were 38-of-45 from the free throw line in the 92-86 win.

27 Rebounds grabbed by freshman post Lynn Lumpkin-Boozer in a conference win over Sul Ross State. Lumpkin-Boozer tied the conference record and set a new TLU women’s basketball mark.

15 Games (out of 24) that TLU men’s basketball player Isaac Williams led the Bulldogs in scoring in 2010-11. Williams, a junior forward, led TLU to a five-game improvement from the previous year.

9 No-hitters in the history of TLU softball. Sophomore left-hander Megan Carmichael tossed the ninth in a 2-0 win over Southwestern on Feb. 12, the opening-day of the season for the Bulldogs.

Lucky Numbers

Sophomore left-hander Megan Carmichael tossed the ninth no-hitter in school history. Photo by Patrick Zarate.

http://tlubulldogs.com


SCoREbOARD

Women’s Basketball

Texas Lutheran freshman post Lynn Lumpkin-Boozer matched the American Southwest Conference single-game rebound record and set a new TLU women’s basketball mark with 27 rebounds against Sul Ross State on Jan. 22.

Lumpkin-Boozer grabbed 16 rebounds in the first half and 11 in the second half in the conference win over Sul Ross State. She also scored 13 points for the Bulldogs.

Lumpkin-Boozer broke the TLU record of 25 (set by Kelly Winkelmann on Feb. 12, 1992, against Mary Hardin-Baylor). The TLU record-breaking rebound came with 24 seconds remaining on the clock.

The ASC record-tying rebound for Lumpkin-Boozer occurred just before the final buzzer.

Lumpkin-Boozer now shares the conference record with former University of Dallas player Michelle Logsdon, who recorded 27 rebounds on Feb. 15, 1997, against the University of the Ozarks.

The record day by Lumpkin-Boozer raised her rebound average by 1.1 boards per game, to a rebound average of 9.5. She posted a 22-rebound game earlier this year (Jan. 3, 2011) in a triple-overtime win over Schreiner.

The 27-rebound game by Lumpkin-Boozer is the second-most ever by any TLU basketball player. Men’s basketball player Bill Newton had 29 rebounds against LeTourneau in the 1969-70 season.

Men’s Basketball

Texas Lutheran’s Isaac Williams was named to the American Southwest Conference Men’s Basketball All-West Division First Team, and teammates Malcolm Dotson, Brad Howard, and Michael Flores also picked up ASC West honors.

Williams, a junior forward, was named to the ASC West First Team for the first time in his career. A three-year letterman and two-year starter, Williams led TLU in scoring and rebounding with career-bests in each category. In 2010-11, Williams averaged 15.5 points and 8.1 rebounds and made 50.5 percent of his shots from the field.

Williams has raised his scoring and rebound averages in each of his three years with the Bulldogs. He averaged 9.5 points and 4.7 rebounds as a freshman and 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds as a sophomore. He enters his senior season with career totals of 939 points and 473 rebounds and with career averages of 12.9 points and 6.48 rebounds per game. His career shooting percentage is .475.

Dotson, a senior guard, was named the ASC West’s Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year. Dotson, a four-year letterman and three-year starter, played in 97 career games for the Bulldogs. He averaged 4.8 points, 1.58 steals, and 2.62 assists in his TLU career.

Howard, a senior guard/forward, was named to the ASC West’s Defensive Team for a second straight season. Howard led the Bulldogs in blocks,

with 12, and was third on the team in steals, with 32. Howard played in 98 career games with the Bulldogs and averaged 9.81 points and 4.71 rebounds. Howard leaves TLU as the 38th all-time scorer in school history.

TLU junior shooting guard Michael Flores was named to the ASC West Honorable Mention team. Flores was second on the team in scoring (9.8 points/game) and led the team in three-pointers made (32). He also recorded 41 assists and 23 steals and shot 77.4 percent from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs, led by fourth-year head coach Tommy Jones, made a five-win improvement in 2010-11 over the campaign in 2009-10. TLU went 11-13 overall and 10-11 in the American Southwest Conference in 2010-11 and finished fifth in the eight-team ASC West Division.

Men’s Golf

The Texas Lutheran men’s golf team started the spring golf season ranked in the Top 25 of NCAA Division III. In the Feb. 23 ranking, TLU held a No. 21 national ranking in the Golf World/Nike Golf Coaches’ Poll.

Junior forward Tamisha Timpson sets career-bests on the court. Photo by Megan Sladek.

Junior forward Isaac Williams is named to ASC West First Team. Photo by Megan Sladek.


The Texas Lutheran University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee raised a school-record $2,332.75 in the American Southwest Conference’s “Make a Change in 14 Days” loose coin collection project. The 15 American Southwest Conference universities combined to raise a record $11,938.57 for local community organizations in the fifth annual “Make a Change in 14 Days” campaign. Sixteen different organizations received support through the local campus fundraising efforts held from Jan. 25-Feb. 7.

The student-athlete advisory committee at TLU came in second place overall among ASC schools. TLU’s group held a golf tournament and raised $2332.75 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of Kathy Starch, wife of TLU team doctor David Starch, who is battling cancer.

In the five years of the conference-wide community service campaign, nearly $40,000 has been raised to benefit 50 different charitable organizations in ASC campus communities. In each of the past four years, the SAAC groups have topped the $8,000 mark. The two-week SAAC event is designed as a challenge among the ASC member campuses and is scheduled during the turn of the conference division basketball schedule. TLU, Schreiner, Sul Ross State, and Howard Payne claimed the 2011 division pool title with a combined collection of $6,075.74, nearly doubling the previous record.

Make a change in 14 daysBulldogs golf for a cure

The Golf World/Nike Golf Coaches’ Poll is conducted by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

The Bulldogs are led by Head Coach H.C. Tran, now in his 12th season with the team.

The Bulldogs won American Southwest Conference Men’s Golf Championships in 2006 and 2007 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Bulldogs finished seventh nationally in 2007 and 12th in both 2005 and 2006.

Tennis

Michael Hunt, Texas Lutheran’s head coach for women and men’s tennis, was named to the Collegiate Committee for the United States Tennis Association/Texas.

Hunt, in his first season at TLU, previously served two terms on the Collegiate Committee for the USTA/Midwest (representing Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and parts of Kentucky and West Virginia).

Hunt also served as the president of the USTA/Middle Illinois District,

which included the Illinois cities of Peoria, Champaign, Bloomington, Decatur, and Springfield. He also sat on the National Recreation and Parks Association Board of Trustees.

Hunt, a native of Lake Jackson, Texas, is the former head women’s tennis coach at Sam Houston State University. Hunt came to TLU after serving as the women and men’s tennis coach at Western Illinois University, an NCAA Division I university in Macomb, Ill.

By Tim Clark, TLU Sports Information Director.


Collin Bost, adjunct English and communication faculty, had a short story entitled “Alternative Education” published in the spring issue of Quarterly West. He will also present “Interrogating the Image,” a paper on documentary filmmaker Errol Morris, at the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association’s national conference in April.

In association with their study of the book The Big Necessity a story about human waste treatment around the world, on March 1, Drs. Citzler and Hettinger toured the Walnut Branch Waste Water Treatment Plant with students from their Global Perspectives class.

On Feb. 28, senior business finance student Drilona Aliu, Dr. Annette Citzler, and Dr. Justin Dubas attended the Financial Executives International, San Antonio Chapter, banquet at which Aliu received one of the Keith A. Russell Academic Awards to recognize outstanding accounting and finance students at area universities.

Summer research students Natalie Caffey and Lauren Jackson accompanied Dr. Robert Jonas to the Spring Meeting of the Texas Branch of the American Society for Microbiology March 3-5 in New Braunfels at the T-M Conference Center.

TLU faculty and students participated in “Hiking with the Scientists” on Feb. 26 in McKinney Falls State Park in Austin. Participants included Pastor Greg & Melissa Ronning, Bill Squires, Bill Davis, Bob & April Jonas, Santiago & Stephanie Toledo, Mark Gustafson, Danielle Grove, Jonathan Zitelman, Christopher Gohmert, Amy Lees, Adrianna Martinez, Sarah Haynes, Harlie Baitz, Doug Lewis, Heather Renner and Daniella LaGesse.

Spanish minors and majors Kyle Zunker, Mary Alvarado, Kari Teigen, Beto Rincon, Edgar Infante and Rebeca Narvaez were accompanied by Dr. González to attend the 22nd Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Award Ceremony on Feb. 24 at the Seguin Coliseum.

Student Curtis Lee has been selected by the Graduate School at Duke to be a University Scholar, a distinction that is granted to only six graduate students each year.

Barbara Gettig, Steve Boehm, Sally Cook, Rebecca Clark and Kyle Olson attended the Annual Assessment Conference at Texas A&M University on Feb. 20-22. The conference focused on how integrating assessment to support high impact educational practices can lead to improvement in student learning.

Physics professor Dr. Lee Powell made a trip to the Dallas area Feb. 11-12 to visit Midlothian High School to talk to students about pre-engineering. He also gave a research talk titled “Exploring the Structure of the Milky Way” at Collin College, then ran a day-long workshop on interactive engagement teaching techniques in the astronomy 101 classroom on behalf of the NASA Center for Astronomy Education.

Junior political science/international studies major Kade Leniqi and sophomore business administration major Jessica Stout attended the Texas State University Leadership Conference Feb. 11-12, accompanied by Lisa Cradit, director of academic support.

As part of the work that students do at Teatro de Artes, Rebecca Padilla, psychology major & theology minor, helped the children make valentines on Feb. 9.

As part of the community engagement requirement in Dr. Sam Hijazi’s Computer Application (IS 133) course, Brent Peavy worked with a resident of Eden Cross/Place apartments to teach basic computer skills.

On Feb. 2, Dr. Hettinger’s neuroscience students presented their brain models, an exercise designed to ensure an understanding of the 3-D arrangement of internal brain structures.

Martha Rinn, university librarian, traveled to Austin in February to deliver testimony on the impacts of cutting state library funding to the Texas House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees, participated in the Texas Library Association’s Legislative Day activities, and attended a meeting of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

On Jan. 25, students from Spanish 376 met with some members of the Hispanic community in Seguin to arrange interviews as part of the Historias de Seguin project.

On Jan. 31 Drs. Hager, Sieben, and Hettinger accompanied Honors students and their friends to Trinity University in San Antonio to hear a lecture entitled “From the Big Bang to the Nobel Prize and on to James Webb Space Telescope and the Discovery of Alien Life” by Dr. John C. Mather, Nobel Laureate and senior astrophysicist at NASA.

Director of athletics Bill Miller; head softball coach, senior women’s coordinator and compliance officer Missy Steiger; and assistant to the president for administration and public affairs Steve Anderson attended the annual NCAA national convention in San Antonio Jan. 13-15.

The Center for Servant Leadership took a trip to Pedernales Falls State Park to go camping and hiking in order to increase environmental awareness among TLU students.

Dr. Rebecca A. Kosary, assistant professor of history, was an invited speaker at the Symposium on Texas History in Gonzales, Texas Jan. 15.

organized by Dr. Frank de la Teja and the Public History program at Texas State University. Dr. Kosary’s presentation highlighted the rich African-American history of Central and South Texas.

Vanguel Tangarov, who teaches private clarinet lessons in the School of Music, completed all academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts with a major in performance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Students from the Mexican Indigenous Dance class performed as part of the Arts Festival in Seguin on March 25-27 in celebration of the reopening of historical Texas Theatre.

Dr. Bill Squires attended the 87th Annual Convention of the TAHPERD on Dec. 3 at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston. Dr. Squires was accepted for a poster presentation on his abstract entitled “The Saegert 6th Grade Center Wellness Initiative: Three Year Follow-up.”

Professor Rachel Walsh’s Judaism class visited the Holocaust Museum in San Antonio on Nov. 23 and heard Holocaust survivor Bill Samelson talk about his personal experiences.

In November, students in Advanced Conversational Spanish made presentations at Seguin’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church as part of the Historias de Seguin (Seguin Stories project) in which students interviewed Mexican-American members of the Seguin community.

BraggingRights


FLAME Q&A

Q&A with Dr. Justin DubasAssistant Professor of business Administration & Economics

How did you end up at TLU?

I started here in the fall of 2009, so this is my second year teaching here. We were in Wisconsin and looking to relocate somewhere where the winters weren’t freezing, and I was also looking to stay in the liberal arts field. It just so happened that TLU was looking for someone in my field of study and here I am.

What would you consider your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge is always about motivating students. My entire career was chosen to try to help facilitate learning, and sparking that passion in learning any subject (especially economics) is the first step and the most difficult step.

What sparked your interest in business?

I started in the field as an undergrad because it seemed to come easy to me. I think my brain was wired to think this way. As I progressed through the degree and into grad school, it became a passion as I realized it profoundly impacted our world. It was during my own study abroad experience when we were constantly figuring out exchange rates that I really figured out my interest. I actually ended up doing my dissertation on exchange rates.

What’s happening in the business department?

Right now we have a business investment club that we are doing in partnership with Dave Sather ’89. It’s been going on for about a year and a half now and I think students are really getting a lot out of it. It’s turned into a self-sustaining program. We also have a capstone course (Strategy) in which our students are using a computer simulation program where they essentially run their own companies. They, of course, are competing against one another but they are also competing with other participants in the program all around the world. We also have been fairly successful in our ethics course where teams compete with one another and the class winners move on to a regional match where they have placed the last two years.

Talk about the collaboration with VoS Flips to develop a new business study abroad opportunity.

It’s through an Economic Development course, but since we don’t have it every semester, we haven’t had the chance to incorporate the idea yet. We have had some good feedback. The last time I taught the course, I had a group of about six students and bounced the idea off of them with generally pretty positive feedback. I hope to be able to work through this to make it a practical study abroad

experience for our students. I think it ties to the class, but also to the idea of service learning which is very powerful for students to enhance their learning and their TLU experience. I would really like to get involved with international education because it completely changed my perspective when I studied abroad. I would like to help build that opportunity for students here.

As a sponsor for the student Environmental Action group (EnAct), what are some of their initiatives?

We’ve had this group going for about a year and a half now. It was inactive on the campus, then Dr. Toledo and myself came together with a number of students to pick it back up last spring. What we’re hoping to do is get a full-scale recycling program on campus, having something in every classroom and every major floor. The students that we have are very committed to the efforts. We did contact the Board of Regents about the campus master plan to talk about the sustainability efforts because it’s something we would like to see implemented throughout the community. Tim Barr is acting as our liaison with the community and getting that implemented through his contacts. As we move down the learning curve, we hope to more fully incorporate the city of Seguin. We’d like to contribute to and learn from what is already happening in Seguin, possibly by adopting a community garden, and using what we learn to slowly incorporate local food efforts on campus. This is down the road, but we are hoping to keep an eye on moving forward.

By Naomi Urquiza


LUCky’S PAck

In tracing modern-day volunteer work at TLU, I am reminded of how word meanings change. The word now used to describe volunteer work is service. In my day that meant either military service or worship service. Today it has a much broader meaning, the one that is used at the Jon and Sandra Moline Center for Servant Leadership. “There the familiar words of Jesus remind participants that those who would be great must be servants.” (Mark 10:43)

Founded in 2005, the Moline Center has worked to incorporate service activities into course objectives and through extracurricular service opportunities such as mentoring, recycling, community gardening and special community service days. Under the leadership of TLU alumnus Tim Barr ’99, the program has greatly broadened the meaning of the word service. Sororities and fraternities as well as other campus organizations now include community service projects in their activities.

In looking back at service in my era, it was either church-related or campus-related as contrasted with the community-related perspective it enjoys today. Most memorable church-related activities were the busloads of students traveling on Sunday

afternoons to minister the Polio wards at Warm Springs. Student bus driver Willie Spreen ’58 remembers the somewhat difficult visits to iron lung captives. “The idea was to visit with them and then offer some words of encouragement from Scripture. It was an on-again, off-again effort that took lots of commitment.”

If not church-related, service was mainly centered on “on campus”—the annual cleanup day that preceded Homecoming as well as special projects such as assisting in building sidewalks or planting trees. The “purpose” of the Student Senate Service Committee in 1957 was “to function as an aid to the campus problems and to handle special projects on campus.” A men’s organization founded in 1958 under the leadership of Bill Henze ’59 was named the Western Service Organization. The stated tasks of the black-hatted Vigilantes, as they preferred to be called, were all “on campus” and included ushering at football games, serving banquets and assisting with the Homecoming parade. In appearance and demeanor, they also added an edgy morale boost to the campus.

A somewhat “self-serving” off-campus outreach occurred at about this same time because of Professor Gene Reynold’s

From ministry to Polio patients in the 1950s to flood relief in the 1970s and 1990s to the present-day multifaceted volunteer opportunities, Texas Lutheran students have always been involved.

Service:a TLU tradition

by Luther Oelke ’59Director of church Relations Emeritus

and University Archivist

Texas Lutheran community pulls together to help victims of the 1972 flood.


children’s theatre class. Needing an audience, he sent his students to Seguin’s elementary schools in 1955-56 and again in 1956-57 to perform. Spreen recalls that being cast in the role of Dodo the Clown, children would recognize him on the street and excitedly call out “Dodo!”

Community service—reaching out to Seguin—formerly defined as occasional Christmas baskets to the needy—expanded dramatically in May, 1972. Canyon Dam had been built and flooding was thought to be a thing of the past for Seguin, but a deluge below the dam inundated low areas of New Braunfels and Seguin on the eve of final exams.

Lynn Ziese ’72 recalls that she and others had begun to understand the concept of community service by 1970, with ideas aimed at alleviating hunger both locally and globally. In a program that has since been repeated, students offered to skip meals in exchange for donations to world hunger projects. She also recalls an attempt to assist Seguin poor, which did not gain as much traction.

Then the great flood came. “I had never seen the level of destruction that unfolded with lifetimes of belongings flushed down the river. Many of us volunteered to help and we were embraced by the Seguin community,” she recalled. Ziese explained how the final exam schedule was tweaked to permit students to do flood clean-up rather than study. “As I recall it, if you were passing a course and were satisfied with your pre-final grade, you could skip the final and go to work.”

To say that it took a flood to open the door to a greater concept of community service to Texas Lutheran seems an exaggeration. Yet, it is clear that since then there has been a broader concept of service as understood at TLU. Today’s Moline Center for Servant Leadership reveals a maturity of the word service, one that in many ways better defines what Jesus taught.

Alumni have spoken“TLU alumni love their alma mater!” says Taylor Carleton ’97, director of alumni relations. “The numbers show that TLU alumni feel a strong connection to the university and like to promote it to others. In fact, 97 percent of respondents told us that they thought it was a good—even great—decision to attend TLU and 96 percent of alumni promote TLU to others.”

There are more than 10,000 living Texas Lutheran alumni out there—and whether the defining experience of their generation was World War II, Vietnam, Watergate, the end of the Cold War, the “Dot-Com Revolution,” or 9/11; the vast majority of them love TLU. According to online and paper surveys about alumni attitudes conducted this past fall, alumni have a high opinion of their alma mater and very much value the education they received.

TLU staff is pleased to have received such helpful feedback from 26 percent of the university’s alumni. “Because of the response, given generously by those who participated in the surveys and focus groups, we have identified what we are doing well and key areas we need to improve,” says Nancy Hershfield, vice president for development and alumni relations. The offices involved are studying the findings to enhance current programs and services, with the hope of giving alumni compelling reasons to support and stay close to their alma mater.

“In the coming months we’ll be reporting to alumni on the feedback they gave us,” Hershfield says. “We want to let them know what we’re doing to address their concerns.”

View Alumni Attitude Survey results at tlu.edu/alumni_survey.

Willie Spreen ’58 as Dodo the Clown.


1941 Walt and Gladys Fruehling ’41 celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Dec. 5, 2010. The couple was wed in 1945 at Martin Luther Church in Auburn, Neb.

by Walt’s father. That same year Walt was ordained and is also celebrating 65 years of being a pastor. After living in Windsor, Colo.; Marion, Texas; Overland Park, Kan.; and Beatrice, Neb. they finally retired in Seguin where they remain active in the community.

1966 Shirley (Kasper) Kearns ’66 and Donald Hormuth ’65 were married at Immanuel Lutheran Church in LaVernia, Texas on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011.

2002Jennifer N. (Perez) Benson ’02 married Donnie Benson in Garden Ridge, Texas on Oct. 10, 2010 and they are now expecting to welcome a new member to the family on Aug. 29, 2011. Jennifer is currently a program coordinator with Mosaic in Seguin, Texas.

2004Lisa Miller ’04 married on Oct. 24, 2010 on Santa Rosa Island in Florida. Her husband Gary Horton attended TLU for one semester and that is how they met.

ALUMNOTEs

Rachel Messenger and Nicholas Sralla, both ’06, were married in New Braunfels in November 2008. Alumni in the wedding party included: Jenny Robbins Marshall ’06, Amanda Gerstmann ’09, Lukas Kemp ’06 and Jeremy Kemp ’10.


2007 Natalie (Schendel) ’07 married Darryn Wright on Aug. 1, 2009 at the Faust Hotel in New Braunfels, Texas. The wedding party included TLU alumna Jamie (Schendel) Johnson ’03, Darryn’s daughter Kayla, 16, as well as his sons Tyler, 13, and Dawson, 6. The couple now resides in New Braunfels, Texas.

2008Sarah (Rutledge) ’08 married Justin Stone ’10 on Feb. 26, 2011 in Bulverde, Texas. TLU graduates in the wedding party included: Andrew Dietzel ’09, Wes Cain ’09 and Brandy Mikeska ’07.

2009 Karee (Viergutz) ’09 was married to Matthew Kerr by Pastor Greg Ronning at TLU’s Chapel of the Abiding Presence.

1992Michael Neuman ’92 and his wife Tammy announce the birth of their son Michael Jerome “MJ” on Jan. 26, 2011. MJ joins his four sisters Ashley, Abby, Taylor and Emma.

1994 Kitt (Langehennig) Scharf ’94, husband Greg and big brother Travis helped welcome baby Abigail on May 27, 2010. She was 7 lb., 13 oz. and 21 in. Kitt is a first grade teacher with Pflugerville ISD for 12 years and counting.

Michael “Shane” Swanson ’94 and Jeff Brockmann announce the birth of their daughter Nora Ann Brockmann on Dec. 8, 2010. Shane, Jeff and Nora make their home in Minneapolis, Minn.

1996Courtney (Luebben) Peeler ’96 and husband Steven welcomed their first child. Andrew Michael Graham Peeler was born on Aug. 4, 2010. Hospital visitors included Naomi (Olson) ’04 and Greg Hartman ’05. The Peelers now live in Hastings, Neb.

1997Becky (Schneider) Merrill ’97 and her husband Michael announce the birth of their second daughter Shellie Lynn on Oct.

20, 2010. Kaylee, 3, is a proud big sister.

Wendy (Curry) ’97 and husband Miguel de la Garza ’96 and their son Zeke welcomed a new addition to the family. Cecilia Sol was born on Oct. 21, 2010 in Tampa, Fla.

2001 Amy (Tackitt) ’01 and Mark Maytum ’97 welcomed their son Carter Joseph on June 22, 2010. He joined his big brother Logan James, 4. Carter was baptized at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in San Antonio, Texas on Dec. 18, 2010. His godparents are Kevin Wenzel ’96 and April (Wallingford) Wenzel ’99.

2002 Melissa (Bakken) Trainer ’02 welcomed another son Dylan Andrew Trainer into the world on Sept. 23, 2010.

Carolyn (Dahse) ’02 and John Wallace ’01 welcomed their first child Jocelyn Mahala Wallace on Jan. 18, 2010.

2003Brian and Katrina (Rathburn) Campbell, both ’03, were excited to welcome their first born Ryder Brian Campbell on Dec. 17, 2010.

Send your AlumNotes to [email protected].

Denise (Cano) Koch ’07 and Chad Koch ’06 welcomed their son, James Charles, on Nov. 2, 2010.



1965 Donald Braun ’65 retired in August of 2010 after 45 years of service in education. After two months at home working on “projects,” he began to substitute teach in the Judson ISD. Braun says, “I have really enjoyed working with elementary children and the best part now is I only work if I feel like working.”

1968 Victor Schaper, Jr ’68 held a sacred music show back in November 2010 at Cross Lutheran Church in New Braunfels. Victor is the church musician/organist at St. John’s Lutheran Church in San Antonio and serves as the artistic director of the First Friday Concert Series there. Victor holds a master of music degree in organ performance and has served as full-time music director and as organist for various churches. He has also taught organ at TLU. Schaper is a member and past officer of the Alamo Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians.

1969 Kenneth “Ken” Kramer ’69 edited the new book The Living Waters of Texas, a collection of personal stories by veteran Texas conservation professionals accompanied by the landscape photography of Charles Kruvand. The volume was published by Texas A&M University Press and is one in a series of books sponsored by the River Systems Institute at Texas State University. Kramer is the director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest environmental organization.

1971Dr. Wayne B. Powell ’71 became the 11th president of Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, N.C., on Dec. 1. Lenoir-Rhyne is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Powell has served as vice president and dean for academic affairs at Lenoir-Rhyne University since 2000. From 1992-2000, he served as dean and associate dean for the Graduate College at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla. Powell was professor, associate and

assistant professor of mathematics at Oklahoma State from 1980-2000. From 1986-1987, Powell was a visiting associate professor at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan. He was an instructor there from 1978-1980.

1972 Victoria (Qualley) Faulkner ’72 is now a grandmother. Her daughter Tracy and husband Brian King had a baby girl named Katherine Elizabeth on Sept. 25, 2010. She was two months premature and weighed 2 lbs., 14 oz. She is doing well now.

1974 Richard Laut ’74 has moved back into IT support after seven years as an adjunct instructor. Laut is now the DOL/HGE Network Technician for the Fieldbus Training Center at Lee College.

1977 Sylkie Green ’77 is an internet radio personality along with Cornelius Grant, her co-host and co-producer of the Cornelius Grant’s Flashbacks and New Traks radio program. The show features interviews with veteran Motown insiders, entertainment news, oldies music, and many interesting points of view by Sylkie. After graduating from TLU, Green began her career in radio at KWED radio station in Seguin. She later became an award-winning television news reporter at KENS Channel 5 in San Antonio, Texas. During the period of 2003-2007 she served on the Board of Directors of the National Black Programmers Coalition. Green and Grant’s voices together on the radio have been described as sandpaper (Grant) and silk (Green), a very compelling combination. To learn more about Cornelius and Sylkie’s internet radio program please visit www.corneliusgrant.com.

1978 Alexander Cedillo ’78 retired from AT&T Inc. on Dec. 18, 2010 after more than 30 years with the company. He began his career in 1980 with AT&T out of Houston, Texas. Cedillo has lived in Duncanville, Texas since 2001 and will continue to make his home there post-retirement.

1979 Bryan Tollefson ’79 received a Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Team

Achievement Award for his role in the ongoing technology update project for the White House Situation Room. Tollefson is the head of technical staff for the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance division at the Systems Center.

1988 Elizabeth “Beth” J. Ruehle ’88 was recently chosen by her peers as Administrator of the Year at the Texas Healthcare Association’s annual meeting. Ruehle is the administrator of TRISUN Care Center Westwood in Corpus Christi, Texas. TRISUN Healthcare is a Texas-based company that manages nearly 40 skilled nursing and rehabilitation and assisted living facilities in Texas.

1990 Matthew Benuska ’90 was presented with a Foreign Minister’s Award from the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle, Wash. on Dec. 13, 2010. This award, which was granted to 30 people worldwide by the Republic of Korea, was given to Benuska for his contributions to the political rights and interests of Koreans living overseas. Benuska has been actively involved in the Korean community for the past 15 years. In addition to serving on the board of Korean American Coalition, he is secretary-treasurer of the Korean American Historical Soceity, where he previously helped produce four of five journals of Korean American heritage. Matthew works as a budget analyst for the Edmonds School District.

Paula Maddox Roalson ’90, a partner in the law firm Walsh Anderson, has been selected to open the firm’s Houston office in January 2011. Roalson’s practice emphasizes the representation of public school districts, particularly in the areas of special education and disabilities rights. She and her husband John ’90 have two daughters, Hannah and Abigail.

1991 Kezeli “Kez” Wold ’91 received his master’s of public administration at Texas State University and also completed the Governor’s Executive Development Program through the LBJ School at The University of Texas. Wold is employed as director of Field for Adult Protective Services in Texas. His wife JoAnna and daughter Jillian continue to reside in New Braunfels.

ALUMNOTEs

http://corneliusgrant.com


1992 Michelle (Moryl) Harborth ’92 and her family moved from their hometown in Seguin to Willow Park, Texas in order for her husband Dale to accept a promotion within his company. Michelle is currently working with CSG Systems Inc., which acquired previous employer Intec back in December. They have three children: Trever, 17; Hanna, 12; and Nicholas, 10.

1996 David J. ’96 and Angela (Coon) Wendell ’97 married back on July 5, 1997. They have a daughter Victoria D. Wendell, 9, and a son Jonathan Wayne Wendell, 5.

1997 Mollie (Wettstein) Cullinane ’97 has founded the Cullinane Law Group, which provides legal counsel and development services to the nonprofit community. Serving nonprofit organizations nationwide, Cullinane and her firm organize new nonprofit entities, provide counsel regarding nonprofit law and governance, and assist with long-term development and strategic planning. Cullinane and her family live in Austin.

1998 Jeff Hiller ’98 hit Broadway in Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson. While on campus to receive a young alumnus award last year, Hiller held an improvisation workshop with dramatic media students.

Dr. Brett McCown ’98, D.D.S. after graduating from TLU had a brief career in the biomedical field before going on to pursue dentistry. He practiced in Wenatchee, Wash. before joining the Tier One Dental Team in Seguin. Dr. McCown speaks fluent Spanish and enjoys the challenges of endodontics, pediatric dentistry, and oral surgery. He married

his wife Elizabeth (Stone) McCown ’00 in 2000. They enjoy travel and outdoor activities as well as raising their daughter, Avery Elaine.

2003 Diana J. (Tovar) Weeks ’03, human resources consultant supervisor for Padgett, Stratemann and Co. in San Antonio, has successfully passed eight exams to receive a Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) designation from World at Work Society of Certified Professionals. She currently holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) professional certification from the Human Resource Certification Institute and a Certified Compensation Professional certification from World at Work Society of Certified Professionals. Weeks is also a licensed private investigator in the state of Texas.

2004Jennifer Ann McDaniel ’04 will be graduating with a master’s degree in community counseling from The University of Texas at San Antonio in spring 2011.

2005 Melissa Trost ’05 graduated in December 2010 with her M.B.A. from LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. She now lives and works near San Antonio with her family.

2006 Michelle (Roecker) Barbee ’06 was recently featured in an article by KWED 1580 AM Radio in Seguin, Texas. She was interviewed about her investment in the community for providing top-notch learning to local students.

2008 Kaleigh Emerson ’08 received her master’s of public health degree from Emory University in May 2010. She is currently a fellow with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and lives in Philadelphia, Pa.

2009 Alison Organ ’09 and Kelli Layden ’09 have begun volunteering with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)-Houston Affiliate in memory of their late grandmother. They will help with fundraising efforts, gathering sponsors, and organizing Houston’s first PurpleStride 5k later this year.

1932 Ethel “Boots” (Schaefer) Gisler ’32, age 100, passed away Nov. 25, 2010 in Victoria. She was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church and enjoyed gardening and animals.

Kelly (Manley) Baldwin ’00 and husband Greg with sons Kevin, 1, and Grant, 4.

Harold Baenziger ’34 died Feb. 9, in Seguin at the age of 98. A veteran of WWII, Baenziger was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Seguin, the American Legion and the Seguin Noon Lions Club. The Baenziger family operated a grocery store in Seguin for more than 50 years.

He was a Trustee for Seguin ISD for many years, Trustee for State Bank and Trust for 31 years, and a member of the Seguin Noon Lion’s Club for more than 65 years. His work for the Lions is legendary. He was Lion of the Year in 1983-1984, and recognized as a Melvin Jones Fellow for Humanitarian Service.

He was a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a member of the American Legion H. U. Wood Post #245; a Sons of Herman member and recognized by them for his humanitarian work; and a Heritage Museum member. He made generous gifts and other contributions to the First Methodist Church and his alma mater, Texas Lutheran, where he graduated in 1934. In 2005 he received the TLU Distinguished Alumni Award and has established a chair in music and a scholarship in his name.


1936 Glenn Anderson ’36 of Victoria passed away Jan 19. He served his country in the U.S. Air Corps during WWII. He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as director of choir and was known for his singing at many weddings and funerals. He was a member of the Victoria Men’s Barber Shop Quartet and the Victoria Kiwanis Club. He was an instructor for many years for Life Underwriters and state life insurance licensing. Anderson worked as an insurance agent for 50 years before retiring from Southland Life Insurance Company.

1938 Almarie (Hoel) Kappler ’38 of Baytown died Nov. 11, 2010 at the age of 90. She will be remembered as a devoted Christian, loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend.

1939 Henrietta Taylor ’39 of Angleton passed away Feb. 12.

1942 Delmas Seidel ’42 of Orange Grove passed away Feb. 3, 2010.

1944 Bobbie Jean “BJ” (Johnson) Kempf ’44 passed away Dec. 12, 2010. She lived in Dallas at the time of her death and formerly resided in San Antonio and

Austin having retired from IBM after 35 years of service. Kempf was very active in civic and charitable organizations, having served as President of the San Antonio Business & Professional Women’s Club, Inc.; Anacacho Chapter of the National Secretaries Association; Vice President and Membership Chairman of the San Antonio Fiesta Commission; Board of Directors of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Diseases Association of Dallas; Cooperative Education Board of Texas Woman’s University; Caring Hearts Volunteer; Baylor University Medical Center and many other organizations. She was an active member of the King of Glory Lutheran Church, Dallas.

1951 Billie Jean (Davis) McElroy ’51 of Austin was called to heaven Nov. 7, 2010 at the age of 80. She was an LVN and held many numerous offices in the area chapter of LVNs. She also worked for the Texas Health Department. McElroy was an avid gardener, artist and seamstress.

1952 Pastor Milroy Gregor ’52 of New Ulm went to his eternal home Dec. 17, 2010 at the age of 81. He served as pastor to the congregations at Frelsburg-New Ulm- Fayetteville, Grace Lutheran Church of Eagle Lake, St. John’s Lutheran Church of Meyersville and Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Round Top. In addition, he served as visiting pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Brenham and most recently at St. John’s Lutheran Church of Bellville.

1961 Evangelist Eulah Faye Smith ’61 of Seguin died Dec. 14, 2010 at the age of 71.

1970 Douglas Lease ’70 of San Antonio died Jan. 28. He loved music and was co-owner of Flipside Record Parlour on SW Military Drive in San Antonio for more than 40 years.

1973 Candace (Ellington) Christiansen ’73 went to be with the Lord on Dec. 9, 2010 at the age of 59. She was a registered nurse as well as an inspiring and influential piano teacher.

1974 James Kutac ’74 of Humble died Nov. 15, 2010 at the age of 58. Kutac graduated from Texas Lutheran with honors and served as president of the Kappa Kappa Psi music fraternity. He served as a band director for many years and later worked as an investigator for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Investigative Services, Inc.

1990James (Jim) McGovern ’90 passed away on Feb. 20, 2011 in San Antonio at age 42. Jim worked as a programmer for Xetron in Devine, Motorola in Seguin, and CACI in San Antonio. He enjoyed reading, exercising, gardening, cooking, discussing politics, snow skiing and riding his motorcycle.

IN MEMoRIAM

Arthur Emil Rode ’42 died on Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 in the hospice unit of Knopp Healthcare and Rehab Center in Fredericksburg. A descendant of German immigrants to the Hill Country in the mid-nineteenth century, Art Rode was the son of Arthur Daniel Rode and Lydia Hannemann Rode. He graduated from Taylor High School and followed his father and grandfather into the ministry of the Lutheran Church. He graduated from Texas Lutheran College, The University of Texas at Austin, and from Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. During his ministry he served congregations in Sinton (Grace), San Antonio (Government Hill), Fort Worth (Our Savior), Victoria (First English), Austin (Faith) and San Antonio (Christ/Alamo Heights).

In 1983 Wartburg Theological Seminary recognized his life work by awarding him the Honorary Degree Doctor of Divinity. Following his retirement from parish ministry he served as the first bishop of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from 1987-1990. In service to the larger community and church he served on many boards and committees including St. Luke’s Lutheran Hospital as a director, Texas Lutheran University as a regent and as District Director for Commitment to Mission of the Southern District of the American Lutheran Church. During his military service he was a chaplain in the Texas National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. He retired with the rank of Colonel.

TLU provides an educational experience that

addresses the whole person – body, mind, and

spirit while building on the Lutheran ideals

of vocation and service to others. While

there is a rich religious diversity within our

student population, TLU is home to a strong

community of students in the Lutheran faith.

We are committed to building on our base

of Lutheran students because these students

thrive at TLU, and go on to become leaders

in the workplace, their communities, and

their congregations.

TLU is proud to announce a new scholar-

ship especially for Lutheran students, the

Lutheran Advantage Scholarship – valued

at up to $14,500 per year. This award is

designed to offer highly qualified Lutheran

students the opportunity to continue their

education in a challenging and nurturing

faith-based environment.

Who is eligible for the Lutheran Advantage Scholarship

and how do I apply?

Any Lutheran first-time, full-time freshman accepted for admission by the deadline will be considered for the scholarship. Applicant should list his or her church affiliation on the admissions application.

What is the deadline?

A student must be accepted for admission by June 1 in order to be considered for this award.

Is the scholarship renewable?

Yes! This scholarship is renewable for up to an additional three years, provided the student maintains a 2.75 GPA at TLU.

The Lutheran Advantage Scholarship is awarded in three tiers based on academic criteria:

Tier 1: up to $14,500 per year Tier 2: up to $12,500 per year Tier 3: up to $10,500 per year

The Lutheran Advantage Scholarship may not be combined with academic distinction or academic honors scholar-ships, but may be awarded in addition to performance and participation awards.

For more information about scholarships and financial aid at TLU, please visit our Web site at tlu.edu/scholar-ships_and_financial_aid, email [email protected] or call us at 800-771-8521.

The LUTHERAN Advantage Scholarship

at Texas Lutheran University


TLU provides an educational experience that

addresses the whole person – body, mind, and

spirit while building on the Lutheran ideals

of vocation and service to others. While

there is a rich religious diversity within our

student population, TLU is home to a strong

community of students in the Lutheran faith.

We are committed to building on our base

of Lutheran students because these students

thrive at TLU, and go on to become leaders

in the workplace, their communities, and

their congregations.

TLU is proud to announce a new scholar-

ship especially for Lutheran students, the

Lutheran Advantage Scholarship – valued

at up to $14,500 per year. This award is

designed to offer highly qualified Lutheran

students the opportunity to continue their

education in a challenging and nurturing

faith-based environment.

Who is eligible for the Lutheran Advantage Scholarship

and how do I apply?

Any Lutheran first-time, full-time freshman accepted for admission by the deadline will be considered for the scholarship. Applicant should list his or her church affiliation on the admissions application.

What is the deadline?

A student must be accepted for admission by June 1 in order to be considered for this award.

Is the scholarship renewable?

Yes! This scholarship is renewable for up to an additional three years, provided the student maintains a 2.75 GPA at TLU.

The Lutheran Advantage Scholarship is awarded in three tiers based on academic criteria:

Tier 1: up to $14,500 per year Tier 2: up to $12,500 per year Tier 3: up to $10,500 per year

The Lutheran Advantage Scholarship may not be combined with academic distinction or academic honors scholar-ships, but may be awarded in addition to performance and participation awards.

For more information about scholarships and financial aid at TLU, please visit our Web site at tlu.edu/scholar-ships_and_financial_aid, email [email protected] or call us at 800-771-8521.

The LUTHERAN Advantage Scholarship

at Texas Lutheran University



Bulldogs hard at workWhere are these alumni serving the community? Give them a shout out!

If you recognize anyone in this photo or if you can pinpoint their location, let us know!

Last issueJudge Fred Biery called in his identifications: Retired Judge Carolyn (Hartman) Petersen ’62, Judge Fred Biery ’70 and John Noriega ’79. The photo was taken in 1979 or 1980.

Sharie (Erck) del Rio ’68 identified the young Fred Biery ’70.

Send your memories to [email protected] or 1000 W. Court St., Seguin, TX 78155.

FLASH bAck



Save the Date

For more events and event details, visit tlu.edu/calendar.

Front Row with Verne Lundquist and Matt schaub Thursday, May 19, 2011Westin Galleria in Houston

Matt Schaub, quarterback for the Texans, will share the stage with CBS-TV sportscaster and TLU alumnus and regent Verne Lundquist at the eighth annual Front Row gala. As is the Front Row tradition, Verne will conduct a live, on-stage interview with Matt about his career. The evening includes a general and VIP reception, an elegant dinner and live and silent auctions. Front Row is an annual fundraising event benefitting TLU’s 14 NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics teams. Since its inception in 2004, the event has raised more than $450,000. For more information on the event, please contact the development office at 830-372-8030 or [email protected].

Purchase tickets or a table at tlu.edu/front_row.

TLU Homecoming October 28 & 29, 2011Friday october 28

11 a.m. 46th Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament 11 a.m. Golden Group Brunch 6 p.m. Class of 1986 Reunion Dinner 6:30 p.m. TLU Salutes: Alumni Awards Banquet 7 p.m. AlumNite at the Oak

Saturday october 29

11 a.m. Homecoming All Reunion Lunch and Carnival 12 p.m. Golf Cart Parade 1 p.m. Reunion Events 2 p.m. Tailgating 4 p.m. TLU Homecoming Football Game 7 p.m. Football Reunion

Art Exhibit: John Mulvaney “The Lie of the Land”March 3- April 8Annetta Kraushaar Gallery

Water to Thrive Benefit DinnerApril 12 at 6 p.m.Mosaic Community Church, Seguin

Showtime at the ApolloApril 13 at 6 p.m.Wupperman Little Theatre

Dramatic Media Xpressfest.11April 14-17Jackson Auditorium

TLU Student Academic SymposiumApril 14-15

Student Art ShowApril 15-June 15Annetta Kraushaar Gallery

TLU Ring CeremonyApril 15 at 4 p.m.Alumni Park

Spring FlingApril 16Jackson Park

Band ConcertApril 29 at 7:30 p.m.Jackson Auditorium

Spring CommencementMay 14 at 7 p.m.Chapel Lawn

Front RowMay 19Westin Galleria, Houston

TLU Day at GrueneTubing and dinner at Adobe VerdeJuly 16

New Student Move-InAug. 20

Opening ConvocationAug. 23Jackson Auditorium

Dallas Alumni & Friends GatheringAug. 25Bailey House

San Antonio Alumni & Friends GatheringAug. 25Stonewerks at the Quarry


TOrChT e x a s L u T h e r a n u n i v e r s i T y

1000 W. Court st. • seguin, Texas 78155-5978

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSan Antonio, TXPermit No. 428

Each year, Texas Lutheran University relies on the

immediate support of our alumni and friends—support

that goes directly to enhance the student experience and ensure

student success.

Every gift matters and each one can make a significant impact.

Make your gift today at www.tlu.edu/texaslutheran_fund.

TLU Development Office1000 W. Court Street

Seguin, TX 78155830-372-8030

The Texas Lutheran Fund Student Scholarships

Classroom Technology

Sheet Music

Student-Faculty Research

Athletic Equipment

Fiscal year ends May 31.

Documents

THE MAGAZINE of TExAs LuTHErAN uNIvErsITy MArcH 2011 …c919297.r97.cf2.rackcdn.com/wxqafgyjbzcmibzcfib6e0... · 9 The Next Generation of Living & Learning at TLU New campus master