ISION T R A D I T I O N
www.oc.edu/alumni
CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI SUCCESS, SERVICE
SHERRI COALE
OC GRAD Driven to Make an Impact
Don Millican
Humble leader Committed to serve
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From the
P r e si d e n t
Read more from Dr. O’Neal at www.oc.edu/president
Dear Alumni and Friends: If you haven’t been back on the OC campus in awhile, you owe it to yourself to come see in person the vibrant, dynamic university that OC has become with your help and prayers. The obvious improvements to the campus, from Lawson Commons to the new residence halls and apartments, to the refurbished laboratories, classrooms and Gaylord University Center, are just the tip of the iceberg. You would be amazed – and so proud – of the quality of students who have entrusted their higher education to OC. They are so eager to learn and, perhaps more importantly, to strengthen their faith in our Lord, and to make a difference in our world through service. This issue of VISION contains a number of their stories and I hope you will enjoy reading them. This has certainly been an exciting and eventful year. On the academic side, our students continue to win state, regional and national awards. We have added new degrees: an international business degree, an online MBA degree and a master of science in engineering degree. Our athletic teams continue to perform well, capped by the golf team’s national championship. OC continues to move up
in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” guide, being named a “Best University – Master’s” in the west region. We again welcomed nationally-known speakers and more than 50 outstanding high school students from the U.S. and several foreign countries to our campus for iDebate this summer. Many top energy company executives and government officials were on our campus in September for the International Energy Policy Conference, organized by our own alumnus and board of trustees member, Mark Stansberry. “One Drop,” the outstanding documentary film produced by our studentled organization, Wishing Well, premiered at a Broadway theater in New York City in September. And you’ll be pleased to learn we reached an agreement with the popular Christian music group, Acappella, to move that group to the OC campus. While there is so much positive happening at OC, we – like virtually all higher education institutions – continue to face difficult challenges in today’s environment. An entrepreneurial spirit has always been part of OC’s DNA and I see no reason why we cannot face these challenges with the same indomitable spirit. While we are seeing some temporary signs
of life in our economy, I personally believe our economy will take years to fully recover, even if leadership makes wise choices. However, I am optimistic for OC because of our secret weapons – our most valuable assets – our people, our mission and our faith. God has blessed this university. But I am firmly convinced that God wants to do more, much more, with this place if we will remain committed to the relentless pursuit of His Kingdom and His Righteousness. That is what our new FAITH[fully] campaign is all about (read more about it on page 2). It is intended to celebrate and promote all the great things God is doing through our alumni, students, faculty and staff. And it is intended to inspire all of us to live faithful and engaged lives of service wherever God leads us. In the intellectual and cultural darkness of this present age, this institution must shine brightly as a refuge of hope for those seeking to know God’s plan for their lives and for eternity. In His service,
Mike E. O’Neal
FALL 2009
8 Sherri Coale
A success on and off the court as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma, Sherri Coale will be honored as OC’s Distinguished Alumna at Homecoming.
2 FAITH[FULLY]
New campaign highlights OC’s strengths.
VISION STAFF President: Dr. Mike E. O’Neal (68)
Vice President for Advancement: Dr. John deSteiguer
Vice President for COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Dr. Nathan Mellor
Director of Alumni: Katy Roybal (03)
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS/Editor: Wes McKinzie (98)
WRITERS/CONTRIBUTORS: Will Blanchard (07), Murray Evans (89), Ron Frost, Amy Gower (88), Michael Mitchell (04), Dave Seat (06), Dawn Shelton (90), Allison Shumate (05), Matt Stephens (10), Levi Walker (10), Ann White (04)
Designers: Judson Copeland (02), Jonathan Curtis (03), Scott Hill (08), Rachel O’Donnell (02)
14 MISSION TO HELP IN THE PHILIPPINES
Alumni impact poor through Kids for Kids program.
29 NATIONAL CHAMPS!
Golf team’s excellence nets NAIA crown.
6 WISHING WELL
Students help needy in creative ways.
10 TO KNOW HIM IS TO LIKE HIM Don Millican to be recognized as Distinguished Honorary Alumnus.
Follow us online www.oc.edu/twitter www.oc.edu/facebook
25 News/Sports
www.oc.edu/youtube
Information on the latest happenings and accomplishments at OC.
30 Milestones
Comings and goings of your former classmates.
On The Cover: photo by the University of Oklahoma Sherri Coale (87) celebrates after the OU women’s basketball team clinches the 2009 Big XII title.
Photographers: Judson Copeland (02), Steven Christy (01), Kerianne Roper (91), Micah Wooten (05), University of Oklahoma
VISION Alumni Magazine of Oklahoma Christian University (USPS 405-420) Volume 11, No. 2, Fall 2009 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VISION Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-1100
© Oklahoma Christian University 2009 Oklahoma Christian University admits students of any race, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, handicap, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.
New campaign highlights how alumni put faith into action When you come back to OC for Homecoming or some other event in the near future, you’ll notice a few changes on campus. You’ve no doubt seen or heard about Lawson Commons, the McGraw Pavilion and the Freede Centennial Tower. You know about the new and improved student housing, and perhaps you’ve caught a sneak peek of the remodeled Gaylord University Center. But when you’re back on campus, you’ll also see signs (literally) of OC’s new marketing campaign: FAITH[fully]. The campaign, launched this fall, is the product of extensive quantitative and qualitative testing with OC alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends. The consulting firm Lipman Hearne led the research process, which began in February 2008. It included a review of OC’s marketing materials, analysis of other universities, phone interviews with alumni, donors and church, civic and business leaders, web-based surveys for alumni, faculty, staff and students, and smaller focus group sessions. “It was so valuable to have the opportunity to get direct feedback from so many people and find out their perceptions and feelings about OC,” said Vice President of Enrollment Management Risa Forrester, who oversaw the campaign’s development. “It was a deliberate process that confirmed many things we tout
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about OC, but also revealed opportunities to promote the university in new and different ways.” The brand messages that resonated strongly across all audiences reflected OC’s strong integration of faith and learning and the university’s ability to equip students to make a difference in the world. Audiences also strongly identified with OC’s unique, closeknit community and saw “faith in action” as a guiding principle for Oklahoma Christian. Based on this research, OC’s Marketing Office developed four overarching campaign themes: “Globally Engaged,” “Dynamically Equipped,” “Spiritually Rooted” and “Genuinely Loved.” “The ideas behind these concepts came directly from alumni and other members of our community so they’re authentic to OC,” Forrester said. In addition to signage and advertising, a key component of the FAITH[fully] campaign will be highlighting members of the OC family, particularly alumni, who put their faith into action in purposeful and creative ways. This issue of Vision includes numerous faith-infused profiles, and many more will be featured online at www.oc.edu/faithfully as we seek to paint an even richer picture of the impact OC’s people are making all over the globe. By Wes McKinzie (98)
The FAITH[fully] concept conveys the idea that OC students and the larger OC community are driven to put their faith into action to make a difference in the world. Through faith-infused activities, academic programs, and campus life, OC produces service-minded people of vision and purpose. They are thoughtful, innovative and strategic. Their multidisciplinary knowledge and critical thinking skills help them accomplish their goals and become leaders in their fields. Ultimately, their motivation is to serve God; they seek eternal impact above earthly gain and seek to glorify God above all else.
GLOBALLY ENGAGED This theme touts OC’s worldwide reach and impact. Students have many opportunities to plug into other countries and cultures, fostering a global understanding and appreciation. Through traditionally humanitarian efforts, ministry and business endeavors, OC students seek to meet needs, create positive social change and prompt spiritual renewal.
SPIRITUALLY ROOTED This theme touts OC’s Christian mission and worldview. Faith plays a part in everything we do, informing our values and culture, and producing a college experience that propels students to do higher-order things. Students are encouraged to seek truth and be good stewards of their intellect and abilities as they grow in faith and service.
GENUINELY LOVED This theme touts OC’s personal, close-knit community. Faculty and staff genuinely care about students (and vice versa), creating a culture where people go the extra mile for each other. OC is a place where people genuinely care about each other and build lasting friendships enriched by Christian faith and shared values.
DYNAMICALLY EQUIPPED This theme touts OC’s dedication to high standards of scholarship, enriched by the integration of faith and learning. OC’s unique, faith-infused academic experience prepares students for successful lives, but more importantly, produces students who use their knowledge and preparation to serve the world.
HOW YOU CAN HELP 1. Let the campaign work for you. Because the FAITH[fully] concept and its four themes are bitesized and easy to remember, they’re good places to start when sharing the good things happening at your alma mater. 2. Share your story. Tell us how you or other alumni are serving others and making a difference. Go to www.oc.edu/faithfully to submit names, photos, video and feature story ideas. 3. Connect with your fellow alumni. Help organize a reunion or an informal get-together of your social service club, graduating class, or friends from extracurriculars like international programs, music, athletics, etc. 4. Connect with OC students. Open your home to students through OC’s “Table for 12” dinner program, a great way to add a personal touch to current students’ OC experience. (Email amy.gower@oc.edu to find out more). Homecoming and other on-campus events throughout the year also give you a chance to plug in with students and be energized by their passion to serve and make a difference. 5. Interview and/or hire OC grads. As you know firsthand, OC alumni have an outstanding reputation for doing things well and doing things right. Help new OC graduates make an impact in their post-college lives and careers by connecting them with job opportunities. OC’s Career Services Office offers several methods of recruiting from this highly-skilled talent pool. Post a job or get other information at www.oc.edu/careerservices. 6. Give. There are many ways to help make Christian education more affordable. Go to www.oc.edu/advancement to fund scholarships or to support program and facility enhancements that will benefit OC students.
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INTERACTION & INSPIRATION OC’S SOCIAL MEDIA SITES HELP CONNECT ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Oklahoma Christian has a longstanding reputation for being on the leading edge of technology and prospective student marketing. Those two areas merge effectively in OC’s various online outlets. You’re likely familiar with our official website, www.oc.edu, where you can get tons of information about the university, academic programs, campus events, and much more. And you may be a frequent visitor to our alumni site, connect.oc.edu, which features regular Milestones updates, alumni news, and other valuable tools to help and connect OC grads. But OC’s reach into the world of social media has helped set it apart from many universities over the past two years. Oklahoma Christian has a strong presence on sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo, allowing alumni to plug in with their alma mater in unique and meaningful ways. The university’s social media sites provide informal, “real-time” updates about OC – from Chapel clips to photos and videos of various strange, exciting and interesting things happening in the OC community. “One of our foundational principles is that we want to unify people through the years at OC,” said Ann White, OC’s web content coordinator. “One thing I love – something that is really touching to me – is when alumni will watch a Chapel video, Spring Sing video or something else on one of our sites and comment on how meaningful those things are to them now because of the memories they have from their time as students.” Ann spearheads the university’s social media efforts as part of a team that includes web services coordinator Micah Wooten and senior web designer Stephen Bell, who oversees OC’s online marketing. “The reason I like doing this is there are a lot of little things people don’t get to see,” Ann said. “Through our social media, people see what
INTERACT WITH OC
I see and can appreciate OC from my perspective. I see a lot of good things so it’s good to share those. But we don’t want to dominate the conversation. We want to hear stories from our alumni. We love for them to interact.” With thousands of Facebook “friends” and Twitter “followers,” OC’s online community is unusually large for a school of our size. OC’s social media leadership has drawn praise and attention from marketing strategists like TargetX, College Web Editor, DoJo and OrgSync. Two other OC web initiatives are a Facebook-esque site (community. oc.edu) where incoming students can connect with each other before they arrive on campus and student blogs that paint a fuller picture of the OC experience for prospective students and parents (blogs.oc.edu). “Students and parents want to know what’s really going on at OC, what college life is really like. We’re determined to give that to them, and we believe in OC,” Vice President for Enrollment Management Risa Forrester said. “While we know some students may have difficulties from time to time, we believe that posting student blogs is the best way to be as transparent as possible.” By Wes McKinzie (98)
Facebook Twitter
YouTube Vimeo Blogs 4 V I S I O N FA L L 2 0 0 9
www.oc.edu/facebook www.twitter.com/okchristian www.twitter.com/oceagles www.oc.edu/youtube www.oc.edu/vimeo blogs.oc.edu
Vision is still Oklahoma Christian University’s alumni magazine, but you’ve never seen it like this before. All of the same OC news and stories are now available in an easy-to-read online format. Find out what great things OC alumni have been doing in their time since college. See Christian higher education at work in the world. And see why, after all these years, you should still be proud to be an Eagle!
online!
www.oc.edu/vision
City walk, cross-country drive support Wishing Well
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read more a b out S p i r i t ua l ly R o ot e d alumni at w w w.o c . e d u/ fa i t h f u l ly
In September, 50 OC students and staff members traveled to New York City for the premiere of “One Drop,” a documentary filmed in Rwanda that features a striking first-hand view of the international water crisis and those who face it daily. More than one billion people all over the world do not have clean drinking water. An estimated five million people, mostly children, die each year from waterborne diseases. OC’s chapter of Wishing Well, a non-profit, student-led organization, is committed to changing that. The New York City trip and film premiere were the latest of many ministry initiatives by Wishing Well. The crosscountry trip was preceded by a crosstown walk in Oklahoma City by more than 100 people from the OC community. The walkers carried gallon jugs from Bricktown to the Oklahoma state capitol to raise money and awareness about the cleanwater crisis. The efforts were featured in “The National Day of Encouragement” and the television documentary, “7 Days Across America” hosted by Jeff Foxworthy.
With approximately 20 student volunteers, OC’s Wishing Well chapter has already raised funds to drill 14 clean-water wells in Ethiopia, the Gambia, Haiti, Kenya, the Philippines, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. “I’m always impressed by the hearts of our students who give so much of their spare time, whether it is bringing clean water to African villages, nursing the poor in Honduras or helping the homeless in Oklahoma City,” OC president Dr. Mike O’Neal said. Based on the average number of people served by a single well, a $1 donation to Wishing Well can provide clean drinking water to one person for 10 years. If you would like to help with this effort, call (405) 425-1065 or send a check to Wishing Well, c/o Oklahoma Christian University, P.O. Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-1100. All funds raised go directly to clean water projects.
Days of Thunder “Gonna Wear My Thunderwear in Times Square.” By authoring that phrase, OC alumnus Randy Roper (91) actually did get to wear his “Thunderwear” in Times Square through an allexpenses-paid trip to New York City. Randy won the trip because his seven-word phrase was the top vote-getter in a contest held by Oklahoma City’s NBA team, the Thunder. He and his wife Kerianne (91), an OC alumna who is an assistant professor of marketing and information systems at Oklahoma Christian, went
For more information, go to
to the Big Apple in May to attend the NBA Draft
www.wishingwellafrica.com
Lottery. While they were there, they got to enjoy many of NYC’s sights and sounds, hitting the subway and famous stores, taking in a baseball game at the new Yankee Stadium, and rubbing elbows with basketball greats like Larry Bird and Chris Webber at the draft lottery. Randy and Kerianne said Thunder coach Scott Brooks, general manager Sam Presti and other team personnel took great care of them. “The trip was wonderful,” Randy said. “It was almost overwhelming all the things we got to see
For more information, go to
www.wishingwellafrica.com
and do – the excitement of being around those people I had grown up watching and still watch on TV, and just being there to soak that all up.” The contest itself was exciting, too. Randy’s phrase and one of the other finalists battled backand-forth until the contest’s final hours, when “Thunderwear” pulled away to win with 61 percent of 9,908 total votes. Randy said word of the contest “spread like wildfire” on the Internet as people from OC, Edmond Church of Christ (where Randy works as a family life minister), and all over the world pushed his slogan over the top. Votes were cast from as far away as Brazil and Switzerland. “Votes just started pouring in,” Kerianne said. “People were really very interested in the contest. I think a lot of it had to do with our connection with OC and with the church.” By Wes McKinzie (98)
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SHERRI Coale honored as distinguished alumna
Photographs, except for the bottom photo from Coale’s playing days at OC, are courtesy of the University of Oklahoma.
When Sherri Coale of Healdton, Okla., arrived on Oklahoma Christian’s campus in 1983, her personality traits were evident – tenacity, competitiveness, confidence, a willingness to work hard and a passion for basketball. In the quarter-century since then, Coale’s career arc has made her arguably OC’s most high-profile graduate, thanks to her success as the University of Oklahoma’s women’s hoops coach. But those who know the former Sherri Buben say she’s changed little since her days as an undergraduate. “She’s grounded,” said Stephanie Findley, who began her long tenure as OC’s women’s coach before Coale’s junior season. “She knows what it’s all about.” That Coale ended up at OC is a blessing she doesn’t discount. Max Dobson, then OC’s women’s coach, recalls that Coale’s cousins happened to be members of the school’s booster club and told him about “this little girl down in Healdton who scored a lot of points, was quick and had it together.” At first, Dobson said, he was skeptical.
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“You hear a lot of those stories. Everyone’s got a good player,” he said. But he decided to offer Coale a scholarship “basically without seeing her play.” When he finally watched her at the annual All-State game, Dobson realized he’d made a good choice. “Things just fell into place,” he said. “It was kind of like God meant for her to be here.” Coale had received recruiting interest from a handful of small colleges and junior colleges, but she said it didn’t take long to decide to attend OC after the scholarship offer came. “Oklahoma Christian was an easy choice – the academic environment, their church affiliation and what they stood for philosophically. And their basketball program was fantastic, too,” she said. From her first days on campus, Coale was a fixture in a gym. Then-teammate Jan Ross (86) – who’s been Coale’s top assistant at OU since Coale was hired there – can recall finding Coale shooting in OC’s Barn during freshman orientation week. Dan Hays became OC’s men’s coach in 1983, just as Coale was arriving on campus. The two
At OC, I was fortunate to be surrounded by great people who made great
Homecoming AD
impressions on me. - Sherri Coale
formed a bond that remains to this day, so much so that Hays considers her one of his former players. She sat in on so many of Hays’ practices that she might as well have been. “There are a lot of girls who will kind of hang around and watch, but she probably asked more questions and would come in and talk about things,” Hays said. “She was always a gym rat. I think it was pretty evident early she was going to be an English teacher and a basketball coach.” Sure enough, right out of college in 1987, Coale landed a job at Edmond Memorial High School as an assistant coach. Two years later, Hays recommended her for a head coaching job at Norman High School, a position that Coale landed at age 24, making her the youngest head coach in Oklahoma’s highest prep classification. In seven seasons, she turned Norman into a national-level power, going 147-40 and winning two Class 6A state titles. Her last two Norman teams went 53-2. Then came an even bigger career jump – to the NCAA Division I level at age 31. Critics openly wondered if Coale could turn what had been a mostly middling OU program into a winner and if OU had dropped the ball by handing the young coach the program’s reins. Coale said she’s fortunate that she coached in the town where OU is located, so university administrators saw close-up what had happened at Norman High. “Her timing was perfect,” Hays said. “In 2009, she wouldn’t have gotten that job, even though she would have been the same coach and have done the same job.” OU struggled in Coale’s first season, going 5-22 and losing its last 16 games. The Sooners went 8-19 the next season. By season three, 1998-99, OU posted a winning record of 15-14 and made the Women’s National Invitation Tournament field. One season later, the Sooners won the Big 12 Conference championship and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
They’ve been to the Big Dance every year since. In 2002, Coale guided the Sooners to the national championship game, losing to Connecticut in San Antonio. Last season, behind All-America center Courtney Paris, the Sooners made it back to the Final Four. With a record of 286-132 in her 13 seasons, Coale is by far OU’s career wins leader. It’s not uncommon for the Sooners to draw crowds upward of 10,000 fans. She’s served as the president of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and has won multiple national and conference coaching honors. “Did I know she was going to be so successful when she got the position at OU? Nobody knew that,” Hays said. “But I’m not shocked or surprised. She treats people with respect and that’s what it’s all about.” Through her success, Coale has remained fiercely loyal to her alma mater. Along with Ross, two of her former staff members at OU – Bill Pink (90) and Scott Raines (89) – were fellow OC graduates. She schedules yearly exhibition games against OC and sometimes can be found watching her children play during OC’s annual Cage Camps. “When you go away from home and go to college, that’s when you formulate your own set of values and principles and decide how you want to live your life,” she said. “I was fortunate to be surrounded by great people who made great impressions on me. “I got to play for Max and watch Dan build a program. You can’t put a price tag on that. I was taught by some fantastic English teachers, who really created the type of teacher I would become. I could just go on and on with people, people, people. That’s the best thing about it.” By Murray Evans (89)
Sherri Coale may be most well known for her basketball success, but her focus on academics and service also have made a significant impact. Through the Sooner Big Sis Program, OU players volunteer their time as mentors and teacher’s aides to local elementary schools. They also have been involved with the Children’s Miracle Network, Habitat for Humanity, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, the J.D. McCarthy Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities in Norman, the Norman Women’s Resource Center and Battered Women’s Shelter, Special Olympics and United Way’s “Meals on Wheels” and the Race for the Cure. As a student-athlete at Oklahoma Christian, Sherri was an Academic All-American and graduated summa cum laude. As a coach, she helps guide her OU teams to a combined GPA of 3.0 or better virtually every year. Four of her teams have been named to the Top 25 WBCA Academic Team Honor Roll. Three of her players have earned Academic All-America honors (recognizing a combination of athletic and academic excellence); her players also have a combined 70 all-conference honors during her tenure. Sherri and her family are active members at Westside Church of Christ in Norman, where her husband Dane (87) serves as a deacon. Her Christian faith motivates her to a much higher purpose than producing great basketball teams. “I want it to be my legacy at OU that we produced people who made a difference in the world,” Sherri told Oklahoma magazine. “It’s not just about champions, or only about how we played the game.” By Wes McKinzie (98)
Murray Evans has written for The Associated Press in Lexington, Ky., and Oklahoma City for almost seven years after spending 15 years as a sportswriter for The Oklahoman newspaper.
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don millican distinguished honorary alumnUS
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Donna and Don Millican board of trustee photo.
Dr. O’Neal, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and Don Millican at OC’s 2009 spring commencement ceremony.
To know him is to like him. An overstatement? Not when it comes to Don Millican. And to all who know him and like him – from the friend Forbes magazine ranked No. 24 on its list of the 400 Richest Americans, to the daughter who he taught to seek out her own faith and the former student who credits him with making taxation law come alive – it’s clear how much Don Millican loves Oklahoma Christian University. And he never even enrolled as a student. The time has come, however, to make Don Millican an Eagle. The University of North Texas graduate will be honored as a distinguished honorary alumnus during this year’s Homecoming festivities. Millican is chairman of the OC board of trustees, the father of two OC alumni, the philanthropist who honored his father with the JJ Millican Endowed Chair in Accounting at OC and the man who lives the words of Micah 6:8: “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Don was named to the OC board in 1996 when he was a partner with Ernst & Young and a taxation expert who worked for companies such as Wal-Mart, Exxon-Mobil, Tyson and Kaiser-Francis Oil Company. His work with Kasier-Francis was so impressive that George Kaiser, Tulsa oil and banking magnate, invited him to become Kaiser-Francis’ executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2002. “Of all the people I have known and worked with closely, Don has perhaps the greatest combination of personal charm, humility, technical skill, analytical rigor and communication ability. Add to that, his very strong charitable commitment – grounded in both his religious conviction and personal sense of moral obligation,” said Kaiser, who is consistently named one of the world’s richest businessmen by Forbes and one of the world’s most generous philanthropists by Business Week. “Don is clearly the whole package; there is no one better to have by your side.” Those comments from Don’s friend, George Kaiser, are high praise, but they are not the only quotes that have poured in as word spread that OC is honoring Don. Ken Kinnear, vice president and treasurer at Kaiser-Francis, says the words counselor, teacher, servant and leader are just a few that describe Don. “Don quietly and anonymously lives out the charitable characteristics Paul describes in II Corinthians 8 and 9. In all other aspects, Don’s life is an open book. He and Donna have hosted countless interns and missionaries in their home, providing them with safety, shelter, sleep and food at no cost. Don is the same person at work and at church as he is on the golf course or at a rock concert – solid, steady and controlled, enjoying the blessings of life,” Kinnear said. The Millicans have three children – Carrie, Eric and Kate – and five grandchildren. Eric and his wife Summer, as well as Kate and her husband Luke, are OC graduates.
Don Millican at JJ Millican endowment dedication.
“It has always amazed me how my parents have been so involved with a school that neither one went to. I know that even if we weren’t alumni, that they would still be as involved. They just believe that strongly in what OC stands for. They believe that strongly in the mission of Christian education,” Kate said. Don served as an OC instructor when he lived in Oklahoma City. David Gaither, partner with HSPG and Associates, sat in his corporate taxation course in the late 1970s.
Don is clearly the whole package; there is no one better to have by your side.
- George Kaiser
“The most remarkable memory I retained from that class is that Don made income tax interesting by applying the tax law to actual client situations he had faced and resolved in his career. This practical knowledge made tax interesting,” Gaither said. “In more recent years, my admiration and respect for Don has grown as I’ve watched him generously give of his time, energy and money to further the success of Oklahoma Christian. As he did in that tax class all those years ago, he finds ways of making a difference that are useful and practical.” Don is also an avid and enthusiastic traveler. His friend Philip Smith discovered that during Don’s first trip to Israel. “Whether it was walking the streets of Jerusalem, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, standing on Scapegoat Mountain, or sitting by the Pool of Siloam, we could all watch Don’s excitement as the pieces of the Biblical narrative dropped into place,” said Smith, a private investor in Tulsa who is married to OC alumna Shannon (Murrell 87) Smith. “I believe that trip changed the Bible from a black-and-white book into a wide-screen, Technicolor movie in Don’s head.” Don serves as an elder at Tulsa’s Park Plaza Church of Christ, where Mitch Wilburn is the pulpit minister. “Don’s leadership at our church is leveraging the love of Jesus not only into our city, but also across the world,” Milburn said. “His influence has sparked the members of our church into igniting the gospel of Christ in their own lives, which has resulted in our entire church catching fire for Jesus.” By Dawn Shelton (90)
11 read more a b out S p i r i t ua l ly R o ot e d alumni at w w w.o c . e d u/ fa i t h f u l ly
W W W. O C . E D U
Mark Henson’s sparkspace
When is the last time you bought flowers for someone? Or jogged in a thunderstorm? Or gave something away, just because? You’ve been asked those questions and more if you follow sparkspace on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn social media websites. sparkspace’s biggest following is in Columbus, Ohio, and surrounding areas, but has an OC entourage because sparkspace belongs to alumnus Mark Henson (89). He’s the chief imagination officer for the “most exciting retreat center on the planet.” Online buzz and media coverage also tell that Mark is a sought-after speaker on topics like using social media, enjoying your job and customer service. “I’m passionate about customer service and setting the stage for a world-class experience. I love it when I get to experience that as a customer, and I absolutely hate it when I have a bad experience that could have been so much better with just a little effort,” Mark said. “A true attitude of service makes this world a little better, one experience at a time. Yes, that’s completely corny, but I really do believe that. I’m a bit fanatical about it, actually.” sparkspace itself is a unique meeting venue located in the arena district of downtown Columbus that features a wall of Mr. Potato Head toys and meeting rooms with catchy names like the Retro Room, the Loft and the ThinkTank. “Another fun prop is racks full of hats – Viking helmets, Caribbean hats with fake dreadlocks, hockey puck hats, hardhats, police helmets. Every day we see serious business people wearing princess crowns or sorcerer’s hats while they talk about sales forecasts or long-term strategic plans. Using our space to create a sense of fun and playfulness can really liven up a meeting full of spreadsheets,” Mark said. The entrepreneurial spirit grabbed Mark a decade ago after a successful stint at a major advertising firm. His creativity, courage and energy are no surprise to those who knew him
at OC or listened to him on KOCC, the campus radio station, where he served as general manager before graduating with a degree in mass communication. “There is no doubt that OC helped prepare me for a life of service. How could it not? Two things that have always stuck with me were the undivided attention I received from professors like Dr. Larry Jurney and Dr. Philip Patterson and the friendly, welcoming attitude when I walked into nearly every office or classroom on campus,” Mark said. “Nothing ever felt offlimits, and I always felt completely supported, encouraged and cared for, even though sometimes I probably didn’t deserve it.” Maintaining a solid foundation, he has found, requires setting boundaries to help keep his priorities in line, such as unplugging from social media during family time and weekends. Mark and his wife, Eve, have two elementary-aged children (all of whom he describes as amazing). They are active in their local church and are avid Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University fans. He credits Ramsey’s principles of debt reduction, in part, to being able to survive the crummy economy in Ohio as a small-business owner. “Like many people, I’m not working in the career I trained for anymore, yet I draw on my OC education almost daily,” Mark said. “The communication skills I learned and practiced are always in my toolbox. And the religious education, which I honestly barely tolerated, provided me with much more of a solid foundation than I thought it would.” Mark also credits his OC experience for starting the journey that led to sparkspace, and to a life led faithfully. “My time at OC affected me for life, in only the best of ways,” Mark said. “So many times in business, people ask where I went to school. When I say, Oklahoma Christian, 99 percent of them have never heard of it. But almost all of them give me an approving look that says, ‘that makes sense.’ I’m kind of proud of that.” By Dawn Shelton (90)
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Paige Bailey, Deanna Layman, Karlie Scharrer
ahandcalledruth.com
Giving a hand up If Paige Bailey, Deanna Layman and Karlie Scharrer have their way, boxes will arrive at an orphanage in India later this year. They will be personally addressed to each of the 80 children (who range in age from nine to 18) who call the orphanage home. Inside will be a new set of clothes, something the children have never had. A Hand Called Ruth is a non-profit organization run by one current and two former OC students. The three of them met while they were in the family studies program at Oklahoma Christian. “In Greek, Ruth means compassion, so we are lending a compassionate hand,� Deanna said. The initial idea came to Deanna (08) after a sermon on how God calls us to something greater than ourselves. Knowing there were great needs to be met, but not knowing how to meet them, she went to Karlie (08) and Paige (10) and began to formulate their plan to help the children of the world.
The thought seemed overwhelming, but advice and encouragement from OC professor Dr. Dudley Chancey helped the trio focus and find a way to impact many children. A Hand Called Ruth is using speciallydesigned t-shirts to raise funds to clothe the first 80 children and many more down the road. Each shirt purchased is a pledge to clothe one child. A set of clothing includes a shirt, pants, socks and underwear. All of the clothing for the first shipment has been purchased; Deanna, Karlie and Paige are now raising the funds to ship the items to India. The group also hosted a benefit concert with OC student Brianna Gaither and plan more events like this in the future. Paige serves as benefits director for the group. She is in charge of all the fundraising activities. Karlie is clothing director. She takes care of sorting through donations from clothing drives and prepares the new clothes for shipping. Deanna takes care of the business side as executive director.
The trio has also charged each of their husbands to take part in the endeavor. Deanna’s husband, Chase, takes care of the web site and has designed the t-shirts the group sells. Each of the three women feels their time at Oklahoma Christian intensified their drive for missions. The work they do for A Hand Called Ruth is in addition to their 9-to-5 jobs. Deanna works at a nursing and retirement home, Karlie works at Oklahoma Christian as a financial counselor and Paige is completing her degree at OC while interning at Memorial Road Church of Christ. While Deanna, Karlie and Paige are currently focused on the children of India, they have plans to expand to Honduras. They also hope to open a local clothing room where families can come and receive clothing for free in a store environment. To learn more about the mission of A Hand Called Ruth, purchase a t-shirt, or donate funds, go to www.ahandcalledruth.com. By Allison Shumate (04)
13 read more a b out G e n u i n e ly Lov i ng alumni at w w w.o c . e d u/ fa i t h f u l ly
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philippines
Ryan Jones and Estrella in front of the solar panel he installed.
GradS serve through
Missions, Kids for kids OC alumni are making a difference around the world, and two recent graduates are already making life better for people in the Philippines, both physically and spiritually. Ryan Jones and Peter Cariaga, who both graduated from OC in May, spent the summer working with rural villages in the Philippines to help improve their quality of life. They overcame their share of obstacles to serve. Toward the end of the summer, Peter was hospitalized with Dengue Fever. For Ryan, the summer almost ended before it began. He planned to go to the Philippines with several other people, but all of them had to drop out. “Met with some frustration, God taught me something about listening to Him,” Ryan said. “I never found other teammates to go and thought about just calling it off. But through prayer and discussions with others, I decided I would go on my own. In the end, the trip was better because I was much more flexible to fit the roles that were needed of me. I had searched for the right opportunity for mission work for years … and I found it.” Ryan and Peter preached and taught in several Filipino schools during their stay. They also assisted Peter’s father, Salvador, a Philippine missionary who is a 1983 OC alumnus, with the Kids for Kids program he and other Christians started to establish self-sustaining churches in impoverished areas. Many people there earn less than $1 a day, so a goat can have a dramatic effect on their economic welfare. Through the program, children are given pregnant hybrid goats, many of which are larger than native goats and provide more milk.
Children make a profit by selling some of the milk and offspring. They receive calcium and protein from drinking the milk, which improves their health. Salvador and his partners monitor the process and provide technical assistance when needed. By sharing the offspring, the Kids for Kids program can continue to grow and help additional families. Ryan, an electrical engineering graduate, also installed a solar panel and electrical wiring for Estrella, a widow in a remote area on the island of Cebu. “Estrella is one of our hardest working goat raisers,” Salvador said. “She lives in the middle of a wooded area, far from her neighbors. Through goat and worm farming, she is paying for her son’s education. Thanks to Ryan, Estrella has electricity. The children living with her can now study their lessons at night.” “God taught me several lessons about trusting him and about how my talents and skills can be used for His kingdom,” Ryan said. “I was put into contact with dedicated Christians on the other side of the world, which expanded my view of the church and Christ’s kingdom. I truly value the experience I had and hope to go back sooner rather than later.” By Ron Frost
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iraq
‘Goen Strong’ IN IRAQ Molly (pictured on right) and an Iraqi friend.
OC alumna Molly Goen (99) stepped in front of a new class when the school year began. It was different from her time student teaching in the Edmond area while earning her degree in elementary education at OC. It was different from the six-and-a-half years she taught ESL, social studies and language arts to students in China. This year, Molly is teaching in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Molly’s journey to teach in Iraq began when she took part in the Vienna Studies program in 1997. Also influential was her time in Outreach, trips to the World Mission Workshop and summer campaigns to Australia with Kent and Nancy Hartman. Molly’s first introduction to the Middle East came while on vacation during her time in China. A visit with her friend, Colleen Sundlie, who lived in the United Arab Emirates, sparked her interest in the region. Colleen is among a group of close friends that Molly has stayed in touch with since college. Molly says it was these wonderful Christian friends and the great conversations they had at OC that made the biggest impact on her spiritual growth and, ultimately, pointed her toward a career in vocational ministry. Though most people associate Iraq with the war-torn images on the 10 o’clock news, Molly wants people to know that Sulaymaniyah is far from Baghdad. In a recent edition of her newsletter, “Goen Strong,” Molly described the area’s safety. “Sulaymaniyah is fast becoming a tourist destination for other Iraqis
and other Middle Easterners because of its growing economy, security and scenery,” she wrote. “It is also a place that U.S. soldiers go to for R&R.” What makes this opportunity so exciting for Molly is the door it is opening for her to share her faith. In this Muslim country, she is able to teach in a school where there is a “movement of classical Christian education.” While she will teach subjects like ancient Greece and humanities, the idea that God is sovereign over everything is integrated into all courses. Molly did not make the trip alone. Her travels are in partnership with a U.S.-based mission agency that has worked with Muslims for more than 15 years. Her fellow team members, which include both singles and families, all teach at the school. “Everyone in the group is like-minded and so spiritually strong. We are all from different Christian backgrounds, but I think that will help pull us together,” Molly said. Each member of the group is responsible for raising their own financial support. A full year of teaching costs roughly $24,000. Molly has raised enough for a semester, but wants to stay the full year and would be open to staying indefinitely. Molly believes she is being called to this mission. She cannot wait to see what other doors God will open through this opportunity. To support Molly’s service in Iraq, contact her at mollygoen@hotmail.com. By Allison Shumate (05)
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HONDURAS
Beacons of Hope Alumni help in Honduras amidst political unrest
Amber Foster fills the stomachs and hearts of those she feeds each week.
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In recent months, the small country of Honduras has been a mainstay in global news amidst a military coup and subsequent political upheaval. But beyond the present darkness, you will see that Honduras is a place filled with the light of gracious people, a joyful culture, and home to powerful ministries of which OC graduates are a major part. Amber Foster, a 2004 graduate of OC’s family studies program, has lived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for five years now. She welcomes, hosts and directs more than 30 visiting mission groups each year, primarily in the village of El Magote. However, a new opportunity recently found Amber in an unexpected place. The homeless of Tegucigalpa often find themselves congregating at the city soccer stadium. “They have no other option,” Amber said. “To be homeless in Honduras is to be abandoned by your
family. There are no government support agencies. They have no one.” So Amber, along with fellow missionaries and recent OC grads Will (05) and Rachel (07) Antrikin, reached out. It began with 10 pounds of beans and five pounds of rice. They guessed it would be enough to feed about 30 people. And the people came, hungry for both food and hope. Friendships were formed, and Amber and the Antrikins found a new calling. “It was a providential blessing that it went so well the first night,” Amber said. “The second night was very difficult. We found ourselves giving first aid for knife fights and dealing with the realities of life on the streets.” But to Amber, the challenges make the reward much sweeter. “I can imagine being hungry. I can imagine being thirsty. I can even imagine being on drugs. But I cannot imagine having no one who cares about you. There aren’t many things I do well, but I care about people. And I love my new friends,” Amber said. And she is loved as well. Recently several of the children at the stadium were arguing about how to pronounce Amber’s name. She laughed and asked
zambia
OC alumni Meagan Hawley (03), Jana Miller (07), Betsy Watson (07), Kelsey Kelly (07) and Courtney Jenson (07) with some of the babies they care for in Africa.
OUTREACH IN AFRICA OC alumna Meagan Hawley has served as a missionary in Zambia, Africa, since 2006. She cares for orphans at the From L to R below: [1] Rachel Antrikin with a new friend from the feeding ministry. [2] Eric taking time to reflect during a recent service trip to Predisan. [3] With a full stomach, kids have the chance to play and have fun.
Namwianga Mission there. Here is a first-person update from Meagan: John Burrough once wrote, “I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.” I feel like that is the story of my life here. The days are not long enough to accomplish what needs to get done, let alone what you would like to do. I could substitute the thoughts and the walks and the books and the friends with babies, babies, babies! There are so many things I want to do with them and teach them. I wish I had all the hours in the day just to hold them each day and tell them how loved they are. I
them, “Well, how do you say my name?” “Mama,” they responded. Before the coup, the group had grown to serving more than 100 plates per night. Amber hopes this will be her fulltime ministry soon. When she was back in the U.S. during the coup, she raised support to feed at the stadium four nights per week. Amber knows this is only the beginning of a larger mission, but she is excited to see what lies ahead. Filling stomachs with food, and hearts with hope. As a biology major, Eric Thornhill (97) and his wife Brandi (Hoebing 98) prayed that medical missions would be a part of their lives, but didn’t know how that would transpire. Professors like Dr. Kim Gaither, Dr. Mike Gipson and Dr. Jeanine Varner pushed Eric to reach his full potential. After graduating from OC, Eric worked for Johnson & Johnson in pharmaceutical sales. During this time, he realized his passion for business, and soon returned to Oklahoma Christian for his MBA. He also worked as OC’s soccer coach. “I took seriously the lives of the students that were entrusted to me,” he said. The importance of stewardship led Eric to join and eventually become the president of the
Predisan USA board. Predisan – based on the Spanish words “to preach” and “to heal” – is a medical mission in Honduras that serves the nation’s poorest people with medical care, spiritual nourishment and community development support. Well respected in Honduras and throughout the world, Presidan impacts more than 40,000 people per year. Eric’s primary responsibility is fundraising. Stewardship has always been heavy on his heart, and the work with Predisan only increased that. “We wanted to be in it for the long haul, with our time and money,” Eric said. “Many people note the things that Hondurans lack, but we wanted to learn from what they have in abundance – contentment.” Eric also practices and encourages stewardship in his own business. He co-owns the Beacon Group, which is very involved in benevolence programs in the Oklahoma City area. Eric, Amber, Will and Rachel are using their God-given gifts, developed at OC, to shine as bright lights in the dark places of Honduras. By joining in the work God was doing and inviting others to get involved, they are living lives of faithful service. By Ann White (04)
would love to have the time to work with them each one on one, helping them learn to sit or crawl or walk, or just reading them books, teaching them colors and songs and animals. I wish there was just more time in the day to love them each a little more. There are days that get to be like that, but most days just have too much activity packed in them. With our high number of HIV-exposed babies, we have many trips to the ART Clinic in town, which is usually a three- or four-hour endeavor. Also, many of our HIV babies need to spend extended time in the hospitals or clinics at times, so hours are spent with babies on oxygen or IV drips. But there are also many regular days, when life is just routine. It includes tons of playing, feeding, changing nappies, singing, reading, etc. I am grateful to God for choosing me for this job. The hardest part of the work here continues to be the death and when they leave to go back to their villages. Both situations are just such huge losses. You put so much of your heart and effort into these children, and it hurts when they leave for whatever reason. Even on the worst of days, the saddest of days, on days when I really wonder if I can do it another day, I lay down at night thanking God that He brought me here and has continued to supply me with the energy, strength, patience and love I need to keep going.
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Dr. Cami Agan (in right foreground) with members of the 2009 Department of Language & Literature senior class.
Thinking, Learning, Growing Department flourishes in classroom, contests, community When asked why OC’s Department of Language & Literature consistently produces outstanding students, alumni and faculty, people give surprisingly similar answers. “In my time as an English major, I have been challenged in my beliefs and grown because of it. All the members of our department strive to push one another,” said Justin Neill, a senior English writing major. “While I was soaking in all this wonderful information about literature, I was actually learning how to think. I would say those have been the greatest blessings – learning how to think for myself, to think deeply, and to think from every possible angle, not only about literature but about my entire world,” said Rebekah Folger, a recent graduate with English and chemistry degrees. “Our department invites open discourse, encourages critical thinking and works to make the classroom an environment to foster individual growth in a communal setting,” said Dr. Cami Agan, Language & Literature department chair. Because students are allowed to stretch their own intellectual and faith limits, they also are able to reach the highest levels of academic achievement and personal growth. Recent graduates of the department have gone on to flourish in fields as varied as their gifts and passions, such as academics, law, marketing, education, ministry and publishing. Majors are also making a name for themselves while still at Oklahoma Christian. The OC chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English honors society, is a strong and constant presence in the national arena.
The student-produced literary journal, Soundings, was awarded Best Literary Journal at the 2008 Sigma Tau Delta National Convention. Led by Soundings sponsor Dr. Peggy Gipson, the students followed that up with a national runnerup finish in 2009. Members of the Department of Language & Literature not only excel in academia, though; they also find ways to integrate their faith and learning and transform it into action. The Community Literacy Project, spearheaded by professor Gail Nash, combines those who appreciate language and desire to serve with those who can benefit from it. OC students and staff meet with people seeking to learn English as a second language in weekly tutoring sessions, developing relationships and imparting valuable skills to others. A weekly departmental chapel service also integrates the mind and soul. Faculty and students come together to express their faith, oftentimes through a poem, passage or thought they have come across in their classes. The department also offers Spanish chapel services. “This allows students the chance to worship in a second language, or for some, their first language,” said Dr. Tina Ware, professor of Spanish. “It also helps prepare students for experiences they may have abroad doing mission work.” These opportunities and many more combine to create the atmosphere of openness and challenge described by so many students and faculty. “I know I’m supposed to talk about our outstanding classrooms, innovative curriculum and nurturing community,” said Dr. Scott LaMascus, professor of English. “But the real truth is that giving our best to Christ in all things is one of the amazing things about the atmosphere here. We’re on a quest for meaning. Study hard, ask good questions and work together with friends and faculty. That’s my idea of a recipe for success.” By Ann White (04)
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Moving ahead of her class Grace Hong has never been on a date or behind the wheel of a car. But the Edmond 12-year-old is already taking college courses at Oklahoma Christian. After Grace scored a 27 on the ACT without preparation at age 10, her parents determined she should begin auditing college courses. Grace completed an online course with the University of Missouri, then the Hongs contacted Cami Agan, OC professor and chair of the Department of Language and
The legacy of OC’s late alumni director Mike McDonald continues in many ways. The annual Mike McDonald Fun Run raises funds for OC scholarships, helping make Christian education more affordable for many students. He also was instrumental in launching the Roaring Lambs Fellowship at Oklahoma Christian. This scholarship is available to one student each year who has completed a summer internship at a national publishing or editing company. Jill (Ramsey 07) Businelle was selected as the 2007-08 Roaring Lambs Fellow after completing her internship at Real Simple magazine in New York City in fall 2006. This year’s recipient, Bailey Thomas, completed a New York City publishing internship this summer. Bailey, daughter of OC alumni Mark and Debbie Thomas of Edmond, scored the threemonth internship with DailyLit, an up-and-coming digital publishing house located in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Bailey will tell you it was worth every minute on the commuter train, every lunch with top publishing executives and everything she learned about the developing world of digital publishing. “I talked with Dr. Scott LaMascus, my adviser, about how to get the most out of my degree and to have the best opportunity for employment
after graduation, especially in this economy when the communications industries are taking such a hit,” she said. Bailey applied to 30 companies seeking internships including large publishers, independent publishers and literary agencies. She closed the 1,500-mile gap between herself in Oklahoma and DailyLit’s office in New York with phone interviews. Her efforts paid off. She was invited to complete a three-month internship at the company that has been featured in Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, Wired magazine, DailyCandy and the New York Times. “I remember the first time I brought up the idea to my parents of moving to New York by myself for the summer, and being really worried that they would think I was nuts. But they were behind me the entire way, and I’m incredibly grateful,” she said. LaMascus said that internships are even more competitive in the current economy than normal. “Even in this environment, Bailey’s experience shows that OC juniors and seniors will find success in this area if they are willing to plan ahead, use initiative to apply, work with an OC mentor, and ‘go wherever the work is’ to build their entry-level experience base,” he said. By Dawn Shelton (90)
Literature, to see if Grace could audit other courses. She enrolled in two classes, Perspectives in Literature and Research and Presentation. “Going in, I was extremely nervous. Especially since everyone was taller than me,” Grace said. “That experience totally changed me and I realized there was a higher education that opens so many doors.” OC president Dr. Mike O’Neal called Grace an extraordinary young lady. “I am so glad that OC’s caring faculty has been a part of her growth, maturity and education,” he said. Grace is taking a U.S. History course for credit and auditing an English survey class this fall. In homeschool, she is studying biology and Chinese while her nine-year-old brother is working on high school physics. For fun, Grace participates in sport fencing and plays chess. “She is happier going to college because she finds a group there that meets her passion and intellectual needs as well,” her mother, Connie, said. By John A. Williams Courtesy of the Oklahoman
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THEOLOGY FIRST RECENT GRADUATE MAKES HISTORY
oc launches online MBA program Oklahoma Christian has launched the school’s first completely online degree. OC’s MBA students now have the options of online, onsite or blended curriculum to earn the 36 credit-hour degree. Like the Fast Track onsite class curriculum, the online MBA degree can be completed in one year. Online classes follow the same class schedule, use the same textbooks and take the same breaks as the onsite classes. While online MBA students have greater flexibility to manage their busy schedules, they will still experience the academic rigor of a high-quality graduate education. “Adding
online
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curriculum was a direct result of our students’ request for flexibility and scheduling options,” Director
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Ken Johnson said. “The professors have embraced the challenge of developing these online courses to be practical, personal and academically rigorous. Online or onsite, I believe our classes are on target.” For more information about OC’s MBA degree, contact MBA Admissions Counselor Brock Lytton at (405) 425-5578 or at brock. lytton@oc.edu. General information also is available at www.oc.edu/mba.
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Lois Lockhart will tell you she is “not the best at anything.” Yet, look at her track record and you will see she has the market cornered in one area, forging new paths for female students in Christian higher education. When Lois walked across the stage at OC’s August commencement ceremony, she had learned just hours before that she was the first woman in the school’s history to complete the Master of Divinity program. There was no extra pomp and circumstance during the ceremony to celebrate the occasion. Her fellow graduates had applauded her during commencement practice earlier in the day, but most of the audience would never know what a milestone it was for the program or for Lois. This is not the first time Lois has been “the first” at something. She was the first woman at Oklahoma Baptist University to receive a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry, a program she was instrumental in getting off the ground. “God gives me these little firsts just for me,” she said. Lois was drawn to OC’s M.Div. program because it allowed her to be close to family and live on campus. What she found when she arrived was a supportive environment where she could ask questions and grow her knowledge. “The graduate program was neutral; a wonderful reasoning environment,” she said. “You are able to hear other people’s understandings, ideologies and theologies.” She calls Dr. John Harrison (the program’s chair) her mentor, but says that every member of the faculty took the time to sit and talk and also challenge her along the journey. Even when Lois decided to leave school for two semesters, she felt supported by the faculty. “They kept in touch and supported me. They knew I wasn’t finished,” Lois said. “They prayed for me and my family.” Her work as a hospice chaplain is where Lois feels God has gifted her the most. She feels gifted to help people deal with their grief and the process of dying. She currently works with the homeless in the Tulsa area, but if God opens a door back into hospice work, she is ready to take it on. Lois is already looking for her next opportunity to learn. Chances are, she’ll have another “first” wherever she goes. By Allison Shumate (05)
OC ANNOUNCES NEW MASTER’s PROGRAM IN ENGINEERING Continuing the legacy of innovation to meet
AROUND THE WORLD
Usain Bolt may have demolished world records this summer, but OC’s own Mark Thompson was breaking records of his own. Mark, a science professor and cross country coach at Oklahoma Christian, spent his summer setting personal bests in the mile and 3,000 meters, highlighted by his first sub four-minute mile. Mark ran his sub-four mile in Braschaat, Belgium, with a personal-best time of 3:59.29 seconds. Both of his 3,000-meter performances were also personal bests of 7:59. “The four minute mile is everything,” Mark said. “I really struggled through college and had some really high hopes, but got injured a lot and actually quit before I was finished running in college. I came back a couple of years later knowing the mile is my race, the one that I really enjoyed running, and knowing that I felt like I should run under four minutes.” Going under four minutes is an accomplishment that Mark kept his eyes on ever since his return to running. He runs close to 50 miles a week, and knows the commitment and dedication it takes to compete at a high level. “Never at any point have I felt like I could hang up the shoes, so to speak, or retire until I’d gotten that,” Mark said. “Having accomplished that objective, I’m not saying I’m going to retire, but I feel like at any time I can say, ‘Alright, it’s been a fun run, but now I’m comfortable leaving it where it’s at.” Mark ran track and field at one of the NCAA’s elite programs, the University of Arkansas. His experience there, and running professionally, has given Mark credibility with the athletes he coaches. “It increases the level of respect they have for me,” Mark said. “There are a lot different ways to reach certain goals. I’ve been down a lot of paths that have left me injured or frustrated, so I’ve kind
IN under 4 MINUTES
the needs of students and society, Oklahoma Christian began a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree program this fall. In
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engineering,
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mechanical
engineering,
in
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will be available in computer science and mathematics, as well as select courses from
of figured out through trial and error some other methods of training. Just the full experience of it allows me to empathize a little bit with what they’re going through.” In addition to serving as OC’s head cross country coach and an assistant with the track program, Mark is an assistant professor at Oklahoma Christian. He teaches Physics I and II, Astronomy, Physical Science and several other science courses. “There are people who are afraid of science and afraid of math for whatever reason,” Mark said. “I just enjoy being able to take a student like that and teaching them how to not be afraid of science and where they can kind of see science in everyday life.” Mark came to OC to teach in the classroom, but once he started coaching, he saw the similarities between the two roles. “I really love it,” Mark said. “You want to take a person and teach them how to succeed and how to believe in themselves and how to maximize the potential they have.” Though he went to Arkansas, Mark has deep family ties at Oklahoma Christian. His wife, Darci (Grisso 00), is OC’s Director of Admissions. His mother, Kathy, chairs OC’s Department of Music. Mark grew up around OC and has countless other friends and family members who attended school here. “OC has given me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally since I moved from Arkansas,” Mark said. “There is a closeness and genuineness in the OC community that I don’t see elsewhere. The end result is a college graduate with a higher self worth and a calling to contribute to the community and the church in a positive way.” By Matt Stephens (10)
OC’s highly successful MBA program. The program allows flexibility in selecting courses that will benefit both recent graduates and seasoned professionals. Classes will be available in person and many will utilize video streaming over the Internet. “The MSE will allow graduates of engineering programs to learn topics useful in important growing fields such as biomed, aerospace, energy, and systems engineering,” said Dr. Phil Lewis, dean of the College of Professional Studies. “The OC MSE will provide a unique opportunity to deepen the student’s knowledge of engineering and increase readiness for leadership, with a strong emphasis on ethics and Christian values.” The new program is led by Dr. Robert Mitchell, who earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology. Mitchell joined the OC faculty in 2006. “Continuing
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beyond
the
bachelor’s level is becoming more important for engineering professionals as the problems become more complex and the technology and the teamwork required to solve them increase,” Mitchell said. Oklahoma Christian now has four master’s programs. OC added the MBA program in 2000, the Master of Arts in Ministry in 1988, and the Master of Divinity in 2004. For more information about the MSE, go to www.oc.edu/mse or contact Dr. Mitchell at (405) 425-5425 or at robert.mitchell@oc.edu.
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GLOBAL VISION An existing world-class faculty with significant expertise was a compelling selling point for adding an international business degree to OC’s well-regarded School of Business Administration. The first class of international business majors began this fall. “For a school of this size, we have a remarkable number of highly-qualified faculty members,” said Dr. Jeff Simmons, associate professor of business. “With our increase in international students and the surge of interest in international business among U.S. high school students over the past few years, we felt it was an important enhancement for our business school.” Students will visit major international centers such as Hong Kong, London and Tokyo to tour operations in areas such as banking, finance and manufacturing. They also will partner with businesses in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Dallas that have an international presence, providing students with a U.S. perspective on international business as well. “We believe it is imperative that our students be exposed to and gain first-hand experience in international business. Our smaller class sizes allow all our students to easily travel overseas to study business. That just isn’t possible for classes with hundreds of students,” Simmons said. “Many of our students will continue on to graduate school and it’s important for them to have international experience and travel on their resume. But for all our students, having a global view will enhance their marketability immensely.” Simmons stressed that although it is a business degree, he and the other faculty members emphasize how the Christian faith interacts with doing business globally. OC’s global perspective began with mission work that has continued since the 1950s. In the years that followed, that perspective grew through the university’s international studies program, an increased focus on recruiting international students and the launch of the language and literature institute. “The new international business major is one more way we can help students gain a larger world perspective in their studies at OC,” Simmons said. “Students have told me they are changing to this major, and I’ve even had students from other schools tell me they are coming here specifically for this degree.” The international business degree consists of a 46-hour business core curriculum taken by all business students. Students will take five courses that increase their understanding of global business: international management; international consulting and development; global marketing; international finance; and international economics. All majors will also complete at least six hours of a foreign language. By Ron Frost
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Dr. Don Drew
NEW DEGREE GIVES STUDENTS INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
International Business Faculty Jana Cook - assistant professor. Completing doctoral dissertation in international finance. B.S. in business from Oklahoma Christian; M.B.A. in finance/economics from Midwestern University; M.S. in economics from Oklahoma State University; completing D.B.A. in finance from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Don Drew - dean of graduate programs and professor of management. B.A. from Oklahoma Christian; M.H.R. from the University of Oklahoma; Ed.D from Oklahoma State University. Drew is a former NATO advisor. He has worked and studied in more than 40 countries and currently advises clients in the Pacific Rim, Latin America and Africa. Dr. Ken Miller - assistant professor. B.S. in finance and economics from Lipscomb University; M.B.A. from Pepperdine University; Ph.D in political economics from the University of Oklahoma. Serves as chair of the Oklahoma House of Representatives’ Appropriations and Budget Committee. Joseph Paul - assistant professor. B.A. degrees in communication and journalism and accounting, as well as a master of commerce degree, from Osmania University in India. M.B.A. from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Taught in Ethiopia for several years. Dr. Jeff Simmons - associate professor. B.S. in marketing from Oklahoma Christian; D.B.A. in marketing from Nova Southeastern University; received Master of International Management from Thunderbird Graduate School, one of the top international business schools in the world. Taught business for several years in Vienna, Austria.
taking Care of the family Ensuring OC’s future Bobby and Millie Roberson are “people” people. They are connectors and developers. They are friends. Most importantly, they are family … and the Robersons take care of family. Committed to OC for more than 50 years both individually and now as a couple, Bobby and Millie are transforming lives here through an estate gift and life insurance gift that fund student scholarships. Long before they met each other, Bobby and Millie Roberson were active supporters of Oklahoma Christian. Bobby fondly recalls attending a 1961 ribbon-cutting ceremony at Oklahoma Christian featuring Pat Boone. Since then, Bobby has participated on various boards at OC, including his current service on the board for the Academy of Leadership & Liberty. In 2005, he received an honorary doctorate from Oklahoma Christian for his leadership in business and in the community. Likewise, Millie has supported the university for decades and currently serves on OC’s board of trustees. Many young engineers have taken their first steps into thermodynamics and systems design within the halls of the Prince
Engineering Center. Made possible through Millie’s generosity, the facility is named in honor of Millie and her late husband, Darryll Prince. Having each lost their first spouse early in life, Bobby and Millie have shared an inspired partnership for nearly two decades since they married in 1991. Through business, community and church, Bobby and Millie have built an extended family across the nation. “Success in business and in life has always been about building quality and lasting relationships,” said Bobby, whose autobiography, The Making of a Champion, uses his early experiences as a Golden Gloves boxer as an analogy for successful business principles. Bobby’s homegrown company, originally known as Southwest Typewriter Company, began in his one-car garage in 1956 with a $50 loan from his mother. This once fledgling business has grown into a multimillion-dollar conglomerate, ImageNet America. It is now run by Bobby’s children and grandchildren. The Robersons’ emphasis on family and relationships has sustained their involvement with OC. As longtime friends of Dr. Stafford and
JoAnne North, former President and First Lady Dr. J. Terry and Marty Johnson, and current President and First Lady Dr. Mike and Nancy O’Neal, their connections run deeply. Perhaps Bobby’s most farsighted gift to OC is a life insurance policy he gave in 2006. Each month, Bobby makes a tax-deductible gift to OC, to pay the policy premiums on which OC is the owner and beneficiary. When he passes away, the policy proceeds will fund a perpetual endowment, providing scholarships for generations of OC students to come. “We’ve been urging people to do this for years,” Millie said. “It is a uniquely powerful and efficient way to give much more than you ever thought you could.” “Bobby and Millie’s story of perseverance, creativity and love for family and OC is an inspiration to all of us who love Christian education,” President O’Neal said. “The Robersons’ lifelong leadership giving has empowered OC’s life-shaping work. Their creative estate and planned giving is a secure legacy, communicating their most important values for generations to come.” By Will Blanchard (07)
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Higher Learning Higher Calling Proceeds from the Higher Learning~Higher Calling campaign have made the following possible as OC grows in its mission to transform lives for Christian faith, scholarship and service: • Addition of more than $35 million to the university’s endowment • 50 new or substantially increased endowed scholarships • 4 endowed faculty chairs (JJ Millican Chair in Accounting, Pat Lawson Chair in Arts and Sciences, Richard Lawson Chair in Professional Studies, anonymous chair in Biblical Studies) • 3 endowed centers (McBride Center for Faith and Literature, Fletcher Center for Music, Gaither Center for Biology) • Numerous academic and administrative endowment funds • Lawson Commons, an official Oklahoma Centennial Project, including the Jack and Wanda McGraw Pavilion and the Jose Freede Centennial Tower • Dramatic upgrades of all science facilities, including an additional 13,000-foot wing • Dobson Field, OC’s new intercollegiate baseball facility • Multi-purpose Jackson intramural fields
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OC campaign tops $60 million target In May, Oklahoma Christian topped the $60 million goal for its Higher Learning~Higher Calling fundraising campaign more than a year and a half before the target date. The university also exceeded its target by more than $4 million, no small feat in any economic environment. Over the five and a half years of the campaign, the university raised $64.3 million from more than 7,000 supporters. “The campaign’s overwhelming success is due to the incredible generosity and collaboration of the university’s alumni, friends and partners, and is a testament to the strength and vitality of this growing university,” Vice President for Advancement Dr. John deSteiguer said. “As a direct result of this campaign, our students are enjoying additional scholarships, enriched academic and extracurricular programs and a vastly enhanced campus.” OC launched the Higher Learning~Higher Calling campaign on January 1, 2004. Despite the campaign’s significant monetary goal, less than 10 percent of pledged dollars to the campaign are still outstanding, a major accomplishment in today’s economic atmosphere, deSteiguer said. Because donors have been so proactive in fulfilling their pledges, the university has been able to put these funds more immediately to work growing endowment and filling pressing student and campus needs. “Generations of OC students will benefit from the statement of faith in the university’s future by
our alumni and friends who made this effort an overwhelming success,” President Dr. Mike O’Neal said. “The vision embraced by the board of trustees, faculty, staff and administration is for Oklahoma Christian to become the premier Christian university in this region of the country. This successful campaign is propelling the university toward that vision and making quality higher education in a Christian environment even more accessible.” Several significant campaign gifts have been announced previously. Support from alumni, friends, corporations and foundations like Richard and Pat Lawson, the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, Jose Freede, Dr. Charles and Lesa Branch, Don and Donna Millican, Loyce Youngblood, Edna McNally, Mark and Susie Jackson, Harry and Brenda Patterson, Jack and Barbara Rowe, Jack and Wanda McGraw, the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation, Inc., OG&E, and literally thousands of others have helped fund permanent endowments and important bricks and mortar projects. “Oklahoma Christian is unique in higher education today. It truly educates both the mind and spirit of the students,” said alumnus Richard Lawson, who served with his wife, Pat, as national co-chairs of the campaign. “OC’s impact in Oklahoma City and beyond is significant and far-reaching, and we are proud to have been a part of this important campaign.”
NEWS Keep up with YOUR ALMA MATER at www.oc.edu/CALENDAR
OC highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report Oklahoma Christian has been named a “Best University—Master’s” in the western region. This is the 11th consecutive year that U.S. News & World Report has ranked Oklahoma Christian in its “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook. A perennial top-10 performer in the bachelor’s degree category, Oklahoma Christian was elevated to the master’s category in 2007 due to a growing number of graduate programs and students. OC moved up five spots from its initial ranking in this higher category last year and climbed nine spots this year to No. 44 in the west, which includes many larger universities in Texas and California. “Oklahoma Christian fared very well in the U.S. News & World Report ranking,” President Dr. Mike O’Neal said. “Our undergraduate and graduate programs are certainly among the most outstanding in this area. The real proof is how well our students and graduates perform in intercollegiate competition and the marketplace.” For example, OC’s Language and Literature Department’s student literary journal, Soundings, was No. 1 in the nation, then the national runnerup, in the past two years. OC’s national history honor society chapter has been the best chapter in the nation among universities under 3,000 students for 14 straight years. OC business graduates have achieved the highest pass rate on the CPA exam of all of Oklahoma’s universities for 11 of the past 13 years. Students in the art & design and communications departments won national honors in various competitions last year. Nearly all of OC’s science students who have conducted undergraduate research and applied to graduate, medical or other professional programs have been accepted. All of OC’s history, political science, and language and literature students who applied to graduate school were accepted as well, with many going on to highly-ranked graduate schools in the U.S. and abroad. Oklahoma Christian is one of only two members of the 112 schools in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities with full accreditation for three engineering programs from ABET – the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology. “Our undergraduate and master’s programs continue to grow in scope and stature, so we expect our rankings to continue to improve because of the overall quality of these rigorous programs,” O’Neal said. “Though we are pleased with this recognition, U.S. News’ quantitative assessment cannot really begin to measure the true quality of OC’s faculty, staff, students and alumni.”
OC BOASTS SECOND-HIGHEST ENROLLMENT EVER An increased fall enrollment gave Oklahoma Christian the second largest student body in its history this year.
Driving the increase is a strong freshman class, totaling 472 new students versus 436 last year, an 8.3 percent increase. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,918, a 0.7 percent increase over last fall. Graduate enrollment dipped slightly, from 257 to 254. Total enrollment is 2,172, a 0.5 percent increase. “Considering the economic uncertainty and the financial crisis many families are facing, we feel this is a significant achievement and a testimony to the hard work by our faculty and staff,” President Dr. Mike O’Neal said. “We feel so blessed to have these outstanding students entrust their higher education to Oklahoma Christian.”
OC adopts VA’s Yellow Ribbon Program Veterans and their eligible family members qualifying for 100 percent of the VA’s post-9/11 GI Bill can now pursue an undergraduate education at Oklahoma Christian tuition-free. The opportunity is available through OC’s participation in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Yellow Ribbon Program. The bill also provides a stipend for books, supplies and housing. “Our goal is to enable all of our students to discover, enhance and effectively apply the gifts and talents God has bestowed upon them,” OC president and Vietnam veteran Dr. Mike O’Neal said. “There is no other place I know where veterans will be encouraged and mentored better, and I hope they will take advantage of this great opportunity.” For more information about the post-9/11 GI bill, go to www.gibill.va.gov.
Fletcher composition named Oklahoma Land Run Song The Oklahoma Run, written by OC professor emeritus Harold Fletcher, was named the official Oklahoma State Land Run Song in March. Dr. Fletcher was the first faculty member hired at OC (then Central Christian College) in 1950. He continues to teach a class at OC each semester. In the early 1970s, he was asked by a colleague to write a song for a documentary on Oklahoma’s famed Pioneer Woman statue. The Oklahoma Run soon won a competition by the Oklahoma Heritage Society and the Oklahoma Broadcasters Association for a song about Oklahoma history. “Since the Chorale first performed The Oklahoma Run in the early 70s, it has been one of the most memorable pieces we have ever done. It’s fitting for this great song to be recognized in such an appropriate way,” said Dr. Ken Adams, professor of music and director of the Chorale. The Oklahoma Run is the keynote song in The Oklahoma Set, a collection of Fletcher works that the state used to help celebrate the recent Oklahoma Centennial. Sheet music, performance recordings and accompaniment tracks are available for free at www.oc.edu/oklahomaset.
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Drew named dean of graduate programs Dr. Don Drew has been appointed as Dean of Graduate Programs at Oklahoma Christian. A 1979 OC graduate, Drew has taught in the School of Business Administration for the past nine years and is the founding director of OC’s successful MBA program. He will continue to teach business classes in addition to his new role. Oklahoma Christian offers graduate degrees in theology (M.Div.), ministry (MA), business (MBA) and Engineering (MSE) OC’s MSE program began this fall. “In the past, Dr. Drew has worked closely with all three existing graduate programs to enhance their individual academic endeavors. He is one of our most talented faculty members and will bring tremendous energy and vision to graduate education at OC,” Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Allison Garrett said. Drew, who received OC’s Faculty Leadership Award in 2004, has researched and published in areas such as faculty work and motivation, strategic planning, and workplace attraction and retention issues. Prior to coming to OC, Drew served in the U.S. Air Force as a logistics strategist and as secretariat to the Joint Chiefs of Logistics. He also spent several years in the defense industry as a performance analyst and product team leader. He earned his doctorate from Oklahoma State University.
McMillon to step down as biblical studies dean Dr. Lynn McMillon will step down as dean of the College of Biblical Studies to return to the classroom. In addition to his teaching role as a distinguished professor, he will continue as CEO and president of The Christian Chronicle. Dr. McMillon will make the transition at the end of the 2009-10 academic year. A nationwide search for the new dean is underway. “Dr. McMillon has been an important teacher, mentor and administrator at the university since 1966,” President Dr. Mike O’Neal said. “He has been one of our most able teachers and goodwill ambassadors. Under his leadership as dean, the College of Biblical Studies has experienced increased academic and professional respect.” During Dr. McMillon’s 13-year tenure as dean, the College of Biblical Studies began a general endowment that has grown to nearly $200,000, added a Master of Divinity degree to the graduate program, added 11,000 Bible-related volumes to the Beam Library, revised the curriculum twice, increased scholarship offerings, developed an experienced corps of adjunct professors, seen the refurbishment of the Williams-Branch Center for Biblical Studies, and promoted service to the church across the nation and worldwide. A 1963 OC alumnus, Dr. McMillon also serves as an elder at Memorial Road Church of Christ.
Faculty, staff honored by OC Three faculty members were honored for their excellence in the classroom and beyond during spring commencement ceremonies in May.
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Dr. Len Feuerhelm, professor of physics, received the Faculty Leadership Award; Dr. Burt Smith, associate professor of marketing and management, received the Gaylord Excellence in Teaching Award; and Dr. Wayne Whaley, professor of mechanical engineering, received the Jack and Barbara Rowe Distinguished Scholar Award. At the annual Spring Appreciation Dinner, payroll clerk Sandy Goin was recognized as the Staff Employee of the Year. Neil Arter, vice president and dean of students, and Jody Jones, assistant professor of finance, received the Second Mile Awards for their servant leadership to students and the overall OC community. The dinner also featured a touching tribute to the late Dr. Robert McMillan, who was inducted into the Master Teacher Hall of Fame. An OC alumnus, Dr. McMillan taught at Oklahoma Christian from 1966 to 2001 and was vital in developing every segment of the mathematics curriculum. He was the first faculty member to earn the rank of distinguished professor and also earned the Gaylord Chair of Distinguished Teaching during his tenure.
Best-selling author leads McBride Lecture Best-selling author and expert on world religions Dr. Charles Kimball delivered the fifthannual McBride Lecture for Faith and Literature earlier this month. Thirty years after participating in the talks regarding U.S. citizens held hostage in Iran, Kimball continues to be a prominent voice on global religions and religious conflict. His lecture was entitled “Reading A Thousand Splendid Suns in the Context of Global Islam.” “Dr. Kimball’s scholarship in world religions and expertise in religious education is so apropos to our era – a time in which religious conflicts abound in the evening news and in our communities,” said Dr. Scott LaMascus, director of OC’s McBride Center. Kimball’s written works include When Religion Becomes Evil (2002), which was named to the top books on religion by Publishers Weekly and has been translated into many world languages. The McBride Center and lecture series are named for Dr. Bailey McBride and his wife, Joyce. Bailey is an OC alumnus whose Christian leadership as a professor, department chair and chief academic officer have blessed OC for half a century. The McBride Center is funded by grants, gifts, and a permanent endowment at Oklahoma Christian. For more information, go to www. oc.edu/mcbridecenter.
OC hosts energy conference OC’s Academy of Leadership & Liberty hosted the 15th-annual International Energy Policy Conference in September. The IEPC is one of the nation’s leading conferences for energy policy and national/ international energy industry issues. The conference attracted energy experts from around the world in addition to representatives from the oil, natural gas, wind and solar sectors. Among the dignitaries were Harold Hamm and Mary Eisenhower. “One of the things that makes the OC experience unique is the
quality of programs that are hosted on our campus,” Vice President for Community Engagement Dr. Nathan Mellor said. “The International Energy Policy Conference provided our students an incredible opportunity to engage leaders whose decisions have the potential for making a significant impact on the future.”
Events EMBRACE ministry leaders, singles As part of Oklahoma Christian’s annual Quest ministry event, the university hosted the inaugural National Singles Ministry Conference in June. The goal of the singles conference, and the resource website SingleFactor.com, is to provide a place to connect with other singles and single ministries, building meaningful relationships and stronger churches. Quest is a highly participative, interactive summit on ministry effectiveness and leadership in local churches. The event is designed to equip professional ministers, elders, deacons, vocational ministers and ministry volunteers for work in their congregations and communities. Go to www.oc.edu/quest for information about the 2010 Quest and singles ministry events.
Camps keep campus buzzing in summer Oklahoma Christian is a summer destination for thousands of young people and other visitors because of numerous camps and activities the university offers. OC Cage Camp brings more than 3,000 students to Oklahoma Christian each summer. Over the camp’s 26-year history, it has become known as one of the top basketball camp programs in the region due to the high quality of the staff and the personal attention each player receives. Camps Cornerstone, Impact and Zenith all share the mission of sharing Christ with young people. Hundreds of preteens and teens from around the region attended the camps; Zenith celebrated its 10th year on the OC campus this summer. Aspiring engineers participated in OC’s Introduction to Engineering camp in June. Electrical, mechanical and computer engineering are covered each year. This year’s camp focused on aerospace, offering high school sophomores, juniors and seniors a chance to study everything from software simulations to rockets. Oklahoma Christian also hosted three events aimed at developing leadership skills in young people. The Southwest Leadership Youth Conference attracted 62 of the best and brightest young people from the area. These emerging leaders were provided
training in leadership, civic engagement, founding principles, and community involvement. In its second year, I Debate: Developing Leaders with General Tommy Franks drew almost 50 students from the United States, Jordan, Morocco and Rwanda to tackle the topic of health care. The event, hosted by Oklahoma Christian in partnership with the National Center for Policy Analysis, connects students with top public policy experts and allows them to debate some of the most important public policy issues of our day. The Oklahoma Leadership Academy brought 48 middle-school and high-school students to campus to build leadership and communication skills. The students also helped build a house through Habitat for Humanity. Information about the 2010 camps can be found at www.oc.edu/academy (I Debate and leadership events), www.oc.edu/engineering (Introduction to Engineering Camp), www.oceagles.com (Cage Camp), and www.campoc.org (Cornerstone, Impact and Zenith).
Wal-Mart CEO honored at OC
Hear it in our Voice Members
of
the
popular
Christian
vocal group Acappella began attending Oklahoma Christian this fall through a unique partnership between the university and the Acappella Company. “Many of the talented young people who have been a part of Acappella over the years have had to put their college education on hold because of the group’s busy schedule and extensive travel,” OC president Dr. Mike O’Neal said. “Though
Oklahoma Christian honored Mike Duke, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, with the Christian Business Leader award during an April appearance on campus. He spoke to OC business students during his visit to OC. “We knew of Mr. Duke’s international work for Wal-Mart and had heard that his faith was something that helped guide him as a leader,” said Dr. Phil Lewis, business professor and dean of the college of professional studies. Duke was recommended for the award by OC vice president for academic affairs Dr. Allison Garrett, who previously served as vice president at Wal-Mart. “I was always very impressed by how he integrated his faith with his work; he has been a role model for ethics, humility and care for others,” Garrett said. Oklahoma Christian also has a student connection to Duke. His personal assistant, Paula Coil, is the mother of OC’s 2007 Outstanding General Business graduate, Stephanie Coil. Prior to becoming CEO, Duke served as vice chairman of Wal-Mart International. Under his leadership, the company’s international business became a fast-growing part of Wal-Mart’s overall operations with over 3,500 stores and 680,000 associates in 15 markets outside the continental United States.
Acappella is independent of the university, their presence on our campus will result in much goodwill toward Oklahoma Christian as they minister throughout the world.” Keith Lancaster — songwriter, producer and original lead singer — started Acappella in 1982 with a mission to communicate Gospel truths through music. Acappella’s worldwide fan base has grown through the years. The group’s latest project, Find Your Way, was released in March. In addition to bringing group members Robin Brannon, Zac George, Anthony Lancaster and Zach Wilson to Oklahoma Christian, Acappella’s relocation allowed OC alumnus Wes McKinzie to rejoin the ministry. McKinzie, who will continue to serve as OC’s director of publications, previously toured for seven years with another Acappella Company group, AVB. This partnership builds on a long history between OC and Acappella. Thirteen former or current OC students have served with the Acappella Company through the years: Allen Brantley, Rodney Britt, Luke Coles, Will Coleson, Zac George, Michael Forehand, Steve Maxwell, Wes McKinzie, Robert Orr, Max Plaster, Chet Sweet, Denise Sweet and Bret Testerman. Get more info about the partnership and the Acappella Company at www.oc.edu/ acappella.
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S P O RT S N E W S Keep up with OC SPORTS at www.ocEAGLES.COM
OC teams, athletes excel in 2008-09 Team and individual national championships, coaching milestones and record-breaking performances … 2008-09 had it all at Oklahoma Christian University. Though the year was highlighted by a national championship in men’s golf (see story on page 30) and a pair of national track titles (see sidebar on page 29), OC had a dazzling athletic season from start to finish. OC runners got the year going right by winning the SAC cross country championship, then placing 18th at the NAIA National Championships. Jordan Powell and Silas Kisorio earned All-America honors. Kris Miller returned to the OC tennis programs and led the men’s squad to the NAIA Unaffiliated No. 4 Tournament championship and the NAIA National Tournament. Thomas Van Cauter was named the National Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-American. Esteban Flores won his second straight ITA Regional Singles Championship and earned second-team NAIA AllAmerica honors. Gabriela Nastasa, the NAIA Region VI Senior of the Year, and Olfa Dhaoui earned All-America honors on the women’s side. The men’s basketball team heated up the winter with SAC Player of the Year Jason Taylor. On the way to the NAIA National Tournament, head coach Dan Hays got his 600th career victory and Taylor earned firstteam All-America honors. Women’s basketball head coach Stephanie Findley also enjoyed a milestone with her 475th career victory. Led by seven NAIA ScholarAthletes, the Lady Eagles ranked second nationally on the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association Academic Honor Roll. Tom Heath guided the softball team to its second-consecutive 30win campaign and earned his 450th career win in the process. The baseball team continued its steady upswing after returning the diamond in 2008, picking up the biggest win in the new era with an upset of No. 2 Oklahoma City in April. In soccer, third-team All-American Cristian Fernandes tied his own school record by scoring five goals in a single game. Oklahoma Christian finished 35th in the Learfield Sports NAIA Directors’ Cup all-sports standings, its highest ranking since 2006-07. OC’s best finish was a seventh-place mark in 2002-03.
OC leads in Scholar Team honors Oklahoma Christian produced 12 NAIA Scholar Teams during the 200809 season. OC’s 12 Scholar Teams were the most in the Sooner Athletic
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Conference and in the state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma Christian’s women’s basketball team had the school’s highest GPA at 3.7 8. The average was the best of any women’s basketball team in the NAIA, and the eighth-highest number of any team. Also receiving Scholar Team honors were OC’s women’s indoor track and field team (3.32 GPA), women’s outdoor track and field team (3.32), women’s tennis team (3.32), men’s tennis team (3.25), women’s cross country team (3.21), men’s indoor track and field team (3.21), men’s outdoor track and field team (3.21), softball team (3.16), men’s cross country team (3.15), men’s basketball team (3.15) and baseball team (3.07). Oklahoma Christian also had a conference-high 22 NAIA ScholarAthletes. Charlotte Heron claimed OC’s highest academic honor of the year, being named a first-team CoSIDA-ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. The first two-time Academic All-American in OC women’s track and field history, Heron graduated in April with a 4.0 GPA in political science. “What we’re striving for here are true student-athletes, and programs that stand for more than just success on the playing field. I want to congratulate all our coaches and student-athletes on this special accomplishment,” OC athletic director Curtis Janz said.
Lindsey Gipson
Jordan Powell
Josh Wayland
OC honors Gipson, Powell, Wayland OC senior student-athletes Lindsey Gipson, Jordan Powell and Josh Wayland were honored at the school’s year-end athletic banquet. Gipson was named Oklahoma Christian’s “Ms. Eagle,” while Powell and Wayland shared the honor of “Mr. Eagle.” The awards recognize studentathletes who exemplify OC’s four pillars of “The Complete Athlete” – athletic excellence, academic achievement, community service and Christian life.
Gipson, a women’s basketball player from Pflugerville, Texas, was a three-time NAIA ScholarAthlete with a 3.83 GPA in elementary education. She ranked fourth in the NAIA with an 87.4 percent free-throw shooting mark last year. Powell, a seven-time All-American, had OC’s highest finish ever at NAIA cross-country nationals last year with a fourth-place run. The Edmond, Okla., native won the Sooner Athletic Conference 5,000 meters at the 2009 conference meet to become a three-time SAC individual champion. Powell had a 3.23 GPA in nursing. Wayland won the NAIA national championship in the indoor 1,000 meters last year. The Olathe, Kan., product was a seven-time All-American and a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete. He had a 3.7 7 GPA in marketing. Wayland will remain a leader in the athletic department. He became OC’s sports information director in August.
Tennis alumni enjoy NCAA success Three OC graduates led their teams to the NCAA Tennis Championships last spring. Sam Winterbotham at the University of Tennessee, Dann Nelson at Southern Illinois University and Chris Young at Wichita State University (Kan.) each guided their teams to NCAA berths. All of them played at OC under head coach Kris Miller. Winterbotham was the 2008 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in just his second
year at Tennessee. His Volunteers were ranked fifth in the final regular-season poll. Winterbotham was a four-time NAIA All-American in tennis and was named the 1999 Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year for soccer. A member of OC’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Winterbotham previously was the head coach at the University of Colorado. Nelson led Southern Illinois to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship and was named the MVC Men’s Coach of the Year in 2009. He was a second-team All-American at OC in 1995. Young led Wichita State to the Missouri Valley Conference championship and the team’s third NCAA appearance in four years. He was named the MVC Women’s Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. The former OC player and coach, who was the SAC Coach of the Year and NAIA Region VI Coach of the Year in 2004, became the women’s tennis coach at Oklahoma State University over the summer. Young, Winterbotham and Nelson are among nine OC alumni who coach NCAA Division I programs. John Blackburn coaches tennis at Eastern Illinois University while Sherri Coale (University of Oklahoma), Janell Jones (Mercer University) and Dave Wilbers (Arkansas Tech University) are women’s basketball head coaches in NCAA Division I. Sunny Golloway, a 1984 OC alumnus, is the head baseball coach at the University of Oklahoma while Darin Thomas, a 1988 OC grad, leads the baseball program at the University of Texas-Arlington.
Silas Kisorio
RUNNERS ADD TO BANNER YEAR Senior Josh Wayland and freshman Silas
Kisorio
claimed
individual
national
championships in the spring to give Oklahoma Christian 24 track and field titles all-time. Wayland won the 1,000 meters at NAIA Indoor Nationals and Kisorio won the 800 meters at Outdoor Nationals. Kisorio earned All-America honors in three outdoor events. He placed a close second in the 1,500 meters and was part of OC’s 4x800-meter relay team that also ran to a runnerup finish. Kisorio, Wayland, Frezer Legesse, Jordan Powell and Curtis Pratt – who ran in place of Kisorio in the preliminary heat – earned All-America honors with the second-place finish. All
but
Legesse
were
repeat
All-
Americans: Kisorio (three track, one cross country), Powell (five track, two cross country), Pratt (four track), and Wayland (seven track). OC’s outstanding showing at outdoor nationals also featured multiple women’s AllAmerica performances. Nicole Lair placed second in the marathon, OC’s highest national finish in the event since Peggy Murphy won it in 1991 and 1993. Denise Mattoon placed fourth in the hammer throw and sixth in the shot put, netting All-America honors in both events. In addition to Wayland’s national title, Oklahoma Christian had three other top-five finishes at the NAIA indoor championships. Kisorio, Powell, Pratt, Wayland and preliminary participant Brady Watson led the Eagles to second place in the distance-medley relay. Kisorio and Powell placed third and fourth, respectively, in the mile. The track and field teams combined to break 13 indoor and outdoor school records
Alan Hoffhines (80), Greg Hewitt (77), Damon Johnson (98) and other alumni helped make OC’s second-annual baseball alumni day a success in September. Get more info at www.oc.edu/baseball.
in 2009. By Wes McKinzie (98)
29 W W W. O C . E D U
Champs! Oklahoma Christian University is the 2009 NAIA men’s golf national Gonzales and Ochoa both garnered all-tournament honors as the champion. The Eagles led every round of the NAIA tournament to win the Eagles earned their 10th straight national top-four finish in the biggest of program’s first national crown. ways. OC has placed second three times (2001, 2005, 2008). It’s the second national team championship in school history; OC “I’ve been looking for this since my freshman year, but we’ve always captured the men’s tennis title in 2003. been short. We worked very hard for Oklahoma Christian, ranked No. 1 in this and we’ve looked for this since the the nation most of the year, held off a beginning of the year. We won, we’re late charge by No. 18 Texas Wesleyan national champions. It’s just awesome,” University to win the tournament by four Gonzales said. strokes. Post-tournament hardware came in “Obviously it’s very satisfying, and droves to the Eagles, who also won their the first thing I had the guys do is call first conference championship this year. (former coach) David Lynn and thank Gonzales, Ochoa and Oscar Stark him for building the program. None of were tabbed as first-team NAIA Allus would be here without him,” OC Americans, while Tor-Erik Knudsen and head coach Kelsey Cline said. “Most Preston Wilkins earned second-team importantly though, I’m happy for these notoriety. Gonzales joined Bruno Buccolo, kids. It’s something few teams have a Rhein Gibson and Juan Lizarralde as OC’s Axel Ochoa, Fernando Gonzales, Coach Kelsey Cline, Tor-Erik chance to do, and they’ll have a memory only four-time golf All-Americans. Knudsen, Oscar Stark and Preston Wilkins. forever.” Gonzales and Stark were named to the Senior Fernando Gonzales, who won the Sooner Athletic Conference Ping NAIA All-America first team, Knudsen and Ochoa made the Ping individual title, led the Eagles with a sixth-place national finish. OC second team, Knudsen picked up the Phil Mickelson NAIA Freshman of the sophomore Axel Ochoa led the tournament through two rounds and Year award, and head coach Kelsey Cline was named the SAC and NAIA finished tied for 10th place. Eaton Golf Pride National Coach of the Year. By Dave Seat (06)
30 V I S I O N FA L L 2 0 0 9
A Campaign for the Future of Oklahoma Christian University Our university stands on the shoulders of many supporters who give to our general scholarship fund each year. Those selfless gifts benefit every OC student. But the future demands that we move beyond our reliance on general scholarship funding and increase our endowment. Endowment is the financial engine that propels a university toward achieving its greatest potential. “Remember OC� is a two-year campaign to secure our future through endowment funding. Please consider how you can Remember OC in your charitable estate, financial and tax planning. You can help create an endowment income stream that will continue your support of OC until the Lord returns. To find out how you can help through planned and estate giving techniques, call Stephen Eck at 405.425.5118 or email stephen.eck@oc.edu.
Oklahoma Christian University Office for Planned Giving P.O. Box 11000 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73136 Stephen Eck 405.425.5118 phone 405.425.5113 fax Stephen.Eck@oc.edu www.oc.edu/plannedgiving
Mi l e s t on e s Keep up with milestones online at www.oc.edu/alumni
1955 Betty (Carter) and Ted Colby moved to Lewisville, TX, in April 2008. They will celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary on December 17. blcolby1@msn.com.
1957 William Don and Mary L. (Broadus) Brown celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on Sept. 4. They live in Eustis, FL, with their daughter and family. 35419 Fox Run Cir., Eustis, FL 32736. williamdon.brown@gmail.com.
1961
Terrell (TX) Independent School District. He and his wife Virginia (68) teach at Terrell High School and are members of Meadowcreek Church of Christ in Mesquite, TX.
1970 Karen (Gamble) and Kee Claar live in Wichita, KS. kc004@c0x.net. Donna (Hutchison) Parker will publish Fiddler’s Lament, the third book in her “Fiddling With Murder” mystery series, in November (Wings e-press). dhparker49@ yahoo.com. donnaparker.w4aw.org.
1972
Ruth Ann McCollum passed away on Friday, March 20 after a long battle with cancer. Though she attended OC for just one year, she touched many lives and remained in contact with her dear friends from that significant year. She loved OC.
1965 Mary (Stansberry) Carpenter has published a collection of family stories and memories entitled “Have I Told You About the Time...?” The book is available at barnes&noble.com and amazon. com. Since her retirement as a high school English teacher, she has written a weekly column for The Elk Citian. carpenter0543@peoplepc.com. Arthenia (Stanley) Haney retired from Lawton Public Schools (Lawton, OK) in May after 29 years. artheniahaney@ sbcglobal.net.
1967 Brooks and Stephanie (69) Terry recently were recognized by a major company for their work in the self-help industry. dessain@aol.com.
1968 Claudio Chisholm was selected as the 2006-07 “Teacher of the Year” by the
32 V I S I O N FA L L 2 0 0 9
James and Marsha Bailey moved to Woodward, OK, in May. He is the minister for 5th St. Church of Christ. jpaul60@ att.net. Terry Danley is grocery manager for United Supermarkets in Perryton, TX. He serves as an elder for his church and is in his second term on the Perryton ISD board of trustees. His wife Gay is in her 15th year at Wright Elementary School, playing piano for 500+ music students in grades 1-3. gtdanley@ptsi.net.
of Certitude, a study of C.S. Lewis’s prose style, was published by The Kent State University Press in January. gtandy@ georgefox.edu.
1975 Timothy Howard was appointed as an Instructor of Pharmacy Practice at Harding University College of Pharmacy last year. He and his wife Debbie serve on the President’s Council at Harding. They have two children: Abby and Sam. thoward1@ harding.edu. Kim and Martha (Allen 79) Rice celebrated their 25th anniversary on July 28. nonikim@cox.net.
1976 Stephen and Keitha (Crawford 76) Bailey celebrated 35 years of marriage on Aug. 31. Steve has been a senior minister for Mesquite Church of Christ for five years. He has been an elder there since 2008. He writes a regular column in HEALTH NET, a magazine for area hospitals and doctors’ offices. s.bailey@ mesquitecofc.org.
Doug Hudkins is one of only 10 optometrists in the world doing laser eye surgery to correct myopia and astigmatism. PRK done without cutting tissue. jdhudkins@gmail.com.
1974 Gary Tandy has accepted a position as Professor of Writing and Literature and Associate Director of the Academic Resource Center at George Fox University in Newberg, OR. His book, The Rhetoric
Lisa (Force) Lang graduated from the University of Georgia with a Ph.D. in Language and Literacy Education in May. She works as an instructional coach and reading recovery teacher trainer for Gwinnett County Public Schools and serves as adjunct professor for the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and Mercer University. lisa_ lang@comcast.net.
1979 Brian Plumlee was recently promoted to assistant special agent in charge with the USPS, Office of Inspector General. Brian has been with the USPS for 28 years. He and his wife, Karen (Kamada 78) Plumlee moved to the San Diego area in January. 801 Hidden View Ln., Escondido, CA 92027. plumlee79@cox.net.
Brian and karen Plumlee
1973 Gary Rollins is a hospital chaplain in all the hospitals and surgery centers in Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman. He is based at North MacArthur Church of Christ. garyr@northmac.org.
1978
Ste phe n Bail ey
1977 Rhea (Holmgren) and Larry Buckingham had their second grandchild, Austin Nicholas, born on June 22. His parents are Tyler and Kristie; he is the little brother to Brodie Douglas. rhealee@ shaw.ca.
Melinda (Hale) Sims will celebrate her 30th anniversary as an accountant with American Fidelity Assurance Company in December. She and her husband Bryan attend Southwest Church of Christ in south Oklahoma City, where she has taught preschool for 35 years. They have two sons, 13 and 8. melindaleesims@ hotmail.com. Roy Stevens has received an academic appointment as adjunct clinical assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He also practices general dentistry with a special interest in caring for patients with special
health care needs in South Oklahoma City. stevensdds@aol.com.
1980 Linda (Conrad) Wright has a second grandbaby. Leia Alexis Ward was born on July 20. wwright@mokancomm.net.
1981 Cynthia (Phagan) Bittick is now the library media specialist at the same school she has taught Texas history for the past several years, Carroll Middle School in Southlake, TX. c-ebittick@tx.rr. com.
recently completed her masters. She and her husband Allen have two children, Erika and Matthew. vbeshears@cox.net. Julie (Selby) and Kyle (85) Garner celebrated their 25th anniversary on May 12. Kyle became an elder at South MacArthur Church of Christ in Irving, TX in December 2008. They have two daughters: Annelise, 22, and Emily, 21. garners4@verizon.net. Rick and Kristi (Isom 88) Odell recently moved to Greenwood, AR, where Rick is the youth/family minister with West-Ark Church of Christ in Ft. Smith, AR. Kristi is a homemaker. They have two children: Jake, 12, and Molly, 7. kristiodell@hotmail. com.
Rhiyana, 15, Aidan, 11, and Aeryn, 8. gscottfurniss@yahoo.com. Stanley Helton earned his doctor of ministry degree from Abilene Christian University in May. He recently moved from being the academic dean at Western Christian College to being the preaching minister at Tammany Oaks Church of Christ in Mandeville, LA. snhelton@gmail.com. Holli (Potts) recently married Will Boedeker. Will has an 8-year-old daughter, Tyler. 2915 Snake Canyon Dr., Katy, TX 77449. holli_potts@hotmail.com.
Remington Albers Bret Battles finished his doctor of audiology degree from Arizona School of Health Sciences/A.T. Still School of Osteopathic Medicine. battleszone@msn. com.
1985 Van and Jill (Murrell 88) Shelton recently purchased The Hudspeth House Bed and Breakfast in Canyon, Texas. info@hudspethinn.com. www.hudspethinn. com. Cynthia Bittick Dawn (Dodge) McKenzie and her husband Mark adopted two sisters (Zhanna, 13, and Ella, 12) from Ukraine in June. They also have two older children: Nathan, 23, and Annie, 20. Dawn is a middle school history teacher at Albuquerque Christian School and Mark is the preacher at Riverside Church of Christ in Albuquerque, NM. goldenmcks@juno.com.
Lynne (Smith) married Steven Dietrich in Maui in November 2008. They live in Blue Springs, MO. lynne.dietrich@edwardjones. com.
1986 David Holmes was promoted to full professor of English at Pepperdine University’s Seaver College in 2008. He is the first African-American to reach this rank in this subject matter. david.holmes@ pepperdine.edu. Heidi (Garred) Foshee is the residential care director at New Mexico Christian Children’s Home, where she has served since 1993. One of her two children, Samantha, runs track at OC. heidif@ nmcch.org.
Dawn and mark McK enz ie
1988
1984
Kristen (Street) Bates has taken the high school counselor job at Weleetka (OK) Public Schools. She has worked as an elementary teacher in Weleetka since 1988. She also works part-time for Oklahoma Families First as a licensed professional counselor. kmbates66@yahoo. com. kstreet@weleetka.k12.ok.us. ckandtay. blogspot.com.
Valerie (Gordey) Beshears was promoted to head of nurses for the Fort Smith Public School System in Fort Smith, AR. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BSN in Nursing and
G. Scott Furniss has a new job with Sullivan & Young, Public Accountants, in Mustang. He also serves as a part-time preacher. He and his wide Cathy (91) live in Purcell, OK. They have three children:
Debbie (Boothe) Wood was named the new choir director at Eisenhower High School in Lawton, OK, in July. She has taught elementary music for 16 years and junior high/middle school choir for 10 years. 1dwood@sbcglobal.net.
Allen (12) and big sister Addison Faith (7). Troy has served as the associate minister at Graeber Road Church of Christ in Rosenberg, TX, for the past nine years and also performs locally with his band, Skitterwalk. amybalbers@sbcglobal.net.
Hol li and Will Boe dek er
1989 Stephen and Sheila (Jobe 86) Lockwood announce the birth of Victoria Faith Lockwood, born March 10, 2009. She was 7 lbs., 2 oz., and 20 inches long at birth. lockwood@hatdaw.com.
Tony (92) and Denise (Meyer) Colvin welcome Cami Kay Charlene Colvin, born Oct. 18, 2008 at 4.2 pounds and 18 inches long. Cami joins brother Cash (10) and sisters Cali (9) and Casi (2). Tony owns two car washes and works for UPS and Denise teaches senior English at Tuttle High School. 500 Chad Drive, Tuttle, OK. denisecalifornia@hotmail.com.
1990 Bruce Dimick recently began practicing as a licensed marriage and family therapist two days a week at the community mental health center in Salina, KS. He remains employed as a minister with the Church of Christ in Salina, where he and his family have lived the past 10 years. He and Julie (Kirk) have two children: Sydnee, 13 and Nathan, 10. bruce. dimick@salinachurchofchrist.com. John Flood was recently elected shareholder with Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, a law firm of more than 400 attorneys with more than 30 offices nationwide. John represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. John works in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, and lives with his wife, Midori, and son Ben, in Rockville, MD. jbflood68@yahoo.com.
Tony and Denise Colvin Ty (92) and Krista (Henman) Franks announce the birth of Garrik Archer Franks, born March 3. He joins older brothers Noah (13) and Jacob (11). tynkris@ mtintouch.net.
1991 Troy (94) and Amy (Hahn) Albers announce the birth of Remington Hope Albers, born Dec. 17, 2008. She joins big brothers Chandler Troy (14) and Connor
Ty and Kris ta FRa nks
33 W W W. O C . E D U
Lisa Neisler graduated with a master of educational leadership with principal certification on Aug. 7 from Dallas Baptist University. lisad15@swbell.net. K.C. Williams was named 2008 Oklahoma Supreme Court Teacher of the Year, 2008 Oklahoma Daughters of the American Revolution Teacher of the Year, and 2009 Teacher of the Year at Santa Fe High School, where he teaches A.P. American Government. K.C. and his wife, Kathy (92), and their two children, Kody and Kayla, live in Edmond, OK. kwill921@hotmail.com.
1992 Kristin Elizabeth Barr accepted a chaplaincy job at Mercy Memorial Hospital in Ardmore, OK. woemcat@charter.net. Darin Hamm was featured in a local news story about the use of social media by churches. It was also in the Owasso Reporter. pastor@newheightsfamily.org. Cynthia (Maggard) Singleton has recently moved to Lenexa, KS, and is now a council coordinator with Mothers of Preschoolers International. blondegirlfrnd@yahoo.com.
1993 Larry Redmond has begun working with the Church of Christ in Stantonville, TN, as the full-time preacher. lwredmond@yahoo.com.
1994 Craig and Traca (93) Haslam have three children: Clara (8), Luke (6) and Eve (5). Craig graduated from the University of Oklahoma Medical School in 2005 and works for Orthocare Innovations as a medical device design engineer. Traca teaches at the language preschool at the OU Health Sciences Center. craighaslam@ cox.net. tracahaslam@cox.net.
James Dvorak presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in November 2008: “Persuasion or Manipulation? A Sociolinguistic Discourse Analysis of Philemon.” He wrote two chapters for Stanley E. Porter and Sean A. Adams (eds.), Pillars in the History of New Testament Interpretation: (1) M. Dibelius & R. Bultmann (2) E. Judge & W. Meeks. jim.dvorak@oc.edu.
1996 Amy (Olsen) Herbel completed her B.S. in mechanical engineering with highest honors from Southern Methodist University in May 2009. She received the Mark Shepard Outstanding Student Award from the SMU Lyle School of Engineering. Amy and her daughter, Kinsey (7), live at 7534 Benedict Dr., Dallas, TX, 75214. aherbel2@alumni.oc.edu. Rodney and Mindy (Cail) Lemons announce the birth of Abraham Blake Lemons and Cail Stirling Lemons, twin boys, born June 1, 2009. mindylemons@ hotmail.com.
1995 Todd Chamberlain and his wife, Kristy (Keiser 94), have a new address: 5511 Chinaberry Drive, Wichita Falls, TX, 76310. Their children are Kendall (12), Conner (11) and Cameron (6). hoopscoachtodd@aol.com.
34 V I S I O N FA L L 2 0 0 9
Mark Wilson published a book under the pseudonym Silver 6ix entitled Silver 6ix: Memoirs of an Uncommon Common Man, which includes memories from attending OC and living in the Oklahoma City area. www.silver6ix.com. silver@silversixfarm. com.
Eric Urbach recently moved his law practice, Action Legal Solutions, to 13907 Quail Pointe Drive in Oklahoma City. Eric will continue to practice in the area of personal injury law as well as handle some family law matters. www. actionlegalok.com. eric@actionlegalok.com.
1997 Keith Mauck was promoted to director of the global account program for Belden, a leading manufacturer of networking and connectivity products for industrial and enterprise applications. He resides in Austin, TX, with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Quinn and Logan. keith_mauck@hotmail.com.
Bart and Laura Warren announce the birth of twin boys Loukas Isaiah Warren and Titus Jethro Warren, born Dec. 17, 2008. Laura is a homemaker and Bart preaches for Antioch Church of Christ in Ramer, TN.
2000
Todd and Carrie (Lehew) Corley announce the birth of their daughter, Peyton Drew Corley, born April 27 in San Antonio, TX. Peyton joins big sister Skyler. toddac3@sbcglobal.net.
Greg (96) and Heather (Hudson) Brown announce the birth of Houston Cook Brown, born May 28. He joins big sister Kennedy (5) and big brother Hudson (3). hdbrown@sandia.gov.
Bryan and Katy (Watson 03) Roybal were married May 24 at Lawson Commons on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University. katy.roybal@oc.edu.
THE BROWN FAM ILY
Bryan and Kat y Royb al Tyson and Kenna (Eck) Schwerdtfeger announce the birth of Kate Nicole Schwerdtfeger, born Jan. 26. She weighed 7 lbs., 3 oz., and was 19 1/4 inches long. She joins big brother Owen (2). tysonandkenna@hotmail.com. Matthew and Melissa Wade announce the birth of Charles “Charlie” Dean Wade, born April 10. Charlie joins big brother Henry. The Wades reside in Edmond, where Matthew is an attorney for State Farm Insurance and Melissa is a stay-athome mom and interior designer. matthew. wade.p4fe@statefarm.com.
Jason and Erin (Richards) Engelke announce the birth of Ava Ruth Engelke, born May 22, 2008. She weighed 7 lbs., 6 oz., and joins big brother Gabriel (4). Jason and Erin recently celebrated 12 years of marriage and continue to reside in Edmond, OK. jason.engelke@gmail.com.
Gabriel and Ava Jack Hudkins graduated from general surgery residency from the University of Kansas at Wichita. He has moved to Harrisonville, MO, with his family to begin a private practice. jackhudkins@gmail.com.
1998 Susan Jurney completed her PhD in accounting at the University of Oklahoma and moved to Tuscaloosa, AL, to accept a job as an assistant professor at the University of Alabama. susanjurney@ hotmail.com.
Chris and Kathryn (Johnson) Walker announce the birth of Emma Halley Walker, born Dec. 23, 2008. She weighed 7 lbs., 11 oz., and was 20.5 inches long. She joins big brother Ryan (2). kathrynlwalker@yahoo.com.
1999
April Tate completed graduate school this summer, earning a master of education in teacher leadership from Lamar University. atate@coppellisd.com.
Rep. Mike Sanders and wife, Nellie, announce the birth of their first son, Davis Lee Sanders, born Feb. 6, 2009. friendsofmikesanders@gmail.com.
THe has lam Fam ily
Wes McKinzie earned his master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Oklahoma. wes.mckinzie@oc.edu.
The Wad e fam ily
Patrick and Myra (McCrary) Moran have moved from Edmonton, Alberta, to Montreal, Quebec. Patrick is a senior designer for BioWare, Inc., and Myra is a stay-at-home mom to their daughter, Morgandy. www.myramoran.blogspot.com. myradawn@gmail.com.
Chris and Susan Peters announce the birth of Aaron Dale Peters, born Nov. 29, 2008. susan.peters@cgi.com. Tim and Melody (McCoy) Rabbitt announce the birth of Molly Ann Rabbitt, born Aug. 10. She weighed 8 lbs., 5 oz., and was 20 inches long. She joins big brother Treyton, half-brother Trevor and half-sister Andrea. mathlover05@peoplepc.com. Clint and Sheridan Vaughn announce the birth of Austin Raymond Vaughn, born Feb. 21, 2008. Last spring, Clint also expanded his Tulsa roofing business into the OKC area. The Edmond office for Roofscapes of Oklahoma is at 1603 E. 19th St. www. roofscapesok.com. clint@roofscapesok.com.
2001 Osvaldo (00) and Clavelia (Sedillo) Cuarezma announce the birth of Isabella Sofia Cuarezma, born April 24, 2008. She weighed 6 lbs., 10 oz., and joins big brothers Alejandro (7), Samuel (5) and Jacob (2). clavelia.cuarezma@gmail.com. Ryan Inlow is now the pulpit minister at Pleasant Ridge Church of Christ in Arlington, TX. ryaninlow@ pleasantridgechurch.org. Wes and Cheryll (Smith) Jones were married July 11. chresm@hotmail.com.
John and Elaine (Kincaid) Matthews were married April 11, at the Gateway Canyons Resort in Gateway, CO. They now reside in Grand Junction, CO. elaine. matthews@live.com. Matt (04) and Mandy (Essary) Stansberry announce the birth of Violet Lane Stansberry, born July 21. She weighed 8 lbs., 7 oz., and was 19 3/4 inches long. She joins big sister Vivian Mae. mandystansberry@yahoo.com. Matt Thomas has accepted a new position as director of events for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. He will maintain his role as recruiter for MRT Talent Group. matt@mrttalentgroup.com. James and Claire Walton announce the birth of twin boys Joshua James Walton and Brayden Andrew Walton, born June 14. jfwalton@gmail.com.
2002 Kris (05) and Nicki (Parker) Austin announce the birth of Jason Drew Austin, born Feb. 14. They live in Edmond, OK, where Kris continues his work as manager of IT services at 3Nines Technologies and Nicki works part-time as a physician assistant for Bryant Street Family Medicine. nicki.austin@gmail.com. Austin and Sommer (Billings) Baker were married Oct. 17, at Arrow Springs Chapel in Broken Arrow, OK. sommerangel24@yahoo.com. Julie (Crosley) Morgan began teaching fifth grade this fall at Harvest Hills Elementary in Oklahoma City. juliesocr@aol.com.
2003 Wes and Che ryl Jon es David and Anna (Iwai 04) Klein announce the birth of Madison Iwai Klein, born May 1. daveanna515@hotmail.com.
Josh (02) and Krista (Johns) Blanche welcomed Emily Ann into their family on April 3. blanche.krista@unionps.org.
Josh (04) and Jennifer (Rankin) Yaeger announce the birth of Bryton Thomas, born July 16. He weighed 8 lbs., 2 oz., and was 19 3/4 inches long. The Yaegers live in Cordell, OK, where Josh is the youth minister for the 4th and College Church of Christ. sunshine015@gmail.com.
2004 Clint (00) and April (Wooldridge) Everhart recently moved back to Oklahoma after spending five years as missionaries in Chemnitz, Germany. Clint works for Cole & Reed, P.C., in Oklahoma City, and April is home with their daughter, Heidi (2). clintandapril@hotmail. com. www.ocalachurchofchrist.com.
Marc and Kay (Reitz) Thomas announce the birth of Josephina (Josie) Anne Idrial Thomas, born April 22. She weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz. pidleywinks@hotmail.com.
2007 Matt (06) and Maria Clark announce the birth of Ella Marie Clark, born Feb. 2. She weighed 6 lbs., 9 oz., and was 21 inches long. maria.clark@oc.edu.
Matt and Jamie (Rundle 05) Hamm announce the birth of Hayden Matthew Hamm, born May 26, in Grand Junction, CO. Landon (2) is a proud big brother. mattahamm@gmail.com.
Andrew Silvestri graduated with a master in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in June. andrew.silvestri@oc.edu.
Todd and Rosey (Carrero) Janes announce the birth of Archer Thomas Janes, born Nov. 26, 2008. He weighed 7 lbs., 12 oz., and was 20 1/2 inches long. He joins big brother Tresdon. roseyjanes@ alumni.oc.edu. Grady and Allison (Hreczuch) Maass announce the birth of Connor Reagan Maass, born Feb. 6 in Rochester, MN. He weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz., and was 20 inches long. He joins big sister Caitlin (22 months). allison.maass@gmail.com. Trevor and Jennifer (Reagan) McIntyre have moved back to the United States after four years in Japan. They live in Santa Maria, CA. coasterdot@alumni. oc.edu.
David and Chelsea Sparks (06) announce the addition of their son Nataga. They received him in Ethiopia on April 12. adoptethiopia.blogspot.com. reach2him@yahoo.com.
Mad ison Iwa i Klein
Erik and Kara (Kinkel) Scharrer announce the birth of Skogen Roux Sharrer, born Jan. 14. He weighed 9 pounds, 5.6 oz., and joins big sister Maida Raine. 5905 Aquila Ave N, New Hope, MN 55428. www.scharrerlife. blogspot.com. karascharrer@gmail.com.
Hal and Emilie Gatewood have launched an online church website builder service. www.1915studios.com. hal@1915studios.com.
Lucas (03) and Aubrie (Lashley) Ross announce the birth of Henson Marr Ross, born April 6. aubrieross@gmail.com.
THe Bla nch e fam ily
Kyle (06) and Tiffany (Bott) Roberts announce the birth of Emmett Reid Roberts, born Jan. 29. He weighed 7 lbs., 11 oz., and was 20 inches long. Kyle earned a master’s degree in administration from the University of Denver in August. troberts@nstaracademy.org.
2005 Travis and Mary (Peltier) Ashbaugh announce the birth of Carson Isaac Ashbaugh, born Feb. 4. He weighed 7 lbs., 12 oz., and was 20 inches long. mrsashbaugh@yahoo.com.
AND REW Silv est ri
2008 Alfredo and Laura (Alvarado) Arriola were married May 30 in Mexico City. arriolag@ualberta.ca. Adam and Corrine (Favre) Boderman were married Sept. 7. They reside in Morgan Hill, CA, and they both work at Fox Racing. corrinefavre@gmail.com. Tyler (07) and Candace (Timmons) Brassfield have moved to Wilburton, OK, where Tyler serves as director for Eastern Oklahoma State College’s Church of Christ Bible Chair. They expect their first child in December, a boy to be named Gunner Ray. cj_littlefoot@hotmail.com. David (06) and Christy (Walker) Hallock just bought their first house in Oklahoma City. David is branch manager for City National Bank’s Shawnee branch. Christy is an RN at the University of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. christyhallock@hotmail.com.
35 W W W. O C . E D U
Scott Hill married Ashlee Peterson on July 11 in Edmond. They reside in Edmond, OK, while Scott is a graphic designer at Oklahoma Christian and Ashlee works at TSO Optical. scott.hill2@oc.edu.
Justin and Melissa (McGuire) McGavock were married July 19, 2008. pooter79@ cox.net.
2009 Beef Branard is the youth minister at Maricamp Road Church of Christ in Ocala, FL. pastorbeef@gmail.com. Amanda Hoddy was recently featured in the art show “Kaki King: The Exhibition” in New York City. She lives in Oklahoma City. www.thehoddy.com. thehoddy@gmail. com. Taylor Walling and Courtney Knapp were married on Oct. 10 in Charlotte, NC. They live in Louisville, KY, while Taylor finishes out his media/preaching internship with Southeastern Christian Church. courtney. taylorwall@gmail.com.
Taylor and Cou rtn ey Wal ling
OC SUPPORTERS Ruth Branam celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends on Aug. 16. Senior development officer Bob Rowley was there to name her an honorary alumna of Oklahoma Christian.
A CLOSER LOOK AT NATIONAL ALUMNI COUNCIL MEMBERS
SCOTT AND ASHLEE HILL
NAC SPOTLIGHT Name: Stephen Ball (01) Cu r re n t J o b : G e n e ral M an ag e r o f F ro n ti e r Ci ty amu s e me n t p ark in O klah om a Cit y Ch il d h o o d A mb itio n : To b e a p ro fe s s i o n al mag i c i an Fo n d e s t M e mo r y: G e tti n g h i re d to d o th e mag i c s h ow at F ron t ie r Cit y W il d e s t D re am: H o r s e b ac k r i d i n g i n th e G ran d Can yo n A l ar m Cl o c k : 6: 3 0, 6: 4 0, 6: 5 0, 7: 00 Favo r ite O C B ib l e C l as s : G o s p e l o f Jo h n Pro u d e s t M o me n t: B e i n g p re s e n t fo r th e b i r th o f my two kids B ig g e s t C h al l e n g e : Ke e p i n g up w i th my s c h e du l e Pe r fe c t D ay : B re ak fas t, g o l f, l u n c h , g o l f, d i n n e r, g o l f I n du l g e n c e : Pr i me r i b s an d w i c h I n s p iratio n : D an Cu r ti s , a yo u th mi n i s te r at s u mme r c amp M y L ife : B l e s s e d b eyo n d b e l i e f M y S c h o o l : I am p ro u d o f my OC e du c ati o n
NORTH TEXAS ALUMNI CHAPTER
bob rowley and ruth branam
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T h e b o a r d o f O C’s North Texas Alumni C h a p t e r re c e n t l y gathered for a retreat. To p row ( l e f t t o right): Krista Glover, Susie J a c k s o n , J e n n i fer Gray, Carol Pauley, Pat L aws o n , A n n Varner, Bill Goodwin. Bottom row ( l e f t t o r i g ht): Tom McLemore, Russ B a r t e e, D ewey L eg g ett, Eu g en e Howla n d, To m W in k l e r, Al a n Ph i lli p s .
At Oklahoma Christian University, our students learn to push their limits without compromising their faith. Spiritually grounded, they are fully equipped and ready to impact the world.
www.oc.edu
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 800.877.5010
THE WRITTEN WORD Here is a sampling of recent books authored or edited by OC faculty and alumni:
Toxicology Principles for the Industrial Hygienist By Bill Luttrell, Warren Jederberg, and Kenneth Still Luttrell, one of the leading experts in the toxicology industry, co-authored this book geared toward the industrial hygienist. It includes the most current and accurate toxicology information. Dr. Luttrell chairs OC’s Department of Chemistry and Physics.
Listening to His Heartbeat: What the Bible Says About the Heart of God By Harold Shank Dr. Shank’s latest book asks the question “What makes God smile?” as it explores ideas from the scripture about the heart of God. Dr. Shank, an OC alumnus, is a Professor of Old Testament at Oklahoma Christian.
The Marriage Crisis: An Ounce of Prevention By Alan Martin and Glover Shipp Dr. Martin is an Associate Professor of Family Ministry at Oklahoma Christian. Dr. Shipp is a former OC professor and former managing editor of the Christian Chronicle. Media Ethics: Issues and Cases By Dr. Philip Patterson This book, soon to be in its seventh edition, is used in more than 200 colleges and universities across the nation including Syracuse, Notre Dame, and about half of the Big 10 and Big 12 campuses. It is also used in several foreign countries. Media Ethics has been translated in Mandarin Chinese, Korean and now Albanian. Dr. Patterson is a Distinguished Professor of Mass Communication at OC. Eclipse of the Jaguar By Richard Trout This book, due out in 2010, will be the seventh installment of the MacGregor Family Adventures, Trout’s acclaimed series for young adults. Trout, an OC alumnus, is an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Oklahoma Christian.
Soaring on Wings Like Eagles: A History of Oklahoma Christian University By Stafford North This book traces Oklahoma Christian from its beginning in 1950 as a 97-student junior college in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to a 2,500-student, internationally-recognized university in Oklahoma City. Dr. North is a Distinguished Professor of Bible at OC.
Women Win the Vote: The Hard-Fought Battle for Women’s Suffrage By Larry Van Meter This book explores the resilience of women’s suffrage leaders like Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Their efforts led to the 19th Amendment of the United States Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. Van Meter, an OC alumnus, is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Oklahoma Christian. Baptism: Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspectives Edited by Jim Dvorak and Gord Heath Dvorak, an OC alumnus, is an Associate Professor of New Testament & Greek at Oklahoma Christian. The New Testament Church: The Challenge of Developing Ecclesiologies Edited by Jim Dvorak and John Harrison Dr. Harrison is a Professor of New Testament and Ministry at Oklahoma Christian.
The Braking Point: America’s Energy Dreams and Global Economic Realities By Mark Stansberry and Jason Reimbold This book, now in its second printing, has been ranked on Barnes & Noble’s National Best Sellers in three categories: Public Policy/Environmental Politics; Energy Policy, Industries and Future Studies; and Forecasting. Stansberry, an OC alumnus, serves on our board of trustees.
Greco-Roman New Testament Backgrounds (published in The Transforming Word) By Richard Wright (Book edited by Mark W. Hamilton) This article discusses some of the GrecoRoman cultural and intellectual forces at work in the world in which Christianity arose and spread. Dr. Wright, an Assistant Professor of Bible at OC, recently presented at the International Society of Biblical Literature Conference in Rome. Of Heroes and Managers (published in A Noble Calling: Devotions and Essays for Business Professionals) By Phil Lewis (Book edited by David W. Whitlock and Gordon Dutile) Dr. Lewis is Dean of OC’s College of Professional Studies. Where You Live and Where You Work (published in Solomon Was a Businessman: Advice from the Wealthiest Man on Earth) By Phil Lewis (Book edited by Ardith Baker & David W. Whitlock)
In addition to these books, OC faculty members have been published in numerous journals and presented at prestigious conferences throughout the world over the past year. For a listing of these and many other accomplishments by OC’s faculty, staff and students, go to www.oc.edu/accomplishments.
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SAVE THE
DATE
find out about the latest events going on at Oklahoma christian university and how you can get involved with your alma mater by visiting www.oc.edu/calendar
LIGHTING OF THE COMMONS • DECEMBER 1
Last year’s inaugural event drew more than 500 members of the OC family to campus. Meet Santa, hear holiday music, and ride horse-drawn carriages. www.oc.edu/lighting
+\Y_XN ^RO AY\VN
HOMECOMING • NOVEMBER 6-7
A big weekend with great friends, the Alumni Dinner, the musical, and the season’s first basketball games. www.oc.edu/homecoming
CHECK OUT THESE
OTHER GREAT
OC EVENTS
THE ROCK AND THE RABBI • NOVEMBER 12-14 This unqiue production has been a big hit all over the country - from Nashville to New York. www.oc.edu/rabbi
FUN RUN • APRIL 3
5K race, inflatables, and easter egg hunt honoring our late alumni director, Mike McDonald. www.oc.edu/funrun
ARTS
ADM I S S I O N S
AT H LET I C S
www.o c . e d u/a r t s
www.o c. e d u/a d m issi o ns
www.o c e ag l e s .c o m
H OMECOM I N G MU S I CAL • N ov. 6 - 8 S h e L ov e s M e FALL CO N CE R T • N ov. 2 0 Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra VALE N T I N E CA B A R ET • Fe b. 1 2 - 1 4 T H EAT R E • Tom Thumb • Feb. 19-20, 26-27
CAMPU S CO N N ECT • N ov. 6, D e c. 4 , J a n . 1 5 , Fe b. 1 5 , M a r. 2 6, A p r. 1 6 S P R I N G V I S I T • M a rc h 5 - 6 T h i s w e e ke n d i s a p r i m e o p p o r t u n i t y f o r p ro s p e c t i v e s t u d e n t s t o v i s i t c a m p u s a n d l e a r n m o re a b o u t O C .
B A S K ET B ALL • N ov e m b e r - M a rc h T R AC K & F I ELD • J a n u a r y - M ay G OLF • Fe b r u a r y - M ay S OFT B ALL • Fe b r u a r y - M ay TE N N I S • Fe b r u a r y - M ay
39 W W W. O C . E D U
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aerie Archive
Prince engineering Center Administrators and faculty slice ceremonial ribbon for Prince engineering Center.
Cami Agan Cami Agan agreed to direct Spring Sing IN 1989. Agan, the 20-year-old daughter of Mike and Carolyn Agan, is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Why her? Why the Theme “Colours”? How did it all come together? The Aerie asked Agan about the show.
Stephanie Findley Lady Eagles Aerie: Why did Student Senate pick you as director when you didn’t even apply? Agan: I think they picked me because they were desperate. They found themselves without a director in the middle of the summer and Michelle (Thompson) thought of me and called me up. She knew that I could run things from my involvement with my club show last year. Aerie: Why the theme “ColourS’? And where did you get the idea? Agan: It came from a production I had done with the ballet (Pittsburgh Ballet Company). I almost went with an anniversary show since it was the 20th, but I felt that was such a cop out for the title to be “20 years” of whatever. I started thinking of all the songs (for Colours) and there were so many of them. Also, the audience would know why a song was chosen. There would never be any question.
40 V I S I O N FA L L 2 0 0 9
Colours
UNder the direction of head coach Stephanie Findley, they have set their goals high.
Lasting Visions
Student getting well-deserved rest in the forum.
41 W W W. O C . E D U
BOX 11000 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73136-1100 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Visit www.oc.edu/alumni to update your name, address, email and other information.
Top Left: Amy (Perry 88) Gower with her children, Amelia and Asa, in Sanibel Island, Florida. Bottom Left: Sommer (Billings 02) Baker and Carrie (Seat 03) Gotcher in Niteroi, Brazil. Right: Mallory and Morgan Bedford, daughters of Stan (86) and Sheila (87) Bedford, at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Here’s a three-point plan for the next time you take that ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** vacation or mission trip to some famous or exotic location: ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 1 Take some OC gear. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 2 Take your picture with you wearing it. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 3 Tell us where you are and what you’re doing. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** If you email or mail the photo to us, we’ll post it on our ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** alumni website … and it might even appear in the next ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Vision. We look forward to seeing those pictures! ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: alumni@oc.edu ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************
Where in the World is OC?
CHAIR OF NATIONAL ALUMNI COUNCIL Greetings Fellow Alumni, As you receive this issue of VISION magazine in your mailbox, I hope you take a moment to reflect upon the real message of the printed material. VISION was created to give our alumni a view into the current state on campus and to keep you connected to a part of your own personal history. Each issue illustrates the growth of the campus and the growth of our most important resource – our current students and fellow graduates – who faithfully serve God in so many ways throughout the world. At our annual alumni dinner on November 6, we will celebrate the stories of two servant-hearted leaders: OC alumna Sherri Coale, the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma and Don Millican, chairman of OC’s board of trustees. We have phenomenal success stories to tell and want to know your story, too.
In a time when the Internet, email, Facebook and Twitter take precedence over face-to-face communication on a daily basis, it is easy to slip away from the relationships and experiences that are important to all of us. Think about it … When was the last time you saw your fellow classmates? Have you been to campus in the past five years to see the wonderful buildings that have been added? As we approach our November Homecoming, I hope you will consider being a part of the weekend planned to rekindle emotions and memories from days gone by. The plans are made; all we need now is YOU, all of our alumni, to complete the weekend.
See you November 6-7. Carol Copeland