Brown Bulletin - Summer 2012

WORLD VISION SHELTER DESIGN + THE NEW COLLEGES + T4 GLOBAL SU M M E R 2 0 1 2

The Official Magazine of John Brown University

Built by

Eagles

Mid-Continent Tower Tulsa, Okla.

Completed 1984 Project Cost: $68 Million Senior Project Manager: Lowell Heck, JBU Class of ’73

a

PHOTO ESSAY

of

BUILDING PROJECTS

by

JBU ALUMNI S PU ITY M A CIL TS C A N N F S O uet TME T EC nq PAR J a O A PR LL B PE O W A NE T H THSL EA OR R G N

{ pres i d e n t ’ s L etter }

Creating Memories Over Meals June 15, 2012

Dear Friends of JBU,

When we built ‘The Caf’ in 1973, JBU had 435 students living on campus. Now we have over 940 students in campus housing, and The Caf has become highly congested.

“The Caf ” has been central to JBU’s student life for almost 40 years. Built in 1973, the new dining hall offered lots of light through its large, expansive windows and a break from the Arkansas heat with central air-conditioning.

When I ask alumni from that era about their favorite memories, I often hear about Billie Holliday’s fantastic Sunday dinners of fried chicken, broccoli and cheese, soft butter rolls and pecan pie.

Subsequent generations of students remember eating pizza for weeks, or cereal for dinner, or the fresh bread, or the strawberries picked out from the mixed fruit bowl. They also remember the anxiety of walking into The Caf alone for the first time and the joy of laughing with friends around a meal.

When we built The Caf in 1973, JBU had 435 students living on campus. Now we have over 940 students in campus housing, and The Caf has become highly congested. In addition, JBU hosts a lot more visitors for meals with our alumni and admissions events.

We renovated the dining area in 2008 to give it a much needed face-lift, but we did not have the money available to expand the footprint. JBU had an urgent need for an expanded banquet facility – what we are calling a Great Hall.

Godspeed,

Dr. Charles W. Pollard President, John Brown University

Similarly, JBU students have made lasting memories in the duplexes in Broadhurst Village, either living with friends as seniors or as young married couples. With the construction of the Berry Performing Arts Center (2010) and Balzer Technology Center (2011), we had to take down 15 of the 20 duplexes, which eliminated a significant portion of our apartment housing on campus. JBU had an urgent need to replace those apartments.

With these needs so evident, I was deeply grateful to be able to announce at the April board meeting that JBU has received an anonymous pledge of $4 million to help us get started on the Great Hall and on a new apartment complex near the existing townhomes – the Northslope Apartments. These projects will expand JBU’s core infrastructure so that we can serve more students more effectively, and we can host more visitors more graciously. We trust that both projects will provide the space for students and others, not just to create wonderful memories of meals together, friendships deepened, and sorrows shared, but to live out God’s call on their lives by loving others in community.

We are deeply grateful for the many ways God continues to bless the ministry of JBU. Thank you for your part in that blessing.

{ c o n te n ts }

SUMMER 2012 The Brown Bulletin is published

by University Communications for alumni and friends in the JBU community.

Dr. Chip Pollard President Dr. Jim Krall Vice President for Advancement EDITORIAL STAFF

FEATURES COVER: BUILDINGS THAT INSPIRE 14 | Built by Eagles A photo essay of building projects by JBU alumni.

FEATURED ARTICLES 6 | The Great Hall & Northslope Apartments

By Lucas Roebuck – New buildings on JBU campus.

Lucas Roebuck Editor and Director of University Communications

21 | JBU Hosts Shelter Design Competition

Jessa Eldridge Managing Editor

22 | Spending Christmas in Africa

Contributors Tracy Balzer, Gloria Gale, Johanna Merwin, Rod Reed, Jerry Rollene, Marquita Smith

24 | Sharing the Gospel in New Ways

Production Support Matt Snyder, Rachel Fiet, Virginia Wietecha, Rebekah Krall Copy Editing Paul T. Semones, Andy Klungland Thanks Darla Grimm, Rebecca Ridings Submissions of news items, story ideas, letters and corrections can be made via electronic mail to: lroebuck@jbu.edu or via U.S. postal service to Brown Bulletin 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761

By Tracy Balzer – Students design and build rapidly deployable emergency shelters.

By Jessa Eldridge – Why some students choose to build overseas.

By Jessa Eldridge – JBU alumni sidestep illiteracy to spread gospel at T4 Global.

DEPARTMENTS JBU News — The Latest JBU Headlines — page 2 Retirements ­— Saying Goodbye to Familiar Faces — page 8 Chaplain’s Corner — Hairy Spiritual Disciplines — page 11 Grad School — Scattered Light — page 12 Advancement — Treasure and Heart at JBU — page 13 Alumni Director — The JBU Experience Not the Same — page 23 Alumni News — The Latest Milestones for JBU Alumni — page 25 Alumni Awards — JBU 2011 Alumni Awards —page 26 In Memoriam — Remembering JBU Friends — page 28 From the Editor — No Place Like Home — page 32 On the cover

Graduates of JBU have been involved in the building of some impressive structures over the years. Lowel Heck ’73 was senior project manager for the Mid-Contenent Tower in Tulsa, Okla.

{ JBU NEWS } talent. The work is held to the high creative standards established by the ADDY Awards and are judged by a leading panel of ADDY judges.

JBU SIFE Students Named Regional Champions for Outstanding Projects Helping inmates learn job skills and leading social justice projects in Latin America are just two of the reasons the John Brown University chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) were named Regional Champions at the annual SIFE Regional Competition held on March 26, in Rogers, Ark. JBU was represented by students Marcel Guadron ’14, Katherine Jaramillo ’13,

John Brown III speaks at the dedication of Windgate Visual Arts East.

JBU Opens Renovated Visual Arts Facility John Brown University officially dedicated its completely remodeled art facility, now the second building designated for the growing visual arts program, at a reception on March 30.

“I’m excited to see how our students will utilize the state-of-the-art printmaking, drawing and painting studios, and the sound and video suites,” said David Andrus, professor of visual arts and department chair.

The $2.65 million project transformed the old Engineering Building, part of the historic Cathedral Group, into a top-tier art facility.

The university also announced that both the newly-renovated and the existing art facility were named in honor of the Windgate Foundation, which gave lead gifts for both buildings. The current art building was named the Windgate Visual Arts West building and the newly remodeled facility will be named Windgate Visual Arts East.

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JBU Students Bring Home 10 ADDY Awards Students from John Brown University’s Department of Visual Arts won 10 awards at the 2012 Northwest Arkansas Ad Federation “ADDY Awards” competition. Out of the 14 entries, JBU received 10 awards, including BestIn-Show, two Gold Medal awards, five Silver Medal awards, and two Bronze Medal awards.

Students with Silver Medal, Gold Medal and Best-In-Show awards will be entered into the regional competition in the spring. The Student ADDY Awards cover all major aspects of the advertising and design industry. This provides a competitive framework and allows students to showcase their

Estefania Verdin ’13, Kassie Keeter ’12 and Phil Ruppert ’12.

Student teams presented projects conducted over the previous year and the impact that the projects had both locally and internationally. This year, a total of 15 colleges and universities from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma were represented at the regional competition.

“I am so proud of our speaking team and the commendable job they did representing the SIFE projects this year,” said Clayton Anderson, SIFE sponsor. “The students work hard and it’s evident in the impact they have on our local community and abroad.”

The JBU SIFE team traveled to Kansas City, Mo., in May to compete at the National Exposition with 160

{ JBU NEWS }

JBU Forms Two New Colleges: Education and Business

Gloria Gale, left, and Joe Walenciak, right, will lead the College of Education and College of Business, respectively.

College of Education John Brown University announced on April 5 the formation of the College of Education . The new college brings JBU’s teacher education academic programs for traditional undergrad, degree completion and graduate students under one organizational umbrella, said Dr. Ed Ericson, vice president for academic affairs.

“This streamlined organization will not only help us be more effective as we are training future teachers, but it will also better allow our teacher education programs to share their strengths for the benefit of our students,” said Dr. Ericson.

Dr. Gloria Gale has been named associate dean and will serve as the head schools from across the country. JBU was selected as first runner-up in their league.

JBU Hosts Free Trade vs. Fair Trade Debate John Brown University hosted a debate entitled “Free Trade vs. Fair Trade: What Helps the Poor?” on March 14 in the Berry Performing Arts Center.

Scholars Claude Barfield, Paul Myers, and Victor Claar had the opportunity to

of the new college. Dr. Gale has served as professor of education at JBU since 2000. Previously she was at Pentwater Schools in Pentwater, Mich., as a library media specialist and taught classes for graduate education at Western Michigan University.

College of Business John Brown University announced on April 26 the formation of the College of Business. This new college will house JBU’s undergraduate, graduate and degree completion business programs.

Dr. Joe Walenciak will serve as the head of the new college and has been named associate dean.

“John Brown University’s business

programs have an excellent reputation for teaching ethical business leadership and providing competitive internships, global experience and practical application of business practices,” said Dr. Walenciak. “Establishing the College of Business allows us to enhance our ability to prepare students for success.”

Dr. Walenciak received his doctoral degree in strategic management from the University of Arkansas and has been teaching business classes in the undergraduate, graduate and degree completion programs at JBU since 1982. Walenciak was named SIFE USA Sam Walton Fellow of the Year in 2010 and inducted into the SIFE USA Hall of Fame in 2011.

present and debate their views on free and fair trade. Dr. James E. Bruce, assistant professor of philosophy at JBU, moderated the debate. The event was sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute.

Forensics Wins Five Awards at Southern Championships The JBU Forensics Team won five Arkansas State Championships at the Southern Forensics Championships,

held at the University of Central Arkansas Jan. 27-29. Joshua McBride ’15 and Andrew Goff ’13 won the Duo Interpretation championship for Summer 2012 | Brown Bulletin

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{ JBU NEWS } both Arkansas and the entire Southern region. McBride also won the state title in Prose Interpretation. Kaitlyn Thompson ’15 won state titles in both After Dinner Speaking and Dramatic Interpretation. JBU was among nine Arkansas schools attending the championship tournament.

JBU’s Governor’s Cup teams show off their sweep of awards at the state event.

Student Newspaper Named Newspaper of the Year The Threefold Advocate, John Brown University’s student newspaper, was named the Newspaper of the Year’during the Arkansas College Media Association 2012 Media Contest held April 20 in Little Rock.

The Threefold Advocate took first place in General Excellence and Editorial Writing among nine other Arkansas colleges and universities represented, including the University of Arkansas, University of Central Arkansas and Ouachita Baptist University. The Threefold Advocate took first in general excellence in 2008 and again in 2010.

Overall, 14 individual awards and 3 honorable mentions were given to the editorial staff.

JBU Excels at Reynolds Governor’s Cup John Brown University teams took first, second and the Elevator Pitch Award in the undergraduate division of the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup business plans competition at both the state and tri-state events. The JBU business plans outlined enterprises in 4 |

Brown Bulletin | Summer 2012

paint sample innovation and livestock hydration systems.

In addition, JBU teams won the Innovation Award in the graduate division and the Agricultural Award at the state event. JBU teams were awarded a total of $104,000 in cash prizes.

“Our students have worked exceptionally hard to develop an idea from the ground up and transform it into a viable business plan,” said Eva Fast, JBU instructor of business and team advisor. “This kind of opportunity impacts our students far beyond graduation and it’s exciting to see their work acknowledged with such prestigious awards.”

College of Education Receives $1.35 Million Grant for TESOL Graduate Courses John Brown University’s College of Education has been awarded a 5-year, $1.35 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition to help fund the JBU TESOL Graduate Program.

“We are thrilled about the announcement of this grant award,” said Dr. Gloria Gale, associate dean for JBU’s College of Education. “The grant is in partnership with the Siloam Springs and Rogers School Districts and will fund the TESOL (Teaching English to

Speakers of Other Languages) graduate courses for four of Siloam Springs and Rogers’ teachers.”

Eaglenauts Place Second in NASA Competition John Brown University’s lunabotics team, the Eaglenauts, placed fourth overall at NASA’s third annual Lunabotics Competition held last week in Florida. The team brought home awards for second in the Systems Engineering Paper category, third in the Outreach Award category and fourth in the Lunar Dirt Mining category. Nearly 60 teams from around the world registered for the competition at Kennedy Space Center. JBU students spent the 201112 school year designing, building and testing a robot for the competition.

The remote controlled or autonomous excavator was required to deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of lunar simulant within a 10-minute head-to-head competition. The lunabot also needed to withstand the abrasive characteristics of the lunar environment, adhere to the weight and size limitations of the lunabot required by NASA and have the ability to be controlled from an off-site location. Some of the concepts created by the team could possibly be incorporated into the design of future NASA

Mayfield Hall held receptions celebrating the recovery of Dayhe Kim and Eunbit Oh.

robots. This is the third year that JBU has participated in the NASA Lunabotics competition.

University Communications Wins CASE Awards for Videos The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Southwest District selected John Brown University as a Silver Award winner for the Keeping Faith Campaign Celebration Dinner Videos in the category of videofundraising. JBU was also selected as Bronze Award winner for the “Detectives” Video series in the category of video-student recruitment. The awards were given out during the regional conference held in Fort Worth, Texas in March. To view the videos go to JBU. edu/video.

VeggieTales Creator Phil Vischer Speaks at JBU Phil Vischer, creator of “VeggieTales” and “Buck Denver asks…What’s in the Bible?” spoke at John Brown University on Feb. 21 in the Bill George Arena.

The event was part of Leadership Week sponsored by The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics.

Vischer discussed the rise and fall of the company he founded, Big Idea Productions, one of the fastest growing companies in the 90s. The author of

“Me, Myself & Bob” will spoke about trusting God when it feels like you’ve lost everything.

Today, almost 50 million VeggieTales videos have been purchased and can be found in one-third of all American homes with young children. Vischer continues his creative involvement with VeggieTales through its current owner.

He is also actively developing new ways to integrate faith and storytelling through his new creative shop, Jellyfish Labs. He is also the author of the popular children’s books “Sidney and Norman” and “47 Beavers in the Big Blue Sea.” Community Rallies around Injured Students When two students were critically injured in an accident, the JBU community came together to support and care for both the students and their families.

On January 23, two international JBU students from Korea, Eunbit (Gina) Oh and Dayhe (Sarah) Kim, were injured in a pedestrian versus automobile accident in Siloam Springs.

Gina was taken to a Springfield hospital while Sarah was treated in the neurological ICU in a Tulsa hospital.

Faculty and staff from JBU remained with the girls, updating the JBU community and providing support for the girls’ families. Several alumni located near the hospitals offered accommodations for the girls’ families, as well as the JBU faculty and staff who visited.

Hundreds of cards, letters and posters were made by fellow JBU students and sent to the girls’ hospital rooms. The university held a special chapel to pray for a swift recovery for both girls.

Both girls showed remarkable progress in recovering. Gina was released from the hospital on Feb. 15 and returned with her mother to Seoul, South Korea, three weeks after. Sarah was released from the hospital a month later and returned to Korea with her father.

Both students plan to return to JBU to finish their degrees.

Cathedral Choir Performs with SoNA Students from John Brown Univer-

sity’s Cathedral Choir performed with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) at the Walton Arts Center on April 14. The Cathedral Choir joined the SoNA Symphony Chorus in singing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

The Cathedral Choir of John Brown University is the university’s most prestigious music ensemble. The choir’s reputation for excellence has led to performance tours all over the States and bi-annual tours to Ireland.

Get the latest JBU News online at JBU Now!

JBU.edu/NOW

Summer 2012 |

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Proposed New Projects

The Great Hall & Northslope Apartments Architect’s rendering of The Great Hall and a Northslope Apartment (Inset)

Anonymous $4 million lead gift given to help fund projects JBU announced this spring an anonymous $4 million lead gift to help fund two proposed new projects: The Great Hall banquet facility and the Northslope Apartments. The university is pursuing several other funding proposals to help finance these projects, which may cost up to $9.5 million.

Depending on the results of those proposals, JBU hopes to begin construction on these projects in August 2012 and complete construction by August 2013.

The funds raised for the projects will cover the cost of construction plus provide an endowment to pay for continu6 |

Brown Bulletin | Summer 2012

ing operational costs for the buildings to ensure that the projects don’t impact tuition.

A Great Hall The new 16,675-square foot Great Hall will seat approximately 500 people, employ enhanced audio/visual presentation equipment, and feature the ability to be divided into three separate rooms. The Great Hall will be built adjacent to the Kresge Dining Hall and will be accessible for daily overflow from the cafeteria.

The Kresge Dining Hall was constructed in 1973, when JBU’s tradition-

al undergraduate students totaled 550, and 435 students lived on campus. The original dining space now serves more than twice as many students.

The need for the additional dining and meeting space is for more than just JBU students. JBU annually hosts more than 30 events for guests where food is served to between 150 and 500 guests.

Those events often displace students from the cafeteria. In addition, the Administrative Dining Room, which accommodates 90 people for meals and 115 for meetings, hosted 230 events last year. The Great Hall will not only alleviate this pressure, but it will also

solve logistical problems from event conflicts and keep food service on one floor.

“The Great Hall will be a great facility for the community of Siloam Springs to hold top-tier banquets and other events,” said Wayne Mays, president of the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce.

“The Great Hall will be a wonderful facility for gatherings and fellowship for JBU students and our Northwest Arkansas community,” said Dr. Chip Pollard, president. “We are deeply grateful for the anonymous lead gift to get this project started.”

Northslope Apartments In addition to The Great Hall, construction will soon be underway on the Northslope Apartments, to be located

on the north facing slope next to the current townhouses. Plans under consideration are to build one or two of the 11,000-squarefoot apartment buildings.

Each individual apartment in the building will consist of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open living room/kitchen area and individual laundry facilities. “When completed, the townhouse apartments will likely be used to house as many as 49 upperclassmen each, with the possibility of use by married students, nontraditional students or even staff,” said Dr. Steve Beers, vice president for student development and As part of building the Berry Performing Arts Center (2010) and

the Balzer Technology Center (2011), JBU had to demolish 15 duplex housing units in the Broadhurst Village. These duplexes, built in the 1960s, provided apartmentstyle housing for approximately 90-95 students (the exact number would vary depending on how many married students would be housed there). The Northslope Apartments will replace this lost capacity.

– Lucas Roebuck Summer 2012 |

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{ RETIREMENTS } Jean Atkins – 9 years After serving more than 9 years, Jean Atkins, coordinator of advancement data in university advancement, will retire.

Jean, who says she’ll miss the JBU community, shared one of her fondest memories. She described the JBU chapel when students, faculty and staff wrote prayer requests and embedded them in the open walls of the Cathedral so they could then be rocked in with the new stone.

“To me it was meaningful that the entire JBU family participated and we placed prayer between the old and the new,” she said.

“Gary and I are praying especially for our new generation coming up to replace us in all aspects of expanding the Kingdom.”

Jean plans to join her husband Gary in ministry with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). Gary is the Fellowship Arkansas state coordinator. The couple will be around Arkansas facilitating after-school Bible clubs and summer five-day Bible clubs, witnessing to children and establishing interested families in local churches for long-term discipleship. – MS Linda Beckman – 15 years After teaching in the music department for 15 years, Linda Beckman decided to leave her post in 2011. Linda, a professor of music, taught piano, music technology, and several other courses.

She also served as chair of the music department for three years.

“The third presentation of the Piano Duo recital March 13, 2011, was the highlight of my time at JBU,” she said. “The performers worked hard in preparation and presented a delight8 |

Brown Bulletin | Summer 2012

ful program of pieces on two pianos, sometimes with two players per piano.

It was done in a show style that is normally reserved for musical theater productions. The students and I had a grand time and it was well received by an enthusiastic audience.”

Linda said she most misses the students and her colleagues in the music department. “I think often of individual piano students and wonder how they are progressing,” she said. “Interaction with students and colleagues was always a source of joy and inspiration.”

Linda plans to retire to the east coast of Florida “where water abounds, and there is little cold weather to chill my bones.” – MS Doyle Butts – 41 years Staying abreast of the constant change in economics has been a challenge, one that Doyle Butts, professor of economics, has mastered time and time again during his 41 years at JBU. Even after leaving, he still wants to stay current in his field, he explains.

For Doyle, the most enjoyable aspect of teaching has been the relationships with students and other faculty members. “I’ve taught in the adult learning program and the graduate program, and I enjoy teaching adults because they have such a broader base from which to perceive business economics,” he said. “But, I’ve always enjoyed having relationships with the

undergraduate students as well.”

Doyle looks forward to traveling, teaching as an adjunct professor and playing more racquetball. – JE David Cater – 18 years His office walls are covered with majestic pictures of the night sky— pictures that he took with digital and film cameras. Psychology may be what David Cater has taught at JBU for the last 18 years, but astronomy has been his passion since he was 14 years old.

Before coming to JBU, David spent 17 years teaching at the University of California in the department of psychiatry.

When first coming to Siloam Springs, David admits that the pace of life was slower than busy Los Angeles or Orange County, but that the night sky was much more photo-friendly and the community very welcoming.

He is an elder and deacon at First Presbyterian Church, sings bass in choir, started JBU’s Astronomy Club, built JBU’s telescope at New Life Ranch, toured with Chorale of the Ozarks and is a well established member of the JBU and Siloam Springs community.

More than anything, David says he will deeply miss the relationships at JBU and miss working with his colleagues.

“The biggest things I take away are the relationships I’ve established, and the experiences of watching students truly learn and apply concepts,” he said. “Leaving here, I feel as if I’ve been given more than I ever gave.”

David and his wife plan to live in Muskogee, Okla., and he wants to start volunteering in the community. – JE

{ RETIREMENTS } Neal Gesell – 9 years Neal Gesell served JBU for 9 years as the assistant business manager under Bruce Andree and as the students account representative for JBU’s graduate school and Degree Completion Program under Janna Snodgrass.

Neal first learned about JBU when JBU alumni, Ron and Carole Maines, recommended the school to his daughter in 1994.

The Gesells discovered that JBU was not just a fit for their daughter, but also for their family. They moved from Southern California to Arkansas when Gesell was offered his position as assistant business manager.

During his time at JBU, Neal is proud to have been a member of the faculty and staff softball team the year they won the intramural championship over all the student teams in 2001. That same day, Neal was awarded the Golden Eagle Excellence in Service Award for his example of service to JBU. He also beamed when recounting the day the JBU basketball team won the NAIA National Championship in 2005.

Upon retiring, Neal is enjoying the time he has to golf, and he and his wife are excited to vacation at their beach house in Florida. They plan to spend a lot of quality time with their four grandchildren and to travel as much as they can.

“I wish the best for JBU and all the staff as they continue to do a great job representing JBU,” he said. – JM Gary Guinn – 34 years Life is a stage, and while English professor Gary Guinn bows out of the English department scene, his show continues with his plans for writing,

studying opera, learning the Irish drum, traveling and taking up the banjo. “You can’t quit learning new things,” he explains. “When you do, it’s over.”

During his years at JBU, Gary sought to bring new opportunities to students and became a driving force behind the start of the Honors Program and “Giving Voice: A Festival for Writing and the Arts” (now an annual event), as well as beginning a drama workshop. Watching these initiatives take root and flourish over the years has been encouraging, he said.

Although an introvert, Gary enjoyed being both in the classroom and on stage.

His acting talent translated well into teaching, and he admits that to keep students engaged, many great teachers must also be great actors.

Gary looks forward to traveling to Ireland with this wife Mary Ann, where they will visit their grandchildren.

While they plan to stay around Siloam Springs, he says that anything is possible. “I’ve always wanted to live on a sailboat,” he admits. “I don’t care if I’m sailing around the world or just in some southern ocean tied to a dock.” – JE Will Johnson – 13 years Will Johnson retired after a total of 13 years of service at JBU. He was the first coordinator of graphic arts and printing and established an in-house graphics office on campus.

During that time Will was also the graphic designer for “The Aerie,” predecessor of the Brown

Bulletin. Will left JBU for a time during which he worked in various fields, which ultimately prepared him for the role of application systems analyst in information technology systems at JBU. He accepted that position in 2002 and has worked there ever since.

Will says now is a time to “shift gears,” moving on to his next calling: writing. He has been working on a series of books that share what he describes as “Biblical principles for overcoming negative issues in life.”

These books are based on his own journey with the Lord, “a story of how God can change a person from the inside out.” – TB Marilyn McCratic – 29 years Over 160 students flow in and out of the cafeteria each lunch hour, and Marilyn McCratic has greeted each with a smile for the past 29 years.

Marilyn grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Siloam Springs after she got married. After her daughters went to college, she decided to start working at JBU. “I worked in the kitchen for about 20 years,” she says. “Then I went to the office job and I’ve been scanning, cashiering, taking deposits and have worked as an office assistant.”

Over the years, Marilyn has watched students do fun and crazy things like painting pumpkins, putting each other on the conveyor belt to the kitchen and even challenging each other to crabwalking contests.

“One April Fools prank involved students stealing all our silverware and throwing it into the pool,” she recalls.

“Mostly, though, I’ve just enjoyed getting to know students and building Summer 2012 |

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{ RETIREMENTS } relationships with them.”

While the campus has certainly grown since her arrival, so has Marilyn.

“I used to be much more of an introvert and now I’m more willing to strike up conversations with students,” she says.

“The best part about working at JBU has been the students. I’m going to miss them for sure.”

Marilyn plans to stay in Siloam Springs after retirement and is looking forward to picking up new hobbies.

– JE Leo Setian – 42 years The campus looked different in 1970, when Leo Setian first started working at JBU as a professor of engineering and construction management.

The engineering building was a humble wooden building, the student body considerably smaller and church services were held on campus.

Leo earned a bachelor of arts in math from Brown University, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Rhode Island and finished his doctorate in electrical engineering from Montana State University before coming to JBU to teach.

While teaching at JBU, Leo was able to take four teams of students to Israel as volunteers providing engineering services for a Christian-owned company in Tiberias, Israel. He has also written three textbooks and was once voted “Teacher of the Year.”

He and his wife, Sona, have five children, three of whom graduated from JBU. In light of retirement, Setian says that he will miss his co-workers and students. – JE

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Elaine Sbanotto – 27 years Over her 27 years at JBU, Elaine Sbanotto became known for her sense of humor, warm laugh and incredible work ethic.

She worked as an administrative assistant in three different offices— student development, graduate offices and university advancement.

Those who worked with Elaine said that people would stop by her office just for a hug or to specifically seek her out when re-visiting the campus.

Aside from her service to the university, Elaine actively supported the community through charity events. For the past six years, she has worked as a volunteer for the KLRC radio station’s Sharathon.

She and her husband, Pete, have been married for 41 years and live in Siloam Springs. – JE Don Siemens – 28 years Dr. Don Siemens has taught at JBU for 28 years, but JBU has been part of his life for much longer. Born to parents who are alumni, he and each of his nine siblings all graduated from JBU. Don was first hired to teach in the Division of Education, which he did for 19 years; for the past nine years he has served as math professor, helping his students grasp difficult mathematical and physical science concepts. “They tend to be very thankful that someone

was actually able to help them learn this stuff,” he says.

In the first two years of retirement, Siemens plans to finish projects around his farm house and continue some educational research that eluded him while teaching full time, “and,” he says, “trying to ascertain God’s plans for the rest of our lives.” As someone who has seen JBU grown and change, Don says he celebrates the improvements in facilities and the growth in academic reputation, “yet without losing our spiritual moorings.” – TB Martha Webber – 19 years Martha Webber has worked for almost 20 years to help JBU accomplish its goals. Martha was first hired in 1993 as a “Kelly Girl” to work in the IT department for about 6 months under Rita Lamphear, who liked Martha so much, she hired Martha permanently.

Later, she worked as an administrative assistant in the humanities division as well as the natural science division.

Martha was awarded the Golden Eagle Excellence in Service Award in 1999 because of her example of service and encouragement to the faculty, staff, and student body of JBU. “I have many dear friends as a result of my tenure,” she said. “Out of the 40 plus years of employment, my close to 20 years at JBU were the highlight of my career.”

Since her retirement in August 2011, Martha is enjoying the time she has for baking and gardening, which she considers to be the joy of her life. – JM Jessa Eldridge,Tracy Balzer, Johanna Merwin and Marquita Smith contributed.

{ C H apla i n ’ s c o r n er — r o d R ee d }

Hairy Spiritual Disciplines Recently, I had the pleasure of spending some time with two students, Felipe and Jessica (not their real names). Each approached me for counsel, but in both cases, I was the one who was inspired and challenged by what God was doing in their lives.

Specifically, they helped me think more broadly about what spiritual disciplines are. I typically think of spiritual disciplines as the regular practices we do that turn our attention to God, like prayer, daily Bible reading, and Scripture memorization. These practices are indispensable in the Christian life, but these students showed me unusual examples of awareness of God’s voice through unusual choices. Those choices in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit shed light on the transformative power of God in the midst of daily life.

Felipe is a fairly typical sophomore.

He’s chosen a major, but hasn’t totally figured out how to manage college life well. Consequently, he ended up on academic probation. Additionally, some important relationships weren’t going well. For the first time in life, he’s struggling and his naturally positive attitude isn’t enough. One day Felipe showed up in my office minus his typical goatee, so I asked him about it.

After a long pause, he explained that he thought of facial hair as a sign of manhood. Since he didn’t feel like he was living his life in a mature way that was reflective of godly manhood, he decided to shave his goatee until his life looked more “manly.” As we talked further, it became clear that this was not a decision made rashly. Felipe shaved

as an act of faith made in response to the Holy Spirit, designed to remind him of an area of life that needed work.

In many ways, that is a description of spiritual disciplines – tangible acts that turn our attention toward God. A couple weeks later, I ran into Jessica before chapel. Jessica is a straightlaced freshman from a pretty conservative background, so I was surprised to see her normally dark hair dyed blonde.

When I asked about it, she explained that she had recently realized that she was quite judgmental, specifically about people who dyed their hair. Feeling convicted about this attitude, Jessica decided she needed to identify with the people she was judging. She hoped that dying her own hair would help reverse her tendency to judge others. When I asked how it was going, she said, “I’ll never judge the way people look again.

It’s amazing how many people comment about my hair, and I don’t like it.”

God used a change of hair color as a tool to change her heart.

Just like Felipe, Jessica chose a specific action in response to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit as a way of highlighting (no pun intended) an area of her life in need of change. Both students stumbled into spiritual disciplines in their most basic forms. They became more aware of the Holy Spirit in the midst of daily life, not in leaving normal life for something “spiritual.”

Our students need more of this vision of daily spiritual formation – and so do the rest of us.

Felipe shaved as an act of faith made in response to the Holy Spirit, designed to remind him of an area of life that needed work. In many ways, that is a description of spiritual disciplines – tangible acts that turn our attention toward God.

Rod Reed is University Chaplain.

Summer 2012 | Brown Bulletin

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{ T he gra d uate S ch o o l – Dr . G L O R I A G A L E }

Scattered Light: Fulfilling the Great Commission

I like to think of the classroom teacher as a stream of Light — a stream that gets scattered over a range of directions, with the classroom children representing the first scattering.

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Recently, I’ve been reading about scattered light, which is defined as the spreading of a stream of particles over a range of directions as a result of collisions with other particles. I like to think of the classroom teacher as a stream of light – a stream that gets scattered over a range of directions, with the classroom children representing the first scattering.

The College of Education, in cooperation with the Graduate School, has developed a Master’s of Education, Curriculum & Instruction degree with two concentration options, to begin Fall 2012.

The two concentrations from which to choose are: Teacher as Leader, and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

The addition of a Master of Education degree to JBU’s well-established teacher preparation training programs will provide an opportunity for graduates to influence not only their students but also groups of teachers who will, in turn, influence the children in their classrooms.

I often receive blank stares or questions when I say “teacher as leader.” This is a relatively new concept, but it is one that even large-scale universities like Johns Hopkins University and the University of Illinois are embracing.

In Arkansas and throughout the United States, there is a need for teachers to take on some of the roles of an administrator without leaving the classroom. Four years ago, Arkansas was represented in a national forum charged with addressing this need. A group of concerned educators convened and developed the Teacher Leader Standards, a set of model standards for courses of study that would bring the concept of “Teacher as Leader” to graduate and certificate programs across the United States. According to this group, “within every school there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership,” and at JBU we hope to awaken that giant with this new master’s degree emphasis.

TESOL Nationally, almost 40 percent of all K-12 learners speak languages other than English, so there is an overwhelming need for differentiated learning, especially in language development. According to the TESOL Organization, the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages is a professional activity that requires specialized training. The TESOL concentration is a continuation of JBU’s successful graduate studies program that began in 2004. One hundred fifty-seven individuals have completed the TESOL program in the past eight years.

Building on the vision of JBU’s founder, the new Master of Education degree represents an intellectually challenging, contemporary, robust, and relevant curriculum for classroom teachers who want to move into leadership roles without leaving the classroom. Part of the vision for the new master’s program comes from the College Of Education’s vision to: • Expand. Expand the influence of our graduates on student learning in local, regional, and national/international school systems.

• Encourage, Energize, Equip. Encourage, Energize, and further Equip licensed teachers into leadership roles.

• Enhance. Enhance and increase partnerships with local and regional school districts, working together to provide opportunities for observations, practicums, and internships.

• Extend. Extend the light of God through our graduates as they work in schools throughout this region, nationally, and parts of the world.

We look forward to this new degree program, as we continue to fulfill the Great Commission by adding more light, one student at a time!

Dr. Gloria Gale is associate dean of the College of Education.

{ A d va n ceme n t - Dr . J I M K R A L L }

Treasure and Heart at JBU “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:21 I know the heart of so many JBU alumni and friends are with JBU, because they have given so generously of their treasure. When I think of who is blessed by such giving, I think of students like Avery.

Avery was a normal high school girl until 2008, when a horrific car accident split her family in half, taking her father, older sister and younger brother.

Her mother struggled to provide.

Avery knew that she wanted to attend JBU, but her now-single income family would need help.

Avery received the treasure of scholarships, and with it, the treasure of a Christian education in a community committed to her healing and growth. Now, she continues to pursue her dream of becoming an elementary teacher, willing to go where the Lord leads because she says He has “always proven Himself trustworthy.”

For so many of you, students like Avery are your treasures; your heart is with those who struggle, yet trust the Lord to provide.

I am so grateful for the support of alumni, parents, friends, foundations and corporations that support JBU. The generosity for JBU students is overwhelming.

Gifts to build buildings fund programs and provide scholarships for students, enabling them to attend JBU and receive a high quality Christian education. Without your faithful generosity, JBU would not have near the impact it has on students.

One of the significant student impact opportunities for giving at JBU is the JBU Scholarship Fund. The JBU Scholarship Fund is an annual fund

that provides need-based scholarships to students like Avery, who might not otherwise be able to afford the quality education that JBU provides.

While JBU seeks to remain affordable (out of 79 reporting CCCU schools, JBU is the 16th most affordable), many students need scholarships in order to attend. Savings, summer jobs and family funds cannot always provide all the resources needed, and JBU seeks to not burden students with excessive debt upon graduation.

All of us support state higher education institutions through our tax dollars, but I recognize and am grateful that you choose to support JBU through your charitable giving. Thank you for your heartfelt support and sharing your treasure with JBU. So, when you receive a letter or email, or get a call from a student about the JBU scholarship fund, I encourage you to consider how you can help a student through your gift to the JBU Scholarship Fund.Your gift becomes an act of investing in a life, an investment of lasting importance.

Every gift is important; give as you are led and able. A university’s health is measured by a number of standards, among them alumni participation.

Therefore, giving back to your alma mater sends a message to major givers and the media saying that JBU alumni care for, are engaged with and support the university.

These treasures multiply as students prepare to enter the world as ambassadors for Christ, able to reach further than before due to the treasured gift of higher education.

Avery was a normal high school girl until 2008, when a horrific car accident split her family in half, taking her father, older sister and younger brother.

Her mother now struggled to provide.

Avery knew that she wanted to attend JBU, but her nowsingle income family would need help.

Dr. Jim Krall is vice president for university advancement.

Summer 2012 |

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Whether rising into an iconic skyline or tucked in the middle of a city’s landscape, buildings are venues where we work, live, play and worship. JBU alumni contributed significantly in the construction process of the buildings featured in this photo essay. These alumni played major roles in creating these structures, which catch the eye and inspire the imagination.

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BUILT by EAGLES

American Airlines Center Dallas, Texas Home of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars.

Completed 2001 Project Cost: $420 Million (Exterior Stone and Masonry: $10.5 Million) Vice President, Estimating & Marketing, Robert V. Barnes JBU Class of 92 Estimating and Marketing, David Rohlfs JBU Class of 92 Barnes and Rohlfs worked for Dee Brown Inc., the company responsible for the exterior stonework and masonry.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Bentonville, Ark. Completed 2011 Executive Vice President Preconstruction John Pahl ’98 Project Manager (construction) Steve Marshall ’90 Project Manager (sitework and utilities): Chris Kauffman ’96 Project Estimator (sitework and utilities): Ben Caldwell ’07 Crystal Bridges was named from the Crystal Springs and from from the unique bridge construction incorporated into the building’s design.

(Photo by Timothy Hursley courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American)

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Art

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Getty Center Los Angeles, Calif.

Completed 1997 Assistant Project Manager, Retrofit, Englekirk Structural Engineering Michael Kairis ’90 In 1994, during construction, the Northridge earthquake struck. As a result, the steelwork throughout the site was retrofitted, and the Center’s buildings are thought to be able to withstand an earthquake of 7.5 magnitude.

Photo courtesy GETTY CENTER

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CENTURA TOWER Dallas, Texas Completed 2000 Project Cost: $48 Million Architect of Record: TGS Architects Dallas Taylor, ’66 The project included 420,000 sq. ft. of office space and an 11-story parking structure (Not picutured).

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{ K E E P I N G F A I T H C A M PA I G N U P D AT E }

Gerald Ratner Athletics Center University of Chicago

SUMMER 2011 CAMPAIGN UPDATE

7th Special Forces Complex (Airborne) Eglin Air Force Base, FL This project was part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC), which relocated the 7th Special Forces from Ft. Bragg, NC to Eglin AFB, FL

This project included the renovation of 2,015 hotel guest rooms and suites.

Completed 2011 Project Cost: $224 Million General Superintendent Tim Dolgner ’99

Hyatt Regency Renovation Chicago, IL Completed 2011 Project Cost: $53 Million Vice President Scott Stalcup ’95

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Completed: 2003 Project cost: $51 Million Project Manager: Daryl L. Conklin ’75 The two-story building includes a roof that is suspended by cables and attached to five masts that peak 100 feet above the ground.

{ FO C U S ON C ON S T R U C T ION }

Despite it’s excellent design, the shelter was no match against 140 mph winds.

JBU hosts World Vision Disaster Shelter Design Competition In the early weeks after an earthquake, tsunami or hurricane, survivors may be provided with basic materials, such as tents and tarps, but transitional shelters that are safe are essential if families hope to fully recover and get appropriately re-established.

The John Brown University construction management program recently collaborated with World Vision to host the World Vision Disaster Shelter Design Competition. The purpose of the disaster shelter competition was for undergraduate teams to “develop a prototype shelter that can help World Vision with their disaster relief mission,” said Mark Terrill, assistant professor of construction management.

Each team was challenged to design and build a shelter that would be affordable, easy to assemble with limited tools, and comfortable enough for a small family to live in for a year.

The event took place April 20-21 on campus.

Five teams—two from Judson University, one from University of Louisiana-Monroe, and two from John Brown—competed over two days.

Competing teams began by displaying their shelters in their compact, unconstructed form, along with required tools and instructions, and gave a

15-minute presentation to a panel of judges. Each of the prototypes were then assembled and timed, and put through a series of tests and evaluations by a team of visiting judges.

First, each team took turns constructing their structure on a “seismic shake table,” a 2,500-pound machine built by JBU students and faculty that simulated an earthquake measuring approximately 5.0 on the Richter scale.

Next, bags of mulch were piled on the roofs of each structure to simulate snow weight and test for durability.

Units were then assembled outdoors on the grounds of the Balzer Technology Center and were inhabited overnight by student judges to assess livability.

The final test pitted each structure against “The Wolf ” – JBU’s high powered wind machine (named for “the Big Bad Wolf ”) that tested durability in the face of 50 mph winds with water, followed by 70 mph winds.

In the end, one of JBU’s teams received first place honors. Joel Thomas, senior construction management major described their winning unit: “Our structure is a geodesic dome, a selfsupporting structure that needs no columns or walls.”

The dome was covered with a tarp made of multi-functional material –

black on one side to bring in heat when facing out, white on the other to keep the structure cool. “It weighs less than 200 pounds and no tools are needed.

It’s (constructed) all by hand.”

The combination of these factors led judges to determine JBU’s design to be most worthy of the first-place prize.

“We hope this event will inspire other, similar competitions and partnerships between academia and aid agencies to spur innovations that can assist disaster survivors,” said Betsy Baldwin, program management officer of World Vision’s Humanitarian Emergency Affairs team. The JBU construction management department hopes this will become an annual event at JBU. Meanwhile, Joel Thomas and his team members weren’t content with a mere 70 mph of wind forced upon their structure. At the end of the competition, they cranked up the wind machine to 140 mph (a category 3 hurricane) to see what it would do. Despite its excellent design, the Wolf did indeed “blow the house over,” accompanied by laughter and cheers as the aluminum structure cartwheeled across campus.

— Tracy Balzer

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{ FO C U S ON C ON S T R U C T ION }

Spending Christmas in Africa: Why some Students Choose to Build Overseas It’s a familiar sight after disasters: homes turned into piles of rubble, people milling through the wreckage and volunteers handing out blankets, water and food. After Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake, JBU partnered with Samaritan’s Purse and sent a team of construction management students and professors to provide disaster relief. The air was hot and sticky as the construction management students from JBU began laying block walls for the orphanage’s new school.

“We poured concrete, bent all rebar by hand, laid block walls, visited orphanages and helped fix things around the Samaritan Purse compound,” said construction management student Andrew Boehm. “Our JBU team was able to see God work in many different ways and were able to grow closer to God through our experiences.”

This was not the first time JBU’s construction management department joined a larger organization to provide construction work. In the past few years, construction management professors and students traveled with JBU and other organizations to Sudan, Uganda, Niger, Jamaica, Haiti, Guatemala, Alaska, Kansas and Louisiana.

“Our partnership with Samaritan’s Purse began over 10 years ago,” construction management professor Jim Caldwell said. “We also have students who work with World Vision and Serving in Mission (SIM). It’s a great fit because these organizations’ primary objectives are disaster relief programs, food programs and shelter.”

The construction management degree has a high number of missionary kids, many of whom chose the major in order to return overseas. Part of Caldwell’s goal as a professor, however, is to show non-MK students the great need for construction work overseas.

So, when Tennessee native Kaleb 22 |

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Bledsoe ’13 expressed interest in using his construction management degree in missions, Caldwell invited him to go to Niger, West Africa over Christmas.

WorldWide Fistula Fund needed workers over Christmas break, and Bledsoe was more than happy to volunteer.

“I didn’t mind spending Christmas away from home because the entire reason we have Christmas is to share the gospel and spread the word of Christ,” Bledsoe said. “On Christmas morning, kids came by the house, stood outside and clapped till we gave them candy.

When we ran out of candy, we just made a bunch of popcorn.”

Although Jim Caldwell’s wife contracted malaria during the trip and supplies were hard to come by, Bledsoe says that the experience altered his view on missions, whetting his appetite for more. “The sheer need for repairmen and builders is overwhelming. After a day of working in the hospital, we would return to the mission compound and fix things there,” Bledsoe said.

Each year, cataclysmic events like earthquakes, tsunamis and storms bring destruction that can take years to rebuild. Though natural disasters happen often, man-made ones happen daily.

A lack of basic human needs—food, water, and shelter—exist outside of natural disasters.

Civil wars in Sudan left a gaping need for homes, orphanages and churches.

Poverty in the Caribbean is evidenced by the cardboard shanties that pave the roads cruise ships use for inland tours.

Even before the disastrous quake, many Haitians still lacked basic sanitary facilities.

“For people to function, they need homes. For organizations to function, they need a base of operation,” said Caldwell. “My hope is get more stu-

dents interested and show them how to use their gifts in ministry.”

The Rev. Franklin Graham, founder of Samaritan’s Purse, has visited JBU to encourage students to use their talents to further God’s kingdom. Whether volunteers are teachers, doctors, or students, disaster relief programs need individuals who can use their skills, whatever they may be, to make a difference.

“It’s not just construction management students. A lot of students apply what they already know and also learn new things on site,” said Caldwell. “Every trip like this means you are going to learn new techniques.You are also going to learn a lot about service, ministry, and how to help relief work both physically, emotionally and mentally.”

Each year brings abundant demand for capable, intelligent individuals who know how to or are willing to build, repair and serve. The harvest is plenty; the need is great.

— Jessa Eldridge

{ A L U M NI DI R E C T O R – J E R R Y R O L L E N E ’ 7 5 }

The JBU ‘Experience’ Not the Same ... It’s Better When I meet with alumni across the country at Alumni and Friends events I’m often asked, “Is JBU still the same as it was when we were students?” My answer is always the same, “No it is not the same . . . It’s better!”

For the past nine years, my wife, Donna (’77), and I have been immersed in the JBU community. Donna has been teaching in the music department

and I have been out meeting alumni and parents.

Four years ago, when our twin daughters, Becky and Jessie, were making plans to attend college, we decided it might be good for them to attend a Christian university where their parents didn’t work. They enrolled in a wonderful school 700 miles away, but Becky severely dislocated her shoulder on the second day of school. Since she was to undergo surgery, and recovery required the possibility of extensive physical therapy, Donna and I asked them both to consider transferring to JBU their sophomore year.

They reluctantly agreed, unhappy about the prospect of starting all over again at a new college, trying to fit in and making new friends. To combat this, my wife and I strongly encouraged them to be part of the JBU freshmen orientation program. Although they did not want to go through orientation a second time, they decided to participate and afterwards told us: “We are so glad you made us sign up for it. It was a blast!”

Now I could also tell you about the fun they had these last three years on choir tours, especially the one to Ireland, or how they were stretched in their faith and intellect through excellent chapels and rigorous academics, or how they enjoyed being part of the musicals on the new Berry Performing Arts building’s stage, but there is another experience I’d like to share with you.

Just off the Sager Creek path, a young alumnus asked one of our daughters to marry him. She said, “Yes,” while a hidden cellist played their favorite song and a photographer captured the moment.

Seeing our alma mater through our daughters’ eyes has only confirmed my belief that the JBU experience, in and outside of the classroom, continues to improve. Just as with our children, seeing JBU become more than it was is a thrilling experience . . . and that’s the way it should be.

Seeing our alma mater through our daughters’ eyes has only confirmed my belief that the JBU experience, in and outside of the classroom, continues to improve.

Jerry Rollene ‘75 is director of alumni and parent relations for JBU.

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{ A lum n i n ews }

People gather around a solar-powered audio device to listen to stories.

JBU Alumni Sidestep Literacy to Spread Gospel at T4 Global T4 Global classrooms are anywhere people already gather—orange groves, community wells, or village centers.

There are no books, pencils or papers.

Schools are simple audio technology that is introduced by a community’s trusted leaders.

This is how T4 Global addresses the problem of illiteracy: Not by ignoring it, but by sidestepping it altogether — people can learn through more than books.

“Over 2 billion people around the world—that’s 60 percent of the world’s adult population—cannot or do not read,” Ed Weaver ’83, president and CEO of T4 Global, said. “But that doesn’t mean they can’t or don’t want to learn.”

Weaver is not the only JBU grad working with T4 Global. Bill Mial ’55 and J.R. Whitby ’73, both recipients of JBU’s Outstanding Alumni Award, also work with the organization.

T4 Global is a non-profit organization that seeks to share the gospel, business practices, health training and life skills through oral learning. People who learn orally do not process textual information, but learn through interaction, story telling and community. So,T4 Global uses cultural stories to share information on health, agriculture and biblical principals.

In order to work in a new area,T4 Global must first be invited by an already established mission group.Then, they work with trusted leaders in the area to assess the spiritual and physical needs of 24 |

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the people. In addressing sanitation and health,T4 Global also focuses on underlying worldview issues like corruption, fatalism, injustice, and servant leadership.

A current project at T4 Global addresses the problem of unsanitary water conditions. “Many times people will be given clean water,” Weaver explained.

“But, because they are not using traditional sanitation rules, they’re still getting sick.”

Rather than drilling wells,T4 Global works with native language speakers and already established organizations to develop stories, songs and dramas about how to purify water and keep it clean.

Such communication on sanitation also includes raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS preventative methods.Weaver explained that many villages among the Hausa people in Nigeria face the dangers of HIV/AIDS, and while programs have sprung up to communicate the need to stop HIV/AIDS before it spreads, many of the villagers are oral learners and charts, graphs and facts have little effect.

T4 Global partnered with programs in Nigeria and used cultural Hausa proverbs and stories to convey the dangers of HIV/ AIDS. One proverb said “Never wait to cut down the grass until it sticks you in the eye,” and when Hausa people heard the saying, they immediately understood that HIV/AIDS would spread slowly and should be stopped early. Ignoring HIV/

AIDS would be like letting grass grow too tall.

“The people we train are familiar with oral methodology,” said Weaver. “They’re unfamiliar with using oral methodology in evangelism because many Westerners that come in don’t do that. People there ask, ‘You mean I can use the way I grew up to teach the gospel?’That is exactly what we want them to do.”

Even though this cultural-centered approach to learning is a breath of fresh air, some countries prove more dangerous to work in, and the political atmosphere may change at a moment’s notice.

In one country, a Muslim tribe missionary began working with T4 Global.

The day Osama Bin Laden was killed, local officials learned that the missionary was recording Christian stories.The missionary was severely beaten and had to find shelter in a friend’s home before escaping early the next morning.

“This is a battle not of the flesh,” Weaver said. “Whether politically, religiously or spiritually, there is always a real battle going on.This is not a small problem we are trying to address.This is a God-sized problem and will need a God-sized solution.”

Despite obstacles,T4 Global continues to reach out to the oral learners. In villages and cities, under the African sky, groups gather to sing, discuss and listen to age-old stories told in new ways.

— Jessa Eldridge

{ A L U M NI n ews } Matthew Burt ’77 received a Doctorate of ministry degree in preaching from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in May 2012. Matthew is in his 23rd year of pastoring in Springfield, Mo., and still uses the skills and knowledge he learned from JBU professors.

Kyle Crosser ’14 and Stefanie (Stewart) Crosser ’14 were married on May 12, 2012, in Phoenix, Ariz.

Aaron Fain ’13 and Marikit (Schwartz) Fain ’05 were married on May 21, 2011, in Siloam Springs, Ark. Paul Graham ’93 is running for the Arkansas State House of Representative.

Rex Heiby and Heather (Schimke) Heiby ’93 were blessed with fraternal twin boys, Gunner Edward Heiby and Zebediah Roger Heiby, on Nov. 15, 2011, in Longmont, Colo.

Mom stays at home and occasionally gets a shower.

Heather Johnstone ’96 has taken the position of category manager for Performance Brands in London, UK. Chris Keathley ’10 and Andra

Todd Miller and DeAnn Jantz Miller ’93 now reside in Richmond, KY. Todd is now serving as assistant pastor of Vineyard Community Church and DeAnn teaches their four kids at home.

(Prieb) Keathley ’11 announce the birth of their daughter, Alice Piper Keathley. Alice was born on May 8, 2012, weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 21 inches long.

James Kehrli ‘06 and Silvy (Perkins) Kehrli ’06 welcomed their son, Paxton Paul Kehrli, into their family on June 16, 2011. Paxton was born in Bentonville, and weighed 9lbs.

8oz. and was 20 inches long. James is currently a firefighter at the Springdale Fire Department and Silvy is working as a business development manager at Acosta Sales and Marketing. Big brother Parker is enjoying having a new playmate.

Thomas Kraner and Hannah (Kirkbride) Kraner ’03 married on Oct. 29, 2011, in Laramie, Wyo. The couple met in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2008 due to the meddling of Ila ‘Anderson’ McIlvain ’55.

Ryan Meixner and Laura (Wiley) Meixner ’98 announce the birth of their son Harrison Meixner, who was born on Feb. 17, 2012. Harrison joins big brother Hudson (2 years) at home in Puyallup, Wash.

Noah Mitchell ’05 wrote “Face to Faith: How to Own Your Faith in College” which was released in May 2012. Noah was also promoted to chair of the Bible Department at First Baptist Academy in Dallas.

Daniel Ostendorff ’07 and Lauren (Raikes) Ostendorff ’06 were married in May 2010. They currently live in Nairobi, Kenya. Daniel coordinated a panel, which was accepted into the African Studies Association’s annual meeting in Philadelphia in Nov. 2012. Daniel is currently pursuing a doctorate in history from the University of Oxford and Lauren volunteers at several ministries in the slums around Nairobi.

Geoffrey Reddick ’11 and Lindsey (Johnson) Reddick ’07 were married in June 2011 in Fort Morgan, Ala. They currently reside in Saint Louis, Mo., where Geoff is working on his doctorate at Saint Louis University. They met while they were graduate fellows at The Center for Relationship Enrichment at JBU.

2011

Eric Roa ’02 and Britni (Nation) Roa ’04 were blessed with the arrival of Eli Jacob Roa on Feb. 5, 2012. Eric Roa is the production manager for Joe Bonamassa and Britni Summer 2012 |

Brown Bulletin | 25

{ A l umni N e w s } resigned from Hudson Highland Group to stay home with Eli. Marisa Shofner ’08 was given a “Teacher of the Year” award by the Bentonville, Ark. School District. Marisa

is a counselor at Ruth Hale Barker Middle School.

Marion Snider ’40 and Adanelle (Buffum) Snider ’39 celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on May 23, 2012. The couple met while at JBU and married in 1942.

Adanelle taught classes in the Home Economics Department for many years and Marion worked as a JBU employee

for 45 years before retiring.

David Swanson and Carrie (Rutzmoser) Swanson ’99 finalized the adoption of Micah Timothy Swanson.

Micah was born Dec. 27, 2011, and was able to come home from the hospital with them a few days later.

Lindsey Zachary ’09 received a master’s in English literature from the University of Arkansas in 2011 and 26 |

Brown Bulletin | Summer 2012

JBU Alumni Awards 2011 [Outstanding Senior Award] Anna Wierman ’12 Anna is a shining example of a committed, faithful JBU student. Majoring in broadcasting, Anna has shown talent, ingenuity and true leadership, while maintaining a strong academic standard.

As a founding member of Golden Eagle Productions (GEP), Anna has worked diligently to bring live video coverage of JBU home basketball games to JBU parents, students and friends through GEP’s live video streams on the Internet.

She spearheaded the successful effort to gain official JBU club status for Golden Eagle Productions. She is executive producer for all of the season’s basketball broadcasts, many of which will also be heard on KUOA radio.

Anna is an active church member who consistently helps with youth activities.

Her commitment to helping others is evident in her choice of summer jobs— while she completed a television internship at KNWA this past summer, she condensed what is usually a 15-hour-per week commitment over 10 weeks into a full-time four week commitment in order to spend the rest of the summer working as a camp counselor. She has devoted hundreds of volunteer hours to JBU, and her Christian faith is evident in all she does.

[Christian Service Award] Elaine Sbanotto She doesn’t sit idle. She has a servant’s heart. Her dedication to her job always comes down to one thing: her love for JBU students. Elaine Sbanotto is one of the most hard-working, honest, conscien-

tious individual to have served the university for 27 years. She has worked as the administrative assistant in at least three offices: student development, graduate offices, and advancement.

Her work at JBU has always been more than a job; it’s been a ministry.

Sunday afternoons at the Sbanotto home were frequently an Italian buffet for whoever needed a taste of home: friends, co-workers,Walton scholars, friends of Stephen’s, or just any stray student who needed some hospitality and a homecooked meal. Generous to a fault, Elaine would often, and secretively, help students out financially.

In the community, she has been on the board of the Manna Center, helped organize the local Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox drive, and helped with coordinating a blood drive for the Heart Association. She crochets, making afghans, baby blankets and gifts for many.

She has been married to Pete Sbanotto for 41 years and they have two sons.

In Elaine, John Brown University has found that rare individual who truly lives out the imperative from Colossians: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

[Christian Ministry Award] Bob ‘68 and Nancy Schaefer ‘81 Bob Schaefer heard John Brown, Sr. preaching on KUOA and decided to attend the university, where he met his wife, Nancy. After marrying, the couple joined Wycliffe in 1969 and moved to Ghana. Over the years, they completed the translation of three New Testaments,

{ A l umni A W A R D S } one full Bible and are nearing the completion of a second full Bible. In addition to working with churches in both Ghana and Tamale, God has also blessed them in being able to help at least 10 young Ghanaian students go to teacher training colleges, technical schools and Bible college. Bob studied at Grace Theological Seminary and received his master’s in religious education in 1970. Nancy studied at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and received a master’s in Missiology in 1989.The couple served as JBU’s Missionaries-inResidence from 1997-98. Bob and Nancy have three children, eight grandchildren and still serve as translating consultants.

[Career Achievement Award] Stephen C. Jewett ‘71 Stephen has been in Alaska since enrolling in graduate school in 1972, first working as a King Crab Biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, then as a Researcher for the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is currently a Research Professor at the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, UAF. He received his master’s degree in 1977 and his doctorate degree in 1997. Since 1974, he has been conducting research on benthic ecology, trophic interactions, benthic impact assessments, Arctic ecosystems, and pollution/ contamination monitoring. A few highlights of his 37-year career include conducting the first submersible dives in Artic Alaska, serving as

Diving Control Board member of the National Science Foundation, receiving the UAF Emil Usibelli Distinguished Research Award, conducting reconnaissance surveys on three shipwrecks, and:

The highlight of his life, besides salvation, is his immediate family. A secondary highlight was in 2009, when he climbed the highest mountain in North America, Mt. Denali (20,320 ft.), after beating cancer a year earlier.

managing the JBU yearbook, serving as a Student Government Representative, becoming a disc jockey on KUOA and becoming assistant chief JBU volunteer Fire Crew. He went to U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., then was transferred aboard a ship, which didn’t have a Chaplain assigned. He volunteered to be the Protestant Lay-Leader and conducted a worship service every Sunday.

Robert joined his father in his life insurance agency, focusing on estate planning and business planning. During this time, Robert earned the professional designation of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) in insurance risk management and estate planning. From 1981-1984, he served on the Board of Directors for the Austin Association of Life Underwriters and resumed his professional studies, earning the professional designation of Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) in financial planning and investment counseling.

In 1971, he was elected President of the JBU Alumni Association and, in 1985, he was invited to serve on the Board of Trustees of JBU, becoming a member of the Development Committee, Membership Committee as well as serving as Committee Chairman.

[Outstanding Alumnus Award] Robert W. Jackson, Jr. ‘58 Robert W. Jackson, Jr. was born in the John Brown University Hospital. On May 28, 1957, Robert and Wanda Chesser became the first couple to marry in the Cathedral of the Ozarks. During his time at JBU, Robert enjoyed singing in the Cathedral Choir and the JBU Male Quartet. Other activities on campus included

The alumni board is now accepting recommendations for the 2012 Homecoming Awards. If interested in nominating someone, please send the person’s name, contact information, specific award nomination, and personal knowledge of why the nominee is deserving of the specific award to JRollene@jbu.edu.

• 1989 - Conducted the first submersible dives in Arctic Alaska via the R/V Delta.

• 1990 - Instrumental in the formation of the Statewide University of Alaska (UA) Scientific Diving Program and for UA becoming an organizational member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences.

• 1989-94 - Principal Investigator on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.

• 2000 - Served as a Diving Control Board member of the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs (Washington, DC) for several years.

• 2004 - Recipient of the UAF Emil Usibelli Distinguished Research Award ($10,000) • 2006 - Conducted reconnaissance surveys in SE Alaska via scuba on three shipwrecks, including the famed Clara Nevada that sank in 1899.

• 2006 - Fulbright Scholar: Senior Specialist in Environmental Science at Catholic University of the North, Chile.

• 1976-2011 - Published 88 peer-reviewed journal articles/book chapters, with many as senior author.

• 2006-11 - Led several Alaska research missions to the remote Aleutian Islands that have resulted in the discoveries of 19 new marine species, with several more descriptions underway.

• 2011 – Inducted as a Fellow into The Explorers Club.

Summer 2012 |

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{ IN MEMORIAM } Ray Arnold ’50, age 85, passed away Dec. 28, 2011. Ray graduated from John Brown University and went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Washington and a doctorate of ministries from Faith Seminary. He and his family lived in Japan for 10 years serving as missionaries. Ray was also a professor and taught missions at Faith Seminary for 21 years. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Betty Arnold. Ray is survived by children Gail, Larry, Greg and Joy, and six grandchildren.

Robert G. Bethell ’65 passed away on May 21, 2012, in a singlevehicle accident. After graduating from John Brown University with a degree in math, Robert went on to get his master’s degree in education from the University of Illinois.

Robert represented Kansas’ 113th District in the House since 1999. He was a member of Alden and Raymond Baptist Churches, Rotary Club of Sterling, Veteran Motor Car Club of America, former Mayor of Alden, former advisory board member of Sterling College, and former board member of Kansas Association of Homes for the Aging.

In addition to being a pastor, Bob also was chairman of the House Aging and Long-Term Care Committee as well as a member of the transportation and health committees.

He is preceded in death by his parents and a brother. He is survived by his wife, Lorene; daughter Aletha; and two grandchildren.

Marion “Judd” Brown ’31 passed away on Dec. 14, 2011. Marion graduated with a degree in history 28 |

Brown Bulletin | Summer 2012

from John Brown University. He spent 27 years on the Jackson City Planning Board and was manager of the Monroe Calculating Machine Co. before retiring. He is preceded in death by his wife, Peggy Brown. He is survived by children Edward Brown and Margaret Brown.

Donald Bubna ’52, age 82, passed away on Sept. 24, 2011. He and his wife, Deloris (Calhoon) Bubna ’52 served as teachers and chaplain for John Brown University’s prep schools and for the military service academies in California. He received two honorary degrees of doctorate of divinity from Simpson College and Canadian Theological Seminary and served as senior pastor at Salem Alliance Church for 23 years. He and his wife ministered to missionaries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Hong Kong, and taught for over a decade at Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism. He served as a member on the Board of Directors, was an adjunct teacher and certified Conciliator for Peacemaker Ministries. In addition to joining the Board of Directors for The Christian & Missionary Alliance, Donald also led in the founding of the internship program at the Canadian Bible College and Canadian Theological Seminary.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Deloris Bubna; son Jeff Bubna; daughter Cindy Lippold; daughter Lisa VanLeeuwen; and eleven grandchildren.

Keith Feaster ’62, age 75, passed away on April 5, 2012.

He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and served as a member of

the JBU Board of Trustees from 19992010. He founded Lone Star Compressor Corporations. He is survived by his wife, Miriam (Stoll) Feaster ‘63; children Michael Feaster ‘92, Adrianne Blackistone’90, Paul Feaster’95; and six grandchildren.

Vernie Gehron ’38, age 95, died on Feb. 16, 2012. He graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from John Brown University. Later on, Vernie established the Charles & Suzanna Gehron Memorial Endowed Scholarship in honor of his parents.

During World War II he was the project manager at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in the development of the Ball Turret for the B-17 Bomber. He went on to be the Defense Vice President at Bowser where he developed the air-to-air refueling system. He retired as President of G&R Consultants. He was preceded in death by his wife, Helon (Johnson) Gehron ’38. He is survived by daughter Vernell Fettig; daughter Martha Needling; son William Gehron; and five grandchildren.

Frederick “Gene” Harp ’41 passed away on Oct. 26, 2011. Frederick graduated from John Brown University with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked for the university from 1947-1951 running the machine shop. After retirement, he continued teaching part time in the engineering department.

He also worked at Boeing Aircraft in Wichita, Kan., and supervised machining of the wing skins of the B-52 bomber. In 1960, he established the Waukesha Cutting Tools production facility in Siloam and managed it until 1975 before open-

{ IN MEMORIAM } ing his own machine shop, Frontier Machine & Tool Co. Frederick was preceded in death by sons Robert Harp and Ralph Harp. He is survived by wife Virginia Kite; son Ronald Harp; and eleven grandchildren.

Mary Elizabeth (Tinnin) Jaye, age 99, passed away on March 20, 2012. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Arkansas before earning her master’s degree at Columbia University. Mary was also awarded a scholarship to Oxford University in England. In addition to writing a textbook entitled “Making Music Your Own”, she was also a poet and taught kindergarten in New Jersey for 33 years. Mary was part of the Master Builder’s Society at John Brown University and established an endowed scholarship in honor of her parents, Grover and Ida Mae Tinnin. She is preceded in death by her husband, Emanuel Jaye; parents and brother.

John Knoner ’56 was born on May 28, 1933, and passed away on July 12, 2011. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from JBU before working as a structural engineer for Boeing until retirement, whereupon he became a consultant for the company for 7 more years. He is survived by his wife Clydell (Graves) Knoner ’56, children Mark Knoner and Ann Cole, and six grandchildren.

James Lewton ’81, age 56, passed away on Jan. 12, 2012. After graduating from John Brown University with a Bible degree, Jim worked most of his career as a computer systems analyst. He also enjoyed home improvement and carpentry, using wood

to make everything from ornaments to furniture. He is survived by his wife, Carla (Fitts) Lewton ‘80; daughter Kara Lewton; sons, A.J. Lewton and Christopher Lewton; and three grandchildren.

David Miller ’73, age 61, passed away on April 18, 2011. He was born on Nov. 10, 1949, in Bridgeport, Ct. After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering from JBU, he worked as an electrical engineer for Teledyne Continental/General Dynamics Land Systems for 37 years. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis (Harrison) Miller ’78, children Stephen Miller, Timothy Miller, Michael Miller, and one granddaughter.

Mary (McCrery) Moore ’68 passed away on June 6, 2011, after battling brain cancer.

Mary (Marylu) studied elementary education at JBU and received a master’s degree from the University of Houston. She was a fifth grade teacher and assistant principal of CJ Harris Elementary and became principal of Lawhon Elementary. She and her husband, David Moore ’64, lived in Pearland, TX, where Mary worked with the Pearland Independent School District in student curriculum and teacher assessment. The Pearland mayor declared Nov. 23, 1982, as “Marylu Moore Day” in recognition of her 25 years of service in education. She is survived by her husband, David Moore.

Ernest Otto ’56, age 82, passed away on April 5, 2012.

Ernest studied electrical engineering at John Brown University and worked at the university to pay for tuition.

After college, he spent

5 years working with Texas Instruments on transistor radios for the military. He retired as a senior electrical engineer at Seagate Technologies in Oklahoma City. He is survived by his wife, Grace (Thorson) Otto ’55; children T. Joseph Otto and Alma Brown ’83; and one grandchild.

Rolland “Rolly” Royce Richert ‘78, born on April 9, 1947, in Hillsboro, Kansas, passed away on Feb. 10, 2012, in Novi, Mich.

Rolly is survived by his wife Barbara Watts-Richert, son Ryan Richert; daughter Lesa Richert-Van Meter; and six grandchildren.

Rolly’s life was dedicated to bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to teenagers, and to being a loving father, husband, grandfather, and friend. Rolly’s legacy began as a member of the JBU Harmonaires and Sound Generation. His lifetime of fruitful ministry included various leadership positions in Detroit, Tucson, Denver, Nashville, San Diego, Washington D.C., and Chicago.

Among youth leaders, he will always be known as the co-founder of the huge DC/LA triennial events. His last 15 years were dedicated exclusively to managing and producing major youth training events, mostly in the United States, but in other countries as well. Along the way, he developed and trained staff to continue his work through Outside the Box Ministries.

Lynda Loy (Springfield) Walters ’62, age 70, died quietly at her home on Jan. 18, 2012, after struggling nobly with multiple sclerosis for nearly 35 years.

Lynda was born in Siloam Springs on March 2, 1941, to Stewart and Maurine Springfield. She graduated summa cum laude from JBU in 1962, and then Summer 2012 |

Brown Bulletin | 29

moved to Dallas to take a job with Texas Instruments. It was there that she met Jim Walters, the man with whom she would make a loving marriage for more than 47 years. In 1969 Lynda returned to Siloam Springs, where she and Jim raised their two sons and have lived ever since. A lover of music and gifted musician, she played the organ for years at home, and even in the small country churches she and Jim would visit from time to time.

For years and even in the last weeks of her life, a spot would be prepared for Lynda’s wheelchair at local restaurants, theaters, concerts, ball games and more.

There are few places in the Siloam Springs community where her irrepressible smile and bright presence will not be missed.

Lynda is survived by her husband, Jim; son Scott and his wife Ardelle; son Kirk and his wife Randi; and grandchildren, Alden, Maia, Kate, and Ellie.

Watch JBU Featured Videos Online Many of the great videos produced about JBU can be found on our website. Here are some you should check out:

Evelyn (Thompson) Winden ’39, passed away on Nov. 8, 2011. Her parents, Ruth and Dow Thompson, both taught commerce and business administration at John Brown Academy where Evelyn attended. She is survived by her husband Warren Winden; son Kenneth Winden; daughter Lynell Chun; and two grandchildren.

www.jbu.edu/video 30 |

Brown Bulletin | Summer 2012

Share your story... refer a student to

JBU

Jessa received her degree in English from JBU in M ay 2011.

ANNA NEAL, CLASS OF

2006

Anna Neal, ‘06, was teaching missionary kids overseas when she met Jessa and told her about JBU.

JESSA ELDRIDGE, CLAS

S OF 2011

Andrew graduated with a degree in Digital M edia in December 2010.

S OF 1958

FRANK KINSMAN, CLAS

Fr ank Kinsman, ‘58, shared his JBU story with grandson, Andrew.

ANDREW ARMSTRONG , CLASS OF 2011

Come visit us! We’ll reimburse the gas for vehicles of 4+ prospective students! go to www.jbu.edu/refer or call 1-877-JBU-INFO

{ F rom the editor — Luca s R oe b uck ‘ 9 7 }

No Place Like Home

Northwest Arkansas Keeps Getting Better and Better for JBU When I left California in 1993 to attend JBU in Northwest Arkansas, my Golden State friends seemed to pity me for what seemed to them an exile from civilization. I might as well have said I was going to study in Siberia or Antarctica. My high school colleagues were heading to Boston, San Francisco, New York and even London, but I was “going to live in the sticks to learn with the hicks” in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Cue banjo music and scurrying critters.

Even back in the early 90s (and decades before), Siloam Springs has always been more Norman Rockwell than Beverly Hillbillies. But in the last several decades, the greater Northwest Arkansas region has come of age.

Today, Northwest Arkansas is a vibrant cultural and leading economic center — a welcomed home for John Brown University and great place for students to spend their college years.

Students today certainly can enjoy a thriving downtown in Siloam Springs.

In 1994, when the Ben Franklin store closed, and then the subsequent closing of the post office, downtown had quite a vacant look. All the movie theaters were closed.

Things have changed.

Now, students frequent the woodfired pizza joint, two coffee shops and the bookstore downtown. Even our own KLRC relocated into some renovated historic digs on Broadway.

Boutique shops fill the once-empty retail slots, and many JBU seniors live in downtown apartments. The downtown parks have been popular with JBU students for generations, and its not uncommon to see young JBU students in love strolling hand in hand through Twin Springs Park. And Siloam Springs even has a stadium-seating movie theater.

Siloam Springs’ unique qualities re32 |

Brown Bulletin | Summer 2012

cently caught the attention of Smithsonian Magazine, which this year named JBU’s home one of the top 20 small towns in America, and also mentioned top-ranked JBU as a reason for making the list.

A 20-minute drive through the green hills and valleys along U.S. 412 brings you to the cosmopolitan I-540 corridor, the amalgamation of Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville. Here, you can find all the amenities of any city in America: shopping, professional sports, cultural events, you name it. Northwest Arkansas boasts two cultural anchors: The Walton Arts Center and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. JBU has recently partnered with the WAC to host an 80-plus instrument symphony concert from WAC’s Artosphere series right here at the new Berry Performing Arts Center.

With new facilities like the BPAC, Bill George Arena and the proposed Great Hall becoming resources for great events, we hope to engage even more with organizations like the Walton Arts Center to bring major cultural events to campus.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (see photo, page 16-17) has made Northwest Arkansas an international destination. The brain child of Walmart heiress Alice Walton, Crystal Bridges is an impressive, A-list art museum with famous and historic paintings and other art pieces from every era of American history. From Norman Rockwell originals (speaking of), to portraits of George Washington that the founding father of our country actually stood for, the grandeur of the Crystal Bridges collection is unparalleled. The architecture of the museum itself is a wonder as well. Art professor Dave Andrus takes his students to Crystal

Bridges on a regular basis, viewing the kind of art that Andrus says would be “worth flying over an ocean” to see.

JBU’s regional home is not just a cultural mecca, but a regional economic engine as well. Being neighbors with Walmart, which turns 50 this year, JBU grads have enjoyed employment opportunities at Walmart and Sam’s Club’s Corporate Office, not to mention those who have great careers working for one of the many suppliers, vendors and other companies that support Walmart in Northwest Arkansas. Tyson and J.B. Hunt are also huge job creators with headquarters in Northwest Arkansas.

Siloam Springs itself is blessed to have Simmons Foods, Allen Canning, Cobb-Vantress and DaySpring Greeting cards headquartered in town, in addition to a growing number of medium and small business, all contributing to the economic vitality of JBU’s hometown.

Small town charm. Big city culture.

Powerful economic forces. For John Brown University, there really is no place like home. Northwest Arkansas really is one of the best places to live, work and, of course, go to college.

Lucas Roebuck is editor of the Brown Bulletin and director of university communications.

Your gift to the JBU Scholarship Fund makes a difference in the lives of students, like Staci.

“Coming from a broken home, money has always been an issue. My Mom raised me by herself. She sacrificed for me to develop my skill and passion for volleyball.

When I was in high school, my Mom was diagnosed with cancer. If I didn’t receive scholarships, I would definitely not be attending JBU. Because of someone’s gift, I am privileged to pursue the dream of playing college volleyball and my Mom’s sacrifices have paid off as she is able to attend almost all my games.”

Staci Williamson Exercise Studies Sophomore 2011-12 JBU Scholarship Fund Recipient

Please make your gift to the JBU Scholarship Fund Today! www.jbu.edu/giveonline John Brown University, 2000 West University St., Siloam Springs Arkansas, 72761

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