Tarleton Magazine - Summer 2016

From tank to table

a new way to farm

Breaking from spring tradition

spend spring break helping others

The fire that still burns...

Tarleton alum recalls legendary story of the 1939 bonfire

i nside

The fire that still burns… Mickey Maguire recalls protecting the legendary 1939 Tarleton bonfire

2 Sho R t S

From Tank to Table

Faculty member teaches students a new way to farm

Turning a disability into Ability

Tarleton’s Dr. Jim Gentry talks about life with dyslexia

The Maker Spot

Much more than a print lab

Briefs on Tarleton’s collegiate bass team, student journalists and the new College of Health Sciences and Human Services

4 f aculty f ocu S : dR . a llan n el S on Combines his love of plants, teaching and research to give students the ultimate experience

sports

18 Retu R n to glo R y

Head Football Coach Whitten seeks championships, renovated stadium

20 ‘Setting’ a n ew Standa R d

TexAnn volleyball standout Hailey Roberts is ‘killing’ it on and off the court

22 Playe R of the y ea R

TexAnn Isabel Jimenez-Perea dominates Division II in women’s golf

24 t e X a S Bank

Paying it forward through education

fR om c ham P ion

Bull Ride R to c ounty a tto R ney Wyatt Glade’s life has a Lonesome Dove touch

c la SS n ote S

Silve R t a PS

an

Tarleton qualifies 10 for College national finals rodeo

For the seventh-straight year, Tarleton’s men’s and women’s rodeo teams competed at the College National Finals Rodeo.

Both teams qualified for the CNFR during the Tarleton Stampede, the regular season finale for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s (NIRA) Southwest Region. The women’s team collected enough points to overtake Eastern New Mexico University at Lone Star Arena, and clinch second place to qualify for the “Rose Bowl of College Rodeo.”

Three teams earn spots in collegiate bass national championship

Tarleton’s Bass Fishing Club will send three teams to the 2016 collegiate bass fishing championship after the student anglers finished among the top 13 teams at the Carhartt College Wild Card tournament presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lake Murray near Ardmore, Okla., held June 10-12.

The top 13 teams from the Carhartt College Wild Card advanced to the collegiate bass fishing championship July 28-30 in Campbellsville, Ky. on Green River Lake.

After leading the 80-team field of anglers representing 40 colleges and universities on Day 1, Tarleton’s Austyn Fowler and Zach Hurst took fifth place at the end of the three-day tournament with 15 fish weighing an accumulative 41 pounds, 1 ounce.

Also qualifying for the national championship were the Tarleton duo of Zach Ziober and Dakota Ebare, who finished 11th with 15 bass totaling 37 pounds, 10 ounces, and 12th place anglers Stetson Overton and Justin Seeton, who combined for 37 pounds, 1 ounce with 15 bass at final weighin.

The Wild Card format served as a bonus opportunity for advancing to the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Most of the national championship teams previously advanced through five conference championships. The Wild Card was the final chance to qualify for this season of the collegiate series.

Tarleton sent six men and four women to the CNFR, held June 12-18 in Casper, Wyo. More than 400 cowboys and cowgirls from more than 100 universities competed at the CNFR after contestants competed all year in one of the NIRA’s 11 regions.

The following represented Tarleton at the CNFR: Bareback Riding – Kody Lamb (Southwest Region champion) and Zac Lomax (Southwest Region reserve champion); Saddle Bronc Riding – Jace Lane; Steer Wrestling – Jace Melvin; Bull Riding – Brody Yeary; Tie-Down Roping – Kyle Parrish; Breakaway Roping –Allison Danley (Southwest Region champion) and Lauren Bane; and, Goat Tying – Baili Collins and Ashleigh Baugh.

Be sure to catch the CNFR on ESPN U on August 18. The action will be split between two shows that air back-to-back, beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Tarleton adds College of Health Sciences and Human Services

Tarleton added a sixth academic college—the College of Health Sciences and Human Services—this fall to better serve roughly 1,600 students already enrolled in successful, established programs in medical lab sciences, public health, social work, counseling and nursing.

In response to Texas’ growing demand for health sciences and human services professionals, the new college will offer programs in Fort Worth, Waco and Midlothian as well as at Tarleton’s Stephenville campus and via its online Global Campus.

The Department of Nursing boasts more than 1,000 students. In addition, Tarleton’s highly regarded Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Public Health, located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Medical District, prepares students for well-paying and prestigious positions in clinical laboratories and serves as a resource for the North Texas healthcare community, helping physicians diagnose and treat a variety of diseases.

Tarleton’s Social Work Program is designed to respond to the diverse needs of multicultural communities throughout North and Central Texas, with an emphasis on service to Hispanic, military and rural populations.

Student journalists collect 38 T i PA awards

Student journalists from the Department of Student Publications and the Department of Communication Studies’ Texan News Service brought home 38 awards from the annual Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) Conference in Dallas. The student journalists competed with two- and four-year universities and colleges from across the state with similar size publications.

The Grassburr , Tarleton’s yearbook, won 14 awards for its 2015 publication, including honorable mention in overall excellence. Additional awards included first place for a word and photo section on people and for one on student organizations; second place for sports, academics copy, information graphic and sports feature photo; and multiple third-place accolades and honorable mentions.

The JTAC News , Tarleton’s official student newspaper, earned seven awards at the TIPA conference, including second place for news feature story. Additionally, JTAC News took first place for sports column; second place for information graphic; third place for news story and opinion/editorial page design; and several honorable mentions.

Texan News Service, a learning-laboratory in the College of Liberal & Fine Arts’ Department of Communication Studies, garnered 17 awards, including second place for overall excellence among Division 5 Newspapers.

The on-campus news agency received first-place accolades for general news photo, sports news story and breaking news video; second place for sports news story, illustration (non-photo), ad design, sports action photo, and best blog; third place for news photo; and multiple honorable mentions.

Aeronautical Team wins $10K prize at nASA rocket competition

For the second year in a row, the Aeronautical Team is a winner in the NASAsponsored Student Launch Centennial Challenge competition, returning to campus with a $10,000 cash prize following its successful rocket launch on April 16, near Huntsville, Ala.

The team brought home third place for successful completion of this year’s design-build-launch competition that highlighted NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV)—the rocket affiliated with a proposed Mars Sample Return lander mission.

The Cornell University Rocketry Team won this year’s competition, earning $25,000. Nearly 50 high school, college and university teams from 22 states competed at the 16th annual Student Launch competition and second annual MAV Challenge.

Members for the 2015-2016 Tarleton Aeronautical Team included: Jordan Doornek, sophomore – electrical engineering; Grant Gregory, sophomore –mechanical engineering technology; Colby LaRue, junior – computer science and physics; Andrew Olbrich, sophomore – mechanical engineering; Mark Mosby, junior – computer science; Corbin Loewe, senior – English; Taylor Hamilton, senior – English; and Kaitlin Sullivan, senior – English.

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texan facts

24

The number of countries that students have traveled to for study abroad trips 62

Number of bachelor’s degrees offered by Tarleton

380

Number of students in the Honors College

2,068

Number of new beds in four new residence halls since 2014

Health, Human Services college appoints first Dean

Dr. Vimala Pillari was selected dean of Tarleton’s new College of Health Sciences and Human Services following a national search.

The new College of Health Sciences and Human Services opens this fall to better serve the 1,600 students already enrolled in successful, established programs in medical lab sciences, public health, social work, counseling and nursing. Programs are offered in Fort Worth, Waco and Midlothian as well as at Tarleton’s Stephenville campus and via its online Global Campus.

Pillari earned her bachelor’s in home science/economics, child psychology and sociology and her master’s of social work—with a specialization in families and children—from Madras University in India. She received her doctorate in social welfare from Columbia University in New York.

Sandi McDermott appointed to state y MCA advisory board

Dr. Sandi McDermott, director of Tarleton’s center on the Navarro College Midlothian campus, was appointed to the advisory board of the Texas State Alliance of YMCAs.

The alliance aims to improve nutrition and physical activity standards for licensed out-of-school time (OST) programs in Texas.

A board member of the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth, McDermott has a doctorate in nursing practice from Texas Christian University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington.

She began her nursing career as a doctor’s assistant and has worked for Baylor Health Care System as well as Texas Health Resources and Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), where she helped open neuro-oncology and cardiovascular care units.

Faculty Focus

Blooming where planted

Faculty member combines love of plants, teaching and research to give students the ultimate experience

b y M A ry g . S A l TA r E lli

Alifelong bond blossomed between snapdragons and Tarleton professor Allan Nelson during his graduate studies in plant taxonomy at the University of Oklahoma, where he focused on the genus Chelone , commonly known as turtlehead. Today, Dr. Nelson is a professor and department head of Biological Sciences and works with snapdragon species like paintbrushes and penstemons that flourish in Texas’ Western Cross Timbers area.

“My kinship with snapdragons is so strong that it’s almost as if they’re my children and I want to protect them,” Nelson said. “When I discover a turtlehead in a pristine wetland, I know that no one else may have ever seen it, and it’s amazing it’s there, cleaning the water, providing nectar for bees and supplying food for butterfly larvae.”

The botanist’s passion shows. During his doctoral research, Nelson discovered turtleheads in just 10 percent of the locations where they were previously documented, mostly because the flower’s native wetlands are disappearing.

He leads field studies regularly, such as guiding student research documenting the distribution of Comanche Peak prairie clover, which is endemic to just eight counties in North Central Texas.

“I try to involve students in everything I do,” Nelson said. “Research and teaching go together—you learn during research. Since graduate studies, I’ve never conducted a research project that didn’t involve my students.”

A Tarleton alumnus, Nelson returned 18 years ago to the Western Cross Timbers ecosystem of Texas, where he was born, to share his zeal for flora and fauna with today’s Tarleton students. “Because I grew up here, I have an attachment to the pristine natural areas of the Cross Timbers,” Nelson said. “The Plains, Piney Woods, and Edwards Plateau come together here, giving it elements of all three.”

This summer, Nelson will meet with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials to discuss his research with students on the

Texas Kangaroo Rat. Native to Texas’ Northern Plains, the rats with long tails burrow underground, stow away collected seeds and support ants and other organisms. Kangaroo rats are “threatened” in Texas, and Nelson will participate in discussions regarding their national classification.

Most recently, Nelson and his students documented the native vegetation in Texas bottomlands, including along the Bosque and Colorado rivers. Their research took place at the 790-acre Timberlake Ranch near Goldthwaite, which Marilynn and Dr. Lamar Johanson donated to Tarleton.

In addition to recording and collecting plants in the bottomlands, Nelson and his students documented the diversity and richness within the woody forest and the consumption of plants by mammals.

The results of documentation by Nelson and his students along the Colorado River expanded the number of recorded plant species and varieties in Mills County by 49. Nelson and a coauthor are compiling a scientific paper that has been accepted for publication by the Texas Journal of Science . They presented their findings at three conferences, including the 2014 Texas Plant Conservation Conference.

Research is also an important learning tool in Nelson’s biology classes, where he uses what students have seen in the laboratory to bring a topic to life through interactive classroom discussions rather than lectures.

“Students have to learn their subject thoroughly to be able to think about it in an advanced way,” Nelson said. “My goal is to transform my students into professionals who go to work in their chosen field, where scientific skills they learned at Tarleton will help them.”

Dean named for Agricultural, Environmental Sciences college

Dr. W. Stephen (Steve) Damron was selected as dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences following a national search. Prior to being selected, he was the assistant dean of academic programs for Oklahoma State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources.

In addition to teaching, Damron wrote the book on animal science. In its fifth edition, Damron’s textbook— Introduction to Animal Science: Global, Biological, Social and Industry Perspectives —is used extensively in the U.S. and abroad.

In his new role as dean of Tarleton’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Damron will oversee one of the 25 largest programs in the nation, with 1,900 students. Tarleton operates the only university dairy in the state and is home to one of only two four-year vet tech programs in Texas.

Damron earned his bachelor’s in agricultural science from the University of Tennessee at Martin and his master’s degree and doctorate in ruminant nutrition from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. During his career, he has received 26 teaching and advising awards and recognitions.

faulkenberry named associate editor for psychology journal

Dr. Thomas Faulkenberry, assistant professor of psychology, was appointed Associate Editor for the Journal of Psychological Inquiry (JPI), devoted to highlighting undergraduate research in psychology.

Published by the Department of Psychology at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., JPI is one of the few journals to accept contributions from undergraduate students, including scholarly work that encompasses a broad range of investigation, literature reviews and historical articles covering any topical area in the psychological sciences.

Faulkenberry joined the faculty of Tarleton’s College of Education in the Department of Psychological Sciences in fall 2013. He holds a bachelor’s in mathematics from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, a master’s in mathematics from Oklahoma State University and a doctorate in psychology from Texas A&M UniversityCommerce.

Tarleton faculty member teaches students a new way to farm

b y C HA n D r A An D r E w

B y 2050, the world likely will have 9 billion people—2 billion more mouths to feed. Farmers and ranchers will need to provide substantially more food using the same or fewer resources (water and land) than today.

The challenge of feeding the world of tomorrow is monumental, but one that Tarleton’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is meeting head on.

“We have been tasked to create sustainable methods of food and fiber production that also have minimal inputs and waste products associated with it,” said Dr. Hennen Cummings, associate professor in Wildlife, Sustainability and Ecosystem Sciences. “The Hydrotron epitomizes that mission.”

Tarleton’s Aquaponics Hydrotron is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponic systems.

“Aquaculture is farming aquatic animals like fish and shrimp,” Cummings said. “Hydroponics is growing plants without soil using nutrient solutions. Aquaponics blends aquaculture and hydroponics in a recirculating loop.”

In 2015, Cummings converted the University Agricultural Center’s greenhouse into a combined greenhouse, aquaponics and hydroponics facility. The Hydrotron now serves multiple purposes, which include research, teaching and the farming of plants and fish.

Students first approached Cummings about aquaponics. Cummings researched what would be required to set up the Hydrotron, and designed a problems course for students wanting to learn about hydroponics and aquaponics.

“Fewer students are choosing a career in agriculture,” Cummings said. “Aquaponics does not require large acreage or even fertile or level soil. So it may be a way to attract a new generation to agriculture because of its lower start-up costs and fewer land requirements.”

The United States has a huge demand for food produced locally and aquaponics has a much quicker turnaround for produce than traditional agriculture, with some plants taking only 40 days to reach maturity while using substantially less water.

From Tank to

Dr. Hennen Cummings works with a student at the Aquaponics Hydrotron.

“I want someone to walk into the Hydrotron and think, ‘I can do this’,” Cummings said. “I want them to think, ‘I can live in the city and be a producer.’ Now food doesn’t have to travel far, and it is going to be super fresh and without pesticides.”

When guests step into the Hydrotron, they are met with the smell of thriving plants, the sight of lettuce on white “rafts” floating on large water tanks and the soothing sound of moving water.

The Hydrotron has six oversized water tanks. Three tanks are set in a shaded portion of the greenhouse and each contains a different type of fish—catfish, tilapia and tiger prawns. The remaining tanks are used to grow plants.

A filtration system separates the fish solid waste, which can be added to the prawn tank, and prepares the fish water for the plants.

“The entire system starts with the fish,” Cummings explained. “Aquaponics uses ammonia from the fish to fertilize the plants, and the plants clean the fish water in a recirculating loop. Tilapia will eat plant roots, so they are kept out of the plant tanks. The system’s main inputs are fish food, chelated iron and rainwater.”

After solids are filtered from the fish water, the water flows by gravity to the tanks where rafts support various lettuce varieties whose roots thrive in the fish water. However, fruitbearing plants are grown using hydroponics.

“The fish water does not have nutrients in high enough concentrations to grow fruiting plants well,” Cummings explained. “That is why we use hydroponics and vertical farming to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and strawberries. But herbs are grown in hanging baskets using fish

As a problems course, the Hydrotron forces students to solve real agricultural issues.

“We had an issue with spider mites that came in with the strawberries,” Cummings said. “We also had aphids. Because we can only treat plants using solutions that are not harmful to the fish, we introduced ladybugs and predatory mites as well as praying mantis egg cases and lacewing eggs, and their control of pests was unbelievably successful. Everything we do has to be safe for the fish, or else it destroys the entire system.”

Due to the unique nature of the system, any unusable waste, like plant trimmings, is shredded and composted.

“Everything is used,” Cummings said. “If it can’t be used in the Hydrotron, I am able to use it elsewhere on the farm.”

The Hydrotron exposes students to a different type of farming that may be one of the best solutions in meeting the world’s future food supply needs.

“Fish are more efficient at converting food to body weight than other farm animals like cattle, sheep or pigs since fish are cold blooded and buoyant,” Cummings said. “Roughly 1.1 to 1.5 pounds of feed create 1 pound of fish body weight.”

Cummings and his students also developed a smaller aquaponics system for backyard use. The smaller setups use mainly repurposed materials and are ideal for someone to use on a small scale. The root medium is the fish filter, and fruiting plants can be grown in this system.

“I hold information sessions to explain aquaponics and hydroponics to groups,” Cummings said. “We also will help people get their own systems started or point them in the right direction.”

One problem that is turning into a major research project is how to remove snails that were accidentally introduced to the system.

However if Cummings and his students solve Tarleton’s snail problem with redear sunfish (shellcrackers) or prawns, it will benefit the industry as a whole.

The fruits of the students’ labor are already paying off. At the close of the semester, the class had homegrown fish tacos using all the items harvested from the Hydrotron. Periodically, produce is also offered to the public.

“Aquaponics is how we are going to feed the world tomorrow, and many Texans are wanting this fresh, healthy, organic, locally produced food today,” Cummings said. “If I were to open an aquaponics store to sell produce and fish to the public, I would call it Future Food. I would sell a salad with so many different tasting and looking lettuces that you would not want salad dressing. That is the potential for aquaponics to have on our food system.”

As a young boy growing up in Texarkana, James Gentry suffered a head injury while roughhousing with friends. Doctors could not be certain the accident led to learning disabilities but, in kindergarten, James could not spell his name. He shortened it to Jim, which he spelled “Mij.” Jim did not like school and was a poor speller. Writing tormented him because he could not tell left from right. When Jim was 6, doctors diagnosed him as dyslexic with learning disabilities.

“Back in the ’70s no one knew what dyslexia was,” Jim said. “My mother asked if it was contagious.”

Forty years later, Dr. Jim Gentry, associate professor of Curriculum and Instruction in Tarleton’s College of Education, can laugh at the relative lack of knowledge about dyslexia then versus now. But after he was diagnosed, Gentry got help from a new breed of educators— special education teachers—created by a new public law. He received an educational curriculum tailored to his needs.

Turning a diSAbiliTy intoAbiliTy

He went on to graduate from college, receive his master’s in special education and then a doctorate in curriculum and education, both with a 4.0 GPA. Now an “educator of educators,” Gentry’s research investigates the impact of technologies assisting students with special learning needs.

“The truth is all people have special learning needs,” said Gentry, who co-chairs Tarleton’s Diversity, Access and Disability Services Committee. “Some simply aren’t as pronounced as others. That’s where good teachers make all the difference in the world.”

When students register with the Center for Access and Academic Testing (CAAT) as an individual with a disability, they attend an “intake” meeting with Trina Geye, director of Academic Support Centers at Tarleton, to discuss their needs. Geye said most students at Tarleton who self-identify as dyslexic were diagnosed in second or third grade and many don’t view dyslexia as a negative thing.

“It’s not as much of a stigma,” she said.

Tarleton is “well-equipped” to help students, thanks to increased awareness and technology such as screen readers that read aloud text on computer screens and new apps to assist students with everything from accessing the internet to doing math calculations.

The most common view of dyslexia is that it causes people to misspell words, placing letters in reverse order, but dyslexia

manifests itself differently in different people. The main symptom is trouble in reading, although a cluster of symptoms can occur. Dyslexia often co-exists with related issues such as attention deficit hyperactive disorders and issues with handwriting and math.

The causes of dyslexia usually are genetic, but trauma dyslexia also can result from a brain injury. Since it’s a hidden disability, the International Dyslexia Association estimates dyslexia often goes undiagnosed and affects 15 to 20 percent of the population.

Dyslexia is not tied to IQ. Albert Einstein had an estimated IQ of 160 and was dyslexic. Other famous people with dyslexia include inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison; actors and performers Whoopi Goldberg, Orlando Bloom and Jay Leno; entrepreneur Charles Schwab; writer John Irving; and director Steven Spielberg.

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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related state legislation call for universities to make accommodations for students with dyslexia.

Accommodations may include:

• Fifty percent additional time on timed exams and assignments when speed is not a factor. The extra time does not apply to assignments done on the student’s own time or include extension of deadlines.

• Alternative format text.

• Assistance in ensuring an accurate record of class meetings (such as early access to presentation materials, permission to audio record, access to another student’s notes).

• Using a reader during testing and screen reading software, if possible.

Students with dyslexia have found a nurturing learning environment at Tarleton.

“I have heard anecdotally that students with learning disabilities are attracted to Tarleton because we provide good services,” Geye said.

Jericha Hopson, a graduate student who works as an academic support assistant in the CAAT, has thrived at Tarleton despite having dyslexia. An Honors College student, she graduated from Tarleton in 2014 with an agricultural education degree and a 3.86 GPA. She is pursuing a master’s degree in agricultural and consumer resources with a focus on education.

Hopson said she worried teachers at Tarleton would not want to help her, but she found a wealth of resources. She had never heard of a screen reader, for example, a tool she now relies on.

“Just finding out there are resources and being able to get to those resources helped me a lot,” Hopson said.

Even something as simple as a text font can make a difference, too. Hopson said she finds it much easier to read a letter in a serif font, which has the “foot” at the bottom of a letter, than a sans serif one.

Gentry said such “visual cues” also helped him learn to read from left to right, for example. He lined up the holes of his notebook paper with the windows of his first-grade classroom.

For the 25th anniversary of the ADA last year, Gentry wrote “I Am Jim” for The Conversation , an independent news source from the academic and research community. The Houston Chronicle and other publications ran it as well. Gentry received an outpouring of support and comments from readers, many of whom were dyslexic or had children with learning disabilities.

“Disabilities could have defined me as a person, but my disabilities are not me,” he wrote in his piece. “I am not dyslexic or learning disabled. I am Jim….”

Gentry sees himself as having a distinctive ability rather than a disability.

“I have a purpose. I belong. I am a teacher at Tarleton State University. I am Jim,” he wrote. “This is what I think when I reflect on the Americans with Disabilities Act. It gives me and others like me the chance to be ourselves and to thrive.”

That, he added, “makes all the difference in the world.”

To read Dr. Gentry’s “I am Jim” piece for The Conversation , visit tinyurl.com/jimgentry.

Dr. Jim Gentry, associate professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Tarleton

The Maker

Much more than a print lab.

b y C EC ili A J AC ob S

If you can imagine it, you can make it. Even something as ingenious as a customized orthotic for a stroke patient.

Thanks to the new Maker Spot on the upper level of Tarleton’s Dick Smith Library, Clarence Young is getting a specially designed brace for his right hand. It will help stretch his fingers during personalized workouts at the university’s Lab for Wellness and Motor Behavior.

Tarleton senior Christina Tocquigny volunteered to tackle the project as a hands-on learning experience after an appeal was made to Professor Knut Hybinette’s art class earlier this year.

A digital media studies major from Moran, Texas, Tocquigny has a heart for individuals with physical disabilities and understands the enduring relationship of art, science and technology.

“Think Leonardo da Vinci,” Tocquigny explained. “An artist and scientist, he studied physiology and anatomy to create convincing images of the human form. Combining my artistic and creative talents with what I’ve learned in the classroom and the technology now available at the Maker Spot brings the best of all worlds together to help someone in need.”

When the Maker Spot went live this past spring, library officials had a good idea students, faculty, staff—even community patrons—would use the 3-D

equipment, poster-size printer, action cameras and invention kits to create everything from keychains to custom-made, alphabet-soup keyboards. But no one figured on a well-fitted device to make life better for a longtime Stephenville plumber.

“The Maker Spot is much more than a print lab,” said Chris Grantham, a technology support specialist at the library. “It allows inventors to turn thoughts and ideas into useable products and prototypes. Maker Spot capability is limited strictly by imagination.”

Spend an hour or two with Grantham and Systems Librarian Margie Maxfield and you’ll see why.

The larger of the two 3-D printers produces “plastic” items up to 9 inches by 9 inches by 20 inches—like a 14-inch propeller for a model airplane. The smaller printer handles projects 9 inches by 9 inches by 9 inches. Specialized websites provide ready-to-use designs, and others allow Maker Spot users to create their own models to print.

The cost to print a 3-D project in any of 16 available colors is 10 cents per gram of filament—a plastic called ABS made from petroleum (like LEGO® sets).

A stationary 3-D scanner copies projects up to 8 inches, and a handheld scanner can replicate life-size models. Imagine scanning a real-live bride and groom to create a cake topper.

When Tarleton’s Community Relations Director James Lehr couldn’t find period-authentic switch plates for his historic home, he asked Maxfield if Maker Spot technology could be the solution. Maxfield used the 3-D scanner

Tarleton senior Christina Tocquigny (seated), along with kinesiology graduate students Elizabeth Cisneros (left) and Bailee Mauldin, use the Maker Spot to create a custom brace.

Spot

to copy one of the few plates James had and, after dozens of tiny adjustments, created replacements identical to the original.

“Although we’re always happy to help tweak designs and give advice where we’re able, library staff generally don’t create models for projects,” Maxfield said. “This was a special undertaking to become familiar with the Maker Spot’s 3-D equipment and test its capabilities.”

A large-format paper printer is available to create posters—everything from family photos to maps to personal artwork—up to 3 feet wide. Cost is $2 per square foot of paper used.

“During spring break, GoPro cameras went like hotcakes,” Grantham said. “Students checked out the water-resistant devices to capture everything from skiing to mountain climbing.”

The Dick Smith Maker Spot also is home to electronic kits to turn bananas into a piano keyboard or set of

bongo drums as well as LEGO® sets to create robotics—all available for checkout to reinforce classroom learning and empower students to create, build and produce.

“While several Tarleton departments have equipment and technology similar to what’s available in the Maker Spot, they’re restricted to use by students enrolled in specific labs and classes,” Maxfield explained. “The Maker Spot is open to the entire university as well as community patrons, like local scouting groups.

“Community involvement is one of the best things about the Maker Spot,” she said. “The Maker Spot is an ideal platform for participatory learning communities formed around passions and shared interests.”

According to Maxfield, libraries are evolving from reading rooms and computer labs to dynamic workshop spaces for creative multimedia learning and doing. Because of spaces like the Maker Spot, students are turning classroom knowledge into projects that make the world a better place.

Just ask Clarence Young.

Breaking

Members of Tarleton Serves gather on the front steps of Debra Montgomery’s (front, center) home where the student volunteers labored for three days during their Alternative Spring Break trip to repair damages caused by the October 2015 floods that ravaged Columbia, South Carolina.

fromSpringTradition

Student-led ‘Alternative Spring Break’ trip provides perspective, opportunities for service

b y K U r T Mogony E

For a typical Tarleton student, spring break may provide a relaxing reprieve from studying, an opportunity to catch up on some sleep or an escape to a sandy beach or ski slope. For one group of Tarleton students, Spring Break meant service to a community ravaged by floods.

This past March, 22 Tarleton Serves students chose a 22-hour, 1,200-mile bus ride to Columbia, South Carolina, to volunteer as part of the annual Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trip. The Tarleton volunteers joined more than 100 students from four other universities intent on helping residents of the area hit by torrential rain and flooding in October 2015.

Residents are still picking up the pieces and rebuilding their lives. Among them is Debra Montgomery, a disabled, elderly widow, whose modest two-bedroom home was damaged in the heavy downpours, leaving mold and a rotting framework. Repeated applications for FEMA assistance were denied.

For three days, Tarleton students labored at Montgomery’s home, removing rotten window frames and mold-infested sheetrock; scraping decades-old layers of paint and repainting the trim and sills; tidying the small fenced-in yard by trimming and weeding before planting a patch of purple flowers beneath the towering South Carolina pines and magnolias.

Shy and reserved at first, Ms. Debra welcomed the Tarleton Alternative Spring Breakers who were eager to carry out their fourth service project in as many years. While some students brought their carpentry skills to give Ms. Debra’s home new life, others visited with the quiet woman, laughing with her as she reminisced over old family photos pulled from her attic.

Steve Lawless, volunteer coordinator from CCI, the non-profit organization that supplied the logistics and arranged Tarleton student accommodations at a nearby church camp on the shores of Lake Marion, said he feels lucky to be part of this important ASB work.

A teacher for nearly 30 years, Lawless observed “the transformational learning that these volunteers experience in the course of a week. How they step out of their comfort zones and face something that might be new to them...is really pretty amazing.”

Several students, including senior interdisciplinary studies major Haile Hall, have participated in several ASB trips. This spring break, Hall was the Tarleton Serves president and helped coordinate the effort and weeklong journey to South Carolina.

“A lot of friends say, ‘you gave up your spring break to serve others?’ But everyone who goes on this trip isn’t giving anything up, and we don’t feel like we’re missing out,” said Hall. “Going on this trip for three years has taught me leadership, selflessness, and it’s a really humbling experience because you take all of that back home with you and you can appreciate more.”

Hall said that Ms. Debra’s sweet, positive attitude facing hardship after hardship in her life made their time together even more valuable.

“She couldn’t believe we were spending our spring break helping her… we were still all-hands-on-deck as we worked to repair her home,” Hall said.

“She taught us that you can have an impact on others, and that you may experience a low but there’s always someone experiencing a lower point in life. Everyone needs a helping hand at some time in their life, and we just happened to be there for her.”

On day three, as the students traded hugs with their new friend before boarding the bus and waving goodbye from the windows, the elderly flood victim beamed with pride as she stood in the street and gazed at her freshly painted home.

“I’m a giver, (so) it’s hard for me to receive things from people,” Ms. Debra said. “I feel blessed because they came all the way from Texas to help me.”

Some students shed tears, knowing the difference they made in one person’s life; others promised to write Ms. Debra in coming weeks and to sign up for next year’s spring break service trip—eager to give back again to complete strangers in their time of need.

Organized by the Office of Student Engagement, Tarleton’s ASB provides opportunities for dozens of undergraduates to travel—at their own expense—and work on more than just a tan. The trips foster meaningful student development through service projects that nurture community engagement and give Tarleton students a unique, hands-on education in giving back.

In past years, Tarleton ASB volunteers partnered with Habitat for Humanity to finish new homes for those living in poverty in Albany, Georgia, helped rebuild a flood and mudslidedamaged community in Boulder, Colorado, and aided families affected by Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Upon returning to Stephenville, Hall and others penned letters to Ms. Debra thanking her for allowing them to assist in her home. Hall and others from Tarleton said they left with a little piece of her in their hearts and a desire to continue serving others.

“ASB has changed me. It’s made me realize that service is something I want to do for the rest of my life,” Hall said. “I’m an education major and I’ve always been interested in service but, once I got my foot in the door and started doing these activities, it made me realize I have a passion for serving others.

“Now I know that when I graduate and become a public school teacher, I want to replicate a similar ASB program because I started finding out more about myself. The saying, ‘you find yourself when you lose yourself in the service of others,’ I think proves to be true. I want to bring that mindset to my future students.”

South c a R olina Pu B lic Radio S to R y link: tinyurl.com/tarletonserves

The fire that still

Mickey Maguire Jr., ’40, looks back on the photo of the 1939 bonfire that made history.

Mickey Maguire recalls protecting the legendary 1939 Tarleton Bonfire

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In the 90-plus-year history of Tarleton’s bonfire, only one has reached historic proportions— the bonfire of 1939.

The annual bonfire tradition began in the mid-1920s to raise school spirit the evening before the annual Thanksgiving football game between John Tarleton Agricultural College (JTAC) and North Texas Agricultural College (NTAC). The bonfire at both schools preceded the intense rivalry game that dated back to 1917.

“We had a terrific rivalry going on with NTAC,” said C.H. ‘Mickey’ Maguire Jr., ’40. “We were the Plowboys and they were the Grubbs. I have often told people when they ask about the bonfire and the airplane incident, ‘You need to know the rest of the story.’ And it so happens that the rest of the story came before the story.”

burns...

Both schools developed the custom of invading the opponent’s campus in the week before the game attempting to ignite their bonfire ahead of time.

The rationale was that the raid would seize an advantage in the game by dampening their adversary’s spirit. (Tarleton’s tradition of beating the drum rose from the need for roundthe-clock guarding of the bonfire days before the game.)

In the week leading up to the 1939 game, “A group of boys who worked for the College Store, about four or five, got together and instigated a plan to go over to Arlington and burn their bonfire,” Maguire said. “It was just for meanness and because that was a thing everybody tried to do. They tried to burn ours; we tried to burn theirs.”

On Tuesday, November 28, the plan was put in motion. (NTAC’s account of the events claim that it occurred on November 27.)

“Somebody worked a deal to rent an 18-wheeler cattle truck from Beau Piedmont,” Maguire said. “He was going to charge us 25 cents apiece to carry us over to Arlington and back.”

About 50 students changed into their lab uniforms—white coveralls with the Tarleton emblem on the back. The students brought pint jars with lids. When they got to Granbury, the truck stopped at a gas station and the students filled their jars with gasoline.

“We were like a Molotov cocktail going down the road,” Maguire said. “If somebody would’ve run into us, it would’ve probably blown us all to pieces.”

Fortunately for the students, they made it safely to Arlington. The driver roared through the gates and onto campus. NTAC’s bonfire was being watched by the Grubbs, who also had a few watch fires for warmth and light.

“We were all crunched down in the trailer in our white coveralls,” Maguire continued. “I guess they thought we were a load of sheep. We drove right up to their bonfire and didn’t get a stir out of the students at Arlington.”

As the truck stopped, JTAC students scrambled out to begin their attack, throwing their glass jars on NTAC’s stack. The jars broke upon impact. Other JTAC students cut the water hose to prevent NTAC from extinguishing the fire.

“A couple of the brave ones went over and scooped up one or two of the watch fires in their arms and threw them on the stack.” Maguire said. “It just exploded; there wasn’t any way to put it out.”

The Grubbs started capturing as many Plowboys as possible.

“After the fire really got going, Beau Piedmont was wanting to get his rig out of there,” Maguire explained. “He began pulling out on the road and everybody tried to get back on the truck. We were crawling up the sideboards and the Arlington students were pulling at us and trying to get us all captured.”

NTAC captured about 10 Plowboys, then shaved their heads, rubbed them down with Absorbine Jr., and held them until the next day.

On Wednesday, both schools were in preparation mode—NTAC planning retaliation and JTAC strategizing a defense.

Unfortunately for NTAC, its dean, E.E. Davis, warned Tarleton’s dean, J. Thomas Davis (no relation), of the impending attack. Neither dean knew the specifics of the retaliation plan, but Tarleton’s dean cancelled classes for the day so his students could protect their bonfire.

NTAC’s two-pronged attack was organized by student Nicky Naumovich, a ROTC lieutenant colonel and regimental commander. More than 80 NTAC students loaded into a cattle truck and headed to Stephenville—each armed with a bottle of gasoline and a cigarette lighter.

A photo of L.V. Risinger, who threw a 2-by-4-inch piece of wood at the NTAC plane, which hit the propeller and took the plane down.

A photo of college-aged Mickey Maguire in The Grassburr

NTAC students Chester Philips and Hatton Sumner (both enrolled in NTAC’s Civilian Pilot Training Program) rented two airplanes from Meacham Field in Fort Worth, not disclosing their intentions or flight destination. Philips and Sumner planned to fly to Stephenville, circle the bonfire and drop phosphorous “bombs” in hopes of igniting the stack. Philips would lead, with co-pilot James E. Smith, and Sumner would follow for a second attack if the first plane was unsuccessful.

But JTAC wad prepared for NTAC’s invasion.

“The ladies had formed a ring holding hands all the way around the wood stack,” Maguire said. “I seem to remember that it was a double row of women around the stack, and they were going to capture anybody who tried to break through.”

Other students—men and women—waited outside the ring for the Grubbs to arrive.

While others positioned themselves below, Maguire climbed up the stack with a water hose that he kept kinked, ready to extinguish any attempts to light the stack.

The first plane came in low and close to the bonfire. “When I was standing on that bonfire, I was eyeballing that man on the right side of the plane,” Maguire said. “The first time he came through, we didn’t know what to expect other than he was going to firebomb. Sure enough, he started throwing things out and hit the stack, but they never did catch on fire.”

When the plane circled for another attack, some of the Plowboys climbed the water tower. They grabbed whatever items they could find to throw at the plane. On its second flyover, L.V. Risinger threw a 2-by-4-inch piece of wood, about a foot long, at the plane.

“The 2-by-4 hit the propeller, the plane sputtered and spit,” Maguire continued. “The pilot pulled up enough to clear the president’s house, then went back over the drill field.” (The plane rolled to a stop where the old rock wall sits in front of today’s Welcome Center.)

The second plane arrived in time to see Phillips’ plane going down. Sumner turned his plane around and retreated to Meacham Field, never disclosing his mission.

During the air attack, the Grubbs arrived in cattle trucks to begin their ground attack.

“The students who were on the trucks came over and tried to get to the bonfire,” Maguire said. “The women and men that

were around it captured a bunch of them. They tried to set the stack on fire, but they gave up and left back to their trucks.”

The captured Grubbs received the same treatment as the captured Plowboys—block-T shaved haircuts and Absorbine, Jr. They also were treated to coffee and doughnuts before being sent back to Arlington.

Although the actions risked the game’s cancellation, officials from both schools decided to continue the rivalry. JTAC won 6-0 in Arlington.

The bonfire attacks led to a ban on future bonfires before games. At NTAC, Smith was expelled for the remainder of the semester, and Philips’ pilot license was suspended for six months. Both pilots in the attack died in World War II. Philips’ B-24 was shot down over Kiel, Germany, while Sumner died during training exercises in San Diego.

The annual game was suspended during World War II, resuming in 1945 with a safer tradition. The victor received a “Silver Bugle” and kept it until the next year’s game.

The rivalry and Silver Bugle tradition continued until 1958, when NTAC (now the University of Texas at Arlington) won the last game and the bugle. They then misplaced it. The bugle has never been found. That misfortune gave rise to another Tarleton homecoming tradition, the “Silver Bugle Hunt.”

In 1994, the homecoming bonfire was christened the “L.V. Risinger Memorial Bonfire” in honor of his role in upholding Tarleton pride. Risinger died in 1994.

Maguire fought under Gen. George Patton in World War II, returning afterward to Stephenville and his wife, Stella Pearl Nix. The two had met at Tarleton, where she was president of the Tejas Club.

Maguire, who turned 94 on Feb. 26, 2016, remains as feisty as that day in 1939 when he held the water hose to protect the Tarleton bonfire.

To hear Mickey Maguire tell the infamous bonfire story, visit www.tarleton.edu/maguire

Mickey Maguire with two members of the Plowboys spirit organization. The Plowboys now build and guard the bonfire every year.

RetuRn to gloRy

Head Football Coach Whitten seeks championships, renovated stadium

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the winningest football coach in Tarleton’s NCAA era, Todd Whitten, returns to the Texans’ sideline this fall, with an eye on a conference championship and a smile about the plans to renovate Memorial Stadium.

Whitten, who coached the Texans for six years during two previous stints in Stephenville (1996 and 2000-04), joins legendary coach W.J. Wisdom as the only coaches with three different tenures as Tarleton’s head football coach.

“I’m excited to be back at Tarleton,” says Whitten, 51. “This is a very special place.”

A 27-year veteran at the collegiate coaching level, Whitten has been a head coach for 11 years, including five seasons at Division I Sam Houston State.

The Dallas native boasts a 70-51 NCAA coaching record. His Tarleton record of 45-23 gives him the second-most total wins in school history behind Wisdom (71) and the fourth-highest winning percentage (.662).

In announcing Whitten’s appointment as head coach, Athletic Director Lonn Reisman extolled his “ability to win football games and reestablish our program as a contender—not just in the Lone Star Conference, but on the national level.”

An innovator, the Stephen F. Austin University Athletics

Hall of Fame quarterback who later joined the New England Patriots in the National Football League, “has one of the most tremendous offensive minds in the country,” Reisman recalled.

No stranger to awards and championships, Whitten won conference Coach of the Year in his first season at Tarleton, turning a 1-10 program into a 5-5 record. He won the award each of the next three seasons, as well as the NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year in 2001.

That Texan team became the first ever to make the NCAA Playoffs and won its first playoff game to compile a 10-3 record. The team set the high-scoring standard for Tarleton, amassing 478 points.

The Texans won the LSC North Division championship in 2002 and 2003, when it returned to the NCAA Playoffs.

Playoffs will be on Texans’ minds when Tarleton takes the field on September 3 at McNeese State and the next Saturday when they have the home opener against Southwest Baptist in Memorial Stadium.

Fans can also anticipate the planned stadium renovations, which will get underway during the 2017 football season. The stadium is expected to open in August 2018

“As a football coach, it doesn’t get any better than that. I know when they get done, it’s going to be tremendous,” Whitten said.

The renovations will include converting the west-side stands to home seating and adding 33 percent more seats.

“For far too long, Tarleton Texans fans have faced the setting sun during our football games,” said President F. Dominic Dottavio. “We are excited to make this change for our patient fans as well as to add the many improvements that the renovation will bring.”

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents authorized $24 million in funding to begin planning, designing and financing the project, which will raise the seating capacity to more than 10,000.

Renovations will include an expanded press box and suites, additional premium seating with chair backs and expanded entrances and ticket booths. The football field and track-andfield surfaces will be replaced as part of the project.

The million-dollar bond package will not cover all the costs, however. The Division of Advancement & External Relations and Tarleton Athletics are working with donors to provide additional funding to address needs for an improved scoreboard, better locker rooms and other amenities.

Developed in the 1940s as a tribute to the 179 Tarleton faculty and students who died in World War II, the original Memorial Stadium opened in 1951. A major reconstruction was completed in 1977, when today’s features were created. In 1988-89, seating was expanded, the concession stand was remodeled, the current field house was built and track-andfield facilities were renovated.

The stadium has been a welcome home for Coach Whitten, who has a career record of 26-8 (.765) on the home turf. He plans to keep the record going and Texans’ fans happy while they await renovations.

“We think he is the right man, at the right time, to come back to a place that he and his family call home,” said President Dottavio.

‘Setting’ a new StandaRd

TexAnn volleyball standout Hailey Roberts is ‘killing’ it on and off the court

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tarleton all-star volleyball player Hailey Roberts comes by her competitiveness naturally. With a grandfather who played catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and a mom and uncle who set high school track-andfield records, Hailey’s genetic makeup is an athlete’s dream.

But physical gifts alone didn’t make Roberts a college champ. Her lifelong drive, dedication and work ethic gave a big assist.

“I’ve proved to myself and others that I work hard to be the best of the best,” Roberts said. “I’m not just naturally blessed.”

After her sophomore season, the American Volleyball Coaches

Association honored Roberts as one of the nation’s best players by selecting her as a first-team All-American, and the NCAA crowned her Division II Statistical Champion for her 6.57 points and 5.69 kills per set.

“Kills” are offensive attacks that result in immediate points, and Roberts achieved a record 728 of them. Her skills on the court helped the TexAnns become Tarleton’s first volleyball Lone Star Conference champions with their 15-1 season league record in 2015.

But these accomplishments almost didn’t happen at Tarleton. Like most of her fellow club team players, Roberts originally committed to an East Coast Division I college. When

those plans fell through, Tarleton reached out to Roberts with an offer to play as a TexAnn.

“I love Tarleton, it’s so homey, and all of its traditions are awesome,” Roberts said. “Our team is very close—we’re best friends—and we marvel at the fan support we get here. If you’re an athlete at Tarleton, everyone knows who you are and appreciates your efforts. I think it would’ve been a bit different playing at a big school.”

The daughter of a single mom, Roberts grew up with her brother in Cedar Park near Austin where she began her athletic career at a young age. Excelling at baseball as a pitcher and shortstop as a 9-year-old, she was recruited by the McKinney Longhorns. When their season culminated with a Little League World Series title in Kansas, officials honored Roberts as offensive player of the tournament.

After baseball, Roberts played with Lonestar Soccer Club in Austin, which won state titles four years straight. She became a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do and participated in track and cross country. In middle school, Roberts participated in four sports simultaneously. She tried volleyball, but settled on basketball as her favorite. When her high school basketball coach discouraged her from playing volleyball, Roberts focused on it instead, since it was the new sport in her life.

“I’ve always been super competitive,” Roberts said. “I’ve played sports my entire life, with boys and girls. Sometimes, I’m too competitive, because I can’t stand losing.”

Being 6 feet tall makes Roberts an ideal outside hitter. She strives to be a reliable, aggressive player, and said her teammates are very supportive of her achievements.

“They rely on me and trust me,” Roberts said. “And my recognitions and awards help me when I’m down. I realize there’s potential for the future when I see what I’ve already accomplished.”

A record 3,100 kill attempts during her first two seasons have taken a toll on her right shoulder, resulting in off-season surgeries. Roberts is now rehabilitating her shoulder for her junior season. Roberts said therapy is tough—mentally and physically—but she’s working hard and looking forward.

“I know my level of play depends upon the effort I put into rehab and how much I rebuild my strength,” Roberts said. “My family, teammates, coach and boyfriend give me incredible support and help keep me stable, so I’ve built up enough confidence to not worry about my health in the future.”

Determination and perseverance have led to past successes and a bright future for Roberts, and she gives credit and thanks to her mother, Erin Roberts.

“My mom is my inspiration—my best friend—and the reason why I do it all,” Roberts said. “Everything she helped me do as a child is now paying off.”

Her motivation isn’t all about athletics. Roberts is studying for her bachelor’s in kinesiology and plans to pursue her master’s at Tarleton, followed by work in the sports field. Roberts made the Dean’s List the last two years, and the university honored her as an Athlete Committed to Education, which requires her to maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

“I have to get good grades,” Roberts said. “I just have to be on top of every aspect of my life. I know it will pay off in the future and that keeps me focused on academics.”

Her future includes trying out in February for the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team and, if she makes it, playing matches around the world next summer and after college. Her hopes and dreams soar higher—to one day play for the U.S. Olympic Team.

“It’s everything I’ve worked for since I can remember,” Roberts said. “It would mean I reached the pinnacle of athletic skill that I’ve been working on for so long.”

PlayeR of the yeaR

TexAnn Isabel Jimenez-Perea dominates Division II in women’s golf

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isabel Jimenez-Perea racked up quite a list of accomplishments during her four years at Tarleton, with the biggest coming as a senior.

For the first time in Tarleton history, a TexAnn golfer was named as the National Player of the Year when Jimenez-Perea was honored as the Women’s Golf Coaches Association PING Division II Player of the Year. This also was a first in Lone Star Conference history.

In addition, the kinesiology major was named the Lone Star Conference Female Athlete of the Year. During her senior year, she rose to the No. 1-ranked player in Division II by GolfStat but finished second at the end of the year.

“I would rate her as one of the best players I have coached,” said Jerry Doyle, head women’s golf coach. “She takes very good care of herself and stays on top of all her duties. Everyone loves her.”

Originally from Madrid, Spain, Jimenez-Perea started golfing at a young age.

“I was 7 and my dad played golf, so I asked him if I could go,” she said. “He bought me a little set of clubs. I started taking lessons at a kids’ academy and I haven’t stopped playing since.”

As her prowess on the course continued to improve with age, Jimenez-Perea started looking for golf opportunities at the collegiate level.

“I got an agent who helped me explore my university options,” she explained. “Tarleton was the one that stood out to me.”

After flying almost 5,000 miles to Texas, Jimenez-Perea experienced quite the culture shock when she got to Stephenville.

“When I first saw people wearing cowboy boots and cowboy hats, I thought that was only in the movies,” she said. “I didn’t know that you could go to class with boots and hats on, but I liked it.”

Jimenez-Perea admitted it wasn’t long before she embraced Texan hospitality and began to thrive at Tarleton thanks to her team and coach.

“We have so much fun as a team,” JimenezPerea said. “And Coach Doyle has made a big impact on me. He’s a great coach and treats us like players but also like we are his family. We know he’s always going to be there for us, even after we’re done with school.”

The strong team bonding also transferred onto the course. Tarleton ended the 2015-16 season with seven tournament victories, including its ninth Lone Star Conference title and ninth West Regional Championship in 10 years.

The WGCA named head coach Jerry Doyle as the West Region Coach of the Year. It was Doyle’s second major award of the season after winning the LSC Coach of the Year for a record ninth time. It was Doyle’s fifth WGCA Regional Coach of the Year award.

Casey Wild and Beatriz Prados were named to the WGCA Honorable Mention team. Wild finished the season ranked 11th in the nation and had one tournament win to go with seven top-10 finishes. Prados was ranked 18th in the nation with one tournament victory along with four top-10 finishes.

Jimenez-Perea also finished in the Top 10 in 11 of the 12 tournaments this season and helped the TexAnns win seven tournaments.

She was a four-time All-American, named to the LSC All-Academic team her senior year and received first-team All-LSC honors all four years. Jimenez-Perea also was named to the WGCA All-Region team for the fourth time. She was a nine-time LSC Golfer of the Week in her career and won 12 tournaments in her four years, including three her senior year.

Although Jimenez-Perea graduated in May, she plans to spend even more time in Stephenville and on area golf courses.

“I will be pursuing my master’s in kinesiology at Tarleton,” she said. “I will also play in some professional tournaments this summer and try to make the LPGA, although that may be farther in the future.”

TexasBank

Paying It Forward Through Education

“It’s no secret that TexasBank bleeds purple,” said Connie Wooley, the bank’s vice president of operations.

With 80 percent of its Stephenville employees Tarleton alumni or students, TexasBank has a strong commitment to education and the Stephenville community. That commitment is showcased at Tarleton by the James and Dorothy Doss Foundation Scholarships, established by the financial institution’s owners.

“TexasBank does a lot more than tailor financial services to fit individual needs,” explained L.V. Coffee, East Region president. “TexasBank is committed to investing in the communities it serves. Dorothy Doss and her late husband,

James, created the Scholarship Fund as a community investment, knowing that an education from a school like Tarleton goes a long way in getting a good job and improving quality of life.”

The Doss Foundation annually donates $25,000 in scholarships to help Tarleton juniors and seniors from Erath, Brown, Eastland and Comanche counties finish their degrees, putting Texans to work. In fact, the foundation has donated more than $800,000 to local and area schools in the last six years.

“I’m continually astonished at how much TexasBank gives back to the markets it serves—especially when it comes to education,” Wooley said. “The Doss-Knight family, the

From left, Dr. Kyle McGregor, Vice President for Advancement and External Relations; Connie Wooley, TexasBank Vice President of Operations; L.V. Coffee TexasBank East Region President; Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio, Tarleton President; Kelli Raymond, TexasBank Mortgage Loan Officer; and Justin Greehaw, Tarleton student and TexasBank teller.

owners of TexasBank, understand that it’s not always easy for students in small, rural communities to complete a university degree and are always looking to give where they can.”

Tarleton Texans Ashtyn Brooks and Eddie Velazquez appreciate the generosity of TexasBank and the Doss-Knight family. Doss Foundation scholarships are helping them complete their university degree programs.

An English education major from Comanche, Ashtyn’s using her scholarship to cover student housing while Eddie’s been able to cut job hours to study.

Brooks’ grandmother and Comanche High School teachers are her role models and the inspiration for a career in education. Her grandmother instilled a love to read, and her English teachers a passion for literature.

“Thanks to the Doss Foundation scholarship, I don’t have the daily commute to and from Comanche, leaving more time for class and study,” Brooks said.

Meet Alumni L.V. Coffee and Connie Wooley

TexasBank East Region President L.V. Coffee is a well-known Tarleton Texan enthusiast.

This past spring, Connie Wooley, TexasBank vice president of operations, and Tarleton Athletic Director Lonn Reisman conspired to bring an unsuspecting Coffee to the university’s All-Sports Banquet for a surprise presentation. Coffee received one of six President’s All-Purple Awards presented to those who go above and beyond in showing support and dedication to Tarleton athletic programs.

Almost anyone who’s attended a Tarleton athletic event has seen Coffee and wife, Emily, a time or two. They’re usually accompanied by daughters, Kennedy and Kamryn, decked out in their purple cheerleading outfits.

Velazquez, a criminal justice major from Stephenville, explained that before he received the Doss scholarship he worked 40 hours a week to make ends meet while taking a full class load.

“I still have to work, but I’m not putting in 40 hours a week,” he said. “Thanks to TexasBank and the Doss Foundation, I’m confident I’ll be able to complete my bachelor’s in criminal justice next spring.”

Following graduation, Velazquez hopes to land a job with the Texas Highway Patrol and eventually with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

“Drugs destroy more than the person who uses them,” Velazquez said. “They destroy entire families. I want to be part of America’s—even the world’s—war on drugs.”

In addition to the Doss Foundation scholarships, TexasBank supports and sponsors campus events, funding for scoreboards, sports fields and other projects to improve the quality of life for Tarleton students.

“TexasBank pays it forward through education,” Coffee said. “We’re making a difference in individual lives as well as improving our community, our region—even our state.”

As a high school student growing up some 60 miles southwest of Stephenville in Brownwood, Coffee was one of thousands of students who traveled from across Texas to participate in FFA events.

“From the moment I first stepped foot on the Stephenville campus, I knew I wanted to be a Tarleton Texan,” Coffee said. “Faculty and staff take a sincere interest in students and their educational pursuits.”

Coffee graduated magna cum laude in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He started his banking career with Town & Country Bank while attending Tarleton and was a member of the Texas Army National Guard, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Wooley has Tarleton roots, too, although her stint at the university was a bit shorter—two years— leaving for what turned into a 47-year banking career. Born and raised in Stephenville, she retired from Bank of America and joined TexasBank in 2013.

Coffee and Wooley form just part of the TarletonTexasBank connection.

“

It’s no secret that TexasBank bleeds purple. ”

Conni E w ool E y Vice President of o perations

From Champion Bull Rider to County Attorney

Wyatt Glade– a touch of Lonesome Dove

In Larry McMurtry’s book Lonesome Dove , a pair of former Texas Rangers leave their homes in the Lone Star State and drive cattle to Montana to start a ranch in the new territory.

For Tarleton alumnus Wyatt Glade, ’99, his cowboy adventure started in Montana, traveled to Texas and returned to Montana to fight for justice.

“I grew up in a rodeo family,” said Glade, who was raised on a cattle ranch in eastern Montana. “I went to Montana State University where I competed for the rodeo team.”

Before college, Glade became the Montana High School Rodeo State Champion Bull Rider in 1991. He quit riding bulls when he was about 19 to focus on saddle bronc riding.

In high school, Glade had traveled to Texas and interviewed with former Tarleton rodeo coach Bob Doty. At the time, Glade decided to stay closer to home for college.

While at Montana State, Glade was a member of the 1995 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Champion Men’s Team and earned the 1996 Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Rookie of the Year honor.

“After a few years in college, I had a strong desire to get away from home while I was young,” Glade said. “Texas was still pulling me, so I called up Bob and asked if the offer was still on the table. It was, so off to Tarleton I went.”

Another reason for the Texas pull was Glade’s girlfriend, Darcy, who wanted to live in Texas. She also enrolled at Tarleton, although she later finished her degree at Montana State.

With the change in schools, Glade red-shirted his first year at Tarleton and rehabbed injuries. The first year also helped him adjust to the differences in culture and expectations.

“Tarleton really turned my education around,” Glade said. “There was a level of expectation there that I didn’t experience before. At Tarleton, if you didn’t show up at class, you would hear about it. I remember the first time that happened and I thought, ‘holy cow, things are different here.’

“The quality of education at Tarleton was just outstanding. My grade point average went way up to where it should

have been in the first place. Ultimately, coming to Tarleton enabled me to go to law school.”

Although Glade didn’t start out with law school dreams, he was able to juggle rodeo, writing for the JTAC and his animal science/agricultural business studies at Tarleton so well that he graduated with honors.

After Tarleton, Glade attended the University of New Mexico School of Law.

“I went to law school there because I wanted to go somewhere I could train horses,” he said. “That’s how mixed up I was—Albuquerque is not a place to train horses.”

Although horse training in New Mexico didn’t pan out, his personal life and law school did. In his first semester there, he and Darcy were married. Upon graduating from law school, the Glades returned to Montana.

“We came back to Miles City to basically take care of my grandmother,” Glade said. “I went to work for a private law firm for about six months and then went out on my own.”

In the three years he ran his own firm, Glade practiced a lot of criminal defense, opening the way to become a deputy county attorney. He soon earned promotion to county attorney.

“That was 10 years ago,” Glade said. “Since then, I primarily prosecute crimes, everything from murder to driving without a license. I do mostly criminal law, but I also advise the county on civil matters and that kind of thing. My favorite part of my job is being in a position to help people who have been harmed by the actions of others.”

In between fighting for justice, Wyatt and Darcy spend time herding their three kids—Quanah (11), Ira (10) and Odessa (6)—on their ranch south of Miles City. The Glades also run yearlings and horses on the ranch and still compete in rodeo.

“Darcy is a barrel racer, and I’ve taken to training working cow horses,” Glade said. “My kids are getting into rodeo, so we’re bringing them along and raising my family’s next rodeo generation.”

Whether that brings any of them to Texas is an unwritten chapter.

“ At Tarleton, if you didn’t show up at class, you would hear about it. I remember the first time that happened and I thought, ‘holy cow, things are different here. ”

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ClassN�tes

’72Je RR y “ c hi P ” d avi S , B.S. in general business and ’73 m .B. a . in business administration, is Chairman of National Farm Life Insurance Company and received the 2016 American Council of Life Insurers’ (ACLI) Forum 500 Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented annually to an individual whose work has greatly contributed to the life insurance industry, especially to the small- and medium-sized life insurance companies the Forum 500 represents. Davis received the Distinguished Alumnus award in1995. In addition to the Forum 500 Board of Governors, Mr. Davis serves on the ACLI Board of Directors and the Tarleton State University Foundation Board.

’85k elli h o RR y, B.B. a . in marketing, was promoted to senior vice president of mortgage at TexasBank. She joined the TexasBank mortgage team in 2014 and served in multiple roles since that time.

k elly ‘ h o R ton’ w alke R , B.S. in geology, was re-elected to her third term on the Highland Park ISD School Board. Walker is the president and founder of Benchmark Environmental Consultants in Dallas. She currently serves as the Finance Officer for the HPISD Board of Trustees; Advisory Board for the HP Education Foundation; a guild member of La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas and a member of the Captial Projects Committee for the City of University Park.

’86Scott Summy, B. a . in political science, received the Civility with Integrity Award from Tarleton. The presentation was part of Tarleton’s 2016 President’s Legacy Awards ceremony. Summy is the head of the Environmental Litigation Group at Baron & Budd in Dallas and was voted one of the Best Lawyers in America (206-2016) by Woodward White, Inc. In addition to his degree from Tarleton, Summy received his law degree from Texas Tech University.

the Houston area. He has been a school administrator since 1997 and his first teaching position was at Bangs High School.

’88 d avid c . g ay, B.B. a . in accounting and finance, spoke to the Richardson ISD AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) students. Gay spoke on his success in life after suffering catastrophic burns and injuries in an electrical/ industrial accident in 1982 at age 22. Gay is a double amputee who embarked on a banking career after Tarleton, eventually becoming Presidet/CEO of First National Bank in Crockett.

Gay retired from the bank in 2008, but joined Silverstone Consultants in 2011 as a senior consultant. Silverstone consults with community bank management and boards of directors on issues related to credit and lending.

’89 dR . d an m c c oy, B.S. in biology, was named president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. McCoy joined BCBSTX in 2012. As divisional senior vice president of Texas market strategy and Texas plan chief medical officer, Dr. McCoy oversaw the development and coordination of market strategy and business development across Texas.

Prior to BCBSTX, McCoy was managing partner at Texas Dermatology Associates. He also served as medical director of the Melanoma Screening Clinic at Sammons Cancer Center and Baylor University Medical Center’s Outpatient Cancer Center. McCoy serves on the Dallas Regional Chamber Board, the Texas CASA Board and the Texas Medical Association (TMA) Board of Trustees.

In addition to graduating summa cum laude from Tarleton State University, McCoy earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

’94

Shawn l ane, B.B. a . in accounting, was named district MVP for April at Willis ISD. Lane is the librarian at Hardy and Cannan Elementary Schools. Lane is a veteran educator, serving as an elementary teacher, school counselor and librarian for 18 years. She was previously the director of libraries for Cisco ISD.

’97

’87

Ro B e R t m o RR i S on, m . e d. in physical education, was selected as the new principal of Abilene High School. It was a historic choice as Morrison is the only African-American at Abilene High. Prior to the selection, Morrison was the principal at Sweeny High School in

l o R etta Rudd, m . e d. in educational administration, serves as the first lady of the University of Memphis. She and her husband, U of M President M. David Rudd, arrived in Memphis in 2013. Loretta accepted a position as clinical associate professor in child development and David, at that time, was offered the provost position. In addition to her degree from Tarleton, Loretta has her bachelor’s and master’s from The University of Texas at Austin in communication disorders/ deaf education and her doctorate in educational psychology from Baylor University.

and the only one to hit a home run. Anderson also threw out the first pitch for the Texas Rangers vs. the Seattle Mariners on June 3. He also is a coach and a teacher at Fossil Hill Middle School in Keller.

’98 m i S ty m ue S ing, B. f . a . in theater, played six characters in Midland Community Theatre’s “Around the World in 80 Days.” Muesing has performed in many community theatre productions since leaving Tarleton as well as teaching from 2002 to 2013.

’99

k endall Scho RS ch, B.S. in agribusiness and M.B.A. in ’01, was named as Jourdanton’s new city manager. Prior to the position, Schorsch began his banking career in McMullen County and also was associated with Atascosa National Bank. In addition, he and his wife, Amber, own Tender Care Day Care Center.

’00 John gR aham, B. a in history and M.Ed. in educational administration, was named as senior executive director for school improvement at Leander ISD. Prior to taking the role, Graham was selected in 2010 as the principal of Rouse High School in Leander ISD. He has served in other capacities with the district since 2005. In addition to his degrees from Tarleton, Graham also received his principal certification from Tarleton.

’02 Richa R d m . m itchell, m . e d. in educational administration, was named superintendent at Strawn ISD where he served as principal for the two years prior. Before that, Mitchell served the Cleburne ISD as a teacher and administrator for 20 years.

’03 B R yan v an Sti PP en, B.B. a . in management/ marketing and ’03 M.S. in information systems, is running for office in the 35th District in Wisconsin. He currently serves as a legislative attorney for the HoChunk Nation of Wisconsin in Black River Falls and owns a property management company. In addition to his degrees from Tarleton, Van Stippen received his law degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law.

By R on a nde RS on, B.S. in communications, won season tickets to the Texas Rangers. Anderson, who played baseball at Tarleton and was the Most Valuable Player in 2002, hit a home run into the left field bleachers during a contest held by the Rangers.

Using a wooden bat against a pitching machine, Anderson was one of 20 participants

’06

dR ew h owa R d, B.S. in biology, was named as the superintendent for Petersburg ISD. Prior to taking the position, Howard was an elementary principal at Peaster ISD for two years. Before that role, Howard was a principal and assistant principal in Stephenville ISD. He started his teaching career at Peaster in 2006 and moved to Lipan in 2007. In addition, Howard earned his master’s degree from Tarleton and is working on his doctorate in educational leadership and administration from Tarleton.

’07

Joel w e BB , B.S. in agricultural services and development, was named the integrated pest management agent for Runnels, Tom Green and Concho counties. Prior to taking the position, Webb worked for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Lubbock, where he performed a variety of duties including conducting experimental design, field layout and mapping; calibration and application of herbicides, collecting trial data per protocol standards, and managing and designing irrigation systems.

’08w hitney ‘ w hite- aS hley’ l ee, B.S. in communications, was selected to the Meals on Wheels Texas board of directors. Lee is the executive director for Meals on Wheels of Erath County and has served in that role since 2010. In addition, Lee is a 2012 Leadership Stephenville graduate and serves as the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Texas District Vice President of Communication.

’10B R ian Salge, B.S. in physics, was selected as Stephenville High School’s Teacher of the Year. Salge is a physics teacher and teaches AP I and II as well as regular physics at Stephenville ISD. ’95 t u R tle Powell, B.S. in agricultural economics; ’08 B R adley h a R te R , B.B. a . in marketing; ’13 iS aac d iaz, B.S. in animal industries and a minor in business administration; and former student Richmond c ham P ion were selected to join the Elite Rodeo Association (ERA). The ERA is made up of a league of champions and only the top rodeo athletes were invited to join and compete. A select group of 87 athletes compete for six-figure payouts at nine season rodeos in the “Championship Race to Dallas.” The world championships will take place Nov. 9-13 in Dallas at the American Airlines Center, where $1.6 million in prize money will be up grabs. Tune in to the ERA Rodeo broadcasts and watch contestants compete. For more information, visit www.eraprorodeo.com.

Contact us

Send your alumni and class updates to Tarleton State University Box T-0730, Stephenville, TX 76402 media@tarleton.edu | (254) 968-9460

Ronnie Hargrove

Gaylon Earl Harris

Anne Morris

Alex Kachura

Hazel Jean Olsen Keeney

A. Kelly

H. Kennedy

Bobby Wayne Rister

Jeff Justice

Harris Arthur Martin McCollum

Lou Brock McLendon

Michelle McMahan

Mayo Rice,

Allen Rich Clements Okey Richards

Richardson

Richmond

Riggs

Rodriguez

Nelson Rose

Don Rowe, Jr.

Eugene Rucker

Russell

Carl Schaffer

Schrank

Schwoch

Hall Scott

Mciver Sheehan

Simpson

Conley Sloter

Arthur Smith

Latham Smith

Randel Smith

Smith,

Sparkman

Dean Spence

Joe Spikes

Stevenson

The C entennial C elebration will begin in January and run through December. Special events are planned throughout the year, including a reception and concert to kick off the Centennial, events in Fort Worth and Austin as well as the dedication of a new Rudder Way pedestrian walkway.

The Centennial is Coming!

Tarleton State University is approaching its 100-year anniversary as a proud member of The Texas A&M University System,

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For 100 years, The Grassburr has preserved Tarleton’s history and tradition on its pages. The Grassburr was born in 1916, with Paul Williams serving as the first editor. The original Grassburr staff produced the first of many yearbooks dedicated to documenting each new generation of Tarleton’s growing family.

To or DE r copies of The Grassburr of your class years, visit www.tarleton.edu/grassburr