FOREWORD
PRESIDENT AS PROPHET 1  TREVECCAN
WE ARE SERVANTS AND LEADERS, SINGERS, ACTORS AND ARTISTS. TREVECCA’S GRADUATES ARE AWARD WINNERS AND WRITERS, PEOPLE WHO STRIVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND AROUND THE WORLD.
George Orwell did it. In 1949, he wrote about 1984. Thomas Friedman, Aldous Huxley, Alvin Toffler, Francis Schaffer, and many others have taken their turns at imagining what the future might hold. They are the prophets of our culture. Similar to Amos, Micah, and Isaiah, they are viewing the future through the lens of the present. Let me begin with a word about the present. I live between a 92-year-old father and six grandchildren under age 12. They are quite different. My work places me in close proximity to about 3,000 people who are studying to enrich their chances of a vibrant tomorrow. They range in age from 17 to 70 and are all quite different. And I am the recipient of opinions from alumni, students, faculty, parents, pastors, donors, vendors, lenders, trustees, accreditors, causes, denominations, and every branch of government known to man—local, state, and federal. I get to hear what a lot of people want. My friend Phil Ryken, president of Wheaton College, wrote a great paper on the role a college president in the theological model of the tri-fold ministry of Christ: prophet, priest, and king. So, with theological grounding and job-afforded perspective, I’d like to take a guess at four possible future realities.
1. The government will declare faith-based universities ineligible for federal loans and grants. This move would put about half, if not more, of Christian universities out of business. For Trevecca, that would mean the loss of $3 million per year in grants to students and the loss of $20 million per year in accessible loans to our students. 2. The complexity of ethical issues will deepen: immigration, human sexuality, gender identity, poverty, wealth distribution, war, politics, and so forth. The Christian church will need centers for reflective biblical thought. Trevecca has served the church past by being home for William Greathouse, Ray Dunning, Mildred Wynkoop, and others. Today, current thinkers teach, write, and form tomorrow. If the church is to speak into culture, the influence of Trevecca will be more necessary than ever before. 3. The local church must penetrate the places of power with a humble witness. To have skilled persons in medicine, banking, marketing, public education, politics, journalism, entertainment, and business will be essential for offering wisdom that flows from the ways of God. This is the business of Trevecca. We offer credentialing, theological grounding, and servant-training as the core of our mission. The world of tomorrow will need our graduates. 4. The families of the church will need a discipleship partner for the college chapter of their children’s lives. Rather than sending them to universities that will mock their faith, families will seek partners that will mature their children’s faith. I predict that the public university of tomorrow will not grow more friendly to Christian faith as an intelligent option for life. Rather, it will be an ungrounded experiment in freedom without restraint or regard.
So, what is our response to these predictions? To prophesy #1: We are researching options to replace the federal loan system and growing our endowment to replace federal grants. If federal funding goes away, we will continue to operate. If it doesn’t, we will be able to help even more students. We will soon announce a comprehensive campaign designed to strengthen our future. To prophesy #2: We will continue to collect next-generation scholars like Kathy Mowry and Tim Gaines and ask them to serve the church by teaching. To prophesy #3: We will pursue academic excellence with vigor, offer needed degrees grounded in the broad liberal arts traditions and expand accessibility through online and face-to-face learning. To prophesy #4: We will remember who we are. Throughout this issue of the Treveccan, you’ll be reminded again and again of who we are. We are servants and leaders, singers, actors and artists. Trevecca’s graduates are award winners and writers, people who strive to make a difference in our communities and around the world. We may not know exactly what the future holds, but we follow Christ boldly, knowing we are a part of His bigger story.
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Vol. 86 No. 3 Summer 2016 President
Dan Boone, ’74
01
Foreward President as Prophet
Vice President for External Relations Peg Cooning
Associate Vice President of Marketing & Communications Matt Toy
Editor
Trevor Lubiens
08
Graphic Designer
A Christian University
Mandy Crow
Art Director
Focus
Jamie Ascher Rick Hill
in the Heart of Nashville
Contributors Brooklyn Dance Nancy Dunlap, ’67 Kaytlin Killion Hannah Pollok Tim Scott, ’15 Rebekah Warren Jonathan Wright, ’13
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Contact Information: Treveccan 333 Murfreesboro Road Nashville, TN 37210 615-248-7782 treveccan@trevecca.edu
Focus
A Bigger Story
Main number 615-248-1200
Office of Admissions 615-248-1320
Office of Alumni & Church Engagement 615-248-7735
www.trevecca.edu www.facebook.com/treveccanazarene www.twitter.com/Trevecca The Treveccan, publication No. 394470, is published quarterly by Trevecca Nazarene University, 333 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, Tennessee, 37210-2877. Periodical postage paid at Nashville, Tennessee. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Alumni and Church Engagement, Trevecca Nazarene University, 333 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, TN 37210-2877.
3 TREVECCAN
13
Feature A Conversation with Wendel Nixon
Contents FOREWORD President’s Imprint From the Hill In Your Own Words
15
1 5 7
FOCUS A Bigger Story A New Chapter The Least of These Spring Cleaning
Feature Sing Out!
9 10 11 12
F E AT U R E S
19
A Conversation with Wendel Nixon 13 Alumnus Wendel Nixon shares his thoughts on his Trevecca experience, paying it forward, and the future of the University.
The Making of
Sing Out! 15 Music has always been an important part of Maureen Maltez Ayestas’ life. It’s what led her to Nashville and eventually to Trevecca. These days, she’s singing a new song—one of gratitude toward the University that shaped her.
Feature
an Opera
The Making of an Opera 19 Creating and performing an opera wasn’t just a class project for more than 70 Trevecca students. It was a labor of love. Learn more about the process of creating, staging and performing the opera in this story told in four acts.
23
Feature
Breaking with Tradition 23 For Tammy Bryant and Shanayla Sweat, getting their degrees didn’t exactly follow the traditional path. Learn how these “nontraditional” grads are using their education to achieve their dreams. ONLINE BONUS: Lance Forman’s story
Breaking with Tradition
AT H L E T I C S Athletics News 25 Meet Chad Hibdon, the new Trevecca women’s basketball coach, and check out recaps of this year’s softball and baseball seasons.
EPILOGUE
25
Alumni Spotlight: Michael Blivens 26 Alumni News 28 Postscript 30
Athletics No Introductions Necessary
4
FOREWORD
From the Hill
HIGH HONORS
BY THE BOOK
Mikayla Dodson (’16) is the recipient of
Dr. Melvin Welch, professor emeritus of
to the addition of Trevecca’s first master’s
the Belmont University School of Nursing’s
education and former dean of Trevecca
and doctoral education programs. Welch
(BSN) Florence Nightingale Award. The
Nazarene University’s School of Education,
also outlined the difficult task of bringing the
award is the highest honor that can be given
has released his first book. Pathways to Success
separate programs under one roof to form the
to a graduating nursing student and is given
details the history of the School of Education
School of Education. Each chapter highlights
to the senior student who has excelled in all
from 1954 to 2003. On April 2, the University
individuals who were integral to the success
areas—academics, clinical work, and ethics.
community celebrated the book’s release
of Trevecca’s School of Education, including
Dodson was presented the award on May
with an event honoring Welch. “[Former
Dr. Homer Adams and Dr. Esther Swink
6 at BSN’s pinning ceremony. Dodson was
Trevecca] President Homer Adams, [the late]
who both contributed to the book. All three
one of 11 Trevecca students who completed
Dr. Millard Reed, and Dr. Dan Boone invited
later earned doctoral degrees at Vanderbilt
their nursing degrees through Trevecca’s
me to a luncheon and asked me if I would
University’s Peabody College of Education
partnership with BSN this year. In addition
be willing to chronicle the history of the
and Human Development. Information about
to excelling academically, Dodson was also
School of Education,” Welch said. “It was a
the book and the roles of Adams, Swink and
named to the 2016 G-MAC Women’s Golf
huge surprise to me because I’d never written
Welch in Trevecca’s School of Education will
All-Conference Team. She was the G-MAC
anything like this other than a dissertation.”
be featured in upcoming issues of Vanderbilt
medalist her freshman year and made the
In Pathways to Success, Welch traced the
and Peabody’s alumni magazines. For more
all-conference team all four years of her
beginning of the school from teacher
information about Pathways to Success, visit
college career.
workshops and teacher education programs
www.trevecca.edu/Welch.
Trevecca Tweets
Folow us @trevecca
5 TREVECCAN
@dirtprincess07 @rachaelnemiroff graduating from Trevecca!
GRADUATION
BY THE NUMBERS
733 Awarded
Degrees
DAYS
for Plant Ops
to set up Chairs
7,000 Chairs M I L E STO N E M O M E N T Trevecca’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies saw more than 500 online students log on for instruction during the month
DAYS
for Plant Ops
to set up Stage
DAY
for Plant Ops to set up A\V
for Baccalaureate & Commencement
12 Pizzas & 4 Dozen Doughnuts
eaten during set up
of May 2016, a milestone in growth for the University as a whole. With the expansion in offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level degrees all fully online, Trevecca Online has moved from 140 students last July to more than 500 students today. The expansion comes as a part of the University’s efforts to grow and provide quality degree offerings for non-traditional students. As an innovator and early adapter in adult-degree completion during the 1980s, Trevecca is working to continue its non-traditional efforts by spanning the globe via online, with students already enrolled from middle Tennessee to Belize to India. “The growth we are experiencing is nothing less than Kingdom business. Growth means impact as we touch the lives of
steps a plant ops 17-20k Average worker took during set-up
3,000 Feet of Power Cables
students around the world,” said Dr. Tim Eades, associate provost of the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. Additionally, the Center for Innovative Instruction and ITS departments have made great strides and cutting-edge efforts within Trevecca’s learning management system in order to build the infrastructure and capacity for continuous growth. For more information, visit www.trevecca.edu/milestone.
@PastorMarkNaz #Graduationfriends @ Trevecca Nazarene University
speakers set up helping with seating 29 volunteers & programs during ceremony 13 on the Quad
2.5 Hours
Length of Commencement Convocation
@heidfred “Anticipate your today, tomorrow, & eternity.”—@Tim_Eades @Trevecca’s 115th Commencement. #tnuclassof16
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FOREWORD
In Your Own Words Trevecca alumni, faculty and students reflect on Trevecca, the student experience and what makes graduation so special.
Dr. Yanice Mendez-Fernandez assistant professor of biology
“As seniors leave, I have full confidence that they are ready. What’s different at Trevecca is that we have really difficult conversations. We provide a safe environment to ask questions we’re scared to ask, and that will help them be the best professionals they can be. This is the first batch of seniors that I’ve had all four years. I am so proud of them. They are an incredible group of students that I can’t wait to see take on the world.”
Anna Hoffman (’16)
exercise science major
“There are a ton of things offered at this school, and yet someone in the exact same program as me could have a completely different experience and they can both be amazing.”
Matthew Slater (’08)
Matthew, pictured with his wife, Brooke Associate pastor of worship and assimilation, First Church of the Nazarene in New Philadelphia, Ohio “Having graduation on the Quad that you spent four years traveling brings the University and the friends and family of the University together like no other venue. Also the intimacy of graduating from a university where the president likely knows you as he shakes your hand to receive your degree stays with you for the rest of your life.”
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FOCUS
8
A
BIGGER
STO RY
Rick Rekedal, chief creative of global franchises at DreamWorks and the father of Trevecca junior Ingrid Rekedal, visited campus April 20-21. “More than any other label that resonates to describe your generation today, it’s the ‘Story Generation,’” Rekedal said during the chapel service on April 21. “You are the Story Generation, living and telling your stories in a more active way than anybody in history.” Technology has allowed for this increased connectedness, but its use can have a downside, Rekedal said. “You are the most connected generation and yet your generation is reporting senses of loneliness higher than the last three generations that we’ve tracked. So we want to tell our stories, but we’re also feeling less connected.” In a world full of voices, Rekedal invited students to focus on Jesus. “We live in the most important story of all, the living breathing story of who Jesus is,” Rekedal said. “In the middle of all your stories, remember who you are. We’re told all the time that God loves us, but isn’t it good to remember that God likes us and He wants us to be a part of His story?”
9 TREVECCAN
A NEW CHAPTER Trevecca celebrated its 115th Commencement
“Everything I’ve learned has been helpful and
Convocation on May 7. The University
practical for everyday ministry.”
conferred 733 degrees. Thousands of friends,
For Karen Bryant, graduating with a doctoral
family members, guests and alumni gathered in
degree, the event was a way to encourage and
the Quad to celebrate this year’s graduates.
challenge her children.
“I’m excited to begin the rest of my life,”
“Everything I’ve done is for my children,”
graduate Daniel Shelton said, adding that he will
Bryant said. “I wanted them to go forward in
start a new full-time job at an accounting firm
life and the best way to teach that is to live it
in Nashville immediately. “Trevecca gave me the
before them.”
skills to get that job, and I had connections here that really helped me, too.”
During the convocation, Dr. Tim Eades, associate provost of Trevecca’s School of
Matthew Dunlap, who earned a master’s in
Graduate and Continuing Studies, delivered a
religion, saw the day as an important step on
challenge to the graduates, encouraging them
his path toward ordination in the Church of
to live boldly, always remembering that their
the Nazarene.
lives can have an eternal impact. The University
“I was called into the ministry at the age
honored retiring faculty members Becky Niece,
of 30 and needed more study of religion,” he
Dr. Timothy Cierpke and Dr. Doug Lepter, with
said. Dunlap was ordained by the MidSouth
emritus status. Dr. Dan Boone presented the
District of the Church of the Nazarene in May.
citizenship award to Sarah Hogan, outgoing student government association president.
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TH E L EA S T O F T H ES E
For the third year, Trevecca’s Physician Assistant program sent a medical mission team to Gonaives, Haiti, over spring break. During the first week of March, the team of 14 PA students conducted medical clinics. The Trevecca team took part in a community clinic, where they saw about 600 patients in three days, and also served at an orphanage called Emmanuel’s World. At the orphanage, the team worked to provide care for 50 children, as well as for 40 others who were not residents there. The children were dehydrated, only receiving one meal a day, and were getting sick from drinking the water at the orphanage. “These kids were living in tents, most of them outside,” said Tasha Adams (’05), an assistant professor and Trevecca Clinic physician assistant. “This pastor had no source of income to support the kids.” While on the trip, Kinsley Coley, a second year PA student, saw a need at the orphanage and felt called to do more than provide just
11 TREVECCAN
medical care. Coley started a fundraiser in an attempt to sponsor the orphanage so that the children could stay off the streets. “These kids are in so much need and they were so thankful for even the smallest things we could do for them,” Coley said. “I just felt like God was calling me to do something to help them. I’m not an experienced fundraiser, and I’ve never done anything like this before so I just trusted that God would open the doors that needed to be open if He wanted me to do something to help them,” said Coley. The PA program currently has 28 of the 50 children sponsored for the next year and has raised $1,400 to get the orphanage out of debt. The project is entirely student-led, spearheaded by Coley. A new property for the children to live in has recently been secured, and the program is currently trying to raise $8,000 for mattresses and beds. To sponsor a child, visit www.Agapetothenations.com. —Hannah Pollok
SPRING CL E A N I N G
April 23 was the date of Nashville’s first Citywide Spring Clean event. Organized by the mayor’s office, the event included more than 60 litter clean-up projects throughout the city. Trevecca participated in the clean-up day by clearing trash from Murfreesboro Road neighborhoods adjacent to Trevecca’s campus. The Metro Government of Nashville reached out to Trevecca for help during the cleanup day to bring in more volunteers. President Dan Boone, Deans Matt Spraker, Steve Harris, and Ronda Lilienthal and 10 Trevecca students volunteered for the project. The Trevecca team, with the help of neighborhood council person Colby Sledge and 60 additional volunteers, spent four hours picking up trash. Steve Harris, associate provost and dean of student development, said that the event was very well coordinated and organized and stressed that he was glad that Trevecca chose to participate. “Our mission is to provide leadership and service,” Harris said. “If we are going to live out our mission and provide service, this is something we definitely should be involved with. It shows that we care for the city of Nashville.” The team cleaned 15 city blocks, working in the streets, down alleys, and around residential areas. —Hannah Pollok
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FEATURE
13  TREVECCAN
A 1972 graduate, former orthodontist, and successful real estate developer, Wendel Nixon is undoubtedly a notable Trevecca alumnus. We thought it was a good time to get to know the member of Trevecca’s Board of Trustees a little better. Drop in on our conversation with him.
I wrote on while I was at Trevecca the date that I made that decision and I keep that on my desk.”
ON HOW TREVECCA BECAME A PART OF HIS STORY “My dad was a Nazarene pastor, but my history with Trevecca goes back further than that. What a lot of people don’t know is that my mother grew up in East Nashville, within a short bicycle’s ride of the old Trevecca campus. I grew up in a Nazarene parsonage and always knew I was going to Trevecca. Trevecca has made the difference in my life. I’ve thought about this a lot recently. Trevecca is a place that takes Christ’s greatest commandment very seriously—to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Those values are stressed and pursued here on this campus. We graduate students who show those values. Somehow something happens on this campus, a synthesis of those values in the time that they’re here, creating a graduate from Trevecca that I think stands head and shoulders above those from secular universities.” ABOUT HIS TREVECCA EXPERIENCE “I majored in chemistry and biology and minored in math. I was really overloaded on that side of my brain. The academic freedom and the personal touch I received here, I think, prepared me for what was to come in God’s plan for my story. It really did put me well ahead of a lot of my peers when I pursued my graduate education.” HOW TREVECCA HELPED HIM TO GROW SPIRITUALLY “Trevecca grounded me. I came in the ’60s. I did have my time of … moderate rebellion. I had good times and bad times, but here I settled the question once and for all that I was totally committing my life to Christ. In fact, I have a little stone that
WHY GIVING BACK TO TREVECCA IS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM At different stages of our lives, we’re concerned with different matters. At this stage of life, I look back on the challenges, successes and just the family experiences that I have come through and what I was searching for was to have my life take on a meaning, a purpose. I found that in Trevecca Nazarene University. I truly believe that at this place we can not only affect the present, but also affect the future in a positive way. Everyone wants to find that something in [his or her] life that gives it meaning. When I come on campus, I’m so blessed to see what’s happening here. Trevecca gives my life meaning, and I want for that to live on for future generations, and God is calling me to that. I have found in my life the wise thing to do is say yes. And I love this place. I love Trevecca.” HIS PHILOSOPHY OF PAYING IT FORWARD “What I have found and would tell any prospective student, if you put God first, follow His precepts and stay in the Word, He will guide your path. And His path is success. I believe His plan for our lives is to bless us—not for ourselves—but so that we can bless others. The perspective now for me is to try to show people that there is a way to live a triumphant, successful life with meaning and purpose.” DISCUSSING TREVECCA’S FUTURE “I believe that we’re just at the beginning of what’s going to occur on this campus. My feeling is that Trevecca can and will be a premiere Christian university in the United States and therefore in the world. We can make this happen. God is moving here; I feel it when I come. If you listen to the stories that we’re hearing more and more of, you want to be a part of this.”
To learn more about how you can be a part of Trevecca’s future, visit give.trevecca.edu. Video: www.trevecca.edu/Wendel
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FEATURE
15  TREVECCAN
Sing Out! By Mandy Crow
Maureen Maltez Ayestas’ Story Like many Nashville residents, music was what first lured Maureen Maltez Ayestas to Nashville. She just had a little farther to come than most. Raised in Honduras, Maltez arrived in Music City in 2011, focused on pursuing her dream of writing and performing music. “Since I was a child, I’ve always loved music,” she says. “Music was the reason I moved to Nashville.” Maltez enrolled at Columbia State Community College, where she earned an associate degree in commercial entertainment and studied songwriting. While there, she performed as often as she could. One night Maltez sang at a fundraiser for the community college, and country singer Trace Adkins happened to be in the audience. When he needed a duet partner for a series of 2013 appearances in New York City, including “The Today Show” and “Fox and Friends,” he immediately thought of Maltez. “There were any number of seasoned professionals here in town that of course I could have gone with and they would have done a beautiful job,” Adkins said in a 2013 Billboard
magazine article about his choice. “But I saw her sing … and I remembered her and I just thought, ‘I bet it would really mean something if she were to do it.’” Maltez glows when she talks about the experience and says she is thankful to have had the opportunity. Around that time, with her associate degree almost complete, Maltez knew she wanted a bachelor’s degree, preferably one that helped her learn more about the business side of the music industry. She started researching area colleges online and even enrolled at another university in Nashville. But in the end, there was only one college that offered the kind of degree she wanted. “I was looking for a music business program that was a business major,” Maltez says. “I found that Trevecca was the only place that quite offered what I needed.” FINDING HARMONY While she’d found the degree she wanted, Maltez wasn’t quite sure Trevecca was the place for her.
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“Being a little older than traditional undergraduate students, I knew what I wanted to do,” she says. “So, it was just finding the place that God wanted me to be.” Maltez decided to visit Trevecca. “I just randomly showed up for a campus tour,” she recalls. “Meeting people like Randy Kinder and Michael Newland was the way that God showed me I had to be here.” Newland, associate director of admissions for transfer and international students, says he and Kinder, Trevecca’s new-student financial aid counselor and the director of PR groups, recognized Maltez’ potential right away. “She had gone to college in Honduras and had been a few different places,” Newland says. “She was a little older than your typical undergrad transfer student, not too much older, but a couple years. It was clear she was ready to find a home and with her dynamic personality, it was just kind of an instant fit.” Kinder’s first impressions were similar. He’d seen a music video of Maltez before she visited and knew she was extremely talented musically. But after getting to know her, Kinder says it was Maltez’ personality and character that impressed him most. “Once we got to talk to her, we were impressed by her humble spirit and her work ethic,” Kinder says. “She was spectacular.” Maltez simply remembers feeling welcomed at Trevecca. She hadn’t just found a college where she could get the degree she wanted. She’d found a home.
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A NEW SONG music that helped her begin to experience a But that didn’t mean the transition was easy. sense of community at Trevecca. When Maltez began her first semester at Trevecca As a commuter, she usually left campus quickly in spring 2014, she knew few fellow students. after her classes ended. To avoid traffic one day, “For the first semester, I honestly ate in my she just decided to stay on campus and audition car,” Maltez, a commuter student, recalls. “But for Trojan Idol, an SGA-sponsored singing little by little, I was able to meet people in the competition. Maltez grabbed one of the last classroom and get to know the professors. That audition slots and was chosen as one of the top made the transition a bit easier.” 10 contestants in the 2014 competition. Music also continued to weave “I was top five, then top two, a familiar melody through and then I made it to first It was a place Maltez’ life. Because singing place,” Maltez says. “Nobody where I could and performing had been knew who I was! After the perform and join such a big part of her life up first night, I went to class until this point, she was a and some people noticed everyone in praise little afraid that she’d lose that that I was in their class. They and worship. part of herself while pursuing a said, ‘Oh my gosh! You sang business degree. in Trojan Idol.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, That’s when she heard about that’s me!’ Trevecca’s gospel choir. It seemed like the “It was just great to see people supporting perfect place to continue to hone her skills as a me and they didn’t even know me,” she singer and a way to praise God with the gifts He continues. “Even some of the Hispanic guys and had given her. girls from campus made these posters that said “[Joining the] gospel choir was when I knew Vamos Latinos, and that was just something cool Trevecca was a good fit for me,” Maltez says. to see how people supported me without even “It was a place where I could perform and join knowing who I was.” everyone in praise and worship. I hold gospel choir dear to my heart.” CODA Maltez finished her degree in December 2015 TROJAN IDOL and celebrated her achievement at last month’s Even so, Maltez still felt like she didn’t know Commencement Convocation. During the many people on campus. But once again, it was Spring 2016 semester, she started her first
full‑time job—in Trevecca’s Office of Admissions, working alongside Newland and Kinder who were so instrumental in helping her come to Trevecca in the first place. For Newland and Kinder, seeing Maltez in that role is gratifying. gigs around town and in the studio. She often “When you see a student make the transition performs for various National Museum of from being a Trevecca student to being in the African American Music events and is interested real world, whether it’s here or somewhere in working as a background vocalist. On a else, it affirms what we’re doing,” Newland says. personal front, Maltez recently married her fiancé, “Bringing students to Trevecca helps to prepare Luis Aguilar, and started a new chapter in her life them for their careers and their lives.” as a wife. As the admissions program coordinator for But no matter what, Maltez simply wants the School of Music and Worship Arts, Maltez to give back to Trevecca, which she says has is one of the first persons potential Trevecca invested so much in her and her family. Maltez’ music students meet. In Kinder’s opinion, that’s brother, Arnaldo, just completed his freshman a good thing. year at Trevecca. “We just got off the phone with a father who “Trevecca has welcomed us with open arms,” speaks only Spanish, and she was able to talk Maltez says. “Both international students all the with him and share what a great place Trevecca way from Honduras, we have been able to tell is,” Kinder says. other people in Honduras about how Trevecca Music is still a vital part of Maltez’ life. She has blessed us. I want to give back because of wants to pursue more singing and recording that, because of how much they’ve given us.”
Want to hear Maureen’s story in her own words? Watch her video at www.trevecca.edu/Maureen.
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FEATURE
THE MAKING OF AN A story told in four acts
When th e l i g ht s di mmed an d Tre ve c c a stu de n ts In grid Re ke d a l and Ty l er Umpl eby s teppe d on to th e stage of th e No a h L i f f Ope ra C enter to w el co me th e au die n c e to Requiem for the
Living: An Opera , i t w as n’t th e be gin n in g of th e produ c ti on . Not re ally, a n y w a y. 19 TREVECCAN
“This text was something no one had heard before,” says Christopher Rush, one of the composers who also played one of the principal roles. “This was something our best friends stayed up late for a month and wrote. There’s deep emotion, loss and passion. The writing itself is gorgeous.” Around that time, the process of bringing the opera to life took another turn no one had expected. During the fall semester, Rachel Nyetam, the vocal coordinator on the faculty mentor team and a frequent chorus member in the Nashville Opera, arranged for the students to see a dress rehearsal of the Nashville Opera’s production of Puccini’s Turandot. It was a field trip of sorts, a chance to get a glimpse behind the scenes as a professional company prepared to present an opera at Nashville’s Noah Liff Opera Center. “That really sparked the creative juices,” Wilson said. “The composers came back that night and wrote until 3 a.m.” It also sparked a connection. Anna Young, the director of education and outreach at the Liff Center, loved the idea of the student-written and produced opera and wanted to see it performed. That led to another proposal: that Trevecca students would perform Requiem for the Living: An Opera at the Liff Center. Young backed up that proposal by offering a significant discount to Trevecca, and the performance was set for April 23, 2016.
ACT 2: PLACES! SPRING 2016
The opera, entirely conceived, written, scored, staged and performed by Trevecca students, actually got its start months before, as the fall semester began.
ACT 1: THE IDEA FA L L 2 0 1 5
Unlike most operas, Requiem for the Living: An Opera began as a proposal. Written by Dr. Eric Wilson as one of Trevecca’s FacultyLed Academic Research Experience (FLARE) projects, the proposal called for students from various disciplines and departments to work together to write an opera. Wilson envisioned a one-act opera, maybe 30-35 minutes long.
By the time the spring semester began, plans to stage and produce the opera were well underway. The composers fine-tuned their work, the production team held auditions, and artistic director Ingrid Rekedal and her team began thinking about how to stage the production—twice on campus, then at the Liff Center one week later. As the cast and crew came together, it became clear to the 70-plus students involved in the production that something special was happening. They weren’t just coworkers but collaborators, bound together in a camaraderie born of shared vision, hard work and long hours spent creating something from nothing. “It’s interesting to watch five guys sit in a room and be so dedicated to something and so immersed in art,” says Cheever, discussing the composition process. “We really tried hard at the beginning of the process to make it cohesive, which is difficult. We have five different styles, but the five of us came together and wrote a work of art. It’s cohesive, and it’s beautiful.” Umpleby, the production manager of the opera who helped shape it from inception to final performance, says the cast and crew became like family to him. “I was able to watch every person on the project experience the trials and successes of creating something that is so true to themselves,” Umpleby says.
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ACT 3: THE GREEN ROOM APRIL 21-22, 2016
After two on-campus performances in mid-April, the cast and crew began to prepare for the final performance at the Liff Center. Moving the production almost 20 miles across town was a daunting, hectic three-day process that began on the afternoon of April 21. On that Thursday, the cast and crew began disassembling key sections of the set. Next, they tackled actually moving the set pieces to the Liff Center, which involved a lot of manual labor and a borrowed U-Haul truck. When they arrived at the Liff Center, the students had to carry everything in and begin the arduous process of reassembling and placing the set. The work continued on Friday, April 22. By 9 a.m., the lighting team was hanging, focusing and programming the lights they’d hauled over the day before. The sound and lighting crews ran through a dry tech rehearsal. Basically a rehearsal without performers, the dry tech gave the teams a chance to run through their cues, check for technical problems and make any necessary adjustments to staging the performance in a new venue. By 3:30 p.m., the cast began arriving for a full rehearsal. The last performance had taken place a week before, and the performers needed to refresh their memories. They rehearsed the entire two-act performance, singing full voice and practicing scene shifts. The rehearsal lasted until 6 p.m.
ACT 4: C U R TA I N T I M E APRIL 23, 2016
“The love and encouragement and support we received from each other exemplify the way a family should interact.”
April 23 was a warm spring day. At the Liff Center, where the cast and crew gathered at 1 p.m. for a cue-to-cue rehearsal with the orchestra, sunlight streamed in the building’s modern glass façade, filling the hallway outside the black box theater with light. Each time a performer opened the door to enter the dim theater for rehearsal, the light cut into the darkness, casting a perfect rectangle onto the carpet. The rehearsal was full of stops and starts, questions and readjustments. “Do you want the dance?” Cheever, also the opera’s music director, asked Rekedal over his shoulder from his place in front of the orchestra, which was still missing a few string players who had to finish shifts at work. “It’s not going to sound like much without the strings.”
21 TREVECCAN
“Permission to moonwalk?” Teal Davis, one of the principal actors, joked from the stage where he was rehearsing a scene with Shannon Quinn, who played his love interest, Emma. “Permission not granted! I know you’re having fun, but I do want you to do the movements,” Rekedal retorts before turning her attention to Cheever. With only two rehearsals before a performance in a new venue, Rekedal, the artistic director, had to make quick decisions about the staging. “Remember that we have this entire section that we didn’t have before,” Rekedal said, pointing to a block of chairs to the left of the stage as she motioned for Davis to move a few steps to his right. “They need to be able to see Emma.” Rehearsal wrapped up a few minutes after 4 p.m., with performers due to hair and makeup at 5 p.m. By 6 p.m., the cast was putting their microphones on and testing sound levels. As ticket holders began to arrive downstairs, the darkened theater became a flurry of activity. From a far corner of the room, someone asked for the time. Several students answered, the light from their phones illuminating their faces. They were excited, nervous and, more than anything else, ready to present their creation to the audience one last time. So when Rekedal and Umpleby walked out onto the stage a few minutes after 7 p.m., they weren’t just setting the stage for a show. This performance wasn’t about finishing a project, like turning in a paper at the end of a long semester. It was a gift. Rekedal and Umpleby and the entire cast were offering up two semesters of hard work and collaboration—words, scenes and music that they and their friends had created, crafted and nurtured for months. “I think I shared a piece of myself—of my heart and my soul—with a group of fellow students I might not have ever gotten to interact with without this project,” Umpleby says, reflecting on the whole experience. “Being a part of a project like this, that is so much bigger than any of us, was an incredible learning, growing and discovering experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
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FEATURE
TA M M Y B R YA N T (ED.D ’16)
SHANAYLA SWEAT (MHR ’13, MOL ’16)
Meet two recent Trevecca grads who didn’t follow the traditional path to college but are using what they learned here to fulfill their dreams.
23 TREVECCAN
Tammy Bryant dreamed of pursuing applying,” says Bryant. “That summer my father a doctoral degree, but the dream didn’t become reality until divine intervention led her to Trevecca. “A few years ago, two of my colleagues approached me and shared with me their experiences at Trevecca … through some divine intervention perhaps, they encouraged me to look into the program,” says Bryant, who is the director of student affairs programs and assessment at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. “These two colleagues approached me at nearly the same time period though these interactions with them occurred quite separately.” Even after these conversations, Bryant was unsure if she could complete the program as a working professional—until a difficult circumstance motivated her. “I was not sure I was even capable of a doctoral program. I allowed that deadline to pass without
passed away, and I realized if I wanted to achieve my dream I should not wait, so I applied.” In 2013, Bryant began a program to earn her doctoral degree in leadership and professional practice (Ed.D) at Trevecca. Bryant says it’s been a challenging program since the beginning, but it’s also been a process filled with abundant opportunities that Bryant has come to treasure. “My professors brought real-world experience,” Bryant says. “They challenged us to think beyond our current situations.” Bryant left Trevecca with an appreciation for the program that helped her to fulfill her dreams. “Trevecca is a place where the pursuit of a degree occurs in a solid, supportive environment,” said Bryant. “Any degree program requires dedication and sacrifice, but the support I received as a student made the difference in completing the degree for me.” —Rebekah Warren
Online Bonus Want to know how alumnus Lance Forman (’02, M.Ed ’06, Ed.D. ’16) is putting his multiple Trevecca degrees to work to improve Metro Nashville schools and inspire students? Visit www.trevecca.edu/Forman.
Fall Online Start Dates Ed.D. September 21
When Shanalya Sweat “stumbled upon” Trevecca in 2012, she’d already spent some time at a public university and a community college. “I had worked full-time, I was in school fulltime, and I was also a first-generation college student,” Sweat says. “They just weren’t good fits with my lifestyle.” At the time, Sweat was in her early 20s—closer in age to a traditional undergraduate student— but a traditional program just didn’t work. Then she discovered Trevecca’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies (SGCS) Bachelor of Arts in Management and Human Relations (MHR) program. “I applied, and I was accepted, and it just took off from there,” she says. “I was able to graduate in 2013 from the MHR program, and I was still able to work full-time. The program just benefited me 100 percent working with my schedule, my lifestyle and working full-time.” Through her employer, Sweat learned of a program that was hiring new graduates in the IT field. She took advantage of the opportunity and worked as a software quality assurance analyst. Sweat developed new skill sets while in that job, eventually becoming a business analyst, a position she currently holds.
Master’s in Organizational Leadership August 9 Even as she started her career, Sweat knew she wanted to pursue a graduate degree, but she couldn’t decide which one. Eventually, she started thinking about the things that meant the most to her: leadership and development. So, she started to work on her master’s of organizational leadership (MOL) at Trevecca. She graduated last month. “It has helped me develop the foundations of a leader,” Sweat says. “One of the biggest things I learned was the difference between a boss and an actual leader. As a leader, you can take your skill sets anywhere, and they actually take you further in your workplace.” Sweat has plans for the future, ones that will take her further as a leader. She wants to develop seminars and workshops to help organizations and businesses better connect with Millennials. “Even right now, I’m a part of different groups where they are looking for Millennials to come into the workforce, but they really don’t know how to attract them,” she says. “It’s an issue because there are so many positions that are unfilled, they just need to find the right people— some are probably Millennials—with the right skill sets and don’t know how to connect with them.” —Mandy Crow
Master’s of Business Administration August 16 Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction September 6 Master’s in Religion September 20 Master’s in Instructional Design September 20 Bachelor’s in Management and Human Relations August 16 Bachelor’s in Christian Ministry August 16 Bachelor’s in Health Care Administration September 6 Associate in Business, Ministry, and Human Services August 30 Visit www.trevecca.edu for face-to-face and satellite location start dates!
24
ATHLETICS
NO INTRODUCTIONS NECESSARY Chad Hibdon was formally announced as Trevecca’s next women’s basketball coach on May 25, but his name probably sounds pretty familiar. The Lascassas, Tenn., native coached girls basketball at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., for 10 years. During his tenure, the girls program grew into a state and national powerhouse. Fifteen of the players Hibdon coached at Blackman have gone on to play at the collegiate level, many of them at Division 1 colleges and universities. Hibdon left Blackman High School in the 2015-2016 academic year to rebuild the women’s program at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Ga. Under his leadership, the Bears improved from a 6-22 season to 14-15 with a 7-13 record in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. His team set TMU’s season record for overall wins, conseutive wins, conference wins, home wins, consecutive road wins and road wins. Hibdon replaces Gary Van Atta at the helm of Trevecca’s program. Van Atta, the winningest coach in Trevecca history, is now head coach at the University of Montevallo. “I am honored to be the new head women’s basketball coach at Trevecca Nazarene University,” Hibdon said in a statement. “The oportunity to bring my family home to Middle Tennessee and for us to be a part of such a prestigious institution is a tremendous blessing.” Hibdon is prepared to bring his championship experience to the Hill. “Being a Christian university in the heart of Nashville is a great base for recruiting the right student-athletes for reaching a standard of excellence every one will be proud of,” Hibdon said. “We will be championship-built, which means to be champions for Christ, champions in the classroom, champions in the community, and champions on the court.”
About Coach Hibdon • Graduate of MTSU and Lipscomb University • Married to Lea and the father of Eli and Lydia Grace • 2014 Naismith All-USA national girls basketball Coach of the Year • 2015 NHSCA Women’s Coach of the Year • Finalist for 2015 Pat Summitt Trophy • Three-time district Coach of the Year • Two-time Coach of the Year by the Basketball Association of Tennessee
25 TREVECCAN
EPILOGUE
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
RECAPS
The Trevecca baseball season came to close with a loss to Alderson Broaddus in the G-MAC championship game. This loss ended Trevecca’s three-year reign as G-MAC champions. Learn more: www.trevecca.edu/Baseball.
The Trevecca softball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region 1 championship but fell to Grand Valley State University. Read more: www.trevecca.edu/Softball.
Finding His Range Alumnus Michael Blivens (’01) was a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American at Trevecca, but these days, he’s helping others achieve their American dreams. Blivens is a managing director with the financial planning firm Northwestern Mutual, where he helps clients plan their financial futures. As the managing director, Blivens works with his own personal client base and also spends his time on the job developing successful financial advisors for the firm. For him, the most rewarding part of the job is making a difference in lives. “My favorite part of my work is being able to have an impact on individuals, families, and businesses as they plan for their financial future,” says Blivens. Blivens, 39, is in his eleventh year with the firm in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He was promoted to his current position after just five years of working there. Blivens finished his undergraduate degree in business management from Trevecca in 2001 and earned his MBA in finance in 2006. While at Trevecca, Blivens was a vital member of the basketball team. A guard, Blivens played two seasons at Trevecca where he was known for his scoring and his unwillingness to allow the team to lose. He was named to the AllConference first team in 2000 and 2001 and was an NAIA All-American in 2001. For two consecutive years, he was voted the Trojan’s most valuable player. Blivens, who finished his career at Trevecca with 1,377 points, was inducted into Trevecca Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. Blivens says he is proud of his degrees and his athletic honors, but he’s most thankful for how his Trevecca experience has shaped him spiritually. “The spiritual component of Trevecca was so timely for me,” Blivens says. “It has helped me in my personal spiritual journey that I believe has played a large part in my success.” —Hannah Pollok
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ALUMNI CELEBRATIONS Rebekah Spaur Means (’10) and
TREVECCA ALUMNI DIRECTORY Work has begun on the 2016 Trevecca
Ryan Means (MNU ’08) welcomed
Alumni Directory. Scheduled for release late
Naomi Gene Means on May 20,
this fall, this limited-edition volume will be
2015. Naomi is the first grandchild
the most complete and up-to-date reference
of Dr. Tracy Spaur (’77) and Valerie
of Trevecca alumni worldwide. The Alumni
Vos Spaur. She celebrated her first
Association is working with Harris Connect,
birthday with family and friends in
a leading alumni directory publisher.
Powhatan, Va.
Beginning in May 2016, alumni started receiving emails and postcards from Harris asking them to update and verify profile information for inclusion in the directory.
ALUMNI CONNECTIONS
When you receive a postcard in the mail, please take a few moments to call the
1940s Willa Dean McCaskell (’47) is being honored with the Who’s Who Award of Long-term Health Care Facilities. This is a nationwide award. Willa Dean is a resident of Christian Care Center of Rutherford County, located in Smyrna, Tenn.
1970s
2000s
number on the mailing and verify that your Rick Lee James (’00) and his new album, Hymns, Prayers and Invitations are featured in the May 1 issue of CCM Magazine.
Shahe Nahler (MHR ’02) is the author of Born Afghan, Born American, Born Again. The book is available at Amazon.com as an ebook or in paperback. Volumes 2 and 3 will be released later this summer. In Shahe’s first MHR class, the professor asked how the students saw themselves in the future. Shahe’s dream was to write a book. Now she has written three.
information is complete and accurate. This directory is published once every five years and is one of the many benefits provided to you as a Trevecca alumnus.
FA L L A L U M N I T R I P
Join us for an Alumni and Friends fall trip to Williamsburg, Va. The bus tour will depart Nashville on September 25 and return September 30. Contact the Office of Alumni and Church Engagement at 615-248-1238 for Philip Bowles (’71) is retiring after 45 years of teaching. Dr. Bowles taught at three high schools and two colleges, including 36 years at Point Loma Nazarene University. At PLNU, he taught general and English linguistics, strengthened the core faculty in composition and led the program in English education.
1990s Lorri Forman Mast (’94) was named Teacher of the Year for the 2015-2016 academic year at Crieve Hall Elementary School in Nashville, Tenn.
more information or to reserve your spot. Stipe Miocic (’05) is the new UFC heavyweight champion. The former Trevecca baseball player defeated Fabricio Werdum in Curitiba, Brazil, on May 14 to win the title. The fight, which headlined UFC 198, was scheduled to go five rounds. Miocic won in the first round. The championship drew a crowd of 45,207, making it the third biggest event in UFC history. Thousands of viewers from around the world tuned in to watch on Pay-Per-View.
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EPILOGUE
ALUMNI AND FRIENDS WE WILL MISS
A Teacher and Friend: Dr. Ann Fuqua Dr. Ann Fuqua, professor emeritus of biology at Trevecca Nazarene University, passed away Wednesday, April 27. A graveside service was held on Saturday, April 30, at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens. Dr. Chris Farrell, professor emeritus of biology, worked with Dr. Fuqua for many years, from 1995 until her retirement in 2007. He remembers a kind friend and a teacher who loved her students.
when Welch was a student at Trevecca. “I recognized even then that she was a woman in a leadership position at a time when there really weren’t a lot of women in positions of leadership,” Welch said. Later, when Welch became a member of Trevecca’s faculty, Welch said Dr. Fuqua became an unofficial mentor of sorts, offering advice and insight
Farrell lauded Dr. Fuqua’s dedication to her students and to teaching. She often offered summer classes to help area teachers learn how to better teach science in their classrooms, Farrell said.
that Welch treasured. “She was a woman with a sense of humor, a quick smile and was always encouraging,” Welch said. “She was so instrumental in making Trevecca
Dr. Sam Stueckle, professor of mathematics, agreed.
what it is today. Dr. Fuqua paved the way for all women who are in
“Dr. Ann Fuqua was one of the most compassionate and wise people I
leadership positions. She was exceptional.”
have ever known,” he said. “She cared very deeply about her students. As
Gifts can be made to the Fuqua Biology Scholarship at Trevecca in
a department chair, she was always available if I needed to talk. She would
Dr. Fuqua’s honor. Checks may be made payable to Trevecca with Fuqua
always patiently listen and then have wise words to say.”
Memorial written on the memo line. Gifts may also be made online at
Dr. Lena Welch, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, knew of Dr. Fuqua
Herbert Lee Brown (’43) of Naples, Fla., May 23, 2016. Herb retired from the State of Tennessee as a program administrator. He was a longtime member of Nashville First Church of the Nazarene. Ida Zimmerman Harrison (’47) of Nashville, Tenn., May 24, 2016. Ida was very musically gifted and served for over 60 years as a volunteer organist wherever she worshiped. She worked for the federal government her entire career and loved to minister to those in the military. Her home in Norfolk, Va., became a home away from home for many members of the military. In her later years, she made weekly phone calls to encourage those who couldn’t attend church. Otha J. Muse (’55) of Nashville, Tenn., April 11, 2016. Affectionately known as “PawPaw,” Otha was a transporter for the U.S. Army and later became a truck driver for Yellow Freight. He loved entertaining people by playing his harmonica
29 TREVECCAN
www.trevecca.edu/give.
which he always had in his overalls or his pocket. Billy H. Ring (’58) of Waycross, Ga., March 20, 2016. In his early years, Billy worked in education as a teacher, assistant principal, and president of the Georgia Education Association in Emanuel County. He served 60 years as a minister in the Church of the Nazarene. Phillip C. Jones (’72) of Rock Hill, S.C., January 6, 2016. Phillip was currently pastor of Trinity Church of the Nazarene in Rock Hill, S.C. He also pastored in Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and South Carolina. During Dr. Millard Reed’s presidency, he was a member of the Trevecca Board of Trustees. Phillip enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and loved to paint landscapes. Martha Ellen Webb (’67) of Pine Lake, Ga., April 18, 2016. Ellen was a faithful and tireless worker for her Savior and church. She taught in the
Nashville area and returned to Atlanta, Ga., where she earned her master’s degree while teaching in the Fulton County schools. Her specialty was working with students with special needs. Ellen freely gave of her time, knowledge and resources. Friends say she never met a stranger. Ruth Janelle Whetstone Steele (’69) of Smyrna, Tenn., May 11, 2016. Ruth was a longtime administrative assistant at Vanderbilt University School of Law. She and her husband, Robert (Bob), were married for 45 years. Edward Charles Stewart (’82) of Inlet Beach, Fla. April 19, 2016. Ed worked as an entrepreneur. He enjoyed being with his fiancé, “Sweet Jenny,” spending time with family and friends, traveling, going to the beach and golfing. Ed was also an avid Chicago Cubs baseball fan and played Minor League Baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization.
“I guess it really is both—the completion or accomplishment of something and the beginning of something new.” —Judge Charles A. Davis Jr. (’70) about commencement
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www.trevecca.edu
USPS No. 394470
The Magazine of Trevecca Nazarene University
SAVE THE DATE
Homecoming 2016 NOVEMBER 4-5, 2016 Plans are already underway for the annual event, which will feature reunions for the classes of 1966, 1971 (plus), 1976 (plus), 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2006, as well as a WNAZ and SGA reunion. The University will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the physician assistant program. The fall issue of the Treveccan will include a special section filled with Homecoming details!
SUMMER 2016