Professor’s Ed.D., pg. 2
Cru Films, pg. 5
ROTC Summer, pg. 4
Friday, September 20, 2019
Volume 165, Issue 1
2018 champions celebrate at season opener By Mindy Moore Staff Writer Students and alumni began their celebration early with barbecues, parties, and games at the tailgates. Then the CRUise rally began and the Blackshirt Cru Spirit Band joined with UMHB students to cheer on the football team when they entered Bawcom Student Union. Everyone was excited for football season to start and to get back to defending the national championship title, including freshman nursing major Tighe Harrison. “I am excited to see the Cru win another championship,” Harrison said as she waited for the game to start. The crowd went wild at the Albright game on Saturday as the Crusaders made their way to victory. “They are on top of it now,” 2000 alumna Jessica Bonilla said. “We just keep growing and getting better and better, not only as a football team, but as a community.”
See Football, pg. 6 See more details on Football vs. Albright, pg. 6 See more photos online
Photo by Mindy Moore/The Bells
Last year’s national champions march triumphantly onto the field with the 2018 Stagg Bowl trophy at the season opener against Albright College. (L-R) Robbie West, Dorion Dreighton, Santos Villarreal, De Jackson, Reginald Cole and Derek Sides.
Class of 2023’s freshmen bring energy and excitement to UMHB By Sterling Dube Editor in Chief The entering Class of 2023 showed its joyous character right away as the freshmen brought an energy and excitement rivaling a major sporting event to this year’s Welcome Week at UMHB. During the initial move-in on Aug. 21, King Street was filled with smiles, cheering, shouting and extra energy. The first sight that freshmen were treated to was that of the Color Leaders, who would lead all of the competitive Color Clash events between campus dorms. They helped greet and move the freshmen into their dorms. Carloads of people were greeted with signs that said “Welcome Home,” while
throngs of professors and student leaders, and even University President Randy O’Rear rushed to the cars to help incoming students and their parents. They first greeted students and parents, and then helped to unload their vehicles and haul students’ belongings up to their new rooms, where many would meet their roommates for the first time. Though their roommates came from far and wide, various events that the freshmen attended throughout the week seemed to instill a sense of camaraderie. This year, students and faculty joined the university this year from as far away as California to the island nation of Sri Lanka. Dr. Sriyan Wickramasuriya, the latest addition to the Math Department from Sri Lan-
ka, was one of the people who made this Welcome Week extra special by joining in with other faculty and staff to help move students onto campus with his contagious energy. “I heard at the orientation that people volunteer for it, so I was very excited to help,” Wickramasuriya said. Making an outstanding influence on the next generation of UMHB students was an evident goal, and an unspoken theme of each interaction throughout the week as Cru Leaders, Color Leaders and event organizers shared many life-changing moments with the freshmen. Moving from California to attend UMHB, freshman Christian ministry major Daniel See Welcome Week, pg. 3
Photo by Sterling Dube/The Bells
Incoming freshman and Christian ministry major Daniel Richardson from Santa Clara (left) gets assistance on move in day from sophomore marketing major Evrhett White.
Photo by Katie Jones/The Bells
Jennifer Manning delivers an inspirational speech at Convocation.
Manning: Get involved and leave your mark By Mindy Moore and Abby Cook Staff Writers
This year’s Fall Convocation began with the colorful procession of officials and professors filing into Mayborn Campus Center on August 28, wearing the regalia that represented their various university alma maters. A Parade of Flags began with students carrying flags to represent the states and countries of the student body. Thirty-four states and 28 countries, including Iraq, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Korea and Sri Lanka, were represented. As usual, no applause or standing ovation was bigger than when senior pre-med biology major Kristopher Hurst finally brought the Texas state flag down the aisle. UMHB President Randy O’Rear then welcomed everyone and pointed out that the class of 2023 was the second largest class in the school’s history, with approximately 870 students. Additionally, an astounding 654 of those students were the first in their family to go to college.
After President O’Rear’s welcome, the Music Department’s One Voice vocal ensemble gave a rousing performance of the song “Shed a Little Light.” “Man, that Angel girl can sing,” freshman pre-occupational therapy major Anna Hoecke said of One Voice’s soloist Angel Tolbert. That sentiment was echoed among other attendees, as not one person remained in their seat after the choir finished their performance. Provost Dr. John Vassar introduced guest speaker Jennifer Manning by telling the audience that “…this is what success sounds like.” Manning is a member of the UMHB Board of Trustees and is an alumna of the school, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business. She is a partner in charge of the Accounting and Business Consulting Department at the firm of Pattillo, Brown, and Hill in Waco. She began her speech by introducing herself and saying that when she was deciding on colleges, she had a final choice between West Point
See Convocation, pg. 4