Campus Crawler
Web Content Developer and Editor Ashli O'Connell gives you the inside scoop on the best stories happening around campus. Check here first for snippets and links to the latest and greatest, can't-miss EU News. O'Connell, who is also a '95 graduate of Evangel, is the former Ashli Greenwood. A former Lance editor, student employee in the Public Relations office and resident of Walther Third South, she loves Evangel so much that she came back to work here.
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Date: 3/10/2010
Spring Break takes Evangel students on service trips around the world
It's quiet here on campus this week, as Evangel students and some faculty have scattered across the world in 10 countries and various states spending their Spring Break doing what Evangel University students do best — putting feet to their faith, using their education and vocational training to change lives.
It's humbling for those of us staff members, just sitting here doing our desk jobs, to think of the quality and caliber of young people out there representing Evangel — and more importantly Christ — this week.
For example, we have a team of pre-med students on a medical missions trip in India this week. They'll spend the week working alongside medical professionals from Springfield in a clinic, where people are dying every day, getting a chance to put their medical education and their faith in action — seeing how lives can be saved, changed, touched. And getting confirmation if the medical field is indeed their calling. It's the trip of a lifetime, and the kind of opportunity that our pre-med and nursing students get every year. Watch a fantastic video produced by local NBC-affiliate KY3 News about the trip.
We have a second team working in India as well. They are volunteering with an organization founded by Evangel alumna Rebecca Grant called Rescue Arts, which uses creative arts for healing with survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse.
We also have students in Guatemala, Kenya, Asia and other countries. Students will work in public schools, youth programs, church ministry and more. Twelve teams, 10 countries and almost 200 students are participating. Read our press release for specifics about where all the teams are going.
While many of our students are out there ministering, others are getting the educational trip of a lifetime during this Spring Break. Dr. Bryan Sanders, professor of government and legal studies, has taken 13 students on the annual, two-week Washington Studies trip. In Washington D.C., the students spend one week touring various government offices and meeting government officials, including Evangel graduate and Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt.
The second week of the trip involves a brief internship for each student in the offices of congressmen, senators or public interest groups, introducing the students to a "behind the scenes" view of life in Washington, D.C.
The 48-member concert orchestra is ministering and performing as well during Spring Break. If you're in Missouri, Colorado or Nebraska, they may be performing at a church or venue near you.
Spring Break at Evangel makes me think of two things. One, I sure do wish I was a college student again. As a student, why would you want to be anywhere else? Most EU students get to take one of these trips at least once as a student. Think I could pass as a student one more time?
And two, as a parent, why would you want to send your child anywhere else? Because when I read news stories about what college students elsewhere are doing for Spring Break ... I gotta say ... I want my kids spending Spring Break with Evangel University students.
Date: 2/23/2010
Harrison Ford and an Evangel alum working in Haiti
What do Harrison Ford, Operation Smile and Evangel University have in common?
Check out our spotlight on EU alum Lois Ephraim Nelson, written by Evangel University Public Relation's Director Paul K. Logsdon, to find out.
Date: 2/19/2010
Rolling out the red carpet for scholarship candidates
Evangel has rolled out the red carpet today for the brightest minds in the 2010/2011 recruiting class. Today we are hosting 34 incoming freshmen for 12 Founders Scholarships — the highest academic scholarships awarded by the University. Two of these outstanding young men and women will receive full-tuition scholarships, and 10 of them will receive half-tuition scholarships.
All 34 of them will deserve them.
The scholarship committee will agonize over the decision as to who should receive these significant awards. Read this week's faculty blog entry by Mrs. Becky Rhoades, associate professor of accounting, about how the selection process works. She serves on a committee of 13 who will ultimately make the decision.
Founders Weekend is a big deal at Evangel (see our Photo Blog of last year's Founders Weekend). The candidates will spend time with their admissions counselors and fellow applicants at social events, get a feel for the social side of Evangel life, mingle with professors in the academic departments they are interested in pursuing — and, of course, participate in interviews for the scholarships.
Watch for more information on the Web as the winners are announced, and check out our Financial Aid page for lists of the myriad scholarships available to students considering Evangel.
Good luck to all our Founders candidates.
Date: 2/11/2010
Three can't-miss stories for the week
It's been a busy week in the Web office, and there a few things I don't want you to miss. Check out these items when you get a chance:
Baseball team to play and minister in Mexico. Read how this international good will trip came about for the baseball Crusaders and consider how you can play a part.
Evangel alum named president of Truman State University. Dr. Troy Paino's appointment at the Kirksville, Missouri university makes 11 EU alumni who are serving, or have served, as college presidents.
And last but not least, I love that after a year and a half on the job I still find treasures on the EU Web site that I didn't know we had. I stumbled upon a student-produced documentary on O'Reilly General Hospital this week. "O'Reilly Hospital: The Hospital with a Soul" tells the story of the World War II hospital that once housed 7,000 WWII patients and the fascinating tale of how the grounds and barracks became Evangel University. If you're a history buff, or just want to know all there is to know about Evangel's unique past, you need to check out this video.
Until next time ...
Comment from Julie Lyons
As the producer of the documentary (made last year) this just made my day!! :)
Date: 2/9/2010
Evangel alumnus Troy Paino named 16th president of Truman State University
I got word last night that 1985 graduate Dr. Troy Paino has been named the 16th president of Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri.
In a statement released by Truman State, Matthew W. Potter, chairman of the Truman State Board of Governors says, "The Board is delighted to offer Dr. Troy D. Paino the opportunity to serve as president of this great University," Potter said. "With his well-rounded background in history, academic administration, and law, he is the perfect candidate to lead Truman into the second decade of this millennium. He is well positioned to meet the challenges, including the fiscal challenges that Truman will face over the next several years. We are looking forward to working with him."
You can read the full release here.
Dr. Paino graduated from Evangel University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and philosophy in 1985.
In April 2009, the Department of Social Sciences at Evangel University presented Dr. Paino with the Regius Award.
Dr. Paino is in good company. Evangel has 10 other alumni who are or have served as college presidents, according to Chuck Cox, director of alumni relations. Those currently serving are:
- Dr. Joseph Castleberry '83 at Northwest University, Kirkland, Wash.
- Dr. Barry Corey '84 at Biola University, La Mirada, Calif.
- Dr. David DeGarmo '91 at American Indian College in Phoenix, Ariz.
- Dr. Daniel Johnson '61 at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates
- Dr. Mark Skrade '83 at the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, Springfield, Mo.
- Dr. Carol Taylor '73 at Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, Calif.
In addition, there are four Evangel graduates who previously served as college presidents during their careers:
- Dr. David Clark '62 at Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, Fla.
- Dr. John Deegan '67 at St. Andrews Presbyterian College, Laurinburg, N.C.
- Dr. Tom Duncan '75 at Bethany College, Santa Cruz, Calif.
- Dr. David Moore '72 at the American Indian College, Phoenix, Ariz.
Date: 2/8/2010
Why you should be reading the Faculty Forum
Are you keeping up with our Faculty Forum blog? If not, you're missing out on some great stuff. This blog is authored by faculty from all academic departments on campus, so readers get a chance to know the outstanding professors who have dedicated their lives to training tomorrow's Christian leaders. Whether your interest is in Science and Tech, Communication, Education, Physical Education or any number of disciplines in between, you can hear what's going on in these departments from our faculty at the Faculty Forum. I encourage you to bookmark it, sign up for the RSS feed, or whatever you have to do to keep current with the blog. If you are interested in what's going on at Evangel, don't miss it!
I must admit a little partiality in today's Faculty Forum entry by Melinda Booze, assistant professor of communication. Booze's blog post today is about a December '09 grad, Bethany, who started her first "real world" job in the journalism biz just a few weeks after moving out of the dorms.
I love the story because I had the honor of being Bethany's boss for about six months. She worked for me as a student writer and did many of the student and alumni spotlights that are on our Web site now. I couldn't be more proud of Bethany, who landed a job at one of the nation's top-rated weekly newspapers just after graduation at a time when A) one out of 10 Americans is out of work and B) journalists in particular are having trouble finding (keeping) jobs at newspapers, an industry that is going through serious changes.
I think back to the goodbye lunch I had with Bethany less than two months ago. We talked about her upcoming interview at the newspaper in Iowa where she now works. I handed out a few nuggets of advice, but mostly just encouraged her that she was well-prepared and that God had a plan for her. It's been a joy to watch His plan unfold over the last couple of months.
Read Melinda Booze's blog today. You'll be proud of how well Evangel is preparing our students for the "real world."
Date: 1/26/2010
Evangel launches Community School of Arts
This latest story has me excited not just as an Evangel employee, but as a mom. I was in a meeting with other Web employees last week when I learned Evangel was launching a new Community School of Arts. It was our job to design the Web site.
I have to admit I had a hard time staying on task. What are the classes? When will they be held? Are they for children too? Really? Drawing? ... And violin? Those are exactly the classes my kids want to take!
My boss gave me The Look ... you know, the one that says, "First we'll design the Web site, then you'll be able to look up everything you want to know. But not unless you stop asking questions, Ashli, so we can actually start working on it."
I was just so excited. How could I help myself? My 11-year-old has been dying to take a drawing class. I knew she'd flip out when I told her she could take one from a college professor.
Evangel professors will be teaching classes on the arts for all ages — including piano, guitar, violin, drawing, photography and more. The courses are taught at Evangel. The prices are great. I'm telling you, I was the first to sign my kids up.
Want more info? Check out the CSA Web site. I finally quit asking questions long enough for them to get it finished.
Date: 1/22/2010
Evangel's heart for Haiti
Like the rest of the world, the Evangel University family has been heavy-hearted about the recent tragedy in Haiti. As the world responds in many ways, Evangel has partnered with Convoy of Hope, an international disaster-relief organization which is headquartered here in Springfield. Convoy was already on the ground in Haiti when the earthquake hit, as they had long been providing thousands of meals a day to the poverty-stricken country. This gave them immediate access to first responders, and Convoy has been increasing their involvement daily in the days since the quake.
Evangel partners with Convoy on many local, national and international hunger and disaster relief outreaches. I can personally attest that Convoy is one of the best places to invest your outreach dollars — the founder of Convoy of Hope, Hal Donaldson, was my boss for eight years. He is one of the most compassionate, trustworthy and ethical men I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I am personally acquainted with many other of the excellent people in leadership at Convoy as well. It is a wonderful organization.
This morning in just one chapel service, our campus pastor and director of Spiritual Life, John Plake, led the Evangel family in donating more than $7,000 for Convoy's relief efforts in Haiti.
We thought friends of the Evangel family might like to join us in our efforts. You can give securely through Evangel's online giving form, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Convoy's Haiti Earthquake Relief fund and provide needed assistance to the victims in Port-au-Prince. View the video shown in chapel today here and access the online giving form.
Help us show the world that the Evangel University family cares.
Date: 1/20/2010
So much happening at EU
So much has been going on at Evangel since classes started last week, it's hard to choose just one topic for today's Campus Crawler. Let me give you a few highlights, and you can dig deeper on the site to find out more:
Men's Basketball Coach Steve Jenkins earned his 500th career win during EU's January 14 game against MidAmerica Nazarene. See our Photo Blog of Jenkins' career milestone night at the Ashcroft Center. And don't miss this great feature article by the Springfield News-Leader, Evangel's Mr. 500.
For the sixth consecutive year, Evangel was named one of the "Best Christian Workplaces" by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute. Twenty-seven businesses and institutions were certified this year, including only six in the Higher Education category. My colleagues and I know that the statistics reflected in this study represent a wonderful working environment for us — and that translates to a better higher education environment for our students. Read the press release.
Last week I had a chance to interview 2003 alumna Michelle (Myers) Jahnke on her 2009 Emmy win. Read the story here. What an inspiration she is — like so many other young Evangel alumni, using her talents and education to make a positive difference in the marketplace. Michelle's success is a testament to the mission of Evangel University.
I am working on a story for you about Evangel's baseball team, which is headed for Tlaquepaque, Mexico in May as ambassadors with Springfield's Sister City Association. The baseball team, which has never been on an international outreach trip like this before, will be playing ball with the Tlaquepaque city league and running ball camps for inner-city boys and mentoring young men. They will partner with Chi Alpha at the University of Guadalajara in these ministry events. We are so excited for this opportunity for Evangel's young men. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.
Date: 1/8/2010
MOL students meet John Ashcroft
While our undergraduate students are still enjoying winter break (lucky them -- it's 2 degrees in Springfield today with a wind chill around minus-20) our graduate students have been on campus experiencing some pretty cool stuff.
This week students from our hybrid Master of Organizational Leadership Program were in town for the seated portion of their coursework. The hybrid cohort does most of its work online, but students (who live all over the country) must come to campus four times during the two-year program for intense, two-day leadership training. One of their on-campus sessions was this week.
When the students from the hybrid program come to town, they also meet with the traditional-seated MOL students. On Tuesday night they were treated to a leadership seminar conducted by none other than former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. Ashcroft, who has also served as Missouri's governor and a U.S. senator, is no stranger to Evangel, as his father, J. Robert Ashcroft, was Evangel's second president.
The Campus Crawler didn't score a ticket to the invitation-only event, but I do happen to know the guy taking pictures. So check out my Photo Blog of the event.
Last time the MOL students were in town they got to meet with Assemblies of God General Superintendent George O. Wood. You can see that Photo Blog too.
That's got me thinking two things. 1) Our MOL students are getting incredible leadership training. You can't beat learning from the top leaders in United States government and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world. And 2) I'm a little jealous. It may be time I filled out an application for the MOL program. The only question is do I want the traditional or the hybrid program? It's kinda nice that Evangel gives me an option.
Date: 1/4/2010
Evangel's winter wonderland
It's a balmy 17 degrees on Evangel's campus, where faculty and staff arrived this morning after a two-week Christmas vacation to begin preparing for the return of students on Sunday.
We had to dig out of our driveways and take it a little slow on the highways to get here this morning, as Springfield was hit yesterday with its third snow storm since students have been on break.
Students, you missed a white Christmas in Springfield! But with temps looking to stay below freezing for the rest of the week and another snow storm predicted for Wednesday and Thursday, it looks like you'll get to enjoy our winter wonderland for yourself.
Public Relations Director Paul K. Logsdon came in a day early to get some snow photos for you. We're here, ready and waiting, so pack up your snow boots and your new Christmas Snuggies and get back to Springfield. We miss you!