Monthly News Archives: March 2013

Howard Payne University to feature art of Susan Harmon

By Jes Miera, Howard Payne University junior

BROWNWOOD – March 28, 2013 –Artist Susan Harmon will exhibit her Sight/Insight Collection at Howard Payne University until May 1. Susan is the spouse of David Harmon, chair of art at HPU. The collection is housed at the Doakie Day Art Center in the Dorothy and Wendell Mayes Art Gallery.

Susan Harmon holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Georgia Southern University and is currently working on her PhD from Monash University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research is titled “Inside Madness: Painted Stories of People who Suffer from Mental Illness.” The Sight/Insight Collection, which features 15 mixed media pieces, follows this theme. The collection took Harmon seven years to complete.

Each piece is a physical manifestation of Harmon’s emotional responses to stories of suffering. Harmon finds these stories in literature, calling them “the catalyst for the creation of this body of art.”

In an artist statement she wrote, “Stories inspire me to paint. As I scratch, tear and smear paint with my fingers, I try to be honest in my process for expressing my deepest personal feelings toward these passages.”

The Sight/Insight Collection is open to the public for viewing. The gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. or by appointment. For further information, contact David E. Harmon, chair and professor of art at HPU at (325) 649-8088 or via e-mail at dharmon@hputx.edu.

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Photo cutline: Susan Harmon’s “Tangled Up in Blue” is one of the pieces currently on display at HPU.

HPU celebrates Black History Month with special chapel service

BROWNWOOD – March 27, 2013 – Howard Payne University celebrated Black History Month with a special chapel service held last month. The second annual service focused on the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation signing and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, in which an estimated 250,000 people demonstrated peacefully in the nation’s capital for civil rights and economic equality. Members of the African-American chapter of HPU’s Alumni Association, alongside current students, presented poetry, music and stories during the service titled “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.”

The spirited celebration included congregational singing, readings by students and alumni and a powerful solo by Shirley Sanders ’72 of Texas City – which drew a standing ovation from the audience – all with the purpose of educating students about important milestones in our nation’s history related to the journey of African-Americans.

Ne’Lexia Galloway ’11 of San Antonio, president of the African-American alumni chapter, said about the chapel program, “African-American cultural history cannot be defined, but it is our civic duty as African-Americans to spread the history for the betterment of America. I am pleased to know that Howard Payne takes pride in Black History Month and believes in making the student body knowledgeable of America’s history.”

Other program participants included L.J. Clayton ’84 of San Antonio; Deborah Jones ’73 of Texas City; Adelia Kirk ’89 of Brownwood; Carol (Liz) Mahoney ’69 of Texas City; Gladys Murray ’80 of Austin; and Wilbert Rogers ’75 of Dallas. Student participants included Kalari Faultry, a sophomore from Houston; Jennifer Goff, a junior from Austin; Gabriella Guest, a sophomore from Midlothian; Jajuan Johnson, a sophomore from Fort Worth; Amber Jones, a junior from Rosenberg; Miriam Mackey, a junior from Taylor; Jeremy Perkins, a junior from Alexandria, La.; Richard Porche, a sophomore from Kyle; Zacchaeus Steidel-Santiago, a sophomore from San Antonio; and Nicholas Stubblefield, a freshman from Prairie View.

“It was once again a pleasure to work with our African-American alumni chapter on this important chapel celebration,” said Dr. Brent Marsh, vice president for student life and dean of students. “We must never lose sight of the difficult road trodden by the African-American community in our nation’s history, and so it is fitting that we recognize Black History Month in this special way.”

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Photo cutline: HPU sophomore Zacchaeus Steidel-Santiago sings “If I Can Help Somebody” during the university’s second annual Black History Month chapel service. Photo by Jes Miera, HPU junior.

HPU to present concert of original music by student, alumni and faculty composers

BROWNWOOD – March 25, 2013 – Howard Payne University will present a concert of all-new music by student, alumni and faculty composers March 26 at 6 p.m. in the university’s Grace Chapel. There is no cost for admission, and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Guitarist Kevin Baker, a senior from Brownwood, will perform two of his own compositions. Various pieces for piano and saxophone composed by Christopher Gonsalves, a senior from Sutherland Springs, will be performed by Dr. Allen Reed, professor of music; Dr. Elizabeth Wallace, professor of music; and Allen Andrus, a senior from Anson. Julia Hironaga, a 2012 graduate, will contribute a piece for flute and piano.

In addition, Dr. Celeste Church and Dr. Greg Church, associate professors of music, will perform vocal works by Dr. Elisabeth Greene, adjunct instructor of music, and Dr. Robert Tucker, dean of music, fine arts and extended education. The opera scenes by Dr. Greene were first performed at Tapestry New Opera’s “Opera Briefs” in Toronto, Canada.

For more information, contact HPU’s School of Music and Fine Arts at (325) 649-8500.

HPU to host Traffick911 training session

BROWNWOOD – March 25, 2013 – Howard Payne University will host a free Traffick911 training session on the prevention of domestic minor sex trafficking March 28 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event will be held in the Bullion Suites of the Mabee University Center. The training is designed for CPS workers, teachers, school counselors, attorneys, family court personnel, social workers and others who come across at-risk children. Continuing Education Units are available.

Traffick911 is an agency which has trained hundreds of frontline responders at the local, state and national levels, focusing on the prevention of the crime, the rescue and restoration of the victims and the prosecution of the offenders. According to the Traffick911 website, human trafficking is the fastest-growing crime in the world and the average life expectancy for a child forced into sexual slavery is just seven years.

“Unfortunately for our society, domestic minor sex trafficking is a most relevant topic,” said Dan Humeniuk, chair of HPU’s social work department and assistant professor of social work. “This type of training is essential for human service professionals who regularly encounter at-risk children and adolescents.”

For more information, or to register for the training session, contact Bob Contreras, family liaison for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, at (325) 641-6486 or bob.contreras@tjjd.texas.gov. Other information and resources are available at www.traffick911.com.

HPU’s Resurrection Week to begin Monday

BROWNWOOD – March 22, 2013 – Howard Payne University will host Resurrection Week, the university’s annual spring revival, March 25-27. The featured speaker for the week is David Burk, president and founder of Total Surrender Evangelistic Association, Inc., in Arlington. Worship will be led by the Nick Gainey Band. Gainey is a 2008 HPU graduate and the worship pastor and an elder at Connection Community Church in Rowlett.

Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and 7:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday at the university’s Mims Auditorium. All services are open to the public.

“Resurrection Week is going to be a great time of renewal, challenge and worship together,” said Corey Ash, chapel coordinator and director of bands. “I assure you that you will be blessed!”

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Photo cutline: David Burk and Nick Gainey will headline Resurrection Week at Howard Payne University.

Tickets available for HPU’s “Rock: Then and Now” concert

BROWNWOOD – March 19, 2013 – Tickets are still available for Howard Payne University’s “Rock: Then and Now” concerts to be held on the HPU campus, March 22-23 beginning at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

“Rock: Then and Now” will feature HPU faculty, staff and students performing family-friendly songs by a variety of musicians including Elvis Presley, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Whitney Houston, Journey, Coldplay, the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Chicago, Styx and more.

Tickets are $5 each and available for purchase online at www.hputx.edu/rock. Tickets are also available at the School of Music and Fine Arts and at the door on the evenings of the concerts.

Prior to Friday’s performance, Dr. Rob Tucker, dean of music, fine arts and extended education, will also present a brief history of rock to those interested in a look at the genre from an academic perspective. The discussion will be held at 6 p.m. on March 22 at the university’s Grace Chapel. There is no cost for admittance to this pre-concert event.

For more information, contact the School of Music and Fine Arts at (325) 649-8500 or visit www.hputx.edu/rock.

HPU students recognized by faculty for achievements in Christian studies

student_award_recipients_with_dr_hatch_for_web BROWNWOOD – March 8, 2013 – Four students in Howard Payne University’s School of Christian Studies were honored as Currie-Strickland Scholars in Christian Ethics and Theology during the Currie-Strickland Distinguished Lectures in Christian Ethics held recently on the HPU campus.

The students included Jessica Baniewicz, a senior cross-cultural studies and Spanish major from Plano; Colton Curry, a senior practical theology major from Lubbock; EJ Davila, a senior psychology major (with emphasis in psychology and ministry) from Brownwood; and Mary Vasquez, a junior biblical languages and English major from Blanket.

“The faculty of the School of Christian Studies honored these individuals, among our many hard-working and gifted students, based on our evaluation of their achievement in their courses and the ways in which they have excelled in thinking in, and related to, the fields of Christian ethics and theology,” said Dr. Derek Hatch, assistant professor of Christian studies.

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Photo cutline: Four HPU students were honored during a recent event on campus. From left are Mary Vasquez, EJ Davila, Colton Curry, Jessica Baniewicz and Dr. Derek Hatch.

HPU’s Perspectives Conference explores ministering in changing cultures

BROWNWOOD – March 7, 2013 – Howard Payne University recently hosted its second annual Perspectives Conference, an event which brings together youth ministry professionals to explore the many facets of their field of ministry. Among the participants were HPU undergraduate and graduate students as well as other youth ministers from around the state.

This year’s theme was “Penetrating the Cultures with the Gospel,” and covered ways to minister in a lost culture, a changing community culture, a changing youth culture and more.

Guest speakers included Dr. Mary Carpenter, former missionary and retired professor of cross-cultural ministries at HPU; Danny Dawdy, director and CEO of Highland Lakes Camp and Conference Center in Spicewood; Elias Garcia, youth minister at First Baptist Church of Plainview; Dr. Allen Jackson, professor of youth ministry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and adjunct faculty member at HPU; Mike Satterfield, lecturer and staff evangelist at Fielder Road Baptist Church in Arlington; and Jane Wilson, youth ministry specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

“We are grateful for good attendance and especially for mutual encouragement and insight gained from sitting around the table with other youth ministers, discussing topics that are so vital to effective ministry,” said Dr. Gary Gramling, professor of Christian studies and director of the youth ministry graduate program. “Our hope is that this conference provided a context in which ‘iron sharpens iron’ as youth ministers learned from our speakers and engaged in dialogue with one another.”

The third annual Perspectives Conference is slated for the spring 2014 semester. For more information, contact HPU’s School of Christian Studies at (325) 649-8403.

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Photo cutline: Chuck Gartman, adjunct faculty member in HPU’s School of Christian Studies, addresses youth ministers gathered for the second annual Perspectives Conference.

HPU to present “Rock: Then and Now” concert

BROWNWOOD – March 5, 2013 – “There’s something about music that just draws people closer together,” says Dr. Rob Tucker, dean of music, fine arts and extended education at Howard Payne University. Tucker is hoping one of the most recognized and beloved music genres, rock, has that effect at concerts to be held on the HPU campus, March 22-23 beginning at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

“Rock music just makes people feel good,” Tucker says. “We hope people in the community come out, hear their favorite songs and have a blast singing along.”

Tickets are $5 each and available for purchase online at www.hputx.edu/rock. Tickets are also available at the School of Music and Fine Arts and at the door on the evenings of the concerts.

Prior to Friday’s performance, Tucker will also present a brief history of rock to those interested in a look at the genre from an academic perspective. The discussion will be held at 6 p.m. on March 22 at the university’s Grace Chapel. There is no cost for admittance to this pre-concert event.

For more information, contact the School of Music and Fine Arts at (325) 649-8500.

HPU’s Currie-Strickland lectures addresses issues of Christian moral discernment

BROWNWOOD – March 5, 2013 – Howard Payne University held its sixth annual Currie-Strickland Distinguished Lectures in Christian Ethics, Feb. 28-March 1 on the HPU campus.

Guest lecturer Dr. Jeph Holloway, professor of theology and ethics at East Texas Baptist University, addressed the topic of “The Practice of Christian Moral Discernment.”

“Dr. Holloway’s lectures were both thought- and action-provoking,” said Dr. Donnie Auvenshine, dean of HPU’s School of Christian Studies. “He challenged the audience to carefully and prayerfully consider the way we live out our faith as Christians.”

The Currie-Strickland lecture series is made possible through the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Gary Elliston and was established to honor the life of Dr. David R. Currie, retired executive director of Texas Baptists Committed, and the memory of Phil Strickland, who dedicated nearly 40 years of ministry to the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ Christian Life Commission.

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Photo cutlines: Dr. Jeph Holloway was the guest speaker at the recent Currie-Strickland lectures on the HPU campus.

The Currie-Strickland lecture series is made possible through the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Gary Elliston and was established to honor the life of Dr. David R. Currie and the memory of Mr. Phil Strickland. From left are Dr. Bill and Dr. Diana Ellis, Dr. Jeph and Mrs. Joy Holloway, Dr. David and Mrs. Loretta Currie, Mrs. Carolyn and Mr. Danny Slaughter (sister and brother-in-law of Mr. Currie).