Alumni Bring Solutions to Poverty, Creative Arts, Business Enterprise

Transcription

Alumni Bring Solutions to Poverty, Creative Arts, Business Enterprise
GOD’S NOT DEAD 2 + WALKING EL CAMINO
+
NEXT CENTURY CAMPAIGN UPDATE
FA L L 2 0 1 5
THE OFFICIAL M AGAZI N E OF
JOHN BROW N U NI VE RSI T Y
JBU alumni
David Murray
employs local
craftsmen to
build high-end
custom guitars
in the foothills of
the Himalayas
CREATIVE
ENTREPRENEURS
Alumni Bring Solutions
to Poverty, Creative Arts,
Business Enterprise
{ CONTENTS }
{ PRESIDENT’S LETTER }
Creativity, Risk Taking Reflects God
November 20, 2015
Dear Friends of JBU,
When people create
new enterprises that
help others to thrive,
they reflect brilliantly
the image of a God
who has created all
things good.
This issue of the Brown Bulletin
highlights some of the JBU alumni who
have flourished as entrepreneurs. JBU
nourishes the creative thinking and risktaking that is essential to launch new
enterprises.
For instance, JBU students in the
Soderquist College of Business have
routinely placed in the top three in both
state and regional rankings in the Reynolds Cup business plan competition.
These students have collectively won
over $500,000 in prize money and have
incubated many new business ideas over
the last decade.
JBU students have also been actively
involved in Enactus for over 30 years.
In that program, JBU students have created a host of entrepreneurial projects,
including teaching middle school students how to develop business plans for
new products; creating water filtration
cooperatives in Guatemala; and assisting
the Siloam Springs adult development
center in launching a paper shredding
business. They too have received national recognition, regularly placing in
the top 16 in the country and last year
coming in third place. A JBU education
offers rich soil for the cultivating of
lifelong entrepreneurs.
JBU is also seeking to be innovative
in its own program. For instance, we
now offer three undergraduate and six
graduate degrees fully online.
We have just begun a new MFA
program in collaborative design, and
our new nursing program will open
in August 2016 in a state-of-the-art
health education facility. We are using
an advanced predictive modeling system
to identify prospective JBU students,
and our new JBU website is employing
an innovative responsive web design to
better communicate JBU’s mission.
Creativity and risk taking should
be at the heart of a Christian college.
When people create new enterprises
that help others to thrive, they reflect
brilliantly the image of a God who has
created all things good. When people
recognize that they are beloved children
of the living God, they are freed to take
risks because “failure” will never separate them from the love of God.
JBU was founded by a person who
looked into a corn field and saw a university. JBU continues to thrive because
its people see new possibilities to honor
God and serve others in all areas of life.
It is a joy to witness the people of JBU
living out our mission ingeniously and
faithfully in their church, neighborhood, workplace, and family. May God
continue to bless that good work.
Godspeed,
Dr. Charles W. Pollard
President, John Brown University
FALL 2015
The Brown Bulletin is published by
University Communications
for alumni and friends in
the JBU community.
Dr. Chip Pollard
President
Dr. Jim Krall
Vice President for Advancement
EDITORIAL STAFF
Lucas Roebuck
Editor and Director
of University Communications
FEATURES
COVER: Creative Entrepeneurs
12 | Walking El Camino De Santiago
By Claire Grant — A 75-Mile Spanish pilgrimage Gives Student New Perspective
14 | Alumni on Set
By Tarah Thomas — Eight JBU AlumniWork on Set, Produce ‘God’s Not Dead 2’
ALSO INSIDE
4 | TP Game Draws Standing-Room-Only Crowd
By AllyssaWesterfield — 35th Annual Toilet Paper Game Presented by Charmin, Featured on ESPN
Matt Snyder
Creative Director
22 | Homecoming Guests Screen ‘Loving Lynda’
Julie Gumm
Managing Editor
26 | Downtown Siloam Springs Base for Alumni
Contributors
Tracy Balzer, John E. Brown III,
Johanna Musgrave, Lorie Simpson,
Tarah Thomas, Claire Grant, Valerie
McArthur, Allyssa Westerfield,
Cherissa Roebuck, Morgan Scholz
Production Support
Kelly Saunders
Copy Editing
Paul T. Semones, Andy Klungland
Thanks
Marikit Fain Schwartz, Sherry Miller,
Jerry Rollene
Submissions of news items, story
ideas, letters and corrections can
be made via email to:
lroebuck@jbu.edu
or via U.S. Postal Service to
Brown Bulletin
2000 W. University
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
©2015 John Brown University
By AllyssaWesterfield & Julie Gumm ­— Nearly 500 Homecoming Attendees PreviewWalters Love Story
By Morgan Scholz — More Than a Dozen Alumni-Owned Businesses Help Downtown Flourish
DEPARTMENTS
JBU News — The Latest JBU Headlines — Page 3
Athletics — News & Notes — Page 25
Campaign for the Next Century Update — Page 6
Donor Legacy — Character Before Career — Page 10
Alumni News — The Latest Milestones for JBU Alumni — Page 28
In Memoriam — Remembering JBU Friends — Page 30
From the Editor — Making History Digital — Page 32
On the cover: JBU alumni
entrepreneurs are erasing
poverty, creating stories and
solving complex business problems.
See Page 16 for their stories.
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 1
{ JBU NEWS }
decorated team. JBU’s five Eaglenauts
won the Judge’s Innovation Award
and placed third in both the “Systems
Engineering Paper” category and the
“Presentation and Demonstration”
category.
JBU Welcomes Largest Incoming
Class in University History
John Brown University saw 17
percent growth over last year’s incoming class with 456 new students in
August. The new class, comprised of
364 freshmn and 92 transfer students,
brings students from across the country
from Hawaii to Connecticut and across
the world from countries like Thailand,
Brazil, Switzerland and Kenya. In total,
the incoming class represents students
from 25 states and 17 countries and is
59 percent female and 41 percent male.
(From left) Shermana Philpott, Tiffany
Hunnicutt, David Bird, Brian Plank, Jordan
Plank, Zach Huffaker, Lindsey Davis, Kaitlyn
Bradley, and adviser Dr. Will Holmes.
Engineering Students Win NASA
Innovation Award With
Multi-Robot System
John Brown University’s robotic
team left NASA’s sixth annual Robotic
Mining Competition (RMC) at Kennedy Space Center as the second most
2 | Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
{ JBU NEWS }
Brown University is one of the best
colleges to work for. JBU is one out of
86 colleges nationally ranked based on
professional development, compensation and benefits, job satisfaction, work
environment and life balance.
Endowment Exceeds
$100 Million
JBU’s Campaign for the Next Century: A Hope and A Future, which has
a goal of raising over $125 million for
scholarships, endowment and building funds, is currently valued at $101
million, exceeding $100 million for the
first time in JBU’s history.
Professor Awarded $265,000
INBRE Grant to Continue
Bacteria Study
Dr. Joel Funk, assistant professor of
biology, was awarded $265,000 as part
of the Arkansas IDEA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)
grant to continue his research on the
Protein Kinase C (PKC) as it relates to
the Coxiella burnetii bacterium, which
can cause the rare Q fever.
Student Engagement Earns
National Recognition as
College of Distinction
John Brown University was recently recognized among 331 private
and public institutions as a College of
Distinction in the Colleges of Distinction Online College Guide, which
recognizes institutions for excellence in
learning initiatives such as study abroad
programs and service learning opportunities.
John Brown University Named a
‘2015 Great College to Work For’
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, a leading news source
for higher education institutions, John
JBU’s award-winning University
Advancement Team, (Back row from left)
Matt Snyder, Jerry Rollene, Ken Leonard,
Eric Greenhaw, Rebecca Huff, Kelly
Saunders, Susan Nece, Lori Gryder, Olivia
McCarver, Julie Gumm, Steve Onnen,
Brian Meagher, Jim Krall, (Front row from
left) Lucas Roebuck, Johanna Musgrave,
Sherrill Davis, Kris Anderson, Maritta
Mitchell, Sonya Price, Kim Anderson, Becky
Wakefield, Kerry Pruett, Trina Holman,
Darla Grimm, Jennifer Heathcote, Sherry
Miller, April Moreton
JBU Receives Sustained
Excellence CASE Award for
Educational Fundraising
John Brown University has recently
received Educational Fundraising
Awards in the Overall Performance and
Sustained Excellence categories by the
Council for Advancement and Support
of Education (CASE). The Sustained
Excellence in Educational Fundraising Award recognizes the fundraising
tionally and internationally in the past
100 years. The lecture took place at The
Anchorage Museum and was televised
on C-SPAN.
Jones has published three books on
Alaskan history: “The City for Empire:
An Anchorage History, 1914 – 1941”
(2010), “Empire’s Edge: American
Society in Nome, Alaska, 1898-1934”
(2006) and “The Fires of Patriotism:
Alaskans in the Days of the First World
War 1910-1920” (2013).
programs that have garnered a CASE
Award for Educational Fundraising in
either Overall Performance or Overall Improvement in three of the last
five years. This is the fifth time JBU
has received a CASE Award in Overall
Performance and the third time JBU
has received the award in Sustained
Excellence.
Construction Begins on $6 Million
Health Education Building
Construction for the new Health
Education Building began Aug. 17 and
will be completed by fall 2016. In
recent weeks the steel was installed
and the building is beginning to take
shape. Follow the progress with our
live construction cam at www.jbu.edu/
majors/nursing/news/
First Grandparents’ Day a Success
Over 240 grandparents joined us on
Sept. 17 for the first JBU Grandparents’ Day. They came from as far away
as Arizona and Oregon and the oldest
attendee was 99. Grandparents attended chapel, ate lunch with their grandchildren, attended classes, heard from
President Pollard and toured campus.
Art Professor Continues to
Win Accolades for Pastel Work
Charles Peer, professor of visual arts,
will be included in the December 2015
issue of Pastel Journal magazine in an
article titled “Artists to Watch.” Seven
Master Pastelists selected one emerging
artist to be highlighted in the magazine.
His artwork was selected by acclaimed
Canadian artist Andrew McDermott.
Charles Peer’s painting, “Silent
Drama,” (above) has been selected to
be part of the 2015 Pastel Society of
America’s annual juried exhibit “Enduring Brilliance.” The September exhibit
was held at the National Arts Club in
New York City. For this prestigious
show the jurors selected 78 paintings
out of the 1,365 pieces submitted.
History Professor Lectures at
Anchorage Centennial Celebration
Dr. Preston Jones, associate professor of history, delivered a lecture in
Anchorage, Alaska on the distinct influence Anchorage has had regionally, na-
JBU Wins Recycler
of the Year Award
The Arkansas Recycling Coalition
(ARC) awarded JBU with their 2015
School/College/University Recycler of
the Year Award based on JBU’s commitment to recycling. In 2012, JBU
became the first zero-landfill campus
in Arkansas. Since then, JBU has made
viable steps to encourage students,
faculty and staff to recycle, reuse and
reduce.
‘Permission to Ponder’ Teaches
Stillness in Noisy Society
How do we
learn to be aware
of God’s voice and
presence while
living in a hectic,
noisy society? Tracy
Balzer, director of
Christian formation, explores this
dilemma in her new
book, “Permission to Ponder: Contemplative Wisdom for the Spiritually
Distracted.”
Released in October, Balzer’s book
focuses on the ability to “slow down,
make space for God, and tune our ears
and hearts to God’s voice and presence.”
Using the four Marys of the gospels,
the Psalms, and Balzer’s personal experiences, the book models the practical
application of lectio divina (the ancient
practice of praying the scriptures).
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 3
{ JBU NEWS }
35-YEAR TOILET PAPER
TRADITION PACKS ARENA
In what ESPN called “one of the
most surreal traditions in sports,”
senior Luke Moyer sunk a three point
basket to send the toilet paper soaring
in the season opening Golden Eagle
men’s basketball game against Barclay
College.
Over 2,000 Golden Eagle fans
crowded Bill George Arena on Oct. 31
for the much-anticipated and beloved
JBU tradition presented this year by
Charmin.
The 35th annual Toilet Paper basketball game was also the second year
that JBU used the game to give back to
the community, asking fans to bring a
canned good to exchange for one of the
2,000 rolls of toilet paper donated by
Charmin.
The canned goods, along with another 2,000 rolls of Charmin-donated
toilet paper, were given to the Manna
Center, a local food pantry in Siloam
Springs. By the end of the game 1,526
food items were collected.
The Toilet Paper Game food drive
began last year in response to the
Sooner Athletic Conference’s “The
SAC Gives Back” initiative. Because
food pantries are hit hardest during the
holiday season, the TP Game food drive
was perfectly timed.
JBU beat Barclay 103-52, continuing
a 15-year TP game winning streak.
4 | Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
Your stories
can inspire
their stories...
Share yours and refer a student
(or two) to JBU!
www.jbu.edu/refer
(Middle) Senior Kent McDonell decided
his halloween costume should stick
to the theme of the night and came
dressed as a giant roll of toilet paper.
(Bottom) Hannah Meyers, Kate Barlowe
and Brandi Vandygriff pose for a quick
picture with Leonard the Charmin bear.
(Photo courtesy of Brandi Vandygriff.)
Watch video of the toss at
on.jbu.edu/1GVDHEu
- or scan the QR code.
(Top) President Chip Pollard joins
the dedicated fans, including Jake
Braschler, Levi Nordmeyer and Luke
Dinger, in tossing toilet paper at the first
field goal of the game.
(Above) Senior Luke Moyer, a transfer
student, celebrates after putting up the
three-point basket that sent the toilet
paper flying 55 seconds into the game.
COME VISIT: we’ll reimburse the gas for vehicles of 4+ prospective students!
SCHOLARSHIP IMPACT
Scholarship Fund Helps Daughter of
Cancer Survivor Afford JBU
PROGRESS
UPDATE
$8,587,468
$3,412,532
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
REMAINING
$125 MILLION GOAL FOR 2019
$68.1 Million
$56.9 Million
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
REMAINING
Overall
Nursing and Health Education Building
Million
JBU broke ground on the $68.1
20,000-square-foot
building in
Overall
Nursing
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
August with plans to complete the building fall 2016. Nabholz Overall
Nursing
has completed all under-slab work and erected the steel frame.WLHC
Overall
Nursing
WLHC
Overall
Estates
The WLHC’s new HVAC system will be installed by mid-January
Nursing
2016 and plans for the new north entrance and workout space WLHC
Overall
are in the design and development phase.
Estates
Nursing
Prog and Op
WLHC
Estates
Overall
Nursing
and
Op
JBU has been blessed by generous estate gifts that haveProg
helped
WLHC
Academic Excellence
sustain and grow the university.
The university is encouraging
Estates
Nursing
alumni and friends to consider a bequest through their estate.
Prog and
Op
WLHC
$56.9 Million
$9 Million
REMAINING
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
$3 Million
REMAINING
Walton Lifetime Health Complex
$4 Million
$1 Million
$1 Million
$24 Million
$12.3 Million
$12.7 Million
$0.9 Million
$0.9 Million
$8.6 Million
$1.4 Million
$2.5 Million
$3.3 Million
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
REMAINING
Estate Gifts for the Future
Estates
Academic Excellence
Scholarships
Prog
and Op
WLHC
Estates
This priority dedicates $25 million to programs andAcademic Excellence
Prog
and Op
organizations that play a significant role in shaping JBU culture
Scholarships
JBUSF
and strengthening JBU’s impact around the world. Academic Excellence
Estates
Prog
and Op
Scholarships
JBUSF
Academic Excellence
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
REMAINING
Program and Operating Support
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
REMAINING
Endowment for Academic Excellence
This fall, JBU hosted the 2nd Abila Lecture: Dr. Steven Ortiz
spoke
Scholarships
Prog
and Op
JBUSF
about his excavations at Tel Gezer. Charles Peer willAcademic
be featured
Excellence
in the Pastel Journal as one of seven “pastel artists to watch.”
Scholarships
Endowment for Scholarships
REMAINING
JBUSF
Academic Excellence
Scholarships
JBUSF
Endowed scholarships make education affordable and contribute
to the long-term sustainability of the university. JBU now has
256
Scholarships
endowed scholarships that award over $1.9 million each year. JBUSF
JBU Scholarship Fund
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
REMAINING
JBUSF
All of the funds given to the JBU Scholarship Fund are used
directly for need-based scholarships and work-study programs.
Yearly, more than 550 students receive help through the JBUSF.
GIVEN AND PLEDGED
REMAINING
We washed ziplock bags growing up. My least favorite chore was
hanging the laundry on the clothesline, and I was always jealous of the
kids who got to buy their lunches at
school. When I started looking at
colleges, the numbers on the screen
were always too big and scholarships
seemed too small. I would stare at my
grades from my freshman year and
wish I’d tried harder, done more.
I grew up in Guatemala, Central America. My parents have
been missionaries there for over 35
years, working with Wycliffe Bible
Translators. They are empowering indigenous groups to be able to
produce Scripture-based materials
in audio and video media for their
own communities. My three older
siblings and I were all born in the
country and grew up there, identifying ourselves as “chapingos,” a mix
between the common slang for a
Guatemalan and a North American.
Higher education is a priority for my
parents, but the cost made me nauseous. Things were tight when my
sister went gone to college, and even
tighter when my brother joined her.
My heart beat loudly when I got
my award letter from JBU. “Please
Lord, please let me at least have
work study.” I clicked the email and
it opened; I stared at it, unable to
comprehend, my heart stuttering to
a stop before it picked up its tempo
again and beat faster. “Mom!” I
yelled down the stairs.
She started to laugh when she saw
the numbers. JBU was more gener-
ous than we ever expected, covering
nearly two thirds of my costs. My
worry eased.
Two weeks into the school year
my mom was diagnosed with stage 1
follicular lymphoma. Unlike other
cancers, catching this one early
doesn’t increase your chance of
survival. A short while later she
went back for more tests, and
it had progressed to stage 3.
She started chemotherapy
right away, but I cried myself to sleep.
I flew home to
Guatemala for Christmas,
which was a blessing for a
missionary kid. Mom was
in remission. I was grateful to go home, but excited to
come back to JBU at the end of
the break.
My dreams for my future start
with a bachelor’s degree. Then I
want to go back overseas. East Asia
is calling to me and I plan to apply
for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) when I graduate
in May 2018 with a bachelor’s in
communications, and a minor in Teaching English
to Speakers of Other
Languages (TESOL).
Without my
scholarships I
would never be
able to pursue my
dream. I’m grateful for the generosity of donors
who are showing
love to someone unknown. I will
never be able to repay the gift I have
been given.
Valerie McArthur ’18
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 7
PROJECT FEATURE
Renovations Expand Fitness Opportunities
$5 Million Health Complex Renovation Benefits JBU and Local Community
Helen Thompson ‘90 was a
sophomore at JBU in 1988 when
the Walton Lifetime Health Complex (WLHC) was under construction, and after the facility opened,
Thompson became one of the first
student building supervisors for the
WLHC.
“I was on the swim team as a student,” Thompson said. “When JBU
built the health complex, that was
such an exciting time. I remember
Sam Walton coming to campus to
dedicate the new building.”
Twenty-five years after graduating
from JBU, Helen and her husband,
Larry, recently moved back to Siloam Springs. Helen heard about a
job opportunity at the WLHC, and
now she’s back to work at her old
stomping grounds as the instructor
for the Silver Splash water aerobics
class that meets three times per
week in the WLHC. Two of the class
members, Paul Kimball and Gil
Weaver ’48, were Thompson’s professors when she was a JBU student.
“At first I kept calling him Dr.
Kimball in the pool. Then one
day he came up to me and smiled
and said, ‘Hi, my name is Paul,’”
Thompson said. “He was my professor, but now he’s become my friend.
They make me laugh– they are
hilarious.”
Thompson and the members of
the Silver Splash class are just a few
of the thousands of JBU and Siloam
Springs community members who
regularly use the Walton Lifetime
Health Complex. As part of The
Campaign for the Next Century,
John Brown University is planning a
$5 million renovation of the WLHC
to update the 27-year-old facility.
The renovation will include
an expanded fitness center with
new equipment, a new community
entrance on the north side of the
complex, the addition of HVAC
to the entire facility including the
recreation gym and walking track,
renovation of the tennis courts, updated and expanded locker rooms,
and new mechanical systems and
decking for the pool. JBU plans to
begin the renovation in the summer
of 2016 and complete the project by
August 2017.
Thompson said she’s looking
forward to using the health complex
after the renovation is complete.
“The new fitness area excites me.
I think that’s going to be great for
the whole community,” she said.
Silver Splash class member Wanda West said she is also eager to use
the new fitness area and enjoy the
updates to the pool and locker room
areas. She said she can see how the
Walton Lifetime Health Complex
renovation will help encourage even
more community members to use
the facility.
“I’m noticing that things are
starting to wear out, so the updates
will be wonderful. Drawing more of
the community in to use the health
complex is what JBU has been trying
to do for years. I think this renovation will do just that,” West said.
Cherissa Roebuck ’02 is the
coordinator of grants.
First Floor
Second Floor
LEGACY DONORS
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
George and Marie Hurte:
Character Before Career
Many people don’t realize that
John Brown University’s history
includes several decades of owning
and operating military academies
in California that were intended
to provide income for the benefit
of the Arkansas campus. In 1937
JBU acquired the Brown School
for Girls in Glendora and Brown
Military Academy in San Diego.
Ten years later, the founder added
the Southern California Military
Academy (SCMA) in Long Beach —
an elementary and middle school.
By the 1950’s, the girls’ school
closed and both remaining academies were eventually sold when they
did not generate a sufficient income
to help JBU.
Two of my most memorable days
— the “worst” and the “best” — were
experienced at SCMA. Witnesses to
both of those days were Marie and
“Major” George Hurte, JBU graduates and long-serving teachers,
administrators and headmaster for
the academy program.
George was a U.S. Navy veteran.
After his discharge in 1948 he met
and married Marie. The newlyweds
moved to Arkansas to attend JBU.
After graduating they returned
to teach at SCMA, whose mission
paralleled that of the university —
“Character before Career.”
My worst day? Our family drove
to Southern California every summer, where Dad would have two
weeks of Navy Reserve duty and
various JBU-related activities. He
10 | Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
would book us a room on the beach
where I could play all day in the
surf and sand, and watch the Navy
ships through my binoculars.
One summer my parents decided
that a couple of weeks as a cadet at
SCMA would be a good idea for
their only male offspring, who was
eight or nine. I lasted two days. I remember sitting on a street curb and
crying to go home. No baseball, no
crafts and absolutely no marching
for me. I wanted to be at the beach.
Major Hurte finally gave up and
called my Dad. My embarrassed father had to come pick up the future
president of JBU and take him back
to his life at the beach. (Note: I did
successfully complete Army ROTC
and my reserve duty in the 1970’s.)
The “best” day of my life? Sitting
on the reviewing stand at SCMA
with four Medal of Honor winners,
each from a different war. I sat beside a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran,
Spc. 4th Class John P. Baca who
received the medal for risking his
life to protect his team. After the
citations were read, a young SCMA
cadet asked permission to hand an
American flag to each of the men.
He stood at attention in front of
each one, saluted, and handed him
a small flag. After his salute, Baca
stretched out his arms and gave the
little cadet a big hug. It was a moment I shall always treasure.
I believe George and Marie Hurte
had many such moments as they
faithfully lived their lives for Christ’s
Kingdom through three decades of
service with SCMA and many more
years giving their time, talents and
treasures to JBU, including George’s
time on the Board of Trustees from
1987 to 1999.
Both George and Marie were
dedicated Christian servants.
Friends recall George as a man who
“lived as he taught — loving God,
family, country and community.”
Marie gave gracious guidance and
support to their three sons — Ron,
Brad, and Geoff — all of whom
graduated from SCMA and attended JBU. She also sang in a traveling
church group and was a volunteer
with Meals on Wheels.
Over the years, the Hurtes helped
young people in many ways, including establishing the SCMA Scholarship Fund at JBU, later endowed
in part with the help of their sons.
John E. Brown III is president emeritus and served
as JBU’s president from 1979-1993.
Campaign Construction,
Renovations Underway as
Fundraising Continues
We are about halfway through
the seven-year Campaign for the
Next Century, and I wanted to
share with you a progress report.
The campaign will fund critical
priorities to help ensure that John
Brown University will thrive in
our next century. Our goal is
to conclude the campaign with
$125 million raised before JBU’s
centennial celebration in 2019. We
are well on our way, with more than
$68 million already given.
One project I am particularly
excited about is JBU’s new Bachelor
of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and the construction of a new
state-of-the-art Health Education
Building. JBU broke ground on the
facility in August, and I’ve been
eagerly watching the daily construction progress. By this time next
year, JBU nursing students will be
taking nursing classes in the completed building. So far more than
$9 million has been given to the $12
million initiative.
Another project that will greatly
benefit the JBU community is the
renovation of the Walton Lifetime
Health Complex. We have received
approximately $4 million of the $5
million renovation cost, and final
plans are underway for the full
renovation of the 27-year-old facility. By next fall, community members will be enjoying an expanded
fitness center, a new north-side
community entrance, HVAC in
the entire facility and several other
improvements.
Facilities are a necessary part
of JBU, but we know that the most
important component to what we
do at JBU is our students. The JBU
Scholarship Fund and endowed
scholarships provide assistance to
students who otherwise would not
be able to afford JBU. Hundreds of
students studying at JBU right now
would not be here if it weren’t for
the generous gifts that have been
given to the JBUSF and endowed
scholarships through this campaign.
On page seven you can read how
scholarships directly impacted
sophomore communication major
Valerie McArthur who dreams of
teaching overseas.
While the details of Valerie’s
financial challenges are unique, her
story is not. Hundreds of students
share Valerie’s story: without
scholarships, there is no way they
could afford a JBU education.
Approximately a third of the funds
raised during the campaign will
go toward endowed and funded
student scholarships.
If you’ve been wondering how to
get involved in the Campaign for
the Next Century visit www.jbu.
edu/giving or send me an email at
jkrall@jbu.edu.
Jim Krall is the vice president for advancement
{ F E AT U R E S T O R Y }
{ F E AT U R E S T O R Y }
WALKING
EL CAMINO
DE SANTIAGO
STORY AND PHOTOS BY
CLAIRE GRANT ’17
WHEN MOST PEOPLE
THINK OF SPAIN, THEY
THINK OF SOCCER
AND BEACHES
IN BARCELONA.
WHEN I THINK OF
SPAIN, I THINK OF
HIKING THROUGH
SMALL VILLAGES
AND SWEATING MY
WAY ALONG THE
NORTHERN COAST.
12 |
Brown Bulletin || Fall
Fall 2015
2015
The Camino de Santiago, translated
as “The Way of St. James,” is a pilgrimage route running through Europe to
Galicia in northwest Spain. Considered
one of the most important Christian
pilgrimages during the Middle Ages,
the route ends at the shrine of the
apostle St. James in the Cathedral of
Santiago. Today, nearly 200,000 people
still make the journey every year.
This summer, I walked on the
Camino de Santiago with a group of
11 students and faculty from JBU. We
started 75 miles from our final destination of Santiago de Compostela in
Sarria, Spain — though the entirety of
the trail is over 500 miles.
The trail is a spiritual journey for
most people who travel it, while
some just walk it for the experience
or for the exercise. It was definitely
a spiritual journey for us. Every team
member had multiple conversations
with other pilgrims about our faith,
eating meals with some and praying
with others.
The first day our group started in
the early afternoon when most people
are wrapping up their days on the trail.
The sun was at its hottest and I think
everyone felt tired and worn down
even as we started. That day, and each
day after, we stayed in hostels in cities
along the way. We peeled off our sweaty
layers and 15 (or more) pound packs
and tried to regain our energy for the
next day of hiking. The time in the hostels were some of my favorite moments
with the group. After all we had been
through that day, we connected and
unwound with laughter and food.
I would like to say the trip became
easier each day, but it did not; in fact,
it became increasingly difficult. We
learned quickly that complaints needed
to stay in our head because, if spoken
out loud, they would only bring the
rest of the group down.
I struggled with perseverance, having never done something so physically
demanding before. Remaining strong
during five to six hours of daily hiking
took a lot of effort and prayer.
One of the unique parts of the
Camino is that the community of walkers encourage each other on the trail by
saying “Buen Camino” to one another.
This simply means “good walk,” but
to hikers the phrase binds us together
and encourages us to keep going. Our
group did an amazing job of keeping
each other motivated throughout the
trip.
One day in particular we were struggling with the hills and were exhausted.
Three of us held walkie-talkies to check
up on each other and share encouragement, often in the form of funny stories
to lighten our exhausted hearts. Every
so often the entire group would meet
at a kilometer marker so we could be
together.
One of the most important things I
learned by walking on the Camino was
a phrase that our leader, Steve Beers,
JBU vice president of student development, repeated often: “Enjoy the
journey.”
The trail was hard, the hills were
steep and some days I just wanted to
sit down and quit. But as I strived to
enjoy the journey, it meant that no
matter where I was or how hard times
seem to be, I wanted to enjoy it and be
thankful for the plans God has for me.
Even after coming back to the United States and returning to JBU this
fall, I try to remind myself that God
has the journey planned for me and I
should enjoy every minute of it. n
Fall
Fall2015
2015 | | Brown
BrownBulletin
Bulletin || 13
13
{ F E AT U R E S T O R Y }
ALUMNI
ON SET
{ A L U M N I F E AT U R E }
JBU ALUMNI
WORK CREW,
PRODUCE
SEQUEL TO
$64 MILLION
HIT, ‘GOD’S
NOT DEAD’
BY TARAH THOMAS ’16
PHOTOS COURTESY
JONATHAN DANIEL ’11
PROGRAM AND
OPERATING SUPPORT
ENDOWMENT
FOR ACADEMIC
EXCELLENCE
NEW &
RENOVATED
FACILITIES
Joseph Pelegreen (above), Karson Holbrook and John Owen work on the Little
Rock shoot of ‘God’s Not Dead 2’ to be released in April.
14 |
Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
Filmmakers create small miracles
every day by reinventing ways to best
visually communicate stories that can
make people laugh, cry, think deeply or
even imagine life in a new way. For an
$8 movie ticket, audiences can experience the result of that behind-thescenes magic that took many hands and
hard work to produce.
Eight JBU alumni worked on the set
of “God’s Not Dead 2” this summer.
Filled with a passion for film and storytelling, they gained experience, work
connections and an opportunity to
utilize their education. Alumni working
on the film included Dustin and Jami
Solomon ’01 (co-producers and visual
FX), Jonathan Daniel ’11 (drone operator, publicity), Jesse Daniel ’12 (visual
FX), Karson Holbrook ’13 (second asstistant camera), John Owen ’15 (grip),
Joseph Pelegreen ’15 (grip) and Matt
Lang ’15 (electric).
Premiering in April 2016, the sequel
comes two years after the box-office
surprise hit “God’s Not Dead,” which
topped the weekend release at No. 1
and overall grossed $64 million.
The sequel, set with well-known
cast and filmed in Little Rock, hopes
to provide eye-catching scenery and
teach Christians “how to defend faith
in an increasingly hostile environment,”
stated the “God’s Not Dead 2” press
release.
The plot can be imagined within
today’s headlines. The movie builds up
to a tension-filled courtroom scene between a high school teacher, played by
Melissa Joan Hart, a school superintendent and a civil liberty religious group,
after Hart shared her faith within the
classroom.
The director, Harold Cronk, sought
out alumni Dustin and Jami Solomon,
owners of Mutiny FX, to work on the
visual effects as well as produce the film.
The Solomons worked with the
Arkansas film commissioner to convince the director and lead producers
to film in Arkansas as well as encourage
on-site editing at the end of every day
of shooting.
Many in the film business acquire
jobs by word-of-mouth and the reputation from doing a job well.
“Film is different. Most places you
go in for office hours from 9 to 5,”
Pelegreen said. “Film, I’m finding out,
is all about who you know. If you work
with somebody and if they like you,
they’ll call you back.You try to work
hard and be a good employee.”
Pelegreen worked as a lighting
technician, setting up power and lighting on set. Pelegreen attributes the
hands-on classroom experience and
outside work on various senior short
film projects in helping him learn
about the equipment and how to properly set it up.
Being on set creates a relational
environment for graduates. The days
are long, stressful and intensive, but the
work’s rewarding when the crew collaborates as a team.
Daniel a digital cinema alumnus,
worked with the editor, Dave Shook,
in putting together behind-the-scenes
Dustin and Jami Solomon’s Mutiny FX is producing visual effects for the new film.
Here they are doing pick-up crowd shots with extras at John Brown University.
clips and interviews of the cast for
“God’s Not Dead 2” Electronic Press
Kits (EPK). Teaming with five others,
Daniel learned from other talented film
enthusiasts.
“Film is solving problems and has a
lot of problems to be solved,” Daniel
said. “Maybe it’s how do we make this
shot work, or how do we fix this character’s story arc, or maybe it’s more
practical of how do we feed the 300
extras on set today … I love teaming
up with other creative people and coming to the end of the day — maybe we
lost a lot of sleep, etc., but we solved
the problem and got it done — that’s
what’s really fun.”
Lang, digital cinema major and
journeyman grip for “God’s Not Dead
2”, enjoyed working on his first featurelength movie and coordinating with
other professionals.
“Even though the long hours and
stress were difficult to push through, at
the end of the day I couldn’t help but
think about how lucky I was to be able
to have the opportunity to live out my
passion making films,” Lang said.
Graduates agree that their passion
for storytelling is the driving force to
filmmaking. Movie production pushes
the boundaries and enables people to
imagine the bizarre or highlight reality.
“The best part for me on a business
level is that there’s no rules,” Solomon,
in explaining his love for film, said. “No
one is going to tell you a way.You’re
going to have to find a way.You feel like
you’re free to find your way.”
Every cast and crew member plays a
vital role in creating the best storytelling.
“Stories are how we, as humans, have
communicated since the beginning of
time. I want to see our soul stories, our
heart stories and stories that make us
dream widely and leap,” Solomon said.
“Our goal is to allow everyone to tell
their stories, help them find a way to
get their story out there.”
Graduates of JBU did just that for
“God’s Not Dead 2.” n
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 15
Creative
Entrepreneurs
JBU students are encouraged to envision how they might
influence society and make a difference in their chosen profession.
Our alumni work and serve across the globe — erasing poverty,
en•tre•pre•neur
a person who organizes and operates a business, taking on
greater than normal financial risks in order to do so
creating stories and solving complex business problems.
n DAVE AND MEL MURRAY ’98 ’01 | JOYN AND DEHRADUN GUITAR COMPANY
Social Entrepreneurs Give Global Artists Dignity
Dave and Mel Murray met at JBU in 1998. Two
years later they were married and spending their first
summer as newlyweds in a Ugandan orphanage. That
experience set them on a mission to bring opportunities and hope to some of the poorest places in the
world.
The Murrays recognized that true change wouldn’t
happen through handouts. What people really wanted, and needed, was an opportunity. They wanted to
work, they just lacked the jobs.
In 2010 the couple founded JOYN in Raipur, In16
14 |
Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
dia where the Murrays now live with their two boys.
Through beautiful textile products handmade by
local artisans — bags, purses, scarves — JOYN has
brought hope and meaningful work to the nearly 30
local workers.
But JOYN provides much more than a job. Dave
and Mel wanted to care for their employees wholistically, not only providing steady employment and a
good work environment for their employees, but also
medical care, training in English, schooling for their
children and even a daily meal plan.
At JOYN, local artisans do
a small town in the north In100 percent of the work, indian Himalayas. The builders
cluding weaving, block print— some former orphans, refuing and stitching. By the time
gees and former addicts — are
one of their products is in the
trained in Dave’s workshop
hands of a customer, at least 12
and have become a family.
different pairs of hands have
The team of 10 full-time
worked with it. JOYN prodluthiers hand craft beautiful
ucts are sold through Tom’s, at
high-end guitars created to
Mason’s Department Stores,
the DGC customer’s unique
online, and in a number of
specifications and personalboutiques throughout the U.S.
ity. Ordered by professional
Mel Murray with a JOYN employee in India
While in India Dave also
musicians and hobbyists
started a second endeavor, Dehradun Guitar Compaalike, each guitar takes several weeks to build and
ny (DGC). Like JOYN, DGC employs local craftsmen in
includes several kinds of wood and unique detailing.
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 17
{ COVER STORY }
{ COVER STORY }
n DUSTIN & JAMI SOLOMON ’01 ’01 | MUTINY FX
Filmmakers Create Stunning Visual Effects
Dustin & Jami Solomon are causing a rebellion
— not against the government or principalities, but
against the norm of modern filmmaking. Their visual
effects company, Mutiny FX, focuses on finding innovative ways to use off-the-shelf products and provide
quality visual effects services to their clients.
Located in Bentonville, Ark., Mutiny FX executes
visual effects production throughout all stages of
filmmaking, collaborating with the director and editor in both pre-production and production to provide
creative advising for an efficient post production.
Dustin and Jami will often join as producers on those
films for more “skin in the game.”
“[Mutiny FX] changes how films are made to be
more profitable, ” Dustin said. “We try to take ownership in the product, so that if it does well, we can risk
the cost up front to make the money later.”
Dustin and Jami met during JBU early registration
in 1997 with Dustin being part of the first class of digital media majors. They married in 2000 and had their
first child just weeks before Dustin earned his degree
in digital media in 2001.
JAMI SOLOMON
The couple agreed to take any opportunity for
Dustin to pursue his dream of film.
After working in film, including the motion
picture “Return to the Hiding Place” in 2010, the
Solomons moved back to Northwest Arkansas and
started their company specializing in visual effects
DUSTIN SOLOMON
and editing for low-budget films.
“Our goal is to allow everyone to tell their stories
and to help them find a way to get their story out
there,” Jami said.
This past year has been spent working on “God’s
Not Dead 2,” scheduled to be released in Spring 2016.
n EMILY MOBERLY ’04 | TRAVELING STORIES
Literacy Program Fights Poverty in US, Abroad
In 2010 Emily Moberly ’04 founded Traveling Stories, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing
reading material for villages around the world so they
can “outsmart poverty one book at a time.”
18
14 |
Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
After graduating from John Brown University in
2004 with a degree in journalism, Moberly moved
to Honduras to teach English and sociology to high
school students.
“This was the first time in my life that I lived in a
place with almost no access to reading material,”
Moberly said.
She wanted to do her job as their English teacher
— she wanted her students to fall in love with reading
as she had done as a child. But it was difficult without
books for her classroom. When she went home during
Christmas break she gathered 40 books and brought
“Ms. Moberly’s Library” back to Honduras. She soon realized what the gift of reading could mean to someone.
Traveling Stories has established libraries in villages across the globe where children have never had
access to books.
Traveling Stories is also dedicated to helping kids
in the U.S. develop strong literacy skills through pop-
up story tents for at-risk children in San Diego. Held
at farmer’s markets, community fairs and festivals,
the StoryTent program rewards children for reading by giving them “Book Bucks.” Companies and
individuals then sponsor prizes which the children
can buy with their “Book Bucks” — everything from
snacks to sporting goods.
“I realized that there are a lot of organizations taking care of people’s physical needs, but who’s investing in imaginations?” Moberly said.
Moberly’s innovative program garnered the attention of Forbes, which named her one of the “10
Female Entrepreneurs in San Diego to Watch,” and
Microsoft, which featured her story on their blog and
social media feeds.
DAVE AND MEL MURRAY
DAVID LEVAN
n DAVID LEVAN ’87 | ADVANTAX
Tax Consultant Saves Clients Millions
David LeVan’s career in valuation consulting
quickly took a turn into property tax when he went to
work for Kraft Foods. After leading his team to save
Kraft $10 million in taxes, LeVan, a 1987 graduate of
JBU, saw the need in the property tax industry.
In 1994 he founded Advantax, one of the United
States’ premier property tax consulting firms based
in Illinois but serving clients in all 50 states.
LeVan has spent over 20 years contributing to
property tax industry education through course development, leading professional education committees and teaching in conjunction with several tax re-
lated organizations. The Institute for Professionals in
Taxation (IPT) recognized LeVan for his leadership
in the development of the Intermediate Property Tax
School at Georgia Tech. LeVan was also the winner of
IPT’s inaugural instructor of the year award.
LeVan is also the president and founder of Harriette’s Song, a charity dedicated to creating opportunities for children in poverty. A portion of the
company’s profits go toward work that has included
building an orphanage in Nigeria.
LeVan and his wife Leslie ’87, established the LeVan Family Endowed Scholarship at JBU in 2014.
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 19
{ COVER STORY }
n DAVID FIELDS ’97 | SOLVE
Alumnus Tames Influx of Data for Clients
Many businesses struggle with sorting through a
massive influx of data on a daily basis. Co-founded by
David Fields ’97, Solve is a business intelligence and
application development firm that gives businesses a
solution to their data problems.
With offices in Chicago, Milwaukee and Northwest
Arkansas, Fields and his colleagues seek to distinguish themselves by listening to their clients and developing technology that helps their clients according to their unique business needs.
“Most companies drink from a fire hose of data of
EMILY MOBERLY
“I enjoyed serving people in a way that they were not
regularly being served—they were usually really thankful and it felt gratifying,” said Fields. He then caught a
vision for the company that would become Solve.
various kinds, and they struggle to tame it and turn
it into an asset they can leverage to accomplish their
mission,” said Fields. “Solve helps clients build systems to leverage data for all kinds of purposes — in
retail, manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace, food
production — really all kinds of industries.”
Fields originally came to JBU to major in engineering, but after three semesters, switched to
math and math education. After graduation he
taught school but then began doing after hours IT
consulting.
NEIL GREENHAW
“I’d describe myself as an accidental entrepreneur—
Solve is a surprise and a blessing. I never expected to
do what I’m doing now. God blessed me with something special to steward and manage,” Fields said.
n TONY WRIGHT ’95 | WRIGHTIMC
Search Engine Pioneer Helps Clients Get Noticed
With 4.71 billion web pages world wide, businesses,
especially smaller ones, find it difficult to stand out.
Tony Wright ’95 has built a $3 million business helping companies get noticed online.
Wright is the founder and CEO of WrightIMC,
which specializes in search engine optimization (SEO)
14
20 | | Brown
BrownBulletin
Bulletin| |Fall
Fall2015
2015
and digital marketing. SEO is the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a specific website.
After graduating from JBU with a degree in journalism, Wright wrote for several newspapers before
getting his master’s degree with an emphasis in advertising. His first post-grad school job was for Weber
{ COVER STORY }
Shandwick, one of the largest PR firms in the world.
“I was asked if I could do search engine optimization.
Even though I had no idea what I was doing, I learned,”
said Wright. “Now, 16 years later, I’m considered a pioneer in digital marketing and an expert in SEO.”
His role as CEO revolves around new business
development, but he still gets involved in the SEO
trenches. Wright says he’d like to hit the $10 million
mark before the business turns 10 in two years.
After that, Wright says, “I find my dreams being
more about what I can do for my family than what I
can further accomplish.”
n NEIL GREENHAW ’04 | HAXTON ROAD STUDIOS
Bentonville Music Scene Bolstered by Alumnus
Offering musicians an escape from the usual fastpaced, big-city music scene, the Northwest Arkansas area is rapidly becoming a center for the arts
DAVID FIELDS
for the arts. This is only the beginning.”
After living in Nashville for three years and touring
worldwide with his band The Katinas, guitar player
Greenhaw wanted a chance to bring his professional experience back to Northwest Arkansas. In 2007
Greenhaw relocated to Bentonville with the dream of
cultivating its music scene.
“We saw a hole in this part of the country and we
are doing our best to fill it,” Greenhaw said.
Following the opening of Crystal Bridges Museum
of American Art in 2011, the city of Bentonville has
developed into an epicenter for creativity and artistic
expression.
Greenhaw says of the city, “I see this place as a
breeding ground for creative people and of course the
collaborative spirit here is like no other.”
and a developing hotbed for the music industry.
JBU alumnus and entrepreneur Neil Greenhaw ’04
believes, “Bentonville will be in the history books
TONY WRIGHT
Greenhaw founded Haxton Road Studios in 2011
with the hope of influencing the studio’s surrounding
culture and providing artists with Nashville-quality
recording in a small town atmosphere.
“I wanted to help create and shape culture, and in
the case of Northwest Arkansas, help provide a professional music and arts industry. The studio was a
direct result of that,” Greenhaw said.
Focusing on the client experience, Haxton Road
Studios has enjoyed tremendous success. Greenhaw
says that by the time the studio was ready to open
they were completely booked with a six month waiting list.
The studio has even seen one of its artists, Barrett
Baber, perform at the Grammys and be featured on the
popular television singing competition, The Voice.
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 21
{ HOMECOMING }
{HOMECOMING}
HOMECOMING 2015
PHOTOS BY LORIE SIMPSON ’17, CLAYTON LYON ’17 & KELLY SAUNDERS ’12
HERITAGE SOCIETY
(Front Row) Donna Bowling, Ted Weathers, Jane Weathers, Martha Sheets, Jim Sheets, Margaret Weathers, Thera Barber, Miriam Feaster,
Margaret Wills, Paul Wills, Betty Cook, Bob Cook, Nany Netherton, Flo Anglin, Karen Brown Wilt (Second Row) Rachel Van Amburg, Jo Moll,
Phyllis Cauwels, Sally Weaver, John Garst, Helen Garst, Darali Phillips, Beverly Miller, Sue Felix, Joyce Richards, Frank Kinsman, Bill Miller, Jack
Netherton, Marilyn Holliday, Ruth Miller, Alice McQuay (Third Row) Joe Zimmerman, Shelly VanAmburg, Allen Moll, Jack Cauwels, Gil Weaver,
AJ Anglin, Paul Cauwels, Maurice Rankin, Fred Ludwig, Marion Snider, Clark Barnes, Skip Murphy, Lee Netherton, Nancy Janssen, Minnaclaire
Arnold, Robyn Petelski, Nick Petelski (Back Row) Bill Brown, Armand Janssen
Over 800 people visited campus Homecoming weekend
Oct. 2-3. Along with class reunion gatherings, attendees
enjoyed alumni rugby and men’s basketball games, the freshman production of “Harvey” and major-specific activities for
English and digital cinema.
On Saturday nearly 500 people attended the early screening of “Loving Lynda,” a film produced by Jacob Roebuck ’97
featuring the love story of Professor Emeritus Jim Walters
and his wife Lynda.
(Top) Current and alumni rugby players circle up for prayer. (Above
Left) The freshman production of “Harvey” featuring Megan Hansen,
Luke Merrick, Franklin Davidson, Ashley Burger, Josiah Coroama,
Levi Branstetter, Dylan White. (Above Right) The 2015 Homecoming
court included freshman Theo Young & Haven Brown; sophomores
Humberto Smith Zuniga & Kate Barlowe; juniors Jacob Hash & Greta
Smith; King Luke Dinger & Queen Elizabeth Flora-Swick; and seniors
Ethan Penner, Ariel Lyon, Kenny Crane and Jana Strom (Above
Middle) A Q&A session with Dr. Jim Walters and the films producers
followed the screening of “Loving Lynda.” (Far Right) Current and
alumni basketball players engage in a friendly rivalry. (Right) 1995
alumni Debra Olson, Mary Barnes, Julie Gumm, Kelley Burwick (’93)
and Carrie Eben catch up over coffee in the Walker Student Center.
(Bottom Right) Alumni hop on golf courts to tour the campus.
CLASS OF ’70
(Back Row) Marjorie Nanta, Carol Fowler, Peggy McNally, Val Eldridge,
Linda Vissering, Stephen Moose, Dennis McClain, John Young, Bruce
Tripke, Gayle Young, Bill Naramore, Donna Peters, Marvin Peters,
Donald Emanuel, Unidentified, Unidentified, Steve Quigg, Unidentified
(Front Row) Unidentified, Deborah Oates, Mary Kline, Edalyn Low, Unidentified, Jane Denial, Peggy Bodie, Dennis Gutenberger, Elaine Jury,
Jan Peck, Janet Naramore, John McCollough, Unidentified, Unidentified, Betty Anne Tripke, Ann Quigg, Les Kline
CLASS OF ’65
(Front Row) Miriam Feaster, Sue Felix, Margaret Wills, Flo Anglin (Second Row) Darali Phillips, Beverly Miller, Joyce Richards, Jack Netherton (Back Row) Fred Lugwig, Armand Janssen
CLASS OF ’05
Spouses, children and alumni
of 2005 gather at Bob Henry
Park. Alumni Pictured: Tim Miller,
Jessica Naramore, Leah Saieg,
Allie Bramon, Laura Burmeister,
Chris Bush, Pam Gilbertson, Pam
Ozenberger, Kyla Nichols, Rebecca Entwistle, Heidi Meythaler,
Josue Galan, Abbi Andrus,
Casey Haase, Chase Willsey, Jill
Ellingson, Kristy Morrow, Marikit
Schwartz Fain, Jeremy Turley, Kim
Reading, Katy Seitzler, Ellen Davis, Luke Davis, Heidi Tankersley,
Allie Arant
See more photos on our
Facebook page — just
scan the QR code.
22 | Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 23
{ H O M E C O M I N G AWA R D S }
OUTSTANDING ALUMNI
AWARD: PAUL &
MARGARET WILLS
Margaret (Harrell) Wills ’65 graduated from JBU with a degree in secondary
education. She then earned her master’s
and then a doctorate in higher education
with a teaching field of history.
She taught American history at the
University of Arkansas, Fort Smith and
served on the board of the Arkansas
Community Foundation as an appointee
of Gov. Mike Huckabee.
A mother, grandmother, writer
and poet, Wills is dedicated to helping
people experience hope, wisdom and
faith in their spiritual journey.
Paul graduated in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry before getting
his medical degree from Baylor College
of Medicine. He served two years in the
U.S. Air Force before dedicating his life
to the practice of medicine.
Paul has served on the board of
directors of numerous organizations,
including JBU, and is a past chairman of
the Board of Governors of the American
Academy of Otolaryngology Head and
Neck Surgery (AAOHNS). In 2000 Paul
received the Presidential Citation from
AAOHNS, the highest honor bestowed.
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD: MARVIN SPEES
For the three years after graduating
from JBU, Marvin worked in the regional office for YFC organizing camps,
24 |
Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
conferences and
trips for a 10 state
region. His father,
who had suffered
some health issues,
and his business
partner asked Spees
to return to the oil
company where he had worked at as
a high schooler. He returned, eventually buying the company in 1985. In
the tough oil and gas industry, Spees
has tried to create a company based on
integrity and honesty, where people
can see God’s love through his dealings
with them. In 1995 Marvin served as
the president of his state trade association, and since then has been active in
state and national politics.
CHRISTIAN SERVICE
AWARD: ANDREW
JAMES PEARSON
During his time
teaching at JBU,
Pearson and his
wife Melly led
three summer trips
to radio station
HCJB in Ecuador.
During each trip,
Pearson took a group of students to
work on various engineering projects.
Pearson has also been on the Board of
Directors of New Life Ranch and on
the Board of Earth Mission for over 30
years.
YOUNG EAGLE AWARD:
BENJAMIN RASMUSSEN
Benjamin Rasmussen grew up in
a missionary family
in the Philippines
and came to JBU
in 2003 to major
in journalism. He
quickly realized
that his passion was
photojournalism.
Rasmussen has a master’s degree in
{ GOLDEN EAGLE NEWS & NOTES }
photojournalism and has worked for
publications including GQ, Businessweek, ESPN the Magazine, The New
York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
He has been written about in TIME and
Wired, and talked about on CNN, NPR
and ABC. He the 2010 Picture of the
Year Award and was named one of Photo District News 30 new and emerging
photographers to watch in 2014.
CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
AWARD: LINDA
VISSERING
Linda Vissering has spent her
career as a missionary at Wycliffe
Bible Translators.
She has spent the
majority of her
time in Papua New
Guinea. She earned
a master’s degree in linguistics from
the University of Hawaii. She and her
husband, Norm, have studied Aramaic
and moved to Fort Morgan, Colo.
Men’s Soccer Team Starts Season
Serving Camp Siloam
The men’s soccer team kicked off
their preseason by serving at Camp
Siloam, which offers programs for
elementary to high school age children.
The team built part of a bike trail,
cleaned up brush and moved fallen
trees within a week’s time.
With 13 new players, it was essential
that the team learn to work together
to accomplish projects. Initial plans to
host a soccer camp in Memphis were
changed when the heat index went
over 100 degrees. Despite the change
of plans, the men were able to make a
visible impact at the camp.
OUTSTANDING SENIOR
AWARD: EMILY HACKETT
Emily Hackett
dedicates much of
her time to helping others, whether
working as a learning
coach, tutor or mentor through programs
at JBU, in the Siloam
Springs community
and in nearby Watts, Okla. Hackett, an
Honors Program student, also has led
growth groups and Bible studies and plays
keyboard in JBU’s Jazz Band. She also spent
four weeks teaching school in Uganda during the summer of 2014.
Know an alumnus that deserves
recognition? You can find the Alumni
Award Criteria and the nomination
form at www.jbu.edu/alumni/recognition.
Women’s Soccer Team Returns to
Texas Town to Serve Community
The women’s soccer team returned
to Peñitas, Texas, once again to host a
soccer camp after serving the community in the summer of 2012. The team
taught technical soccer skills and biblical principles to kids ranging from five
to 18 years of age. A worship concert
was held each night after camp ended
as people from other communities
were invited to gather and celebrate the
gospel.
Holt Named NAIA National
Defensive Player of the Week
Sophomore keeper Adam Holt was
named the NAIA men’s soccer National
Defender of the Week on Sept. 29.
Holt, a native of
Tulsa, Okla., led
JBU to one of the
most historic wins in
program history on
Sept. 22 at Oklahoma
Wesleyan. Holt made
five saves in JBU’s 1-0
victory over thenNo. 13 OW in Bartlesville. The upset
victory came against the highest-ranked
team that John Brown has ever beaten
on the road.
athletes to spend time with the youth of
our community.
Tennis Begins Annual Junior Clinic
The JBU Tennis teams and Coach Paul
Pautsch have a desire to build a “tennis community” in Siloam Springs. In
conjunction with the US Tennis Association, the team offered a free clinic
for kids in the community ages 6-18.
The goal was to learn about tennis and
have the opportunity for our student-
Fall Sports Make History
For the first time, all three teams —
men’s soccer (8-1-0), women’s soccer
(7-1-1) and volleyball (10-6) will host
Sooner Athletic Conference tournament
quarterfinal games. Both the men’s and
women’s soccer teams finished in second
place in the conference while volleyball
finished in fourth place.
Men’s Soccer Captures Best
Conference Finish In
Program History
For the first time in program history,
the men’s soccer team finished the
Sooner Athletic Conference slate with
an 8-1-0 record. It set program singleseason records in wins, win percentage
(.889) and overall finish (2nd). The
lone loss came at top-seeded and undefeated Science & Arts (Okla.).
JBU finished the regular season with
a 12-5-1 overall record, it’s best winning percentage (.632) since the 2004
season.
Freshman midfielder Tainara Oliveira, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, cuts around the
defense in the Oct. 3 game against Bacone (Okla.). JBU defeated Bacone 8-0.
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 25
{ A L U M N I F E AT U R E }
{ A L U M N I F E AT U R E }
JBU ALUMNI
MOVE
DOWNTOWN
BY MORGAN SCHOLZ ‘13
Alumni entrepreneurs and artisans contribute to downtown renaissance
Just one mile from JBU’s main campus, alumni may have many memories
of historic downtown Siloam Springs.
The small, sleepy downtown you may
remember is in the middle of a vibrant
renaissance.
Some major catalysts for this downtown boom are JBU alumni who
chose to remain in or return to Siloam
Springs, and their spirit of entrepreneurship is burgeoning not only the
economic vitality of Siloam Springs,
but also the connectedness of the entire
community.
“All it takes is a quick stroll through
downtown to see that John Brown
University Alumni are a vital part of
the Siloam Springs historic district
revitalization,” said Meredith Bergstrom
’08, executive director of Main Street
Siloam Springs. Bergstrom explained
that many JBU alumni have become
entrepreneurs responsible for opening
businesses downtown, and several more
have invested as property owners completing commendable building restoration projects.
“Downtown Siloam Springs has
26 | Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
changed drastically over the last eight
to 10 years, literally transforming from
a street full of vacant storefronts to a
vibrant business district with eateries
and unique retail, in no small part due
to JBU alumni who are part of that
movement,” Bergstrom said.
Take, for example, brothers-in-law
Scott Jones ’96 and Tom Leadabrand
’02, owners of Fratelli’s Woodfire
Pizzeria. Scott and Tom opened their
business in downtown Siloam Springs
after realizing that this region lacked a
very important item: real Italian pizza.
Established in 2009, Fratelli’s is now
a celebrated Siloam staple. But great
pizza isn’t all Scott and Tom brought to
downtown Siloam Springs – they also
brought a sense of community to their
business. They offer pizza even to those
who can’t pay, open their Rialto room
to myriad community events, and have
become a hub for soccer fans to watch
tournaments.
Care and community are trends in
JBU alumni business owners. Bruce
Williams ’76 moved away from Siloam
Springs shortly after graduation, but he
and his wife Joyce (Lomax) Williams
’73 say that even though they don’t live
in Siloam Springs, they still feel a part
of the community. “We never left this
town – we don’t live here, but we’ve
never left.”
They’ve invested in property
throughout Siloam Springs for over 45
years, including the stunning development of the old Morris Hotel downtown. The Williams continue to invest
in Siloam for two reasons, according to
Mr. Williams: “It’s pretty simple. The
people here are really genuine, and we
love our alma mater.”
Though they’ve invested in lots of
places and properties, Siloam Springs
is the most rewarding, and not just
financially: “Siloam has the most consistent returns we’ve ever seen, yes, but
investing here keeps me connected to
the people I care about.You can’t buy
that.”
Luke Davis ’05, owner of Main
Street Studios, knows all about staying
connected. As a professional photographer for over 10 years, Luke hypothesizes that he’s documented about half
of Siloam Springs. The result? “Every
time I go anywhere, I end up stopping
to chat with someone about something.
I love that. I have discovered that there
is so much more to this town than I
knew as a student at JBU.”
Anna Buck ’10, owner of Joy of
Motion Dance Studio, has made that
discovery too. Anna moved to Siloam in
her senior year at JBU and realized that
it was an ideal place to grow her dance
business. Anna opened her dance studio
in January 2014, and her business
doubled within a year. But it’s not just
business to Anna – it’s community.
“I enjoy having ballet students that I see
regularly around town, at church, etc. I
like the feel of a smaller community with
people who support me,” she said.
That support is always mutual in
downtown Siloam Springs. Matt ’05
and Meghan ’07 Feyerabend, owners
of Lokalen Frame Shop, Feyerabend
Photoartists, and Pure Joy Ice Cream,
contribute countless hours of volunteerism and leadership towards defining and expanding the artistic culture
of Siloam Springs. According to Matt,
“We really felt that Siloam had a great
community of people and businesses. It
was an unusual mix of highly creative
people with talent and vision in a small
town with tons of potential.”
This “unusual mix” is what draws
prospective business owners to downtown Siloam Springs, and these business owners, in turn, draw visitors,
investors, students, and residents. It’s
hard to say what happened first – the
supportive downtown community or
the uniquely engaged businesses – but
they certainly wouldn’t have happened apart from each other, and they
are, together, what makes downtown
Siloam Springs the vibrant, growing
place that it is.
(Opposite) The historic downtown
buildings once vacant are now nearly all full. (Top Left) JBU alumni Meredith Bergstrom and Morgan Scholz
walk past one of the many boutique
shops. (Photos courtesy Main Street
Siloam Springs) (Top right) Tom
Leaderbrand tosses pizza dough
in the kitchen of Fratelli’s Woodfire
Pizzeria. (Above right) Luke Davis
bought Main Street Studios in 2007.
(Left) Students of Anna Buck’s Joy
in Motion Dance Studio pose near a
historic advertisement on an old fire
escape (Photo Samuel Skeirik).
Additional Downtown
Alumni Entrepreneurs
Bryson Moore ’06
Verge Videos
Tyler Carroll ’05
TC Screenprinting
Mike Butler ’93
Ehrlich Motorwerks
Robin Stewart ’87
Bathe
David Fields ’97
Solve
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 27
{ ALUMNI NEWS }
ALUMNI MILESTONES
Mark Bowling ’85 works at South-
west Power Pool (SPP) as a regional
power grid operator
and has been appointed Director
of Compliance and
Security. Bowling
will oversee the
company’s compliance policies and
procedures. Bowling is a certified FBI
Computer Intrusion and Computer
Crime Investigator.
Hannah Hall ’05 recently released
“God Bless Our Fall,” the sixth book in
the “God Bless” children’s series. Hall
ministers to moms
through speaking and
her blog and plans to
release three books
in 2016.
Ralph Hudson ’04 graduated from
the organizational management program and was appointed by Governor
Asa Hutchinson in
January to be the
deputy director of
the Arkansas Department of Labor. He
lives in Little Rock
during the week, and drives home to
Springdale during the weekends.
Tami (Leadabrand) Jones ’98 released a CD, “To Fly” — a collection of
piano compositions.
She has been composing since college and
the Cathedral Choir
performed one of her
compositions on a
tour in 1998.
Bill Naramore ’70 former Cathedral
28 | Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
Copyright 2015 Ben Bugg
Choir member, and a member of First
Baptist Choir (Dallas), participated in a
joint concert with Sandi Patty at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Included
on the program was Janet (Ezell)
Naramore ’72, who signed one of
the choir’s anthems in American Sign
Language. Bill is now a financial advisor
with Granite Financial Group and Janet
teaches American Sign Language at
First Baptist Academy in Dallas, Texas.
Derick “DB” Palmer ’02 is assistant
professor and lead faculty of outdoor
studies and adventure film for the
University of Alaska
at Prince William
Sound College in Valdez. He was selected
to speak at the Balta Film Festival and
be a judge for the Why Not? Adventure
Film Festival in Ireland. Palmer developed and directs the only regionallyaccredited adventure film program in
the nation. Palmer and his wife Greta,
(Nousen) ’01, work internationally and
all over the western U.S.
Brad Poland ’91 just celebrated his
15-year anniversary with ExxonMobil,
currently working as a CAT Sector
Manager. Poland had previously worked
with Sapp Bros. Petroleum for 11 years
and served as a vice president and
division manager. He is living in Grand
Island, Neb.
Matt Schulte ’02 was elected to
the Lincoln Public School Board on
May 5, 2015. On the LPS Board, Matt
{ ALUMNI NEWS }
will help oversee a
school district serving 40,000 students
and a general fund
budget of nearly
$400 million. Matt
and his family have
lived in Lincoln,
Neb. for five years where he also serves
as the executive director of Youth for
Christ.
Bill Smallman ’62 and his wife Doris
Klett ’62 served in Manaus, Amazo-
nas, Brazil through the 1970s, teaching
and planting a church. Bill earned his
doctorate of missiology from Trinity
International University and retired
from Baptist Mid-Missions in 2009. He
has written several books on theology
and religion. The Smallmans live near
Cleveland, Ohio.
John W. Stuart ’90 was recently
was awarded the
Robert A. Lee Award
in Church History.
The award is given
to the student with
the highest academic
ranking in the Department of Church
History. He now lives in Pittsburgh,
Penn., and works for Community
Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon as its
Director of Christian Education. He
plans to continue ministering with the
Presbyterian Church (USA) by focusing on education, and hopes to teach
humanities in academia.
N E W A R R I VA L S
Steve Tuzeneu ’84 began a new job
sha welcomed daughter Crislee Ann
on June 30. John and Marsha are both
educators in Natchitoches Parish, La.
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and
Kayla Hubbell ’12 married Logan
Reed on Jan. 3 at San Moritz Lodge in
Crestline, Calif. They live in St. Petersburg, Fla. They currently serve in a
variety of ministries with their church.
Alumnus Creates Life-Saving
Flooring Solution for Refugees
Scott Key ’09 (above left) and business
partner, Sam Brisendine, created a unique
flooring solution for refugee buildings to
shield against parasites, soil and waterborne diseases, and hypothermia.
Below are excerpts from recent
alumni stories featured on our website.
Read full stories at jbu.edu/features.
Jon Crenshaw ’99 & ’05 and wife
Nikki welcomed daughter Lexi Kate on
Nov 29, 2014.
Matt Williams ‘10 graduated from
WEDDINGS
A L U M N I F E AT U R E S
named president of Reyco Granning,
a company that
designs and manufactures air, steel
spring, and auxiliary
suspensions used by
truck, trailer and
specialty vehicle
OEMs. Stuart has
25 years of experience in the heavyduty transportation industry.
as network staff engineer with the Bible
Broadcasting Network in Charlotte,
N.C. He lives in the
Carolinas with his
wife Lois (Kurlowich), ’83. They are
planning to buy a
home in South Carolina in the upcoming months. Tuzeneu would like to
someday own a radio station.
organized by Golden Globe nominated
actress Joey Lauren Adams.
John Daugherty ’06 and wife Mar-
Emily (Ortiz) & Steven Madsen ’11
welcomed their son, Noah Andrew, on
Oct. 29 in Raleigh, N.C.
Film Delves into Issue of
Genetically Modified Food
The films of Jeremy Seifert ’99
document and expose large-scale social
issues. His most recent film, “GMO
OMG” explores the effects that GMOs
have on public health.
Alumnus Celebrates Hometown
with Vintage Postcard Mural
Alumnus and adjunct instructor
Kirk Demarais ’95 painted a 60 by
20 foot mural, titled Greetings from
Siloam Springs, designed to look like a
vintage postcard to welcome incoming
guests into the city.
Cinema Alumnae and Students
Screened Films at Local Festival
JBU alumnae screened their narrative and documentary films as part of
the Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) in
May. The BFF was founded by Academy
Award and Golden Globe award winner Geena Davis and producer Trevor
Drinkwater, and the screenings were
Lutz Follows Her Dreams,
Sets Sights on Broadway
Janelle Lutz’09 has set her sights on
Broadway in New York City after climbing the theater ranks in Dallas, Texas
with roles like Judy Garland in “The
Boy From Oz.”
Send your news for publication in the Brown
Bulletin to jgumm@jbu.edu.
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 29
{ IN MEMORIAM }
Mildred (Cossey) Barnard, age
101, died Sept. 5.
She majored in office
administration at JBU,
and later worked for
Wheaton College in
Illinois and Horder’s in
Chicago.
the U.S. Army during World War II, and
retired with over 30
years of service from
Western Electric as
senior engineer.
Hardy Hayes ’49, age 91, died Aug.
11. He received his
bacherlors degree in
physical health and
education from JBU
and a master’s degree
in education administration from University
of Missouri-St. Louis. He was a youth
minister, high school athletic director,
teacher and coach as well as serving in
several community organizations.
18. He graduated from
JBU with a bachelor’s
degree in radio production. He served in
the Army from 1943 to
1946. As a missionary
in Japan and Ecuador
he helped start Christian radio stations.
He then managed Christian radio stations in Florida and Wisconsin, spent 11
years with Northwestern College Radio Network, and helped Rio Grande
Bible Institute begin Radio Hope.
William Conner, Jr. ’47, age 94, died
Samuel Hendrich ’49, age 96, died
Troy Brody ’95, age 47, died Oct.
March 6. Born in
Osage County, Okla.,
he graduated from
JBU with a degree in
building construction
technology.
William Foreman, age 78, died June
9. He attended JBU
for three semesters,
beginning in 1959. He
worked at an insurance
company in Oklahoma
City and then in Siloam Springs. He later joined Franklin
Electric and retired after 37 years as
the corporate vice president.
Joel Freeman ’12, age 25, died June
28. He graduated from JBU with a
bachelor’s in mechanical engineering.
He was employed by Exterran Corp
and a member of Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, Okla.
Walter Hartman, Jr. ’52, age 91, died
May 13. He was a student at JBU in
the class of 1952. He was a veteran of
30 | Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
April 19. He graduated from JBU with a
bachelor’s degree in
aeronautical engineering and was a World
War II Navy veteran.
He helped build Grace
Baptist Church in Smith Center, Kan.,
where he taught adult Sunday school,
and was a deacon, trustee and treasurer.
Joseph Kendrick ’07, age 39, died on
Aug. 19. He graduated
from JBU with a degree in organizational
management. An avid
sportsman, he worked
18 years at Ken’s
Discount in El Dorado,
Ark., where he became manager.
Joseph Keyser, age 80, died on March
17. He was a member
of the class of 1957
and majored in broadcasting. He served in
the Air Force, graduated from Boise State
{ IN MEMORIAM }
University in 1972, and retired from
Caldwell School District in 1987.
Reva Maxine (Feaster) Lierly, age
93, died Aug. 14. She
taught kindergarten
through eighth grade
at a one-room schoolhouse before attending
college. She studied
elementary education
at JBU for two years as a member of
the class of 1947. She and her husband
were founding members of South Lakewood Baptist Church in Tulsa, Okla.
Pearl (Babb) Milburn, age 86, died
Aug. 1. She studied
business administration as a member of
the class of 1950. She
worked for American
Airlines for 20 years,
and then worked as a
payroll clerk for the City of Claremore,
Okla. for nearly 20 years.
George “Tad” Mindeman, age 61,
died Oct. 20. He
served as the director of library Services
at JBU from 1990 to
1999. Most recently
he was the director of
library services at Covenant College. Under
his guidance, Covenant’s Kresge Memorial Library became the 11th library
in the world to go live with the Online
Computer Library Center’s cloudbased integrated operating system.
Bryan Morgan, age 79, died April 11.
He studied business administration at JBU as a
member of the class of
1990. He worked for
Union Pacific Railroad,
Bourns Aerospace,
City of Siloam Springs
Electric, Gates Rubber Co. and Day-
spring. He also trained for the senior
Olympics and self-published a collection of poetry.
Puerto Rico where she taught at the
Caribbean School. She moved to Kentucky in 1966.
Lawrence (Larry) Pontier ’56, age
Kenneth Schroeder
’67, age 70, died July
84, died March 20.
He graduated from
JBU with a bachelor’s
degree in mechanical
engineering. He served
in the U.S. Army for
two years and was a
missionary in the Congo for nine years. He later taught math
and science in Florida and then became
a real estate agent. He was active in The
Gideons and his church.
Courtney Pruitt ’15, age 36, died on
Sept.14. She received
her master’s in counseling from JBU. She
worked at Bost as a
counselor helping families and individuals,
and was a member of
the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Jonelle W. Rodriguez
’48, age 88, died Aug.
6. She studied science
at JBU. After graduating, she got married
and later moved to
20. He received a
Bachelor of Science in
chemistry from JBU
and attended Rutgers
University in 1968. He had a career
in analytical chemistry and retired in
2006.
Edwin Schultz, age 93, died April 9.
He met his wife Mary Durham while
attending JBU. He flew more than 20
combat missions over Japan and Korea
and was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross for a mission over Tokyo
on May 24, 1945. After returning to
Enid, Colo., he went to work for Union
Equity for the next forty years.
Melinda (Nantz)
Sedlmeier ’95, age
42, died Sept. 20 with
her husband and two
children in a car accident. She met her husband, Roland,
in Kenya on a mission trip with Mission Aviation Fellowship. She worked
as an International Mission Board
missionary in Kenya, and was later
seconded to AIM AIR.
Jonathan Sherman Smith ’61, age
79, died July 12. He received his bachelor’s degree from JBU and his master’s
in theology from Dallas Theological
Seminary in 1965. He pastored various
churches in Arkansas, Texas and Colorado for nearly 50 years and taught Bible
and theology at several colleges.
Ramon H. Soden
’54, died April 1. He
studied mechanical
engineering at JBU
after three years in the
military. He earned
his commercial pilot’s
license, which took him to Boeing, Sylvania and Lear-Siegler. He worked as a
design engineer at the Sacramento U.S.
Army Depot.
Doug Wentworth,
age 79, died Sept. 19.
He began his broadcasting career in 1953
while a student at JBU,
later working as a radio
announcer at WDUX in Waupaca, Wisc.
In 1960 he began a 25-year stint at
WJBL in Holland, Mich. He broadcast
the Calvin College men’s basketball
games for 50 years.
The JBU campus boasts a colorful display of fall foliage.
Fall 2015 |
Brown Bulletin | 31
{ FROM THE EDITOR — LUCAS ROEBUCK ’97 }
Making History Digital
I’ve been thinking a lot about the JBU
historical archives.
I know, a strange topic to ruminate
on to be sure, but as JBU approaches our
centennial celebration in 2019, finding
great historical nuggets to highlight our
100-year journey is at the top of our
minds. The Alumni Office and University Communications are working on
several not-so-top secret projects for the
centennial, including a coffee table book,
JBU history booklet and an interactive
website with historical videos.
All of those projects require source
material, and the bulk of that material
will be found in the JBU archives.
Marikit Schwartz Fain ’05, JBU’s archivist, has a tremendously overwhelming job: organizing the tens of thousands
of photographs, slides, newspapers,
yearbooks, documents, VHS tapes, vinyl,
16 mm films and more that, in aggregate, represent the 96 years of university
history.
University Communications is teaming up with Marikit to capture all JBU’s
historical media and convert it into a
digital format. Once these items are
digital, we will have the ability to make
some of these previously hard-to-access
artifacts available to the public through a
special website.
To help us sort, classify and search all
these materials, we’ve recently launched
a Digital Asset Manager, or DAM for
short. (The abbreviation still gets a
junior high-styled snicker out of some
of the more immature members of the
communications staff.) We’ll spend the
next few years digitizing the historical
record, making history digital.
Of course, the entirety of JBU’s
historical record is not found in JBU
archives. It’s found in your scrapbooks,
old shoe boxes gathering dust in the attic, and even in photos hanging on your
walls.
32 | Brown Bulletin | Fall 2015
Alumni, we’d love to have photos from
your time at JBU in the historical record.
I am particularly interested in photos
showing student life — hanging out in
the dorm, playing Frisbee on the quad,
going on TWIRP and MICE dates —
from the various decades.We’d especially
love to have more photos pre-digital
photography era — say before 1999.
If you’d like to scan your photos and
e-mail them to me, I’ll make sure they
are included in the historical record.
Please make sure to identify everyone in
the photo, approximate date and event if
applicable. Generally speaking the best
scanned photos will have a file size between 1 MB and 10 MB.You can e-mail
me at lroebuck@jbu.edu.
Marikit would also like alumni to
know that JBU Archives would also be
happy to home the physical photographs
and artifact donations as well. If you
would like to send your donations to
JBU archives, be sure to include as much
information about the photos as possible,
and contact information for Marikit to
reach you if she needs additional information. Donations can be sent to JBU
Archives, 2000 W. University, Siloam
Springs, AR 72761.
Of course, so far, there is no way to
digitally capture the physical objects that
are part of the artifact collection. When
I was last down in the archives, I was
particularly intrigued with a toy duck
made in JBU’s woodshop in the 1950s,
an oversized slide rule (my student work
study had to ask what it was) and the actual chair that sat in the Founder’s office
for many years.
I’m sure over the next 20 years as
3D imaging and printing becomes more
sophisticated, we’ll be able to digitize
those, too.
Lucas Roebuck is editor of the Brown Bulletin
and chief communications officer for JBU.
IF EVERYONE
GAVE ONE*
OF THESE...
we could award
260
student
scholarships
A wooden duck built by JBU students
more than 60 years ago and a slide
rule used for many calculations in
many classes in years past are on
display in the JBU Archives. (Photos
Lorie Simpson)
*Of course we’ll gladly accept
more than one — the point is
that little gifts matter!
WAYS TO GIVE
Online: www. jbu.edu/giving
By Phone: 479-524-7492
(M-F 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
By Mail: Office of Univ. Advancement
2000 West University
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
Non Profit Org
US Postage PAID
John Brown University
2000 W. University Street
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
䘀攀戀爀甀愀爀礀 ㄀㤀琀栀 愀渀搀 ㈀ 琀栀
眀眀眀⸀樀戀甀⸀攀搀甀⼀昀愀洀椀氀礀
匀瀀漀渀猀漀爀攀搀 戀礀 䨀䈀唀 倀愀爀攀渀琀 刀攀氀愀琀椀漀渀猀