Nursing grads enjoy combined ceremony
SPRINGFIELD—History was made Dec. 17 when the first combined pinning and commencement ceremony was held for St. John’s College of Nursing & Health Sciences of Southwest Baptist University (SBU).
Ridgecrest Baptist Church here hosted the event for 100 nursing graduates.
SBU and St. John’s joined together in 1996 to offer academic degrees in nursing. Since 1905, St. John’s nursing graduates have been presented with a pin to symbolically welcome them into the profession. In the past, students attended the pinning ceremony in Springfield and commencement on the SBU Bolivar campus.
“Faculty and students are excited about our first combined commencement and pinning ceremony in Springfield,” said Carole Eldridge, college of nursing dean. “With the continued growth in the number of our nursing graduates we hope combining pinning and commencement into one ceremony will make this especially meaningful celebration more convenient for both students and families.”
Amy Grannemann spoke for the ASN graduating class. Faith Simmons, RN, represented the BSN graduating class.
Pleasant Valley pastor
celebrates his 40th year
LIBERTY – Vernon Armitage celebrated 40 years as senior pastor of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church here in December.
In 1969, when Armitage became pastor, the church, originally located in Pleasant Valley, had about 100 members. Today, the church has grown to about 5,000 members at two locations — Liberty and KCI (Platte County).
Under his leadership, the church has baptized about 5,000 people in the past 40 years. The church also was among the first in the nation to hold two Sunday Schools with two worship services, and later, it became one of the first Protestant churches in the nation to hold worship services on Saturday night. Growth led to the relocation of the church building in 1997 to Liberty, a suburb of Kansas City.
SBU receiver tabbed
to be in all-star game
EL PASO, Texas – Southwest Baptist University (SBU) Senior Wide Receiver Johnnie King has been selected to participate in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Texas vs. the Nation all-star game. The fourth annual event will be held Feb. 6 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas.
Texas vs. the Nation pits top collegiate senior all-stars with ties to the state of Texas against top seniors from around the nation. Players from all divisions compete in the event.
King had 51 catches for 730 yards and eight touchdowns for SBU.
Rogers keeps piling up
MIAA honors for SBU
KANSAS CITY—Southwest Baptist University (SBU) Center Matt Rogers earned his third MIAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award of the season, after averaging 26.5 points and 19 rebounds in two games recently for the Bearcats. It was the ninth time he has earned the award during his three-and-a-half year SBU career.
Through Jan. 22, Rogers is third on the all-time SBU scoring list with 1,626 points. John Willis (1982-1984, 1986-1988) is first with 1,752 points and Glenn Stanley (1988-1992) is second with 1,739 points.
Rogers is third on the SBU career rebounding list with 809. Stanley owns the SBU rebounding mark with 859.
He is also tied for the SBU career free throws made record at 381 with Donniel Harrell (1972-76).
SBU math students,
professor give talks
BOLIVAR – Southwest Baptist University Seniors Brooklyn Dye and Rebecca Jarred recently presented “Classroom Investigation: Fractional Forensics” with Professor of Mathematics Bob Glasgow at the annual conference of the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics, held in Columbia.
The presentation was the result of Dye and Jarred’s honors program senior capstone experience. The question of why children struggle with fractions was discussed within the presentation. The session was well-attended by middle school math teachers from across the state and many were interested in the findings. According to Glasgow, they are now working to publish the study.
Dye is a senior elementary education major with middle school mathematics certification from Blue Springs. Jarred is a senior mathematics major with secondary mathematics certification from Parkville.
SBU’s Psi Chi, SCJS
enjoy several activities
BOLIVAR– The National Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi) and Sociology and Criminal Justice Society (SCJS) students of Southwest Baptist University (SBU) recently participated in several activities.
Students Jon Shih, Katie Emery, Deidra Barringer, Chad Graves, Kaylan Lomax, Kacey Sawyer, Caitlin Winkler, Megan Ast, Megan Eubanks, Brandon Griffin, and Jennifer West represented SBU in the Midwestern Psychology Symposium at John Brown University. Shelley Kilpatrick, associate professor of psychology, sponsored the students in the event.
Psi Chi students were recently featured in the national magazine Eye on PSI CHI with their efforts of the GRE preparation course that was hosted this semester as well as their fundraising efforts during Homecoming.
Wooderson, Brown, Smith go in registry
BOLIVAR – Linda Wooderson of Southwest Baptist University (SBU) has recently been appointed as a biographical candidate to represent Bolivar in the 2009/2010 online Cambridge Who’s Who Registry Among Executive and Professional Women.
The office of managing director appoints individuals based upon a candidate’s current position, and usually with information obtained from researched executive and professional listings. Wooderson is dean of the Lewis E. Schollian College of Education and Social Sciences, professor of physical education, and acting chair of health, physical education and recreation.
Sandra Brown and Sharina Smith will both be included in the 2010 edition of the Marquis publication, Who’s Who in America, featuring the highest achievers and contributors from across the country. Brown is reference services librarian, university archivist, and an associate professor. Smith is senior director of marketing communications and an adjunct instructor.
Smith’s biography also is included in the 27th edition of the Marquis publication, Who’s Who in the World, which profiles the most accomplished men and women in the world for 2010.
SBU SIFE chapter hosts
creative marketing event
BOLIVAR– On Jan. 15, high school students from throughout the area converged on Southwest Baptist University (SBU) for a creative marketing competition that put their skills in entrepreneurship, marketing, and communication to the test.
The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter at SBU hosted the annual Strut Your Stuff (SYS) competition – an initiative that challenges student advertising teams to create a full-scale advertising campaign for a real-life company.
Oak Grove, Salem hosts marriage workshop
SALEM – Oak Grove Baptist Church will present “The Oneness Factor” a marriage workshop Feb. 26 6-9 p.m. Reservations are required and scholarships are available to those who qualify. Cost is $25 per couple, including a dinner. Call 573-729-3523 for more information.
Foundation contribution directs $15,000 to SBU
BOLIVAR – Southwest Baptist University will benefit from $15,000 recently contributed by the Commerce Bancshares Foundation to The Missouri Colleges Fund (MCF).
This grant underwrites the Commerce Bancshares Teacher Scholars Program by providing scholarships at each of the 16 member schools. The scholarship will be awarded by the member schools on the basis of financial need to outstanding qualified students preparing to teach in K-12.
MCF member schools are independent baccalaureate degree-granting liberal arts and comprehensive colleges and universities in the state of Missouri. Their income is derived primarily from private sources.
The MCF was incorporated in 1952 as a partnership with private enterprise and the member independent colleges and universities in Missouri. All contributions to the fund are tax-deductible.
