January 22, 2018
East Texas Baptist University started the Spring 2018 semester with Welcome Week for new and returning students on Thursday, January 11 through Monday, January 15. From group sessions to a t-shirt exchange, students were encouraged to build relationships and equipped with the resources necessary to be successful in and beyond the classroom.
"As a prospective student, I attended all of the Tiger Days, Shadow Days, and orientations. Everyone was kind and open to one another," ETBU junior Marketing major Kyla Arbuckle shared. "Throughout my time at ETBU, my advisor has been helpful and motivating. I expressed my goals for after graduation and he encouraged me and believed in what I have wanted to accomplish. My advice to new students is to get involved and try out different things."
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the ETBU Great Commission Center hosted a MLK Day of Service as a part of Welcome Week. Thirty-six students and staff served in four locations, including Living Alternatives Pregnancy Center, Soda Lake Baptist Association, The Boys and Girls Club, and Dayspring Therapeutic Equestrian Ranch. In addition, Tiger Cheer, Tiger Pom, and the Tiger Band participated in Marshall's MLK Parade. ETBU students, faculty, and staff also attended the Marshall Chapter of the NAACP 34th Annual MLK Celebration Banquet. The event reflected on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy of civil rights through non-violent social change.
"It was an honor to see the city commissioner, judges, pastors, police chief, and other citizens come together in friendship and fellowship to discuss the issues Marshall faces," ETBU senior Religion major Quantel Williams said. "I enjoyed the panel and was encouraged to see a diverse group of people uniting to reform the community through awareness and education. As a believer in Christ, I was reminded of Galatians 3:28."
ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn was the panel moderator during the MLK Celebration Banquet. Dr. Blackburn challenged the crowd to read Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in full. He wrote the letter after he was arrested in April 1963 for participating in nonviolent protests. Dr. King closed his letter with, "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God."
"Tonight, we unite with the 'color of unity' reflected in the rich, vibrant, and diverse fabric of this room and our Marshall and Harrison County Communities," Dr. Blackburn said. "We stand, shoulder to shoulder, linked arm and arm, together in the spirit of Dr. King's legacy that all men and women, of all races, creeds, ethnicities, and nations are deserving of freedom, equality, and opportunity."
The next day, classes were scheduled to begin; however, the University closed due to a Winter Storm. Students united and made the most of the inclement weather by building snowmen, sledding down campus hills, and enjoying the warmth of the Ornelas Student Center. East Texas Baptist officially began the semester on Wednesday, January 17 with a time of worship and a chapel service led by Texas State Representative (District 9) Chris Paddie.
"Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, 'Anyone can be great, because everyone can serve.' Life is overwhelming, challenges are frequent, and you will be busy. It will be easy to make excuses, but you have something to offer and are needed," Paddie charged the students. "There is a place for all of us to serve, for each of us have been gifted with unique talents to use for the God's glory."