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ETBU Women’s Basketball Serve the Community

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Reaching out to help the community around them, the East Texas Baptist University women’s basketball team volunteered their time on Saturday, September 22, to help clean up a historic local cemetery. The ETBU students worked together with Wiley College students to help clean up the historic cemetery.

“Our players had a surprisingly rewarding experience today,” says head women’s basketball coach Dustin Howard. “They were amazed at the historical significance of this small cemetery, basically right here in our back yard. We had fun working together with our cross town friends Wiley College to help give back to the community that gives us so much.”

Both schools teamed together to clean up Loves Cemetery in Scottsville, Texas.

We are so proud of our Lady Tigers!

Read the full story from Marshall News Messenger here.

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ETBU Assistant Provost Named Distinguished Alumni

Monday, October 1st, 2012

On Friday, September 21st, Hallsville ISD held its annual All-School Class reunion and as the name implies, this reunion is open to all classes, however special recognition was given to the classes of 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2002. Among the graduates of Hallsville High School is ETBU’s own Assistant Provost and Assistant Professor of Education, Dr. Marila Palmer (HHS ’71).

At the reunion, Dr. Palmer was recognized as one of two “Distinguished Alumni.” Carol Greer, Director of Public Relations for Hallsville ISD, remarked, “Our two Distinguished Alumni are great choices. They have set their goals and accomplished them and so much more.”

After graduating, Dr. Palmer graduated cum laude from Stephen F. Austin State University with an English degree and a teaching certificate. She earned her doctorate in Leadership studies from Dallas Baptist University.

The other recipient was Mr. Charlie Jones, and accountant, and the husband of Bonnie Jones, Director of Student Success at ETBU!

We are so very proud to have Dr. Palmer at ETBU! Way to go! GO BLUE!

Read the full story from the Marshall News Messenger here.

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ETBU Wins Spelling Bee!

Monday, September 17th, 2012

Winning is spelled E-T-B-U.

True story.

How, you say? Well, for the second time in three years, ETBU has won the Corporate Spelling Bee sponsored by the Marshall-Harrison County Literacy Council. The ETBU team out spelled 14 teams to claim the top prize at the annual competition held at the Family Life Center of First United Methodist Church of Marshall on Friday.

We brought our “A” game this year with super spellers Elizabeth Ponder, Manager of Instruction and Information Services for the Mamye Jarrett Library, Dr. Emily Prevost, Director of Leadership Development, and Dr. Mary Thompson-Price, Associate Professor of Teacher Education.

A Librarian, a Ph.D., and another Ph.D in Education. Game on!

The spelling bee came down to the ninth round before the teams from Bancorp South and KMHT 103.9 FM misspelled their words given to them by caller Dr. Scott Bryant, ETBU University Chaplain and Vice President for Spiritual Development. Then Dr. Thompson-Price was given the word, maelstrom, to spell for the win. After conferring with her teammates she confidently spelled the word correctly for the title of the 2012 Corporate Spelling Bee.

“I am experiencing a maelstrom of emotions,” said Dr. Thompson-Price after the competition.

Spelling skills and jokes? Game over!

All three of the members of the team said the competition was nerve racking spelling before such a large audience. “I can teach in front of a group of students with confidence but don’t ask me to spell in front of a whole bunch of people from the city of Marshall,” added Dr. Thompson-Price.

And on top of that, ETBU Administrative Assistant to the President Gaye Christy won the audience spell competition.

The fundraising competition and lunch benefits the Marshall-Harrison County Literacy Council. ETBU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Sherilyn Emberton serves on the literacy council board of directors as vice president. ETBU Alum Brad Howlett was the master of ceremonies for the event.

Way to go ETBU! GO BLUE!

Read the full story here.

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ETBU Alum Turns 104!

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

In 1912, the College of Marshall (COM) became a reality and all this year we have been celebrating our Centennial Year. But did you know something else happened four years prior to the founding of COM that was pretty awesome as well?

Bonnie Kay was born.

Think of that! The airplane was only 5 years old. Oklahoma had just become a state. Teddy Roosevelt was president. The first Model T was developed and sold for $850.

She was 4 when the Titanic sank. She was 10 when World War 1 began. She was 21 when the stock market crashed.

And in 1930, she was 22 years old and was graduating from the College of Marshall.

Bonnie Kay is, and has been for a while, our oldest alumni. It is amazing to consider the things she has seen, living in a century that has seen the greatest number of advances in the history of mankind. But even better is the fact that she is in good health and she loves her alma mater! In fact, Bonnie Kay, the only living member of the class of 1930, has won the coveted Gravy Bowl on behalf of her class a couple times over the last few years!

Recently, faculty, staff, and students were given the opportunity to sign a handful of birthday cards that were presented to her by Alumni Relations Director, Paul Tapp. She was delighted to receive the cards and kind wishes from the Tiger Family!

One of the things that has made the biggest impact on me since coming to ETBU has been the idea of legacy. It is an amazing feeling knowing that once you become a student or faculty/staff member, or even a friend of the University, you join in with this amazing legacy. You become a part of the story that is ETBU. It is a good story. It is filled with the best people, like the Grammers and Hogues, like the Huffmans and Footes and Unkels, and countless others.

And people like Mrs. Bonnie Kay.

This time, our pride isn’t tied up with a fancy achievement or award, though living to 104 is a pretty big achievement! Today we are full of pride in the Legacy of COM, ETBC, and ETBU. It is a wonderful legacy filled with wonderful people and stories and experiences. And best of all, we are ALL a part of it!

Help us celebrate Bonnie Kay and her 104 years. And help us honor her by honoring her legacy and the legacy of ETBU! Isn’t it great!?!?

GO BLUE!!

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ETBU Coaches Featured in Marshall News Messenger

Monday, June 18th, 2012

From left to right: Softball Coach Janae Shirley, Cross-Country Coach Natalie Prather, and Volleyball Coach Lyndsay Mashe

Three ETBU head coaches, Cross-Country coach Natalie Prather, Softball coach Janae Shirley, and Volleyball coach Lyndsay Mashe, were recently featured in the Marshall News Messenger. The story covered the similarities these three women have with each other: all three competed for the Tigers in their respective sports, they are head coaches in their 20s, and all three have their husbands serving as assistant coaches at the University.

The first two similarities may not be such a big deal, but when you add the third, that makes this trio pretty unique!

You should read the full story from the Marshall News Messenger here. You’ll quickly find ETBU is very blessed to have such great women on our coaching staff!

We are so proud of Natalie, Janae, and Lyndsay! Way to go! GO BLUE!

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Seventeen Magazine Highlights ETBU Transfer Student’s Blog

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Caroline Chabata is all smiles showing off her new ETBU shirt!

Choosing a college can be pretty tough. There are so many choices to make and so many things to consider. Degree offerings, location, quality, faculty/student class ratios. The list could go on forever.

Oh yeah…and money as well.

And while mom and dad tend to look at facts and figures, students these days rely on what their peers are saying and thinking about college. They wanna hear the story of someone who is going through what they are about to jump into. In order to make the right decision on a college, they wanna hear someone their age tell them what it is really all about.

Someone like ETBU transfer student Caroline Chabata, who was recently featured in the “It Happened To Me” section on Seventeen Magazines website where she talked about her choice to transfer to ETBU.

Caroline had this to say: “It really did help to wait and do my research. I found out that this school gave out scholarships not only for academics, but also for Christian leadership. This means if you’re involved with things like helping out with Sunday school, or the praise and worship team at your church, you get scholarships! If you’re looking for an easy, generous scholarship, I would recommend looking at schools that correspond with your religion and offer scholarships for your involvement.”

Future college students really should check out those facts and figures before deciding. But learning about scholarships like the one she mentioned from one of your peers seems to make such a bigger impact than simply a line buried in an admissions brochure somewhere.

Caroline talked about how she was a little nervous about starting this next chapter in her life. Who came to the rescue? Her friends, giving her advice on what to and what not to do. “…’Do not fall asleep in the Quad’, or ‘lock your bike otherwise, it’ll end up in some tree.’ I’m looking forward to coming back over the summer with my own helpful tips and fun college stories!”

It is amazing to see how much social media like Facebook, Twitter, and even a blog-style section in the Seventeen Magazine website, have opened the channels of communication between these students, and even more so, that they understand the power of their stories and the great impact it has on lives.

We are so proud to have students like Caroline on our campus! It is a great big world, but people like Caroline are showing others on a world-wide scale that there’s always a place for you.

And how was her post at seventeen.com received? One commenter simply said this: “WOW I’m excited to see what happens too! I’m happy that you were able to transfer with no hassle and find a university that fits you and your needs.”

Way to go Caroline! GO BLUE!

Read Caroline’s entire post here at Seventeen Magazine’s site.

Posted in Just for Fun, Student Life | 1 Comment »

.COM Represents ETBU & Honors a Hero in MLK, Jr. Parade

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Picture left to right, ETBU Admissions Counselor Stephanie Taylor, freshman Tafadzwa Charuma, Miss ETBU Crystal Lopez, junior Billy Overton, senior Ebony Watts, freshman Shanola Chalmers, Jayson Zo Jone, Barronique Alexandria, and freshman Chris Hendrix.

.COM recently entered a float in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade in Marshall and took home the “Beauty” award. .COM is a multi-cultural group that meets each week for Bible Study and participates in community service projects. The float was funded by The Office of University Advancement.

ETBU Student Government Vice President Alvaro Copa spoke on behalf of the University at the day-time MLK celebration as well.

We are very proud of our students for participating in honoring a great American. Way to go! GO BLUE!

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ETBU Unveils Centennial Logo

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

100 years ago, the very spot where I sit and type this was simply a hill. No Scarborough. No Marshall Hall. Not even the College of Marshall, which would become East Texas Baptist College, then East Texas Baptist University.

Just a hilltop whose destiny would be forever changed by the formation of the University we now know and love. It has been an amazing 100 years!

So we’re going to spend this next year of 2012 honoring those 100 years! What a better way to kick it off than with the recently unveiled Centennial Logo.

The logo was developed through collaboration with the Centennial Council, the President’s Office, and the division of Enrollment Management and Marketing.

The logo incorporates the official lowercase ETBU and name with a banner featuring our official school colors, the word Centennial, and the date of our founding 1912, and the 100th year, 2012. The logo also features a symbol of the University, the Beacon, and the numerals 00 to create 100.

The Centennial Year will be a busy one, including 4 special editions of the Hilltop Magazine, all dedicated to various point of University history, a Centennial themed 2012 Homecoming, and many more events throughout the year.

Help us celebrate the Centennial Year of East Texas Baptist University! Stop by campus, get involved in an event, and don’t miss Homecoming this year.

It has been an amazing 100 years and we look forward to the next 100 years!

Way to go ETBU and HAPPY BIRTH-YEAR!!

Quads on the Hill

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

The Kent Girls. Older sister, Kallie, is in the center. The Quads (from left to right) Kinsey, Klaire, Kaitlyn, and Karson Kent.

On February 4, 1993, life at the Kent house changed forever.

That’s the day that Kevin and Jill Kent added quadruplets to their family of three. What once was Kevin, Jill, and their daughter Kallie, became Kevin, Jill, Kallie, Kinsey, Kaitlyn, Klaire, and Karson. And after years of sharing a big bedroom and wearing matching outfits, the Kent Quads – and the Kent Family – recently had another big day:

Move-In Day at ETBU.

“Our older sister came here and she fell in love with it (ETBU),” Kinsey said. The quads came to stay with their older sister and found how welcoming people were at the university. “We fell in love with campus, too,” Klaire said. “It’s a really great place to learn and to grow.” “And we all four felt God wanted us to be here,” Kinsey said.

The story, originally by the Longview News-Journal, was picked up by the Associated Press and found its way into papers and news feeds all over the US and world.

We’re proud of these girls – all five (Kallie, and the Quads – Kinsey, Kaitlyn, Klaire, and Karson) – in that, though the attention of the world is on them because of the uniqueness of their family, what the world will really see is a family who loves God, is pursuing an education, and that the girls chose to pursue that education at a place that means the world to us, ETBU!

GO BLUE!!

Read the AP story at the ABC News site here.

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A Campus You Can Be Proud Of

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

We’ve nearly posted 100 stories that make us so proud of our Tiger Family. From academics to athletics, organizations to faculty/staff honors, we can truly say we have so much to be thankful for, so much to be proud of. I’d like to add one more to the list:

Our campus.

Maybe you haven’t been to the Hill in years. For some, the last time they saw ETBU was the day the walked across the stage to receive their degree. If that’s you, then you need to come on back for a visit.

You may not recognize the place.

Is it the new Ornelas Student Center? Perhaps. This is a building that was promised to the students years ago, and now it is a reality. Students hang out, study, meet, worship, eat, and drink in this building. It is a beautiful building that fits perfectly with the architecture of the existing campus, but most importantly, it is a place the students can say was built just for them.

You need to come for a visit.

And then there’s the former Bennett Student Center, now called the Bennett Student Commons (BSC), a building built years before the current students were born (maybe even before their parents were born)! Though it has stood for nearly a half century, it was clear that it needed an upgrade.

After around 90 days of construction over the 2011 Summer, we were happy to open its doors for the start of the Fall 2011 semester!

And again if you are one of those who hasn’t been back in a while, you wouldn’t recognize it. A massive new facade/entryway on the north side of the Quad gives way to a completely remodeled, greatly enlarged Caf. I was with a few students during that first day and all the could say is, “Are you sure we’re at ETBU?”

You need to come for a visit.

The entryway is in the exact spot where Phillips Dining Hall once was. Phillips has made a move to the lower floor of the BSC. The new entryway on the north side of the BSC leads into a classy, fine dining space in in the place of the old bookstore and post office areas and boasts stained hard wood paneling, recessed ceilings and lighting, and fine carpets – not to mention the fact that about three old Phillips could fit in the new Phillips. It truly will take your breath away!

You need to come for a visit.

The Murphy Science Building has new flooring, $200,000 of new scientific equipment, renovated labs including a biology class with attached lab. The unsightly power lines near Meadows, Linebery, and Mabee have been moved underground. A new statue, “The Divine Servant” is now just outside the north entrance of the Ornelas Spiritual Life Center. A new athletics facility, the Tiger Football Strength Training Center, will provide a space for Tigers to workout and serves as the visiting team’s locker room during the season. A new Faculty-in-Residence apartment has been created in the University Apartments. The Library has all new carpeting. Oh, and last season, the football stadium got lights which allow for night games at ETBU. We have two new masters programs, education and religion. Our enrollment is up, the best in five years, our students are happy, and our campus is as pretty as a picture.

Like I said, you really need to come visit.

So much has been going on. So many changes have been happening. The campus is beautiful and the buildings are amazing – it’s something to be proud of. But most importantly, what I always remember, is that, no matter how many buildings come and go, no matter how often faculty, staff, and students’ faces change, and no matter how long it has been since you’ve seen pines, oaks, and the hallowed hill, the light still shines, for academic excellence and for Jesus Christ our Savior.

It’s time for a visit. Come see what our Tiger Family is so very proud of.

GO BLUE!!

How about Homecoming 2011? The weekend of October 14th-16th ETBU will be alive with Tiger Spirit as we celebrate Blue and Gold Forever: A Legacy That Lasts. You can learn more here!

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