homecoiming 2009
During its Centennial Celebration year, Wayland's homecoming weekend in 2009 was one of the grandest ever, with special banquets and activities marking the celebratory atmosphere with returning alums from throughout the university's history. The theme of Reel to Real: Dreams Come to Life seemed to sum up the audiences in attendance.
The weekend began early Thursday night with a gathering of alums from the mid-1950s at the Plainview home of Jeannine Greene, attending by several dozen loyal alums. The theatre and music departments also opened the weekend's performances of the musical Man of La Mancha, a major production starring theatre director Dr. Marti Runnels in the lead role of Don Quixote, involving dozens of students in acting and musical roles and including a 20-piece orchestra. The production represented the first time since 1995's The Music Man that WBU has offered a full-scale musical in Harral Auditorium. Audiences returned on Friday and Saturday nights and for the Sunday matinee for the quality production, with packed houses for each performance.
The Abraham Art Gallery also featured an exhibit of art by WBU alumni, called Full Circle, which kicked off Thursday. A reception for the artists was held Saturday afternoon.
Friday's activities kicked off with a morning breakfast honoring the Golden Anniversary Class of 1959 and the traditional awards chapel, honoring alumni and donors for achievements and support. Honored were Dr. Ted Sanders, 1964 graduate,
Distinguished Alumni Award; Col. Michael Keller, 1987 master's graduate, Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award; Eddie Owens, 1975 graduate, Distinguished Alumni Service Award; Jacob Reed, 1998 graduate, Distinguished Young Alumni Award; Christa Smith, 1963 graduate, Distinguished Lifetime Service Award; and the Leroy and Merle Weir Charitable Trust, Distinguished Benefactor Award.
Sanders is a Friona native who earned a master's degree from Washington State University and a doctorate in education from the University of Nevada at Reno. He served as a classroom teacher and chief state school officer in Nevada, Illinois and Ohio before being named U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education in the George H.W. Bush administration. He also served as acting Secretary of Education.
Sanders has been an administrator in the state Departments of Education in Ohio, Illinois, New Mexico and Nevada, and was president of Southern Illinois University before being named president of the Education Commission of the States. He was recently named chancellor at Ellis University in Chicago. He serves on numerous boards and has received many honors during his career. He and wife Beverly, a Plainview native, have four children and eight grandchildren.
A native of San Diego, Calif., and graduate of West Texas A&M University, Keller is program director and assistant professor with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where he leads and teaches an undergraduate program in healthcare administration. He is also the Battalion Commander of the 413th Civil Affairs Battalion in Lubbock. He has helped train more than 100 service members for support of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and he served an 18-month tour of Iraq.
Keller was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to serve on an advisory committee overseeing licensed nursing home administrators in Texas, and he serves on the Texas Hospital Association Governing Board, the American College of Healthcare Executives among others. He and his wife, Dr. Candace Keller, professor of art at WBU, have a daughter, Meredith.
An active undergraduate who served on several organizations and was a writer for both the yearbook and campus newspaper, Owens worked in city newspapers before serving as PR director and mass communications instructor at Wayland. He then spent 15 years in public relations with St. Mary Hospital and Covenant Health System before moving into a corporate communications role with United Supermarkets in 2004.
Owens was active in Plainview civic organizations and continues that pattern in Lubbock, active with the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, South Plains Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and in several roles at his church, First United Methodist in Lubbock. He has been honored by the Volunteer Center of Lubbock, United Supermarkets and the AHA for his service efforts. He and wife Lynn have a daughter, Kami Bedford.
With a master's degree from Kansas State University, Reed's experience in agronomy led to a position with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Lubbock. Having a long-time desire to serve on the mission field, Reed took that opportunity in 2005, moving to Uganda and working with the Karamajong people. While there, he did church planting and agricultural research, sharing the gospel with a highly illiterate population.
Reed and his wife, Georgia, returned to Lubbock in May 2008 to work as a senior research associate in weed science for Texas AgriLife Research, conducting research in pre- and early post-market testing for herbicides as well as systems agronomy. He plans to pursue the doctorate degree in plant and soil science in the fall and maintains an interest in missions endeavors and awareness of ministry in Karamoja.
Established in 1984 by Mrs. Weir and activated in 2000, the Weir Charitable Trust has helped several Baptist-affiliated institutions in the form of scholarships and building funds. Wayland has received more than $1 million in support, including scholarships and donations to the Pete and Nelda Laney Center and the Second Century Campaign's new Bible building. Janice Torgeson, an employee of Frost Bank, administers the trust.
A longtime associate professor of languages and English and native of Germany, Smith earned two master's degrees from Texas Tech University and joined the WBU faculty in 1969. She has also taught at Wayland's Kenya extension and in Alaska. She is a Sunday school teacher and volunteers in the community with her class and with Soroptimist International of Plainview, of which she has been a member for several years.
Smith is an active volunteer with the Lions Club International Children's Camp in Kerrville and speaks regularly to various groups about her vast experiences. She and husband Don, a WBU graduate and retired coach, have three children and three grandchildren.
Friday's activities continued with several lunch gatherings. The Legacy League Luncheon honored graduates of 50 years or more, encouraging support for the university, while a special gathering for business graduates was held at the Far East Restaurant. The School of Mathematics and Sciences hosted a luncheon in celebration of the centennial, with each of its four emeritus professors sharing their WBU memories from many years in the classroom. Following reminiscences by Drs. Harold Reese, Harold Temple, J. Hoyt Bowers and Gerald Thompson, alumni present were allowed to share their stories.
The luncheon also featured a check presentation to the university for seed money for a chemistry education scholarship in the name of Joanne Bowers, longtime instructor in the ASSET and ASSIST summer programs for science teachers and former science teacher in the Plainview schools.
Friday afternoon featured the dedication of a scholarship honoring Dr. Harold and Mrs. Audrey Temple and a reception in their honor, followed by a book signing for the newly published WBU centennial coffee table book, The Wayland Century. Then Friday evening, alums and students gathered in McClung Center for the annual homecoming banquet, the theme of Centennial Cinema incorporating scenes and music from great movies and musicals from the past 100 years. Homecoming queen nominees and their sponsoring organizations presented the scenes, and alumni Keith Longbotham and Marvin Matthews presented musical numbers, along with Dr. Gary Manning, Miss Wayland 2008 Terra Watson, Robert Black, Martin Duckett and Susan Browning.
Saturday's morning reunions united graduates from the honor classes of 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999, along with several organizations and athletic teams, including Flying Queens basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, Delta Chi Delta and Alpha Delta Kappa sororities, Phi Chi Epsilon fraternity, the International choir and others.
The annual Saturday luncheon featured music by Longbotham once again and the dedication of five endowed scholarships (see page 27 for details). Then it was on to the Hutch for the traditional basketball doubleheader, this time with St. Gregory's University taking the opposite end of the court. After the Queens easily dropped St. Greg's, the Pioneers picked up a home victory in the final home appearance for both teams on the 2008-09 season. During halftime of the Pioneers' game, junior Joanna Jernigan of Shamrock was named Homecoming Queen and the Pioneer Band performed, as did the WBU cheerleaders. The 2009 induction class for the Athletic Hall of Honor was also introduced, and the Flying Queens team from the early 1990s honored the late Shannon Copeland, who died in November while recovering from a massive stroke.
Saturday closed with the athletic recognition dinner in the Laney Activities Center, featuring the induction of nine into the Athletic Hall of Honor and the recognition of the Top 50 athletic teams in Wayland's first 100 years. Members of many of those teams were present for the event, which attracted more than 300 guests and included a scholarship dedication for a former Flying Queen.
Inductees included women's basketballers Carolyn Bush Roddy, Glynna Masten Harrison and Lisa Kolodziejczyk Robinson, tracksters Althea Thomas and Alrick Monroe, baseballer Michael Reyes, coaches Sheryl Estes and John Creer and administrator Dr. Greg Feris. (Bios were included in the December 2008 Footprints.)
Homecoming officially wrapped up Sunday morning with the Wayland family worship service held at the Trinity Building. David Nall, an ex-student and gospel musician originally from Tulia, shared his musical talents. An alumni baseball game was played at 1 p.m., and the musical had its final performance at 2 p.m.