New Program Expected to Provide Unique Opportunities

Although  we’ve been doing informally something along the lines of what Dr. Clifford has proposed for a number of years, the idea of formalizing the program and giving it a name was inspired by a speaker that he heard at the Great Plains Honors Council 2002 meeting in Fort Worth. Punch Shaw, one of the most prominent art, music, and theatre critics in the Fort Worth and Dallas area, gave an excellent talk on the art museums of Fort Worth. When Dr. Clifford suggested to the six PHP students whom he accompanied to the conference that the Honors Programs might hire him to come to campus or to conduct workshops for the honor students at the art museums in Fort Worth, they responded enthusiastically. Punch Shaw was equally excited about the prospect, so he was invited to talk about possible scenarios with Dr. Clifford and several faculty members from Fine Arts and Communications. The Visiting Scholars Program is a way of establishing an official relationship with distinguished individuals who could give public lectures and guest class lectures, conduct workshops, teach a once-a-week Honors Seminar, and otherwise provide a kind of intense cultural and educational enrichment for our honors students, and, in many cases, to the general student, faculty, and staff population that would not be otherwise available to them. Dr. Punch Shaw is expected to be the first “Visiting Scholar.” More information will be made available once arrangements are finalized. Contact the Honors Programs office at 968-1926 for more information.

PHP Attracts Students from Around the World

Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan—places most of us have only heard of. This year, the Presidential Honors Program has accepted three international students: Eva Muller, an industrial design major, Adelaide Odoteye an accounting major and Vitaliy Sivetskiy, an engineering major. Eva was born in Emmastad, Curacao. She has lived in Saudi Arabia and finally the Netherlands. Adelaide grew up in Zimbabwe. Vitaliy (Vit), is from Kazakhstan. He came to the United States as a foreign exchange student at Mineral Wells High School. Please help us to make these students feel at home. We expect them to be an asset to the Honors Program and the University.

Way to Go!

Congratulations to our graduates! Graduating from the Presidential Honors Program: May 2002—Jason Mogonye, Bachelor of Science, major in Animal Biology, graduated with honors Summa Cum Laude; August 2002—John Hughes, Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science, double major in Spanish/Psychology, graduated with honors Summa Cum Laude. Graduating from the Honors Degree Program: May 2002 Carla Patterson, Bachelor of Arts, major in English, minor in Business Administration graduated with honors Magna Cum Laude. Alumni: PHP graduate Amanda (Gode) Ballentine received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Texas at Austin, May 2002.

Welcome Back!

It will be back to the books for the 32 returning PHP students. The returning students are: Julie Allen, senior nursing student; Amanda Baulch, sophomore English major; Desiree Beauchamp, senior History/English major; Cheryl Beeler, junior psychology major; Elizabeth Bolden, senior interdisciplinary studies major; Laura Clark, senior pre-pharmacy major; Erika Dean, sophomore math/music major; Jana Farrill, junior marketing major; Mackenzie Furtick-Campbell, sophomore biology/communications major; Aubrey Gideon, sophomore finance major; Nikki Groth (Harris), senior interdisciplinary studies major; Kristina Guess (Heinsen), junior finance major; Heather Harris, junior music major; Patricia Henley, senior ag services major; Johnathan Jones, senior music major; Chase Kincannon, junior ag business major; Mason Kuettel, senior math major; Sabina Landeros, senior pre-law major; Sheena Lewis, sophomore criminal justice major; Tiffany Nations, junior pre-physical therapy major; Peggy Neill, sophomore pre-engineering major; Kimberly Oosten, junior liberal arts major; Emmeken Otte, senior pre-med major; Melissa Owens, junior CIS major; Lyndon Page, sophomore political science/pre-law major; Conan Sachsenmeyer, senior engineering physics major; Jonathan Schneider, junior business major; Liana Stone, senior music major; Benjamin Swaim, junior political science major; Karla Tschirhart, junior accounting major; Jennifer Tucker, senior pre-pharmacy major; and Kelli Wakefield (Gaither), junior chemistry major.

Howdy! New PHP Students

Twenty-two new Presidential Honors Students will begin this semester. Brandie Allen, freshman education major from Alvarado; Stephanie Bumpas, freshman accounting major from Brownwood; Tracey Chambers, freshman English major from Stephenville; Joseph Gilbert, freshman engineering major from Tomball; Mica Hassler, freshman communications major from Stephenville; Kallen Hayes, freshman horticulture major from Eagle, Idaho; Jesse Helm, senior political science major from Stephenville; Aeliya Jafri, sophomore pre-dentistry major from Stephenville; Candice Jones, freshman pre-vet major from Eastland; Allison McLane, sophomore liberal studies major from Midland; Eva Muller, industrial design major from the Netherlands; Adelaide Odoteye, freshman accounting major from Zimbabwe; Jessica Porter, freshman pre-med major from Abilene; Leslie Raddatz, freshman interdisciplinary studies major from Llano; Cassi Rowland, freshman music major from Palacios; Elizabeth Satchell, freshman educational psychology major from Mineral Wells; Vitaliy Sivertskiy, engineering physics major from Kazakhstan; Evan Stenmark, freshman pre-engineering major from Clifton; Eileen Stock, freshman math major from Kileen; Emily Woller, sophomore pre-vet major from Decatur; Mathew Wright, freshman liberal studies major from Lipan; and Ileana Zea, freshman pre-med major from Austin.

My Study Abroad

by John Hughes

This past year I studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain. I went there to learn Spanish by submerging myself in the language and culture of Spain. Well, I got what I wanted. I ate, slept and breathed Spanish all year long. It was one of the hardest and most fun things I have ever done in my life. I learned a lot of things outside of the language and culture. I learned a lot about myself. I looked at the United States and our culture from the outside; although I knew we weren’t perfect before, I have learned to appreciate other’s perspectives on our policies. I also was given the chance to see our flashy, money-centered culture at its worst. But at the same time, I saw all the wonderful things that we as people and a culture can be. Along with the bad, I saw, and for the first time could really appreciate, all the good that is America. I also saw the wonders of the world outside of my own culture. I saw a different way of looking at the world, a different point-of-view. I learned under a radically different teaching and testing system. I grew because of it. Studying abroad wasn’t the easiest thing I have ever done, and it wasn’t the hardest, but I did learn so many things I never could have staying at home. Rather than read about the history in a book, I confronted it; rather than see the art in a textbook, I saw it in person at a museum; rather than try to imagine a different culture, I lived one. I am forever changed, and all for the better.

John Hughes is a PHP Psychology/Spanish major who graduated August 2002