Features

Technology helps feed SWAU students

Any regular cafeteria customer can place their finger on a small scanner and the price of their meal is immediately deducted from their meal account.

Students, faculty, and staff of Southwestern Adventist University consume an estimated $15,000 worth of vegetarian food each week. The Committee of 100 Cafeteria kitchen staff handles the tall order in stride, but not without the help of new upgrades and technology. One of the more high tech developments in the building is the use of fingerprint technology. Students have used their ID cards to purchase the meals, but for the past four years have also used fingerprint scanning. Any regular cafeteria customer can place their finger on a small scanner and the price of their meal is immediately deducted from their meal account.

KJCR underwriter provides bench signs

Your Daily Inspiration 88.3 KJCR now has the opportunity to inspire by being seen as well, thanks to bench advertising donated by Signs Delivered. Bryan Merrels, owner of Signs Delivered, has placed the KJCR logo on the back of the benches over several different backgrounds. The benches present the radio station’s logo over cities, mountains, and lakes, signifying that listeners can receive daily inspiration through KJCR in a variety of places. Danae Songy, underwriting director at 88.3 explained how Merrels got involved with KJCR and the donation: "He knows we are non-profit and the station cannot afford advertising. So he is making a trade with us. Last February he became an underwriter for KJCR, and instead of paying cash, he has chosen to donate the bench advertising."

Comm. students raise funds for new lounge

Aaron Weber overlooks the main room in the small building where the proposed communication lounge will be located.

Students in the Broadcast Management class at SWAU are now in the process of making a "new communication chill spot," according to Aaron Weber, a junior radio-TV-Film student. The new lounge area/work spot will be housed in the old English as a Second Language (ESL) building behind SWAU’s TV station, and will accommodate a room for script writing, a mini-studio, a specific lounge area with a large screen television to watch movies, and a kitchenette with snacks and drinks. "We want a place that communication students can come to relax and do work in a creative environment," says a student of the class Aaron Weber. "This project is something the communication department wants as its own but it’s open to SWAU."

What is it?

Many people have asked what this contraption is that is located on the lawn between Pechero and the Mabee Center. Is it: a) a UFO signaling station to attract extraterrestrial life? (b) a lightning rod used to attract lightning? (c) a human zapper used to zap students that get too close? (d) none of the above? Fortunately, the answer is none of the above. According to Dale Hainey, director of SWAU’s physical plant, it’s actually a weather gauge for the sprinkler systems in the area. It senses the amount of rain that has fallen at a given time and based on how much rain has fallen, it feeds information to the computer in the little box and tells the sprinklers how much they should “sprinkle.”

Camerata concert features SWAU student

Keene Camarata presented a concert Sept. 20 featuring violinist Meagan Spivey.

Keene Camarata presented a concert Sept. 20, in Wharton Auditorium featuring violinist Meagan Spivey, a junior in SWAU majoring in music performance. The concert was conducted by Dr. Mugur Doroftei, who founded the chamber orchestra more than 25 years ago. Spivey, 20, has been a member of the Keene Camerata for more than six years. She has been classically trained on the violin for about 11 years, seven of which have been under Doroftei’s direction. Spivey credits Doroftei as a mentor who helped her become the musician she is today. When it was suggested that she be featured in a Keene Camerata concert, "I felt honored," she says.

Nature speaks to us

Tselane Angesan didn't have to go far to capture beauty for her Nature assignment for Comm 224 Digital Photography. This beautiful plant (insert proper name here!) was shot right in her neighbor's front yard. You can see her photo and others from the class by clicking on the Gallery link above.

Students conduct evangelism in Rwanda

This young boy climbed a tree trying to see the baptisms over the crowd.

The Republic of Rwanda is a small country in the center of Africa with a troubled history. Despite that, it is also a field ripe for harvest. George Hilton, VP for spiritual development at SWAU, traveled there with a group of nine students, last summer, to spread the Gospel. According to Hilton, the trip was "a smashing success." "It’s a country where we have had a lot of success," says Hilton. "It’s a really good place for students’ to get their feet wet." The group went to the capital city of Kigali, Rwanda’s largest city. "I ended up in the center of the city at an Adventist university and I had the lowest number of baptism of our entire group: 25," said Hilton. Overall, the group had more than 530 baptisms with 200 to 300 more people studying for baptism. According to Hilton, typically about 90% of those baptized will stay active.

New writing center opens Sept. 21

The Write Spot, a new writing center for students, staff and faculty, opens in the library on Sunday, Sept. 21.

On Sunday, September 21 at 6 p.m. a new writing center, called the Write Spot, will open on campus in the library classroom. The center is scheduled to be available from 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. For the first few weeks, Thursday hours will be from 3:30 to 6 p.m. while the digital photography class uses the classroom for their lab. The center is the brainchild of English Professor Susan Gardner. "There is a lot of writing that goes on here on campus," says Gardner. "Faculty has limited amounts of time to work on writing with their students. Students can walk in on their own when the feel like they need help, but I also see the possibility of professors saying, ‘You need to go to the writing center.’"

It's Architecture

Carolea Kennedy uses crumbling brick walkway to fulfill the requirements for her Architecture assignment in Comm 224 Digital Photography. You can see other photos taken by students in the class, as well as photos from previous years, by clicking on the Gallery button above.

SWAU honors faculty for years of service

Honored for years of service at SWAU on August 15 were (back row, from left): Jeanne Mizher, 15 years; Art Chadwick, 25 years; Ellis Hainey, 20 years; Bev Mendenhall, 25 years; Andy Woolley, 30 years. Front row, from left: Randy Chastain, 20 years; Glen Robinson, 10 years; John Boyd, 5 years; Randy Gilliam, 10 years. Not pictured: Mara Contreras, Karla Lopez, and Rachel Durichek, five years; Darla and Greg Sullivan, Lara Yanez and Edna Yanez-Perez, 10 years; Extra Mile Award recipients Patty Norwood and Daryl Thomas.

Fifteen faculty and staff at Southwestern Adventist University were honored for years of service and two were honored for going the extra mile at the school’s annual Service Awards Banquet on Friday, August 15. Patty Norwood, assistant vice president for student financial services, and Daryl Thomas, professor and chair of the computer science department at SWAU, received special recognition for going the extra mile in service to the school and its students.