The 2007-08 athletic year proved to be the most successful in McMurry’s NCAA history as the school finished 41st in the United States Sports Academy Directors’ Cup Standings.

The No. 41 ranking is not only the highest in McMurry history; it is also the highest for any American Southwest Conference school in the 2007-08 athletic year.  Only Trinity, who finished 13th overall, was a higher-ranked Division III Texas school. 

The Directors’ Cup, in its 13th year, honors all-sports champions in the NCAA Divisions I, II and III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.  Points are awarded for postseason appearances (beyond conference tournaments) with more points awarded the further a school advances. 

It was a huge spring -- highlighted by McMurry’s first-ever national championship in any sport by the men’s outdoor track and field team -- that propelled the school to its highest point total and ranking ever.  After the winter sports concluded, McMurry sat in 104th place in the Directors’ Cup standings with 116 points.  But in the spring McMurry jumped 63 spots as the school accrued 242 points to give McMurry 358 points for the athletic year.

In the spring, McMurry’s national championship in men’s track and field received 100 points, while the women’s track and field team chipped in with 73.5 points by virtue of their sixth-place finish at the national meet.  The McMurry women’s golf teams earned 43.5 points for placing 15th at the national tournament and the baseball team received 25 points for its regional appearance.

McMurry earned 116 points from its winter sports.  The men’s indoor track and field team garnered 66 points for its 11th-place finish at the national meet, while the women’s basketball team earned 50 points for its NCAA tournament run. 

McMurry’s track and field program (the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor teams) tallied a combined 239.5 points for the school’s Directors’ Cup cause.   

There are 445 institutions that compete in the NCAA Division III and 305 placed points in the Directors’ Cup in 2007-08. 

Other ASC schools in the rankings included Mary Hardin-Baylor, who finished 68th with 264.5 points; the University of Texas at Tyler, who finished 116th with 164 points; Texas Lutheran, who finished 134th with 146 points; Howard Payne, who finished 166th with 100 points; Hardin-Simmons, who finished 224th with 50 points; and the University of Texas at Dallas, who placed 267th with 25 points.    

“This caps the finest McMurry athletic year since the formation of the ASC and McMurry’s move to the NCAA,” said McMurry athletic director Bill Libby.  “This is a tribute to the leadership provided by the coaches and the quality of our student-athletes.”

Hey,

            My name is Josh Poorman and I am a senior history major and multimedia applications/ education minor. I am the current president of Religious Life Council, one of the two Student Orientation Leaders (Co-Chiefs), member of Ko Sari Fraternity, and a new addition to the Campus Tours Staff. I was born and raised in Abilene Texas and attended Wylie High Scholl where I was active in theatre, football, track, and basketball. I grew up all my life in the Methodist Church. Both of my parents work at McMurry University, and my brother went here. So my senior year in high school when it was time for me to look at colleges my choice was easy. I was going to get my basics at McMurry, because of the scholarships I received, and transfer to a larger school after a couple of semesters. Well you might ask me, “Josh, you said you are a senior at McMurry…. What happened?” What happened was I fell in love with McMurry. I got to know my professors, started making good friends, and couldn’t leave the close family atmosphere at McMurry. My first year at McMurry I pledged the social club Ko Sari and began to make my closest friends, I also started dating a girl named Kim. At the end of that school year I took a may-mester class on Religion and the Revolutionary War where we spent two weeks in class and then we went on a tour of Boston with our professors for eight days. My sophomore year I first got involved with religious life council as their publicity point person. During spring break that year I went on a mission trip to a Navajo Reservation in the four corners region of the country. Before I even had a chance to breath I was an upperclassman. This year I was elected Vice President of Religious Life Council and President of my social club. During the Christmas holidays Kim and I got engaged and we had the opportunity to take a school trip to London for ten days and received six hours of course credit for it. And During the fall semester I went on a tour of the Texas Revolution with two of my professors. Along the way we had a couple of guest speakers. We got a private tour of San Antonio with the head curator of the Alamo, and a private tour of the Goliad and San Jacinto battlefields by one of the leading experts on the Texas Revolution and author of Texas Iliad and Texian Macabre. I cannot believe that I am almost done, that I’ve almost made it. So when answering the question “Why did I stay at McMurry?” the answer would have to be that they took my classroom education, applied it to real life, and showed me the places we talked about. McMurry took my education and turned it into an experience, and that is something you remember for a lifetime.  

School has been out know for about three weeks, and Im ready for it to start up again. Ive been keeping busy by working here on campus for McMurry which is fun, and working an internship part time down town at  the city attorneys office. The city attorneys office and McMurry have an agreement worked out were I get college credit for doing my internship. Its actually pretty cool, college credit and real world experience at the same time. Other then that ive been hanging out with friends trying to stay out of trouble. In the next few weeks more people are expected to show up for the up coming summer sessions. And our soar and vision quest programs will be starting soon. Any ways I have to get back to work .

2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships Web Site

OSHKOSH, Wis. - It came down to the 4X400-meter race. As the last entrant into the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships with the 14th-best time in the nation, McMurry's distance relay team needed to place at least fourth to be able to take home the national title. The quartet did one better, placed third, and gave McMurry University its only national championship of any sport in school history as the McMurry men won the 2008 Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

Behind the legs of junior Hann Ollison, McMurry finished with 35 points to edge SUNY-Cortland (33 pts.) for national crown. Ollison had placed second in the long jump Thursday, won the individual national title in the 400-meter race with the fastest time in the nation Saturday, helped the 4X100-meter relay team win its second consecutive national title, and then joined John Mikalik and freshmen Bryce Williamson & Terry Smith to place third in the 4X400-meter race.

“We made history today!” said head coach Barbara Crousen. “It was the most emotional feeling in the world. As soon as the mile relay was over with, hot tears hit my eyes, we had the points figured out, they knew what they had to do and watching it happen was so amazing.”

Other than Bert Green's eighth place finish in the 100-meter race, Ollison the Colorado City native, had a hand in 34 of McMurry's 35 points and finished as the meet's high-point athlete. He set J.J. Keller Field records in the 400-meter race (46.40) and in the 4X100-meter relay (40.47) preliminaries Thursday.

“When I recruited Hann, I knew he was good,” Crousen said. “But he’s more than exceeded my expectations of what I thought he could be. He’s the kind of athlete that he does everything you tell him to do. So watching him grow and gain that confidence over the three years has been awesome, and the strength he had this year was just fun to watch. I’m glad to have him and even more glad to have him another year.”

Based upon entrants, McMurry was favored to win the men’s national title and would look to ride the sprint relay team as momentum from the title in 2007. The same four runners who took home the gold a year ago at J.J. Keller Field did it again Saturday but this time with much more at stake. Senior Chris Kelley joined Mikalik, Green and Ollison for the tandem’s second-straight relay title with a time of 40.57 seconds.

Green narrowly made the finals in the 100-meter race with the ninth-best time, however, the senior was able to jump to eighth place in the finals with a time of 10.97 seconds to earn all-America status and provide a valuable point to the team score.

Ollison’s 46.50 second-time in the 400-meter race earlier in the season was the best in Division III in 2008 coming into the weekend’s national meet. The junior ran a 47.62 in the preliminaries Friday to qualify for the finals and then shaved over a second off his time in the finals to pass his personal best and crossed the line at 46.40 seconds to set a J.J. Keller Field record. That time was also the 10th best finish in NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field history.

The distance relay tandem of Ollison, Mikalik, Smith and Williamson was the last taken in the field of 14 relay teams for the national meet. However, Thursday in the preliminaries, McMurry posted the sixth best time to advance to the finals. Saturday, McMurry had 29 points and stood third going into the event, which was the last of the meet.

The four responded by running a time of 3:15.29 to place third and ensure McMurry and Crousen the first national title in school history.

“I knew if our first two legs could get us close, I knew that Mikalik and Hann could do it. If we could just get Hann the stick with any type of chance I knew they could do it,” said Crousen. “He told one of our other coaches, ‘If I’m close I’m not going to let these guys down and we’re going to win this national title.”

Ollison is now a 12-time track and field all-American at McMurry. The junior sprinter has 11 all-America awards in outdoor track and one indoor all-America award after winning the national title in the 400-meter race at the 2008 Indoor National Championships. He is now tied with former women’s track star Telitha Belcher, who also had 12 all-America honors while at McMurry, for the most all-America honors in school history.

Green wrapped up his two-sport career at McMurry as a seven-time all-American in McMurry’s track and field program. He won all seven national awards in just three seasons with the team. The 33-year old former Major League Baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers) also played football at McMurry where he was an all-conference honoree all three seasons.

Mikalik now has six all-America awards, Kelley wrapped up his career with two while Williamson and Smith earned their first all-America awards with the 4X400-meter relay team.

“It was great knowing everyone was a contributor,” Crousen said. “I know it was thrill for them and a thrill for McMurry University.”

McMurry’s women also had a strong showing at the outdoor national meet. After Holly Rollins set the tone with an individual national title in the women’s pole vault, McMurry scored 25 points as a team to place sixth.

Sheneice Johnson and Breanna-Anderson Burton placed fourth and fifth respectively Saturday in the triple jump to help McMurry’s women lock in the sixth-place position. For Anderson-Burton, it was her second all-America award of the national meet after placing fifth in the long jump Thursday. She jumped 39-02.25 Saturday in the triple jump while Johnson edged her teammate with a 39-03.00.

Friday, Krystal Jackson helped McMurry’s women by placing seventh in the high jump to earn all-America status.

Happy Wednesday! 

This past weekend, T.I.P held their annual Sing Song, which happened to also be the 50th anniversary! It was a fantastic night, and many alumni and family showed up to share this special night with the students. Each club performed two songs from a certain decade, and it was a lot of fun to see the creativity of each club come together on the stage. Songs such as "Bohemian Rhapsody" performed by men's club Makona, "Wannabe" performed by women's club Gamma Sigma, "Hard Day's Night" performed by women's club Delta Beta Epsilon, and "It's Tricky" performed by men's club Ko Sari, gave way for a wide variety of entertainment.

On Sunday, the new member's of all of the women's social clubs were recognized at our annual Presentation. Each young woman was escorted by the person of their choice; father, boyfriend, friend, or even club sweetheart, and a little bio was read about them. Their club got them a flower, and each club's pledge class did a skit or song at the end to show a little something that they did from pledging. It was neat to be able to see each pledge class, and how they had come together over the 6 week pledge season. This ceremony is a really neat thing that the women's interclub council puts on, because we truly appreciate these girls, and want to recognize their hard work. Since families are in town for Sing Song, it is also a great way to involve their families, and let them see what their daughter has been doing, and give their families a chance to recognize them.

Other than that, school is winding down, which I know everyone is thankful for. Finals are just around the corner, and then students will be going their separate ways for the summer. I won't be going home until the beginning of June though, because I am taking a course during the May Term. I am really excited about the course, it's a study on the Halocaust through the eyes of a survivor, and even better it's a one semester class that I will complete in three weeks! It's a really neat opportunity to be able to speed up your graduation or to be able to just lessen your course load during the semesters.  With this course, and then a couple during the summer at a community college, I will be able to graduate in the Spring of '10 instead of December of '10.

Have a fantastic week : )

Liz

Happy Monday!

Well, Spring Break has come and gone, and I am back in the swing of things here at McM. School is going well, classes are fun and what not, but outside activities are starting to get pretty hectic. Every year, T.I.P, one of our women's social clubs on campus, holds their Sing Song event. All of the social clubs participate in two songs, and create a dance or some sort of routine to go with the song. It's a lot of fun to get in costume and compete to try and win Sing Song. Last year, Gamma Sigma, the social club that I am in, won Sing Song. It was a lot of fun, and so exciting that we won. This year, we have the same expectations, and so that means lots and lots of rehearsals. I think my planner has a rehearsal written down for every week night up until Sing Song, which is in two weeks. It's fun no doubt, but super busy!

This is a picture from Sing Song last year. We had one song where we were dressed up in the 70's, and one song we were love stuck penguins.

Sing Song is an awesome tradition that McMurry has, and a lot of fun. It's held on April 12, 2008 in Radford Auditorium. If you're in Abilene that weekend, feel free to come for the show, it's sure to make you laugh, and gives you a chance to see a fun side of McMurry!

Have a fantastic week! : )

Liz

The most prestigious award in NCAA Division III women’s basketball now belongs to Tarra Richardson. The senior from Fort Worth added to her plethora of accolades in a big way Tuesday as she was announced the winner of The Jostens Trophy Award by Jostens and the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The award is given to one male and one female as the Outstanding Athletes of the Year for DIII basketball.

Ten male and female finalists were announced Feb. 26 with Richardson’s nomination as the only representative from the American Southwest Conference. After becoming the first player (male or female) in ASC history to reach 2,000 points earlier this season, she became the first ASC player to win the national award after several nominations over the past decade.

Her career ended Saturday night after McMurry fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Howard Payne. However, Richardson’s mark at McMurry will be left in both the conference and school record books. Among several other categories, she is both the conference and school leader in points, rebounds, blocks, field goals made and free throws attempted.

She joined Ronda Jo Miller as the only other NCAA Division III women’s basketball player in school history to have 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 300 career blocks. Richardson finished with 2,164 points, 1,015 rebounds, 304 blocks and 207 steals – all while shooting 55 percent for her career.

The Jostens trophy doesn’t stop at basketball. The national panel comprised of 32 members selects winners based upon three criteria: Excellence in basketball, academics and community service.

“This is the most exciting one fore me because it does recognize more than basketball,” Richardson said of receiving the award. “Most people know me just for basketball but I liked this award because it shows that it is important to work hard in school and in the community.”

Richardson has more than proven herself in the classroom. She has accumulated a 3.87 GPA as a finance major at McMurry and is a two-time academic all-America selection by ESPN The Magazine and CoSIDA. Most recently she earned first team academic all-America honors for her senior season after earning second-team honors as a junior.

Richardson has been very involved in both her hometown community in Fort Worth and her college town in Abilene. She helps with youth sports in Fort Worth and serves in the nursery at her home church congregation among other activities. In Abilene, she’s helped annually to help support the Kiwanis Club’s efforts in raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Among her many basketball accolades, Tarra has been named a pre-season all-American by D3Hoops.com twice, a post season all-American by D3Hoops.com, she was a WBCA all-American her sophomore year, and she is eligible for both D3Hoops.com and WBCA all-America selections in the coming weeks for her senior season.

Statistically, Richardson’s sophomore year proved to be the best. She averaged 20.3 points per game, had 80 blocks (a school and ASC record), and averaged 9.2 rebounds per game. Most recently her senior season, she averaged 19.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and had 71 blocks.

Most impressively, however, was Richardson’s ability to contribute from the day she stepped on the floor. In a time where the four-year collegiate athlete becomes more and more rare, her consistency allowed for her extraordinary career numbers.

“What Tarra brought to this team that may be different than the others was that she brought a stabilizing factor where the girls knew they could count on her,” said head coach Veronica Snow. “She was consistent in her abilities to make a bucket, to play defense and she was consistent in the fact that she was going to make a good decision on and off the court.”

She recorded 40 double-doubles in her career (four shy of the ASC record), was named the ASC Player of the Week on 10 different occasions and was the ASC West Division Player of the Year her sophomore season. She was an ASC all-tournament selection all three years McMurry was involved and earned all-conference honors all three seasons she was eligible (freshmen are excluded from the academic awards in the ASC).

Richardson will receive the award along with Snow, family and friends at next week's NCAA Division III Final Four. The presentation will be made at the Salem Civic Center Thursday at lunch at the Salem Rotary Club's weekly meeting. Troy Ruths of Washington University-St. Louis earned the Jostens Trophy for the men's side.

During her four years with the team, she helped McMurry to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, helped McMurry win its first outright ASC West Division title in 2006 - as well as the ASC Tournament champs that year, and Wednesday McMurry got its first NCAA Tournament win since 2000 thanks to Richardson’s 30 points.

No one can know how long Richardson’s record will stand at both the conference and school levels. However, Richardson is the No. 1 scorer in school history by 733 points (Kristi Risinger – No. 2 with 1,433), the No. 1 rebounder at McMurry by 328 boards, and the No. 1 school shot blocker by 225 blocks.

It’s safe to say that future players at McMurry will have a tough time catching Richardson’s numbers and it would be tough to imagine a more well-rounded player and individual.

“I think [her award] is the highlight of my time as athletic director,” said McMurry athletic director Bill Libby. “It helps people on the campus to see the role of the student athlete in Division III. She is a fantastic player with national recognition, but she also has received recognition both on and off campus for her grades all while doing community service at her church and for other organizations.”

In addition to the trophy, the Salem Rotary Club will award a $1,000 scholarship to McMurry through its Wooldridge Scholarship Fund.

As for the trophy itself, the Jostens Trophy sits two-feet tall, weighs 64 pounds and features an eight-inch crystal basketball. Richardson’s only problem won’t be getting help to carry it in her Fort Worth home, but said she’s not sure where she’ll put it.

“My room in Fort Worth?” said Richardson about the placement of the large trophy. “I don’t know where I’d put it, I haven’t really thought about it.”

Happy Wednesday!

This has been a super slow week so far. I think we are all just ready for Spring Break, that the days seem longer and longer, and that week seems farther and farther away. Not too much is going on in school right now(EXCEPT FOR THE GIRLS BASKETBALL GAME TONIGHT), other than midterms and all of that fun stuff. I got an A on my midterm for one of my ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, and I am so excited about it. It's always a good feeling to know that you are doing well in a class, bad grades are just a major bummer, and not necessary. Other than that, I am really excited about this weekend. A huge group of my friends is taking a roadtrip to Dallas on Sunday to go to a Dallas Stars hockey game. I am from the DFW area, so I am a huge fan, and it's always fun going to the games. We have a row of about 20 seats reserved for us, and I can't wait. I will be sure to upload some pictures next week!

As for McMurry athletics, we have a huge women's basketball game tonight(McMurry is ranked 8th in the Nation). Our ladies are playing against Trinity in the NCAA tournement, and there is tons of school spirit going around throughout the campus in preparation for the game. At lunch, we had all the girls come and had a pep rally/send off for them. There was music and mini basketball nets set up for students to play with, and just a lot of fun. The girl's coach came and talked to everyone about the game and the girls, and it was an awesome way to get excited about the game.

I hope you all have a great week!

Liz

Ok, so I’m in football study hall (it’s a study hall that’s required for all freshman even if they have a high GPA).  And since I do all my homework when I’m suppose to i have nothing else to do so since I didn’t write a blog last week I’m doing it now for last week and this week to catch everybody back up.  Last week was insane lots of tours and lots of stuff to get done before the weekend but it felt great once it was all over, as well as knowing you felt like you accomplished so much.  Weekend was once again short as always and now I’m so stoked about spring break.  I don’t remember if I wrote this down but I’m going snowboard, yeh boyee.  Anyways before I go on a danger adventure I have to finish school which includes mid terms, I took one on Monday it was one of those test you think you did good but you really didn’t but hey I think I did good (but who knows).  Friday I have a history test but I’m a stallion when it comes to history, the week before we get out I have my last two test which are art which is a class I truly like because of the way it’s taught and I have my intro to Christianity which isn’t going to be that hard because I’ll have time to study.  Now on to the important issue which is Ko Sari well all I have to say is pledging is almost over and I’m ready to be a member don’t get me wrong but pledging is fun but I’ll never want to do it again.  Football is same ol same ol, still a kicker, still wished I was still playing wide receiver like in the golden days; I am getting a lot stronger which is pretty sweet.  I had something completely random today and it was awesome….a grilled cheese.  The weather well it’s Texas weather One day it was super cold and then the next so awesome I felt like running a mile but I didn’t ha like I was really going to run.   So I was just now thinking I don’t know if this blog is going to be good because Holly isn’t here to critique me on how awful of a writer I am but hey I like to flow.  Well I guess I’ll talk about what I’m learning after all I am in college.  In History we are learning the early 1920’s and I could go in depth but it’s best not too and for the reader’s sake.  In intro to Christianity we are talking about the protestant reformation which is pretty cool to learn there is a lot of stuff I am learning in that class that I thought I wouldn’t learn.  And English well we are studying poetry which could be useful because I might need to use poetry when I’m in a bad situation with a girl, I could use poetry to make it all good, kinda like icing on a cake it’s always good.  Well I heard a funny story today and it was the greatest thing of all time,  my friend (we will call him BOB) goes to Tarleton state University and he has several classes today; well do to his level of stress I’m sure ;) before his last class he stuck a sign saying class was canceled and a lot of people left and I thought that was awesome, McMurry’s classes are too small to ever pull something that sweet off but I thought it was the greatest thing ever done, better than Napoleon selling Louisiana to the United States.  Bob will more than likely get away with it because he is a stallion too.  Interesting fact I just thought of, did you know you can go to Taco Bell and get a drink, two chalupas, a taco, and a bean burrito with extra red sauce for under 5 bucks, last time I checked that was cheep oh and it was good yet it wasn’t good the next morning for football but I won’t go into details about that.   Well folks study hall is over and now I’m going to more than likely go play an amazing song on Rock Band as well as sleep, considering I love sleeping.  I'm just so tired of getting up just to lift so I can kick a ball.  That’s all I gots. 

P.S. i'll talk about this picture next time

Well, I am slowly recovering from this years choir tour!

McMurry Chanters is the university choir here at McMurry, and within the large group we have several smaller groups: Chamber Choir, McM Sounds, Men's Ensemble, and Women's Ensemble. Every year we take a 4-5 day tour around different parts of Texas, and around every 4 years we get to take an over-seas tour. (Next year we are going to London) Anyway, This year we started off the tour in Austin, TX on Friday, and finished up singing at a High School in Alvaredo, TX on Monday.

One of the highlights of the trip was when we drove to Longhorn Caverns and sang inside the cave! The blending of our voices sounded so beautiful in such a perfect environment for singing. Our cave guide was so impressed that he insisted we come back during Christmas and perform a concert deep within the cave! Choir tour wasn't only about singing though, we had a lot of fun shopping at different tourist sites, a much needed stop at an outdoor mall (for the girls anyway), and of course...the too close for comfort bonding on the charter bus. Another thing that was interesting about this years tour was Dr. Gomer's incorporation of other instruments. I played my violin for two different songs, and another Chanter's member, Adam, played his small drum (Djembe). Dr. Gomer is known for wanting to incorporate any outside talent...even the creative use of the kazoo! (I'm not kidding...Chamber Choir used about 20 harmonizing kazoos in a piece last year, it was pretty fascinating) But anyway, choir tour was a blast, and now I am back in school, trudging through the deep mud called MID-TERMS! 

 This is part of the whole group inside the cave right before we started singing

This is Stephen, Me, and Ashley

in Austin right after we grubbed at different restaurants around the Church where we performed

Happy Friday!

It has been quite the busy week for me. Being an education major, I get to do tons of crafts and make a lot of fun things in my classes, which you think would be amazing compared to the lectures and what not, but it's so busy as well! Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE making puppets and finger plays and flash cards and all that fun stuff, but it is a lot of time outside of class, as well as in class. Another thing that I have been up to this semester is my second round of observation hours. I get to go out into the elementary schools in Abilene, and observe a class, and get to take part in their activities. I love interacting with the kids, and actually getting to put to action what I am learning in school. I love how McMurry's education program gets you out into the field in your beginning classes, so that you can be sure that it's what you want to do with your life! And if you don't like it, or it's not you thought it would be, you have time to change your major.  

One more thing that takes up a lot of time this semester is pledging, for the men's and women's social clubs. I am a member of Gamma Sigma, a women's social club, and we just finished with our 5th week of pledging. It's been a lot of fun, but it's also really busy. We love our new girls, and they are doing a great job.

I hope that everyone has a great week! Talk to you soon!

Liz

This week was another tough one, lol.  I’m working on a  paper that has to be 15 pages in length and 100% grammatically correct, its taking at least 4 hours out of my day every day. Other than that, school is going well. I’m getting ready to take the Lsat to go to law school and im attempting to keep grades up. Life outside of school work is always fun. I went and hung out with my friends and got to take some pics, lol. Well anyways ive got to get back to work so talk to yall later.  

Well I have to get going till next time auf wiedersehen.

This past Saturday McMurry held its first Preview Day of 2008. It was quite the dreary day, with rain showers and grey skies, but the McM Admissions Office did a great job of keeping smiles on everyone’s face, enjoying it as much as they could. As a tour guide at McMurry, I help out a lot on Preview Day, whether it is walking people to where they need to be, answering any questions they might have, and of course my job, giving them tours of the campus. Of course, the rain started right as the tours began, so we had to walk around campus trying to be as positive as we could while getting soaked. It was still a success, and all of the prospective students seemed like they were getting the information that they needed. I really encourage Preview Day as a step in the college process, no matter what school you attend. It is such a great opportunity to see the campus, learn about the application process, and meet students like me who can honestly answer your answers, and you get that student perspective which is what you truly need. You also have a chance to meet with your admissions counselor, and just learn more about the school. McMurry does this really neat thing where if you bring all of the forms needed, you can apply and find out that day whether or not you have been accepted, no wait at all. It’s awesome! So, if you’re here looking at McMurry and are slightly interested in applying, I would recommend that you plan a road trip with your family so that you can attend a Preview Day. It will truly help you to make that tough decision a slightly more comfortable one. 

 Liz Whiting, Class of '10, Elementary Education

 “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

Life has not slowed down since I last wrote in fact I think I may be even busier than before (I didn’t think that was possible).  We are just back from a three day weekend and now it is only one month until Spring Break!  I am currently serving on the Chapel Design Team and our Religious Life department is growing so much right now.  We just found out that Chapel is going to be moved from 9:30 on Tuesdays to 11:00 so that I will be a lot easier to sleep in and make chapel.  The whole worship experience was awesome yesterday as we discussed the ideas of greed and generosity.  We talked about ways we could serve (being generous with our time) and the Abilene chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters was there to sign-up volunteers.  Already around 50 McMurry students are serving in the mentoring program and we as a student body were challenged to have 100 mentors on campus by the end of the semester.  Tomorrow night Religious Life is hosting “Dollar Bowling Night”.  Thursday night is the start of the weekend and what a better way to start it than with friends and cheap entertainment!

I think one of the biggest shocks of living in Abilene has been realizing that this medium-sized town in the middle of Texas is very cultured.  I spent my Valentines Day at the dinner theater that the McMurry Theater Department put on.  The show was a comedy entitled “The Learned Ladies” and it was absolutely hilarious, it was like a two hour long Dr. Seuss book about dating and marriage (everything rhymed)!  Tonight I have tickets to another show…I am lucky enough to have season tickets to Broadway in Abilene (the touring casts come through and do a one night engagement) and tonight I get to see the musical Evita.  Any excuse to get dressed up and spend some relaxing time with one of my girls is always a treat!  On top of great theater, I have attend some awesome art shows since I have been here in Abilene and this weekend I will be visiting a show at the Center for Contemporary Arts here in town.  My art teacher, Tony has a show running that also includes the works of one of our theater professors and another local artist.  I had better wrap it up as I am headed to the wellness center to get in a quick work-out before the show tonight!  Have a great weekend!

Holly

P.S.- I am the most experienced and best tour guide here in Admissions.  I taught Josh everything he knows so if you want to come take a tour we make a great team.  I am full of helpful information and he is the comic relief!

 “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

            This week has been a crazy!  Pledging season is underway and being a pledge of the best social club on campus (Ko Sari) is so far a stressful task yet the greatest time of my life.  They all say “Pledging season is something that you enjoy that you will never want to do again.”  Besides that football off-season is still at full throttle, it’s not the hardest thing I’ve ever done but very tiresome.  Back in my hometown (Stephenville) things have clamed down with the whole UFO drama, now it’s the government that’s telling the truth about what was going on, so now I’m starting to get my pride back for my hometown!  The new drama that is taking place is a new head football coach and that’s a big deal considering football is god over there.  School is going good, except for art I’m not all for wavy lines and straight lines being considered art as well as busy work that is assigned every day, but my history, English and intro to Christianity is always fun and good.  Something new that has happened at McMurry is the café has hired some new managers and the food is starting to have flavor and tasting really good!  Spring is pretty much here because it’s getting warm outside and it’s not bad at night but we did have a few thunderstorms not to long ago and that was awful because we had preview day and I had to give tours and I was soaked but I did get to meet some “pretty” cool people. Vedy Nice!!!  I do love my job though because I am an amazing tour guide but I was taught by the former best, the old saying “out with the old, in with the new.”  I can’t wait for Spring Break because I’m going skiing at Red River, New Mexico with my family to show them how it’s done.  I also can’t wait for football season because my leg is back in prime and I feel like a can kick like a mile over the mountains but I do miss the old days when I played wide receiver where I would score and then score again with the extra point so I used to rack up some points back in the golden days.  Besides off-season workouts I have my own workouts when it comes to kicking, I’m also trying to help a kid with his kicking because it helps me practice coaching as well as just helping someone out, he has a lot of work to do still.  Next season I’ll have to compete for the punting job but as for as the kicking goes, as long as I get a good snap, good blocks, and a good hold, I’m money every time, I do plan to be all conference!  As far the living on my own in the dorm, that’s coming to an end, I’m getting a room mate hopefully is cool and doesn’t jack with my stuff.  I do have the coolest dorm room if I hadn’t mention that already.  I watched a movie with Denzel Washington, I forgot the title but it was an awesome movie, all I know is it took place in Mexico and I’m more than likely going to buy it or download it (legally of course)!  Well that’s all folks!

 “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

School is in full swing and I am so busy!  This week is jam packed with men's rush activities and even the girls can get involved.  I attended the Ko Sari smoker last night as a smoker girl.  Each men's social club hosts a party for their potential pledges and the girls they know so that all of the freshmen can get to know their clubs better.  As a smoker girl you pretty much get to get all dressed up, take a billion pictures and get spoiled the whole night.  I have the night off tonight but tomorrow I will be attending the Chi Omicron (XO) smoker as their club sweetheart.  XO is a club that is being restarted on campus and I have been asked to be their sweetheart which pretty much means that I take care of them and in turn I get spoiled rotten (are you getting the pattern here?).  The XO smoker is going to be at Joe Allen's barbeque which is my absolute favorite place to eat in town (best steak I have ever had)!  Besides all of the fun parties, I am here to go to school and that is going pretty well. 

I have a business stats test that I have to take tonight but I am not nearly as nervous as I thought I would be because our teacher has done such a good job preparing us.  She hosted a study session last night and gave us the opportunity to take the test tonight instead of at 8:00 AM this morning.  What a great teacher!  I am about to meet up with a few friends, grab a bite to eat and do a little bit of last minute studying.

Holly

Class of 2010 

                         Danielle and me at the Ko Sari Smoker.

                Tour guide pic!  Josh and me at the KS Smoker.

   Super Six!  The girls from my hall at the KS Smoker! 

"Complete the process... and come imagine the possibilities..."

The new semester has begun, and to kick off the start of a new semester are men’s and woman’s social clubs are holding their smokers and rush parties. These gatherings are occasions in which students come together to talk, hang out, have a good time, and hopefully find a social club that fulfills their needs. School is going well my grades are up and classes are a lot of fun. Right now I’m trying to get ready for the LSAT, it’s a test to get into law school and its kicking my tail. Well I have to get going till next time auf wiedersehen.

       -Jakob McKeel, Class of '09, History

"Complete the process... and come imagine the possibilities..."

    I just finished my first day of classes and I could not be happier to be back. It's funny how I've started to call Abilene home even though I'm not from here. My friends, school, job, and church are all here so being back just feels comfortable. I started off early with an eight o'clock marketing class (my first eight o'clock EVER) and then went straight to economics. I love walking to class on the first day and knowing you will probably know half of the people in your class and that one of the girls in the hall probably saved you a seat! Before lunch I had Elements of Design with Tony Berry. He instructed us to please call him Tony because if we said Mr. Berry he would probably start looking around for his father. Needless to say, he was pretty entertaining!

    I am really excited for this semester, especially after just returning from a leadership retreat in Ruidoso, New Mexico. I am in an organization on campus called Student Ambassador Board (SAB) whose goal is to connect McMurry Students past, present, and future. This was a school sponsored trip, so that we could plan activities, set goals, and team build for the upcoming semester. We had a blast! I made some new friends, got to know some old friends better and was able to share my ideas and opinions as a leader on campus. I am excited to see what this semester will hold as I get more involved on campus and fall more in love with this place and these people!

-Holly Stallcup, Sophomore, Class of 2010, Business 

 “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

Don't forget to clear your calendar for McMurry Preview.

February 16, 2008 or March 29, 2008

Well Thanksgiving was last week and I got the opportunity to go home and spend time with my family and friends, which was so a lot of fun. I got back to school last Sunday and now we only have two weeks of classes left and then a week of finals. So you can only imagine the stress that is growing around campus. But I’m thankful for the faculty, staff, and family that I have at McMurry because they are doing all they can to keep us less stressed. For example, we are having the Christmas tree lighting and caroling tonight, and there are Christmas parties in all the dorms.

            Also, Religious Life Council is having a progressive dinner this weekend at different people’s houses. We are even getting to have dinner at Dr. Russell’s house (the president of McMurry). So it keeps us all focused but not as stressed.

    - Alyssa Cox, Sophomore, Class of 2010, Early Childhood Education

   “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

Homecoming, OMG! Where do I start! Being a sophomore here at McMurry, I have looked forward to what even the school is going to surprise me with next. Homecoming is a time when the ENTIRE student body comes together and shows how much spirit they have. One of the things that surprise me was how important the “Beating of the Drum” is. Everyone tries to their very best to keep the same beat going for a long period of time; because we want our team to win (myth has it, if it gets messed up, we loose). I also enjoy seeing all of the little kids come to Teepee Village and learn more about all the different tribes. All together Homecoming is a Great Experience and not only that it is a time to hang out with your friends in a safe environment.

   - Ashley Brown, Sophomore, Biology/PT

Check out more pictures of Homecoming here.

Or see what other have to say about Homecoming here.

   “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

My name is Vu Nguyen and I am an international student from Vietnam.
McMurry is really a family for me since I live far away from home. If I get sick, I can go to the nurse who always gives me the best answers for how to treat my sickness. Since I can only go home once a year, sometimes I do feel homesick. When that happens I can just go hang out with my McMurry friends until I feel better.

 When I first came here, I had a barrier in English and to master English, all the professors spent extra time outside of class with me, helping me understand the problem. I know I can always sit down and talk to them about any problems that I am having.

I have joined an international club here. We have about 30 members from all over the world: Mexico, Australia, Nigeria, China, etc. Every weekend we have dinner on Sunday night and talk the about the week and help each other get over our homesickness.
McMurry students are always very open about the difference between culture, and some of my friends enjoy listening to me telling them about Vietnam.
-Vu Nguyen, Sophomore, Business

For more information about how to apply as an International Student click here.

"Complete the process... and come imagine the possibilities..."

President for a Day

Or from another perspective…Student for a Day

While Hannah Lester held down the fort as McMurry’s “President for a Day”, I had an interesting opportunity to go back in time to when I was a sophomore in college—I was a student for a day.

I’d like to share some observations from that experience:

·         I could get used to a 10:00 start to my day…but I don’t think Gerri would share my enthusiasm.

·         Hannah sits in the front row…I never got near the front row when I was a sophomore.

·         There sure seems to be a lot more active learning than when I was a sophomore—sewing machines, voice lessons and group learning activities that demand participation from every member of the group!

·         You meet some interesting folks in “The Caf”…and learn some really interesting things.

·         Work study might be easy for some, but Cynthia New turned Hannah’s work study assignment into an aerobic event for the new guy.

·         The pressure associated with being student for a day is somewhat lessened when someone else will take the test/get a grade on the material covered in class…Sorry Hannah!

I was encouraged by the diversity of experiences I saw in the short segment of time I stood in for Hannah. The McMurry Experience can be as engaging as one chooses to make it. I enjoyed the breadth of Hannah’s activities in which I was fortunate to participate.

Student for a Day…not a bad day at all!   

Hear Dr. Russell's message here.

  “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

            My day as President of McMurry was completely different from what I expected! To be honest I was really unsure of how to respond when I heard the news that my name was drawn… I felt like it was just going to be a sort of tutorial of the President’s duties and a chance to relax in his office… but it turned out to be anything but!

            My earliest class this semester is at ten o’clock, so when I was told that I had to be in the office at 7:30 am I really panicked… (I don’t think my alarm even operates that early)

            Anyway when I got there I started getting a little more excited. I had a huge office to my own and a lot of quiet… until Jerri (my secretary for the day) handed me my agenda for the day.

            I spent that morning studying the different meetings that I was supposed to lead and talk with a few people who wanted a student’s opinion on certain things… and then I got called into a meeting that was not on my agenda. From then on I was in and out of meetings with a break for lunch with the trustee members.

            The most amazing part of the day was how welcoming and interested everyone was to my ideas as a student. I think an area a lot of schools are lacking in is that of a relationship between faculty and students. Some college students only know a picture and a stamped signature of their president. But here at McMurry we have leaders who know the true meaning of their job and how to be an effective leader to college students.

 - Hannah Lester, Sophomore, Class of 2010, Psychology

 

"Complete the process... and come imagine the possibilities..."

We were able to catch up with one of the McMurry volleyball players and chat with them about their weekend and the team.

What did you do this weekend?
I was able to go and play in the ACS volleyball tournament.

How did it feel to make the tournament?
It was probably the best feeling ever. Last year we weren't able to go which for me it was very discouraging because it was my first year and last year was the first time MCM hadn't made it to the tournament. I felt like our team had accomplished so much from last year. It was a wonderful feeling, having worked so hard this year. It was very rewarding.

How did you do as a team?
The two weeks before the ASC tournament where really rough, it was as if we were in a slump, but we had a great practice and came together at the end when it was needed the most! We all worked hard together!

What else did you do besides playing the games?
We didn't do much after our games, we went out to eat (coach always feeds us well) and then back to the hotel to relax and hang out. On Saturday we were able to stay and watch the championship game.

What was your favorite part?
Play in the game against ETBU was the best; we all played so hard and worked together through out the whole game. Everyone was excited the whole time! It was great!
 

        -Danielle Kelton, Sophomore, Class of 2010, Business

Check out more McMurry Volleyball at http://athletics.mcm.edu/index.asp?path=wvball

 “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

My first week here at McMurry has been a life-altering experience. I'm from a very small town in Illinois, and I’m very family oriented, so I thought coming here would be hard.  I was extremely nervous about meeting new people because I would be so many miles away from everything I knew. But once I got here, I was greeted by the friendly RA's in my residence hall and many other people that work here.

So far I really enjoy my classes. I have wonderful professors that actually listen to what you have to say, and they always make sure the students know that if we need any help, they’re always available.

One of the things I like about McMurry is the size of the campus. It’s a smaller campus, and it doesn’t leave you feeling overwhelmed like a larger campus might. I also like how the class sizes are smaller, allowing you to have more one on one time with the professors.

-Kristin Taylor, Freshman, Exercise Science & Human Performance

  “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

My first week was very good. I met a lot of new people at different events they had throughout the week. All my classes were good, and meeting new people is always fun. My schedule worked out pretty well. I like the fact that classes are small because you can focus better and learn more, unlike large classes where the professor doesn’t even know your name.

I like McMurry a lot! People here at McMurry are nice and friendly. The faculty members, upperclassmen and staff make you feel good, and you can always see them at school events, games or any other activities around school.

The professors are good.  They are prepared, have high degrees and experience, which makes me feel good because I know that I’m going to get a good education from them. They care about you and want you to be successful.

There are so many things to be involved in on campus. Pep rallies are fun, and there’s always a big crowd at every game, no matter what sport is being played. They try to get students involved with the school with new events and activities so you can have fun while you’re at McMurry.

I like everything about McMurry, but if I had to choose one thing, it would be how everyone is in some way involved with the school either by playing a sport or being part of a social club. Come to McMurry, visit the school and find out for yourself that McMurry will give you what you are looking for.

  “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”