Synod Women's Conference recognizes Loving Hearts Scholarship

During the Synod Women's Conference in Hot Springs in July, the Synod Coordinating Team voted to formally recognize the Loving Hearts Scholarship, established by the Presbyterian Women at Lyon College almost 60 years ago.

Claudia Marsh, director of Church Relations at Lyon College, shared a brief history of how the scholarship was started by a Presbyterian Woman from Osceola in 1948. Interestingly, this was the same year the Synod of Arkansas approved a name change for the group in charge of women's work from “Women of the Church” to “Presbyterian Women.”

Pictured (from left), Sheron Antczak, Virginia Scott, Navisimo Chifunda, and Claudia Marsh.

The original purpose of the Loving Hearts Scholarship was to help students from the Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home get a college education.

During the meeting, the attendees heard from Sheron Antczak, Synod of the Sun Presbyterian Women's moderator, who emphasized the need for the scholarship and support from Presbyterian Women. Antczak signed memos of agreement to formalize the establishment of both an annual and endowed scholarship.

Virginia Scott, Church Relations coordinator of Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home & Family Services, testified how the Loving Hearts Scholarship made it possible for her to attend Arkansas College, now Lyon College, and how that experience helped her to be where she is today.

Navisimo Chifunda, a 2005 graduate of Lyon College, shared how the Loving Hearts Scholarship helped her get a college education and expressed her appreciation to Presbyterian Women for their support.

All donations to the college for the Loving Hearts Scholarship, up to $500 during the fiscal year, will go to the Loving Hearts Annual Scholarship fund. Any donations above $500 during the fiscal year will go to the Loving Hearts Endowed Scholarship. Once the endowed scholarship fund reaches $10,000, then an annual award can be made yearly in perpetuity.

The scholarship preferences are first that it be awarded to a student from Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home & Family Services with demonstrated financial need, or if there is no student from Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home, the scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student with demonstrated financial need.

For more information about the Loving Hearts Scholarship fund, contact Ms. Claudia Marsh, director of Church Relations at Lyon College, phone (870) 793-1767 or e-mail cmarsh@lyon.edu.
 

Pocahontas senior wins Lyon's Upward Bound Math-Science Director's Award

Andrew Todd, a senior at Pocahontas High School, recently received the Lyon College Upward Bound Math-Science Director's Award following his participation in the project's six week Summer Session on the Lyon College campus.

The UBMS staff and faculty select only one student per year to receive this honor. The recipient is a student who has demonstrated superior academic achievement, outstanding leadership, and exemplary citizenship in the classroom and in the residence life setting. He or she must be a positive role model as well as an excellent student.

According to UBMS Director Elaine Severs, “There could not have been a more deserving student selected to receive the award this year. Andrew was a consistently outstanding person in every possible way throughout the Summer Session, and was liked and respected by everyone in the program. Andrew was an excellent ambassador for Pocahontas High School. We have received a number of fine students from Pocahontas and look forward to serving additional Pocahontas students in the future.”

During the UBMS Summer Session at Lyon College, Andrew was a member of the Biomedical Physics Research Group, led by Dr. Stuart Hutton, associate professor of physics, which investigated how physics applies to biological systems. Students in the group conducted labs to learn basic physics concepts, labs in general and medical physics, and studied mathematical problem solving involving physics applications.

Andrew also took ACT Math Prep, English, Literature and History. In addition to the classes, he participated in a week-long Senior Seminar that included workshops in conducting college searches online, writing successful scholarship and college application essays, scientific research methods and report writing, time management, organizational skills and study skills.

On a project-sponsored field trip to Houston, Andrew visited the Moody Gardens Pyramid Aquarium, Lone Star Flight Museum, Houston Museum of Natural Science and Space Center Houston. UBMS students also made college visits to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Tech University, and took cultural and educational field trips to Little Rock, Memphis and Mountain View.

Upward Bound Math-Science is a federally funded TRIO Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Its purpose is to help students develop the motivation and academic skills needed to succeed in college. Eligible applicants must come from families where neither parent has completed a four-year college degree, or who meet U.S. Department of Education income guidelines.

Parents, teachers or students who would like additional information about Upward Bound Math-Science may contact the project offices toll free at 888-577-7984 or e-mail msubound@lyon.edu.
 

Jimmy Bell's son receives officer's commission in the U.S. Army

Scottish Heritage Director Jimmy Bell is a respected and award-winning pipe “major,” but he's not the only “officer” in his family anymore.

His son David Bell recently received his new commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in history, David was a scholarship cadet in the Reserve Officer's Training Corps program.

“The school has one of the nation's top ROTC programs,” David said. “Anyone looking to attend college and then have a career in the military should definitely look into an ROTC program.”

He's currently committed to four years of active duty and four additional years of reserve duty. However, David said he intends to stay in the service for the “full twenty” years required to earn a retirement pension.

During his time in the service he'll decide which career path to pursue after he leaves the Army and will evaluate graduate school options at that time.

Next month, he'll find out where he'll be stationed and in what capacity. He's hoping for Infantry duty, and he already volunteered to serve a year stationed in Korea.

He still has additional specialized training to complete before he'll be sent out. He's also signed up for the famed Army Ranger School, and he's already completed Airborne School.
 

Lyon library to host unique joint art exhibition

Three members of the Lyon community are pooling their talents for a unique art show designed to “burn the Buddha.”

On Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., the Mabee-Simpson Library will unveil the exhibit “Burning Buddha in Batesville.” John Chiaromonte, Gary Harris, and Kenton Adler are the joint contributors, and the exhibit will run a month in the lobby of the library and is a form of micro art.

Adler, an accomplished singer and songwriter as well as visual artist, said he created a mixed media piece that will include some collage, some found objects and some hand-painted eggshells.

“The eggshells are the centerpiece, and tie in with the theme of the exhibit in that they are strong symbols of life on this plane, and the endless circle of life in this universe, but are also fragile, and easily destroyed in their corporeal form,” he said. “I think the viewer will also find a bit of whimsy and humor in the presentation, which draws some inspiration from comparative mythology, placing the Buddha into some distinctly non-Buddhist tradition.”

Chiaromonte said the inspiration for doing this in a “micro” gallery goes back to an exhibition he was involved in back in 1979.

“Many artists, including myself at that time, were looking for ways to exhibit work outside of the mainstream 'art as consumer item' gallery mentality,” he said. “During the late 1960s and 1970s, alternative art spaces opened up everywhere and the micro gallery was one expression of this movement.”

For this exhibit Chiaromonte has created Buddhas out of large seedpods, each stuffed with an assortment of found and natural objects.

“Each Buddha is sitting on a small woolen pad with a wooden begging bowl, and there are also some drawings of a burning Buddha that I have digitally enhanced,” he said. “And last, there are some 'spirit' houses/monastic cells made from wooden birdhouses.”

Chiaromonte said the initial idea for this exhibition was twofold: to bring the Buddhist Dharma to Batesville in a unique way; and, to use small art works as the vehicle for expressing this dharma.

“I approached Ken Adler and Gary Harris about participating in the show because both of them are deeply spiritual and creative individuals, and I believe each has approached the theme in an open ended way,” he said.

Harris said his contributions to the exhibit deal with matters of scale, themes of caring, giving, and invitation, and the reinterpretation of religious iconography.

“It is said in theatrical design, 'it works in small scale, it will work in full scale,' so I regard the mini-gallery as both a challenge and an opportunity,” he said. “I ask the viewers to pose themselves imaginatively in the gallery in front of my works as if they were in full-scale.”

Many of the works spring from the Scriptural quote attributed to the pen of Saint Matthew: "Come unto me all ye who travail and I will refresh you," Harris said.

“My own spiritual journey has been guided by Holy Scripture, the Native American oral tradition, the Vedas, and readings on Buddhism and Taoism,” he explained. “The central piece dominating the exhibit hall is an overblown fusion of Christian and Buddhist imagery.”

The title for the exhibition, “Burning Buddha in Batesville,” initially brings to mind the 1963 photograph of the self-immolation of the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc, Chiaromonte added.

“While this act was appalling to and often misunderstood by the American people the protest was an act of compassion by Thich for the Vietnamese Buddhists who were oppressed by the American backed South Vietnam's Ngo Dinh Diem government,” he said. “This act of compassion was also extended to the oppressors.”

Another important element underlining this exhibition is the Zen Koan by Zen Master Lin Chi, “If you meet the Buddha, Kill the Buddha. If you meet a Patriarch, Kill the Patriarch.” His intention is not to condone murder but to help us see beyond external influences and find the Buddha within.

“To burn the Buddha is to trust and listen to the silence within,” Chiaromonte said.
 

Harlequin Theatre to hold auditions for fall production

Harlequin Theatre will hold auditions for the fall production of The Water Children in Holloway Theatre Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. Scheduled callbacks will take place on Sept. 19. There are roles for four women and four men, and there are also several openings for technicians. The production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Rehearsal/production information is posted in the Green Room in Holloway Theatre. Scripts will be available in the Green Room beginning Sept. 4. They must be read in Holloway Theatre. All students of Lyon College are welcome to audition or participate as a technician.

For more information, contact Dr. Michael Counts, professor of theatre and director of the Harlequin Theatre, or Gary Harris, associate professor of theatre.
 

Lyon theatre graduate to direct stage production of Disney's 'High School Musical'

Missy Gipson '99 got her first real taste of professional-level theatre work at Lyon College under Dr. Michael Counts and Gary Harris, and now she's using what she's learned to direct a new play based on a popular Disney movie.

Currently serving director of Arts Live Theatre in Fayetteville, Gipson will direct a reprisal of Disney's “High School Musical” on Sept. 15-16, raising the curtain on the first Showtime Series sponsored by the Academy of the Arts at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith in partnership with the Young Actors Guild.

Gipson, who earned a bachelor's degree in theatre with a minor in music from Lyon, moved to New York City after graduating from college. There she studied acting and voice and originated the role of Mary Shelley in the off-Broadway debut of “Frankenstein: The Rock Musical.” Gipson also appeared in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Beggar's Opera,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” “South Pacific” and “Bandstand U.S.A.” Regionally, she was Donna in “Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding” at the Walton Arts Center. She is also a private vocal coach and tours regionally with Chase Missy, an Americana band. Her husband, Chase Gipson '96, is the other half of the duo and also a Lyon alumnus.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 and at 2 p.m. Sept. 16. Both performances are at the Arkansas Best Performing Arts Center at the Fort Smith Convention Center.


Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to host concert in October

On Sunday, Oct. 14, at 2:30 p.m., Brown Chapel will ring with the sounds of classical music performed by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Conductor David Itkin will lead the orchestra in a program of classical music, including performances of works by Rossini, Sarasate and Schubert. The Batesville Symphony League, First Community Bank and Lyon College are sponsoring the event.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 seniors (55), and $5 for students. To purchase tickets, call Keith Melson at (870) 612-3400. Lyon students, faculty and staff admitted free with IDs.
 

Annual Raft Race makes a big splash
Participants prepare to launch, top left. Mentor Group 12 won the Titanic award for sinking with the most style, top right. Mentor Group 8 won this year's “Golden Oar” award for crossing Bryan Lake first, bottom left.  Another team on the way to the bottom of the lake, bottom right.

Lyon College to host annual Service Day event

Last year, a record 413 members of the Lyon College community turned out to participate in the annual Service Day event, but with more students on-campus this year, that record could be broken.

On Wednesday, Sept. 26, Lyon College will release faculty, staff, students and administrators from their regular responsibilities to work with members of the local community in the college's annual Service Day. After a morning gathering in Brown Chapel at 8:30 a.m., members of the Lyon campus will travel to more than 40 sites in the community. Speaking at the President's Convocation last week, Dr. Joel Plaag, assistant professor of music, announced the date for this year's Service Day and urged even more people to join in.

“We do this every year as a way to give back to the community that gives so much to us,” he said.

This event involves most of the campus. Last year the students, faculty and staff who participated in service day contributed a combined total of more than 1,000 volunteer hours. Lyon has sponsored the event for several years as part of the college's mission to develop responsible citizens and leaders committed to continued personal growth and service. Since 1992, the Lyon campus has given more than 15,000 volunteer hours in Batesville and the surrounding area.

Plaag said many locations around Batesville receive the benefit of Service Day labor support for that day.

“That gives them either a break from those responsibilities, making their environment a little better, or helping to serve those in need in our community,” he said. “And the students get a sense of accomplishment, of having done something positive to benefit not only their school but the community. And we gain a better idea of what kinds of services and organizations are in Batesville.”

For more information on service day or to inquire about hosting a future Service Day worksite, call campus chaplain Rev. Nancy McSpadden at 698-4281.

Stinson elected to Bach Institute advisory board

Russell Stinson was recently elected to the Advisory Board of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute. Located on the campus of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, the institute is the most important repository of Bach sources in the United States. As a board member, Stinson will provide advice on matters of research and preservation, and will help with the institute's new Digital Library. Earlier this year, Stinson made national news by discovering that a volume owned by the institute contained handwritten annotations by the 19th-century composers Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

Batesville Choral Society forms

The newly formed Batesville Choral Society will begin rehearsing on Sunday, Sept. 9. Under the direction of Joel Plaag and Ceil Smith, the choir will rehearse on Sunday nights, from 7-9 p.m., in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Batesville, 775 E. Boswell St, and is open to any adult with a love of singing, regardless of experience. The choir will perform Franz Schubert's Mass in G on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church.

"It's a chance to not only bring the community together to sing, but also supports the arts in Independence County," Plaag said. "A community chorus gets more people involved in singing and going to concerts because it's home-grown music made by our friends, our neighbors, and our families."

For more information, contact Plaag at (870) 698-4259 or come to the first rehearsal at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Sept. 9.

Alumni News

Birth announcements

Jennifer Beckman Stucker '00 of Sachse, Texas, and her husband announce the birth of a son on April 29, 2007. Daniel James Stucker weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long. E-mail: jenstucker@gmail.com

Lana Brower Carriglitto '95 would like to announce the birth of our second son, Charles Mason. He was born on March 19, 2007. Charles weighed 9 pounds, 12 ounces.

Sports

Men’s Soccer

Scots score four, blank Harris-Stowe

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Lyon College Scot goal keepers Matt Callaway and Dustin Horton combined for a shutout and four more Scot players scored goals in a 4-0 win over the Harris-Stowe Hornets Sunday in nonconference play. Lyon College improves to 2-2-0 on the season and is idle until Sept. 8 when it hosts Delta State University.

Callaway started and played the entire first half, earning three saves without a goal allowed. Horton picked up in the second half where Callaway left off, stopping six shots for saves while blanking the Hornets' offense. Mark Maxwell led the Scots in points with a goal and two assists. Teammate Stephen Dallas added a goal and an assist.

Gabe LeBlanc and Daniel Young each scored a goal for the Scots. Gueorgui Tchamkoriyski assisted on LeBlanc's goal.

Women’s Soccer

Ruegger scores four goals in victory over Harris-Stowe

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Lyon College junior Sarah Ruegger scored a school-record four goals and Angelique Armenta became the school's all-time leading scorer in a 7-1 victory over the Harris-Stowe Lady Hornets Sunday in nonconference play.

The win halted a two-game skid for the Pipers, who move to 2-2-0 this season. Lyon is idle until Sept. 8, when they host Delta State.

Armenta earned a goal and three assists to give her five points in the game and 32 for her career, making the Tucson, Ariz. native Lyon's all-time point scorer. Armenta's assist total tied her with teammate Katie Smith atop the school's career assists sheet with eight.

Ruegger and Armenta's performance against Harris-Stowe ties them at the top of Lyon College's career goal list with 12 apiece. Ruegger picked up an assist in the game for a total of 31 career points, good for second place on the all-time list.

Volleyball

Pipers finish JBU Classic at 3-1

SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The Lyon College Pipers opened the season with a 3-1 mark at the John Brown University Classic over the weekend. Lyon earned two victories in a row on Friday at the classic, sweeping the Brenau Golden Tigers 3-0, and outlasting the host team 3-2.  The Pipers followed that performance with a 3-2 win over Lambuth University and a 3-0 loss to the University of Mobile on Saturday.