Alumni Invitational Recital

Soprano Catherine Bree Cockerell, '04, will perform at the fourth annual Alumni Invitational Recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in Martin Hall. Cockerell graduated from Texas Wesleyan in 2004 with music and history degrees. As a student, she was involved in many campus groups, and was a member of both Alpha Xi Delta and Sigma Alpha Iota.

     Performing works by Menotti, Larsen, Canteloube, Brahms, Sondheim and others, she will be joined by Keith Critcher (piano) and JaceSon P. Barrus (actor). For more information, call 817-531-4992.

Author of Thank God for Evolution to be Keynote Speaker at University College Day

Rev. Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution, will be the keynote speaker for University College Day at Texas Wesleyan University. Dowd will give the keynote address at 9:25 a.m. Tuesday, April 7, in Martin Hall. The address is free and open to the public.
      Dowd will focus on our common creation story - the epic of cosmic, biological, and human evolution revealed by science - as the basis for an inspiring and meaningful view of our place in the universe. As an "evolutionary evangelist," Dowd preaches that it is possible to view evolution as a spiritual process; that current science shows that evolution is not meaningless blind chance; how to use practical methods for using evolutionary insights to achieve greater personal fulfillment; and how aligning with evolutionary trends can guide activists and others hoping to make our world a better place.
     The annual University College Day at Texas Wesleyan University celebrates the scholarly activity of students and faculty by providing them with the opportunity to take part in presentations, panel discussions, art projects and multi-disciplinary events. Presentations and discussions will take place from 10:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Eunice and James L. West Library orientation room and gallery and may include a variety of topics: literature, science, math, social studies or even theater or music. The sessions are free and open to the public.

     For more information about University College Day, please contact Bruce McDonald, chair of the UCD Committee. Martin Hall is located at 1309 Wesleyan St., Fort Worth (map).

Theatre Wesleyan Presents Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Theatre Wesleyan will present the 55th annual musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, April 23-26 in the Thad Smotherman Theatre. Senior theatre major Ben Phillips stars as Sweeney Todd, a maniacal, murderous barber who goes into the meat pie business with the help of Mrs. Lovett, played by junior theatre major Ashley Moseley. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, from an adaptation by Christopher Bond, Sweeney Todd has become a classic since its debut in 1979, most recently as a movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp.

     Sweeney Todd is directed by Elizabeth King Dubberly with musical direction by Aimee Hurst Bozarth. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23 through Saturday, April 25, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Ticket prices are $12 general admission; $8 Wesleyan faculty and staff; $6 students with ID and seniors 65+. The box office will open for reservations at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. Parental discretion is advised; click here for a synopsis.

    Saturday, April 25 is Alumni Night, part of the festivities for reunion weekend. Tickets for the April 25 performance must be made through the Office of Alumni Relations (817-531-4404) and ticket prices vary. Due to limited performances and seating, reservations are strongly recommended.

     Call the box office at 817-531-4211 or the theatre department at 817-531-5867 for more information.

Wesleyan Table Tennis Heads North to Defend Titles

The Texas Wesleyan Table Tennis team is headed to Rochester, MN, April 2-6 to defend their college champion title for the fifth time. Coaches Jasna Reed and Keith Evans, with team manager David Livings, will accompany the team as they compete in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles competition. Click here to find out more.

Men’s Team: Mark Hazinski, Chance Friend, Carlos Chiu, Oliviu Vasilca, Aldis Presley, Evan Anderson, Christopher Wellborn, and James Segrest 

Women’s Team: Ines Perhoc, Hung-Yu Tina Chen, Pam Fontaine, Kristen Thorn, and Jasna Reed

Men’s Singles Qualifiers: Mark Hazinski, Chance Friend, Carlos Chiu, Oliviu Vasilca, and Aldis Presley

Women’s Singles Qualifiers: Ines Perhoc, Hung-Yu Tina Chen, Pam Fontaine, Kristen Thorn, and Jasna Reed

Men’s Doubles Qualifiers: Hazinski/Chiu and Friend/Vasilca

Women’s Doubles Qualifiers: Perhoc/Reed and Chen/Thorn

Mixed Doubles Qualifiers: Hazinski/Perhoc, Chiu/Chen, Friend/Reed, and Vasilca/Fontaine

Learn Skills to Support a Lasting, Healthy Marriage

The marriage education course, Growing Love in Christian Marriage, will be offered at Texas Wesleyan University from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 18. This course is certified by the state of Texas so that couples who participate will receive a certificate for a discount of $60 on their Texas state marriage license.

     Amy Tate-Almy, a facilitator for the Depression Connection Team of Fort Worth and Director of Debtor Education for the Fort Worth Chapter 13 Trustee’s Office, will lead the premarital counseling workshop. The cost of the workshop is $30 per couple to learn skills to support a lasting healthy marriage.   

     The GLCM course includes eight topics: commitment, communication, conflict management, companionship and lifestyle, career and finances, children and parenting, community networks, and compass for the future. Couples begin by answering the internet MIRROR Couple Relationship Inventory before coming to the workshop.

     In addition, anyone interested in becoming a trained GLCM leader may attend this workshop and then complete an online set of leader questions for certification. Email glcm@careermarriage.org for more information about GLCM leader certification.

     RSVP to Amy Tate-Almy at aatalmy@hotmail.com. To register, send the couple's name(s), email address, and phone number with $30 fee payment (make checks out to Texas Wesleyan University) to Attn: GLCM, Office of Advancement, Texas Wesleyan University, 1201 Wesleyan St., Fort Worth, TX 76105. For more information, email glcm@careermarriage.org.

Human Resources and Payroll Training

Human resources and payroll training is required for all supervisors of regular and student employees. A training session will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, in the West Library orientation room. The session will cover the procedures for hiring, terminating, time submission, and HR/payroll deadlines. Please RSVP to Lindsay Choice at lchoice@txwes.edu or 817-531-4447.

Finance Training

Two finance training sessions will be held for all budget officers, deans, department chairs, directors, and their assistants. Staff may attend either the first session, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 15, or the second session, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 16. Highlights of the sessions will include: new, simplified online forms, tricks for making the purchasing process less frustrating, and a new directory of Business and Cashier's Office staff. RSVP to Stephanie Franks at 817-531-5852 or sfranks@txwes.edu. Contact Lori Logan at 817-531-6571 or llogan@txwes.edu with any questions.

Donate Items for Soldiers' Care Packages

Psi Chi, the psychology honor society at Texas Wesleyan, is sponsoring a Soldier's Angels Donation Drive on Tuesday, April 7. Items may be dropped off in the lobby of the SUB or with Pennie Clayton in NBC 103. Click to view a list of items to donate.

Discount Tickets to Rangers Games

All Texas Wesleyan students, faculty, staff, family, and friends are eligible to purchase discounted tickets to select Texas Rangers Baseball games. There will be a special promotion happening at the Ballpark during, or after, each of the selected game days, so be sure to show your Wesleyan pride, wear your Texas Wesleyan gear, and join us for some Texas Rangers Baseball this season for Texas Wesleyan University Days at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington! 

    Click to view a flyer (PDF) showing available dates, seating areas, and how to order tickets. There will also be more available game dates for the second half of the season, to be announced in June. 

     If you have any questions regarding purchasing the tickets, please see the Texas Rangers contact information on the flyer, or contact Julie Handley at 817-531-4923 or jhandley@txwes.edu.

Hanshaw to Speak at International Conference on the Challenges of Pluralism

Mark Hanshaw, assistant professor of comparative religious studies, will speak at the bi-annual meeting of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion in the ancient pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The theme for the conference is “The Challenges of Pluralism in Modern Nation States.”  Hanshaw will speak on the topic of the experience of American Muslims in U.S. Courts.  The conference will be held July 27-30, 2009.

Is Your Community Group Looking for a Speaker At Its Next Meeting?

Consider inviting a Texas Wesleyan professor or staff member to share their expertise with your community or church group. The members of the Texas Wesleyan Speakers Bureau are available to speak to local groups on a variety of topics, including social media, poetry, music education in Texas, environmental science and education, and Methodist history. The Speakers Bureau is available in print by contacting the Office of Communications (abatheja@txwes.edu or 817-531-7521) or online. (If you'd like to be part of the Texas Wesleyan Speakers Bureau, contact Amy Batheja).

In the News: Combination of Research and Creativity Leads to Success for Alumna

Alumna Jennifer Henderson, BA '96, and her business JODesign were recently featured in the Fort Worth Business Press. Henderson's company is behind the current billboard campaign for Worthington National Bank that addresses the current banking climate; one billboard reads,"Did your bank take a bailout? We didn’t." After graduating from Wesleyan, Henderson worked in the communications office at the university. "It was a huge learning experience for me," she says in the article of her time at Wesleyan, "I really did learn everything from Wesleyan that I use today still in my business.” Click here to read the full article.

CPA Firm Hires Wesleyan Business Student

Karen Avelar, a dual-degree accounting student at Texas Wesleyan, has been hired by Sanford, Baumeister & Frazier, PLLC, a Fort Worth accounting firm. Avelar, who is finishing her junior year at Texas Wesleyan, will be a tax intern with the firm. SB&F is a full service accounting firm that performs audits, tax planning and compliance, business assurance services, pension administration and consulting, and merger and acquisition consulting for entities in real estate, oil and gas, financial institutions, dealerships, trusts and estates, technology, healthcare and retail.

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