Sul Ross State University
A Member of the Texas State University System

News Release for Nov. 1, 2011

NEW SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT TO BENEFIT ALPINE HIGH SCHOOL GRADS AT SUL ROSS

Alpine High School graduates will receive preference for scholarships under a new endowment and fund established at Sul Ross State University.

The David C. and Vickie L. Wilson Scholarship Endowment and McMillan-Wilson Scholarship Fund was established Oct. 18. Preference will be given to Alpine High School graduates and junior, senior and graduate students who have completed at least 60 hours of course work and have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher.

Scholarship selections will be recommended to the University Scholarship Committee from any university academic department. The University Scholarship Committee will make the awards.

“We are grateful to the Wilsons, who are Sul Ross graduates, for giving back so generously to their alma mater,” said President Ricardo Maestas. “Their support creates additional educational opportunities.”

Sul Ross’ endowment presently exceeds $13 million with over 210 individual scholarships.

For more information on endowments, contact Leo Dominguez (432) 837-8033 or leodo@sulross.edu.

VASQUEZ SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT TO BENEFIT SRSU TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

A new Sul Ross State University scholarship endowment will offer financial assistance to students seeking teacher certification and Master’s degrees in Education.

The Alonzo G. Vasquez and Rose Mary Urias Vasquez Scholarship Endowmenand Fund was established Oct. 10. Scholarship selections will be recommended to the University Scholarship Committee by the Department of Education Scholarship Committee.

Eligible recipients will be juniors or seniors seeking teacher certification, making normal progress toward a degree and maintaining an overall grade point average of 2.5 or higher. Also eligible are graduate students seeking a Master’s degree in Education.

“We thank the Vasquez family for expanding educational opportunities for deserving students,” said Sul Ross President Dr. Ricardo Maestas.

Sul Ross’ endowment presently exceeds $13 million with over 210 individual scholarships.

For more information on endowments, contact Leo Dominguez (432) 837-8033 or leodo@sulross.edu.

SUL ROSS LVN STUDENTS WIN FIRST IN SKILLS COMPETITION AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Vocational nursing students at Sul Ross State University captured first place in the student skills and simulation competition at the recent National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses Association (NFLPN) annual meeting.

The 62nd annual NFLPN meeting, held in San Antonio, was represented by members from more than a dozen states, 12-15 schools, and about 10 teams competed in the student skills competition.

The Sul Ross quartet of Caitlyn Stidham, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Leah Brugette, Marfa; Marisa Villarreal, Del Rio/Alpine; and Surrena Rub, Alpine; were challenged to use their skills in a scenario involving an asthmatic patient rescued from a forest fire.

“They were required to assess the patient’s condition, prioritize action, determine what medication to give, re-assess, and also provide teaching to the patient,” said Kristin Wright, RN, clinical instructor. “They also offered additional information (on the patient’s condition) to the judges.”

The competition took place before four judges from different state nursing  boards, Wright said. Sul Ross was announced the winner at a luncheon following the competition. The president of the conference association said, “These students have shown the most astute assessment skills we have ever seen. We would allow any of them to take care of us.”

In addition to the skill competition team members, other students in the program are: Jennifer Jimenez, Fort Worth; Amber Rodriguez, Van Horn; Teren Williams, Austin/Terlingua; Karen Chavez, Fort Stockton; and Daniel Silva, El Paso.

“Our program has provided an exceptional, quality nursing education for a long time, and we work hard to maintain that level,” said Donna Kuenstler, RN, MSN, program director. She added that program graduates have achieved a 100 per cent pass rate on the national (NCLEX-PN) examinations in nine of the past 10 years.

For more information, contact Kuenstler, (432) 837-8171 or dkuenstl@sulross.edu.

MARITZA GARCIA, JOHNATHON CRUZ CROWNED 2011 HOMECOMING ROYALTY

Maritza Garcia, Abilene, and Johnathon Cruz, San Antonio, were crowned Sul Ross State University’s 2011 Homecoming Queen and King during halftime ceremonies of Saturday’s (Oct. 29) football game between the Lobos and Mississippi College.

Garcia and Cruz were sponsored by Lobo Legacy. They received their crowns from 2010 Queen Karla Dixon, Presidio; and King Earnest Jones, Boerne.

Other Homecoming Queen finalists were: Josette Delgado, El Paso, Student Development, first runner-up; Anna Alicia Sandoval, El Paso, Sully Productions, second runner-up; Marina Moralez, Andrews, Student Government Association, third runner-up; and Leilani Asuncion, El Paso, Student Government Association, fourth runner-up.

King finalists were: Juston Weldon, Wimberley, Student Development, first runner-up; Miguel Pena, Fabens, Sully Productions, second runner-up; Matt Short, San Antonio, Music Department, third runner-up; and Mitchell Waechter, Devine, Honors Program, fourth runner-up.

SUL ROSS HONORS ATHLETIC STANDOUTS, DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

Seven individuals were presented with Sul Ross State University’s most prestigious awards during Homecoming 2011 activities.

Football standouts Sam Sparks, San Angelo; and Wayne Thorp, Mertzon; basketball star John Fortenberry, Orange; and outstanding boosters Bob and Lucy Ward, Alpine, joined the Hall of Honor. Dr. William McDonough, University Park, Md., received the Distinguished Alumni Award and Lamar Urbanovsky, Round Rock, Chancellor Emeritus of the Texas State University System, was given the Slingin’ Sammy Baugh Award for Outstanding Service to Sul Ross.

The group was recognized during the annual Athletic Hall of Honor/Distinguished Alumni banquet, held Saturday evening (Oct. 29) in the Morgan University Center.

Since its inception in 1986, 122 former Sul Ross athletes, coaches and outstanding boosters have been elected to the Sul Ross Athletic Hall of Honor.

Sparks, a 1967 Sul Ross graduate, also received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006. The Van Horn native transferred to Sul Ross from Kilgore Junior College and was a three-year letter winner (1964-66) in football, playing on the 1965 Lone Star Conference championship team. He was also selected as a Senior Class Favorite and a member of the Royal Court.

He received a J.D. degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1970, and since 1972, has been a partner in the Webb, Stokes and Sparks Law Firm in San Angelo. He is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Tom Green County Bar Association, director of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and a member of the Board of Governors, Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Sparks was presented by Steve Lang, Sul Ross director of News and Publications.

Thorp was two-time All-Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association selection and three-year football letter winner (1982-84). He also won both NAIA All-American and Academic All American recognition in 1984. The 1985 graduate was named to Who’s Who twice (1984-85) and to the Dean’s List six times. Thorp also participated in track and was named Sul Ross Man of the Year in 1984-85.

He was a member of the 1982 TIAA champions who were nationally ranked and lost a thrilling triple-overtime contest to William Jewell (Mo.) College in the NAIA quarter-finals.

Thorp, currently the owner and president of Thorp Companies, Mertzon, was presented for induction by Dr. Chet Sample, former Lobo athletics director and coach.

Fortenberry, a 1974 graduate, transferred to Sul Ross from Hill County Junior College, where he won all-conference and all-region basketball honors. While there, he set a single-game national junior college record, hitting 25 of 29 free throw attempts.

At Sul Ross, he captained the Lobos for two seasons and helped his team win two invitational tournaments, where he was named to the all-tournament team. Fortenberry was named to the Lone Star Conference All-Academic team in 1974 and was twice named to Who’s Who.

Since leaving Sul Ross, Fortenberry worked in insurance sales with Texas Farm Bureau and as owner of John Fortenberry Insurance in Newton. He also serves as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Deweyville.  Sul Ross athletics director Kay Whitley presented him for induction.

The Wards, owners of C. G. Morrison Co., have been long-time boosters of Lobo athletics and members of the Century Club. Bob Ward joined the C.G. Morrison Co. in Alpine in 1971 as assistant to the president. He purchased the company in 1987 and has been president since that time. C.G. Morrison Co. operates three retail stores, True Value Hardware, Morrison True Value Gardens and Lucy’s Christmas Cottage.

Lucy Ward, an Alpine native, graduated from Alpine High School in 1972 and later from Olympic Beauty College, Colorado Springs, Colo. She has worked at C.G. Morrison Co. since 1976 and currently is vice president.

Dr. Wayne Sheehan, Sul Ross Professor Emeritus of History, presented the Wards for induction.

McDonough, currently a professor of Geology at the University of Maryland, joins his wife, Dr. Roberta Rudnick (2008), as a Sul Ross Distinguished Alumni recipient. The Boston, Mass. native received a Master of Science degree (1983) in geochemistry after earning a B.A. (1979) in anthropology from the University of Massachusetts. McDonough received his Ph.D. (1988) in geochemistry from the Research School of Earth Science, Australian National University.

He has served on the University of Maryland faculty since 2000, first as an associate professor and since 2005 as professor. He previously was a research associate at Harvard University and a lecturer at Boston University. From 1989-1994, McDonough was a research fellow at the Australian National University, and from 1987-89, a Von Humboldt fellow, Max-Planck-Institute fur Chemie, in Mainz, Germany.

Dr. E. Julius Dasch, Sul Ross adjunct faculty member, presented McDonough.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are the highest honor bestowed by the Sul Ross State University Alumni Association.  Since 1981, 53 of the most prestigious Sul Ross graduates have been recognized for their professional achievements, contributions to society and support of the university.

Urbanovsky, who served 27 years as Chancellor and a total of 33 years in the Texas State University System, was presented by Sul Ross President Emeritus Dr. R. Vic Morgan.

As Chancellor, Urbanovsky provided the leadership for the development of the third largest comprehensive higher education system in the state. He expanded the system from 26,000 students in 1978 to over 69,000 in 2005, with an operating budget that increased from $83 million to more than $650 million.

During his tenure, more than $1 billion in new facilities were constructed at the nine TSUS components, including about $100 million at Sul Ross. He developed the TSUS Foundation as a method of financing the construction of over 3,600 new residence hall beds and more than 2,900 parking places, while keeping the rental cost to students low. He enhanced the system’s bond rating and developed a system operation that was the most cost effective in the state in 2003.

The Slingin’ Sammy Baugh Award for Outstanding Service, instituted in 2002, is an honor bestowed by the Sul Ross Alumni Association for contributions and support of the university.

“THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE” ON STAGE NOV. 4-13 AT SUL ROSS

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Sul Ross State University’s first production of the Fall season, opens Friday, Nov. 4, in the Studio Theatre, Francois Fine Arts Building.
 Performances will be held Friday-Sunday, Nov. 4-6, 11-13. Friday-Saturday curtain times are 8:15 p.m. and Sunday shows begin at 2 p.m.

In this production, eight young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and losing doesn’t necessarily make one a loser.

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is directed by Dona W. Roman with musical direction by Donald Callen Freed and instrumentation by Lanna Potts. Tickets are on sale at $9 for general admisssion, $7 for seniors and children, half-price with Sul Ross Activity Cards. Sul Ross faculty, staff and currently enrolled students are admitted free with ID.

Advanced ticket sales are in place. Advanced ticket holders receive reserved seating. For advanced tickets, visit the website at www.sulross.edu/theatre.

For more information, contact the Fine Arts and Communication Department, (432) 837-8218.

CAR SHOW REVS UP HOMECOMING ACTIVITIES

During Homecoming weekend at Sul Ross State University, cars rolled out for the first Car Show, hosted by the Black Student Association.  

The car show was held Friday evening (Oct. 28) as a part of the Fall Carnival on campus.  This provided more entertainment for students, parents, and alumni on campus.  The idea of adding new traditions to homecoming week was welcomed by the Sul Ross community.

“With the absence of the bonfire, the BSA wanted to try and bring a new tradition to homecoming by giving students a chance to show off their rides in style,” said Jason Hennington, BSA adviser.

Entry fee for the car show was $10 for non-students and free for current Sul Ross students.  Due to a drop in the temperature, some participants did not show up at the event, but it was still a success.  

“The car show went well, despite the weather changing,” said Nijaune Winston, BSA vice president. “The fact that we were able to put it on made it successful.  Now we know what to do for next year in order for it to be better.”

Brewster County sheriff’s deputy Ryan Skelton entered his squad car in the event and drove off with first place. Winning the event came with a trophy and a $100 cash prize, which Skelton donated back to the student organization. Along with the deputy’s car, three more cars were entered in the community category.  Only three student vehicles were entered in the car show, but were judged and received awards. 

“I really enjoyed looking at the amazing cars that entered the car show,” said Earnest Jones, BSA president. 

“The people were great who entered the car show and we wanted to say thank you. Look forward to seeing you next year.”

The BSA has already began making minor adjustments, and learning from this experience to prepare for next year’s car show.

“The car show was great.  It was a big project but the members of the club made it happen,” Hennington said.  “I’m extremely proud of them and looking forward to how they are going to improve the car show for next year.”