2013 Alumni Hall of Fame and Foundation Banquet

pioneernews
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE COLLEGE
Volume 14, Issue 17
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Kruska Honored at Foundation and Alumni Recognition Banquet
The 19th Annual WOSC Inc.’s Foundation and Alumni
Recognition Banquet culminated in an evening of accolades for the 2013 Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee, Jason
Kruska and all the generous donors to the Foundation.
During Kruska’s acceptance speech he recapped his higher
education path and eventual engineering career at Johnson
Space Center in Houston, Texas. Kruska also recognized
Zella O. (Brunk) Wilson, Jessie Howards Reynolds, and
Bertram “Bert” Earle Cole, Jr., all Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees, as stand-out leaders and personal influences in his
life. Kruska also stated that education, literacy and service
were key traits in each of those hall of fame members that
have also guided his life and career.
Kruska received a plaque inscribed with his biography and portrait that is a duplicate of the one hanging in
the Alumni Hall of Fame. Haley Thompson, Director of
Development and Alumni also presented Kruska with a
lifetime membership to Western’s Alumni and Friends Association, a Western sweatshirt and T-shirt. Kruska was
joined for the banquet by his Wife Moon and his parents
Paul and Mary Kruska as well as many of his immediate
and extended family. Kruska’s high school class mate, Rev.
Keith Wiginton II delivered the invocation for the event.
The Mid-America String Quartet provided pre-dinner
music and performed Movt.1 of Mozart’s Eine Kleine
Nachtmusik during the event program.
Western Oklahoma State College President’s Partners
2012 are AgPreference-ACA, Bar-S Foods Company, Phil
and Gloria Birdine, Bunker Hill Drug, Randy and Kyle
Cumby, Keith and Judy Dodson, Larry and Sharon Duffy,
First National Bank in Altus, First State Bank of Altus,
Great Plains National Bank, Jeff and Lisa Greenlee, Winston and Ethelda Higgs, JCMH Health Care Corporation,
Doyle and Mary Jencks, Kincannon Funeral Home, KEYB
/ KKRE Media Specialties, KWHW / KQ106 (Deborah Ingstad), Dale and Tricia Latham, Herschal H. Crow (Lee Office Equipment), Lowell – Tims Funeral Home, MidFirst
Band, Eddie and Judy Mitchell (Eddie Mitchell Insurance
Agency), Dr. Jason and Stephanie Morrison, NBC Bank,
Brad and Chrystal Overton, Terri and Bob Pearson, Pickett’s Clinic Pharmacy, Inc., Jimmy and Jessica Poe, Privett
Sales, Roger Teigen, Shamrock Bank, Justin and Melissa
Smith, Bill and Ruth Starr, Stockmans Bank, Matt and
Haley Thompson, Vernon Dr. Pepper Bottling Company
(James and Carla Thompson), Chad and Ericka Wiginton, Jeff and Kim Wilmes (Wilmes Superstore) and Tim
Wilmes (Wilmes Chevrolet Buick GMC).
Western Oklahoma State College Foundation, Inc. recognizes its Partner’s in Education Excellence donors. The
levels of giving are: Lectureship- $25,000; Professorship$125,000; and Endowed Chair- $250,000. The Partner’s in
Education Excellence Endowments are matched, dollar for
dollar, through the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education Trust Fund.
Lectureships include: Chesser Family Lectureship
in Art/History; Randy Cumby Lectureship in Distance
Learning Education; Doughty Family Lectureship in Business; Eunice Griffin Lectureship in Business; Winston and
Ethelda Higgs Lectureship in Business; Russell Kirchoff
Lectureship in Agriculture; Jack and Jewell Walker Lectureship in Aviation; and Jeff and Kim Wilmes Lectureship
in Business
Professorships include: JCMH Professorship in Nursing; JCMH Professorship in Nursing; and JCMH Professorship in Radiologic Technology
Endowed Chairs include: Great Plains Regional Medical Center Endowed Chair in Nursing
Western Oklahoma State College Foundation, Inc.
2012 Donor Recognition Plaques were presented as well.
Donors were recognized for different levels of giving.
WOSC Foundation, Inc. Fellows ($1,000) donors
are Jacqueline and Thomas Bellamy, Nathan and Katie
Dowden, Joe and Jay Felker, Nicholas and Heather Hood,
Thomas and Jacquelyn Linares, Dr. Jason and Stephanie
Morrison, John and Denise Phelan, Jimmy and Jessica Poe,
Altus Laundry and Cleaners, Inc. (Jim and Terri Redding),
Ryan and Kortni Robbins, Jasper and Shirley Rowland, Justin and Melissa Smith, Vernon Dr. Pepper Bottling Company (James and Carla Thompson), Wayne and Radonna
Whitaker
WOSC Foundation, Inc. Collegiate Club ($2,500) donors are Cody and Rachel Beckner, James and Glenda Mahan and Wilmes Chevrolet Buick GMC (Tim Wilmes).
WOSC Foundation, Inc. Scholar’s Club ($5,000) donors are Dr. Phil and Gloria Birdine, Johnny Joe and Betsy
Roberts, Lawayne and Reba Drury, Tim and Lisa Drury,
Lowell-Tims Funeral Home and Clint and Kim Abernathy.
WOSC Foundation, Inc. Dean’s Club ($10,000) donors
are Bill and Ruth Starr, Ag Preference-ACA, Great Plains
National Bank and Shamrock Bank.
WOSC Foundation, Inc. Regent’s Club ($25,000) donor
is First National Bank in Altus.
Dr. Phil Birdine, Blake Jackson and Chad Wiginton present Jason Paul Kruska with a plaque in honor of his induction into the WOSC Alumni Association Hall of Fame.
Jason Paul Kruska (center front) with his parents Paul and
Mary Kruska and his wife Moon Kruska visit the Alumni
Hall of Fame wall before the banquet.
Right: Dr. Birdine, President of Western Oklahoma
State College (left) and Eddie Mitchell, Chair of WOSC
Foundation, Inc. Board of
Trustees (right) presents
James and Glenda (not
pictured) Mahan with a
Collegiate Club Donor Recognition plaque.
Left: Dr. Phil Birdine (left)
and Eddie Mitchell (right)
honor Larry McLaughlin and John Horschler of
Shamrock Bank and Cecil
Sheperson of Ag Preference, ACA with a plaque in
recognition of their membership in the WOSC Foundation, Inc. Dean’s Club.
WOSC Foundation, Inc. Fellows
WOSC Foundation, Inc. Scholar’s Club
Right: Dr. Phil Birdine,
President of Western Oklahoma State College (left)
and Eddie Mitchell, WOSC
Foundation, Inc. Board of
Trustees Chair (right) honor
Aaron Chambers and Dennis Vernon of First National
Bank in Altus with a plaque
in recognition of their
membership the WOSC
Foundation, Inc. Regent’s
Club.
Lady Pioneers Gear Up for Softball Season
Its spring time, which for many, means Softball season
is here. Not only is it here, it’s here with a vengeance. The
Lady Pioneers Softball team, like all the other Western
teams, is one of the many bright spots of the college. This
year they look to improve on their record and finally make
it to the World Series and get the recognition that they deserve.
The Lady Pioneers are coached by Mike McBrayer who
enters his fourth season as head coach. He has led the Pioneers to a winning season in each of the seasons that he
has been at Western. The last two seasons have been his
most successful seasons as the Lady Pioneers were ranked
in the Top 20 in the National Poll. Last year was their second consecutive season with 45 plus wins, as the team went
47-13, which is a 31 win increase from 2010. Coach McBrayer said that his “expectations for this year are to win
Regionals and make it to the World Series”. “We finally got
the respect that we deserve and are not flying under anybody’s radar this year. That is great for the program.” The
respect that they earned came in the form of the numerous
records that last year’s team broke. McBrayer’s team cur-
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rently holds 24 of the 28 school records, which is impressive to say the least. “These expectations are hard have with
only two returning starters, but these aren’t two ordinary
starters”. The pitching staff is highlighted by Kelsey Watson, a sophomore, who was voted the top pitcher in Region II last year. The other notable starter is Emery Fox,
another sophmore. She was the NJCAA National Player
of the Week once during the 2012 season at first base. She
also pumped in 19 homeruns during Western’s record setting campaign last year.
The lady Pioneers look to improve, as they have done
every year under McBrayer, and finally make it the big
show. It promises to be an exciting year for softball. Coach
McBrayer said “this team has a bull’s eye on its back; they
know us now, that is what will make this year fun”. The
Lady Pioneers opened up the season with two wins against
Clarendon College Saturday. They play again Wednesday
against Grayson College and Thursday against Frank Phillips College. Both days are doubleheaders at 1 and 3 in Altus. Best of luck to the Lady Pioneers
Western Hosts Annual
Administrators Summit
Superintendents and Principals from area schools convened at
Western On January 30 in the Mulit-pupose Center for breakfast
and a briefing from Western administrators about what the college
can do for students looking to begin their post-secondary education. President Dr. Phil Birdine welcomed the guests and said that
the morning would cover topics relevant to Western and secondary
educators. Lisa Greenlee, Vice President for Academic and Student
Support services introduced Western leadership and the topics each
would present. “This is one of my favorite meetings because of what
we can accomplish with our concurrent students.” Concurrent students are high school student who enroll in college level courses
while still attending high school. Juniors with a GPA of 3.5 or an
ACT of 21 or higher and seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or an ACT of 19
or higher may take a maximum of 6 credit hours and receive a tuition waiver at Western. Chad Wiginton, Dean of Student Support
Services said, “We love your students and our concurrent students
are an important part of what we do.” Wiginton also highlighted a
free service to all Western students including concurrent students,
tutoring via Tutor.com. This online service is available 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Western students have already utilized over 1000
online sessions in a variety of disciplines. In addition a face-to-face
peer tutoring lab is also available on campus five days a week.
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