Common Grounds

Jazz Night features guest artist

Jazz Night, on April 21, featured saxophonist and educator Richard Such and the Corban Jazz Band in the Psalm Performing Arts Center. Such, a founding member of the Willamette Valley Saxophone Quartet, holds a bachelor’s from the University of Oregon and a master’s from Western Michigan University in music performance. At U of O, Such studied saxophone with J. Robert Moore. At Western Michigan, he studied with Trent Kynaston and premiered the piece “In Search of…the Wild Saxamuhphones” for saxophone quartet by Matthew Shoendorff. He has performed with the Western Michigan Jazz Ensemble alongside Clare Fischer and Bob Mintzer. In 2003, Such received an Outstanding Soloist award at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival. Last year, Such led Corban’s jazz program.

Current Director Brian Griffiths says, “It was a good time for Rich to solo with the band as the guest artist. First, a great player—and Rich is one of the better in the state—adds musical value to the concert. Secondly, having students perform with their former adjunct was a great Corban moment.”
Common Grounds

Student Center and Coffee Shop made more inviting

Think Tank, a student representative board to ASB, suggested an update for the Student Center. Hence, modern-looking couches and a gigantic flat screen television made their top floor debut last semester. Dean of Students Brenda Roth says more improvements are scheduled for next year.

Adjacent on the same floor is the campus coffee shop, Common Grounds. Brent Fahsholz, ARAMARK Coffee Shop Manager, facilitated a live music concert on March 13. Aaron Reid and Jake Zufelt were opening acts for headline performer Caleb Ray, from Western Oregon University.

Earlier in the semester, the coffee shop hosted the second Semi-Annual Coffee Picture Contest. The winning photographers were awarded coffee giftcards and the honor of their works being displayed as art for Common Grounds. Winners include:

3rd Place—Melinda Paulson (coffee and books)
2nd Place—Heather Johnson (coffee heart)
1st Place—Dana Kropf (spilling the beans)
Common Grounds

Woman-to-Woman Retreat encourages attendees

“Shepherding a Woman’s Heart,” a one-day retreat on February 28, featured keynote speaker Bev Hislop and three elective sessions. Two hundred women, including 50 Corban students, came for a spiritual uplift. One woman wrote, “God met me in several delightful, timely, amazing ways.”

Nancy Hedberg, Vice President for Student Life, says this is Corban’s 9th annual Woman-to-Woman Retreat. Author Bev Hislop, Associate Professor at Western Seminary, spoke to guests about how Jesus modeled effective and compassionate soul care. Worship time was led by Assistant Professor of Ministries Lee Ann Zanon and her daughters, Kristin and Rebecca. Guests also selected three out of nine total workshop sessions geared to the needs and interests of Christian women. Hedberg says, “Response to the speaker, worship music, and workshop leaders was enthusiastic.”
Common Grounds

End-of-the-Year Party

Lori Schilling, Director of Church and Community Service (CCS), and her husband Brian hosted a “last hoorah” for Corban students and staff on their property, northeast of Salem. ASB funded the event, providing opportunities for students to relax before finals week. The Sassy Onion catered a BBQ dinner. Other highlights included a live band, games, an inflatable obstacle course and blow-up sumo wrestling, worship around a bon fire, and—since Brian Schilling is a licensed pyrotechnician—a professional fireworks show after dark.
Common Grounds

Statewide choral festival

Both of Corban’s choirs performed at the Oregon Collegiate Choral Festival of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) on April 21, 2009. The festival was in Newberg, Ore., and Corban performed with 12 schools—including state schools such as the University of Oregon as well as private institutions such as Concordia University.

Thirty-nine singers in the Chamber and Concert Choirs, under the direction of Dr. Matthew Strauser, represented Corban on the program. Of the groups’ seven selections, a few included piano accompaniment provided by senior Karen Wright; and the “Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi,” by David N. Childs, featured the Concert Choir with Bethanie Farley on violin.

Corban’s first presence at the ACDA festival was in spring 2000, according to Strauser. He says, “The collegiate festival is a place for all the Oregon college and university choirs to come together to enjoy the music.”
Common Grounds

Softball team raises funds for Crisis Pregnancy Center

This spring, the members of the softball team collected donations of which 100% supported a Mid-Valley Crisis Pregnancy Center. Softball Coach Nathan Ohta, who taught 8th grade at Albany Christian School, showed a video from the worldview curriculum produced by Summit Ministries to the Corban women. What resulted was a drive for spare change to benefit the CPC.

CPCs offer accurate information about pregnancy and support services to women facing an unplanned pregnancy. Nearly half of all women who come to the CPC considering an abortion choose the option of life, says Ohta. He encouraged the Corban community, “When you see the softball team carrying baby bottles around campus, please consider donating your spare change in support of CPC and life.”
Common Grounds

Tree-Planting Ceremony held in honor of Dr. Balyo

John G. Balyo went to be with the Lord on April 18, 2009. He served Corban (Western Baptist College) as President from 1983-91. Later, he was Chancellor and President Emeritus until his death.

A commemorative tree planting took place outside Balyo Hall on Wednesday, April 29. Student Amber Meeker encouraged this addition to the landscape, and the young flowering pear tree provided by the Campus Care Team will beautify the area for decades to come. During a short presentation, President Hoff read a Psalm and the citation that will be part of a permanent plaque: “‘A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.’ (Prov. 25:11) / John Balyo left us a golden orchard.”

Mrs. Betty Balyo stood with President Hoff holding the shovel, and afterward, she greeted each Corban community member with a warm handshake and kind words.

Common Grounds

Scholar-athletes recognized

Sixteen Corban student-athletes were named to the Academic All-Cascade Collegiate Conference for their performance on the field of play and in the classroom. To earn recognition as a CCC scholar-athlete, students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 and at least a sophomore standing. Spring sports represented were baseball, softball, golf, and track & field. Forty-seven Warriors qualified during the 2008-09 academic year for CCC recognition.

Five of the CCC honorees plus one other Corban student-athlete were recognized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The recipients are required to be at least juniors in academic standing; to be in attendance at the nominating institution a minimum of one full year; and to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 at the time of nomination. Twelve Corban student-athletes were honored by the NAIA national office in 2008-09, with Beeson and Moller earning the award in both cross country and track & field.

Warrior NAIA scholar-athletes for the 2009 spring season are:

Mitch Riddle (Pullman, Wash.)—baseball
Derek Stokes (Anchorage, Alaska)—baseball
Rachel Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.)—softball
Nathan Furumasu (Gladstone, Ore.)—men’s golf
Brian Beeson (Soldotna, Alaska)—men’s track & field
Carli Moller (Vancouver, Wash.)—women’s track & field
Common Grounds

Easter egg hunt delights students

On the Wednesday prior to Easter Sunday, Corban students received this email:

“Dear Students,

“TOMORROW MORNING (Thursday at 7 a.m.) you will undoubtedly notice Easter eggs hidden around campus. Go gather some!

“Your Corban administrators have prepared this activity as a celebration of a great year and as a thank-you for choosing Corban. We are blessed to have shared this year with you in our common endeavor to make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.”

Students, who were encouraged to limit egg collecting to 3-4 each and to recycle the plastic egg shells, found varieties of candy, notes, and even gift certificates to the Bookstore and Common Grounds (campus’s coffee shop) in the multicolored eggs. Discovery of the grand prize yielded a $500 tuition scholarship for junior Brooke Phillips.

Common Grounds
Back row: Clarence James ’58, Charles Dubbs ’59, Lola Christensen Williams ’54, Cecil Williams ’56, Gaylord Johnson ’53, Don Bierbower ’57, Hugh Wilson ’51. Front row: Yvonne Baccus Thomas ’54, Dorothy Johanson James ’58, Hazel Schmidt Dubbs ’58, Evelyn Hayes ’59, Jan Bagley Bangs ’52, Gloria Pedraza Miranda ’56 and Dwight West ’58.

Golden Grads honored at commencement

Corban recognized its Golden Grads, or 50-year alumni, at commencement on May 2. Charles Dubbs of Arizona and Evelyn Haynes of Colorado received their double-sided bronze medallions from Dr. Richard Caulkins, who was a faculty member of Corban (Western Baptist Bible College) when Dubbs and Haynes were students. President Hoff recognized each one of the Class of 1959 by name and hometown. The medallion shows the WBBC seal on one side and the seal of Corban College and Graduate School on the other.

After the ceremonies, Golden Grads and their families plus other alumni from the decade of the 50s joined President Hoff for a hosted luncheon in the Psalm Center mezzanine. It was a time for getting reacquainted and sharing favorite memories. Tom Carlson ’69, of Colorado and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, addressed them along with Provost Matt Lucas ’94.

Golden Grads of 1960: Mark your calendars to join us for ceremonies May 1, 2010.

 

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