The person that I am today is far different from the one that stumbled upon the Hardin-Simmons’ campus grounds on that fateful day back in August of 2007. Indeed it would be almost an unrealistic goal for me if I ever decided to sit down and list every single aspect of my personality that has changed over the time I spent in college. This is far too complex a task, not because of the sheer quantity or the volume of change that has occurred to me, though it is safe to say that the transformation I have undergone is rather vast. The reality is that the changes I have undergone really no longer allow me to see myself – the person I am today and the person I used to be – with the same lenses. In other words, there are certain values and ideologies that have so influenced and altered me that I can no longer look back and evaluate myself objectively. Additionally, it is my nature to forget that what I hold on to now as a belief may be starkly different than what I believed before. For this reason, I can easily deceive myself into thinking that I’ve always thought this way about something.

For the most part, I think that all these changes during my time here pursuing my dual degrees in Bible and Psychology have shaped me to be a better person. As I approach graduation, it is my sincere hope that the future holds for me even more opportunities to grow and improve as an individual. After all, being daily sandwiched between my past and my future, it is only through learning that I would have any chance of altering my tomorrows and making use of my yesterdays.

"Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime" - My time at HSU has taught me the importance of being a lifelong learner.

If none of what you just read made any sense to you, then hear this: the most important lesson I have learned in my tertiary education is that the learning never stops. The second lesson being that it is only through putting into practice that which I have learned that I really stand a chance of making something out of my life. Unless I continue to push myself to learn and grow – even in the littlest of ways, I risk making my the same mistakes from my yesterdays in my tomorrows, potentially winding up in the tragedy of an unfruitful life marked by cycles of disappointment and wasted opportunities. The truth of the matter is that the pursuit of knowledge itself really doesn’t lead me anywhere unless I learn, not just to put it into practice, but to gain newer knowledge. We need to learn how to be lifelong learners. As the saying goes, “give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime”. By going back and forth between learning, putting into practice, learning more and then putting into practice some more we can avoid the tragedy of being stuck in one station the rest of our lives.

With one final year to go, I still find myself learning new things – even in the first year classes that I am enrolled in. Even though I am so close to the finish line of my Bachelor’s degree, so close to walking across that stage to receive my diploma, I still find myself daily being challenged by my professors here to learn new things. They continue to inspire me – not just to learn the material in the syllabus, but also knowledge that extends far beyond the confines of my classroom. For this, I am deeply grateful because I know: the learning does not stop once I leave Hardin-Simmons University. As cliché as this sounds, “It is not the end; it is just the beginning”!

A nighttime view of the stain glass window at Hardin-Simmons' University's Logsdon Chapel - used for the seminary students' chapel assemblies.

Pronunciation: \ˈcha-pəl\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French chapele, from Medieval Latin cappella,from diminutive of Late Latin cappa cloak; from the cloak of St. Martin of Tours preserved as a sacred relic in a chapel built for that purpose Date: 13th century 1 : a subordinate or private place of worship: as a : a place of worship serving a residence or institution b : a small house of worship usually associated with a main church c : a room or recess in a church for meditation and prayer or small religious services 2 : a place of worship used by a Christian group other than an established church <a nonconformist chapel> 3 : a choir of singers belonging to a chapel 4 : a chapel service or assembly at a school or college

A view of the stain glass window at Abilene Christian University's Chapel on the Hill.

Brief History The word “chapel” comes from the Anglo-French word “chapele” or “capele” derived from the Late Latin “cappa” meaning “cloak”. Tradition has it that the word “chapel” became a common term used to describe a place for Christian or Catholic worship after one such building was constructed as a place the preserve the sacred relic of St. Martin of Tours. As the story goes, St. Martin, before he become a priest, served as a soldier in the Roman army. One fateful day, while being stationed at Amiens, St. Martin encountered a scantily clad beggar. Upon seeing this beggar’s plight, St. Martin impulsively pulled off his own cloak and with his sword split it in half in order to share it with the beggar.  That night St. Martin had a dream that he was visited by Jesus himself, whom he saw, was wearing the very half-cloak that he had given to the beggar earlier that day. In this dream, St. Martin heard Jesus saying to the angels, “”Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized he has clad me.” This dream confirmed St. Martin’s piety and he was baptized soon after. One version of the story adds that when St. Martin awoke from his dream he found that his cloak was restored. The miraculous cloak was then preserved among the sacred relic collection of the Merovingian kings of the Franks.

Students engaging in worship during a chapel service at Spring Arbor University, Michigan.

What is Chapel? Since ELI 360’s universities are Christ-centered institutions of higher learning, it is not difficult to locate a building or structure located on these campuses that is designated as the institutions “chapel”. Obviously, the term chapel can be used to describe a physical house of worship. Nonetheless, one of the definitions of the word “chapel” provided by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is “a chapel service of assembly at a school or college.” Indeed, the term chapel is commonly used by students and faculty alike at the various ELI 360 partner universities to refer to a official assemblies where spiritual formation is the focus.

A student bowing in prayer at HSU's REVAMP - a student-led worship festival held annually. Spiritual Formation is an essential focus of all ELI 360 partner universities.

The Purpose of Chapel As with most things university-related, different institutions organize chapel differently. Some, such as Abilene Christian University, have chapel services daily available to students while others, such as Hardin-Simmons University make it a weekly affair. For the most part, chapel is seen as an integral part of the campus life at these universities. One of the most important elements that ELI 360 looks for in its partner universities is a focus on holistic education, which carries with it a need to provide students with an avenue for spiritual growth on top of academic and professional development. In general, the chapel services held at these universities function to help the university family – students, faculty and staff – engage in an environment of corporate worship in order to encourage each individual in their commitment to God and to grow in their love for and knowledge of him. Diversity in Worship Beyond this main goal, various universities’ chapel services, under the leadership of the university chaplain, have unique focuses that supplement the wider objective of worship. For example, Kelly Pigott, the chaplain of Hardin-Simmons University, believes that chapel is a time and a place for exposing the students of HSU to the various Christian heritages. He writes in the excerpt describing chapel on the HSU website, “HSU desires to be a place where students mature spiritually and emotionally. To that end, we seek to provide a relevant and challenging chapel program. Each semester, one can expect to hear from local speakers who speak from a West Texas context, as well as nationally known speakers who challenge us with what is going on in the Church around the world. One can also expect a great diversity of worship styles presented in chapel, to expose the community to the beauty and creativity of all the major Christian traditions.” In other words, chapel at Hardin-Simmons thus becomes a context for students to realize that they are a part of a wider Christian community, whilst learning to accept and embrace the diversity that comes along with that body.

A picture of a weekly chapel service at Lubbock Christian University.

Meanwhile other universities, such as Abilene Christian University, Oklahoma Christian University and LeTourneau University have a distinct focus on engaging their students in the different worship styles of various cultures. On these campuses, one can usually find several assemblies per semester assigned as “International Chapel”.  During the international chapel, faculty and students from different countries and ethnic backgrounds are given the opportunity to lead worship and speak about the gospel, presenting the beauty of God through their unique languages, instruments and other cultural practices. It is through these chapel services that students from diverse backgrounds get a taste of what it means to belong to a wider body of Christ and that even though people can be so different from one another, Christ and their faith in Him becomes a unifying factor for corporate worship.

Internationally-acclaimed Christian author Max Lucado, who happens to be an alumnus of Abilene Christian University, is but one of the many popular guest speakers at ELI 360's partner universities.

Special Events On top of having weekly meetings and student –led worship, the chaplains of these Christian colleges also organize special events throughout the semester – this includes inviting influential political and spiritual leaders, contemporary bands and music groups and so on to speak or present their music at chapel. Some of the more well-known individuals who have made addresses at these various campuses during chapel time include George W. Bush, Tony Campolo, Brian McLaren, Max Lucado, James Dobson, Henry Blackaby and Dan Sanders, just to name a few. Some of the contemporary Christian bands that have played at these institutions’ chapel services include Skillet, Decyfer Down, Sanctus Real, Family Force 5 and the Robbie Seay Band.

An aerial shot of the Sanctus Real worship concert at Spring Arbor University.

Approaching Chapel As with most things in life, what a student might receive from a chapel service greatly depends on how much he or she is willing to put in to it. Personally, I have learned that chapel may not always be what I want or expect it to be. However, if I choose to consciously approach the service with an attitude of humility and reverence, knowing full well that it is not about me but the worship of our one true God, I can trust that He is indeed faithful in meeting with me. It is amazing what difference the element of attitude can make. Chapel services at all our partner universities have the potential to be life-changing if students willingly approach each meeting with attentive ears and open hearts. References: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=chapel&searchmode=none http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chapel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_of_Tours http://www.wordnik.com/words/chapel/etymologies http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapel

My second summer in college was a lot different from my first. Due to some significant financial constraints, I was not able to travel home. Thus, the summer following my sophomore year was the summer that I got to stay back in Abilene. It was an interesting period I must say – the campus was practically deserted for the most part, save for pockets of administrative staff, facilities personnel, a handful of international students and the occasional groups of summer camp kids who would overrun the campus grounds.

Summer: Great time to hit the beach... just make sure a tan is not the only good thing you get out of your summer.

This summer will be my third summer since I set foot on the Hardin-Simmons University campus. I will be getting married at the end of May and then heading to Florida for my honeymoon before jetting home with my wife to visit my family and friends. Now if you look at my summer plans, it still involves a lot of the usual “summer activities” of sun, sand and seas. (Penang, my hometown is an island with beautiful beaches, and Florida? That’s pretty self-explanatory.) However, college students must not forget that summer is also a time for them to seek out experiences that will allow them to put into practice their academic training in order to develop themselves professionally. One cannot underestimate how much a well-spent summer can contribute to your career post-graduation.

Here are five things you can do to make sure that a tan is not the only good thing you get out of your summer:

1) Take a May-term/May-mester course:

Most universities offer a short three week long May term course where students enrolled go to class for several hours each day for five days a week. This may sound tedious but it really isn’t as difficult as it seems. Sure, a student might be tired after a whole school year, and since the May-term courses typically begin the week immediately after finals, most students want to take a break, naturally. However, the benefit of taking a May-term lies in the fact that you get to knock out a 3 hour course in 3 weeks instead of throughout an entire semester. In addition, the term ends usually by the last day of May which means you still have all of June, July and most of August to have fun. In some schools, housing during May-term is free – an added bonus. In other words, May term is a great time to knock out that one course that you don’t want to take during the regular semester and since it’s going to be the only course you take, the workload is not really that bad at all.

Internships: A great way to know more about your future career field and yourself.

2) Participate in an internship:

Internships are a great way for you to get familiarized with whatever career field you are hoping to get into. By working under the mentorship of the experts in your future career, you are getting a glimpse of what professional life could look like for you.  This gives you an opportunity to discover the field as well as discover yourself. For example, you might discover in the midst of your internship that as much as you enjoy studying biology, you really prefer being outdoors instead of working in a lab all the time. In addition, internships also provide the perfect opportunity to establish new networks by meeting new people. As much as you may be qualified for a job, sometimes, it’s that one personal encounter that could make the difference between whether or not you get the job you want. Most long term internships are usually paid. However, if an opportunity to participate in an unpaid internship that really interests you arises, you should definitely consider it as long as you are not starving yourself over the summer.

3) Get a part-time job that enhances your skills.

"May I take your order?": Don't underestimate how approaching a summer job with the right frame of mind can contribute to enhancing your credentials as a future employee.

Internships may not always be available where you are during the summer. If such a situation arises, consider getting a job that may not necessarily be related to your career field yet still allows you the opportunity to enhance certain skills. For example, if you are a marketing/public relations major but there are no marketing firms or PR job openings where you live, then try your hand at working as a food server at a restaurant. Working in a restaurant provides you with the perfect environment to work on your people skills. While you are at it, also try and keep an eye on how these restaurants market their products. The most defining element here is realizing what you are doing is not “just another “summer job.  I can tell you from experience that if you’re truly serious and conscientious about working on a particular set of skills while in the midst of a job, you can truly make significant progress – all it takes is a little bit of what I would like to call “purposive action.”

READ READ READ: Keep your mind stimulated. (Also read books/articles on job interviewing skills!)

4) Read that book that you’ve been wanting to read (or that has been recommended to you).

In between assignments and examinations, it is often difficult for a college student to find time to read additional books during the school year. After all, if we are honest with ourselves, most of us in college would rather be doing something less “mentally” grueling when we have time off. However, the summer provides an entirely different dynamic – there may not be anything around you available to stimulate and engage your mind. In order to keep your intellect well-oiled, find a good-read. There must be some book that may have interested you during the course of the semester that you just couldn’t find time to flip through – it could even be a textbook that you used during the previous semester that seemed to have beneficial information on your field (Yes, textbooks have useful information I promise). Furthermore, I would greatly recommend picking up a book on the art of interviewing for a job. When I attended a leadership and networking conference last summer with Monster.com, a leading job-search website, the human resource personnel conducting our workshop told us that he was appalled at how so many jobseekers lack the proper skills required to do well in a job interview. Do not underestimate how important it is to start considering these things while you are still in college. Please – read a book – especially one on the art of interviewing.

5) Start thinking about your capstone/senior year final project.

Most universities require a capstone project or its equivalent as a prerequisite for graduation. For some majors, it may involve writing an extensive research paper on a topic within your field while for others it may be a group presentation as assigned by the professor. Whatever it may be, capstone projects usually require a lot of time and effort to complete seeing that it serves to synthesize what you have gained from your college career. For that matter, it is important that you approach this with great thought and creativity.  Take time out in the summer to consider possible topics that you would like to research. Feel free to brainstorm, create a shortlist and look up various resources. You might even compile a binder with material that you think would be useful when you get down to writing your capstone paper. I’m not suggesting that you spend 20 hours a week during the summer on something that you will be working on all through your last semester. All I am saying is that by laying some groundwork during your free time this summer, you might be able to survive even the most “lethal” bouts of “senioritis” prior to graduation.

Dr. Lanny Hall, the 13th and now 15th President of Hardin-Simmons University.

Dr. Hall, serving his second tenure as the President of HSU was inaugurated, again, on November 23^rd, 2009 – which also happens to be his 60^th birthday – as the 15^th President in HSU’s 118 year history. Prior to this, Dr. Hall served as the President of Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas from 2003 to 2009. He is a proud alumnus of HSU and received his doctoral degree in educational administration from University of Texas in Austin in 1985. Hall was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1979 to 1984 and served in key government leadership positions at the national level.

For many of the international students gathered outside the house of the HSU first family, there was a sense of eager anticipation mixed with awe as they awaited meeting the top administrator of their institution. After all, this was the first time in the International Student Fellowship’s brief history that members had been personally invited to the President’s home for dinner.

The international students, along with their advisor, Ms. Terry Minami, were greeted by the warm smiles of Dr. Lanny Hall and his wife Mrs. Carol Hall upon entering the doorway of their home. After a quick tour of the Presidential House, members of ISF were treated to a home-cooked meal consisting of seasoned pork tenderloins, creamed corn casserole, green beans and Mrs. Hall’s famous poppy-seed chicken. The students were greatly impressed by the Halls’ hospitality, as Dr. Hall and his wife served them rolls and refilled their teas.

The ladies of ISF with the First Lady, Mrs. Carol Hall. From left: Janet Case, Sing Rou Lee, Caryn Wang, Grace Lee, Mrs. Carol Hall, Yen Ting Chew, Alexis Kuan, Stephanie Teoh and Amanda Stark. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Teoh.

After dinner, the students were asked to introduce themselves, stating first their names, countries of origin and a favorite dish from their hometown. Being on the topic of food, Dr. Hall then took this opportunity to tell a story about his time as a representative of the state of Texas. On this particular occasion, Dr. Hall was traveling with eleven other U.S. state representatives to visit a cabinet minister in Japan. One evening, while he was at dinner with the cabinet minister, Dr. Hall was sitting at the hibachi when raw fish was served before him. Knowing that the Japanese had a reputation for eating their fish raw, Dr. Hall thought it would be polite to consume what was set before him without much question. Dr. Hall recalls, “I was dowsing the fish with sauce since I did not care too much for raw fish when the minister’s wife, who was seated next to me turned to me halfway through dinner and said, ‘You know, I like to cook my fish before I eat it.’” This story was greeted with laughter by the members of the ISF, to which Mrs. Hall added, “We all sometimes find ourselves in a different culture, and we really don’t know what to do except to try our best to adapt just as Dr. Hall was trying his best in this story.”

Dr. Hall’s story, coupled with his wife’s remarks must have subconsciously endeared the international students to the couple, since it was not difficult for them to relate to his experience in Japan. This “breaking of ice” was evident throughout the rest of the evening as the students interacted and dialogued freely with the first family, including Dr. Hall’s daughter Lana, son-in-law Jonathan McCutchen, and their two granddaughters Lilly and Ada.

"Hello Mr. President, you can address me as Mr. President." The President of HSU Dr. Lanny Hall with the President of ISF, Roshan Guharajan joined by Mrs. Hall. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Teoh.

In addition to celebrating the ISF President, Roshan Guhurajan’s 22^nd birthday, the Halls also took time to listen to the students share the challenges they faced as a result of living in a foreign culture. Overall, it was a great experience for the international students whose importance to the HSU mission was both acknowledged and affirmed by the President himself.

This event serves to highlight but one of the many advantages of attending an ELI 360 partner university. ELI 360 would like to take this opportunity to emphasize once again that student-friendly environments are a hallmark of these universities’ campuses. The administrators and educators are personally invested in the lives of these students and are sincere about developing the potential in them – a fact that the international students of Hardin-Simmons can now undoubtedly testify to.

The International Students in a group picture with Dr. and Mrs. Hall. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Teoh.

* ELI 360 would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Lanny Hall and Mrs. Carol Hall on behalf of the International Student Fellowship of Hardin-Simmons University for their hospitality and generosity. Your warmth and kindness are definitely reflective of the values of the Hardin-Simmons family. We continue to offer you our prayers and support as you lead this fine institution. God Bless!

In the fall semester of 2010, Lubbock Christian University will be launching its pioneering men’s soccer program. Soccer, known all over the world as “the Beautiful Game”, is beginning to emerge

Silas Gan from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

out of the shadows of the more popular American sports of football, basketball and baseball due to the recent excellent performances of the American men’s soccer team at various international competitions. With the sport becoming increasingly popular, it is no wonder that LCU has taken steps to initiate a program that will allow its students to compete at the intercollegiate level.

Lubbock Christian University’s athletic department began taking steps to introduce its intercollegiate men’s soccer program back in March of 2009, starting with the construction of an on-campus soccer facility, located north of the softball field and west of the current maintenance buildings. The official announcements were then made concerning the LSU Soccer program in the summer of 2009 followed by the beginning of the interview process on prospective coaches.

The LCU Chaparals will be competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and will be a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference. There are currently 218 NAIA schools that participate in men’s soccer, including all twelve Sooner Athletic Conference schools. Athletic and/or academic scholarships will be offered to student-athletes competing on the soccer team.

ELI 360 is excited about this program in view that one of its students, Silas Gan, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will have the opportunity to be involved in as one of the pioneers of this program. In view of this, ELI 360 has conducted a brief interview with Silas concerning his thoughts about playing for the LCU Chaps:

How do you feel about the prospect of playing for the LCU men’s soccer team

I am definitely excited at the thought of playing for the LCU varsity team as I have never represented a school or club at the competitive level before.

How long have you played soccer?

I have been playing soccer since I was in elementary school so that’s about a good 8-9 years now. I started out by playing with my brothers and a bunch of kids out at the neighborhood playground.

What position do you normally play?

I really enjoy getting involved with the offensive aspect of the game so I normally play as a winger or somewhere in midfield.

With tryouts starting in the spring of 2010 and the LCU soccer practices due to begin in August 2010, what are your thoughts about your chances of making the team?

My thoughts so far are pretty simple: to try my best to get back in shape and to be as fit as possible. I see this as an opportunity to prove to try and outdo myself. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter if I’m not the best on the team as long as I know that I am giving my 100% and trying every day be grow as an athlete.

The LCU men’s soccer program and Silas’ involvement are representative of the desire for ELI 360’s partner universities to be excellent institutions of higher education that promote holistic education. As these universities continue to grow and expand, it is evident that they desire to integrate the international students into the culture of the campus. ELI 360 would like to take this opportunity to wish the LCU soccer program and Silas Gan all the best as they embark on this new journey. May this be the first of many fresh opportunities for increased extra-curricular involvement among international students at the various ELI 360 partner universities.

Sources cited: http://www.lcuchaps.com/mens-soccer/general-information-faq.html

I am currently in my third year of completing my two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Bible at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. Suffice to say, my journey so far has been an enjoyable one. Sure, there were datelines to follow, and late nights of studying for exams, but surprisingly enough, I would go as far as claiming that my college experience has in no way been tougher than what I had gone through in high school.

A large part of this can be attributed to the fact that I am currently engaging myself in two fields that I have great interest in. Research in social psychology definitely supports the notion that whenever an individual is given a task in which he is either interested in or has a level of competence in, he generally finds the task relatively easier than someone who lacks the interest or the competence. In this case, my passion for the fields of psychology and bible definitely play a huge role in fueling my sense of enjoyment in college.

Nevertheless, whenever I think my current successes in university so far, it would be unjust to not credit any of it to my high school experience. My time in Chung Ling High School in Penang, Malaysia definitely prepared me for studying abroad in a foreign country. High school was so demanding that I had to learn how to work hard and schedule my time wisely or risk failing miserably. It was in this period of my life that I really developed an efficient set of study habits. Our exams were usually comprehensive, covering all the material we had studied over the course of the school year. To make matters even more challenging, we had “exam weeks” every quarterly where all our examinations were scheduled back to back: three exams a day for five days in a row. This meant that merely studying the night before the exam was never going to be enough. I remember having to start my revision work three to four weeks before these grueling exam weeks.

Naturally, I was unhappy at that season of my life for two reasons: First of, I was taking thirteen different subjects and had no say in picking my courses. In fact, a lot of what I had to study had little if not close to no appeal to me. Secondly, working so hard was definitely not enjoyable. A lot of sacrifices had to be made in order to do well in school. Time management played such an essential role in my life that it almost felt like I had not a single second to spare for fun and games.

Now that I am where I am, I cannot help but look back with a sense of gratitude for those testing days. I am thankful for how hard my parents pushed me from early on. My high school experience instilled in me several key traits that I believe are vital to achieving success in college:

1) Diligence – the willingness to work hard in order to achieve a goal is an essential part of everyday life. There really aren’t many secrets or short cuts when it comes to studying. To be excellent always means that one has to work harder than he or she may want to.
2) Initiative – in order to do well in university, one really has to be independent of external forces. This means that we cannot rely on others to tell us what we need to do or when we need to do it. In high school, our parents or teachers may get on our case for not getting work done; in college, professors treat you like grown-ups, which implies that they leave you to know what to do and when to do it.
3) Time-management – perhaps the most important of all skills when it comes to doing well in college. The ability to schedule and set aside time for school work, as well as prioritizing various things in life that demand our time is crucial to enjoying a college career that is well-rounded. Good time management not only allows you to do well within the classroom, it also helps you maintain your sanity outside of the classroom.

These three are but some of the more important things I gleaned from my time in high school. Other qualities include conflict management, financial awareness, discipline and stress management, just to name a few.

What are the implications of all that I have said so far? If my experience means anything to you as a prospective college student, I would say that you should take your time in high school as an opportunity to develop all these traits. Some other traits I would highly recommend you developing are traits such as the ability to be self-aware – meaning that you develop a good understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses, and then working to nurture your strengths and improve your weaknesses. I also recommend spending time working specifically on your language and interpersonal skills, as these play an important role in making sure you get the best out of your experience both inside and outside of the classroom.

For parents who are reading these, I think it would greatly benefit your child if you could exert a certain amount of pressure on them while they are young, just enough to let them know that academic success has its rewards. Encourage them to work hard and reward them when they do. Be willing to engage them in conversation and help them discover their own strengths and weaknesses. Share with them tips and guidelines on how you made it through school if you have any. High school may not be the easiest period for a teenager, which is why they really need all the help and support they can get.

Overall, what I am trying to say is that we really need to make our time in high school count. It is a great opportunity for those seeking to do well in college to start developing themselves and establishing a strong foundation for the future. It will not hurt to work a little harder than your peers because ultimately, as I have learned from experience, it is you and you alone that benefit from all the effort you have put in. It is easy to feel like a lot of what you do in high school is a waste of time or energy. When you do encounter these thoughts, remember that high school is not the end; remember that high school does count when it comes – it is a stepping stone to ensuring success in university.

The International Student Fellowship (ISF) at Hardin-Simmons University will be organizing a Chinese New Year celebration this coming Saturday (February 13^th, 2010) at the Johnson Building Multipurpose Room. This event is open to the entire student body and will boast an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner showcasing the taste and flavors of authentic Chinese cuisine.

Natalie Vong from Macau, with her dish, a Chinese Dessert.

This will be the second year in a row that the HSU ISF has organized a food festival to raise funds for its activities. According to Roshan Guharajan, the current ISF President and biology student from Malaysia, “The reason we decided to organize this event to coincide with the Chinese New Year is mainly because we have a large group of Chinese students within the ISF. It is rather unfortunate for these students who have to miss out on this celebration due to the fact that it is not a recognized American holiday. Thus, we thought the idea of having an official Chinese New Year celebration on campus this year would be a great opportunity to let these students enjoy a tradition that is dear to their hearts, as well as sharing it with the student body in order to expose them to a foreign culture.”

Indeed the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is by far the most important of all the traditional Chinese holidays.   It is celebrated annually on the first day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar, thus, it is sometimes called the “Lunar New Year” by English-Speakers. This year, the Chinese will be celebrating the year of the Tiger, the third of the twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac. Traditionally, the Chinese New Year celebrations are marked by large family reunions, where relatives who are abroad travel home to spend it with their family members. The Reunion dinner, or “Chu Xi”, occurs on the eve of the first day of New Year’s. During this dinner, families gather and sit down around a round table to enjoy a meal together. The round table symbolizes the completeness of the family as well as the completion o f another year. However, for these international students, they do not have the opportunity to be with their families who are back in their hometowns since the Chinese New Year always occurs in early and middle February, when the school semester is already in full-swing. Roshan notes, “Some of these students have not been home to be with their families in years and it is during this time of the year that they are usually the most homesick for the warmth of their relatives, in addition to the many traditional Chinese dishes that mark the celebration.”

Fortunately, the HSU ISF has stepped in with an attempt to bring a little piece of home to these international students who have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of higher education. The culmination of this event represents the continual growth of the international student population at Hardin-Simmons University, as well as many other Eli 360 Partner Universities.  It is our sincere hope that these international students will continue to grow intellectually, spiritually and professionally throughout the course of their time here. The staff of Eli 360 would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Chinese students at the various partner universities, “Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Wishing you prosperity in the coming year) May all of you have a wonderful year of growth and continual success”.

Student and faculty in line at last year's ISF Food Fest.

*The event is open to all and will be at the Hardin-Simmons University Johnson Building Multipurpose Room. There is a $5.00 charge for the buffet. Donations are also welcome.

For most college seniors, there is a lingering fear that their efforts in college may not necessarily be rewarded with securing employment post-graduation. In view of today’s dire economic conditions, with unemployment rates ascending all across the nation, there is a need for college students to increase their awareness of what employers today are looking for in a potential employee.

The term” job-seeker” is usually associated with someone who is either unemployed or has just finished school. The problem with this rigid distinction lies in the fact that most college students don’t realize that along with every passing semester goes another opportunity to develop their credentials as a potential employee. It is often so easy for college students (and I speak from experience) to be bogged down by their present reality: assignments, papers, and social life that forget their job-seeking process does not begin following graduation. Instead, it begins on the very first day they are enrolled in school. From then on, every class that they pick and every relationship that they build with their professors and other professionals starts playing a huge role in determining their chances in the “real world” so to speak.

Once again, this distinction of “real world”, a term used in reference to the working realm as opposed to the college environment, is extremely deceptive in that it gives the student an excuse to be as detached as possible from a world that will be their everyday reality in the not so distant future. I had a professor, Dr. Paul Potter, who constantly reminded us in his Speech Communication class at Hardin-Simmons University about the importance of seeing our college careers as our “real world” in the here and now. He would take every opportunity possible to remind us that even the most trivial things in the eyes of a college student, for example: punctuality to class, personal grooming, teamwork, and assignment ethics are all habits that we develop and carry over with us into our future jobs.

I remember how a portion of my classmates would stare at him with a look of disdain, rolling their eyes in disgust and probably thinking to themselves, “Why is this old man trying to burst our bubble? We’re in college; it’s going to be the best four years of our lives. Please don’t ruin it for us by reminding us of the nightmare of a world that waits for us out there.” Little did these students realize that whether or not the world that they are approaching reveals itself to be a nightmare or a dream come true ultimately lies in their own hands. I have to admit, Dr. Potter was right about what he had to say. In a recent article by Hart Research Associates titled “Room for Improvement” published on January 21, 2010 in “Inside Higher Education”, executives at 302 private sector and non-profit employers were surveyed on their views regarding college learning in the wake of the economic downturn. The study was done on behalf of the Association of American Colleges and Universities by the Hart Research Associates to discover the key learning outcomes that increase graduates’ potential to be successful and contributing members of today’s global economy.

In the list that they compiled from these professional organizations, the top three expectations that today’s employers have towards their employees were: “the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing” (89%), “critical thinking and analytical skills” (81%) and “the ability to apply knowledge and skills to real-world settings through internships and other hands-on experiences.”  Among the other skills that are worth a mention include: “the ability to analyze and solve complex problems” (75%), “the ability to connect choices and actions to ethical decisions” (75%), “teamwork skills and the ability to collaborate with others in diverse group settings” (71%) and “the ability to innovate and be creative.” Surprisingly enough, the bottom two in this published list were the items “proficiency in a foreign language” (45%) and “an understanding of democratic institutions and values” (40%).

With this information in mind, it is extremely important for the high school graduate who is in the process of selecting a college to seek out a post-secondary education institution that provides avenues for growth in all these areas. Bearing in mind that today’s employers are also expecting employees to “take on more responsibilities and to use a broader set of skills than in the past” (91%) as well as “work harder to coordinate with other departments than in the past” (90%), it is undoubtedly important for the college hopeful to be actively engaging himself or herself in classes, activities and internships that promote such sets of skills. With the job market today being more competitive than ever, diligence and the ability to be people-oriented are definitely hallmarks of a standout prospective employee. In addition, employers are also seeking individuals who have a “broader foundation of knowledge and skills” as opposed to the traditional expectation of being but a specialist of any one particular field.

As Carol Geary, the President of the Association of American Colleges and Universities said, “Quality has become the centerpiece of this nation’s post-secondary education”. The reality is that it is no longer sufficient for students to merely get through an institution of higher learning with a diploma in hand; graduates today need to be more multi-faceted and diverse in both their knowledge and skills than ever before. In other words, the sheer quality of one’s educational background is no longer determined by one or two aspects of the trade but by various levels of evaluation.

I recently joined ELI 360 as their Communication Coordinator. I am so excited about this new opportunity for further growth and service for various reasons. Of all the reasons I can think of that fuel my excitement in working for ELI 360, the biggest one probably stems from the fact that I had experienced first hand what it felt like to be an international student benefiting from the services of this great organization. I have been at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene for three years now and as I reflect on my time here so far, I cannot help but notice how much the people at ELI360 have contributed to that journey. They have sown so much into my life and have helped me develop as an individual academically and professionally.  The best part is that they still treat me with the same warmth and kindness from the first day I met with them at an ELI 360 Roadshow back in 2006 in Penang, Malaysia.

In many ways, I feel like my journey has now come full circle.  Coming from the position an international student to now a staff member at ELI360, I am passionate about extending the same kind of excellence in service to any student looking to attend one of our many distinguished partner universities. This position as Communications Coordinator offers me the great opportunity to combine my perspective as a college student and my passion for helping others into something that will contribute to the experiences of our future students. I am looking forward to where this journey is taking me and it is my sincere hope that any student looking to study abroad will consider joining the ELI360 family.