The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 23, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 19, 1997 Page: 4 of 6
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4 • The Rambler November 19, 1997
1 1
and persistence pay off
Cooper's drive for her degree kept education on her mind for 58 years
Julie Terrell
Staff writer
Every Saturday, Mary Cooper commutes from her
farm in Springtown, Texas, over an hour's drive away, to
her child psychology class at Wesleyan She is taking
the course for $ 18 a semester hour instead of the typical
$250 a semester hour.
Who is this woman and why is she studying at this
private institution so inexpensivelyCooper i" no ordi-
nary student.
Cooper is finishing a degree that she started in
1939. She majored in home economics in the hope of
becoming a county agent for the Future Farmers of
America (FFA). However, she got married before she
graduated, and the FFA was only hiring single women.
She could not be employed. Cooper also had other
responsibilities
In an article in the Fort Worth Star- Telegram (Aug.
25), she was quoted as saying that she "had to take time
out to raise a husband and a child." The article also
explained that her husbands military service in the
Army and the Air Force took the family to Europe.
California and Arkansas.
Like many people. Cooper took noncredit college
courses. In the article, she was quoted as saying, "We
never had the money or the time."
However, after a battle with cancer, her motivation
to earn a degree returned.
She said in a phone interview that the thought of
going back to school was "in the back of my mind as 1
was going through chemo."
The return to the 1939 price of $ 18 a semester hour
was the idea of the director of admission Joyce
Breeden. When Cooper came to see her about enroll-
ment. Breeden said that she was intrigued that Cooper
was "sweetly motivated to continue her degree."
With a granddaughter entering her freshmen year
of college. Cpoper wanted to prove to her grandchildren
that one should "finish what you start."
Because Wesleyan no longer offers a home eco-
nomics degree, Breeden consulted with the senior
department heads in administration and the provost to
plan a degree for Cooper. She is currently finishing a
degree in interdisciplinary studies with a speech minor.
There have been some changes since 1939. In
1939, Ann Waggoner Hall was the women's dorm and
Mulkey Hall, the men's dorm. There were no co-ed
dorms, but both dorms shared & central dining hall.
The Administration building on campus served a
number of purposes. The third floor ol the
Administration building contained tlie library, the main
floor, offices, and the basement served as classroom
space. Cooper said she remembers/the student body
was younger because there were 11 grades instead of 12
for elementary and high school, and as a result, her
class consisted mainly of 15 and 16 year-olds.
Cooper pointed out-that young women during that
time were educated to be homemakers and to meet
educated men. An important change that she has
noticed is that students today are "more serious about
pursuing their education."
Despite the physical and social changes on the
Wesleyan campus, she said educational principles
remain the same. Cooper remembers the advice of a
fellow classmate in 1939, about succeeding in school:
"Take good notes, study your notes, and attend class."
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Chaplain Intern gets Fired up for sermon
When it comes to preaching, the Rev. Joe
Lynch, the chaplain intern at Texas Wesleyan
University, has learned how to get his congrega-
tion's attention. He eats fire!
Lynch says that it all started when he heard
his former bishop, Dan Solomon, once say that
what we need in the United Methodist Church is
more preachers with tire in their bellies.
Lynch is serving his internship for his semi-
nary training at both Wesleyan and the nearby
Polytechnic United Methodist Church, located "on
the southeast corner of the school's campus. The
church's choir director, Neil Mowles, is in
"Forever Plaid," a musical play in downtown Fort
Worth. .
A group from the church went to see him
one evening recently. During the act, in an Ed
Sullivan take-off, Mowles eats lire. Lynch said
that while watching Movvles eat fire, he vividly
recalled what Solomon had said.
Lynch says that while watching the play, he
thought that it would be fun lo take Solomon lit-
erally. So, after the act he told Mowles that he
needed to teach him how to eat lire. Mowles said
that he would but he never did get around to it
before Sunday, Oct. 12, when Lynch was sched-
uled to preach. He said that he just kind of forgot
about it—until that Sunday morning—when
Mowles showed up with flame stick and lighter in
hand! "I knew then that 1 was stuck!" said Lynch.
"We practiced in the hallway for a couple of
minutes before 1 had to go into the pastor's study.
I couldn't seem to get the technique down. I
would blow out the flank before 1 put the stick
into my mouth. Finally, I told Mowles that I had
to go, that we would do it and just live with the
outcome in the service."
Lynch had not told anyone of what he was
going to do except Mowles. So the Rev. Mike
Madden, the senior min-
ister at Poly, could not
understand why he was
so nervous before his
sermon. "I told Madden
that it was nervousness
because of lack of expe-
rience*-which was true,
lack of experience in eat-
ing lire!" said Lynch.
When it came time
for Lynch to do his ser-
mon, Mowles came
down from the choir loft
to assist with the fire-eat-
ing portion. He held the'
lire extinguisher in mock
preparedness of Lynch's
possible failing in the
act.
Not to worry,
though, because he ate
the fire perfectly, accord-
ing to Mowles.
Lynch reported that
the congregation loved
it! He added that no one
fell asleep during that
sermon. Afterward, one
of the parishioners con-
gratulated him, saying,
"That was a hot sermon, Preacher!"
After his pyrotechnic act, some of his fellow
seminary friends are wondering of Lynch's con-
gregation will rename.the church, Pyrotechnic
UMC in his honor.
The propellant is lamp oil that has a low tem-
perature flame. Lynch said
that the most he felt was a small burn like having
Chaplain
Jeff
Miller
discusses '
plans for
chapel
services
with his
assistant
Joe
Lynch,
who is a
student
at
Perkins
School of
Theology
at SMU.
He is the
campus
liaison
with
Polytech
nic
United
Meth-
odist
Church
Fliolo by Ji>ii MtKen/ic
a hot cup of coffee. The only other drawback was
that the flame consumed all of the moisture in his
mouth. Talking for the next 20 minutes proved
mildly difficult without that moisture. Lynch
concluded, "If there is a next time, 1 will know to
a have a glass of water standing by."-
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Local high school students
get a head start on college
I
Julie Terrell
Sta ff writer
Some 144 students take Texas Wesleyan college classes, but rarely
leave their respective high schools.
Texas Wesleyan and the Birdville Independent School District started a
concurrent enrollment program this year, similar to advanced placement
classes in that the student takes college-level classes and receives college
credit. .
Instead of taking an advanced placement test at the end of the semes-
ter, selected high school students receive credit and start a college transcript
with Texas Wesleyan. The students are technically Wesleyan students with
a student ID. library privileges' and use of school facilities, such as the pool
and gym.
Students are taking the following classes this fall at Richland and
Haltom High schools: world literature, calculus I, and American govern-
ment I. Next fall, there are plans to offer inorganic chemistry.
Only high school seniors can take the concurrent enrollment courses, and
they must be involved in the advanced placement program at their school.
Dr. Norvel Kneten, dean of science and humanities, and the depart-
ment heads in the science and humanities approved all the class syllabi and
ensured that the curriculum and instruction met the Southern Association of
Colleges and School's accreditation requirements.
Department heads will also observe classes make sure all requirements
are met. The instructors of the concurrent enrollment classes must have a
master's degree or 18 advanced degree hours.
The classes provide students with significant financial and time sav-
ings, considering that concurrently enrolled students can take up to 12
college credit hours before they graduate high school, and with the chem-
istry class offered next year, up to 16 credit hours.
Karen Hibbs, director of secondary instruction at Birdville ISD. said
that Wesleyan should see an increase in enrollment from Richland and
Haltom high school graduates. She said when the Richland high school stu-
dents visited the Wesleyan campus recently, they were "impressed with the
school" and liked the idea of a small school because in a big school, they
get "lost in the shuffle."
E-mail penpal opportunities for students
.1 W \-l \ N (rR \l
. Sktff wriitr
Everyone is familiar w ith the World Wide Web. But accounting profes
sor Dr Cheryl Prachyl is taking this means of communication to a Whole
new level.
This project first stared at St. Mary's and UTA. Prachvl presented the
idea at the International Association for account ing and research so it could
be available to business students at Texas Wesleyan.
The program js set up to assign the student with a correspondence in
another country Then group projects arc assigned to both of them where
they can work on them together.
"We need to develop a large network of professors who arc interested
m doing a project like this and that is currently one of our goals" said
Pachyl
The only professor Prachyl is currently working w ith is Dr. Niamh
Brennan of the University College Dublin, but Prachyl hopes to attract pro-
fessors in places such as Germany, India, or England.
The purpose is to train students to participate actively on the World
Wide Web. which is currently the means used for meetings and decision
making.
Prachyl said ."The purpose is to give students an International experi-
ence in dealing with cultural, business and economic differences."
The advantage to this is the cost effectiveness Prachyl stated that the
prbgram is a low cost way for students to participate in international rela-
tions and if all goes well with the project, it could be placed in with other
majors such as history, or fine arts'.
With today's technology scientists find ways of making the world a
better place. And by learning other cultures and ethnicities we couid prob-
ably bridge the gap of distance to help us better understand our neighboring
countries.
I I
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Wood, Allison E. The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 23, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 19, 1997, newspaper, November 19, 1997; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth287697/m1/4/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Wesleyan University.