February 2007 - Austin College

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE ARMSTRONGEnvironmentalist Andy SansomVisits Campus for Lecture SeriesAndy Sansom ’68, executive director of the Rivers Systems Instituteat Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and former executivedirector of Texas Parks and Wildlife, presented the lecture “TexasNatural Resources: Challenges for the New Century” on Sept. 28.The presentation was part of the College’s Center for EnvironmentalStudies Lecture Series.Sansom addressed the financing of the public park system,which he said has “never been as threatened as it is today,” as well aswater issues, “which dwarf all other issues,” and conservation.Sansom also addressed natural resource challenges, sharing solutionsincluding the repairing of deteriorating water delivery systems,treating water as the valuable resource that it is, and increasedregulation of ground water.Sansom also shared stories from his long career in conservancy,including service as executive director of the Texas NatureConservancy, founder of The Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas,and many tales from his 11-year leadership at the Texas Parks andWildlife Department.Sansom has received many honors for his work and was named aDistinguished Alumnus of Austin College in 1999.Grace Presbytery’s 2007 Senior High Youth Conference, “Now Serving,”was held on campus in January, with 800 people attending. The weekendwas planned by members of the presbytery in partnership with the AustinCollege ACtivators ministry team.Anna Laura and Oscar Page display the ’Roo quilt created by a 2006 JanuaryTerm class, which included Rachel Aker, at right.Students Form A Quilting ’RooStudents from the 2006 Jan Term class “Quilting in America” werepleased to see the quilt they created purchased for $300 at theCollege’s annual auction to benefit campus community members.Among other studies, students in the course each completedone kangaroo square for a quilt for the auction. Rachel Aker ’07, amember of the class, said students made ’Roos based on theirinterests — she created a theatre ’Roo; others were soccer players,dancers, hippies, and athletes. “Those of us from the class werereally excited to find out that French professor Bernice Melvin,Margaret Root Brown Chair of Foreign Languages and Literaturesand Dean of Humanities, and Anna Laura Page (wife of PresidentOscar C. Page) bought the quilt to keep it on campus. It reallymeant a lot to us that the quilt remains on campus as evidence ofthe work we did.”PHOTO BY VICKIE S. KIRBYD I D Y O U K N O W?For a January 2000 class, 16 Austin Collegestudents traveled to Haiti. One of the placesthey visited was Clinique Bon Sauveur, thePartners In Health clinic Paul Farmer establishedin 1985. Tilina Pinnaduwage ’00 followedDr. Farmer on medical rounds on the same dayshe was accepted into medical school.AUSTIN COLLEGE MAGAZINE 13