Tornado Relief in Pratt City

The following blog was written by senior guard Jazmine Powers of Decatur, AL on her experience volunteering with tornado relief in Pratt City, Alabama.

We are all aware of the devastating storms that took place here in Alabama this year. Damage you wouldn’t believe took place all over Birmingham, Alabama and in particular  Pratt City. 

One morning I was approached by one of my good friends who plays on the football team named Devyn Keith. He informed me that he and some other football players were going to go into Pratt City and were going to help those in need. He asked if I wanted to go and at first I had already had plans to go back to my hometown in Decatur, Alabama and check on my family. As I was packing my clothes up something just hit me to go ahead and meet up with Devyn and the other players and go help. It was kind of unreal, to be honest, because I was literally packing up clothes to go home and all of a sudden I was thinking "man I really should go to Pratt City." So I ended up going with the guys, not knowing what to expect but knowing my heart was set on helping others. 

We got there and were immediately put to work at Scott Elementary school. This school was set up as a refuge place for victims. Classrooms were organized for different things and had people working to help victims with whatever they needed. They also had people in the kitchen serving food to victims. It was kind of chaotic and definitely something I had never seen before. Most of the girls who were there volunteering were in different classrooms with clothes sorting things out, but I wanted to stay busy. I unloaded trucks that constantly came in with water, food, clothes, etc.. with the guys. We did this for about a hour and a half until Devyn, Chase, Jeremy Towns, and another football player named Jacobi gathered in a truck to go out into neighborhoods. I definitely hopped in the truck along with them because I wanted to actively get out there and help people! This was an experience I will NEVER FORGET in my life. We loaded a pickup truck with mostly toiletries and food and set out into neighborhoods. I saw houses that looked completely fine then houses right next to them that were completely destroyed. I saw so many trees that had fallen on houses and completely destroyed them. I could go on and on about things I saw but there was one incident that really touched my heart. 

I carried a 24 package of water up to a house and knocked on the door. A middle aged woman who looked like she was in her 40s maybe,  came to the door. I said “Hi how are you,  do you need anything? I have water, toiletries, food, anything.” She stood there a moment and looked at me and then out to the truck with the guys. She said “Yes, I’ll take some water, can you bring it in.” I said of course and took the water into her house. I noticed she was there alone and had no power. Her house was damaged but not too badly. When I got inside she motioned me to put the water on her kitchen counter. Once I did that she just hugged me and said, "Thank you so much." She repeated those words to me. She said “Its good to know that there are people out there like you that really care and are out here helping us.” “God is good and I just want to thank you.” I noticed tears coming down her face. I replied “Your welcome, I’m just glad I can help.” My heart literally got weak that very moment. This touched my soul because here this lady is by herself and just experienced something so devastating and is crying, hugging me and thanking me and God. That moment taught me so much. 

I really was glad I chose to go out to Pratt City instead of home. I became more thankful than ever before, because that tornado could have easily hit the Samford University campus where I was at the time. I was thankful that I was able to be out in that lady’s neighborhood and inside her house giving her water. I felt like through God telling me to go ahead and go to Pratt City and me being with the people I was with and in that neighborhood inside her house, I felt like it gave her so much hope. Everything happens for a reason and according to God’s plan! That experience deepened my faith and I knew from that moment that God had that set up. I truly know people really appreciated that we were out there helping them and I’m so thankful and grateful that I was able to experience that. 

Hope and Basketball...

The following is a blog written by senior guard Ruth Ketcham about her experience of travelling abroad this summer with Athletes in Action.

Hey Everyone! I wanted to share with all of you the amazing opportunity the Lord gave me this summer to go on a short term mission trip. August 1st-17th I went to Nairobi, Kenya with Athletes in Action. Athletes in Action is affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ and they take athletes and coaches from all over the United States and other countries on tours using sports, mainly basketball, as a vehicle to share the Gospel. I had the great privilege of going with 42 other coaches, athletes, and bible teachers from Canada, U.S. and Poland. I was the only one from the South :)

We had 4 main goals that we wanted to accomplish and that were the main reasons we were there. 1) We wanted to clearly proclaim the truth of the Gospel 2) We wanted to give quality basketball skill and teaching development 3) We wanted to meet basic human needs 4) That we would help build into the existing Athletes in Action staff in Kenya and Rwanda. 

The first part of our ministry was doing a basketball camp in the mornings with local kids from a school/church near by called Kioli. On average we had 120 to 140 kids that came every morning. The basketball camp was organized into stations, each station having a skill that was being taught. I was in charge of the dribbling/ball handing station. I think Coach Morris would be proud to know that I taught "ball pounds", which is something we do almost everyday in practice. :) The kids liked them about as much is us girls do. :) Camp lasted a few hours and many times after camp there would be pick up games between the older Kenyan players and our team. The Kenyans are very athletic and fast but they have very little skill and fundamentals, mainly due to the lack of coaching. The second part of our ministry was putting on a Vacation Bible School (VBS) at the Soweto Academy school in Kibera, which is a slum just outside of Nairobi. This slum is the biggest in Africa. In a 1 mile radius there is over 2 million people that live there. After basketball camp in the mornings the other athletes and I would go there to help the bible teachers with VBS. Even though I love teaching basketball, going to the slum and working with these young children and teaching them truths of the gospel and just playing with them was my favorite part of the trip. I will never forget the children and the things I saw. Americans, me included, have no idea what it means to live in constant need. I was so touched by the joy they had even though they had nothing materially.

The Lord used this trip in my life in so many ways. It challenged me in my own personal walk with the Lord but the biggest thing I walked away with was that the relationships I have with people, friends, family, and teammates are what is really important. I ask my self, am I making an eternal difference in the lives of people around me? Do I love people unconditionally and truly care about other's needs over mine? I hope that I am.

Ruth Ketcham

2 Cor. 5:17-21

Samford Ranks Among the BEST!!!

The following story has been posted on the Samford home page and is being distributed to media outlets. The 2012 rankings were released at 11:01 p.m. CDT by U.S. News & World Report.

Samford Continues Tradition of High U.S. News  Ranking

 Samford University has continued a decades-long tradition of being ranked in the top tier of its peer group in the annual U.S. News & World Report college rankings. Samford was ranked fourth among universities in the South in the 2012 rankings released Sept. 13.

Samford continued to be the highest ranked private institution in Alabama and ranked very high among its Southern Conference peers. Only Elon University (North Carolina) was higher, ranking first in the same regional universities-South category as Samford.

The rankings are based on the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifications and assess such criteria as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, class size, faculty/student ratio and alumni giving, according to Sarah C. Latham, Samford’s vice president for operations and planning. Peer assessments from presidents, provosts and chief admission officers of institutions in the same classification also account for 25 percent of the overall score for each institution.

“It always is meaningful to be so highly regarded by your peers, and this very high ranking affirms the strong academic reputation that Samford University has developed over the decades,” said Samford President Andrew Westmoreland.

Institutions in Samford’s classification are ranked in four regions. In addition to its high ranking among peer institutions in the South, Samford’s overall score ranked it among the top 10 regional universities nationally.

Samford also was ranked sixth among regional universities in the South on the “Great Schools, Great Price” list. According to U.S. News officials, only schools ranked in or near the top of their categories were included in this list because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically. Two of the three schools ranked above Samford in the overall South rankings – Rollins (Florida) and Stetson (Florida) – also were on this list.

In addition, Samford was one of 19 universities in the South to be named an “A-Plus School for B Students.” Institutions on the list admitted a “meaningful proportion of applicants whose test scores and class standing put in them in non-A territory, but who have a decent shot at being accepted and thriving” according to U.S. News officials. Again, two of the three schools ranked above Samford in the South rankings – Rollins and Elon (North Carolina) – also were included in this list.

Until 2007, Samford had been ranked among regional universities in the South. But, a shift in Carnegie Foundation classifications that year moved Samford into the national doctoral research universities category, Latham said. Samford was in the top tier each of the four years it was in that classification. A change in the criteria for recognizing doctoral degrees moved Samford back to the regional university classification earlier this year, she explained. The last Carnegie Foundation reclassification was in 2006.

Samford’s doctor of education degree (Ed.D.) is the only degree that meets the revised criteria for the national doctoral research classification, Latham said, and institutions are required to grant 20 such degrees each year to maintain that status. In the most recent reporting year, Samford awarded 15 Ed.D. degrees. Samford’s professional doctoral degrees – ministry, law and pharmacy – now fall into a different classification.

Westmoreland noted that the high U.S. News rankings come at the same time the university anticipates announcing another strong fall enrollment. Official enrollment figures are expected to be released Sept. 16. He also noted that the university had near-record annual giving in fiscal 2011, with more than $35 million in gifts in the year that ended June 30. Several Samford programs, including business, entrepreneurship and nursing, have achieved high national rankings in recent months, and the university has been highly ranked in the past year by other publications such as Forbes, Kiplinger’s and The Princeton Review.

“Rankings are just one, albeit a very public way to measure the true success of any university,” said Samford University President Andrew Westmoreland. “Our Carnegie reclassification and this shift in our U.S. News ranking does not change Samford’s mission as a comprehensive university with nationally-recognized, rigorous academic programs. We continue to be the highest-ranked private institution in Alabama, and we will continue with our long-established vision to move Samford forward in national recognition for our people and programs.” 

_______________________________________

A "Country Boy" came by!!!

We had a special guest show up at our "Your School, Your City" event this past Sunday that highlights the best places to eat, shop and hang out in Birmingham...we'll give you a few hints!!!! 9 time Grammy Award nominee...2009 winner of the CMT's Performance of the Year, 7 number 1 hits and a 2005 induction into the Grand Ole Opry making him the third youngest member!!! 


ANY GUESSES???


Yep! None other than Dierks Bentley!!!

Welcome Class of 2015!!!

This weekend was a big one for Samford Women's Basketball! We welcomed two new Bulldogs to campus in Taylor Reece and Keke Fletcher! Below are some stories and features from move-in day as well as a little "blog" from a former Samford student on moving in and "Connections" which is what the first weekend is all about for our freshmen! Here is a little peak into: "The first 3 days, of the best 4 years of their lives!"





Blog by former SU Freshman, Drew Hall!!!


The fall semester finally arrives, and it's time to move into the dorm. Mom, you have nothing to fear, for Samford has Move-in-Day down to a science. Volunteers from many different organizations such as Residence Life, SGA, University Ministries, and the football team come over to the freshman dorms to participate in "carjacking." Parents, though you may be concerned by the term, it's actually the biggest help ever during move-in. You'll wish your student were a freshman every year after seeing the process. Carjacking is the process of getting each incoming freshman's stuff completely out of the car before the family has time to park and get out of the car to assist with the unloading. Once I got my dorm key, they carried everything up to my room! I'm even on the top floor! Move-in-Day is a great time of fellowship and an easy way to get your room situated. I look forward to helping you during next year's Move-in-Day!


Onto Connections!


Well you may think that Orientation is great, but just wait until you get here for Connections Weekend. I have heard this experience described as "Orientation2" or "Orientation on steroids." Beginning the night of Move-in-Day, my Connections Weekend began with a Parent/Student Convocation time in the Wright Center. It was a great time to spend together before my family went back home. The weekend was filled with "college firsts:" the first hall meeting, the first movie, the first pep rally, the first dance, and the first worship service. Connections Weekend really is the best time to "connect" with other freshman, learn more about Samford and the campus, and relax before classes start. These are the people you are living with for at least the next four years and your life long friends, so it's a great time to meet and hang out with each other from the very beginning. I was fortunate to be in a great Connections group, and we still talk and hang out. I meet and see other freshmen around campus and learn that they met during Connections. Even though it is the first weekend of living at Samford, there is potential to make lifelong friends. 

Samford WBB prominent in SEASONS!!!

Seasons is the magazine of Samford University. It is produced by the Office of Communications here on the campus and mailed quarterly to alumni, friends, donors and parents of Samford University. They do such a fantastic job of producing a great magazine that highlights all of the wonderful things that are going on here in our community!

This June issue featured two great pictures of our girls off the court! Savannah Hill graces the cover with her graduating nursing class and Hannah Dawson is on the inside cover helping out with the tornado relief efforts. Both are standout student athlete's and we are so proud and honored that Seasons chose them to be a part of this issue!

For the full link to SEASONS please click here: http://issuu.com/samforduniversity/docs/seasons_summer_2011?mode=embed&layout=http%3A//skin.issuu.com/v/light/layout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

Christy Robinson: Looking back...

The following is a blog written by Christy Robinson, a freshmen post player from Rocky Face, Georgia as she talks about her first year here at Samford!

"Looking back on my first year at Samford, it is hard to believe that it is already over.  The past few months have flown by, but not without some wonderful memories.  Of course, winning the Southern Conference Championship and raising that trophy tops the list, but the little things that I can look back on and laugh at mean just as much.

Moments in practice where people would fall for no reason, locking people in the bathroom on the bus during roadtrips, singing “Firework” at the top of our lungs before games, and doing the “dougie” after are memories that a group of thirteen girls all share.  These moments mean just as much to me as a ring on my finger.  The bond that held our team together is more than just a group of teammates or friends.  The twelve other girls on the team are like the sisters that I never had. I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to be around such great, talented people here at Samford.  I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

For almost all students, freshman year in college is exciting but yet an overwhelming experience.  I lived under my parents’ roof for eighteen years of my life and then all of a sudden I am just turned loose?  Fortunately, I learned that I am a very independent person, and I really did not suffer through homesickness.  Granted, living with three other awesome girls made living on my own much easier. Together we went through the tough transition into college life and experienced great success.  I made it through the dreadful CP (Cultural Perspectives) and CA (Communication Arts) classes, finally was 100 percent sure I wanted to be a nursing major, and learned how to manage a schedule that started from the moment I woke up to when I laid down at night.  As Shelby (Shelby, Campbell, my roommate and point guard out of Murfreesboro, TN) and I packed up our room to leave, it was sort of bittersweet to see our room in Pittman Hall so bare.  My freshman year was everything that I wanted it to be and more, but I know only greater things lay ahead.

      On a sad note, parts of Alabama were devastated by tornados towards the end of the school year.  Samford was truly blessed as it was spared from damage, but only fifteen minutes away, parts of Birmingham were devastated.  A student-led ministry, RANSOM (Radical Athlete and Student Oasis Ministry), took a group out to Pratt City to help out in the relief efforts.  A few of my fellow teammates and I have volunteered with this group several times where we served at the Scott School by unloading trucks, organizing clothing, and assisting victims as they collected supplies they needed.  I heard a reporter ask one woman if she was afraid.  Without hesitation she answered, “No, I have no fear at all.  I am alive and have my faith, and I know the Lord will help us through this.”  This attitude is carried over into the actual neighborhoods where volunteers are constantly working to remove trees from houses and clean up debris.  We spent one Saturday volunteering with the group Operation Blessing.  We were able to go into one of the destroyed neighborhoods in Pratt City and work on clearing yards.  As a group of us were leaving, we stood on top of a hill and looked out over at what used to be an apartment complex. What lies there now does not look like anything I would ever imagine to be in America, let alone fifteen minutes away from where I live. The pictures on the internet and television do not compare to the sensation of seeing it with your own eyes.  Seeing devastation like this will make you completely humble and reminds us that God gives and God takes away.  We continue to praise Him and know that Alabama will be stronger as a result of this."