News Briefs for March 23, 2018
News reports from the Philippines, Loma Linda University, Washington D.C., Germany, the Rocky Mountain Conference, Oakwood University and England
According to Rappler Philippines, a student from the Adventist University of the Philippines has won the prestigious grand prize of the 32nd Visual Arts Competition (VAC 32) of Directories Philippines Corporation (DPC) and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT). The winning piece by AUP student Paul Taladtad was an oil painting called “Jeeploma,” which depicted a jeepney (small open-backed bus) driver’s pride. The theme for the competition was “Pinoy (Filipino) Pride.”
Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy student, Joanna Reyes (PY3), was the eighth female finisher at the March 18 LA Marathon. She was also the third woman from the US to cross the finish line in the race. The result qualified her for the 2020 Olympic Marathon trials.
This week, Ben Carson, the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development explained to a House hearing how his Department spent $31,000 on an office dining table using tax payer money. USA Today reported that Carson blamed the purchase of the table on his wife, Candy Carson, to whom he said he delegated the decision to buy a table after he had refined the search a little. “The next thing that I, quite frankly, heard about it was that this $31,000 table had been bought,” said Carson who has since ordered the table returned.
Adventist young people around the world celebrated Global Youth Day 2018 on Saturday, March 17. Youth were encouraged to skip hearing their traditional Saturday sermon at church and instead “Be The Sermon” by serving their communities. This year youth focused on food and water drives and shared their activities using the hashtag #GYD18 on social media. Projects were also filed on globalyouthday.org, a dedicated website. The event lasted over 24 hours and featured both live and pre-recorded reporting from all around the world directed from the Global Youth Day set near Frankfurt, Germany. Adventist News Network reported that announcers “played the role of cabin crew on AirGYD, a virtual airline which ‘flew’ around the world” reporting on the day’s activities.
Adventist churches and schools in the denomination’s Rocky Mountain Conference (the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming) will serve as emergency shelters in the aftermath of natural disasters under a recent agreement between the Red Cross and Adventist Community Services (ACS). Cathy Kissner, the ACS director for the conference, negotiated the agreement and is helping local churches prepare for disasters where their services may be needed.
The Oakwood University IT department, directed by Kirk Nugent, has been honored by the American Association of University Administrators. The association recognized the department with the Blackburn Award which is considered the AAUA’s highest institutional recognition. Oakwood is also receiving the Exemplary Models Award.
The North England Conference has been given 350,000 pounds sterling (USD 494,679) for the purchase of equipment and licensing of a radio station. It will distribute Adventist World Radio programming in the Midlands and north of England. (News release from British Union Conference.)
The Adventist University of the Philippines placed first in the number of its graduates who passed the Medical Technologist licensure examinations. The Professional Regulation Commission in the country announced the result on Tuesday, March 20. All 81 of its students passed the exam.
