News Briefs for October 20, 2022
News reports from Adventist University of the Philippines, the General Conference, Romania, Oakwood University and Southern Adventist University:
Big in Japan
From a Southern Asia-Pacific Division news release:
The International Society of Hypertension just ended its meeting in Kyoto, Japan, on October 13, 2022, and the Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) took home the silver medal for a research presentation by representatives from the Graduate School of the university’s Public Health Department. The team presented a study that detailed the effects of the lifestyle intervention approach in reversing hypertension.
The authors of the oral research presentation were Dr. Abraham Racca, professor of the Math and Physics Department, College of Science and Technology at the Adventist University of the Philippines; Dr. Bysshe Fernan, director of medical education and consultant at the Clinical Lifestyle Medicine Center of the Adventist Medical Center-Bacolod; and Dr. Mary Jane Botabara-Yap, who holds a doctorate in public health and is currently the director of health ministries for the Adventist regional office in Malaysia. The International Society of Hypertension is an international conference held once every two years for clinical practitioners, academics, and hypertension advocates.
A Legend Passes
Bert Haloviak, the Adventist archivist and academic, passed away at the age of 84 on October 19, 2022. Haloviak worked at the General Conference, specializing in denominational archives from 1975 to 2010. Haloviak served as the director of the Office of Archives and Statistics from 1998 to 2010.
Tough Gig
The 2022 Global Adventist Internet Network (GAiN) Europe event drew 180 Adventist communicators to Bucharest, Romania, from October 14-18, 2022. According to the Adventist Review, communicators from 35 countries were present, including a delegation from Ukraine.
Jonatan Contero, associate director of the Adventist Church’s Global Mission Center for Secular and Post-Christian Mission, offered the opening keynote of the event. He focused on outreach to secular and post-Christian people.
“You can’t talk to them about prophecy or the Sabbath because they don’t even believe in God or the Bible. They would tell you, ‘I don’t care,’” said Contero, as quoted by the Review.
He stressed the value of relationship-building, understanding the cultural context of others and truly meeting their felt needs.
“Sometimes we talk too much to Adventists, to ourselves. But we need to adapt ourselves to the people we want to reach,” Contero said.
Nevada Teacher of the Year!
An Oakwood University Facebook update:
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak joined State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert to announce that Oakwood alumna Mrs. Connie (Smith) Hall was named the 2023 Nevada Teacher of the Year!
Mrs. Hall, from the class of 1994, has been teaching in Nevada’s public schools for 14 years. As an elementary teacher, she has always taken pride in helping students take the first steps on their educational journey and preparing them for mastery and fluency of complex concepts.
“I have a small family, so my family is at Diedrichsen, and other students I taught have become my family,” she said. Mrs. Hall was picked from five finalists who were selected from a list of just 20 across the state. “Teachers in Las Vegas, teachers here in Washoe, Carson City, and it is difficult to choose just one,” said Jhone M. Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The teacher of the year will spend a week in Washington, D.C., with other educators from around the nation. She told KOL8 News Now this is an opportunity to be an advocate.
“I want to be able to hear the teachers and some of the concerns, and I know one of them is the class sizes and what we can do because we want to make the best impact on our students and be able to have numbers that we can work with,” said Hall, referring to the teacher shortage and bigger class size.
Rolling Up Their Sleeves
A Southern Adventist University Facebook update:
Two groups of Southern students and employees have safely returned from Fort Myers, Florida, where they assisted in disaster relief efforts, from provision distribution to debris clean-up and yard work for victims of Hurricane Ian. We are very grateful for their hard work and the help they were able to provide some of the residents in Fort Myers.
Thank you to all who prayed for their efforts and safety. Please join us in continuing to pray for the lives that have been affected by Hurricane Ian.