By Mikayla Smith, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Women getting together and women helping students are the main purposes of a new Campbellsville University Women's Alliance.
The group's first brunch was Feb. 8 at the Badgett Academic Support Center; the second one will be Sept. 27. The alliance plans on hosting two brunches annually, one each semester.
“The purpose of the alliance is a two-fold purpose,” Debbie Carter, Carver School of Social Work director of recruitment and community relations and assistant professor of social work, said. “One purpose is to get women together and build stronger connections. The second purpose is to help students.”
Carter, wife of CU president Michael V. Carter, spoke about how there are two ways the alliance would like to help students. One way is through a benevolence fund that President Carter has set up. This fund is set up to help families and or students in times of crisis. Also the alliance would like to start a scholarship fund to help students pay for school.
“Almost all students are here on scholarships. If students cannot pay, they will not come to Campbellsville,” said Carter.
CU alumna Martha Stein spoke about opening up her own tea room after she retired from teaching. (Campbellsville University Photo by Mikayla Smith) |
Martha Stein, a 1975 CU graduate, is the owner of a tea room in Glendale, Ky., called Martha's Tea Room. She spoke about the tea room, and the adventure God took her on.
Stein retired early from teaching second grade and didn't really know what she was going to do until her husband's uncle came to their home one day and asked, “Martha you are 49. You are too young to retire. What are you going to do?”
“I am going to open a tea room,” Stein answered. She didn't know if that would really ever happen, but it did. “God placed this in my lap, and I didn't even realize it,” she said.
Campbellsville University's School of Business and Economics was highlighted during the brunch.
“The business department has 18 full-time teachers and about 385 undergraduate students,” Dr. Pat Cowherd, dean of the School of Business and Economics, said.
“This number is up this year, and the program is growing leaps and bounds,” she said noting the most popular are accounting, business administration, management and marketing.
Cowherd said a big hope for the future is to have a building for the School of Business and Economics.
With Campbellsville's Baptist ties, God is a very active member in the alliance. The group has three prayer warriors: Billie Sue Kibbons, a local artist and wife of Dr. Jerry Kibbons, a former CU professor; Lynn Rausch, information center attendant at CU whose husband, John, is bowling coach at CU, and Edwina Rowell, adjunct instructor in English as a Second Language at CU.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,600 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.