The Word: UIW Community Newsletter - February 12, 2021

On Thursday, Feb. 11, UIW students hosted a virtual Black History Month Student Research Showcase, where they presented their work and findings about Black history and heritage.

Students from Dr. LuElla D'Amico's American Women's Writing and Popular Culture class presented original research on Phillis Wheatley Peters, the first African-American author of a published book of poetry, and Honorée Fannone Jeffers, a writer who uses her work to bring awareness to "issues of Black culture, racism, American history, and gender." She also seeks to use her work to recover Phillis Wheatley Peters for modern audiences. The students are participating in the National Society of Early Americanists (SEA) Common Reading Initiative about Jeffers' 2020 award-winning book of poetry, The Age of Phillis, which imagines the life and times of Revolutionary era poet Wheatley Peters. Selected projects were featured in the showcase and some will be presented at the SEA National Conference.

"The students spent the first five weeks of the semester focused in study of these two poets," explained D'Amico, associate professor of English and coordinator of the Women's and Gender Studies Department. "They will soon have the chance to meet Jeffers to discuss, and potentially present, their work at the Society of Early Americanists conference in early March. I am proud of the scholarship that they were able to produce during this time and the depth of understanding they were able to arrive at when contemplating the difficult Enlightenment-era poetry we've been studying together."

Following the poetry celebration, KaShori Lanier, a Fall 2020 graduate of UIW's Theatre Department, shared research and a scene from The Murder of Molly Smith, a play she wrote about her ancestor who was lynched. Lanier wrote the play for a project she undertook in the Theatre for Social Change class, led my Margaret Mitchell, professor of Theatre. 

The showcase concluded with a presentation by Safietou Dorsey, UIW Business major, called "Leymah Gbowee: It is Time to Stand Up, Sisters," produced in Sr. Martha Ann Kirk's Social Justice Leadership course. Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist, social worker and women's rights advocate, responsible for leading the nonviolent peace movement, Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. This movement brought Christian and Muslim women together to play a pivotal role in ending the Liberian Civil War in 2003. 

"It bears mentioning that to have my students' work in the same showcase alongside KaShori Lanier's powerful scene from her play, The Murder of Molly Smith, and Safie Dorsey's study of peace activist Leymah Gbowee, really made the event feel elevated, well-rounded, and impactful in ways that perhaps can only be described if you watch the showcase itself," said D'Amico.

This week, the University of the Incarnate Word Religious Studies Department and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word presented the Annual Pierre Lecture, marking the lecture series' 20th year. 

In accordance with the UIW Mission, The Pierre Fund Speaker Series, which began in 2001, brings distinguished women scholars to the UIW campus (virtually this year) to address current issues in relationship to social justice, ecology and globalization. This lecture is made possible by a grant from The Pierre Fund of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

This year's Pierre Lecture was titled "A Conversation on Catholicism, Racism, and Health,” and was led by Dr. Neomi De Anda, associate professor of Religious Studies at the University of Dayton, and Dr. Vanessa White, associate professor of Spirituality and Ministry at Catholic Theological Union. 

In light of recent headlines and conversations surrounding the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, the lecture focused on the public health crisis that is racism, why people of color are more likely to suffer from severe illness, high mortality rates and poor healthcare and how our Catholic values may guide us in creating a more equitable healthcare system. 

"Dr. White and Dr. De Anda helped us think about the ways that Catholic universities like UIW can promote justice at the intersections of religion, race, and health," said Dr. Horacio Vela, assistant professor of Religious Studies. "Black and Latina theologians and scholars of religion have made significant contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in higher education."

Previous Pierre Lectures have included "¿Dios Bendiga América? Béisbol, Identity, and Competing Theologies of Patriotism," by Dr. Carmen M. Nanko-Fernandez, professor of Hispanic Theology and Ministry and director of the Hispanic Theology and Ministry Program at Catholic Theological Union; “Invisibility and Silencing Mechanisms: Generational Angst and the Quest for Social Justice,” by Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas, associate professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and College of Arts and Sciences; "The Christian Bible as a Text of Migration," by Dr. Jacqueline Hidalgo, department chair and associate professor of Latino/a Studies and Religion at Williams College; and more. 

Margaret Mitchell, professor of Theatre, has designed costumes and scenery for UIW Theatre Arts productions for more than 20 years. She recently lent her expertise to a new book, Performance Costume: New Perspectives and Methods, for which she wrote the first chapter. 

The book has been praised as "a truly pioneering exploration and discovery of new fields of costume study," by Christopher Baugh of the University of Leeds in the UK, and as an "invaluable resource" by Patricia Lennox of New York University. 

Per the book's description, "costume is an active agent for performance-making; it is a material object that embodies ideas shaped through collaborative creative work. A new focus in recent years on research in the area of costume has connected this practice in vital and new ways with theories of the body and embodiment, design practices, artistic and other forms of collaboration. Costume, like fashion and dress, is now viewed as an area of dynamic social significance and not simply as passive reflector of a pre-conceived social state or practice. This book offers new approaches to the study of costume, as well as fresh insights into the better-understood frames of historical, theoretical, practice-based and archival research into costume for performance." 

Learn more and purchase the book

UIWtv – 2020 Lone Star EMMY Chapter Student Production Award recipient – debuted its new production studio made possible by a grant from the City of San Antonio. UIWtv will feature its new studio equipment in this semester's newscasts. Theresa Coronado, Communication Arts instructor and UIWtv advisor said, "Students are incredibly excited to see the upgrade to our studio. It came just in time for their first newscast of 2021. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the year.”

Catch the first newscast of 2021 below. 

“Then the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.” (Gen 2:7)

Traditionally, on Ash Wednesday, we will encounter Christians (Catholics and some Protestant denominations) wearing a smudge of ashes, often in a shape of a cross on their foreheads. This is what we would experience during normal times, but as you know, these are not normal times. This Ash Wednesday, following guidelines from the Vatican, the Anglican Church, many mainstream Protestant Churches, and the CDC, we will be sprinkling ashes on top of the heads of the attendees. Keeping with liturgical guidelines and with your safety in our heart, we are following the words of Jesus when he commandment to "…love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39)

Ash Wednesday, sometimes called “Day of Ashes,” marks the celebration of Lent. The ashes that we display on our forehead as a badge of honor are meant to symbolize both death and repentance. During Lent, some will repent, confess their sins, and profess their love and devotion for the Lord.

Following the decision from the Vatican about the distribution of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo García-Siller has directed all Catholic parishes in the archdiocese to follow these new directives for this year.

Here is also a short statement to bishops in the Episcopal Church from noted Anglican liturgist, Bishop J. Neil Alexander, whose suggestions resonate with many Protestant denominations:

“Therefore, for reasons of safety and anti-viral hygiene, let us consider for this season a return to the more ancient practice of sprinkling ashes upon the head of the people, and in preaching and instruction helping them make the powerful connection between the ashes sprinkled upon the head on Ash Wednesday and the dirt cast upon our mortal remains at the grave, when even in the face of its grim realities, so intensely before us this present time, we make our song, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!” – The Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander

While this may seem like a strange practice for Christians here in the United States, in many places, including Italy, sprinkling ashes on top of the head (rather than an imposition of ashes on the forehead) is customary on Ash Wednesday. Pope Francis sprinkles ashes on a cardinal's head during the Ash Wednesday Mass at the Santa Sabina Basilica in Rome, Italy (Feb. 14, 2018, Osservatore Romano/Handout via Reuters).

Around 800 A.D., the early Church practiced Lent as a time of remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for all of us, His love for us and His victory over death. The ashes placed on the forehead represent the sorrow for sinning and are a sign of repentance. Making a sign of the cross during Ash Wednesday was not the preferred method. If you were to study Church history (at least in the 8th century), you would see that wearing sackcloth and sprinkling ashes on the forehead of the people was the acceptable practice. The ashes can also be viewed as a sign of our mortality. We are fragile beings made from dirt and it is to dirt we shall all return. For our Jewish brothers and sisters, Ash Wednesday could be viewed as a version of Yom Kippur. It is our Day of Atonement.

An interesting way of viewing this ritual sprinkling of ashes is by referring to it as an “Awakening of the soul" – when God breathed into the nostrils of humanity and humanity became living beings, filled with the essence of God to relate to Him wherever He is. Let the ashes awaken our souls. Please do not let the fact that you will not have a sign of a cross on your forehead cause you to miss the very powerful presence of God in the midst of a pandemic and in the midst of the liturgy.

When we are touched by ashes, all that we are comes to the surface. The ashes are a reminder of our mortality, our humanity, our brokenness, and our pains, past and present. The ashes remind us that we are vulnerable and that we need to JOURNEY with Jesus during this Lenten season as we move towards forgiveness and redemption. Also, these ashes can transform our thinking to be reminded that ashes are forged from the power of fire, and can remind us of the power of God’s purifying Word that is present during the liturgy.

University Mission and Ministry invites you to attend our weekly Sunday Morning Prayer via Zoom. 

This week's service is based on the scriptures of the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The platform will open at 10:45 a.m. for an opportunity to greet one another before prayer. 

In honor of Valentine’s Day, this week's prayer will also include a special virtual blessing on our Cardinal Couples during the service. In addition to our blessing, we would like to invite our Cardinal Couples to submit their love story for a chance to be featured on our @UIWAlumni social media pages! Submit your story at alumniandfriends.uiw.edu. 

For more information, please contact Lena Gokelman or Carmen Aguilera at ministry@uiwtx.edu or (210) 832-3207. 

RSVP to receive a Zoom link to the Cardinal Couples Blessing

Our transition to livestreaming Mass from Our Lady’s Chapel will begin on the first Sunday of Lent, Feb. 21.  Those wishing to attend Mass virtually should continue registering through Zoom each week. Seating in Our Lady’s Chapel is extremely limited due to physical distancing requirements and will be reserved for students for the time being. Students wishing to attend Mass in person will be asked to register using our new Flocknote app. The link for students to RSVP will be available next week. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we, and our student interns, work to bring both our virtual and in-person community together.

Ash Wednesday Services on the UIW Broadway Campus will take place at three times throughout the day on Wednesday, Feb. 17:

• 9 a.m. Liturgy of the Word/Ecumenical
• Noon Mass
• 5 p.m.

Dr. Ronda Gottlieb, UIW director of clinical health, was recently selected as one of the San Antonio Nursing Consortium (SANC) 2020 Best 25 Nurses of South Central Texas. The recipients "have made outstanding contributions towards promoting and advocating in our community for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity." Gottlieb's exceptional leadership of the UIW Health Services Program and her role as a key member of the team responsible for UIW's COVID-19 response, were cited as prime examples of ways in which nurses work at the system level to address population health issues. This work expands on her excellent primary care services she offers to students and staff alike as a nurse practitioner. 

Gottlieb was recognized for this honor in a virtual ceremony, and recorded a video describing her motivation and perspective on being a nurse practitioner during a time with a critical need for nursing. UIW is proud that Dr. Gottlieb is an alumna of the Universities DNP program. 

Watch Dr. Ronda Gottlieb's virtual ceremony feature below. 

The UIW 3rd Annual Day of Giving, One Word, One Goal, makes a big impact! Last year, 418 donors raised nearly $44,000 to support student scholarships and programs. At least one person from every class year from 1947 - 2019 made a gift. Residents of 25 states across the United States made a donation to one of 33 UIW programs, and our furthest gift came from 4,835 miles away, all the way from London! Will you join us this year to make an even bigger impact? 

Our 3rd Annual Day of Giving kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 25, but there are two ways you can get involved early this year:

Help us spread the word as a One Word ambassador

Make an early gift

Auction and Golf Tournament

The Swing-In Auction and Golf Tournament is an annual event of the University of the Incarnate Word Development Board that raises funds for student scholarships. Your support each year allows us to continue building on our success, providing necessary funds to students seeking to continue their higher education.

The 44th Annual Swing-In Auction will take place on Thursday, May 13, followed by the Swing-In Golf Tournament on Friday, May 14, at The Quarry Golf Course. All proceeds raised from the auction will directly benefit the University’s scholarship fund.

For more information on sponsorships and how you can participate in this year's Swing-In please contact Ana Bribiesca Hoff at (210) 829-6075 or bribiesc@uiwtx.edu. 

There are two ways you can get involved and help before the event!

1. Donate items: The Office of Development is seeking donations for the Swing-In Auction Party. If you would like to support the auction by donating items, gift cards, experiences or wine bottles, please contact Ana Bribiesca Hoff at (210) 829-6075 or bribiesc@uiwtx.edu. 
2. Volunteer: We can't do it without your support! Register as a Swing-In Golf Tournament volunteer. 

Swing-In Raffle

Swing-In raffle tickets are now available to purchase. As always, only 300 tickets will be sold! 

With the purchase of a Swing-In raffle ticket for $100, you earn a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience and support UIW students' pursuit of higher education at a faith-based institution. All proceeds will directly benefit the UIW Scholarship Fund.

The raffle winner will choose one of the following prizes:

• Fairmont Chateau Whistler
• Charleston Luxury Getaway
• Tuscany Culinary Escape
• $5,000 Merchandise Credit Balance on Credit Card 

Purchase your raffle ticket here

UIW Football Head Coach Eric Morris spoke to KSAT 12 about the upcoming spring season, which kicks off at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 20. Watch the segment below. 

Pictured above, UIW students work in the UIW community garden.

Upon completing the San Antonio Community Challenge, the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability, in collaboration with the UIW Sustainability Club, have been awarded a $1,800 grant from ChangeX. A non-profit organization based in Ireland, ChangeX teamed up with Microsoft to launch a $220,000 fund to help bring new sustainable projects to communities in North America.

Learn more about ChangeX    

This grant will help fund the purchase of pollinating plants, which will be used to grow our Cardinal Community Garden. Special thanks to Gardopia Gardens for their continued support.  

For more information or service learning opportunities for faculty or student organization collaboration, please contact the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability at  ccl@uiwtx.edu or call (210) 283-6423. 

Keaston Willis

The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball's Keaston Willis was named Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 6, the conference office announced on Monday. Weekly awards are presented by Hercules Tires. 

Willis averaged 20.5 points per game in the Cardinals' two road victories this past week, a 67-58 win over Lamar and a 58-53 comeback victory that saw UIW erase a 16-point second-half deficit. The sophomore guard shot 6-of-10 from long range and averaged four rebounds and two assists per contest. 

Last year's Southland Freshman of the Year poured in a game-high 24 points in a battle of the Cardinals, including 15 points in the first half. Willis shot 5-of-7 from the field, drilled all three of his attempts from beyond the arc, and grabbed four of his five rebounds in the first 20 minutes. 

Against the Islanders, Willis scored or assisted on the team's first 12 points, tallying 10 of his own as UIW ran out to a 12-3 lead. In a game of runs that saw each team lose a double-digit lead, he scored eight points in just over a two-minute span to power a 29-8 run over the final 12 minutes. 

The Sulphur Springs, Texas, native is just the second UIW student-athlete to win men's basketball player of the week over the last five seasons (Morgan Taylor – Nov. 19, 2018).  

"I'm happy for Keaston and the team because individual accolades are really team accolades," UIW men's basketball head coach Dr. Carson Cunningham said. "Keaston has been super-productive all season and this is a nice indication of that. We are excited as a group to keep battling and growing together."  

Marko Galic

The University of the Incarnate Word men's tennis freshman Marko Galic was named the Southland Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 6, the league office announced Tuesday. Weekly awards are presented by Hercules Tires. 

Galic registered the Cardinals' lone point in a 6-1 loss to No. 5 Texas, the reigning NCAA Division I Men's Tennis national champions. 

After dropping the opening set to No. 5 Texas' Jacob Bullard, Galic stormed back to take the second frame 6-3 and force a super tiebreaker, which he claimed 10-8. Galic improves to 2-2 in the spring season and 1-1 at No. 5 singles. 

"I am excited for Marko to earn this honor and to get the singles win against the reigning National Champions. I know this will help the team mentally going forward." UIW men's tennis head coach, Jonas Andersson said. 

Communication Arts major, Abigail Velez, who will graduate in May 2021, made her professional anchoring debut Monday, Feb. 8, on The Rundown, a twice-a-week show streaming on the All in El Paso network. Network representatives contacted Velez, who is concentrating in multimedia with a journalism emphasis, after they came across her online portfolio, which included stories she wrote for the  Logos, UIW's student newspaper, and video packages and features for news she created for UIWtv—all done remotely from El Paso. 

The network has a free Roku app you can add to watch Velez during her schedule programs on Monday and Friday nights. Watch Velez in action below. 

UIW alumni and current students are invited to participate in our socially distanced professional headshot event. Headshots will be taken outside the Luella Bennack Music Center at our Broadway campus from 9 a.m. - noon on Saturday, Feb. 27. Alumni ($12) and current students ($10) will receive one "editors' choice" digital photo after the event to utilize on online professional networks, resumes, or however you see fit.

To ensure safety on our campus, we ask that you register for your desired time slot by clicking the registration link below. We encourage business attire for this opportunity. Face masks will be required, however, can be removed for the photo. Please complete your Cardinal Daily Health Check prior to visiting campus!

Register

The UIW Alumni Mentor Program is seeking mentees for the spring semester! The mentoring program will allow students to learn from industry professionals who align with their career goals. UIW Alumni are eager to help pave the way to our Cardinals' future success. 

Learn more and apply

The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team claimed its second Southland Conference win on the road, 56-47, on Wednesday night against Northwestern State inside Prather Coliseum.  

"We're really excited to be coming home with a win and getting a sweep on this road trip," said head coach Jeff Dow. "It is definitely a testament to how hard our squad is playing on the defensive end to limit our opponents to 47 points on their home court in successive games." 

"Given the circumstances, we just can't say enough about the mental and physical toughness we've shown in these past two games. It certainly wasn't pretty on the offensive end in the first half tonight but fortunately, we were outstanding defensively and kept them off of the [offensive] boards." 

Freshman Destiny Terrell led the Cardinals for the first time this season, scoring a season-high 14 points, going 6-for-11 from the field while adding one steal and two rebounds. Destiny Jenkins contributed with a career-high 11 points and six rebounds.  

UIW (4-4, 2-1) and NSU (0-14, 0-9) were off to a slow start in a low scoring first quarter on both sides of the court with both teams in single-digit scoring and shooting under 20%.  

Northwestern opened the second quarter on a 4-0 run to tie the game, 7-7. That marked the last time the score was tied as UIW took off on a 9-2 run to pull away. A 6-2 run by the Lady Demons to close out the half made it a two-possession game heading into the break, with the Cardinals ahead 18-13.  

UIW's sharpshooting in the third quarter from all around the court was the boost it needed to get ahead. The Cardinals shot 54.5% from the field, 50% from 3-point range, and 45.5% from the charity line. The scoring in the period was an all-around team effort with six Cardinals contributing, led by Brittney Stafford's five points, as the black and red led, 38-27, heading into the final stretch.   

Despite the Lady Demons' best efforts to get within striking distance of the Cardinals, the red and black managed to answer accordingly each time. Northwestern cut into UIW's lead getting within two possessions with 1:31 left on the clock. The Cardinals closed out the game on a 5-2 run to claim their second win of the week, 56-47. 

Notables

• Three Cardinals scored in double-digits: Terrell (14), Jenkins (11) and Speer (10). 
• Jenkins' 11 points and six rebounds were both career highs for the sophomore. 
• UIW outrebounded NSU 42 to 32 while limiting the Lady Demons to just 23.5% from beyond-the-arc.  
• Jaaucklyn Moore dished out a career-high seven assists.  

Quoting Coach Dow  

"Destiny Terrell pretty much carried us in the first half offensively. In the second half, the ball movement was much better, and we started attacking the paint. And as a result, we got to the free-throw line 14 times after having zero attempts in the first half. We also got better looks from three and just in general, so it's not surprising that we shot it as well as we did. Another big factor was that we were much more disciplined in the fourth quarter in limiting them to two free throws after giving up 15 combined in the second and third quarters." 

Up Next

The Cardinals return to the Nest to host New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 12. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT at the McDermott Center. 

Stay Tuned

For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook.

Follow the team on Twitter @UIWWBB and on Instagram @uiw_womenshoops.

The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team placed three student-athletes on the 2021 Southland Preseason All-Conference Teams. Senior first baseman Ryan Flores, a 2019 all-conference selection, was named to the first team. Graduate student designated hitter Lee Thomas, another 2019 all-conference honoree, and sophomore shortstop Grant Smith earned second team honors. 

Ryan Flores 

In 2019, Flores amassed 69 hits, 39 runs and 42 RBI for a .354 overall batting average. He also led the team with a .685 slugging percentage in conference action, including 11 doubles, a triple and seven home runs. The Corpus Christi, Texas, native was named to the 2019 Southland Conference second team and to the 2020 Southland Preseason first team prior to the start of the 2020 season. In 2020, Flores contributed 17 hits, 16 RBI and 12 runs. 

Grant Smith 

Smith started off hot in his first season for the black and red, even though the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19. He registered 19 hits, 15 RBI and 14 runs with a team-leading .339 batting average. He also recorded a .446 slugging percentage and a .465 on-base percentage. 

Lee Thomas 

In 2019, Thomas recorded 51 hits, 20 runs and 46 RBI for a .280 batting average. He also tallied 10 doubles and 12 home runs for a .533 slugging percentage. In the 2020 season that only saw 16 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas had 19 hits and 13 runs with a .328 batting average. He recorded five doubles and a home run to go along with a .466 slugging percentage and a .480 on-base percentage. The Katy, Texas, native was named to the 2019 Southland Conference second team and to the 2020 Southland Preseason second team prior to the start of the 2020 season. 

The Cardinals begin their 2021 campaign with a six-game home stand at Sullivan Field against Oral Roberts and Texas Southern. First pitch against Oral Roberts is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Feb. 19. 

Follow Along 

For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwathletics.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook.  

Follow the team on Twitter and on Instagram @UIWbaseball.

The University of the Incarnate Word continues to monitor the local, regional and state-wide progression of COVID-19 to inform decisions about safe campus operations. Below you will find links to helpful information regarding UIW's COVID-19 warning indicators, case tracking, safety guidelines and resources for the UIW community. These sites will be updated to reflect changes or new information.

Cardinal Daily Health Check

COVID-19 Information Site

COVID-19 Testing

COVID-19 Case Updates

Cardinal Flight Plan 

Schedule a COVID-19 test on the Broadway campus (students and employees ONLY)

Schedule a COVID-19 test at the UIWSOM campus (open to general public)