Inspire, Fall 1991

ATTENTION BASKETBALL FANATICS!! It's not too soon to mark your calendar for ALUMNI BASKETBALL WEEKEND— JANUARY 24 & 25, 1992. Men and women, if you played basket- ball at Cedarville College, get ready for the rematch. Pep Band Alum, get out those instruments and sheet music for "Hang on, Sloopy." And fans, get ready to cheer! Look for more details in the next Inspire. Alumni Profiles FOREVER SISTERS, FOREVER FRIENDS Dee(Jackson '80)Haynes and Deb (Jackson '81)Searles 111 ee Haynes '80 and Deb Searles '81 were always known as the Jackson sisters around the campus of Cedarville College. Today they still hear their maiden name, Jackson, during their concert tours. Although Dee lives in Portland, Oregon, and Deb in Wellington, Ohio,they manage to get together once a year for a brief concert tour. When not together the sisters remain extremely active with compos- ing music and performing solo concerts. Dee and her husband,Dana,work in Portland with the Hmnog people who have been displaced from the country of Laos. They host Bible studies and spend much of their time sharing Jesus Christ with this hurting population in the inner city. Dee has many opportunities to sing profes- sionally for churches and social functions. Besides leading a Bible study for Women's Club,she also enjoys the task of raising their three-year-old son. Deb and Cal('77)Searles minister at Camden Baptist Church, where Cal is the pastor. Deb claims her life has changed in the past seven years with the addition of a hus- band,three lovely children, and the church. Deb also teaches a large women's Bible study and is anticipating homeschooling her children, Sarah who is 5,Amy,3,and Timothy,nine months. Deb uses music whenever she can with her little ones and has begun to put motions with words in order to aid in Scripture memorization. The Jacksons began their Cedarville College career after finishing a tour with the "Let Freedom Ring Singers" in the winter of 1977. They became highly involved in Christian service groups and concert chorale after their debut at the Alpha Chi Talent night. At that event,the sisters sang"Yes,I Know,"a song which they wrote(and Christine Wyrtzen recorded)and won first prize. During that evening Deb and Dee were also told by Kathy(Howell '76)Sturgis that they had been accepted to the Australia team for that summer. The first prize money was the beginning of their Australia fund. Cal Searles happened to be in the audience and on this eventful night he determined to get to know Deb better. The sisters fondly remember their years at Cedarville and those following. Ministering through the Christian Service Department helped them make many contacts with churches. Paul Gathany '69,general manager ofCDR Radio, approached Deb and Dee with the opportunity to record their first album with Torch Records. The girls were also given the opportunity to travel and take their music to churches. Their dream of writing, singing, and sharing their music as well as Jesus Christ became reality. Even after Dee moved to Oregon,the sisters kept their rigorous schedule to fulfill previous commitments. Today they are thankful for the once-a-year opportunity to travel and sing together. Currently, Deb and Dee have three albums and two song books of their music available. Many of their original songs have been recorded by Christine Wyrtzen and Nancy Honeytree. Dee's song "Through the Fire" was also an inspiration for Joseph Stowell's('66), book Through the Fire. Their albums entitled "For Him,""At His Feet," and "Forever Friends" along with the song book,Life Song, can be ordered by writing Deb Searles at 51264 Betts Road in Wellington,OH 44090. The sisters look forward to many more years of singing together and sharing their music with others. They are working on a new album which will focus on ministering to women with young children. 4Fa11'91 A JOURNEY HOME Debra(Moody '81)Stewart This article,"A Journey Home" by John McMillian, appeared in The Tennessee Magazine,April 1991. This reprint is by permission ofThe Tennessee Magazine which is an official publication ofthe Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. Photo is courtesy of John McMillian. T hrough my work,people can sense what I 66 believe and what I feel life is about; it says something deeper than that's a pretty pic- ture." When Brentwood artist Debra[Moody '81] Stewart made this observation,she was describing her artwork, her sense of style, and the reasoning behind her paintings. A description of her work seems necessary because Stewart's style is not easy to define. "It's baffled a couple of gallery owners because they say,'You're not folk art, you're not primitive, you're not really naive," Stewart says,adding"but be glad you have your own style." Indeed, her artwork does have its own style; some- thing that catches the eye and calls one's attention to intimate remembrances of life in simpler times. The images she brings to life aren't literal, but as she puts it, are "places I feel like people would like to live; places that are conducive to a quiet simple lifestyle." "I prefer to think of it as realism dealt with very simply," Stewart says slowly,searching for the right words. "A simplistic realism,I think, is the best way to describe it." A petite 31-year-old who's as delightful as her paintings, Stewart lives in the wooded,picturesque countryside of Brentwood,Tennessee,just outside of Franklin, with her husband, Allen(a 1981 graduate of Cedarville College), and their two sons,Trey,7,and Lane,5. Here she paints scenes that exalt her spiritual values and are contemplative of a world in which the day-to-day pace is a little slower. "I started off as an art major at one university," says Stewart. She transferred to Cedarville College where, heeding the advice of her advisor,she changed her major to education so she would be able to teach art after graduating. In the 1980s, Stewart taught a pre-first class at Hillsboro Elementary School in Tennessee. "I dearly loved that, but I have two boys,and I wanted to be a mommy to them," she says, explaining her switch to full-time artist. While teaching, Stewart began writing some children's stories and even had them printed for her classroom. "I'd make these little books to introduce sight words that we had to have in phonics," she says, beckoning the listener's attention as she searches through a portfolio of beautifully detailed pen and ink sketches, a medium with which she no longer works. After finding what she's looking for, she adds,"I water colored all of the covers-26 books. This is the original; I water colored the whole thing in for them. That's where I felt the artwork was a great asset in the classroom. It was a lot offun." Explaining why she changed careers to become a full-time artist, she says,"A good friend said,'Why don't you try to paint?' That's when I painted 'Quiet Moments' and almost right away people really liked it. It was kind of crazy, you know,we all said let's print it and see what happens." Stewart adds emphatically,"You never print your first painting. Now that I think about it, that was dumb." Shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders she leans forward and continues,"But yet, it wasn't dumb because it paid for itself in three weeks. That's why I feel so fortunate and so grateful because people Approximately 60 alumni and friends gath- ered at Locust Hills Golf Course in Spring- field, Ohio,on July 13 for the 1991 Yellow Jacket Club Alumni Golf Tournament. Dave McDonald took the men's trophy with a 74 and Cynthia Sawyer won the women's flight for the third year in a row with an 84. Con- gratulations and thanks for supporting the Yellow Jacket Club! have really responded." In fact, people have responded so well that Stewart's paintings are now being distributed both locally and nationally, and her work is receiving positive public response. "Usually, painters paint what they feel. I paint places that I feel have a sense of value," she says. Stewart believes that the success of any artist is linked to a unique style. "I deal with the same subject matter that hundreds of artists deal with," she says, smiling. "Hopefully, the way in which I interpret it is somewhat unique." Changing the course of conversation, Stewart offers what she says she believes is the reason her work has become so popular. "I think my artwork has a quiet stillness about it which people miss in their lives today," Stewart says. "I paint the physical structure of a house, but hopefully it draws people into what kinds of things go on inside the home." For this reason Stewart refers to everything she paints as"a journey home." Although she is a native midwesterner,Debby says home for her is a state of mind. Home is where those you love live. To keep this state of mind,the artist listens to old tele- vision shows like"The Donna Reed Show,""My Three Sons,"and"Make Room for Daddy." These provide the right atmosphere while she paints. "It seems like family life was a little more defined back then," she explains. "I've always had a lifestyle in my mind that I think is a valuable one, where family is a family and at the core of it all is their faith," Stewart says. "I'm not saying you're going to find your peace and tranquility in my artwork, because underneath it all, I feel like real peace can only be found through one's own personal faith." As a visual testament to her religious beliefs, Stewart pictures a church in all of her paintings. "I've had people look at my paintings and say,'You're a Christian, aren't you?"she says. "That,to me,is the greatest compliment anybody could give." SPECIAL EXPERIENCES SHAPE A MUSICIAN Daniel Price '84 1)aniel Price'84 may not be able to travel back in time to the days of chapel, Christian minis- tries, or Concert Chorale. However his years at Cedarville College have made a lasting impression on his life. Daniel feels that his experiences, as well as the people he met, helped shape him into who he is today—and where he is going in the future. Daniel Price, a 1984 graduate, majored in music educa- tion. He points to his participation in the musical activities at Cedarville as a large contribution to both his musical and spiritual development. Daniel kept a busy schedule,serving as president of the student chapter of the Music Educators National Confer- ence(MENC),member of the Kingsmen Quartet and Concert Chorale,tour guide for Pi Delta, and member of a Swordbearer extension team. The Swordbearers experience taught Daniel to serve people and serve with other students. He also continued to learn how to work with others while singing with the Kingsmen Quartet. Traveling with four other students, staying in many homes,and singing in numerous churches helped him gain confidence around people. Another valuable experience for Daniel was spending a summer at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michi- gan, where he was able to continue his private study with Dr. Charles Ellington, professor of music at Cedarville Col- lege. During the summer,Daniel worked with many non- Christian artists. He vividly remembers becoming more aware of nonbelievers through this experience.