By JIM NICHOLS A university or school system has good reason to understand that students need to eat sometime around lunchtime. From an operational standpoint, the university or school system has a basic decision to make. The decision is whether the university or school system itself will operate the cafeteria or whether that function should be outsourced. Similarly, a university
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Coaches whotake their teams on the road to face storied football opponents usually tip-toe into town, feeling that the less said, the better. This is particularly true when they’re fortunate enough to win, and doubly so if they’re scheduled to meet the same foes the next year at “their place.” A prime example
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON You walk through the store and come face to face with witches, skeletons, and all sorts of creepy critters. You walk by a display and a cackle shrieks in your ear. It’s that time of year. It’s Halloween. In a few weeks, you’ll open the door and face small living creatures from Disney princesses to zombies with
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By LORETTA FULTON Just three years after Sharon Densman discovered a connection to a half-brother she never knew, that connection is gone and so are her family ties. The impact of that reality hit hard after the July 22 funeral of James Weldon “Snuffy” Smith. “I had no idea I would feel the feeling I had,” Densman said, “the finality
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By LORETTA FULTON Sue Lucas went from being a skeptic about labyrinths to an evangelist and all it took was an open mind and the enthusiasm of those who understand the spiritual benefits. The conversion experience came during a workshop on labyrinths at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. Most of the people attending had walked labyrinths in various places all
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By LORETTA FULTON For its 20th anniversary celebration, Abilene Interfaith Council did what it does best–provided a venue for meaningful conversation, enlightened with excellent programming, and fed well. The council’s motto is, “Breaking Bread Together in Peace,” and on Sept. 19, members shared much more than bread. A table in Gerhart Hall at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest
Read moreBy LORETTA FULTON Scott Seymour spent quite a few years of his life in the Air Force and as a teacher, but he’ has been a United Methodist Church minister long enough to have picked up on some tradecraft. Methodists are noted for moving its pastors around more frequently than most denominations, although not as much nowadays as in the past. Still,
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Probably no governor in the history of the Lone Star State has faced double-barreled “standing in line” issues like the current Texas boss, Greg Abbott. Throngs coming from the south want in, and flustered Texans are standing in line for hours to obtain or renew driver’s licenses. Life must be more than tedious for
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON One of my favorite TV shows is NCIS. One of the reasons I like it is that the characters come across as real people with real-life problems and struggles. In one episode, Agent Torres is obsessed throughout the show on trying to fix a pair of sunglasses that he accidentally broke. Throughout the show, no one understands
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