Dr. Brenda Bender didn't have any interest in speech pathology in 1986 as a freshman. Twenty nine years and two degrees later, she is the teacher of the year in the communication sciences and disorders department. "I wanted to make a difference in how we educate masters level speech pathologists," she said. Bender, associate professor in the ... [Read More…]
Giving Up Perfect: How my view of success was redefined by a tumor
Nothing stood in the way of my perfect senior year. I had just finished the dream internship as a production assistant for The Daytripper, one of my favorite shows, in my dream town, Austin. I returned to school in August ready to take on my last year of college. The list of opportunities in front of me was endless: I was features editor of the ... [Read More…]
Mary’s Paleteria: Ice pop culture
Mary's Paleteria is a splash of color to anyone traveling down the bleak South Treadaway Boulevard. Between an abandoned gas station and a gravel road, Mary's bright pennant flags and painted tropical murals can't be ignored. Mary's is the only paleteria in Abilene, serving a variety of Mexican inspired delights, including paletas. A paleta is a ... [Read More…]
Neon Parrot Lounge squawks local sounds
The Neon Parrot Lounge is determined to revive the live music scene in downtown Abilene and provide a platform for blossoming local artists. The Neon Parrot Lounge purposely evokes memories of an old-time jazz club or speakeasy. The live music venue is located on Pine Street in the Majestic building, one of the oldest buildings in historic ... [Read More…]
Local music store serves as vessel for music and community in Abilene
For three years, The Record Guys has been off of Leggett and South 7th. The music shop sits on the corner with a big red text banner and the words "Records, tapes, record players." The shop is stocked with piles and stacks of organized vinyl records and cassette tapes, an ode to the history of music. Old fashioned bar lights hang from the ceiling ... [Read More…]
Tagen it to the Field: Baseball helps one man get closer to his dreams
When Tagen Reeves was 5 years old, he exhibited all the mannerisms of a professional baseball player. With a father who coached baseball, he took the game seriously. In his first career at bat in T-ball, he put one foot in the batter's box and looked at the third-base coach who was cheering him on. Tagen just shook his head, refusing to take his ... [Read More…]
Out on the Range: Frontier Day at Abilene State Park
The line of cars inches forward, allowing a slow trickle of visitors past the sandstone brick office. Eager families in minivans and sedans and outdoorsmen in powerful pickups accelerate gently as the car ahead passes through the gate, disappearing around a bend obscured by robust trees. Outside the heated vehicles, it is a brisk, clear Saturday in ... [Read More…]
The perfect match: De Leon and ACU together at last
It was because of a classic. A sports classic that is. He never had to go through the stress and pressure of deciding where to go, because he already knew. He knew from a very young age as a kid. He knew it was the place for him, and he would do whatever it took to get there, even though it was more than a thousand miles away. New athletic ... [Read More…]
The Samaritan that Sims built
In the last three years, Terry Bradshaw, Laura Bush and Condoleezza Rice have made visits to Abilene. Three years ago, the Abilene nonprofit, Global Samaritan Resources, hired a new executive director, Danny Sims. The timing is not a coincidence. Convincing celebrities to come to West Texas is one of the more external ways people have noticed ... [Read More…]
Third trip’s the charm
On Aug. 27, Mandy Rama boarded a plane to finally return home, alongside 10 other students. Rama, a sophomore family studies major, has a different experience than her classmates - she was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and has been waiting to return for the last 13 years. "I want so badly to leave here feeling like this is home, but I still ... [Read More…]