Cowboy Spirit High Through Hailstorm and Cleanup

(ABILENE, TX) Hardin-Simmons University faculty, staff, and students returned for classes and work Friday morning to find the cleanup from the June 12 hailstorm already underway.

Like most of Abilene, damage on the HSU campus was cosmetic, observable by numerous broken windows and tree limbs caused by tennis- and baseball- sized hail.

“While it’s too early for estimates, we are not aware of any structural damage to campus buildings,” said Brenda Alexander, vice president of finance.

Alexander suspects the roofs of some buildings may have damage, but is confident that the university’s regular schedule of summer classes and events will continue without interruption.

Almost immediately after the storm, during which the north-facing windows of numerous buildings were broken, many HSU faculty, staff, and spouses began arriving on campus to see how they could help with cleanup.

“HSU is a close-knit community and it is always gratifying to see how we work together to resolve the challenges we face,” said Tommy Brisco, provost and chief academic officer.

Cameron Moore, network and systems manager, and his wife Bridget, director of financial aid and scholarships, quickly traveled to campus after the storm to see how they could help in cleanup efforts. The Moores were scheduled to be on vacation this week.

“It was great to be able to join together and give back through a small act of service,” said Cameron Moore. “For those who were here, it didn’t matter what department you were in or your title – what mattered was that we were able to focus on what was important, which was getting our campus ready for Round-Up.”

As scheduled, HSU welcomed 125 future students and their families Friday morning for Round-Up. The event is one of four held during the spring and summer designed to help admitted high-school graduates prepare for their upcoming Hardin-Simmons University experience.

Both Alexander and Brisco specifically credit the hard work of HSU’s maintenance department, led by Tim McCarry, facilities services director, and the HSU police department, led by Frank Loza, chief or police, for the quick recovery. Both departments and their staff members worked through the night to help HSU maintain functionality.

All classes, camps, and offices at HSU resumed normal schedules on Friday morning.

Pictured: HSU maintenance staff work to secure broken windows after the July 12 hailstorm.

Founded in 1891, Hardin-Simmons University is a church-related university affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas committed to providing excellence in education enlightened by Christian faith and values.

With its 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students enjoy personal attention as they pursue more than 70 fields of undergraduate study and 20 graduate study programs, including the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctorate in Leadership programs. Pre-professional programs include dentistry, engineering, medicine, law, pharmacy, and seminary.

For more information about HSU, please visit www.hsutx.edu or follow @hsutx on Twitter or the Hardin-Simmons University page on Facebook.