Adventist Civil Rights Leader Honored with Exhibit of Her Iconic Hats — and More News Shorts
In this week’s news round-up, Adventist civil rights leader Frances Pratt is honored with an exhibit to her iconic hats, Loma Linda students use augmented reality glasses to enhance training, Ghana Adventist school receives donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary begins a pilot project to integrate science into theological education.
Adventist Civil Rights Leader Honored with Exhibit of Her Fashion-statement Hats. Frances Pratt, 82, a dedicated Seventh-day Adventist leader and longtime local NAACP president, is being honored in her hometown of Nyack, New York. “The Many Hats of Frances Pratt” will showcase some of her extensive collection. Pratt’s hat-wearing stands as a symbol of love and a homage to the strong black women of the Jim Crow South. Pratt cited the Southern church tradition of women’s elaborate hats when asked about her own headgear. In the segregated South, church hats were statements — showing the beauty, strength, and individuality of women who had to wear maid uniforms the other six days. Pratt’s hats were designed by her late husband, Marshall, who had been a security guard at Rockland Psychiatric Center for his job, “but an artist by trade,” Pratt said. Many of the hats were constructed from material that matched her outfits. The hat exhibit, from June 2 to July 28, will be accompanied by “Prattisms,” sayings that the civil-rights leader has repeated over the years. (A “Prattism” example: “If you see a turtle on a fence, you know he didn’t get there by himself. None of us got to where we are without help from someone.”) Additionally, a photo series and a short documentary film,The Pratt in the Hat, will explore social justice from the 1960s to today. From lohud.com, “Frances Pratt’s fabulous hats tell a story of love, strength and leadership” and from patch.com, “The Many Hats of Frances Pratt.”
Loma Linda UniversityStudents Use Augmented-reality Glasses to Enhance Training. Loma Linda University is introducing augmented reality to health care education with the help of AR glasses. Students from the School of Medicine and School of Allied Health Professions have the unique opportunity to wear AR glasses for hands-on training of central line simulation-based learning. “The unique part about AR is that it doesn’t change the reality you are in but adds on to what you are currently experiencing,” says Laren Tan MD, FCCP, critical care pulmonologist and obstructive lung specialist at Loma Linda University Health. Students are able to read text, watch video, or live chat while wearing the glasses. With the help of AR, students and healthcare professionals are staying compliant with safety protocols and securing the best outcome for the patient. From Loma Linda University Health, “Loma Linda University explores the world of augmented reality.”
Ghana Adventist School Accepts New Toilet Facility from LDS Charities. The students of Bosuso Seventh-day Adventist School in Ghana have heaved a euphoric sigh of relief after LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, handed over an ultra-modern toilet facility to authorities of the school. The handing over ceremony took place amid the display of cultural dances and poetry recital by students of the school. The school started operating privately about sixty-five years ago until the Government took over its affairs a decade ago. Students of the school have had to find their way into a bush nearby to ease themselves during school hours. Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Tweneboah Oware, District Chief Executive of the Fanteakwa South District Assembly, expressed appreciation to the Church for its contribution toward the social development of the nation. “The LDS Church is a Christian community that is doing so much good all over the country.” Let us ensure the maintenance of this facility,” said Oware. From Modern Ghana, “LDS Charities Bring Relief To Bosuso SDA School.”
Seminary Begins to Incorporate Current Science into Two of Its Core Courses. The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, will join several other seminaries in a three-year pilot project integrating science into theological education. It is an initiative to advance understanding of science and technology sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “The hope is that the seminary students exposed to enriched classes will find science relevant and interesting to their vocations and, in the future, help them make science a positive component of congregational life and favorably impact the everyday lives of a broad swath of Americans,” said Jennifer Wiseman, director of the AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program. Joining Andrews are four other schools: Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri; Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Indiana; Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri; and the Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Participating seminaries have pledged to incorporate science into at least two of their core courses and to hold at least one campus-wide event over the next 18 months. “We provide science resources, and they plug that into the larger context of their programs,” said Curtis Baxter, a DoSER program associate. “The seminaries decide on their own how to incorporate the science into courses they already teach.” AAAS will recruit science advisers from nearby research and academic institutions to share knowledge and experience in designing engaging science coursework, assisting theological educators at each seminary to sort out how best to integrate science into courses the seminaries have selected. The program makes available information on advances in science and technology and provides the institutions with access to the Science family of journals. Coursework that seminaries plan to fold into their core classes covers a broad sweep of science, ranging from evolution of the cosmos to genetics and neuroscience. From Science Magazine, “AAAS extends science in theological education program.”
Pam Dietrich taught English at Loma Linda Academy for 26 years and served there eight more years as the 7-12 librarian. She lives in Redlands, California.
Image Credit: Patch.com / Nyack community member
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