Jarvis Christian University will host a President’s Spring Concert to honor retiring Jarvis President Dr. Lester C. Newman, after his 47-year distinguished career in higher education and 11 years of dedicated service to Jarvis.
The concert features the Jarvis music department—band, choir, alumni and friends—at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in the Meyer Auditorium on the Hawkins campus. The concert is free and open to the public.
Various instrumental ensembles will include a concert band, jazz band, brass band, jazz combo, university choir and a host of guest performers, according to Jarvis Band Director Dr. Larry J. Pannell, who is directing the show. A special guest conductor will also appear.
Pannell and Newman have known each other since childhood, and both played clarinet and saxophone in junior and senior high school together in Shreveport, Louisiana. Despite going to rival institutions for college, they remained friends as close as brothers their entire lives. Pannell was quick to answer the call and come out of retirement last fall when Newman reached out needing an interim band director for 2022-2023 academic year.
The audience can expect to hear various genres of music, including classical, spiritual/gospel, jazz and pop featuring Jarvis music department students, alumni and friends.
A special black tie optional retirement party will be held at 6 p.m., Friday, April 21, in the E.W. Rand Center. Sponsorships are being sold through the Institutional Advancement and Development (IAD) Office. Call (903)730-4890, ext. 3003.
Sponsorship levels are as follows:
Platinum Level $5,000 for a full-page ad, 4 tickets, and a 30-second congratulatory video to be played at the party
Gold Level $3,000 for a full-page ad and 3 tickets
Silver Level $2,500 for a full-page ad and 2 tickets
Bronze Level $2,000 for a full-page ad and 2 tickets
Supporter Level $1,500 for a full-page ad and 2 tickets
Friend Level $1,000 for a full-page ad and 2 tickets
Payments can be made electronically through CashApp $JCC1912, Text2Give 903-502-4124 and text the word “GIVE,” or you may give online at Jarvis.edu/donate. For those not interested in being a sponsor, tickets to Dr. Newman’s retirement party are $50 per person and can be purchased through IAD. A full-page advertisement in a souvenir magazine congratulating Dr. Newman on his retirement is available through a sponsorship or by purchasing an individual ad at $300. Proceeds are to benefit a newly endowed scholarship in Dr. Newman’s name to benefit future Jarvis Christian University students.
Jarvis Christian University is dedicated to empowering a diverse population of students to achieve their career goals through an affordable academic experience that prepares them for today’s global economy. Whether a student is a recent high school graduate or a working adult seeking career advancement, Jarvis Christian University develops students of all ages and cultures intellectually, socially, spiritually and emotionally.
