Southwestern Magazine | Spring 2019

theCommons INJANUARY2019, SouthwesternPresidentEdwardBurgerpresented theMarthaDiazHurtadoCollege-TownAward toCrestview Baptist Church, which for the past five years has hostedwhat is fondly called “ChurchLunch” on everyMonday during the academic year. At the first such gathering, in 2013, Crestviewprovidedwarm, home-cookedmeals for 50 students, but only seven attended. At the second lunch, the number of participants doubled. Today, more than 700 students attend in any one week, and “Church Lunch” has become amuch-appreciated tradition that provides Southwestern studentswith a community beyond campus grounds. Named for a staff member who served Southwestern for more than 20 years, the Martha Diaz Hurtado College-Town Award was created in 2006 to honor citizens, organizations, or businesses whose exemplary efforts have enhanced the college-town environment for students, faculty, and staff at Southwestern. Previous recipients of the award include The Williamson County Sun ; the Downtown Georgetown Association; Gary Nelon; Mel Pendland; Doug Benold ’44; Ellsworth Peterson ’55, P’84, P’88; Esther Weir; Barbara and George Brightwell; the College-Town Committee; Scott Alarcon; First Texas Bank; JimWilson ’69; CarolynHolloway; and Jerry Pate P’13. We continue to celebrate and recognize the incredibly generous commitment that all our recipients have made to Southwestern University and the Georgetown community. The 2019Martha Diaz Hurtado College-TownAward Because of the mandatory evacuation due to a gas leak affecting Crestview Baptist and dozens of homes and businesses in Georgetown, Church Lunch took place on campus between February and April 2019. 14 SOUTHWESTERN