A Hardin-Simmons University student with a history of being creative is hoping his latest creation helps fight back against the doom and gloom in today's pandemic society.

Jess Westman, a junior at HSU who has written and produced his own play and runs a YouTube channel, collected a few friends who starred with him in the university's musical "Working" for a virtual singalong.

"One day earlier this month, I was at home scrolling through Twitter, and it seemed that almost every story or post was about this being the end times or how scared we need to be right now," Westman said in an email, "and while COVID-19 is indeed a serious, deadly virus, it dawned on me that now is a more critical time than ever to give people hope in knowing there’s always something and someone to point to. Always."

The musical features the song "Something To Point To," which Westman quickly purchased the rights to and set about contacting his cast mates. In just minutes, he said, he had his cast for the virtual experience.

The song, he said, is for the remarkable people out there making a difference as the world battles COVID-19. These frontline workers, be they in healthcare or the grocery store or among first responders, are incredible in how they find ways to impact the community.

"To be frank, (they) deserve an infinite amount of love and attention," Westman said.

Westman was able to coordinate the project, edit the video segments together and present the effort as if they'd all been singing together.

His video follows in the footsteps of a massive undertaking by the Abilene Christian University choir, which recently released a video of its singers together — joined by alumni, faculty and friends of the program.

More: Abilene Christian choir goes virtual with 500-voice hymn ahead of Easter

That endeavor featured more than 500 voices. Westman's was only 14, including himself. But as a current student taking the initiative to do it himself, it's even more impressive.

ACU's video was created by faculty.

Westman isn't just coordinating singalongs. He's also taken it upon himself to help the university's theater students displaced by the physical building being off limits.

After not being able to meet in the theater's Green Room, a lounge of sorts for the actors, he created "The Green Zoom," using virtual meetings to continue dialogues.

Keep up the great work, Jess. You're really making an impact in your community.

ACU engineering students get scholarships

Keaton Brewster, from Malibu, California, and Reuben Howe from Dale, Texas, were named recipients of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy’s Integrated University Program scholarship.

Each year, the government entity awards financing to students pursuing nuclear engineering degrees or other science programs relevant to nuclear energy.

Each undergraduate, including the two at ACU, receives a $7,500 scholarship to help cover education costs for the upcoming year.

Brewster, a senior physics and mathematics major, and Howe, a junior engineering major, engage in groundbreaking, competitive research alongside faculty and staff with ACU’s innovative NEXT Lab.

More: Abilene Christian University science faculty gets salty over future of nuclear power

Brewster's research focuses on measurement devices, while Howe studied molten salt pump design, the university said.

"NEXT is providing new opportunities for our students and growing our national reputation," said Rusty Towell, ACU professor of engineering and physics and director of the lab. "We are advancing the technology of molten salt reactors while educating the next generation of leaders in nuclear science and engineering."


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