“All of us in the School of Music are the direct beneficiaries of the high value that the Church of God placed on music from its beginning up to today,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wright, dean of the College of the Arts. “Without the church’s deep understanding of the importance of music in the church and in every aspect of society, we would not be the vital and growing music school that we are today. We are grateful for the heritage of music that we share with the church, and we look forward to celebrating that rich and enduring partnership of song and ministry.”

During the North American Convention, Anderson University will also host the following events:

• 38th Annual Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament
  Fri., June 22, 8 a.m. tee-off (7 a.m. breakfast)
  Yule Golf Course, Alexandria, Ind.
  See details and registration information

• Heritage Reception/Reunion
  For any alumni to share food, fellowship, and fond memories about AC/AU, with special recognition of the 50th year for the class of 1962.
  Sat., June 23, following evening service
  Lower level of Decker Hall

• Heritage Luncheon
  Sun., June 24, 1 p.m.
  Olt Student Center, Schield Dining Room
  Cost: $15 per person; reservations required
  To register, call (765) 641-4029 or send e-mail to tlearl@anderson.edu.

• School of Theology Alumni and Friends Luncheon and Annual Awards
  Mon., June 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  Olt Student Center
  (reservations required; payment in advance is necessary; call (765) 641-4033 for reservations)
  See full schedule of School of Theology activities

• Warner Sallman Paintings
  June 22 – 27, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  Sun. hours, 1 – 4 p.m.
  Krannert Fine Arts Center, Wilson Galleries

• Guided Campus Tours
  Mon. – Wed., 2 p.m.
  Admissions/Welcome Center

• Mocha Joe’s & Corner Pocket
  Sat., Mon., Tues., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  Sun., 2 – 7 p.m.
  Wed., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  Olt Student Center, lower level

• Kardatzke Wellness Center
  Open recreation hours to be posted

• Gustav Jeeninga Museum of Bible and Near Eastern Studies
  Mon. – Wed., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  Self-guided tours
  School of Theology, lower level

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

“With a combined total of 123 years of service, these individuals have invested their lives in Anderson University and its students,” said Dr. Blake Janutolo, dean of the College of Science and Humanities. “Each one has served as an exemplary faculty member, and each will be missed as they begin a new chapter in their lives.”

[Photo: Anderson University recently honored retiring faculty (pictured from left) Prof. Paul Gray, Dr. Linda Swindell, Prof. Zola Noble, and Dr. Ken Turner.]

Paul Gray, professor of kinesiology, joined the AU faculty in 1978 and has served the university for 34 years. He received his B.A. from Anderson University, his M.A. from Ball State University, and is currently finishing his doctorate at Ball State.

At AU, Gray coached football, wrestling, and golf. He is an expert in adaptive physical education and is known within his department for his expertise in using technology in the classroom. He has also been a long-time advocate for Special Olympics.

“As director of the Madison County Chapter of Special Olympics, Paul took a struggling program and, with the help of others in the community and university, turned it into a model of what a local chapter of Special Olympics should be,” said Janutolo. “In the process, he introduced hundreds of AU students to Special Olympians and by doing so changed their perception of what it means to work with persons who have special needs.”

Zola Noble, associate professor English, joined the AU faculty in 1993, but taught as a full-time adjunct for five years prior to this. In all, she has served the university for 24 years. Noble received her B.S. from Anderson University, M.S. from St. Francis College, and MFA from Spaulding University.

Noble is an accomplished author, with articles appearing in several journals and magazines. Some of her articles include “Back Roads Attractions,” published in The New Southerner, “An Ordinary Woman: Sarah McIntyre of Saltville, Virginia,” published in The Smithfield Review, and “Sitting in Church,” published in 94 Creations.

“Zola has put in many hours grading papers and helping our students become better writers,” said Janutolo. “She has made a difference in the lives of so many of our students.”

Dr. Linda Swindell, professor of psychology, joined the AU faculty in 1993 and has served the university for 19 years. She received her B.A. from the University of Hawaii, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Arizona State University.

Swindell came to AU after teaching at the University of Mississippi. At AU, she served as director of the Liberal Arts Seminar Program from 2000-2006 and as chair of the Psychology Department since 2009.

“Dr. Swindell is recognized by her students and peers and a master teacher,” said Janutolo. “She cares deeply about her students and has invested large amounts of time in preparing them for graduate school or careers in psychology. Loved and respected by her students, Linda is a role model for what it means to be a professor.”

Dr. Ken Turner, professor of mathematics, director of statistics, and chair of the Math Department, joined the AU faculty in 1966 and has served the university for 46 years. He received his B.A. from Anderson University, M.A. from Ball State University, and Ph.D. from Purdue University.

During his time at AU, Turner developed a strong statistics program and authored or coauthored three major statistics textbooks. His Fundamental Concepts in Design of Experiments has been adopted at schools including Cornell University and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and is often used a reference text by those in industry.

“Over the years I have greatly appreciated Ken’s insight into the workings of the university,” said Janutolo. “In his own gentle way, he has always been willing to point out our flaws and inconsistencies with constructive suggestions for improvement, and at the same time congratulating us on our strengths and accomplishments.”

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

“I was just amazed to hear the news,” the now-award-winning photographer said. “What an honor.”

During Saturday’s graduation service, Settlemeyer was one of four to receive an honorary degree, along with Charles Dickmann, Frank Campbell, and Johnny Wilson.

Settlemeyer earned a bachelor’s from AU in 1966 and a Master of Ministry from AU’s School of Theology in 1978. She worked for Dow Chemical Company for 31 years and retired as a development scientist.

“This day is about you,” Settlemeyer said to the graduates, after thanking family and friends who’d come in from several states to celebrate the honor. “I would say, as young people, go out carrying the joy you received at Anderson University into your community.”

Wilson said the doctor of humane letters is the “highest honor” he’s ever received. While at Anderson High School and then AU in the 1940s he was known as “Jumpin’ Johnny” for his leaping ability. He played for the Harlem Globetrotters and returned to AU in 1970 to finish his bachelor’s degree in education. He has coached at the high school and college levels.

[Photo: John E. Wilson receives an honorary degree during Anderson University's commencement on Saturday, May 5.]

“This feels very good,” Wilson said moments before graduation. “What an honor. It means a lot knowing the university thinks enough of me to give me this degree.”

Karen Williams, dean of AU’s School of Nursing, presented Campbell with his degree. She pointed out his humility and said he’s devoted his life to the healing arts and has been a great servant leader for the community.

“If I told all my blessings, we’d be here too long,” Campbell said after receiving the degree.

He said he was grateful for the attention the honor would bring to the Madison County Community Health Centers, where he is the medical director. He received his medical degree from Indiana University’s School of Medicine and worked in private practice for 30 years. For part of that time, Campbell was the chief of staff at Community Hospital Anderson.

Charles Dickmann, long-time Anderson attorney, said he was grateful for the honor. He thanked his family, saying the doctor of humane letters would go along nicely with his week of celebrations for his 93rd birthday, which is Monday.

[Photo: Charles Dickmann gives a "thumbs up" after receiving an honorary degree during Anderson University's commencement on Saturday, May 5.]

Dennis D. Carroll, an AU Trustee, said Dickmann has lived a life of excellence and exemplified servant leadership.

Dickmann served the community for 62 years with his law firm and continues to provide counsel for the firm. He received both a bachelor’s and law degree from IU. He also served in the military during World War II, leaving as a captain.

Dickmann, a noted philanthropist, has been deeply involved in the community, Carroll said, on boards including the United Way, YMCA, Chamber of Commerce, and others.

— Abbey Doyle is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Reposted with permission. Photo credit: Don Knight.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

During Christmas break, the brothers came up with the idea and began to plan, but soon realized that a weeklong trip could be quite costly. Staying in hotels would be far too expensive, but camping at campgrounds would also cost money and would require the brothers to carry the necessary camping supplies on their backs. Their father, who had biked across the country at age 20, suggested that they ask the AU Alumni Office for help.

[Photo: Brothers Jeremiah (left) and Adam Stichter hope to promote Anderson University and enjoy alumni connections during their 800-mile bicycle trip to Florida this summer. Credit: Lauren Freitas]

“Jeremiah came to me with the idea of contacting alumni along the route they will be traveling,” said Ben Davis, director of alumni relations. Davis contacted alumni, asking if they would be willing to house the brothers. “We have a couple already, and we are still working on gaining more,” said Davis.

Adam and Jeremiah plan to leave on Friday, May 11, and should arrive in Panama City on May 18 or 19. “When you are biking, it’s easier to take stops because it’s so flexible,” said Adam. “And you have to take stops since you are powering yourself.” The trip will be about 800 miles, so they will average about 115 miles each day.

The brothers have high hopes for the trip, both personally and for the university. “It is going to be interesting to see how AU will be able to help us out, and in return how we can help AU by getting their name out,” said Jeremiah. The Alumni Office plans to make T-shirts for the brothers that will advertise the university as they bike.

Jeremiah also hopes to achieve a personal goal, “a good tan.” Both Jeremiah and Adam also hope to grow closer and bond during the trip, as well as accomplish a few other personal goals. “I am going to have the pride of completing the trip,” said Adam. “It’s no small feat to accomplish, and it definitely has an adventure aspect to it.”

According to Davis, a trip like this has never been attempted at AU, especially with the large number of alumni who will be reached throughout the brothers’ route. However, many students and recent graduates do contact the Alumni Office to reach out to others in areas where they may be moving or taking an internship. “Almost always we are able to connect them with some sort of ‘warm lead,’” said Davis. “We try to keep people connected so that they network with each other, have fellowship, and share memories.”

Jeremiah and Adam are encouraging everyone to follow their travels as they share details from the trip and their time with alumni. “We have an idea of taking an AU water bottle and filling it with water from the Helios fountain, taking pictures with it along the way, and then dumping it into the Gulf of Mexico,” said Jeremiah. Their travels can be followed on Facebook and Twitter; Jeremiah’s Twitter username is @ja_reemstichter and Adam’s is @ajstichter, and they hope to popularize the hashtags #IN2Florida and #AUBikeTrip.

— Marissa Phillips is a junior from Brookville, Ohio, majoring in communication arts. Phillips is an associate with Fifth Street Communications^™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

The Anderson University graduates had an active missionary program going in Paraguay, he with a radio ministry and she with Children of Promise. They had an active 6-year-old, Timmy, and had finalized the adoption of 1-year-old Anahi. And, it was told later, Julie was six weeks pregnant. They were preparing to return to the United States for a three-month furlough. Life was good.

Julie had just blogged that a hurdle in obtaining Anahi’s birth certificate and passport had been overcome. They planned an early-morning trip to the capital city of Asunción to pick up the documents.

“In one month, Lord willing, we’ll be on U.S. soil eating Wendy’s frosties, Mexican wet burritos and cherry cheesecake,” she wrote on the blog. “Keep the prayers coming, friends. We need them.”

It was 5:10 a.m. as Norberto drove down the road. Suddenly, according to online accounts, he perceived a slow-moving truck in front of him with no working taillights. He swerved to avoid it but rear-ended it on Julie’s side of the car.

Norberto and Anahi emerged virtually unscathed. Julie was killed instantly, and Timmy died at the hospital.

Traffic laws in Paraguay, such as they are, don’t restrict vehicles without working lights; if it’s drivable, it can be on the road.

Just like that, the Kurrle family was cut in half. Norberto, with a 1½-year-old daughter, is left to ponder the future without his mate. He and Anahi are still coming to the United States this month.

Norberto honed his broadcasting skills at Anderson’s WQME during college and seminary years. He has a background in South America, where his parents, Martin and Tabita (Meier) Kurrle, live and his grandparents served as missionaries. His mother; his aunt, Nilah Meier-Youngman; and his uncle and aunt, Paul and Charlene Meier, all are AU graduates. Nilah, Paul and Charlene live in Anderson.

The family’s fundamental belief, expressed in an email by Tabita, that Julie and Timmy are now rejoicing in heaven scarcely blunts the stark reality of how fragile life can be in a physical world. The what-ifs, such as no taillights on the truck or the timing of the trip before daylight, only reinforce the nagging reality that life isn’t always fair.

There are other realities as well. Life goes on, and Norberto and Anahi have a long road ahead of them. And life offers no guarantees. Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

Most of us have experienced some type of loss or trauma. How we handle these roadblocks can make us stronger in the long run. It isn’t always easy. But it’s part of the process that helps steel us against the things life will throw at us in the future.

Life is fragile. We can’t always avoid the pitfalls that sometimes lead to tragedy. But we can learn from them and become better for it.

— Jim Bailey (BA ’62) for The Herald Bulletin. Reposted with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

After graduating from nursing school in 1980, Tharp (Anderson University AS ’80, MBA ’05) returned to Community where she has worked her way from third-shift nurse to vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer.

When she first started at Community, Tharp looked up to her nursing supervisor and decided that was her dream job. More than three decades ago she never expected she’d be named Nurse of the Year out of more than 900 nominees from across the state.

“I was thrilled,” she said of the award. “It is such an honor.”

Across the state, nurses are nominated to The Indianapolis Star’s Salute to Nurses award program. Once nominated, a selection committee names one nurse to five different categories — advancement of nursing, community outreach, inspiration, lifetime of compassion, and educator of the year.

One of the five picked in those categories is then named nurse of the year. Community never had a winner before Tharp.

“Those that have had the opportunity to work with Beth can see her talent and dedication in action over and over again, as well as the strong results that she achieves year after year,” said Leah Campbell, Community’s director of marketing and community relations. “She is an exemplar of nursing leadership, fully committed to providing the best care and experience for our patients and employees. The award is a fitting testimony to Beth.”

Tharp has held several positions during her tenure at Community including director of women and children’s services. She helped that program grow and then later assumed responsibility for medical/surgical and intensive care.

“From there I have grown so much,” Tharp said. “I’ve had added responsibility and have helped create some things like the Clinical Research Center, the Advanced Wound Healing Center and Cancer Center. I love my job; the sky’s the limit. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to see a need and help fulfill it.”

Tharp stressed that much of what she’s been given credit for, especially with this award, wouldn’t have been possible without support from the hospital and her support staff.

“All I did was clear the path and stay out of the way so they could do it,” she said. “We are a team here. Nothing happens without all of us working together. I consider everybody in this hospital to be an unbelievably wonderful family.”

Tharp said she has several fond and memorable moments from throughout her 32-year career. But most important is the impact she felt she’s been able to make, both with her patients and in creating programming like the wound and research centers.

She recalled a night she was working as a bedside nurse spending hours with a family overnight after their loved one passed away under her care.

“Years later I ran into one of the family members and they came up to me and hugged me,” Tharp said. “It was really special. It makes you stop and think about the impact you can have on peoples’ lives without even knowing it.”

Nursing, she said, isn’t a job or even a career, it’s a calling.

“The wonderful part of my job now is that I have the opportunity to look at the big picture and have an impact on an even larger level,” Tharp said. “There have been points in my career where I’ve thought, ‘I wish I could be taking care of patients,’ because I really loved doing that. But I can have an even greater impact now.”

Keith Trent, Community vice president and chief foundation officer, said Tharp has accomplished much at Community.

“She has the respect of her staff, really of all the hospital’s staff,” he said. “She is well-liked and knowledgeable. While she would quickly give credit to others, most understand she is the one responsible for starting the Clinical Research Center and Center for Advanced Wound Healing. I believe neither would be here today without Beth and her determination to make those things happen.”

Tharp was also given the Advancement of Nursing award, fitting for her, Trent said as she is supportive of the nurses at the hospital and has created several opportunities for them to advance, achieve and do things they might not have otherwise been able to do.

Also nominated from Community for nurse of the year was Debra Maddy, Licensed Practical Nurse.

— Abbey Doyle is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Story reposted with permission. Photo credit: John P. Cleary/The Herald Bulletin.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Considering her options, Francis, an accounting and youth leadership-development major, decided that selling her laptop computer would be the best way to raise the needed funds. She contacted AU alumna Suahil Housholder, accountant at AU and Anderson Dining Services, and asked if a “for sale” email could be sent to faculty and staff.

[Photo, from left: Latoya Francis, Suahil Housholder, and Nelda Ely.]

Housholder, also originally from Grand Cayman, was happy to assist, and sent out the email on the AU classifieds email list on Wednesday, April 25.

One of the first to respond was Nelda Ely, graduate student counselor.

“I was still at home that morning when I saw the email, and I immediately felt it was so sad that she had to give up her laptop, because I know how important they are,” said Ely. “I paused a moment to pray, because I thought, ‘Okay, I know there a lot of needs on campus. Is this really appropriate?’ And I didn’t feel any halt in my spirit.”

Ely sent an email response to the classifieds list, asking if it might be possible to contribute funds so that Francis would not have to sell her computer. By the time she arrived at the office around 8 a.m., Ely was surprised to find she had already received 8 to 10 responses from others who wanted to contribute.

Housholder, too, was floored by the immediate response.

“I work from home and didn’t have the opportunity to check my email until about 10:30 in the morning, and when I did I was just blown out of the water.” she said.

Housholder agreed to coordinate the collection, and by May 1, $1,255 had been contributed by more than 35 faculty and staff on campus.

For Francis, the contributions help assure not only her return home but also a major part of her work with TAPP in Uganda over the summer.

TAPP was founded by Church of God missionary Colleen Stevenson in 2004 as a response to the AIDS crisis in Uganda. According to TAPP’s Facebook page, TAPP finds hope and compassion by seeking solidarity with individuals infected and affected by HIV/AIDS through creating opportunities for sustainable income.

“With TAPP women, most of them don’t have enough money to send their children to proper schools, so I’ve been researching a private school for the poor,” said Francis. “They have a couple of these in Africa and India that have been quite successful, so I was researching how we can use this model and tailor it to the needs that are currently in Uganda.”

With the support she has received from AU faculty and staff, Francis will be able to take her research further than she had anticipated.

“It actually means that I get to not only go, but I get to finish the business plan and have a chance to see it come to fruition,” said Francis. “I can write and say all the things I think need to be said, but to make it successful, you need to actually sit down with the administrators and teachers to come up with a curriculum that fits the needs of the families and students in Uganda.”

Housholder and Ely both expressed their appreciation for those who contributed.

“I think this demonstrates the true heart of Anderson University, that we are a God-loving people and we seek opportunities to help others,” said Housholder.

“It’s been exciting for me to see the faces of those who have contributed,” said Ely. “ I think all of us have been blessed as much as Latoya has been.”

Francis also shared her appreciation.

“As a student, one of the things that has been instilled from Day One has been the idea of servant-leadership,” she said. “To see that faculty and staff would go out of their way to help a student this way, it just shows me that servant-leadership is not just talk, but it’s actually something that’s lived on this campus.”

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

The webcast will feature the entire commencement program, including an address to graduates from Dodger baseball legend and AU trustee emeritus Carl Erskine. During commencement AU will award honorary degrees to John E. Wilson, AU alum and basketball legend; Lois A. Settlemeyer, former scientist with Dow Chemical and past member of the Anderson University Board of Trustees; Dr. Frank Campbell, longtime Anderson physician; and Charles Dickmann, renowned Anderson attorney and community philanthropist.

The webcast will be streamed on the Anderson University website during the event. To access the webcast, visit: www.anderson.edu/commencement/webcast/. Viewers may also join Facebook and Twitter discussions with other members of the AU community during the event. A link to those discussions will be provided on the webcast page.

“We are excited to once again offer a live webcast of commencement to alumni, parents, and friends through the Anderson University website,” said Chris Williams, director of university communications and community relations. “Last year, more than 200 individuals joined the webcast, including parents who were not able to attend in person.”

Read more about Anderson University’s 2012 Commencement.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

That was just the kind of woman she was, said family and friends of the Kurrles.

“She was a very vibrant person, a beautiful person inside and out,” said Charlene Meier, of Anderson, Norberto’s aunt.

She wanted to help everybody, Meier said.

Julie, 35, and Timmy, 6, were killed in a car accident as they and Norberto, 40, and daughter, Anahi, 1, were headed out early in the morning April 18 to pick up Anahi’s visa to travel to the states. The family had adopted her in 2011 and was planning to bring her to the U.S. in May, according to Meier.

Julie and Timmy were buried together in the city of Obligado, where they all lived, while Norberto and Anahi are still in Paraguay.

After hearing the news, Anderson University Director of Communications Chris Williams said many alumni and friends inquired about the Kurrles and were “asking to reach out to the family in a tangible way.” He said they were stunned by the tragic event as Julie was highly regarded by many.

Julie graduated from AU in 1998 while Norberto graduated in 1997. Both graduated from the School of Theology in 2002, Williams said.

So, AU began raising money for the family. All of the funds will go toward the Kurrles and donations can be made at https://commerce.cashnet.com/andersonestore.

Director of Alumni Relations Ben Davis said many could keep up with the family through their blog at http://kurrles.blogspot.com/.

“You can tell from the comments on (the Kurrles’) Facebook page just how many friends Julie had and how many knew and respected her,” Davis said.

He went to school at AU with Julie and Norberto and knew them pretty well. He said he saw them a couple of years ago when they came back to Indiana for a bit and had lunch with them to catch up.

Davis said he’s never seen the outpouring of grief and support from alumni as he’s seen for Julie.

He described her as friendly, outgoing and very genuine. She’s also been described as “wise beyond her years” by many who knew her.

Davis said she acted as a sort of counselor to many friends back in college.

“Julie was just a very rare and special person called to mission,” he said.

He said those who are religious believe things happen for a reason, but that this is one of those situations where a person just wonders why.

“Julie was a very unique and unusual individual,” said Paul Maxfield, executive director of Children of Promise. “She was extremely intelligent and very passionate about ministries in Paraguay. When she went there, she gave her life to (the ministries).”

[Photo: Julie and Norberto Kurrle spoke during the Anderson University School of Theology awards luncheon in June 2009. The Kurrles were honored with the SOT's Distinguished Alumni Award during the event.]

Julie initiated and directed the Children of Promise sponsorship program in Paraguay from 2004 to 2010, he said.

The Kurrles moved to Paraguay, where Norberto had some family, in 2002.

Maxfield said Julie Kurrle was respectful of other people but not afraid to speak out when she felt something wasn’t right.

And Timmy was very articulate and smart, he added.

“Timmy was a vibrant little boy, very inquisitive,” he said. “He was always asking questions.”

Meier said Timmy was curious and loved wheels and fishing. Her husband and Norberto’s uncle, Paul, was going to take him fishing when he came back. “He wanted to be like his father and do everything he did,” she said.

She said the family is still in disbelief.

Bob Edwards, director of Church of God’s Global Ministries in Anderson, said he spoke with Norberto who is leaning on God and his faith in Christ during this difficult time.

“We’re all still in a state of disbelief, in a state of shock along with Norberto,” Edwards said.

He said Julie also worked for women’s and youth groups while Norberto did some discipleship mentoring and broadcasting for a Christian radio station in Paraguay.

Both were involved in multiple ministries and did many things to help the people out, he said. Timmy even went to a poor school they were trying to help progress, he added.

“It is tragic,” Edwards said. “Just absolutely tragic.”

He said Julie was a great mom, teacher and stateswoman, and that the Kurrles are in the prayers of many.

— Dani Palmer is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Story reposted with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

“I am completely blown away by the way God has taken this song and breathed his life and favor over it to encourage other believers and glorify the great name of Jesus — our healer, redeemer, and king,” said Nordhoff. “I am humbled to be a part of it.”

Nordhoff was taught songwriting at Anderson University by Gloria Gaither, and began writing Your Great Name as a testimony to God’s faithfulness in her own personal healing story. Nine years ago the Christian music singer, songwriter, wife, and mom was diagnosed with advanced stage Lyme disease after getting bitten by a tick more than three years before. After 18 months of treatment and many doctor’s visits Nordhoff wasn’t seeing much progress, so she decided to attend a healing service at her sister’s church, Resurrection Life Church, near Grand Rapids, Mich.

“I literally felt the Lord touch my physical being,” said Nordhoff. “And, I know that it was only a taste of His power. From that point forward, over the course of about two months, the Lord healed me completely!”

Fast-forward a few years. Her church in Franklin, Tenn., began having Wednesday night worship services. During one of these services, a call for prayer went out for a little boy diagnosed with a terminal illness who only had a few days to live. Everyone in the sanctuary that night prayed earnestly to see this boy healed of his sickness. It wasn’t to be, however, and the boy did not live much longer. Nordhoff said this was a critical event in the formation of the song Your Great Name.

“I remember being overwhelmed with emotion when I heard the news. It was a major leap of faith for our church to pray for the life of this little baby boy. I didn’t want our church to be discouraged from praying and believing God for healing again,” Nordhoff said. “Even though, this time, we didn’t see this boy healed, it doesn’t change the truth of God’s word in scripture. The same is true as it has been for over 2000 years. Jesus rose from the dead and he is still alive today. He still does miracles today. He is still our savior, redeemer, and king today! When I started writing the verses to this song — each one ending with ‘at the sound of your great name’ — that’s what I wanted to proclaim to our church: with faith and prayer in the great name of Jesus, fear leaves, children are fed, the sick are healed, the dead are raised, and we are overcomers as God’s children.”

Despite trying to write a chorus to the song herself and even asking others to help her finish the song, nothing seemed to fit until she brought the song to her worship pastor, Michael Neale, and out came this simple, yet powerful chorus, “Jesus, worthy is the Lamb, that was slain for us, Son of God and Man, You are high and lifted up and all the world will praise Your Great Name!”

[Photo: AU alum Krissy Nordhoff pictured with husband Eric Nordhoff (left) and Michael Neale.]

The song eventually was recorded live at the People’s Church and would be featured on the church’s worship album, Shine Out.

“I knew there was something special about that song that night,” sid Krissy’s husband Eric Nordhoff, who runs TwoNords Music, the publishing company the couple started years ago for their songwriting. “As soon as I received a copy of the recording of the song, I shared it with the artist manager of Natalie Grant, who is an associate of mine at the Gospel Music Association. Soon after, he sent it to Natalie and her husband, producer Bernie Herms. They took this song to a whole new level of production and passion and just made it something even more special.”

The song became a Top 5 Christian radio single from Natalie’s album Love Revolution and remained on Billboard’s Christian radio chart for more than 47 weeks in 2011. It has become a powerful worship anthem in the church today, encouraging countless believers every Sunday proclaiming the great name of Jesus.

The award for Worship Song of the Year will be given out during the Dove Awards Pre-Show, which will be streamed live on HearItFirst.com on Tuesday, April 24, at 5:30 p.m. EDT. Visit http://live.hearitfirst.com/ to watch Krissy and Michael’s acceptance speech as well as behind-the-scenes interviews and red carpet footage from the Dove Awards at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

The 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards broadcast will air on GMC-TV (Direct TV Channel 338) on Tuesday, April 24, at 8 p.m. EDT.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

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The Kurrles have been missionaries to Paraguay with Church of God Global Missions since 2002. Norberto has worked with a Christian radio station and in discipleship programs in the city of Obligado, where they lived. Julie initiated, developed, and directed the Children of Promise sponsorship program in Paraguay from 2004 to 2010. Her heart for the children of Paraguay compelled her to work tirelessly on behalf of those in need. She was affectionately and respectfully loved by the sponsored children and their families. Julie was instrumental in selecting and training the present director of the sponsorship program for Children of Promise.

Please join Anderson University as we continue to pray for Norberto and daughter Anahi Kurrle, their family, and the church in Paraguay.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Michael Heckendorn, a psychology major from Charlevoix, Mi., has been an active participant in the AmeriCorps program on campus, contributing more than 300 hours of community service between September 2011 and September 2012. He has volunteered at the Christian Center, the Neighbors campus ministry, Man 4 Man ministries, and Operation Foundation. He also served as an MLK Service Day site coordinator.

[Photo, from left: Falls School of Business Dean Dr. Terry Truitt, Associate Professor of History Dr. Jaye Rogers, Michael Heckendorn, Benjamin Herrick, Associate Professor of History Dr. Joel Shrock, AU alum Jeffrey D. Claflin.]

“It was an honor and a humbling experience to be selected as the inaugural recipient of the Eisenhower Scholarship,” said Heckendorn. “The scholarship came at a time of financial struggle, and it reminded me of God’s providence for my life and my future.”

Heckendorn will graduate from AU this spring. He has been interviewing for positions with social service agencies in Indiana. After working for a year, Heckendorn plans to return to school for a Master of Social Work, with the goal of becoming a school social worker.

Benjamin Herrick, a political science major and history minor from Holts Summit, Mo., has also been active in service. In high school, he worked as an intern for a state senator and volunteered at a local hospital. At Anderson University, Herrick has volunteered with the Prison Ministry group for three years. He co-founded a day camp for children of incarcerated parents and helped start a tutoring program for boys in the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility.

“Being granted the Eisenhower Scholarship is a humbling privilege for me,” said Herrick. “Not only does it remind me of how privileged my time at Anderson University has been, but it also affirms that my hard work is paying off in many ways. I hope to continue upholding the standards set by the scholarship and that potential candidates in the future will embrace the challenge as well to live a life of hard work and of service.”

Herrick hopes to pursue law school after graduating from AU, with the goal of living a life of public service in legal and political circles.

The Eisenhower Endowed Scholarship Fund at Anderson University was established in 2010 with initial funding from the Eisenhower Memorial Scholarship Foundation. The foundation was created in the late 1960s by leading Indiana business men and women, including members of the Tarzian, Honeywell, Ball, and Lilly families. The purpose of the foundation was to promote free enterprise, patriotism, faith, and conservative values consistent with those of the foundation’s namesake, President Dwight David Eisenhower. Over its life, the foundation awarded more than 220 four-year undergraduate scholarships to be used in private liberal arts colleges across Indiana and Michigan. Upon dissolution of the foundation, its remaining assets were distributed among several institutions, including Anderson University.

[Photo, from left: Michael Heckendorn, Jeffrey D. Claflin, and Benjamin Herrick.]

The Eisenhower Scholarship Award at AU is granted annually to a qualifying junior or senior majoring in political science or business, or a member of the Center for Public Service (CPS). Faculty recommend candidates for the award, and the recipient is chosen by a selection committee comprised of representatives from CPS, the History and Political Science Department, and the Falls School of Business.

Jeffrey D. Claflin was an Eisenhower Scholar during his years at Anderson University, where he majored in business administration and history, graduating in 1981. He attended the AU School of Theology from 1982 to 1985, and earned a JD from IUPUI in 1990. Claflin is currently a partner in the law firm of Plews Shadley Racher & Braun, LLP, managing the firm’s office in South Bend.

Claflin served as a member of the board of the Eisenhower Memorial Scholarship Foundation and was instrumental in establishing the new scholarship at AU and acquiring the initial funding from the foundation.

“Jeff knows the value of education, and Anderson University appreciates his investment personally and his being instrumental in establishing a fund that will benefit students for many years,” said AU Development Officer H. L. Baker.

“I wanted to continue with the good work of the original foundation, in at least some manner,” said Claflin, “and this is a way for me to give back to both the university and to the people at the foundation who were so generous with me. I’m happy to have been a part of the effort to bring the scholarship to AU, and just as happy that AU was, and is, willing to step up to administer the scholarship program consistent with the values of those who founded the original Eisenhower Foundation.

“When you put free enterprise ideas into the hands of those who are well-grounded in a sense of what’s good and right, and those who are concerned for the welfare of others, then I think you also have a very powerful tool for doing a great many good things,” continued Claflin. “By bringing this scholarship to AU, I’m hoping, in a small way, to do just that, and I hope that the recipients of the scholarship will, in turn, carry these ideas forward in their careers and beyond.”

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Kutz is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2012-2013.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, education, and athletics. Forty-three Fulbright alumni from 11 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and 75 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes, and many other prestigious honors, awards, and positions.

Fulbright recipients are among over 40,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. For more than sixty years, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has funded and supported programs that seek to promote mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education.
For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, please visit our website at http://fulbright.state.gov or contact James A. Lawrence, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, telephone 202-632-3241 or e-mail fulbright@state.gov.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

The fictional movie tells the story of a not-too-distant future in which society has collapsed. In its place, is a country divided into 12 districts and a capital. Once every year, each district chooses two young representatives to participate in The Hunger Games.

Okeniyi will play the role of Thresh, the representative selected from District 11 to partake in The Hunger Games. “Thresh is definitely the strong, silent type and does more speaking with his actions than his words,” said Okeniyi. “However, he does have a gentle side to go along with his rough exterior.” Director Gary Ross often told Okeniyi to think of his character as a gentle giant.

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Okeniyi came to AU with plans to become a graphic designer, not an actor. “I have always enjoyed performing, whether it be acting, singing, or dancing,” said Okeniyi. “When I initially moved to the United States, I put performing on hold because it was now time to ‘grow up and be realistic,’ but the longer I put it on hold, the more the passion festered and grew inside of me.”

During his time at AU, Okeniyi participated in step dancing, “Cheap Thrills,” and the university production of “Nickel and Dimed.” His true passion, however, was discovered when he took an introductory acting course during his senior year. The class was taught by an AU alumnus, Steven Pierce. “Instead of treating the class like an intro class,” said Okeniyi, “Steve took us on as serious acting students. Through his teachings, he inspired me and reignited the fire for acting within me.”

“The purpose of this class is to create actors who can honestly and deeply relate to each other,” said Ronald Johnstone, director of theatre arts. “It doesn’t matter if you are a beginning student or a world-renowned actor. That is the essence of acting.”

After graduation, Okeniyi moved Los Angeles to pursue his dreams. He now lives with AU alumni and fellow actors Marcus York and Alex Davis. “Living with close friends who are fellow actors, you are able to share the weight of your stresses, concerns, and success,” said Okeniyi. “They keep me very grounded.”

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Okeniyi enrolled in acting workshops and learned about the film industry by working as an extra in various films. “Learning your craft is the job,” said Okeniyi. “As an actor, you have to stay sharp and really be on top of your game.”

According to Okeniyi, his experience between projects includes a lot of time reading scripts for potential projects which then lead to numerous meetings with casting directors and directors, auditioning for projects, and promoting upcoming projects like “The Hunger Games” for various events. “One day I may be going on an audition, another day it might be a meeting for a project, or another day it may be some kind of event,” said Okeniyi.

Okeniyi’s first acting jobs were the lead role in an independent film called “Slew Hampshire,” followed by the co-lead role in a short film titled “Lions Among Men.”

According to Okeniyi, finding out that he had landed his first major role in “The Hunger Games” was a surreal moment. Barely over the excitement of his newly found success, the exciting news sent him into a mild shock. “It was not until I called my family that the moment became real to me,” said Okeniyi.

Although he is working alongside many famous actors, Okeniyi was never made to feel excluded or isolated by his fellow cast members. “Everyone involved in the movie was extremely welcoming to me,” said Okeniyi. “They really made the newcomers feel important and necessary to the success of the film.”

Although he cannot currently release the details, there are several other exciting projects lining up in Okeniyi’s future. His career is quickly growing, yet he has never lost sight of God and relationships with friends and family.

“You really have to want it within yourself. It can’t be about fame or money. It has to be for the passion of acting. Everything begins with a vision and you have to be willing to work hard to fulfill that vision,” said Okeniyi. “There are definitely going to be hard times involved when anyone chases a dream, but this experience is different. So many things can cause difficulties: money, missing friends and family, people telling you what you can’t do, etc. You really have to be confident in yourself and develop thick skin in order to protect that dream.”

— Kelly Gualdoni is a junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., majoring in communication arts. Gualdoni is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Harman is recognized by industry leaders and policymakers alike as a leading expert on public policy concerning the forest products industry. As the industry’s voice on public policy at all levels of government, Harman works with AF&PA’s 165 members to advance policies that promote a strong and sustainable U.S. forest products industry in the global marketplace.

Harman has spearheaded a robust industry effort to engage members of Congress and U.S. agency officials to help them make informed decisions on laws and regulations important to the industry’s competitiveness, including bioenergy mandates, climate change, increasing energy supply, tax policies, green procurement for wood and paper products, and recycling. In addition, Harman carries the industry messages to international arenas.

Born in Elkhart, Kan., Harman earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Anderson University and a law degree from American University. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association, the American Society of Association Executives, and the Society of American Foresters. She serves on the Board of Directors for the American Council for Capital Formation, and is Secretary-Treasurer of the Forest Products Industry National Labor Management Committee. She also serves on the Corporate Advisory Council to the International Congressional Conservation Foundation.

Chapel/convocation meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. and is one setting in which individuals from the campus community gather regularly for worship, enrichment, and community building. Speakers include campus personalities and outstanding guests from many parts of the United States and the world. Students regularly participate in music and worship leadership.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

During commencement, Anderson University will award four honorary degrees. Anderson University will award John E. Wilson, AU alum and basketball legend, with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters; Lois A. Settlemeyer, former scientist with Dow Chemical and past member of the Anderson University Board of Trustees, with an honorary Doctor of Letters; Dr. Frank Campbell, longtime Anderson physician, with the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters; and Charles Dickmann, renowned Anderson attorney and community philanthropist with the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

A live webcast of the full commencement program will be streamed at www.anderson.edu/commencement/webcast. Coverage will begin at 3 p.m. EDT.

Other events scheduled during Anderson University’s commencement day on May 5 include the Falls School of Business hooding ceremony at 11:30 a.m. in Byrum Hall for candidates of both Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Business Administration degrees.

Related events scheduled prior to commencement include the School of Theology Senior Recognition and Awards Chapel on Tuesday, April 24, at 11 a.m. in Miller Chapel. The hooding ceremony for the Doctor of Ministry graduates will take place on Friday, May 4, at 6 p.m. in Miller Chapel.

The hooding ceremony for the Master of Education and the Master of Music Education will be conducted on Thursday, May 3, at 6 p.m. in the Reardon Auditorium Lobby. The certification ceremony for the Teach for Indiana Program (TIP) will be conducted on Saturday, May 5, at 11 a.m. in Decker Hall, Room 133.

A special pinning ceremony for the Anderson University School of Nursing will be conducted on Friday, May 4, at 6 p.m. in Reardon Auditorium.

Carl Erskine was a pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1948 through 1959. He was a pitching mainstay on Dodger teams that won five National League pennants, peaking with a 1953 season in which he won 20 games and set a World Series record with 14 strikeouts. He pitched two no-hitters during his career. A native of Anderson, Ind., he returned to the community after his baseball career. He coached the Anderson University baseball team for 12 years, guiding them through four championship seasons. He retired from an executive position at STAR Financial Bank. He is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees for Anderson University where he served for many years. He continues to devote time to Anderson University and the Anderson community. Included among the books Erskine has authored is What I Learned From Jackie Robinson: A Teammate’s Reflections On and Off the Field.

John E. Wilson, known on the Anderson University campus in the 1940s as “Jumpin’ Johnny,” made his mark on the sports of basketball and baseball. After high school, Wilson came to Anderson University and quickly became a star player. He earned 11 letters, was selected All-conference three times, team MVP three times, named an All-American twice, and once finished third in the nation in scoring. Wilson still holds the school record for career scoring average and season scoring average. After leaving AU, Wilson played baseball for one year with the Chicago American Giants in the Negro Leagues before playing basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters from 1949 to 1954. Wilson returned to AU in 1970 to finish his bachelor’s degree in education. He earned a master’s degree in education from Indiana State University and has coached at the high school and college levels. He is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, the Anderson Black Expo Basketball Hall of Fame, and the AU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Lois Settlemeyer earned a bachelor’s degree from Anderson University in 1966 and a Master of Ministry from the Anderson University School of Theology in 1978. Relying on her undergraduate studies in chemistry and mathematics, she worked for Dow Chemical Company for 31 years using her skills in research, analysis, and technical problem solving. Retiring from her work as a development scientist, Lois moved to the Northwest. She expanded her interest in photography and is now an award-winning photographer of macro and landscape photos. Lois also dedicated 15 years as a trustee for Anderson University.

Dr. Frank Campbell earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He worked in a private medical practice in Anderson, Ind., for 30 years and served as chief of staff at Community Hospital. In 1996, he took time away from his practice to care for his aging father. He returned to practice in 2007 at the Madison County Community Health Center, where he continues to serve as medical director. He also serves on the Saint John’s Health System’s Foundation Board. Last fall, the Anderson University School of Nursing honored Campbell with the 2011 Friend of Nursing Award.

Charles Dickmann served as an attorney in the Anderson community for 62 years with Sansberry Dickmann Freeman & Builta. He continues to provide counsel for the firm. A native of Hancock County, Ind., he holds bachelor and law degrees from Indiana University. Before pursuing his education, Dickmann served in the military during World War II. He was drafted as a private in December 1941 and served in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy during the war. By end of the war, he was promoted to the rank of captain. Since coming to Anderson in the early 1950s, Dickmann has remained active in the community, providing leadership on countless boards. He was named the Anderson Herald Bulletin “Man of the Year” in 1985 and was inducted into the Madison County Junior Achievement Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 1986.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

“Basically, applied theatre takes theatre out of its traditional context and places it directly within a community or group of people who can use the theatre as a way of self-exploration, community problem-solving, and building or developing skills,” said Elliott.

Elliott reaches out to kids who would not normally have access to this kind of art form. The program was designed to help kids build confidence, inspiration, and imagination, as well as to practice interpersonal relationship between participants.

Elliott drew from her love for theatre and for people who need special attention and care while designing this program, but her passions were evident through other aspects of her life at AU as well.

“One of Dori’s absolute favorite theatre productions here at AU was a piece called ‘Living Out.’ It illustrates the drastic disconnect between those American mothers — specifically recent, Hispanic immigrants — who struggle to make ends meet, and the elite, privileged American mothers who are at liberty to pursue careers or interests of their choosing,” said Kelsey Miller, a fellow theatre major and roommate during Elliott’s senior year. “Dori’s heart for theatre is wholly entwined with her heart for people. She pursues work that she can believe in and that she believes will impact her community for the better.”

Elliott began the theatre program at the community center with organized plans for how she would interact with the kids and help them learn in this new environment. Her highly structured lesson plans were soon discarded when she realized the lack of stability and scheduling in many of the kids’ lives.

“It was definitely a learning process for me, but by the end of the semester nearly all of the students were enthusiastically participating and enjoying all of the activities,” said Elliott. “I think joining in with the kids and playing the games myself also encouraged them and gave them permission to be involved and to take risks.”

The last meeting of the program showed the kids’ eagerness to participate in new activities and games with members of the Wisdom Tooth Theatre Project and the AU theatre arts program.

Elliott aspires to lead more programs like this in the future. After moving to Lafayette, Ind., for a year, she hopes to continue her studies to become a licensed drama therapist.

— Lydia Hawley is a sophomore from Ohio, majoring in public relations and dance. Hawley is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

“The focus of this assignment has evolved and demands strong strategic financial leadership,” said Dr. James L. Edwards, president of Anderson University. Higher education has changed dramatically in recent years. The way in which we operate necessitates a person with a unique understanding of higher education, finance, and strategic planning. Dana has strong capacity to grow in the areas of our needs and opportunities. She is uniquely qualified for this leadership role and carries a vision that will help us achieve new opportunities.”

Stuart most recently served the university as controller and treasurer. Prior to this assignment, she served as assistant treasurer and controller, director of receivables and investment accounting, and accounts receivable manager. Prior to working at AU, Stuart worked for Spectranetics in Colorado Springs, Colo., Alexandria House in Alexandria, Ind., and the Mass Communications Board of the Church of God.

Stuart’s experience, spanning 31 years, includes budget and financial strategic planning, financial management and analysis, audit administration, and investment analysis.

“I am truly committed to the mission of Anderson University and the servant leadership opportunity that this role provides,” said Stuart. “Anderson University has a great heritage and a unique position in the higher education landscape. There are exciting days ahead for the university and I am privileged to be a part of this good work. My thanks to President Edwards, Provost Marie Morris, the search committee, and all of those who have placed their trust in me for this important assignment.”

Stuart received a Bachelor of Arts from Anderson University in 1983 and the Master of Business Administration from the Falls School of Business in 2000. Stuart has served as a board member of Community Hospital Anderson and as a member of the Indiana Association of College and University Business Officers (IACUBO). She is a past musician and a past board member of the Anderson Symphony Orchestra as well as an accompanist and church musician for Park Place Church of God.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

“In so many ways Zach Novak represents the hopes we have for students in our School of Music,” said Dr. James Edwards, president of Anderson University. “His musical gifts and personal qualities were exceptional. He thrived in our programs and contributed to them. We are so pleased the family has chosen to memorialize this wonderful young graduate and help us complete a facility that in many ways defines the goals and commitments of this extraordinary person.”

Zach Novak was born and raised in Anderson. He graduated from Highland High School in 1999 and from Anderson University with a bachelor’s degree in music education in 2004. He graduated from AU Summa Cum Laude with honors in music. Zach received the School of Music’s Voice Performance Award and won the senior men category and State National Association of Teachers of Singing awards. At the time of his death, he was due to graduate from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University with a Master of Music degree in choral conducting with a minor in voice.

“When the discussion surfaced about AU building a performance hall, the idea of a room named in Zach’s honor seemed only fitting due to his love, appreciation, and gratitude for the professors,” said Dan Novak, Zach’s father. “Zach had a deep passion for the Lord and for music, and AU fostered that passion. We are thankful to AU and the board for granting this request in honor of Zach. We are grateful that we can honor Zach’s memory as well as future performers who will continue to provide beautiful music.”

“The Green Room is one of the most important spaces in the performance hall,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wright, dean of the College of the Arts at Anderson University. “It is where performers prepare themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually for what they are about to do on the recital hall stage. It is important that this space is equipped and appointed to meet all of the needs of the performers.”

Anderson University broke ground for the York Performance Hall and Galleries in May 2011. The 24,000 square-foot facility, with an estimated cost of $4 million, will adjoin the existing Krannert Fine Arts Center, bringing together classrooms, rehearsal rooms, and the new performance venue. The performance hall project will provide a flexible performance space for many ensembles, solo student performances, and guest artists visiting Anderson University.

In addition to the recent gift for the York Performance Hall and Galleries project, a scholarship at AU was created several years ago in memory of Zachary Novak. The Novak family created the Zachary Joseph Daniel Novak Endowed Scholarship Fund. It quickly grew so that funds could be awarded to two students each year. The Novaks are invited to campus each year to meet the scholarship recipients and enjoy a recital.

The York Performance Hall and Galleries project will feature orchestra space for 45 musicians, a choir loft for 75 voices, and an advanced acoustical design. The main floor of the facility will accommodate approximately 250 seats while the balcony space will support approximately 75 seats. A large lobby with glass walls will provide natural light and wide views of campus — providing an ideal setting for greeting guests and hosting receptions.

Gifts to underwrite the seats in the hall are still being accepted. For more information, see: www.anderson.edu/performance-hall.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

AU alumni nominated for awards include:

• Krissy (Stora) Nordhoff, BA ‘96 — Song of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, and Worship Song of the Year (for “Your Great Name”)
• Marshall Hall, BA ‘94— Country Album of the Year (for “Brighter One”)
• Steven Curtis Chapman, Hon. D.M. ‘11 — Male Vocalist of the Year
• Doug Stuckey, BA ‘94 (director) — Long Form Video of the Year (for “Tent Revival Homecoming” and “The Song Lives On”)
• Bill Gaither, BA ‘59 — with Gaither Vocal Band: Group of the Year, Song of the Year and Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (for “Please Forgive Me”), Children’s Music Album of the Year (for “I Am a Promise”); Bill and Gloria Gaither and Homecoming Friends — Long Form Video of the Year (for “Tent Revival Homecoming”)

Other Gaither Music Group Nominees:

• Jason Crabb — Song of the Year (for “Who Am I”), Country Recorded Song of the Year (for “Why Me” featuring William Lee Golden and Bill Gaither), Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (for “I Saw the Light”), Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (for “I’d Rather Have Jesus”), and Long Form Video of the Year (for “The Song Lives On”)
• The Martins — Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year (for “I Surrender”) and Country Album of the Year (for “New Day”)
• The Crabb Family — Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (for “If There Ever Was a Time”)
• The Isaacs — Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year (for “Mama’s Teaching Angels How to Sing”)
• Guy Penrod — Country Recorded Song of the Year (for “Pray About Everything”)
• Wes Hampton — Inspirational Album of the Year (for “A Man Like Me”)
• Karen Peck and New River — Southern Gospel Album of the Year (for “Reach Out”)

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Her voice is familiar to the millions of people who have heard her sing on the Charlie Brown TV specials in the 1970s and 1980s, but to the AU community, she is known as one of the daughters of late AU President Dr. Robert Reardon.

“Both of our parents were incredible musicians,” said Connie Hippensteel, Reardon’s sister and AU wellness program director. “My family grew up with music incorporated in our day-to-day lives. That was one of the biggest gifts that our parents gave us.”

Reardon often recalls singing with her parents and younger siblings on the beach, on long road trips, and in church. In fact, some of Reardon’s favorite memories involve singing with her family. Hippensteel said that although the entire family enjoyed playing instruments and singing, Reardon was the one that really made a connection between music and healing.

Reardon graduated from AU majoring in French and history, but her passion for music has led her to where she is today. The desert and high mountains drew Becky to Taos, N.M., in the early 1990s and transformed her music. As she camped and hiked, she began to create songs inspired by the nature around her: the calls of the birds, the flow the streams, and the pulse of her feet on the trails.

“The breathing and harmonizing we do when we sing together makes us feel more alive. It enlivens our senses and connects our mind, body, and spirit,” said Reardon. “The songs I write and the workshops I give celebrate the natural world around us and our being alive in it.”

Reardon has recorded and produced four albums of original songs and has been teaching singing classes and leading workshops for the past 10 years. Her songs have spread to singing circles and choirs all across the United States, Canada, the British Isles, and Europe.

In March, Reardon will be traveling to campus with friend Velma Frye, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist with a strong background in classical and popular styles.

“Velma and I will be performing some of our original songs,” said Reardon. “My hope is that Velma and I will be able to give students a taste of what it is like to follow one’s passion throughout a lifetime. We are now in our 60s and still being creative, making new discoveries and friends, and feeling the satisfaction of seeing our work spread far and wide.”

Reardon and Frye hope that during the workshop and concert, the singing of their songs will bring students comfort, joy, healing, and a deep sense of connection with our planet and each other.

“A big part of wellness is building community, and through this workshop, students, faculty, and people outside the AU community will have the opportunity to make new connections,” said Hippensteel.

Women of all musical abilities are invited to join Reardon and Frye’s workshop for women, “Singing Harmony: Bringing Wellness to Mind, Body, and Spirit,” which will be held in the Krannert Fine Arts Center, Room 102 on Saturday, March 3, from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Cost will be on a sliding scale from $10-25. To reserve a place in the workshop, please contact Connie Hippensteel by emailing crhippensteel@anderson.edu.

Reardon’s concert will be held on the AU campus in the Krannert Fine Arts Center, Room 102, on Sunday, March 4, at 3 p.m. No reservations are needed. AU students can attend the workshop and concert for free, thanks to donations from AU alum Dr. Stan Kirkpatrick, BA 1961.

— Kristyn Rhynard is a senior from Ithaca, Mich., majoring in communication arts. Rhynard is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Wagnon, a 2002 graduate and former professor, recently found her happiness in professional opera singing. She has had the opportunity to perform at a number of prestigious opera houses, such as the Indianapolis Opera, Lafayette Symphony and Bach Chorale, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Opera Las Vegas.

Dr. Fritz Robertson, professor of music, inspired Wagnon to take singing to the next level during her time as a student. “My voice lessons with Dr. Robertson were what catapulted me to this career,” said Wagnon. “Having the opportunity to do as many shows as I did at Anderson was also highly influential. I learned a lot in a highly intensive and fast-paced time.”

While working on a bachelor’s degree in voice performance, Wagnon performed in seven shows before graduating from AU. She then went on to Boston University, where she completed her master’s degree in voice performance. Wagnon returned to AU as an adjunct professor of voice before making opera singing her full-time career.

Laurel Goetzinger, professor of music, felt that AU was able to help Wagnon pursue her career in numerous ways. “AU offered Marci opportunities as an undergraduate to sing principal roles in a wide variety of opera and musical theatre styles in full productions with orchestras. This included singing the leading role of Jo March in an undergraduate world premiere of a new opera, Little Women,” said Goetzinger.

Wagnon also took master classes from Ann Baltz, founder and artistic director of OperaWorks in California, during her undergraduate years. “As a result of these master classes at AU, Marci auditioned for and was accepted into the OperaWorks summer program where she had the opportunity to work with teachers and professionals of great substance who are working very successfully in the professional world of opera,” said Goetzinger.

Baltz not only impacted Wagnon’s singing career at AU, as she continues to help her reach for her dreams. “Ann Baltz has been a great mentor to me since my time at AU. She has taken time to coach me on roles, counsel me on prospective gigs, and reconnect me with the naturalness that I possess while performing,” said Wagnon.

Recently, Wagnon has competed in a number of vocal competitions. She was a finalist in the American Prize in Vocal Performances over the past year, semi-finalist at the Soma International Foundation Voice competition in 2011, and first place winner at the Ball State Graduate Voice Competition in 2009.

Wagnon’s success has only come through her hard work and positive outlook. “You have to know yourself and what works best for you, trust your instincts, and continue to hone them,” said Wagnon. “My motto is ‘learn something new every day.’”

— Kelli Oxley is a sophomore at Anderson University, majoring in communication arts. Oxley is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Readers of the emagazine will be able to link directly to email addresses, online videos and pictures, and other pages within the university’s website.

Check out the Signatures e-Edition.

“The Signatures staff is excited about the unique opportunities to share content with our readers via our first e-magazine,” said Deborah Lilly, editor. “We hope alumni enjoy the issue and take time to share their feedback. We welcome suggestions for improvements as well as story ideas for print and e-versions of the magazine.”

“We’re excited to offer this new, interactive version of Signatures as an enhanced way of communicating campus news and updates to our alumni,” said Ben Davis, director of alumni relations. “We continue to hear from alumni about how much they enjoy the print version but also their interest in connecting to AU through technology, so we’re always looking for ways to keep our outreach fresh and relevant.”

This first online-only issue celebrates AU’s College of Science and Humanities led by Dr. Blake Janutolo, the college’s dean. Through articles, photos, and videos, AU alumni, friends, parents, and prospective students will see that the sciences and humanities are anything but dull at AU. Courses in the College of Science and Humanities allow students to experience their major, not just study it.

Signatures will return to mailboxes with the next issue, which will feature the end of the Dreams. Discovery. Direction. capital campaign for Anderson University.

View past issues of Signatures magazine.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

But after 24 years at what is now known as Pay Less grocery, Cross said he knew it was time for a change. He turned in his two weeks’ notice and registered to go back to school, initially to study computer science.

His boss, family and friends thought he was crazy for quitting a well-established career, but Cross thought there was something better out there for him. And he wanted to set a good example for his children — now 17 and 24 — by going to college.

Two years into school and after working a “desk job” during that time, Cross knew computer science wasn’t for him.

“I always wanted to be a doctor so I thought, ‘I should be a nurse,’” he said. “I always have liked helping people and making people feel better. Nursing was the right fit.”

Cross graduated from Anderson University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and has been working as a registered nurse. He began at Community Hospital Anderson while still in school as a nursing student and continues to work for the hospital. After several years as a medical/surgical nurse, Cross began working on the cardiac interventions unit about six months ago.

“It is definitely rewarding,” he said. “I love what I do. And the great thing about nursing is that you could be doing one thing today and then tomorrow do 10 different things with the same license.”

In addition to his work at Community, Cross is an adjunct instructor, teaching nursing at Ivy Tech. A number of his students are “non-traditional” like he was and are turning to nursing as a second career.

“There are so many opportunities,” he said. “And the money and benefits are good. And I have more time with my family.”

Beth Tharp, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Community, has been a nurse for 30 years. She’s noticed an increase in people turning to nursing as a second career.

“There are so many opportunities in nursing beyond just working in the hospital,” Tharp said. “Nurses play a really important role not only in patient care, but they are also becoming more and more involved in public policy making and helping shape what health care is going to look like in the future.”

Opportunities include work at a hospital, a doctor’s office, insurance companies or teaching, among others. And the levels of nursing are just as diverse, such as licensed practical nurses, registered nurses or nurse anesthetists.

Nancy Pitcock, chief nursing officer at Saint John’s Medical Center, said she, too, has noticed more “non-traditional” nursing students applying for the hospital’s summer nursing technician internship program.

There are a number of factors that are leading to an increase of people turning to nursing as a career, even after they have established themselves in another job. Nursing, Pitcock pointed out, is a stable career as there will always be a need for nurses. Also, the flexible schedule and good wages are enticing.

Pitcock said universities are also making the transition to nursing easier with flexible scheduling and online classes to work around a student’s current work schedule.

“It’s a wonderful career,” she said. “The ability to care for others is vital to me. There is constant growth — both personal and professional growth. You never get bored.”

—Abbey Doyle is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Photo credit: John P. Cleary. Story republished with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Blankenship, along with recent grad Stefanie Vinsel and senior Andrew Stuart, are working as production assistants for the Super Bowl edition of NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” at Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis. The show airs locally at 12:35 a.m.

Junior audio, video and cinema production major Patience Randle will also be involved in Super Bowl activities as a production assistant for MidAmerica Jibworks. [Photo on left: Josh Blankenship and Andrew Stuart talk about their roles with NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." Both are working as production assistants for the Super Bowl XLVI edition of the show.]

Blankenship, who graduated in December with a degree in broadcast production, started Sunday and will be working up until the Super Bowl game on Feb. 5. There will be a live show after the Super Bowl, he said.

“I’m a little bit nervous,” he said last week as he was getting prepared, “but think I’ll be fine once I get into the swing of things.”

Blankenship was actually supposed to start Monday, but got a last minute call to start Sunday instead. He said he was ready.

He’s been helping out with errands and assisting stage managers to make sure they have everything they need.

The assistants’ work can range from standing in for people to fetching coffee, and involves working from eight to 16 hour days, he said.

Blankenship doesn’t mind the long hours, though.

“I think it just comes with the territory,” he said. “Being there until the job’s done.”

Plus, working with Covenant Productions^® and on class projects during his time at AU, along with an internship with WTHR over the summer, he’s already had to work long days.

“I love it more than I hate it,” he said.

Blankenship worked a 13-hour day Monday and expected to have another long one Tuesday.

So far, he said he’s enjoyed seeing professionals come and work together to get everything up and running.

“It’s going great,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve met quite a few interesting people.”

While he’s a fan of Fallon’s show, Blankenship said his favorite part is just being there and being a part of the production.

Andrew Stuart, a senior audio, video and cinema production major, said he was looking forward to the experience and meeting professionals, although he added he really had never seen the late night show.

“It’s a nice change of pace really,” he said. “It’s cool to have something like that in Indy and be a part of it.”

Stuart said they were told to “expect a lot of different things.”

“They just told us to have an open mind and be ready,” he said.

To help with nerves, he said he’s just going to treat it like any other job and do his best to contribute good work.

“Any experience at any level is great,” he said. “On this level, it’s top notch.”

Stuart was to work Monday and today, balancing the job with his school schedule.

As will Patience Randle, who will be in Indianapolis through Thursday, working for pre-game activities and events.

She had been a camera operator and helped with some crane and camera work during AU’s “Candles and Carols.” She gave her contact information to a guy from the company and later got a call about helping out with Super Bowl activities.

“I was really surprised,” she said. “That wasn’t my goal. I had just helped him.”

She said people in the business appreciate hard work and that she’s willing to do.

“It’s a big deal for me just as far as being able to have the opportunity,” she said.

[Update: Other Anderson University alumni working on Super Bowl coverage include David Neidert BA '07 and Luke Renner BA '98, both working with the NFL Network; and Samuel McDonough BA '03, working with Puls4, an Austrian NFL affiliate.]

—Dani Palmer is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Story republished with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

The two teams both sport red and blue colors.

And that meant she could design her hand-warming muff, known as Z-Muff, using two basic shades.

“I was biting my nails waiting to see which teams were going to be in the Super Bowl,” said Dobrikova, 28, of Anderson.

After Sunday’s playoff games, she began sewing game-related muffs — made-in-America long-hair shag fabric — and has 200 for sale.

She is offering Z-Muffs through her website and is working to distribute the red, blue or red-and-blue muffs in Indianapolis during Super Bowl week.

She just received a U.S. patent for her Z-Muff this week. Dobrikova’s design differs from most hand muffs in that it has a pocket for each hand. Usually, hands touch in muffs.

“The hands don’t touch inside. There’s a faux fur lining,” she said. “There’s a benefit in having the hands separated. When they touch, they sweat together, and you take your hand out and they’re colder because they’re wet. Having the pockets insulated keeps the hands warm.”

She came up with the concept while a student at Anderson University. She offered them at the annual homecoming fair and sold out. She then competed for a $15,000 prize in the 2006 INvision AU business competition and won. The prize money allowed her to seek a patent.

She is married and the mother of two.

The big game-related Z-Muffs are $30 each and two for $50. They can be purchased through the website.

—For The Herald Bulletin. Photo credit: John P. Cleary. Story republished with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

That was the message delivered Monday afternoon by Madison County Circuit Court Judge Rudolph Pyle III (a 1992 Anderson University graduate) during his keynote address at the 32nd annual Citywide Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Pyle, addressing a full house at the Paramount Theatre, spoke about “A Stone of Hope.”

“It’s about treating others as you would want to be treated,” he said.

The analogy Pyle gave reflected a statue of King in the Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial called “A Stone of Hope.” It is carved out of “The Mountain of Despair;” the theme based on some lines from King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.”

“If you’re asking is there something we can be hopeful about, yes, there are some obvious things,” Pyle said.

Progress is being made in social justice, he said, pointing to the fact that five decades after black men were forced to sit in the backs of buses in the South, a black man now sits in the White House.

Pyle’s address explored ways to generate hope, such as donating food or clothes, in Anderson. He also noted the importance of choosing words — and the delivery of them — with care to avoid hurting others.

“Words are like bullets. Once they leave, you can’t call them back,” Pyle said.

He also spoke of education in Anderson and said failure should not be an option; that “a sense of shame” must be given to those who drop out.

“We, as a community, can’t claim to value education when dropout rates are in the double digits,” he said. “It is unacceptable for us to let students drop out. … Dropping out of school is a form of economic suicide. Might as well take a knife and cut every opportunity out of your life.”

Audience member Audrey Chantel Clark noted that Pyle’s speech was addressed to the children in attendance. She said she appreciated his emphasis on action, as well as his vision for the community.

“We have plenty of dreams, plenty of ideas, but we lack the action,” she said, noting that fear — particularly the fear of failure — could lead to community paralysis.

Paris Vaughn was inspired by Pyle’s address.

“He was short, sweet, and to the point,” she said, then added that she planned to encourage more food donations through her church, Restoration Fellowship Ministries in Anderson.

At the end of his speech, Pyle said he wants Anderson to develop a reputation as a city where residents are taking care of one another and building hope.

— Dani Palmer is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Story reposted with permission, with additions to include Anderson University graduation year. Photo credit: John P. Cleary/The Herald Bulletin.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Crosby thrived at AU from 2004 until his graduation in the spring of 2008, when he earned a degree in athletic training. After he crossed the stage and received the diploma for which he worked relentlessly, Crosby turned his attentions to graduate school. He attended Ball State University, where he earned a master’s degree in sport performance.

Crosby worked as an athletic trainer for a high school in Chicago for a year, but his goal was to work in a university setting. It wasn’t long before he received a call from Steve “Doc” Risinger, director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer at AU.

“Doc called me up in July and he told me to come back and interview for an opening in the athletic training department,” Crosby said. “We had a great relationship when I was a student. He had a lot to teach and I asked a lot of questions. He appreciated that.”

Crosby got the job as the new assistant athletic trainer and served as the head athletic trainer for both the men’s soccer and women’s soccer teams.

But the season was not without difficulty for him. He returned home to Anderson late one night after a road game and went to bed with a headache.

“It was just a headache,” Crosby said. “I really didn’t think anything of it.” Crosby woke up barely an hour later with severe nausea, and the headache had intensified. Unable to get back to sleep as a result of the sickness that had suddenly overtaken him, Crosby rushed to the hospital. “They thought it was just a bad flu at first, but then they did an MRI and a CT scan and that’s when they found it,” Crosby said.

The doctors found a tumor the size of a golf ball pressing up against the young athletic trainer’s pituitary gland. “It stroked,” Crosby said. “The tumor did, not me. But when it did, that’s what caused all the symptoms.” After spending four days in an Indianapolis hospital and enduring a series of tests and medications, Crosby returned home. With the help of rest and medication the tumor is now shrinking. “It’s not life-threatening,” Crosby said, “but it is life-changing.”

“AU was great to me the whole time,” Crosby said. “Everybody helped out and covered my classes and teams. There were no pressures at all to rush back.” But he couldn’t wait to return to work. “It’s a great environment,” Crosby said. “It’s a Christian environment. The facilities are top-notch. It’s everything you want in one place.”

Crosby returned to the training room around Christmas break. He loved working with the soccer team, interacting with the student-athletes and the laid-back atmosphere of the athletic training facilities. For the spring semester, Crosby will serve as the head trainer for the AU men’s baseball team.

“I love this place,” Crosby said. “It really just doesn’t feel like work.”

— Kyle Beckman is a senior from Auburn, Ind., majoring in communication arts and business/information systems and minoring in political science. Beckman is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™
, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Last year the 89-year-old retired public accountant became the oldest person to graduate from Anderson University with a bachelor’s degree in English.

More recently, she was named Indiana Senior Poet Laureate in a national writing competition.

And, while some people might think a poem by an elderly woman submitted to a poetry contest would be traditional and syrupy, Brant’s winning poem was far removed from such stereotypes. “Too Late I Know My Brother” touches on the friendship of two soldiers from diverse racial backgrounds who become brothers in battle.

“My son’s experience during the Vietnam War inspired me,” Brant said in her East Cross Street home. “Donald was a radioman in the Air Force and was stationed for a while in Biloxi, Miss., where he was appalled at the treatment of blacks by the local people. He became good friends with one of the young black men he met there.”

In the poem the two men go into battle together. One steps on a mine and dies in his young friend’s arms.

“My son felt bad for him,” Brant said. “The description of their friendship is true. The event is not. My son came home safely from the jungle.

“We are a family of soldiers,” she added. “My late husband, Edward, was also in the Air Force and my grandson, Michael Smith, was a Marine who served during Desert Storm. My great-grandson, Anthony Smith, served two tours in Afghanistan.”

The award was presented by Amy Kitchener’s Angels Without Wings, a private literary society in Monterey, Calif. The poem will be published in an anthology, “Golden Words.” The contest was for poets 50 and older. More than 900 poems were submitted by 219 poets for the 2011 contest, according to the society.

There was a $3 entry fee per poem and the national runner-up winners received prizes of $500 and $100, respectively.

“It was the first national contest that I have entered,” said Brant, who grew up on a farm near Lapel. “I’ve dabbled in poetry ever since I was 12 years old. I’d write poems for friends’ birthdays and about our great Lapel High School basketball team. I even had a poem about our 4-H Club girls in the local Lapel paper.”

But writing poetry took a back seat to raising her three children and career as real estate broker and public accountant with the family business, Edward Brant Accounting. After her husband died five years ago, she decided to return to college to earn her bachelor of arts degree. While there, she got involved with the school’s literary magazine and published a few more poems.

Brant is a member of the National and Indiana State Federation of Poetry Societies. The local chapter meets every third Wednesday at the Anderson Public Library. Her entry into the “senior poets” contest was through a notice in the organization’s newsletter.

“She is an amazing, down-to-earth poet,” said Glenna Glee, president of the state organization and an Anderson resident.

“She has a real talent of taking the voice of somebody else on just about any subject and doing something special with it,” Glee, 93, said. “She’s a great addition to our group here in Anderson.”

Too Late I Know My Brother
by Gail M. Brant

I never really noticed him before.
He was just there –
a tall dark shadow in the ivied hall.
I didn’t see his dignity, his gentle air,
The firm determination of his jaw.
He looked like all the rest of them
who lived beyond the track.
I never really noticed him.
His skin was black.

And then, one day, the trumpets blew
and drummers beat
a cadence for our marching feet.
And gray ships sailed across the sea
and cannons roared and shrapnel flew
And I was there. And so was he.

I never really noticed then, his skin was black.
We were just two lonely soldiers far from home.
And we could talk and we could walk
down common yesterdays,
And share each others’ dreams of days to come.
For he was brave when I was most afraid.
And he would laugh when I could only cry.
When I would curse, he bowed his head and prayed.
When I dared not, he gave me strength to try.

And then, one day, the enemy
charged up our hill
and overran the outpost that we kept.
But just before we reached our line,
his big boot touched a hidden mine;
and while the battle around me raged,
I held him in my arms
and wept.

—David Allen for The Herald Bulletin. Story republished with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

To access, please visit the Millennial Survey January 1-31, 2012.

Learn more about previous Millennial Donor research or sign up to get updates on the study progress at www.millennialdonors.com.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

“Theatre has a way of connecting any community through emotion, communication, and through the sharing of similar circumstances,” Bush said. “Creating and sharing a part of yourself with another human being has a powerful way of healing and nurturing someone who otherwise feels broken and alone.”

Holding this view is what inspired Bush to pursue graduate studies at one of the most prestigious theatre schools in London.

With a passion for acting, Bush held a few acting jobs upon graduating. However, it was her internship with the Indiana Repertory Theatre that ignited her passion and talent for teaching, directing, and facilitating.

Bush worked with the IRT’s youth conservatory on the technical track, which allowed middle and high school students to learn how to develop their own craft from the IRT’s designers, directors, and playwrights. At the end of the conservatory, the students showcased the work they did, the plays they wrote, and the sets, props, and costumes they designed.

“The most inspiring part of the finished product, for me, was not hearing the words they wrote acted out by IRT actors, but them knowing that as young artists they hold the power to stir emotion and evoke change.” Bush said. “This sparked the ‘teacher’ in me.”

More opportunities opened up for Bush as she directed for AU’s Wisdom Tooth Theatre Project and worked at Shawnee Summer Theatre in Bloomington, Ind., for two summers, as head of their children’s theatre program.

Bush said, “It was these experiences, of encouraging the art out of people who are skeptical or unfamiliar with referring to themselves as artists that led me to pursue my MA in applied theatre.”

Having traveled to London previously with Tri-S, Bush decided there was no better place to study than in the theatre capital of the world. She had an interview in New York with representatives from University of London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, and was offered a place in the program.

Bush said the strength of the AU theatre program worked in her favor. “My performance-based theatre background from AU sets me apart from a large number of the students who had only studied theatre education as an undergraduate,” she said.

— Corinne Schmitt is a senior from Geneva, Ill., majoring in communication arts. Schmitt is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Production will be a collaboration between the Alumni Office and Harris Connect , the nation’s leading alumni directory publisher. Beginning in January, Harris Connect will contact alumni via postcard and email to invite them to update or verify their profiles for inclusion in the directory. Alumni will be given a phone number or a website they can use to update or verify their information.

Profiles in the 2012 directory will present a preferred mailing and email address for alumni of the undergraduate and graduate schools. In addition, alumni-submitted photos and biographical notes will be featured. The directory will be sold in hardbound and CD-ROM formats.

The Alumni Office encourages all alumni to take a few moments to participate to make this the most complete and accurate resource possible. The last print alumni directory was published in 2008.

For more information on the directory, please contact the Alumni Office at (765) 641-4100 or alumni@anderson.edu.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Radaker presented his Thoreau monologue on Oct. 15 at First Parish Church in Concord, Mass., in celebration of the church’s 375th anniversary. More than 100 people sat in the audience as Radaker discussed, in character, Thoreau’s political thoughts and ideas, many of which were inspired by the women who attended First Parish Church in the 1860s. Thoreau attended the church until 1840, when he objected to the tax placed on churchgoers to pay for clergy. Many of the women who remained in the church’s congregation were active in the anti-slavery movement, and they influenced Thoreau’s thoughts and behaviors.

Rewind to when Radaker was 16 years old. He picked up Thoreau’s most well-known book, Walden, and discovered his love for the author. Radaker, who grew up in Pennsylvania, was fascinated with nature. “My primary interest in Thoreau concerns his realization and celebration of the natural world,” said Radaker. “He is one of our first environmentalist voices, one of the first voices in American culture and American literature urging us to reconsider our views and attitudes toward what we now call the environment.”

After reading more from Thoreau, Radaker discovered that Thoreau advocated for more than just nature; he was a political dissenter and a social critic as well. “He was a very important voice in responding to perceived governmental injustice. He is the well-known author of what most Americans know as Civil Disobedience,” said Radaker. “That essay has inspired many great reformers since it was first published in 1849. Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Bishop Desmond Tutu, and many other reformers from the past century have been influenced by that argument, which argues for how even one principled individual should consider not cooperating with the government, but doing so nonviolently and in the process objecting on a moral level to what the protestor perceives as some form of injustice.”

Along with politics, Thoreau also questioned materialistic values. “He’s the great advocate of simplifying our lives, urging us to not be so stuck on having large and impressive things, whether it’s our home or our wardrobe or even our diet. He even criticizes Americans’ diet, which is way ahead of its day,” said Radaker.

While attending college at AU, Radaker portrayed Thoreau in the play The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. “I landed that part and it meant a great deal to me. At the time I thought it was a dream come true! I also thought, ‘I’m sad I’ll never get to portray Thoreau again in my life,’” said Radaker. Thirteen years later, his mentor told him about the Great Plains Chautauqua Society, where scholars spend their summers portraying various authors from the mid-19th century. His mentor urged him to try out. Many national scholars competed for one of the seven coveted spots, and in December of 1990, Radaker was chosen to portray Thoreau. “I like acting, but I also love this combination of acting and scholarship,” said Radaker. “Because to portray someone well, the more you know about your author, the better you’re going to depict him.”

Once the Chautauqua tours were over in 1993, Radaker continued depicting Thoreau, performing at universities, conferences, libraries, museums and parks. Over the last 20 years, he has become very comfortable performing as Thoreau and uses a wide variety of material. “If you care about the acting side of something like this, and I do, then you’re continually crafting your delivery,” said Radaker. “So people who hear my Thoreau show now often do compliment me for its dramatic, evocative, poetic flavor.”

Diane Weiss, who was in charge of special programs for the celebration, was one of those people. “He created such a dramatic atmosphere and made it seem so real. It was spell-binding and mesmerizing,” she said.

Even though this was the fourth time Radaker had performed in Concord, his shows always have something new to offer, even to those who have seen him before. “Because of my acting experience and the fact that I’ve had these wonderful 20 years rehearsing certain passages, my shows are never the same,” said Radaker.

Weiss saw him perform once before, but it was a very different show. “The first time, he presented Thoreau’s reaction to Captain John Brown and Harper’s ferry. This time he talked more about the three major anti-slavery speeches Thoreau wrote and women’s influences on his ideas,” said Weiss. “It’s not like you get the same performance. He really listens to what each venue wants and caters to them.”

Radaker’s performances portray different sides of Thoreau, so the audience understands the complexity of the author. “I’m depicting someone who had some distinctly different selves and I’m trying my best as an actor to offer that. I try to emphasize these dramatic shifts and the tones you can find in all of his writings,” said Radaker. “People are more interesting if they have different selves. They’re not really just one self, they’re competing, a compendium of selves. And Thoreau was that too.”

Radaker’s monologue stirred the audience as he stressed Thoreau’s political thoughts. His progressive beliefs and fiery fervor came through in Radaker’s presentation. “When I get to the end of the political material, Thoreau is defending someone who has taken his outrage about slavery into the public arena in a violent way and Thoreau was agreeing with him,” said Radaker. “That’s very passionate, it’s very radical and it demands a radical, passionate voice. Then, there is a long, dramatic pause between the end of that material and Thoreau suddenly becoming a different human being. Suddenly, he is talking about how he spends most of his time ‘not upon the affairs of men, but upon nature.’ It’s supposed to jar you in the audience.”

Weiss not only experienced Thoreau’s transformation, but also Radaker’s conversion to Thoreau. “I was very impressed with the way he was able to get into character. I watched him in the five minutes before he went on. I was able to see him transform from his usual self into his character, and it was very profound. He really becomes Thoreau.”

Radaker’s performance also showed the impact Thoreau had on American literature. “Sometimes we in Concord feel like we own Thoreau since he lived here. We forget there are other people outside of Concord who are just as knowledgeable, if not more so, than we are about him,” said Weiss. “To have someone from Indiana come in and do a perfect portrayal of him was very impressive. He feels like a son of Concord and he understands his subject matter deeply. Plus, he does a very good New England accent.”

— Alyssa Applegate is a senior from Dayton, Ohio, majoring in communication arts and minoring in Spanish. Applegate is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Orcutt and a friend began the Shadeland Bicycle Collective in the fall of 2008 in a classroom at Shadeland Elementary School. After his graduation in May 2011 with a fine arts studio major, Orcutt turned all of his attention to the Shadeland Bicycle Collective. Through donations and word of mouth, the collective grew into a full nonprofit organization, complete with professional bicycle repair tools, stands, an official logo, a website, and a new location on West 11th Street in Anderson. The collective held its grand opening on Oct. 22, 2011. [Photo on left: Ben Orcutt talks with Kris and Lisa Stevens at the grand opening for his bike collective.]

The collective functions as an educator, an advocator, and a repair service — with priorities in that order. “We run a full-service repair shop like any bike shop does,” said Orcutt. “The main difference is that we do that so we can fund what we do with the rest of our time, which is primarily education. You have a membership to the shop and that membership gives you access to all the tools, equipment, repair manuals, and knowledge of the other people in the room with the intent to repair your own bicycle. The whole project is empowering people to maintain their own form of transportation.”

[Watch an interview with Ben Orcutt during the Anderson University Homecoming 2011 Webcast.]

Since education is the goal, Orcutt works with various other organizations, such as the Cub Scouts, the Park Place after-school program, and the Christian Center. “For example, the Park Place after-school program has different clubs for the kids. There’s an art club, a reading club, a sports club, and then there’s a bike club. They have kids sign up to work directly with me,” said Orcutt. “We strip [the bicycle] all the way down, and we learn all the names of the parts and what they do. We clean it all, and then we repaint the frame and rebuild it all clean and new. It’s pretty cool because the kids get to see everything completely disassembled and their own ability to rebuild it and make it look completely new.”

Orcutt enjoys teaching children, along with encouraging people in homeless shelters and drug and rehabilitation transition homes. “All of those places are filled with people that don’t have a lot of control over things in their own life,” said Orcutt. “They’re told what to do a lot of the time. We found that giving people the ability to control just one little thing in their life, like transportation, has a really big impact on their self-esteem. That is the goal, and we get to that through a variety of bicycle-related means.”

The bicycle collective is part of a larger nonprofit organization, The Shadeland Project, which also includes a thrift store and an after-school program. Many of the people who started The Shadeland Project also attend church at The Mercy House, the same church Orcutt attends. “We’ve always believed in the bike collective,” said Matt Connor, senior pastor at The Mercy House. “Our ministry philosophy is that we support whatever the people in the church dream up.”

Advocacy for bicycles is another goal of the collective. Orcutt is working with the Madison County Council of Governments — specifically with the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator of Madison County. The objective is to lower the number of cars and other polluting vehicles on the road and to increase the number of bicycles.

“The collective is a beautiful mission on every level: helping the environment, supporting healthy lifestyles, empowering people to own their own transportation, and building community,” said Connor. “Riding bicycles helps in so many ways, even in terms of being aware of all aspects of your neighborhood and community versus driving with no concern for the space between.”

Experiences at the church and at AU have prepared Orcutt for his new role at the bicycle collective. “The thing I learned in college is figuring out how to do something on my own. If I don’t know how to do something, I know how to figure it out,” he said. “When I came to this campus, everything I wanted to do didn’t exist here. My group of friends and I realized if we want something to happen, we have to do it for ourselves. And through that, I feel like I have a confidence to just go for it.”

Connor agrees, saying he has seen the same changes in Orcutt. “I believe the art department at AU taught Ben a special do-it-yourself work ethic and ingenuity that allowed him to feel like he could also do the same with his life. His mission has been one great art project of making old things new and bringing something into existence that was previously only in his head.”

Following graduation, Orcutt chose to stay in Anderson to continue pursuing the Shadeland Bicycle Collective. “People talk about trying to do missions somewhere, trying to save the world somewhere else,” Orcutt said. “But nearly all of the kids in this city are on free or reduced lunch. The graduation rate is around 60 percent. If anybody needs help, this town needs help. I think there are too many people who are ignoring what’s already happening in their own backyard.

“There was a guy we worked with at the Christian Center. He was young — 18 or 19 — and he had never graduated from high school. He grew up in what I gathered to be an incredibly abusive home, and he had mental issues. But he learned how to take the chain off of a bike and fix it with a chain breaker tool. So every time someone would come in to the shop needing their chain fixed, I would send them over to him. He was really nervous at first to show somebody else how to do it. But I think that was the first time he had ever taught somebody else something successfully and I could tell that was a really big deal for him. That was when I decided that this project was worth pursuing.”

— Alyssa Applegate is a senior from Dayton, Ohio, majoring in communication arts and minoring in Spanish. Applegate is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Less than two years removed from open-heart surgery, Brandon has mustered both the energy and ambition to cross the Atlantic to bring together his two greatest loves — people and baseball — and impact the lives of young Kenyans. “It’s my understanding that they know very little about baseball,” said Brandon.

Brandon will begin his trip by teaching a group of 60 youth coaches for the first two days. He will then work with children in Nairobi for the rest of his stay. When he introduces the game to the coaches and children, Brandon intends to focus on the big picture of the game. Such a reversion to basics may be a challenge to a man who spent the last 38 years of his life teaching intricate techniques to competitive college baseball players.

“We’ll have to start by telling them that you swing a bat from the small end, not the big end,” said Brandon.

Brandon does not expect to struggle with a language barrier. The schools in Kenya teach English to children from a young age, and most adults are also familiar with the language. Moreover, Brandon anticipates communication to be relatively easy because it will be through the sport of baseball.

“Sports are a universal language,” said Brandon. “I may have to learn about cricket, though, so I can communicate baseball to them.”

The facilities where Brandon will teach the game are a sharp contrast from what the coach is used to. “We’ll probably hit ground balls on fields that have glass on them,” Brandon said. Hoping to find clear, unadulterated fields of grass and dirt will be a struggle. The country offers no semblance of baseball diamonds or fields that have ever hosted the American pastime. To avoid injuries on such unpredictable surfaces and fields, and because the children will not all have appropriate gloves, Brandon will have an ample supply of “rag balls” with him that are soft and pose very little physical danger.

Baseball captures the hearts of Americans young and old not only because of its tradition and history, but, at a more basic level, the game is fun. Brandon understands this and recognizes the importance of teaching while also making sure it is enjoyable for the children.

“If you’re introducing a game to someone, then they have to have a smile on their face. They need to have fun,” said Brandon. “The children don’t have an intrinsic motivation. If they’re not having fun, they’re done.”

When Brandon was coaching at Anderson University, his love for the game extended to the field itself. On more than one occasion he would work on the field under the stars, aided only by the headlights of his truck. Brandon will take this tireless devotion to Africa and use the sport of baseball as a vehicle to impact the lives of children in Nairobi. While he’s taught the game to thousands of children during his lifetime, the children of Kenya may be the ones who make the biggest impact of all on him.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

In September, Chappell attended the Experiential Classroom XII Conference in Stillwater, Okla., which focused on teaching professors to be great entrepreneurship educators. “I never really thought of myself as an entrepreneur before, but it was pointed out to me that I started Orangehaus Records, Orangehaus Publishing, Orangehaus Entertainment, Orangehaus music business camp and that I even teach a class called ‘Beyond Talent: Entrepreneurship for Musicians,’” said Chappell.

By starting these programs, she helps students apply the skills they learn to real-life situations. Junior music business major Victoria Hall said, “I definitely see her as an entrepreneur because she is always looking for ways to make the programs here profitable and help us to learn at the same time.”

“[Chappell] is very vivacious and fun to be around. People like her in the AU community because she helps students feel comfortable in the classroom,” said Hall. “Her teaching style is very effective because she uses a lot of resources. Seeing examples of what’s going on today in the music business helps us to apply what we learn. She also recognizes talent and helps those people to rise where they need to be.”

Music was a huge part of Chappell’s childhood. “My father was a songwriter, and both of my parents were musicians,” said Chappell. “They had great talent but they didn’t really understand how to make money from their talent, so when I decided I wanted to work full time in the music industry, I wanted to learn ways to teach others how to make a living in music.”

Debbi Brock, assistant professor of business and entrepreneurship in the Falls School of Business, agreed that business skills are important for everyone to learn. “If you’re a music major, art major, dance major, you’re going to be running your own business. Most people don’t work for a company their entire lives,” she said. “You have to learn how to manage your income, finances and career and learn how to market yourself.”

After Chappell decided to attend the four-day conference, she applied for several scholarships to cover expenses, and in September she found herself at Oklahoma State University, ready to learn. “I love that she will take time to go to events like this and learn new things. It creates great opportunities for her,” said Brock.

Out of the nearly 80 professors who attended, less than a handful of teachers did not work in a school of business, including Chappell. “They’ve been trying to open it up and get more involvement from other disciplines because their philosophy is that every discipline should teach entrepreneurship,” said Chappell. “I find that musicians are natural entrepreneurs because entrepreneurship involves creativity and musicians are naturally creative. So I think it works well for that discipline.”

Chappell and the other professors spent the first two days learning about teaching case studies and the Socratic Method. This encourages critical thinking on the students’ part and uses a lot of questioning to come up with the right answer. “I have never used case teaching in my discipline because, outside of entertainment law, there are no case studies for music business. So this idea was foreign to me,” said Chappell. “I wanted to learn how to do it because I thought it was an interesting approach to teaching.”

After learning the new method, delegates divided into two different groups: one group entered the teaching competition and the other entered the curriculum competition, with Chappell taking on the teaching challenge. Bright and early on Saturday morning, Chappell taught her assigned lesson to 20 Oklahoma State University business students and two faculty members, who scored eight different aspects of her lesson using a 1-6 rating scale. The combined scores of the students and faculty members determined who won the award.

The case study assigned to Chappell was about the Intellefit. The Intellefit was a glass booth that customers walked into to have their exact measurements determined so they knew what size clothes would be appropriate for them. Stores like David’s Bridal, Gap, Levi and Macy’s used this technology. The Intellefit is now being used in airports as a full body scanner that checks for weapons and potentially harmful substances. “I had to explain the Intellefit and try to get the students to figure out if it was a good opportunity or a good business concept,” said Chappell. “I asked them to summarize the case, and I asked them a series of questions about it to get them to determine the answer for themselves.”

Even though she had never taught a case study before, Chappell captivated her audience. All of the students gave her between a 5.4 and a 5.9 for all eight of the components they graded her on. The comments she received from them were all very positive: they said her presentation was very engaging, she did a great job of reinforcing key learning points derived from the case, and that it was a great way to explain a topic. These scores, combined with the teacher ratings, placed her at the number one slot for outstanding case teaching.

On Sunday morning of the conference, Chappell received a certificate for the “Outstanding Case Teaching Award.” She was shocked to hear that she won. “I didn’t think I would win!” she said. “I’ve never taught case study before. It’s not a part of my discipline, and I was very intimidated by all of these people from prestigious schools who taught case study all the time in their classrooms.”

Even though she won’t only use case study methods in her classes, the conference still taught her an important lesson. “I’m less preoccupied with content now and more about the implications of that content on music business. For example, if I asked a student to give me an explanation of copyright for published works, another student could Google that and get the answer on their phone before the student could answer. They have a wealth of information at their fingertips,” said Chappell. “So what is my role as a teacher? I need to teach them to ask the question, ‘How does the fact that copyright duration is life plus 70 years promote or prohibit the creation of new works?’ That’s the question they should ask, so it’s those things that I now try to figure out.”

— Alyssa Applegate is a senior from Dayton, Ohio, majoring in communication arts and minoring in Spanish. Applegate is an associate withFifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Seventh grade St. Mary’s teacher, Sally Ness, a 2008 Anderson University graduate in elementary education and special education, will use the Make Activities Count (MAC) grant money she’ll be receiving from McDonald’s Restaurants of Central Indiana to do a project she said is about “anti-bullying and diversity all meshed into one.”

She wanted a big multicultural project since the student population at the school is diverse.

“It’s kind of a celebration of who they are and about being who they are and owning up to it,” she said.

The seventh-graders will make self-portraits with the assistance of a painter friend of Ness who will focus on what is unique about each student, like mixing paints to match skin color.

She said they will also try to incorporate some Frida Kahlo work since they have a large Latino population at the school.

When finished, the portraits will either be displayed in the classroom or throughout St. Mary’s,1115 Pearl St., and the students will then be making presentations to younger kids in the school.

The presentations will give them a chance to be leaders and work on public speaking skills, Ness said.

But first, they will read “The Skin I’m In” by Sharon Flake to get some good dialogue going.

Coming from teaching first to seventh grade, Ness said she read books this summer that were at a junior high level to prepare and came upon “The Skin I’m In.”

It brought her back to being that age and reminded her what it was like to be in school.

And even though the book is about a poor inner-city school, she said there is still important meaning behind the story.

It’s about a young girl who is bullied, but learns to stand up for herself and love who she is.

Moving up to a higher grade level, Ness said she immediately saw the differences between the two groups of students.

“It was so apparent how brutal junior high can be with all the insecurities and being 12, 13.”

She said bullying isn’t really so much an issue at St. Mary’s as older students just feeling excluded and having a lack of self-confidence.

The students are good kids, she said, but there are a lot of differences.

For example, since it is a private school, some are of wealthier families while others are there on scholarships, she said.

And then there’s the diverse population she mentioned.

“(I want the students) not only being tolerant of one another, but celebrating those differences,” she said of the lessons she hopes her students take from the project.

With the $350 from the grant, she plans to buy the book for all of the seventh graders — there are 11 of them — and a nice canvas for each to paint on.

Any money left over will be used to buy books for the nine eighth-graders.

Right now, the project is still in the idea phase and will start a week after Christmas break, Ness said.

The MAC grant Ness is receiving has provided funding to teachers for projects that supplement regular classroom learning and are interesting since 2003, according to Cher Nelson, assistant account manager with McDonald’s Restaurants of Central Indiana.

Each project is reviewed and selected by a group of judges with the number of grants awarded each year varying, she said.

This year, Nelson said, 51 grants worth up to $500 each, were awarded, and applications for the grant can be submitted at www.mcindiana.com during fall 2012.

—Dani Palmer is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Photo credit: John P. Cleary. Story republished with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

For nearly two years, Wiese has worked as a junior digital specialist at the agency. He was recently recognized for a case study he wrote and produced for the Grammy Awards. The case study, providing a strategic solution for the Grammy Awards, earned him a Silver Effie, an award showcasing advertisers who did outstanding work, in May 2011.

“I am extremely grateful for the outcome of our work,” said Wiese. “Even though it was not gold, I am happy with the outcome. It was a great achievement since it was my first year at Chiat\Day.”

Wiese is proud of what he has accomplished so far. He believes both his undergraduate and graduate schooling prepared him for his career. Wiese attended Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter and received his master’s degree in advertising.

“Adam is creative, culturally aware, a strong presenter, and has an ability to lead without being overbearing,” said Dr. Michael Wiese, professor of marketing at AU (and Adam’s father). “His experience at the VCU Brandcenter will differentiate him in the marketing communication industry.”

Adam was part of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) program for four years at AU. He believes his undergraduate experience provided him the knowledge he needed to achieve what he wanted.

“Adam always showed keen interest in marketing communications and especially in the area of branding,” said Deidra Colvin, assistant professor of marketing. “He had a very positive attitude and a constant desire to know more about marketing and branding. It was no surprise when I learned that he had done some research to find the best school out there for a master’s degree for those who want to work in advertising and branding.”

“What AU did best to prepare me was the support they offered, especially from the professors,” said Wiese. “There are few universities where the professors are willing to sit down and work with a student. At AU, the professors care to find out what your strengths and interests are and help guide you in a direction to help you find the right career for you. The projects I worked on for class at AU were for real companies. Those types of projects really prepared me for VCU and Chiat\Day.”

Wiese’s personal advice to anyone going into the marketing field is to tell stories. “Have the ability to break through to a group of people, to inspire them, to change their minds, and rally around an idea,” said Wiese. “This skill applies not just on a professional level but on a personal level as well.”

— Matt Dougherty is a senior from Breese, Ill., majoring in communication arts and marketing. Dougherty is an associate with Fifth Street Communications™, writing on behalf of the Anderson University Office of University Communications.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Gaither, an Alexandria-based filmmaker and 1992 Anderson University graduate, was shooting a fan-submission commercial for Doritos. The hope is that the 30-second commercial will be selected to air during the 2012 Super Bowl in February.

The theme of the commercial is a group of senior citizens at a retirement home playing cards and other mildly exciting activities. Magically after eating Doritos, they are turned into much younger versions of themselves. [Photo on left: Kids act out a party as they take part in a commercial to be entered in the Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" contest at Bethany Pointe on Wednesday.]

Penny Stevens, director of residential programming at Bethany Pointe Health Campus, came up with the idea while brainstorming with her two daughters. The finished product will be submitted as part of Doritos’ Crash the Super Bowl Contest. If it’s selected, not only will it appear during the Super Bowl, but could win up to $1 million.

Stevens said there’s only a slim chance it will win, but said filming was great experience for Bethany Pointe residents, several of whom had parts in the film.

“We’re always looking for ways to do intergenerational activities. I thought ‘wouldn’t it be fun to mix our residents with children and film a commercial?’” Stevens said.

Getting Gaither to direct the commercial was an added bonus, she said. Initially Gaither said he didn’t think he could do it with his busy schedule; however, after hearing Stevens’ idea for the ad he found a way to make time.

“It was a lot of fun. The kids were great, the old folks were awesome,” Gaither said.

As soon as filming wrapped about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Gaither said he had to get going as he had an early flight to Los Angeles this morning.

Unlike most of Gaither’s previous work, including recently released “The Last Ride,” the commercial had no script, using improvisation instead. When one of the child actors accidentally spilled his bag of Doritos, Gaither told him not to worry about cleaning it up and continue with the scene.

Filming was a collaborative effort between Gaither and Anderson University’s Covenant Productions^®, which provided the equipment and, more importantly, a production crew.

“It was a great opportunity, just great to see how everyone pitched in to make this happen,” said AU senior Andrew Stuart, who was an assistant director for the shoot.

Filming started Tuesday night with the crew filming the seniors’ pre transformation, and continued Wednesday. In all, Stevens said filming took about four hours. It was a bit surreal, she said.

“I had this little idea, and then I saw all this expensive equipment come in, and I was stunned,” Stevens said.

—Sam Brattain is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Photo credit: Don Knight. Story republished with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

If that doesn’t seem like enough of a challenge, she acts the part of seven different characters in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“I keep running backstage, changing costumes, and running back out a different person,” said Sands during a phone interview between rehearsals. “A couple of them are pretty stressful. I even have to rip off my wig.”

[Photo: Meaghan Sands stars as the Blue Fairy, along with Danny Kingston as the main character, in “Pinocchio, ”playing through Nov. 19 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis.]

Since graduating with a degree in voice performance in December, Sands has spent a good deal of time on the stage. In addition to her work at Beef & Boards, she has also performed with the Indianapolis Opera in the productions of “La Traviata” and “Madama Butterfly.”

“I really want to blur the lines between genres,” she said. “Some people think it’s important to be specific in your type of genre, but I would like to do everything. I would like to sing opera and soul in the same song.”

This versatility serves her well as she shifts gears between her many characters in the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which runs through Nov. 20, and her role as the Blue Fairy in “Pinocchio,” which ends Nov. 19.

Originally from northern New York state (about 20 minutes from the Canadian border), Sands was drawn to this area after a car accident interrupted her dance major at a state school. A friend beckoned her to the Hoosier state, where she found a home at AU.

Although she plans to return to New York eventually, she is currently enjoying her work in Indiana and her home in Anderson.

“I really like it here right now, and I am learning a lot from these experiences,” she said. “There are some fine actors right here, and I’m always a student. I’m always watching somebody.”

With 11 performances each week, she is quickly chalking up experience points. And, when she needs a little extra encouragement, her professors are nearby and willing to help.

“I feel like they are family now,” she said. “When you go back to Anderson University, that’s how everybody is — like family. I made arrangements to continue to take voice from Fritz Robertson and Laurel Goetzinger, and they helped me develop some of the lines in the show that felt unnatural.”

Knowing this kind of support is nearby, her plans of traveling to New York or Chicago are distant and hazy. Still she is confident that she has chosen the perfect career.

“It’s what I love,” she said. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than this. This is the best thing I could have hoped for.”

— Emma Bowen Meyer for The Herald Bulletin. Reposted with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.