Dr. Nelita True, a faculty member at the famed Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, will perform on Friday evening, Nov. 3, at 7:30 in Austin Performance Hall of Krannert Fine Arts Center on the Anderson University campus. Appearing as featured guest artist of the 2006 State Conference of the Indiana Music Teachers Association (IMTA), True will present a piano recital including works by Scarlatti, Beethoven, and Chopin. The two-day annual conference is being hosted by the Anderson University School of Music. The recital and an informal reception immediately following the program are both free and open to the public.

“It all sort of started when I read the statistic that 53 percent of the world lives on $2 a day or less,” says Anderson University junior David Hynds. Hynds was speaking of his project Living in Poverty, which invites participants to spend one week living on $2 a day. Fifty-five people signed up for the endeavor, which ran from April 2-9. “Basically how it works is participants live on $2 a day, and that $2 covers regular daily expenses that you have — any food, laundry, any social activities you want to do, and personal purchases,” says Hynds. Hynds went on to explain that necessary expenditures, such as rent, utilities and gas money are not included.

JR McGee BA ’92 always wanted to be involved in mission work. Even while at AU studying computer science, business, and education, mission work was in the back of his mind. And when he went to Washington state and started a successful real estate business, he was still thinking about missions. Then he was invited to lead a bicycle tour around China [picture: JR and Anita McGee with their children].

“I loved the Chinese people. Their determination, hard work, and openness impressed me,” JR says. “I came home and my real estate business continued to do well, but my heart wasn’t in it.” So he decided to go back to China for at least a year. He enrolled in a Chinese university for four months to learn the language, then he traveled the country learning how to interact with the people.

A friend who knew McGee’s desire to work with children suggested he help with a project called Gift of Joy. A Hong Kong woman, Anita, started the organization to help children who were orphaned or lived in poverty in China and were being denied access to education because they couldn’t pay their school fees.

Anita began her work in 1998 when serious flooding destroyed the homes and fields of Chinese families in Central China. Because of the devastation, several children did not have the funds to return to school. Anita raised $1,000, enough money to send 70 children to school, and Gift of Joy was born. Since then, all 70 children have graduated from college, and 65 are in the final year of their graduate work.

JR joined Anita and fell in love with her work. He fell in love with her, too, and they were married in November 2000.

Since 1998, the McGees have helped more than 1,000 children with the mission of developing their God-given dreams. Gift of Joy enables determined orphans and poor children in the third world by providing parental love, international-level schooling, and biblical leadership principles to live by.

Although their efforts in China have often been misunderstood by the Chinese government, the misunderstandings have led to an expansion JR and Anita could not have dreamed up. Their work in China has also caught the attention of mission organizations around the world. Through these connections they have expanded to South Africa. This time they are enjoying the luxury of full support by the government, South African led partnerships, and the freedom to publicly share their faith.

The McGees and their two small children, Amanda and Josiah, are beginning their work in South Africa in the northern part of the country near the Zimbabwe border. According to the McGees, South Africa suffers from a 48 percent unemployment rate. There are nearly 600,000 orphans in South Africa, due in part to AIDS. Within two years, that number is expected to grow to 1.6 million orphans.

The McGees work with children as young as 4, helping them to get an education in order to pursue their God-given dreams. But with the project in South Africa being so new, JR and Anita are taking the first three months to assess what the needs of the children are.

For more information about Gift of Joy and to follow their work in South Africa, visit their Web site at www.giftofjoy.org.

—Deborah Lilly [Signatures: Spring, 2006]

The Center for Character Development within the School of Education at Anderson University, along with Indianapolis Public Schools and Anderson Community Schools, recently announced that they will share a three-year, $1 million, federal grant from the Department of Education to train 40 counselors and after-school partners through AU’s certified character education program.

Anderson University will welcome Dr. Morna Hooker to the campus October 23-24 for the 2006 Newell Lecture. The title of the 2006 Newell Lecture is “Content and Context: the Relevance of Paul’s Gospel.” The lectures will begin both days at 9 a.m. and will be conducted in Park Place Church of God.

Dr. Morna Hooker, Lady Margaret’s Professor Emerita of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, began her theological studies at the University of Bristol. After a career in education for nearly 40 years at King’s College in London, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, she remains a Fellow at Robinson College and is also a Methodist preacher. Hooker has written several books, and has been lecturing since 1977.

Former Raven athletes and coaches Donald Courtney, Vicki Graber, James Hostetler and Larry Maddox were officially inducted into the Anderson University Athletic Hall of Fame as the Class of 2006 on Saturday night at the Hall of Fame banquet at the Kardatzke Wellness Center.

Looking for hot chocolate, Scott Kennedy pulled his three young girls around in a red Radio Flyer wagon Saturday morning during Anderson University’s annual Homecoming Street Fair and Ravenfest. “They are having so much fun,” said Kennedy, assistant professor of chemistry. Each of the girls were munching on their own bag of warm popcorn with cheeks donning freshly painted rainbows and AU megaphones. Six-year-old Cassie sported a glow-in-the-dark necklace. When asked what she thought of the event, Cassie’s face lit up, “It’s cool,” she said with a bright smile.

Anderson University has announced the public phase of a $110 million campaign. The “Dreams, Discovery, Direction” campaign is the university’s largest fundraising effort to date and will raise support for endowment and scholarships; facilities and equipment; academic and student programs; and operational needs. Major components of the campaign include $51 million for capital projects, $34 million for endowment and $25 million for operational support. At the time of launch, the university announced that more than $61 million of the campaign goal had been received in gifts and commitments.

“We have been building a platform for this campaign and now we’re at the point to take the next step in our development as an institution,” said Dr. James L. Edwards, president of Anderson University [watch President Edwards discuss the campaign on Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick]. “This campaign will help identify the dreams of many who make up the AU family as they merge with needs and the unique opportunities of our mission. One of the main goals of this campaign will be to continue to bring distinction to the experiences that students, alumni and friends encounter at this university. They have a great stake in our success.”

“Anderson University has laid out a compelling and transformational vision for the future that will strengthen every aspect of the institution and keep it firmly rooted in its historic mission,” said Bill and Gloria Gaither, gospel music legends and National Campaign Advisory Commission co-chairs. “It is an ambitious vision—one that will require all of us to step-up to the challenge in bold new ways proportional to our ability. We are proud to invite others to join us in building that future.”

The last major campaign effort for Anderson University ended in 1999 and raised $83.7 million [picture: proposed Student Center].

“The vision of this campaign seems to have captured the imaginations of many long-time friends of the university,” said Bob Coffman, vice-president for Advancement at Anderson University. “Several have already come forward with major commitments and we have been fortunate to build strong relationships with new friends as well. The campaign presents an opportunity not only to strengthen the institution financially but also to strengthen our ties with alumni, parents and friends across the country and around the world.”

Co-chairing the National Campaign Cabinet will be Tom L. Ward, chairman of the Board of Directors and chief executive officer of SandRidge Energy Inc.; and James B. Winner, president of Winner Advisors [picture: proposed Recital Hall].

“In business, you can tell a lot about a company by the quality of its product,” said Ward. “I first came to know and appreciate Anderson University by observing the quality of its product: outstanding alumni who were leaders in the community and in the church. The future depends upon leaders equipped with a world-class education and a mature faith to face tomorrow’s challenges. The world needs our product. Let’s build it together.”

“You can’t support everything. I understand that,” said Winner. “You have to pick something you believe in and have faith and confidence in. When I see the quality and caliber of graduates coming out of Anderson University, there’s no question that we’re on the verge of doing even greater things.” [picture: proposed University Center].

Anderson University is a private, four-year, Christian liberal arts institution of approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, the university offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, music, nursing, education and theology.

Anderson University senior Brandon Miller, 22, got his hands dirty in a fight for peace. He grabbed a handful of dirt and tossed it toward the root-ball of a weeping beach tree planted Tuesday in a ceremony at Anderson University. More than 100 others followed him. The tree was planted in the name of peace behind the Nicholson Library in the valley. It replaced a tree planted in the 1960s by students in protest of the Vietnam War — the tree, a Ginkgo, died later due to severe weather [As those who have gathered for the dedication ceremony watch former Anderson University President Robert Reardon leans over to help sophomore Nathaniel Boggs smooth some final mounds of dirt over the freshly planted Weeping Beech behind the Nicholson Library Tuesday morning--photo credit: Jennifer Goldsmith].

Saturday morning, Anderson University’s AU press will host a book signing and reception for Dr. Robert A. Nicholson’s new book entitled, “So I Said Yes.” As president emeritus of Anderson University and longtime community leader, he titled the book according to his customary reply whenever he was asked to take on new responsibilities at his alma mater. The public is invited to attend a special book signing and reception this Saturday, October 7, at 11:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall of Park Place Church of God in Anderson.