Anderson University » Communications Arts

Fairy tales come to life in AU’s ‘Into the Woods’

leiter — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:46:02 +0000

Seeking comfort amid chaos and friends amid strangers, the characters of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” are a hodgepodge of fairy tale stars battling the realities of their “happy endings.”

Jack, of beanstalk fame, can’t be left in his gleeful world after killing his giant; the giant’s wife goes on a revengeful spree.

Cinderella’s prince can’t stay faithful; he gives the royal treatment to another common girl.

And Red Riding Hood, well, she just looks buff wearing a wolf skin jacket.

All meet in the woods, where they tackle their fears of being alone and lost in a world of harrowing tragedy.

So it’s easy for these overlapping plots to jumble together unless there is clear articulation by each character. In the first act of this enjoyable Anderson University production, the enthusiastic orchestra overwhelms dialogue, at least in the rehearsal I visited. Characters’ intentions and back stories are drowned out.

Some performances rise above the din, thanks to the determination of the actors. Matthew Hougland, as Jack, fills his role with tender little moments as a simpleton. Meaghan Sands, as the childless Baker’s wife, fully involves the audience by playing off her own wifely practicality with an all-knowing grin. With an inviting soprano, her performance is as rich as the layers of her aprons. As princes, Joe De Winkle and Seth Rodden, harmonize like true chums for the show-stopping “Agony.” And don’t overlook the sad, trudging walk of Jack’s cow, played moo-vingly by Audrey Brinkley.

By the second act, the band plays softer and sweeter, giving characters the space to reflect on their plights.

The standout is Deborah Mae Fights, taking on the role played on Broadway by Bernadette Peters as the witch. Confident and beguiling, Fights makes a spellbinding transition from hag to beauty. She enlivens the show with a sparkling stage presence and an assured vocal.

The orchestra, led by David Duncan, really connects in the second half, notably with a sparkling flute intro rolling into soothing fullness on “No One is Alone.”

The set is well used with characters rushing across a sundial of a stage; the woods are stark poles, nicely lit in hazy hues (though you’ll want to sit in the center or right sections to see the final act by Jack and the Baker). More of the focus may be on the costumes by Patty Daehn whose intricate patterns define the story’s depth.

Happiness is fragile, a simple lesson from “Into the Woods.” But Anderson University theater students admirably provide a lasting joy that not only takes us into the woods but gives us lasting lessons to take back out into life.

“Into the Woods”

When: 7:30 p.m. today,; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, and 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11.

Where: Byrum Hall, Anderson University

Admission: $12 for adults: $10 for seniors and military, $5 for students.

Director: Laurel Goetzinger
Music Director: David Duncan
Choreographer: Matthew Farmer.

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine.

—Scott L. Miley is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Photo credits: Don Knight. Story republished with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson continues to be recognized as a top Christian college: in 2008, U.S. News and World Report ranked Anderson University among the best colleges and universities in the Midwest for the fourth consecutive year. 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 student interns in Europe at Trans World Radio

leiter — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:36:18 +0000

Travel has been a part of Colleen Dillon’s life since she was an infant. Her family’s camping vacations throughout the U.S. have left an adventurous streak in the junior communication arts major from Hillsboro, Ohio. So when Dillon started praying for a summer opportunity where she could both learn, experience a new culture, and be forced out of her comfort zone, God answered.

Dillon applied and was selected to be a summer journalist for Trans World Radio (TWR). Yet, instead of heading to a well known and widely accepted culture, Dillon was to reside in Bratislava, Slovakia; a place many people have barely heard of, let alone would be able to point out on a map.

“I embrace change, I was craving it,” said Dillon. “I never gave any thought of cultural differences before going to the Slovak Republic, I just went.”

But the culture shock was more powerful than she thought it would be. “The first week was tough,” she said, “but knowing God had raised over $4,700 for me to sleep, eat, breathe, walk, and work on that continent all for him, comforted me and gave me true purpose.”

Dillon’s grandmother worked as a teacher with TWR in Bratislava for two years. It was through her that Dillon found the organization and decided to apply. Dillon worked for her supervisor by researching on radio in the days of communism, writing articles and radio scripts, and transcribing interviews. A week of her internship was spent in Vienna, Austria, working with the main TWR European office in the European region.

Tina Valentova, editor of TWR’s InfoServ magazine, housed Dillon in her apartment in downtown Bratislava. Dillon interacted with and became close with Valentova’s family who smuggled Bibles into people’s homes and private churches during communism.

In Vienna, Dillon lived with her co-worker Anne White on the public relations staff. She lived in a small town outside Vienna: Brunn am Gebirge, meaning fountain on the mountain. From there Dillon “went to town every night after work to soak in Vienna,” she said. “Both Bratislava and Vienna are beautiful places, they both feel like home.” [Photo: Downtown Bratislava, Slovakia]

Aside from the time spent interning, Dillon was able to visit Budapest, Hungry; Prague, Czech Republic; Salzburg, Austria; and Munich, Germany. “God is so good,” said Dillon. “The opportunity I had still overwhelms me when I think about it.”

Trans World Radio works to reach lost people with the gospel through the media. Their work in Slovakia is geared mostly toward the modern youth generation and the Roma or “gypsy” people, a people who are mistreated, ill used, and shamed in their Eastern European society. Broadcasts reach these peoples in the far corners of Slovakia, which is a land of mountains, castles, small villages, and quaint beauty that is trying to thrive away from the past plague of communism.

“I think people have perceptions about Eastern Europe: the people are harsh, fierce, cold, and the landscape vacant, dull, and gray,” said Dillon. “There are these realities. But they exist here in the U.S. too. The people I met were some of the most giving, welcoming people I have ever encountered. They look past what communism has left behind in their home land and try to better it, themselves, and see beauty through each other.”

—Colleen Dillon is a junior majoring in communication arts from Hillsboro, Ohio.

APT Worldwide secures representation rights to “A Ripple of Hope”

randalroy — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:37:25 +0000

APT Worldwide, the international licensing division of U.S. public television distributor American Public Television, has secured the international representation rights to the new Robert F. Kennedy documentary, A Ripple of Hope.

Produced by Covenant Productions, located on the campus of Anderson University in Anderson, Ind., the award-winning film narrates the events of that tragic day in 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated and Robert F. Kennedy’s poignant response and act of personal courage saved a city.

On April 14, 1968, Robert Kennedy was in the midst of a campaign for the U.S. presidency. As word of King’s assassination spread, riots and fires erupted in cities across the United States. Although his advisors urged him to cancel a scheduled rally that day in the inner city of Indianapolis, Kennedy refused.

The threat of violence was very real. But his moving, impromptu plea for peace — considered today to be one of the great political speeches of the twentieth century — is credited with creating a sense of calm that averted violence during the chaotic days following Dr. King’s death.

From the inner city of Indianapolis to the Memphis hotel where Dr. King was shot, A Ripple of Hope explores the passion for justice and personal courage that linked these two extraordinary men in life as well as death. “I wept through most of the film just to see those images again. I was deeply moved and equally inspired. This is very powerful,” said the actor, Martin Sheen.

Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Donald Boggs, A Ripple of Hope features digitally restored news footage and original music by John Colby, Grammy Award-winning music director of the Ken Burns Civil War soundtrack. For more information about A Ripple of Hope visit: www.rippleofhopemovie.com.

Covenant Productions
Covenant Productions (www.covenantproductions.com), located on the campus of Anderson University in Anderson, Ind., works with clients across the country and around the world at all stages of the video production process: conception, scripting, production, editing, DVD authoring, and duplication. Covenant Productions tells stories of client work in health care, education, entertainment, transportation, manufacturing, and faith-based environments.

APT Worldwide
APT Worldwide, located in Boston, Mass., is a major supplier of quality nonfiction programming to broadcasters around the world. It is a division of American Public Television, a leading distributor of television programming to public television stations in the United States. For more information, visit www.APTWW.org or contact Kevin_McKenna@aptonline.org.

American Public Television
American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including Spain … on the road Again, Rick Steves’ Europe, Worldfocus, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia’s Family Table, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, Murdoch Mysteries, Doc Martin, Rosemary and Thyme, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert, and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also distributes to international channels through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create™ — the TV channel featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit www.APTonline.org.

Alumni serving at Word Made Flesh

leiter — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:30:44 +0000

Journalism. Computer Programming. Missions. All different career fields but each is utilized in diverse ways at the non-for-profit organization Word Made Flesh.

Located in Omaha, Neb., Word Made Flesh (WMF) founder Chris Huertz, a popular chapel speaker, has made quite the impression on students at Anderson University. Since 2006, three students have felt called to work at the organization with others volunteering or interning.

Linsey Higgins BA ’06 is in the middle of a three-year term on field staff in Lima, Peru. Higgins works as a coordinator for a girl’s Bible study, helps those in her communities struggling to leave the streets, visits those who have started a new life away from the struggles of street life, and serves as a field administrator keeping the Lima mission running.

“The people who serve with WMF are amazing people who seek to live in a way that gives dignity to those among whom they serve,” says Higgins. “So often the poor are dehumanized, but the poor are my friends. We believe that our poor friends have so much to teach us, so much to share and give, while many people only seek to give to the poor, not recognizing their beautiful and unique gifts.”

Higgins, a family science major and Spanish minor, took off a semester her junior year to be on the WMF servant team in Lima. After graduation, Higgins returned on the field staff in Lima.

Combining her passion for people and a story, Mandy Mowers BA ’06 struggled in college “to work in a role that would allow me to use my journalism talents for the good of people in need.”

While serving as an RA, Mowers expressed to her RD and other RA’s her desire to find a meaningful way to use her Journalism and writing major. Higgins, her friend and fellow RA, encouraged Mowers to contact the WMF Advocacy Department.

After graduation, Mowers went on a Tri-S trip to India. Her time spent in Kolkata volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity—even meeting some WMF Kolkata staff—confirmed her desire to work with WMF.

Following a one year internship that started in October 2006, Mowers said the choice to stay on staff was an easy decision.

“I get to advocate on behalf of friends who need help,” says Mowers. “You may have heard a saying like, ‘We’re a voice for the voiceless.’ At WMF, we assert that our friends are not voiceless—they just aren’t always heard. Our job is to amplify these voices as we advocate on their behalf,” adds Mowers.

Now serving as publications editor, Mowers works mostly on The Cry, WMF’s quarterly journal, and makes assignments, edits pieces, and creates layouts. Mowers edits most print materials that WMF produces and offers editorial assistance to staff submitting articles to other publications.

In the fall of 2006, Paul Yoder BA ’06 visited Mowers. During his visit, Yoder met with the director of administration for WMF to discuss their computer needs and realized he could make a computer program to help automate a time-consuming task for WMF. Yoder continued his contact with WMF for a couple years while living in Anderson and created software for WMF in his spare time. During the spring of 2008, Yoder pursued moving to Omaha to work for WMF and in October was hired as an office manager working on staff computers, programming, and serving other office needs.

“I have two main passions in my life: ministry and computers,” says Yoder. “I’m able to pursue both these passions while working at Word Made Flesh as I serve the field missionaries by creating programs to help automate their administrative tasks.”

Word Made Flesh was founded in 1991 as a non-profit organization existing to serve among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. In 1994, Word Made Flesh opened its first children’s home in Chennai, India, focusing primarily on pediatric AIDS care. Word Made Flesh has since established communities in Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa. Visit www.wordmadeflesh.org for more information.

—Stefanie Leiter is the Web Content Manager at AU. Featured in the Summer 2009 Signatures.

Sidewalk Prophets visit AU’s WQME 98.7 FM

leiter — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:00:02 +0000

Members of Sidewalk Prophets (www.sidewalkprophets.com) recently visited WQME 98.7 FM and morning show host Matt Rust to talk about their Christian industry debut on Aug. 25 with the release of These Simple Truths. Sidewalk Prophets started garnering attention at Anderson University where frontmen, main songwriters, and AU alums Dave Frey and Ben McDonald met. The band has already shared the stage with gospel acts like Michael W. Smith, MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, and Audio Adrenaline before they signed with Music City label Fervent Records.

At Anderson University, the band won a campus recording competition through the university’s Orangehaus Music record label and attracted the attention of music industry executives. Sidewalk Prophets relocated to Nashville where they were joined by band members Cal Joslin and Justin Nace.

Produced by Ian Eskelin, These Simple Truths focuses on our identity in Christ and in loving others. The first album single from These Simple Truths, “The Words I Would Say,” is has been playing on the radio sice June 19. For more information on Sidewalk Prophets, visit www.sidewalkprophets.com.

The band has been hitting the road hard for the past 3 years playing 125+ shows a year worldwide. They’ve been making thousands of friends and fans in the process. Along the way the band has achieved some longtime goals of playing with bands they looked up to as teenagers. The band has had the honor of sharing the stage with acts like Jeremy Camp, Audio Adrenaline, Stellar Kart, Building 429, and Ginny Owens as well as many others.

Listen to the WQME interview with Sidewalk Prophets:

Orangehaus Records provides an environment where students are developed and empowered to gain experience in the recording industry. Anderson University students influence every aspect of Orangehaus Records, such as developing, promoting, marketing and booking student musicians. Although Orangehaus Records provides students the experience of working with an actual record label, the process is viewed as an academic experience. Orangehaus Records is one of only a few professional record labels affiliated with a university in the United States.

WQME 98.7 is Madison County’s only commercial FM station. The broadcasting facility is owned and operated by Anderson University and is the only station in the County with emergency generators at both the studio and transmitter site.

AU ranked as top school by U.S. News and World Report

leiter — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:00:27 +0000

U.S. News and World Report has again ranked Anderson University among the best universities in the Midwest offering master’s level degree programs. Institutions in this category offer a full range of both undergraduate and master’s level degree programs. The magazine’s 2010 guide to “America’s Best Colleges” marks the sixth consecutive year that Anderson University has been listed among the best in its class.

“We are pleased to be listed among the top schools in our category,” said Dr. James L. Edwards, president of Anderson University. “Universities that are achieving their mission especially in these very challenging times deserve this recognition and we are proud to be among them. When a student finds the right college of quality that is an excellent fit in terms of culture, programs and degrees, and overall mission, the future opens in such powerful ways, and for that student, the selected school is the best in the nation. We intend to be such a school for so many.”

The 2010 America’s Best Colleges package provides the most thorough examination of how more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools compare on a set of 15 widely accepted indicators of excellence. Among the many factors weighed in determining the rankings, the key measures of quality are: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, and graduation rate performance (National Universities and Liberal Art Colleges).

Over the past 26 years, the U.S. News college rankings, which groups schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, has grown to be the most comprehensive research tool for students and parents considering higher education opportunities. The America’s Best Colleges ranking package, which includes extensive editorial content and multimedia resources, has helped families navigate the difficult decisions involved throughout the college process, from college admission and selection to financing options.

The exclusive rankings, which include more than 1,400 schools nationwide, are available today at www.usnews.com/colleges, will also be published in the September issue of the U.S.News & World Report magazine, on newsstands starting August 20.

Princeton Review selects AU as one of the best colleges in the Midwest

leiter — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:36:02 +0000

Anderson University is one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest according to The Princeton Review. Posted July 27, 2009, the education services company selected the school as one of 158 institutions it profiles in its “Best in the Midwest” section of its Web site feature 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region.

“We chose Anderson University and the other terrific schools we recommend as our ‘regional best’ colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s Vice President of Publishing. “We also work to have our roster of ‘regional best’ colleges feature a range of institutions by size, selectivity, character and locale. We choose the schools based on institutional data we collect from several hundred schools in each region, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of independent and high school-based college advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what each school’s customers – their students – report to us about their campus experiences at them on our 80-question student survey.”

The 158 colleges The Princeton Review chose for this year’s “Best in the Midwest” designations are located in twelve states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The Princeton Review also designated 218 colleges in the Northeast, 123 in the West, and 141 in the Southeast as best in their locales on the company’s 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region section on its Web site. The 640 colleges named “regional best(s)” represent only about 25% (one out of four) of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges.

The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in its 2010 Best Colleges Region by Region Web site section. The Princeton Review survey for this project asks students to rate their own schools on several issues — from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food — and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life.

The Princeton Review is known for its tutoring and classroom test preparation courses, books, and college and graduate school admission services. Its corporate headquarters is in Framingham, MA, and editorial offices are in New York City. It is not affiliated with Princeton University and it is not a magazine.

“A Ripple of Hope” featured in Indianapolis International Film Festival

leiter — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:15:59 +0000

“A Ripple of Hope,” an award-winning documentary film created by Covenant Productions at Anderson University, has been named an official selection in the 2009 Indianapolis International Film Festival (July 15-25). The screening days and times for the film will be Wed. and Thurs., July 22 and 23, at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. (respectively) at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (The Toby Theater).

“To watch him (Robert F. Kennedy), to hear that voice, I wept through most of the film just to see those images again,” said Martin Sheen, actor. “I was deeply moved and equally inspired. This is very powerful.”

On April 4, 1968, the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Robert Kennedy was in the midst of a presidential campaign that was attempting to bridge racial and economic divisions. As word of the assassination spread, riots and fires erupted in cities across the nation. Though urged to cancel a rally before a mixed crowd in the inner city of Indianapolis, Robert Kennedy refused. The threat of violence was very real. But the few, simple words he spoke that night are credited with creating a sense of calm that averted violence during chaotic days following Dr. King’s death.

A generation after his death, the words of Robert Kennedy continue to speak to our political and popular culture. The independent documentary “A Ripple of Hope”, produced by Covenant Productions, captures one poignant day in the life of RFK and explores a little known act of personal courage and responsibility.

“I think this is an extraordinary documentary. It is made with such integrity and sensitivity,” said Kerry Kennedy, human rights activist and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy. “Not just anyone could have made this documentary. It had to be made by someone who understood that moment, and the importance of that for our country. But it goes way beyond an historical piece. It is really a piece about moral courage. And so I am just delighted to see it and to bring my children to see their grandfather in that light.”

The story is told in part through interviews with some of the most significant participants and eyewitnesses, including campaign aides, civil-rights leaders, politicians, journalists, members of the stunned crowd, scholars of rhetoric and people whose lives were impacted by the speech.

Robert Kennedy’s words that night are remarkably relevant today. From the inner city of Indianapolis to the Memphis hotel where Dr. King was shot, “A Ripple of Hope” explores the passion for justice and the personal courage that linked these two extraordinary figures in life as well as death.

“A Ripple of Hope” was produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Dr. Donald Boggs. For information visit www.rippleofhopemovie.com.

The mission of the Indianapolis International Film Festival is to present films that inform, enlighten, and educate the community by providing a vivid reflection of the rich cultural diversity of Indianapolis and the world beyond our doors. Founded in 2004 as a three-day celebration of film, the Indianapolis International Film Festival has since grown to an 11-day, star-studded celebration of movies representing more than 50 nations from around the world.

For more information about the 2009 Indianapolis International Film Festival, visit: http://indyfilmfest.org/.

Film edited by AU alum snags Student Academy Award

Administrator — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:48:48 +0000

A short film edited by Anderson University alum Chris Witt, BA 2003, recently received a gold medal prize in the 36th annual Student Academy Awards for “Kavi,” a short film about an Indian boy forced to work. “Kavi” was directed by Gregg Helvey of the University of Southern California as his USC graduate thesis film. The film is qualified for the 2010 Academy Awards - Short Film Competition.

Shot entirely on location in India, “Kavi” is a fictional short film about modern-day slavery that follows a young boy’s attempt to escape from the brick kiln where he is forced to work. “Kavi” was an official selection in the Nashville Film Festival; Audience Award: Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles; and Best Short Film+Grand Jury Prize: USA Film Festival.

“I’m not only thrilled about the accolades ‘Kavi’ is already receiving, but am also hopeful that this will also raise the awareness of human trafficking as a social issue that needs addressed in the world,” said Chris Witt. “Hopefully for Kavi, the recognition of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will only further our message of human rights and hope for all people by raising awareness of bonded labor across the globe. We’re hoping the film will go on to wider audiences including acceptance into the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis this.fall.”

To view a trailer, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iksz–FuA6g

View the film web site at: http://kavithemovie.com/

Established in 1972, the Student Academy Awards are intended to support young filmmakers. Past winners include Spike Lee, Robert Zemeckis, John Lasseter and Trey Parker. The awards were presented during a ceremony at Samuel Goldwyn Theater by “The Dark Knight” actor Gary Oldman, “Blues Brothers” and “Coming to America” director John Landis, “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast” animator Andreas Deja and producer and academy first vice president Robert Rehme.

Recent AU grad headed for Honduras

David Hynds — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:15:02 +0000

Erica Clampitt’s first job out of college will be on an island of the Caribbean coast of Honduras. A recent graduate from Anderson University, Clampitt will write for World Gospel Mission. She is excited to do mission work while using the skills she learned as a Mass Communications - Public Relations major.

Clampitt will spend four months in Roatán, Honduras working for World Gospel Mission’s communication team. The position will allow her to travel around the region as she writes stories for the organization’s website and magazine. She said, “It combines my passion for missions and my love for writing.” In addition to writing, Clampitt hopes to work with Manuelito Project, an initiative to help children get off of the streets.

She also said that her classes at AU helped prepare her for this experience. Clampitt said that her Spanish class was helpful because she was able to study the culture, not just the language. She also participated in a Tri-S trip to Mexico, which she said was valuable in preparing her for Honduras. “I learned to adapt and adjust to another culture.” In addition, her travel experiences allowed Clampitt to realize her passion for ministry.

Clampitt has high hopes for the experience. “I’m looking forward to being somewhere for an extended period of time,” she said. “I want to embrace the experience of being in a different part of the world. I’m also excited to improve my Spanish.”

—David Hynds is the Web Content Specialist for Anderson University.