Matt Smith sat toward the front of Reardon Auditorium on Tuesday morning as Anderson University began its 91st academic year.

He listened as James Edwards, the university’s president, told students how building projects are changing the landscape of campus. Edwards encouraged students to follow the three-word theme of the year: root, grow bloom.

And while Smith, a junior, acknowledged that it was an exciting time to be at the school, he downplayed the significance of a new school year, saying, “It’s pretty routine for me at this point.”

He was looking beyond the first day. The business and Bible major was eager to see the student worship service he leads expand in the coming year, and he was glad that as an upperclassman he can take a more challenging course load.

“It’s more fun,” he said. “I actually get to learn stuff that matters.”

In his speech, Edwards said the university is taking a hard look at how it can better fulfill its goals. A major part of that is the construction projects under way, including renovations to residence halls and an ongoing fundraising campaign for new buildings, including a student center that this year’s freshmen should see complete before they graduate.

The campaign has raised more than $86 million, Edwards announced, and the university expects to reach its $110 million goal by spring 2010.

The hour-long chapel service included moments of song and prayer. Faculty members sat on stage wearing academic robes. Carl Caldwell, vice president of academic affairs, introduced nine new faculty members starting in departments throughout the university.

Such chapel services are a mainstay of AU campus life. Held twice a week, many services focus on fellowship while some involve guest speakers from outside the school.

“It’s a wonderful thing that a university start her academic year with chapel,” Edwards said. “It is becoming rare, and we intend to hold on to it, I ensure you.”

Freshman roommates Sadie Kennedy and Kayla Brown said it was nice to finally experience their first of many chapel services. After meeting during orientation, they decided to become roommates because both of them are nursing majors.

That means they have similar classes, too. Both 19-year-olds are taking a diverse course load ranging from physiology to a course on romantic love where they will read “Jane Eyre” and “Romeo and Juliet.”

Brown said she’s interested in joining the campus swing dancing club, and both women said they plan to participate in campus community service and fellowship organizations.

“Where I come from, I didn’t go to church every Sunday,” Kennedy said. “This is a good time for me to connect with God and get involved.”

That’s exactly what Edwards told students he hoped they’d do. The theme of the year, illustrated with banners in the auditorium showing the silhouette of a blossoming tree and its root system, signifies the personal growth that the university wants students to experience while part of the school, he said.

“So put down roots,” Edwards told the students. “Grow where you’re planted and bloom in your time. My word to you this morning is: Now is your time.”

Anderson University 2008-09 academic calendar

October

• 18 Homecoming
• 24 Mid-fall holiday

November

• 26 Thanksgiving vacation begins

December

• 1 Classes resume
• 18 Last day of the semester

—Barrett Newkirk is a reporter for the Herald Bulletin in Anderson. 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.

Drivers along Martin Luther King Boulevard on Saturday morning were greeted by scenes of Anderson University freshmen beautifying their new city.

A crew of volunteers swarmed around the residence halls on Anderson University’s campus Thursday waiting for a car, any car, to be unloaded.

As Dean Branson, director of student programming, pointed tightly-packed vehicles toward temporary parking spaces, returning students and some experienced parents waited for any chance they had to help another freshman into the dorms.

“They’re responsible for unpacking, but we get their stuff up to the room as quickly as we can,” Branson said.

Cars came loaded with all the comforts of home — lamps, rugs, television — downsized to fit into each of the single rooms that most students must share with an unfamiliar roommate.

“We have to know that the people coming here have never done this before,” Branson said. “So we have to make them feel at home.”

Hominess is what attracted Nathan Breneman to AU. The freshman from Dublin, Ohio, said the size of the campus made the school seem like a good fit. He was settling into Dunn Hall on Thursday, but said he wasn’t nervous about starting classes, although he was worried that living without his own car would take a lot of getting used to.

His parents were also wondering about how their lives would be different with their oldest son out of the house.

“I just know the home will be a lot quieter,” said Jenny, Nathan’s mother. “He’s the talker. He’s the one who always has something going on.”

Nathan is one of an estimated 600 new undergraduates enrolling at AU this fall, the school reported. The university expects the size of its full-time freshman class to increase between 12 and 15 percent this year, but exact figures will not be known until late September.

Approximately 80 percent of new undergraduate students are coming from Indiana or neighboring states, but 47 states and 30 countries are represented in the total undergraduate population of about 1,850 students, the university reported.

Callie Zelber and Kelly Thomas moved into Rice Hall on Thursday. Strangers less than a year ago, the two girls met though Anderson University’s new social networking site for accepted students, a Web site that lets people seriously considering AU to talk.

Admission’s counselor Christy Kihm said lots of students had found roommates using the site. “It was a big hit.”

Zelber, of Indianapolis, and Thomas, of Miamisburg, Ohio, said they connected over their shared love of the Disney princesses, and now their dorm room is festooned with images of Belle from “Beauty and the Beast.”

The girls said it was a challenge to decide which clothes to bring, and they both made a point to pack photographs and their beloved teddy bears.

With five days left before classes start, Kelly said she’d be using the time to relax, meet some new people, and if there’s time, find out where her classes are. dresser to herself, she joked that it was a good excuse to go buy more clothes.

VIEW FLICKR PHOTO ALBUM OF 2008 MOVE-IN DAY

—Barrett Newkirk is a reporter for the Herald Bulletin. Story republished with permission.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,700 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.

Faculty, staff and returning students are on hand today to unload cars and vans as new students and families arrive on campus.  Across all academic units, Anderson University will welcome a total institutional population of approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students when classes open on September 2.

Although precise numbers are not available until the third full week of classes (week of September 22), the university is projecting an increase of 12-15 percent for first-time freshman over last year.  Within this year’s enrollment are approximately 600 new undergraduate students and a total undergraduate population of roughly 1,850 students.  The AU undergraduate student population includes persons from more than 30 international countries and 47 states.

Anderson University is preparing to welcome new students to campus from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 as a part of New Student Orientation. The campus theme this year is, “Root. Grow. Bloom.”

According to Dean Branson, director of student programs, the purpose of new student orientation is “to provide new students and their parents with a structured, comprehensive introduction to opportunities at Anderson University, to assist new students in their transition to the institution, and to integrate them into the life of the institution.”

Visitors to the AU website can now get automatic news updates through RSS (really simple syndication) feeds. Users can track the latest news about their major or favorite AU sport or see upcoming calendar events by subscribing to RSS feeds.

“This technology makes it easy for anyone to keep track of what’s going on at AU according what interests them most,” said David Hynds, Web Content Specialist.

Martin Hall and Smith Hall are both receiving much-anticipated renovations and upgrades this summer. Martin was completed in 1958, and Smith was completed in 1964. This renovation will be the first that either hall has received.

VIEW A FLICKR SLIDE SHOW OF THE RENOVATIONS.

AU junior Eryn Britt was selected to participate in the 500 Festival Princess Program on Saturday, May 17 for her dedication to academics and service.

Britt was one of 33 selected participants from an applicant pool of over 250 other Indiana collegiate women. Finalists were chosen for their communication skills, poise, academic performance and community and volunteer involvement.

Britt explained why she decided to take part in the program, which helps promote the Indy 500 race. “I grew up five miles from the track. The race has always been a part of my life, and I’ve always been interested in the tradition of the 500.”

Britt is involved in several campus and community service activities. This past year, she was a resident assistant in Martin Hall. She is a fellow in the Center for Public Service, and has volunteered with After School Fun. Additionally, she has traveled to Honduras with Tri-S and Ghana with her church.

Through the program, Britt has taken part in various community outreach and service opportunities. She has read books to elementary school classes, helped with an opening day youth softball event, led tours of the track, helped with a mini-marathon and other events.

Britt is majoring in Biology and Teach Science major and minoring in Chemistry.

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

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,700 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.

“Service and selflessness” was the message of the 90th commencement ceremony at Anderson University.

Thousands of people still hustled to find their seats in Ward Fieldhouse as the color guard presented the flags to begin the ceremony.

VIEW PHOTOS OF GRADUATION ON FLICKR

Friends and family members of all ages, dressed in all kinds of attire, sat among each other for the joyous day—to celebrate the graduation of the university’s class of 2008.

Baby could hardly keep his eyes open by 2 p.m.

The beagle-mix puppy was in high demand at Anderson University during “Rent-a-Puppy,” a fundraising event for social service organization Alacritas.

“It’s good publicity for us and the shelter,” said 20-year-old Samantha Smith, president of the group.

For $1, students could play and pet and cuddle with one of the six puppies out for rent.