Anderson University » Student Life

From Zambia to Anderson, service knows no limits

randalroy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:15:35 +0000

The 4×4 pickup truck was coming around the curve just a little too fast, and the driver lost control. The truck rolled and slid 30 yards across the tarmac. Amazingly, the passengers left the scene without a scratch. “I knew the hand of God was in that,” says Anderson University student Oscar Ndao, reflecting on the accident that could have taken his life three years ago.

Ndao grew up in Zambia, where both of his parents are pastors with the Church of God. It wasn’t until after the accident, though, that Ndao truly gave his life to Christ. “My mother said something profound to me that has stayed with me up to now. She quoted Jeremiah 29:11,” reflects Ndao. “She said, ‘Oscar, God has saved you for a purpose and it’s now up to you to find out what that purpose is.’”

He began thinking about his mother’s words. “What if I had died in that accident? It was a real turning point in my life,” he says. Now, as a student leader at Anderson University, Ndao is in pursuit of that purpose.

[PHOTO: Oscar Ndao and his sister spent Christmas break in Maryland. During their trip east, they enjoyed a visit to the nation’s capital.]

It was his mother’s connection with the Church of God that brought him to AU. In 2005 she came to speak at a conference where she met people interested in sponsoring Ndao’s education. Education for college students in Zambia is different than in the United States. While the grade school system works well, universities are rare and not dependable.

“Growing up, I really had a dream of wanting to study outside of Zambia,” says Ndao. “Back home when you hear of people going to study outside of the country, it’s usually reserved for people of higher status and my family was just middle class. So when the opportunity arrived for me to be here I just had to accept it.”

[PHOTO: Oscar Ndao and friends celebrate their differences in culture and heritage during the 2008 International Student Association International Dinner.]

A year later, Ndao left Zambia behind and came to campus for international student orientation. The International Student Association (ISA) helps international students through the transition process and gives them a chance to learn about other cultures.

Some of the most common issues among international students are culture shock and the sudden status of being a minority. He appreciates the important role ISA plays in making international students feel more comfortable.

“The first day [of classes] was a big shock,” remembers Ndao. “A professor actually encouraged students to call her by her fist name. Back home it’s considered rude to call somebody older by their first name.” During his freshman year Ndao had to learn a lot about American culture but was pretty well acclimated by the time he was a sophomore. Now, as a junior business management major, he’s still learning. “It’s a process,” he says with a smile, “but I’m getting there.”

This year Ndao serves as president of the ISA. He meets with the leadership council weekly to organize and plan campus events. Their main purpose is to get rid of the misconception that ISA is only for international students, because everyone is welcome. Ndao is also student coordinator of Anam Cara, where he mentors with individuals.

[PHOTO: Oscar Ndao performs at the 2009 “Spring Into Dance” performance at Anderson University.]

Ndao’s advice for student leaders is to look at leadership not as a position but as a service. “Too often we get caught up in the position and we forget why we are in that position,” he said. “I think if you are a leader you really have to focus on why you are there. If you make that your goal you will have a great experience in leadership.”

— Rebekah Shirar is a student writer for 5th Street Communications at Anderson University.

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.

Anderson University welcomes Tirabassi for Spiritual Emphasis Week

randalroy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:46:08 +0000

Anderson University welcomes Becky Tirabassi to campus for Spiritual Emphasis Week (SEW), October 20-22.

For more than 25 years, Tirabassi has motivated hundreds of thousands of people to change their lives through best-selling books, extensive media appearances, and a wide range of speaking events.

Tirabassi speaks to men, women, and students on a variety of topics, including prayer, leadership, balanced living, mentoring, and parenting. She frequently appears on television and radio, empowering people with a dynamic message of how to live a disciplined life in an “out-of-control” culture. She is the founder and CEO of Becky Tirabassi Change Your Life, Inc.

Tirabassi has been a certified life coach with the Spencer Institute since 2005 and a certified aerobics instructor since 1991, with a nutrition specialty certificate from the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas. She is a DISC certified behavioral consultant with the Institute for Motivational Living, Inc.

Tiribassi has sold more than one million books, tapes, and videos. Her appearances on television include the CBS Early Show, FOX and Friends, Everyday Living with Joyce Meyer, Life Today with James Robinson, ESPN 2, and the Golf Channel.

All services will be held in Reardon Auditorium on the Anderson University campus in Anderson, Indiana. Dates and times for services are:

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m.

The Anderson University Office of Spiritual Life and Counseling Services sponsors SEW once each year to offer students and the community an opportunity for worship and study with an off-campus speaker.

Large turnout for Anderson University homecoming events

randalroy — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:56:56 +0000

Mona Hoffman, her sister Dorothy Thomas, and Thomas’ husband, Larry, warmed themselves by a wood fire Saturday as Anderson University’s Homecoming Street Fair buzzed a few feet away.

“I have never seen so many children,” Thomas beamed. “That’s insurance for Anderson University.”

Themselves children of John A. Morrison, the first president of Anderson College, Hoffman and Thomas said their father would be proud of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of all ages that soaked up a brisk, sunny autumn day on University Boulevard.

“It’s delightful,” said Hoffman, who graduated from Anderson College in 1940. Thomas graduated in 1943.

“He said some day we will be a university, and we are. We grew from a two-room Bible-reading class. In other words, I’m 90 years old.”

“And I’m 88,” Thomas said before a second could pass.

Up and down University Boulevard on Saturday, children, students, and alumni mingled, chatted, and reunited amid a carnival atmosphere. Student and alumni groups cooked up elephant ears, bratwursts, chili, and Thai noodles, to name a few, to raise money for campus groups or missions.

But the food wasn’t just for eating.

“Marshmallow golf is so fun, even if you don’t play golf,” barked Chris Green, who was raising money for Student Government Association. In a small mulch mound, he placed a marshmallow atop a tee for would-be fluff duffers.

“It’s not intuitive,” he said, recommending a heavy iron and a low approach.

Nearby, junior Paul Bates was raising money for Avanti Boosters Social Club by braving a dunk tank in the low-50-degree weather. Or so it seemed.

A student passerby stopped in his tracks and stared, apparently noticing the slight steam vapors rising from the water below into the cooler air.

“It’s cheating, isn’t it?” Bates acknowledged of the warm water into which he’d been dunked a half-dozen times in five minutes. “It feels pretty nice to get in it.”

It’s a sentiment many homecoming guests likely shared, filling the street on the first dry, sunny day after a week dominated by inclement weather.

“It’s the biggest turnout I’ve seen,” said Ben Davis, AU director of alumni relations. “That’s as good as a crowd gets for the street fair.”

The crowd on hand was just a part of the Anderson University family that would be able to get the flavor of the event. For the first time, the street fair could be viewed live on streaming video through the university’s Web site, www.anderson.edu, and that of AU alumni, www.andersonalums.com.

[PHOTO: WQME 98.7 FM's Matt Rust interviews 2009 AU alum Kelly Kaiser during the Homecoming Street Fair Webcast.]

At the alumni tent, 1952 graduate Jean LeViere of Portersville, Pa., smiled as she flipped through yearbooks and looked at displays from her days as an Anderson College student. She became a teacher after her years at the school, and two generations followed in her footsteps.

“Oh, it’s great,” she said of reconnecting with AU alums and being among crowds of students and faculty at homecoming, as she’s tried to do nearly every year since graduating.

She began her college career at Indiana University before she transferred to AU. “I fell in love with it,” LeViere said.

AU junior Alex Campbell and others from Fair Commons Apartments cooked up something special Saturday — chili and white chicken chili, sales of which benefit their sponsor child, 10-year-old Travis Mugabe from Uganda.

She said it takes $25 a month to support Travis, and the students have several fundraisers throughout the year to collect that money.

“This is probably one of our biggest ones,” she said, noting that Saturday’s good turnout would likely support the child for months to come.

“All the proceeds are going to go to him,” Campbell said.

– Dave Stafford is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Story posted by permission.

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.

Homecoming Weekend: Stay Connected for Good. October 9-10

leiter — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:30:13 +0000

Anderson University welcomes alumni, family and friends back for fun and fellowship during Homecoming 2009, titled “Stay Connected for Good” October 9-10. Along with the annual homecoming football game and introduction of the homecoming king, queen and court, there will also be opportunities to enjoy the RavenFest, class and academic reunions, and a theatrical production entitled “Into the Woods.”

For more information about Anderson University’s 2009 Homecoming celebration, contact the AU Office of Alumni Relations at 765-641-4100, 765-641-3888 (fax), or visit the AU public Web site at AU Homecoming.

“This year’s theme has a double meaning for AU alumni,” said Director of Alumni Relations, Ben Davis. “‘Stay Connected For Good’ refers to the ongoing, lifelong relationship that we want to have with our alumni, as well as implying that our goal as an Alumni Association is to serve the greater good — through involvement in our communities and churches.”

The alumni tent at the annual Raven Fest will feature the Alumni Association’s online presence through social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

“More and more, we are seeing that authentic connection can happen between AU and our alumni, or among groups of alums, online,” added Davis. “We’re using social media as a relevant tool to reach out not just to our younger alumni, but to everyone.”

The Alumni Office will also showcase videos and pictures from this year’s Alumni Event Series, which has seen gatherings in places ranging from Orlando to New York City to Chicago. “It’s been a great year for alumni fellowship,” says Davis, “and we have many more regional event ideas coming up.” Alumni will have the opportunity to submit recommendations for alumni gatherings in their area.

The 2009 Homecoming schedule by event type is as follows:

Performance Events

School of Music Homecoming Concert on Friday, 7:30 p.m. Park Place Church of God. Featuring the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble. Outstanding Music Alumni Award to Becky Archibald BA ‘83, an award-winning pianist. No Cost.

Cheap Thrills on Friday, 7:30 & 10 p.m. Reardon Auditorium. Sponsored by Dativus Social Club. Cost: presale $2.50, at the door $3.00.

Into the Woods on Saturday, 2:30 & 7:30 p.m and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. Byrum Hall. Special Family Performance. Admission: Children 12 and under are free. $12.00 for those 13 and over, $10.00 Seniors & Military, $5.00 students. For information, contact Byrum Hall ticket office at (765) 641-4541 or (800) 619-3047.

“60s and 70s” Encore on Saturday at 8 & 10 p.m. Reardon Auditorium. Sponsored by Boosters. Admission: Presale $2.50 and $3.00 at the door. Agathos alumni $2.50 anytime. Booster alumni get in free.

Athletic Events

Alumni Softball Game on Saturday, 9 a.m. Open to all softball alumni. Show up at the softball diamond ready to play.

Alumni Baseball Game on Saturday, 9 a.m. Open to all baseball alumni. Show up at Raven Park ready to play.

Alumni Men’s Soccer Game on Saturday, 9:30 a.m. East Fifth Street Soccer Complex. Open to all men’s soccer alumni. RSVP to stfridley@anderson.edu.

Women’s Soccer Game on Saturday, 1 p.m. Anderson University vs. Transylvania. East Fifth Street Soccer Complex.

Women’s Volleyball vs. Huntington on Saturday, noon. OC Lewis Gymnasium. No cost.

Homecoming Football Game on Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Anderson University vs. Mt. St. Joseph. Half time introduction of the 2009 Homecoming king, queen and court. Macholtz Stadium. Admission $5.00; Seniors, students and Children under 6 $3, Faculty & staff free with ID.

Men’s Soccer Game on Saturday, 3 p.m. Anderson University vs. Transylvania. East Fifth Street Soccer Complex. Halftime activities will include honoring the original first varsity team from 1989.

Alumni Women’s Soccer Game on Saturday, 5:15 p.m. East Fifth Street Soccer Complex. Open to all women’s soccer alumni. RSVP to stfridley@anderson.edu.

Campus Events

Chapel (Reardon Auditorium). All invited. Tuesday, 10 a.m.

Thursday, 10 a.m., with Homecoming Court coronation and Alumni Awards presentation to:

Christine (Densmore) Young, BA ‘76, Distinguished Alumni Award
Jon McLaughlin, BA ‘05, Distinguished Young Alumni Award
Ray Freer, BA ‘65, Distinguished Service Award
Ken BS ‘57 and Grada ‘55 Lockhart, John H. Kane Loyalty Award
Jyllian Kumfer, Freshman, 2009 Alumni Council Scholarship Award

Admissions Discovery Day on Friday, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Kane Room, Olt Student Center). For prospective students. Parents are encouraged to attend. Pre-register at (800) 428-6414 or online.

University Bookstore open on Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 6p.m.

Residence Halls open on Friday and Saturday, Noon – Midnight.

Campus Illumination on Friday at dusk. Campus and Valley.

Locker Room Legacy Project Open House on Saturday 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Features the newly remodeled football locker room. Free to all football alumni.

Street Fair on Saturday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (University Blvd, rain location: Kardatzke Wellness Center). This event includes activities hosted by the alumni office, social clubs, interest groups, honor societies, and athletic teams. There will be bookstore apparel, activities for kids, and good food!

Alumni Events

Alumni Council Meetings on Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Edwards Dining Room, Olt Student Center). For more information, contact Ben Davis at badavis@anderson.edu.

Men’s Golf Team Alumni Outing on Friday, 11 a.m. (Anderson Country Club). Registration and box lunch, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Shotgun start at 12 p.m. Cost: $75.00 (includes green fees, cart, lunch and door prizes). Register now!

School of Nursing Alumni Dinner on Friday, 6 p.m. Social/Networking hour. 7 p.m. dinner with Guest speaker: Dr. Marie Morris, vice president of academic affairs. (Kane Dining Room, Olt Student Center). Cost: $25.00. Presentation of Alumni Awards:

Lifetime Achievement Award
Service to the Community Award
Distinguished Alumni Award
Friend of Nursing Award

Register now!

Reception in the Valley on Friday, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Hartung Hall plaza at Helios Fountain. Cider and fellowship. Weather/Rain Location: Decker Commons.

20 Year Celebration of AU Soccer on Friday, 7:30 p.m. in the Kardatzke Wellness Center honoring the program’s legacy. Hosted by the 2009 men’s team.

Continental Breakfast for Communication and Theatre Arts Alumni on Saturday, 9 - 10 a.m. (Broadcasting Center TV Studio). Guest Speaker: Mandy Mowers BA ‘06. Email WQME if you plan to attend. No cost.

Continental Breakfast for Chemistry/Physics Alumni on Saturday 9 - 10 a.m. Chemistry Core–3rd floor, Hartung Hall. No cost.

Sociology/ Social Work/ Criminal Justice/ Family Science Alumni Reception on Saturday 10 - 11 a.m. Decker, Second Floor, outside the department offices. Come and go reception open to all alumni. No cost.

RavenFest on Saturday, 10 a.m - 1 p.m. (University Boulevard, Rain Location: Kardatzke Wellness Center). RavenFest features the alumni reunion tent and many exciting activities for children, including balloon art, face painting, and inflatable games.

Department of Student Life Reunion for Student Leaders on Saturday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Student/Alumni Fair. Anyone who has been a student staff member of the student life family. (Rain Location: Rice Hall Lobby)

School of Adult Learning Tailgate Party on Saturday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Current Adult Students and Alumni are invited. University Boulevard. No cost. RSVP at 765-641-4250.

16th Annual 1950’s Hospitality Tent on Saturday, 1 - 5 p.m. Located inside Macholtz Stadium entrance.

Special Events

L’ Amifidel Alumni Cookout on Friday, 6 p.m. Decker Commons Courtyard. Cost: $9. Register now!

Alacritas Alumni Breakfast on Saturday, 9 a.m. Kane Dining Room, Olt Student Center. No cost.

Avanti Booster Alumni Breakfast on Saturday, 9 a.m. South Schield Dining Room, Olt Student Center. Cost $12.00. Register now!

Camarada Alumni Breakfast (with Dativus) on Saturday, 9 a.m. North Schield Dining Room, Olt Student Center. Cost $ 12.00. Register now!

Dativus Alumni Breakfast (with Camarada) on Saturday, 9 a.m. North Schield Dining Room, Olt Student Center. Cost $ 12.00. Register now!

Multicultural Alumni Reunion on Saturday, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Kane Dining Room, Olt Student Center. No cost. Register now!

Class of 1969 Alumni Reception on Saturday, 5 - 6 p.m. Schield Dining Room, Olt Student Center. No cost. Register now!

Class of 1984 Alumni Reception on Saturday, 5 - 6 p.m. Schield Dining Room, Olt Student Center. No cost. Register now!

Class of 1999 Alumni Reception on Saturday, 5 - 6 p.m. Schield Dining Room, Olt Student Center. No cost. Register now!

Under 2004-2009 Alumni Reception on Saturday, 5 - 6 p.m. Schield Dining Room, Olt Student Center. No cost. Register now!

Hall of Fame Awards Dinner on Saturday, 6:30 p.m. Cozway, Kardatzke Wellness Center. Cost $ 20. Hall of Fame Recipients:

Valerie Bingham-Williams
Larry Hocker
Phil Kalbaugh
Kurt Moreillon
Dorcas Stegelmann

Register now!

—Stefanie Leiter is the Web Content Manager for Anderson University.

AU senior interns for National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

leiter — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:06:05 +0000

Kristina Unis, senior history major at AU, completed an internship this summer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. “I worked with the Historian, Archivist, and Curator, working with historical objects and archival documents that pertain to the history and operations of the agency,” she said.

According to their Web site, NGA, “is a Department of Defense combat support agency and a member of the national Intelligence Community (IC). NGA develops imagery and map-based intelligence solutions for U.S. national defense, homeland security and safety of navigation.”

Unis said, “The individuals I interned for set aside specific collections that could be completed during my time at the agency. NGA’s internship program strives for their interns to have a good understanding of the agency and how it runs in hopes that they will return upon graduation.”

Unis’ day included taking inventory of historical collections, cataloging items for the collection, filing archival materials, preparing finding aids for the collections and assisting with exhibit and display installations.

The internship was not an easy one to obtain. “After nine months of an extensive application and an extensive background check I was finally cleared and able to start my internship with NGA’s Historian… and it was worth it all,” said Unis.

Unis said that her classes at AU, “taught me a set of skills, skills that include reading, writing, and analyzing. In this internship, I was able to take the knowledge and skills and apply them towards a whole new set of skills and knowledge that I learned from my internship.”

Unis believes that her experiences gave her an advantage when finding employment. “Now that I have security clearance it will be easier for me to obtain a job within the intelligence community. I have also had shadowing experiences with the other groups within the agency, and been able to visit another agency within the Intelligence Community. These experiences have opened my eyes to other employment possibilities.”

—David Hynds is a freelance writer for Anderson University.

AU students volunteer to beautify Anderson

leiter — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:33:40 +0000

Anderson University freshman Nicole Shenefield wanted to say “thank you” in advance to the city she will call home for the next four years.

Shenefield, along with about 500 other students new to AU, worked Saturday morning to beautify the city, picking up trash, weeding, mowing, painting and doing other odd jobs as part of the second annual day of service partnership between AU and the city.

“It’s important because you don’t just want to come here and go to school,” said Shenefield, a secondary English education and theater arts major. “You want to be part of the town that’s giving you so much. It’s just a way to say ‘Thank you.’”

The freshmen participated in the project as part of orientation, which started Thursday and included speakers, an ice cream social and a Meijer shopping trip.

“Part of our mission is to educate for a life of faith and service to the church and society,” said Dean Branson, AU director of student activities. “We want the orientation process to let our students know we take this mission very seriously.”

Jefferson City, Mo., native Andy Herrick, who started his first year at AU this week, said he was happy with the school’s presentation of service opportunities available to students.

“It’s part of an effort by AU to give back to the community,” said the sociology and Bible and Religion major as he helped weed a park area near the Madison County Government Center. “A lot of the places don’t have the resources to take care of their own parking lots and lawns.”

The group in which Herrick and AU junior Caitlyn Krontz were a part spent Saturday morning weeding, pruning shrubs and raising the canopies of trees along downtown sidewalks so pedestrians could walk under them.

Krontz remembers participating in the day of service last year, when she did work along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

“I just get excited to see a project that you do with your own hands,” she said. “Now, when I drive by on MLK, I think, ‘I did that!’”

Kim Rayford, who organized the day of service on behalf of the city, said she was pleased with the day’s turnout, which required five school buses, four cars and two church vans to transport students to areas of the city.

“I really thought it turned out wonderful,” Rayford said. “They were very cooperative and very understanding about what the work entailed.”

City officials have established a committee to line up projects for those who call City Hall wanting to volunteer their time and efforts. The committee helped find projects for the AU students to complete Saturday.

Branson said the school just wanted students to feel as if Anderson was their home.

“We hope that they are introduced to the community and see that this is a good place to live, to be a part of, that this can really be theirs and there are plenty of opportunities to serve and minister,” he said.

AU sophomore Amanda Darst said she got a feeling of accomplishment as she and fellow students picked up trash around Scatterfield Road and Interstate 69 on Saturday.

“Just knowing we made a difference as college students (was the best accomplishment),” she said. “Just knowing we’re part of the town and not just the college.”

—Aleasha Sandley is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Photo credits: Don Knight. Story republished with permission.

AU community welcomes freshmen

randalroy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:32:09 +0000

Nemo had survived the 2,200-mile trip from Arizona, but Anderson University freshman David Cox was worried that the shock of transferring the beta fish into its new tank in the AU dorm might kill the blue and red beta. With his things unpacked and set up in his new home, Nemo was one of the last first-day-on-campus tasks Cox had yet to complete.

Beyond the door of Cox’s room, other male freshmen ducked in and out of identical rooms, meeting their new dorm-mates for the first time. The freshman boys who lived on the floor would be known as the “Grease Monkeys,” freshman Zach Welborn explained, noting the checkered racing flags and Valvoline oil poster hanging from the dorm hallway wall. Each floor has a theme, he said.

[Photos by Don Knight/The Herald Bulletin]

Outside, the lawn beyond the dorm was dotted with blue shirts worn by upperclassmen who volunteered to help out with new student orientation.

While the idea of his daughter being given help finding her classes and navigating campus was appealing, first-time AU parent Roy Godme of Indianapolis was most pleased with the moving help the blue-shirts offered. Before he got a chance to do it himself, a parade of students began unloading his car and carrying the items into his daughter’s new dorm room.

“All the help was great,” he said. His wife, Lora, was equally impressed. “All that the parents had to do was walk upstairs and start unpacking.”

Chris Williams, director of university communications for AU, said the student orientation volunteers are popular among parents. “For a family that may have a son or daughter on the third floor of a residence hall, that’s a welcome relief.”

“I thought I was going to have to do this all on my own,” Welborn said, lounging in the lobby of his dorm. With his moving tasks completed, the freshman was free to watch the “Price is Right” with his new friends. He is one of about 600 new freshmen at AU this semester.

Drew Hall, a sophomore, helped the students find and get moved into their rooms Thursday and said a group of students helped him last year. Their shirts were a different color, he said, but the help was the same. Those first few contacts with AU students were helpful in reducing the freshman’s nerves, he said. Now, Hall pays the favor forward. “It’s just our way of reaching out. We want it to be an overwhelming amount of welcoming.”

– Story posted with permission from The Herald Bulletin

AU students to take lead in city cleanup

leiter — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:22:55 +0000

Less than a year after it opened, the blue Kennedy Crossing bridge over White River has already become a victim of graffiti vandals.

The bridge is among a list of places in the city that are to be cleaned as part of an Aug. 29 effort to pick up trash and spruce up areas involving city officials and about 400 incoming Anderson University freshmen.

Traditionally, AU freshmen perform community service as part of their college orientation. [Photo on left: 2008 service project]

But this year, other residents can get involved in the effort as trash-cleaning teams in the “100-lb. Challenge” sponsored by Global Student Solutions.

The national nonprofit agency is seeking volunteers to raise cash and pick up 30,000 pounds of trash on Saturday.

The event is similar to a walkathon but participants will seek sponsors to pledge funds per pound of trash, said GSS president Scott Martin. Half of the funds raised will go to GSS and the other half will fund participants’ projects.

GSS is hoping to purchase an Anderson house and hold retreats for global students from around the country, Martin said.

To join the 100-lb. Challenge, volunteers can go to www.globalstudentweb.org. Teams will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday at Athletic Park.

Martin was among 13 people who gathered Friday in the Anderson City Building to plan the cleanup.

The city is relying on its Anderson Quality of Life Team, or AQUILT, to link together various offices and agencies to keep the project ongoing, said Lori Sylvester of Anderson Indiana Main Street (AIMS).

The city is organizing various service groups into a committee so they can network better, Sylvester said. The effort is to unite service groups like a quilt, she said.

About 400 Anderson University students are expected to participate, said Dean Branson, director of student programs for Anderson University. Each year, Anderson University students conduct about 32,000 hours of service to the community, campus and other efforts, he said.

According to Branson, this year’s orientation will focus on the more popular events from previous years. New students can look forward to traditional favorites, such as the freshman hike, ice cream social in the valley and the Meijer Extravaganza. This year’s initial night reception will be held at Pioneer Rock, with a section of the adjacent street closed to traffic.

This year also marks the founding of a new mentoring program. Along with family group leaders, older students will take positions of peer mentoring. These organizers will extend the work of family group leaders throughout the school year, offering advice and camaraderie to new students.

The weekend ends on Sunday, August 30, with students visiting their family group mentors followed by an outdoor showing of the recent “Star Trek” film.

For a detailed schedule of orientation events, check out New Student Orientation, which begins Thursday, Aug. 27.

- Story reprinted with permission from The Herald Bulletin.

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.