05 Mar HU Students Serving During Spring Break

Several students from Huntington University plan to spend their spring break traveling. Some will see the lights of the big city, while others will venture to exotic locations–all with the goal to serve.

HU’s Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service will send three teams of students to Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Philadelphia; and Zacapa, Guatemala, from March 12-16. These groups will volunteer in area orphanages, clinics, schools, and with local missionaries. The HU softball team will travel to Tucson, Ariz., where head coach Doug Gower hopes to find small ways for the softball team to minister on top of training for the upcoming season.

“We try to do little things while traveling such as anonymously pay for an unsuspecting person’s meal when we go out to eat,” Gower said. “It could be an older couple or anyone, really. We try to make it a team choice. We try to represent Huntington in all we do while out for an extended period.”

Jessica Stearns, an HU graduate counseling student and assistant for the Joe Mertz Center, organized all the mission trips this year.

Rebecca McIlwain, a sophomore psychology major from Albany, Ind., will lead six students in a trip to Guatemala, where they will volunteer with His Hands International Inc.

The Guatemala team will serve lunch to the community and volunteer at the local children’s home and malnutrition center.

Mallory Jones, resident director for Baker and Roush halls, also feels exhilarated about advising a missions team to Haiti. Jones and her team will work with Mission of Hope, one of the largest missions organizations in Haiti.

“I have a big passion for travel, ministry and other cultures, so it was an easy answer to give when I was asked if I wanted to lead the trip,” she said. “I want to help students experience something that could impact their lives and change their worldviews.”

The group traveling to Philadelphia will serve with the Center for Student Missions, which is an organization that connects students wanting to volunteer with various projects around the community. The team also will assist with afterschool programs.

“I hope our team will be able to get out of our comfort zone and get a feel for inner-city life in the U.S.,” said Doris Walker, student leader for the trip and a junior entrepreneurial small business management and business management double major from Kandern, Germany. “I want our team to see how the Philadelphia inner-city population experiences poverty and for them to experience Christ in that environment.”

28 Feb Fandana Music Fest Adds Film Contest

Huntington University is seeking submissions for its first annual Fandana Film Festival on August 10-11, 2012.

Filmmakers can submit works for the film festival in the categories of narrative, documentary, and animation, in addition to a special category just for high school students. Awards include:

• “Best of Category,” with prizes of $300 each.
• “Best of Fest,” with a prize of $500.

The winners will also have their films shown on the main stage jumbotron in front of thousands during the Fandana Festival weekend.

The deadline for submissions is June 1. The submission fee is $25. A late registration fee of $35 is available through July 1.

Huntington’s hit music, art and film festival, Fandana Festival, is returning this year on Aug. 10-11, featuring Christian recording artist Chris Tomlin and more than 50 bands on multiple stages.

26 Feb HU Launching New Program in Heuristics

Huntington University is launching a new innovative bachelor’s degree program in heuristics this fall.

Heuristics is the practice of discovery, understanding, and problem solving. The program’s goal is to develop key cognitive skills for students entering a 21st century workforce, particularly improving creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills.

The courses will be project-based and rely significantly on partnerships within the community.

The Bachelor of Arts in Heuristics, Design, and Technology degree also aims to build on New Tech Network programs, which are becoming increasingly popular in area high schools. New Tech Network schools teach students to think critically and to collaborate.

The new degree will launch in the 2012-2013 school year with courses such:

• “Economic Development and Community Sustainability,” which will explore the tensions between those two subjects by bringing together perspectives from business, environmental science, and public policy.
• “Visualizing Complexity,” which is about learning to tell stories with data through a visual language.

For more information, visit huntington.edu/heuristics.

20 Feb From Huntington U to DreamWorks SKG

Andrew Martin

Nick Kight, Huntington University Class of ’12

As a young boy, Andrew Martin grew up watching “VeggieTales.” Who would have known the lessons taught by Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber would one day leave an impression both morally and occupationally on him.

Early on, he wondered how these movies were made and how the characters were brought to life. He did some research and taught himself the mechanics and functionality of computers. His studies at Huntington University as an animation and computer science major then gave him the technical skills and the means to succeed in the field.

Now, he works at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. as a technician resource administrator, also known as a render wrangler. Animators send him their animations, and Martin, alongside the rest of the DreamWorks staff, brings those characters to the big screen through a system made up of thousands of computers.

“I love a good story so I decided to take my passions and apply them toward my career goals,” said Martin, a 2011 HU graduate. “So far, I’d say animation has been a good fit for me. I’ve been told I’m going to start working on DreamWorks Animation’s next film, ‘Madagascar 3.’ I think reality will set in once I go to a theater and see my name in the credits.”

Back in June, Martin found the position while browsing through different studio websites. He applied for the job, and then, all he could do was wait.

“I didn’t end up hearing anything until August when I learned my professor sent DreamWorks a recommendation on my behalf,” he said. “He had a contact who worked there and helped me get my foot in the door.”

Three weeks later, they asked him to pack his bags and move out to California. And had it not been for the networking with professors, preparation from the HU animation department and the opportunity to conduct his own independent study on render management, Martin does not think he would have landed the position at DreamWorks.

“My professors made sure I was on the right track,” he said. “My computer science classes taught me the specifics of computers and how to utilize those to their full capacity in the animation studio.”

During his first day of work, Martin realized the DreamWorks position is the dream job he always wanted.

“The fringe benefits are amazing, the animation process is a collaborative effort, people eat their lunch together and it’s a light-hearted environment,” he said. “I’m going to be spoiled by this.”

17 Feb HU Launching New Programs in Marketing and Nursing

This fall, Huntington University’s online programs are expanding to include degree programs in marketing and nursing. Both will be offered through the EXCEL Adult Degree Program.

• RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). This degree prepares graduates for management and higher-level patient-care positions. This program will also be offered onsite in Huntington and Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Marketing. This degree includes specialized training in advertising and salesmanship, digital marketing, public relations, social media, market research, and graphic design. This program is also offered onsite in Huntington and Columbia City, Ind.

13 Feb HU Student Film Advocates for Clean Water

A scene from "Refresh"

Benjamin Kroll (left) and Sean Cruse

Bethany Doyle

As a young man in New York City, Sean Cruse did not realize that his journey to become an animator and filmmaker would lead him to the American heartland.

He was originally interested in a college on the southern Atlantic coast with access to beaches and year-round warmth. After further investigation, though, he became dissatisfied with that school’s animation program. So, it was off to visit another campus, surprisingly nestled among the cornfields of Indiana. Cruse says the decision to check out Huntington University was a “leap of faith.”

“I originally did not want to attend Huntington. My dad and I drove around to scout out the surroundings and ended up in some field somewhere,” Cruse recalls. “But once I saw the facilities and talked with the professors, that’s when my mind immediately changed.”

Cruse is quick to point out that once he chose Huntington, he never doubted the decision.

Early in his college career, the university brought to campus a band that supported an organization called Blood: Water Mission. It was his first exposure to the serious issue of humans living without clean water. The experience awakened him to the reality of brothers and sisters in Christ living without basic needs.

“Huntington’s message is ‘Christ@Center’ but how do you get Christ to the center of someone who doesn’t even live past the age of 5 because he died from a water-borne disease?” Cruse asks. “It’s such a basic thing. I don’t understand. We’re in 2011, and there’s been a long time to solve this problem, and it’s just not happening yet. It can happen, and I want to see it happen.”

That concern ignited the idea for Cruse’s junior project in the digital media arts program. “Refresh,” a stop-motion short film, deals with the disparity between people who are privileged and those who live without. The film portrays a businessman going about his day, buying bottled water from a vending machine, watering his lawn and feeding an aquarium full of fish. These scenes are juxtaposed with images of a mother and daughter in Africa who take a long journey to bring jerry cans of dirty water back to their village.

During the last scenes of the short film, the businessman is shown retrieving his mail while a hose is watering his lawn (and driveway). As he walks inside, he slips on the wet pavement of his driveway, spilling his mail into the puddles and soaking his clothes. The next scene shows the mother and daughter journeying back toward their village with their containers of precious water. The young girl falls, spilling much of the water from her heavy jerry can. The mother helps her up and carries both containers the rest of the way.

The film leaves the audience contemplating how they use limited resources and freshly motivated to help those with less.

“I am blessed to be in this country (but) it’s not following out my faith to ignore my brothers and sisters in need around the world,” Cruse said. “This is where my passion comes from — the teachings of Jesus.”

Cruse’s commitment was contagious. Two fellow senior animation majors and members of the project team, Benjamin Kroll of Mount Lake Park, Md., and Matthew Weener of Hudsonville, Mich., soon shared the same motivation.

“Seeing Sean’s passion for this issue has instilled in me an awareness that has caused me to rethink my priorities,” Kroll said. Although Kroll grew up as a missionary kid familiar with poverty struggles around the world, working on “Refresh” gave him a new awareness of the magnitude of the struggle for clean water.

“Refresh” took the 2011 film festival circuit by storm, appearing in five separate festivals in the U.S. and Canada. Most recently, “Refresh” was shown at the Columbus (Ohio) International Film & Video Festival (CIFVF).

Matt Swift, adviser for the Ohio State University Film Studies and division chair for the student division of the CIFVF, was highly impressed with “Refresh.”

“I really liked the point behind ‘Refresh,’” Swift said. “It has a good message. You really feel for the characters, and it scored very high. Other films got mixed up with their message. ‘Refresh’ was very clear cut, and this made it a very strong film.”

Cruse appreciates the film’s acceptance into the festivals, but has a bigger goal.

“I’m more excited that the message is being spread,” he said. “We want people to not only become educated about the issue but to actually go do something about it.”

You can watch “Refresh” below.

10 Feb HU To Search for New VP for Academic Affairs

Dr. Del Doughty (right), longtime professor of English at Huntington University, has been named the interim senior vice president for academic affairs, effective June 1, 2012.

In this role, Doughty will be responsible for leading the faculty and developing new academic programs. Doughty will continue in this interim role through May 31, 2013.

Beginning this fall, the university will launch a national search for a new vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Norris Friesen (right), who has held that position for the past 10 years (and has worked at Huntington University for 26 years), will assume the role of professor of German and director of cross-cultural programs beginning in the 2012-13 school year.

HU President G. Blair Dowden explained in a student meeting that he wanted a change in the position, and will be searching for a person to better focus on strategic thinking and innovation in academics.

Doughty joined the university faculty in 1996. He currently serves as professor of English, chair of the Division of Humane Studies, and the self-study coordinator for reaccreditation. He teaches courses in creative writing and world literature. He earned his Ph.D. in comparative literature from Penn State in 1995.

06 Feb HU Receives National Award for Diversity Initiatives

Dr. G. Blair Dowden (left) receives the Andringa Award from Paul Corts, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

Huntington University has been recognized with The Robert and Susan Andringa Award for Advancing Racial Harmony for its “best practice” programs in the area of racial and ethnic diversity.

The Andringa Award is presented each year by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. The award recognizes an initiative or program that helps create a welcoming climate, improves retention, or provides support for ethnic/racial minority students, faculty or staff.

“Huntington University is pursuing racial harmony and diversity at multiple levels with a variety of programs and with the clear commitment of its senior leadership, faculty and Board of Trustees,” said CCCU President Paul Corts. “We congratulate Huntington University for its significant achievement and impressive commitment to racial harmony and diversity.”

In 2008, the university launched the Horizon Leadership Program. The program is a partnership between Huntington University and Youth for Christ USA with the goal of creating a more racially and ethnically diverse campus. A cohort of students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds is selected each year to receive the Horizon Leadership Scholarship, a combination of federal, state and institutional aid. The scholarship covers all fees associated with tuition and housing costs for up to 10 semesters.

The university also helped develop the Harmony Initiative, an ad hoc group of local business leaders, elected officials, clergy, educators, and social-service workers advancing values of the City of Huntington’s mission statement, which declares Huntington to be “a community of civility and inclusion, where diversity is honored and differences are respected.” President G. Blair Dowden serves as chair of this task force, and two other university personnel are members.

“This work is ‘a marathon and not a sprint,'” said Dowden. “But by sustaining this momentum and building on early successes, we are transforming the university and its surrounding community. By sharing our experience and learning from others, we can all better serve ethnically diverse students. This award is a significant milepost along this journey.”

04 Feb Dr. Chaney Bergdall Retiring After 36 Years

Dr. Chaney Bergdall with students.

Nick Kight, a senior at Huntington University

Preach, teach, minister. The significance of these words constantly resonates with Dr. Chaney Bergdall. Even though he plans to retire at the end of the school year, he says he will never retire from his life calling — as a teacher and minister of the Gospel.

“I turn 65 next summer,” said Bergdall, professor of Bible and religion at Huntington University. “My wife and I would like to take this time to move closer to my son, daughter-in-law and our granddaughter. I’m looking forward to the move.”

It was 36 years ago when Bergdall joined the faculty. The position fulfilled his lifelong passion to preach and teach.

“I saw my coming here as a way that I could give back to the United Brethren Church. It was another way for me to serve which led me to accept the position,” he said.

Since arriving in 1975, Bergdall has enjoyed observing what happens in the lives of his students during their college years and will miss the interactions he has with them on a daily basis.

“I have fond memories of seeing students grow and watching them latch onto new thoughts about the Bible and the Christian life,” he said.

Over his years at HU, Bergdall has taught countless numbers of students — all of them appreciative of the knowledge they have gained under his direction.

“Nothing shone through more clearly in my classes with him than how much he loved what he was teaching and the desire he had to impart the beauty of that knowledge to his students,” said Peter Owens, a 2010 Bible and religion graduate. “It was the way he gave us the information that inspired us to work hard for him.”

As a current seminary student, Greg Casserino, a 2011 youth ministry and Bible and religion graduate, more than ever appreciates the constant encouragement he received from Bergdall to dig deeper and to put forth more diligence in his course work during his undergraduate career.

“I look back upon Dr. Bergdall’s classes with much respect and appreciation,” he said. “Dr. Bergdall’s well-articulated processes for digesting scripture have prepared me to encounter the rigorous coursework that is before me. I will be forever indebted to Dr. Bergdall for the countless ways which collectively worked together to shape me into a deeper man of God.”

Bergdall’s impact has stretched to the faculty, as well. He has become known among his colleagues as a “conscience” in tough times.

“Through conflicts and disagreements, Chaney stood bravely amid the harsh words and meanness that abounded at times,” said Jim O’Donnell, Luke J. Peters Professor of Business. “He spoke truth even when it was uncomfortable for him to do so. It’s no wonder he was, again and again, chosen to serve on the Faculty Concerns Committee and so often to be its chair. He was the spokesperson for the faculty, speaking sense, grace and truth.”

And as May 12, 2012, approaches, Bergdall remains excited as he starts a new chapter in his life. Once he and his wife, Patricia, get settled in Goshen, Ind., Bergdall hopes to continue being active in some way to give expression to his life calling.

“I’m a teacher and minister of the Gospel,” he said. “I’ll never retire from that.”

04 Feb Dr. Dowden Joins Panel on College Costs

On January 31, Dr. Blair Dowden, president of Huntington University, participated in a panel discussion of college affordability in Washington, D.C., during the annual meeting of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).

The panel was led by Zakiya Smith, senior advisor for education at the White House Domestic Policy Council. Additional panelists included the presidents of Hardin-Simmons and William Peace universities.

Coming just days after President Barack Obama unveiled proposals to tie federal funds to college affordability, Dowden’s remarks focused on cost-saving measures, a low 2.5% tuition increase, and Huntington’s innovative loan repayment assistance program for all undergraduates.