04 Feb Livingston Hall is Back

Huntington University’s new student residence (right) will bear a name from the past: Livingston Hall. The Board of Trustees agreed on that name during their January 26 meeting.

The original Livingston Hall developed from a home built in 1897 by President Charles H. Kiracofe and later sold to theology professor Samuel L. Livingston. The house was converted to a women’s residence in 1918 and later underwent two significant expansions and renovations. After additional student residences were built in the 1980s, Livingston Hall was converted to faculty offices.

The building was demolished in 1988 to make room for RichLyn Library. The new Livingston Hall iwll house 150 undergraduates, and is scheduled for occupancy next fall.

31 Jan Position Opening at Huntington University

Huntington University is seeking a person to serve in the part-time role of Graduate School Admissions and Marketing Coordinator. This position involves representing Huntington University in a professional manner throughout the process of recruiting, admitting, and matriculating prospective graduate students, specifically in marketing the Graduate Ministry and the Graduate Counseling Programs.

Candidates must have a strong personal faith in Jesus Christ, a desire to serve others and a commitment to being a faithful steward of university resources. The ideal candidate will have marketing skills and strong computer skills: primarily Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. The individual should have strong communication skills, both written and verbal, in one-on-one and group settings and must be able to work in a highly interactive and team-oriented environment. The role requires a candidate with self-motivation and initiative, creativity, attention to detail, and time management skills. The candidate must possess a high level of problem solving and organization skills, and must be able to execute multiple projects and tasks concurrently. A Bachelor’s Degree is preferred.

If interested, contact:

Huntington University
Human Resource Office
2303 College Avenue
Huntington, IN 46750
Email to [email protected]
Or fax to 260-359-4086

23 Jan Death of Richard Klopfenstein at age 85

Richard Klopfenstein, former athletic director and chair of the Physical Education Department at Huntington University, passed away January 21 at Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home in Fort Wayne, Ind. He was 85. His wife, Mary, continues living in Huntington, Ind.

The funeral will be held Thursday, January 24, at D. O. McComb and sons Lakeside Park Funeral Home in Fort Wayne, Ind. at 11 a.m. Dr. Ray Seilhamer and Dr. Kent Maxwell wil officiate.

Klopfenstein is recognized as the “founding father” of the Mid-Central College Conference, the athletic conference in which the Foresters still compete. Klopfenstein helped start the MCC in 1959 and served as the organization’s first president.

Dick Kloopfenstein came to Huntington as a transfer student in 1942. He left to serve in the US Army during World War 2, earning a battle star and a combat infantryman’s badge. He then returned to Huntington, finishing his degree in 1948. After five years of teaching and coaching in Lafayette, Ind., he returned to HU in 1953 as the new athletic director.

During his years at Huntington University, Coach K coached a total of 80 seasons, including 33 years as golf coach, 15 years as men’s tennis coach, 13 years as men’s basket5ball coach, three years as baseball coach, and one year as women’t ennis coach. He was awarded professor emeritus status in 1987, but contiued to coach golf until 1992.

Read more about Coach K and his contributions to Huntington University.

17 Jan HTV News Blooper Gets Attention

Tom Brodbeck, former Central Conference superintendent, alerted us to news about his son, Tom, a student at Huntington University. “My son is about to be famous! About a year ago, he had to fill in as the sports anchor for HTV (HU’s TV station). He hates being on camera, and was really nervous. His ‘friends’ kept his goof-ups and posted a blooper video on YouTube. Some website has picked it up and it is now nationally popular. He is being interviewed by a radio station in Alabama today. The video will be aired on Best D*** Sports Show (Fox Sports) next week. And another website has contacted him about doing a weekly sports video for them.”

The YouTube video has had about 40,000 hits since Christmas.

Here’s the direct link. There are other HTV news videos on YouTube, which you can find by putting “HTV News” in the search box.

29 Nov Huntington University Honors Merillat Scholars

Huntington University honored the 178 Merillat Scholars at a dinner on November 6. The founders of the scholarship were represented by Dr. Ruth Merillat of Adrian, Mich. (right) and her son Dr. Richard Merillat of Naples, Fla.

The Merillat Scholar award is a scholarship primarily for students in these categories:

• United Brethren in Christ Church members
• Children of Huntington University alumni
• Students involved in Youth for Christ in high school at the Student Leader level.

Since the Merillat Scholar award began in the fall of 1994, almost $10 million has been given to more than 1000 students. The first Merillat class consisted of 29 recipients.

A $2500 scholarship is awarded to students who have a 2.7 high school cumulative grade point average and a minimum 900 SAT or 19 ACT. An additional $1500 scholarship is awarded to students who have a 3.2 cumulative GPA and a minimum 1000 SAT or 21 ACT, for a total scholarship of $4000.

The Merillat Scholar program is also in the second year of stacking award categories. So, for example, a student who is a member of the United Brethren in Christ Church and also a child of an alumni would receive an extra $1000. If they also happen to be a Youth for Christ student leader, they would receive an extra $500 on top of that for a total of $1500 in additional aid. The Merillat Scholar award is not based on financial need.

12 Oct Record Enrollment for Huntington U

Huntington University has a record enrollment of 1,153 students for the fall semester of the 2007-2008 school year. That includes a record 923 undergraduate students. The incoming class of freshmen, transfers, and readmitted students is the largest on record with 299 students. After celebrating its new satellite location in Wabash, Ind., on September 4, the EXCEL Program for Adults achieved a record enrollment of 141 students.

Dr. G. Blair Dowden, president of Huntington University, says, “Our Strategic Plan sets forth the ambitious target of 2,000 students by 2016. With our increase to 1,153 students this fall, we are well on our way to achieving our goal.”
The reach of the institution also is expanding. Distinctive academic programs, including new bachelor’s degrees in nursing, Spanish and Spanish education, digital media arts, economics and finance, political studies, social work, sports ministry and worship leadership, have attracted students from 29 states and Puerto Rico. This fall, 35 international students have come to Huntington University from 17 countries.

11 Sep Huntington Player Signs Pro Contract

Alex Kock, a 2007 Huntington University graduate, has contracted to play professional basketball for BC Mess, a team in Luxemburg. This is the first time a former Forester has been signed to a professional team. Kock, a native of Auburn, Ind., left for Europe on September 8, and will play through April 17.

In 2007, Kock was named Division II National Player of the Year by the NAIA. In HU’s own Mid-Central Conference, he was named Player of the Year for three consecutive years (he played his freshman year at Wright State University before transferring to Huntington). As a senior, Kock averaged 23.4 points and 10 rebounds per game. Read more about him.

11 Sep HU Launched Urban Scholarship Program

Huntington University’s has launched the Urban Scholarship and Mentoring Program, which will identify and support up to six urban students each year in a scholarship, mentoring, and urban leadership program. This start-up initiative is made possible by an $18,000 award from the Ball Brothers Foundation Venture Fund. This program involves a partnership between Huntington University and Youth for Christ. The first scholarship recipients will enroll in the fall of 2008.

11 Sep Huntington U, Again, Ranked High by US News

The 2008 U.S.News & World Report annual collegiate rankings lists Huntington University 7th among the Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the Midwest region. Huntington also ranked 5th in the Best Values category. This ranking is based on the percentage of students receiving need-based grants, the average cost of tuition after receiving those grants, and the average discount from the total cost.

“The cost component has been a result of working hard as a campus to keep recent tuition increases well below the average for other colleges and universities to impact the sticker price while also offering increased financial aid to positively impact the net price that students actually pay to attend Huntington,” says Jeff Berggren, HU’s Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing (right).

Tuition for fulltime undergraduates increased just three percent for the 2007-2008 year, the third consecutive year for low or no price increase. That compares to an average 5.9 percent increase nationally at four-year private colleges. About 90 percent of Huntington University students receive financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, loans or work-study assistance.

Berggren says he hopes “families that would love to send their children to a high-quality, Christ-centered university, but don’t explore Huntington because of cost, will now give us a good look as part of their college selection process.”

16 Jul HU Breaks Ground for New Residence Hall

Huntington University broke ground for a new residence hall on July 12. Construction will be completed in time for the fall 2008 semester. The facility is designed to house 150 undergraduate students, mostly freshmen and sophomores.

The university’s current housing capacity is 718 beds, including residence halls, Forester Village apartments, and two campus-owned houses. During the 2006-2007 academic year, Huntington was at 93 percent of its housing capacity. For the 2008-2009 year, the university won’t have enough housing for the number of students they expect.

The building, designed by the InterDesign Group, Inc., will sit across from Miller and Meadows halls with the front entrance facing Lake Street. It will have 154 beds, mostly for freshman and sophomore students, and will cost $6-7 million.

The general contractor is Fetters Construction Co. of Auburn, Ind., which also built the Science Hall and renovated Brenn Hall.