President John Pistole and members of the university’s cabinet recently appointed Mike Thigpen as Chief Diversity Officer. Thigpen serves as the Director of the Cultural Resource Center (CRC) and multicultural and international student services. He will continue there as he steps into this new position. “Mike Thigpen is a well-known, well-respected leader on campus and in the community,” Pistole said regarding why Thigpen was chosen for the position. “He has a long history of service in … [Read more...]
AU hires new esports head coach
“My brother and I used to argue over who got to play Pokemon on the Gameboy so often that our parents ended up buying us a second one,” said Matthew Burnstedt. “Ever since then, I’ve been playing games.” After several weeks of searching for a new esports head coach, AU has hired Burnstedt to fill the position. “I'm originally from a small town of about 200 people in Iowa called Libertyville,” said Burnstedt. Burnstedt said that he has been playing video games for as long as he can … [Read more...]
Provost Morris to resign after current school year
At the end of the current school year, Dr. Marie Morris will be resigning from her position as Provost at AU. Morris was named provost in 2011 following a two-year role as dean and vice president of academic affairs on campus, and is currently serving her twelfth year at AU. Morris spoke about her reasons for resigning, stating that she thinks, “there are different leaders at different times for an institution.” “The average tenure for a chief academic officer, based … [Read more...]
Raven Watch receives national recognition
In the annual College Media Association awards, the Andersonian’s sports program, Raven Watch, was a finalist for “Best Video Sportscast.” In this national contest, AU was one of three finalists, standing alongside Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and California State University. In addition to this honor, Raven Watch was selected as a winner in the annual Indiana Collegiate Press Association (ICPA) awards program earlier this year. In the “Best Video” category, the show took first and second … [Read more...]
2020 graduates attend in-person Commencement
While many campus events were canceled or moved to a virtual platform last semester and this semester due to COVID-19, AU still held an in-person commencement for the 2020 graduating class. Although it looked quite different from previous commencements due to the numerous guidelines and precautions, it allowed graduates a bit of closure in such an unprecedented and confusing time. Commencement was originally scheduled to take place in May. Some colleges and universities like … [Read more...]
Pandemic leads to faculty layoffs
Earlier this week, AU made budgetary cuts in various departments, including the School of Music, Theatre and Dance and the School of Theology. The cuts, which included the laying off of faculty and staff, come at the hands of COVID-19. The university Provost, Dr. Marie Morris, offered the reasoning behind these budget cuts and layoffs. “As the university continues to respond to previously declining enrollments, as well as the most recent impact of COVID-19, there are 11 faculty positions … [Read more...]
Boosters and Dativus to host first-ever ‘Cheap Encore’
For years, students have enjoyed two campus events that have become staples of the AU experience: Cheap Thrills, put on by the social club Dativus, and Encore, organized by Avanti Boosters. On Oct. 17 at 8 p.m., the two clubs will be joining forces to create a brand-new event—“Cheap Encore.” Austin Hostetler, a junior music business major and the productions officer for Avanti Boosters, explained that the idea was formed during a meeting between Dean of Students Chris Luekenga and members of … [Read more...]
AU’s COVID-19 numbers similar to other schools
After four weeks of classes, AU has seen 23 total positive COVID-19 cases, a number that many view as on-par with similar universities. “Based on public information available from other schools, our numbers and policies are very similar to institutions that are close to the same size as AU,” said Maggie Platt, director of residence life and student conduct. Alma College, a private college in Michigan, is of comparable size to AU and is reporting 21 total positive cases so far this … [Read more...]
Social clubs navigate recruitment amidst pandemic
This week marks the beginning of recruitment for all of the social clubs on campus. The social clubs recognize that there may be some challenges and uncertainty given the COVID-19 environment, but all the clubs are still committed to giving their members the best experience possible. Camarada President Samantha Aikin and Vice President Ashlee Yackley explained why this year is so important for their club even with all the uncertainty. “This year we are so excited to meet all of … [Read more...]
New RDs introduced for fall semester
Three new Resident Directors have been added in Myers, Morrison and Dunn. Amanda Bradley Myers Hall will now be run by Amanda Bradley, from Warsaw Indiana. Bradley graduated AU in 2018 with a major in Christian ministries and is now pursuing her Master’s of Theological Studies. In the future, she would love to continue working in student life or pursue youth ministry. “I love the intentional time with students in this job,” Bradley said. “ Relationships are … [Read more...]