As countless college campuses across the nation prepare to implement unprecedented health modifications in the wake of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, AU has followed suit. Although the fall semester may look and feel different from previous semesters, Dean of Students Chris Luekenga assures students that these campus-wide procedures and policies are being introduced to ensure students’ health and safety. “We understand that there will be inconveniences and that the campus … [Read more...]
South Campus Apartments to remain open
Photo by Nouhad Melki On January 30, the department of Residence Life announced the closing of AU’s South Campus Apartments. Three months later, in the midst of a national pandemic, this announcement was reversed. According to Maggie Platt, director of Residence Life and Student Conduct, the nearly-50-year-old apartment complex was being sold due to fewer students seeking apartment housing. “When we looked at the number of students who applied for housing, we were going to have quite a … [Read more...]
Administration approves credit/no credit for Spring semester
Due to complications of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden shift to online classes, university administration has approved the credit/no credit grading policy petitioned by the student body. In an email sent to the student body on April 17, President John Pistole outlined the details of this decision. “Faculty reviewed the student petition for a pass/fail option for Spring 2020 and voted this week to approve a temporary grading policy that will allow undergraduate students to opt for … [Read more...]
Annual Black Bird Film Festival to be held online
Although the communication and design arts department’s Black Bird Film Festival is known for its crimson-red carpet and logo-covered backdrops, it will be adopting a much different look this year. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual event that draws crowds of students, faculty, staff and members of the Anderson community will be shifted to an online format. Jack Lugar, associate professor of cinema and media arts and host of the Black Bird Film Festival, explained … [Read more...]
A recipe for spiritual growth
Editor's note: This article was in the works before the campus was closed for the semester due to COVID-19 concerns. Naturally, the Bible studies have been suspended. “If you have the choice between being right and being kind, be kind,” said Kathy Harp as she looked toward the ceiling, carefully crafting a one-sentence summary of what she has learned over the course of her life. Every Tuesday evening, Harp does just that—she chooses to be kind. For the past five years, Harp has opened … [Read more...]
Professor organizes writing challenge to encourage creativity
For the month of April, Professor Jack Lugar of the communication and design arts department has decided to organize a special edition of his annual AU Storytelling Month (StoMo). StoMo, an event that usually takes place in February, is a month-long, campus-wide writing challenge that asks participants to write 500 words a day. While Ravens are quarantined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lugar has decided to create a new edition of this challenge, calling it “StoMo Stay@Home.” “The … [Read more...]
President Pistole answers students’ questions
As students adjust to AU’s mid-semester switch to online classes, they have found themselves with numerous unanswered questions. Although many questions still remain a puzzle for students and administration alike, President John Pistole offered some clarity on several points of confusion and concern. “I realize that this is a stressful and in some ways scary time for our students and families,” said Pistole. “So much is unknown at the moment.” One of those unknowns is the topic of room and … [Read more...]
AU suspends in-person classes, cancels commencement
All classes will be held online for the rest of the semester, according to President John Pistole. In an email sent to the student body on March 18, Pistole explained that the decision was made in hopes of preventing the spread of COVID-19. “Online classes will proceed as planned for next week, and then continue for the next six weeks, followed by finals week—May 4-8—again all online,” said Pistole. Pistole explained that in addition to in-person classes being suspended, … [Read more...]
Worries about potential software crashes arise amid COVID-19 pandemic
Amid the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, countless institutions are moving online—schools are shifting to E-Learning, universities are reconfiguring syllabi to accommodate “online-only” courses and workplaces are encouraging their employees to work from home. The quick and exponential growth of users relying on software such as Google and Canvas has led to widespread worry about the ability of these software to accommodate the increasing number of users. Executive Director of AU’s … [Read more...]
Athletic season suspended amidst national COVID-19 outbreak
“All athletic competition (conference and non-conference) at HCAC member institutions is indefinitely suspended, effective immediately,” read a statement released by the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) on March 13. With this statement, the busy season of AU Athletics came to a halt. Among the affected sports are men’s and women’s lacrosse, tennis, baseball and softball. “Sadly our season has come to an end with the growing concern of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Head … [Read more...]