Dr. Brian Dirck, professor of history, received his Bachelor’s in history at the University of Central Arkansas. From there, Dirck went on to receive a Master’s in history from Rice University, and later a PhD in history from the University of Kansas. Throughout his many years of teaching, Dirck has also written over half a dozen books focusing on various aspects of Abraham Lincoln’s life and presidency. Where are you from? I was originally born in Missouri, but I moved around quite a bit … [Read more...]
Jeeninga Museum reopening: Professor Tai Lipan and Dr. David Murphy
Professor Tai Lipan and Dr. David Murphy discuss the reopening of AU's Jeeninga Museum. Museum-Podcast [transcript] … [Read more...]
Jeeninga Museum reopens
On Nov. 15, the reopening ceremony of AU’s Jeeninga Museum of Near Eastern and Biblical Archeology will be hosted in its new home, York Performance Hall. This campus museum of ancient artifact collections was established by Dr. Gustav Jeeninga in the 1960s. According to Dr. David Murphy, professor of history and current director of the museum, it closed its doors last semester to begin the process of relocation. “The museum has been located in the basement of the School of Theology since … [Read more...]
Water main bursts causing complications
On the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 1, water was discovered seeping through various sections of the sidewalk just outside of Olt Student Center. After providing water to the Haven and MP for more than 50 years, a water main in the Valley had burst. According to Joe Royer, executive director of facilities and property management, AU was quick to action. “Our Physical Plant employees did some preliminary work to remove the appropriate sections of sidewalk,” he said. “Due to the depth of the … [Read more...]
SGA discusses event plans
This semester, SGA has worked to improve the student body experience and bring student concerns to the forefront of the campus discussion. By holding forums, putting on events and sending out surveys, SGA leaders hope to encourage student involvement on campus. According to SGA Chief of Staff Mikki Moore, SGA has put an emphasis on encouraging the student body to be environmentally friendly. “The green focus is huge,” she said. “We’re trying to take everything green.” Moore … [Read more...]
Street fair brings campus together
On Saturday, select departments, residence halls, social clubs, interest clubs and honor societies will join forces to provide food, entertainment and information during the annual Homecoming street fair. Unlike previous years, the street fair will be held on the KWC walkway and in the Smith-Martin courtyard, running from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. According to Kenny Parson, president of Dativus, his club always looks forward to being part of the street fair. “Dativus will be selling … [Read more...]
AU students participate in global climate strike
Last week, millions of individuals from hundreds of countries stood together for one united cause: the Global Climate Strike. Citizens from the United States, Scotland, Mexico, Canada and other countries gathered in protest of climate change in an effort to raise awareness about protecting the environment. All-in-all, more than six million protesters participated in this worldwide movement. Many AU students were proud to be part of this number. The students who brought … [Read more...]
Campus groundhog threatened with eviction
Students are used to seeing squirrels and rabbits scurrying throughout the Valley, but many were shocked to see that a groundhog has also taken up residence on campus. While many appreciate groundhogs for their ability to see their own shadow, AU students have grown to appreciate the Valley’s newest resident on a deeper level. According to Rachael Shaver, freshman flute performance major, the groundhog is well-known across campus. “He’s kind of like the new mascot around campus,” she … [Read more...]
Is Textbook Butler a money-saver?
At the beginning of every semester, each AU student is faced with the same difficult question: to be a Textbook Butler user or to not be a Textbook Butler user? Introduced to AU in 2012, Textbook Butler is a convenient resource for students that automatically purchases or rents students’ textbooks on a semester-by-semester basis. The cost of this service is then added to students’ accounts. However, students often question whether this program is truly cost-efficient. According to Dustin … [Read more...]
Random room searches now to be conducted with ‘reasonable cause’
Along with many areas across campus, the student handbook received a few updates this summer. The most notable of these updates is a change of wording in the room search policy. AU’s updated room search policy reads, “The university reserves the right to inspect students’ rooms for damage or to enter to make repairs. The university also reserves the right to enter students’ rooms or conduct randomized room searches, given reasonable cause, to ensure adherence to university policies or to … [Read more...]