World-travel was on the hearts and minds of many AU students who embarked on Tri-S trips over the summer. Students traveled to different countries to serve communities and immerse themselves in other cultures. The Tri-S (Study, Serve, Share) program offers AU students the unique opportunity to travel to other countries for a reasonable price. Trips vary from cultural immersion experiences to medical and VBS missions to backpacking excursions. Among AU students’ destinations this summer … [Read more...]
Jon McLaughlin talks family, foundations and faith
Jon McLaughlin, American pop-rock singer-songwriter, producer and pianist has many ties to AU. As his mother used to work for the university, he followed in his brother and sister’s footsteps, choosing to attend and study music business. Growing up in Anderson, McLaughlin always knew that he would one day be a Raven. McLaughlin spent his time in college cultivating his passion in the music field, growing in his faith and discovering his foundations. Finding his talents within the music … [Read more...]
College Democrats to host showing of documentary about free speech
The AU College Democrats are hosting a documentary screening next week, on Tuesday April 11 at 7:00 p.m. The event is free, open to anyone interested and will take place in Decker 133. Tickling Giants documents the true story of the life of Bassem Youssef, a modern-day revolutionary. In the midst of political instability in his home country of Egypt, Youssef quit his job as a heart surgeon to become a full-time comedian. What started out as a series of YouTube videos set in his laundry room … [Read more...]
Historic church tradition of Lent touches AU campus
The season of Lent has a rich historical background, but for those who choose to participate, its present value is even higher. “I've committed to it a couple times before when I was younger, but I don't think it meant as much to me as it does now,” said Abby Johnson, a junior English major. “Now I see it as a way to truly practice the sacrifice I feel God has called me to every day of my life, constantly surrendering every moment, every memory, every relationship to Christ.” Lent, which is a … [Read more...]
Chorale travels south for spring break, performs in several states
AU Chorale spent spring break on tour, this year throughout the Midwest and U.S. South. The performance stops included Atlanta, Georgia; Lake Wales, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Brunswick, Georgia; Saint Simons Island, Georgia; Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and Cincinnati, Ohio. The University Chorale also performed a concert on campus at the tail end of the tour. Chorale’s spring break tour gives the singers and students a chance to perform and travel, but also to develop community. Junior music … [Read more...]
Doubt: A Parable spring play opens next weekend
AU’s spring play, Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley is about so much more than a vague lack of certainty. It is about where our questions come from and where they take us. The play takes place in 1964 in the St. Nicholas Church School, a fictional private Catholic school in the Bronx, where the kind, progressive and popular Father Flynn comes in conflict with the severe, mistrustful and rigid Sister Aloysius. Though already suspicious of Flynn’s demeanor, Aloysius enlists the help of … [Read more...]
D.C. trip for Black History Month harvests new perspective
Diversity concerns are an important part of some of the most pressing and difficult conversations our country and our campus are having right now. Seeking to address these issues, a group of almost 30 AU students participated in a Tri-S trip to Washington D.C. While in D.C., they visited the African American History Museum and reached out to AU alums and connections to learn about how people are addressing diversity issues in the nation’s capital. The focal point of the trip was the museum, … [Read more...]
Jackie Grondahl finds calling in visual storytelling
Jackie Grondahl isn’t really sure that she knows what art is, but she is sure that it is her deepest passion, and she would like to spend the rest of her life creating it. “How do you define art, you know?” Grondahl said. “I’d never really thought about it before, but for me, the reason why I make art, per se, is that it’s all about capturing a specific moment. Time is always fleeting, and time is never something that we can hold tangibly. So capturing it is really cool, and something about … [Read more...]
Weekend opera: “Down in the Valley” and “The Old Maid and the Thief”
Lovers and performers of opera often feel the need to defend it to outsiders, but AU’s productions of "Down in the Valley" and "The Old Maid and the Thief" need little defense. With a single full-length production, an audience might only get one take on the art form, but with the pairing of these two one-act works, clocking in at about 30 and 75 minutes respectively, audiences have the chance to see the kind of thematic and musical range opera can have. Kurt Weill’s "Down in the Valley," the … [Read more...]
Black History Month celebrated on AU’s campus
The month of February, though acknowledged for Valentine’s Day and the unpredicted abilities of mother nature, reflects the honor and spirit of culture through Black History Month. Celebrating achievements and recognizing roles of black Americans, February is culturally developing and socially stimulating. As Black History Month continually provides insight and understanding, it has become a very vocal time for learning and exploring cultural experiences and identities. Mike Thigpen, director … [Read more...]