Huntington, Ind. – The Huntington University men's basketball program has announced the signing of Greensburg HS blue chipper Lane Sparks.Sparks did a little bit of everything for the Pirates last season by pouring in 21 points per game to go along with a team-leading 7.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 steals. He guided GCHS to a 23-2 record last winter which included winning sectionals. It's Greensburg's tenth sectional championship in the last 12 years.
Fort Wayne, Ind. – HU sophomore Emma Wilson and senior Adrien Gentie had spectacular performances at Indiana Tech's Strive for Greatness Invitational last week to garner Crossroads League Indoor Track Athlete of the Week accolades as announced by the league office earlier today.In addition to winning every race she ran in, Wilson hit the NAIA A Standard and set a new meet record in every event she toed the line for. The University of Illinois transfer won the 1000M (2:56.27), mile (4:54.35), 3000M (10:14.00) and 5000M (17:33.36). She also ran a leg of the winning 4x800 meter relay team that clocked in with an automatic qualifying time of 9:35.17.
Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Forester indoor track and field program kicked off its season at the Strive for Greatness Invitational hosted by Indiana Tech at the Turnstone Center.Sophomore transfer Emma Wilson headlined the invite by winning, hitting A standards and establishing new meet records in every race she ran which included the 1000M (2:56.27), mile (4:54.35), 3000M (10:14.00) and 5000M (17:33.36). She also ran a leg of the winning 4x800 meter relay team that clocked in at 9:35.17.
Huntington, Ind. – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its 2020 Oracle ITA NAIA national men's singles rankings and among the elite list was Huntington University junior Alejo Bagnera.Bagnera ranked 23rd on the list of the nation's top 50 NAIA players. Six of his Crossroads League peers also appeared on the esteemed list.
Huntington, Ind. – Huntington University cross country coach Nick Johnson has officially inked his first 2021-22 recruit with the signing of Hamilton Heights HS standout Maria Mitchell.Mitchell, who comes from a successful running family which includes sister and HU alum Molly Mitchell, has spent her prep career as a four-sport athlete for the Huskies but will hone in on just cross country and track at HU.
Huntington 2Fort Wayne Sports Club 1HU Goals (Assists)#1 - Own goal#2 - Caleb Smith (unassisted)
Terre Haute, Ind. – HU sophomore Emma Wilson ran an inspiring race over the weekend to take second at the XC Town USA Meet of Champions in Terre Haute, presented by the Garrett Companies.Wilson, a two-time Indiana state cross country champion at Greencastle High, navigated the 6K layout in 20:18.7 to finish runner-up to former University of Washington All-American and British professional athlete Amy-Eloise Markovc (Neale).
Huntington University Arizona is pleased to announce that William May, Class of 2020, has been hired as an admissions counselor.
“We are so excited to have Will join our team at HU Arizona, not only because of his personal accomplishments and skills but also because he is an actual HU Arizona alumnus. We are now established enough to have our second class of graduates this past spring, and the experiences Will has had as a member of our community as a student will help him tell our story more effectively to potential students,” said Jeff Berggren, director of Arizona operations.
May is a long-time West Valley resident who, upon high school graduation, became an Arizona Department of Corrections Officer (yep, prison guard!) for five years while serving as a Wildland Fire Fighter with his father’s company. He attended Estrella Mountain Community College for art and design, met Jamie Sanfilippo, associate director of student services, at a transfer fair, and the rest is HU Arizona history. For the past three years he has worked at the Apple Store in the nearby mall as a tech expert and team leader, which means he has both his customer service and tech skills well honed — and he will utilize them both at Huntington University!
“May is a talented artist and designer who not only will continue to work with outside clients but will certainly be utilized as a creative resource at HU Arizona,” said Berggren. “Will and his wife Rachel are proud parents of a new baby girl named Rose, so we are pleased to officially have the entire May family as part of our HU Arizona crew.”
Huntington University Arizona opened its doors in 2016, welcoming students seeking a degree in digital media arts. Since that time, students have created regionally and nationally awarded work, including ADDY awards, BEA Best of Fest awards, and Emmy Student Production Awards. The 30,000-square-foot building houses bachelor’s degree programs in animation, film production, broadcast media, and graphic design. The facility features film and TV studios, high-end computer classroom/labs, private editing suites, a state-of-the-art TV control room, a Foley pit, a host of EFP and cinema cameras, and lighting gear for student production work.
Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America’s Best Colleges. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The nonprofit university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
On November 13 and 14, 2020, the Huntington University Theatre Company performed Fuente Ovejuna by Lope de Vega, translated by Adrian Mitchell and directed by Adam Sahli. Featuring 15 students and one professor, the group brought one of the best-known Spanish Golden Age plays to the stage for two performances in person and via livestream..
Originally published in 1619, Fuente Ovejuna tells the story of an oppressed village banding together to escape from their tyrannical commander. When the military leader, The Commander, tries to use his power to obtain women from the village and threatens Laurencia’s life, Laurencia’s soon-to-be fiancé threatens to kill him if he doesn’t let her go. The story follows the village as they come together to kill The Commander, even gaining the attention of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and causing the monarchs to reconsider their leadership responsibility. The play was made into a movie in 1948.
The cast list for the Huntington University Theatre Company production of Fuente Ovejuna included:
HUNTINGTON, Ind. — Huntington University is pleased to welcome Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to campus today for the official ribbon cutting of the Don Strauss Animal Science Education Center.
Joining Governor Holcomb at this historic event are Bob Krouse, chief executive officer of MPS Egg Farms; Marty Songer, executive director of AVIS Foundation, Inc.; David Findlay, president and chief executive officer of Lake City Bank; Bruce Kettler, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture; Richard Strick, mayor of Huntington (class of 2011); Madison Riggle, field sales representative, DEKALB Asgrow (class of 2018); Nate Perry, managing director of the Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies; and Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University.
The construction of the Don Strauss Animal Science Education Center was announced in December 2019, and construction officially began in early 2020. Named in honor of the late Don Strauss, a fourth-generation member of the Strauss family in North Manchester and founder of Strauss Veal Feeds and Midwest Poultry Services, the 10,000-square-foot space will house many of the key livestock elements of HU’s agriculture degrees, including large flexible pen space and an on-site classroom. The adaptable space will be equipped to host a variety of livestock to allow students up-close and personal hands-on learning experiences.
Launched in the fall of 2014, Huntington University’s Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies promotes a Christian perspective on agriculture, which recognizes a responsibility to be good stewards of God's creation and to examine questions of sustainability and justice. The institute welcomed its first students in the fall of 2015 and as of fall 2020 Huntington University has over 50 students pursuing degrees in the agriculture industry.
HUNTINGTON, Ind. — Huntington University is pleased to announce that Janelle Taylor has been named the Director of Alumni and Foundation Relations. Taylor joined the HU Office of Advancement team in October of 2018 as a development officer. Her new role remains within the Office of Advancement but offers her an even greater opportunity for professional and personal growth.
“This is a great fit for her skillset,” said Stephen Weingart, vice president for University advancement. “Janelle graduated from HU in 1997, as did her husband, Jonathon, so her passion for Huntington University is strong and her roots are deep. This role gives her the opportunity to connect with the community in an even deeper way. Dr. Emberton and the advancement team are very excited and supportive of this transition.”
Taylor said that while working for the past two years at HU she has enjoyed meeting Foresters all over the country and hearing stories of how Huntington University impacted their lives. She looks forward to carrying on much-beloved traditions and creating new opportunities with the Alumni Board for alumni to engage with one another and the University.
“I am excited to transition into the newly formed role of Director of Alumni and Foundation Relations,” said Taylor. “I will continue to cultivate relationships with foundations and seek new opportunities for HU grants and oversee alumni engagement.”
An HU alum, Taylor (1997) holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary English education. Taylor has worked as an English teacher and in nonprofit management and fundraising for True Life Choices (under Youth for Christ). In 2009, Taylor and her husband, who reside in Fort Wayne, started their own music entertainment business. The couple travel around the Midwest singing for audiences of all sizes as the cover duo The J Taylors. They also adopted the name The Holy Rebels in 2015 and began writing and performing their own original music.
HUNTINGTON, Ind. — Huntington University invites the community to join us for the first Foundation Breakfast of the season. COVID-19 has limited our ability to gather in a large group, so this first breakfast event will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, November 11, 2020. The Zoom room will open at 7:45 a.m., with the program beginning at 8:00 a.m.
The speakers for this event will be the Forester track and field and cross country coaches, who will review the exceptional achievements of the 2019-2020 teams.
To register for the November Foundation Breakfast, visit huntington.edu/FoundationRSVP.
The Huntington University Foundation Breakfast Series is held on the second Wednesday of each month, November through April, and is open to the public. Breakfast events begin at 7:45 a.m. and conclude by 9:00 a.m.
Founded in 1938, the Huntington University Foundation exists to support the mission of the University by promoting education and fostering a synergistic relationship between the University and the Huntington County community and surrounding area. Learn more about the Foundation’s history and ways to support its goals at huntington.edu/Foundation.
Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America’s Best Colleges. Additionally, Princeton Review has named the institution a “Best Midwestern College.” Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The non-profit university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
HUNTINGTON, Ind. — Huntington University’s leadership and Trustees have announced changes to the spring 2021 academic semester. The dates below reflect the updated academic calendar. The spring semester will begin on January 25, 2021, as originally planned.
“Two Reading Days have been built into the spring schedule for use by students and faculty during the 15 consecutive weeks of classes,” said Luke S. Fetters, EdD, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. Fetters explained that the addition of the Reading Days will give students and faculty at least one day each month of the semester to rest, catch up on reading and writing, or do some other life-giving activity. “It is our hope that this will help relieve some of the stress that students and faculty are experiencing during this unusual academic year.”
For spring of 2021, Huntington University – like most comparable universities in the region – is forgoing spring break.
“Our experience this fall has helped us understand that when our students stay on or close to campus, HU experiences lower numbers of COVID positive cases. Taking spring break off the calendar was a decision directed at the well-being of our campus,” said Ron L. Coffey, PhD, vice president for student life at Huntington University. “The campus leadership wanted to ensure that we could create a calendar that would give us the best chance to successfully complete the spring semester without interruption. Not having our campus community members travel for spring break seemed to make the most sense.”
HUNTINGTON, Ind. — Huntington University and the Board of Trustees are pleased to announce that Reverend Arthur Wilson has been promoted to Vice President for Spiritual Formation. Wilson is the first person of color to be named a vice president at Huntington University.
He began his tenure with Huntington University in 2009 as director of the Horizon Leadership Program.
“I came here under a vision of making this place more diverse, more reflective of the Kingdom of heaven,” said Wilson. “The fact that I'm here today doing what I'm doing is evidence of the fact that that was a dream realized.”
Wilson continued, saying that this opportunity is “a combination of so many different things that are part of my journey where I'm able to be a steward for God and help young people develop their faith in a way that inspires them to continue making differences not only in their own lives but in the lives of others.” But Wilson doesn’t consider this to be a personal achievement as much as a step in the right direction for Huntington University and a story of hope and opportunity for his community in Fort Wayne.
“I understand that the opportunities God provides me, they're not only meant for me, they're meant for so many others who look to me for inspiration” said Wilson, reflecting on his experience as a teenager growing up in Fort Wayne’s inner city. “I can't help but appreciate the opportunity that I have and the role that I get to play in the lives of young people who look like me. I'm making an impact in Huntington through this role, but that impact extends itself to the southeast side of Fort Wayne where I continued to reside, and I hope that when young people see my example they see that, wow, if Arthur can be used in such a place while growing up in this place then maybe, just maybe, God has a plan for me.”
Along with his team, Wilson and the Center for Spiritual Formation and Intercultural Enrichment will continue to foster the spiritual and cultural growth and development of the University as well as steer Huntington University’s spiritual formation plan, In Stride. In Stride, the 2019-2023 Spiritual Formation Plan, was developed in part from a longitudinal study that looked closely at the needs of Huntington University students. From that study, it was evident that students desire relational ministry and that faculty, staff, and student peers each have significant influence on spiritual development.
“The University is privileged to have such a dynamic and committed leader as Arthur Wilson,” said Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University. “Throughout his leadership journey at Huntington University, he has provided excellent and innovative oversight at every level.”
Wilson joined the Senior Leadership Team in April 2016 as a dean of spiritual life. He began his tenure with Huntington University in 2009 as director of the Horizon Leadership Program.
Wilson formerly served as the City Life coordinator for Fort Wayne Area Youth for Christ and represented Fort Wayne Area Youth for Christ on a national level by serving as a camp speaker and member of the City Life National Team. In 2004, Wilson graduated from Taylor University Fort Wayne with a Bachelor of Science degree in pastoral ministries. In 2012, he earned a Master of Arts degree in youth ministry leadership from Huntington University.
Wilson and his family reside in Fort Wayne. Wilson serves as the vice-chair for the Northeast Indiana Youth for Christ, is an assistant pastor at Imani Baptist Chapel in Fort Wayne, and is as an assistant coach for the Forester track and field program, working primarily with sprinters.