Bluffton University news
Full-circle musical
The spring musical "Quilters" features a quilt created for a previous performance at Bluffton. It has been taken out of the archives to be featured once again on stage.
Civic Engagement Day
Marathana Prothro will present the annual Civic Engagement Day Forum titled, "Echo Chambers and Fun-House Mirrors: Navigating an Age of Alternate Facts, Distorted Reality and Fractured Relationships."
Alumni travel
Join President Jane M. Wood and fellow travelers in Scotland and Ireland. Tour participants will visit small villages, enjoy the beautiful countryside and view seaside cliffs.
Grace and empathy
Georgia Metz '13, will speak during Forum on Tuesday, March 21. She will discuss how to hear differing viewpoints with grace and empathy, while remaining true to your own principles.
Ambassadors named
President's Ambassadors for 2023-24 have been named. They will receive professional development training and will engage with prospective students, alumni and donors.
Presidential Scholars
Logan Daugherty and Abbigail Martin, incoming students at Bluffton University, have been awarded the full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, valued at nearly $140,000 for four years.
Creative renewal
During Andreas Baumgartner's time on sabbatical, he explored various means of computer-driven image making, implementing mixed media practices involving AI-based datasets, scripting languages and traditional paper marbling.
Becoming a novelist
Now in its 38th year, the English Festival offers high school students a day of immersion in the pleasures of writing, reading and hearing fine literature.
Senior art exhibit
The exhibit opens March 13 and runs through March 25 in the Grace Albrecht Gallery of Bluffton University's Sauder Visual Arts Center.
'Quilters' musical
Through music, story and dance, the challenges and joys women faced on the North American frontier will be performed as the spring musical "Quilters."
Commencement speaker
Kathy (Gaines) Carr, a 1978 Bluffton graduate, long-time educator and community advocate, will address the 2023 graduating class during the May 6 Commencement ceremony.
A look into the past
History students “put their fingers on the bones of Lima’s historic African American neighborhood” in Perry Bush’s Theory and Application class. “What they found is significant,” said Bush.
Cross-cultural
Immersed in new environments, participants experience diverse lifestyles, make new friendships and learn respect for other heritages all while meeting personal challenges which build character.
Board action taken
The Board of Trustees approved a new construction project and a grant for students, recognized retiring faculty and welcomed a new board member during its annual winter meeting.
Fischer Press Box
Construction for the Coach Kim Fischer Softball Press Box will start in May 2023. Former student-athletes, fans and friends contributed toward the two-story building.
Bluffton Bread Company
Students are gaining hand-on learning experiences with the Bluffton Bread Company. Triple Chocolate, Birthday Bread and Asiago Cheddar bread are available through Feb 28.
Sustain leadership
President Dr. Jane Wood was one of just 15 college presidents selected for The Council of Independent Colleges' Presidential Renewal Program.
Faculty recital
Featuring pieces by Mozart, Brahms, Debussy and Liszt, the solo piano recital will showcase Dr. Da Eun Choi's exquisite musicality and technical brilliance.
Social media
During the presentation, Dunn will highlight the increasingly dynamic relationship between social media and authenticity, along with the challenges and possibilities of this phenomenon for civic engagement.
Citizenship for COs
Following World War I, prospective US citizens were asked: "Are you willing to take up arms in defense of country?" The impact of this question on pacifists was discussed at Forum.
PAX presentation
The public is invited to watch two presentations of the World Friendship Center's Peace Ambassador Exchange (PAX) at The Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center.
Concert Band
Musical selections include original wind band compositions "Skydance," "Fuego del Alma," "Mountain Thyme," and "Junk Funk Shuffle" (you don't want to miss this one).
Not just an assignment
Students of Dr. Gerald Mast's Religious Communication class developed study notes to submit for possible inclusion in the Anabaptist Community Bible.
Student-run business
From developing and standardizing recipes to streamlining the online shopping cart, Bluffton University students are gaining hands-on learning experiences through the Bluffton Bread Company.
Full accreditation
Bluffton's nursing program has been granted the full five-year accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the nation's leading accrediting agency for nursing programs.
Cross-cultural
Immersed in new environments, participants experience diverse lifestyles, make new friendships and learn respect for other heritages all while meeting personal challenges that build character.
New wood-fired kiln
Behind Sauder Visual Art Center, there is a newly built wood-fired kiln constructed by ceramics students and T.R. Steiner, adjunct professor of art. Bricks used in the kiln were repurposed.
New MND program
Bluffton is now offering a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics graduate degree for students interested in becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Complete requirements for the RDN exam in 12 months.
And J Denny Beaver is....
Performers in the J Denny and Jenny Beaver suits will be revealed Jan. 28 following the men's basketball game. Multiple students, chosen by a competitive selection process, portray the couple.
Show up every day
Early circumstances did not deter future successes for Sharetta Smith, the mayor of Lima, Ohio. Smith spoke on her "Journey to Leadership" at the Presidential Leadership Forum.
Legacy coach retires
Men's Basketball Coach Guy Neal will retire at the end of his 34th season. The three-time conference Coach of the Year is the winningest coach in Bluffton men's basketball history.
Why me?
During the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Forum, retired police sergeant Clayton Moore addressed a question people often ask themselves in times of trial.
"Voices Together"
Gallery hours are 9 a.m-5 p.m. weekdays and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The reception will be at the Grace Albrecht Gallery in the Sauder Visual Art Center.
Pottery sale
Original pieces of pottery will be sold in Sauder Visual Arts Center Dec. 9-10. Profits from each sale will be given to the artist.
Hiding Jews
Inspired by the student production of "The Diary of Anne Frank," Dr. Martina Cucchiara will discuss "Hiding Jews in Nazi Germany" during a Friday Colloquium on Dec. 2.