Campus News - Bluffton University

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.

As the Civic Engagement lecturer, Prothro draws from communication and media scholarship to sketch our media ecosystem and to suggest practices of engagement that foster connection rather than amplify polarization.

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."

Destinations include Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands, Glasgow, Belfast, Galway and Dublin!

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.

Georgia Metz will also speak during Chapel at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 23 in Ramseyer Auditorium.

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.

Lead President's Ambassadors for 2023-24

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.

Baumgartner will use artwork, photographs and drone footage to display his inspirational travels of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain.

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.

The award-winning, New York Times bestselling author will get detailed and personal about the challenge she faced while pursuing her dream of becoming a novelist.

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.

The artists will be available to discuss their work during a reception from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, March 19, in the Sauder Visual Arts Center.

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.

Tickets are available now for performances on March 30, 31 and April 1.

'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.

“We’re not putting on rose colored glasses or airbrushing out the warts of this history in this class. We’re remembering the past as it was and there are lessons out there for us,” said Perry Bush

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.

“My favorite thing about the trip was being able to learn the Greek language in a classroom setting and then using it out on the street right away.”

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.

Former female student athletes gathered in 2022 for a reunion with Coach Kim Fischer.

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.

Triple Chocolate Bread will be available through Feb. 28.

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.

Dr. Jane Wood selected for year-long Presidential Renewal Program.

Sustain leadership

President Dr. Jane Wood was one of just 15 college presidents selected for The Council of Independent Colleges' Presidential Renewal Program.

A native of South Korea, Choi began piano lessons at the age of 4 and gave her debut, public, solo recital at the age of 15.

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.

. Forum at Bluffton University provides a public space for interdisciplinary discovery about the personal, local and global challenges faced by students, faculty, staff and the Bluffton community.

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.

Dr. Duane Stoltzfus, professor of communication at Goshen College, told stories of three conscientious objectors seeking US citizenship.

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.

Arrangements of “Set Me As A Seal,” “Wayfaring Stranger,” and “Fanfare for the Common Man” are added to this diverse program with something for everyone.

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).

Biblical study notes developed by Dr. Gerald Mast's Religious Communication class will be submitted for publication.

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.

Bluffton Bread Company student advisory board members.

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.

Students are prepared to successfully enter the workforce or pursue graduate nursing education after completion of their BSN.

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.

Students will share about their semesters in Greece, Guatemala and Washington, D.C.

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.

A clinical educator schedules all supervised experiential learning experiences, including at the Blanchard Valley Hospital.

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.

Consider this your invitation to The Big Reveal of the 2022-23 J Denny and Jenny performers.

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.

Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith gave three pieces of advice: no one is successful on their own, be a person of character and keep showing up.

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.

A celebration of Coach Guy Neal's accomplishments will be held following the men's basketball game on Feb. 4.

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.

Clayton Moore described his experiences as the first black police officer in Fostoria, Ohio, and his fight against racial discrimination within the department.

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.

Dr. Martina Cucchiara will discuss the experiences of Jews hiding in Occupied Europe during the Holocaust.

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.