Carpe Diem

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the end-of-the-year communications department banquet. Professor Melissa Friesen assured me that the students would be interested in knowing how I ended up working in PR at Bluffton University, and why have I stayed here for 20+ years.

Not sure what the students gained from my walk down memory lane, but it was interesting for me to acknowledge the closed doors, opened windows, seized and missed opportunities that brought me to this place.

When I graduated from Bluffton in 1986, I did not aspire to be a web communication manager who works with social media. That job description did not – obviously – even exist. I suspect that many Bluffton alumni can relate. Thank goodness for our liberal arts education that gave us a wide base of knowledge and preparation for life.

I’m so thankful for the opportunities offered through the Learn and Earn program. My campus job working as a writer for the communications office (a.k.a. public relations) provided a bridge between academic and professional. More than just padding the resume, my time as editor for The Witmarsum student newspaper and as a Bluffton News intern provided leadership and networking opportunities.

Bluffton students continue to embrace these opportunities. Seniors were invited to tell about their internship experiences. One communication student interned at WTLW Lima Christian television gaining experience in filming and editing. Another received a broad experience at Findlay Publishing Company, working for a time in radio, print and promotions, even providing voice for commercials “when they needed a 10-year-old girl.” Not an internship, but another student worked in the fall with the WTLW sports crew.

These are such wonderful experiences to mesh real-world knowledge with academic learning to support the relatively new broadcast and journalism major offered through the communication department.

It’s something for us all to remember, regardless of whether we’re starting our career or nearing the end, always embrace opportunities offered by the open windows.

Leaving Bluffton a better place

I remember meeting Jim Satterwhite, professor of history, for the first time. I was a reporter for the Courier at the time, sent to interview him for a story. His office had books piled floor to ceiling, making it seem more like a book-lined corridor with a paper-covered desk at one end, than an office.

I don’t recall as vividly meeting Willis Sommer, vice president for fiscal affairs, for the first time. I’m sure it was in class, as he taught accounting at the time and I started out as a business major.

Both Jim and Willis are officially retiring this year.

Jim was granted emeritus status at the 2010 Academic Awards Forum. He had taught at Bluffton from 1984 until health issues led him out of the classroom a few years back. His strength of putting his words into actions, such as spending his summers serving as a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron, Poland and other locations, endeared him to many.

The first annual Jim Satterwhite Award in Peace Scholarship and Activism was presented in 2009 by the Peace and Conflict Studies program to a graduating senior with a demonstrated commitment to peace scholarship and peace activism. (Kristen Shelly is the 2010 recipient.)

Willis joined the faculty in 1979. It’s been interesting getting to know Willis outside of the classroom - the “woohoo” when he announces a positive year-end balance; the random all-campus email drawing our attention to a beautiful tree in full bloom or an update to a construction or renovation project; the care and deliberateness he puts into financial decisions which he knows will effect fellow faculty and staff across campus.

In recent years, Willis has overseen many construction and renovation projects. In a piece written for the internal Community Connection newsletter, he reflected on the various projects:

“When I am involved in new construction projects, I often personally rank them in relation to past projects. Since the three planned projects will be my last I offer the following list as project highlights during my tenure.

Most campus changing project-Centennial Hall: I still remember the excitement of moving faculty into their offices in July 2000. Can anyone now imagine our academic program without this building?

Most useful short-term project-North Complex: For four years, 1996-2000, this modular building provided four large classrooms and offices for EBA faculty and BCOMP staff.

Better than anticipated project-2003 Marbeck Addition and renovation of the former Barn area: I generally can visualize the final result when the first sketch is made, but not with the addition. The result was far nicer than I imagined.

Most meaningful project-Baseball memorial and field enhancements: I found it very meaningful to be part of the planning process for the memorial and to draw the first sketch for the baseball field improvements.

Most beneficial renovation-College Hall disability access addition: Besides providing accessibility, the addition will make College Hall more inviting and aesthetically pleasing.”

Willis will be recognized during a "Celebration of Service" banquet on May Day.

Willis and Jim, we are grateful for your steady and calm demeanors, for your laughter and for your undeniable positive influence on Bluffton University.

Are you ready for some Beaver football?

The home opener is Saturday, Sept. 5. Consider this your personal invitation to be part of the excitement of 2009 Bluffton football! There will be a picnic, give-aways at the gate, the Beaver Dam. We’re hoping to pack the stands and cheer the Beavers on to victory.

OK, we all know the Beavers’ football team has struggled in the past.

So why should this year be any different for Bluffton football, coming off of two years with identical 1-9 records? Last year was a transition year as first-year Head Coach Tyson Veidt worked to shape this team. It sounds cliché, but he is a very intense individual. If his players pick up just a fraction of his intensity, you should be able to hear the shoulder pads popping as our “boys” take it to the house. (Watch the Bluffton football video.)

Remember the Beaver Dam student fan section? It’s coming back this year. So there will be a renewed energy coming from the stands. And there is something else new this year that will add a whole new dimension to Bluffton football, a whole new excitement to the team. I can’t tell you what it is yet, but trust me, it’s BIG!

So make plans now to join us for the home opener vs. Alma on Game Day @ Bluffton. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5. Or come early and join us for a picnic lunch under the tent at the stadium. Cost for the picnic is $6.

Go Beavers!

Down time on campus?

Many people have the misconception that all work ceases on college campuses during the summer. Ah contraire.

While it is true that there are significantly fewer Bluffton students and faculty around during the summer, there is still much activity on campus and with our students, alumni and faculty.

Here is just a sampling of activities from Bluffton this summer.

Summer dreaming/MIR
While many students head home to summer jobs and internships, several students are exploring their vocation through Summer Dreaming Grants, Ministry Inquiry Program or Pathways to Ministry scholarship program.

Research Center grants
Three faculty members received grants to support summer projects that are scholarly or creative in nature through the Bluffton University Research Center. They will report on their research in Friday Colloquium presentations this academic year.

Mathematics education workshops
Each year Duane Bollenbacher, mathematics, hosts a series of three-day workshops for middle school and high school math teachers. Each workshop can be taken for 20 contact hours, LPDC credit or one semester hour graduate workshop credit.

Marpeck conference
More than 75 Anabaptist scholars from around the world gathered at Bluffton for the Anabaptist Convictions after Marpeck Conference in June. (Yes, Marpeck. It’s not a typo.)

Conference center

Bluffton’s campus becomes a conference center during the summer months. More than 7,000 guests will visit campus this summer for various events including

• band camps for 11 high school marching bands (including the Willard H.S. band that has been on campus every summer since 1975)
• high school basketball, volleyball and soccer day camps
• a wedding on the Intramural Field and a wedding reception in Marbeck Center
• pre-Mennonite Church USA convention lodging for six youth groups representing Kansas, Oregon and Pennsylvania
• Catholic youth gathering from the Toledo Diocese, an annual event on campus dating from 1971
• events such as the American Cancer Society Bluffton Relay for Life, the Lyons Club Festival of Wheels and the Bluffton/Pandora Rotary Freedom Fest celebration

Alumni events
Good times were had by all at two annual alumni summer events, the Young Alumni Ultimate Frisbee event in June and the Alumni and Friends Golf Scramble in July. In addition, this year more than 100 alumni gathered for a reunion at the Mennonite Church USA conference held in Columbus, Ohio.

Your turn. How have you been keeping busy this summer thus far?

How do you serve?

For 110 years, Bluffton University has offered a high-quality education based on the enduring values of Discovery, Community, Respect and Service.

In the summer 2009 Bluffton magazine, five alumni shared how they live out the value of service. (Bluffton magazine )

Now it is your turn. We want to know how Bluffton alumni are serving the world. No act of service is too big or too small. We’d love to hear from you.