Sophia (Leddy) Larson Describes Benefits of AU Writing & Research Community

...Like most people, I need external motivation in order to accomplish the hardest tasks. AURWC provided a platform for me to be accountable to a group of people who would give constructive criticism and encouragement so that I could achieve my goals. In the program, we meet once a week to discuss what went well, what we need help with, and to learn new skills to become more productive that we could apply in our calendars and daily lives. We also record time spent on our projects in a spreadsheet so that we can see our progress and to see what worked and on what days. FULL STORY

Mathemagics Coming to AU

Professor of mathematics and magician Dr. Arthur Benjamin has combined his two loves to create a dynamic presentation called “Mathemagics,” suitable for all audiences, where he demonstrates and explains his secrets for performing rapid mental calculations faster than a calculator. See him LIVE at Ashland University on Thurs., April 5 at 7 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre. Hosted by the Ashland University Honors Program, the event is free and open to the public. READ MORE

People's Choice Awards Announced

Repose & Wonderous are the 2018 Juried Student Art Exhibition People's Choice Award winners. Congratulations to Kiana Ziegler and Samantha Rhonemus. Visit the Coburn Gallery before April 8 to see the Juried Student Art Exhibition.

JDM's Gannon Wins 1st Place

Bree Gannon, junior digital media production major, was recognized by The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) in the 2017 Region 4 Mark of Excellence Awards. Gannon won a first place award in the category of small-school Sports Photography for her picture of the women’s basketball national championship game from March 2017. READ MORE

Hedrick's Article Published on WalletHub

Criminal Justice Professional Instructor and Field Experience Coordinator Marc Hedrick recently had an article published on WalletHub about the most sinful states in America which addresses the following questions: 

• What makes some states more sinful than others?
• Should sport betting be legalized across the U.S. by the federal government?
• What are the most efficient measures that federal and state authorities can utilize to curb the obesity epidemic and is something like the 'soda tax' a valid approach?
• How can federal authorities combat human trafficking and is legalizing prostitution a good idea?

READ THE ARTICLE

24-Hour Theatre Project: No Shoe Laces Allowed

Ashland University Theatre pulled off an incredible feat over the weekend. Senior Megan Harvey produced the 24-Hour Theatre Project which involved 30 Ashland University students who began working on Friday at 7:30 p.m. to create an original script then cast, design, build, rehearse and promote it for a public performance at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Here is a video of the 30-minute performance. VIEW MORE

JDM Students Travel to Sioux Falls for Elite Eight

JDM students traveled 900 miles to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to cover the Ashland University women’s basketball team in the NCAA Division II Women's Elite Eight tournament. Renee Borcas, Noah Cloonan, Bree Gannon, and Tyler Lance; along with Director of Operations John Skrada are doing a great job keeping us up-to-date along with the many who stayed on campus to keep the operations running. READ MORE

AU Senior Producing a Show in 24 Hours

The Department of Theatre presents The 24-Hour Theatre Project produced by senior multiple-disciplinary major Megan Harvey for her senior capstone. The performance will be held Saturday, Mar. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre. A limited number of tickets are available for this free performance which is open to the public. Patrons can secure their seat by calling the AU Box Office at 419.289.5125. FULL STORY

Senior Recital: Anna Rivero, soprano, Mar. 22

Ashland University Department of Music will present a senior recital with soprano Anna Rivero accompanied by pianist Deb Logan on Thursday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public. READ MORE

2018 Juried Student Art Exhibition Awards

• Rachael Santee, Best in Show
• Lauren Bayless, Bernini Award
• Ashley Montgomery, CAS Dean's Award
• Samantha Rhonemus, 3-D Award
• Keeleigh Myers, Printmaking Award
• Saige Haines, Digital Art & Photography Award
• Kiana Zeigler, Graphic Design Award
• Victoria Roddy, Painting Award
• Callie Roddy, Drawing Award
• Alex Roddy, Alumni "Wink" Award

READ MORE

2018 URCA Booklet Now Available Online

The 2018 Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCA) Symposium is quickly approaching on Wednesday, April 11 and the abstract booklet is now available to view online: ashlandurca.blogspot.com

Symposium Against Indifference Series Closes by Addressing Social Networks

Dr. Bree McEwan, Director of Communication and Technology at DePaul University, will present a program titled "Filtered through Networks: How social technologies facilitate relationships that change how we perceive information, data, and reality" on Wednesday, Mar. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Ashland University's Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium. FULL STORY

Annual Middle School Honors Band Concert, Mar. 18

In Celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, Ashland University Department of Music will host the annual Ashland County Middle School Honors Band on Sunday, March 18, at 4 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre. The Ashland University Concert Band will be the featured guest ensemble. Joseph Lewis Jr., Ashland University director of bands, will serve as conductor for both ensembles. Students representing Ashland City, Crestview, Hillsdale, Loudonville-Perrysville, and Mapleton Schools will be featured. READ MORE

Faculty/Students Launch Water Quality Monitoring Program

The Black Fork of the Mohican River and the Black Fork Wetlands have been receiving a monthly "check up" since July 2017. This month marks the first check-up in 2018, as water quality data continues to be collected, analyzed, and used to shape our understanding of local water health. Six current students are involved in Ashland University’s Water Quality (AUWQua) Monitoring Program: Natalie Kracker, Alexis Lough, Maria Kern, Shelby Reutter, Alexis Flagg, and Elizabeth Takacs. READ MORE

English Alumni Update: Seth Snow

By Dr. Russell Weaver

Seth Snow, an AU Integrated Language Arts alumnus, was hired by Alpha Omega Academy in Huntsville, Texas in the fall of 2016 after having taught for a number of years in Danville, Ohio. Alpha Omega Academy is a private charter school. Snow remembers fondly that one of the first questions they asked him after he was hired was whether he could teach a Jane Austen course. This was music to his ears, and the music has not stopped playing. FULL STORY

Jazz Vocalist Jane Monheit Headlines Maplerock

AU’s award-winning jazz program presents the 2018 Maplerock Jazz Festival slated for Friday, Mar. 16. Along with free performances by nine area high school jazz ensembles from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event presents a main stage concert at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre which features acclaimed Grammy-nominated vocalist Jane Monheit, Ashland High School alumnus Chip Stephens, piano; Rich Shanklin, saxophone; and Bob Bonora, drums. READ MORE

"I Come From" Film Viewable Online

If you were not able to attend the recent film screening of  Robby Henson's "I Come From" presented by the CAS Symposium Against Indifference: Building Bridges Through Dialogue, you can view the film at www.icomefrom.net and read about his visit as covered by Ashland Source at bit.ly/2FfHkd4.

"They realize that they're connected to the human race and it's not just about them. I think if you're coming from a really challenging background it's like, 'I'm struggling to survive and can only think about this.' Through the theater experience we're trying to say, 'You're connected to humanity.'" --Robby Henson

2018 Juried Student Art Exhibition Opens Mar. 15

The Ashland University Juried Student Art Exhibition opens on Thursday, Mar. 15, in the Coburn Gallery with a reception to be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This exhibition will offer $1000 in awards to student artists, including Best in Show, Bernini Award, Dean’s Award, People’s Choice Award and awards in each of the six art areas: painting, printmaking, 3-D arts, digital art & design, and drawing. The awards ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. READ MORE

The Case for Majoring in the Liberal Arts - Once Again

In "If You Want Your Child to Succeed, Don’t Sell Liberal Arts Short," Michael Zinn, a creative strategist at Digital Surgeons, makes the case for the liberal arts. Among other things, he quotes Albert Einstein to the effect that the "value of an education in a liberal arts college is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks.”

Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2018. p. A13 LINKED HERE

Alumni Spotlight: Lacy (Romine) Drake

By Lacy (Romine) Drake, class of 2010, Integrated Language Arts major

It wasn’t until much later in my life that I realized what a tremendous and special place Ashland was. The countless hours spent in the library and Bixler Hall classrooms, the realization that English classes were no longer memorizing vocabulary words and simply reading popular novels, but rather digging for deeper meanings and going out of my comfort zone to engage in some of the most difficult and demanding material I would ever face. The English Department at AU is special. The professors pushed me, challenged me, and prepared me for life as an English teacher. FULL  STORY