Huntington University is a Christian liberal arts college in Indiana

2011-2012 activities

ALPHA CHI/PRESIDENT'S COLLOQUIUM, September 21, 2011
Alpha Chi put on a panel discussion as part of a dinner/panel for the President's Colloquium at President and Mrs. Dowden's home. Topic: academics, Alpha Chi, and contributing to the intellectual climate of Huntington University.

2011 AX INDUCTION CONVOCATION, 11:00 am, October 7, 2011
The induction of 19 new members into Alpha Chi was held on October 7, 2011 as part of homecoming festivities. For pictures and a news release, click here. The induction Convocation will followed by a luncheon for AX members and parents of the the new inductees hosted by the Alumni Office and the Academic Dean's Office. President Dowden addressed the luncheon.

INDIANA BETA CHAPTER SHOWN IN PHOTO, MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES IN AX NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED October 17, 2011.
A picture of the Indiana Beta Chapter at the 2011 AX National Convention in San Diego was published in the issue of the AX NEWSLETTER that appeared October 17. HU associate sponsor, Dr. Ann McPherren, was recognized at the convention for 25 years of service. Also mentioned was that Huntington University was again named as a Star Chapter for 2011, one of four chapters to gain this award every year since its inception. The newsletter may be found here. 

ALPHA CHI GRADUATE SCHOOL FORUM, NOVEMBER 15, 2011.
A Graduate School Forum was held on Tuesday, November 15, featuring Ms. Martha Smith, Dr. Matthew Wright, and Mr. Jameel Brenneman.  Ms. Smith discussed further modifications in the GRE, typical deadlines for signing up for GRE exams and for applying to graduate schools.  Dr. Wright spoke on his experiences as a graduate student, ranging from how he made his choice of Penn to financial support issues.  Mr. Brenneman recounted his experience in taking the GRE recently.  A jolly time was had by all.

INDIANA BETA SCORES AGAIN IN THE FALL 2011 AX NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED December 1, 2011.
Huntington University continues to rule the AX Newsletter, with pictures of Luke Brenneman as a scholarship winner (p. 3) and Dr. M installing a chapter in Kentucky (p. 4B), mention that our Jared Grandlienard was a fellowship runnerup (p. 2; he just missed getting the fellowship), three mentions of our chapter activities, including a "spotlight" on our "Are You Smarter Than a College Student" forum (p. 4), and a note on our national convention poster display (p. 4B).  The newsletter may be found here. 

2011-2012 PROGRAMS
We will be organizing a number of programs this year, as part of our requirements to achieve another Star Chapter award and keep our streak going. Ms. Andrew Frederick is program chair. So far we have Katie Eder and Megan Verhasselt working with him; a couple more volunteers are needed.

2011-2012 SERVICE PROJECT
The National AX service project is once again Literacy. We will be raising funds to buy books to take to Baltimore for the project.

Are you smarter than a college student?March 1, 2012: ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A COLLEGE STUDENT?
Inspired by the popular game show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader", this annual fun event pitted four students (Ms. Abbey Wise, Ms. Joelle Kriebel, Mr. Jon Brenneman, and Mr. Preston Hoobler) against a wile faculty team (Dr. Jonathan Bratt, Dr. Susie Burson, Dr. Carrie Lloyd, and Prof. Jim O'Donnell) in a trivia battle. The game consisted of four rounds with increasing point values from each round, featuring questions from a variety of college subjects, including Philosophy, Physical Education, Literature, Science, Math, and History, among others. In addition, each round was capped off by a question about pop culture.

While proving hilarious fun for the spectators, this event also provided a collection point for our book drive. Attendees were asked to bring books to donate which were then sold and the money used toward AX's annual literacy project. Student Senate was a co-sponsor. (And, the answer was: No, the professors were not smarter than the college students.)

2012 AX SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITIONS
The Indiana Beta Chapter has nominated Ms. Sarah Johnson and Ms. Nicole Schanke for the National Alpha Chi scholarship/fellowship program. (We won one last year and had a runner-up!) We will have six people presenting papers and competing for Region V awards at the Super-Regional in Baltimore: Mr. Daniel Binkoski, Mr. Luke Brenneman, Mr. Anthony Frederick, Mr. Robert Hindy, Ms. Sarah Johnson, and Ms. Nicole Schanke. Mr. Jonathan Brenneman will also be presenting a paper.

Alpha Chi Convention 2012HUNTINGTON CAPTURES NUMEROUS AWARDS AT 2012 ALPHA CHI CONVENTION
The Indiana Beta chapter sent a delegation of nine students and three faculty to the 2012 Baltimore Super-Regional Convention of Alpha Chi in Baltimore, Maryland, March 22-24, where they joined 400 others for Alpha Chi's annual presentation of student scholarship and sharing of ideas and activities. Seven students presented papers, including following:
—Mr. Daniel Binkoski, "Hybrid Organizations"
—Mr. Jonathan Brenneman, "Increase Mather: Or how I Learned to Destroy an Entire Indigenous Population in the Name of God"
—Mr. Luke Brenneman, "Professor-Student Interactions and Student Participation: Comparing Effects of Body Language and Sex on Classroom Participation"
—Mr. Anthony Frederick, "The Boy and The Sunflower"
—Mr. Robert Hindy, "Amdahl's Law and Virtual Machines: How Changes in Allocated CPU Time and RAM Affect Performance"
—Ms. Sarah Johnson, "Prophetic Heroism in A Lesson Before Dying"
—Ms. Nicole Schanke, "Effects of Chemical and Physical Environmental Conditions on Synechococcus Abundance in the San Juan Archipelago"

Two other students, Ms. Joelle Kriebel and Ms. Abbey Wise, did a chapter activities poster presentation at the convention, one of 16 chapters asked to do so. The delegation was accompanied by sponsors Dr. Norris Friesen, Dr. Paul Michelson, and Mrs. Jean Michelson.

Chapter members were very successful in Alpha Chi scholarship competitions and came home with another boatload of prizes. Ms. Johnson won a National Benedict Fellowship; she is Huntington's 12th national winner and 7th since 2004. Ms. Schanke won the Region V Graduate Fellowship and Mr. Frederick won the Region V Undergraduate Scholarship; these were our 5th and 6th regional awards since 2008. And Mr. Luke Brenneman won a Presentation Prize for the excellence of his paper.

The Indiana Beta chapter was named a 2012 Star chapter at the convention. This is the 17th year straight year it has won the award since its inception. Only three other chapters out of Alpha Chi's 300+ have equalled this. As a result, the chapter was nominated by Region V as one of its candidates for the 2013 Alpha Chi President's Cup. In addition, Dr. Michelson gave a mini-lecture at the convention banquet which marked the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner"; the chapter contributed 103 books to the literacy program "Reading is Fundamental" as part of Alpha Chi's national service project; several members of the delegation participated in a chapter leadership conference: and Dr and Mrs Michelson were prize judges.

For pictures related to the convention trip, see Sarah Johnson's "Good Morning, Baltimore!" at www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3544730942237&set=a.3544722622029.166038.1391414276&type=3&theater and her pictorial history of HU at the AX Baltimore Convention at www.huntingtonian.com/?p=14924.

FORESTER NIGHT, Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Seniors will be presented their medallions and certificates, and the Outstanding Scholar Award will be announced.

PRESIDENT'S RECEPTION, Sunday, May 6, 2012
The annual President's Reception will be hosted by President and Mrs. Dowden at the President's Home. Graduating seniors will be recognized.