Huntington College Friends and Family,

It’s official! Huntington College has broken enrollment records for the seventh consecutive year. Our current headcount stands at a record 942, representing a 63% increase in the student body since 1993 when our current enrollment strategy was put in place. The undergraduate FTE total is 830, also a new record, and a figure very close to the goal of 850 established a decade ago. The new student total for 2000 includes 207 full-time freshmen, the third highest number ever. The total new student enrollment of 240 is also the third highest ever.

Retention figures are also very strong. Eighty-five percent of the 1999 freshman class returned as sophomores in 2000, the highest percentage on record. This has also created the largest sophomore class in Huntington College history with 187 members. Overall retention is also strong. This fall, 88% of eligible students returned to campus. This is the second highest percentage on record. The four-year graduation rate for the class entering Huntington College in 1996 was 54%, the highest percentage on record and 9% higher than the rate for the class of 1995. Hearty congratulations are due the entire enrollment management team!

Music and art are among many high quality programs available Huntington College. During Homecoming weekend, October 6-8, the spotlight was on the talent of music department faculty and art department alumni.

This year's Homecoming Faculty Showcase was a concert of vocal and instrumental classics. Among the performers were voice professor, Jodi Karem-Brennan, an actively performing opera artist who has appeared with regional opera companies throughout the United States and has just returned from a summer artist program with Metropolitan Opera baritone, Sherrill Milnes in Greece. Jodi’s husband, classical guitarist, Michael Brennan, also performed. In addition to teaching theory, music appreciation, and guitar, he serves as faculty advisor to the newly organized traveling student Worship Ensemble.

Returning to their alma mater for the annual Alumni Art Exhibit were Dustina Bowman - 1999 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design; Tawnya Denison - 1995 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design; Steve DeSanto - 1974 Bachelor of Arts in Art; Rebekah Hubley - 1999 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design; Jennifer Lothian - 1995 Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art; John Myers - 1995 Bachelor of Science in Art Education; Lisa Ricker - 1996 Bachelor of Science in Art Education; Valerie Rigdon - 1993 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design; Diana Sowder - 1968 Bachelor of Arts in Art; John Walz - 1995 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design; Kyle Whaley - 1993 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design; Bart Willard - 1994 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design; and Heidi Wolfe - 1997 Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts. An artist’s reception was held on Saturday, October 7, with chamber music provided by Huntington College student pianists. The Alumni Art Exhibit continues in the gallery until October 27, 2000.

Many other events happening around the campus fill the remaining pages of this President’s Update. I trust you will enjoy reading about the exciting programs and people that make Huntington College an institution of academic distinction and spiritual vitality.

Sincerely,

Dr. Howard A. Whaley, Interim President

The chart below summarizes the number of prospective students who have applied and been accepted to Huntington College. The bars represent year-to-date comparisons over the past five years.

The Admissions Office and the Registrar’s Office have confirmed the fall 2000 enrollment numbers to be:

First-time freshmen - 207 (206 full-time, 1 part-time)

Transfers and Readmissions - 33

Total new students - 240

Undergraduate headcount - 863

Undergraduate FTE - 829

Huntington College hosted the sixth annual Fort Wayne Christian College Fair on Thursday, October 5. Approximately forty Christian colleges and universities from around the country were represented. Prospective students and their families had the opportunity to visit college displays, talk with admissions representatives and pick up important college planning materials. In addition, two financial aid workshops were provided. The fair was offered in conjunction with the 2000 North Central Christian College Fair program and was endorsed by the National Association of Christian College Admissions Personnel and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

President Blair Dowden has appointed the following individuals to serve on the Brenn Hall Renovation Committee: Mary Ruthi (chair), Tom Ayers, Dwight Brautigam, Kris Chafin, Paul Fetters, Jerry Gressley, Ann McPherren, Dave Rahn, and Ron Webb. The Committee is charged with investigating and developing a recommendation for the use of Brenn Hall by March 1, 2001. They will consider:

1) the changes that must be made to Brenn Hall for it to be a viable structure for the future; 2) the range of potential changes that could be made in Brenn Hall within the scope of available funding; 3) campus needs that could be addressed through the use of space in Brenn Hall; and 4) how Brenn Hall can be used in light of campus needs and the College’s strategic long-range plan.

The Education Department has been working closely with the Huntington County School Corporation on a pilot project that is helping achieve a long-term goal of getting HC elementary and secondary majors into the schools for more meaningful early field experiences. This fall, students in three college classes have the opportunity to experience "school life" on a more first-hand basis. Educational Psychology (Dr. Peace), Education of the Exceptional Child (Dr. Priddy) and Middle School Methods and Curriculum (Dr. Peace) are meeting on-site in local school buildings: Lincoln Elementary, Northwest Elementary, and Crestview Middle School. In addition to their regular class time, students in these classes are scheduled in these local schools for observation and participation in individual classrooms.

Doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and others participated in the Health Professionals Colloquium during Homecoming 2000. The event featured tabletop presentations by recent graduates now in medical school, a keynote address by Dr. Ron Baker, and a panel discussion on medical missions.

The music faculty of Huntington College presented the second annual Faculty Showcase Recital on Saturday, October 7. In addition to Jodi Karem-Brennan and Michael Brennan (see interim president’s letter on page 1), other performers included Dr. Patricia Spedden, director of theory and piano studies at Huntington College, and nationally known as a soloist and Chopin scholar; clarinet professor, John Gardner; music therapy professor, Terra Rowley; oboist, musicologist, and conductor Dr. Marlene Schleiffer; Dr. Janice Fulbright; music department chair and international operatic performer; church music professor and tenor Phil Burkett and his wife, Darlene Burkett, piano faculty and director of the Huntington College Handbell Choir; and newcomers to the Huntington College music faculty, Lucretia Fleury, coloratura soprano, and tubist and cellist, Robert Lynn.

Ms. Laura Edmunds from the Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehabilitation organization was the speaker on Thursday, September 21, at 7 p.m. at Thornhill Nature Preserve. Ms. Edmunds introduced the group to several types of owls, hawks, and other raptors. She helps nurse injured birds back to health and educates many people about the birds.

The Grand Rapids and Indianapolis regional campaigns are well underway. Volunteer committees in each of these areas are presenting the campaign to potential donors. In conjunction with the Grand Rapids regional campaign, a gathering of friends and alumni has been planned for November 9 at the Amway Grand Plaza. A date and site for the proposed November meeting in Indianapolis will be announced shortly. By the end of October, two more regional campaigns will be underway. These are Lansing and Huntington. The Advancement Office is in the process of formulating these committees and orientation meetings will be held before the end of the month.

The Advancement Office has acquired the services of The Development Center in Philadelphia, PA, to provide assistance in raising the remaining funds for The Campaign for Huntington College. Highly trained individuals from The Development Center will make telephone calls on behalf of Huntington College to individuals that the HC staff is unable to visit over the next several months. While the College staff would love to be able to personally contact all of our alumni and friends, the practical reality is that outside help is needed to make this personal contact possible.

We have raised $33,193,257.00 through September for the $37 million capital campaign. It appears we are closing in on our goal and that we may exceed the goal for some components of the campaign. However, there is still approximately $3 million to be raised for The Fund for Science and Technology. The advancement office staff and regional campaign volunteers desire the prayers of all HC friends and alumni as we work hard to achieve our goals.

Each year the Campus Ministries department chooses a verse of the year for entire Huntington College community. This year the VERSE OF THE YEAR is: "Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." Psalms 5:11

Student Senate also held a 24-hour retreat at the Oakwood Inn in Syracuse, IN. The newly elected Senate worked on goals for the 2000-01 academic year.

Seventy student leaders participated in a leadership retreat prior to the beginning of school at the FCA National Conference Center in Marshall, IN. The purpose of the retreat was team building and developing a vision for the campus.

Athletic Director, Lori Culler announced the Academic Excellence Award for the athletic team that amassed the highest team grade point average during the previous year. Following are the 1999-00 results:

1. Women's Track - 3.480 8. Women's Tennis - 3.097

2. Women's Cross Country - 3.462 9. Men's Track - 3.082

3. Women's Basketball - 3.348 10. Softball - 3.041

4. Volleyball - 3.311 11. Baseball - 2.995

5. Women's Soccer - 3.260 12. Men's Basketball - 2.912

6. Golf - 3.238 13. Men's Soccer - 2.876

7. Men's Tennis - 3.097 14. Men's Cross Country - 2.779

The men’s and women's cross-country teams competed in the Taylor University Cross Country Invitational on September 9. Our women's team had an exceptional day, finishing the event in first place with a team score of 51 points. Julie Lowe finished the event in 5^th place, followed closely by Danielle Vohs in 6th place.

The men's team did not fare quite as well in this event, finishing in 8th place out of 9 teams. However, HC did have the highest individual finisher in the event, with John Ngure winning the event in a time of 24.55--a full 27 seconds faster than the 2^nd place finisher.

The men's cross country team finished in 22nd place and the women’s team finished in 16^th place in the Griak Maroon Men's 8K in Minnesota on September 23. Danielle Vohs (40^th) and John Ngure (5^th) were the top runners for HC.

In the most recent NAIA Cross Country poll, our Foresters women's team continues to move up in the rankings. Our women's team is now ranked 14th nationally. The men's team has dropped out of the top 25 ranking, but is still receiving some votes. Nice job Foresters!

Both the men’s and women’s tennis team have had excellent seasons. Our Foresters women's tennis team became the sole owner of the record for wins in a fall season with their victory over a very strong Manchester College tennis team. Brooke Owens and Beth Zilligen played outstanding singles matches to win over their opponent 6-0, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-0 respectively. The women's team then captured their share of a mixed-doubles match with Manchester College, sweeping this contest 6-0. The men's tennis team improved to 11-1 on the season with their 9-0 win over Manchester College. The regular #3 doubles team of Michael Christner and Brandon Ecker were put to the test in this match as they were paired against Manchester's #1 doubles team. Christner and Ecker met the challenge, winning their match 8-3. Bryan McDaniel played his best tennis of the season, winning 6-0, 6-0.

The men's tennis team won 6 of the final 7 championships matches to capture the MCC Conference Tournament Championship, defeating Taylor University 22 to 19. HC won at #1 singles (Jacob Miles), #2 singles (David Taylor), #3 singles (Matt Taylor), #4 singles (Ben Eggleston), #1 doubles (Miles/M. Taylor), and #2 doubles (D. Taylor/Bryan McDaniel). For the women’s team, Lindsey Weber captured the #6 singles fight to give HC a third place tie with Goshen College in the MCC Conference Tournament Championship. IWU won the event, with Bethel placing 2nd.

The men's soccer team collected a 3-2 win over Bluffton College. Trailing 2-1 at the midway point, our Foresters rallied in the 2^nd period by goals from Tim Caldwell and Aaron Norris. Norris hit the game winning goal.

The men's soccer team collected a huge win on Thursday, September 21 against conference opponent Indiana Wesleyan University. The final score was 3-2, with Tim Caldwell collecting the game-winning goal on an assist from Eric Strom. Caldwell had two goals in this game and teammate Josh Whipple collected a goal.

The womens’ team defeated Goshen College. Two scores by Annie Zeller and a score by Kara Shoemaker were all HC needed to win their first conference match of the season. The final score was 3-1.

Against Marian, the men’s and women’s soccer teams played to a 1-1 tie in regulation, but lost the match in the overtime period. Eric Strom and Kara Shoemaker collected the lone goals for the HC teams.

In game #8 of the season, the men's team played Moody Bible Institute. This was a very close contest, with the score after two extra periods and regulation play ending in a 1-1 tie. In the ninth match of the season, the men’s team fell to conference foe St. Francis University, with their final score being 3-0. HC falls to 2-7-1 on the season, 1-3 n the MCC.

In the eight match of the season, our Foresters women's soccer team was defeated 4-0 by St. Francis University. The Foresters are 2-6 overall, 1-3 in the MCC.

Our Foresters volleyball team lost a hard fought five game match on September 13 to Manchester College. HC won the first game of the contest 16-14. Manchester College rallied to win the second game 15-12. Our Foresters returned on top in this seesaw affair, winning game three 15-8, but lost the final two games 15-5 and 15-12. Jennifer Bechtel collected 39 assists; Crissy Collins led the team in kills with 16.

The volleyball team participated in a tri-match on September 16. Our Foresters defeated Spring Arbor College in the first match in three straight games. Maria McCabe led the team in kills with 10. Nikki Festin collected two serving aces. In the second game, this match against Cornerstone, the team jumped out to a first game win (15-12), then lost three straight games. Maria McCabe again led HC in kills, with 10. Bethany Woelfer collected three serving aces.

Our Foresters split in a tri-match with Bethel College and Trinity International. In match one, against Bethel College, our Foresters, led by the 13 kills from Crissy Collins, fell in four games. Bethany Woelfer and Lisa Landes each had two service aces. In match two, against Trinity International, HC rebounded to win in four games. Maria McCabe and Crissy Collins each collected 12 kills.

Our Foresters fell to 3-9 on the season with their recent loss to Indiana Wesleyan University.

Homecoming 2000 was held on October 5-8. Our first Homecoming of the new century featured some new events, including an alumni art exhibition, guided tours of Thornhill Nature Preserve, and a high-tech virtual reality tour of our new science building, now under construction. Traditional events included the Friday night concert (this year by acclaimed artist Fernando Ortega), class reunions, sports events, faculty recital, Davis Hall Follies, and an ice cream social.

October 2-27. Huntington College Alumni Art Exhibit. An invitational exhibit of work by Art Department graduates.

Friday, October 13, 8 p.m. The United States Air Force Hoffman Prairie Woodwind Quintet, presented by the Huntington College Department of Music in Longaker Recital Hall. Admission is free; donations are welcomed.

Thursday, October 19, 8 p.m. The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Freimann Concert, presented by the Huntington College Community Arts Program. Admission: $8

Monday, October 23, 8 p.m. 15th Annual Church Music Concert, at First Presbyterian Church, 50 E. Tipton St., Huntington, Indiana. "The Red-Haired Priest" highlights works of Antonio Vivaldi and features performances by Huntington faculty Hiromi Ito, concertmaster of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, and Michael Brennan, regionally acclaimed classical guitarist, with the HC Orchestra and Concert Choir. Admission: $10, Students/Seniors $5.

November 1-29. Allegories of Hope sculpture exhibit by Lon Kaufmann. Artist reception Saturday, November 11, 6-8 p.m. in the Robert E. Wilson Gallery. Chamber music provided by HC faculty trio, "Eleganza."

Saturday, November 4, 10 a.m. 10th Annual Family Weekend Lobby Concert presented by the Huntington College Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, Women's' Chorale and Handbell Choir. A program of light and humorous repertoire for the entire family. Admission is free.

November 2-4 and 9-11, 8 p.m. Beau Jest, a comedy about the entire family, directed by new faculty member, Paula Trimpey, in the Studio Theatre.

Tuesday, November 21, 8 p.m. Autumn Longaker Recital. A showcase of HC students’ talent and professionalism. Admission: $10, Students/Seniors $5.

December 1 - 25

• Art Department's Annual Art Exhibit and Sale, Friday, December 1, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• The Celebration Concert on December 1 at 8 p.m. will feature the HC Wind and Brass Ensembles, Handbell Choir, Concert Choir, Women's Chorale, oral interpretation students from the Communications Department, and The Huntington County Children’s Choirs. Admission: $10, Students/Seniors $5
• Sunday, December 3, with the performance of Handel's Messiah at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 903 North Jefferson Street, featuring the HC Orchestra, Concert Choir and Community Chorus with guest soloists.
• The Fall Senior Art Exhibit, featuring work by talented Huntington College seniors, opens December 4 and continues through December 21 in the Robert E. Wilson Gallery.
• The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual Holiday Pops Concert on Sunday, December 10 at 2:30 p.m. Admission: $14, $12, $10.
• Huntington College Theatre presents The Second Shepherd’s Play, directed by Dr. Don Rainbow, plays at the Studio Theatre, December 13-16 at 8 p.m.