Andrews University Agenda http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/ News and Events at Andrews University en-us Copyright 2024, Andrews University Tue, 26 Nov 2024 14:37:00 +0000 Tue, 26 Nov 2024 14:37:00 +0000 webmaster@andrews.edu webmaster@andrews.edu Greg Constantine Art Exhibition http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/47122 <p> Greg Constantine exhibition of 14 drawings and the cover painting from his book &ldquo;Jesus of New York&rdquo; subtitled &ldquo;Premonitions of a New York Teenager.&rdquo; The book&rsquo;s 50 drawings and the paraphrases of Gospel texts were created for his students so they could better identify with a 19 year-old Jesus in the present day New York City. The exhibit opening reception for the public will be on Wednesday, September 6 from 6 to 8 pm in The ART Gallery located in Harrigan Hall (top floor). The dates for the exhibit are Sept 6 to 28.</p> Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:31:24 +0000 SciFest & ArtFest 2017: Cells & Building Blocks http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/46662 <p> Andrews University invites high school juniors and seniors, or any other high school students showing an interest in STEM or the arts, to attend the fifth annual SciFest &amp; ArtFest weekend on their main campus in Berrien Springs, Michigan. This experiential, educational event will take place September 21&ndash;23, 2017.</p> <p> SciFest &amp; ArtFest are opportunities for budding scientists and artists to explore their passions hands-on in a fun, exciting and educational environment. Participants are encouraged to stay on campus to get the full college experience during the event, and all meals are covered by the registration package fee.</p> <p> The theme for this year&rsquo;s SciFest is &ldquo;Cells.&rdquo; During SciFest, young scientists rotate through the seven STEM departments at Andrews: Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry &amp; Biochemistry, Engineering &amp; Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics. Each station will present a challenging task for each five-student team.</p> <p> &ldquo;The goal of SciFest is to provide an environment that fosters exploration of the various elements of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and understanding of their interdependence and interrelation,&rdquo; says Margarita Mattingly, chair of the Department of Physics. &ldquo;We want students to express their love of science in unity with other students and teachers who share that passion, and to give them the stepping stones and motivation to pursue further education in STEM.&rdquo;</p> <p> The theme for this year&rsquo;s ArtFest is &ldquo;Building Blocks.&rdquo; ArtFest provides a fun-filled weekend exploring photography, ceramics, graphic design, documentary film, drawing and broadcast media. It culminates in a gallery exhibition of the finished work, allowing students to experience having their art celebrated and displayed in a professional way.</p> <p> &ldquo;The purpose of ArtFest is for students and faculty together to explore how the various elements of visual art, communication and design are interrelated and valuable in today&rsquo;s fast-paced, creative world,&rdquo; explains Paul Kim, chair of the Department of Visual Art, Communication &amp; Design. &ldquo;We aim to present a unifying event focused on artistic expression with students and teachers from all over the country, and encourage attendees who excel in the arts to pursue further education in the creative fields.&rdquo;</p> <p> All ArtFest attendees are eligible for a $2,000/year scholarship, should they choose to join the Andrews University Department of Visual Art, Communication &amp; Design as first-time freshmen.</p> <p> The weekend will also include a faculty/student STEM show, downtime in the University&rsquo;s recreation center, a tour of campus, joint dinners and meet-n-greets with current STEM and arts students and faculty, and worship opportunities.</p> <p> Schools interested in bringing a team to SciFest or ArtFest can find details at <a href="http://andrews.edu/scifest">andrews.edu/scifest</a> or <a href="http://andrews.edu/artfest">andrews.edu/artfest</a>. Early registration deadline for a 10% discount is August 19. Homeschool students are encouraged to attend; individuals can register and be matched with an attending team. Each team is required to be accompanied by a school-provided supervisor; preferably a teacher from an applicable field (STEM or arts) or a yearbook sponsor (for ArtFest).&nbsp;</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <h3> Related Links</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/cas/stem/">STEM at Andrews</a></li> <li> <a href="http://andrews.edu/scifest">Details about SciFest</a></li> <li> <a href="http://andrews.edu/artfest">Details about ArtFest</a></li> </ul> Thu, 03 Aug 2017 11:35:26 +0000 Student Film Explores Sisterhood http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/45632 <p> <em>Nina Vallado uses film to delve into the story of her relationship with her nonverbal sister Lisa, hoping Sisterly will increase understanding of people on the autism spectrum.</em></p> <p> <strong>Question: You hosted your first screening of your documentary film Sisterly on the Andrews University campus last week. How did it go?</strong></p> <p> Answer: The first screening was a tremendous success. I couldn&rsquo;t have imagined a better outcome. I had my family, my friends from all parts of the country, my professors, classmates, kids I babysit, and students of Andrews I have never even met all there.</p> <p> It was an important night for me, but also I think it was important to Lisa. It showed how many people find this story important and how many people admire her.</p> <p> &lt;&lt;&lt; Read the full interview in <a href="http://spectrummagazine.org/article/2017/04/25/new-film-andrews-student-explores-sisterhood">Spectrum</a> &gt;&gt;&gt;</p> Thu, 27 Apr 2017 15:16:27 +0000 The Power of Film http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/45624 <p> On April 6&ndash;8, Loma Linda University hosted the annual <a href="http://www.sonscreen.com/">SonScreen Film Festival</a>&mdash;a student film competition sponsored by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Of the 44 total films that were entered into the festival, four were produced by Andrews University groups, two of which won awards.</p> <p> <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/agenda/45477">&ldquo;The Hugs Project,&rdquo;</a> produced by Stephen Allcock, Jeriah Richardson and Maxine Murray, won Best Documentary Short. Denae Keizs, Madai Villa, Heidi Ramirez and Kiana Gurley&rsquo;s documentary &ldquo;Foreign Native&rdquo; gained an honorable mention in this category, and also won the Audience Choice Award. According to Paul Kim, associate professor of documentary film at Andrews University, this is the most important award at the festival.</p> <p> Two additional projects from Andrews University that were screened during the event, but did not win awards, were &ldquo;Papi&rdquo; by Nina Vallado and &ldquo;Jackie: The Transformation Project&rdquo; by University Health &amp; Wellness.&nbsp;(The latter was screened as a professional film, not a student film, and was therefore ineligible for the competition.)</p> <p> Aside from film screenings and award ceremonies, SonScreen also featured guest speakers including Bill Mechanic, producer of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacksaw_Ridge">&ldquo;Hacksaw Ridge,&rdquo; </a>and Terry Benedict, director of the Desmond Doss documentary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conscientious_Objector">&ldquo;The Conscientious Objector.&rdquo;</a></p> <p> &ldquo;SonScreen was a really great opportunity to see what other Christian schools were doing in film, and to network with fellow creatives,&rdquo; states Allcock. &ldquo;It was also absolutely fantastic to have such support from the Adventist church for filmmakers and creatives.&rdquo;</p> <p> Allcock recalls the experience of not only observing an audience experience their film for the first time, but also of being given an award for their work.</p> <p> &ldquo;I couldn't be happier about the award,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It was an amazing and challenging process for the whole film team, and to get such a fantastic reaction from the crowd as we witnessed them respond to the emotional rollercoaster of the story was amazing. To me, that was more satisfying than winning the award itself. That being said, it was a good feeling knowing people got as caught up in the story and characters of our documentary as we did. The award itself stands as a testament to the power of film to connect people and share stories.&rdquo;</p> <p> For more information about the documentary film program at Andrews University, visit the <a href="http://www.auvad.com/">Department of Visual Art, Communication &amp; Design website</a>, email <a href="mailto:paulkim@andrews.edu?subject=Documentary%20Film%20at%20Andrews">paulkim@andrews.edu</a> or call 269-471-6314.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <h3> Related Links</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="https://vimeo.com/148007971">Trailer for &quot;The Hugs Project&quot;</a></li> <li> <a href="http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/45477">Sarah's Story of &quot;The Hugs Project&quot;</a></li> <li> <a href="https://vimeo.com/194252013">Watch &quot;Foreign Native&quot;</a></li> <li> <a href="https://vimeo.com/164522718">Watch &quot;Papi&quot;</a></li> <li> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTeImTizg1E&amp;feature=youtu.be">Trailer for &quot;Jackie: The Transformation Project&quot;</a></li> <li> <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/undergrad/academics/programs/documentaryfilm/">Documentary Film at Andrews University</a></li> <li> <a href="http://www.auvad.com/">Department of Visual Art, Communication &amp; Design</a></li> </ul> Thu, 27 Apr 2017 10:34:59 +0000 200 Student & Professional Filmmakers at SonScreen http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/45557 <p> More than 200 student and professional filmmakers and guests attended the 2017 Sonscreen Film Festival held at Loma Linda University in California. The three-day festival, run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America (NAD), screened 39 official selections from student filmmakers. The event culminated with a closing reception and awards ceremony, with 10 student films garnering awards.</p> <p> Four films from Andrews University were screened and two won awards.&nbsp;</p> <p> &lt;&lt;&lt; Read the full story at <a href="https://news.adventist.org/en/all-news/news/go/2017-04-17/200-student-and-professional-filmmakers-attend-sonscreen-film-festival/">adventist.org</a> &gt;&gt;&gt;</p> Wed, 19 Apr 2017 15:43:02 +0000 The Hugs Project http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/45477 <p> &ldquo;People say I&rsquo;m a good hugger. Hugs are one of the best ways to connect and show affection in general. You can throw yourself into a hug; embrace someone with your whole self and embrace their whole self.&rdquo;</p> <p> In fall 2015, Sarah Stelfox, senior liberal arts major, agreed to participate in an experiment for the purposes of a student-produced documentary called &ldquo;The Hugs Project.&rdquo; For 21 days Sarah was forbidden from hugging or touching anyone, including showing affection to her stuffed animals.</p> <p> &ldquo;I was heartbroken,&rdquo; she says quietly. &ldquo;It was very hard. There was a constant awareness that I wasn&rsquo;t allowed to be affectionate to anyone and that was hard on my heart.&rdquo;</p> <p> Sarah has always enjoyed hugs. She admits that she comes from a family of huggers, growing up showing affection to anyone and everyone through sincere, meaningful hugs. People got used to Sarah and Hugs being synonymous. And when she wasn&rsquo;t allowed to hug anyone, it wasn&rsquo;t just hard on her; it was hard on her friends.</p> <p> &ldquo;People were really upset with me,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;They were upset with the filmmakers for &lsquo;making&rsquo; me do it when I had clearly volunteered, and that made what I was doing that much harder.&rdquo;</p> <p> Perhaps the biggest challenge to this experiment was the minor identity crisis it sparked.</p> <p> &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know who I was anymore,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I liked being this person I suddenly couldn&rsquo;t be, and I didn&rsquo;t know who to be.&rdquo;</p> <p> Sarah envied the two other volunteers in the documentary; due to their disinterest in physical affection their challenges were to hug a certain number of people every day--one of them people he knew, another people he didn't. She recalls that her body physically hurt from the stress of being devoid of physical affection.</p> <p> &ldquo;I need to have someone touching me,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Someone to remind me that I&rsquo;m real. To acknowledge that what I&rsquo;m feeling is legitimate.&rdquo;</p> <p> At the midnight hour when the 21 days were finally over, Sarah found herself very alone. Her sister and her best friend were both away from campus, and she wasn't sure where to go or what to do. She spent a lot of time crying.</p> <p> &ldquo;They asked me how I was feeling and what was going through my head,&rdquo; she says of the documentary producers. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t know how I feel, but I <em>feel</em> again and this is good.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p> <p> This experiment has changed the way Sarah approaches relationships. She is more aware of how she physically interacts with others and she&rsquo;s now able to more fully articulate to others what she&rsquo;s feeling.</p> <p> &ldquo;I treasure hugs more,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re special. This whole project helped me gain an understanding of comfort level for myself and others. I approach others with a bit more caution and remind myself that not everyone feels the same way I do about hugs. I don&rsquo;t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.&rdquo;</p> <p> What did this experience teach her about God?</p> <p> &ldquo;He and I talked a lot,&rdquo; Sarah says intently. &ldquo;I used my imagination often because I had to remember what it was like to be fully embraced. Then I thought, if this is how a human hug feels, imagine being fully embraced by the creator of the universe. He does that. This realization was a beautiful moment. It sustained me.&rdquo;</p> <p> Last week, &ldquo;The Hugs Project&rdquo; won Best Documentary Short at <a href="http://www.sonscreen.com/">Sonscreen</a> in Loma Linda, California. The film was directed by Stephen Allcock, produced by Maxine Murray and Stephen Allcock and edited by Jeriah Richardson and Michael Young. Director of photography was Brian Tagalog. Two other Andrews University films were screened during the event; &quot;Foreign Native,&quot; a film by Denae Keisz, Madai Villa, Kiana Gurley and Heidi Ramirez which won Audience Choice Award, and &quot;Jackie: The Transformation Project,&quot; a documentary by University Health &amp; Wellness, the Department of Visual Art, Communication &amp; Design and Integrated Marketing &amp; Communication.<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"> <style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.0px Verdana} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} </style> </p> <h3 class="p1"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Relate</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">d Links</span></h3> <ul> <li> <a href="http://vimeo.com/148007971">Watch the trailer</a> for &quot;The Hugs Project&quot;</li> <li> <a href="http://www.sonscreen.com/">What is Sonscreen?</a></li> <li> <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/undergrad/academics/programs/documentaryfilm/">Documentary film at Andrews University</a></li> </ul> <p> <style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.0px Verdana} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} </style> </p> Tue, 18 Apr 2017 16:10:19 +0000 "Sisterly" A Reflection on Autism http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/45390 <p> On Sunday, April 16, a special documentary screening and a 5K event both contribute to the discussion on the important and relevant topic of autism.</p> <p> &ldquo;Sisterly,&rdquo; a documentary by Andrews University senior documentary film major Nina Vallado, will have its first public screening with free admission on Sunday, April 16, at 7 p.m. in Newbold Auditorium, Buller Hall.</p> <p> The film features Vallado and her younger sister, Lisa, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. It highlights and discusses their struggles and accomplishments as they seek to connect to one another despite Lisa&rsquo;s autism.</p> <p> Vallado has been working on &ldquo;Sisterly&rdquo; for three years now, describing it as a journey to &ldquo;rediscover&rdquo; her sister and &ldquo;look past the autism and find out who Lisa really is.&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Since Lisa was diagnosed with autism, we haven&rsquo;t been able to talk like normal sisters are supposed to,&rdquo; Vallado says. Throughout the film, Vallado documents her search for intimacy, connection and friendship with her sister.</p> <p> Following the film&rsquo;s premiere, Vallado will present a Q&amp;A.</p> <p> For more information about the documentary film program at Andrews University, email <a href="mailto:enroll@andrews.edu?subject=Documentary%20Film%20at%20Andrews">enroll@andrews.edu</a>.</p> <p> Additionally, the community is invited to participate in the Autism Speaks 5K Run co-hosted the same day by three student clubs and the Counseling &amp; Testing Center. Registration begins at 8 a.m.; the race starts at 9 a.m. Proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to Autism Speaks. Race registration is $10 for students and $15 for community members and can be&nbsp;<a href="https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/BerrienSprings/AndrewsAutismSpeaks5K">purchased online</a>.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <h3> Related Links</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="https://vimeo.com/210889429">Watch a trailer for &quot;Sisterly&quot;</a></li> <li> <a href="http://runsignup.com/Race/MI/BerrienSprings/AndrewsAutismSpeaks5K">Register for the 5K</a></li> <li> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism">What is autism?</a></li> <li> <a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/">About Autism Speaks</a></li> <li> <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/undergrad/academics/programs/documentaryfilm/">Documentary Film at Andrews University</a></li> <li> <a href="https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/students-with-autism/">Going to College with Asperger's &amp; Autism</a></li> </ul> Wed, 05 Apr 2017 21:57:24 +0000 Sisterly Documentary Screening http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/45347 <p> For the past three years, Nina Vallado, an undergraduate documentary film student at Andrews University, has been working on a film about the relationship herself and her younger sister, Lisa, and how autism has impacted their relationship. Through the support of the Documentary Program and a successful Kickstarter campaign, Nina Vallado has completed the film and is ready for its screening.&nbsp;</p> <p> Lisa Vallado was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Until the age of sixteen, Lisa was unable to communicate. These years of silence complicated the destined sisterhood Nina and Lisa were meant to have.&nbsp;</p> <p> <em><strong>Sisterly</strong></em> delves into the personal struggles and accomplishments both Nina and Lisa encounter while seeking a meaningful sisterhood, despite the communication challenges autism presents.&nbsp;</p> <p> The film will be screened on the campus of Andrews Univeristy on <strong>April 16, 2017</strong> at <strong>7PM</strong> in the <strong>Newbold Auditorium, Buller Hall. </strong>Admission is free and open to public. All ages are welcomed!&nbsp;</p> <p> Here is a link to the trailer of the film: https://vimeo.com/210889429</p> <p> There will be a Q&amp;A with the filmmaker after the film.&nbsp;</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> Fri, 31 Mar 2017 11:34:37 +0000