The AFCU 2010 Symposium and the USF Campus

We are planning for the biannual Symposium of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities (AFCU.) The University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne will host this event, with the help of other Midwest schools, in June of 2010. The following video clips are prototypes of videos we will consider using to let other schools know what our campus looks like and how it fits so well with our symposium theme.

We will not be using these clips. This is my work, “work” being used loosely here! They are to let someone who knows what they are doing know what we are looking for. We will need someone who uses a clean lens, someone who does not keep moving the camera all over the place, someone who can keep the conversation simple. In brief, someone who is not me.

The Rolland Art Center is a converted warehouse. It is part of our art complex. We hope to have a reception among the art.

Rolland Art Center

The Doermer Family Health Building is the home of all our allied health programs.
Doermer and John Paul II Center

Sandwiched between Mirror Lake and Doermer stands the John Paul II Center. The John Paul II Center is the home to three of our schools, the library, student services and an internet cafe. It is also a place of art and beautiful vistas. This will be the site of most of our symposium activities. On the side of the building, embedded in the wall are Stations of the Cross. Outside the library is a favorite meeting place on campus, the clock tower.

Across the lake is the jewel of the campus, the Bass Mansion. It is right next to the Campus Ministry Building. We hope renovations are complete on the Mansion in time for the symposium.

Bass Mansion

Across the street from the Mansion is North Campus. That is where we will have our meals and plenary sessions.
Beyond Trinity Hall are the residential halls. This is where our participants will be staying.

Clare Hall

Finally there is one more view of the lake. This is a quieter perspective.

Stadium and Mirror Lake

Bad filming? Absolutely. Beautiful campus? For sure!

Global Village and a New Acadmic Year

It is the beginning of a new school year and already it is exciting. Today we had the dedication and blessing of our new residence hall, Clare Hall. The building is a green or earth-friendly building. It connects to Bonzel Hall. Bonzel is named after the foundress of the order that sponsors our school, the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration. The wall connecting the two buildings has a wonderful statue of Mother Bonzel.

Part of our tradition of dedicating new buildings is to identify a local community need and assist. This year we are involved with Habitat for Humanity. We will be making a house for one family during October and November. That is pretty exciting. Today the gifts that were collected for house-warming presents were blessed. That included a washer and dryer. Many of our students who participated in Workfest plan on assisting with this project.

The theme for our first year experience students is “Global Village.” Our goal is to connect them to one another, the campus community and the world community. Well, it is a great theme. It is easy to incorporate world music and art. It is easy to connect the theme to their areas of study. Global warming, poverty, sociology, medical care, communication, you name it, it fits with the theme. Best of all, the students see the connect.

We are a small campus. We do not have the diversity of larger school. Still, the Global Village is alive and well here. A past graduate has been to Haiti three times for mission trips.


We have a graduate serving in the Peace Corp. in Kazakhstan. She recently moved from the desert to the Siberian section of the country. She writes and blogs regularly. We are very proud of her.


Our department has a student from Malaysia. She is teaching us all about Ramadan. She will make a great counselor, her area of study. By the time she leaves our school she will have touched many lives here.


We are planning two mission trips this spring. One to Eastern Kentucky with Christian Appalachian Project. This will be our third year working in the hills and hollows building homes.


The other trip is new. It is an urban ministry trip to Chicago. We will be working with Emmaus Ministries.


This does not even take into account our science trips to the Bahamas, Appalachia or the South West. It also does not take into account the business trips to Asia, the art trips to Europe or the language trips to Central America.

All and all it has been an exciting beginning for the academic year. Our students will have many opportunities to impact others and to learn how the world impacts them. They will learn that they have the power, for good or bad, to transform the world and to be transformed by it. Now that is the basis of an education for living.


One Love | Playing For Change | Song Around the World