News Archive
Pirates of Penzance
March 20, 2007
A seafaring adventure complete with maudlin pirates, fair maidens, an outlandish Major-General father, and a stalwart if not somewhat incompetent Scottish brigade took to the stage Thursday, March 8, as the Department of Theater, Film, and Television debuted The Pirates of Penzance. This contemporary interpretation of the 1980 Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta attracted an enthusiastic audience, a few even moved to commemorate their pirate fandom in costume.
The Office at APU: An Interview with Kate Flannery
March 19, 2007
On Wednesday, March 14, approximately 40 guests lined the walls near Darling 413 on West Campus. An excitement and jitter filled the air as these guests, most of whom were students, awaited the arrival of actress Kate Flannery, who plays Meredith Palmer on NBC’s hit show The Office.
Living in Color: Sigma Tau Delta Induction 2007
March 13, 2007
What do bright carnations, a rainbow-colored caterpillar cake, and a children’s story about a little mouse named Fredrick all have in common? Besides the fact that they bring up the carefree memories of youth, they were all present on the evening of March 1 to inspire this year’s induction of more than 30 new members to Sigma Tau Delta, the Department of English's honor society.
Chung Named 2006 Alumnus of the Year
March 01, 2007
In 1956, Paul Jin Kyung Chung ’58, D.D.Lt.D., found his life at a crossroads. The man who in future years would be known to many as “the Billy Graham of Korea” had traveled to the United States to attend Asbury Theological Seminary, only to learn that his degree from a South Korean university was not recognized by that institution. Eager to continue his Christian training, Chung sought a Christian college where he could receive a U.S. undergraduate degree. After a brief search, Chung decided to attend then-Azusa Pacific College (APC), a decision he immediately knew was for the best.
More Than Serving Tea: Book Signing
February 23, 2007
On Tuesday, February 13, APU hosted a book signing reception to celebrate the recent release of More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith. The event, held in the VIP Room of the Felix Event Center, attracted more than 30 women.
Gospel Sing 2007
February 22, 2007
On Saturday, February 10, Azusa Pacific University's Office of Multi-Ethnic Programs presented the 12th annual Gospel Sing, an evening of worship through music and dance. The university's Gospel Choir joined the First Church of God Center of Hope praise team, APU alum Loren Smith '04, Gio and Company, Church of the Redeemer Gospel Choir, and an APU student group to create a night of praise and worship through song. APU's step teams Umoja and Black Men's Fellowship also performed. From the first song of the night to the last, the audience joined the singers in praise.
APU Celebrates Mozart Festival Week
February 05, 2007
As Azusa Pacific students escaped the cool evening weather and piled in to the auditorium slightly tardy to the 4:20 p.m. lecture, relating their lives to a musical prodigy who lived more than 250 years ago seemed to be the last thing on their minds. However, the social buzzing and fidgeting vanished when Professor Mark Humphrey took the stage with hopes of enlightening the students with a study of history that was not only inspiring, but also applicable to their lives and faith.
Connection 2007: Stepping Up to the Call
February 02, 2007
On Saturday, January 20, hundreds of high school students and potential college students had the opportunity to connect with the APU campus by attending the fourth annual Connection Preview Day. The day-long event, hosted by APU’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions and supported by the Office of Multi-Ethnic Programs, introduces students who come from diverse backgrounds to APU while encouraging them to pursue college as a viable option.
Suffering with Others: A Neuroscience Perspective on Wesley’s Acts of Mercy
February 01, 2007
Have you ever caught yourself mimicking sad facial expressions such as crying as you observe someone grieving in a movie, or felt elation when you watched your favorite team celebrate after winning a championship? This common human response of sharing the emotions of another person is one aspect of empathy. Positive empathy is one element of an even larger emotional and cognitive experience and practice we call love.
The X Factor: Why the Nation’s Top Medical Schools Want APU Grads
February 01, 2007
This success represents neither a fluke nor a phenomenon. APU’s long-standing reputation for preparing some of the nation’s highest-qualified science graduate students dates back to the department’s inception and speaks to the faculty’s commitment to educating the whole person.
Letters From Abroad #2
January 12, 2007
I have made it safe and sound. I am glad to say that I have finally settled into my dorm, met my new roommates, and attended a full week of classes.
Graduate Scholarships: Providing for the Future
December 20, 2006
On Thursday, December 7, APU’s School of Education and Estate Planning in the Office of University Advancement hosted a reception for APU graduate scholarship recipients and the donors whose support enables the university to provide these scholarships annually. Donors, scholarship recipients, faculty, family, and friends gathered to celebrate the ongoing support and its impact on individual students.
Adventures in China: Part III
November 27, 2006
Nimen hao, everyone! I'm back with some more of what I have been doing at Xiamen University, in China. Last time I wrote about classes and tests, and said that I was about to leave for the Trek, our study tour. Well, the Trek is over, and it was great! I visited Xi'an, Beijing, and Shanghai, and experienced new things and saw pieces of China's past, present, and future.
CRIS Lecture Series With Russell Hittinger: Is Natural Law Still Relevant?
October 17, 2006
On Wednesday, October 4, students and faculty came to the LAPC Board Room to listen to a lecture on Natural Law, hosted by APU's Center for Research and Science (CRIS).
Supporting Adoption and Foster Care in L.A. County
October 02, 2006
Azusa Pacific University’s School of Theology and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) recently collaborated to reach a common goal: find homes and mentors for L.A. County foster children.
Distinguished Visiting Artist Concert: Charles Stegeman
September 29, 2006
On Tuesday, September 19, Munson Chapel filled with the melodious sounds arising from professional ability intertwined with passion.
Senior Chapel: Living a Legacy
September 20, 2006
One may ask what Nana’s Ice Cream, hand prints on Cougar Walk, and APU Seniors all have in common? Such a query may only be unraveled by stepping into the first Senior Chapel of the 2006-07 school year.
My Adventures in China: Part I
September 15, 2006
Ni hao! As a new semester begins and students settle into their new schedules and living areas at Azusa Pacific University, I am doing something similar—in China. As some of my friends at APU know, I will spend the fall semester at Xiamen University in China, along with 19 other students from schools that are part of the Council of Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). I expect a semester filled with adventures and unique learning experiences and look forward to sharing stories with my fellow students at APU.
Azusa Community Garden takes root!
July 17, 2006
Study Abroad: A Summer in the City
June 28, 2006
Towering skyscrapers, enormous trees, and miles and miles of concrete. A mixture of sirens, loud honking, and street musicians stringing guitars or banging plastic buckets. This is New York City: you can stand in the middle of the street, run in front of a yellow taxi cab, get honked at, and no one bothers to look, curse, or laugh. It’s beautiful and bittersweet, and it’s what I’ve been calling my home for the last six weeks.
Worshiping God from Classical to Rap
May 24, 2006
On April 4, 2006, Harold Best, DSM, a mentor and model for musicians, came to Azusa Pacific University to speak about what every Christian needs to know about music; every genre can serve as worship to God. Best was the dean of the Conservatory of Music at Wheaton College for many years. Since then, he has served as president of the National Association of Schools of Music, and has written extensively on matters of curriculum, culture, and education policy issues. With free admission, many faculty members encouraged their students to attend.
Teacher Interview Day 2006
May 12, 2006
On Thursday, May 11, 2006, APU’s Office of Career Services held its annual Teacher Interview Day. The event ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and was held in the Richard and Vivian Felix Event Center on West Campus.
The Da Vinci Code and Its Success in Popular Culture
May 01, 2006
While visiting Australia and the South Pacific this summer, I took an Aussie Greyhound to various locations, stayed at a number of hostels, and met numerous backpackers. To my amazement, virtually every traveler I ran into was reading the same book: Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
36 Parables: A Fresh Look at the Words of Christ
May 01, 2006
The Vagabond begins to panic. He’s tired, dirty, and disheveled. He’s been on his feet for far too long. And now this: His cherished necklace is missing. He searches his jacket pocket. No luck. He checks the pockets of his pants for a third time and then a fourth. Still nothing.
Joseph Brings Color to APU
April 06, 2006
APU’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television presented Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat from March 16-31. The play sold out before it opened, making it the third play in the department’s history to do so, and two extra performances were added to meet demands.
Justice Alito's Confirmation Is a Sign of Things to Come
March 30, 2006
Earlier this week, on January 31, Samuel A. Alito, Jr. was confirmed as the 110th Justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite his "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association, his distinguished fifteen-year career as a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, and a portfolio featuring numerous well-reasoned opinions, Alito's confirmation process was nasty and brutish, even if it was mercifully short. Although there were no skeletons uncovered during the hearing process, no hidden views brought to light, and no apparent cause for alarm, Alito's confirmation vote of 58-42 was one of the closest in U.S. history and it revealed a Senate sharply divided along partisan lines. Given his moderate record, his solid reputation among colleagues as a fair and temperate judge, and his long history of faithful government service, one must ask: why did Alito face so much opposition? Democratic Senators criticized Alito for being less than forthcoming in his answers to Senate Judiciary Committee members. His vague answers to certain pointed questions failed to reassure them that he had a "mainstream" philosophy and temperament. Some Democrats felt that his lack of candor left them no choice but to reject his nomination. However, most appointees in recent years have similarly dodged litmus test questions by declining to provide details about how they might rule in a given case or how they would interpret a particular constitutional passage. In these instances, their imprecise responses, justified by claims of judicial independence and the propriety of reserving judgment until facts have been heard, were accepted by even the most curious of Senators. Alito's difficulty may also be subscribed to Democrats' general frustration over their inability to influence the selection of nominees, since this season marks the first time in several decades that they have served alongside a Republican president as the Senate minority party. Previous Republican presidents have had to bypass their first choice candidates in favor of those who could win approval in a Democratically-controlled Senate. Yet, Senator Obama (D-IL) correctly noted that Republican victories in the Senate and in the White House give Republicans - not Democrats - the ultimate say in who gets appointed to the Supreme Court. However, it is more likely that the antagonism directed at Justice Alito during the confirmation process stemmed not from who he was, but instead from who he wasn't. It is no secret that President Bush tapped Alito to take the place of retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor - yet for most Democrats, O'Connor is considered irreplaceable. Not only is she the first female justice, which in itself has some significance for Democrats, but she also amassed a distinguished record of moderate, pragmatic decisions during her 24 years on the Court. More importantly for liberals, she often set aside her conservative ideology in favor of practical centrism. She was, for example, instrumental in reaffirming the core premise of Roe v. Wade in her 1992 opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey despite her personal opposition to abortion. Since then, O'Connor's centrist position has rendered her the most powerful person on the Court. She has consistently demonstrated a ready willingness to switch ideological sides and this has made her the power broker in key controversial cases. Last year, for example, she broke ranks with her usual conservative allies in order to join Justices Souter, Stevens, Breyer, and Ginsburg in ruling that a Kentucky courthouse display of the Ten Commandments was an unconstitutional violation of church and state. Last year she also sided with the liberal justices to give male employees the right to claim gender discrimination on behalf of female students under Congress's Title IX Gender-Equality-in-Education Act. Because O'Connor has supported important liberal precedents like Roe v. Wade during her tenure on the bench and has shown her readiness to side with her liberal colleagues in the name of compromise, the choice of her replacement becomes even more important for the preservation of a liberal voice on the Court. Alito's confirmation could potentially re-tilt the Court to the right and the Democrats are unwilling to lose hard-fought ground. It is not surprising, then, that the Democrats would throw every available obstacle, including a filibuster attempt, at his nomination no matter how temperate or how mainstream his decisions might be. With a number of justices becoming more advanced in age, there is the possibility that additional vacancies will open up before Bush leaves office. While it is unclear as to whom Bush would select in the future, one thing is certain: the stakes will be higher than ever before and the partisan rankling in the Senate will undoubtedly be nastier. In short, the worst is yet to come.
The Olympic Games Come to APU
March 26, 2006
APU hosted the second annual Special Olympics on Saturday, March 25, in Cougar Stadium. Led by Brian Wilmer, ’s defensive coordinator, the Special Olympics was a collaboration between APU and the San Gabriel Valley Special Olympics Organization.
Senior Art Show:
February 08, 2006
, an art show by student Jordan Lebrecht ’06, opened on Monday, February 6, at APU’s Red Zone Gallery. The show features photography of Lebrecht’s travels through Europe and includes 11 photographs, six short videos, and one installation piece. The installation includes a video of cows in field in Germany, projected in a room with grass on the floor. With the dimmed lights, photography, and installation, the artist wanted to create an atmosphere similar to what he experienced. The show will be open February 6-17.
Senior Art Show:
February 07, 2006
Each senior art major enrolled in the art portfolio class displays his or her individual showcase for two weeks during the semester, displaying unique and creative talent.
The Sound of Music at APU
January 27, 2006
APU’s Department of Theatre, Film, and Television's production of The Sound of Music, directed by Bart McHenry, opened on Thursday, January 26. The first show was sold out.
End of the Spear Previewed at APU
January 19, 2006
Oxford: The Ultimate European Adventure
January 03, 2006
Is it baffling that APU students would trade the land of eternal summer for the land of eternal drizzle? After all, why would anyone want to relocate eight time zones away for four months?
The Legacy and Life-Lessons of Rosa Parks
December 01, 2005
Every life has a message, often told by defining moments not usually of our own choosing. Somehow though, our lives prepare us for our destiny. Such is the case of Rosa Parks, the former Alabama seamstress credited as the Mother of the American Civil Rights Movement.
KAPU: A Working Classroom
October 25, 2005
The 3rd Annual "Taste of the Town"
October 05, 2005
Outside APU's Felix Event Center the 3rd Annual "Taste" of the Town" had another successful year. The Taste of the Town runs in conjunction with Azusa Golden Days, a week filled with events including a 5K run, bingo, and a parade down San Gabriel Avenue.
Celebrating 165 Years
October 01, 2005
Team Refugee
September 13, 2005
One of every 180 persons on earth has been forcefully displaced from his or her home. When they make the desperate decision to flee, they escape to countries like Greece and Italy where they are treated as outcasts and criminals. In response to the marginalized treatment of these exiles, Team Refugee went to Athens and Rome to provide care and support.
Team Russia
September 13, 2005
Team Russia partnered with Eastern European Outreach for a three week trip in the Mari-El Republic outside the capital city of Yoshkar-ola.
The Faithful
September 01, 2005
Student Leadership Training, Part 1: The Alpha Program
August 18, 2005
Safe Keeping
July 26, 2005
For many students, it’s been three months since they last stepped foot on campus. They packed up their memories and drove away to endless visions of summer beach trips and barbecues. Now that it’s time to return to the welcoming arms of roommates and friends, and prepare for the new school year, students will be even more secure on campus.
Jesus, Social Action, and APU's L.A. Term
July 01, 2005
Jesus made social injustice a focus of his mission. Jesus chose to come off his throne to enter this world physically and to be raised in a poor family. His mother spoke of her “humble state” (Luke 1:48), and his parents’ temple offering for him was a poor person’s offering (2:24). Jesus told his disciples to drop everything and follow him. He had “nowhere to lay his head.” He and his disciples traveled about, engaged in loving and healing activity, while dependent on the hospitality of others.
Faculty's Summer School
June 13, 2005
As a question is posed, hands fly up, mouths open to speak, and ideas are exposed. More than 20 faculty members, with varying areas of expertise, plow through concepts of Shakespeare and meet a young man named Hamlet. There’s Biology and Communication Studies, Social Work and Biblical Studies – every dynamic represented by a brilliant mind. They agree and disagree, observe and discuss in hopes of arriving at some consensus, and if nothing else, discover a new profound respect for a colleague.
The APU Scholar
June 01, 2005
“Scholarship is to be created not by compulsion,” Ralph Waldo Emerson once claimed, “but by awakening a pure interest in knowledge.” Connecting students to the joys of scholarly inquiry is best achieved, he believed, by making the college campus “a place of delightful labor.”
Extra Innings
June 01, 2005
Let’s get one thing straight: Kelly Strickland ’03 is no Matt Leinert. But when the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion quarterback from the University of Southern California spurned the multimillion dollar riches of the NFL back in January in order to play his senior year of college, Strickland had to smile.
Serving Through Art
May 16, 2005
Each year, Los Angeles County places more than 70,000 children into the hands of child services due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, and exploitation. In addition, nearly 50,000 of those children are protected by the Juvenile Dependency Court, reports the Los Angeles Almanac. Established in July of 1992, Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court became the first LA County “child-sensitive” dependency courthouse with facilities designed to comfort an already victimized child.
God's Presence in Tragedy: The Journey of an APU Alumna Nurse
May 10, 2005
She seemed like she could have been a typical American baby – wholesome and healthy – except for her grayish-blue skin and non-responsiveness. When the 16-month-old Kosovar girl came to the refugee camp, she suffered from severe dehydration and malnourishment. As a victim of the Serbian attack on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo in 1998, she was fortunate compared to many. To her benefit, a well-trained, compassionate nurse wasted no time getting an IV started, a technique the child’s lifeless, hardened skin would likely reject.
Ken Starr Visits APU
May 04, 2005
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven," the Bible says in Matthew 5:16 (NIV). Renowned lawyer and APU's School of Business and Management guest speaker Ken Starr also read these words as addressed the issue of integrity in today's world.
Faith and Learning: A Dynamic Restoration
May 01, 2005