When you enroll in the American Studies Program (ASP), the benefit will last far beyond your semester on Capitol Hill. With the creation of its brand new Alumni Advisory Council, ASP has not only renewed its commitment to its students, but established a new way to serve its 2700 (and growing) alumni.

At any given time, between 250-400 ASP alumni work in the D.C. area. Ten of these well-established alumni sit on the Advisory Council, bringing a wealth of experience and perspective to keep the program as relevant as possible. While you’re a student with ASP, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact with these alumni and pick their brains on issues of faith integration or professional development. The alumni also help the program improve the quality of internship placements (see smartURL for a list of where you may work) and mentorship matches.

As an alum of ASP, you’ll benefit from new initiatives recommended by the Advisory Council to help you network with ASP alumni across all semesters. Already, ASP alumni can use a Facebook page and LinkedIn.com to connect. You can search by professional category, region, looking for work or looking for employees.

“This is part of our expanding vision to allow ASP to serve as a continuing resource for its alumni in the areas of professional networking and vocational encouragement and exploration,” says ASP Director Peter Baker. “The Alumni Advisory Council tells us what would be most helpful for them, so these initiatives are demand-driven. We’ve been very excited already about what’s come out of that.”

Below , meet the charter members of the ASP Alumni Advisory Council.

Anthony Campau
Associate Manager of Donor Relations, The Heritage Foundation
ASP: Fall 2004
Southeastern University

“Experience matters. You might be bright, but what have you done? ASP helped me to gain the real-world experience I needed to gain footing in Washington.”

David Cummins
Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, ACS, Inc. (Affiliated Computer Services, Inc.)
ASP: Fall 1992
Messiah College

“ASP was the most formative experience of my undergraduate and graduate school years – expanding my worldview and giving me life-long friendships. Specifically, three of my roommates at ASP and I have been getting together each year since the fall of 1992. We have been groomsmen in each other’s weddings. Most importantly, we have been writing letters to each other over the years to raise difficult issues we are dealing with and to receive written advice from our three friends.”

Darren Dick
Manger, Government Relations, EMC Corp.
ASP: Spring 1992
Sterling College

“While I certainly enjoyed my time as an ASP student in the spring of 1992, I did not begin to recognize the full importance and value of that experience until the past couple of years.  It's for that reason that I am happy to serve on the ASP's Alumni Advisory Council.”

Denise Dick
Personal trainer
ASP: Fall 1992
Taylor University

Heather Gonzales
Association Director, National Association of Evangelicals
ASP: Fall 1999
Huntington University

“My ASP experience greatly influenced my life path – without it I wouldn’t be married to my wonderful husband [Nathan Gonzales] or living in Washington DC.” 

Nathan Gonzales
Political Editor, The Rothenberg Political Report
ASP: Fall 1999
Vanguard University of Southern California

“ASP is an integral part of my life. I wouldn't live where I do, work where I do, or be married to my wonderful wife without my semester in Washington. Besides my wife, I still talk to other ASP friends almost every day and it's been 10 years.”

Robin Landauer
Associate Director for Outreach, Mercatus Center
ASP: Fall 2001
Vanguard University of Southern California

James McCament
Chief of Office of Congressional Relations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
ASP: Spring 1996
Mount Vernon Nazarene University

“ASP was a critical gateway in my professional development and opened the way to future career opportunities.  Most importantly, ASP indelibly molded and continually validates how I evaluate, and wrestle with, my personal and career decisions-from mundane to life changing-with a Kingdom-focused perspective.”

Townsend McNitt
Strategic Consultant on Education Policy
ASP: Fall 1987
Gordon College

Aaron Mercer
Project Director, National Association of Evangelicals
ASP: Fall 1999
Cedarville University

“ASP enriched my understanding of the Church by connecting me with fellow Christians from across the country and across denominational lines.  In addition, ASP allowed me an in-person introduction to the world of Washington, DC, and it helped grow my thinking about Christian engagement with both the power and poverty evident in that world.”

Julie Peterson
Vice President, American World Services, Inc.
ASP: Fall 1987
Dordt College

One-of-a-kind resume builder
The Alumni Advisory Council isn’t the only new thing about ASP. Whether you participate in the Public Policy Initiatives track or the Global Humanitarian Enterprise track, plan on coming away with something to show from your research that you’d never get anywhere else. Here’s how it works: the first five weeks are spent learning research methods and attending seven professional briefings from experts in D.C. on the issue you study. But during the second half of your semester, your class time will be blocked out for field work, a.k.a. conducting interviews with working professionals, attending Congressional hearings and briefings and going to conferences at think tanks or international organizations. When it comes time to apply for a job after college, you’ll not only have a unique research product, but you’ll have a wealth of experiences to share in your cover letter and interview that will set you apart from the competition.

In addition, changes have been made to the header of the CCCU.org and BestSemester.com Web sites in support of the new online donations process.  For the CCCU.org Web site, the username and password fields have been replaced with icon links. Visitors logging into the Web site may click on the "Login" button to proceed to the username and password login prompts.  The new icons will provide users the opportunity to retrieve their password, create a profile or edit an existing profile.

Please direct any questions regarding donation opportunities for BestSemester and CCCU initiatives to Lisa-Jo Baker, director of development and research at lbaker@cccu.org or 202-546-8713.

The 12 semester- or summer-long student programs offered by the CCCU are categorized as either culture-shaping programs or culture-crossing programs. Culture-shaping programs are: American Studies Program (Washington, D.C.); Contemporary Music Center (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.); Los Angeles Film Studies Center (L.A., Calif.); and Washington Journalism Center (Washington, D.C.). Included in the culture-crossing programs are: Australia Studies Centre; China Studies Program; Latin American Studies Program; Middle East Studies Program; Programmes in Oxford; Russian Studies Program; and Uganda Studies Program. All programs undergo regular site visit evaluations by the Student Academic Programs Commission (SAPC).

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of 181 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. There are now 111 member campuses in North America and all are fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 70 affiliate campuses from 24 countries are part of the CCCU. The Council's mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.

-30-

Within the last six months, the ASC has held two successful Outback Trips at our new destination in Louth, NSW (“back o’ Bourke”).  The ASC staff is thrilled to grow our new relationship with Liz and Gary Murray at Trilby Station, our home base for the trip.  Trilby is a massive, 200,000-acre property that takes more than 12 hours of driving to reach, but it is well worth the trek.

Many of the activities on the trip remain the same, though new land affords some new opportunities.  The focus of the trip is still learning about land and culture, how land can shape culture and how culture can shape land.  ASC students also spend time in solitude during a “Letter to Self” exercise, they discuss the devotional book “Can You Drink the Cup?”, and they share life stories around the campfire.

Other highlights from the week include kangaroo spotting, yabby (crawfish) catching, sleeping under the stars, and mud fighting in the clay of the Darling River.  The students are also taken on a tour of the property, first the area around the homestead (including the shearing shed and the airplane hangar), then the larger property.  Old cars, a double-decker bus, and even a furnished home that have all been abandoned decades ago can be found out in the red dirt of the station; it’s a photography student’s dream!

The ASC hopes that our Outback Trip continues to give students a taste of the “dead heart” that is so critical to understanding Australian life and culture.

by Matt Woods

pictures courtesy of Kimberly Spragg and Will Pitney

Eastern University students Kat Moorman and Marissa Phillips had the unique challenge this semester of performing a piece of art in front of a man whose years of work had gone into creating it.  Moorman and Phillips participated in Wesley Institute’s production of “Perfectly Frank,” a new Australian musical written by Melvin Morrow, who attended both rehearsals and performances of the premiering show.  “It is always a very special occasion if you get to put on the premiere of a show, and even better if it is an Australian work,” director Herman Pretorius said.

“Perfectly Frank” tells the tale (entirely through song) of Saint Francis of Assisi, the playboy turned friar, though it’s told with a distinct modern, Australian flavor, including references to Cluedo and the wealthy Sydney suburb of Mosman.  The story also turns the rags-to-riches format on its head, as Francis gives up his exorbitant lifestyle for the simple life.  Moorman played the female lead and love interest of Francis, Clare, while Phillips acted as a singing narrator.

Musicals at Wesley Institute are unique in that they are the rare productions that include students from different disciplines.  “Integration of the arts is a very important aim of the Institute,” Pretorius said.   In all, 40 musicians, dancers, and drama students participated in the production of “Perfectly Frank.” 

“During the process, all the students of all disciplines came together and became an ensemble, feeding off of each other’s energy,” Pretorius said.  Moorman noted that while groups from different disciplines may have stuck together at first, strong bonds had formed by the end of the show from the energy and hard work of the process.

Moorman also noticed a major characteristic of working on Australian productions, the laidback attitude of everyone involved.  She said that her directors believed that there’s no point in doing a show if you’re not having fun.  “It got me to loosen up a little bit,” Moorman said, adding that it was nice to be able to relax and enjoy doing what she loves to do.  Still, Pretorius said that he was particularly appreciative of the professionalism and the work ethic demonstrated by both Moorman and Phillips.

The writer of the show agreed that the hard work paid off, particularly in the performance of the female lead.  “Clare [Moorman] is excellent,” Morrow wrote to Pretorius after the performances.  “She lives the part because she knows it and inhabits it. Bravissima!”

Pretorius, like Morrow, was pleased with the results of the premiere performances of a Christian, Australian musical at Wesley.  “Thank you for taking the risk of staging the Aussie premiere of “Perfectly Frank,” Morrow wrote.  “I hope that the Wesley Institute sees it as a colorful artistic feather in its cap!”

by Matt Woods
Pictures courtesy of John Leung

The Australia Studies Centre will continue as normal with its curriculum, study travel, home stays and service learning opportunities.

The application process for attending the Australia Studies Centre in the spring 2010 has begun and we are seeing a strong number of applications.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the BestSemester student programs staff at (202.548.5201) or go online to www.BestSemester.com/asc

You don't have to live in Australia to know the answer to that question (it's Billabong), but do you know what Thai restaurant also is the emergency meeting place for the Wesley Institute?

For the more than 45 past students who came to Washington D.C. for the five-year reunion of the Australia Studies Centre, trying to remember the answers was just part of the fun in remembering back to their time in Sydney.

"In spite of being the only attendee from my semester, I struggle to put into words how much this time with fellow ASCers meant to me. In addition to seeing Kimberly (Spragg, the ASC director) and the staff again, I got to meet so many new people from other semesters who took me right in as one of their own. The ASC is more than an experience, It's a community," said Geoffrey Millette, who attended ASC in spring 2006.

Aside from playing trivia, participants visited the National Museum of the American Indian (as a continuation of their Indigenous Cultures class), watched video updates from home stay parents, favorite lecturers and service placement supervisors, enjoyed the fireworks on the National Mall, hung out in the District and yes, had a processing session.  Terry Mattingly, director of the Washington Journalism Center, also spoke to the alumni about reading signs in all cultures, be it Australian culture, popular culture or even Christian culture. 

"My favorite part of the reunion was seeing how much one semester in Australia continues to influence the lives of these alumni.  Everyone at the reunion was having fun, catching up with old friends and enjoying the Fourth in D.C., but through their conversations it was obvious that most were continuing to wrestle with ideas that they first began to consider deeply and fully in Australia," said Kimberly Spragg, the ASC director. "They didn't just come to the reunion for a good time.  It was beautiful to witness this ongoing transformation in process."

As part of a partnership with the Wesley Institute in Sydney, Australia, students have the opportunity to study theology, issues of global justice, indigenous cultures and the arts. Home stays, service learning and travel are important components of the ASC. Students live in Sydney, travel to Canberra and the Outback, as well as spend time in New Zealand.

More so, ASC is a pivotal moment in learning how to be a global citizen and how to figure out and live out one's calling of being and doing.

"As we were singing in the worship time on Sunday morning, I looked around the room at all the faces of the attendees and experienced an overwhelming feeling of hope. Hope for what these current students and recent graduates will do in their vocational ministries, hope for how they will continue to change and grow over the next seasons of their lives and hope that they will live differently because of their time with the ASC," Spragg said.

Starting July 22, 25 more students will join the growing number of ASC alumni. For more on the Australia Studies Centre and other BestSemester programs, visit. www.bestsemester.com.

Mattingly, who contributed a chapter to Blind Spot, was in Kiev, Ukraine May 29-31 and also traveled to Manila, Philippines; Bangalore and New Delphi, India in early June. The book was produced by the Media Project of the Oxford Centre for Religion & Public Life and published by Oxford University Press.

Speaking to journalists and journalism students of all religious backgrounds, Mattingly discuss trends in religion coverage in international media and the importance of knowing and reporting the religious context in stories. Media outlets, such as the Times of India, Filipino Inquirer and other papers, were on hand to cover the sessions.

"You always learn a lot when you meet journalists in these kinds of settings, but I was stunned by the complexity of the task that journalists face in India when covering religion," said Mattingly. "In America, you mess up a story about religion and people get mad at you. In India, you can start a riot-with an inaccurate report or an accurate report. It's just that volatile a situation."

In addition to his "On Religion" column (click here for link to the Kiev column), which is syndicated by the Scripps Howard News Service, he also runs GetReligion.org and helps facilitate InkTank, the student blog for the Washington Journalism Center.

The 12 semester- or summer-long student programs offered by the CCCU are categorized as either culture-shaping programs or culture-crossing programs. Culture-shaping programs are: American Studies Program (Washington, D.C.); Contemporary Music Center (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.); Los Angeles Film Studies Center (L.A., Calif.); and Washington Journalism Center (Washington, D.C.). Included in the culture-crossing programs are: Australia Studies Centre; China Studies Program; Latin American Studies Program; Middle East Studies Program; Programmes in Oxford; Russian Studies Program; and Uganda Studies Program. All programs undergo regular site visit evaluations by the Student Academic Programs Commission (SAPC).

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of 181 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. There are now 111 member campuses in North America and all are fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 70 affiliate campuses from 24 countries are part of the CCCU. The Council's mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.

-30-

Herbert has served as director of the American Studies Program for 28 years, providing leadership and guidance to more than 2000 students during his tenure, with more than 400 ASP alumni who currently work in the D.C. area.

"As I look back on 28 years with the American Studies Program, I am most grateful.  It has indeed been a good run for me.  Teaching at ASP has been such an incredible blessing," said Herbert. "Working with John Bernbaum and Rich Gathro when Jeannie and I first arrived in DC, teaching now with Peter Baker and Gerry Hartis, and serving with ASP faculty and staff over the years has without a doubt helped me grow both professionally and as a follower of Jesus.  Perhaps most of all, I have benefited richly and been deeply shaped by the invaluable experiences and friendships I have had working with ASP students and alumni over the years.  I thank the Council for giving me the chance to have learned and experienced so much.  Now it is time for me to move on to new opportunities.  I have the highest regard for the current ASP team and am confident the program is in good hands as it looks to the future."

Baker is a spring 1996 ASP alum and a 1997 graduate of Olivet Nazarene University (IL). He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame in 2008. He arrives with a background in both academic research and business development that includes a significant amount of work experience outside the United States.

"We in Washington, D.C. are learning to live with these themes of change and complexity and there is a great deal to be excited about regarding the new opportunities opening up to our students in the present environment. Consequently, ASP is uniquely positioned to create opportunities for Council students to directly engage individuals and institutions of global influence as they prepare to take their place among them. The transformative potential of the program remains rooted in the original vision of ASP's early leaders, expressed in our commitment to resist the compartmentalization of our faith and instead challenge students to consider how thinking biblically can create new opportunities in public policy and sustainable development," Baker said.

The 12 semester- or summer-long student programs offered by the CCCU are categorized as either culture-shaping programs or culture-crossing programs. Culture-shaping programs are: American Studies Program (Washington, D.C.); Contemporary Music Center (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.); Los Angeles Film Studies Center (L.A., Calif.); and Washington Journalism Center (Washington, D.C.). Included in the culture-crossing programs are: Australia Studies Centre; China Studies Program; Latin American Studies Program; Middle East Studies Program; Programmes in Oxford; Russian Studies Program; and Uganda Studies Program. All programs undergo regular site visit evaluations by the Student Academic Programs Commission (SAPC).

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of 181 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. There are now 111 member campuses in North America and all are fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 70 affiliate campuses from 24 countries are part of the CCCU. The Council's mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.

-30-

                                                            Melanie Vacik

On a Friday afternoon on Pitt Street in downtown Sydney, past the skyrises and the subway stations, the Starbucks and the St. George Bank, 21-year-old Matt Johnson from Massachusetts carried his cross – literally. 

Johnson, a junior at Taylor University studying with the Australia Studies Centre (ASC), played the role of Jesus Christ in Wesley Institute’s annual Good Friday Way of the Cross Procession, a re-enactment of Christ’s journey to Calvary held on the streets of Sydney.

The procession began in the outdoor amphitheatre at Martin Place, where Johnson, dressed as Christ in a white robe and sandals, was whipped and mocked by Roman soldiers and had the crown of thorns placed upon his head. A crowd of hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the scene.

“To see [the crowd’s] faces as this was happening to me was incredibly powerful,” Johnson said.

From Martin Place, Johnson shouldered a wooden cross and dragged it across the asphalt of Pitt Street. The crowd followed slowly behind and watched as Johnson, scarred and bloodied, stumbled and fell to the ground. Finally, an alumnus of Wesley Institute playing Simon of Cyrene came out from the crowd to help carry the cross of Christ, who by this point was physically trembling.

“It was possibly the most intense role that I’ve ever played, just based on who it is that I portrayed,” Johnson said.

The performance drew attention from national media, including the Sydney Morning Herald and the front page of the Yahoo! Australia Web site. Johnson said he even unexpectedly saw footage of himself on TV at the airport the next day, where he was waiting to travel to Magnetic Island on vacation.

The Way of the Cross Procession was just part of Wesley Institute’s larger Easter Programme. At the end of the procession, Johnson led the gathering crowd into Wesley Theatre, where drama, dance and music students performed “Eve’s Daughters.” With their Australian classmates, Johnson, Lindy Smalt from Wheaton College and Audrey Henderson from Taylor University created and starred in the show, which centred around the powerful effect of Jesus’ love on several prominent women in history.

A crowd of 500 watched the performance, which was followed by the sharing of communion together.

Then, on Easter Sunday, the Wesley Institute choir sang at a sunrise service at the famed Sydney Opera House.  ASC students Jason Collier from Eastern University, and Kelsey Nyberg and Laura Costerisan from Trinity International University sang with the Wesley Institute choir, which backed popular artists on songs such as “Worthy is the Lamb,” “Great Southland,” and “The Prayer.”

In all, over 70 students from different disciplines participated in some way in creating and performing this year’s Easter Programme, including the six students from the ASC.

“It was amazing to be offered this opportunity, and to take it and enjoy it for all it’s worth,” Johnson said.

by Matt Woods

Students have until April 17^th to start and/or complete applications for those programs. Applications completed during the extended deadline period will be reviewed in the order of completion.

If you have any questions, please contact info@bestsemester.com or call 202-546-8713.

"With the redesigned site, we are able to better serve our members and serve students in helping them make an informed decision about coming to one of the BestSemester programs," said Vice President for Student Programs Ken Bussema. "We are thankful for all the hard work that went into the development of this site and welcome your feedback."

The new look and design of the homepage will allow visitors to search for programs in one of four ways:

• Program name
• Location
• Topic of interest
• Student's major

In addition, sections dedicated to parents and campuses provide key information to each audience. Visitors to specific programs will find some of the same structure as before but with a new look and functionality for categories such as: Overview, Academics, Faculty & Staff, Student Life, Admissions, and News & Updates. 

MyBestSemester is the login area for students who wish to receive more information or to start the application process. Once they have received a log-in and password, students can update their address information, request a copy of the BestSemester magazine, or return to the site to complete the application process. The application and reference systems and the campus contact portal have not changed and will continue to look and function as they did on the old Web site.

The deadlines for applying to the BestSemester programs for the 2009/2010 academic year are:

Oxford Summer Programme, March 1

Fall semester, April 1 (February 2 Early Admission)

Spring Semester, October 1 (May 1 Early Admission)

For more information, contact the Office of Student Programs at 202-546-8713 or visit www.bestsemester.com.

The 12 semester- or summer-long student programs offered by the CCCU are categorized as either culture-shaping programs or culture-crossing programs. Culture-shaping programs are: American Studies Program (Washington, D.C.); Contemporary Music Center (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.); Los Angeles Film Studies Center (L.A., Calif.); and Washington Journalism Center (Washington, D.C.). Included in the culture-crossing programs are: Australia Studies Centre; China Studies Program; Latin American Studies Program; Middle East Studies Program; Programmes in Oxford; Russian Studies Program; and Uganda Studies Program. All programs undergo regular site visit evaluations by the Student Academic Programs Commission (SAPC).

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of 180 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. There are now 110 member campuses in North America and all are fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 70 affiliate campuses from 24 countries are part of the CCCU. The Council's mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.

-30-

After finishing dinner, students run errands or study (or don't study, to be more accurate) before meeting on the roof of the Dellenback Center, complete with a pristine view of the U.S. Capitol, for a community gathering. Some plot how to get to internship locations on the Metro, what needs to be done with service projects or which parts of the city to visit.

This year is a new treat for both ASP and WJC, two of the BestSemester programs located in Washington, D.C. Both live together in the Dellenback Center, located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. In the past, WJC students were in home-stays throughout the District, while ASP students lived in Dellenback. Due to several considerations, it was prudent to have students from both programs housed under the same roof.

"With the students here at Dellenback, I hope we have more the sense of community," said Terry Mattingly, director of the Washington Journalism Center. "I hope we have more contact with our students. While they were scattered all over the city, I felt that there were two days a week where I got to see my students quite a bit and other than that, I never saw them."

Dori Read, resident director for the Dellenback Center, said, "We wanted the students to share in the Washington experience, while they're coming at it from different angles. Every student I've talked to really likes living with students from different programs. They enjoy the fact that there are people who aren't doing the same things as them."

After moving in during the Labor Day weekend and getting through orientation and various scavenger hunts throughout the District, students are settling into classes and internships. In addition, students completed service projects in various parts of the city. The different programs cover the gamut of service, including crisis pregnancy centers, food distribution, tutoring and working with the elderly."

The students have had a really positive attitude about the service projects and everyone has been really gracious," said Read. "We are building good relationships within the community."

Lindsey Vogt, program administrator for both the American Studies Program and Washington Journalism Center, agrees. "Having a diversity of students has always increased community. Not only will it increase having a variety of students from different universities and locations, but now we have a diversity of study," she said. " ASP always has had some diversity to some extent. There is a strong political science component, but there are many different concentrations. Now we have a journalism component which provides another perspective in the community and it affects how students are relating to one another."

Greg Perreault, program coordinator for the Washington Journalism Center, points out that there is a shared infrastructure in both of our programs and each can learn from the other. "Washington, D.C. is really two cities: There's Washington, the place of pomp and power, and there's D.C., the land of generational poverty," he added. "Our main goals are to introduce them to the two cities but also to get them applicable experience they can take away."

With the WJC program, we're giving them real-world experience from the mainstream press, but also through their experiential learning and several churches while they're here, they want to get a real sense of what D.C. is like."

 For more information on the American Studies Program and the Washington Journalism Center, please go to www.bestsemester.com.

• HIV/AIDS in Uganda today
• Reconciliation and forgiveness in post-genocide Rwanda
• Missions in an evangelized country
• Christian liberal arts in the African context

2008 Photo Contest Winners

Grand Prize - $500

"Painting Radcliffe" by Scotland Huber (Gordon College)
Scholars' Semester in Oxford, Fall 2007 & Spring 2008

3 Runners Up - $200

"Red Square Album Cover" by Daniel Chin (Westmont College)
Russian Studies Program, Fall 2007

"Ayeesh Delivery in Garbage City" by Joel Moore (George Fox University)
Middle East Studies Program, Fall 2007

"The Joy of Cooking" by Dan Veale (Cornerstone University)
Uganda Studies Program, Spring 2007

Winning photos may now be viewed at www.bestsemester.com/2008photocontestwinners. 

I created an international art gallery out of a long hallway in our church, created art groups, retreats, film groups and film retreats. After a while our church developed a reputation for having one foot firmly planted in the arts and one foot in film. I was invited to come to Reel Spirituality and the City of the Angels Film Festival. They both asked me to be on their boards right away, and I accepted. I’ve been on boards of both of those ever since.

As those ministries grew and developed, the church at that time went through a strong growth spurt.

How do you integrate your degrees in philosophy and divinity with educating young people about entertainment? How do they all connect?
The Theology and Hollywood class absolutely connects because I’m using my theological and pastoral background. I’m trying to get students to process what God is doing here in Hollywood. A lot of students are going through spiritual trauma, culture, developing their own thoughts. Many are seniors, which adds a new dimension to their outlook. The philosophical background gives the framework for all the cultural issues. I take them through that process.

Yesterday we looked at Jesus’ parables and how they use metaphor and how film should do the same. They had to come up with a metaphor for their present life, and they came up with some powerful images.

Other than teaching about film and movies, how do you stay active in the industry?  
In addition to serving on the board for Reel Spirituality and being director of the City of the Angels Film Festival, I mentor filmmakers and artists and bring them into relationship with my students. I also just know many people in the industry, and I’m in regular contact with them.

Can you think of any moments during the semester that you always look forward to?
 I love to watch the student films at the end, but every part of the semester is exciting.

What is the biggest obstacle that students typically have to overcome as they adjust to life at LAFSC?
It’s a huge culture shock, so there is spiritual processing over that. Add to that sheer exhaustion— we keep them going night and day.

How do you hope students will be changed by their LAFSC experience?  
Improved quality of film making is number one. I’d also want their call to Hollywood to be confirmed or clarified as they process their own authentic relationship with God. I hope they have a broadened understanding of how God is moving in Hollywood, and a humility regarding what they have to learn from this culture.

What kind of student would you consider to be a perfect candidate for this program?
Someone who is very bright and creative, with a passion for film, as well as an understanding of metaphor and symbol.  I look for students with a depth of spirituality, critical understanding of culture, and a willingness to engage culture. Students who are eager, willing to ask questions of God, culture, everything, and yet have a deep abiding faith within a philosophical framework do very well in our program and in Hollywood.

Tell me a little bit about your wife. How did the two of you meet?
My wife is Chinese. She was born in China and lived through the Cultural Revolution. We met by chance in Canton, where I was teaching and where she was majoring in English.

What is it that fuels your passion for teaching American students about China and the Chinese people?
China is a huge hole in American consciousness. For millennia, it has usually had more wealth, power, and knowledge than any other nation. Yet Americans know almost nothing about China. As they realize the tremendous gulf between the world as they thought it was and the reality of China, students begin to reexamine other aspects of previous assumptions about themselves and their faith.

Are there any particular sites during the Trek that seem to impact the students more than others?
 The city of Xi'an-with its magnificent wall as well as the Muslim Quarter-is probably everyone's favorite part of the Trek. Perhaps the most thought-provoking site we visit is the Temple of Heaven, the largest temple complex in the world, dedicated not to Buddhist or Taoist deities, but to "the Heavenly Lord, the Emperor above."

Can you think of any moments during the semester that you always look forward to, no matter how many years go by?
When we've finished the Trek, the students have had the opportunity to see how vast and varied China is. They've also had the experience of rubbing shoulders with "foreign" tourists; this usually helps them to see how far they themselves have come in their China experience.

How do you hope students will be changed by their CSP experience?
Primarily, I hope that they will be able to realize what is core to their faith, and what are cultural accretions and assumptions. This is not to say that those accretions ought to be jettisoned, but that the students will see them as non-essentials of true faith.

One alumna of the program mentioned to me that you encourage the students to get out in the community and establish relationships with the Chinese. Why is this an important aspect of the program, in your eyes?
 I believe that a person doesn't begin to really like a culture until they've made a friend from that culture. That friend becomes the one who helps the visitor see and appreciate things from the way the ones who have grown up in it do.

What kind of student would you consider to be a perfect candidate for this program?
One who is spiritually motivated and who is open to understanding different perspectives.

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of more than 180 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. There are now 105 member campuses in North America and all are fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 76 affiliate campuses from 24 countries are part of the CCCU. The Council's mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.

What would your students be most surprised to learn about you?
From the feedback I get, they are most surprised that I don't seem like a typical college professor. Whatever you have in your mind about what the typical college professor looks and sounds like, I'm probably not that. I had a student last spring with whom I had had some conversation with on the phone before she came. After she met me, she told me she had imagined I was a middle-aged, balding overweight guy who had my feet up on the table while talking to her. So apparently that's what my voice and demeanor sound like, but that's not at all who I am.

How did you come to decide to devote your professional life to teaching Christian college students about music?
I've always wanted to teach because I have a natural ability to make complicated ideas simple. Since I have deep love for music, those two naturally came together. That I have taught at a Christian college was not entirely intentional. None of my background is from Christian higher education. All my degrees are from state schools. But Christian higher education is where I believe the Lord led me to work. I've always been very comfortable and happy to be in that.

Did you ever aspire to be a musician on stage yourself?
No, but I originally wanted to be a producer, to oversee the creative process of making albums. However, I recognize now that teaching is a much better use of my particular talents.

What instruments do you play?
My principal instrument is the piano/ keyboards, and I also play guitar, bass and drums.

Who are your favorite bands?
King's X, Scritti Politti, Enio Morricone

From your perspective, when does music glorify God, and when does it not?
Music is sound. Sound is amoral. The note D cannot be glorifying to God or not. Or the combination of the notes D, F# and A. They are amoral, like a plank of wood. I can't varnish it a certain color and make it glorifying to God. So you have to turn to lyrics, the words. I teach students the truth requirement: holding lyrics up against scripture and asking if it is truthful.

Looking back over your years both at Greenville and at the CMC, are there a couple students-turned-musicians you've worked with that stand out in your mind as most memorable or fulfilling?
My parents were always careful to make sure that none of their kids were favorites. I never felt like any of us were favorites, since that can be very hurtful. So during the semester, clearly there are some students who are more talented, or with whom I might have a greater affinity, but I try very hard to keep the playing field level. That's my responsibility as their teacher and mentor.
Music can devolve into who's successful and who's not, and I've had students who've felt that after they graduated they couldn't call me for a few years until they achieved some sort of success, whatever that means. That's not what I implied or told them at all, but they thought they'd have prove themselves first. That couldn't be further from the truth. I want to hear from everybody regardless of what they are doing. The depth of my relationships with students is not predicated on their success.

How do you see contemporary music shaping our culture?
Music is so ubiquitous, so everywhere, it's hard to imagine not having it. It might be better to ask what would happen if we were to pull the plug on all entertainment for a week- no movies, TV, YouTube, iPod, etc.- what if it just didn't exist? Then you would have work left. You'd go to work. Interestingly, we as souls, although we hopefully take great satisfaction in our work, we also want to be immersed in beautiful things.
So if we were to take away all that is artistic and beautiful in the country, imagine how that would affect us. The arts are inextricably woven into every waking moment of our lives. And why shouldn't it be? The arts are a reflection of God's creativity. God is the master creator. We are just imitating and retreading the tools and talent he created. We didn't create color. He created color, so however clever we think we are in how we use highlights and shadows, he created the tool sets.

What is the biggest obstacle that students typically have to overcome as they adjust to life in the CMC?
They have to accept responsibility for their education. It's easy for students to move from one class to another, meet the minimum requirement for a decent grade and call it a day. They can go to chapel and Bible studies which make them feel confident about their spiritual muscle. But, at the CMC, we strip much of that away. It's no longer easy to do the things that we do to look like a Christian. We give students large blocks of time each day to allow them to think, reflect, research and engage others in meaningful conversation about the current lecture topics. Students have to take responsibility for their own education and spiritual development; they have to own it. There's no more powerful way to really get at the core of the topic than to have students own it.

Which moments during the semester do you always look forward to?
One of the highlights of the semester is called the Last Supper; it's the last meal we have on the Thursday night before students return home. We play back the compilation CD of the best songs of the entire semester, as well as a short film which is a montage of moments from the semester. Then we give students an opportunity to share with each other and faculty what their experience has been like.

At the end of the semester, how do you measure its success?
There are two things to consider: musical and spiritual. Musically, how many songs were written, what were the quality of those songs and performances, and the overall measure of the amount of work and quality of work during the semester. That's pretty easy to quantify. We hear all the songs, see all performances.
The other consideration is how a student has developed in his/her understanding of what it means to be a musician and a Christian. We talk about measurable outcomes, and that is hard to measure in part because we hope and believe that we have set a trajectory for students that won't be fully developed for years to come. We turn the ship a few degrees, and it doesn't look like much after four months, but after four years, that ship has traveled a much further distance from its original point trajectory. You have to be careful not rush those few degrees of change, especially in a student who is 20 or 21 years old. A lot of things are already set in motion at that age. If we can influence a student to change course, only a few degrees in a better direction, then I'm thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to influence another life.

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of more than 180 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. There are now 105 member campuses in North America and all are fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 77 affiliate campuses from 24 countries are part of the CCCU. The Council's mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.

What would your students be most surprised to learn about you or what you've done in your career?

I don't think many of them imagined that I used to be a rock columnist. The assumption is that if you're in D.C., you're in journalism because you wanted to write about politics. But for me, it was music, popular culture and entertainment. They are also stunned to find out I am an encyclopedic authority on Harry Potter. My family is a living library of Harry Potter theology, trivia and what not.

Looking back over the breadth of your journalistic experience, are there a couple interviews that stand out in your mind as most memorable or interesting?

Mother Theresa. Billy Graham. A lengthy interview with Jimmy Carter about leaving the White House, his transition into the religious-activism era of his life. This was back in the early to mid-80s. I also had several encounters with Bono. I think my interview with Bono and the Edge in 1982 was the first time members of U2 talked about their faith in a publication on this side of the Atlantic. I tried to sell the interview to Rolling Stone but they didn't believe me. They thought I was making it up.

If you stay in journalism, you end up interviewing some amazing people. I've interviewed quite a few famous musicians and authors, but when I list the most significant interviews, I always have to say Mother Theresa and Billy Graham at the top. I have not interviewed the pope. It's one thing to shake his line in a reception line, but I have not interviewed him.

My life-long desire had been to interview Ruth Bell Graham. I think she was one of the most interesting cultural figures of the late 20^th century. Her influence was infinitely bigger than anybody can know. In my column I called her the X-factor that has made the career of Billy Graham so mysterious. [Read the column here.]

What inspired you to found GetReligion.org?

Twenty years of studying religion and the media. It was something I had always wanted to do- write about that topic more often-and it became affordable with blogging. So the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life got into that and I jumped at the chance. My fascination with religion and the news goes all the way back to my sophomore year at Baylor University. It's a long story, but suffice it to say I saw an example of student journalism, and my mentor David McHam called me over and said, "These students clearly don't think religion is news. They didn't get that from me. Religion is the worst covered subject in all of American media. [Big pause.] Wanna do something about it?" That was one of those moments when your life changes directions. And I've been trying to do that work ever since.

Of all the positions you've held in your career, which has been the most fulfilling?

I'll tell you what I'm most thankful for: that when I went into teaching that I got to keep my national religion column. Teaching was the other half of my dream agenda in life -- to try to help Christian higher education take journalism and mass media more seriously, while also hanging onto my column at Scripps Howard. That was just stunning, when I found out that I could do both. I did not expect that to happen. Being able to combine those two forms of work is what I'm most thankful for. I find that greatly fulfilling.

Do you ever think you'll go back into full-time journalism, or will you most likely stick with education?

No. Hopefully I'm in both journalism and teaching for the long haul. At this point I couldn't imagine not doing either job.

What is the biggest obstacle that students typically have to overcome as they adjust to life in the WJC?

There are two levels. One is living in the city itself. During the spring semester one student joked that we run and in-depth program studying journalism and mass transportation. Part of WJC is a real cross-cultural immersion into the city. The second level of challenge is that I think the modern student is not used to trying to read at the pace and intensity that Washington demands. It's no secret that the modern student comes from a generation that doesn't read newspapers as much. They are not used to printing out a 50-page research folder and sitting down and reading it, just like that. Of course, this trend affects liberal arts education in general, too. I think the biggest challenge is just reading and writing at the pace of Washington. These are -- obviously -- terribly bright students, but this still poses a challenge.

Can you think of any moments during the semester that you always look forward to?

To me, the highlight of any semester is a student asking you to go take a long walk and talk about what they want to do with their life. To me, if there's anything about teaching that I love doing, it's answering questions, dealing with students who have very passionate dreams and helping them figure out how to reach those dreams. That's totally sincere, I really mean that. And the national mall is not a bad place to go for a walk and think about big subjects. It's inspiring.

Why is the home stay an important aspect of the program, in your eyes?

That's where the cross-cultural element of our program really, really kicks in. The students live in different neighborhoods. There are two Washingtons. If you just walk around on the Hill and all you see is the political world, you're not learning about the Washington that exists at bus stops, neighborhood coffee shops, in the homes of grandmothers on fixed incomes who rent out their basements to visiting students. There's a wide range of experiences in Washington and I think this is a very good way to expose them to it. They get to see the whole city of Washington and experience it. It's both exciting and a little threatening. This is truly a cross-cultural program as well as a culture-shaping program.

What kind of student would you consider to be a perfect candidate for this program?

A reader. A writer who is truly fascinated by the beliefs and views of other people. I tell my students over and over that the most important words in journalism, are: "comma, space, said, space, name, period." In other words, the attribution clause at the end of a quote is what journalism is all about. Journalism is not about cleaning out the space between your ears and getting it on paper. It's about what other people think and believe, and their information.

What do you hope students will gain from their WJC experience?

The quick answer is "clips," in the sense that we want to do what we can to help them get published, to take that step of getting bylines in Washington that they couldn't get before. That's the snazzy answer, but the more important answer is to come to Washington and wrestle with questions of whether they are called to be in journalism. That's where Rich Gathro [executive vice president of the CCCU] and his class sessions about calling and vocation are so important. We take the last week of the program and have Rich come in and do testing for strengths and personality. The question we ask over and over is, "Are you wired for journalism?  Did God wire you to work in this field?" It's a matter of gifts, temperament and energy level. That's true in a lot of fields, but it's really true in journalism. And there is no better place to crank up the pace and tempo and wrestle with that than in Washington, D.C.