2 Communicating the Greatest Story Ever Told 4 The Craftsman Behind Cedarville Communication 10 At the Forefront of Academic Pro-Life Education 14 From WSRN to Resound Radio 18 Musings of a Writer 22 No Debate About It Called to COMMUNICATE SPRING 2023 Volume 11 Issue 1
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE At Cedarville University we endeavor to equip every student to think well, write well, and communicate well. Our faculty members teach these foundational building blocks throughout our general education curriculum because they should characterize a well-rounded educated person and these skills lead to a more productive and successful life by almost any measure. Integral to this effort to equip thinkers, writers, and communicators at Cedarville is our Department of Communication, featured in this issue of Cedarville Magazine. You will read about some remarkable people, like Jim Leightenheimer ’80, or Mr. “L” as many call him, who has served God’s Kingdom and Cedarville well through broadcasting and radio. He has taught hundreds of students who now serve in the radio industry. This program has adapted through time from AM to FM and now to an app and online station known as Resound Radio that can be heard from anywhere in the world. Our students and graduates are bringing joy and sharing Christ through radio. You’ll also learn how Cedarville advocates for the unborn. We began a Defending Life Institute that teaches individuals to speak effectively for those who cannot speak for themselves. And our advocacy doesn’t stop with the unborn. We equip our students to speak and debate well on any number of subjects important to a biblical worldview. Read about how our speech and debate teams have “dominated in the name of Jesus.” While I frequently say that in jest, these students have truly racked up the awards while also defending the faith with compassionate conviction and astounding clarity. Their intelligent and winsome approach has caught the attention of judges and will reap a harvest for God’s Kingdom in the years to come. We hope to spread the word in the debate community that Cedarville’s program is on the rise and provides a great opportunity to continue using and refining your skills for eternal purposes. Communication faculty members will be moving into a new space on the second floor of the Scharnberg Business Center, scheduled to be completed for fall 2024. This premier space will bring a renewed emphasis on communication at Cedarville University. And we would encourage you to help us make it the best space possible by giving to name offices or classrooms in honor of a loved one or beloved faculty member. As you read through these pages, please pray about supporting the Department of Communication, and about a student or two whom you could encourage to come on a campus visit. Ask God to continue granting His blessings upon these faculty members as they equip the next generation with excellence to stand for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. In Christ, Thomas White, President cedarville.edu/president @DrThomasWhite facebook.com/DrThomasWhite instagram.com/drthomaswhite linkedin.com/in/jthomaswhite On the cover: Meet Kora Ostrowski '22, organizational communication graduate and senior admissions counselor. Watch Kora talk about her 1,000 days as a Cedarville student at cedarville.edu/Kora. 2 | CedarCvielldeaMrvailgleazMinaegazine
IN EVERY ISSUE 24 CHAPEL NOTES 26 ADVANCING CEDARVILLE 28 CAMPUS NEWS 32 YELLOW JACKET SPORTS 35 MOMENT IN TIME 36 IN CLOSING Editor Janice (Warren) Supplee ’86 Managing Editor Caroline Tomlinson ’22 Creative Director Chad Jackson ’05 Graphic Designer Craig Salisbury Photographer Scott Huck Copy Editor Michele (Cummings) Solomon ’91 Administration President Thomas White Special Advisor to the President Loren Reno ’70 Chief of Staff Zach Bowden Vice President for Academics Thomas Mach ’88 Vice President for Advancement Will Smallwood Vice President for Business and Chief Financial Officer Christopher Sohn Vice President for Enrollment Management Scott Van Loo ’98 Vice President for Marketing and Communications Janice (Warren) Supplee ’86 Vice President for Student Life and Christian Ministries Jonathan Wood Athletic Director Christopher Cross Our Mission Cedarville University transforms lives through excellent education and intentional discipleship in submission to biblical authority. Our Vision For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ Cedarville Magazine is published spring, summer, and fall and mailed free of charge to alumni and supporters of Cedarville University. 1-800-CEDARVILLE • cedarville.edu Direct inquiries and address changes to: Cedarville Magazine Cedarville University 251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH 45314 cedarville.edu/magazine magazine@cedarville.edu 1-888-CEDARVILLE READ ONLINE! Visit cedarville.edu/magazineSP23 on your computer or mobile device. Spring 2023 Volume 11 Issue 1 FEATURES 2 COMMUNICATING THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD THOMAS WHITE Have you ever noticed humans are the only created beings to use words to communicate? This unique attribute is an image-bearing trait that sets us apart. With that comes great responsibility. Believers were created to communicate with purpose, telling the greatest story ever told. 4 THE CRAFTSMAN BEHIND CEDARVILLE COMMUNICATION HEIDIE (RAINE) SENSEMEN ’23 Young Jim Phipps ’68 didn’t think he’d end up at Cedarville College. He was Stanford-bound and hard-set against studying at Cedarville. But the Lord had different plans and turned this reluctant student into the leader who built the Department of Communication and impacted so many lives. 10 AT THE FOREFRONT OF ACADEMIC PRO-LIFE EDUCATION ANDREW HARRIS How can we aid the helpless and stand for truth? Andrew Harris has led the charge to create The Defending Life Summer Institute, equipping students with the tools to advocate for the unborn. 14 FROM WSRN TO RESOUND RADIO From WSRN to Resound Radio, from AM to FM, on air and online, Resound Radio has seen many changes throughout the years. Cedarville Magazine contacted Jim Leightenheimer ’80 to learn about his vision for WSRN and how it came to be Resound Radio as we know it today. 18 MUSINGS OF A WRITER NICK CARRINGTON ’08 How can you teach students to write in a way that brings glory to God? Words are powerful, and how we use them affects other people and reflects our witness. Our faculty members work hard to ensure they equip our students with the ability to use their words for God’s glory. 22 NO DEBATE ABOUT IT JEFF GILBERT ’87 Cedarville’s Forensics team has continued to dominate tournament after tournament as they debate and speak words of truth. Members of the forensics team are able to communicate truth in secular environments as they compete both regionally and nationally. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. – Colossians 4:6 Cedarville Magazine | 1
BY THOMAS WHITE COMMUNICATING THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD “In the beginning.” These three words start many stories that frame our culture. But the most important use of these words comes in Genesis as part of the grand narrative of the Bible. God created humanity as the pinnacle of creation, and mankind rebelled against the Creator. This conflict could not be resolved by humanity, so God foreshadowed through Old Testament events and prophecy the coming Savior who would reconcile creation to the Creator. Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, died on a cross conquering sin and death. He ascended to the Father and is coming again to make all things new. This grand narrative of the Bible changes the way we live life and view the world. This is the greatest story ever told and one that must be clearly communicated to the ends of the earth. CREATED TO COMMUNICATE Have you ever thought about what sets humanity apart as the pinnacle of all creation? God created mankind both male and female in His image on the sixth day. But we are different from other created beings. Being made in the image of God includes the capacity for a relationship with 2 | Cedarville Magazine
Him. This relationship requires communication. Humanity communicates in a way that no other aspect of creation does. We have an alphabet. We have written words. We have books. We speak, and we teach the next generation to communicate. At some level, to be human is to communicate. Humanity has the unique opportunity to use communication to glorify God. Of course, we may twist this good gift using it to sin against God, but for our purposes, think about how communication allows us to glorify King Jesus. We compose songs. We write letters of encouragement. We write books. We write sermons. We preach those sermons. We teach classes. We tell stories. When we communicate effectively and clearly, when we preach passionately, when we create a catchy phrase that becomes an earworm, we use the gifts God has given us to glorify Him. Communication allows us to articulate truth and what we believe about God from Scripture. The precisely written confession statement brings clarity about what we must believe to be saved. The ancient hymns of the faith last generations to encourage weary saints and praise God. The bold proclamation delivered in the power of the Spirit changes lives through convicting sinners and uplifting believers. Words have purpose and power. All these methods of communication use words. All of these worthwhile tasks require a basic understanding of how to communicate. COMMUNICATE WITH PURPOSE Communication skills provide essential tools for a life well lived for the glory of God. Think about that statement. The ability to communicate is essential. We teach sign language to babies to communicate. We teach more complex sign language to communicate with those who cannot hear or speak. We teach words both written and spoken to communicate the thoughts in our heads and the desires of our hearts. We pray to God with words formed in our minds that communicate meaning. We sing to God with words conveying emotion and truth. Communication is a basic building block of a life well lived for the glory of God. Consider how the ability to communicate impacts evangelism and missions. We have the privilege of telling the greatest story ever told to others. We communicate the Gospel through words. When we go to another country, we seek to communicate the Gospel in its heart language when possible. We seek to translate the Word of God into the native language to communicate more effectively. Precise, well-crafted words carry a message of eternal importance, so we should learn all we can about effective communication. We tell stories to teach principles and entertain our fellow man. An excellent story may mesmerize the audience while teaching good values or challenging our culture’s accepted sins. The Bible tells stories. Nathan told a story to David when confronting him. Jesus used parables to teach heavenly principles through earthly stories. Learning to tell a story properly through written or spoken words allows us to love God and others well. Humanity innately has a love for stories. Most anyone who has children has heard the phrase “tell me a story” at bedtime. Just look at Disney to see how effective telling stories can be. THERE IS A GOD, AND HE HAS SPOKEN Here is my point: There is a God, and He has spoken. We as humans should learn all we can about effective communication to glorify the God who is worthy. We should refine our communication skills and sharpen our gifts to reach the world with the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that eternally significant changes don’t happen because of the eloquence of our words but by the power of the Spirit using those words. The writers of Scripture used compelling phrases, illustrations, and vivid examples to communicate Holy Spirit-inspired truth to us. We should write well, speak well, and communicate well for God’s glory and our joy. We can’t stand for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ if we can’t communicate. That’s why our Department of Communication has an essential function at Cedarville University and a task that is never complete as we seek to hone our communication skills. Let us be lifelong learners of the art of communicating well until that day when we hope to hear God communicate “well done, my good and faithful servant.” Let this be the grand narrative of our lives as we tell others of the grand narrative of Scripture. Thomas White is President of Cedarville University. He earned his PhD in systematic theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Communication is a basic building block of a life well lived for the glory of God. Cedarville Magazine | 3
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If you ask Jim Phipps '68 about his role in building Cedarville University’s Department of Communication, he redirects you. He wants to talk about anyone other than himself. He tells you about a student, or his wife, or the catalog of Cedarville faculty members who carried the load with him. He tells you that the people around him are the ones responsible for the department’s success. “This community’s done more for me than I’ve ever done for it,” he says, chuckling at the suggestion that he’s special. But if you listen closely, you realize that there’s a glimmer of autobiography tucked into each of Phipps’ anecdotes — quiet details that reveal his stamp on Cedarville. He doesn’t mean to include these, but every story about the Department of Communication seems to point back to Phipps. “He’s too humble to say it, but I tell everyone: You can’t tell the story of Cedarville Communication without talking about Dr. Phipps,” Derrick Green ’97, current department chair, said. “He built us.” And perhaps that’s the best way to characterize Jim Phipps: a builder. He looks at people, departments, churches — even household projects — and pours himself out to strengthen them. His handiwork bears his mark. Indeed, Cedarville’s Department of Communication can look at Phipps’ 52 years of service and echo, “He built us.” But Phipps wasn’t always the invested leader that Cedarville community members know him as today. In fact, when he first arrived at Cedarville in 1964, he was a reluctant and overwhelmed student. Phipps was raised in northern California and planned to study pre-law at Stanford University on a full-ride scholarship. He’d heard about Cedarville through his Baptist church, but he ruled it out due to finances. If he chose Cedarville, he’d have to sell his car to make the tuition payment. “I put a lot of work into that car,” Phipps explained. “It was special to me.” One night during his senior year of high school, Phipps rushed out the door to attend a prayer meeting. As he started driving toward the church, he prayed, “Lord, I’ve made my decision. Let me go to Stanford and keep the car.” Four miles down the road, Phipps flipped his car three times before wrapping it around a tree. He had to crawl out the back window to escape. During his recovery in a nearby hospital, Phipps was greeted by an attorney. The attorney asked Phipps to identify the kind of car he’d been driving because the accident left it mangled beyond recognition. “On his way out, that attorney said to me, ‘Well, you must have a reason to live, because you shouldn’t be alive,’” Phipps said. “I figured from then on that Cedarville was my reason to live.” Phipps began classes at Cedarville the following fall, majoring in English and speech. Insurance money from the accident paid for his first term tuition. ORDINARY BEGINNINGS As an undergraduate, Phipps kept busy. In addition to his English and speech degrees, he was one class away from a B.A. in history and one class away from a B.A. in Bible. When he wasn’t in class, he radio-broadcasted for Cedarville’s Yellow Jacket basketball team — a role he maintained for over 30 years throughout his teaching career — competed on BY HEIDIE (RAINE) SENSEMAN ’23 Every story about the Department of Communication seems to point back to Phipps. Cedarville Magazine | 5
the debate team, performed odd jobs, and met his wife, Pat (Bonzo) ’70, through a mutual friend in the dining hall. After 54 years of marriage, Pat still smiles when she recalls her and Jim’s first date. “He took me to a basketball game at Wilmington College that he was broadcasting for,” she said. “I sat in the stands with one of my girlfriends while he did the radio, but I quite enjoyed it.” Jim and Pat dated for just under a year and got married at the end of his senior year in 1968. But aside from his new marriage, Phipps didn’t know what life would include after graduation. He had been considering graduate school when John Reed, former chair of the speech and English department, called him into his office just weeks before graduation. “Dr. Reed didn’t ask, he just told me: ‘We’ve gotta have a teacher for Fundamentals of Speech in the fall, and you’re it,’” Phipps said. Though not what he was expecting, Phipps accepted the position. He spent the summer leading up to the school year working as a bricklayer and preparing for the classroom. However, the intensifying Vietnam crisis complicated Phipps’ plans. Late in his first year of teaching, Phipps received a draft notice. “We thought he was going,” Pat recalled. “I went with him to the processing station in Cincinnati, thinking we were saying goodbye. But at the end of the day, he came back. They said an old knee injury disqualified him.” It was as if the attorney’s words from Phipps’ senior year of high school were ringing out again: “You must have a reason to live, because you shouldn’t be alive.” And truly, Phipps made serving the Lord at Cedarville his reason to live. After Phipps’ first year as a faculty member, Reed left Cedarville to teach at another institution. Reed’s resignation created a leadership need in the department — a department now consisting solely of Phipps and Miriam Maddox, a faculty member already busy with coaching debate, directing theater, and instructing Fundamentals of Speech. “I had to step up,” Phipps explained. “When I came to Cedarville as a student, I thought I’d get my degree and move on. Dr. Reed leaving changed that. I realized that he’d been planning for me to be his replacement all along.” But Reed’s resignation wasn’t the only transition that Phipps had to manage. In 1970, the same year Phipps took over as chair of the Department of Speech and English, the department split. Out of that split emerged the Department of English, now the Department of English, Literature, and Modern Languages, and the Department of Communication. And left to lead the Department of Communication stood Jim Phipps, a 25-year-old with two years of teaching experience, no graduate degrees, and the responsibility to build a department from the ground up. “Oh, I never worked alone,” Phipps said, shaking his head. “This department was built on the backs of other brilliant scholars. All I did was act as the chief organizer.” Phipps took on heavy workloads in his new leadership role. He earned a master’s in broadcasting and a doctorate in communication from The Ohio State University in the early years of his professorial career while also teaching full loads, helping raise his and Pat’s three children — Lori (Phipps) Vasquez ’96, Sheri (Phipps) Lichtensteiger ’99, and Tim ’03, covering basketball games, and faithfully attending Wednesday night prayer meetings at Grace Baptist, his local church. But even after completing his graduate studies, Phipps devoted extra hours to Cedarville and the local community. He taught over 20 credit hours per term, coached the men’s golf team, served for 16 years as village mayor, cheered all three of his children on through graduate degree programs, and interim pastored at six different churches — some as far away as Toledo — over his 52 years as a professor. “I had around 50 advisees, plus classes, plus basketball — but back then, we never worried about how much the workload was,” he said. “We just wanted to get the job done for our students. And I still miss the students.” Two of those students who Phipps invested in currently serve as Department of Communication faculty members: Jeff Gilbert ’87 and Green. A LASTING IMPACT Gilbert wasn’t sure of his next steps when he graduated from Cedarville. “Dr. Phipps really helped me along in my career. He was the referral for my first newspaper job out of college,” Gilbert shared. “And he helped me get hired back here years later.” Phipps remembers teaching Gilbert in a sportscasting class, and he reflects fondly on Gilbert’s career success. “This department was built on the backs of other brilliant scholars. All I did was act as the chief organizer.” 6 | Cedarville Magazine
“He just did marvelously at that little paper in Virginia,” Phipps said. “We brought him back to teach here because of his experience. He knows what he’s talking about.” Gilbert also exemplifies what Phipps describes as his favorite type of student: those who arrived at college uncertain of their future but grew in confidence, skill, and direction over their years of study. “Jeff was one of those,” Phipps added. “A local boy, wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but took off in sports journalism. I loved watching those kinds of students develop. Derrick Green was one of those, too.” Green transferred to Cedarville as a communication major in January 1994. As a part of his role as department chair, Phipps met with all transfer students. “My parents had some reservations about leaving me at Cedarville,” Green explained. “But after we met Dr. Phipps, that all went away.” Phipps taught Green in multiple classes, including Theories of Mass Media, Persuasive Theory, and History of Public Address — “The only Phipps class I ever got a B in,” according to Green. Pat echoes the difficulty of History of Public Address. Once while studying in Cedarville’s Centennial Library, she overheard a table of students complaining about their assignments and required references for a course. When she spoke up and asked what class they were talking about, the group told her: Dr. Phipps’ History of Public Address. “I told them, ‘That does sound difficult. I’ll tell my husband when I get home,’” Pat said, chuckling. “You should’ve seen their faces.” But of all the classes Phipps taught, none stick out quite like Interpersonal Communication, especially to Green. “That class taught me what godly relationships with people are really about,” Green said. “I’d been having some difficulty with family, and Dr. Phipps told us one day: ‘If your relationships with other people aren’t right, your relationship with God isn’t right.’ That changed me.” Green holds onto that and the many other lessons that Phipps instilled in him. His newfound appreciation for meaningful and godly relationships blossomed into a desire to teach that led him back to Cedarville years later — along with several gently persuasive phone calls from Phipps. “My first year as a faculty member was Phipps’ last year as chair,” Green added. “I count it an honor and a privilege to almost literally sit in Dr. Phipps’ chair as chair of the department, and with every student, I just hope to impact them the way that Dr. Phipps impacted me.” ALWAYS BUILDING Much like how John Reed trained up Phipps — a young, passionate Cedarville graduate — to take over the department, so also did Phipps build up Green as a future leader for the Department of Communication. Chuck Elliot ’77 took over as department chair in 2003 after Phipps stepped down from the role, and Green took over as chair in 2014. But what does the great leader do when he passes the baton? What does the builder do when he’s no longer building? Well, for starters, Phipps’ retirement at the end of the 2019–2020 school year didn’t stop him from investing in the University and its surrounding community. If anything, it opened new doors for him. In retirement, Phipps has taken over as Grace Baptist’s vehicle manager, done yard work for himself and two widowed neighbors, served as chairman of the Cedarville Opera House, built custom golf club sets, and kept busy building and tinkering through his beloved odd jobs. When asked about the things he builds, Jim Phipps smiles before a word comes out of his mouth. “Oh yes, I build things often,” he chirps. “Woodworking, construction, bricklaying. I like working with vehicles and engines, plumbing and electric, roofing. My dad was a missions pastor, and whenever we moved to a new town, we’d draw those churches up and build them right there.” Green responds differently to the question. “He’s the best builder I know,” Green says. “Everything we have in the Department of Communication exists because he built the foundation for it.” Pat Phipps has something to add, too. “Oh yes, my husband is the best builder I know. He pours himself into whatever it is he's doing. I think seeing things grow is what kept him building all these years.” Heidie (Raine) Senseman ’23 is an English major at Cedarville University. Phipps’ retirement at the end of the 2019–2020 school year didn’t stop him from investing in the University and its surrounding community. Cedarville Magazine | 7
STORYTELLING FOR DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION If the Department of Communication could be summed up in one word, it would be storytelling. Whether through film, speech, social media, or written words, our Department of Communication graduates are telling stories for God’s glory. MEET THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP Derrick Green ’97, MA Chair, Department of Communication Jeff Simon ’06, MFA Assistant Chair, Department of Communication MISSION STATEMENT Core Values: Integrity. Leadership. Collaboration. The Department of Communication is committed to educating students to change the world as they biblically engage their culture with the heart and mind of Christ. We seek to achieve excellence in communication skills and critical thinking, foster a desire for knowledge, aid problem-solving skills, and develop innovative leaders. MAJORS §COMMUNICATION – To learn more, go to page 10. §BROADCASTING, DIGITAL MEDIA, AND JOURNALISM – To learn more, go to page 14. §PROFESSIONAL WRITING AND INFORMATION DESIGN – To learn more, go to page 18. MINORS §Broadcasting and Digital Media §Comprehensive Communication Arts §Digital Video §Editing and Publishing §Intercultural Communication §Motion Graphics 8 | Cedarville Magazine
GOD’S GLORY FACULTY 13 Full-Time Faculty Members FIRST GRADUATING CLASS 1974 The Department of Communication was officially created in 1970. 186 74 Communication 79 Broadcasting, Digital Media, and Journalism 33 Professional Writing and Information Design ENROLLMENT CAREER PLACEMENT RATE 100% For the last three years, 100% of Department of Communication graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months of commencement. NUMBER OF ALUMNI 1,605 Nick Carrington ’10, PhD Associate Professor of Professional Writing Chuck Elliott ’77, PhD Senior Professor of Communication Daniel Fultz, PhD Professor of Communication Jeff Gilbert ’87, MA Assistant Professor of Journalism, Cedars Faculty Advisor Derrick Green ’97, MA Chair, Assistant Professor of Communication Andrew Harris, PhD Associate Professor of Communication Heather Heritage, MA Assistant Professor of Communication Jim Leightenheimer, MA Associate Professor of Communication, Resound Faculty Advisor Mischelle (Waddle) McIntosh ’77, MA Associate Professor of Communication Eric Mishne ’08, MA Assistant Professor of Communication, Director of Forensics Sean O’Connor, MFA Assistant Professor of Broadcasting, Digital Media, and Journalism Jeff Simon ’06, MFA Assistant Chair, Associate Professor of Communication Jenn (Himes) Wingerter ’04, MA Assistant Professor of Professional Writing Cedarville Magazine | 9
AT THE FOREFRONT OF ACADEMIC PRO10 | Cedarville Magazine
In 2018, Scott Klusendorf of the Life Training Institute spoke in chapel at Cedarville University on the case for life. I had always been pro-life, but as Klusendorf spoke, I quickly realized I did not know enough about the pro-life argument to be a real defender of it. That day, all I determined to do was to find a way to teach a class in pro-life advocacy. Little did I know that today I would be working with Klusendorf to build something wholly unique in the academic world. The result of our efforts is the Defending Life Summer Institute, a new endeavor aimed at providing university-level training in pro-life advocacy. The Institute fills an important gap in the pro-life movement by using the rigor of the academic classroom to fully prepare its students to shape the conversation around life in a post-Roe America. Institute classes were designed by Klusendorf and his colleagues Marc Newman of the pro-life training organization Speaker for Life and John Ensor of PassionLife Ministries. All three are veterans of the pro-life movement and well respected among their peers as some of the most active and effective advocates for the unborn. When Cedarville students learn from these three guest lecturers, they not only develop quick wits and solid arguments but also a compassionate love for the children threatened by the abortion industry and the expectant mothers who are deceived by it. Last summer, the Institute welcomed its first cohort. In a relatively short amount of time, the students entered as rank novices and left with the tools necessary to answer even the most daunting pro-abortion arguments. Michael Coleman ’23, a communication major, put it this way: “Although the science and metaphysical concepts were complex, the classes gave me the information in a digestible way. I went from knowing almost nothing about abortion ethics to being able to argue effectively.” Biology major Autumn Sellars ’24 particularly appreciated Klusendorf’s class, Rhetoric of Abortion Ethics. “It was the best class I have taken at Cedarville so far,” she said. “Everything I learned in that class has been incredibly helpful as I think about how to defend the unborn.” Coleman, Sellers, and their classmates are preparing for the most important cultural struggle of our time. Abortion is a tragic lie whispered by Satan into the ears of both men and women during moments of crisis and despair, encouraging them to discount the humanity of their own children. Because it is a popular and cunning lie, it will take a generation of extraordinary bravery and knowledge to end its legal practice. As of right now, that generation begins at Cedarville University. Communication can serve many purposes, and as Christians, we believe advocacy is part of our biblical calling. Like all advocacy endeavors in Cedarville’s communication department, the Institute is founded upon two guiding principles: the aid of the helpless and the championing of truth. Each of these values flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Regarding the first principle, a brief glimpse at history easily demonstrates that there are few creeds other than Christianity that treat unconditional love and service to the outcast as foundational tenants of the good life. Yet Christ tells us that ministry to the most oppressed and needy is service directly to Himself: “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40). James tells us, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (1:27). Popular theology has a lot to say about the second part of that equation, but we often fail to take the first seriously. In the apostles’ day, orphans and widows had nothing of -LIFE EDUCATIONBY ANDREW J. HARRIS MAJOR: COMMUNICATION Communication can serve many purposes, and as Christians, we believe advocacy is part of our biblical calling. Cedarville Magazine | 11
value to give back to those who ministered unto them. Thus, when Christians cared for them, they demonstrated the unconditional love of the One who was the Father of the fatherless and the Bridegroom of the church. Today, we can share the same kind of love with the millions of unwanted unborn children across the globe. To advocate on their behalf is to practice true religion. Regarding the second principle, advocacy changes when we follow the One who calls Himself the Truth. Unfortunately, it has become standard advocacy practice to care more about winning than ensuring that truth prevails. This sort of view is shortsighted and fails to consider that immediate victories prove meaningless if they deny the objective truths that provide the long-lasting foundations of freedom and civility that Christ wants for us. But this is why the Institute partners so well with Cedarville’s communication department. Here, we have both the passion to defend the defenseless and the tools that students need to build persuasive truthful arguments and shape the culture. As Eric Mishne ’08, Assistant Professor of Communication, puts it, “We study persuasion and advocacy in order to know how to ethically and biblically persuade people to consider and hopefully accept the message God has laid on our hearts. We work to change people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to make them more like Christ.” Advocacy is not just a theoretical concept at Cedarville. Students have spent thousands of hours gaining hands-on experience in real nonprofit organizations in the pro-life arena as well as many other fields of ministry where the hands and feet of Jesus are needed. The Defending Life Summer Institute continues that long established tradition at Cedarville of putting others before ourselves, and we are glad to be pioneers in pro-life education. Roe and Casey may be overturned, but now 50 state legislatures must be convinced that the child in the womb is one of us, a human being for whom Christ died and for whom life is therefore a basic human right. This is why we love our neighbor. This is why we speak for the unborn. This is why we advocate. Andrew J. Harris is an Associate Professor of Communication at Cedarville University. He earned his PhD in communication from Regent University. COMMUNICATION § Credit Hours – 128 (including general education and major courses) § Terms – 16-week semesters § Program Delivery – on campus § Completion Time – typically 8 semesters § Concentrations § Advocacy Communication § Organizational Communication § Strategic Communication “ My communication degree and the encouragement from my professors have helped me in my professional career more than I could have ever imagined. My communication courses taught me invaluable skills like public speaking, op-ed writing, and thinking strategically about organizational structure and culture. I am grateful for professors pushing me and guiding me toward excellence throughout my college career and beyond.” Moriah (Woodall) Johnson ’21 Communications Coordinator, The Heritage Foundation “ The organizational communication program at Cedarville gave me a very broad and solid foundation as I launched into my career. My professors invested in me both professionally and personally, and I graduated with the tools that allowed me to be successful. Among the valuable skills that my major provided was a strong emphasis on both written and verbal communication. I was able to learn, grow, and thrive at Cedarville and allow God to use me for His glory!” Jason Atwell ’98 Regional Vice President of Sales, Erickson Senior Living “ The communication department prepared me for a dynamic and impactful career in public communications. From writing books to making speeches to hosting various podcasts, my craft and my spirit were honed by people who love the Lord at Cedarville University!” Dannah (Barker) Gresh ’89 Best-selling author, founder of True Girl, and co-host of Revive Our Hearts GET TO KNOW THE MAJOR To learn more about the Defending Life Summer Institute and register, go to cedarville.edu/defendinglife. 12 | Cedarville Magazine
Advocacy Put in Action Deep Calls for Life: Seeking Organ Donor for Professor Deep Calls for Life, a student-led campaign, is taking to social media to help Chuck Elliott ’77, Senior Professor of Communication, find a kidney donor. This campaign not only demonstrates a deep love and support for the students’ beloved professor, but also addresses the need for organ donation. Elliott’s need for a kidney stems back to his 20-year teaching career at Hong Kong Baptist University. Teaching there was a dream come true, but life there was stressful, and he began suffering from debilitating headaches. Attributing the headaches to stress, Elliott’s doctor didn’t see the true source of the problem — damage to his kidneys due to untreated high blood pressure over several years. Elliott and his family returned to the United States in 2003 to try to maintain the limited function of his kidneys. This strategy worked for 19 years. In the fall of 2021, Elliott’s kidney function began to deteriorate at an alarming rate, resulting in an urgent need for him to be placed on the kidney transplant list. His kidneys failed in May 2022, resulting in Elliott experiencing nausea, chills, and a lack of appetite. His failing medical health caused his doctors to recommend Elliott to begin dialysis. Dialysis is not easy. Each night, Elliott connects to a machine for 8 ½ hours as it fills his peritoneal cavity with a fluid that absorbs the toxins that his kidneys are no longer eliminating. This is the state of Elliott’s life until he receives a kidney transplant. The Deep Calls for Life campaign is doing for Elliott what he feels is impossible to do himself. “First and foremost, our goal is to find a kidney and live donor for Dr. Elliott,” said Chloe Largent ’23, a marketing major from Centreville, Maryland. “But we also want to be an advocate for organ donors because we see how important organ donation is to many people.” In the first 30 days, the group’s Instagram page has reached 1,400 accounts and received messages from individuals seeking to find out if they would be a good kidney match for Elliott. Students, past and present, have rallied support for Elliott in the comment sections. “Being part of this project has given me a glimpse into an area of hurt that isn't common to talk about,” said Sarah Force ’23, a communication and worship major from Springfield, Pennsylvania. “I didn’t really understand the struggle of waiting for an organ and what that looks like. I’ll be advocating for organ donorship well past this project.” The students who are part of Deep Calls for Life aren’t the only ones advocating for Elliott. The university’s faculty and staff were notified earlier this year about the need for a kidney donation of an unidentified faculty member, Elliott. Some faculty members pursued the idea, but no perfect match has been identified. Also, a project for the advocacy class taught by Heather Heritage is pursuing ways to assist Elliott in his quest for a donated kidney. Laura King ’24, a communication major from Dublin, Ohio, is leading the effort of advocating for a kidney donation for her professor. Elliott and his wife, Becky (Reid) ’77, have discussed how they want something good to come out of this difficult experience. “In sharing the hard times, people also get to share the good. When the kidney happens, it’s not a victory through me, it’s a victory through God,” said Elliott. “I have a group of people that are standing with me and get to share in the joyous conclusion of how God is going to bring this all together. And – there's a great communication lesson there. We get to practice what we talk about and now it becomes saving somebody’s life. It’s a pretty powerful thing.” To find out more information about Elliott and his story, visit the Deep Calls for Life Instagram page. If you feel moved to see if you are a match to donate a kidney, contact Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center at wexnermedical.osu.edu/KidneyDonor or by phone: 1-800-293-8965, Option 3. Cedarville Magazine | 13
Since 1989, Cedarville University has had a student-run radio station that serves as a learning laboratory of sorts for broadcasting and digital media students from the Department of Communication. WSRN or Resound Radio? AM or FM? On air or online? How did you listen as a student? Over the years, musical styles, technology, and even the name have changed, but two things have remained the same: Students are equipped to use their craft for the glory of God, and Jim Leightenheimer ’80 has been at the helm, teaching, encouraging, and mentoring all the way. Resound From WSRN to 14 | Cedarville Magazine
Cedarville Magazine interviewed Leightenheimer about Resound’s history, its future, and how God is using it in the lives of students and others. CM: How did Resound Radio get its start? What was the motivation behind it? JL: Student radio started as an independent study when I was a Cedarville College broadcasting student in the late 1970s. My professor (Wes Baker, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Communication) assigned the project of conducting a feasibility study of a student radio station on Cedarville’s campus. The desire was motivated by the need for students, at all academic levels, to be able to apply the knowledge and to practice the skills that they were gaining in classes. When I was hired as a faculty member in 1982, I was charged with working to bring the station into being. The result is what we now call Resound Radio. CM: What need does the station fill on campus? JL: Resound provides practical experience for students enrolled in the broadcasting and digital media major and for students from many other majors to practice the skills of communication. The station functions with the mission of training Christians to serve Christ in the media while serving students, faculty, and staff with programming designed to build them up in the spirit of Ephesians 4:29, our station verse. CM: How has Resound evolved over the years? JL: We started with a few students working with the faculty advisor (me) and have developed to the point where we have a pool of alumni — all experienced on-air professionals — who have also generously built into students’ professional lives as volunteer mentors/coaches. CM: How has Resound kept up with changes in the industry? JL: We have adapted our methods of delivering the signal to the listener based on developments in technology and changes in how and where people listen. We’ve moved from AM to FM, FM to streaming, and have developed apps (see chronology). We have been blessed by a supportive administration that has made studio technology upgrades to hardware and software that allow us to have state-of-the-art facilities. We also provide the audience with the type of programming that research indicates they desire. An example is the development this year of the “1,000 Days” podcast available at resoundradio.com. Radio MAJOR: BROADCASTING, DIGITAL MEDIA, AND JOURNALISM Cedarville Magazine | 15
FALL 1989 The first student leadership team was put in place and advisor, students, and maintenance installed the broadcast hardware on campus. 1995 WSRN switched to U99.5 FM, using low power FM technology, due to interference from the newly established CedarNet and the, until then, forbidden personal refrigerators. APRIL 5 1990 WSRN, the Student Radio Network launched at AM 530, using campus carrier technology, from the third floor of Collins Hall. FALL 2000 U99.5 FM relocated to the brandnew Stevens Student Center. SPRING 2011 Due to research indicating that students were no longer bringing radios to campus, Resound turned off the FM transmitter and became a streaming only station at resoundradio.com and reaching out via the Internet. FALL 2007 U99.5 reimaged as Resound Radio. FALL 2015 Resound added an App to allow listeners to listen anywhere and anytime. CM: How does working at Resound prepare students for the future? JL: Working at Resound prepares many students to hit the ground running in a radio station or network by gaining experience in on-air work, production, promotions, visual and social media, programming, and following and leading as part of a team. CM: What impact has Resound had on campus and in the community? JL: There have been many accounts from listeners, on and off campus (internationally, too), of how a song played or a word spoken by a student host has been used by the Lord to meet a particular need in a life. I believe that our students learn that God sets appointments for us to meet with the music that we play and with the words that we speak. CM: How have you seen Resound provide opportunities to mentor/disciple students? JL: I have had the privilege to mentor many students over the years. God has allowed me to help them discover their gifts and apply them in media, encourage them through academic and life challenges, help them connect with stations and networks for jobs, and stay connected as they launch careers and families. CM: Do you have a favorite memory from your work with Resound? JL: There are so many that it is hard to pick one. My favorite memories are of the times that I saw the Lord help students realize their gifts (light bulb moments) and then apply them at the student radio station and after graduation at stations and networks around the country. CM: What do you see for the future of Resound Radio? JL: I trust that the Lord will continue to help us accomplish our mission of training students to serve Christ in the media while we grow and serve our audience. I pray that God will send more students with a vision to influence culture through radio/media and that we will continue to stay current with technological changes that are bound to come. STUDENT RADIO CHRONOLOGY To listen, download the "Resound Radio" app in the app store. 16 | Cedarville Magazine
BROADCASTING, DIGITAL MEDIA, AND JOURNALISM § Credit Hours – 128 (including general education and major courses) § Terms – 16-week semesters § Program Delivery – on campus § Completion Time – typically 8 semesters § Concentrations § Digital Film and Video § Digital Radio and Audio § Integrated Digital Media § Journalism “ This program provided me with an arena to figure out what I was good at, then get hands-on experience to sharpen those skills (thanks to Resound Radio). The connections I made through Resound led me to two exciting jobs, first as a content creator and now as a creative director. Both jobs are vastly different, but the skills I gained at Cedarville have translated perfectly to each.” Rebecca (Scarpone) Eichelberger ’13 Creative Director, The Money Guy Show “ Through intentional faculty mentorship and Resound Radio — what was then called WSRN — the broadcasting and digital media program gave me the tools and hands on experience to help me confidently graduate with a B.A. in communications. It was the foundation that I have built my career on.” Mike Davis ’98 CEO, UPTONE PICTURES Inc. “ The Cedarville broadcasting program (and Jim Leightenheimer) not only gave me the hands-on experience I needed to walk into a radio station and succeed from day 1, but it also connected me to graduates throughout the industry that helped shape me professionally while in school and after graduation.” Bill Montgomery ’93 President/CEO, The River Radio MEET SOME OF OUR ALUMNI Jim Houser ’91 – Chief Content Officer, Educational Media Foundation (KLOVE and Air 1) Todd Stach ’94– Owner/Talent Coach, Beyond 615 and Christian Music Editor, AllAccess.com Eric Case ’95 – General Sales Manager, Star 93.3, Cincinnati, OH Pete Fiveland ’96 – Business Manager, Salem Media, New York, NY Mandy (Prusha) Young ’99 – Vice President of Radio, Educational Media Foundation (KLOVE and Air 1) Kristi (Abildness) McElwee ’02 – Radio Host, WJTL and adjunct faculty, Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster, PA Joy (McBride) Melton ’10 – “Joy Summers,” Afternoon Host, WAY FM Network Jake Townsend ’13– Social Media Manager/Content Producer, WAY FM, Nashville, TN Angela (Schweinitz) McMurray ’15 – Show Host, 105.5 Hits FM, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Ben Coleman ’20 – Production Director – KGBI FM, Omaha, NE Alyx Vissing ’21 – Promotions Team Lead, 104.9 The River, Columbus, OH GET TO KNOW THE MAJOR STORYTELLING THROUGH VIDEO The broadcasting, digital media, and journalism major has expanded its use of video as a medium of communication, and Elizabeth Kollmar ’25 has taken her skills to a new level. Elizabeth won “Best Documentary” from Good News Productions International for her “Power in Weakness” documentary. Listen to her share her story on the Cedarville Stories Podcast at cedarville.edu/kollmar. Cedarville Magazine | 17
MUSINGS OF A 18 | Cedarville Magazine
As he and his mother sat across from me, I could tell they were hungry for answers. What exactly can you do with a professional writing and information design (PWID) degree? The mother asked the normal questions: What does the curriculum look like? What kind of writing style will he learn? How big are the classes? When she had exhausted her list, the young man sat up straight and composed himself, shifted a little in his chair. Something was on his mind, and it took him a beat to formulate the question. I doubt my memory does it justice. “With all the stuff out there, how do you teach students to write in a godly way?” His mother leaned forward and folded her hands, making eye contact with me. The Bible says a lot about how we use words, and yet, it was clear this student and his mother were worried about a few things in particular. As the young man described what “stuff” meant, there was a yearning in his voice, a desire to think biblically about the craft of writing and the messages we send through that craft. He mentioned the messages blasting out from popular books, Hollywood, and marketing channels. My colleagues and I try hard to cultivate our students’ writing and editing skills, giving them the ability to adapt their style to different communication situations. Even more important than improving their skills, we want their writing to be immersed in faith, dripping in love for God and love for others. Our graduates write and edit in a variety of industries, including publishing, nonprofit, and marketing settings. In each, they encounter unique challenges from our contemporary culture, the most significant being a challenge to reality itself. That’s what the young man wanted to discuss the most. Our society encourages us to construct reality based on our feelings, as if truth were merely a form of self-expression. In this way, my truth may not be my neighbor’s, my desires reign over my biology, and good and evil are simply the preferences of individuals. This worldview bleeds from the heart onto the page, causing many writers to use words that conceal or dull the truth. BY NICK CARRINGTON ‘10 WRITER MAJOR: PROFESSIONAL WRITING AND INFORMATION DESIGN Even more important than improving their skills, we want their writing to be immersed in faith, dripping in love for God and love for others. Cedarville Magazine | 19
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