Tag: PFW

The Sound of Music: Piano Edition

By Andrew Danielson

The long hallways of PFW’s Music Center glisten in the morning sunshine. A seemingly endless row of doors line one side of the thoroughfare. Inside most of those doorways are pianos, all of which wait expectantly. This week, close to two dozen talented student pianists will be entering those doors and vigorously practicing on those pianos as part of the Gene Marcus Piano Camp & Festival.

Running from June 8-13, the camp offers an immersive experience with daily lessons and activities, including workshops, masterclasses, evening recitals, and group sessions.

This year, students coming to the camp were treated on opening day to a faculty recital Sunday evening followed by orientation and other information. For the next five days, the young pianists-in-residence will follow an invigorating schedule of piano study, taking piano lessons, playing and studying piano music, attending lectures by guest teachers, and attending masterclasses taught by faculty.

Previous edition of the Gene Marcus Piano Camp & Festival (Photo: Community Arts Academy)

One of the many offerings at the camp is the chance to study with a guest artist – an expert in the field of piano playing and performing. This year’s artist is Thomas “TJ” Lymenstull, a graduate of the prestigious Eastman School of Music and a newly-retired faculty member from the Interlochen Academy of the Arts.

He will be performing a solo recital of repertoire on Monday, June 9, at Rinehart Recital Hall, as well as teaching a masterclass for the camp attendees.

Masterclasses are a unique opportunity for students to receive one-on-one instruction from a well-known specialist in the field. Lymenstull’s masterclass is only one of several such classes which students will be taking at the camp.

Now entering its 14th year, the Gene Marcus Piano Camp was founded and organized by PFW’s own Dr. Hamilton Tescarollo, now director of Keyboard Studies for the PFW School of Music.

Tescarollo explained that when he first came to PFW in 2007 as a new professor of piano, one of the first objectives he was asked to accomplish was to create a summer music camp for young pianists. And he was happy to tackle the challenge.

“It all started with encouraging piano playing in the area and beyond,” he said.

That love of encouraging piano playing is not new among PFW School of Music faculty. In fact, the entire reason such an event is even possible is due to a generous endowment that a former PFW music faculty member left to the school for such a purpose, Wilda “Gene” Marcus.

Tescarollo explained that Marcus had taught for roughly twenty years at PFW (then Indiana University -Purdue University Fort Wayne, or IPFW). A piano teacher with the then-department of Music faculty, Marcus had been heavily involved with the music life and scene of Fort Wayne.

In 2005, Marcus passed away, leaving an endowment to PFW’s School of Music to continue the effort of providing opportunities for young pianists.

Starting with his arrival at PFW in 2007, Tescarollo crafted and launched the brand new Gene Marcus Piano Camp in 2012 as one of the offerings provided by the College of Visual and Performing Arts through their Community Arts Academy.

Tescarollo and the other faculty of the camp are now hard at work getting ready to welcome pianists from all across the country.

Students attend a previous edition of the Gene Marcus Piano Camp & Festival (Photo: Community Arts Academy)

“From the first one [camp], we had already opened it up to students from anywhere essentially,” Tescarollo said. “It is both a commuter camp and a residential camp.”

Attendees will consist of both commuters coming every day to study and residential campers who stay on campus in the PFW dormitory facilities. The cost for attending the camp ($450 – $550) includes lunch and dinner throughout the week.

Students come with some repertoire that they are ready to share in a public performance. Faculty at the camp then work with the students to polish that repertoire.

But students are learning more than how to polish their already-learned repertoire. In the course of a week, students will get a chance to watch and listen to guest artist recitals.

Some of the recitals are played by faculty teaching at the camp, including Dr. Jonathan Young, Christine Freeman, and Susan Dorion. Still other recitals will be played by young, up-and-coming piano artists, including Allyn Beifus and Andrew Nestler, both recent graduates and piano majors at the PFW School of Music.

Camp life, though, includes more than just piano study. New this year, students will have the opportunity to go kayaking right on the PFW campus. Friday afternoon, the last day of the camp, students will get the opportunity to walk around campus and celebrate the completion of a week of piano study.

The culmination of all that work? A concert Friday evening played by the student pianists of learned repertoire at the camp.

That final Friday performance of repertoire in front of one’s peers is part of the unique experiences provided at the Gene Marcus Piano Camp. As Tescarollo explained, one of the goals of the week is to give students experience in playing and performing their repertoire, both for each other and for their families.

Performing repertoire can be a daunting experience, but receiving instruction and tips from experienced performing pianists is part of what these student pianists will gain by attending.

“The idea is to inspire them to then practice and do this for the rest of the year,” Tescarollo stated. For him, encouraging piano students in their study and appreciation of the instrument is the key goal of the piano camp. And the camp attendees are responding very favorably to that encouragement.

“Many students come back over and over as much as possible [to the camp],” Tescarollo said.

Part of the experience that the camp offers student pianists is an opportunity to learn and grow as pianists.

“In some cases, there might be students who have never done a duet,” Tescarollo said. He explained that this camp provides students with an opportunity to learn and grow, but in a learning environment where they get to meet other like-minded young pianists who are also eager to learn.

That opportunity to get to meet and study with other young pianists is one of the great aspects of the camp.

“I hear about them keeping in touch throughout the year and they become friends,” Tescarollo said. “That’s a pretty wonderful thing.”

June 8-13 is just one short week that will come and go in the blink of the eye. But for the young pianists attending the Gene Marcus Piano Camp, that one week can influence them to greater artistic endeavors for a lifetime.

For more information, visit the Gene Marcus Piano Camp & Festival website.

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A Life After Service – Military Vets and their Transition to Civilian Life at Purdue Fort Wayne

By Andrew Danielson

Monday. May 26, 2025.

That’s the day when America will take a brief pause in the hustle and bustle of daily living to thank the countless men and women of the United States armed forces for their service in protecting and defending the freedoms we all enjoy.

Some of those men and women are still alive to receive our thanks. Others paid the ultimate price and will never see their loved ones again except in eternity.

After Memorial Day comes May 27, a Tuesday, with life returning back to “normal.”

But the veterans are still there. And they still need support.

The US Department of Labor reports on the webpage of their Transition Assistance Program that, every year, roughly 200,000 men and women depart from the US armed forces and re-enter the civilian world.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs reports that in 2018 alone, 669,922 US military veterans took advantage of the benefits the VA offers to advance their education.

But there’s a lot of drastic life changes that accompany a military veteran’s switch from military life to civilian life.

Purdue Fort Wayne’s Office of Military Student Services/Facebook Page

Dr. Michael Kirchner, a professor of Organizational Leadership at PFW and one of four faculty members recognized with a 2025 featured faculty award, knows what it’s like to transition from the military into college life.

He’s done that. He’s a veteran.

Currently, Kirchner is an associate professor and the graduate program director for PFW’s Department of Organizational Leadership. But his journey to becoming a professor and working with military veterans began with his own military service in the early 2000s.

Kirchner joined the army national guard in 2001, right before the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon building. Three years later, in 2004, Kirchner’s unit was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq.

At the time, Kirchner was enrolled in college at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. However, his deployment delayed his college work by a year.

Returning home, Kirchner needed some time to recuperate from his experience.

“When you’re serving in a combat zone, you’re always ‘on’,” Kirchner said.

He explained that, when you’re deployed, you really don’t relax or goof off much. It’s strictly business, and a deadly one at that.

“We’re about 7-8 months into the deployment, and I’m going, ‘I can’t think of a day in the last 4 months where I haven’t at least heard explosions or gunfire’,” Kirchner reminisced.

Returning home from that experience, Kirchner said the biggest challenge was simply shutting down his deployment mindset.

“To return home and all of a sudden be expected to just shut down and return to normal, that’s a tall-ask,” he said.

Kirchner’s life eventually found him working with other military veterans who were transitioning from military to civilian life, particularly that of the college world. During Kirchner’s time as a student at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, he was tapped to help create a veterans’ student organization at the university. In three months, over 50 vets had signed up for the organization, and that was what really began Kirchner’s passion for working with veterans in the collegiate world.

Kirchner detailed some of the challenges that veterans face when they transition from a military life to the civilian life found on college campuses like PFW.

Some vets that enroll in college are still coming to terms with their experiences in combat zones and deployments. Others face a major cultural shift as they leave the camaraderie of the military and enter a new, strange civilian world devoid initially of that military companionship.

“They lose that brotherhood and that community that they built in the military,” Nicole Welsh said.

She is the Senior Compliance Officer for PFW’s Office of Military Student Services. Although not a veteran herself, Welsh grew up with much of her family having served in the military, so she has familiarity with what the military veteran experience is like.

Nicole Welsh
Michael Kirchner

Welsh expanded on the concept of lost military companionship for military veteran students.

“They come in here as non-traditional students who have already had a full career,” she said. “[They] have already lived a very different life than most people on this campus.”

But it’s not just the military culture that student vets miss when they come to PFW. They also have to deal with a lost sense of purpose.

“When you serve, you have a very clear understanding of your job,” Professor Kirchner said.

He explained that, when someone serves in the military, the goals of the job are very clearly laid out. The outcome of a job and its impact on the overall unit are equally understood. However, when a person leaves the military and becomes a civilian, they can face a crisis of trying to establish their new identity.

“When you lose that, you lose part of your identity and your purpose, Kirchner reiterated.

One parallel Kirchner used to explain this loss of identity is to that of someone who retires from a career in the civilian world. That person’s career can become a big part of who they are and how they define themselves as a person. When they retire, they undergo a similar experience to that of military veterans in trying to re-establish what their identity in life is.

In spite of all the challenges that military veterans may face when shifting to a civilian lifestyle after the miliary, there are many resources which can help smooth the transition.

One of those resources is PFW’s Military Student Services. Welsh mentioned that her office helps military vet students work through all of the various benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (frequently called the “VA), as well as tuition assistance.

“We go through those benefits and help them get through some of those loops and red tape that they see with the VA and with tuition assistance,” Welsh explained. “And we help guide them through that process just to make it easier.”

Welsh mentioned that the Office of Military Student Services is quite small. The entire staff for the office consists of only herself, her immediate supervisor, and six student employees, most of whom are military vets themselves.

Together, that small team serves the needs of nearly 200 military veteran students on the PFW campus.

Christian Long (L) and Bryce Evans (R)

What those military veterans want to pursue as a career or field of study following their military service varies by the individual. One of the student workers at the Military Student Services is Bryce Evans, a history major.

Evans spent eight years in the US Navy, serving aboard submarines. When he completed his military service, he was ready to tackle a new life challenge.

“When I tapped out, I was done as far as military services goes,” Evans mentioned.  “I wanted to come back to civilian life and focus on that and start a new chapter.”

Evans explained that his transition to civilian life was relatively easy, since he spent the latter portion of his military service on shore duty, allowing him to re-integrate with the civilian world gradually. He began his college career by taking classes online at PFW in August of 2023, right before he officially completed his military service in October of that year.

However, as Evans mentioned, the transition from military to civilian life can vary depending on the individual. One student worker at the Military Student Services office is a current, active-duty soldier, Christian Long.

Long is serving in the army national guard, as well as the PFW US Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program offered on campus. He is in a unique place in life, as he takes on the challenges of being both a soldier and a full-time student.

“So, it feels like I’m always around army or military stuff, but then I go home at night and it’s not,” Long said. He explained that serving as a soldier and studying as a full-time student was like having two personalities that he switched between depending on what was being asked of him.

“You have two different information sets in your mind,” Long said.

Students Long and Evans, and Professor Kirchner took different routes in the military and tread various pathways to enter college. However, they all agreed that the Military Student Services office at PFW is a great resource to help all military veterans succeed in their transition to a civilian life.

“PFW’s military student services and our financial aid offices are great starting points to help military-affiliated students including their dependents understand the programs that might be available,” Kirchner pointed out.

But even with offices like the Military Student Services, PFW’s student veterans still face some challenges.

One challenge is that the office suite of Military Student Services is simply hard to find. Tucked away in one of the farthest corners of the oldest classroom building on campus, Kettler Hall, the office feels very removed and remote from the rest of the campus.

Military Student Services – Front Desk
Military Student Services – Lounge

“If more people knew where our office was, it would be great,” Long said. “You have to walk past all these people getting back here.”

Long isn’t kidding. To get to Military Student Services, one has to follow a lengthy hallway that feels miles long as it wends its way in serpentine fashion past countless administrative offices. A few signs point out the direction where the Office is located, but one feels as if they were violating a university policy to walk back so far into the warren of office suites.

The isolated location of the Office of Military Student Services isn’t the only challenge Welsh and her team face.

 The office suite for Military Student Services is quite small. Although there is a little bit of room for students to come back and study or relax, the quarters are a bit cramped. A few tiny rooms serve as spots where students can come and study or hold consultations, but large gatherings are not really possible.

The remoteness and small area of the Military Student Services office also impact efforts to network military veteran students with civilian students.

Student workers Long and Evans both explained that even though the office suite is the Military Student Services area, they are very open to talking and interacting with veteran and non-veteran students like.

“Anybody can come hang out or ask questions or just chat,” Long mentioned.

Evans commented that it would be great if there could be a military lounge or area in a more publicly visible space that would allow both military veterans and civilian students to stop by and interact freely.

Professor Kirchner agreed that a bigger lounge area would be helpful to military veterans transitioning to the civilian life.

“One of those big aspects of veterans’ transition experience that is a challenge is that lost camaraderie,” Kirchner explained. “Well, without a social lounge, it’s difficult to regain that.”

Senior Compliance Officer Welsh, the student veterans who work at Military Student Services, and Professor Kirchner, are quite appreciative of having a space dedicated to serving the needs of student veterans. However, a bigger space in a more well-trafficked area of campus would give Welsh and her team a double opportunity.

A larger area with a bigger social lounge would help provide a space for student military vets to rebuild their social camaraderie that they left when retiring from the military. Additionally, a large space would give the new PFW chapter of the Student Veterans of America organzation a more accessible place to meet and welcome civilian and military students.

Although challenges remain for military veterans transitioning to civilian life at universities, PFW, under the careful mentorship and guidance of Professor Kirchner and Nicole Welsh, is positioned to reach out and help a variety of military veterans and their dependents.

But perhaps most importantly, the Military Student Services and their activities are helping to bridge the gap between the life experiences of military veterans and civilian students. Thanks to Welsh and her team, efforts are now in place to help establish networks and friendships for students of both military and civilian background.

May 26, 2025, will come and go. But PFW’s military veteran students will continue to be remembered and supported.

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Purdue Fort Wayne Class of 2025 Celebrates Long-Awaited Milestone

By Maddi Sims

For Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Class of 2025, this year’s commencement ceremony is more than the culmination of a college education—it is a long-awaited celebration of resilience. Today at 4 p.m., about 800 students are expected to graduate at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, many of whom never got the chance to walk the stage at their high school graduation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is very important to me,” said Bayley McDonald, a senior graduating with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in communication studies. “It was really disappointing to miss out on my prom, musical, and graduation ceremony. I invited as many family and friends as possible.”

For students like McDonald, this commencement represents a sense of redemption—an opportunity to make meaningful memories before taking their next steps into the workforce or graduate school.

PFW currently serves a student body of 6,811, offering over 200 academic majors and a tight-knit community that many students say helped shape their futures. About 1,400 students are on track to receive a degree this academic year.

Sadie Fenstermacher, a senior majoring in communication and pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in film, says the university’s support has been invaluable.

“I think PFW has prepared me pretty well,” Fenstermacher said. “Not just academically, but through clubs and extracurriculars related to my major.” She plans to take a year off before beginning graduate school.

The support students receive goes beyond the classroom. Zoe Busse, a biology major with a minor in criminal justice who is expected to graduate in 2029, credits her academic advisor with helping her navigate coursework and internships.

“My advisor has been a great help when it comes to what courses to take and internships that would be great for me to partake in,” Busse said.

Internships are a graduation requirement for many programs at PFW, providing students with hands-on experience in their field—and often leading to job opportunities. McDonald is currently interning at Allen County Adult Probation and hopes to transition into a full-time role.

“I plan to stay here over the summer and hopefully become a PSI Writer,” she said.

Fenstermacher, meanwhile, will be interning at the Cinema Center, a local nonprofit cinema whose executive director is PFW professor Art Herbig. The venue has become a hub for film and production students.

PFW’s Career Development Center also plays a pivotal role in preparing students for life after graduation.

Jackie Stancil, the center’s executive director, encourages students to start career planning early, including resume building and interview practice using tools like “Big Interview,” a platform designed to simulate job interviews and give students feedback on their performance.

“Students who engage in the career office early and often are not only more likely to get the job they want—they make more money than those who didn’t use the Career Center,” Stancil said.

While the future may be uncertain for some graduates, the university’s resources, mentorship, and community have laid a strong foundation for what comes next. As McDonald and her classmates prepare to walk the stage, they do so with pride, hope, and a sense of fulfillment that was years in the making.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025—your journey is just beginning.

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PFW Artists Shine at the Bradley: Student Work Featured in Downtown Boutique Hotel

By Rachel Steinbacher

Downtown Fort Wayne’s only boutique hotel, The Bradley, is doubling as a gallery space for Purdue Fort Wayne artists, thanks to an ongoing partnership that lets students and alumni showcase their work in one of the city’s most visible venues.

Over the past few years, downtown Fort Wayne has seen a wave of growth, with new restaurants, shops, and park renovations creating a vibrant atmosphere. Among the highlights is The Bradley, a boutique hotel that opened in July 2021 and quickly became a cultural touchstone—not just for its design, but for its commitment to supporting local art.

The Bradley was developed in partnership between West Coast-based Provenance Hotels and Barbara Baekgaard, co-founder of the Vera Bradley Foundation and a key figure in the hotel’s creation. Since its opening, the hotel has offered a unique opportunity for Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW) artists: ten curated art frames in one of its hallways, reserved exclusively for rotating displays of student and alumni artwork.

Rebecca Coffman, chair of PFW’s Department of Art and Design, says that it is a very cooperative partnership, but sometimes a laboring process. They put together a selection of works and send them to the Provenance Hotels team, who makes the final picks.

There are no strict guidelines for what type of art is selected. According to Mason Thomas, a sales manager at The Bradley, the hotel looks for pieces that simply “fit the mood.” The limited space—just ten frames—means not every submission can be displayed, but Coffman says the results have been rewarding.

“We’ve been able to show off some really beautiful photography, prints, and drawings in that limited space,” she said.

For PFW students and alumni, the exposure can be a career-boosting experience. Much like the university’s annual student exhibition, the partnership with The Bradley gives emerging artists the chance to have their work publicly viewed—and critiqued—in a high-profile setting.

“It’s just going to be an empty hallway,” Thomas said. “Might as well allow these students to promote their work, promote themselves, and promote their art. It’s great.”

The artwork on display rotates every few months, ensuring that new voices and visions are consistently featured. Whether you’re visiting Fort Wayne for the first time or planning a staycation, a stop by The Bradley offers more than just boutique accommodations—it’s also a window into the creative heart of the community.

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“Everybody Say Love Dinner” Fosters Inclusivity at Purdue Fort Wayne

By Cincade Drudge

Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Q Center hosted its annual “Everybody Say Love Dinner” on Feb. 13, bringing together LGBTQ+ students, allies, and community members for an evening of food, music, and fun.

The event, which was held in the Walb Student Union, provided a space for attendees to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their friends and family while enjoying a free Mediterranean meal.

The dinner has been held annually at PFW since 2020, growing in size each year. The primary goal of the event is to create a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ students, especially for those who may feel isolated during the romantic season of Valentine’s Day.

“It’s an inclusive Valentine’s event where anyone can bring their chosen family, friends, or loved ones,” said Mitchell Fiandt, program assistant for the Q Center. “It’s all about sharing a meal and feeling a sense of belonging.”

This year’s event featured catering by Smile More Catering, a business run by a former PFW student, Terel Lynn, who the Q Center has worked with for previous events.

“We always try to partner with people we trust, and Terel knows the campus well,” Fiandt said.

The Mediterranean-themed menu included pitas, naan, chicken kebabs, and rice dishes, appealing to a diverse range of dietary preferences.

The event’s popularity has surged this year, with RSVP numbers reaching capacity.

“Last year, we ran out of food, so we implemented an RSVP system this time,” Fiandt explained. “We have about 60 people signed up, and we might still run out.”

The growing attendance numbers highlight the desire for community and support among LGBTQ+ students on campus.

Attendees expressed their appreciation for the event’s welcoming atmosphere. Alexander Egonoza, a community member and part of the LGBTQ+ community, emphasized the importance of such gatherings.

“This event is a great opportunity for LGBTQ+ individuals to enjoy themselves, especially given the current challenges our community faces,” he said. “Events like this show that PFW is a welcoming place.”

Korian Johnson, a PFW student and self-described ally, praised the event for bringing people together.

“It gives me an opportunity to talk with friends and have a good time,” he said. “It’s special because it provides a space for members of a marginalized community to share their experiences and bond over a meal.”

Beyond the meal itself, the Everybody Say Love Dinner aligns with Purdue Fort Wayne’s broader diversity and inclusion initiatives, with the event representing the melting pot of the PFW community coming together.

“We have international students, queer students of color, faculty, and even community members attending,” Fiandt said. “It’s great to see so many different backgrounds coming together in a safe and welcoming environment.”

With the backdrop of romantic music playing, attendees shared conversations, laughter, and a sense of community. As the event ended, it was clear that the Everybody Say Love Dinner was more than just a meal; it was a celebration of acceptance and togetherness.

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A Window into Time – PFW Professor Dives Deep into Latin America

By Andrew Danielson

Revolution is breaking out on Purdue University Fort Wayne’s campus. Or, at least, the study of it.

Students taking Dr. Richard Weiner’s class on 20th Century Latin American Revolutions get to dive deep and analyze the complex world surrounding that region during the last century.

According to Dr. Weiner, a professor in the department of history, this course is offered only once every two years. Students in the class examine these revolutions from a global perspective as they seek to understand the big factors that influenced the context of the conflicts.

“During the Cold War,” Dr. Weiner said, “Latin America was much more on America’s radar.”

The poster taped to Dr. Weiner’s door describing his class on revolution in Latin America appears rather academic. A black text block at the top of the poster lists the web and social media info for the PFW history program. Slightly above the title on the poster is a listing of the semester and course number for the class, with a longer description of requirements the course satisfies.

But what really catches the eye of passers by is the stark photograph of a young Fidel Castro. Clad in military fatigues, a rifle slung over his shoulder, he is depicted in his jungle surroundings as he prepared to overthrow the Cuban government and establish what would become the communist dictatorship of Cuba.

“There’s always been someone coming from outside and trying to run the show in Cuba,” Dr. Weiner said as we discussed his class.

But Cuba isn’t the only focus for Dr. Weiner’s class. Countries throughout Latin America who have experienced revolution are also studied, including Mexico, Chile, and Nicaragua. Students taking the class dive deep into the circumstances of these revolutions and the varying results these countries experienced following the revolution.

The class takes the approach of analyzing these revolutions comparatively, seeking to understand what made each one unique and different from those in other Latin American countries.

Although the photograph on the poster helps promote the course to the random passerby, Dr. Weiner said he likes to use images while teaching his class, as they give students a sense of what was happening during those historic moments.

The poster on Dr. Weiner’s door may offer only a glimpse into one revolution of one country – a revolution that shook the geopolitical world for decades. But, thanks to opportunities like this class, Dr. Weiner’s students will take a wealth of knowledge and understanding with them to help form the foundations of tomorrow.

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PFW Hosts Open House at the Mastodon Career Closet

By Hannah Arnold

The Career Development Center is hosting an open house today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m at the Mastodon Career Closet, located in Neff Hall, room 361. 

All current students are welcome to attend, and no registration is required.

The Career Closet is full of professional clothes suited for the workforce, such as dress pants, button ups, blouses, suits, ties, belts, shoes, and other items needed for business attire.

Students can choose one free outfit per semester.

With racks full of donated and new items, students can find an outfit to wear to a job interview, the upcoming Mastodon Career Expo, or learn what is considered appropriate to wear in the professional world.

Melody Monday, the Career Closet coordinator, will be there to help students find the perfect outfit and answers questions about professional attire.

If you are not able to attend today’s open house, the Career Closet is also accessible by scheduling appointments through handshake.

Stop by and shop for items to add to your professional wardrobe.

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PFW hosts opening reception for Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition

By Rachel Steinbacher

The department of Art and Design at Purdue University Fort Wayne is holding an opening reception today for their Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition. The opening will be from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with free admission for all guests.

The event is taking place in the Visual Arts gallery, and presents the work of students from all levels – freshman to senior.

The guest juror for this year’s exhibition is Brian Ach, a professional photographer who offers students an insight on some of their work. He will be handing out awards for best in show, first, second, and third place.

The exhibition will be available at the Visual Arts gallery until Mar. 16 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Stop by and view some amazing local art from hardworking students this year.

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PFW Softball Team Sweeps Doubleheader in Detroit

On Apr. 20 the Mastodons beat Detroit Mercy in a doubleheader. The final score for game one was 3-2 which finished in the sixth inning.

Detroit took a the lead with a score on a wild pitch in the first inning.

At the bottom of the sixth inning Brooke Wintlend hit a three run home run for a go-ahead run. Bailey Manos and Gwen McMenemy scored making the score 3-1.

In the bottom of the seventh, Detroit had the game tying run on second and the winning run on plate, but they struck out.

Game two of the double header final score was 13-5.

Grace Hollopeter led the game off with a home run, which was her third of the weekend. Detroit came back with two runs giving them the lead.

In the second inning the Mastodons had six runs. Brooke Lickey and Wintlend both homered in the second.

The fourth inning is when Detroit started to make a comeback with a three-run homer. The Mastodons answered with two runs in the fifth.

First at bat in the sixth Hollopeter homered again giving the Mastodons double-digits on the scoreboard.

Kayla Roberts struck out two in the game and got her second win of the season with a 4.2 IP.

PFW improves to 12-29 and Detroit Mercy falls to 3-33. The Mastodons resume play on Friday, Apr. 26 at noon in Green Bay.

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PFW Softball Team Wins Against Detroit

On Apr. 19 the Mastodons beat the Detroit Mercy in the sixth inning. The final score was 9-0.

Grace Hollopeter started the game off with a home run in the first inning. In the fourth inning the Mastodons added three more runs. Two were from wild pitches.

In the fifth Brooke Wintlend gave the Mastodons their second home run of the night bringing the score to six to zero.

Alanah Jones had an amazing performance with 14 K’s. 12 of them were consecutive. Jones was also 2-for-2 from the batters box.

The two teams meet again for a Saturday doubleheader on Apr. 20.

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