Archive for September, 2019

Eight-year-old Shiann Sloan has been through a lot in her young life. She was born with a birth defect in which organs from her abdomen were formed outside her body, she has chronic lung disease and has a hole in her heart. She also is partially deaf and so music therapy has become a big part of her life. Shiann got the surprise of her life when she had the chance to meet Daigle at her recent concert at GCU Arena, thanks to GCU alumna Kelly Schindler and her work with HopeKids Arizona.

There was no shortage of Lope pride circulating around Phoenix on Saturday as the Honors College participated in its third annual service day. More than 150 Honors students helped multiple nonprofit organizations, including 110 at third annual Phoenix Famtastical Festival. “I’m very surprised how many people came out today,” Honors student Kendall Smith said. “… I love that vibe that GCU Honors gives off.”

Alan Klibanoff has brought with him to the Colangelo College of Business a lot of expertise and a lot of stories about how to handle money. But what’s also interesting about him is his large family and what his daughter did that changed his life.

ASGCU President Sam Yonan and his student government team have been busy already this year, working to improve campus shuttle routes and organizing events to encourage recycling and raise awareness about harassment. “We want to keep an open ear to students on anything they need to be changed,” Yonan said. “We do represent students.”

Six medical professionals spoke to Grand Canyon University students Wednesday night about what it takes to get into their field. They emphasized that it’s not just a matter of mastering a specific medical skill — they want to see applicants who are well-rounded.

Throwing offenders in prison or unruly children out of school is one way to handle conflict. But GCU education and justice students are being trained in another method: restorative justice. It’s a pilot program that matches GCU students with west Phoenix schoolchildren who are in a conflict to talk out a solution instead of authorities handing out punishment. “There is a growing recognition that the punishment system isn’t working as well as they would like,” said Kevin Walling, Chair of Justice Studies, Government and History at GCU.

There were a lot of loud voices simulating gunfire. BAM. BAM. There were simulations of mass shootings at schools. It was grim. But when speaker Jesus Villahermosa had finished his seminar for area educators at GCU on Thursday, there was hope and inspiration, too, on how to help schoolchildren survive the scourge of our times — the mass shooting. Villahermosa asked an important question: “Have you given them permission to fight for their lives?”

With five years left until his retirement from her career as a judge, Dexter Wimbish is working toward his doctoral degree from GCU and hopes join the full-time faculty of a university. “I love working with young people and imparting some of the wisdom I’ve gained over the years,” he said. Wimbish was on campus recently for his third and final doctoral residency and hopes to complete the program in 18 months.

References to the Ethington Theatre’s production of “Peter and the Starcatcher” last year will have to be amended — now you can say it was an award-winning production. GCU’s Theatre Department took home four ariZoni Awards for “Starcatcher” — best overall production, Megan Sutton for Actress in a Supporting Role and Michael Kary for Director and Fight Choreography. “Winning at all now is really hard because it’s so big,” Assistant Dean William Symington said of the ariZonis, the state’s version of the Tony Awards.

Lauren Daigle could have turned her back on the things she loved when, at 15 years old, she was diagnosed with an illness serious enough to keep her at home for two years. She could have stopped singing when she was 17 and Simon Cowell gave her a “no” on “American Idol.” But she persisted, knowing she just wanted to sing and make a connection with people. Now a Grammy winner, the contemporary Christian artist will bring her genre-transcending music to Grand Canyon University Arena on Friday.