Classes aren’t the only gatherings going online for Asbury University. With the move to the internet for the rest of the semester, many student and departmental events and programs shift to alternate plans.
Asbury University’s most highly anticipated event of the year is the Highbridge Film Festival, where film students present their projects in an Oscars-like event held in Hughes Auditorium. This year, it’s going to look a little different.
“We’re still in the development stages,” said event organizer Professor Todd Wold. “Our first priority has been to build an online submission platform which is ready to launch now so that filmmakers can submit their films.” Instructions and a link for submissions can be found at highbridgefilmfestival.com.
Highbridge is also known for its hosts’ Oscars-worthy skits. But with Highbridge going online, the question of whether hosts are even practical this year is still up in the air.
“The online event at the most basic level will be a premiere screening of the selected films and an awards presentation,” said Prof. Wold. “We’re working as a team now to make it a memorable online experience.”
For students working on Highbridge as one of their classes toward their public relations or communications major, coordinating an online event presents new challenges and new benefits.
“The decision to go online with Highbridge is just another example of how dedicated Asbury is to ameliorate this unprecedented situation,” junior Abby Barber said. “Students will still be recognized for their incredible work and everyone is working diligently to make our first online Highbridge a great success. It will be very exciting for our Asbury community to look forward to despite the restrictions of being together in person.”
For most upperclassmen, a favorite event is the Junior-Senior formal. The canceled dance, originally planned for March 28, would have been one of the last celebrations with the Visionary class and the class behind them.
“In one sense, I’ve never been one for dances, but in light of everything that’s going on, it just seems like another thing that we seniors will not be able to experience as we transition out of this phase of life,” said senior Sarah Nesselroade. “While Junior-Senior is arguably just one dance on campus, it symbolized a beginning of what would be a celebration of all that we have accomplished in the past four years and I empathize with my class as we, sadly, don’t get to have that.”
Another anticipated event of the spring is the SEARCH Symposium, Asbury’s annual scholarship competition that invites students to submit research or creative writing for adjudication. According to SEARCH Symposium Director Dr. Janet Dean, a record number of students were expected to attend the April 16 event.
“The SEARCH Symposium highlights Asbury’s academic excellence to multiple constituencies (e.g., alumni, donors, public), and it promotes scholarly engagement and thought across our campus,” said Dean. “Its cancellation affects both of these things — for this spring.”
Students who submitted pieces and planned presentations will not be receiving awards this year, either.
“We’re considering ways to promote these students’ work,” said Dr. Dean. “We are extending invitations to all registered students to participate next year, even if they graduate before then.”