Academic Creativity and Excellence Day
The semi-annual research colloquium at Bushnell founded by Dr. Tim Bergquist.
CM 440 Integrative Project
Through community-engaged learning, students partnered with a transitional housing community and a local church to conduct needs assessments and facilitate grief support groups. This presentation highlights their implemented strategies and key learning outcomes from these real-world experiences.
CM 440, Grief and Loss
Agam Iheanyi-Igwe
Pomajevich 103
11 – 11:30 AM
BTM 213 Christian Doctrine Theology Projects
Theology Festival: An hour-long celebration showcasing student theology projects based on the doctrines in the Nicene Creed. Experience a diversity of theological expression through discussion series, visual journals, podcasts, experience diaries, music portfolios, and research papers. Each student will provide a brief overview of their chosen doctrine and its practical applications. Come and see how theological concepts are brought to life through formats that honor different learning styles and creative strengths.
BTM 213, Christian Doctrine
Agam Iheanyi-Igwe & Jared Dodson
L203
2 – 3 PM
Beyond Labels: Excavating Identity and Culture at Bushnell University
This interactive exhibit explores identity and belonging within the Bushnell University community through student-led cultural excavation. Inspired by Dr. Paul Metzger’s talk on insignia, impulse, iPhones, and industry, students interviewed key stakeholder groups—athletes, commuters, faculty/staff, and administrators—and created artifacts reflecting their findings. The exhibit features a bookshelf display of these artifacts with explanatory paragraphs, a polaroid photo collage, statistical data, and a short film compiling voices from the campus. This Living Cultural Museum invites viewers to consider what it means to be seen beyond labels and to celebrate the richness of our shared identity.
BTM/HIST 207/307, Back to the Future – Theologies of Culture
Stephen Andes & Agam Iheanyi-Igwe
11:30 – Noon
Pomajevich Lobby
Religious Belonging in Eugene, Oregon
Belonging is a blessing to the church that knows how to invite others into it well and a curse to the individual who does not feel as though they belong. Churches that practice and encourage belonging will not only be healthier but also will withstand the dechurching epidemic. There are many layers to understanding why this may be a hard practice for some of us, with important landmark events like the COVID-19 pandemic escalating what was only – at one point – boiling under the surface.
The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the impact of the pandemic on churches and emphasize the significance of belonging within a church community. To further explore these themes, I have conducted qualitative interviews with six local pastors to gain insight into what belonging in a church in Eugene, Oregon entails post-pandemic.
CM 499, Senior Capstone
Agam Iheanyi-Igwe
L204
2 – 2:30 PM
Persecution or Christian Nationalism: The Christian Way
This paper will examine how faith in the context of church persecution is meant to inform the understanding of Christianity in American Christian culture. Using sources from theologians, peer-reviewed research, testimonials, biblical passages, and other historical sources and articles, the essay explores what persecution for faith looks like in modern times and ancient times, followed by defining features of Christian nationalism, and how the persecuted expression of faith seems to be incongruent with the views of Christian Nationalism and nationalistic positions.
CM 499, Senior Capstone
Agam Iheanyi-Igwe
L204
2:30 – 3 PM
To be a Christian: What it Means to Have an Identity in Christ
Identity is an important topic of conversation for everyone, including Christians. A Christian’s core identity should be in Christ, and I will be explaining what this identity is. I will explore the created self which is made in the image of God, the crooked self which is our sinful nature, the resurrected self which is the new self we have in Christ, and the transfigured self which is who we are becoming through our faith.
BTM 499, Senior Capstone
Agam Iheanyi-Igwe
P103
10:30 – 11 AM
In God We Trust: Religious Trauma in the American Evangelical Church
I will begin by discussing what religious trauma is and what Conservative American Evangelical Christianity is. I will then look at causes of religious trauma in Conservative American Evangelical Christianity as seen through a literature review and personally conducted research. Then, it will be concluded with looking at how the Bible addresses the aforementioned causes, and discussing what this means for today.
BTM 499, Honors: Senior Thesis
Agam Iheanyi-Igwe
L203 (click here to view the live stream)
1:30 – 2:30 PM
Race and Gender in Bushnell History
The archives contain old yearbooks that HIST 210 has surveyed to study the history of race and gender at Bushnell University, which will be presented through slides and followed by conversation.
HIST 210 – Historical Methods and Research
Bushnell History Symposium 1:00pm – 4:00pm Bucher Room
The Darkest Nights Have the Brightest Stars: Reevaluating Light and Darkness in Johannine Literature
The imagery of light and darkness has always connoted very strong ideas through many diverse cultures. So too is light and darkness a key theme in Johannine literature. St. John of Patmos consistently uses the theme of light and darkness to demonstrate realities concerning the nature of God and those who follow him. The task presented here is to reevaluate traditional understandings of John’s use of light and darkness in light of the broader narrative of scripture. This paper will seek to envision the theme of light and darkness in Johannine literature as a continuation of this theme as found in the Hebrew scriptures. This project will also explore the interpretations of the theme utilized by the early church fathers Origen and Gregory of Nyssa, and will explore how their contrasting perspectives both portray distinct aspects of light and darkness as used by John. Distilling each of these sources into a coherent understanding of John’s imagery and use of light and darkness, this paper will demonstrate how God can be experienced and is present in both light and darkness.
CM 499, Senior Capstone
Agametochukwu Iheanyi-Igwe
L203
Click here to view the live stream
10 – 10:30 AM