The Mitchell Center will be hosting a new event for students on March 22 called ACTS (Arts, Culture, Technology and Service).
The primary goal the Mitchell Center hopes to accomplish with this event, according to director of the Mitchell Center Andrew Baker, is to introduce students to possibilities they otherwise might not have known were options to pursue and integrate faith with.
“As students are trying to figure out what they’re going to do next and where they’re going to go, can we just open up doors of possibility?” Baker said. “Because the last thing in the world that needs to happen is a student to say, ‘I didn’t know that was an option.’ we don’t want any student to ever say that; we want them to know their options.”
The structure of the event will be six 12-minute presentations in the morning and six more in the afternoon.
“It’s very similar to a Ted Talk; very quick, very concise,” Hector Felix, graduate assistant to the Mitchell Center, said. “There’s a lot of powerful information shared within each Ted Talk and within each ACTS talk as well.”
Felix also said those who had part in bringing ACTS together decided on the categories of Arts, Culture, Technology and Service because they considered them to be a few of the more prominent societal categories college students will find themselves in following graduation.
The day will feature Harding personnel such as President Bruce McLarty, Provost Larry Long and dean of the College of Bible and Ministry Monte Cox as well as others not directly connected to the university such as director of Corners Outreach in Atlanta, Ga. Terry Davis, Kim Wilson with Searcy Children’s Home and national recording artist Ben Rector.
Cox expressed that he was thrilled to have a part in the ACTS conference because of the integration of faith, learning and living it will encourage in various areas.
“I think it’s a great opportunity, very much at the heart of why we exist as a university,” Cox said. “We want to be as interdisciplinary as possible… (And these) are the kinds of courses we really want to get our hands in.”
Baker personally hopes this event will help students better realize their kingdom gifts.
“I don’t think God’s going to ask you what your profession was,” Baker said. “I think he’s going to ask you what you did for the kingdom. And the more you can find that to line up with who you are, the better.”
Students who wish to attend the event for an elective credit hour, Baker said, should come to the Mitchell Center in McInteer 168 Friday, March 21 to sign up.
ACTS will take the place of the Sync/Swim seminar, which is also offered as a 1-credit hour option. The Mitchell Center has previously offered Sync/Swim in the middle of Fall and Spring semesters, according to Felix, but now plans to offer it only during Fall semesters and the ACTS conference during Spring semesters.
