Sonfest 2023 is just around the corner and WNZR’s Mike Basko caught up with McKenna Johns of The Young Escape to preview their upcoming performance.
McKenna shared some details about the band which is made of her and her three siblings — Ryan, Kyrsten, and Luke.
She talked about her background in music and some fun stories with touring on the road. Listen to the full conversation with McKenna below.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University held a short reception on Friday afternoon at Ariel Arena to officially announce the 8th President of MVNU.
Dr. Carson Castleman was joined at the reception with his family, Dr. Angela Castleman and their two children Claire and Carter. Dr. Carson Castleman will serve as the 8th President in the University’s history, replacing Dr. Henry Spaulding II who retired earlier this year. You can hear Dr. Castleman’s full comments below.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University Board of Trustees is proud to announce the election of Dr. Carson Castleman as the University’s 8th president. He will begin his tenure on Oct. 1, 2023.
His remarkable career in Christian higher education spans over 26 years and includes expertise with both traditional and non-traditional student enrollment and engagement. Currently serving as the Vice President of Student Experience and External Relations at Indiana Wesleyan University, Dr. Carson Castleman oversees the student experience of over 8,500 students across the United States and around the world. He has been instrumental in developing innovative partnerships that have resulted in growing the 2022-23 enrollment by more than 1,700 students.
“The Board is pleased to welcome Dr. Carson Castleman as the next president of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Through a very robust national search process, we have found a collaborative leader in Dr. Carson Castleman. He has the right education, experience, interest, drive, and passion to lead MVNU into a bright future,” said Rev. Edward Phillips, J.D., MVNU Board of Trustees, Chair. “Dr. Carson Castleman’s enthusiasm and welcoming style is infectious, and he has built a distinguished career with many accomplishments that have made him the unanimous choice of the Board of Trustees. We believe Dr. Carson Castleman is the right leader to move MVNU to new heights as the premier Christian university in the region.”
Dr. Carson Castleman has been a part of the MVNU Community his entire life. He grew up within the nurturing community of Covington Central Church of the Nazarene on the Eastern Kentucky District. This unique connection makes him the first president to emerge from our very own region. He is a fourth generation Nazarene and has been a steadfast and dedicated member of the Church of the Nazarene his entire life. He is currently a member of Generations Church of the Nazarene, which he helped plant over 15 years ago. His contribution to the church includes service as a local church board
member, six years on the General Board for the Church of the Nazarene, and six years on the Eastern Kentucky District Advisory Board.
He began his higher education career in the MVNU Admissions Office as an admissions counselor and later as Associate Director of Admissions. He then was hired as the Director of University Advancement. After serving as the Chief Enrollment Officer at Nazarene Theological Seminary, he moved to Indiana Wesleyan University where he has spent the last 20 years in progressive roles as a faculty member, dean, associate vice president and vice president.
Dr. Carson Castleman’s impressive track record in Christian higher education, coupled with his deep commitment to Christian values, makes him an ideal choice to lead MVNU as it continues its mission to educate the whole person and cultivate Christ-likeness for lifelong learning and service.
“We are unapologetically a Christian higher education institution and an extension of the Church of the Nazarene, offering hope in a dying world where there are many hindrances to the harmonious exchange of ideas and the clashing of values,” said Phillips. “It was imperative we find the right leader to build on the success of the past and move MVNU into an even brighter future.”
“I am humbled and honored for this opportunity to serve my church and MVNU, a place Angela and I love so deeply,” said Dr. Carson Castleman. “Our lives started here in the 1990s, and our first child was born here, so we truly feel like we are coming home. Words cannot describe our gratitude and excitement to serve the MVNU community in this capacity.”
Dr. Carson Castleman graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication/English. He earned a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Master of Arts in Religion and Counseling from Liberty University. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Administration from Capella University.
Dr. Carson Castleman will be joined by his accomplished wife, Dr. Angela Castleman, who has served 24 years in the field of education, in various roles including classroom teacher, building administrator, and university professor. She is a 2000 alumna of MVNU. She is currently serving her fifth year over three terms on the MVNU Board of Trustees, where she has participated on the strategic planning, academic affairs, and institutional advancement committees. Dr. Angela Castleman recused herself from the presidential search process. Following the election she submitted her resignation from the board, effective immediately. She is eager to join her husband in the work and ministry of MVNU.
They have two children, Claire, 20, and Carter, 15. They currently reside in Florence, Kentucky.
SEARCH FOR NEXT PRESIDENT
The Presidential Search Committee, comprised of select members of the Board of Trustees and faculty and staff representatives, voted early in the process to hire a search firm, FaithSearch Partners, with experience in generating and vetting a strong pool of qualified candidates.
The search firm met with campus and community stakeholders, and surveyed faculty and staff to develop a thorough profile detailing what the ideal candidate should embody in their faith, education, experience, skill set, and other characteristics.
The nationwide search resulted in incredible interest in the position with final candidates interviewed by the Presidential Search Committee, who then made their recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
“I am delighted with the election of Dr. Carson Castleman to be the next president of MVVNU. He is a proven leader and innovator in higher education and a committed churchman. He also brings a deep love for the university, the place he began his career. He is coming home, and we welcome him,” said Dr. David Wilson Sr., MVNU Transitional Leader. “We give thanks to God for His leadership in the search process. Many people have spent countless hours, fasting and praying that God would lead us – and He has!
Dr. Carson Castleman succeeds Dr. Henry W. Spaulding II, who served at the University over the past 14 years, most recently as the President from 2012 until his retirement earlier this year.
Drs. Carson and Angela Castleman will be introduced to faculty, staff, and invited guests this afternoon. Official plans for the inauguration will be announced when they become available.
For more information on Dr. Carson Castleman, visit mvnu.edu/ https://www.mvnu.edu/officesandservices/officeofthepresident.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,000 students from 25 states and 11 foreign countries.
Paul McNeal, Coordinator of Development with MVNU Athletics, shares the details about this year’s Paw 3 Palooza at Irish Hills Golf Club on June 15th.
He talks about the scramble, the competitions, the Fire Truck Golf Ball Drop, and this year’s prizes.
Listen to the full conversation HERE.
Don’t forget to tune into The Morning Thing this week and next week for a chance to win a golf ball for the Fire Truck Golf Ball Drop. See the details below on how you can win!
Need more info on this event, find it HERE.
Our WNZR Crew share messages from Orlando, Florida and the CMB Momentum Conference after the announcement of our win of the CMBU Station of the Year!
Three students share their comments after accepting the award, Joe and Marcy Rinehart, and also alum Rachel Rinehart.
Listen to their comments HERE.
Dr. Brenita Nicholas-Edwards, Assistant Vice President of the Center for Global Engagement at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, gave us our monthly MVNU update.
She shared details on what is upcoming for MVNU this summer, information on General Assembly, and more!
Listen to the full conversation HERE.
Dr Amy Kovach, the new VP for Academic Affairs, is bringing summer camps to MVNU. The camps will be held July 10-14 and July 17-21.
Click HERE to listen to the conversation she had with WNZR.
The first session of camps, held July 10-14, will include:
-Criminal Investigations: Students work to solve a mystery
-Pre-Law: Work with the Criminal Investigations camp to hold a trial
-Environmental Science: Collect samples and test them
-Film Production: Make a film during the week
-Education: Plan lessons and implement them with students
The following camps will be offered at the second session July 17-21:
-Art Design: Practice bookmaking, drawing, and photography
-Emergency Preparedness: Learn how the pros handle and manage emergencies
-Engineering: Explore the different types of engineering
-Exercise Science: Great for students interested in personal training or physical therapy
-Nursing: Explore MVNU’s nursing simulator
These camps are perfect for students wanting to learn about the fields that they’re interested in before they go to college. The camps will immerse the students in college life and help them learn if college is for them.
Camps cost $485 for one week and $920 to go both weeks. The cost directly covers the cost to attend the camp, meals, and housing. Watch mvnu.edu for more details.
Almost every holiday involves spending time with family in some capacity, but for Thanksgiving it is all the more in focus. The holiday revolves around everyone coming together to share a meal and, well, give thanks. However, despite Thanksgiving gatherings often being large affairs, it is surprisingly easy to unintentionally avoid spending any real time with most of the people in attendance. It is habitual for many of us to split along generational lines and hang out only with the people that are closest to us in age and interest. Even then the conversation may stay surface level and no real bonding occur.
This Thanksgiving, we want to encourage you to connect with as many family members and friends as you can. Enjoy the time with them, it is a blessing from God! To help you, we are sharing suggestions from Crosswalk to help you engage in bonding regularly with your family to make it easier to do so on the Big Day, as well as ideas for those out of the ordinary gatherings like Thanksgiving. You can check out the entire list HERE.
However you are celebrating Thanksgiving, the hosts of the Morning Thing hope it is a blessed time for you and your family!
James Smith, Vice President of University Relations at MVNU, tells us about MVNU Homecoming 11/11 and 11/12.
James talks about how he is connected to Homecoming this year. It is a time for alumni, current students and the community to connect.
He gives us schedule highlights for Friday. The day will start with the President’s Prayer Breakfast, departmental alumni presentations, alumni-led homecoming chapel, and recognizing the Golden Grads- the Class of 1972.
Friday also includes basketball games and an alumni celebration in Foster Hall. The celebration of the Singletary Legacy, to honor Jim Singletary’s service at MVNU, will happen at 6pm in the President’s Dining Room as well.
On Friday, the 1972 Athletics Alumni will be honored at halftime at the Women’s basketball game. Then, between the women’s and men’s game, the 2022 Homecoming Court will be announced with the crowning of the Queen and (for the first time ever at MVNU) King. At halftime of the Men’s game, three athletes will be inducted into the Cougar Wall of Fame.
On Saturday, there will be class reunions, a Science and Engineering Alumni Breakfast, Donuts with Dr Spaulding, a 3-on-3 Basketball tournament, affinity reunions and class gatherings, tours of MVNU’s downtown buildings at CH4 stadium, an art gallery exhibit with former Art Professor Jim Hendrickx, the Music Department’s Homecoming Concert, and the MVNU fall play “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”
To see a complete list of events and to register, go to homecoming.mvnu.edu.
Click HERE to listen to the conversation.
We often think of stress as solely a bad thing, but the truth is, in its intended design stress serves a good purpose similar to pain. It tells us that something is wrong and warns our brain that we are in danger. However, in the modern world we find ourselves experiencing stress when there is no present danger. Our minds react with warnings to our day to day lives. This is not how God intended us to live. The problem goes even further, because many of us don’t even realize that we’re stressed. Our culture values productivity more than almost anything else, so we have been conditioned to believe that if we are not pushing ourselves to the limit and feeling exhausted at the end of the day that we haven’t done enough. Warning signs of stress are accepted as part of normal life.
That is why we are promoting National Stress Awareness Day. We not only want you to take care of your physical health, but also your emotional and spiritual health, so that you can live the life God intended and experience his love and peace. The first step is identifying how stress is revealing itself in your life. It can take many forms- tense muscles, sore jaws, little sleep, extra sleep, headaches… It varies from person to person. Today on the show we shared a list of various signs of stress. Check it out HERE and see if stress has snuck up on you without you realizing it.
Maybe you are already aware of your stress though. Those signs may be perfectly clear and you just don’t know how to reduce it, which in turn creates more stress. It’s a vicious cycle. There is hope though. God in His mercy and love equips us with ways to reduce stress and feel His peace. We shared advice from Pastor Chip Ingram on Biblical ways to reduce the stress in our lives. You can find his great advice HERE.
Remember what Casting Crowns sings: We are made to do more than just survive. We were made to thrive. We cannot do that when shackled to the burden of stress. I pray that you will experience God’s peace today and that we will provide you with relief from life’s stressors so that you can live life abundantly once again.
To learn more about National Stress Awareness Day, click HERE.
The Morning Thing brings you the MVNU Presidential Update on the first Friday of each month. We talk with MVNU President, Dr. Henry Spaulding about what is happening on campus.
Click HERE to hear the conversation.
This month, Dr. Spaulding shares about these topics:
To stay up to date on MVNU, go to https://www.mvnu.edu/
Rise and Shine 