Events celebrate Trine HAC Month

ANGOLA (03/27/2018) — Activities throughout the month of April will celebrate the value of the humanities and communication as the city of Angola recognizes Trine HAC Month.

Sponsored by the Trine University Department of Humanities and Communication (HAC), the month will include a variety of free, public events on the university campus and around Steuben County.

The festivities kick off with a dedication ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. Monday, April 2, in Wells Theater inside Trine University's Taylor Hall. Angola Mayor Richard Hickman will read an official proclamation declaring April as Trine HAC Month.

"We appreciate the mayor recognizing all the hard work HAC does in bridging the gap between town and gown," said Justin Young, chair of Trine's Department of Humanities and Communication. "It's part of our department mission to bring humanities and communication-related events at a big-city level into a small-town community. That's only achievable through the hard work of our faculty and students, and the support of the administration.

"We work all year giving our students the theoretical and practical background necessary so that during this month of events they can really let their voices be heard. Our hope is that the local community will think of Trine as a powerful advocate for the humanities and communication."

Poetry on the Mound will kick off at 4 p.m. April 2, featuring Trine University adjunct faculty member and well-known storyteller Lou Ann Homan reading poetry in downtown Angola. Poetry on the Mound will be held at 4 p.m. each day through April 30.

Other Trine HAC Month events include:

• 'Not-Just-For-Children Literature': Trine librarian Michelle Blank concludes the semester-long Humanities Symposia by sharing some of the age-stratifying experiences of her Children's Literature class. Begins at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, in Wells Theater inside Taylor Hall.
• 'The Greatest Showman': The semester-long Overlooked Film Festival concludes with the musical about the life of P.T. Barnum. Begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in Fabiani Theatre in the Rick L. and Vicki L. James University Center.
• '6 Short Plays': Trine University's Drama Club will produce six one-act plays that deal with love and theater. Begins at 7 p.m. April 4-6 in Wells Theater.
• Poetry Night: Held as part of downtown Angola's First Fridays, Lou Ann Homan and other community members will read and perform in recognition of National Poetry Month. Begins at 5 p.m. Friday, April 6, in downtown Angola.
• Cunningham Writing Contest Awards: Named after Walter Cunningham, a Tri-State University alumnus, this annual ceremony honors the best in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and academic writing. Begins at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, in Wells Theater.
• Playing for Pets 2018: During this annual event, Trine students, faculty and staff play video games for 24 hours to raise money for the Community Humane Shelter of Steuben County. The event can be followed live online at playingforpets.com starting at 8 a.m. Friday, April 13.
• Frankenstein Robots Demonstration: Trine engineering students will showcase robots or robotic body parts built while discussing ethical quandaries raised by the novel Frankenstein, in recognition of the novel's 200th anniversary. Held from 9-10 a.m. and 2-3 p.m. Friday, April 13, in the Foundry Lab inside the Jim and Joan Bock Center for Innovation and Biomedical Engineering.
• HAC Awards Day: Students, staff and faculty from Trine's Department of Humanities and Communication will be recognized for outstanding achievement over the past year. Begins at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, in Wells Theater.
• HAC Book Night 2018: Free books, donated by the community, will be available. The event also includes prize packages and refreshments. Held from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, April 19, in the University Center mall.
• Digital Photography Showcase: An exhibition of artwork from Trine University's Digital Photography class. Opens 5 p.m. Thursday, April 19, and continues through Friday, May 4, in the LINK in the University Center.
• Earth Fest 2018: In celebration of Earth Day, join Trine's Art Eberhardt Environmental and Community Outreach (ECO) Center for live music, speakers and activities for kids to celebrate making our local community a better, more sustainable place for all. Held from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at Briali Vineyards in Fremont.
• Tree-a-Palooza: Trine's SPEAK for the Earth and Angola Tree Board will team up to bag hundreds of trees to donate for all Steuben County fifth-graders to plant locally. Takes place Wednesday, April 25, around Steuben County.
• Frankenstein at 200 Showcase: Students in the university's Frankenstein and the Mad Scientist in Literature course, funded by a grant from Indiana Humanities, will present their research. Held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 3, in Room L15 inside Taylor Hall.

For more information on Trine HAC Month events, visit trinehac.com.