|
We have officially entered the last days of the academic year! Woot! So, it seems rather cheeky and appropriate to recall the words of the legendary 8-track cartridge crooner Barry Manilow and shout, “Looks Like We Made It!” Yep! It’s an obscure…(insert mechanical clunking sound here, then a brief silence and hum before continuing.)…70’s reference, for sure.
Media technology has come a long, long, long way since those first 8-track decks allowed people to actually listen to their own music in their cars! There’s no doubt it will continue to change. (You might even be wondering if I actually wrote this note!)
What a remarkable year it’s been at The MEL! From the first-ever MEL Conference to the electrifying sold-out Five16 Film Festival, we have definitely pursued media content creation with creativity, collaboration and community. Check out some of these other highlights!
- We were excited to be a part of Christian Music Broadcasters (CMB) University in Nashville!
- We experienced the film-viewing frenzy at the Windrider Summit/Sundance Film Festival in Utah!
- 98.5 HD4 The MEL was nominated for CMB University Station of the Year.
- The MEL partnered with KTIS radio and for the first time helped host this year’s Spring fundraiser on 98.5 HD4 The MEL!
- The MEL raised $1500 for Feed My Starving Children during the 98.5 Hours of Christmas.
- 24-Hour Film Challenges!
- An increasingly active (and clever) social media feed
- Expanded student worker internships with Northwestern Media that include video!
Yes, the Lord has done good things for us and we are glad (Psalm 126:3). I am also reminded of Psalm 92, which speaks of giving thanks and praising the Lord for His unfailing love and faithfulness. "For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy" (Psalm 92:4). I hope that as you look back on this year, you can see the hand of God at work in your lives, guiding you and helping you to grow in knowledge and character.
So as the summer months take over, I encourage you to keep producing things, just as Mary Jo Hoffman urged us to do at the MEL Conference. Keep the creative momentum flowing. Let the memories and moments at the MEL, whether wonderful or hard, inspire you to continue pursuing Christ and your craft. You have grand stories to tell. As Andrew Peterson writes in his book, Adorning the Dark:
Those of us who write, who sing, who paint, must remember that to a child a song may glow like a nightlight in a scary bedroom. It may be the only thing holding back the monsters. That story may be the only beautiful, true thing that makes it through all the ugliness of a little girl’s world to rest in her secret heart. May we take that seriously. It is our job, it is our ministry, it is the sword we swing in the Kingdom, to remind children that the good guys win, that the stories are true, and that a fool’s hope may be the best kind.
Mark Seignious
Chair, Department of Communication
|
