Jessica DeLorenzo, the Vincennes University Jasper Campus director of student services, left, laughed with VUJC student Sarah Thompson of Jasper while Sarah completed one of the 10 stations during the ALL-IN launch Tuesday at the Center for Technology Innovation and Manufacturing in Jasper. Caitlin O'Hara/The Herald
On the web
The ALL-IN website will be live for the next year, so anyone can participate by going online to www.indianahumanities.org/ALL-IN. Residents are encouraged to share their experiences by entering their zip code into the form on the website.
JASPER — Dubois County residents went ALL-IN on Tuesday evening by sharing their favorite books, recipes, reflection spots and family stories in an effort to connect with their neighbors and their state.
The county became the first in Indiana to host an official public launch party for the ALL-IN initiative run by Indiana Humanities in Indianapolis. The new program and accompanying website aims to engage Hoosiers by challenging them to learn, read, talk and participate through the completion of different challenges. With the help of several community leaders from various organizations and Vincennes University Jasper Campus Dean Alan Johnson, 12 booths were set up in the school’s Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing to allow visitors to complete the challenges to win prizes.
VUJC has worked with Indiana Humanities in the past to bring the Community Conversations series to the area. ALL-IN will “help people find ways to get more engaged in their communities,” Johnson said.
VUJC students manned a Discover challenge booth, asking residents to mark their favorite “hidden gem” in the area or state on a large map. One guest marked Shiloh Cemetery in Ireland, another pointed out Fossil Lake at Ferdinand State Forest.
VUJC student services director Jessica DiLorenzo asked guests to write the name of someone who has a positive influence on Indiana. Those names were then hung on the wall for everyone to read. Dubois County Community Foundation CEO Brad Ward, Christian Church of Jasper pastor Darrel Land and Sisters of St. Benedict prioress Sister Barbara Lynn Schmitz were some local entries alongside State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Guests signed a huge timeline of Indiana history, marking the year when their families first arrived in the state. The timeline will travel to various locations throughout the county before ending up in its final home at the Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis.
Friends and Jasper natives Jim Hedinger and Greg Nordhoff completed all the available challenges at the kickoff, but appreciated the timeline most.
“We love history. We were both born here. I’m the sixth generation, so we’ve been here a long time,” Hedinger said. He and Nordhoff even showed their spirit for the event by dressing in Indiana T-shirts.
A popular stop in the building was the Explore station, featuring international music provided by DC Broadcasting as well as interesting foreign cuisine donated by various people and organizations. The foods included bratwurst and sauerkraut to represent Germany, plantain chips from Peru and jams from Turkey.
Logan Welp of Holland most enjoyed the bratwurst samples but was also a fan of the mango-flavored Mexican soda. His brother, Adam, was most excited to share an inspirational quote at the Reflect station manned by the Sisters of St. Benedict.
“A scientist discovers something that already exists, an engineer creates that which never was. Be the engineer,” he recited, adding that he plans to pursue engineering in his future. “That was fun.”
Later in the evening, guests assembled in the building’s theater to play a game hosted by WITZ news director Jim O’Neal and featuring Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz, Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner and Ferdinand Town Council President Ken Sicard as participants. O’Neal asked them questions about Indiana history and statistics. Spinner walked away victorious.
That collaboration between local elected officials, along with the willingness of the community to participate in ALL-IN, is what made the county a good fit for a launch party, explained Indiana Humanities President and CEO Keira Amstutz. More than 100 people had cycled through the stations by the end of the event.
“The thing that we are so appreciative about in this county is how you immediately jump onboard great ideas, how you have a great connection to the past but an eye to the future,” she said. Indiana Humanities held a small ALL-IN event for students at the University of Indianapolis this summer and will host other kickoffs in interested communities. “We hope that we all ... learn more about Indiana and maybe we meet some new neighbors and connect with someone that we didn’t know before, or learn about an organization in the community that’s doing great things that we can support and participate in.”
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