Esterhaus University

est /|\ uni ESTERHAUS UNIVERSITY Looking upward, traveling onward
Image coming soon.
Fast Facts
Main Campus	Danielston
Research Lab/Retreat Center	Cedric
Founder	Robert Esterhaus
President	M. J. Pueff, Ph.D.
A Profile
Affiliation	None (formerly Episcopal Church of the MRT)
Enrollment	~3,224 students, 2,298 undergrads
CST Scores	25th-75th percentiles: 27 - 32 out of 35
Team	Spartans
Athletics	MRTCB Division II Southwest/Central
Acceptance Rate	65%

Esterhaus University is a small liberal arts university previously affiliated with the Episcopal Church of the MRT and currently seeking accreditation by the MRT College Board. The campus is located in the heart of Danielston, making it close enough to the opportunities of Central City, but far enough away to keep its small-town charm. Our roughly 3,000 students are eager to learn and ready to realize and live their calling. We have made the news for not accepting any funding from the MRT government, enabling us to set our focus on the success of our students, not on compliance with complicated regulation. All financial aid is private - we match all AFFA (Application for Federal Financial Aid) grants as well as provide many scholarship opportunities of our own. The average package is roughly $24,000 annually, 2/3 of the cost of tuition, room, and board.

OUR HONOR CODE

Students at Esterhaus are expected to abide by a succinct Honor Code which reads as follows:

"A life of wisdom is a life pure in its virtue, just in its decisions, temperate in the face of temptation, and courageous in the face of trial. The path of wisdom is the path I swear I shall dedicate myself to seek, that I may practice a life of faith in my beliefs, responsibility in my actions, and, ultimately, self-governance in all I do."

To say that we live this philosophy in our conduct is an understatement. Wisdom is something our students commit themselves to.

THE BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS

Historically, mankind has looked to the skies in search of knowledge. In the Bible, God provided revelation to His people through them. For medieval astronomers, the sky was their calling. At Estie, this is a fitting symbol for us. Instead of building outward, we chose to build our campus upward - because with an excellent education, the sky is the limit. Walk into the doors of the Old Tower and you will encounter pieces of history. Enter the magnificent 7-story atrium at the heart of campus and enjoy a study break, drink a cup of coffee, and look out to see a beautiful view of the nightly show from Wise Fountain. Most likely you'll have the tallest university dormitory in the country for your home - and food is just a couple floors away.

The Old Tower

Estie began humbly as an urban community college. Most classes were - and still are - held on one of the Old Tower's nine stories. While we've restored the Old Tower quite a bit, it has always stuck to its roots as a place for knowledge and enrichment, and going to classes every day, you'll truly feel part of a place which has stood the test of time. While you're traveling between classes, check out the Tower Gallery, with rotating exhibits every quarter.

Atrium Tower

Esterhaus became a residential university in the 1990s. After acquiring and remodeling a number of under-used apartment buildings nearby, student services became our top priority, and so the Atrium Tower was conceived and named for Harold Ingraham, whose time as Estie president drove us toward a wiser life. Across the 12-story tower, you'll be able to study in the atrium that earned us awards for our intuitive architecture. Grab a bite to eat with your friends in the extensive, all-you-can-eat Food Court, or get your mental juices flowing with a cup of java from The Daily Grind. Find that book your professor told you about - or just get lost - in Haskins Library (one collection of many!) Or, bring that special someone with you to Concert Night in Revelation Chapel.

Chaberg Tower

When enrollment became too big for us to handle, we again looked to the skies for inspiration. Thanks to an extremely generous donation from the Fisher Family Foundation, students of all classes are able to live in the co-ed Chaberg (kay-berg) Tower. Both the tallest building in Danielston and the tallest residential-exclusive building on an MRT Native college campus, Chaberg is a popular gathering place for many clubs and activities. From the moment you step through the doors, Chaberg will feel like your second home - each dorm has its own bathroom, and each floor its own kitchen. Plus, Chaberg has the perfect date-night solution - the 27th-floor Taberna restaurant, run by student chefs and our Culinary Arts faculty alike.

Monahan Hall

Monahan Hall is older than even the Old Tower, yet it was one of our newest aquisitions. Built around 1945, the J.R. Newman Bank's headquarters was a powerhouse for finance, industry, and innovation. After the bank's relocation 30 years later, the tower stood vacant until Estie acquired, gutted, and restored the entire property in 2010. The completion of the building marked a fitting response to the growth of our science and medical arts departments, and was named after Estie's most defining medical professor. Today, the seven stories of Monahan house not only as science labs, but additional arts classrooms, offices, the rustically-themed Piazza terrace, and The Grunge, one of the varying student unions on campus.

Teagle Library

Esterhaus is honored to share their specialty collections with the public through a unique agreement. Teagle, our secondary on-campus library, is jointly owned and operated by Esterhaus and the Southwest Suburban Library Service. It houses specialty collections in addition to Danielston's public collection. Teagle is best known for its Fountain of Wisdom, symbolizing the unity and importance of the cardinal virtues in wisdom.

Bryant and Wendell

Students may choose to live in suite-style housing: for men, Bryant; for women, Wendell. The central atrium in each hall allows students of all classes and walks of life to live together. Bryant and Wendell are best known for their community presence and fraternal bond - they could be best described as the campus's "English Life."

Married Students and Commuters

Esterhaus has a special agreement with PueffNelson Property Management and Nightingale Realty, two of the largest property-management firms in Danielston. If you've been married recently or are an upperclassman, you'll be able to lease or rent an apartment in Danielston close to campus at a discounted rate, while still enjoying the benefits of a commuter student. Questions? Contact our residential director Nancy Amplatz: [email protected].

STUDENT LIFE

The Core

All Esterhaus students study a rigorous core curriculum comprised of theology, introductory philosophy, psychology, and MRT Government and Constitution classes. These fundamental disciplines are vital to the formation of a person's outlook on life. At Esterhaus, our free-thinking nature is a vital part of who we are. Instead of gleaning content from a textbook, you'll be immersed in perspectives directly from their sources. Instead of listening to a professor rattle off their opinion, you'll be an instrumental part of a discussion roundtable. By drawing your own conclusions, you will be better prepared for the sea of opposing viewpoints which is our world today.

Frontier Exploration Program

Don't know what you want to study? You're not alone; 70% of Esterhaus students enroll undecided. Freshmen are automatically enrolled in Esterhaus's Frontier Exploration Program, designed to give them a well-rounded outlook on many major academic disciplines and help them to discover their life's passion and purpose. You'll be assigned a faculty/staff member to act as your Coach during your time at Esterhaus. They'll be there to help you interpret self-assessment results, suggest new courses of action, and overall ensure your success academically, emotionally, and spiritually. Dr. Martin Terry developed and continues to direct this program at Esterhaus, and is a global leader in the field of academic advising. He'd love to hear from you with any questions or suggestions at [email protected].

The Setting

You'll be proud to call the city of Danielston your home. While still one of the fastest growing Central City suburbs, Danielston retains a small-town feel. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone looks out for everyone. You'll have access to great health care, dining, and entertainment - and some of the best internships in a variety of different departments and fields are only seven stations away on the MRT. Do your clinical work with the von Ryansfeld health system. Shadow major corporations and conglomerates like PueffNelson, Waffle House, or Fantasia. Not to mention you're only a seven-station MRT ride from Admod Square and some amazing government interships. Questions? Contact Career Services director Chase Edwards: [email protected].

Spiritual Life

Esterhaus started as an Episcopal-affiliated college. We've since removed that affiliation, but our character still remains faithful at heart. Though we don't have a majority of the rules and regulations typically associated with a Christian college, you'll find that 90% of our students actively and genuinely participate in faith life on campus, on their honor. We seek to foster intelligent piety here at Esterhaus; though you will be educated in the Judeo-Christian tradition, your faith will certainly be strengthened regardless of what you believe. Though not required, we offer beautiful Christian matins and vespers thrice a week. If you need spiritual support or a helping of theological wisdom, our campus chaplain is a theology professor and retired Episcopal bishop. We recommend students of faith participate in a local congregation to gain service experience, spiritual understanding, and mentorship, all of which are important to a student's ultimate frontier.

Social Experience

The Esterhaus experience is built to develop a whole person, within the self and within society. (Besides, life isn't all about work.) To this extent, social opportunities abound throughout each term at Esterhaus; in fact, it's a recommended piece of the Frontier Exploration Program. 80% of our student body participates in at least one club or society for all four years of their education. Our Student Activities Committee plans plenty of concerts, Mock Rocks, friendly competitions, and, of course, dances. Bring-Alongs are part of campus culture - guys ask girls, or perhaps it's the other way around. (Not to mention sharing truffle mac and cheese at Taberna is a popular first-date tradition - and there's a funny story behind that.) You're guaranteed to find a good-sized circle of friends here.

Conference

One of the highlights of a day in the life at Esterhaus is our biweekly Conference. Every Tuesday and Thursday in the beautiful Revelation Chapel, we invite a speaker to present new ideas, inspire and uplift, or maybe even start an intelligent discussion. As a fundamental piece of the Frontier Exploration Program, students are exposed to varying academic disciplines and different viewpoints of each. Some notable Conferences have included:

camelfantasy, founder of the League of Cities MPO, on the true meaning of unity
President Frumple, on the ups and downs of life on top
M.J. Pueff, mayor of Danielston and president of Estie, reflecting on the dead end that is "one true passion"
Tyler C. Ramsey, CMO of the von Ryansfeld Health System, on the power of implantable treatments for neurological diseases
Architects of the A5, on why we should consider taking the "alternate route" in life
Bill Blydendale, NSMP-TV anchor, calling for the return of fact in journalism
CaptLincoln, mayor of Paixton, on the gut instinct
Various admods, on the state-within-a-city
Campus chaplain Michael C. Berg on the balance of predestination and free will
Comedian Robert Coleman on the theory of humor

Curious yet? Humanities Professor Nina Quinn Porter is always looking for new Conference speakers, and she'd love to have your suggestions: [email protected].

FURNISH-AN-OFFICE PROJECT

A Message from the President

Hello, fellow Spartans.

Walking around campus, you may have noticed almost all faculty and staff offices are unfurnished. These bare, empty spaces are in need of a little TLC as we move our faculty and staff into the newly-built towers.

I have heard about this issue for days upon days. However, last week, I took a closer look at the mission statement facing my desk and came to a logical, low-cost, even symbolic, solution to Furnituregate. Since we Esties must emphasize individuality and the uniqueness of every human being, it occurred to me that each office must be furnished in a unique way. And considering the diverse styles of building and decorating present in MRT Nation, I began to consider crowdsourcing the furnishing of offices to all those interested in making a contribution.

Please sign up to furnish one or more offices below. By doing so, you will leave a lasting mark on our institution and remind our students that each person has something special to bring to the table.

Yours truly,
M. J. Pueff, Ph.D.
President, Esterhaus University

THE RULES

• Those participating in the project must be [Member]+. It does not matter whether or not you have supporter benefits; while useful, they are not required to make the most of your furnishing style.
• Those participating in the Furnish-An-Office Project must sign up for the specific office they wish to furnish, either through the wiki or via some other means. We realize that due to the lockdown of the wiki, it may not be possible for you to sign up or add your name to the sign-up sheet below; therefore, you may sign up in either of these ways:
  • Add your Minecraft in-game username to the list on the wiki next to the number(s) of the room(s) you wish to furnish. You may begin furnishing right away.
    • Yeah, I didn't think through formatting this list well. You might want to put your username in a different color or in bold italics. Just so long as it can be seen, it's fine.
  • Contact me (mjpwwf) using the /mail send command with the number(s) of the room(s) you wish to furnish. If everything is in order, I will add your name to the wiki sign-up sheet, then send you a reply giving you clearance to build. You may NOT begin furnishing until you receive the confirmation /mail.
  • NOTE: As I cannot check the time a /mail was sent to me, priority will be given to those builders who sign up on the wiki. While I will accept as many /mail sign-ups as I can, this policy is put in place to avoid conflict in the event I do not see your /mail right away.
• You may furnish more than one room, but you may not furnish multiple rooms either directly next to or across from each other.
  • For example, imagine four rooms in a straight line: A, B, C, and D. Across from those four rooms are four more rooms: E, F, G, and H.
    • If I choose to sign up to furnish room B, I may not sign up for A, C, or F. This is because A and C are next to room B, and room F is directly across from room B. However, I do have the option of also signing up for room D, E, G, or H.
    • Likewise, if I sign up to furnish room A, I may not sign up for rooms B and/or E.
• Please try to make your furnishings with a realistic, modern/city feel. I will grant some exceptions - if you're unsure, ask me.
• You may place carpet on top of the bare floor, but assume otherwise that you may not change the base floor of a room. If you plan to use carpet as an "area rug," note that Minecraft will not let you place carpet under items placed directly on the floor, such as beds or fencing. If that happens and a portion of the bare floor wants to remain exposed, let me know and I will help you fix the floor color.
• Walls may NEVER be changed - in most cases, they are only one-block wide.
• For the sake of consistency, ceilings may also NEVER be changed.
• If you are building taller pieces of furniture - say, bookshelves - you must keep at least a one-block space between the ceiling and the top of the piece.
• You must also leave at least one-block space in between either side of the room's door.

If you have questions on any of the above rules, please don't hesitate to ask me. In making these rules, I hope I'm not coming across as a killjoy. They are there to ensure your furnishings and the building flow, despite their diversity. In the end, that flow will symbolize the unity in diversity.

SIGN-UP SHEET

• This list will expand as more offices are completed. When finished, this will become somewhat of a "staff directory" for Estie.
• In each room number, the letter corresponds to the building the room is in. The first digit is the floor on which the room is located.

Old Tower

O711 - Shar Jenkins, Associate Professor of Music Education: Available to furnish
O712 - Dr. Chris Bryan, Associate Professor of Music History: Available to furnish
O713 - Dr. Sven von Stein, Professor of Music: Available to furnish
O811 - Dr. Martin Terry, Professor of Education/Lead Academic Advisor: Available to furnish
O812 - Dr. Nina Quinn Porter, Professor of Literature and Classics/English Department Head: Available to furnish
O813 - Dr. Raymond Steele, Professor of Physics/STEM Department Co-Head: Available to furnish
O814 - Adjunct Office: Available to furnish
O815 - Amos Deacon, Professor of Law and Criminal Justice: Available to furnish
O816 - The Rev. Dr. Thomas Berg, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies/Campus Chaplain: Available to furnish
O817 - Dr. Al Frederick, Professor of Finance and Business: Available to furnish
O818 - Adjunct Office: Available to furnish
O911 - Dr. Kathy Prince, Professor of Mathematics/STEM Department Co-Head/JumpStart Advisor: Available to furnish
O912 - Donald Beckett, Associate Professor of Finance and Business: Available to furnish
O913 - Nikki Ostlund, Associate Professor of Humanities/JumpStart Advisor: Available to furnish
O914 - Adjunct Office: Available to furnish
O915 - Dr. Peyton Friar, Professor of Communications, Adjunct Professor of Humanities: Available to furnish
O916 - Leon Porter, M.D., Professor of Medical Sciences and Nursing: Available to furnish
O917 - Dr. Willis Hyde, Professor of Psychology, Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice: Available to furnish
O918 - Adjunct Office: Available to furnish