Curio 2011

THEVALLEYMAGAZINE MAGAZINE V OLUME 34, 2011

A S ATISFYING S LICE Staunton Pizzeria izzeria Dishes Up the Perfect Pie

A Glimpse Inside K ESWICK H ALL

A CANINE WHO CARES

A Service Dog Aids Children in Reading

PEACE CORPS AT JMU

SCHOOL OF ROCK A Look into One Professor’s Life as a Former Rock Star

Four Peace Corps Volunteers Share Their Experiences from Around the World

{OVERLOOKING THE JMU QUAD} For more aerial photos of the Shenandoah Valley, be sure to check out the photo essay starting on page 30.

from the

editors

When we set out to make this magazine, we wanted to break out of our sheltered JMU bubble and discover the hidden parts of the Valley and bring our experience to you. Our goal was to help residents and visitors discover the unique stories nestled in between the mountains. From a gourmet pizza shop in Staunton to a spiritual getaway in Buckingham, we felt we captured the untold stories. We intended to show the community’s contribution to the historical, yet progressive culture in our Valley.

Colleen Hayes is a senior media arts & design major concentrating in journalism and minoring in sports communication from Richmond, Va. She was the sports editor at The Breeze for the majority of her junior and senior year. After graduation, she will attend Virginia Commonwealth University to earn her Masters degree in multimedia journalism. She hopes to one day work for ESPN.

We would like to thank our staff for the immense amount of hard work they put into this magazine.

Production would have been a struggle without our dedicated staff. From endless meetings with our writers to our seasoned and gifted design and photo team, we couldn’t have done it without you.

Jordan Garegnani is a senior media arts & design major concentrating in journalism from Herndon, Va. She was the opinion editor at The Breeze last year and a freelance writer for SIGNAL Magazine. After graduation Jordan hopes to work at LivingSocial.

Lastly, we could not have done this without Dr. Wendelken’s sage advice. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to take the reins but always being there when we needed you the most.

When you open up the 34th version of Curio, we hope you discover there is more to the Valley than meets the eye.

Amy Gwaltney is a senior medi arts & design major with a concentration in journalism. She grew up in Powhatan, Va., and upon graduation, she plans to travel to Ethiopia for a mission trip. When she returns, Amy hopes to follow her heart for people and photography to Nashville.

Executive Editor Jordan Garegnani

Photo Editor

Articles Editor

C hloe m ullineR

R obeRt b oAG

A my G wAltney

Creative Director

Robert Boag is a junior media arts & design, religion, and political science major from Williamsburg, Va. He is currently the photo editor for The Breeze. This summer he will work on the SMAD documentary project in Urbino, Italy. Upon gradatuation, he plans to pursue a career in photojournalism and multimedia or intelligence.

Executive Editor Colleen Hayes

Chloe is a senior media arts & design major concentrating in journalism with a minor in writing and rhetoric. She has written for The Bluestone and interned for The Connection Newspapers in Northern Virginia.

After graduation, she will travel and volunteer in South America, and hopes to later land a job in the magazine industry on the West Coast.

Meet Our Staff

Letter

CURIO 2011 1

{4} Out Of the Oven

S tA f f THEVALLEYMAGAZINE V olume 34, SPRING 2011 E ditors -i n -C hiEf Colleen Hayes Jordan Garegnani A rtiClEs E ditor | Chloe Mulliner C opy E ditor | Megan Reichart p hoto E ditor | Robert Boag C rEAtivE d irECtor | Amy Gwaltney W ritErs Katie George Nora McLeese Brittany Keenan Allison Killam Emily Weidie Molly Rossberg Molly Haas Alexandra Conroy Alex Van Rees

Contents

Staunton pizzeria serving up slices of heaven.

{7} teacher’s Pet

A four-legged friend helps Marianne Baker inspire reading in the Valley.

{10} classrOOm rOck

Former rocker hopes to inspire young musicians through teaching.

{14} Peace cOrPs chrOnicles Volunteers share their stories of success and hardships while serving in the Peace Corp.

p hotogrAphErs Amy Gwaltney Jordan Garegnani Mary Becker Katie George C ontributing p hotogrAphErs Ryan Freeland d EsignErs Jeff Darling Mary Claire Jones A dvisor Dave Wendelken

About Curio: Curio is a regional general-interest feature magazine published each year by students in the School of Media Arts & Design at James Madison University. Curio is a nonprofit organization supported by the College of Arts and Letters and the School of Media Arts & Design.

Subscriptions are not available.

2 CURIO 2011

28

{20} the stOry Of keswick

{38} a hidden lOtus temPle

Discover the history and luxury of Keswick Hall.

25 - From monticello to the table The Executive Chef of Fossett’s Restaurant reveals his historic inspirations for the exquisite food at Keswick.

{28} finding truth | seeking truth | sharing truth

A young church grows exponentially by making worship an informal affair in Harrisonburg.

{32} the valley abOve An aerial photo essay of the Shenandoah Valley.

An ashram in Virginia continues the ancient tradition of the yogi lifestyle.

{42} 75 years yOung

A park 75 years in the making gets a celebration it deserves.

{46} Pins and (knitting) needles Three JMU students sell their handmade creations through their self-run business called The Mason Jar.

On the cOver: a misty mOrning at keswick hall.

PhOtO cOurtesy Of keswick hall.

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CURIO 2011 3

Out Oven Of the

{A Slice Of StAuntOn’S Dining DelightS}

story by kAtiE gEorgE | photos by kAtiE gEorgE And MAry bECkEr

“JOhnnie, JOhnnie,

we need yOu uP here, the kitchen is gOing crazy.”

The desperate calls from the kitchen send John “Johnnie” Huggins rushing to his chefs. It’s the peak of the Saturday night rush at Shenandoah Pizza in downtown Staunton, and as the restaurant’s owner, Huggins’s presence is required in five places at once.

As the band sets up in the front of the restaurant, the line of waiting customers quickly extends outside the front door. Hot, steaming pizzas emerge from the kitchen in constant succession, and two new orders replace each completed one.

prEp Work It’s hard to imagine that only five years ago this bustling restaurant was simply a longstanding idea.

“I’ve always wanted to do a pizza shop since I was in college,” Huggins said. “I mean, what American doesn’t like pizza? It’s sort of a natural thing.”

Taking on the challenge to try something new, Huggins and his wife, Cheryl, left their home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and moved to Staunton to start up their dream.

4 CURIO 2011

Huggins’s determination, however, was not enough to turn out an instant victory; his idea required close to a year of preparation.

“We never ran a restaurant, so we had to learn by doing, and we’re still learning,” he says.

Together, the couple traveled around the country visiting famous pizzerias from Maine to Mississippi.

After collecting ideas and developing recipes, they were ready to prove they could make it work.

The Hugginses began by churning out pizzas in the kitchen of their Staunton home, but with some help from a friend, they moved the business into a small establishment downtown.

Here their success quickly escalated, allowing for the move into the current premises.

“What made us really popular is the networking and being really involved in the city,” Huggins says.

Now, three years later, Shenandoah Pizza has risen in fame, providing those weekend nights that keep Huggins so busy.

“There’s a lot of hours involved, but we’ve got a pretty good reputation,” he says.

thE uppEr Crust Huggins selectively chooses the ingredients, prepares all six sauces and pestos from scratch, and in the summer months, tops the pizzas with fresh, local vegetables. However, he takes most pride in his crust.

“We make our dough in small batches so it’s constantly fresh,” he explains. “That’s what really keeps us going.”

Each batch uses Wade’s Mill organic flour, which is grown and ground in the Shenandoah Valley. Extra virgin olive oil and kosher sea salt heighten the crust’s wholesome flavor and customers can choose from four styles: regular, whole-wheat, sunflower-parmesan and gluten-free.

Each crispy bite gives way to the lightest of interiors, a pillow-like mass

of moist and delicate bread — crunchy and chewy, yet meltingly soft.

Huggins’s pizzas are also distinguished by their quirky names – every one commemorating the town that he has come to love.

“We pick institutions, hotspots, schools and places to eat around Staunton, and name the pizza after them,” Huggins says.

Furthermore, the toppings reflect something significant about each place.

“I thought it would be extra special to do that,” he says.

The Dairy-Rite Pizza, topped with ground beef, onion, bacon and cheddar, recognizes the town’s historic 50s-style diner.

The Mary Baldwin features the favorite toppings of regular customers from the school: roasted red pepper pesto, broccoli, tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Students from the Umbau Architecture School in Staunton constructed their namesake pizza in an ingredient contest. The winning selections were artichokes, garlic, red onion, roasted red peppers, black olives, mozzarella and feta.

The sophisticated aspects of these gourmet pizzas, however, certainly don’t detract from business. Newcomers and long-term customers alike enjoy the menu’s refreshing take on the standard pie.

Liz and David Royer are previous Staunton locals who now live in Lynch-

burg. Yet their appreciation for the food’s all-natural quality and unique taste still brings them to Shenandoah Pizza at least four times a year.

“The pizzas and ingredients are so inventive, things that I wouldn’t have thought of,” Liz says, as she takes a bite of the avocado, feta and sunflower topped Gypsy Hill. “And I love the crust, something about it just makes the pizza seem healthier.”

The rest of the customers seem to silently agree, their faces exposing unified satisfaction as they savor their cheesy slices.

ExtrA toppings Judging by the menu alone, Shenandoah Pizza already exceeds the typical pizzeria provisions, but their special touches make the restaurant truly exceptional.

In five years, the restaurant progressed from offering 10 varieties of beer to over 200.

“It seems like every six months we add 50 more,” Huggins says with a chuckle, still surprised of the growth.

The menu includes local options like Blue Mountain Brewery beers to specialty brews from Colorado and California.

Also, since day one, Huggins has hosted jazz and blues musicians who, along with the aroma of fresh pizza, permeate the air with eclectic ambience.

“It brings this 50s jazz lounge feel,” David Royer says.

CURIO 2011 5

Huggins started with hosting Staunton’s local musicians, but as the restaurant’s name grew, so did the variety of performers. Players showcase their music almost every night and many musicians from out of state add Shenandoah Pizza into their tours.

“I’ve gotten myself involved with concerts and music festivals around the area too,” Huggins says.

Included in the list of events sponsored by the Hugginses are the Wine and Jazz Festival on June 18 and Shenandoah Summer Blues Fest on Aug. 27.

sliCing it right The restaurant’s astonishing flavors, unique menu and added bonuses of beer and music come together to provide the ultimate pizza experience.

Compared to other Staunton dining

locations, Shenandoah Pizza’s casual atmosphere and reasonably-priced fare makes the restaurant appealing for anyone.

“It’s a great, energetic and fun place to hang out. John’s a great guy and makes you feel at home or like you’re at a friend’s house for dinner,” says frequent diner David Ferreira.

But despite Huggins’s pride in the restaurant’s constant success, he is most satisfied when using it to give back.

“Cheryl and I definitely have a sense of community and we give a lot; we’re involved with a lot of charities, school fundraisers and the arts,” he says.

Huggins hopes that his commitment to the arts and effort to showcase musical talent in the restaurant and Staunton serves to make a difference and bring the community together.

{BESTSELLERS} s henandOah :

Everything is special in the Shenandoah Valley: Ham, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, and mozzarella on red sauce

v alley :

A center for the performing arts and home to extraordinary musicians and artists: spinach, mozzarella, red onion, and tomatoes on white sauce

s hakesPearean :

See Shakespeare come alive at Blackfriars Playhouse: artichoke hearts, mozzarella, and tomatoes on basil pesto sauce

w OOdrOw :

In honor of Staunton’s own Woodrow Wilson: pepperoni, sausage, and mozzarella on red sauce

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JOhn’s favOrite: i sland g irl :

Our native OBX daughter’s favorite pie: ham, bacon, pineapple, and mozzarella on red sauce

authOr’s favOrite:

t he v irginia v ineyard :

The Blue Ridge is home to award-winning wines with grapes harvested from our local vineyards: grapes, Gorgonzola cheese, and rosemary (a surprisingly unique blend of sweet and savory that transported me into a momentary Tuscan countryside. A uniquely refreshing option and a definite must for venturous eaters.)

It is this generosity and involvement, along with the personalized menu and the restaurant’s name, that proves Huggins will forever give his community the first slice. Whether a friend of Huggins’s or a first-time customer, all diners receive superior attention and entertainment in a setting fit for continuing the community’s vitality.

“I hope the customers have a good, enjoyable meal and people will come here and not just think they’re at their average pizza place, but that we have something a little extra special,” he says. k AtiE g Eorg E is a junior media arts & design major and studio art minor from Leesburg, Va. She is the art editor for 22807 Magazine. She keeps an independent food blog and plans to pursue a career that combines her interests in food and cooking with media, photography, and graphic design.

teAcher’S Pet

{JMu profEssor MAriAnnE bAkEr And hEr dog, MAggiE, bring soMEthing spECiAl to rEAding in thE vAllEy} story by EMily WEidiE | CourtEsy photos

CURIO 2011 7

in rOOm 7200 in memOrial hall, students are chatting abOut their weekends and an uPcOming PrOJect. the class is early literacy develOPment and acquisitiOn, and when their PrOfessOr, marianne baker, begins tO sPeak, the students quiet dOwn. baker is standing at the frOnt Of the rOOm, wearing a crisP white suit with her shOrt hair accentuated by a Pair Of small black earrings. hOwever she has One mOre accessOry that catches the class’s attentiOn: Maggie, an alMost 2-year-old english Black laBrador retriever, lying on the floor.

Although not a fully grown lab, Maggie has a glossy black coat that shines as she gets up to trot from table to table to greet students. She eventually finds her way back to the floor with only the occasional lazy glance back to the class.

“Maggie helps me come to class.

She’s been at all our classes this semester except for one,” says junior interdisciplinary studies major Kirstin Abraham, who loves seeing a dog in the classroom.

However, Maggie is not just a class pet. She has been trained by the Service Dogs of Virginia (SDV) organization.

SDV trains puppies to eventually become paired with an individual who

In addition to taking Maggie to her classes, Baker takes her to public schools and libraries to let children read to her. Kids can walk away with not only the experience, but a bookmark that says, “I read to Maggie.”

Children who are nervous readers, or sometimes even those who are proficient in reading, come to these events because they can make an instant connection with Maggie, who will sit and listen to them read. Not only is it fun for the children, but it also builds their confidence.

Encouraging these kids to read with Maggie has helped Baker teach literacy acquisition and children’s literature classes at JMU. Maggie and Baker have taught together for about two years, but Baker has been teaching heSe doGS mAke A huGe at JMU for the diffeRenCe foR the people past nine years. who they Re woRkinG with And She has not always taught college they AffeCt theiR whole students, however.

Baker started off fAmily in A poSitiVe wAy teaching preschool and second grade, needs their assistance. Dogs are trained and then she had a realization that specifically for whom they are to be made her want to go back to school. placed with.

“I didn’t know how to teach According to Peggy Law, founder kids how to read,” she says. “When and training director at SDV, these dogs I taught second grade, I taught at a are used “to create greater independence very privileged school and the kids for those with disabilities.” could already read. When occasionally Maggie has been through her first set one couldn’t read, I wasn’t comfortof training classes, and had been placed able teaching them. I’ve always really with Baker, a volunteer through the provalued reading. It was very disturbing gram for extra socialization skills. to not know everything about how to “Maggie was reactive to other dogs,” teach it.” says Baker, and service dogs are “not supBaker went back to school at the posed to bark.”

University of Virginia to receive her She thought that taking Maggie to Ph.D. in Reading Education. She has her classes at JMU would help her to be lived in Charlottesville ever since and more comfortable around other people travels to JMU up to five times a week and dogs. to teach.

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8 CURIO 2011

Baker is now so moved by teaching that she tutors a first grader at Hollymead Elementary in Charlottesville.

“This child was very below his reading level, and now he’s on grade level,” Baker says.

Maggie came to their tutoring and was key to his interest in reading. Baker would let him practice Maggie’s tricks with her, and then he would write a story about what they had just done and read it aloud.

Baker explained that it not only made reading more personal, but the child played and bonded with Maggie, which he loved.

Baker’s own granddaughter reads to Maggie as well. Baker explains that the reason children read to service dogs is because the dog will “immediately love you” and will listen free of judgment.

But while Maggie may be on her best behavior during reading sessions, Baker says she does let loose.

“She’s completely a dog at home,” she says. “She likes to socialize so much.”

According to Law, “these dogs make a huge, huge difference for the people who they’re working with, and they affect their whole family in a positive way.”

And it looks like Baker and Maggie won’t have to separate any time soon.

Maggie has early onset arthritis in both front elbows, which will prevent her from being placed with an individual as a service dog. She is, however, able to maintain her service dog status.

“I was only one of the happiest people in the room when we found out we could keep her,” Baker said. “It was probably a tie between myself, my grandkid, my husband and my son.”

Maggie has undergone surgery on her front left elbow, the site of the arthritis. Baker takes her swimming to

“She hAS fRiendS All oVeR the buildinG. She’S intRoduCed me to people i’Ve neVeR met. the houSekeepeR AlwAyS SAyS thAt m aggie makes her day .” strengthen her legs. Maggie also has a lime green toy filled with a few dog treats to help her feel less pain and strengthen her redeveloping muscles.

While she is talking in the classroom, Baker pulls out the toy, tosses it to Maggie and explains that her “pawing around to get the treats out” makes her use front legs to keep them from getting weaker.

Even though Maggie won’t be an official service dog placed with an individual due to her health conditions, she will still accompany Baker in helping kids learn to love reading. Since her surgery, Maggie has not been able

sErviCE dogs

of virginiA i s an organization that was started to

create “independence through humancanine partnerships” for individuals in the state of Virginia. There are three types of dogs they train: autism dogs, diabetic alert dogs and physical assistance dogs.

Anyone can apply to volunteer with the organization and become a “puppy raiser,” who is someone that takes a puppy at the estimated age of 7-12 weeks old and cares for it through its first months of training. A puppy raiser will get to keep their puppy until the dog is around 12-18 months, when the dog will go through its final training and be placed with an individual with disabilities. Applications for volunteering can be found online at their website, http://servicedogsva.org.

to visit the elementary school. Instead, “Maggie” sends little notes for her students to read, and they write her back.

Maggie, with her floppy strides and patient demeanor, seems to charm everyone. Baker leans down to whisper something encouraging to Maggie, and commands her to do a trick. Maggie rolls over, sits and even does a complicated trick in which she jumps up to a wall and taps her “mark.”

She was taught this in case she needed to open elevators. However, since Maggie has not gone back for her final training, she is not trained for any specific service dog duties. She is the SDV “Reading Ambassador,” as Baker likes to say.

Maggie is a calming and loving companion to people, which is what makes her so wonderful to work with children and Baker.

“The last day of class we had a slideshow of Maggie and pictures of kids reading to her. Even [Baker’s] granddaughter cried,” says Baker’s former student, Gabby Ciampi, a senior health science major. “The two seemed really attached.”

Baker and Maggie take their bond and inspirational practices on the road to conferences. They recently went to the Virginia State Reading Association, where Baker gave four presentations on

different topics related to reading.

Maggie went to two of them, and Baker says, “It was like I was at the conference with a rockstar.”

Maggie greeted everyone at the door and then slept while the presentations were made. At JMU, “she has friends all over the building,” Baker says. “She’s introduced me to people I’ve never met. The housekeeper always says that Maggie makes her day.”

Maggie’s effect on others shows that even though she didn’t pass her physical test to be an official service dog, she is still an inspiration.

Lying down at the front of the READ classroom or walking around Memorial Hall, people meet Maggie and see that there is no one prescribed way to teach someone how to read, and that teaching reading does not have to be a chore.

“It’s very fun to spread joy, and wherever Maggie is, there’s joy,” Baker says.

E Mily W EidiE is a senior media arts & design and theatre and dance double major from Asheville, N.C. She is a member of the school’s Contemporary Dance Ensemble, and loves to find ways to integrate journalism and dance. After graduation she hopes to continue with both her journalism and dance studies.

CURIO 2011 9

the clASSrOOm rOck {f orMEr r oCk s tAr p AssEs W isdoM

on to

s tudEnts }

story by AlEx vAn rEEs | photos by AMy gWAltnEy 10 CURIO 2011

Taylor, or “Ojo” for short, is the co-founder of Undercover, which was one of the first major Christian punk rock bands in the early ’80s and ’90s. Not only has Taylor gained worldwide recognition for his keyboard, bass and vocal skills, but also for his music composition.

“I love Professor Taylor’s class because there are more passionate students in his classes as compared to some of the general education classes offered here,” says junior media arts and design major Brendan Gilsenan. “His classes are filled with people who enjoy the same things and it makes the classes more enjoyable, and there is a lot of learning and interaction.”

that he could really settle in and begin to make friends. He focused on playing the piano more when he was a teenager in high school.

“I started when I was young and that’s all I could think about,” Taylor says. “I never decided that I would become a musician one day, but that’s all I have ever wanted to do because I love the piano and composing music.”

Taylor joined a band when he was 18 and became their keyboard player and vocalist. He knew one of the band members from his high school, but was introduced to the other two members by his friend.

All that Taylor could think about was his band — it consumed his life. He listened to the Beatles, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix and many Motown classics as a child and grew up dreaming of becoming a rock star, but never thought it would be a reality.

Instead of going to college after high school, Taylor chose to follow his dreams of headlining a band in search of stardom and worldwide recognition.

“I thought to myself, ‘I will be able to go to school whenever. How many chances do you get to be a rock star?’ ” Taylor says. “So I had to take the opportunity and play with my band, travel the world and hit it big.”

EArly lifE

his bAnd dAys

S tudentS

foRm A CiRCle with theiR ChAiRS

And uSe muSiC StAndS AS theiR deSkS while diSCuSSinG muSiCAl CompoSition teChniqueS

b RuCe S pRinGSteen And the b eAtleS . f oR StudentS in p RofeSSoR J oe t AyloR ’ S S onGwRitinG ii ClASS , thiS foRm of eduCAtion hAS beCome the noRm . inCludinG the St yleS of

Taylor moved from band to band playing cover songs in Taylor was born in Lancaster, Penn., but his family front of small crowds trying to gain recognition. For the first moved to Orange County, Calif., when he was three years four years, the bands he was a part of did not write their old.

After settling in California, the Taylor family began moving frequently throughout the state. Taylor atOw many chances dO yOu get tO be a tended numerous elementary schools, rock star had tO take the OPPOrtunity and forcing him to consistently rebuild his life.

Play with the band travel the wOrld and hit it big “It was hard to make friends because I wouldn’t be in a particular school for a very long time,” Taylor own music; they performed covers of rock songs by Led Zepsays. “That was one of the hardest things growing up.” pelin and Bruce Springsteen.

His parents began taking him to piano lessons at age But at 22, his band began writing and composing their five, but he could never focus on mastering the piano beown music. Taylor formed the band Undercover along with cause of his family’s constant relocation.

Rick Alba, Jim Nicholson, Danny Pavlis, Bill Walden and “I think it did make me a stronger and more outgoing Dave Hackbarth when he was 25. Their first album debuted person because you have to take it upon yourself to go out in 1982 and was self-titled “Undercover.” and make friends,” Taylor says. “The downside is that you Their big break came with the release of their second don’t have a network of lifelong friends from when you were album, titled “God Rules.” Their hit single by the same name a child. But you just have to adapt in life.” launched them into the Christian music scene.

Undercover was one of the first Christian punk rock high sChool bands, which was characterized by high-energy anthems, It wasn’t until Taylor’s family moved to Fullerton, Calif.,

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CURIO 2011 11

rebellious themes and short, three-chord songs. They were myself to a level that evokes emotion and I make sure that heavily influenced by rock music in the ’70s and ’80s, but my thoughts are adequately expressed.” religion and faith were prominent parts of their lives also.

He also went on to found and become the general man“We were lucky,” Taylor says. “We were at the right time, ager of Brainstorm Artists International/Innocent Media in in the right place, doing the right thing. We burst on the 1987, a production company and record label distributed by scene and caught on like wildfire through word of mouth in Sony Music and Word Records. the ’80s.”

After Undercover’s “heyday” Taylor still plays small Undercover filled nightclubs, sold out concert venues and arenas all over the lOve making a difference in sOmeOne s United States, Canada and Eastern Europe, music writing career and influencing them while headlining approximately 250 concerts a year. tO accOmPlish great feats For kids in youth groups, this was a revolution toward their music, as it was a Christian-based group playing rock ’n’ roll type music. concerts in Harrisonburg and writes music for other artists.

Throughout its music career, Undercover produced eight Although his band never officially broke up, members went studio and two live albums. their separate ways as they began to raise their families and Taylor himself produced more than 75 full-length are currently spread across the country. recordings, including the Grammy award-winning group The band did travel to the Valley for their first and only Anointed and their album “The Call” in 1996, which were visit last year as they participated in the eighth annual Spamultiple Dove-award winners and Grammy nominees. His ghettifest held at the Buffalo Gap Camp in W.Va. recordings have produced dozens of Billboard top-10 radio singles in various formats including national No. 1 and No. bACk to sChool 2 singles with Undercover.

After his band days, Taylor was unsure with what he Taylor says that when writing a song, he feels it’s 90 per- wanted to do for the rest of his life, but he knew that music cent perspiration and only 10 inspiration. He explained that would be involved somehow. He decided to attend college in it’s more about being in the moment than actually finding the late 1990s after his record label ended. the inspiration to compose powerful lyrics.

Taylor graduated from college at age 38. He received his “When I’m writing, I’m in my own little world with my bachelor of business administration from the University of instruments and my own musical ideas,” Taylor says. “I get California, Los Angeles. He also received a master’s in music

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theory and composition from California State University, Fullerton.

“As an undergraduate at UCLA, I loved the fact that I could choose my own classes and the classes that I wanted to study,” Taylor says. “At Cal State Fullerton, I really enjoyed the quality of professors that I had and the types of classes that I was able to take there.”

But eventually becoming a professor was not on Taylor’s mind while he was still in school.

“I never really thought of myself becoming a professor,” Taylor says. “Teaching was the last thing that I would have ever imagined myself doing after playing in my band.”

While he was studying music composition and theory at Cal State Fullerton in 2005, one of the professors knew his past and the fact that he has toured the world, recorded 10 albums and notched top singles.

Cal State Fullerton featured a class titled the Business of Music, but there had been no professors qualified to teach this class for the past eight years. Since Taylor had his bachelor of business administration already and a strong knowledge of the music industry, his professor thought he would be the perfect candidate to teach the class.

Taylor taught it a few times and enjoyed what a professor’s job entailed. The same professor who offered him his first teaching gig also notified him of an opening at JMU in the music department in 2007.

MusiC industry profEssor “I love making a difference in someone’s music writing career and influencing them to accomplish great feats,” Taylor says. “I love interacting with students and exploring music. That is why I love being a professor.”

Taylor’s songwriting class exemplifies the strong relationship between him and his students; it’s more than just a routine professor-student repertoire. There are only about 14 students enrolled in his class, so they are a close group.

Gilsenan says that his favorite aspect of Taylor’s class is not just the content that he learns, but it’s more of the way he learns and interacts with the other music students and how he has grown as a musician.

“It’s more like a workshop,” Gilsenan says. “That’s how I feel all education should be … a constant interaction with your classmates. The things we learn stick with us longer because of the way the class interacts with each other and the way Taylor interacts with us.”

Taylor teaches a wide variety of classes from the History of Rock, Songwriting I and II, Legal Aspects of the Music Industry, Marketing of Recorded Music, Artist Management and Entrepreneurship in the Music Industry.

“It’s not something I get out of the book,” Taylor says.

“I am passionate about what I have done and what I teach, so I think you need to be really into your subject. I think students relate to this way of thinking.”

“he is very encOuraging, but if we need tOugh lOve, he will give us tOugh lOve.” Junior history major Jeff Gorman has taken four classes with Taylor in the past and is currently in his Songwriting II class.

“I think the most useful aspect of his songwriting class is when I bring a song with me to class,” Gorman says. “We know the standards, we know we won’t be judged by other classmates and we know what to expect. As students, we are critical listeners and it’s really not intimidating at all, but more helpful than anything.”

Taylor holds the philosophy that he will fulfill his duties as a professor as long as his students fulfill their responsibilities as scholars.

“I expect my students to be intellectually interested in the material that we are studying and if they aren’t then they should not be in the class,” Taylor says. “I like to engage my students. The music industry is interactive, so my classes need to be too.”

Taylor understands how to connect with his students, which is one of his most influential facets as a professor.

“Taylor knows what he is talking about and I think that is one of the more important aspects of his teaching style,” says Mikaela Steinwedell , a junior communication studies major. “He is very encouraging, but if we need tough love, he will give us tough love. He doesn’t spoon-feed us, which helps us grow as musicians.”

A lex v An r eeS is a senior media arts and design major with a concentration in journalism graduating in May. He is an aspiring sports journalist and writes for the sports section of The Breeze.

CURIO 2011 13

Photos courtesy

ith Peace Corps

m her time w of Erica Bleeg fro

in Benin.

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ve that,” and yet they ha , ve ha to m is ic cyn us in our kind of Ode O g n aw d r the Peace and says Goode. as a volunteer fo s have Passed t in ar st ye ar 0 in 2 ye t o h an g tw u and lowest mOre th ts she ta During her r highest highs he of f the studen e O m es so am d n ce e e learn th rien O. sh can still list s pushed her to Corps she expe umani, tumel ce t , en O ri el pe m ex u e it O os ible.

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Goode, a profes r arrival, she en he r te af couldn’t agree m y e tl sh or d Sh . an se – n 90 ” te 19 ve in lo in hich included for Botswana esident ntr y training, w ou -c in th in 1961 under Pr e practiced on n sh m io k pt ee ce w in a ’ a threer ps fo or ined Since Peace C lture study. Then mericans have jo A as an English 0 ed 00 ac 0, pl 20 as d w n language and cu e sh s have arou those volunteer hn F. Kennedy, wn school before Jo of to 9 a 40 in g — n s hi ie ac tr the te un .

JMU ranked in condary school wn in and served in 139 co o, se ro l ag th s ra ar or ru aj a ye m w at h r fe is a Engl teache s. Up until r the highest teacher, just an been JMU grad d universities fo an s “I wasn’t really a ge lle co es at Goode. top 25 United St s. many of her 45 an the room,” says nth r lle uating volunteer ta ad or gr r of de e ol rs ag h ion of JMU volu be gu at uc n er um m la n n e ge t Th ex d. n ol e s She wasn’t th e for 21 year application But now it’s tim nged from 12 to ly a third of ghly competitive on hi e ce n th si students, who ra lt om cu Fr ffi t. cepted e instruction di applicants are ac teers to take fligh 00 ,0 15 of a. t an ou barrier also mad w 0 Sets 5,00 for Africa at oke their native process — only lected and leaves would she. se r he as it w the students sp s ne d ile M an , ff t give up from a world — senior Geo But they wouldn’ e I was coming us ca be as w it d yet still the end of July.

“I think part of had nothing an ho w ds ki e r es fo saw th takes a lot of privilege so I at life, joy, which th , ce en sc ve er had a kind of eff

14 CURIO 2011

StoRy by AlexAnd

RA

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do,” says Miles.

“And go out and see the world.”

He didn’t find out the details of his location until late April, but he will be working in the Health and HIV/AIDS program.

Miles’ volunteering experience is vast. Not only has he been an EMT for the Harrisonburg Rescue Squad since his sophomore year, but he has also worked in HIV/AIDS clinics in South Africa in 2008, rebuilt a children’s school in Peru in 2010, and led a sustainability trip to Ecuador in March — all of which were trips through JMU. Though skill will not bar him from success, isolation from everything and everyone he knows for 27 consecutive months may.

Miles is outwardly confident, but admits that he does fear not adapting to his community.

“A lot of people have told me to just keep an open mind,” he says.

According to those who have gone before him, that seems to be the best plan. b ut mAintAininG A poSitiVe outlook iSn ’ t AS eASy AS it SeemS .

As soon as training ends, “you are sort of left to your own devices,” says JMU alumna Erica Bleeg, who is a JMU English professor.

According to Bleeg, in many cases, there won’t be another volunteer in the same area to work near. She had to bike 30 kilometers away to the closest volunteer, and it was a day’s travel to the nearest city.

Volunteers could face unexpected isolation because everything familiar to them is left behind. Not only is their new life foreign to them, but they are also foreign in their new lives.

Goode recalls blacking out from the unbearable cold of her shower when she first got to her site.

“So for two and half years, I bathed out of buckets,” she says.

She would walk in her village of 8,000 and dream about Wendy’s hamburgers, she says, and sometimes her father sent Oreos. She corresponded with family through letters and one phone call per month from a remote town she hitched to.

“When you’re there, after a while the glamour sort of wears off, and you’re trudging to work every day, and when you’re waiting at the corner for that ride that never seems to show up … all that stuff just becomes life … the goats start to become annoying,” Goode says.

Alumna Carol Yoder went to Kenya for service in 1996.

She worked in re-forestation efforts — collecting seeds, starting tree nurseries, tree planting and teaching residents how to produce better crop yields while maintaining soil nutrition.

She became desensitized to drought, no electricity, intestinal upsets, minimal supplies and money but says she never adjusted to the lack of anonymity. Children even stood outside of her window to watch her brushing her teeth.

“You miss your people, you get sick of getting looked at every day … just take a walk and not get yelled at … never really feeling clean,” says Yoder. “It really gets stressful sometimes — never actually being able to just blend in for a while.”

Many volunteers are placed in small remote rural villages far from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Bleeg did her service in Benin from 1997 to 1999. She lived across the road from her host mother, Tounkara, the village midwife, and she wanted to eat with Tounkara’s family as a way to possibly fit in. “I thought it would be good for me to be in touch with a family regularly, especially in a place where people are said to be so community oriented.” Considering that food costs, she wanted to pay Tounkara a monthly sum for the meals.

“you’Re not heRe to SAVe the woRld; you’Re heRe to give what

you have And to AlSo get something back.”

Paying her for meals wasn’t enough, and Tounkara demanded much more from Bleeg — clothing, kitchen supplies, and construction materials — and the pressure to give in made Bleeg feel isolated. “And it got to the point where it was somewhat dangerous,” she says.

Eventually she moved for her own peace of mind. In August of 1998, once she moved to a larger village, Bleeg thrived and met friends whom she will always remember.

For Bleeg, Yoder and Goode, episodes of severe isolation challenged their strength to persevere, but any thought to leave never came to fruition. However, some volunteers do terminate their service — but not always for reasons expected.

CURIO 2011 15

(From left) Dawn Goode, JMU English professor, went to Botswana in 1990; Eric Maslen, head of ISAT department, went to Kenya 1983;

Goode remembers a woman from training who said she had wanted to do Peace Corps her whole life to “help save the world.” She was placed in a busy city in Africa to teach. She hated it, and after only two weeks, she went home.

“Nobody needs saving per se,” says Goode. “You’re not here to save the world; you’re here to give what you have and to also get something back.”

Peace Corps is a “give and take” relationship. Volunteers learn about the cultures they are immersed in, as well as a lot about themselves. But they also hope to positively impact the areas they volunteer.

In 1983, Eric Maslen, the current head of the Integrated Science and Technology department at JMU, was placed in rural Kenya to teach math and physics at a secondary school in Kianyaga.

The Kianyaga headmaster sent him back to Nairobi because his Cornell engineering degree was not judged as a sufficient credential for him to teach physics. The Peace Corps reassigned him to another rural secondary school in Kigumo Bendera.

But after eight months, he left the Peace Corps.

“I terminated early because I had big problems with the role of westerners in the Kenyan school system,” Maslen says.

“In the end, I did not feel like I was doing something useful.”

The Kenyans were very proud of their school system and the teachers were well trained and confident, he says. Kianyaga had high-tech equipment in their physics department, better than that in an American high school.

“So when you have a Peace Corps volunteer [in this type of establishment], you say ‘Why?’ ” he says.

16 CURIO 2011

Maslen enjoyed the people he met during service, including the other volunteers who he still talks to regularly, and his students who were interested in a bilateral exchange of knowledge — they taught him about Kenya, and he taught them about America.

But he urges future volunteers to think critically about how their volunteerism contributes to the societies they serve.

“They think they will be the savior from the West,” he says. “But they may be the devil from the West, and there may be some truth there.”

Experiencing the highly challenging yet rewarding moments, volunteers are forced to re-examine parts of themselves they thought were absolute and permanent.

Before service, Bleeg was overly proud of her independence. Self sufficiency was integral to her sense of identity, most often expressed in the hours she spent reading and writing alone. But the relationships she formed in her second village humbled her sense that independence was a great achievement in life.

She became close with her next-door neighbors, the Sotindjos. She says their personalities had a connection; they cared for her and they brought each other food — she called them “Papa” and “Mama,” not an unusual address between those who are close in West Africa.

“Having the experience of being a unit of people who helped each other out on a daily basis, that is something about my identity that has totally changed, that I would not have imagined that would have changed about me before,” she says.

Erica Bleeg, JMU English professor, went to Benin in 1997; Geoff Miles, JMU senior, will go to Africa in July.

When she got back to the States, she was shocked how disconnected people were.

“I’ve never really adjusted to that again,” she says. And because of her experiences, for a year when she returned, every time she cooked dinner, she had the impulse to continue to send a portion to her neighbors. But she knew that her American neighbors might have thought she was crazy if she showed up on their doorstep with a casserole dish.

However, besides minor cultural adoptions, some volunteers have to re-evaluate some of their deepest rooted beliefs.

In the school where Goode taught, correcting children with physical punishment was the norm, and expected by students. She says there was a teacher who had a stick and tied a strip of rubber to the end to hit students across their palms or thighs for punishment. But for the first year, Goode refused to partake in what she thought was an unnecessarily cruel practice.

“Something about going to a new country and living there and suddenly your beliefs and morals and values all sort of get tweaked in a way,” Goode says.

But the tides turned after she corrected a teenage boy at tea time. He grabbed her aggressively toward him in front of the whole class. This act pushed her to unknown levels of frustration, she says. From then on she punished students a few times by hitting them with a stripling branch that they had to go outside and pick. Most of the time, though, Goode only walked around with a stripling or kept one on her desk to deter misbehavior.

“Within the context of Botswana I didn’t do anything

wrong,” she says. But my shame comes from knowing that I compromised my own belief systems to make my life a bit easier.”

By the end of service, volunteers find their lives altered in unpredicted ways to accommodate the newfound knowledge learned about life beyond their former existences.

“It helped me to start recognizing that life’s about moments,” Goode says, “and that you get your pleasures from small moments.”

She says it was from these small moments — whether it was as simple as a quick sex-education talk with a student between classes or not having to wait that extra minute for a ride to town for groceries — that the real value of her service came, for both herself and others.

“I don’t know that globally I made a difference,” says Goode. “But I don’t know if that’s how it works.”

For 27 months, volunteers live unselfishly for the good of others. Yet the service is also about the ability of volunteers to juggle the hardships of service and achieve not only success within their programs of placement, but also to just finish.

“When you finish it you have that sense of accomplishment that you did something that a lot of people don’t even consider and don’t even value,” Goode says.

AlExAndrA Conroy is a senior media arts & design major concentrating in journalism. She has been a contributing writer for The Breeze, as well as a staff writer for The Bluestone. During the fall, she interned in London at Business Traveller magazine, and during the spring, she interned for the Daily News-Record in the news department.

CURIO 2011 17

the StOry Of keSwick

{kEsWiCk hAll WEAvEs history And AnECdotE for A rEsort ExpEriEnCE unlikE Any othEr} stOry by mOlly haas | cOurtesy PhOtOs

18 CURIO 2011

loCAtEd outsidE of ChArlottEsvillE, tuCkEd bEtWEEn dEnsE forEsts And rolling fArMlAnd, stAnds thE historiC kEsWiCk hAll At MontiCEllo, A hotEl bAthEd in luxury.

“t

here are some places people visit to Forget. keswick is a place you visit to remember.

”

It may be historic Monticello-inspired ingredients served at Fossett’s Restaurant or the antique European flooring that greets guests in the lobby, but it is impossible to ignore the history of Virginia that is woven into each aspect of Keswick Hall.

Keswick Hall caters to special events, families and visitors traveling through Charlottesville.

Each guest who stays at Keswick Hall becomes a temporary member of the Keswick Country Club with access to the beautifully designed golf course, spa and the entire 600-acre estate.

Keswick Hall was built in 1912 as a private home for the Crawfords, a wealthy family with two young sons. Today, the Villa Crawford, the original building, stands intact with Keswick Hall; the original front yard is now an infinity pool that still looks out to the mountains.

“There are some places people visit to forget.

Keswick is a place you visit to remember,” says Matthias Smith, the general manager of the hotel.

Smith, like the rest of the staff at Keswick, is passionate about every visitor’s experience at the hotel.

“Keswick is about the connection of people,” Smith says. “I’m proud to be able to work with such talented people with such a team synergy.”

Keswick Hall hosts 48 rooms each with a hint of uniqueness to the Virginia area, including aviation, tennis or music.

The hotel is commonly used to host weddings, family gatherings or simple day trips.

Laughter echoes off the solid wood walls from the Villa Crawford each night, making it is easy to forget that Keswick Hall is a hotel when visitors catch a glimpse of the country club that stood in its place in the early 1950s or even the family-estate that it once was.

The road to Keswick Hall as it stands today has been one layered in personality. The establishment was built as an 8,000-square-feet estate for the wealthy Crawford family.

Mrs. Crawford’s father was the commodore for the Newport Rhode Island Yacht Club in the early 1900s, and while Mr. Crawford attended CURIO 2011 19

medical school at the University of Virginia, Mrs. Crawford stayed at home with their two young sons.

After the Crawfords divorced, Mrs. Crawford sold the estate. In 1947, the property was purchased and turned into a county club by Donald Stevens.

Golf professional Fred Findlay developed the first 9-hole golf course on the property. Both the course and the club’s pool opened in 1949.

In the 1950s, the club was thriving with life and culture from a swim ballet to raise money for a new diving board, to shrimp cocktails for one dollar. The club had about 300 members when it was sold again in 1965 to Mr. Knox Turnbull.

“He was determined to have the best club in Virginia,” says Patricia The club closed and the space sat unCastelli, the hotel’s learning and deused throughout the 1970s. velopment specialist and resident e wAS deteRmined In 1980, the filmmakers of “The Four historian.

Seasons,” were searching for a property During his time as owner, Turn- to hAVe the beSt Club to film that resembled an inn, and they bull added more tennis courts, anfound their location at the old clubhouse. iRGiniA other pool and an ice rink to the in The producers fixed up enough of property. the property for the film, which starred Turnbull also pushed to racially Alan Alda and Carol Burnett. integrate the club in 1965.

The producers left behind half-finished rooms and the club “It was no small thing,” Castelli says. “It took a lot of con- changed hands again in 1980 when Glen Reynolds, a former vincing for some people.” golf professional from the club, bought the property. Reynolds Turnbull’s work paid off, and by 1971, the club had 808 ran Keswick as a country club until he sold it in 1982. members. Yet when he died that same year, so did much of Keswick experienced its biggest renovation in 1990 when the life at the club, except for the golf course, which contin- Sir Bernard Ashley bought the property. ued to operate.

“For four months they wrapped the whole place in plastic

“h V

20 CURIO 2011

”

A G limpSe into k eSwiCk

CURIO 2011 21

and tore it apart,” Castelli says. production and Castelli, like so many others before her, has Ashley was known for puchasing properties such as Kes- etched her legacy into Keswick Hall. wick Hall and designing them into unique inns.

Keswick Hall operates not only as a hotel, but a country In 1992, the new Keswick Country Club House opened. club with a fully operational spa and golf course. The estate Golf legend Arnold Palmer redesigned the 18-hole golf course also has nature trails throughout the 600-acre property, and Keswick Hall was transformed into a premier destina- tennis courts, a newly “uncorked” wine cellar, and will soon tion. have its own vineyard.

Ashley furnished the hotel with paintings and pieces In the fall of 2011, the Keswick Hall vineyard is expectfrom his own homes, and each of the 48 rooms was uniquely ed to produce between 60 and 80 cases of wine,or roughly decorated.

650 bottles.

Orient-Express, an The vineyard is a perfect e Re A pRemieRe CountRy eStAte international hotel company addition to the private dinpurchased the property from with SomethinG moRe e ARe Steeped ing wine cellar, Treble, which Ashley in 1999 and created the opened in March. Treble feahotel’s restaurant on the main tures over 5,000 regional, in RiCh heRitAGe floor to overlook the vast golf national and international course. wines and a tasting room Monday through Saturday, lunch is served in the villa that accommodates up to 12 guests. and guests and club members may enjoy the nearly 100-yearThe history, the staff and the opportunity for adventure old home and furnishings while being catered to by an atten- and relaxation make Keswick Hall a destination that everytive wait staff. one should experience.

Castelli began her work at Keswick as a part-time host“We’re a premier country estate with something more,” ess, but she was curious about the history of Keswick and says Smith. “We are steeped in rich heritage.” decided that the home had more to be explored.

Bob Reid, a former tennis professional, gave Castelli her >> See Next Page for Keswick Dining Feature >> first look into Keswick’s history and the idea for her new book was born.

Her book, “The Story of Keswick Hall,” is currently in

“w ’

... w

.”

22 CURIO 2011

photos

by

robert boag

{fRom montiCello to the tAble}

Fossett’s Restaurant Blends Classic Ingredients and New Techniques for Comfort Food with Sizzle

Whether it is snacks on the terrace, lunch in the villa or dinner at Fossett’s Restaurant, dining at the Keswick Hotel blends Virginia heritage with crisp ingredients to create an elegant yet comforting dining experience.

Concierge.com named Fossett’s No. 1 in hotel dining in North America with a nearly

fresh elements with a gourmet flair to provide each diner with a memorable experience.

“The taste is well-founded and downto-earth,” Maupin says. “We procure the best ingredients and add a fair amount of comfort.”

Maupin describes the tastes as “approachable” with recognizable techniques

the taste is well-Founded and down to earth ... we procure the best ingredients and add a Fair amount oF comFort perfect score for food. According to the website, the seafood specialties along with treating guests “like royalty” played a part in Fossett’s receiving the award. The restaurant is open year-round with a specialty for seasonal dishes and terrace dining in the warmer months.

Executive Chef Dean Maupin compiles

merged with the history of Virginia. The restaurant gets its name from Thomas Jefferson’s chief cook at Monticello, Edith Fossett.

“There’s Thomas Jefferson, who 200 years ago was one of the most fascinating foodies that every lived,” Maupin says.

“There are farmers who are still doing the same things they still did 50 to 100 years CURIO 2011 23

{ GOOD EATS }

{1} f rench OniOn tart with g ruyere , butter lettuces , mustard vinaigrette

{2} lObster sPaghetti with tOmatO basil {3} lamb with a sauteed OniOn garnish {4} rasPberry lemOn sOrbet {insPired by chef mauPin’s daughter} {5} caramel ice cream On

sPOnge cake

with caramel aPPle slices

ago. We want to celebrate all of that.”

Maupin finds inspiration for recipes from Virginia’s seasons with influence from the Chesapeake Bay and a love of gardening.

“My grandfather owned a food stand in Crozet,” Maupin says. “My mother, grandmother and other grandfather were all avid gardeners.”

With a generational appreciation for fresh ingredients, Maupin says he sometimes spends more time procuring ingredients than cooking the food.

“We are lucky to have a great garden and gardener on site,” Maupin says. “We get seeds from Monticello to harvest and pick and put right on the menu.”

Maupin has been a chef for 18 years; he worked as the chef de cuisine when Fossett’s opened and has been the executive chef for five months.

One of his greatest tasks is designing the menu, which changes each night.

“Sometimes I already have a plan,” Maupin says. “Sometimes I am completely inspired by the day.”

24 CURIO 2011

Usually, the selection consists of four categories of focus: salads, fish, meats and pasta. Each of these categories comprises about four dishes to provide the diner with a variety of flavors.

“Right now, I’m in love with handcrafted pasta,” Maupin says. “But I am also a huge fan of cioppino (a seafood stew). The multiple courses are certainly influenced by that.”

Maupin creates smaller portions so that diners at Fossett’s may experience many of the foods he has created each evening. He works with a team of about 20 chefs that focus on specific dishes each night. The chefs and the wait staff run up and down the many steps that lead to the expansive kitchen located under the restaurant — the “belly of the beast,” according to Maupin.

“That hour before opening is always chaotic,” he says. “There is a buzz in the kitchen, everyone is ready to go. It’s that ballet of service, it’s that instant gratification that you made an impression on people.”

Maupin has not only used his love of fresh cuisine as a chef at Fossett’s, but he is also expanding his reach into the community.

He is in the early stages to be a part of the Chefs Move to School program through the United States Department of Agriculture.

Chefs Move to Schools helps partner local chefs to schools in their communities to teach students healthy eating habits and develop meals that meet nutritional guidelines.

“I’m going to the school that one day my daughter will attend,” he says. “I hope to be a part of facilitating kids eating fresh, eating healthy and getting out there and becoming a part of a garden.”

Maupin has also passed his love of food on to James Madison University students, helping the Hospitality and Tourism Management program develop menus for

their final senior projects — theme dinners that host 100-200 guests.

“It takes a while to develop your own style,” he says. “It’s an evolution. JMU students would come visit me and we’d work through it together.”

Even with experience and expertise, Maupin believes he still has much he would like to learn about creating the taste of Virginia.

“The next 10 years of life as a chef here will teach me the real flavor of Virginia cuisine,” he says.

Until then, Maupin will continue to delight diners at Fossetts with his rendition of a traditional Virginia experience.

M olly h AAs is a sophomore media arts & design and communication studies double major with a minor in creative writing.

CURIO 2011 25

f inding t ruth | s EEking t ruth | s hAring t ruth Story by fjlasjdf;ks | Photos by Robert Boag

{Aletheia Church in Harrisonburg Provides a New Way to Worship} S toRy

26 CURIO 2011

by

n oRA m C l eeSe | p hotoS

by

R obeR t b oAG

l i G htS d im . A hAlf d o z en muSiCiAnS tAk e th e StAG e . S o o n t he Sn ARe o f eleC tRiC G u i tA RS A nd t h e S t e Ady p o un d in G o f A kiCk dR um f i l l th e tR An S fo R m e d wAReho uSe wit h So un d .

It’s just before 11 a.m. on Sunday and Aletheia Church in Harrisonburg, Va. is kicking off its second service of the day. Several hundred people are gathered in the industrial space that has been transformed into a place of worship.

Nearly every one of the cushioned metal chairs is taken.

When the band’s front man, JMU senior Cameron Gwaltney, starts to sing, few hesitate to join in, with the lyrics now projected on the screens above. The music rocks but the message is pure; they are all here to worship.

After about 20 minutes of music, the service transitions into the week’s lesson. Paul Fiske, the lead pastor, steps up on stage. He is dressed in jeans and a casual button down, no different from the young congregation in front of him.

There is no pulpit, only a small music stand to hold his notes and a bottle of water.

As he speaks into his headset microphone, relevant Bible passages appear on the screens. Those listening can follow along in the program, which doubles as an outline of the sermon. The handout features a rough blueprint of the service with blank spaces for key words and a place for note taking. Aletheia places a heavy emphasis on teaching, especially considering its overwhelming student population.

“Students are used to being in learning mode,” explains Matthew Light, one of Aletheia’s staff pastors. “It only makes sense for them to have something to write on. Teaching is the most important aspect of our service.”

Light and Fiske have different approaches.

“I’ve heard my style can be very professorial,” Light says.

“I sometimes even drag a white board on stage.”

When the sermon portion ends, the band returns to the stage to close the service.

Aletheia is a non-denominational contemporary church founded to encourage college-aged ministry and caters to students in the Harrisonburg area, many of those from James Madison University. The church originally started as a JMU campus-based organization and small Bible study groups. Its grassroots approach quickly gained popularity and the organization soon began to hold Sunday morning meetings.

Founder Aaron Proffitt and his parents, Dave and Shirley, came to Harrisonburg from California in 2001 with the intention of starting a ministry aimed toward college students while Aaron attended JMU for graduate school. The Proffitts started by holding Bible studies out of their home.

On Oct. 28, 2001, Aletheia Church was officially launched and held its first Sunday worship.

The church was named “Aletheia,” meaning “truth” in Greek, which speaks of its intention: Members believe that the truth has already been put forth through the Bible as the word of God. Their mission, as stated on their website, is “to love God, to love others, to make disciples, to baptize, to systematically teach Biblical insights and to develop world Christians.”

Outreach is a cornerstone of the Aletheia approach. To attract a college-aged demographic, the church taps into students’ channels of communication. It has a significant presence on Facebook and Twitter and maintains a well-updated website. Considering its plugged-in audience, the organization also videotapes every service and posts them online.

“It’s necessary to have that presence,” Light says. “People expect me to be on Facebook, so I have to be on Facebook.

But if you’re on it, you have to use it. Having a page that just sits there is useless.”

The church’s services revolve around Biblical themes, which are changed every few weeks. With each new topic, a new design concept is developed to complement it. One such concept recently was “Mystery” — the visuals on the handouts and information cards given to potential new members revolved around a lock and key. Even the church was decorated with dozens of old doors, symbolizing the answers to the “mystery” that lies behind them.

This commitment and energy is infectious and has students hooked.

“It was definitely different than the more traditionalstyle churches I grew up in, but what I loved about it was the fact that it was energetic and relevant to our generation,” says Valerie Gibbs, a senior theatre major at JMU. She has attended Aletheia since her freshman year and plays keyboard in the band.

Gibbs says she was impressed that people remembered her name on only her second visit. Gwaltney, the band leader, had a similar experience.

“When I walked in during the weeks after my first visit, they remembered my name and asked how I was doing,” says Gwaltney. “The people at Aletheia are sincere, honest and real.”

Aletheia’s outreach efforts rely on the same foundation.

While the ultimate intention is to evangelize, it starts with a genuine connection.

“We really want to get to know you, where you’re from, what you like,” says Kris Ortiz, the outreach coordinator for JMU’s campus. “We want to have a conversation.”

CURIO 2011 27

Ortiz, a 24-year-old senior sports and recreation management major, leads Thursday meetings on campus called “sharing,” during which Aletheia members share their faith with new people and invite them to experience the church.

Similar outreach efforts occur nearly every day of the week.

Usually groups go out to canvass student apartments, though Light says that they are making efforts to focus more on the Harrisonburg community as well.

“i Am GoinG to StAy At AletheiA AS lonG AS God AllowS me to,” SAyS GwAltney. “i loVe the people, i loVe the miSSion, i loVe the miniStRy And i loVe SeeinG the people whoSe liVeS ARe beinG ChAnGed by whAt God iS doinG in ouR miniStRy.”

“We actually managed to finish it the last weekend of the semester, which was great since it meant the students could see it before they went off on break,” Light says.

The setup now features a large industrial room with a stage at the front and a space at the back for reception and socializing. Breakfast is provided every Sunday before each service. “We want people to feel as comfortable as possible,” Light says.

You won’t see anyone in his or her “Sunday best” at Aletheia; there is no dress code. The music is also not what one would expect to hear at a more traditional church service.

There’s no pipe organ to be found. The Aletheia band, made up of a rotating group of students and community members, plays a mix of Christian rock songs featuring guitars, bass, drums and keyboard.

The band represents one of the challenges that Aletheia faces: students tend to leave and move on after their time in college. However, Gwaltney, who is graduating in May, is staying in Harrisonburg. He took over as worship leader in March 2009

“We don’t want to interrupt people,” Ortiz says. “Sometimes it’s hard to get a conversation going.”

When he does get to connect with someone, Ortiz says he wants to get to know the person first and “eventually it might lead into sharing.”

The combination of an approach to faith that is attractive to the collegeage generation and these outreach efforts has led to Aletheia’s consistent expansion. Over the past 10 years, the church has grown significantly from its humble beginnings. Until mid-2006, it shared a space with another church on Mount Clinton Pike. With the number of attendees increasing exponentially with each semester, it was time to find another home.

Senior Pastor Paul Fiske speaks during Aletheia’s Sunday-morning service.

“Every time the students would go away for the summer, there would be a huge drop in people,” Light says. “But every time they came when Proffitt moved to Florida to pursue further ministry. back, they would bring more students along, which meant “I am going to stay at Aletheia as long as God allows me the church started growing and growing.” to,” says Gwaltney. “I love the people, I love the mission, I “We wanted something closer to campus, definitely,” love the ministry and I love seeing the people whose lives Light says. “It was hard to find before.” The desired space are being changed by what God is doing in our ministry.” had to be non-traditional, something that had an industrial While most of the current leaders are not students who feel to it. It had to be sparse and functional. They settled on are leaving, the majority of the congregation still rotates out a building on South Main Street, which was at one point a quite steadily in a four-year cycle.

JMU art building and a windows factory.

“It’s tough to establish a community when it’s essentially All of the renovations, down to laying pipes for the a whole new group of people every four years,” Light says. plumbing, were done by Aletheia members themselves. ReHe does acknowledge that it has its benefits such as lying heavily on donations, the new church was finished just constantly meeting new people and that the student-centric before the end of JMU’s spring 2006 semester. population has been a key in Aletheia’s outreach and growth.

28 CURIO 2011

the Sleek And memoRAble loGo iS mAde up of thRee bloCkS pACked with meAninG. it iS fiRSt And foRemoSt meAnt to expReSS A SenSe of SolidARity, RefleCtinG AletheiA’S heAVy emphASiS on Community. thRee iS A SiGnifiCAnt numbeR in the ChuRCh, RepReSentinG the tRinitARiAn unity of God, the nAilS of ChRiSt’S CRuCifixion And the thRee dAyS of deAth befoRe hiS ReSuRReCtion. in thAt, the bRiCk-like StRuCtuRe of the bloCkS hintS At ChRiSt beinG the CoRneRStone And foundAtion foR the ChuRCh. moReoVeR, it iS poSSible to See the initiAlS “A” And “C’”in the white SpACeS between the ShApeS, AS well AS All the letteRS in “AletheiA” SomewheRe in the loGo. Aletheia Staff members Jacob Helmeczi and Matt Light lead the baptism service as Aletheia member Brittany Jeretina is baptized.

Aletheia’s formula for college-aged ministry seems to be working, which is why in 2007, the Proffitts decided to take their model to other universities. Aletheia’s grassroots methods, such as small Bible study groups and outreach, were applied at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and the Aletheia Church Planting Network was born.

Following the success at VCU, the Proffitts took their methods to Old Dominion University in Norfolk. In 2009, they moved to Tampa, Fla., to apply the model at Southern Florida University. That location now has about 120 members for Sunday worship and is steadily growing.

Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico is also home to an Aletheia Church. Harrisonburg members Mark and Abby Huffman went to Mexico in 2009 through the International Mission Board to develop a student ministry. After talking with the students they met, the Huffmans decided to model their ministry after the Aletheia they knew.

“We decided to take the Aletheia style to start a student church,” says Mark Huffman. Both the Mexican students involved and the church members back home “got really excited” about this opportunity to spread the Aletheia model.

A group of 12 from the Tampa location went to Mexico to help the church expand in 2010, and five groups from

the Harrisonburg church have gone down over the years as well. The Huffmans are now back in Harrisonburg and the Aletheia in Mexico is run by a local pastor named Jose Antonio Giron Ovalle.

The Aletheia Church Planting Network is the signature of Aletheia’s energy and commitment to their message.

The Network is already planning another location further north. While the other churches are growing, the original Aletheia in Harrisonburg still continues to thrive.

“We need more space because we are rapidly growing and our building can’t hold us much longer!” Gibbs says.

Gibbs says she will miss the people and the community when she graduates and leaves Harrisonburg this summer.

“It is so much more than just a church you attend,” she says. “It is a place of refuge and friendship and unconditional love — a place that urges you to seek out God and know Him personally. It is the perfect place for anyone searching out the truth. After all, Aletheia is the Greek word for ‘truth’ and that is what we strive to uncover.” n orA M C l EEsE is a senior media arts & design major with a concentration in journalism and minors in French and British communication and media. She is currently an editor of JMU’s 22807 Magazine.

CURIO 2011 29

A sunny Friday afternoon in the Valley is full of traffic and busy residents looking forward to a beautiful weekend. But the view from above paints a more complete picture of the rural farmlands that surround the bustling cites and of all the beauty that the nature of the Valley has to offer.

the vAlley AbOve: 30 CURIO 2011

:

{An AeriAl view Of the ShenAnDOAh vAlley} CAptions by ClAirE lAbAr | photos by robErt boAg

CURIO 2011 31

{AbovE} JMU’s new stadium stretches skyward with the hopes of building a stronger football team and a larger student fanbase within its walls. {bEloW} Downtown Harrisonburg, though quaint compared to many larger cities, boasts many thriving businesses and growing factories that keep the Valley busy.

32 CURIO 2011

CURIO 2011 33

Interstate 81, stretching from Tennessee all the way to New York, is the route most often taken into the Valley. Though Route 11 was originally used for this transportation, 81 offers a quicker way to travel through the Valley. Whether transporting goods in a semitruck, or transporting clothes for a first year in a dorm, this road’s calm rural terrain is ideal for long trips or scenic joy rides.

Rockingham Memorial Hospital may have been serving the Valley since 1912, but the hospital was improved last year with a new location and appearance. The beautiful stone building with reflective blue glass boasts the services of the Hahn Cancer Center, as well as an annual in-patient average of 15,500. RMH keeps residents of the Valley healthy, and the acquisition of the old hospital building by James Madison University will continue to help JMU grow and give the Valley an even better reputation for higher education.

34 CURIO 2011

The blue-green water of this quarry is noticable from the sky as it stands out against the expertly-carved grey stone.

Massannutten Resort, described as the Mid-Atlantic’s “premier four season mountain resort,” consists of gorgeous snow-capped mountains for the most daring to the most beginner-level fans of snow sports.

Boasting an indoor and outdoor waterpark, breath-taking views and rows of hotels, homes and parks, it’s the ideal place to escape and experience the beauty of the Valley.

CURIO 2011 35

36 CURIO 2011

{Left} Lone farm houses sit on lush green grasses where cows graze and horses run without a neighbor in sight.

Surrounding these farmlands are the Blue Ridge Mountains, fading into the skyline in the distance. {Above} The sprawling fairways of the Ingleside golf course in Staunton offer a relaxing getaway for residents of the Valley. The challenging course, recently updated by golf architect Bill Love, hosts the annual Spotswood Junior Invitational for the Valley’s most promising young golfers. The club also offers members tennis courts, a pool and a clubhouse for social activities. {Below} As you travel above the grid-like dispersal of land, you can catch a view of Cross Keys Vineyard in Mount Crawford, Va. Described as one of Virginia’s “newest wine estates,” it welcomes guests with a beautiful light stone building surrounded by greens and criss-crossing rows of grape vines. Guests can visit the vineyards for tours and tastes of some of its award-winning wines.

CURIO 2011 37

A

hidden

lotuS temple

story by brittAny kEEnAn photos by JordAn gArEgnAni AshrAM photo CourtEsy of yogAvillE

{A plACe wheRe inneR peACe iS diSCoVeRed, neStled in the hillS of ViRGiniA}

Sundaram Gross prepares a puja worship service dedicated to the divine form of Lord Shiva Nataraj at the Nataraj Shrine.

38 CURIO 2011

“doinG the diffeRent

Free from all distractions and hidden among the Blue Ridge Mountains, lies a spiritual haven in Buckingham, Va., poStuReS in yoGA felt like my life that emits a calming and welcoming energy to all.

Upon arrival to Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville, one beCAme moRe bAlAnCed immediately feels the peaceful and hospitable aura that surrounds the setting. It is home to hundreds of individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving others by leading a simple life.

Inspired by the teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda, founder of Integral Yoga, the inhabitants of Yogaville are dedicated to advocating the principles of peace, healthful and balanced living and giving to all who seek a meaningful life.

The Yogaville community welcomes people from all walks of life with open arms. Guests can stay a day, a weekend, a month or several months at a time. Guests can choose to stay in the dormitory or a private room. Most of the Yogaville community lives in their own homes that surround the main Reverend Lakshmi Barsel pauses before the wall representing Integral Yoga property. The dormitories surround inside the LOTUS All Faiths Hall. “the quad,” a spacious lawn adorned such as minding the bookstore, cleaning dishes, gardening with trees, park benches and flowers. or preparing for the next meal. It is through these services During free time, most of the residents enjoy sitting that Yogaville is able to operate. on the quad, reading, meditating or relaxing. Other times, Overnight guests and day guests are required to pay residents spend time at their jobs or in their homes. The a fee for board, meals and yoga classes. Lunch is eaten in spiritual and harmonious essence of the community creates silence while listening to readings from Satchidananda’s a beacon for those who wish to be revitalized spiritually and ancient manuscripts. emotionally. Though many people use yoga for stress-relievSeveral educational and spiritual programs teaching the ing purposes, yoga is more than just poses, but a way of life dynamics of Integral Yoga are offered, as well as group medifor the residents at Yogaville. tation, scripture studies and personal reflection. Yogaville In order to practice Integral Yoga, the residents follow a also hosts retreats for groups or companies and holds yoga disciplined daily regimen to fully synchronize the mind and teacher trainings annually. Through each day of practicing the body. Every day the residents rise at 5 a.m. to meditate, Integral Yoga, practitioners’ minds and bodies are cleansed which is known as Raja Yoga. After meditation, the group and purified of all complications. can choose to practice Hatha Yoga, which is classic yoga Among the residents at Yogaville, there are those who practiced in many studios and fitness centers, or simply have taken their practice further than just adopting Integral enjoy individual meditation.

Yoga as a way of life; these are swamis, or monks, who live For breakfast, residents have a wide selection of orand work in ashrams. ganic cereals, milk, yogurt, assorted fruits, oatmeal and The word “swami” in Sanskrit means “master” — one juices. They only consume organic, vegetarian food, and who strives for the mastery over one’s self — mastery over get vegetables and a few fruits from their own farm. Before thoughts and actions. Renunciation is the final goal in Inteentering the dining room, residents remove their shoes to gral Yoga, the forgetting of “I” and “mine.” not dirty the floors and carpets, which is a very common A swami has set aside all worldly pursuits to experience practice throughout Asia. the highest spiritual realization and to help others. Swamis Every day the program participants in the Yoga Living have taken vows of celibacy and renunciation, surrenderTraining Program, a type of work-study program, practice ing their families, friends, intrapersonal interests and social their Karma Yoga by helping out throughout the premises, standing. They have traded in their old life for a life of ser-

.”

CURIO 2011 39

Integral Yoga searches for sacred wisdom within and vice. offers spiritual well-being for the mind and body. The teachings of Integral Yoga, created by Swami Satchidananda, integrate physical and mental components of Yoga. The branches of Integral Yoga:

“When they locked the doors at the Yoga Institute I was practicing at, that’s the only time I went home,” Hamsananda says.

In each formal step that she took, she was detoxifying her “old life” and reincarnating her soul to a life of service.

She would listen to Satchidananda’s cassettes and try to incorporate his teachings into her life. hAthA yogA focuses on the physical aspects of the self Although she always felt a tension in trying to rid herthrough postures, spiritual liberation and deep relaxation. self of selfish behavior, Hamsananda was determined to find happiness. She found and achieved that happiness by giving rAJA yogA refers to the philosophy behind yoga. her life to others and teaching the practice of Integral Yoga. bhAkti yogA signifies an attitude of devotion to a “So it’s fun,” Hamsananda says. “Spiritual life should be personal God. a joy and what you practice should bring you joy. The secret is to think of everyone as your teacher and you’re the only kArMA yogA is selfless service. student. You can learn something from every one. That’s the true joy.”

JnAnA yogA is the intellectual approach of self-inquiry.

As for her daily activities at Yogaville, Hamsananda is JApA yogA is the aspect of the divine vibration — the currently compiling a book of inspirational readings from repetition of any sacred mantra. Chanting is a type of the “Golden Present.” She also leads some Hatha Yoga Japa yoga. classes and edits manuscripts.

Yogaville is an accepting place that can be a haven for people wanting to escape their past. One resident at Yogaville, Joseph Bellacera, is there to cope with his post- traumatic stress disorder, stay sober and leave behind the chaos Swami Hamsananda, a wise, energetic 70-year-oldof modern life. woman, was born in Bronxville, N.Y. in the 1930s. As a Bellacera is a disabled Vietnam War veteran with infanyoung girl, she was active and enjoyed the adrenaline rush try injuries. After the war, he was never the same. He relied from playing sports. At age 17, she discovered the wonders heavily on alcohol and drugs to numb the pain from the of yoga after taking a Hatha Yoga class in the city advertised tragedies and brutalities of battle. on a flier and she knew, “This was it.” Now she is a respected It was when Bellacera took a Hatha yoga class in New elder of the yoga community, signified by the traditional York that he realized its calming powers. He sought differorange clothes swamis wear. ent yoga ashrams down the East Coast and finally settled But it wasn’t always this easy for Hamsananda to into Yogaville in Virginia. He says he was tired of the “hustle practice renunciation. She laughingly admits that as an and bustle” of life and yearned to find a greater meaning for adolescent, she didn’t like anyone telling her what to do. himself.

To practice selflessness, Hamsananda challenged herself to “When you bottom out, you need something higher to do anything somebelieve in,” Bellacera says. “I had one asked of her. so much deep-rooted tension hen SAw wAmi AtChidAnAndA S Instead of saying from the war that was relieved no or following her through yoga. I realized that photo he looked So CAlm And peACeful own agenda, she there was more to life then war, would do what those drugs and alcohol and risky And knew wASn t like thAt friends needed. behavior.”

“Every day was Bellacera finds the struca struggle. It was awful,” Hamsananda says. “When I saw tured life at Yogaville comforting and suitable because there Swami Satchidananda’s photo, he looked so calm and peace- is less stimuli to arouse his PTSD. He says he has developed ful and I knew I wasn’t like that. However, his teachings a harmonious relationship with himself and the planet. resonated within me and I’ve been with him many lifetimes.

“The vegetarian meals, Hatha Yoga, meditation and the I simply picked up where I left off in another lifetime.” outdoors are all conducive to my spiritual growth,” he says.

When she moved to California in her 30s, Hamsananda Yogaville has many permanent residents like Bellacera, went to every class the Yoga Institute in California offered. but some live and work at Yogaville in order to keep the Now she has been practicing Integral Yoga more than 35 community thriving. There are whole departments within years. Yoga, meditation and the teachings of Satchidananda Yogaville such as the farmers who produce the food they gave her “a thirst” to know God. eat, guest services who welcome and checks guests into the

w

i

S

S

’

,

i

40 CURIO 2011

i

’

...”

Left: Laughing yogis, (L to R) Anthony Antonecchi, Andy Sahn and Premashakti Evans, enthusiastically “laugh for no reason” at one of Yogaville’s laughing yoga sessions. Right: A view of the Lotus Temple from the hill of the Nataraj Shrine.

ashram and teachers who instruct the children living within the compound — grades K-5 in one little schoolhouse.

Reverend Lakshmi Barsel, a petite woman with long silver hair and a calming whisper-like voice, is a part of the marketing and advertising department at Yogaville. Barsel became interested in teaching yoga during her graduate years in New York.

While studying anthropology, she became especially involved in Integral Yoga. It was through yoga that Barsel felt like she was able to reach a state of peacefulness. Her guru’s

reaches a state of equilibrium and you let go of attachments to ‘I,’ ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ then all of your actions become selfless and you reach a state of permanent happiness and joy.”

Barsel seeks happiness by embracing God and serving others. In the advertising department at Yogaville, she is involved in planning programs, advertising health food stores and setting up yoga teacher trainings.

One of Barsel’s greatest joys is working with the Satchidananda Prison Project, in which she corresponds with prisoners. She works with prison administrations so inmates

the SeCRet iS to think of eVeRyone AS youR teACheR And you’Re the only Student. you CAn leARn SomethinG fRom eVeRy one. thAt’S tRue Joy. class had “everything I’d been looking for to know myself.”

“Doing the different postures in yoga felt like my life became more balanced,” Barsel says. “I was releasing internal energy from within my body and thus achieving an inner peace.”

Raised in a devout Catholic family, Barsel wasn’t able to wrap her mind around how or why evil existed in a world created by an all-loving God. She questioned many of the tenants of Christianity; she especially wrestled with the idea of Jesus being “the only way” when thousands of generations lived and died before Jesus was born and millions were never able to be exposed to any of his teachings.

Lost and confused, she eventually turned to Satchidananda’s teachings and immersed herself in his practices. She quickly learned that she could intertwine her formal educational teachings with yoga philosophy. Barsel moved to Yogaville soon after she was married to continue her spiritual studies and become a part of a community that practices a yoga lifestyle.

“I seek happiness,” Barsel says. “When your mind

can practice yoga while incarcerated. She writes letters to the inmates who seek to reprioritize their lives. She wants the prisoners “to be spiritually free behind bars,” and firmly believes yoga can offer the inmates a better life.

“While prison and jail are a physical reality for many, they are a symbolic reality for all,” Barsel says. “True freedom is a peaceful heart and mind.”

This freedom is what brings people to Yogaville. Whether they are searching for a higher power, taking an oath of renunciation or simply wanting to refill their lives with peace and joy, Satchidananda’s teachings of Integral Yoga allow people of all backgrounds and beliefs to embark on a personal journey toward that freedom.

b rittAny k EEnAn is a junior media arts & design major concentratin in journalism with a minor in communication studies.

CURIO 2011 41

{ 75 yeARS younG }

ShEnAndoAh nAtionAl pArk CElEbrAtEs its MilEstonE AnnivErsAry

stOry by allisOn killam i title PhOtO by rObert bOag | cOurtesy PhOtOs by christine letsky-andersOn

“i t ’ S

So quiet , you CAn heAR the

wAteR RunninG ,” SAyS old Chimney Still

m ike m oRRiS . “ t he StAndS theRe .”

Morris, a Valley resident, describes the spot where his father was born in a hollow of the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1926.

“They built close to the springs, there was no electricity, they burned kerosene lamps and they burned wood for heat,” he says.

Only a few years after his father was born, the government decided to create a national park in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Unfortunately, this meant telling the families in Sugar Hollow, and throughout the hills, that they had to leave. Throughout the early 1930s, hundreds of families were taken from their homes and moved down the mountains. Most of residential evidence was destroyed to let the land regenerate.

Morris doesn’t have hard feelings considering his family was removed from the land they once lived on. In 4242 CURIO CURIO 2011 2011

fact, he’s grateful that the land has been preserved. He is excited to take his grandchildren trail riding through the park when they’re old enough, so he can show them the old chimney that still stands there.

Seventy-five years after the park was dedicated, Shenandoah National Park is commemorating its journey thus far.

It’s “an opportunity to celebrate and to recognize and to pause in our lives and step back and say, ‘This is a milestone, we’ve made it 75 years!’ ” says Donna Bedwell, the 75th anniversary coordinator.

The celebration isn’t just about the history of the park, but the sense of pride that surrounds it. It is to show the surrounding communities how valuable the park is, as well as renew that sense of ownership and pride in the park.

Claire Comer, an interpretive specialist, lived outside Shenandoah National Park for many years before working there. She admitted to knowing little about the park, its history and its value. But over the course of her 26 years as a park service employee, she’s gotten to know the history well.

of Americans.

Her family owned hundreds of acres of property in “They will pitch their tents under the stars, with an open the Blue Ridge. During the summer, her grandfather would fire to cook by, with the smell of the woods and the wind in keep the cattle there. the trees,” he said. “They will forget the rush and the strain “We didn’t lose our home like the other people,” she says.

Her grandfather received monetary compensation but of all the other long weeks of the year.”

The planning committee wants to mirror the original the tenant farmer who lived on the land didn’t, and he lost ceremony by Roosevelt. Educational, cultural and recreationhis home. Comer says she understands the bitterness that still remains and hopes that as time passes, everyone will see al tents will be set up to teach visitors about the park. There will also be tents for each community who has taken part in the benefits the park has to offer.

“There’s a huge misconception that the park was a the celebration, along with a family fun tent. federal initiative when actually it was a local one,” Comer says.

Many people living in the Shenandoah region hAt theiR fAmily GAVe up hAS now in the 1920s initiated a grassroots movement to petition the federal government to create a national beCome A nAtionAl tReASuRe park.

A national park meant tourism, which would For those who cannot attend the rededication ceremony, result in economic gain in the surrounding communities.

Many people in the region wanted the park. Unfortunately, they will have a chance to participate in the 75 Reasons to Visit, a trivia game on a brochure about the park and the it meant removing the families who lived in the mountains. surrounding communities.

“Those individuals whose families gave up land to be a “We want people to be able to find the answers and national park. Hopefully they will really feel that sense of learn about the area,” Bedwell says. “Anyone who takes the pride,” says Bedwell. “What their family gave up has now time to go through, answer each one correctly and turn it in, become a national treasure.” will get a certificate and a special decal.”

The main event of the celebration will be a rededication The brochure is available within the park and online. ceremony at Big Meadows, within the park, on June 25th.

Each entry will be submitted into a drawing. There is one Seventy-five summers ago, President Franklin Roosevelt grand prize and 16 additional prizes, contributed by comstood at Big Meadows and dedicated the park for the souls

“w

.”

George T. Corbin built this cabin in 1909. The land on which the cabin sits was acquired for Shenandoah National Park and Corbin was forced to leave. It is one of the few cabins that survived the creation of the park. Today the building is maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and is available for hikers to rent.

{J unE 25 th , 2011}

r E d E d i C At i o n C E r E M o n y

{WhErE} Big Meadows, MP 51 on Skyline Drive

{tiME:}10 a.m.

Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance online. “75 Reasons to Visit” will be available for download on the website.

for AdditionAl inforMAtion: celebrateshenandoah.org CURIO 2011 43

kevin ADAmS Kevin Adams, a Valley resident, has donated his original oil on canvas painting, “Old Rag and the Piedmont,” to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the park. The painting has been reproduced as a limited edition print — each is signed and numbered by Adams and all proceeds will be donated to the park.

Adams lives several miles from the park and has previously been commissioned to commemorate the anniversaries of the Grand Canyon and Glacier National Parks.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Adams

panies in the surrounding communities. The grand prize is a two-night stay for two at Skyland Resort, as well as a trail ride, a limited edition print of the park by Kevin Adams and an hour-long biplane flight over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Other events will take place throughout the year across the Valley, showcasing the relationship between the park and the community.

The celebration will also look toward the future of the park. The mountains have regenerated, and the animals have been able to return, but the park still needs protection.

“It’s our park, it’s our responsibility to maintain it,” Bedwell says.

One of the goals of the celebration is to help educate the surrounding areas about how their actions affect the park. For instance, buildings and lack of clean air in the Valley disrupt the view-sheds — what visitors see from park overlooks.

Tourists come to appreciate the picturesque rural valley, they don’t want it to be clouded by smog, says Bedwell.

With this celebration, the public is informed of issues the park faces. As a result, the park hopes the public will

44 CURIO 2011

contribute to the future of the park and its preservation.

In 2004, the Shenandoah National Park Trust was founded to raise private funds the park needed for maintenance as well as raise community awareness of the park’s resources. The Trust is contributing $50,000 in goods and services for the 75th anniversary, just one of its numerous projects.

Susan Sherman, executive director of the Trust, hopes that in turn the park will see more visitors, appreciation and support.

Mike Breeden, a representative for the Blue Ridge Committee, understands the pain of being forced to leave one’s home. Breeden’s grandparents on both sides lived in the Blue Ridge and were forced to leave, like Morris’ family. He hopes area residents will “let the wounds heal and adopt a new appreciation of the park.”

The Blue Ridge Committee is made up of representatives from the eight counties that border the park, park management and state and federal legislators. It was created to facilitate open communication between park management and surrounding communities.

“it’S An eASy pARk to ViSit, An eASy pARk to loVe”

Breeden visits the park several times a year for committee meetings. On one occasion he was got a glimpse of the park’s past. Several boxes containing artifacts, such as photographs and trinkets (one being a moonshine container) were found in the basement of the Byrd Visitor Center during its remodeling.

The boxes were taken to park headquarters in hopes that some of the people and places in the photographs could be identified.

Breeden noticed one photograph in particular and took it home to his father, who recognized the face in the photo.

Apparently, when Breeden’s grandfather was moved off the mountain, he still returned to the federal land to chop wood for his fence posts. He was arrested and this photograph was his mug shot.

“It’s an easy park to visit, an easy park to love,” says Martha Bogle, superintendent of the park, with a smile. The celebration is about “honoring the past and the sacrifices made, as well as looking towards the next 75 years.”

>>s ee b ack i nside c over For photos From the original s henandoah n ational p ark dedication

Landscape Photographs by

c hriStine l etSky -A nDerSOn “Christine Letsky-Anderson is the director for CISAT Creative Services at James Madison University.

She has combined two of her passions, hiking and photography. Letsky-Anderson has been visiting the park since childhood.”

Visit Christine online at : christineandersonphoto.com

A lliSOn k illAm is a senior media arts & design major concentrating in journalism with a minor in political science.

CURIO 2011 45

Pins & (Knitting) Needles stOry by mOlly rOssberg PhOtOs by amy gwaltney

{thrEE JMu Juniors ChAnnEl thEir ArtistiC skills into A nEW businEss vEnturE}

In the bedroom that Mikaela Steinwedell and Virginia “Vegg” Essex share inside of “The Full House” on South Mason Street, eclectic bedspreads cover both bunks nestled in the left corner. The bay window above the desk lets in a cozy amount of light into the room. A brightly patterned rug lies in perfect contrast to the dark, aged wood floor. There is a woven basket of yarn brimming with colors like “Merlot” and “Candy Apple.” A jar of vintage buttons sits on a shelf surrounded by finished pairs of earrings. A clothesline of crocheted headbands and ear warmers hangs across the sliding door entrance into the room.

Along with their housemate, Jessica Stamper, the three girls run a small business, in which the combined 46 CURIO 2011

effort of all their individual creative ventures is called The Mason Jar. The spark for the business came when Stamper and Essex saw how well Steinwedell was doing as a freelance photographer.

“We saw the success Mikaela has had [with her photography], so trying to sell our stuff seemed like a good idea.

It’s fun … we’re doing something we love,” Stamper says.

After making a Facebook page that showcases all their work, the girls launched a website where customers can place orders for Essex’s button earrings, Steinwedell’s photography, crocheted headbands, or ear warmers that all three of them make.

In addition to the crochet collection, Virginia “Vegg” Essex also creates a variety of button earrings for sale.

“GoinG fRom mAkinG them foR fun to tAkinG oRdeRS wAS A SpuR-of-the moment deCiSion, but it wAS like, ‘oh my GoSh, we CAn do thiS!’“

Crocheting headbands and ear warmers originally started as a way to cure “snow-day boredom,” according to Stamper.

A junior majoring in communication sciences and disorders, Stamper had been taught to crochet by her grandmother, so she started teaching her curious friends.

After learning all the basics, the girls looked online for different patterns and video tutorials and began crafting.

“We finished the first ones and wore them, then made some for friends and had them wear [the headbands and ear warmers] around campus … it was like a domino effect. Everyone started asking where we got them,” says Steinwedell, a junior communication studies major.

“Going from making them for fun to taking orders was a

spur-of-the-moment decision, but it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we can do this!’” Essex, a junior interdisciplinary studies major, says.

The Mason Jar offer a variety of sizes and types of headbands including a braided headband, the medium-size headband, and the large ear warmer with prices ranging from $4 to $10.

“The most popular item we sell is for sure the triple braid [headband]. It’s simple, cute and inexpensive,” Essex says.

The girls are working on adding different types of crocheted hats in addition to continuously experimenting with new patterns for headbands and the flowers that go on them, largely inspired by YouTube tutorials and pattern CURIO 2011 47

“it wAS like A domino effeCt. eVeRyone StARted ASkinG wheRe we Got them.”

books they’ve purchased.

Their commitment to offering variety and staying on trend has paid off. Over the past two months, The Mason Jar has received 30-plus orders and made about $200.

One of their customers, junior communication studies major Chelsea Custer, is very pleased with her purchase.

“My style is simple, so I love having just one accessory such as a headband that completes my outfit,” she says.

“I love their products because I can choose the colors and details according to my personal style.”

It’s no wonder their headbands have caught on.

“We’ve seen things like them in Urban [Outfitters] and J.Crew, but they were like $40. The most expensive ear warmer we sell is only $10,” Steinwedell said.

Of course, running their own business hasn’t been without its challenges. Finding time to keep up with orders and spread the word about The Mason Jar on top of school and extracurricular activities has been difficult.

The girls are hoping to continue their business after they graduate, but that depends on whether sales increase over the next year.

“All in all, it’s been a good experience and hobby for us to pick up and enjoy,” Essex says.

M olly r ossbErg is a senior media arts and design major and studio art minor from Crozet, Va. After completeing an internship at The Crozet Gazette this the summer, she’ll take a gap year before applying to graduate school library science programs across the country to fufill her childhood dream of becoming a librarian.

48 CURIO 2011

{July 3, 1936}

President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the park in a ceremony at Big Meadows. <<See page 42 to learn more about Shenandoah National Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 75th Anniversary<<

CURIO 2011 49