Messiah College's The Bridge magazine - Winter 2015 by Messiah University

BRIDGE THE

12 A DAY IN THE LIFE

When does a Messiah student sleep? We’re not really sure

7S IX ALUMNAE, SIX DOCTORATES Women talk diversity,

education and Messiah

Are you sure you want to download that?

What’s OK in the digital age

MESSIAH COLLEGE MAGAZINE WINTER 2015

ELIZABETH CONTE ’16

INSIDE LOOK

“ Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.” — Langston Hughes, American poet (1902-1967)

W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 , VO L . 1 0 6 , N O . 3

THE

office of Marketing and COMMUNICATIONS

One College Avenue Suite 3020

M E S SMechanicsburg I A H C O L L EPA G E17055 M AG A Z I N E

717.691.6027

Office of Marketing and Communications www.messiah.edu One College Avenue, Suite 3020 Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717.691.6027 | www.messiah.edu

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

PRESIDENT

Kim S. Phipps V I C E P R E S I D E N T F O R A DVA N C E M E N T

Barry Goodling ’79 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF M A R K E T I N G & C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

Carla E. Gross EDITOR

Anna Seip C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R

Nancy Soulliard GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Carrie Barlup, Cindy Agoncillo ’09 DIRECTOR OF A L U M N I & PA R E N T R E L AT I O N S

Jay McClymont ’92 CONTRIBUTORS

Adela Antal ’16, Erin (Kriner) Bray ‘10, Steve King ’06, My Nguyen ’17, Robyn Passante, Danielle Ran ’06, Rose Talbot ’16

The Bridge (ISSN-0279-3938) is published quarterly by the Messiah College Office of Marketing and Communications for alumni and friends of the College, free of charge. Periodicals postage (USPS #342000) paid at Mechanicsburg PA 17055 and additional mailing offices. Please contact us at thebridge@messiah.edu or 717-691-6027. Items for the alumni news section should be identified by class year and sent to the Messiah College Office of Alumni and Parent Relations, One College Avenue Suite 3023, Mechanicsburg PA 17055. You may email them to alumni@messiah.edu or fax them to 717-796-5371. Postmaster: Address corrections should be sent to the Office of Development, One College Avenue, Suite 3013, Mechanicsburg PA 17055.

F E AT U R E S

As its name suggests, The Bridge connects alumni, parents and donors with Messiah College. It also serves to build the College’s image with these audiences. It does this by publishing accurate news about the College and about alumni and by offering interesting feature articles that are issue- or College-related for readers’ continued education. Messiah College accepts news submissions from alumni and the broader community but reserves the right to edit or decline to print materials at its discretion. Messiah College is a Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. The College is committed to an embracing evangelical spirit rooted in the Anabaptist, Pietist and Wesleyan traditions of the Christian Church. Our mission is to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

A DAY IN THE LIFE Follow several Messiah students as they study, worship, work and play in a 24-hour period.

Messiah College does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, disability and national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other College-administered programs. © 2015 Messiah College

COVE R:

Who owns digital content in today’s Web-based, fast-paced society? ILLUSTRATION: ALEKS SENNWALD 2 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD THAT? Who owns online content? How does Messiah teach and protect its students as they navigate the information highway?

F R O M T H E E D I TO R AS I INTERVIEWED STUDENTS FOR OUR “DAY IN THE LIFE” FEATURE ON P. 12, I WAS STRUCK BY HOW BUSY THEY ALL ARE! COULD MY DAY POSSIBLY COMPARE? I DECIDED TO TAKE A FEW NOTES AND SEE:

5 a.m. I’m up, I’m up, nudged by the cold nose of our dog ready for a walk. 5:30 a.m. Sipping coffee, hoping for a cancellation text. I’ve got a 6 a.m. workout scheduled with an exercise science major. 6 a.m. Drive to Sollenberger to meet the student at the only time that works with our schedules. Treadmill, lunges, etc. My legs are Jell-O as I drive home, but I’m glad I went. 7 a.m. Time to wake up my second-grader for school. After some whining and a pint of hair detangler, she’s watching “Curious George” and eating a clementine, her usual routine. 7:45 a.m. Once I’m showered and dressed, I wake my husband, hand off parenting duties and rush out.

8-11:45 a.m. Meetings to attend, emails to answer, articles to write, professors to interview. It’s a typical morning. 11:46 a.m.-12:46 p.m. Lunch at Cracker Barrel. It’s potpie Wednesday, and getting there early is a must!

D E PAR TM E NT S

ONLINE EXTRAS

4 FROM THE PRESIDENT

MESSIAH.EDU/THE_BRIDGE

5 OUR CAMPUS 5

Faces and Places

Heard Around Campus

Brain Waves

Campus News

12:47-5 p.m. Editing articles, checking in with my student workers about their assignments, the afternoon flies. Time for the commute home.

Watch a day in the life of musical theatre major Rachel Ballasy ’15 View Messiah’s MLK Day photo gallery

11 Athletics

View a photo gallery of the bridge in Panama that Russell Woleslagle ’15 built

View a thank you video from the Office of Development

OUR ALUMNI

26 Alumni News 27

Alumni Profiles

Class Notes

From the Archives

5:15-10 p.m. Kiss my husband as he heads to work for the evening. My daughter and I drive to the thrift store for half-price Wednesday. You never know what treasures you’ll find. Somehow, we fit in dinner, bathtime, a board game, an episode of “The Middle,” homework and bedtime stories. As you go about your own busy day, I thank you for fitting in this issue of The Bridge. I hope you enjoy reading it.

A N N A S E I P, E D I T O R

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 3

FROM THE PRESIDENT

A Tweet in the life I love to spend time with members of the Messiah College community — especially with students. In recent years, I’ve found new ways to enrich our connections and build community through the use of social media. Along with personal contacts, social media enables me to send and receive quick updates, share stories from the Messiah College community and learn from others within higher education and beyond. The following tweets are just a sampling from my fall semester feed. Excited to work with my presidential intern this year, @MatthewSider #NewBeginnings I’ve enjoyed working closely with presidential intern Matthew Sider ’15, who’s been a catalyst in expanding my Twitter presence this semester. Although I’m in Malaysia, part of my heart is @messiahcollege and @MessiahSports. Good luck to all of our teams! #GoMessiah This tweet combines two of my passions—cheering on Messiah College athletes and building international relationships with students and parents. This fall, I traveled to Malaysia to sign the agreement for the American Degree Transfer Program with our partner institution, Methodist College of Kuala Lumpur. We currently have 22 Malaysian students enrolled at Messiah. Celebrating with @messiahcollege partners. Thank you for all that you do! I appreciate the opportunity to cultivate relationships with the many people who support Messiah College’s students. We can fulfill our mission only with the commitment of benefactors, like Messiah Partners and many others, who invest in our college generously with their time, talents and resources. 4 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

It’s always a great time with @MessiahSGA. All of you are doing great work! #StudentGovernment #education I couldn’t be prouder of the Student Government Association of Messiah College. They provide effective leadership not only to 70 student clubs and organizations, but also to the Student Senate, the Peer Review Board and the SGA President’s Cabinet. Loved hosting international students for a Thanksgiving dinner! #messiahcollege @isamukappa Each year, I look forward to hosting international students for Thanksgiving at Orchard Hill (the president’s residence) and attending the International Student Banquet in the spring. Kelly and I hosted 3,295 college guests last year. Celebrating 10 years as @messiahcollege president. I’m very grateful for such an amazing privilege. Being Messiah College’s president has been one of the most exhilarating, challenging and inspiring privileges of my life. Recently, I described my process of vocational discernment to Joel Hoover ’15, editor-in-chief of The Swinging Bridge newspaper: “I didn’t have a desire to be a college president, but I had a desire to be Messiah College’s president. I love this community and its mission.” In this issue of The Bridge, I hope you enjoy reading about “A Day in the Life” of our students and catching a glimpse into my life as president.

K I M S . PH I PPS, PRESIDENT

FOR INSTANT UPDATES, CONSIDER CONNECTING WITH ME THROUGH FACEBOOK OR FOLLOWING ME ON TWITTER @MESSIAHPREZ.

OUR

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RUSSELL WOLESLAGE

FAC E S A N D P L AC E S

Building bridges of faith, hope ENGINEERING STUDENT RUSSELL WOLESLAGLE ’15 FOLLOWS GOD’S CALL TO CONSTRUCT BRIDGE IN PANAMA When he set off to Panama on a mission trip in 2013, Russell Woleslagle ’15 had no idea he’d return just a short year later to open a pedestrian bridge he helped build in the small village of Arraiján, Panama. At the time, Woleslagle was exploring ways to use his gifts to serve God. When his baseball coach invited him to go on a missions trip with AROMA, Messiah’s sports ministry group, he jumped at the chance to use his athletic skills to serve others. What he didn’t realize, though, was that his engineering skills would also be a great gift to the small Panamanian community. On the AROMA trip, a local pastor, Ruben Guerra, shared a desire to have a bridge to connect two parts of the community. The rainy season brings up to four feet of water in a ravine that divides the community, making it nearly impossible for children to get to school (on one side of the ravine) or to the community center where the pastor ministered (on the other side of the ravine). Woleslagle continued thinking

about the bridge when he returned to Messiah and approached the engineering department about helping with the project. Woleslagle and Messiah Assistant Professor of Engineering Brian Swartz worked to develop the Infrastructure Group of the Collaboratory. The group finalized plans for the pedestrian bridge in spring 2014. During that time, Woleslagle also secured an internship with Rio Missions — run by Messiah alums Dan ’99 and Jess Cotton ’99, who work with the local pastor — and made plans to spend his summer in Panama constructing the bridge. Woleslagle, who had no experience working on bridges before this venture, served as construction manager and led the entire project. In addition to managing workers, resources and timelines, he also spent many hours constructing the bridge himself, while also confirming his desire to pursue engineering. When the bridge opened in August 2014— exactly one year after his mission trip —Woleslagle couldn’t

From left: Russell Woleslagle ’15, Dan Cotton ’99 and residents of Arraiján watch as Pastor Ruben Guerra cuts a ribbon marking the official opening of the bridge. ABOVE: Two village girls stand by the nearly completed bridge in Arraiján, Panama.

“ What I learned was more than I could have imagined. I learned how to manage a project and got handson experience building a structure I helped design; affirmed my desire to continue engineering; and saw God guide the opportunities to make all this possible.” —Russell Woleslagle ’15

have been more thankful for the chance to hone his own skills, while more importantly, meeting the needs of the Arraiján community. “What I learned,” said Woleslagle, “was more than I could have imagined. I learned how to manage a project and got hands-on experience building a structure I helped design; affirmed my desire to continue engineering; and saw God guide

the opportunities to make all this possible.” The best part? Woleslagle and the Infrastructure Group aren’t stopping there. They already are working with Rio to build another bridge five hours away from the first site in Panama. — Erin Bray ’10 SEE MORE OF WOLESLAGLE’S PHOTOS ONLINE AT MESSIAH.EDU/ WOLESLAGLEGALLERY

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 5

OUR

HEARD AROUND CAMPUS

HOW DO YOU COPE WITH WINTER WEATHER?

“ This is just a part of life. I don’t cope with it; it copes with me.” — Peter Cradduck ‘15

“ I just remind myself that I don’t live in Alaska or Siberia, so it could be worse.” —Claire Shook ’18

“I take really long showers and drink really hot drinks.”

“Wear a lot of jackets.” — Benjamin Thomas ’18

— Kat Hohenberger ’18

“I dress up for it. I love the cold in general.” “I stay in bed forever.”

“Really fuzzy earmuffs” — Erin Sharkey ’17

“ First, I contract the flu. Then, I touch various unnecessary surfaces while my roommate follows behind me with Lysol and Clorox wipes.” — Angelina Bartorelli ’18 6 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

“ I carry tea with me to keep warm.” — Ashlee Miller ’18

— Glenn Ibberson ’17

— Jenna Capobianco ’15

— Bronwyn Edwards ’15

“ I wear a onesie, read my Bible and pray for the Holy Spirit’s fire to warm me up.”

“I wear a lot of jackets, coats and scarves.” — Kimberly Waite ’18

“ When cold winter strikes, I like to bundle myself up in soft clothes, wrap myself up in a soft blanket, warm myself with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and amuse myself with a movie or good book. Why do homework when you’re that comfy?” — Larissa Miller ’18

B R A I N WAV E S

Six alumnae with six doctorates discuss diversity, education AS THESE MESSIAH WOMEN REMINISCE, THEY ALSO LOOK TO THE FUTURE Six women of color — all alumnae, all with doctorate degrees —talked to The Bridge about how their Messiah experiences shaped their educations and prepared them for graduate studies. They also had some advice for Messiah’s current students.

PATRICE TROUTMAN ’95 ENGLISH TEACHER, SAYREVILLE WAR MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, SAYREVILLE, N.J. DEGREES: • Messiah College, B.A., secondary education • Wayne State College, M.S., education, 2001 • Regent University, Ed.D., education, 2014 WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT MESSIAH AS A PERSON OF COLOR?

I had a very positive experience at Messiah as a person of color. I had the opportunity to be a part of the gospel choir, Phi Omega Chi,

and the track team. My undergraduate education at Messiah was rigorous and a perfect foundation for my doctoral program. I also grew deeper in my faith while I was there. I used to spend time in the chapel in Sollenberger daily to pray and read and worship. Those disciplines helped to set the tone for my life and gave me staying power for anything that came my way. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS?

As a person of color, I am also cognizant of the fact that there are many others who will not have or have not had the opportunities to further their education. When studying, keep in mind that someone would love to

take your place as a student at Messiah, so spend your time wisely. Embrace your learning experience and use any opposition as an opportunity to educate others and grow. Our ancestors have paved the way so you can have your seat in any classroom of your choice. Every time you are tempted to throw in the towel, remember that they (along with many others) are cheering you on and you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.

FABIENNE DOUCET ’95 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY DEGREES: • Messiah College, B.A., behavioral science • University of North Carolina at Greensboro, M.A., human

development and family studies, 1998 • University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Ph.D., human development and family studies, 2000 WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT MESSIAH AS A PERSON OF COLOR?

I experienced a great deal of support from organizations like Phi Omega Chi (People of Color United for Christ) and the gospel choir. On the downside, I was the first person of color some white students at Messiah had ever met in person. Coupled with being the first Haitian person many people had ever met, I sometimes felt as if I was under a microscope. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS?

Our country is currently in an extremely fragile place when it comes to deciding what the future of race relations will look like for our children. We are beyond simple dichotomies, beyond facile generalization, but what we are most certainly not is post-racial. Therefore, I would encourage all Messiah students to engage the subject, to reflect on it, pray about it, ask questions—even uncomfortable and difficult ones—and be open to the possibility that one’s own reality may not even come close

FA B I E N N E D O U C E T ’ 9 5

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 7

DAVE GERSHGORN

MELISSA HESS ’05

PAT R I C E T R O U T M A N ’ 9 5

B R A I N WAV E S

TOSHA KABARA SAMPSON-CHOMA ’97 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY DEGREES: • Messiah College, B.A., English • Wayne State, M.S.E., English education, 1999 • University of Nebraska, Ph.D., English 2011 WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT MESSIAH AS A PERSON OF COLOR?

DAVID MAYES, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

I was often aware of my identity as a person of color. It was the first time I had been in an environment in which my racial identity took precedence over my individual identity. The student life office was integral to my development as the staff members fostered inclusivity for all students. From being shoulder-tapped to apply for a position as a resident assistant, to being encouraged to participate in Big Brothers-Big Sisters, to being invited to have a paid position as the student director of United

Voices of Praise, my leadership skills were fostered, sharpened and honed in preparation for the future. Through the mentorship of former Director of Minority Student Life Tyrone Wrice, I accepted an offer to attend school in Nebraska. I felt well prepared because of my student leadership experience at Messiah. I also maintained contact with Angela McKinney, Messiah’s first African-American professor in the sciences. Urging me to continue my studies by pursuing a doctoral degree as I had planned, Dr. McKinney prayed with me and offered much-needed support. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS?

Learn something new about diversity. Read a text that centers on the experience of black Americans, such as “The

“I LOVED MY TIME AT MESSIAH, AND I WAS ABLE TO GROW SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY INTO A WOMAN THAT I AM VERY PROUD OF AND THANKFUL TO BE.” — Corinne A. Macon-Linus ’95

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” “Twelve Years a Slave” or any number of others. Consider how you can be a proponent of social justice, if even on a small scale.

CORINNE A. MACONLINUS ’95 CEO, CREATIVE SOLUTION MINISTRIES, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT MESSIAH AS A PERSON OF COLOR?

Because I was born and raised in the Mennonite Church, being in Grantham was not a big adjustment for me. I loved my time at Messiah, and I was able to grow spiritually, emotionally and intellectually into a woman that I am very proud of and thankful to be. Directing the gospel choir was also very

DEGREES: • Messiah College, B.A., behavioral science • Regent University School of Divinity, M.A., practical theology, 2002 • Regent University School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship, Ph.D., strategic leadership, 2011 MELISSA HESS ’05

to the reality of another person, but that makes it no less valid or deserving of respect and consideration.

C O R I N N E A . M AC O N L I N U S ’ 9 5

TO S H A K A B A R A S A M P S O N - C H O M A ’ 97

8 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

PAULA V. BOULWAREBROWN ’95 PSYCHOLOGIST FOR CARON TREATMENT WERNERSVILLE, PA.

COURTESY OF PAULA V. BOULWARE-BROWN ’95

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS?

Take the time to build genuine relationships that will last with people who have determined to keep Christ first in their lives. Our cultural and ethnic backgrounds shape us, but it is our relationship with the Lord God through Jesus Christ and the relationships that we build in life that will keep us and guide us into our unique destiny! God in His infinite wisdom and power has blessed me, but He has also blessed the friends who have helped push me in the right direction. Trust the Lord and follow Christ with all your heart.

DEGREES: • Messiah College, B.A., psychology • Chestnut Hill College, M.S., counseling psychology, 2000 • Regent University, M.A. and Ph.D., clinical psychology, 2004 WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT MESSIAH AS A PERSON OF COLOR?

The world is abundant in diversity, and possessing the competence to relate to people different than me was a skill first learned at Messiah. From my first Intro to Psychology course to interactions with my advisor, Professor of Psychology Rhonda Jacobson, I was convinced that psychology was the discipline for me. The department was supportive and encouraging. I was honored to earn my doctoral degree and operate in the same capacity

as they have for other aspiring students. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS?

Find your passion, discover the talents God gave you and pursue the vision for your life.

KEMBERLY McKENZIE ’92 TEACHER FOR 17 YEARS IN PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO AND ATLANTA DEGREES: • Messiah College, B.A., communication • Cheyney University, M.A., education, 1997 • Chicago State University, M.S. special education, 2002; M.A., educational leadership, 2005 • Capella University, Ph.D., educational leadership, 2009

for six-seven hours and then return to my black community. At Messiah, I learned, ate, slept and worshiped in a different culture around the clock. This is not to say that my experience was negative; rather, it was different than what I was used to. Messiah taught me to push past limitations. I went from struggling academically to obtaining three master’s degrees and a Ph.D. Through my education at Messiah College, I learned that adversity leads to destiny. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS?

Adversity is ingrained in the fabric of life. We must not let that stop us from reaching our goals and God’s intended purposes in our lives. Instead, we must K.E.M. (Keep Everything Moving). — Anna Seip

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT MESSIAH AS A PERSON OF COLOR?

Although I went to predominately white schools from elementary to high school, Messiah was still a cultural shock. At home, I could go to school

PAU L A V. B O U LWA R E - B R OW N ’ 9 5

K E M B E R LY M C K E N Z I E ’ 9 2

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 9

MOSLEY ELITE PHOTOGRAPHY

impactful to me. People were able to worship the Lord together in celebration of and in spite of cultural differences. Overall, my experience as an African-American at Messiah prepared me for the world at large and helped me learn how to navigate through life successfully working with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

OUR

CAMPUS NEWS

‘HOW DO YOU GET YOUR HAIR LIKE THAT?’ BLACK STUDENT UNION ANSWERS STUDENTS’ QUESTIONS Messiah’s Black Student Union (BSU) hosted the alternate chapel panel discussion titled “How Do You Get Your Hair Like That?” in Alexander Auditorium Oct. 28. Djola McGowan ’15, BSU president, says the goal of the chapel was to create an environment where students felt comfortable asking questions about AfricanAmerican standards of beauty, body image and culture. More than 80 students attended. “People are always asking ‘Oh! Why is your hair like that? How often do you wash your hair? Why is your hair long today and

Classes were canceled for MLK Day Jan. 19 to celebrate the amazing life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On that day, Messiah students, faculty and staff participated in the greater Harrisburg MLK Day of Service at multiple project sites. Leaders such as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf; Mayor Eric Papenfuse; Rep. Patty Kim; Sen. Rob Teplitz; Harrisburg School Superintendent Sybil KnightBurney; and Tim Fatzinger, president and CEO of the United Way of the Capital Region, joined Messiah College President Kim Phipps at the Downey School to

Washington. “Although the topic referenced hair, much of our discussion also had to do with African-American body image. We discussed the fact that most underrepresented groups do not fit the ‘ideal’ body image [celebrated in U.S. culture].” This alternate chapel opened the door for discussion about beauty being truly in the eye of the beholder, a subjective “ideal” based on one’s cultural and situational perspectives. “Conversation about the black community or multicultural life in general is not something that people are very comfortable talking about,” said McGowan. “That is the reason why we are talking about it. We want students to ask us questions.”

— My Nguyen ’17 and Anna Seip

commemorate the occasion. Additional MLK activities were held throughout the week, including a film discussion featuring Messiah’s Together for Tomorrow White House initiative with Harrisburg School District, a common chapel, an alternate chapel and an MLK celebration in Larsen Student Union. In continuation of honoring King’s legacy, the 2015 Humanities Symposium, “Race in America,” was held Feb. 24-27 for four days of engaging presentations and conversations about a critical issue in American society. Michele Norris delivered the keynote lecture “Eavesdropping on America’s Conversation About Race” at Parmer Hall Feb. 26. FOR MORE PHOTOS, SEE THE GALLERY AT MESSIAH.EDU/ MLKGALLERY

10 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

JOANNA BENNER ’17

Messiah College honors MLK Day with activities

short tomorrow? What happened?’” said McGowan. “People on Messiah’s campus are not educated about this, so I thought it was a perfect thing to bring to campus with a Christian message.” After a presentation about cultural standards of physical beauty, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions of the panel, which consisted of Dwayne Wright, associate professor of education; Amber Adams ’14, sociology major; Marcus Washington ’05, coordinator of recruitment and pre-college programs; Naomi Henry ’15, a music major; and James Horn ’16, a biblical and religious studies major. “It was a great way for me to connect with the student body and share about my experience as an African-American male, particularly an African-American male with dreadlocks,” said

Messiah students paint at Camp Curtin School in Harrisburg as part of MLK Day Jan. 19.

AT H L E T I C S

Messiah senior wins national soccer award

HOPE INTERNATIONAL CEO NAMED ENTREPRENEUR-IN-RESIDENCE PETER GREER ’97 RETURNS TO TEACH, MENTOR STUDENTS Peter Greer ’97, president and CEO of HOPE International, will serve as Messiah’s first entrepreneur-in-residence. In this new role, Greer will teach a course on social entrepreneurship and personally will mentor junior and senior students who have an interest in that area. Greer hopes to bring a higher level of visibility of entrepreneurship and its benefits to the Messiah College community and beyond. “This generation is thinking differently about entrepreneurship and its ability to solve some of the world’s biggest problems,” Greer said. Dean of the School of Business, Education and Social Sciences Caroline Maurer said, “The motto of our business department is ‘purpose beyond profit,’ and Peter has really lived that

out. He brings to our students that combination of practical and theoretical, and he’s truly doing what it is we teach our students.” Greer says he’s most excited to return to campus. “Interacting with students and faculty has been life-giving for me,” he said. “We are so delighted to welcome Peter ‘home’ to his alma mater. His life and work embody the College’s mission of preparing students for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation. Many Messiah College students are committed to social entrepreneurship and the ideals of using sound business practices to promote the common good and address systematic social needs, including poverty alleviation,” said Kim Phipps, president of Messiah College. Greer’s position began Feb. 1. — Danielle Ran ’06, director of communications

For the better part of 15 years, Messiah men’s soccer has been considered one of the best NCAA Division III programs. Ten national championships and multiple coaching and player honors prove that point. Despite all of those accomplishments, the Falcons found a new way to make history this season. Jeremy Payne ’15 was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Player of the Year for Division III, an award that recognizes the nation’s top player. What makes the honor particularly impressive is that Payne has won it before. He became the first men’s player in Division III history to be named National Player of the Year twice in a single career. In 2012, he took home the award after leading the Falcons in goals (17) and points (44), while tying for second on the team with 10 assists in 2012. That season, he was also named First Team AllAmerican and Commonwealth Player of the Year—honors he also won in 2013 and 2014. This season, Payne set career-best marks in goals (21) and points (52), while once again collecting 10 assists. For his career, Payne finished with 61 goals, 31 assists, and 153 points. “Jeremy being named Player of the Year as a sophomore was both a blessing and a curse,” Head Men’s Soccer Coach Brad McCarty said. “It’s a brutal burden to carry, because, in the back of your mind, you’re thinking you’re being evaluated against that award.

MESSIAH COLLEGE ATHLETICS

BO WILLIAMS ’15

JEREMY PAYNE ’15 NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR DIVISION III

Jeremy Payne ’15 wins player of the year—for the second time.

“But he handled it with humility and a steely determination. He was focused on playing at high level, and he came to practices and games ready to play at a high level. To be able to circle back and garner this award again as a senior was impressive.” Payne and his senior classmates collected a record of 86-3-5 (.941) across four seasons, including two national championships in 2012 and 2013. — Steve King ’06, associate athletics director

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 11

F E AT U R E S T O R Y

12 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

What, exactly, does a Messiah student do all day? Pick any hour of the day or night, and you’ll find these six students working, serving, studying, worshiping and getting things done. The one thing they have in common is keeping busy. See if you can keep up! T YPE DESIGN: CINDY AGONCILLO ’09 PHOTO: RYAN SMITH PHOTOGR APHY

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 13

THURSDAY

11: 30 AM

“ THOUGH MY LIFE IS CRAZY, I WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING ABOUT IT. I LOVE MESSIAH, I LOVE THAT I’M GOING TO BE THE FIRST TO GRADUATE HERE WITH A MUSICAL THEATRE MAJOR. WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE, POWER NAPS AND LAUGHTER, IT ALL BECOMES MANAGEABLE.” —Rachel Ballasy ’15

M U S I C A L T H E AT R E

8 a .m. Alarm sounds, followed by a combination of hitting the snooze button, checking my phone or turning off my alarm completely. 8:20 a .m. Finally give in and roll off the top bunk. 8:45 a .m. Walk down to Climenhaga (my home). 9–10:30 a .m. Modern Dance, a difficult class to have when there’s not enough caffeine in your system. 10:30–11 a .m. Sit in a practice room and commit all of my music into my brain before… 11 a .m.–12 p.m. Voice lessons! My favorite time of the week is spending an hour with my voice teacher Larry Carey; he has changed my life! 12–12:30 p.m. Run and grab a quick lunch, typically consisting of a panini and apple juice à la Falcon. 12:30–2 p.m. Go down the theatre hallway to work! I’m a stitcher for the costume shop, so I work on all of the productions— building, mending, washing, repurposing costumes for the actors. How cool is that? 2–4 p.m. Run upstairs to Poorman Black Box Theatre to rehearse my senior show, “Being Rooted.” It was a piece that I wrote and starred in that served as my final project for my major!

QUAY SAN ’ 18

RACHEL BALLASY ’15

Practicing with her voice teacher Larry Carey, says Rachel Ballasy ’15, is her favorite hour of the week.

4–5:30 p.m. Fly over to the High Center’s choral rehearsal room for One College Ave rehearsal, Messiah’s nine-member vocal jazz group performing jazz standards, pop, musical theatre and a capella music, AKA the coolest. 5:30–6 p.m. Scurry over to Lottie for a quick burrito bowl (a Lottie staple that I like to think I created). 6–10 p.m. Rehearse for “Taming of the Shrew,” four wonderful hours spent rehearsing Shakespeare. It’s long and tedious sometimes, but I love doing it more than anything. 10–11 p.m. Get a slice of pizza at the Union with the other cast members who are all starving because we worked up such an appetite rehearsing. 11 p.m.–12:30 a .m. Return to my apartment for the first time all day. Catch up with my roommates, if they’re not already asleep,

14 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

and work on homework until I can’t keep my eyes open any more. 12:30 a .m. Crawl into my bunk bed and get ready for the next day! “Some people think that the students of the arts aren’t stressed out because they don’t have traditional exams. If my schedule shows anything, it shows how busy we all are! Though my life is crazy, I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I love Messiah. I love that I’m going to be the first to graduate here with a musical theatre major. I love my friends that I’ve made and all of the performances that I’ve gotten to be a part of! With a little bit of balance in your life, power naps and laughter, it all becomes manageable. ‘I (really) can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Philippians 4:13” TO VIEW A VIDEO OF RACHEL BALLASY ’15 PERFORMING, VISIT MESSIAH.EDU/THE_BRIDGE .

I N T E R N AT I O N A L B U S I N E S S

KAREN HOANG ’14

RYAN SMITH PHOTOGR APHY

TUESDAY

12: 35 PM

CORE Y L a QUAY ’ 18

6–7 a .m. Try my best to get out of bed to go the fitness center. Running is always the greatest way to start a day. 7–8 a .m. Finished running. Now to take a shower and get ready for classes. 8–8:50 a .m. At dance class today, we learn about square dancing. 8:50–10 a .m. Come back to Rafiki house and try to finish my homework. 10–11:30 a .m. Work at the Union Cafe. The grill station is pretty hot, as usual. 11:30 a .m.–1 p.m. Finished working and now more homework. My life! 1–1:50 p.m. Have some quick lunch and walk all the way to the High Center for the Studies of Global Music class. Why does it have to be on the other side of the campus?! 1:50–5:10 p.m. Struggle to read my finance book for the night class, but finance has never been an easy subject to read, anyway. Twenty more pages to go! Help! 5:10–9 p.m. Have some quick dinner and make sure to bring coffee to my three-hour night class. 9–10 p.m. Finished all my classes for the day! Now is the time to watch “The Walking Dead” with my housemate! Hopefully, nobody dies in this episode. 10 p.m.–12 a .m. Do some more homework and play one game of chess with my other housemate. 12–1 a .m. Unexpected “girl talk” in the middle of the night with my roommate. It’s great, but it’s late. Time for sleep. It’ll be a long day tomorrow.

Have an emergency? Zach Gibson ’15, captain of the campus EMS group, will come to your rescue. BIOCHEMISTRY

ZACH GIBSON ’15 8:30 a .m. The first day of classes! You’d think by senior year it wouldn’t faze me, but those old familiar butterflies were going to town in my stomach. Luckily, I have chapel first to ease me into the day. 9:30 a .m. Chapel, a place to take a break from all the stress and business of classes and re-focus a little bit. 10:30–11:45 a .m. Genetics class. Do they honestly expect me to come in every eight hours to look at flies? 11:55 a .m.–12:30 p.m. Bible class. Uhoh, my phone is going off—diabetic emergency in Kline. I need to take this. I’m captain of the EMS group this year, so hopefully my professor will understand. 12:35–1:25 p.m. I know I have the right classroom because all of the students are standing in the hallway looking concerned.

The patient is actively seizing when I arrive. I move the tables and chairs out of the way and wait for the patient to regain consciousness. Turns out, the patient is a first-year with Type-I diabetes. Poor kid, not the best way to start your college career. Well I guess it can only go up from here. Shoot, I’m late for lab! 1:20–4 p.m. Biochemistry lab, first day of lab means taking inventory of our supplies, so we should be out of here early! The professor tells us not to get used to it, though…400 level labs are notorious for going late. 4:30–5:30 p.m. Dinner time! I missed lunch, so I could eat a horse. I’m in an apartment this year, which means I’m cooking for myself. Bring on the PB&J. 6 p.m.–12 a .m. Catch up with the friends I haven’t seen yet, read for my classes tomorrow, write the patient care report for the call I had earlier, hang out with friends some more. Enjoying college life as much as I can before the semester really gets underway and I’m lost in a sea of homework.

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 15

01: 30 PM 16 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

RYAN SMITH PHOTOGR APHY

MONDAY

B I O C H E M I S T R Y ( P R E - M E D)

8 a .m. My alarm sounds. I get out of bed, trying to not wake my roommate. 8:15 a .m. I finish a bowl of Life cereal in my room and go to take a shower. 8:45 a .m. I walk to Organic Chemistry. 9:55 a .m. I go to the library for coffee. 10 a .m. I get coffee and walk around the library talking to friends while I should probably be doing my homework or something. 11 a .m. I am caffeinated and ready for Philosophy! 12 p.m. I meet up with friends for lunch and then hurry to Organic Chemistry Lab, where my day takes a turn for the worse. 1–3 p.m. I add a derivative of impure acetaminophen to water at different temperatures. This process isolates the acetaminophen (and removes all impurities) through the formation of hundreds of little, shining crystals. I have failed to recrystallize the acetaminophen three times. I double-check the lab manual and wonder what I am doing wrong. 5 p.m. After the fifth try, I finally get some crystals! Everyone has left, even the lab instructor. I clean up and rush to a Writing Center meeting. 7–9 p.m. Work at the Writing Center, backto-back appointments. 9:15 p.m. I grab the 1989 VHS recording of the stage adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” and head to the back of the library where they supply a TV, VCR and headphones. I re-watch Act 3 to unwind. 11 p.m.–12 a .m. I go to the genetics lab for the night shift to check my flies. “Checking flies” is slang in genetics class for a number of things. Trying to map three different genes (like eye color, etc.) along chromosome two of a fruit fly, my group and I must selectively breed flies with different traits and record the traits of the offspring. We need to have more than 1,000 flies by the end of the semester! The newborn flies must be separated every eight hours so no interbreeding occurs, which would ruin the entire experiment! 12:15–1:15 a .m. I do some homework, meet a lab partner, if one is awake, to finish a lab report for Chemical Analysis. 2 or 3 a .m. I go to bed. Working in the lab for hours at a time is part of a typical day for Anthony Bogetti ’17.

RYAN SMITH PHOTOGR APHY

ANTHONY BOGETTI ’17

The snooze button calls to Miranda Ruiz ’15, but she must head to her internship at the news station. JOURNALISM

MIRANDA RUIZ ’15 7:30 a .m. Try not to hit the snooze button, so I can start getting ready for the day. 8:45 a .m. Jump in the car and commute to my internship at WGAL-TV News 8 in Lancaster, Pa. 9 a .m. Prep for the morning news meeting, which includes some hot tea. 9:30 a .m. Sit in and listen to news pitches from the producers, reporters and photographers for the noon and 5 p.m. shows. It’s a sneak peek into the news coverage for the day, and sometimes I get to hear about stuff before it even happens! 10:30 a .m. Hit the road in the news van with a photographer and reporter to cover a story! Talk with sources, shoot b-roll and practice stand-ups. Ultimately, we follow the news wherever it goes. 3:30 p.m. Return to the news room, look over AP news wires, write script and work on projects for the Web team or producers. This is a great time to get feedback and critiques from the professionals. 5 p.m. Leave the studio and head home for the night.

“While I am so excited to be interning and getting my foot in the door as a part of my last semester of college, it has made me realize that I will certainly miss a lot of my college life. There is no other time where it is acceptable to goof off into the early morning and roll out of bed to go to class. All of my friends are within a five-minute walk or less from me, and some of the smartest people I know are available to sit down and chat with me during their office hours. Post-grad life offers so many new and exciting opportunities, but I am just as ready to embrace the last few months with friends and professors before heading out into the big, old world!”

“...I AM SO EXCITED TO BE INTERNING AND GETTING MY FOOT IN THE DOOR AS A PART OF MY LAST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE... .” —Miranda Ruiz ’15

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 17

“ I CAME TO MESSIAH BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO GET OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT AWAY DOING THE WORK I LOVE MOST: SPORTS BROADCASTING. I HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET SO MANY GENUINE, ENGAGING PEOPLE THROUGHOUT MY YEARS HERE. PEOPLE ARE EVERYTHING; THEY TAKE EXPERIENCES TO THE NEXT LEVEL. GOD IS GOOD!”

FRIDAY

RYAN SMITH PHOTOGR APHY

02: 30 PM

—Joel Hoover ’15 In The Pulse office, Joel Hoover ’15 and Frances Miller ’15, design assistant, work on The Swinging Bridge. JOURNALISM WITH SPORT M A N AG E M E N T M I N O R

JOEL HOOVER ’15 8:30 a .m. Waking up, I try to get moving quickly. The morning usually consists of a shower, cereal and watching “SportsCenter.” I check my email to keep up with news and information for my job as the editor-in-chief of The Swinging Bridge newspaper. 9:30–10:30 a .m. I prep my first Crock Pot meal: breaded chicken with cream of mushroom soup. 10:50 a .m. Headed to my first class of the day, Sports in Society. 11–11:50 a .m. Any class that combines sports with everyday life is a good one for me. On some days, I leave this class to go to the Falcon for an Earl Grey tea and some conversation with friends. Hot tea helps keep my voice prepped for my radio show and game commentary. 12–12:50 p.m. Lunch back in the apartment, with video games and some reading for my Senior Sem class sprinkled in. I have a

sandwich and roll out the door with a yogurt, apple or banana in hand. But not all three at the same time. 1–1:50 p.m. Communication Senior Seminar. I know a lot of the students in the class, because we lived in Philadelphia together last year. We always have a lot of fun and good discussion in the class, and Prof. Simcox is great! 2–3 p.m. Passing along and receiving information regarding news stories for the paper due tonight. People love to push deadlines, and it gets a little nerve-wracking when you are the person in charge! Everybody always comes through in the end. We’re like the A-Team. 3–5 p.m. Prepping with good notes for a soccer radio/TV broadcast I am doing tonight. Should be a good game. These are the things that get me excited. 5–5:50 p.m. Time for dinner. The Crock Pot meal turned out fantastic. 6–7 p.m. At Shoemaker Field, I help set up the producing equipment for GoMessiah.tv. Usually, I am the producer for our online webcasts of the soccer games.

18 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

Since one of the broadcasters could not make it to this game, I step in for him as the play-byplay commentator. 7–9:30 p.m. Game on! The Messiah men complete more than 600 passes for a 3-0 victory over Lycoming. After the athletic department grad assistants and I tear down the equipment, we take it back to Sollenberger. 10 p.m.–12:30 a .m. Time to check if the newspaper stories arrived on time. Drink another cup of tea before bed. My voice is a bit tired from talking for two hours straight. When it’s sports broadcasting, though, it’s worth it. No doubt. “I came to Messiah because I knew that I was going to get opportunities right away doing the work I love most: sports broadcasting. The great part about college is that I have gained so much experience beyond just that. I have been challenged to explore other opportunities in writing, radio, producing and leadership. I have had the chance to meet so many genuine, engaging people throughout my years here. People are everything; they take experiences to the next level. God is good!” B

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THE BRIDGE HAS FOLLOWED THE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A STUDENT. THE FALL 1998 ISSUE ASKED SEVERAL STUDENTS WHAT A TYPICAL DAY FOR THEM WAS LIKE. HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE UP TO NOW: RENEE (ROGERS) HART ’99, ART

NOW: “I am living in Philadelphia with my husband Andrew Hart ’04 and two boys, Micah (age 3) and Dietrich (age 1). I am working part time as a wound ostomy continence nurse specialist for the Visiting Nurses Association of Greater Philadelphia. Our family is actively involved in the youth ministry at Montco Bible Fellowship.” IN 1998: “I went to my 9 o’clock class and had a blast. Prof. Forsythe said, ‘Photography is a miracle!’ I agree.”

PATRICK JOHN GREEN ’00, THEATRE AND HUMANITIES

KIM (HARNISH) FORRY ’00, COMMUNICATION

NOW: “I am married to Adam Forry ’99. We have two children, Cassandra (12) and Trace (9). We are also in the midst of the adoption process to bring home a child from Haiti. I work part time helping to run a local consignment boutique in our town of Manheim, Pa. I also do a bit of freelance writing for our denomination, the Brethren in Christ. I am vice president of the school board at Manheim Christian Day School, where our children attend. We attend Speedwell Heights Brethren in Christ Church, where Adam serves as senior pastor.” IN 1998: “Tuesday night is my time to visit Beverly, an elderly friend I made through the Messiah Village Outreach Team. For some reason, we hit it off, and today Beverly refers to us as ‘two peas in a pod.’”

NOW: “My wife, Sarah (Schreurs) Green ’99, and I are really excited about where God has us. After living in my hometown of Philadelphia for several years, God spoke to us about leaving and establishing ourselves in the Midwest for a season, where my wife’s family is. We landed in the suburbs of Des Moines, where we went from two sons to four (ages 3-10). And now, Sarah’s newly pregnant with our fifth child! I’ve worked in corporate and agency environments writing, editing and managing all forms of content. At this point, I manage clients and healthcare marketing strategy, with recent excursions into the world of health tech startups in NYC. It’s frigid here in the winter, which I don’t think we’ll ever get used to. I’m often seen on my Vespa as soon as the weather turns.” IN 1998: “It was a busy day. I still had enough energy left to lead practice for our chapel worship, go to the Campus Crusade meeting and then spend three hours at the Five Spot down in the old city, swinging it out with my friends.”

JEREMY CAMPBELL ’01, HUMAN RESOURCES

NOW: “I have been married to Robin (Bachelder) ’01 for 13 years. We have a son, 9, and a daughter, 5. I am the human resources director for Brubacher Excavating, Inc., in Lancaster County. I expect to defend my dissertation and graduate in May with a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Wilmington University.” IN 1998: “I have all general education classes this semester. I think gen ed will end up killing me.”

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 19

F E AT U R E S T O R Y

20 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO

DOWNLOAD THAT? PROMOTING INTEGRITY IN A DIGITAL CULTURE BY ROBYN PASSANTE

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEKS SENNWALD

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 21

Public relations major Sarah Goldy-Brown ’15 has grown up in the digital age— and the digital age has grown up alongside her.

“[O

ur generation] was born with dial-up Internet,” said Goldy-Brown, who says she hopes to work in the nonprofit sector when she graduates in May. “We had to have that discussion with the parents, ‘Are we going to put the Internet on or have the phone available?’ But with the transition to having Wi-Fi and people getting a more personalized Internet experience—getting a laptop, a smart phone—people have started feeling a sense of ownership, that they own the access to what they see.” While much of what’s on the Web is indeed a part of the public domain, a lot of it is not. Though it is easier than ever—and at least somewhat culturally acceptable—to access, download and share videos, images and music, is it morally OK to do so? The path to navigating this evolving virtual world, and one that Messiah students and staff have taken from the outset, is to use the same set of ethics online as they do in every other aspect of their lives. “Integrity is key,” Goldy-Brown said. “And that’s what’s really great about having a Christian education, where those morals are expected of you and encouraged.”

THE LOWDOWN ON DOWNLOADING

oldy-Brown was 3 years old when the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 was passed, protecting copyright owners and putting heavier, clearer consequences on those who illegally download, upload or share copyrighted material. “Part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 basically requires that we as an online service provider take action when we’re notified by these agencies, to make sure the IP address stops the downloading and removes all of the content,” said Doug Wood, associate dean of students. “Our webmaster converts the IP address in question to a student name, and my office follows up with the student to make sure they comply. We give them a warning that, if they do it again, they could face legal sanctions.” Wood says the overwhelming response when a student is questioned about a copyright infringement is shock. “There’s quite a bit of surprise around it. I think the culture has shifted to the point where it’s ubiquitous. ‘If everyone’s doing it, why is this a problem?’” Wood said. “There’s a sense of ‘Well, if it’s on the Web, then it’s free, right?’” Wrong. “My general rule of thumb is, If you’re not sure, don’t download it,” Wood said. “I tell students ‘Don’t save things to your system.’ If you are watching something on YouTube, it’s fine. But if you are converting something

22 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

on YouTube to save, it’s not fine. Share a link, yes. But don’t share a file. It’s very murky. The content is still hosted to a link that is paying a copyright fee. But you are not, so you can’t own it.” A SENSE OF BELONGING

lly Coonradt ’15 says she is mindful of these rules in her job as social media manager for The Pulse and as a public relations major in general. “As soon as either our manager, our A/V assistant or one of their volunteers takes a photo, it belongs to us in a sense, and we watermark it right away so people know it belongs to us,” Coonradt said. In her personal life, she says she can see how all the online sharing of creative content can make end users feel like they are entitled to that content. Coonradt mentions her disappointment when a favorite pop star, Taylor Swift, recently removed songs from the free music-playing service Spotify, which forced fans to purchase the tunes instead. “She said because she makes art, people shouldn’t have access to it freely, and, if they like her art, they should contribute to her artistic payment. I guess I can understand it in some respects, but I think she has lost some fans over it,” Coonradt said. “When you already have access to something and then have it taken away, I think people definitely don’t respond that well.”

THOUGH IT IS EASIER THAN EVER—AND AT LEAST SOMEWHAT CULTURALLY ACCEPTABLE—TO ACCESS, DOWNLOAD AND SHARE VIDEOS, IMAGES AND MUSIC, IS IT MORALLY OK TO DO SO?

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 23

“ SHARE A LINK, YES. BUT DON’T SHARE A FILE. THE CONTENT IS STILL HOSTED TO A LINK THAT IS PAYING A COPYRIGHT FEE. BUT YOU ARE NOT, SO YOU CAN’T OWN IT.” — Doug Wood, associate dean of students

24 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

evin Villegas, director of international student programs, also sees this mindset toward intellectual property—and works to correct it—among new international students, particularly those from China. “(China) is a very collectivist culture, so it’s a very different mindset than what we have here,” explained Villegas. “The U.S. is one of the most individualistic cultures on earth. There, it would be more than appropriate to take somebody else’s work, because the mindset is why would you put it out there if it wasn’t for them to use it? They’re not taught that when referring to someone else’s work that you need to cite it.” China also has the highest rate of online piracy, so when these students arrive at Messiah they are taught, like all students, what they

FAITH IN TECHNOLOGY WHAT (OR WHO) IS GETTING USED?

“We ought to face the fact that our cyber-innovations today are running far ahead of our moral sensibilities.” —Quentin Schultze, Calvin College professor and author of “Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age” (2004) Although written more than a decade ago when social media was in its infancy, Schultze’s observation of the ever-changing Web—how we use it and how it uses us—is eerily prescient. How do Christians apply technology in their daily lives? Does Facebook honor God, and what are the moral implications of Twitter? “Most people think they live by an ethical code,” said College Pastor Donald Opitz, “but when asked what that code is, they are often befuddled. Even Christians will say something like, ‘the 10 commandments,’ but then they can’t actually list the 10. So, they are not really living by a code but by that ‘sense of

can and can’t do with online content. “For some it’s just a matter of educating them and helping them to think critically about these things,” Villegas said. “We have to ask questions that get at the ethics. Just because I can do this, should I do this? Is it right to do this?” Goldy-Brown agrees that education is key, and that such enlightenment about ethics in a virtual world needs to start much younger than college. “Growing up, I don’t think these issues were addressed. When people talked about stealing, they didn’t talk about stealing things on the Internet,” she said. “Stealing” can be a hard concept for teens and young adults to understand, given the sense of ownership they have for what they see on their screens. “It’s no different than going to Walmart

morality’ that is derived from parents, friends, TV or social media. In other words, morality has many sources, and many people have given up trying to discern right and wrong.” In his book, Schultze calls for a careful examination of—instead of a blind embrace of—technology. How does it affect our relationships with ourselves and others? He notes that relying on technology to make our lives better is simply not the answer. “Unless we focus as much on the quality of our character as we do on technological innovation,” he writes, “potentially good informational techniques will ultimately reduce our capacity to love one another.” So, how should Christians use technology, particularly the ever-present social media sites that pervade our daily lives? “The ‘should’ doesn’t just apply to Christians,” said Opitz. “Everyone should be more thoughtful, courteous, discreet, creative, encouraging and genuine in their use of social media. Christians may have different reasons for prizing these virtues, but I think that these are human virtues. Society would benefit greatly if all kinds of thoughtful people cherished them.” — Anna Seip

and stealing a candy bar. Stealing is stealing,” Goldy-Brown said. “But now we’ve grown up to an age where toddlers are getting iPads. I think if something isn’t done to educate the new members of the world, the problem’s only going to get worse.” And though the lines of right and wrong online might seem blurred, the lessons, she says, should be fairly straightforward. “I think that goes right back to a sense of morality, a sense of integrity,” Goldy-Brown said. “I think every action you do should speak to your character.” B

HOW DO YOU USE WEB CONTENT AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA? IS IT A CONSTANT IN YOUR LIFE OR SOMETHING YOU AVOID? LET US KNOW ON THE BRIDGE FACEBOOK PAGE: FACEBOOK.COM/ BRIDGEALUMNI

“ Everyone should be more thoughtful, courteous, discreet, creative, encouraging and genuine in their use of social media. Christians may have different reasons for prizing these virtues, but I think that these are human virtues. Society would benefit greatly if all kinds of thoughtful people cherished them.” — Don Optiz, College pastor

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 25

OUR

ALUMNI NEWS

Meg Ramey, Messiah’s assistant professor of biblical studies, and her students visit the ancient acropolis of Pergamum, one of the seven cities of Revelation.

Glimpse of ancient biblical cities provides modern perspective MESSIAH PROF TO SERVE AS LEADER OF TOUR ACROSS TURKEY Interested in a Mediterranean vacation and studying the Bible in Turkey? Then you might find Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies Meg Ramey on your trip. Through Tutku Tours, Ramey will serve as tour host June 15-28 to the “other holy land” for those looking to learn more about the Bible. It’s a part of the world Ramey knows well. Last spring, she chaperoned a group of 24 stu dents there for a three-week cross-cultural. “We live in a global community often more torn apart by religious and sectarian violence than brought together by wisdom

and humble dialogue over our differences. What better way to counteract the stereotypes that Islamic militant groups engender than to see a secular democracy at work in a majority Muslim country and to discuss theology over Turkish tea with some of the most gracious people on the planet? What better way to be prepared for such a conversation about one’s own faith than to understand its historical roots and the cultural contexts of its sacred texts than through experiential learning on the ground?” asked Ramey. And, when she says “ground,” she means the very land where Christians such as Paul, Peter and John walked, prayed and wrote their books, which came alive for the students studying the

26 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

New Testament on location. The students toured Turkey’s coast and several Greek islands, ferried across the Aegean Sea to the island of Patmos and stood in the cave where John received the Revelation. “I describe it as ‘living out exegesis,’’’ said Haley Lerner ’15, a biblical and religious studies major. “It’s one thing to read about Paul traveling to Troas in the Bible and another thing to actually stand on the ruins where he would have walked and talked.” Student Michelle Curtis ’15, a biblical and religious studies major, says that one of the best parts of the trip was that it helped her see the Bible come to life. “I learned that the book of Revelation is written in highly symbolic language that is meant to be understood. It can actually be a meaningful book full of encouragement to be faithful to

Christ and full of worship rather than the scary, confusing, and problematic book I saw before,” said Curtis. In addition to being exposed to ancient grounds and biblical cities, students had the opportunity to see what is currently going on in Turkey: the significant division between cultural and religious views among the Turks. “Trips like these help to educate students about their Christian heritage as well as modern forms of Islam, so they will be better prepared to be globally engaged,” said Ramey. — Adela Antal ’16

INTERESTED IN THE JUNE 15-28 TRIP?

Contact Meg Ramey at mramey@ messiah.edu . Want to read more about the students’ trip? Visit the blog turkeymay2014. blogspot.com

ALUM CHOOSES MINISTRY OVER PRO SOCCER JOSH WOOD ’13 FOUND CALLING THROUGH COACHING YOUTH A soccer player since the age of 5, Josh Wood ’13 dreamed of playing for a major league team. That dream looked to be in reach during his senior year when he was invited to the 2014 Major League Soccer combine. He even met with the coach of the Real Salt Lake (RSL), an American professional soccer club in Utah. Nobody was more surprised than Wood when he told the coach that he felt called into full-time ministry. “I had been prepared without even knowing it to make the right decision,” explained Wood. “God had been working in my heart for a long time helping me to discern exactly who I was in Christ and what my purpose was in this life. Because I knew so clearly what my calling was—to help comfort and love those who are dealing with hurt and disappointment in this life like I did— I knew that, while major league soccer might be the calling for some, it was outside my calling.” The hurt and disappointment that led to his calling came in the form of broken bones,

1970s Gedeon Hamoud ’76 works as vice president of operations for Africa and the Middle East for Kids Alive International in Valparaiso, Ind. Mark Chamberlain ’76 published the biography

injuries and an epiphany. “When I came into Messiah, soccer was my sense of worth. I enjoyed how I could make myself valuable through athletic achievement. It wasn’t until I sustained the first of my five injuries that I began to struggle with self-worth,” said Wood. During his sophomore and junior years, Wood sustained a broken clavicle, two shoulder surgeries and two hip impingement surgeries. When he returned to playing soccer, he found that success took on a different meaning.

“ MAYBE SOMEONE WILL HEAR MY STORY AND KNOW THAT HAPPINESS IS FOUND ONLY IN DOING WHAT YOU WERE MADE TO DO, WHAT YOU WERE CALLED TO DO BY GOD.” — Josh Wood ’13 “It changed from personal success to success as a team. I enjoyed the relationships and the triumph together much more than I enjoyed what it felt like to score a goal on my own,” said Wood. “Everything had changed; I now viewed others through the lens of unconditional love and I

COURTESY OF THE CHARLOTTE EAGLES

J O S H WO O D ’ 1 3

Turning toward a career in ministry instead of professional soccer, Josh Wood ’13 works for the Charlotte Eagles Soccer Club in North Carolina. was free to experience what true happiness was—not just a happiness that comes from getting what you want,” said Wood. So, after choosing not to play soccer at the professional level, the Christian ministries grad and his wife Corinne (Wulf) ’13 moved last year to Charlotte, N.C., where he started working for the Charlotte Eagles Soccer Club, a popular sports camp program that began in 1981. “The Eagles use soccer to share the message of Christ,” said Wood, who works as the director of camp and community outreach. “Our goal is to develop competent sports ministers and find places to plant them where they can be transformational coaches.”

of his grandparents in the August 2014 issue of Brethren in Christ History and Life.

Reginald Thomas ’76 works as the pastor of Southern Methodist Church in Harleyville, S.C.

Bonita Troxell ’76 works as a consultant at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in Northumberland, Pa.

Curtis Hurff ’79, works as the chief probation officer for Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties in Depford, N.J.

During his time at Messiah, Wood was named All-American and Player of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Senior Scholar Athlete of the year, MAC Male Athlete of the Year and MAC Academic Athlete of the year. But, his biggest reward through soccer was finding his life’s calling. “The love I experienced from the community at Messiah, specifically from my team, helped me to discern my calling and purpose in life,” said Wood. “Maybe someone will hear my story and know that happiness is found only in doing what you were made to do, what you were called to do by God.” —Adela Antal ’16

Nevin Werron ’79 works as interim pastor at First Baptist Church of Bordentown, N.J.

1980s Pamela Maynard ’80 works as the site manager at U.S. Tool Group in Farmington, Mo.

David Jones ’81 works as the founder and director at Partnerships for Training Pastors in Ithaca, N.Y. Melody Seekford ’81 and Richard Davis married Dec. 31, 2014. The couple lives in Laurel, Del.

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 27

OUR

PROFILES

Alumnus named teacher of the year Kevin Wagner ’95 has a passion for history. He has been bringing historical events to life for students at Carlisle Area School District for 18 years. His efforts were rewarded recently when he was named History Teacher of the Year for Pennsylvania by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History—a prestigious nonprofit organization devoted to the improvement of history education. “Messiah helped me realize all the complexities that go into writing our human history and to understand that compassion and understanding go a long way in helping young people appreciate and love learning,” said Wagner. The Lehrman Institute, recognized by awards from the White House and the National Endowment for the Humanities,

Mike Hoover ’82 received the Character Development Instructor of the Year award from the United States Air Force Auxiliary/Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Corps. Kay Bower ’83 works as the owner of principal consultant of Koinonia Coaching and Consulting LLC. Michael Holland ’84 works as an adjunct professor at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa. Anthony Blair ’86 works as the president at Evangelical Seminary in Myerstown, Pa. Barbara Donald ’86 works as a bank examiner for the

“ Messiah helped me realize all the complexities that go into writing our human history ... compassion and understanding go a long way in helping young people ... love learning.”

MELISSA HESS ’05

K E V I N WAG N E R ’ 9 5

-Kevin Wagner ’95

offers support and resources to thousands of teachers, which in turn, enhances the education of more than one million students. Wagner exemplifies what excellent teaching is but also demonstrates the importance of being a lifelong learner and good citizen. “Educators should be the

Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance in Jackson, Miss. Carol Blair ’87 works as the donor care administrator at Hope International in Lancaster, Pa. Jane Mutchler ’88 and Douglas Zarker married June 14, 2014. The couple lives in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Karen Zakin ’87 received a master’s in education from Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa. Robert Kemp ’88 serves as DRT’s president. Inc. magazine named DRT Transportation, a logistics

28 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

The Gilder Lehrman Institute named Kevin Wagner ’95 Pennsylvania’s history teacher of the year.

example of what it means to be an active and engaged participant in our local, state, country and global communities.” Wagner was also the 2014 recipient of the Thomas W. Holtzman Jr. Educational

and transportation company in Lebanon, Pa., the fasting-growing private company in Central Pennsylvania. Anna (Korver) Krout ’88 works as a hospice clincial supervisor at Memorial White Rose Home Health and Hospice in York, Pa. Michael Fiorelli ’89 works as the owner at Fiorelli Nationwide Insurance in Upper Chichester, Pa.

1990s Bob Chavez ’91 and his wife Amy announce the birth of Graciela Julia, Sept. 25, 2012.

Leadership Award and the Patricia Behring PA Teacher of the Year by the National History Day organization. — Danielle Ran ’06, director of communications

Jaime (McMillan) ’91 and Wesley Horst ’99 announce the births of Matthais Abraham, Oct. 5, 2011, and Abigail Eliana, April 14, 2014. Michelle Young ’91 works as a fifth-grade teacher for Classical School Wichita in Wichita, Kansas. David Parker ’92 works as the state representative for Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, Pa. Robin (Whitney) ’92 and Kristin Smith ’92 announce the birth of Kirin William, Jan. 16, 2012.

Samuel Barnes ’94 and his wife Lesly announce the birth of Raina Lynn. Matthew Musser ’95 and his wife Paula announce the birth of Elijah Roman, Aug. 9, 2014. Angela Frear ’96 works in quality assurance at Bayer in Lebanon, Pa. Nathaniel Dubach ’97 and his wife Rachel announce the birth of Eden Grace, July 16, 2013. Barbara Hollenbaugh ’97 works as an usher at Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottsdale, Pa.

Tobey Jackson ’97 works as the director of strategic relationships at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Reston, Va.

Carrie (Harootunian) ’01 and Jeremy Geels announce the birth of Emerson Christian, Oct. 04, 2012, and Liliana Beth, Oct. 04, 2014.

Sarah George ’99 works as an administrative assistant at Robert Wesleyan College in Churchville, N.Y.

Karen (Sollenberger) ’02 and Mark Ackley ’03 announce the birth of Benjamin Daniel, July 13, 2014.

Suzanne (Miller) ’99 and Mark McInroy announce the birth of Fiona Marian, April 11, 2014.

Danae (VanJaeckel) ’02 and Joshua Weidler ’02 announce the birth of Bilal Shaniyan.

2000s Sita Ung ’00 works as a real estate agent at Howard & Hanna Real Estate in Harrisburg, Pa.

24, 2011. Jamie works as project manager at Sacunas Integrated Communications in Harrisburg, Pa. David Liciaga ’03 works as a regional trainer and master recruiter at Wake Up Now in Provo, Utah. Elizabeth (Johnson) ’04 and Jeremy Trostle announce the birth of Isaiah Levi, Dec. 11, 2013.

Candice Cavicchia ’03 and Shawn Miller married Dec. 10, 2013. The couple lives in Lancaster, Pa.

Shaunna (Nefos) Webb ’04 works as an assistant professor of counseling at Milligan College in Johnson City, Tenn.

Bryan Judy ’03 and Jamie Dreistadt ’06 married Sept.

Kristin (Minnick) ’06 and Chris Denton ’06 announce

the birth of Seth, May 23, 2013. Rebecca (Massanari) ’06 and Brian Thompson ’05 announce the birth of Micah Robert, Nov. 09, 2013. Brian works as a business consultant at SKF USA Inc. in Phoenixville, Pa. Denny Daugherty ’06 works as a choir director at Mt. Zion United Church of Christ in York, Pa. Brandon Davies ’06 works as the theatre operations coordinator for Cuyahoga Falls School District in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Meredith Mackenzie ’07 works as an assistant professor at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa. Stephanie Benedict ’09 received an M.M. in music education from West Chester University in West Chester, Pa. Lisa Lindle ’09 works as a grassroots communications specialist at the American Library Association in Washington, D.C. Brittney (Wheeland) Yanoviak ’09 received an MSN as a pediatric nurse practitioner from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa.

Earn your

The Master of Arts in counseling at Messiah College will help you become a skilled counselor, capable of working in a variety of settings. • We offer degree tracks in clinical mental health counseling; marriage, couple, and family counseling; and school counseling. • Our Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in counseling equips those who need to meet Pennsylvania licensing requirements.

• Designed for busy professionals—the majority of courses are completed online. • Prepare for your professional counseling licensure exam (LPC); marriage and family therapy licensure exam (LMFT); or to become a certified school counselor in Pennsylvania.

All program tracks nationally accredited by CACREP

NOW ENROLLING

Experience the academic distinction of a nationally ranked Christian college.

see anew

717.796.5061 messiah.edu/counseling Online | Flexible | Affordable

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 29

OUR

PROFILES

2010s Jilian (Lewis) Johnson ’10 works as a data entry clerk at Teledyne D.G. O’Brien in Portsmouth, N.H.

Catherine Raymond ’10 works as a patient and services coordinator at Alliance Orthopedic Lab in Annapolis, Md. Luiza Leite 12 received a Master of Philosophy in conflict resolution from Trinity College of Dublin in Dublin, Ireland 2014. Macklin Fritsche ’12 works as an English teacher at Plumstead Christian School in Plumsteadville, Pa.

Communication graduate Brent Hall ’95 works as the director of post-production at DisneyToon Studios. BRENT HALL ’95

Katherine Craven ’13 works as a youth mentor and reading program coordinator at AmeriCorps in Roseburg, Ore.

Service Notes Marilyn Byer ’64 helped build a leadership training center through the Canada Cuba Project Team in Cuba. Benjamin ’70 and Eunice (Longenecker) Stoner ’70 serve as church planters among the Navajo people for Brethren in Christ World Missions in San Juan County, N.M. Geoffrey Isley ’87 is serving as the arts coordinator for the Mennonite World Conference in Lancaster, Pa. Todd M. Carter ’77 has served as the night chaplain at the Alaska Providence Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Donald Wilkinson ’97 spent 10 days as a dental hygienist and volunteer for Cure International in Honduras.  Alyson Halalio ’12 works as a volunteer at Imagine Missions in Nicaragua.

COMMUNICATION ALUM HAS A REALLY ‘COOL’ JOB AT DISNEY “Do you wanna build a snowman?” It’s a question Brent Hall ’95 has heard thousands of times by now. A Messiah College communication major, he works as the director of post-production at DisneyToon Studios—a division of The Walt Disney Studios—where he works on movies such as “Frozen,” which has surpassed “The Lion King” as the top-grossing animated Disney movie of all time. In his role at the Glendale, Calif., location, Hall manages the post-production process of editing, sound design, sound mixing and color correction of animated feature films. During the past few years, his projects have included box-office hits such as “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Tangled.” Hall’s career in the film industry began as a leap of faith. After

30 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

graduating from Messiah in 1995, he moved to the West Coast with no car, no job, no place to live and only $500. “Ignorance is bliss,” said Hall. “I’m glad I only knew what a 22-year-old knew. If I knew at 22 what a 41-year-old knows, I probably wouldn’t have taken some of the risks I did. Own and embrace your ignorance. It’s really going to be okay.” After applying for a temporary position as a new grad, he was hired as an assistant to the animation directors for the 1996 film “Space Jam” that featured basketball player Michael Jordan and the “Looney Tunes” characters. The film grossed more than $230 million. He then worked for Walt Disney Animation Studios before landing his current job with DisneyToon. Nearly 20 years after graduation, Hall can look back on a successful career with a resume boasting 27 films. (See sidebar). —Danielle Ran ’06, director of communications

BRENT HALL’S RESUME FEATURES FILM FAVES SUCH AS: • “ Tinker Bell & The Legend of the Neverbeast” (March 2015 release) • “Planes: Fire & Rescue” • “Frozen” • “Wreck-it Ralph” • “Tangled” • “Tangled Ever After” • “Winnie the Pooh” • “ The Princess & the Frog” • “Bolt” • “Meet the Robinsons” • “Chicken Little” • “Under the Tuscan Sun” • “Space Jam”

Thank you, Heritage Society Members,

for making a difference in the lives of Messiah College students through your stewardship plans. The Heritage Society embodies a group of special friends who have remembered Messiah College in their estate plans through wills, deferred gift arrangements or endowed funds. Would you consider a Messiah College Christ-centered education in your stewardship plans this year? Here is how:

Support students by including Messiah College in your will. Send a student to Messiah through gift annuities and charitable trusts.

Lessen student debt with an endowed scholarship.

Support students by naming Messiah as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, pension plan or IRA.

TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT: Bob Brown ’82, CFP, director of planned & leadership gifts, at bbrown@messiah.edu or Susan Mayernick ’98,

Heritage Society advisor & regional officer, at smayernick@messiah.edu or call 717-796-5051. Visit messiah.edu/createalegacy .

Get a head start in college with Dual enrollment provides motivated high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take college courses that satisfy both high school graduation and college credit requirements.

Why dual enroll? • Save on future college expenses. We significantly discount our cost per credit for dual-enrolled students.

Apply now for summer online courses!

• Experience college life by taking classes taught by Messiah College professors on our main campus, at a regional partner high school or during the summer online.

NOW ENROLLING

messiah.edu/dual 717.796.4991

• Meet Messiah College general education requirements or transfer credits to other institutions. • Strengthen the potential to graduate from college early.

see anew MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 31

OUR

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Students, faculty and staff helped move books across the library.

Hundreds stood in line to help with the 1977 Big Bookwalk MESSIAH CANCELED CLASSES IN 1977 SO STUDENTS COULD MOVE LIBRARY’S CATALOG

“I remember that it was a privilege to represent the staff and to be part of such a significant event,” said Shirley Groff ’74, administrative assistant to the director of the Center for Public Humanities. “There were many of us who participated.” The event kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the library’s front steps. Hundreds of volunteers carried the thousands of books in a single-file line that circled around the building. “We formed a line,” said retired library employee Kas Bert, “and walked to the old section of the library and received a handful

of books. We needed to be sure to stay in the same formation as we walked down the stairs to the new section.” In the new section, each volunteer would hand off a stack of books to a person who then placed them on the new shelves. This meticulous process was necessary to ensure the books remained in alphabetical order. After each volunteer handed off a stack, it was time to get back in line for another. The average trip lasted six minutes, and almost 10,000 trips were made during this historic event. — Adela Antal ’16

32 | WINTER 2015 • THE BRIDGE • MESSIAH COLLEGE

PHOTOS: MESSIAH COLLEGE ARCHIVES

Imagine moving 80,000 books across a library. That’s exactly what happened March 3, 1977, when students, faculty and staff received the day off to participate in the “Big Bookwalk.” The event involved carrying books by the armload from the old part of Murray Library and Learning Commons to what was known then as the new “Learning Resources Center” part of the building.

For the Big Bookwalk, volunteers moved books in ABC order from the old section of Murray Library to the Learning Resources Center of the building in 1977.

“ I remember that it was a privilege to represent the staff and to be part of such a significant event.” — Shirley Groff ’74, administrative assistant to the director of the Center for Public Humanities

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March – May 2015 8 a.m.-5 p.m., March 19-21 National Trumpet Competition Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts Nearly 100 artist faculty members from around the nation will judge trumpet soloists and ensembles. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., March 25-27 Grant Funding and Proposal Writing Essentials Course The Funding Institute is offering the Grant Funding and Proposal Writing Essentials Course on the campus of Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pa. Interested development professionals, researchers, faculty and graduate students should register as soon as possible, because seats fill up quickly. Cost is $495. All participants will receive certification in professional grant writing. For more information, call 213-3474899 or visit The Funding Institute’s website at thefundinginstitute.org. 7 p.m., March 26 2015 Schrag Lecture, “Alternating Currents and MultiDirectional Ministry: Global Anabaptism and its Challenges to the North American Church” Parmer Cinema, Boyer Hall Featuring J. Nelson Kraybill, president-elect, Mennonite World Conference. Admission is free and open to the public; no ticket required. Banquet preceding lecture at 5:30 p.m. in Jordan Atrium; $15 per person (reservations are required). March 27–April 17 Senior Show Climenhaga Building, Aughinbaugh Art Gallery A collection of works by senior art students. 7 p.m., March 28 Senior Show Reception Climenhaga Building, Aughinbaugh Art Gallery

8 a.m.–5 p.m., March 28 Youth Workers Conference Parmer Hall Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts This annual event is a time for youth workers, student leaders and youth groups to gather and to help resource their ministries. APRIL

8 a.m., April 11 Messiah Spring Open House Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts Highlights include campus tours and information sessions on admissions policies, financial aid, academic programs and campus life. April 16 Special Olympics and Service Day Classes will be canceled to give students, faculty, staff and alumni an opportunity to serve together as an expression of our common commitment to service at Messiah College. Special Olympics will be held on campus while other service events will be held across the region. For more information, visit messiah. edu/serviceday 8 p.m., April 16–18, 23–25; 3 p.m. April 19 and 23 Department of Theatre and Dance spring mainstage production “Summer Brave” Climenhaga Building, Miller Theatre 8 p.m., April 17 “Brahms Requiem” Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts Featuring The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Stuart Malina), Messiah College Concert Choir, Messiah College Choral Arts Society and the Susquehanna Chorale (conducted by Linda Tedford). Tickets are $35 each.

JEREMY ZIMMERMAN ‘14

MARCH

GiViM (God’s Instruments Visualized in Motion) will perform at Miller Theatre May 1-2.

9 a.m.–3 p.m., April 18 Workshop for Christian Guitarists Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts Admission is $44 ($35 for students). For more information, contact Kelly Athey at kathey@messiah.edu or 717-766-2511 ext. 3310, or visit messiah.edu/guitar. MAY

May 1 The School of Science, Engineering and Health’s 12th Annual Symposium Jordan, Frey and Kline academic halls This daylong event features honor and senior project presentations as well as a variety of student poster sessions in such diverse areas as computer science, biology, engineering, chemistry, mathematics and nursing, to name a few. For more information, contact Lori Zimmerman

at 717-796-5360, ext. 5360, or visit messiah.edu/sehsymposium for a schedule of events. 7:30 p.m., May 1; 2 p.m., May 2 GiViM Dance Performance Climenhaga Building, Miller Theatre No ticket is required. 8 p.m., May 9 Susquehanna Chorale Spring Concert Parmer Hall Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts May 15–16 Commencement Weekend For more information, go to messiah.edu/commencement. FOR A FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS, VISIT MESSIAH.EDU/EVENTS .

MESSIAH COLLEGE • THE BRIDGE • WINTER 2015 | 33

office of Marketing and COMMUNICATIONS

One College Avenue Suite 3020 Mechanicsburg PA 17055 717.691.6027 www.messiah.edu

EBENEZER DEGU ’ 15

Messiah College students reap blessings from donors

“While in school, I have grown in my passion for entrepreneurship and the empowerment of those who lack opportunity. I am passionate about eradicating the systems of inequality and poverty that are so prevalent in developing countries, and I am thankful for Messiah College’s influence in this.” In 2011, Messiah College welcomed Ebenezer Degu ’15, an international student from Ethiopia. Degu arrived with a deep desire to gain an education so he could return to his community in Ethiopia to make a positive impact. He came with a strategy to pay for his education, but his plan crumbled shortly after his first year. Degu said, “Both of my parents became unemployed. My dad’s organization would no longer be able to pay for my education. Riddled with what to do, I applied for various scholarships and attempted to take a loan, which I couldn’t do without a co-signer because I’m not a U.S. citizen.” During his initial financial difficulties, he received assistance through the

Good Samaritan Fund, which was established by parents to assist students who experience severe financial hardship during their education. Determined to finish at Messiah, he has worked as many as four jobs at once to pay for his tuition. “Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University, said, ‘If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.’ I believe this to be true,” said Degu, “and no matter the expense of school, I will work vigorously to stay in it. There are so many people in the Messiah community who have blessed me and invested in me. I wouldn’t have been able to continue my education without them.” He feels called to pay the generosity forward. “While

COREY L aQUAY ’18

— Ebenezer Degu ’15

in school, I have grown in my passion for entrepreneurship and the empowerment of those who lack opportunity,” he said. “I hope to travel to Ethiopia and other developing countries to assist in initiating and encouraging small business. I’m passionate about eradicating the systems of inequality and poverty that are so prevalent in developing countries, and I am thankful for Messiah College’s influence in this.” Grateful for professors and mentors who helped to guide his spiritual journey, Degu said, “No longer at home, I’ve been confronted and forced to take control

of what I believed. This has enabled me to own my faith.” Degu was awarded the Donald and Dorothy Stabler Endowment Scholarship and will graduate in May. As he has been blessed by the generosity of our donors, Messiah College has been blessed by his commitment to making a world of difference. IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ESTABLISHING A SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT AT MESSIAH COLLEGE, PLEASE CONTACT JON STUCKEY, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, AT JSTUCKEY@MESSIAH. EDU OR AT 717-796-5065. TO VIEW A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM EBENEZER DEGU ’15, VISIT MESSIAH.EDU/THANKYOU .