Messiah College alum Adam Brock is practically a household name in the Pittsburgh area and here at Messiah after crooning his way to one of the most coveted spots in television—the top 24 contestants on American Idol.

Brock, a native of Washington, Pa., graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in theatre. While at Messiah, he was involved in many theatre production and served as costume shop manager. He also sang in several musical ensembles. “I loved everything about Messiah,” he said. “It was a great environment for learning and being creative.”

After graduating, Brock attended Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts and spent some time as a demonstration chef at a high-end grocery store before accepting the position of creative arts director at his church.

We caught up with Brock after his whirlwind AI experience and chatted about his experiences on the popular television show. (more…)

Just a few miles south of Messiah College, a 244-year-old farm is the site of an archaeological dig involving Messiah students, young participants in the Oakes Museum Curator Club, and older adults from nearby Messiah Village’s Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning. The treasures from this effort aren’t simply the artifacts buried beneath the ground.  The great value, according to the dig directors, is in collaboratively exploring regional history, answering real research questions and adopting keen problem solving skills.

David Pettegrew, a professor in the Department of History, and Ken Mark, director of the Oakes Museum of Natural History, are overseeing the dig at the Stouffer Farm, a York County property dating back to 1767. The dig has been underway since fall 2010. (more…)

On Feb. 7, Chad Frey, director of Messiah College’s Agape Center for Service and Learning, and Hope Hess ‘12, student director of outreach, participated alongside Dr. Sybil Knight-Burney, superintendent of the Harrisburg School District, in a round-table discussion facilitated by the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

This is not the first time Messiah has partnered with the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.  This past summer, Messiah joined the White House’s Interfaith Campus Community Challenge, which encourages increased student service in the community.

The round-table discussion focused on the role of faith-based organizations and colleges in helping low performing schools and a possible partnership between those organizations and the White House. Since the discussion, the partnership, entitled “Together for Tomorrow,” has been announced by the Obama administration. (more…)