During the week before finals, Eyas, the student alumni council, and the Office of Annual Giving hosted “We Heart Messiah,” a campus-wide event to give thanks to the generous supporters of the College and its students. The three-day event kicked-off with a block party April 30 at the Larsen Student Union.  Students ate cotton candy, popcorn and delicious cupcakes from the Lancaster Cupcake Truck, a company owned by Jeff,’08, and Emily (Barcklow), ’08, Mitchell. A photo booth gave students the chance to be photographed holding a sign with a reason why they love Messiah College.

On Wednesday, students stamped their handprint on a large “We Heart Messiah” banner. Those who left their prints received a “We Heart Messiah” t-shirt and learned more about the generous individuals and families who also leave their mark at Messiah College through scholarships and student aid. This educational time allowed students to reflect on the importance of donor dollars to students and celebrate donors’ generosity.

“Messiah instills a lasting impact in its graduates, and I am excited to contribute to that trend, shared Nick Hemming, ’13, after the “We Heart Messiah” event. “Ten, 20,  30 years down the road, I want to remember the four years that shaped the remaining decades of my life. Our donors seem to feel the same way. For me personally, donations mean the difference between years of debt and the ability to quickly begin the next stage of my life.”

The event concluded May 2 with a Falcon Feast in Lottie Nelson Dining Hall. Students savored a Thanksgiving-themed meal to participate in the spirit of gratitude developed over the previous two days. Many blue and white Messiah-style desserts made the dinner an attractive event for students. After dinner, students were encouraged to write personalized thank you cards to supporters of Messiah College.

“We Heart Messiah” demonstrated that Messiah students  genuinely appreciate the support from donors of scholarship and student aid. The gifts given by individuals and families to the Messiah Annual Fund do not go unnoticed by students at Messiah College. Like College supporters, students at Messiah wish to say, “We Heart Messiah too!”

Story by Ethan Eshbach ’14.

Guests were then invited to a service of thankgiving and worship in Parmer Hall, the hallmark performance space of the new building. The Symphonic Winds, Men’s Ensemble and Women’s Ensemble accompanied the congregational singing of hymns and songs of praise. Theatre students performed a dramatic reading of Ecclesiastes 3 and offered prayers for creativity and imagination.

Following the worship service, the more than 400 guests toured the classroom, rehearsal and performances spaces in the building. A diverse menu of tapas, appetizers and desserts was offered throughout the space.

The dedication concluded with the President’s Concert, an annual event featuring the College’s talented vocal and instrumental ensembles, in the evening.

“It is my heartfelt hope that God will be honored in all events that take place in this space,” President Kim Phipps said of the magnificant building.

 View a photo gallery from the dedication events.

“It was quite remarkable,” says Nichols, in reflection of the evening.

The symphony commissioned a new work to be written for the ensemble by Messiah College professor Bruce Yurko. The piece Yurko produced, “Red Tal Skirmish (for Wind Ensemble”), honors Tuskegee Airmen, a celebrated group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. The symphony honored two Tuskegee Airmen among the 2,000 in attendance at the concert.

The Eastern Wind Symphony, a professional group founded in 1996 and based in New Jersey, dedicates itself to performing the best wind and percussion literature. Group members are professionals, mostly music educators and freelance musicians, hailing from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. The group has performed for sold-out audiences at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., played with noted soloists from the New York Philharmonic and developed an annual Visiting Distinguished Conductor Program. Nichols serves as the artistic director of the ensemble.

Receiving his bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey, Nichols began his position as director of bands and music educator at Roxbury High School 15 years ago. He decided to continue his education at Messiah College, obtaining a master’s degree in performance conducting in 2010. A summer-intensive program, Nichols completed it without having to leave his job as a full-time educator.

“I found the program to be extremely rewarding and my study was directly related to my teaching and conducting both in the public school and in my professional life as a conductor,” says Nichols.

Nichols uses his skills and education obtained from Messiah to aid his success in directing these two prestigious bands today.

“I especially enjoyed the summer-intensive program and am incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to study with incredible professors and teachers from Messiah College,” says Nichols.

By Emily Mohler `13.

Adventures on the road
Borrowed from Smucker’s uncle, a blue tour bus the family named “Willie” served as their home on the road, providing bunks for the children, a master bedroom, a full-service bathroom and a kitchen with the essentials. The family made their first stop in Gettysburg, Pa.

Just five days into the trip, the bus got stuck in a ditch and required a tow-truck rescue. “That’s the thing about adventures,” said Maile Smucker. “The stuff that happens isn’t always easy. It’s not always fun. But it’s always worth telling.”

During this introduction to life on the road, Shawn Smucker made a connection between driving a bus and writing. “I look back on my first day driving the bus and can’t believe how terrible I was,” he wrote in his blog, “and I know that the only way to get better is to continue moving forward, continue making mistakes and continue driving new roads.”

After months on the road, the family reached the geographical midpoint of their trip: Austin, Texas. Shawn Smucker took the moment to reflect on the friends—and complete strangers—who blessed his family during their journey. “[It’s] like pulling on your jeans and finding a $100 bill,” he wrote, “but better because these blessings can’t be spent away.”

By April 30, the Smuckers had traveled from coast to coast, arriving in California with an abundance of wisdom gleaned from the many miles and many hours on the road. “Our children learned that conve- niences were just that: convenient,” said Maile Smucker. “By the end of the trip, they got on happily without regular showers or video games or normal toilets or rooms full of toys.”

As they began their long journey home, they received disheartening news: Shawn Smucker’s grandmother was ill. What was supposed to be a 115-day journey ended 11 days short as the family quickly returned to Lancaster. “I think we all recognized that we had reached our limits, so it was time to bring the trip to a close—for now,” said Maile Smucker.

What’s next?
After his grandmother made a near-complete recovery, Shawn Smucker prepared for a new adventure: a 10-day trip to Sri Lanka, where he partnered with a team of World Vision bloggers from Aug. 23 to Sept. 1. By spending time in several Sri Lankan communities, Shawn and his co-bloggers were able to shine a light on World Vision’s influential work.”Having the opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka with World Vision,” said Smucker, “was confirmation that life can be an adventure and actually wants to be treated as such.”

The Smuckers’ itinerary:
Gettysburg, Pa. Leesburg, Pa. Harrisonburg, Va. Bremo Bluff, Va. Charlotte, N.C. Savannah, Ga. Jacksonville, Fla. Gainesville, Fla. Orlando, Fla. Sarasota, Fla. Macon, Ga. Nashvillle, Tenn. Memphis, Tenn. New Orleans,La. San Antonio, Texas Austin, Texas Dallas, Texas Oklahoma City, Okla. Amarillo, Texas Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. Pasadena, Calif. San Francisco, Calif. Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. Bighorn National Forest, Wyo. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, S.D. Sioux Falls, S.D. Burr Oak, Iowa Geneseo, Ill. Chicago, Ill. Daviess County, Ind. Troy, Ohio Fairmont, W.Va. Lancaster, Pa. 

Story by Nick Hemming `13 and originally printed in the Fall 2013 Bridge magazine.

In his own words, artist and emeritus professor of art Ted Prescott describes the process and meaning of his High Center installation, “Psalm.”

The sculptural installation in the entrance to the Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and the Performing Arts is composed of 14 linear forms that move throughout the entrance space. Each form was made from multiple pieces of apple wood that are fit together to create dynamic and expressive lines. More than 1,500-feet of apple limbs measuring between one and eight feet in length were cut from a local orchard that was being cleared to make way for a housing development. All of the limbs were peeled, and then dried for one to two years. From this inventory roughly 225 feet of various shapes were chosen for use. These pieces were modified by grinding and carving before they were joined together. Finally, each completed form was sanded, stained and sealed before being installed here.

The composition of the installation was developed in response to the dramatic geometry of the architecture. It provides an organic counterpoint to the crisp, modern character of the building. Together the forms create an image of movement, a visual embodiment of activity within this space. There are many kinds of movement occurring in the building’s spaces; the most obvious is the activity of people, as they move from one area to another. One can also see natural light pass across various surfaces, changing the way the building is experienced.

There are invisible movements too, such as the sounds of the musical compositions that begin in instruments and voices, and flow through these spaces to the hearts and minds of those listening. The ultimate unseen activity here is the movement of God’s Spirit, within and among us. Given both of these invisible movements, I chose to name the installation Psalm. Psalm not only refers to the ancient prayers and poetry of the Bible, but also to modern music. The composition by the great jazz musician John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, ends with a “psalm”. So, Psalm unites references to historic acts of worship with the contemporary arts of performance, and evokes the uses of this building. It is fitting to note that Coltrane described his composition as a “thank you to God.”

When Zimmerman arrived at the Philadelphia Campus last fall, he enrolled in four courses, including Media Production and Advanced Editing. The latter course tested Zimmerman’s flexibility, requiring the broadcasting major to work with Apple Final Cut Pro, an unfamiliar video editing software. “Advanced Editing, in particular, really pushed me to my limits, because I had never really worked with video editing before,” Zimmerman said. Several weeks later, during a series of interviews for a spring internship, Zimmerman started to notice the benefits of his perseverance. “Both locations that offered me internships said they wanted me because I had put ‘film editing skills’ on my resume,” Zimmerman said, “a result of taking Advanced Editing and going outside of my comfort zone.”

For Zimmerman, this journey away from comfort resulted in a spring internship with Clear Channel Communications, a firm that operates five radio stations in the greater Philadelphia area. Zimmerman focuses on alternative-rock station Radio 104.5, where he assists DJ Wendy Rollins, welcomes visiting bands and creates advertisements for the station’s production department. The diversity of tasks, he believes, has proven highly beneficial. “Monotony isn’t really good for anyone, and I’ve found myself to be no exception,” Zimmerman continued. “Having something new to do almost every day has been both very fun and extremely rewarding.”

In early February, Zimmerman welcomed a childhood icon to the Radio 104.5 studio: Jon Foreman, lead singer of Switchfoot, and his side project, Fiction Family. Although Zimmerman savored the opportunity to meet Foreman, he connected most with percussionist Aaron Redfield, who conversed with Zimmerman over coffee. Redfield closed the conversation by adding Zimmerman to the guest list for Fiction Family’s evening show. “I can honestly say Fiction Family was the kindest band that I’ve worked with,” concluded Zimmerman.

Although Zimmerman speaks highly of Philadelphia’s professional opportunities—he believes the city offers “an absolutely mind-blowing number of internships”—his development as an individual has taken on a path of its own. As a child of the suburbs, Zimmerman entered the fall semester with a basic understanding of Philadelphia, though the transition from visitor to resident has provided a rewarding next step. “I found that getting plugged in and building connections in Philadelphia is really as easy as investing your time,” Zimmerman said. “I have really started to make the Messiah community a priority in my life.”

Within his Messiah-bound community, Zimmerman has found a way to develop practical experience, build significant relationships and savor the multitude of experiences Philadelphia has to offer.  “I really value the Messiah aspect of city life—and the community of it all,” Zimmerman continued. “Having the Messiah home as a foundation to come back to has made the experience that much more amazing.”

By Nick Hemming `13. Original profile appeared in the January/February issue of Commraderie, the newsletter of the Communication Department.

A late winter snow storm was forgotten in Parmer Hall on March 18 as more than 400 students, educators and community members listened to Gbowee recall moments of courage and conviction in her life. Critical of the bystander culture that she views as pervasive in society today, Gbowee challenged, “The world awaits all of us to step out, to do something. The world awaits all of us to leave large prints. And God is on hand to strength all of us.”

Gbowee shared specific moments when she was convicted to respond to injustice. She recalled witnessing a teenage boy verbally abusing a middle-school-aged girl. She not only confronted the young man—a stranger to her—for his inappropriate behavior, but she also reprimanded the cluster of young girls who stood quietly by while their friend was harassed. “Sisterhood is for real; you just to have find real sisters,” Gbowee told the young girls.

Gbowee also recounted an instance of going toe-to-toe with a heavily armed Liberian war lord. He backed down; she did not. “Cowards get their strength from the weapons they carry,” she said. “Conviction and cowardly behavior are not companions.”

Gbowee’s leadership of the Women of Liberia Mass Mass Action for Peace—which brought together Christian and Muslim women in a nonviolent movement—played a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s civil war in 2003. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia, says, “Leymah bore witness to the worst of humanity and helped bring Liberia out of the dark.” In 2011 Gbowee, Sirleaf and Tawakkol Karman were honored as Nobel Peace Laureates for their advocacy for African women’s rights and peace-building work.

“Conviction opened a doorway for courage,” Gbowee recalled about the efforts of the Mass Action for Peace. Five women initially felt convicted to action. Soon the effort was 10,000 women strong. The boldness of these women to confront and forgive the soldiers who had raided their villages, pillaged their homes and raped them and their children is barely comprehensible.

Being bold in action and spirit, Gbowee is certain that courage and conviction are best paired with community. “I’m convicted; I have the courage, but I need companions,” she explained. “I am where I am because of who we all are,” she said of the importance of community.

Though she received the Nobel Peace Prize at the young age of 39 and seemingly could rest now on her past accomplishments, Gbowee said she is “too hyped up” to retire now. There are still girls who need access to education, who need rescued from prostitution and who need empowered to stand boldly against injustice in their communities. Gbowee is facilitating this type of work through her Gbowee Peace Foundation, an organization with efforts in West Africa and the United States.

As someone who has experienced God’s compassion in her own life, Gbowee is compelled to ensure her foundation can continue to “empower to inspire.” Recalling the need for companions in order to courageously follow convictions, Gbowee asked, “What impact can Messiah College have in this community?” Then she challenged, “Speak out, stand up and do something.”

Photos by Megan Dobinson `16.

“We were foreigners,” writes Laura Passmore about her family in her reflection paper for the course. “I was amazed by all the different countries in my background.”

“[This class] allowed me to uncover the past that I never knew,” writes Jazz Baker, a first-year student from Harrisburg. Baker relished playing the family historian and recounting her findings to her mother and four sisters.

Starting from scratch
Both students began the class with little to no knowledge of their family histories. They learned important research skills, practiced discerning historical documents and began their pursuit of their family heritage.

Baker uncovered that her family emigrated from England in 1635 and some of her black ancestors fought as freed men with the PA Colored Troops in the Civil War. She found family draft cards for World War II and was delighted when her research revealed that present day family members were unknowingly following in the footsteps of ancestors from generations ago. Baker discovered, for example, three generations of sheriffs in her family line and noted that her sister is currently a probation officer.  

“It is one thing to think you know who you are, and it is another thing to actually be certain of it,” Baker wrote in her reflection paper. “I can’t say that I dug deep enough to uncover any information that I did not want to know, but I can say that I have a greater appreciation for where I came from and what my family went through.”

Passmore, a native of Rochester, N.Y. with six siblings, discovered that her family came to the United States through Canada and was surprised to discover that her ancestors played roles in significant historical events like the Revolutionary War. “Discovering the story of my family suddenly made history seem personal,” said Passmore. “Once you find out your great-great grandfather fought in World War II, you will never think about that historical event in the same way again.”

And knowing your past is an excellent way to better understand yourself, Passmore reflects. To better understand ourselves, Passmore challenges, “Maybe we need to look outside our lives, and even outside our lifetimes.”

Appreciating family roots
Greater self-awareness was certainly a goal of the course, admits Joseph Huffman, distinguished professor of European history, and creator and teacher of the “Growing the Family Tree: Genealogy, History and Personal Identity” seminar. Huffman challenged his students to ponder who they were and where they came from, noting that the answers would “go a long way toward shaping your sense of personal identity and location in the world.”

By the end of the course, Passmore agreed that her ancestors had an indirect but very important influence on her life. She wisely theorized that family trees are depicted inaccurately. Ancestors, she explains, are typically shown as various branches when really they should be illustrated as roots. “We’re not just standing here with nothing holding us down,” Passmore notes. “We are the trunk and our ancestors and their experiences are our roots.” Those roots are critical to growing a family, giving it its distinguishing characteristics and propelling it towards particular customs and traditions.

Both Baker and Passmore are interested in doing additional research. Baker thinks maybe she has some unexplored family roots in Germany and Passmore is curious as to whether there’s any truth to family legend that she’s related to Abraham Lincoln.

“You may think that your family has a boring and ordinary story,” writes Passmore. “But the truth is that there is no such thing. All our families have fascinating stories just waiting to be discovered.”

Photograph by Megan Dobinson `16.

In the summer of 2008, Brian Hager, his brother Patrick Hager ’08, along with former teammates Eric Bofinger ’07 and Matthew Hahn ’07 brainstormed ways to cultivate community as post-graduate competitive runners. Deciding to start a running club, the core group ran their first race together in October 2008 at the Gettysburg Cross Country Invitational. After many discussions, Brian Hager landed on the name of the club, leading to a conversation about colors and styles of uniforms.

“I consider that a God moment—He spoke to me during a run and the name fit so well,” says Hager.        

The name s.w.i.f.t. stands for strength, wisdom, integrity, faith and truth. These words serve as a principle for the running club, defining the characteristics these men and women lean on and strive after to live Christ-centered lives.

Hager and his co-founders started emailing and calling other graduates and attending races to talk about s.w.i.f.t. racing. The club grew with Messiah alums as they invited each graduating class of cross country and track and field runners to become members. Although they do not limit the club to Messiah alums, they want to make sure the team members share the same values. The club currently consists of 35 members.

Designed as a way to continue communication, accountability and encouragement, the club provides many different benefits for the runners. Originally, s.w.i.f.t. racing started an online running log where everyone would record runs and workout, which served as an accountability tool. Today, they have many email threads going, discussing anything running related. With a few training groups around the state of Pennsylvania, they meet up at races and plan to attend races where they can get a large group together. Currently, five members are training for the Boston Marathon in April.

The club also serves a greater purpose than simply logging miles and holding each other accountable. They wear a cross on their jerseys and people often ask about their name, giving members an opportunity to share their faith. They club also prays before races, which draws other runners’ attention.

When looking to the future, Hager and his team share a few goals. In the short term, they hope to build a core group of team members and get more members to participate in team activities. On the competitive side of it, they hope that the five runners in the Boston Marathon (Eric Bofinger, Partick Hager, Jeff Smeiles, Brian Hager and James Davis) will perform well. Lastly, they hope to give back to the running community through volunteering at races and turn their running club into an outreach.

Eventually, the team hopes to acquire a sponsorship that will allow them to travel to more races. They also plan to institute team-focused activities, such as summer camps and team races. Ultimately, s.w.i.f.t. racing members share the goal to provide a testimony of Christ-centered athletes to those around them.

“People notice when you stand on a starting line and huddle to pray. People notice when there’s a big cross on your jersey and they see a group at the front of the race. I think we live in a culture where people shy away from expressions of faith that might offend anyone, especially in athletics. At Messiah we talk a lot about wearing our God’s name on our chests. We wear the cross on our back with s.w.i.f.t. and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of a group that so honestly professes the influence that He has on our lives,” says Hager.

Story by Emily Mohler `13. Photos courtesy of Brian Hager `06.

Harpham began his lecture, “Melancholy in the Midst of Abundance,” by taking his audience back to a post-World War II America. Before this time, people viewed the humanities simply as a waste of time since, as they believed, nothing beneficial could result from such studies. However, following the war, American citizens began to experience a change of heart regarding the humanities. Instead of being viewed as a waste of time, they felt as if the humanities could represent the crowning achievement of a nation which just prevailed in war. This nation would build itself on such a foundation of economic, political, and social power, that citizens could turn their attention towards the humanities. People of this day started viewing a pursuit of the humanities directly related to the progression of the nation and of mankind. This new appreciation of the art guided the American academy and led to works such as the Harvard “Redbook”.

According to Harpham, the Harvard Redbook was an influential work that supported the spread of the humanities. In fact, this book was known to be a symbol of renewal as it revolved around the idea of cultivating the humanities and society as a whole. Harpham also spoke about the stances made in the Redbook on the goals of education. According to the book, education should produce unity and character in American society, but the most important aim is for education to cultivate a proper vision of humanity; one in which citizens are unified by wisdom – creating what Harpham coined as “the whole man.” But, just what is the “whole man?” As Harpham described, whole men are those who appreciate the arts and humanities, and those who are reflective and curious about such topics. In addition, these men possess freedom as well as a strong sense of citizenship. This, in essence, is the purpose of education: to produce whole men and women. And, by achieving this goal, it was believed that one could experience a freer and more abundant life.

In today’s society, it is important to remember how the study of the humanities was formed and shaped by our nation’s past. In addition, as Harpham stressed, it is equally important to realize where the humanities is headed and to aid in its advancement. According to Jimmy Carter, the former president whom Harpham quoted multiple times throughout his lecture, “We must stress how limited our sense of national purpose is, indeed how imperiled our civilization is, if the humanities are exiled to a peripheral role of irrelevance.”

Story by Jessica Kern `15.