Cross country and track and field alum Brian Hager ’06 did not quit running when he graduated from Messiah. As he transitioned from being a student to a coach at Messiah, Hager grew to miss the team atmosphere and the friendships he enjoyed as an athlete. In an attempt to reestablish community in his life, Hager helped launch s.w.i.f.t. racing, a running club for alums in the Messiah area.

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. Read the rest of this entry »

On February 21, Messiah College warmly welcomed Geoffrey Galt Harpham as the keynote speaker for the College’s annual Humanities Symposium. Harpham currently acts as the president and director of the National Humanities Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina – the only institute in the world dedicated completely to the humanities. After being trained as a literary scholar, Harpham released several books, one of which guided his lecture at the Symposium. Among the many issues addressed in his book, “The Humanities and the Dream of America,” Harpham mainly focuses on how the humanities were formed and what role the American academy played in its formation.

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.

For alum Nashon Walker ’05, the journey to Messiah College followed a path of uncertainty, unfamiliarity and overwhelming faith. Now eight years later, the grateful alumnus holds onto a stirring testimony.    

A childhood on the streets
As a child, Walker experienced the chaos of Philadelphia’s street scene: he grew up with drug-addicted parents, lived with his grandmother and became a father figure for his four younger siblings. By the time Walker reached high school, he had fully surrendered to a life of crime, lawlessness and irresponsibility, following in the footsteps of those around him.

In late 2001, the police arrested and incarcerated Walker, who joined his biological father in a local prison. The “youngest guy on the prison block” seemed destined for a life of corruption.

“I had to grow up very fast,” Walker said. “I knew I had no hope. My life on the streets drove me down a certain path, one I knew wasn’t right.”

Read the rest of this entry »

For most people, Hershey, Pa. means delicious chocolate, thrilling amusement park rides and the philanthropist Milton Hershey. However, for Megan Keller ’13, the real story lies deeper than the tourist attractions and candy bars. The story of Hershey, engrained in its rich history, provides a deeper look at the industrious workers that brought this town its fame. Keller found a way to intertwine this story and her Messiah College education to develop and produce a mobile application that narrates a historical walking tour through downtown Hershey.

As a history major with a social studies certification, Keller took many classes that challenged her to engage in public history, a process that makes history more accessible to an average person. For her public history class last fall, Keller was challenged to consider an exhibit that would bring history to anyone. Keller knew she could take it one step further than doing something traditional and expected like building a Colonial exhibit. Read the rest of this entry »

Through the course of Jerry Sandusky’s now infamous two-week trial, Messiah alumna Sari Heidenreich ’11 tweeted more than one thousand times.

To get the most out of each 140-character message while still maintaining her professional voice, the social media producer for abc 27 in Harrisburg had to not only double-check facts and figures, but also weigh every last word to determine which could be abbreviated—or deleted.

But over the course of a thousand tweets of facts, quotes and insight, it was an innocuous punctuation mark she typed without a second thought that got her in trouble.

“I used an exclamation point in one of my tweets, and someone called me out on it,” said Heidenreich of the gossipy tone that character conveyed in her message. “I think they were right; and I didn’t use an exclamation point for the rest of the trial.” Read the rest of this entry »

On Monday, Jan. 14, the Messiah College community got its first peek at the nearly finished Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts. The High Center is the hallmark project of the College’s Centennial Campaign—a fundraising effort that raised more than $46.2 million for the building as well as student-focused initiatives and scholarship endowments.

The High Center is open for classes and will host several public events this spring before the launch of the official inaugural cultural season in fall 2013.

“We are deeply grateful to the many alumni, parents and community friends who supported the Centennial Campaign,” said President Kim S. Phipps. “Their generosity ensures that Messiah continues to provide excellent facilities and competitive scholarship funding to make Messiah College an appealing, viable educational choice for students.”

The High Center contains a new recital hall, blackbox theatre, classroom and office spaces, a recording studio and an 825-seat performance venue—Parmer Hall—that is the public focal point of the building.

Watch a video of the opening of the High Center. Video courtesy of Sherri Hoffman.

See a photo album of pictures of the interior and exterior of the building. Photos courtesy of Robert Getty III `89.

Explore the main lobby, the instrumental rehearsal room and the public space between the High Foundation Recital Hall and Parmer Hall. Photos courtesy of Dan Custer `09.

With education abroad programs in more than 40 countries worldwide, Messiah College has touted international travel as an integral part of  the academic experience for some time—something that benefits students as well as professors. Just ask Biblical studies professor Meg Ramey, who traveled to five continents in less than one year from May 2011 to January 2012.   Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Layton Shoemaker, former director of athletics and men’s soccer coach, passed away Jan. 1. Considered the father of modern-day soccer at Messiah College, Shoemaker’s teams set the foundation for the present-day powerhouse men’s and women’s soccer programs.

Read more about Shoemaker’s legacy.

After suffering through a terrorist bombing in Uganda during a missions trip in 2010, Messiah College student Kris Sledge ‘13 remains on a journey to restore healing to the emotional scars left by the attack.

The Back Story
Sledge, a Christian Ministries major, first visited the country of Uganda in 2006. Fourteen years old and eager to serve, he went on his first missions trip to Uganda with Christ Community Methodist Church in Selinsgrove, Pa.  A speaker in chapel at Messiah College challenged Sledge to re-visit the country four years later. The speaker charged Christians to go out and help the world and Sledge responded, heading back to Uganda that summer. During the first two weeks, Sledge spent time with families and worked on building a fence around the school that his church planted. Towards the end of the trip, Sledge looked into the possibility of staying in Uganda longer and when he realized it was feasible, convinced five team members to stay one additional week longer. Read the rest of this entry »

In America, giving thanks and spending money, eating turkey and going shopping, have become seemingly interchangeable. Thanksgiving now stands as a two-package deal: a day to indulge in delicious food and a day to splurge at the mall on the deals of a lifetime.

While some roll their eyes in disgust at this display of American consumerism, others create strategic plans to conquer the masses at their local mall. Either way, Black Friday tops the charts as the biggest shopping day of the year.

By the numbers
The concept “Black Friday” originated in Philadelphia and refers to police and bus drivers stuck in a huge traffic mess caused by the convergence of holiday shoppers and football fans arriving in town for the annual Army-Navy football game. Since then, people claim retails stores use this day to bump their sales “into the black,” making them profitable for the year. In fact, Black Friday and Christmas sales account for 20 percent of retailers’ annual profit. Read the rest of this entry »