Shaun Soliday ’14 acts as an inspiring example of a student who has made the most of his Messiah experience. By assuming the roles of student body chaplain and open house spokesperson, Soliday often finds himself in a position to represent the college and lead by example. Although his college experience is coming to a close as graduation approaches, Soliday has undoubtedly left his mark on Messiah.

The road to Messiah
Although looking back Soliday could not imagine attending another college, his road to Messiah had not originally been so clear. As a devoted soccer player who dedicated most of his time and energy during high school to the sport, Soliday hoped to attend a college that would help him realize his dream of playing at a professional level. After visiting Messiah and two other universities, Soliday was faced with the difficult decision of whether to put his love of soccer before his faith as Messiah could not guarantee him a spot on their team. Arriving at the conclusion that his faith must come first, Soliday pursued his education at Messiah and claims he has no regrets. (more…)

For me, walking off the plane into the airport in Kampala was a dream come true. I have had a heart for Africa for the longest time, and I was finally there. I had the privilege to join nine other student-athletes; Brad McCarty, Messiah’s men’s head soccer coach; an athletic trainer; a Messiah soccer alum; and a Messiah alum representing Sawyer water filters on an AROMA sports ministry trip to Uganda in May 2013. Our group represented a variety of sports and personalities, but it was so encouraging to see God work in us and through us as we served together in Uganda.

Different culture, same God
We spent our time in Uganda in Soroti and Kampala, working alongside Sports Outreach Institute and their soccer teams, the Good News Team and the Divine Stars. We had the opportunity to work alongside these groups that are already sharing the gospel in Uganda. Every morning we would gather at a different place to have a time of morning worship and devotions with the teams. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was an incredible experience to be a part of this pure, honest, African worship. They may not have a lot of material things, but they have incredible love for our God, one that is so evident in the way they sing and dance. If we weren’t comfortable dancing and singing when we first arrived in Uganda, we were more than comfortable by the time we left! (more…)

Julie Price ’14, Shannon Cochran ’14 and Courtney Walton ’16 all have one thing in common: a genuine care for sustainable food. That’s why, together, they are bringing the Real Food Challenge to Messiah College.

The Real Food Challenge is a nationwide initiative that aims to shift $1 billion of existing university food budgets away from industrial farms and junk food and towards real food—defined as ecologically sound, fair, humane and local—by 2020.

The Challenge begins with researching two months of dining’s purchases. Using invoices from October and February (chosen for seasonal variety) Price, Cochran and Walton sift through purchases and enter data such cost, brand and vendor into the Real Food Calculator. The students emphasize the Challenge is about much more than simply entering data though. They research each company to find out who is producing the food, where it is being grown and what the production process entails to decide if the food meets the necessary criteria. (more…)