On almost any given night of channel-surfing, viewers can tune into one of a dozen or so reality television shows about people who make their living finding treasures in trash. Whether bidding on storage lockers, bargaining with antique collectors, or haggling for the best deal at a pawn shop, junk-hunting television shows feature larger-than-life characters motivated by finding treasure and making a significant profit.

“The allure of finding treasure in trash is something a lot of people get excited about,” says Randy Brown ’05, a fan of “American Pickers,” a History channel show that follows “picker” partners Mike and Frank as they travel the American countryside looking for old, unique pieces to sell in their two Midwestern shops. Brown says, it’s easy to sit in your living room and think anyone can do what these guys do, “but it takes a lot of hard work, knowledge and luck to be successful.”

Maris Miller `08 knows firsthand about the hard work involved in the re-selling of other people’s goods. Miller’s father has been an auctioneer in eastern Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years. “Some shows glamorize auctions, but in reality the auction business is time consuming, demanding and labor intensive,” she says, “The auctioneer often works closely with people who are experiencing transitions related to things such as aging, divorce or death.”

The long hours, back-breaking work and literal piles of trash don’t seem to discourage junk-hunting stars though. Rather, they (and the viewers who tune in week after week) seem highly motivated by their quest to find value—monetary, nostalgic, artist or otherwise—in the most unsuspecting places. Read the rest of this entry »

Student Rachel Morris reflects on her summer 2012 trip to Nicaragua with Messiah’s Collaboratory for Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research

Anticipation rose as we turned off the bumpy dirt highway into off-road country surrounded by roaming farm animals, tiny huts and clotheslines. A swarm of kids chased after the big yellow bus that carried our diverse team of Messiah College students, Living Water educators and newly trained village leaders, welcoming us to the community. After spending time in Puerto Cabezas preparing, we finally arrived with the mission of bringing pure water and The Living Water to the small community of Awas Tigni, Nicaragua. The next two days spent in the beautiful land of Awas flew by like a blur. Community members were eager to learn all we had to share. Classrooms were filled, and people completed a variety of activities and lessons on everything from hand-washing, to making a tippy tap to using one of our filters! Read the rest of this entry »

Working half a mile underground in an old Minnesota mine, two engineering students and their physics professor described the subterranean lab as pretty typical … except for the occasional bat flying overhead.

Messiah College Physics Professor Abaz Kryemadhi and two engineering students, Joel Love ‘14 and Nick Martin ‘14, were awarded a Department of Energy Visiting Faculty Program grant to spend 10 weeks at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Chicago. There they worked with the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment which is located half a mile underground in an old mine in Soudan, MN. The Messiah College team worked on simulation and detector design for a new generation detector called SuperCDMS. Read the rest of this entry »

For followers of Messiah College soccer, success is as mysterious as it is impressive. “It is a unique, yet fulfilling moment to look down at your chest and see the word ‘Messiah,’ knowing that there is a greater meaning serving as your motivation,” explains senior defender Jordan Sands ’12. This drive — hidden behind 12 combined national championships and 24 straight NCAA Tournament appearances — communicates the difference between Messiah College and much of the rest of the Division III soccer world. On this team, success begins with motivation.

For the men and women who compete each fall, the game of soccer follows this principal value: God represents the purpose and the pursuit; winning only serves as a tool to fulfill this mission. “Playing for God gives us the bond of a common purpose rather than simply a common sport,” responds senior Erin Hench ’12, who received NSCAA National Player of the Year honors in 2009. “It’s more than just a soccer team. We strive to worship God through soccer by returning the gifts he’s given to us.”

But for loyal supporters of this celebrated program, a common purpose is not enough to explain the Falcons’ profound success. To truly solve the mystery — and discover what makes these two teams excel — each coach moves beyond soccer. “Winning doesn’t define us,” states women’s head coach Scott Frey ’84, with a noticeable hint of passion in his voice. Instead, Frey identifies his team’s leadership culture as a principal drive toward excellence. “It blows the underclassmen away,” he continues. “They step into an environment where they are immediately loved, wanted and accepted.”

For head coach Brad McCarty ’93, a 12-year veteran of the men’s program, leadership represents an uncompromising quality. “It all starts with the recruits,” he says. “Our players have maturity and a desire to be disciplined.” Upon arriving, these underclassmen experience an unorthodox approach to collegiate athletics. They are not treated as strangers; they are not expected to perform lowly tasks for approval, and they do not ride the bench until their teammates have exhausted their eligibility. “Here I am as a freshman … and it’s the senior All-American who is the first to the water bottles, filling them up and handing them out to the underclassmen,” describes senior forward Danny Thompson ’12, who scored six game-winning goals during his storied Messiah career. For Thompson and his fellow recruits, playing time was earned out of the gate, allowing the future national champions to mature during their first season in Grantham.

Time on the field without integration, though, would impress few observers. These Falcons play for more than individual glory. “We want to make it to the national championship every season, not because we want another trophy, but [because] we want to maximize the length of time we get to spend playing and training together,” says Thompson. Recognition and accolades will continue to pour in, though this group prefers to spread the love around. Sands — a three-time national champion — believes his teammates mean more than any of his three rings. “I enjoy that moment of being able to see the joy on each of my teammates’ faces, knowing that in our hearts, we have been fighting for one another the entire time,” he says.

Here lies the secret of Messiah College soccer. For this program, success does not rely on five-star recruits or innovative training regimes. Instead, these men and women impress with character, an often forgotten trait in the world of collegiate athletics. “You can take away soccer, the field, the fans, the goals, the uniforms,” begins senior midfielder Sam Woodworth ’12. “You can take that all away, and I still have what truly matters: my teammates.”

By Nick Hemming `13. This article was originally printed in the March 5, 2012 issue of Mennonite Weekly Review.

Ernestia Fraser ’07 won first place in the International Storytelling Competition at the 2011 Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) for her full-length screenplay “Inside the Fallen Moon.” The competition averages 500 script submissions annually.

Fraser chose to get involved with HBFF because of its attention to storytelling. “Every year, I look for competitions to enter my work in,” said Fraser. “HBFF showed a huge interest in the basis of storytelling, so I knew I wanted to get involved.”

Attending festivals is important to Fraser, because it gives her an opportunity to network and view the work of filmmakers. “It was an amazing experience being in Hollywood, and it was even better experience having my hard work recognized,” says Fraser. “It was a meeting place of industry intelligence and opportunity. They hosted informative panels and workshops, and festival goers had the opportunity to meet and speak with Hollywood professionals.”

During the festival, professional actors performed 10 minutes of the finalists’ scripts. Fraser’s script was read by Jackée Harry, an actress from the sitcoms “Sister, Sister” and “Everybody Hates Chris.” “I felt like a mini-celebrity when I witnessed the actors bringing my story to life,” said Fraser. “It was one of the best 10 minutes of my life.”

Synopsis: “Inside the Fallen Moon”
During America’s era of Reconstruction, a confident African-American teenager, Samuel Johnson, desires to obtain a formal education. In reality, there are no black schools nearby and his chances of becoming a lawyer seem very bleak. Samuel soon learns about a new boarding school called Winshier Academy, but he again experiences more disappointment when he realizes that the academy does not admit blacks. In a world where anything is possible, however, Samuel is magically transformed into a white boy by Dinah Fossil, a local spiritist. A deadly plot is set in motion and Samuel, wavering between two black and white worlds, must decide which path will lead him to his own inner truth.

Written by Abigail Long ’12. Printed originally in the Winter 2012 Bridge magazine.

While dance currently is an accepted form of both recreation and study — a dance minor began in the fall of 2010, and this past fall a dance major was added — for many years Messiah College, as a part of its founding Brethren in Christ denomination, took a firm standpoint against it. “The major source for opposition to dancing over the years basically came from the denomination, which was opposed to a number of ‘worldly’ activities, including dancing, playing cards, attending movies,” said Morris Sider, a member of the College’s faculty from 1963 to 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

Writing a person’s biography can be a form of service, an assignment and even a gift. Combining a desire to improve her students’ writing skills with a desire to encourage multigenerational relationships, Helen Walker, an associate professor of writing at Messiah College, created a unique first-year seminar course. The Chosen Road, offered for the third consecutive year and the fifth year overall, brings together two very different generations through the act of writing. Read the rest of this entry »

Percell Green is the executive chef at Messiah College. He recommends this burger and salad combo for your summertime bbqs.

To grill a good burger, you must first start with good meat. Go to the butcher at your local grocery store or farmer’s market and ask for fresh prime ground chuck 80/20; the 20 percent fat will give you the best flavor and keep your burger moist.

Adobo Burger with Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad

2 pounds ground chuck
½ cup grated onion
2 tablespoons adobo spice
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ cup fresh Italian parsley
½ cup olive oil

Being careful not to over work the meat; season with the onion, parsley, adobo spice, salt and pepper and mix just until combined. Gently shape the meat into six burgers of equal size and thickness. Make an imprint in the center of each patty with your thumb. Spread the top with olive oil and refrigerate; cover until ready to grill. Build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium. Place burgers on the grill over direct medium heat. Cover and grill for 4 minutes. Turn and continue grilling until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 10 more minutes. Remove burgers from grill and let rest. Lightly brush olive oil on the burger rolls and place them on the grill. Grill rolls for one minute and remove. Assemble burgers with your choice of accompaniments and enjoy.

Grilled Corn Salsa & Black Bean Salad

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 ears of fresh corn on the cob
3 cups canned black beans
¼ cup red onion, diced
½ cup fresh red bell pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
¼ cup fresh lime juice
Dash of hot sauce
Salt & black pepper

Remove the husk from one side of the corn. Brush the corn with olive oil and place on the grill over medium heat.  Grill corn on all sides until it’s slightly brown. Remove corn from grill and let cool. Add black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers and cilantro to mixing bowl. Remove the rest of the corn husk, cut the corn off the cob and add corn to the black bean mix. Add the remaining ingredients and toss with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Two hundred miles is a long way to travel. And it’s an incredibly long way to run. But that’s exactly what a group of Messiah College employees and community members did earlier this spring.

Tim Ferret (residence director of Smith and Grantham residence halls) and his wife Annie (who works at Soccer Shots, a company owned by Messiah alumni); Ben Taylor (director of student involvement and leadership programs) and his wife Kerrie (Agape Center); Amy VanDerWerf (director of residence life); Aletheia Schmidt (former residence director of Hess and Kelly residence halls); Dave Downey (residence director of Mountain View residence hall) and his wife Emily; Jay McClymont (director of alumni and parent relations); Mandy Hoffman (residence director of Witmer residence hall); Robin Tilley and Zack Kraehmer (both of Soccer Shots); and Geoff Knight competed in the American Odyssey Relay Race as a part of team Lover of Our Soles. Read the rest of this entry »

Elizabeth Arnold ’08 recounts experience of working in Grand Teton National Park in this excerpt of her essay, “Never Lost”

In the months between my junior and senior year of college, I took a job wrangling at a guest ranch in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest in Grand Teton National Park. I was hoping for nothing more than the chance to ride some good ranch horses and to live — at least for a while — in a place that claims to be “the last of the great West.”

One of my first nights on the ranch, while sitting on the porch of the bunkhouse and looking out into the valley, I watched as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, casting purple shadows across the thick strings of the Buffalo Fork River and the backs of the horses grazing in the lower meadow. I realized in that moment that I would never get tired of the view. No matter how many times I looked out beyond the ranch, the Tetons would always be there, standing behind the river like a promise. And I would always be surprised by how unexpectedly they rose straight and clean out of the valley floor, piercing through thin layers of clouds and cutting into sharp blue sky. In that moment, I knew that this was more than a summer job — that there is a reason people are drawn to this place, to a landscape still wild and powerful. Read the rest of this entry »