celebration Archives - 91短视频 News /now/news/tag/celebration/ News from the 91短视频 community. Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 91短视频 Celebrates Cross-Cultural Anniversary /now/news/2007/emu-celebrates-cross-cultural-anniversary/ Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000 http://www.emu.edu/blog/news/?p=1555 91短视频 paused to quietly celebrate 25 years of “life-changing experiences” in a chapel service Wednesday, Nov. 14.

Several 91短视频 faculty members who helped to shape the school’s cross-cultural study program reflected on the vision and process that led to the university formally making cross-cultural study, either stateside or abroad, a required part of its general education curriculum in 1982.

“91短视频’s program was on the ‘cutting edge’ when it became a required general education component for incoming students,” said Marie S. Morris, vice president and undergraduate academic dean in introductory remarks. We are honored to have some of these early visionaries reflect on the program as part of this International Education Week ‘Celebrate the Vision’ chapel.”

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L. to r.): Vernon Jantzi, Ann Graber Hershberger, Kenneth J. Nafziger, Calvin E. Shenk and Marie S. Morris enjoy a lighter moment in reflecting on and celebrating the 25th anniversary of the cross-cultural study program at 91短视频. Photo by Jim Bishop

Vernon Jantzi, professor of sociology at 91短视频, noted that the school offered cross-culturals as electives for some 11 years prior to this date.

Dr. Jantzi credited Albert N. Keim, long-time history professor who was serving as academic dean during this period, with “really helping faculty brainstorm the best ways to package the program to make it truly international and a two-way learning experience. The entire faculty was deeply involved in the whole process.”

He also noted that Calvin E. Shenk, professor emeritus, wrote a paper on cross-cultural learning, many components of which are part 91短视频’s program today.

Dr. Keim appointed Jantzi, Shenk, Kenneth J. Nafziger, professor of music; and Ann G. Hershberger, professor of nursing to work at implementing the program. All four had earlier spent considerable time serving and leading study seminars in other countries.

“At that time, 70 percent of the 91短视频 faculty had studied or worked in other countries,” Jantzi noted.

“We spent considerable time hashing out some thorny questions,” Jantzi noted. “How long should the experience be? Several weeks? A year? What countries to be involved? Should there be a service component?”

Today, 91短视频 offers three-and-a-half week cross-cultural seminars during May-early June along with semester-long programs and the year-long Washington (DC) Community Scholars Center program.

Twenty-one students, led by Harlan De Brun and Audra Baker, are in South Africa the fall semester. 91短视频 faculty will lead seminars in Latin American and the Middle East the spring 2008 semester.

“I think back and realize that I was just 27 years old when this planning process was under way,” Dr. Hershberger said. “But this involvement, along with many years of church-related service in Central America, has dramatically shaped my world view.”

Dr. Nafziger, who has led study-seminars to Germany and Poland and took the 91短视频 Chamber Singers to Cuba twice, believes that learning takes place best when a group “stays in one place and concentrates on learning the language.” He would like to see a proposal from Mennonite World Conference leaders on “what they would like 91短视频’s focus to be in the future.”

Several speakers reinterated that some students enter the experience reluctantly but return saying it was the most meaningful, memorable part of their educational experience at 91短视频.

“In more recent years, we’ve been working at making stronger connections between what students experience in their cross-cultural immersion experience and what they are learning/experiencing on campus and in the local community,” Dr. Morris said. “We want to do a better job of integrating this life transforming experience into the overall educational experience at 91短视频.”

Dr. Shenk closed the session with prayer, giving thanks for what has happened in the cross-cultural program in the past 25 years and entreating God’s guidance and blessing for the future.

The audience left the auditorium pondering this comment from Ann G. Hershberger: “The critical question we must keep asking is, what do we do with what we’ve learned from the peoples and cultures we’ve spent time with – do we remain tourists on the balcony or fellow travelers on the road?”

]]> 91短视频 Homecoming to Cap Global Celebration /now/news/2003/emu-homecoming-to-cap-global-celebration/ Wed, 27 Aug 2003 04:00:00 +0000 http://www.emu.edu/blog/news/?p=485 The World Next DoorThe second weekend in October each year, scores of former 91短视频 students return to campus to reconnect with friends and classmates.

More than a thousand 91短视频 alumni and parents of students will continue that tradition Oct. 10-12, 2003 as they gather to celebrate homecoming and parents weekend on the theme, “The World Next Door.”

The weekend program is the final event in a year-long series of activities marking the 30th anniversary of 91短视频’s cross-cultural study programs.

Albert N. Keim, professor emeritus of history, led 91短视频’s first semester-long study-travel seminar to Europe in 1972. In 1982, the university made cross-cultural study a graduation requirement for all students.

“Homecoming is always a wonderful opportunity to reflect and focus on meaningful college experiences of 91短视频 alumni,” said Janet M. Stutzman, director of alumni-parent relations. “Since most students point to their cross-cultural experience as a highlight of their college years, we feel that homecoming activities are especially significant this year for both our alumni and our students,” she added.

Special events on the program theme include a buffet meal with an international flair 5:30 p.m. Sat. in the University Commons, with specially designated tables provided as gathering places for former students of 91短视频’s cross-cultural programs.

The music department faculty will present a concert on the theme,”Travels: music and dance from around the world,” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Martin Chapel of the seminary building. Tickets will be available at the door.

Donald R. Clymer, director of 91短视频’s cross-cultural programs, will answer questions about the school’s off-campus study opportunities 10 a.m. Oct.11 in the University Commons.

An exhibit featuring photos and art pieces from 91短视频’s cross-cultural programs will go on display Friday, Oct. 10 in the third floor gallery of Hartzler Library.

An alumni-parent worship service 10 a.m. Oct. 13 in Lehman Auditorium will premiere a new university hymn and feature the 91短视频 Chorale and Chamber Singers. The theme will be structured around the hymn text written for 91短视频 by Fresno, Calif., poet Jean Janzen. Recipients of the “alumnus of the year” and “distinguished service award” will be recognized during the service.

Traditional homecoming features will include reunions 10 a.m. Oct. 11 for graduating years ending in a “3” or “8,” from 1963 to 1998. The “Old Grads,” alumni who attended 91短视频 50 years ago or more, will hold a luncheon 11:30 a.m. that day at the Eastern Mennonite High School dining room.

Breakfast meetings will be held Saturday morning for alumni and friends of the business and economics department; nursing department, the Suter Science Center, Bible and religion department (Haverim) and the music department (Encore!).

Varsity field hockey, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer games are scheduled on Saturday, preceded by a three-mile Loyal Royals “fun run” 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the 91短视频 track.

The annual alumni golf classic will begin at 1 p.m. Fri., Oct. 10, at the Heritage Oaks Golf Course west of Harrisonburg.

Special activities for children (kindergarten through sixth grade) and youth (grades 7 through 12) are scheduled at various times Saturday, and childcare will be provided during reunions and at other designated times.

A coffeehouse 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, in the 91短视频 Campus Center Greeting Hall will feature a “Writers’ Read” by alumni authors and music by Daphna Creek, a local gospel bluegrass group.

The 91短视频 theater main stage production, “Godspell,” a highly-acclaimed musical based on the gospel of Matthew, will be presented 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in Lehman Auditorium. Advance tickets are recommended and will be available starting Sept. 19 by calling the 91短视频 box office at 540-432-4582.

The registration desk in the University Commons will be open 3-10 p.m. Fri., Oct. 10, and 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat.

For more information, see the 91短视频 web site (www.emu.edu/alumni/homecoming), call the alumni office at 540 432-4245 or e-mail: alumni@emu.edu.

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