A pioneering coach, co-athletic director, and professor at 91����Ƶ in the 1960s and ’70s—and the youngest daughter of John R. Mumaw, ���ѱ�’s fourth president from 1948-65—Miriam “Mim” Mumaw ’61, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away on Dec. 5, 2025.

During her tenure at 91����Ƶ (then known as Eastern Mennonite College or EMC), Mumaw coached the school’s first women’s basketball (1966-75), women’s volleyball (1968-79), and field hockey (1970) teams. She achieved the most success with the volleyball team, winning a state championship over James Madison University in 1973 and posting a perfect 21-0 season in 1976. Her overall record with the squad stands at 151-99. Mumaw was inducted into the in 2002. Only three other coaches share that distinction.

Those who were fortunate enough to cross paths with Mumaw, either on ���ѱ�’s campus or at Washington Community Fellowship (WCF), describe her as a people person who greeted everyone she met with warmth. They speak highly of her meticulous attention to detail, which shone brightly in her volunteer service to WCF and in her career at Gammon & Grange Law Offices, where she worked for more than 40 years. They also remember her for her love of baseball, particularly the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, and her generosity in sharing her season tickets with others.

Mumaw was a beloved mentor, leader, and friend, known by many for her deep commitment to 91����Ƶ and her congregation.

“She was a titan, a fierce advocate for women in athletics and for 91����Ƶ in general,” said Carrie S Bert, the first woman to serve as 91����Ƶ athletics director.

Dave King ’76, ���ѱ�’s athletics director for 17 years before Bert, agreed. 

“Mim advocated for the expansion of women’s sports at a time when that wasn’t supported by many in the institution, including her father who had been president of the college,” said King. 

During one of her visits to the 91����Ƶ Athletics Suite, Bert recalled, Mumaw had shared with her how her father, likely reflecting the feelings of the wider church, had opposed the growth in women’s physical activities at 91����Ƶ. “Mim just laughed and said, ‘Well, that wasn’t going to stop me … we just had to agree not to talk about it,’” shared Bert. 

“Mim was always so encouraging of me, both in words of affirmation and in the wonderful way she would squeeze my hand while we chatted,” Bert said. “I could feel her positivity and enduring support in those moments.”

King told the that he first met Mumaw when he arrived as a student in 1972, but “had no idea of the trailblazer she was and the impact she had on women’s sports” until he returned as director of athletics in 2005. “Besides coaching women’s sports and teaching PE classes, her involvement with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) exposed EMC athletics to the broader collegiate athletic community and elevated the EMC sports programs,” King said.

Growing up in a glass bowl

Mumaw was born on Jan. 14, 1938, in Harrisonburg, the youngest of five daughters, to John R. and Esther Mosemann Mumaw. She was 10 years old when her father, a professor and ordained minister, took office as president, succeeding John L. Stauffer. He would serve in that role for the next 17 years.

“That was an important part of her growing up,” said Byron Peachey, a nephew of Mumaw and longtime 91����Ƶ staff member. “She lived down the road on College Avenue and EMC was an even smaller community than it is now. Everybody knew everybody else’s business. And so for her and her four older sisters, there was a spotlight on them and a set of higher expectations for what they did and how they conducted themselves.”

Mumaw graduated from 91����Ƶ in 1961 with a degree in business education. She then taught business education classes at Iowa Mennonite School for four years.

“That would’ve been an opportunity for her to spread her wings, outside of this glass bowl at 91����Ƶ where everybody knew her,” Peachey said.

In 1964, while Mumaw was in Iowa, her mother died “very suddenly,” Peachey said. She returned to Harrisonburg to care for her father (in 1965, he married Evelyn King, former dean of women for 91����Ƶ, and resigned as president).

Hired by ���ѱ�’s fifth president (1965-80) Myron S. Augsburger, Mumaw coached the school’s first women’s intercollegiate athletic teams, including women’s basketball, volleyball, and field hockey. 

“That was groundbreaking for EMC,” Peachey said. “She was a real innovator. ‘Trailblazer’ is an overused word, but she truly was one.”

In 1968, after completing her master’s degree at the University of Iowa, Mumaw began teaching accounting and physical education courses at 91����Ƶ. She also served as co-athletic director and co-chair of the physical education department.

Sandy Brownscombe, coach of 91����Ƶ women’s basketball (1978-89), field hockey (1978-93), and men’s volleyball (1991-98) also in the Hall of Honor, said that Mumaw held significant roles at the state, regional, and national levels within the AIAW, which governed women’s college athletics before the NCAA took over in the 1980s.

“Mim was a foundational figure for women’s athletics in Virginia through the AIAW,” Brownscombe said. “She started volleyball in the state of Virginia.”

A life of balance

Brownscombe was finishing her master’s degree coursework at Washington State University in 1978 when she was hired to teach physical education classes and coach the field hockey and women’s basketball teams at 91����Ƶ. Mumaw interviewed her for the job, and was tasked with finding a place for her to live.

“There weren’t any apartments available,” said Brownscombe, “and so that’s how I ended up sharing her house with her that first year I was here.”

“That was, in my opinion, probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” she added, “because we spent many nights talking with each other, and she would explain to me what it meant to be a Mennonite female athlete. At that point, I was the first non-Mennonite full-time faculty member at 91����Ƶ, so it really was my introduction to Mennonites and to EMC, and she shared that whole faith experience with me. She was like a big sister to me.”

Less than a full year later, in 1979, Mumaw left for a sabbatical year in D.C. at The Fellowship Foundation. It led to her permanent move to the area.

“She felt like she had taken 91����Ƶ athletics to the next stage,” Brownscombe said.

“91����Ƶ women’s sports experienced much success in the 1980s, which I believe was a direct result of Mim’s commitment to developing and expanding sports activities for women,” said King.

Mumaw was a founding member of , a Christ-centered faith community started by President Emeritus Augsburger (its first pastor) and his wife, Esther, in 1981 and affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. Mumaw was an active member of WCF for 43 years and served in many roles, including as presiding deacon, elder, and on the Finance, Human Resources, and Building committees.

“Any time students from WCF were attending 91����Ƶ, Mim always made sure I knew about it,” said Tim Swartzendruber, senior regional advancement director for 91����Ƶ. “She was an admissions ambassador for us, no question.”

In 1982, Mumaw began a long career at Gammon & Grange Law Offices in Tyson’s Corner, where she served as accountant, office manager, and assistant to senior partner. She worked at the firm for more than 40 years.

She often returned to 91����Ƶ and continued to love and support the university. She served on the 91����Ƶ Board of Trustees from 1988-96.

“When I think of Mim, I think of balance,” Brownscombe said. “Her whole life was balanced. She was great as a coach, administrator, teacher, and yet she was so involved in the church, in leadership there, and in her care for people. She was one of those well-rounded people who had it all together.”

“She was always positive, always optimistic,” shared Peachey. “She wanted sports to be fun for young women and for it to be a team experience. I think that was an important value she cultivated, that student-athletes experience team success rather than individual excellence.”

Clockwise from front center: Miriam “Mim” Mumaw ’61, Liz Chase Driver ’86, David Driver ’85, former Orioles player Larry Sheets ’83, and Stephanie Rheinheimer ’13 attend an Orioles baseball game in August 2022. Sheets told writer David Driver for the Augusta Free Press: “Mim was, first and foremost, a wonderful Christian woman, a huge fan of 91����Ƶ, and a huge supporter of my career and then my son’s (Gavin Sheets’) career.” (Photo courtesy of David Driver/AFP)

A connector of people

A devoted fan of the Orioles and Nationals, Mumaw was known to invite family, friends, and anyone else within her orbit to baseball games. While there, she recorded the action with a pencil and paper scorecard. “It was in her DNA to keep track of details,” Peachey said.

As a student, David Driver ’85, former Weather Vane sports editor, narrowly missed the window when Mumaw was on campus. But he and his family became acquainted with her as longtime members of WCF beginning in the late 1980s.

“She was never one to talk about the role she played as a pioneer for women’s athletics at 91����Ƶ, but her love of sports was contagious,” said Driver. “I’m happy to say she made WCF a church with a lot of baseball fans.”

“I know that Carrie Bert benefited greatly from having Mim as a mentor,” Driver added. “Without Mim, there may not have been a Carrie as the first woman to serve as 91����Ƶ athletics director.”

Long after leaving 91����Ƶ, Mumaw continued to invest in its mission and its students. According to Swartzendruber, Mumaw included 91����Ƶ in her estate plans, directing support to two funds established by her parents: the Esther Mosemann Mumaw Memorial Endowed Scholarship, which benefits upperclasswomen of any major, and the John R. Mumaw Endowed Scholarship, which benefits teacher education students.

In 2018, Mumaw coordinated a fundraising effort among past and present members of WCF to increase the ongoing student impact of the Myron S. and Esther K. Augsburger Endowed Scholarship for Urban Ministry. The scholarship, valued at more than $400,000, benefits students at Eastern Mennonite Seminary who plan to serve in an urban setting. 

“Mim tried her hardest to attend every alumni gathering, homecoming, you name it,” Swartzendruber said. “She adored 91����Ƶ. I always got the impression that 91����Ƶ felt like home to her.”

In addition to her parents, Mumaw was preceded in death by her four sisters: Helen Peachey, Grace Mumaw, Catherine Mumaw, and Lois Martin. She is survived by six nieces and nephews, and many beloved great-nieces and great-nephews. 

“She was a single woman, never had children, never married, and so she created a community around her,” Peachey said. “She knew lots of people in lots of different walks of life. When she went to baseball games, people noticed how all the attendants knew her. She knew them all by name. She was always looking for ways to connect people together.”

Thanks to Simone Horst, special collections librarian, for providing the archival images of Mumaw included in this story.

When 91����Ƶ built a turf field in 1989, it became the first school in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) to do so. ���ѱ�’s field hockey athletes, who began playing on the field that fall, welcomed the switch from grass to artificial turf. The new surface complemented the speedy and skilled set of players; they could move the ball up the pitch faster and with more control and pass and shoot with more accuracy and power. The other schools in the ODAC were less than thrilled with the change, recounts Sandy Brownscombe, coach of the 91����Ƶ team from 1978-93.

“Everybody was upset,” she said. “They thought we had an unfair advantage. There was even discussion that we shouldn’t be allowed to host the conference tournament if we were the No. 1 seed.”

Fortunately, for 91����Ƶ and for the future of field hockey, those discussions soon ground to a halt. Eventually, the other ODAC schools, as well as countless high schools and colleges across the country, installed turf fields for their own field hockey programs.

“It’s the way the game was meant to be played,” Brownscombe said.

A sport with success

���ѱ�’s turf field, along Park Road north of Suter Science Center, has witnessed the school’s leading scorers and legendary goalkeepers play on its pitch. Field hockey has more athletes inducted in ���ѱ�’s Hall of Honor (18 players) and more teams in the hall (two: the 1980 and 1995 squads) than any other sport at the school. By comparison, men’s soccer, which has the second-most inductees, has 12 players and one team in the hall. Two coaches who led the field hockey program, Brownscombe and Miriam “Mim” Mumaw ‘61, are also in the hall.

91����Ƶ field hockey teams have won 11 ODAC titles and appeared at 11 national tournaments (two Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women [AIAW] and nine National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] tournaments). The 1995 team, which advanced further than any other in school history, competed in the final four of the NCAA Division III field hockey tournament and placed third in the country.

From 1979 to 2003, Royals field hockey celebrated an unparalleled streak of success with teams advancing every year during those 25-seasons to the final four of their conference—the Virginia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (VAIAW) from 1979-81 and the ODAC from 1982-2003. For six straight seasons, from 1995 to 2000, 91����Ƶ field hockey went undefeated in ODAC play. (The 1987 and 2007 teams were also undefeated in the ODAC.)

An era begins

Field hockey’s start in America is credited to Constance Applebee who played the sport in England and introduced it while on a tour of northeastern U.S. women’s colleges in 1901. She served as athletic director of Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania from 1904-28 and co-founded the American Field Hockey Association.

It began as a club sport at 91����Ƶ in 1970 under Mumaw, a trailblazing athletic director who coached the women’s basketball (1966-75) and women’s volleyball (1968-79) teams.

Before that, students interested in field hockey like Fannie Bomberger Miller ‘71 played on area club teams composed of coaches from nearby schools and colleges.

“When I would tell kids from Virginia that I played hockey, they were like, ‘What’s that?’” said Miller, who came to 91����Ƶ from Manheim, Pennsylvania.

She played on the Shenandoah Valley club team from 1967-68. By the time 91����Ƶ fielded its own team, Miller said, she was too busy with her nursing coursework to join.

A group of students from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, area had played field hockey in high school and wanted to start a team at 91����Ƶ, Mumaw said. So, she volunteered to get them started, serving as inaugural coach for that first season. Field hockey became a varsity sport at 91����Ƶ in 1971, with coach Dianne Gates taking the helm for four years.

“I was more of a faculty adviser than a coach,” Mumaw said. “Dianne’s the one who developed the program.”

The Title IX Act of 1972 mandated equal funding for women’s sports. “A lot of the expansion in women’s athletics came from that,” Mumaw said. “We were fortunate to have Madison College (now JMU) and Bridgewater College close by because we could play them in almost any sport.”

In those days, ���ѱ�’s women athletes competed in the AIAW. 91����Ƶ became one of the founding members of the ODAC in 1976, beginning with men’s sports. ODAC added women’s sports in 1982.

When Mumaw left 91����Ƶ in 1979 for a sabbatical-turned-permanent residency in Washington, D.C, she rented out her basement to Brownscombe for a year. Brownscombe, who also coached the women’s basketball (1978-89) and men’s volleyball (1991-98) teams, led the field hockey program for 16 seasons.

The 1980 team

For as long as 91����Ƶ has fielded a team—and even longer, Pennsylvania and the Lancaster region has been a hotbed of field hockey talent. As a coach, Brownscombe ran a field hockey camp at Camp Hebron (Pennsylvania) during the summers that helped to recruit players to 91����Ƶ. In fact, a majority of the players throughout ���ѱ�’s history began playing the sport in high schools around Pennsylvania.

“The rest of the hockey world had not figured out, until we started getting really good, how great these Lancaster County girls were,” Brownscombe said. “Then they began to realize, ‘Oh, these kids are great players, they’re great people, and they’re great students.’”

For an example of their integrity, look no further than the 1980 AIAW regional tournament match between 91����Ƶ and Mary Washington. That game ended in a 0-0 tie, and both teams headed to a separate practice field for penalty strokes. When a Mary Washington player took her first penalty stroke, the ball slipped past 91����Ƶ goalkeeper Shirley Yoder Faust and through a hole in the net. The umpire, unaware of the hole, signaled a missed shot. It was then, Brownscombe said, that Faust approached the umpire and pointed out the hole.

“They came up to me, and the umpire asked, ‘Why would your goalie tell me it was a goal when I said it wasn’t?’” Brownscombe said. “Shirley looked at me and said, ‘Because it’s the truth,’ and the official just shook her head.”

That 1980 team, which went on to win those penalty strokes, finished third at the state tournament and second at the regional tournament. That year marked the first time Royals field hockey, or any sports team at the school, would qualify for a national tournament. It finished 13th and was inducted in the Hall of Honor in 2012.

“The players on that team saw the transition of field hockey at 91����Ƶ from just another team to one that had to be reckoned with,” Brownscombe said.

The ‘hay’ days of hockey

Before the turf field arrived on campus, the field hockey players practiced and played on a grass field that ran from the top of the tennis courts to the physical plant, through what is now the softball field.

Brownscombe recalled regularly painting lines on the field with the soccer coach, whose field was next to them, where the new track complex is. One year, she said, her players arrived at the field and found the grass so long it looked like hay.

“Fortunately, one of the captains had worked at the physical plant all summer and was allowed to drive a truck, so the other players could throw the grass in it,” she said. “Sure, it was frustrating, but that’s what we did.”

Field hockey and soccer players often had to stop practices for cross-country meets, which ran right across the 50-yard line of our grass fields. When they did get to play, it was in front of a passionate group of fans: the boys in the three-story Oakwood dormitory.

“They were rowdy,” Brownscombe said. “They would be watching out their windows and be shouting at the players.”

The ’90s teams

Tina Book ‘91 played on the field hockey team for four seasons in the late 1980s and returned to coach the team in 1994 after Brownscombe left. She remembered playing on the turf field the first year it was installed.

“It made the game faster, and it also allowed us to score more,” the 1989 ODAC Player of the Year said. “I feel like we were so adaptive to the turf.”

Indeed, all of the top scorers in the 91����Ƶ record books—players like Jeané Horning Hershey ‘94—made their mark on the turf. Hershey, once the career record leader in goals and points scored, now ranks sixth in career goals and eighth in career points at 91����Ƶ.

In 1992 and 1993, the Royals defeated rival and perennial ODAC powerhouse Lynchburg College in back-to-back conference finals matches to advance to the first round of the national tournament. It was the start of seven national tournament appearances that decade. (The Royals returned to the national tournament in 2000 and 2003.)

“We had a good camaraderie, and I don’t remember any drama,” Hershey said. “I just remember working hard and doing the best we could.”

Former goalkeeper Jen Kooker Peifer ’96, who played on the team from 1992-95, held the career saves record for 23 years before it was broken in 2018 by Kelsey Troyer. Peifer’s career save percentage record (89.8 percent) remains intact. She was inducted in the Hall of Honor as an athlete and as a member of the 1995 team.

That ‘95 squad posted a remarkable 21-2 overall record, an 8-0 conference record and a historic run to the final four at nationals. “I think that’s one of the best teams that 91����Ƶ has ever had in any sport,” Peifer said.

‘Small but mighty’

When Kristina Landis Yoder ’09 joined the field hockey team in 2006, she had heard all about its history of success.

“There was definitely a sense of honor in carrying on those traditions,” she said. “We always had pride in being a small but mighty team.”

Yoder recounted starting each morning of preseason practice with a three-mile run, followed by three practices held throughout the day. During her playing career, from 2006-08, the team led by coach Brenda Bechler made it to the ODAC finals every year only to be defeated by Lynchburg each time. Their first meeting, in 2006, ended in a tie and went into a second overtime before Lynchburg prevailed in penalty strokes.

“I don’t think there was any other game in my career that all of us played so hard and ran so hard,” she said. “That year, they didn’t expect us to make it that far, and we did. It was exhilarating and fun and by far the most memorable game I’ve ever played.”

A bright future

In February 2024, Chardonnay “Char” Hope took the reins as the new field hockey coach. She succeeds Ashley “Stick” Kishorn, who had coached the team since 2017.

Prior to coming to 91����Ƶ, Hope was the head field hockey coach at ODAC school Ferrum College. She said she had researched the Royals’ success, and it was what drew her to taking the job.

“A championship history and a winning mindset is embedded in the roots of this program,” Hope said. “There are many athletes and coaches who have paved the way for our current team and me.”

Turf as old as time

The 91����Ƶ turf field has a rich history. Its playing surface, which was last replaced in 2006, is now used by the men’s and women’s soccer teams and women’s lacrosse team, in addition to the field hockey team. But, after 18 years of dutiful service, it’s showing its age. The turf no longer has the same bounce or cushion it once had. Sections of the surface are peeling away, presenting a safety hazard to the athletes who use it.

“Replacing the turf field is absolutely necessary to avoid injuries and attract the level of players that will build a winning team,” Hershey said.

Peifer agreed with her former teammate: “If you want athletes to come to 91����Ƶ, having top-tier athletic facilities is paramount. When they’re touring schools, the facilities that impress them play a big part in where they want to go.”

The turf field, one of the oldest in the ODAC, has lived nearly two industry-standard lives. The school is set to install new carpet and a top-of-the-line pad this summer. 91����Ƶ Athletics Director Carrie Bert said the new and improved field will be “visually appealing and, more importantly, provide more consistent ball play and a significantly safer experience for athletes and officials.”

Support our student-athletes and a new turf field through an immediate gift or multi-year commitment. Give today at emu.edu/turf-field, or contact kirk.shisler@emu.edu for more details.

“But when I found out that he was leaving to go to the ministry, I thought, ‘How can you argue with that?’” she said at a reception for Griffin last week at Yoder Arena.

Griffin resigned in July to accept a position as connections minister for the Philadelphia District Church of the Nazarene. He was offered the position by Pastor Kerry Willis, formerly of the First Church of the Nazarene in Harrisonburg, who was elected superintendent of the district in April.

While at 91����Ƶ, Griffin compiled a 230-111 record and was  honored four times as conference coach of the year. He coached 25 All-ODAC selections and eight first-teamers, including two-time ODAC Player of the Year and Jostens Trophy awardee Jess Rheinheimer.

���ѱ�’s new women’s basketball coach Jenny Logan coached against Griffin while at ODAC rival Hollins University.

During the reception, Huxman thanked Griffin for his coaching ministry “on and off the court.”

“We appreciate your winning record, the winningest coach in the history of women’s basketball here at 91����Ƶ, and we appreciate the fact that you have been ODAC Coach of the Year multiple times,” she said. “What I appreciate most of all, and one could see this and feel it, is the way in which you have coached our students to be winners on and off the court.”

Griffin was known for developing his players as athletes, but also ”intellectually, personally, spiritually and relationally,” she said.

Also sharing memories at the farewell was Sandy Brownscombe, emeritus professor and women’s basketball coach before Griffin; Jim Smucker, vice president for student life; Dave King, director of athletics; and Kirby Dean, former men’s basketball coach and Griffin’s teammate on the Royals basketball team. Griffin graduated in 1993, one year after Dean.

When women’s coach Richard McElwee resigned in 2005, Dean was heading the Royals men’s program. He urged King, then the university’s new athletic director, to consider Griffin for the position.

At that time, Griffin was an assistant coach at Delsea High School in Franklinville, New Jersey, but had , according to an 91����Ƶ press release.

Read more

• Griffin steps down as women’s basketball coach to pursue ministry
• Jenny Logan becomes new 91����Ƶ women’s basketball coach

The final blessing, offered by Undergraduate Campus Pastor , included a prayer for each attendee, the students from all faiths and backgrounds who would begin arriving on campus that day, and — in acknowledgement of — for courage to confront “systems of racism that destroy rather than build the Kingdom of God.”

This year’s theme — “Expanding the Legacy, Enlarging the Tent” — emphasized integrating ���ѱ�’s history and traditions with a vision for its second century; the conference also officially launched ���ѱ�’s celebrations.

Strong vision

President donned three different types of eyewear during her keynote address to illustrate the “special kind of seeing we do in Anabaptist Mennonite schools … more clearly, deeply and widely.” [Listen to the .]

91����Ƶ is well-poised with “strong vision and high purpose” for the future, she said.

Merging perspectives of hindsight and foresight with Anabaptist-inspired insight, she noted ���ѱ�’s strong and vibrant historic legacy; a robust, holistic and distinctive education that includes cross-cultural study and faith formation; and a cohesive, faith-filled community of faculty and staff.

“We have just begun to promote a vibrant future of counter-cultural Mennonite education, one that prepares our students for relevant and in-demand careers and meaningful spiritual lives shaped by the reconciling love of Jesus,” Huxman said.

While praising ���ѱ�’s entrepreneurial spirit, epitomized in pioneering professor emeritus and philanthropist Margaret “Speedy” Martin Gehman and Alumnus of the Year , Huxman noted new academic offerings: the program, offered collaboratively with Goshen (Indiana) College, as well as the new four-year and a neuroscience minor.

Approximately 380 new and returning employees participated. The fall semester begins Monday, Aug. 28.

 Many voices

A panel of respondents to Huxman’s speech included , , and . The final session of storytelling, a much-loved tradition, included , , , and .

Special guest Donald B. Kraybill provided a one-hour preview of his forthcoming Centennial history, 91����Ƶ: One Hundred Years of Counter-Cultural Education (Penn State Press, 2017) to be released at the Oct. 13-15 .

Four breakout sessions highlighted influential programs, themes and concepts:

• — Professors and traced the history of racial-ethnic diversity at 91����Ƶ, with special attention to current diversity trends and shifting paradigms. They asked, “How could and should paradigms and power structures shift? How can and should our new diversity help us more fully understand and realize the radical nature of our Anabaptist values?” Click here to .

• Drinking in Knowledge at the Source: 91����Ƶ’s Cross Cultural Program — A panel of five experienced cross-cultural program leaders discussed one of ���ѱ�’s most unique academic programs and included , professor and interim cross-cultural program director; , program assistant; , emeritus professor; , cross-cultural leader and adjunct instructor; and professors and .
• Creating a Beloved Community at 91����Ƶ: Organizational Culture as Blessing and Barrier — Professor discussed culture and sub-culture identities as both assets and liabilities. He invited the group to list both blessings and barriers to ���ѱ�’s culture (and multiple sub cultures), noting that you must first understand your own organizational culture before you can interpret for — and thus fully integrate — newcomers.
• “Thy Word is Truth”: Old Song, New Tune — Professor , associate dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and Professor discussed “word” and “truth” as the biblical writer imagined these words, and engaged with ways that the motto speaks to 91����Ƶ at 100 years.

“This major prepares students for a wide variety of careers, from facilities management to event planning, sports marketing, camp administration, ecotourism, graduate school and so much more,” says Professor . “We are really excited to offer this, because it gives students a strong foundation of knowledge, but also greater flexibility to explore their interests in the field and then tailor their studies in that direction.”

The employment outlook for recreation majors is positive, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job growth is projected to rise through 2024 by 10 percent, a rate that exceeds the 7 percent average for all occupations.

“This is an area of career interest that we frequently hear about from prospective students,” said Vice President for Student Life . “These are often students whose lives have been shaped by athletics and outdoors experiences, and they want to find a profession in which they can continue to be involved and share that with others. This major offers skills, preparation and guidance as they look at their options to fulfill that dream.”

Core and elective coursework focuses on several core components:

• Managerial skills, including personnel, scheduling, program evaluation, mediation and group dynamics;
• Knowledge of legal and risk management aspects, including supervision and program administration;
• Facilities management and event planning;
• Teaching and coaching skills of individual and team sports;
• Principles of fitness, including strength and conditioning, and first aid.

The major encourages career exploration through a sophomore practicum and then a more focused intensive hands-on experience during the senior internship.

Several students have fulfilled the internship requirements through the , a semester-long cross-cultural experience in Washington D.C.

“Our students have worked at area YMCAs, covered the Washington Nationals and assisted with programs with ,” Brownscombe says.

Additionally, the curricular framework asks all RLSS majors to select a minor from among the 39 offered at 91����Ƶ. and are popular, but Brownscombe encourages students to stretch themselves into other departments.

“You can pair the RLSS major with a minor in business, youth ministry, psychology, neuroscience,” she says. “The curricular load also offers room to take electives, so if you’re exploring physical therapy or but not wanting a biology major, you could select courses in physics, chemistry and mathematics that would align with prerequisite courses required for particular graduate programs.”

Sophomore Bailey Hall, who is currently completing a practicum this summer at Botetourt Sports Center, says the new major teaches skills that fit his current goals of becoming a recreation facility manager or a baseball coach. Curricular flexibility will allow him to double-minor, adding coaching and kinesiology.

The new major is the result of a two-year internal and external review process; so too is a new hire.

Dr. Joo Hyun Lee, formerly of Florida State University, brings research experience with consumer behavior in recreation management, specifically in parks and outdoor recreation, nature-based tourism, and at festivals and events. She’ll teach risk management, administration, leadership and event planning courses, as well as marketing courses in the .

Brownscombe, a professor at 91����Ƶ since 1978, is energized by these developments.

“Recreation has been a critical component of the department for a long time, as we’ve had long-standing relationships with camps and the local recreation community. This major builds on those relationships and the legacy of the faculty and staff who have gone before us,” she said. “We’ve worked hard to strengthen our offerings and hone into our niche to better prepare our graduates, even as the recreation and leisure world continues to change.”

When she was in high school, wearing polyester uniforms and tube socks, the long shots she took with the larger boys’ ball then in use didn’t count for three points. The 3-point line hadn’t been created yet.

When she played for 91����Ƶ, it was often out of the limelight, as women’s basketball didn’t receive the media attention it does now.

Through all the challenges, though, Moren Baker just kept loving the game and succeeding at it. She set the career scoring record and a variety of other records at Bremen High School — many of which still stand. At 91����Ƶ, where she transferred after spending her first year at Goshen College in Indiana, she was the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 1986 and received All-America honorable mention twice. She is currently No. 13 on ���ѱ�’s all-time scoring list with 1,040 points in three seasons, having just been passed this year by Jess .

Now,  her home state has added its accolades to her stellar, pioneering career. On April 30, Moren Baker was inducted into the, joining the likes of Larry Bird, John Wooden, Tamika Catchings, Steve Alford, Muffet McGraw and Calbert Cheaney.

“They called before Thanksgiving to let me know I was being inducted this year,” Moren Baker says. “It’s quite an honor, obviously. It’s a pretty big deal—the whole state. I’m excited to share it with 91����Ƶ and the community there.”

Moren Baker says she was first nominated about four or five years ago, as nominees have to be out of high school for 26 years to make the ballot. Nothing happened for a while, so she had just about given up on it.

Joined by teammate, coach

This past weekend, however, she joined this year’s at a banquet in Indianapolis, surrounded by family, friends, former teammates, and her middle school coach from the cafeteria days.

One of those in attendance was Sue Blauch, an NCAA Division I and WNBA official who was one of Moren Baker’s teammates at 91����Ƶ.

“Deana stood out then, and continues to stand out now,” Blauch says. “Her work ethic and basketball IQ were above and beyond. Deana made her teammates better just by working hard and enjoying the game. Her love for the game always came through. For Deana to receive this kind of recognition for her accomplishments is very satisfying to anyone who knows her well.”

Moren Baker’s coach at 91����Ƶ was , now chair of the . She says the Hall of Fame honor is a tribute to all the pioneers of women’s basketball who moved the game into prominence.

“The induction is a thank you to her and a recognition of a time when girls didn’t get a lot of recognition for what they did,” says Brownscombe, who also attended the induction ceremony. “I think the peers who played with her are maybe as happy as she is.”

Brownscombe says the 5-foot-9 Moren Baker was unusually tall and strong for her shooting guard position and possessed great range, with especially deadly accuracy from the right wing spot. She helped the 1984-1985 team average 76 points per game, the highest in the program’s history.

“Deana and that group started to put us on the map,” Brownscombe says. “She really made a difference and helped us move the quality of the program up considerably. She was just the classic student-athlete, exactly what you wanted in your players.”

Still a Royals fan

Moren Baker actually came to 91����Ƶ because she wanted to also play softball, a sport Goshen didn’t have at the time. It was on the basketball court, though, that Moren Baker made her mark, and she says she “loved every minute of it.”

“I love 91����Ƶ, and it was a great move (to go there),” she says. “I still follow ���ѱ�’s team online.”

She was inducted into ���ѱ�’s in 1986 after leading 91����Ƶ to its first of two ODAC championships and setting Virginia Division III records for career and season free-throw percentage.

91����Ƶ athletic director says he is pleased to see Moren Baker get this latest honor in a state “synonymous with quality basketball.”

“To have one of our alumnae inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is a true honor for 91����Ƶ,” King says. “We are very proud of Deana for her accomplishments before she arrived here, while she played for the Royals and in the years following graduation. She set high standards for those who followed her and is an example of what can be accomplished through hard work and commitment.”

After graduation, Moren Baker went to work in California and Minnesota in the biotech and pharmacy industries and now teaches biology for Thomas University in Georgia. She doesn’t play basketball as much as she used to, but is hoping to play in a senior competition in New Zealand next summer with friends from Minneapolis.

Moren Baker and other inductees will have a special display of memorabilia at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame for the coming year and will be permanently honored in the enshrinement hall. The museum is located in New Castle, Indiana, about 45 minutes east of Indianapolis.

The theme this year was the question, “Why do I continue to ‘choose’ Jesus?”

The late February event features nightly faculty/staff sharing and conversation in residence halls, special gatherings for women and men, chapel events, retreats, and the much-loved tradition of meeting in the homes of faculty and staff for a meal and fellowship.

More than 100 students signed up for dinners hosted by 20 faculty and staff. “We have been trying to do this every semester,” said , undergraduate campus pastor and event coordinator, “but this semester, it was really successful.”

Speakers at the informal nightly discussions included , professor of English, and , professor of visual arts; head baseball coach and assistant coach Adam Posey; physical education professors and ; undergraduate dean and , office coordinator for the Applied Social Sciences Department.

Professors and led a women’s gathering, while Wes Wilder, a ministry intern, hosted the men’s luncheon.

spoke in chapel about her years-long journey with glaucoma, a reflection titled “,” which was widely read and shared after posting to 91����Ƶ News and Facebook accounts. Schrock-Hurst teaches youth ministry, spiritual formation, and introduction to Bible courses in the department, in addition to overseeing the .

‘All their stories are sacred’

“I really enjoyed hearing the stories from the faculty and staff and their perspectives on following Jesus,” said Christina Hershey, a pastoral assistant for campus ministries. “It was interesting to go to multiple forums because everyone had very different stories, but all their stories are sacred, and it shows the diversity in the church.”

She added, “I really like the opportunity to hear the stories from the faculty and staff and to learn from their vast wealth of knowledge. Many of them do not get the chance to share about their faith in their classroom or other work contexts, and I enjoy hearing their perspectives on faith. I also attended both chapels and the faculty and staff meals.”

“I admired Adam and Ben’s willingness to open up and discuss their personal faith journeys,” said senior , who helped to host an evening forum and the women’s meal, which attracted about 50 participants to the West Dining Room. “Carl and Carolyn addressed the question, ‘What is the difference between living like Jesus and living in relationship with Jesus?’ [They] brought about a conversation that can be controversial and layered it in the love and grace of Jesus as they related it to attachment theory. They shared personal reflection laced with academic theory and profound passion for relationship with Jesus.”

Care ‘extends beyond the classroom’

, chair of the Department, opened Saturday evening’s meal with a smile and a Punjabi song to bless the spread of Pakistani dishes before him. He and his wife, Deb, provided curried foods including lentils, chicken, potato with cauliflower, and mustard greens. In addition, they served roti, a flour-based flatbread, achaar, mixed, pickled vegetables, and raita, a tart yogurt condiment with mint and cumin to cool down the spicy Thai dragon peppers.

The dinner was typical of what he and his wife often prepare for special guests. Since a great number of 91����Ƶ students study abroad, Medley thought that the ethnic food would be very much appreciated.

“It’s a matter of identity,” Medley says. After living in Pakistan for 11 years, their lifestyle has become heavily influenced by the food and way of living. The influence of Pakistani culture is evident not only in the dishes served, but also in the artwork and ornaments that adorn their home.

In the past, Spiritual Life Week has often involved bringing a well-known speaker to campus. Now those resources are focused on facilitating conversation and relationships between students and their faculty and staff counterparts.

“This is what is means for faculty and staff to enter into conversation with students, and to talk about life and faith,” said Miller.

First year Grace Burkhart feels that “these meals highlight the fact that faculty care about students in a way that extends beyond the classroom.”

“We want to ask: How are faculty and staff making themselves available to students out of class?” said Miller. “As a community we can sometimes speak better into people’s lives than a big name speaker would. So now, when you see someone across campus, there is a chance you actually know something about them, but a speaker, you probably will only see once.”

Initially, when Medley received the invitation to host students as well as the indication that students wish to interact with the faculty more, he felt that it was important to open his home. He finds that encouraging community feeling on ���ѱ�’s campus is an important part of Spiritual Life Week. In the past, the Medleys have invited students and other faculty members in his classes and within the department for dinners and occasional seasonal events. However, Spiritual Life Week has made it easier to do so because of its efficient organization.

“I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some people I had seen on campus before but never had the opportunity to get to know,” said junior Maddie Gish. “It is amazing how much we can learn from everyone around us. I am so glad I participated!”

Portions of this coverage were reprinted with permission from the March 3, 2016, edition of the Weather Vane.

“It’s really our story,” he says of his wife, Sarah, and son Nolan. “Sarah’s the curator of my gallery, but in a lot of ways she’s really the curator of my life.” [To view Eyre’s photography, visit his

A tumultuous start

Even attending college was not a simple choice for Eyre. In his home province of Ontario, Canada, completion of a 13th grade is required to qualify for university admission. When his father passed away as Eyre entered grade 12, he did not see a clear path after high school.

Instead, he joined the Mennonite Voluntary Service Adventure program, and spent a year in Albany, Oregon. In 2001, he came to Harrisonburg to drive a friend home from 91����Ƶ for Christmas break. The people he met convinced him that 91����Ƶ was the right next step.

College life wasn’t easy, though. He switched his major three times, from physical education to camping recreation and outdoor ministries, and later to youth ministries. He and Sarah, who is from his hometown, began a long-distance relationship during his sophomore year.

Coming back for the spring semester, he hit a patch of black ice and careened into a telephone pole, possibly causing a concussion. His experience working as a CA “was overall a good one, as was the hall I lived and worked on, but a couple situations made second semester difficult.”

Then, Eyre broke up with Sarah. He considered leaving school.

After avoiding Sarah every time he was back home, “she finally cornered me to get this closure,” says Eyre. “Being ‘cornered’ was a good thing really, because it helped me realize where I wanted to be.”

Eyre dropped out of college, returning to Ontario. He worked a number of jobs – managing a bookstore, cleaning carpets, transporting hospital patients, photographing weddings. A year after Eyre dropped out of 91����Ƶ, he and Sarah were married. He eventually became a youth pastor for his home church.

Coming back

After two years of stability, Eyre faced another Red Sea. He was told without explanation to post his resignation. Their rental home became unavailable. Their bank account was hacked into and emptied. Eyre was passed over for a promising camp director position. He decided to return to college.

“I’d fought a calling to come back to 91����Ƶ,” says Eyre, and in the face of so many problems, “doors kept swinging really wide open to come back.”

An hour after calling Professor to discuss returning, she had emailed him a 3.5-year curriculum plan.

Eyre sold all his photography gear to fund the move, and and left Sarah and his son Nolan in Canada.

Coming together

Slowly, the pieces of family, youth ministry, photography, and sports coalesced on one small campus.

Sarah filed extensive paperwork to gain nursing certification in the United States, and Rockingham Memorial Hospital held a job until she was able to move to Harrisonburg. Eyre landed a Northlawn residence director position, beginning his career with Residence Life.

“You want to talk about dream jobs, I think I have it now!” says Eyre. “Our call to minister to young adults is still the same as it ever has been, we just don’t do it within a church; we do it in a residence hall, which offers different opportunities.”

His collegiate trajectory, however, veered from physical education after taking a digital photography course with Professor .

“This whole love of photography came back,” says Eyre. He switched his major, again. Sarah was okay with the change as long as he could prove that there would be jobs in the field.

“I don’t know if I ever proved that there were jobs, but I proved that I wouldn’t last long in the school system,” says Eyre, who indicated concerns about underfunded public schools. Unlike Ontario, many states also lack unions to protect teachers’ rights. “If I feel like there’s some form of injustice, I tend to take up the cause.”

His social justice slant, however, found a home in photography. The at 91����Ƶ, he says, teaches not only technical skill, but also “the why. Can you make a photo that tells a story? That conveys a message, and a meaningful one at that?”

The graduate

Eyre recently hosted his senior show at the Margaret Gehman Art Gallery: “5×7: An Exploration in Isolation in New York City” shows “people living together in a space, finding spots to be alone, whether by choice, or because that’s the cards they’ve been dealt, in a way.” The show was then exhibited at Blue Ridge Architects for the February “First Friday” event.

This summer, he travels to Turkey to retrace Paul’s missionary journey; this will fulfill Eyre’s credits, the last remaining piece for him to graduate.

“Most people would try to do that before they’re 34,” he jokes.

But the Red Sea parts in its own time. His current circumstances “are really a God kind of thing, to take different passions and find a way to put them all together in the same space.”

“I always enjoy Camp Day just to reconnect with camps from around the country,” says 91����Ƶ senior Malachi Bontrager, an outdoor ministry and adventure leadership major. “Growing up as a camp kid, I have probably been to 60 percent of these camps, so there are a lot of familiar faces.”

Bontrager shared during the Camp Day chapel service about growing up at Camp Deerpark in southern New York, which brought urban kids from New York City to have experiences in nature, and his later gap year experience at a camp in Florida that offered similar, but longer-term, experiences.

“I fell in love with nature,” Bontrager says. “I think nature is the catalyst for educating young people to be successful. You just have to say, ‘Wow! This is awesome. This is God.’ ”

Doug Phillips ‘82, director of Brethren Woods camp and retreat center in nearby Keezletown, Virginia, says he has been coming to Camp Day since it began more than 30 years ago.

“It’s a good chance to connect and network with folks at other camps,” says Phillips, who majored in social work and minored in outdoor ministry at 91����Ƶ. “And we have always had at least one or two summer staff from here.”

Phillips says his camp employed four 91����Ƶ students last summer, and he has hired one of them—senior Amanda Helfrich of Gettysburg, Ohio—as assistant program director following her graduation this spring.

Dean Williams, program director at Highland Retreat in Bergton, Virginia, says his camp program has had a steady pipeline to 91����Ƶ, too, but the way those connections happen has changed over the years.

“The biggest difference from when I first came to this day 21 years ago is that students used to come by based on your display. Now they check out the website beforehand, so we talk to fewer students, but a higher percentage of them end up on staff. The personal contact is what makes this significant.”

Williams says he typically has three to five “really good contacts” at the event. He also holds a pizza party after the formal schedule is done, encouraging former staff to invite their friends.

“It’s your staff who are on campus here who are your best recruiters,” Williams says. “I have had very few experiences where staff have steered me the wrong way.”

, chair of ���ѱ�’s department, has noticed the changing trends, too. Most students who work at the camps come from a variety of majors, not just outdoor ministry or physical education.

Brownscombe, who has taught at 91����Ƶ since 1978, says Camp Day, which is co-hosted with the , will continue.

“It’s a really exciting event, and we’ll keep it going,” Brownscombe says. “The camps appreciate the quality of students they get when they come to 91����Ƶ, and as you look around many of the directors are 91����Ƶ alumni. We have a commitment to all the camps, and it’s an important role we share.”

In addition, students in two classes —“Recreation and Sport and Modern Society ” and “Introduction to Youth Ministry” —attended the event. , who work with to minister to students in the residence halls, also attended a special session.

ABS is a convenient acronym, then, for the weekly Athlete Bible Study that’s begun meeting over lunch on the 91����Ƶ campus this semester – and just one manifestation of senior cross-country runner Jolee Paden’s efforts to enrich the spiritual lives of her fellow athletes and classmates.

Last January, she also helped launch a monthly event called Athletes Speak, during which students gather over pizza to hear athletes and coaches talk about their lives and faith. Both events are affiliated with ���ѱ�’s chapter of the (FCA), in which Paden has been a leader since she was a first-year student.

At the time, FCA didn’t have a particularly large or active presence on campus, and so, just as she’d done previously at her high school in St. Joseph, Illinois, Paden threw herself into the task of building it up.

“FCA is for athletes and coaches to have the opportunity to encounter biblical truth and authentic community,” said Paden, a double-major in and . “Over the last three years and going into the fourth, it’s just done a complete 360 in terms of getting people involved.”

One of the ways she’s promoted the ABS and Athletes Speak events was dropping any reference to FCA from their names. She decided to do so after discovering that some student-athletes didn’t understand the purpose of the group or had developed negative impressions of it in high school.

This decision, said 91����Ƶ athletics director , “demonstrated her sensitivity and creativity” as a leader.

“Jolee has provided the most critical ingredient for any successful program aimed at student athletes – student leadership,” King continued. “Sustainable programs have quality student leadership and Jolee has provided that.”

Paden is also a pastoral assistant with ���ѱ�’s , and spoke in chapel in late September. (Audio of her talk is available .)

“Jolee brings energy and focus to spiritual life on campus. She is always noticing and discerning opportunities for ministry among her peers,” said campus pastor . “She presents with confidence and poise. There’s no doubt that she will continue to develop as a keynote speaker and preacher.”

In addition to her work on campus, Paden is an intern at Grace Covenant Church in Harrisonburg, and helps lead the congregation’s ministry for college students. She has also published a running-themed devotional book, , writes , and begun accepting more public speaking invitations.

“I think God has just really blessed me with the capacity and the grace to do so much, because I still find time to relax and have a weekend sometimes. It’s kind of amazing,” said Paden.

As the fall semester slips by, she’s thinking more and more about life after 91����Ƶ. Perhaps she’ll enter seminary. Maybe she’ll go back to Washington D.C., where she lived last summer and loved working for , a nonprofit that uses running to empower people experiencing homelessness. As she weighs those options, she’s also intent on making sure that the FCA and affiliated events that have been so important to her time at 91����Ƶ will continue to thrive after she’s gone.

“I’ve put a lot of my heart and hopefully the Lord’s heart into this,” said Paden. “Building up other people who are passionate about it is really, really important to me.’”

As a practical matter, that’s meant handing over more and more responsibility to students who will return next year. One of them is Amanda Williams, a sophomore soccer player who helps schedule speakers for the Athletes Speak events. Williams hopes that she and her peers will continue building on Paden’s efforts to enrich the spiritual lives of 91����Ƶ athletes.

“I think Jolee has an authentic relationship to God and displaying her faith just comes naturally to her,” Williams said. “She has a different perspective on the Bible – it’s refreshing to me, just to hear the things that God reveals to her.”

Regardless of what, exactly, next year might bring for her, Paden plans to continue on the same general path she’s followed through 91����Ƶ – sharing, speaking, encouraging and nurturing the spiritual lives of the people around her.

“My dream would just be to tour and talk to young people and athletes,” she said. “But it’s just a matter of how the Lord is opening those doors.”

“The teachers we hire from the 91����Ƶ teacher education program rank as being some of the best,” says Scott R. Kizner, superintendent of Harrisonburg City public schools. “I’m remarkably impressed with their ability to build relationships with our students and value the rich diversity of our school system. As superintendent, I take great comfort in knowing that 91����Ƶ graduates are serving our students.”

Within six months of graduation, nearly 100% of students who pursue teaching positions are employed in their field, according to Cathy Smeltzer Erb, chair of ���ѱ�’s undergraduate education department.

���ѱ�’s education students enter local classrooms five weeks into their college careers, years before their peers at other universities.

Professor Sandy Brownscombe says her first-year “Exploring Teaching” students come back from their stints in classrooms with eyes opened to what the career could entail. In her 36 years at 91����Ƶ, she has seen many decide that teaching is not for them after this early experience as education students.

“The [91����Ƶ] program is set up so that students who do not acquire beginning-level teaching skills or professional attributes do not make it through the program and are counseled toward another avenue of life’s calling,” observes Bill Sprinkel, who spent 40 years in the Rockingham County School system before retiring from his supervisor of instruction role a few years ago.

By the time they are seniors in their college careers, ���ѱ�’s student-teachers are serious and self-assured in their callings, not wavering in their chosen paths. “They come prepared and academically strong,” says Lacey Spring Elementary principal Donna Robinson, who has observed student-teachers and graduates for 16 years as an administrator. “They’re always ready to do over and beyond, to help with extracurricular activities – beyond the school day.”

Charlette McQuilkin, Rockingham director of student assessment, calls teaching a “people business,” and believes 91����Ƶ graduates get that. They employ a uniquely “loving and caring attitude toward students,” says Robinson, plus they are also exceptional at self-assessment.

“You can tell someone held them accountable in their education,” says Anne Lintner, principal at Keister Elementary in Harrisonburg.

���ѱ�’s reflective teaching model centers on constantly assessing how teaching strategies are impacting students, and how these can be improved. “Our students, and therefore our teachers, are seen as people who are committed to the work of teaching… they’re not ones who just punch the clock,” says Smeltzer Erb of ���ѱ�’s undergraduate education program. “As a result, they truly learn to care about their students academically and socially; how is this student thriving with peers or in the home setting?

“Becoming a teacher is a lifelong process of continuous reflection,” she adds. “Our grads are doing that in schools, and that makes them stand out.”

— Samantha Cole ’11

After receiving votes in the preseason national listing, Eastern Mennonite’s women are ranked No. 24 in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll.  The Royals are 2-0 after double-digit wins over Chatham and Lancaster Bible at the 91����Ƶ Tip-Off Invitational last weekend.  Even as they adjusted to some injuries as well as defections from last year’s 21-7 team, 91����Ƶ showed off one of their biggest strengths – their depth.

also neared a milestone, as the wins tied him with for the most wins in program history.  Griffin, a two-time ODAC Coach of the Year, has a record of 139-72 as he starts his ninth season at 91����Ƶ.

The Royals have a huge test on the road tomorrow, playing at York (Pa.).  The experienced Spartans, who are strangely not listed in the Coaches Poll but are No. 18 in the D3hoops.com preseason poll, were 20-7 last year.  Also missing from the Coaches Poll is USA South preseason favorite Ferrum College, another road opponent for 91����Ƶ (Dec. 7).

The games at York (Pa.) and Ferrum figure to be the two toughest contests for the Royals in the first half of the season before they get into the meat of their schedule against the much-improved Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

De Pauw University was a unanimous No. 1 in the Coaches Poll.  No other ODAC teams beside 91����Ƶ received any votes.

The Coaches Poll and the D3hoops.com Poll are the two “official” polls of D-III women’s basketball.  91����Ƶ received one vote in the , but did not crack the top 25.

He recently retired from a position with Rockingham County, spending more than 30 years with the county’s recreation department, including the last 28 as director.  Eberly coached the boy’s golf team at Eastern Mennonite High School this past year and also works at in Harrisonburg, which will be the home course for the Royals.

Further building on the connection with the city-owned course, David Johns, the head professional at Heritage Oaks, will provide additional instruction for the 91����Ƶ golfers.

91����Ƶ Director of Athletics feels the combination of the two men will be perfect for the start up of the program.

“Wendell brings a familiarity with the university, the Harrisonburg community and Heritage Oaks that will help him fit into the collegiate coaching role and get the golf program up and running,” King explained.  “David’s familiarity of golf programs, including his collegiate playing days at James Madison University, will help in establishing the golf program.  The combination of Wendell’s administrative experience and David’s teaching expertise and experience provides the foundation for a great start to our golf teams.  That combination will also be an attraction to recruits who want to improve their game.  The availability of both Wendell and David at the golf course will greatly benefit the players during their practice sessions.”

Eberly was pleased to see 91����Ƶ add the sport on the varsity level.

“The more I started talking about this opportunity the more excited I got,” he said.  “I love golf and it’s a great program for 91����Ƶ to get involved with as it provides a lifetime activity for the student-athletes.”

Immediately after graduating from Eastern Mennonite in 1975, Eberly coached the women’s basketball team to three winning seasons on an interim basis preceding Hall of Honor coach .  He now brings his involvement with his alma mater full circle.

“I’ve been involved with 91����Ƶ for many years,” said Eberly.  “I graduated from here, my wife graduated from here and we’ve had two daughters graduate from here.  So I’ve been involved with the community for many years and stayed up on their sports activities.  It’s a good institution and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

The collegiate golf season spans all year, with events in both the fall and spring leading up to the ODAC Championship in April.  King knows that with the timing of the hiring, the majority of ���ѱ�’s first team members might already be on campus.

“While we are really late in the recruiting process, we are hopeful that as Wendell gets started this week, we can still find a few student-athletes that would like to be a part of this new program,” King said.  “We have a lot to learn about the golf program, but having Wendell and David working together, I believe that we can make up for lost time.  We are grateful to the Loyal Royals who have provided funding so Wendell can begin working immediately.”

Eberly begins his work as ���ѱ�’s first golf coach this week.  He and his wife Carol live in Harrisonburg.  They have two grown daughters that live in the area along with two grandchildren.

The 2012-13 schedule will be released later this summer.

The students were among those recognized at the 8th annual Teachers of Promise (TOP) Institute held Mar. 25-26 at James Madison University. More than 200 education majors from the Commonwealth’s 37 teacher-accrediting institutions attended the gathering that celebrates and recognizes the state’s most outstanding pre-service teachers.

The students are: Sarah Beck, special education, Archbold, Ohio; Ebony Dennis, health and physical education, Aberdeen, Md.; Abby Erb, elementary education, Hesston, Kan.; Peyton Erb, elementary education and TESOL, Harrisonburg; John Hostetter, English education, Harrisonburg; Kristina Reinhardt, elementary education, Dalton, Ohio; Steven Rittenhouse, math education, Green Lane, Pa.; Hailee Rittle, special education, Jonestown, Pa.; Alyssa Roy, elementary education and special education, Charlottesville, Va.; and Maria Zehr, elementary education and music education, Orrville, Ohio.

The institute featured interactive workshops delivered by teachers with distinguished honors, including Virginia teachers of the year, Milken national award winners, nationally board certified teachers and national teachers of the year. Each student was paired with a mentor, who can provide support for years to come.

“Qualities that the education faculty used in selecting our ‘Teachers of Promise’ from across the program included showing outstanding potential as as educator, exhibiting a strong commitment to the profession and exemplifying the characteristics of a reflective, caring practitioner,” said Sandra L. (Sandy) Brownscombe, professor of education. “As a department we are humbled by the impact that these teachers will have on the lives of all of their future students.”

“We had school elections for student government representatives, complete with voting booths and election monitors,” Dr. Yoder recalled. As a school serving Egyptians hungry for an American-style education, NAC offered its students “their only direct experience with how democracies operate,” he added.

Time chose Sarah Abdel Rahman to be one of the seven young protesters on its cover as a result of her daily presence at the Tahrir Square protests, beginning on Jan. 25, 2011. Yoder knows Ms. Nadra Ibrahim, a Christian woman he had employed as a music teacher and a Muslim man, Mr. Adel, employed as an Arabic teacher at NAC also took leading roles in the protest.  On February 4, Muslims prayed, Mr. Adel helping to lead those prayers, in Tahrir Square as Christians surrounded them.  On Sunday, February 6, Ms. Nadra led singing on the square, as Muslims surrounded Christians, a most unusual public display of mutual support in Cairo.

The non-violent grassroots movement took Yoder by surprise. From 2000 – when Yoder was hired by an Egyptian educator, Mohamed El Rashidy, to found an American-style PK-12 school – to 2008 when Yoder wrapped up his work there, Yoder saw little possibility for Egypt’s release from dictator Mubarak’s rule. He and his wife, LaVerne Zehr Yoder ’63 did, however, grow to love Egypt and to feel welcomed by its people, regardless of their religious persuasion. In fact, 90 percent of the students in his school were Muslim, and Yoder says there was no tension between them and the heavily Christian faculty and minority segment of Christian students.

NAC grew from 20 students to 490 students by the time the Yoders left. LaVerne was the school’s founding early childhood leader, developing a new kindergarten classroom after walking into a room with only four white walls.

Although the Belleville, Pa., native had majored in history as an undergraduate at 91����Ƶ and spent four decades in the educational arena as an administrator and professor, he had never been to Egypt and knew little about the country.

A conversation 11 years ago with New York educational consultant Dr. Rollin P. Baldwin about Egypt intrigued Yoder. He learned that an Egyptian family that ran a series of private schools was seeking a superintendent to open an American-style school in Cairo. So Yoder flew to Egypt for a week in March 2000.

After meeting the owners – a father and his eight daughters – Yoder spoke to prospective parents, answering questions about what an American school would be like. “I was talking off the top of my head based on my experiences in secondary education teaching in the Philadelphia area, and relying on my master’s and doctoral work at Temple University,” Yoder recalled.  “I simply talked about the critical thinking, investigation, inquiry, problem-solving and writing approach on how we do education.”

Satisfying both the school’s owners and parents, Yoder returned home to Harrisonburg, VA with a signed contract, to work directly with The Mohamed El Rashidy Family of educators.

That fall of 2000, with a total of 20 students in grades 9 and 10, the Narmer American College (NAC) opened on the grounds of the related Maadi Narmer National School. Yoder’s eyes were quickly opened to a significant educational divide. He was teaching both English and world geography that first year, and in one of the latter classes he and his students were discussing the Palestine-Israeli issue.

He asked one sophomore, Mohamed Sinbawy, his opinion. “What, you want me to say what I think?” Sinbawy responded in disbelief.

“Yes, Mohamed, what are your own views?” Yoder wondered.

“No one ever asked me that before!”

Yoder was stunned. In response, he developed what he has dubbed a “Different Way of Learning.”

“What made our approach appealing is that the Egyptian national system is based on memorizing for a big test at the end of their schooling, very similar to a British system also in place in Egypt,” he said. “So it didn’t matter if a student goes to school, it didn’t matter what the teacher says, they just have to pass a test at the end.

“This became a much friendlier environment in which, for the first time, students took the initiative to establish a relationship with their teachers. Likewise, in the national schools parents don’t even talk to their children’s teachers,” Yoder noted.

LaVerne Z. Yoder, who taught elementary school for 27 years in the US before going with Lee to Cairo, was the school’s early childhood leader. The youngest of their three children, Lawson F. Yoder, an 91����Ƶ graduate, went to Cairo with his family for the 2007-2008, where he was the first assistant principal in the middle and high school.  He had taught previously for eight years at Broadway (VA) High School and another eight years at the Chapel School in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After returning to the US in 2008, he has been teaching in the middle school in Rockingham County, Virginia.

Another lure for teachers, parents and students is the sparkling first-of-its-kind Egyptian campus constructed under Yoder’s watchful eye. It is the equivalent, he said, of an $85 million U.S. school. It is located in New Cairo City, a major new development area east of Cairo that is part of the 17-million population metropolitan area. It is unique, according to Yoder, because the entire school is contained in one three-story building, encompassing nearly a quarter-million square feet, it has a capacity of 1,500 students.

Opened in August 2006, the school’s state-of-the-art facilities include 56 classrooms, music and art rooms, science and information technology laboratories, 24-hour internet access, a library, a 475-seat air-conditioned auditorium, a health clinic and a swimming pool, indoor sports court, gymnasium, a dance studio and an outdoor athletic field.

Yoder attended to all the details for a new school, from helping name the school to designing the school logo, signage and transcripts, developing the PK-12 curriculum, all policies and procedures, recruiting faculty, chairing the school accreditation efforts, participating in meetings with architects to thrash out the new school building’s design and even helping select the American school furniture imported from the U.S.

At NAC, the curriculum Yoder developed uses the Virginia Standards of Learning with local adaptations, such as modern Middle Eastern history curiously not covered by Egyptian national schools. There were field trips, including a cruise up the Nile from the temples of Luxor to the Aswan high dam.  In 2008, the school’s newly founded Model United Nations team went to an international conference hosted by the Georgetown University campus in Doha, Qatar, while an art and social studies field trip took students to Prague in the Czech Republic.

Yoder and his staff sought to be extremely sensitive to religious and political issues. Each August, for two-and-a-half weeks before the school opens, Yoder conducted a faculty orientation. The message: “As North Americans, we are guests in this culture. Therefore, we promoted understanding and not ridicule or making fun of the ways of doing things.” In 2007, the faculty closed their orientation session and joined hands with Yoder and the Egyptian owners to symbolize the way Muslims and Christians can work together to develop a new school, as Isaac and Ishmael stood side by side at the death of their father Abraham, in Hebron, Palestine centuries ago.

Eighty-one percent of the NAC students are Egyptian. Others, including dual nationals, hail from 15 other countries.  The faculty of 55 also has an international flavor. Among the students and faculty, there are 30 nationalities reflected in the international flags displayed on the campus and for special commencement ceremonies. The majority are certified U.S. teachers who, in addition to Pennsylvanians, hail from Illinois, Wisconsin, New York and as far south as Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Texas and as far west as Arizona, New Mexico and Washington state.

Since 2008, the support of American certified teachers became too expensive for the school owners, so more Egyptian teachers have been hired and many American teachers either returned home or went to other schools, Yoder noted, adding that more local administrative leadership persons have been retained to lead the school in its next phase of development.

The spring semester 2011 at 91����Ƶ, Yoder is interim co-chair of undergraduate education, along with Dr. Sandy L. Brownscombe. They are filling in for Dr. Cathy Smeltzer Erb ’85, who is on sabbatical.

From 1963 to 1975, Yoder was first a social studies teacher and then the principal of Christopher Dock High School in Lansdale, Pa. During 1975-1986 Yoder was vice president for administration and associate professor of education at 91����Ƶ and then dean for academic affairs and professor of education (1992-1998) at nearby Bridgewater College. Yoder received both an EdM and an EdD in education from Temple University in Philadelphia.