All three choirs will perform a variety of seasonal music and Christmas carols, followed by an audience sing-along. Among the combined selections are “And Suddenly,” by Michael Engelhardt and “The First Noel,” an English carol arranged by Dan Forrest. Other selections include French carols, several other traditional English carols, and a traditional African carol.

The Concert Choir will perform more advanced pieces, including “Susanni” and “Welcome Yule” from “Salvator Mundi: A Carol Sequence,” “What Child is This?” “Still, Still, Still,” “Gaudete!” and “Hodie, Alleluia,”

The choir is joined by several guest artists, including four professors. , of 91����Ƶ, plays the violin and is concertmaster of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Orchestra and the Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra. Three others come from James Madison University’s music department: , cello; , flute; and , percussion. Also joining as special guests are Gregory Childress, viola; Ethan Zook, oboe; Tara Davis, violin; and Matthew Pariejko, percussion.

The choir is directed by and assisted by Joy Anderson. Pianists are Maurita Eberly and Tracey Schimmel Reed. Professor , recently retired from 91����Ƶ and longtime SVCC supporter, will play the organ.

In its 24th year, SVCC is a choral performance program at 91����Ƶ for children ages 5-18. To schedule an appointment for an audition, call 432-4650 or email svcc@emu.edu.

Editor’s note: As of Dec. 3, the concert is sold out. To be added to a wait list, call the 91����Ƶ box office at 540-432-4582 (Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m).

The choir hosts a benefit concert June 22, 7:30 p.m., at . A freewill offering will be taken during the event, which features 10 selections from the choir and a presentation about Nepal.

The Ghales’ hometown is Barpak, a mountain village formerly of 1,200 houses. Ninety percent of those homes were destroyed, as the town was the epicenter of the earthquake. Barpak residents are now staying under tarps and in temporary shelters; rebuilding awaits resources and the passing of the monsoon season.

Most Barpak residents are subsistence farmers, and have little savings with which to rebuild. Donations will go to construction materials, and the villagers can provide their own labor. “They are very dependable people,” says Dhanraj, “hard workers.”

When Hostetter visited the Ghales’ Harrisonburg home after the earthquake, she suggested a benefit concert to assist fundraising efforts.

Esther Ghale, who recently graduated from , has raised $5,000 thus far from a gofundme.com campaign and fellow students and faculty. The Barpak school, in the center of the village, was completely destroyed. Esther hopes the funds she has raised can help rebuild the school.

“We are very blessed and appreciative of the way the community … is supporting us,” says Dhanraj. The family will travel to Nepal for three weeks in October to meet with village leaders. The country’s damaged roads will require a four or five days’ Jeep ride from the capital, Kathmandu. The Ghales will take tents to stay in during their visit.

“My goal in presenting this concert is to help members of SVCC make a tangible difference in the world,” says Hostetter. “My desire is to see SVCC succeed, not only musically, but socially as well.”

York, a junior at 91����Ƶ, was making her for 12 hours in solidarity with local college students and others in more than 40 states and 10 countries to raise awareness of human trafficking. The Stand, which happens from April 6-10, is an outreach of the non-profit .

York, who grew up in Bucharest, Romania, is a reluctant leader who would prefer to remain out of the spotlight, but she wants to make advocacy for victims of human trafficking her life’s work.

Changed by the stories

The stories she heard during a summer internship at a shelter for sexually trafficked women in Romania have burrowed into her heart and psyche.

“I got to know them really well and fell in love with them – that really changes you,” she says.

When she returned to campus in the fall of 2014, raising awareness among her fellow students became a priority.

“I’m out here for the seven girls I live, ate and breathed with for two months,” York says. “The Stand for me is all about them and the other women, men and children who are trapped and coerced into slavery.”

In working to stage the Stand event, York says she is called by her faith and the knowledge, drawn from personal experience, that the survivors sometimes need someone to tell their story, because they themselves can’t.

One touching story she heard from 13-year-old “Ana,” who was living in a state-run orphanage when she heard the rumors. “The director has one thing in mind for the girls here,” the older girls told her. “Prostitution.”

Frightened, Ana ran away with the help of some of the other girls. She was able to find her grandparents and ended up at , the shelter where York worked.

York’s internship concluded with a job offer that she wanted to accept. However, her parents encouraged her to finish her degree. She compromised by saying she would graduate a semester early, in the fall of 2015, and then return to the shelter.

“I would love to eventually work with the justice system in Romania,” she says. “I want the police to implement justice for the poor and not against them. The current system is keeping people in the cycle of poverty in which they feel forced to sell their bodies for money because they feel like they don’t have a choice.”

Staying connected through activism

In the meantime, back in Harrisonburg, she searched for another internship, which is how she learned about International Justice Mission and Stand for Freedom.

“I thought that it would be really cool to be a part of, but I had a lot of doubts in my ability to pull it off,” she says.

York’s experiences in that shelter and her passion for serving justice were compelling to listeners, though. On a recent that she led with junior Hanna Heishman, she gained six more allies, including Heishman: Rachel Schrock, Jessamyn Tobin, Abby Hershberger, Amy Feeser, and Jolee Paden.

“I felt drawn into Stand because of the passion Rebekah has for her work,” Heishman says. “She shared with me her vision for humanity during our Y-trip: a life without the reality of trafficking. This is something she cares so deeply for, and it is where she will devote her life.”

Together the group grew the conversation from a Facebook message, to a living room meeting, lunch room conversations and finally to connecting with the James Madison University Stand group.

That JMU group heard York’s story and decided to partner their Stand with 91����Ƶ to have a united event in a centralized location. A contingent of Dukes came to Thomas Plaza for the Tuesday Stand.

JMU students with the , a faith-based group raising awareness about the human trafficking issue, also came to campus Thursday to share their work.

A vigil tonight [March 10] at Court Square will again unite students with the Harrisonburg community, which has recently seen a rise in human and labor trafficking charges. In January, Virginia’s House of Representatives passed four bills to combat human trafficking and sex trafficking, which the FBI calls the fastest growing crime in the United States and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world.

‘In your backyard’

York planned the week-long event to include a huge dose of education about modern slavery, which has the potential to affect the nearly 4 billion people living in poverty in countries with dysfunctional or corrupt public justice systems, according to the United Nations.

After all, she herself had grown up in a country with a long and traumatic history of sex slavery, and she knew nothing about it until a few months after graduating from high school.

That’s when she saw a documentary that was also aired on campus Monday night.

“Let’s know what we’re standing for, before we make a statement,” York wrote in her campus-wide email advertising that showing.

With more than 200 signatures gathered on two petitions during Tuesday’s event, York is optimistic about the Stand’s impact.

“All I wanted to do was raise awareness about human trafficking and let people know that this is happening in your own backyard,” York says. “Being able to share that with someone is what I am called for.”

Spring concert and auditions

The concert, entitled “Daybreak” around the theme of celebrating new beginnings, will be April 12 at 4 p.m. in 91����Ƶ’s Lehman Auditorium. The will perform.

Selections include the title song, “Day Break,” a contemporary arrangement by Stephen Paulus; “Dream a Dream,” sung by the Treble Choir; and “Morning Glow from the musical Pippin.

The program also includes “Orde-e,” a Madukayan folksong; David N. Childs’ “Weep No More”; and Handel’s “Oh, Had I Jubal’s Lyre.”

Presale tickets range from $7-$15 and can be purchased online or by calling the 91����Ƶ box office at 540-432-4582.

Auditions for the 2015-16 choir, open to boys and girls entering grades 2-12, will be May 7-8.

Fundraisers helping with new uniforms and scholarships

SVCC is currently hosting a campaign to offset the cost of new uniforms and to raise scholarship funds for deserving choristers who would not be able to participate without financial aid. The choir’s current uniforms are nearly 20 years old.

In addition, “A Musical Tour with the Presidents” on May 15 is a rotating musical and culinary feast at the homes of three area presidents of academic institutions. At the home of James Madison University president Jonathan Alger and his wife, Mary Ann, visitors will enjoy show tunes and a New York spread. The tour continues at the home of and his wife, Pat, offering jazz and New Orleans delicacies. The last stop features music and treats from Hollywood at the home of National College president David Zimmerman and his wife, Diana. Tickets are $75 per person through April 11 and $100 from April 12 until sold out.

‘Fun’ choirs for youth who love to sing

Three unauditioned choirs offer a five-week vocal arts experience to area youth beginning April 20. The SVCC Boychoir, known as “Viva Voce,” is back by popular demand, joined by the new Girlchoir, “Bella Voce,” and youth choir, “Nova Voce.”

Boychoir and Girlchoir are open to all boys and girls, respectively, in grades 1-6, regardless of singing background. Participants will play games, learn basic musicianship skills in fun and active ways, and sing lots of engaging treble repertoire.

The youth choir is a mixed choir of singers in grades 7-12. Participants will sing 3- and 4-part repertoire for mixed voices and will work on basic musicianship skills in a collaborative, enjoyable environment.

Choirs will meet on five consecutive Monday afternoons from 4:45-6:15 p.m. in 91����Ƶ’s Martin Chapel, starting April 20 and ending May 18. The final evening will be a performance for friends and family. Cost is $60. To register, click

For information, call the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir at 540-432-4650.

The symphony will perform van Suppe’s “Poet and Peasant Overture,” Brahms’ “Hungarian Dances No. 5 and 6,” John Williams’ “Star Wars,” and Haydn’s “Toy Symphony.”

Younger members of the preparatory program will play a variety of whistles and noisemakers during the Haydn Symphony.

The orchestra, conducted by Maria Lorcas, a violin teacher with the preparatory music program, is an auditioned ensemble of high school players from Page, Shenandoah, Rockingham and Augusta counties. In addition to 91����Ƶ and James Madison University students, several community members will participate in the evening’s festivities.

A $5 donation is requested that will benefit scholarship students in the preparatory music program.

91����Ƶ the soloist

Randy Wiedemann, violin, will perform “Concerto for Violin in E minor” by Mendelssohn. Randy, son of Dr. Werner and Charlene Wiedemann of Luray, Va., has been studying the violin for eight years, first with his sister and then with several preparatory music teachers, including his current teacher Maria Lorcas.

A senior at the in New Market, Va., Randy is principal violist with the SVA Orchestra, sings in the honors choir and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is in his fifth year with the youth symphony and has been principal violist for four years.

Randy also plays the viola and is currently studying with Kathleen Overfield-Zook. He also enjoys sports and is a pitcher for the SVA baseball team.

Randy plans to attend college next fall and double major in history and music with viola as his principal instrument.

History of

The orchestra began in 1990 as a strong ensemble and in part through a grant from the . The ensemble grew to a full orchestra in its next season and is the only opportunity for instrumental students to participate in such a group this side of Charlottesville and Winchester.

The preparatory music program has over 400 students enrolled this year in instrumental lessons, Musikgarten and the youth orchestra. Students become members by audition and perform three or four public concerts per year. Rising seniors may audition to play a solo with the orchestra.

is the program director. Inquiries to the youth orchestra should be made to 540-432-4277 or prepmusic@emu.edu.

garnered honors in for a home built for retired language professor Carroll Yoder and his wife Nancy.

This two-level, 2,300-square-foot house, at 1322 Greystone St. in Harrisonburg, Va., was built with Styrofoam-covered concrete blocks that yield energy-conserving walls. Three solar panels on the roof provide most of the hot water needed for the heat that radiates from water-filled tubes in the floor and for washing. The house was oriented to permit passive solar heating, shaded in the summer.

“We really like our house—it is very quiet because we have thick walls and no moving hot air,” says Carroll. “Our son (Joel ’97) is now using Aaron to build his house.”

Harrisonburg architect Randy Seitz, class of ’87, commends Aaron for his interest in building “well-crafted, modest-sized houses in existing neighborhoods, rather than another McMansion on former farmland.”

Aaron has been a leader in promoting EarthCraft-certified construction in Virginia since 2006. began in Atlanta, Ga., in 1999 and has been spreading across the nation. From its website:

EarthCraft House certifications are determined through a points-based worksheet, which allows builders to select the sustainability measures that are best suited for their project. Worksheet items address proper site planning, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, resource-efficient building materials, indoor air quality, water conservation and homebuyer education, and all are verified during site visits and inspections.

Aaron says that EarthCraft Virginia has certified over 1,600 homes and 7,000 multifamily dwelling units to date.

In 2008, Aaron led the to form a green-building committee. In 2010, this committee launched the first annual Green Expo in Harrisonburg. This event, now at its third year, is expected to fill the gym area of 91����Ƶ’s “Commons” with booths, exhibits, demonstrations and workshops on green building when the expo is held on Nov. 10, 2012, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In 2011, a large green-certified home in a development on the edge of Harrisonburg by A.M Yoder & Co. took top prizes from the Shenandoah Valley Builders Association for best overall, best interior and best exterior.

Melinda Joy Yoder, who majored in at 91����Ƶ, runs the company’s office operations, as well as contributes to the design of the company’s showcase homes. The Yoders have two children.

Led by , Artistic Director and Founder of the SVCC, the Shenandoah Valley Boychoir is a six-week experience where boys will learn basic music reading and vocal skills and engage in a variety of boy-friendly repertoire.

“We have been wanted to do this for many years and would be delighted if this opened up options for SVCC in the future,” said White. “There has been so much positive feedback already that we are hopeful to be able to have two age groupings of the Boychoir.”

More information

Boys with unchanged voices are invited to participate. No audition is necessary.  The ability to match pitch is helpful but not required.

The choir will meet from 4:45 – 6 p.m., each Monday from April 16 – May 21, in 91����Ƶ’s Martin Chapel. The final date will feature a short program for parents and friends.

To register, visit or call 540-432-4650 by Monday, March 12. Cost is $40.

For more information on the SVCC visit , email svcc@emu.edu or call Yvette Peake, choir manager at 540-432-4650.

“Sustaining Organic Blueberry Production: Analysis of Practices and Assessing Outcomes,” a research projected directed by , PhD, professor of at 91����Ƶ (91����Ƶ), will look at the merits of organic horticulture as it relates to blueberries.

“[The $26,300 grant] will fund a model system of quantifying sustainable blueberry production as a specialty crop,” said Miller. “In addition, it will provide support for students doing horticulture research, create a model system for area farmers interesting in diversifying their operations and encourage the local community on organic agriculture.”

The 91����Ƶ team of Miller, professors and , will be overseeing the project. Participating in the project are 91����Ƶ student assistants Jonathan Fretz and Travis Riesen, representatives, and and , president of .

A system of sustainability

A recent study found a rising demand for organic products, with over 80 percent of grocery stores featuring an organic section as of 2008.

“There continues to be a huge demand for small fruits and vegetables, particularly for blueberries, strawberries and brambles,” said Bendfeldt.

A principal goal of the project is to develop a model system of quantifying sustainable organic blueberry production in the Shenandoah Valley. Research will integrate plant foliar nutrient, growth, and vigor analysis; measurement of photosynthesis; and berry quality and composition to determine quantity and quality of the berries.

“Since there are limited sources of local blueberries in the Valley, the project will fill some of the gap between supply and demand of local and organic produce,” said Kishbaugh. “Additionally, the information at the project website will be an invaluable resource for gardeners and others interested in raising blueberries themselves or about the process of organic farming.”

The information from the project could also motivate farmers to diversify their current agricultural systems, according to Cessna. “Through this project we are hoping to become better informed about best practice for highbush blueberry growers and which soil and plants work best in the Valley,” said Cessna.

Coming to fruition

While the grant officially began on Nov. 1, and will run until Oct. 31, 2013, preparation for the project began several years ago. Miller started in 2008 by setting up an experimental design for growing blueberries at , an organic farm four miles outside Harrisonburg.

“My initial experimental design was to select a hillside site which is rocky and not tillable for the organic plot,” said Miller. “Four subplots were formed based on the soil amendment treatments: horse manure compost; sheep manure compost; pine needle compost; and a commercial compost, Planters Choice.”

91����Ƶ 180 bushes were planted in December 2009, 160 of which were in organic plots representing five cultivars: Duke, Jersey, Bluegold, Chandler and BlueCrop. Soil conditions and plant growth were monitored and an irrigation system was installed during the 15 months after planting.

“This is a long-term project to demonstrate that a farmer can initiate a small commercial organic blueberry operation that is sustainable and cost effective,” said Miller. “These blueberry bushes will likely be productive for 20 years or more and the grant will support the extended analysis that most horticulturalists do not bother doing because of time, labor and direct expenses involved.”

Impact on the community

The project will be beneficial to local farmers and consumers in Virginia, according to Bendfeldt. “Farmers and consumers are keenly interested in and aware of best agricultural practices, economic and environmental sustainability and the potential health benefits of organic blueberry production,” said Bendfelt.

Bendfelt feels the project will allow students to work in a “living laboratory” and assess the research they gather and the impact it has on development and production differentiation for farmers.

“The proposal builds on the values and ethos of 91����Ƶ’s efforts to engage their students and the community in sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship and creation care,” said Bendfelt.

In an all-campus convocation Wednesday morning, Sept. 2, President Loren Swartzendruber welcomed 91����Ƶ’s largest incoming class in five years and called attention to colorful handmade banners that grace the left and right sides of the stage area with the university vision and mission statements.

Against a backdrop of a new mission statement banner, 91����Ƶ President Loren Swartzendruber reflects on qualities of a ‘servant leader’ in his convocation address. Photo by Jon Styer

"These are not the same banners that hung here previously," Dr. Swartzendruber said. "These banners – designed and created by 2002 91����Ƶ alumna Ravonn Schrock Kauffman – reflect the revised mission statement text that the 91����Ƶ board of trustees approved last year."

The artist – who came from her home in Bluffton, Ohio to attend the convocation and was acknowledged for her work – said that she chose to work with pieced blocks to "evoke the rich cultural heritage and spiritual Anabaptist tradition in the Valley and beyond."

The small pieces of cloth sewed together represent the "varying backgrounds and understandings" that are brought together at 91����Ƶ into a single body," Schrock Kauffman said. In addition, the pieced comforter image connects with the "serve" part of the school’s mission, she noted, calling to mind the thousands of blankets distributed by service workers around the world.

"Because of the great value placed on diversity within 91����Ƶ, the blocks intentionally adopt widely varying colors … the exuberance and intensity of the color is intentional," she said.

For more on the creation of the banners read the artist’s statement.

‘Serve and Lead’

Dr. Swartzendruber drew from the mission and vision statements on the banners – "91����Ƶ educates students to serve and lead in a global context" – in his remarks to the campus community.

"At first glance, that combination of words – to serve and lead – seem to be mutually exclusive," Swartzendruber said. "Most people don’t put those words together in the same sentence, unless they are writing about Jesus in the New Testament – ‘the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.’ That’s not exactly how we tend to define a leader," he added.

Swartzendruber went on to identify the qualities that a person must embody in order to serve and lead in a global context as integrity, vision and hope.

"Stephen L. Carter, a professor at Yale University School of Law, defines integrity as discerning what is right and what is wrong, acting on what you have discerned, even at personal cost, and saying openly that you are acting on your understanding of right from wrong," he noted.

In addition, "a servant leader has a vision of how things ought to be," the president continued. "The means to a vision should always be consistent with the ends that one has in mind.

"Most students have at least a general vision of obtaining a college degree. Some have a more precise vision – knowing what major they want to pursue and future vocation.

Returning students and faculty-staff bestow a "Shenandoah Welcome" on new students and others joining the 91����Ƶ community. Photo by Jon Styer

Swartzendruber told the assembly that he has "a greater vision" in mind – "one shaped by our faith commitments – a vision for shalom, the well being of all humankind, a vision for peace and justice, a vision that is formed by the life and teachings of Christ as best articulated in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6 and 7. All of us can pursue this vision, no matter what our vocation or position in life."

Finally, the president said, "Servant leaders are people of hope. Not mere optimism, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good."

"During our time together on this campus each of us will have opportunities to serve others. And in that service we will grow into leaders with a vision to extend God’s Kingdom in the world," Swartzendruber said.

Cross-cultural group commissioned

The convocation included the singing of the university hymn, "Christ of the Mountain," and closed with a commissioning for 24 students who leave campus Thursday, Sept. 3, on a fall semester cross-cultural seminar in South Africa and Lesotho.

The group, led by Harlan de Brun, instructor in physical education and recreation, and assisted by 91����Ƶ alumna Audra Baker, will study the values and norms of South African culture, learn about the African Independent Church movement, do elementary Sesotho language study and focus on community development and projects with particular attention given to AIDS issues.

Students will do readings, hear lectures and journal in learning about the history and culture of Southern Africa, including the Apartheid era and how religious beliefs affected government policy. They return to campus Dec. 5.

‘Shenandoah Welcome’

Returning students, faculty and staff gave new members of the 91����Ƶ community a "Shenandoah Welcome" as they wended their way through a human "tunnel" – with Appalachian bluegrass music playing – to the Campus Center plaza for ice cream and fellowship before heading off to classes.

91����Ƶ’s fall semester ends Dec. 19.

An 91����Ƶ and a James Madison University professor will offer their views on Pakistan-US relations after the elections in a presentation, "A Million Cups of Tea," to be held 4-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Mar. 19, in Martin Chapel of the seminary building at 91����Ƶ.

Dr. Mike Medley, director of the Intensive English Program (IEP) at 91����Ƶ, and Dr. Ehsan Ahmed, chair of the economics department at JMU, will present "outsider" and "insider" views, respectively, based on their personal experiences in Pakistan.

Dr. Ehsan Ahmed, chair of the economics department at JMU

A general election was held in Pakistan on Feb. 18 after being postponed from Jan. 8, the original date to elect members of the National Assembly of Pakistan, the lower house of the Majlis-e-Shoora (the nation’s parliament.

Pakistan’s two main opposition parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) won the majority of seats in the election, although the Pakistan Muslim League actually was second in the popular vote. The PPP and PML are expected to form the new government.

Medley was a Presbyterian missionary in Pakistan for 11 years before joining the 91����Ƶ faculty. Last spring he was a visiting faculty member in the English departement at Forman Christian College there. Dr. Ahmed is a leader in the local Islamic Center and president of the Shenandoah Valley Pak-American Society.

Refreshments will be served. Admission is free.

By Dan Wright, Daily News-Record

91����Ƶ spends millions of dollars in the Shenandoah Valley, provides hundreds of jobs and helps hundreds of people improve their business skills.

Of its $28 million budget for fiscal 2005-06, 91����Ƶ pumped $20.6 million into the Shenandoah Valley

Former 91����Ƶ faculty member Roy D. Roth, of Eugene, Ore., died Dec. 15, 2005 at age 84.

In 1972, after receiving a master of church music degree from the University of Oregon, Roth joined the music department at 91����Ƶ, where he taught and directed choirs until 1977. He then became associate professor of church music at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and directed the seminary choir until 1986.

During his tenure, Roth developed and coordinated the Shenandoah Valley Hymn Festival held the third Sunday of November each year on campus, co-sponsored by 91����Ƶ and Virginia Mennonite Conference.

During this same time period, Roth was minister of music and pastor of the elderly at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church. He returned to Oregon in 1989.

Roth received degrees from Goshen (Ind.) College in 1942 and 1945 and graduated from Princeton (N.J.) Theological Seminary in 1947.

Ordained in 1944, he was a minister and then became president of Hesston (Kan.) College, 1951-59. From there, he served a pastorate near Siletz, Ore.

On Aug. 28, 1945, he married Carolyn Byler, who survives. Also surviving are four children, a sister, six grandchildren and one great-grandson.

A memorial celebration was held Dec. 21, 2005 at Wesley United Methodist Church, Eugene, Ore.

An 91����Ƶ alumna with more than 12 years experience in design, writing, editing and project management has been named director of at 91����Ƶ.

of Harrisonburg will begin her new position on May 16, 2005. In this role, she will direct a six-member creative staff responsible for the overall public relations/communications programs of the university, which includes overseeing publications and other print materials, the news bureau, institutional advertising and web content design and maintaining campus-wide graphics and editorial style standards.

Ms. Parmer will succeed Paul W. Souder, who held the position three years.

, vice president for , announced the appointment.

“Kirsten brings years of experience in working within the marketing services department at 91����Ƶ and has worked for a number of external clients over the years as well,” Yoder said. “She has shown natural leadership qualities, a creative flair and a passion for quality, timeliness and accuracy,” she added.

A 1993 91����Ƶ graduate, Parmer was a student assistant in the communications department during most of her college career. She joined the staff as a graphic designer in 1993 where she has worked on major projects including “Crossroads,” the university magazine; the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival; admissions materials and the President’s Annual Report.

She has received a Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District III “award of excellence,” numerous Printing Industries of the Virginias awards and the 91����Ƶ “Quality Service Award.”

Parmer is married to Trevor Parmer, assistant vice president for employee benefits at BB&T Shomo and Lineweaver Insurance. They have two sons – Max, 7; and Simon, 4.

The (CTP) at 91����Ƶ began with the enrollment of two American graduate students in 1994. It has now seen more than 1,500 people from 83 countries take one or more of its courses, with 160 of these earning a masters degree or graduate certificate in Conflict Transformation.

“The unique aspect of CTP is that it starts from the analysis of the self and then goes on to look at communal, societal, organizational, regional, and international conflicts,” said Kaushikee, a 2002 masters graduate of CTP and current professor of peace and conflict resolution at a major university in New Delhi, India.

“The program is a beautiful combination of theory and practice. It not only influences our head but touches the heart,” she added.

Selam Hussein, a Mennonite from Ethiopia and the chief organizer of the 10th Anniversary Celebration of CTP, said that the three-day event is designed to give visitors a taste of the skills, techniques and theories for which CTP has a worldwide reputation.

The celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3, with a dinner speech by CTP founding director John Paul Lederach. It continues through a series of 15 classes and workshops on Saturday, June 4, and ends on June 5 with a Sunday-morning sermon on peace by 91����Ƶ President Loren E. Swartzendruber.

Entertainment is offered on Friday and Saturday nights, with a concert by renowned folk musician John McCutcheon on Friday and a storytelling performance by Israeli-born actress Noa Baum on Saturday.

Celebration participants will include more than 100 students from several dozen countries who will be attending the 2005 session of 91����Ƶ