91短视频 senior Arelys Martinez Fabian caught the teaching bug in first grade.

The Winchester, Virginia, native would print out math worksheets for her younger sister to complete. With a classroom of stuffed animals gathered around them, she taught her sister, then a preschooler, basic lessons in addition and subtraction.

鈥淚鈥檝e switched my career choices through the years, but I鈥檝e always gone back to teaching,鈥� said Martinez Fabian, an education and Spanish double major. 鈥淲hen you make a connection with students and they realize, Oh, I can do it, that鈥檚 my favorite part of teaching.鈥�

A first-generation college student, Martinez Fabian fully immersed herself in 91短视频鈥檚 rich campus life. She served as co-president of the Student Government Association and as orientation leader, worked as product manager for Common Grounds Coffeehouse, and held leadership roles with the Latinx Student Alliance (LSA). She also served as a student representative on the Interim President Search Committee last spring.

It鈥檚 difficult for her to imagine herself anywhere other than 91短视频. That wasn鈥檛 always the case.

During her senior year at Millbrook High School, she learned she had been accepted to the University of Virginia. It was her lifelong dream school. The decision should鈥檝e been an easy one.

鈥淎t the same time,鈥� she said, 鈥淚 kept seeing signs that I should attend 91短视频.鈥�

High school teachers would unexpectedly mention 91短视频 in passing. A coworker at her day care job shared how impactful her own 91短视频 education had been. 

When 91短视频 accepted her and offered its highest academic award, the four-year, full-tuition Yoder/Webb Scholarship, the choice became clear: she would become a Royal.

Looking back, she鈥檚 sure she made the right call.

She believes 91短视频鈥檚 nationally accredited teacher education program has prepared her well for the realities of the classroom. As a student teacher at Bluestone Elementary in Harrisonburg, she spent the first week of school last fall observing how teachers set rules and expectations. 

91短视频鈥檚 small class sizes have allowed her to form close relationships with professors. She said she has always felt comfortable seeking their guidance and support. 

During recent immigration-related crackdowns across the country, Martinez Fabian, who has relatives from Latin America, said professors regularly checked in with her to make sure she felt safe.

鈥淚 knew I could go to them for support,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was able to get through some tough times because of them.鈥�

Your support helps students like Arelys pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 10th annual Lov91短视频 Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future 91短视频 students. On April 1, let鈥檚 show that our generosity knows no bounds鈥or the record!

“This is the second year we’ve hosted ‘Noche Bohemia’ or Spanish night, and hope to make it an annual tradition,” said , assistant professor in the . “This event allows the students in our upper-level classes to showcase their skills.”

In addition to student participation, language assistants will be doing folkloric dances from their countries of origin 鈥� Colombia and Honduras 鈥� and the language professors will be singing and emceeing the event.

“The audience will be able to participate in singing a Spanish folksong at the beginning, and dancing salsa at the end of the program,” said Clymer.

Admission to the event is free.

For more information contact Don Clymer at don.clymer@emu.edu.

His own story moves from growing up in a rural church in southern Michigan to 91短视频 (91短视频), Harrisonburg, Va., to Guatemala to Notre Dame (Ind.) University, where he completed a doctoral program in the sociology of religion. His dissertation has been published by Oxford University Press as the book Homies and Hermanos: God and Gangs in Central America.

Born in Pennsylvania, Bob moved to Michigan, where his parents helped Bob鈥檚 grandfather, who had started the North Wayne Mennonite Church as a church plant of the Conservative Mennonite Conference. Later Bob鈥檚 father served as pastor of the church.

In 1993, Bob began studies at 91短视频, where he majored in and and minored in . During his four years there, he spent a semester in Guatemala at the CASAS program, in which students learn Spanish and live with a local family.

After graduating from 91短视频 in 1997, Bob returned to Guatemala and worked with for four years. There he met Gaby Ochoa, now his wife.

He became interested in studying at seminary and spent one semester at Associated (now Anabaptist) Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Ind., in 2001, before returning to Guatemala, where he and Gaby married.

Pentecostalism: In 2003, he decided to study sociology of religion and enrolled in the graduate program at Notre Dame. He had read such authors as Peter Berger, Robert Wuthnow and Christian Smith and wanted to understand better the interplay of religion and society. He also studied liberation theology and Pentecostalism.

鈥淪ociology emphasizes method and quantitative analysis,鈥� he says. He thought that provided a better understanding of what鈥檚 going on in religion. He also hoped to get a theological degree at AMBS and took several more courses there. But once his children, Nicol谩s, who鈥檚 now 6, and Gabo, 4, were born, he gave up that goal.

Eventually, he needed to choose a dissertation topic. He was interested in studying foot-washing practices of Mennonites and published an article in Mennonite Quarterly Review. But his advisor talked him into focusing on another topic that interested him: gangs in Central America.

During his service with MCC, he had met an MCC worker from Colombia, Ricardo Borres, who worked with the Honduran church on reconciliation between warring gangs. But Bob had not dealt with them firsthand.

He returned to Guatemala and collected data in 2007 and 2008. As his book describes, he interviewed 63 former gang members who had chosen to leave that life. Many joined a church, usually an evangelical or Pentecostal church in their city or town.

But Bob did more than collect data. He told many of these (mostly) men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 stories. He begins each chapter of the book with a story of a former gang member. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to just use quotes to make a point,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wanted to dignify the person telling his story and in the process change the one hearing the story.鈥�

Global capitalism: Writing the book changed him as well, he says. And it helped him resist change. Academia tends to pull a person toward success and a safe environment, he says. But the book pulled him back 鈥渋nto caring about the plight of those being ground under by global capitalism.鈥�

He has become more aware of the vast chasm between the opportunities he and his students have and what those young people he interviewed in Central America have who are tempted to join gangs. 鈥淚 realize how privileged I am and how deeply divided the world is鈥� between those who have so much and those who have so little.

What enables these gang members to leave their gangs, at the risk of their lives, and join a church? The churches are there, first of all, in the communities where these people live. The churches tend to stress transformation and see this as a social process, not just a psychological change. The churches also emphasize community, discipleship and nonviolence.

While most of these churches are evangelical or what we would call Pentecostal, the Honduran Mennonite Church has been involved in working with ex-gang members for many years. Bob says their ministry is among the most holistic and effective of all he witnessed.

Courtesy The Mennonite, Oct. 1, 2012

The music department shines the performance spotlight on one of its own, , pianist, in a faculty recital 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 in Martin Chapel of the seminary building at 91短视频.

Dr. Mackey, an associate professor of music, will present a program of music by Spanish composers as well as composers of France, the United States and Argentina who were strongly influenced by the culture and musical idioms of Spain.

Selections

Program highlights include Book I of the "Iberia Suite" of Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz, French composer Maurice Ravel’s "Alborada del gracioso" from "Miroirs," Cry of the Mothers" by American composer Amy Rubin and "Sonata for Piano" (1952) of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. Mackey will also play "Valses Poeticos" of Enrique Granados and "Danza de la Pastora" of Ernesto Halffter.

91短视频 Lynne Mackey

Mackey performs in solo and chamber music settings in the United States and Europe and currently tours as an artist for the Virginia Commission of the Arts and serves as director of the Virginia Baroque Performance Academy.

She holds a graduate degree from The Juilliard School and a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. She has appeared with the Grand Rapids and Flint Symphonies as well as with the Lynchburg Symphony in Virginia. Upcoming engagements include a concerto performance at the 2010 Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival in June this year.

Mackey also performs in the Gee-Mackey Duo with cellist David Gee. They performed a concert tour in Spain and Morocco in 2008 and perform widely in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.

More info

Admission to the recital is free. Donations are welcomed for the 91短视频 music student scholarship fund.

Doing research on mice prostates may not be every student’s first choice of a special endeavor, but it proved rewarding in several ways for a recent 91短视频 graduate.

“When I came to 91短视频, I hoped to be part of some intensive, faculty-supported research during my undergrad years,” says Rebecca J. Drooger. “Collecting and analyzing data over a two-year period has been an amazing learning experience and was especially exciting when I found statistically significant results from my data on the prostate,” she adds.

Her research studied the responses of the young adult mouse prostate to neonatal phytoestrogen exposure. Drooger describes it as studying the effect of “chemicals produced by plants that are similar in structure to human estrogen,” such as that found in soy-based products, on young mice.

The results could have implications for cancer studies that consider whether a diet high in such products has an impact on the advancement of prostate cancer.

‘Best Research’ in 25 Years

Roman J. Miller, professor of biology, says it’s some of the best research he’s seen in his 25 years at 91短视频 and believes it is publishable material.

“Rebecca’s consistency, keen insights, dedication, dependability, and hard work were exemplary,” Dr. Miller says of the work she spearheaded, together with three other students.

Drooger came to 91短视频 on an honors scholarship and majored in biology with minors in Spanish and chemistry. At the university’s 89th commencement Apr. 29, she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree.

This summer she plans to study for and take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), apply to medical schools, work at Harvard University’s library and travel to Nazareth, Israel under the auspices of Virginia Mennonite Board of Missions to teach English to Arabic-speaking children.

She eventually hopes to become a physician, perhaps focusing on endocrinology, and work in a Spanish-speaking community.

Cross-cultural study in Costa Rica will help with that. As will the volunteer work she did in the emergency department of Rockingham Memorial Hospital the past three years and language tutoring with migrants following the apple harvest near Harrisonburg.

In addition to that community service, Drooger spent one semester of study in the Middle East.

Rebecca Drooger graduates with honors Apr. 29, receiving her BA degree in biology from 91短视频 President Loren Swartzendruber.
Photo by Jim Bishop

91短视频’s Med School Acceptance Rate High

“This kind of well-rounded undergrad experience will certainly enhance Rebecca’s application to medical school,” notes Miller. 91短视频 pre-med graduates boast an 85 percent acceptance rate into medical school, well above the national average of 40 percent.

91短视频 pre-med majors must complete two credit hours of research experience to graduate. The options include an independent research project, such as Drooger and her colleagues completed, or a research course.

“A distinctive of the small liberal arts college experience for undergraduate science students is our ability to take students into our laboratories so that they can collaborate in a research experience with a professor,” says Miller.

He notes that 91短视频’s ratio of faculty to students involved in research is better than many other institutions, particularly large institutions, where students simply can’t get the kind of mentoring they do at a smaller college like 91短视频.

“This project was successful because Dr. Miller was always available to assist and encourage me along the way,” says Drooger.

See more about 91短视频 at:

Students majoring in Spanish at 91短视频 now have another option for meeting the requirement that they study the language in a foreign country.

Marie S. Morris, 91短视频 vice president and undergraduate academic dean, signed a consortium agreement with the University of Cadiz in Spain that will enable students to study there for a semester.

Prior to this agreement, Spanish majors enrolled in the Brethren Colleges Abroad program in Barcelona or took part in 91短视频’s Latin American to satisfy this graduation requirement.

Cadiz is a smaller city than Barcelona and a better fit with the 91短视频-Mennonite ethos,” said Dr. Morris. “It’s more rural and will allow students to live in local homes during their time there.

“The teachers are impressed with the language experiences and seriousness of our students,” Morris said. “They feel positive about the agreement.”

Moira R. Rogers, associate professor of Spanish at 91短视频, initiated the relationship with the University of Cadiz and is overseeing a group of nine 91短视频 students who are spending the spring semester there. They are taking a full course load at the 20,000-student university after undergoing an intensive language and culture program. The academic year ends June 15.

According to Dr. Rogers, the region of Andalucia, where Cadiz is located, “offers a unique location for exploring the rich cultural heritage that merges Arab and Spanish cultures.” She noted that the university recently opened an office for “solidary action” that offers opportunities for students to get involved in the local community and integrate their learning into their academic experience.

More information on the Cadiz program opportunities is available by contacting Dr. Rogers at moira.rogers@emu.edu.

Spanish came alive on the auditorium stage at Harrisonburg High School Monday, Nov. 22, for members of a Hispanic theater class at 91短视频.

The seven 91短视频 class members presented two one-act plays completely in Spanish for more than 100 members of a Spanish club at Harrisonburg High at the invitation of Phil Yutzy, Spanish instructor at the school. For all but four members of the club, Spanish is their native language, Yutzy noted.

The 91短视频 group opened with "El censo," by Mexican playwright Emilio Carballido, a comedy with political overtones, followed by "Lafuerza de la debilidad," a lighthearted sketch by Emilio Gallegos del Campo of Ecuador.

Emily D. Benner, an 91短视频 sophomore from Pennsburg, Pa., welcomed the opportunity to give the plays in Spanish to the high school group, saying "we value them enough to make a serious effort to provide entertainment that moves outside our own culture.

"I kept imagining what it might be like to see a play performed in English by persons whose first language is other than English," Benner said.

Emily Benner as Dona Pilar employs reverse psychology on Don Severo in "La fuerza de la debilidad."
Photo by Jim Bishop

Jesse W. Yoder, an 91短视频 sophomore from Lancaster, Pa., said that in delivering lines in Spanish his group "had to learn certain nuances that you seldom pay attention to in your own language . . . Certain intonations are also necessary to learn and appropriate to use in this context."

Other theater class participants were: Jenny R. Hartwig, Keezletown, Va.; Sarah C. Dick, New Paris, Ind.; Sarah E. Buller, Goshen, Ind.; John M. Neiswander, Millersburg, Ohio; Andrew F. Intagliata, Phoenix, Ariz.; and Carissa L. Bazzle, Harrisonburg.

Ray E. Horst, who retired in spring 2003 after 12 years as a Spanish professor in the department at 91短视频, taught the Hispanic theater class fall semester.

The record total enrollment of 1,513 students – undergraduate, seminary and graduate – compares to 1,436 last fall, according to the university registrar’s office.

Total undergraduate enrollment numbers 933 students, compared to 922 a year ago. Of that total, 228 are first-year students, up 18 over last fall.

“The new first-year class has more racial/ethnic diversity than any previous class,” said Shirley B. Yoder, vice president for enrollment and marketing at 91短视频. “U.S. minorities make up 21 percent of this class, doubling the composition of the previous class.

“Until this year, we weren’t particularly successful in attracting local Spanish-speaking students,” Yoder said. “But this year, we are pleased to welcome a significant number to campus.”

The number of international students is down this fall, “due primarily to visa difficulties,” she added.

Eastern Mennonite Seminary, a graduate program of theological studies on the 91短视频 campus, has 134 students enrolled this fall compared to 131 last fall. There are 74 students enrolled full time at EMS, two more than the same time last year.

Students in the university’s graduate programs continued modest growth, with 239 enrolled this fall over 229 last fall. The largest increase came in the M.A. in education program at 91短视频’s Lancaster, Pa., location, up 35 students, from 16 to 51 this fall.

The Adult Degree Completion Program (ADCP), an accelerated, non-traditional baccalaureate degree program, has 94 students enrolled this fall on the Harrisonburg campus, down five from last fall, while the Lancaster campus’ ADCP program climbed from 27 to 40 students.

The Intensive English Program (IEP), which prepares international students for undergraduate collegiate work, has 38 full- and part-time students this fall, up eight over a year ago.