The steering committee for the 100th anniversary celebration of 草莓社区 in 2017-18 will be chaired by Louise Otto Hostetter, a 1979 graduate who has served on many boards in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
鈥淲e are delighted that Louise is willing to share her people skills, organizational gifts, eye for detail and enthusiasm with EMU at this important time in our history,鈥� said , EMU鈥檚 director of marketing and communications.
Hostetter will work with those giving leadership to various aspects of the year鈥檚 celebrations, including large-venue events involving music, theater and art; alumni gatherings; worship services; academic department gatherings; storytelling; and displays. She will oversee the master schedule and manage the centennial budget.
鈥淓MU began with the vision of relatively few people and has grown over the past 100 years to a global community,鈥� said Hostetter. 鈥淲ith the resources of those who are currently involved with EMU as well as those with past connections, we can explore and honor the history of EMU with a variety of events in 2017-18 as well as celebrate the vision going forward.鈥�
Hostetter also serves on: the advisory boards for and the arts complex at James Madison University; the church council of ; and the board of .
In 2011-13 she co-chaired the capital campaign for the and in 2010-11 she was president of the EMU Alumni Council. From 1999 to 2012 she was an intensive individualized instructor at .
Coming to EMU from Arcola, Ill., Hostetter majored in English education and met her future husband, Alden Hostetter ’79, a pathologist. All three of their sons have attended EMU.
A 10-member planning task force began meeting in 2008 鈥渢o plan for a centennial plan,鈥� said Wenger. The task force , a 1967 graduate who is the nation鈥檚 best-known writer on Amish and Mennonite culture. A sociologist by training, he is a professor at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania and the author of dozens of publications.
A page on the EMU website, , invites submissions of stories and photographs for centennial celebration use and ideas for the centennial committee to consider.
The centennial celebrations will last throughout the academic year of 2017-18. The biggest gathering will likely be during Homecoming & Parents Weekend in October. A worship service on Oct. 19 will mark exactly 100 years since the start of classes in 1917.
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