A student-initiated fund-raising effort at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø raised $3,392.63 as of Wednesday, Sept. 28, toward relief efforts of victims of the Gulf Coast hurricane.

The effort was launched by the (YPCA) during a Sept. 9 chapel service. YPCA co-presidents Rachel A. Sims and Jene� L. High announced the campaign and challenged students, faculty and staff to make donations in buckets placed at strategic locations across campus.

A dedicatory prayer was offered for the check, that will be sent to Mennonite Central Committee headquarters in Akron, Pa., earmarked for Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) work in the Gulf region.

In expressing gratitude for the campus response, Ms. Sims, an EMU junior from Perkasie, Pa., urged everyone to "keep on praying for the many people whose lives have been changed completely" by the hurricanes and flooding.

"I believe that when natural disasters happen, and we see the devastation that happens to fellow human beings, we realize how human we really are, said Ms. High, an EMU junior from Manheim, Pa. "We see that life does not go on, and hard times come to uproot our plans and ideas for the future.

"I think we respond in helping those who are hurting because we recognize that it could be us someday or has been us in the past," High said. "We respond as far as our empathy extends. Humans are about connections. If there is a strong connection to another individual, or situation, we are moved further into empathy. This, in turn, develops our response."

launched a second disaster response during Wednesday’s chapel, being called "The Katrina-Rita-Rama Relief Race" to assemble relief kits for MCC.

During a Sept. 28 chapel, Andrea Kniss (l.) and Carissa Sweigart challenge the EMU assembly to begin collecting items for the MCC relief kits.
Photo by Jim Bishop

EMU seniors Andrea J. Kniss and Carissa J. Sweigart announced the start of the drive with a goal of assembling 200 kits by Oct. 19.

The contest will involve nine teams – the six residence halls, Parkwood Apartments, Commuter Fellowship and faculty/staff. Each team will be assigned one or two items to collect for the kits. The group with the highest number of supplies in kit units at the end of the three-week period will receive a prize.

An MCC relief kit consists of four bars bath soap, a package of sanitary pads, a plastic bottle of shampoo, fingernail clippers, a box of adhesive bandages, hairbrush, wide-tooth comb, toothpaste, laundry detergent and bath towel.

In another campus response to the Gulf Coast devastation, EMU’s athletic department raised $1,396 on Saturday, Sept. 17 during home contests in field hockey, men’s soccer and women’s soccer.

As part of the fundraiser, EMU sold previously-used athletic uniforms from a variety of the school�s 17 sports. Several uniforms dated back over 10 years when the institution was known as Eastern Mennonite College.

Most articles of clothing sold for between $5 and $20, with 100 percent of all money collected going directly to charities aiding in the relief efforts. The initial idea for the fundraiser originated with an EMU student-athlete.

Sufficient quantities of the uniforms remain for a future fundraiser. The athletic department plans to hold an additional sale during EMU�s homecoming celebration on Oct. 15.

Lindsay M. Dale

Andrea J. Kniss

April J. Miller

Brent A. Schilt

Donovan E. Tann

Hannah E. Yoder

The at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø has awarded academic scholarships to 11 students for the 2005-2006 academic year.

The award amounts vary, depending on each student’s demonstrated need. All have distinguished themselves as outstanding students.

Lindsay M. Dale, a senior education PK-12, German and Spanish major from Willow Street, Pa.; Kendra Nissley, a sophomore German and justice, peace and conflict studies major from Columbiana, Ohio; and Ashley Wiederrecht, an incoming freshman from Mount Joy, Pa., received the Ernest G. Gehman Scholarship.

The Gehman Scholarship was established to honor foreign language majors, with preference to those pursuing German study. Recipients must have grade point averages of at least a 3.0 and qualify for financial assistance.

The late Ernest G. Gehman (1901-1988) taught German language and literature at EMU, 1924-73. He maintained an intense interest in the Pennsylvania German dialect spoken by many Amish and Mennonites, taught course in the dialect and produced a recording of Pennsylvania Germany poetry. He was an ordained minister, prolific writer-editor, illustrator and inventor.

The Hubert R. and Mildred Pellman Literature Scholarship was awarded to: Andrea J. Kniss, a junior English, culture, religion and mission major from Harrisonburg; Karina J. Martin, a freshman English major from New Holland, Pa.; April J. Miller, a senior English major from Corning, N.Y.; Wayne R. Paxton, a junior English education major from Churchville, Va.; Brent A. Schilt, a senior history and English major from Marietta, Pa.; Donovan E. Tann, a sophomore English and music major from East Petersburg, Pa.; Carey L. Yeager, a senior English and Spanish major from Chesterfield, Va.; and Hannah E. Yoder, a freshman English major from Hubbard, Ore.

The Pellman Literature Scholarship was established to honor full-time students in language and literature, with preference to English majors. This year’s recipients all had grade point averages of at least 3.2 and qualified for financial assistance.

Dr. Pellman, a professor emeritus of English, taught at EMU from 1941 to 1983, with several breaks along the way for graduate study and sabbaticals and serving as a visiting teacher in California, Indiana and Sapporo, Japan.

He researched and wrote the official history of Eastern Mennonite College (now University), which was published on the school’s 50th anniversary in 1967. The veteran teacher was named EMU’s "Alumnus of the Year" in 1969. He lives with his wife, Millie Kauffman Pellman in Park View.

Members of Michael Ann Courtney’s poetry writing class will read their writings. The EMU students are: Donovan Tann, East Petersburg, Pa.; Carey Yeager, Chesterfield, Va.; Marsha Lewis, Sarasota, Fla.; and Andrea Kniss, Harrisonburg.

General admission to the program, which includes dinner, is $10. Pre-registration is required by Nov. 29. For tickets, call the EMU box office, 540-432-4582.