���ѱ�’s financial aid notification packet has a new look, and people are starting to notice.

The packet of information, mailed to every admitted undergraduate student with a FAFSA on file at EMU, simplifies the often complicated financial aid process by outlining the total aid offered and the costs students will be expected to cover. It includes information on grants, scholarships, and loans, as well as direct and indirect costs of an education at EMU.

Once a drab bundle of letters and forms, the financial aid notification packet has been delightfully redesigned through a collaboration between ���ѱ�’s marketing and communications department and Farmville, Virginia-based marketing agency .

The new-and-improved “FAN packet” features the design of a sunrise over the familiar Massanutten Mountain ridgeline and bright, attention-grabbing colors. It also uses friendly, approachable typefaces with bold, easy-to-read text. Each packet comes with a set of EMU-branded stickers, perfect for laptops, phone cases, water bottles, and notebooks.

It’s anything but ordinary, reflecting ���ѱ�’s unique and diverse campus, its commitment to providing a transformative and accessible education, and the care it puts into supporting students and families through the financial aid process.

“This project was all about transparency, organization, and user-focused design: helping students and families navigate an important decision with confidence,” reads a Facebook post from Letterpress Communications.

���ѱ�’s marketing and communications department teamed up with Farmville-based Letterpress Communications to design its reimagined financial aid notification packet.

Best of Show

Representatives from the marketing agency attended the Southwest Virginia American Advertising Awards in Abingdon, Virginia, on Feb. 28. There, ���ѱ�’s FAN packet won a Gold ADDY, a top honor in the advertising industry, as well as the Best of Show award, recognizing it as the best overall piece in the competition.

It will now compete at the district level against Gold ADDY winners from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. If the FAN packet wins gold at the district level (winners are announced in April), it will advance to the national competition in June.

“This is truly terrific news,” said Braydon Hoover ’11, MAOL ’21, vice president of enrollment and marketing. “For the nearly 1,000 students and families who have already received the FAN packet, this award demonstrates just how special the financial aid process is here at EMU.”

“We are committed to doing everything we can to make the financial aid process as simple and understandable as possible,” said Troy Martin, director of financial aid for EMU. “The next step, if you’ve received a FAN packet and haven’t done so already, is to review it with your family and your admissions counselor.”

For more information about your financial aid notification, visit .

EMU is proud to announce the results of its annual fall census, which was conducted on Sept. 8 following the 10th day of classes. The census numbers reflect undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree and non-credit enrollment on the Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, campuses for the Fall 2025 semester.

Among the main takeaways from the census data:

• A 10% increase in the size of the incoming undergraduate class, which includes first-year, transfer, readmitted, and aviation students, from Fall 2024 to Fall 2025 (from 218 to 239 students). 
• An 11% increase in the number of new first-year undergraduate students since last fall (from 160 to 178 students).
• A historically high percentage (48%) of first-year undergraduate students identify as first-generation college students (up from 35% last year).
• Another record high, nearly half (49%) of the incoming class is made up of student-athletes (up from 46%).

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our dedicated enrollment teams, and the unwavering support from faculty, staff, and the entire EMU community, we are seeing an increase in our incoming undergraduate enrollment numbers for the first time since the pandemic in 2020,” said Braydon Hoover ’11, MA ’21, vice president for enrollment and marketing at EMU. “Amid the headwinds that continue to buffet higher education today, we celebrate that more students are choosing EMU to help them fulfill their educational and professional goals, beginning their journeys as unifying leaders with us.”

Among the incoming Class of 2029:

• 43% identify as students of color (among the most diverse in EMU history);
• 73% hail from Virginia, with more than 20% from Harrisonburg and Rockingham County;
• 15 states, Puerto Rico, and four countries are represented; and 
• the average GPA is 3.49 (unchanged from last year), with nearly one-fourth of students entering EMU with at least 10 college credits.

The top three majors of the incoming class, starting from the most popular, are nursing, biology, and business administration. 

While a total 730 students make up the undergraduate student body, 358 graduate students are enrolled at EMU, including 126 new grad students joining the university this semester. Graduate programs that saw the largest gains since last year are Biomedicine (up 45% to 16 new students), Seminary (up 41% to 17 new students, boosted by its new Doctor of Ministry program), and Graduate Teacher Education (up 4% to 43 new students). Students in ���ѱ�’s graduate programs represent 20 states and five countries.

Thirty-five educators are renewing their licensure this year (compared to 22 last year) through ���ѱ�’s Graduate Teacher Education program. 

���ѱ�’s four-year and six-year graduation rates are 55% and 60%, respectively. Fall 2025 marks the seventh consecutive year that the university’s retention rate, which is generally used as a gauge of student satisfaction, has measured 74% or higher.

“Now more than ever before, the world needs EMU graduates—leaders specially trained to serve as bridge builders and peacemakers,” said Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham. “It’s gratifying to see our students continue to answer that call and equip the skills needed to make positive change in our world.”

The census numbers, collected on Sept. 9, represent undergraduate, graduate, non-degree and non-credit enrollment on the main Harrisonburg, Virginia, campus and the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, site for fall 2024.

“Amidst a challenging higher education environment, I am delighted that EMU is seeing growth in areas that reflect our shared values and ongoing commitment to belonging,” said Braydon Hoover ’11, MA ’21, vice president for enrollment. “It is important to note that while we are reporting our fall enrollment in aggregate, each number represents an individual student who has chosen EMU to be the catalyst of their bright futures. It is a choice we celebrate and a responsibility we take seriously. We will continue to deliver an exceptional education experience that is accessible for them and for all students interested in becoming unifying leaders.”

Explore more data 
in the EMU Fact Book.

The number of incoming students in the aviation program at EMU at Lancaster surged from 9 to 23 (a 155% increase from last year), contributing to a total undergraduate enrollment of 755 students and an incoming class enrollment of 183 students. The Class of 2028 represents 15 states/territories and 10 countries and includes 34% of students who identify as first-generation and 53% who identify as people of color (a roughly 10% increase from last year). Of the incoming class, 43% are athletes.

Top areas of study, starting from most popular, include nursing, business and leadership, STEM, aviation, and education. The Intensive English Program realized an 18% enrollment increase from 84 to 99 students.

This year at least 32 teachers from the Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County public school divisions are renewing their licensure through the Graduate Teacher Education program, further demonstrating EMU’s commitment to community partnerships.

���ѱ�’s retention rate, which is generally used as a gauge of student satisfaction, remains high. According to census data, 76% of the first-year undergraduate students who entered in fall 2023 continued their studies at EMU this semester. This marks the sixth consecutive year that the rate has measured 75% or higher.

“Our retention rate continues to soar above the national average,” said Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham. “Achieving this for six consecutive years is a feat. ���ѱ�’s collaborative approach, involving various departments working in synergy, ensures that students receive comprehensive support and have the opportunity to thrive academically and personally.”

���ѱ�’s eight graduate programs, which include Eastern Mennonite Seminary and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, continue to draw exceptional candidates with total full-time equivalent enrollment at 225 students. The number of new graduate students, including part-time and full-time students, is up by 30%. Those 108 degree-seeking students in the incoming graduate class represent 17 states and 16 countries.

Perhaps the greatest love in his life—other than his wife, Frances, and their children—was aviation. Hartman, an instrument-rated pilot since 1959, managed a small airfield east of Charlottesville in the 1960s. He enjoyed flying through the skies above his home “low and slow” in his 1966 Cessna 172, recalled his friend and legal adviser Marshall Yoder. Hartman delighted in taking his family on his flights and seeing the scenery from a fresh perspective.

“Len was a skilled pilot,” Yoder said. “He would float down and there would barely be a ‘thump’ when he’d land.”

As he entered his 90s, Hartman stopped flying his plane as often and began talking to Yoder about parting with it. He wanted to leave it in the right hands, where it could do the most good. But, he hadn’t yet found the right cause.

When Yoder told him about the burgeoning aviation program at EMU Lancaster and how his plane could greatly impact the next generation of pilots, Hartman found his answer. Before his death in February 2022, Hartman ensured that his beloved Cessna, as well as 25 percent of his estate, would be gifted to EMU. Because the gift was unrestricted, the university and its advancement division could decide how best to use it.

“Len knew there was a worldwide shortage of pilots, and he knew there would always be people interested in flight,” said Braydon Hoover, who worked with Hartman and Yoder on establishing the endowment. “And so, to honor his memory, we decided to put it all into a scholarship named after him.”

The J. Leonard “Len” Hartman Scholarship for Aviation will provide more than $17,000 in funds each year, starting in fall 2025, for aviation students at EMU Lancaster who demonstrate financial need.

The Hartman endowment totals about $345,000, which includes $20,000 from the sale of the Cessna. Hartman’s gift will help EMU live into its vision of opening new pathways of access and achievement, a vision outlined in the university’s 2023-28 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow’s Unifying Leaders.

“It has quickly become one of our larger named endowed scholarships,” Hoover said, “for one of the fastest growing programs at EMU.”

You can contribute to scholarships for future aviators at EMU by donating online at and typing “J. Leonard Hartman Aviation Scholarship” or “Scholarship for Aviation” into the text field. Contact kirk.shisler@emu.edu for more details on how to support this worthy cause.

John Sibole, director of aviation at EMU Lancaster, said the scholarships will allow the program to further diversify its student body and recruit students from new areas.

“We at EMU Lancaster would like to express our sincere gratitude for the implementation of the Len Hartman scholarship fund for our aviation students,” Sibole said.

“The flight training component of their education is expensive, and these scholarships, which will be awarded in part on a needs basis, will provide new pathways of access into the aviation profession for underserved young people,” he added.

���ѱ�’s aviation program soars

Word is spreading throughout the aviation industry about the strength of ���ѱ�’s program and the quality of its graduates. As a result, the EMU aviation program continues to grow in popularity. The program, which began in 2018 with five students, will welcome 24 students this upcoming semester—its largest cohort yet. Current enrollment in the program is at 49 students. A total of 21 students, in three cohorts so far, have graduated from the program to date.

Students enrolled in the four-year Leadership and Organizational Management (LOM) major with an aviation concentration earn a bachelor’s degree and the FAA credentials they need to become professional pilots. Students are paired with flight instructors though ���ѱ�’s flight training partner at the Lancaster Airport in Lititz, Pennsylvania. While the program provides at least 270 hours of flight time, many students earn up to 1,000 hours by the time they graduate, said Sibole, noting that nearly 100 percent of their students find jobs within their first year of graduating.

One of the benefits of an aviation program the size of ���ѱ�’s is that students are given guaranteed weekly flight training slots with access to aircraft and an instructor. That’s something, Sibole said, that isn’t available at a lot of larger schools.

It’s a major reason Will Stover, a third-year aviation student, chose to attend EMU.

“You’re going to be flying pretty much from day one,” he said. “And you have guaranteed flight slots, so there’s no question you’ll be flying and you’ll be flying regularly.”

When students enter their senior year, they are required to complete a supervised internship with an established aviation organization for a full semester. For many aviation graduates, those internships translate into full-time careers.

During her senior year, Ivy Kreiser, a member of the program’s first cohort, interned at , a private charter and aviation services company in Lancaster. She landed a job there after graduating in 2022 and now works there as a second-in-command.

Becoming a pilot can be expensive. The affordability of ���ѱ�’s aviation program, compared to other schools, was a big draw for her.

“The EMU program is great because you’re going to get the education you need, the experience you need, and the flight schools you need,” Kreiser said. “You’re going to meet with professors who will give you the connections you’re hoping for and that you want. And you’re not going to spend as much money as some of the other big programs out there.”

Hartman leaves a legacy

In addition to donating to EMU, Hartman gifted parts of his estate to a library, school, retirement home and church, Yoder said.

The attorney fondly recalls spending afternoons on Hartman’s front porch, talking about everything from politics and religion to Virginia Tech basketball.

“He was such a decent, nice person,” Yoder said. “I miss being able to talk to him. But I think he would be really happy knowing where his bequest is going.”

For more information about ���ѱ�’s aviation program, visit:

The world premiere of EMU’s Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid video at the Campus Center last week was glitzy, glamorous and grand. It had all the star power of a Hollywood awards show; actors Dennis Quaid and Billy Porter made video appearances. It had the high-energy feel of a rockin’ club, thanks to bachata lessons from the Latinx Student Alliance and a DJ-led dance party. And, said those who attended the premiere last Thursday, it showed how far EMU has come in its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The nationally-syndicated, short-form documentary focuses on EMU and its approach to advancing DEI as a peace and justice university. The Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid crew filmed footage on the Harrisonburg, Virginia, campus in late October. The four-and-a-half-minute episode will be distributed to public television affiliates nationwide during the week of April 29 and will air in all 50 states for an estimated reach of more than 60 million households. 

“It is the first time in university history that EMU will be showcased on such a grand national scale,” said EMU Regional Advancement Director and Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, who served as a host for the event.

Watch the on the Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid website.

In addition to the documentary episode, a 30-second promo for EMU will air during peak time (7-11:45 a.m.) and prime time (6-11:45 p.m.) on news networks between April 4 and April 30. Those networks include CNN, CNN Headline News, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business Network, TLC, Travel, and Discovery. The promo video will have an estimated reach of more than 85 million households.

Watch the promo commercial.

The night’s other host Braydon Hoover, associate vice president for advancement at EMU, said Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid also will design and generate an email campaign that sends the documentary to its database, which is more than 1 million contacts strong.

About 200 students, faculty, staff and community members packed Martin Greeting Hall inside the Campus Center for the watch party. They snacked on food from Korean restaurant Mashita, noshed from a mac ’n’ cheese bar, sipped mocktails from Merge Coffee Roasters, and indulged in treats from BMC Bakes, Pioneer Catering, and PrePOPsterous Gourmet Popcorn. 

Eventgoers, many of whom were dressed to impress, posed on the blue carpet and snapped pictures at a photo booth. 

Seven lucky raffle winners went home with a one-of-a-kind Herm lion head, each painted in the likeness of a DEI club or organization: Asian/Pacific Islander Student Alliance, Black Student Alliance, International Student Organization, Latinx Student Association, Queer Student Alliance, Disability Students Alliance, and the Office of DEI.

The event began with a performance from the EMU pep band, who stormed the stage playing Celebrate! and loosened up the crowd.

The EMU Gospel Choir, led by Kay Pettus and accompanied by Professor David Berry on piano, performed “Grateful” by Hezekiah Walker and “He Has Marvelous Things” by Pastor LaRue F. Kidd. Members of the gospel choir are: Reah Clymer, Marciella Shallomita, Laurel Evans, Genesis Figueroa, Canyon Penner, Jacob Nissley, Alaiyis Jasper, Philip Krabill and Micah Mast.

Members of the Latinx Student Alliance, Cristal Narciso, Belen Hernandez, Edwin Rios, and Emily Diaz, instructed the crowd in bachata dance lessons.  

EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman shared in her remarks the progress the university has made in its DEI journey. In 2017, 25 percent of first-year students at EMU identified as persons of color. In 2024, that figure has risen to 44 percent of first-year students. Other steps forward include: the hiring of Dr. Jackie Font-Guzmán in 2021 as the inaugural vice president for DEI, making DEI an essential part of onboarding for EMU faculty and staff, and putting inclusivity at the center of ���ѱ�’s five-year strategic plan Pathways of Promise. Huxman said the producers of the Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid series were motivated to “find the gems” where DEI has taken root in positive ways and chose EMU as a shining example.

Keynote speakers and EMU alumni Christian Parks ’16, Akiel Baker ’21 and admissions counselor Merry Yirga ’23 shared their experiences of being students of color at EMU, a predominantly white institution, and how they’ve seen the school grow in its commitment to justice and equity over the years. They spoke about the creation of the Office of DEI and the Black Student Alliance and thanked all the people who paved the way for progress at EMU.

Showtime!

Award-winning actor Billy Porter greeted those attending the event with a video message promoting love, grace and compassion. 

Next, it was Quaid’s turn to appear on screen. From a high-rise overlooking the Los Angeles skyline, the movie star introduced the topic of diversity.

“While we’ve made great strides, there’s always room for improvement,” Quaid says in the opening. “Advocates who are steadfast in their mission for inclusion can be found in just about every industry, as we’re about to see.”

The video features shots of students on campus and interviews with President Huxman, Font-Guzmán and alumnus DeVantae Dews ’19.

Before hanging up the microphone, Hoover announced that Font-Guzmán had been named the 2024 Diversity Business Leadership Award by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce.

Crowd Reactions

As she took in the night of celebration, Font-Guzmán said it was time to “go back and continue the hard work” to make EMU “the most inclusive university in the world.”

“We’re not there yet,” she said. “I know that not every single person here feels welcome and a sense of belonging, and every day we move closer to fulfilling our aspirations.”

After watching the video, Amy Knorr, the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding’s (CJP) practice director, said it was wonderful to tell ���ѱ�’s story to a new audience. “It’s exactly what EMU needs at this point in time to bring us all together and celebrate,” she said. 

Over by the banquet tables, EMU junior Allie Smith eyed the line for the mac ’n’ cheese bar. Smith, who played in the pep band and appeared in the Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid video playing the bongos, said she was “stoked” to see EMU highlighted. “I think we’re well on our way in our DEI journey,” she said. “I think we’re making great strides, and I think this video is one big step toward that.”

Desmoné Logan, a DEI inclusive excellence student leader and a committee member who helped plan the premiere, remarked on the momentous occasion: “This is like the birth of a new baby. It is something we would’ve never imagined two years ago.”

Taking a break from the dance floor, graduate student and gospel choir member Philip Krabill said watching the episode gave him a sense of pride in attending EMU: “Seeing all that we do in that video, I’m thinking, ‘Yeah, I guess we really are making progress, trying to make changes and make a place for everyone to feel welcome.’”

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the committee whose creativity and vision brought this event to life, including: Jennifer Sodikoff of Contemplate Marketing, Jackie Font-Guzmán, Dawn Neil, Monica Pangle, Tyler Goss, Nicole Litwiller, Deanna Reed, Braydon Hoover, Jen Kulju, Macson McGuigan, Margaux Jacks, Virginia Zelaya, Mike Ramer, Andrea Troyer, Sarah Wittig, Celeste Thomas, Shannon Grinnan, Chris Sharp, Adesola Johnson, Desmoné Logan, Chris Neil, Daniel King, Henry Bowser, Anne Cornelius, Allie Watkins and Kate Landis.

Gratitude also goes out to the generous folks who underwrote the event, including Steve and Tracey Mullet, Brad Driver and Stacy Jennings, and others who wish to remain anonymous.

That’s not just a gut feeling, either; it’s backed by data. According to EMU Advancement, the Harrisonburg, Virginia, school sports a 12-percent participation rate for grads who give back, compared to a national average rate of eight percent. 

That royal generosity was on full display when donors helped EMU shatter its $10.7 million fundraising goal set for the first phase of its Forward Together campaign. From July 2020 to June 2023, more than 4,000 donors provided 17,538 gifts to raise $11.6 million for EMU, about $900,000 above the funding target. In addition to those current gifts, donors also pledged about $11.4 million in new estate commitments, for a grand total of roughly $23 million raised in the past three years.

Those donors range in every age and demographic, as well as geographic region, said Braydon Hoover ’11, MA ’21 (organizational leadership), associate vice president for advancement at EMU. Nearly all of them have one major reason they give, though, and that’s to help make college more affordable and accessible for EMU students. Their contributions have already benefited thousands of students, Hoover said. 

“It’s donors and alumni and parents and businesses who stepped up and said, ‘We want students to come to EMU, and we don’t want them to leave with massive amounts of debt,’” Hoover said. “As soon as we crossed that $10.7-million threshold, we were cheering, we had a little party for our team, and we went to work sending out our thank you notes and our gratitude.”

A pandemic pivot 

EMU and its advancement team had been on the cusp of launching a major comprehensive campaign for several years. They were ready to move forward in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard and forced them to switch gears, Hoover said. 

“We needed to completely pivot, as so many organizations did, to what was the most important piece, and for us that was how to care for students both compassionately as well as financially,” he said. “And so we pivoted from a comprehensive campaign to Forward Together Phase I, which was completely student-centric.”

Forward Together Phase I prioritized three focus funds:

• The University Fund for Resilience: In addition to unrestricted gift support, this fund included annual gifts for the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and EMU Athletics. The fund helped provide student tuition support, student life services, collaborative faculty-student research, technology upgrades, intercultural programs, and infrastructures, among other operating expenses.

• The Student Tuition Relief Initiative: This fund included direct tuition relief assistance for students in need, direct grant scholarship awards, and named endowed scholarship funds. Nearly 99 percent of students at EMU receive some form of financial aid, Hoover said.  

• The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund: This fund invested in ways to increase the sense of belonging among all students. It supported special training events and efforts that enhance diversity and inclusion among EMU students, faculty and staff. “We had just hired Dr. Jackie Font-Guzman as our vice president for DEI and wanted to ensure she had the resources necessary to do that important work,” Hoover said.

In an address to alumni and donors at Homecoming and Family Weekend 2023 in mid-October, EMU President Susan Schultz Huxman celebrated the success of Forward Together Phase I. 

She said the campaign provided $6 million in endowed and immediate impact scholarships, $350,000 to support DEI and more than $5 million for the university fund. 

Part of the success of Forward Together has been the renewed enthusiasm in the annual LovEMU Giving Day. This past April, EMU raised a record-setting $300,915 in 24 hours from 844 gifts and 592 donors, over $5,000 more than the previous year’s total. 

“I think the pandemic had a lot to do with it,” Hoover said. “People felt helpless when we were all isolating, and giving was one of the ways they could continue to serve others.

“We cannot thank our donors enough for stepping up at one of the most vulnerable times for us as humans, but also for us as an organization, to come forward and help our students as much as possible.”

‘The worst-kept secret at EMU’

While celebrating the achievement of Phase I, EMU and the advancement team has been hard at work clearing a path for the continuation of Forward Together, the campaign for EMU. 

The largest comprehensive campaign in school history, its goal is to raise $40 million over the next five years. 

In addition to providing scholarships and tuition relief for students and continuing all the strategic initiatives from the first phase, funding will support compensation for faculty and staff and finance the new track-and-field complex being built. The $6-million complex, which is more than halfway funded, is scheduled to open next year. Donations are accepted online at: /campaign/track-and-field.

Huxman, who summed up the $40-million campaign as one for “people, programs and facilities,” said the new complex is already paying dividends.

“We have 24 new track-and-field students who wouldn’t be here otherwise,” she said at a donor appreciation banquet last month. “They would not have come to EMU without the promise of a state-of-the-art track.”

Although the details of Forward Together were shared at a couple homecoming events, the team leading the campaign is waiting until they’re about midway to reaching their goal before they begin spreading the word. Hoover jokingly labeled it as “the worst-kept secret at EMU.”

“In any major campaign like this, there’s always two to three years of quiet phase,” he said. “The team is currently securing leadership gifts, and our goal is that by the time we go public in two or three years, we will have raised at least 60 percent of the goal. That then becomes an exciting time to invite everyone to join the campaign in support of the people that make this place special: our students, faculty, and staff.”

Forward Together is led by a team comprising Kirk Shisler ’81, vice president for advancement; Braydon Hoover ’11, MA ’21 (organizational leadership), associate vice president for advancement; Laura Daily, director of advancement services; Nicole Litwiller ’19, MA ’20 (conflict transformation), annual giving & donor communications specialist; Lindsay Martin ’05, CJP advancement director; Christopher Randolph, regional advancement director; Deanna Reed, regional advancement director and mayor of Harrisonburg; and Tim Swartzendruber ’95, senior regional advancement director; with special support by Cassandra Guerrero, gift receipting coordinator; Shea Jones-Mitchell, administrative assistant; Graham Stauffer ’19, data analytics coordinator; Jennifer North Bauman, director of alumni & parent engagement; and Monica Pangle, events & volunteer coordinator.

Over a 44-year career at Eastern Mennonite College and then ��ݮ����, Horst gained a reputation as a “dedicated and valued colleague in the Science Center” with an excellent knowledge of his field, said Professor Emeritus Joseph Mast ’64.

Equally known for his deft expertise in wider subjects, Horst was a “Rennaissance man,” Mast said. 

“As a faculty member able to teach courses across a wide range of disciplines, John was an invaluable asset to EMU,” said Professor Emeritus Millard Showalter ’62. “Without a doubt, John L. Horst will be remembered as a ‘Man for all Seasons.’”  

Horst’s wide-ranging intellectual interests — from physics and mathematics to music and history — challenged, amazed and entertained in many venues, from classrooms to faculty lounges and in later years, at Sabbath evening Bible studies and other events at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. 

In later years, he shared his love of music as the host of WEMC’s “Mostly Mennonite, Mostly A Capella” and in compiling and writing liner notes for nine CDs from the “Mennonite Hour” music archives.

Horst also contributed to the conceptualization of pictorial histories in prominent locations that have served to educate campus visitors, and regular denizens, too. (An athlete throughout his life, Horst appears in one photo, wearing No. 77 on the Smith Literary Society basketball team.) Take a tour with John in this article.

“I am forever grateful for his initiative and leadership in the creation of the athletic history display on the first floor of the Commons, which would not have happened if he had not brought the idea and did most of the research,” said Director of Athletics Dave King ’76, who also has vivid memories of sitting in an interdisciplinary studies course (better known as IDS) as an undergraduate and watching Horst’s visible delight as he taught about baroque music. 

In retirement, Horst and his wife, Joan Graybill ’66, lived adjacent to EMU. He was an almost daily presence on campus, where he’d power walk and do wall push-ups in the University Commons (at certain times of the morning, one knew to take a wide turn around the corners), then stop by the Athletic Department (and other places, too) for a visit. King says he’ll miss those chats, as will many of us.

Park View Mennonite Church will host a live-streamed memorial service Saturday, Sept. 26, at 2  p.m. Visit for the link. His family will be present but the service will not be open to the public.

Horst is survived by his wife, Joan; his son, Michael Horst and wife, Stephanie, of Dover, Pa.; daughter Grete Horst Johnson and husband, Christopher, of Newport News; five grandchildren, Caleb, Luke and Daniel Horst, Emily and Sarah Johnson; and by a sister, Rachel Witmer and husband, James, of Alliance, Ohio.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Valley Brethren and Mennonite Heritage Center, PO Box 1653, Harrisonburg, VA 22803 or to WEMC FM radio station, 1200 Park Road, Harrisonburg, VA 22802.

Memories and condolences shared below in the comments will appear publicly. They will also be shared with the family. 

***

Born in Connellsville, Pa., to the late John L. Sr. and Emma Zimmerman Horst, John Horst Jr. grew up in Scottdale. His lifelong love of music began early: at Scottdale High School, he sang in a male quartet that reached state-level competition. Horst’s reputation as a vocalist preceded him: Wilmer Lehman ’57, who is four years older than John, remembers attending Music Week at Laurelville and hearing J. Mark Stauffer ’38, who led EMC’s choirs, “rave” about the teenager’s wonderful deep bass voice. The two would meet again at EMC in 1956, when Lehman was a senior and Horst a freshman — and then become colleagues. Lehman, professor emeritus of mathematics, retired in 2000.

At EMC, Horst earned a degree in mathematics and music. He then completed graduate work in physics education at the University of Virginia, as well as additional graduate work in music. He taught at Eastern Mennonite High School for three years and then moved to the college, where he spent 37 years as an associate professor of physics and mathematics. Among other responsibilities, he was the planetarium’s director. [Read more about the Astral Society and the planetarium.]

He was passionate about teaching. EMU records capture a few examples of his professional development activities. In 1969, he was selected to participate in a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded six-week summer institute for professors teaching nuclear physics at Vanderbilt University. The next summer, he represented EMC among 19 colleges and universities at a selective summer institute focused on making physics courses meaningful to non-physics majors. Three weekend conferences were also part of the commitment; in return, Horst secured a $1,000 NSF grant for laboratory equipment.

Showalter remembers that Horst developed and often taught a special course for biology and business majors who needed to take physics but were lacking in “the knowledge of the essential concepts of differential and integral calculus, concepts which are very helpful in the study of physics,” Showalter said. “His class, titled ‘Elements of Calculus,’ aimed to “dispel the phobia of calculus as an ‘impossible’ course.” 

Roman J. Miller’s first memory of Horst is one of gracious hospitality. The new faculty member arrived to teach at EMC in the summer of 1985 with plans to stay in an inexpensive hotel room as he located a more permanent residence. Horst offered him use of his family’s summer cabin out in the county.

“In our trans-departmental discussions and debates in the faculty lounge over the years, I was often stimulated by John Horst’s broad interests in life far beyond physics and math, which he very capably taught,” said Miller, who after retiring in 2016 as emeritus professor of biology, often saw Horst at VMRC events. “His love of music and reflections on a wide range of historic and religious happenings enlarged my world.  I appreciated so much his warm friendship and his openness to conversation about the state of the world.”

Horst’s love of learning, teaching and science was present in the classroom even after retirement.  “A few times, John was a substitute teacher in my physics classes and I keenly remember that he was fond of examples over lectures,” said Braydon Hoover ‘11, director of development and annual giving. “No matter how often he conducted a physics experiment, his face would light up like he was an undergrad experiencing it for the first time, himself.”

Hoover also remembers singing next to Horst and his clear joy in sharing music together at the doctoral defense of Ben Bergey ‘11 (now a music professor at EMU).  

Throughout his life, Horst was a vocal performer and composer. He also composed works for piano, synthesizer and carillon. At Park View Mennnonite Church, where he was a member for nearly 55 years, Horst sang in the choir. He also sang in the Mennonite Hour Men’s Quartet for seven years; in the Men’s Chorus and Mixed Chorus in the 50’s and 60’s; and with several community choirs, most recently the Valley Collegium Musicum. 

Around ���ѱ�’s Centennial year, Horst worked on a compilation  CD of EMC/���ѱ�’s greatest choral and orchestral hits. Members of ���ѱ�’s marketing and communication department fondly remember his visits to the Anderson House office during those months, when he would work his way around to each and every desk, greeting everyone, sharing ideas for articles about campus history, handing over type-written or hand-written remembrances or attending to various to-do items related to the CD. 

With thanks to Wilmer Lehman, Joe Mast, Roman Miller and Millard Showalter for sharing memories and stories. You are most welcome to do the same in the comment box below. We’ll make sure they are passed along to his family.

With help from rallying donors across all 50 states and an impromptu head-shaving challenge, ���ѱ�’s fourth annual LovEMU Giving Day on April 8 raised a record $214,683 from 732 gifts.

This amount is an increase of nearly $100,000 over the 2019 totals.

Thank you to the many, many supporters who have “shown up together” in big ways for the people that make EMU the special place it is – our students, faculty, and staff.

The historic day was a surprising and uplifting result at a time when many other university fundraising events are being cautiously rescheduled or even cancelled. Much of the event’s momentum in past years carried over from on-campus activities, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed outreach in the digital space to an audience ready to respond.

Royals supporters were equally as generous with their time and energy, sharing videos and photos online and sending love to EMU in a way “that made the day feel inclusive in a way it’s never been before,” said Braydon Hoover ’11, director of development and annual giving and chair of the event committee. “We truly are one big family.”

Social media was a-buzz with tiny tots and kids of alumni in Royal blue, field hockey players batting balls, volleyball athletes challenging their fans, musicians and triathletes and cross country runners and artists all sharing their love for EMU.

“Our theme this year was ‘Show Up for EMU’ and that happened in a big way at a hugely important time for all of us,” said Kirk Shisler ’81, vice president for advancement. “LovEMU Day brought us together in a way that no other event could.” 

As if the excitement could not be contained, the 24-hour outpouring of love began even before April 8 and stretched into the morning of April 9, with more donations accumulating even in this morning. Target goals on the challenges were met quickly with tallies eventually far exceeding the goals.

Other highlights of 2020 LovEMU Day:

• Raising $53,253 for the Emergency Student Compassion Fund.
• Raising $146,981 for the UFund for Resilience.
• Unlocking $70,000 in challenge match funds.
• Winning the 50-state challenge (thanks, Arkansas and Louisiana!).
• Helping the Education Program, Women’s Volleyball Team, and the Black Student Alliance to win $1,000 each.
• Hearing the many reasons why donors LovEMU (for a few, read on!).

A Few Reasons We LovEMU

• The life-changing opportunity EMU gave me to live and learn in another country!
• Our granddaughter loves the school and volleyball.
• I have loved EMU since my first year on campus, 1963 — lifelong friends, caring professors, and a new perspective on our church and world.
• I can’t repay what EMU/CJP gave me, but this is a good day to give something back!
• I really love the new tagline, “Lead Together!” I am forever grateful for the opportunities I experienced as an undergrad (class of ’86) to develop leadership skills in various settings. That could only happen with committed faculty and staff who encouraged me in those opportunities. I’m the person I am today because of my EMU experience. Forever grateful!

As he always does in his traditional role as LovEMU Day MC, Hoover watched the totals on the leaderboard tick up with delight. This year, he kicked coverage off with a “Morning Show”-style greeting, clutching a mug of coffee and wearing a plush Royal blue robe over his LovEMU Day t-shirt. 

Chats throughout the day followed with Royals “celebrities,” including Herm the mascot (retiring soon), The Hon. Deanna Reed, mayor of Harrisonburg and a member of the EMU Board of Trustees; JD Richardson, co-president of Black Student Union; EMU President Susan Schultz Huxman; alumnus Trent Wagler ’02, with guitar, of The Steel Wheels; and Student Government Association co-presidents Seth Weaver and Leah Wenger. [And Yankees catcher and 2019 Alum of the Year Erik Kratz ’02 sent in a video greeting. Thanks, Erik!]

In a moment of delirium, caused by lack of coffee at 10 p.m., Hoover joked that he would shave his head if donations reached $200,000. “I thought I was safe,” he later recalled. Not so.

To the attempted rescue came Louise Otto ‘79 Hostetter, hoping a $225,000 threshold might  #SaveBraydonsHair. 

While an unprecedented number of gifts came pouring in the hour before, Hoover began shaving with a few minutes to midnight before signing off. “Even if we couldn’t save my hair,” he said, “I’m happy to donate it to the cause in support of our people!”

Three new pieces of equipment have arrived on the ��ݮ���� campus, much to the delight of the employees who will use them most.

Hopping onto the new Hustler zero-turn mowers, Henry Bowser couldn’t resist popping a small wheelie before racing off with Kendall Wenger for some exhibition mowing on Bomberger Field. And later John Dudley, a senior working with EMU Facilities Management, was given the honor of taking the Hustler MDV all-purpose vehicle for a little spin around the parking lot. 

The equipment, all produced by Excel Industries in Hesston, Kansas, arrived from local dealer Rockingham New Holland, as part of a beneficial deal with Excel principles Bob Mullet and Cal Redekop. Mullet is chairman of Excel’s board and former COO of the family-owned business (his son Luke Roth-Mullet ‘01 is the company’s former director of manufacturing). Redekop, a former Hesston College professor, helped to found Excel. Both men live in Harrisonburg.

Hustler products are a favorite of EMU Facilities Management, though Wenger, a Hesston native, admits his proclivities may be partially due to geographic loyalties.

“We’ve really tried all the major brands,” he said, “and Hustler just stripes the best and runs cleanest.” 

During the growing season, Wenger and other employees contribute some of the 30 hours it takes to keep 30 acres of campus lawn and athletic fields trimmed neatly. The new mowers will help minimize those hours, said Ed Lehman, director of facilities management. 

Redekop was especially pleased to make a contribution to broadening ���ѱ�’s color palette. “I affirm EMU’s wisdom in increasing yellow color on campus,” he said, with a grin.

Lehman says the new MDV will be especially useful, considering that ���ѱ�’s equivalent vehicles for all-purpose maintenance duties until then was a small fleet of “heavy-duty golf carts.” The new four-wheel-drive MDV is a precision-built utility vehicle with a specially engineered drop-down dump bed called a LeveLift. 

“That bed is really helpful when there’s only one person to do the job,” said Loretta Parkinson, youthful salesperson and daughter of Russ Parkinson, manager of Rockingham New Holland, who stepped in to answer questions from a bystander. 

Her brother Derrick had earlier helped to move machinery in the proper line-up for a small thank-you reception that included university president Susan Schultz Huxman, Director of Development and Annual Giving Braydon Hoover ‘11, and nearly the entire facilities management staff. The pumpkin bars and the cider were a treat, but it was the exhibition synchronized mowing, with accompanying drone action to capture the event, that drew the entire crowd out into the fall sunshine.

“Wow, these are fast,” Bowser said, as he zoomed past, perhaps thinking of all the time next spring, when mowing resumes, that he might save for other projects (and there are always other projects). “This is great!” 

And then he popped one more wheelie.

Dubbed a “solar barn raising” by organizers, the event enlisted about 70 students and volunteers to install 120 solar panels on the University Commons roof plus 66 panels atop Roselawn. Their combined 65.2 kilowatts are in addition to the 104.3-kilowatt solar array installed on the roof of ���ѱ�’s Sadie Hartzler Library in 2010.

The new solar arrays are expected to be in full operation by mid-October.

“It’s a way to leave our mark on campus while also making it more sustainable,” said Miriam Beck, co-leader of the student group Earthkeepers, which did fundraising and coordinated volunteers for the project. “We’re just here for a few years, but this project is going to be here for a long time. Students care a lot about sustainability.”

With support from Secure Futures Solar, guidance from Green Hill Solar and Beck Builders of Virginia, and electrical work by Mid Valley Electric, students assembled and placed mounting brackets to which the panels were then attached. The arrays are primarily ballasted – held in place with concrete block weights – which does not require penetration of roof surfaces.

The installation required removing old gravel ballast from the rooftops, which students worked on for several days leading up to the Saturday “barn raising.”

“I have classes in Roselawn, and we’ve been hearing all of the grating, moving noises,” said junior Clara Weybright, president of ���ѱ�’s Sustainable Food Initiative club and all smiles Saturday morning. “This is really great.”

Ruth Reimer-Berg, also a junior, carried concrete blocks for the installation across the University Commons roof.

“I’m really excited, because sustainability is really important,” she said. And the grueling work? “It’s something that we can take with us. When we go out into the world, we can find these sort of projects and help out. We’ve already done it once, so we can do it again.”

Earthkeepers co-leader Andy King had compiled a music playlist for the day of songs such as Queen’s signature “We Are the Champions of the World.”

“This was sort of a grassroots movement led by the students, so if you want something done on campus, just work together and talk to your administration to get things finished,” he said. “It’s really empowering for the students.”

All told, the project budget was approximately $120,000. Student-led crowdfunding brought in more than $13,000 last year – funds that were matched by two donors – and Siemens contributed $15,000 to the the project as a sustainability education contribution. Secure Futures, which owns the arrays in a customer self-generation agreement, also provided additional funding, including $5,000 from a 2016 U.S. Department of Energy Sunshot grant awarded Secure Futures and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). That grant for nonprofits also helped fund “solar barn raisings” at Gift and Thrift in Harrisonburg, the MCC Material Resource Center in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and Daniels Run Peace Church in Fairfax, Virginia.

A current student-led crowdfunding campaign, inspired by the solar project, is seeking $8,000 for an off-grid, sustainable concession stand at ���ѱ�’s turf field and illustrates the ongoing passion for sustainability on campus, said Braydon Hoover, director of development and annual giving.

Secure Futures technical manager Andrew Yoder, a 2016 alumnus now enrolled in ���ѱ�’s MBA program, said the barn raising concept and use of volunteers isn’t something that can happen everywhere.

“It’s a community of people who are committed to the same goal,” he said. “It’s something pretty unique about the Mennonite community that’s able to come together – and EMU provides a great structure for that.”

The first tour to Israel/Palestine, with longtime leaders Linford and Janet Stutzman, traveled in November 2017 to rave reviews.

The Cuba group filled quickly—and another trip is scheduled for March 21-30, 2019. (The deadline to register is Aug. 31. There are also trips to Lithuania, Israel/Palestine and Ireland: go here to read more.)

If you’re interested in going to Cuba, now is the time, says Jeff Shank, director of alumni and parent engagement. Restrictions by the Trump Administration in November 2017 limit travel to those going with an organized, U.S.-owned company.

These same regulations, Shank says, call for Americans to participate in “people-to-people” tours emphasizing educational and meaningful experiences shared with area residents –exactly the kind of travel EMU cross-cultural planners have specialized in for their undergraduate students for years.

That means the schedule is full and the experience truly informative about a country’s culture, arts and history, said Braydon Hoover ’11, director of development & annual giving, who traveled to Cuba on this first trip with his wife Heidi Muller ’11 Hoover, leaders Nathan Barge and Elaine Zook Barge, and 17 others.*

“Our alumni tour to Cuba was everything a cross-cultural ought to be – challenging our preconceptions, expanding our worldviews, introducing us to new friends, and surprising in all the right ways,” he added.

More from Braydon Hoover

It’s easy for Americans to condense Cuba into a few choice images. Of course, all those beautiful Chevys and Fords frozen in time come immediately to mind.  Old women smoking enormous cigars and the smooth Afro Cuban rhythms of the Buena Vista Social Club, too.

Romanticizing the 40’s and 50’s, my mind’s eye could picture Papa Hemingway himself, sipping daiquiris in the warm tropical breeze while drafting The Old Man and the Sea.

Perhaps the most prominent image, especially for those of us who lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis and its aftermath, is the ever-looming legacy of Fidel Castro and that big, scary C-word (turns out it’s more akin to democratic socialism than Soviet Union-era politics, but more on that later…)

While Cuba is certainly an amalgamation of all these, the country and its people are so much more than what we’ve been led to believe – I certainly discovered that from our first day in Havana.

What we don’t hear is that one of the very first programs instituted by the Revolutionary government was a literacy campaign (it’s historic impact now enshrined in the National Museum of the Campaign for Alphabetization, one of the first stops of our trip). This campaign led to the complete eradication of illiteracy on the island and began a series of reforms that nationalized education through the 11th grade and beyond. The Latin American School of Medicine, another stop on our cultural tour, provides tuition-free medical education to anyone (even citizens of the U.S. whom we met). The only stipulation? Students must return to their home community after graduation and serve those that need it most.

While the national discourse in the U.S. on universal healthcare reaches a boiling point, Cuba has settled into an effective, communal system that cares for every citizen. A doctor is a public servant, serving community blocks of approximately 1,000 from birth to death. They live above their clinics and are on hand 24/7. A newborn will be looked in on every day during their first year of life and the medical histories and nutritional habits of the elderly are comprehensively known. Dr. Barb even joked that she sticks her finger in the dinner pot on her rounds to make sure her treatment instructions are being followed!

We were also fortunate to visit Cuba during the lead-up to their elections in April where, for the first time in 60 years, a non-Revolutionary was likely to take the helm of governance (and did!). The excitement was palpable without a single billboard, pamphlet, or political television ad to be seen (a novel idea, I know). What’s more, the people have more of a direct say in their elected representatives than what the Electoral College grants the U.S. And as Cuba continues to evolve, so too does its economy. We frequently ate our dinners at privately owned and operated restaurants, called paladars, which was one of the first steps Raul Castro took toward a mixed economy.

Soaring above everything else is the indelible nature of the Cuban people, the resiliency. It’s a land of near-constant revolution. Through upheaval after upheaval, oppression upon oppression, Cubans – an eclectic and beautiful mix of cultures – have adapted, been transformed, and, I suspect, be transformational on the world’s stage in the years to come.   

Lest you think these alumni cross-cultural tours are all work and no play, we also had ample opportunity to walk along the Malecón and be kissed by the sea; purchase fruit and sandwiches, art and mojitos in Old Havana; and swim in the Bay the Pigs (you read that correctly). We met with some of the top scholars and leaders in Cuban culture and traveled with tour guides as knowledgeable as they were kind… Muchas gracias, Martin Luther King Jr. Center and Natan y Elena!

*Editor’s note: Because all four of these folks are EMU alumni and Elaine and Nathan are “double Royals,” grad years were omitted so the sentence didn’t get overly numerical. But for the curious, Braydon graduated in 2011 and Heidi in 2010. Nathan earned his BA in 1984 and an MA in conflict transformation in 1999. Elaine earned her BA in 1975 and completed an MA in conflict transformation in 2003.

A campus culture that “respects students’ right to protest” – that nurtures both students and the social movements they create, and embraces student activism as being the result of new knowledge at the core of liberation – benefits the entire community, said Hinojosa, a professor of history at Texas A & M. In their activism, students think critically, lead outside the classroom, practice civic engagement, and develop a greater sense of social responsibility.

Hinojosa’s August 14 address on the conference theme of “Being or Becoming a Third Way University” began the two-day event’s broader discussions around campus engagement, civic collaboration and diversity and inclusion, goals that are articulated in the university’s strategic plan.

“Dr. Hinojosa’s address was a helpful invitation as we anticipate the return of students to campus,” said Provost Fred Kniss. “Cultivating students’ abilities to engage with the world is central to our mission, and as an institution we can also learn from their desires for change.”

Conferences an annual tradition

���ѱ�’s faculty-staff conferences bookend each academic year, with the fall event providing gathering in fellowship and renewal of the community’s common purpose and goals.

Braydon Hoover, director of development and annual giving and frequent conference emcee, pointed out that common vision in his welcome: “We’re all here for the exact same purpose … to prepare every single one of our students to distinctively serve and lead in a global context,” he said. “Whether you coach on the grass or you cut it, whether you teach 18-year-olds or students a little older, whether you work remotely or right here on campus, whether you took a break this summer or work diligently all year round, and even whether you hail from the titular religious tradition or another completely different, we – all of us – are EMU.”

The event included workshop sessions, worship and fellowship opportunities, and what’s become an annual favorite, “Storytelling,” featuring members of the campus community sharing about their journeys to, towards or within the EMU community. Fall storytellers included professors Johonna Turner and Esther Tian; Jasmine Hardesty, director of development and planned giving; and Scott Barge, vice president of institutional effectiveness.

The event was also a forum for announcements about the upcoming academic year, including the observance of MLK Day with extensive service and learning opportunities replacing scheduled classes.

Keynote speaker calls for empowering synergy

Hinojosa knows what it means to envision a different university. While a student at Fresno Pacific University in California, he joined student movements to encourage the hiring of more diverse faculty and expansion of the curriculum and academic programs.

“How could a university in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, surrounded by a large Latinx population and located in an area that gave birth to the greatest and most successful farm workers civil rights movement, not teach a course on this?” he said.

The synergy between his own student activism and intellectual engagement – the “growth of political consciousness and understanding of history,” his own and his people’s – was both personally empowering and beneficial to the campus community.

Now a tenured professor of history at Texas A&M University, Hinojosa also directs the history department’s undergraduate studies and is co-founder and co-director of the Latina/o Studies Working Group sponsored by the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research.

Sharing his pedagogical philosophy that asks “So what? Now what?” with his students in courses about social movements, Latinx history, gender, comparative race and ethnicity, Hinojosa has become a resource, guide and mentor to diverse student activists.

This role – and the work of activism itself – is “messy” and “chaotic,” but “more important than ever,” he said.

In considering the role of the “third way university,” Hinojosa noted the history of socially progressive Christians. While “distorted forms of Christianity got the most play,” they quietly went to work in communities around the world.

“A third way university must build on this radical tradition,” he said.

In response to a question from Director of Multicultural Services Celeste Thomas, Hinojosa elaborated on additional ways of supporting black and brown students in the predominantly white university setting: listening to the voices and perspectives of marginalized students, hiring diverse and/or culturally competent faculty and staff, providing safe community spaces for these students, and prioritizing issues and the history of diverse communities in curriculum and academic programs.

Beyond the keynote

Afternoon breakout sessions offered faculty and staff opportunities to learn more about distinctive programs that link to core values of ���ѱ�’s mission and vision.  

Various restorative justice initiatives and programs were highlighted in a special session hosted by professors Johonna Turner and Carl Stauffer, who co-direct the housed in the . Jon Swartz, associate dean of students, talked about restorative justice as it relates to the campus community and highlighted the growth, and growing interest, in RJ-related trainings. Meg Sanders, director of ���ѱ�’s Graduate Teacher Education program, spoke about the new master’s degree and graduate certificate in restorative justice, as well as the integration of RJ principles and practices into professional training courses offered by the university.

Director Kimberly Schmidt presented on the , ���ѱ�’s Washington D.C.-based program offering cross-cultural urban studies, internship and community living experience. She was joined by Associate Director Ryan Good and Program Assistant Karlyn Gehring.

Doug Graber Neufeld presented on the , a collaborative initiative of ��ݮ����, Goshen College and Mennonite Central Committee to lead Anabaptist efforts to respond to the challenges of climate change. Neufeld, a biology professor at EMU, directs the center.

With two hours and 13 minutes of Tuesday’s remaining on the clock, Advancement Associate Director Braydon Hoover ’11 took to the social media airwaves to exhort the faithful.

The video captures the moment in the mostly deserted Campus Center: Hoover possesses a charmingly rumpled look after a long day of fundraising: notably, his signature bowtie is missing, but traces of his normal sartorial elegance still remain, visible in the collar and tails of his white dress shirt under his LovEMU t-shirt.

“With just two challenges left to meet,” he says, “we are counting on you to make ���ѱ�’s future bright and sustainable — and thank you for loving EMU!”

When the clock struck midnight, those challenges had been met.

In a historic day that marked an outpouring of love for EMU from across the country and around the world, the second annual one-day fundraising campaign resulted in a record total of $119,232 ���Ի���681 gifts. [The above video was filmed before other donations, which came in between midnight and noon today, were added to the total.]

Both tallies exceeded 2017 numbers.

“Our participation was outstanding and the entire day an affirmation and celebration of this special place and everyone connected to it,” said Jeff Shank, director of alumni and parent relations. “From alumni gatherings to the excitement on campus and on social media, our community truly came together to support ���ѱ�’s important educational mission.”

Donations grow, and grow, and grow…

All six challenges exceeded participation goals, as alumni, parents and grandparents, faculty and staff, trustees, Centennial givers, and sweethearts who met at EMU helped to unlock matching gifts.

Several anonymous generous donors, as well as President Susan Schultz Huxman and Provost Fred Kniss, offered to match gifts if various goals were met by certain groups, including current and former board of trustee members (36 participated), faculty and staff (81 participated), parents and grandparents (123 participated).

At eight evening gatherings in four states and Washington D.C., approximately 220 alumni and their families reconnected around the digital leaderboards, watching the donations grow as the night went on.

made the occasion even more historic, hosting an alumni event at the Lancaster Airport terminal to coincide with the announcement of their new aviation program – the first collegiate 4-year degree program in the region.

Business, volleyball, first-years win votes

With a format that encouraged competition and “showing the love” for a certain “beloved” academic or athletic program and class, competition for “votes” went late into the evening.

Business and economics narrowly squeezed out reigning champion education 73-71. Psychology finished third with 47 votes.

The competition was tight on the athletics side, with women’s volleyball team successfully defending their title, garnering 150 votes to 146 votes of new challenger field hockey.

And in a major upset, ���ѱ�’s first-year class upset the seniors 125-117.

A sampling of the LOVE

Here’s just a few of the comments from generous contributors, when asked to share what they love about EMU:

• The extended community that knows no boundaries.
• The small class sizes where I felt like I really got to know my professors and still keep in contact with some.
• Without a doubt, EMU changed my life. From cross-cultural experience, meeting the love of my life and receiving an incredibly holistic education, I cannot thank EMU enough…
• Professors who have changed my children’s lives.
• Spiritual growth opportunities and mentoring.
• Demonstrating a commitment to the worldwide community.
• I love Coach Stick and her field hockey ladies!
• The friendships I made at EMU are priceless…many of my core values and lifestyle habits were formed during my years there.
• We built lifelong friendships. Father and daughter both experienced the Middle East cross cultural 27 years apart.
• The alumni I have met: great people and representatives of EMU.
• It’s inspiring. Every time we visit, we are so happy our daughter decided EMU was the university for her.
• EMU is a launching pad, a place to come home to, a flickering and constant place where I first learned how to take risks, recognize and create beauty, try my hand at leadership, and learn how to follow God with grown-up eyes and hands.

The Student Solar Panel Project (SSPP) is one of two campaigns featured with the new EMU Crowdfunding venture, a joint effort by students and the EMU development office to promote student-focused and student-driven projects.

The second campaign is for the MJ Sharp Peace and Justice Endowed Scholarship, which will provide approximately $5,000 per year for graduate students studying conflict transformation and restorative justice with the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.

The collaborative nature of EMU Crowdfunding brings together students and Development, “an interface that doesn’t automatically happen, given the spheres in which we operate,” said Braydon Hoover, associate director of development. “It has been both a joy and source of motivation to work with such dedicated and inspiring groups of students on these campaigns,” he said.

“This collaboration sets a precedent for a new type of partnership, which has positive returns for everyone involved,” said senior Harrison Horst, who initiated the solar project. “I couldn’t be happier that Development is as excited as they are to join us in working towards our goal.”

The $12,000 solar panel project crowdfunding goal will be matched by an anonymous donor who wishes to inspire young people with the importance of carbon neutrality.

Applications for additional campaigns will be received starting in August. Projects included in EMU Crowdfunding Campaigns will reflect a variety of tangible and intangible projects (such as solar panels or scholarships, respectively) and the diversity of ���ѱ�’s undergraduate and graduate programs and fields of study, as well as sync with overall university strategies and priorities, Hoover said.

“When we team up, anything is possible,” he said. “The SSPP started as a desire to help EMU with its environmental sustainability efforts and is now an almost fully-funded initiative, and the MJ Sharp endowment will not only help students interested in peace, justice, and service around the world receive the education they need to be successful in these endeavors, it also is a reminder of the transformative nature of this university. To see the gifts roll in in support of each of these projects is both humbling and inspiring at the same time.”