The second weekend in October each year, scores of former students arrive on campus to reconnect with friends and classmates. More than a thousand alumni and parents of students are expected to continue that tradition Oct. 8-10, 2004 on .

More than a thousand EMU alumni and parents of students are expected to continue that tradition Oct. 8-10, 2004 as they gather to celebrate homecoming and parents weekend.

( for Homecoming will remain available until Oct. 6.)

"Many alumni formed significant relationships during their college years that last a lifetime," said , director of . "At homecoming, they’ll come together to celebrate these friendships and their connections to the larger university community," he added.

Events

Among the myriad events scheduled are Homecoming concerts featuring 1993 graduate Dan Gardner, a recording artist from Atlanta, Ga., on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8-9, at 8 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium. Gardner won a national "Today’s Superstar" competition on NBC Television’s "Today" show in 2002 and launched a successful recording and concert career. Advance tickets are available by calling the EMU box office, (540) 432-4582.

Donald R. Clymer, director of EMU’s cross-cultural programs, will answer questions about the school’s off-campus study opportunities 10 a.m. Oct. 9 in the University Commons.

An alumni-parent worship service 10 a.m. Oct. 10 in Lehman Auditorium will have a music emphasis led by Kenneth J. Nafziger, professor of music, and the EMU Chamber Singers. Recipients of the "alumnus of the year" and "distinguished service award" will be recognized during the service.

Traditional homecoming features will include reunions 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 9 for graduating years ending in a "4" or "9," from 1959 to 1999. The "Jubilee Alumni," persons who attended EMU 50 years ago or more, will hold a luncheon and program at 11:30 a.m. that day at the Eastern Mennonite High School dining room.

Breakfast meetings will be held Saturday morning for alumni and friends of the business and economics department; nursing department, the science department, Bible and religion department (Haverim), the music department (Encore!) and the language and literature department.

Everyone’s a fan during Homecoming!

Outstanding alumni athletes will be recognized at a "hall of honor" breakfast Saturday morning. This year’s inductees are Sandy Brownscombe, a former women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and field hockey coach at EMU; and Elton Horst, a cross-country standout. For the first time, a team – the 1976 men’s cross-country team – will also be inducted.

Home economics alumni will gather at 3 p.m. Saturday in Martin Chapel for a reception and program. Tributes will be given in honor of the late Mary Emma Showalter Eby, founder of the EMU home economics program.

A reception for a cross-cultural seminary group who went to the Middle East 30 years ago with Willard Swartley, a former Bible and religion department professor, will be held 7 p.m. Saturday in Martin Chapel.

Several alumni authors will be present for a book signing 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday in the university bookstore: Dwight Hartman, Samuel L. Horst, Elton Lehman, Janet Patton, John Stahl-Wert and Willard and Mary Swartley.

An art exhibit featuring mixed media by Aaron Echorst, a 1994 EMU art graduate, will be on display in the third floor gallery of . A reception for the artist will be held 2:30-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9.

Varsity field hockey, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer games are scheduled on Saturday, preceded by a Loyal Royals "fun run" 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the EMU track.

The annual alumni golf classic will begin at 1 p.m. Fri., Oct. 8, at the Heritage Oaks Golf Course west of Harrisonburg.

Special activities for children (kindergarten through sixth grade) and youth (grades 7 through 12) are scheduled at various times Saturday, and childcare for infants through age 5 will be provided during reunions and at other designated times.

The registration desk in the University Commons will be open 3-10 p.m. Fri., Oct. 8, and 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat., Oct. 9.

For more information, go to , call the alumni office at (540) 432-4245 or e-mail alumni@emu.edu.

Dan Gardner, a 1993 graduate of EMU and winner of NBC Television’s Today Show “Today’s Superstar” competition, will return to his alma mater to give two concerts during fall homecoming weekend.

Gardner will perform a wide variety of popular music, including original compositions, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8 – 9, in Lehman Auditorium, and be available to sign CDs after each show. The EMU Chamber Singers will join him on some selections.

A resident of Atlanta, Ga., where he taught private voice lessons and at a music school before becoming a full-time recording artist, Gardner received the top award on the Nov. 21, 2002 broadcast of the program in New York City. The process included being chosen from among 4,000 audition tapes, performing as one of six finalists and taking part in three weeks of performances. More than 700,000 votes were submitted on-line throughout the contest.

Born in New York City, the liberal arts major was raised in Goshen, Ind., the youngest of five siblings. At EMU, he was a voice student of music professor Kenneth Nafziger and a member of the Chamber Singers, which Dr. Nafziger directs.

“Dan is a remarkable person,” noted Dr. Nafziger. “He came to EMU knowing what he wanted to do and never wavered from those intentions. I had never worked for an extended period of time with a singer who wanted to do pop music, so working with him was a real education for me,” he added.

Nafziger noted the “intensity” with which Gardner could communicate a song, whether to an audience of one in a music lesson or to an audience of many – as in his senior recital which packed out Lehman Auditorium.

As Today’s Superstar, Gardner was featured in a live outdoor concert in December 2002 outside NBC’s Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza and was awarded a recording session with Warner Brothers Records.

Gardner now has a production company (DG Productions) and a Web site . He still lives in Atlanta, but travels frequently to New York and Los Angeles and gives concerts around the country. He has appeared on national radio, on national television at a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial event and at the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

His debut album, “More Than Life,” features many songs written or co-written by Gardner. As vocalist, songwriter, performer and producer, Gardner mixes elements of pop, blues, jazz and rock in this varied collection of ballads, high energy and mid-tempo tunes. His first single off the album, “More Than Life,” climbed to No. 12 on the adult contemporary radio charts.

Admission prices vary. Persons are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by calling the EMU box office, (540) 432-4582. Tickets will also be on sale at the door.