The alpine wilderness is the highest plateau east of the Mississippi River, with altitudes ranging from 2,655 feet to 4, 123 feet. The altitude and strong, consistent wind creates a system of flora and fauna— expanses of sphagnum and cranberry bogs, heath shrubs and red spruce — not often found south of Canada.

The human history of Dolly Sods includes massive logging, fires caused by flammable industrial waste, and then utilization as a mortar and artillery range.

“The area provides a unique opportunity to see the combined impacts of the extreme logging and unusual natural conditions that result in such a unique ecosystem and it inspires much discussion over the value of such places,” said Professor , who has taken environmental sustainability students to Dolly Sods almost annually for over 15 years.

Yoder’s conservation biology class has been studying inherent and instrumental value of ecosystems, as well as current threats to biodiversity, including species extinction, habitat degradation, invasive species and over-exploitation of natural resources. Environmental policies, politics and organizations are also on the syllabus.

The students, including several club members, began the day at the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory, the oldest continuously operating bird banding station in North America. The station, open since 1958, is operated by skilled volunteers who stay busy from dawn until dusk using and repairing capture nets, banding birds and recording data on populations and migration.

The data is important “to track the migration of birds across the United States,” said senior Cerrie Mendoza. “It helps provide researchers, scientists and the general public with migration patterns.”

Mendoza is familiar with the intricate process of data collection: she spent the summer involved with a genome research project in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, the U. S. Geological Survey, ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř and James Madison University. Rare salamanders were among the species she collected.

Besides the endemic Cheat Mountain salamander, many other species inhabit the region including hares, beavers, turkey, grouse, deer, foxes, black bears and bobcat. Before the logging era, elk, bison and mountain lion were present.

After the bird banding station visit, Yoder led the students around a beaver dam and on some trails to catalogue various unique plants.

Senior Abe Hartzler enjoyed watching Yoder “in his natural habitat … his excitement and passion is contagious. He’s very knowledgeable about plants and animals in the area and will point out all the interesting things around you. It makes hiking a far richer experience.”

The field trip ended with some bouldering and rock climbing on Bear Rocks, a scenic spot with beautiful views.

Portions of this article, written by Joshua Curtis, were published in the Sept. 28, 2017, Weather Vane.

“We have a great administration and staff doing a lot of great sustainability work, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for good ideas for sustainable improvement to sprout, especially from the student body,” Horst said. “The mini-grant competition really lives up to the spirit of organic grass-roots growth that we are modeling here. Sometimes, we don’t need a heavy document or big announcement to make our campus more sustainable.”

This year’s winners admirably fit the bill: an exercise bike that feeds volts back into EMU’s , drip irrigation and hoop house  materials in the that contribute to better efficiency and productivity, and a filtered water station to increase use of non-disposable bottles.

Judges looked for projects that are creative, long-term and visible and have strong educational benefit and community collaboration, Horst said. Sustainability Coordinator and Professor Tara joined Horst in judging the six proposals from students, faculty, and staff members.

The sustainable stationary bike project, which was given $250, came about through such collaboration. Hannah Chappell-Dick and Rachel Sturm, representing Student Athletic Advisory Committee, contacted Ben Zook, with Engineers for a Sustainable World, about entering in an application for the sustainability grant.

“They needed someone to build the project and we were happy to volunteer,” Zook said, adding that the bike will be built in the fall.

One possible attraction for athletes who ride the bike for conditioning purposes is a display that “will show how much energy you are pumping back into the grid as you pedal,” Zook said. “There will also be a comparison meter to show the energy compared to a car, or a horse.”

members were pleased to hear they’d been awarded a $500 mini-grant that will increase productivity and efficiency of their , said Josh Nyce, garden coordinator. SFI has one garden on drip, but now plans to install a drip system for the remaining two gardens, as well as increase production space in the hoop house.

“This type of irrigation will make our whole operation more efficient, improve our production and yield, and allow us spend more time on other tasks and projects to hopefully grow SFI,” he said. “Watering in the hoop house will be so much easier, and will extend our growing season to provide us with fresh vegetables all year long at the SFI produce stand.”

As for the bottle filling station, library director says she sees these “everywhere.”

The $250 grant will pay for a spigot on the first-floor water fountain to allow for easier filling of bottles, as well as a filtering station on the main floor.

SFI, who seeks to expand local sustainability and social responsibility in food production, began in 2010 when a concerned group of students witnessed large amounts of unused cafeteria food being thrown away. This led to a food donation program, a campus composting program, the planting of campus vegetable gardens and even a student-run Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which sold produce grown on campus to local buyers. However, when this core group of students graduated, SFI was left a ship with no captain, and its programs quickly fell into disarray.

Eshleman’s vision for the group focuses on longevity. “We are a student club,” the rising senior pointed out, “but have started to work towards being more of a coalition of local organizations and persons, to encourage better practices within our food systems, as well as helping groups fully utilize their own spaces to achieve healthier and more sustainable systems.”

Partnering on and off campus

One key to achieving this longevity is partnering with other campus organizations, such as , the and (ESW), to draw interest and forge common connections. Already this summer ESW helped the SFI crew install solar panels on the campus chicken shed to power the heat lamps that burn throughout the winter months.

“One of our visions for the next year is to share a meal made of locally grown food with as many campus groups as we can,” said Eshleman. “What better way to show people what we do, than through the food itself?”

The group also strives to promote EMU’s mission of sustainability outside and . “We want to live the way we talk,” said Malachi Bontrager, an major. “SFI is tangible and easy to access. We can fill a need and do so conscientiously.” Such an ethos demonstrates the group’s commitment to building sustainable local communities through dedicated service.

One of SFI’s key partnerships has been with the Farm at Willow Run. The farm, located on Willow Run Road just minutes from campus, is owned by the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC), and was once the property of former EMU president Myron Augsburger and his wife, Esther. Tom Brenneman, the market garden coordinator at VMRC, has been working with VMRC’s dining services director Tobie Bow on a farm-to-table renaissance with the help of SFI students.

Forging real connections

Brenneman, a 1992 graduate with a degree in social work, lives at Willow Run and manages the gardens, in addition to his work with court-involved youth in the 26th District court service unit in Harrisonburg. Despite the enormity of the Willow Run project, which is now delivering produce directly to VMRC kitchens from 1.5 acres of cultivated land, Brenneman laughed when thinking back to its humble beginnings.

“I just had all this extra produce,” he said, which he then passed along to his friend and “co-conspirator” Cal Redekop, who in turn shared the produce gratis with fellow residents in Park Village from a stand at the end of his driveway. The fresh produce has been a huge hit over the past four years. Soon a formal conversation began at the invitation of the executive team of VMRC about how local produce might be brought directly into dining services with sourcing from its own land and resources.

The Farm was quickly identified as a viable location, but who would do the work of growing it? Brenneman rallied volunteer support , some with the local network, which encourages community-building through creative skills-sharing. But the project gained steam when the partnership with SFI was formed. With five to six students working three to four days a week for two to three hours a day, Willow Run is now staffed with a consistent and dedicated workforce.

Mentors help with ag-business skills

“Without the labor from SFI, this really couldn’t have happened,” said Redekop, who often works side by side with the students. “The Farm at Willow Run really provides almost unlimited opportunity to bring different generations together around common concerns, like how we raise our food or how we might show better reverence toward the earth.”

“The farm-to-table initiative makes good sense for VMRC,” said Judith Trumbo, VMRC president and CEO. “As an advocate for aging well, VMRC continues to identify ways to help people live healthier lifestyles. We are pleased to have the support of EMU students to make the farm a success.”

Along the way, the members of SFI have learned valuable lessons, not only about large-scale gardening, but also about how to keep their vision afloat. The opportunity to learn from local farmers such as Radell Schrock, a 2001 graduate who operates in Harrisonburg, has given SFI members a clearer sense of the realities of what they are attempting to accomplish.

“Effectively we’re running a small business,” said SFI treasurer and nursing major Abe Thorn. It’s an experience the group will carry with them long after they have left EMU, and a legacy they hope to leave behind for future generations of students.

But not in 2015. This year, EMU surged to the top of the Virginia recycling competitors – regaining the crown it has previously held in 2008.

EMU , with a recycling rate of 45.025%, a 4% increase from last year.

“This is impressive, given that the field of competing schools has more than tripled in the past seven years,” says EMU recycling coordinator . “This win highlights that EMU is a leader in and among colleges and universities in the state of Virginia.”

Freed works to collect recycling with the help of student volunteers and the , a mobilizing force on campus and in the Harrisonburg community since the 1970s. Recycling is . (This initiative was started by former recycling coordinator , now campus sustainability coordinator.)

During the eight-week competition promoting waste reduction in campus communities, schools reported recycling and trash data, which was then ranked according to recyclables per capita, amount of total recyclables, and least amount of combined trash and recycling, according to the organization’s website.

To compare with other regional schools, James Madison University finished 77th with a 39% recycling rate, University of Virginia (UVA) finished 119th with a 32% recycling rate, and Mary Baldwin College finished 226th with a 7% recycling rate.

Antioch University of Seattle, this year’s winner, finished with a recycling rate of 96.7%.

EMU was second behind The College of William and Mary in 2013 and 2014, and third behind William and Mary and UVA in 2012.

During the Recyclemania competition, the recycling team also hosts weekly competitions, from which are drawn six semi-finalist individuals to compete in the RecycleMania Olympithon Extravaganza Yes! The champion is chosen through a tripartite points system, comprised of scores accumulated through an obstacle course race, a recycling weight-guessing game, and consistency in participation over the eight-week competition. This year’s winner was Robert Propst.

For information on EMU’s sustainability efforts – including and – visit EMU’s .

“A classroom this size is now a rarity at EMU,” observed , who was a student in SC-106 when it was brand-new and who studied under each of the professors on the panel. “Smaller classes are the norm now.” Lehman, who chaired the that moved to the science center in 1981, retired earlier this year. He earned his PhD in applied experimental psychology at Virginia Tech University.

Most of the professors on the panel arrived at EMU, fresh out of graduate school, around the time the state-of-the-art building, with its domed planetarium, opened in 1968. All six were EMU alumni. The science center had not yet been named for , longtime biology professor and pre-med advisor who retired in 1985 and died in 2006.

“The highlight of my career was working with all these people,” said Joe Mast, looking fondly at the row of colleagues to his right. “We formed quite a community.”

The six professors were a good fit for a small college, where they had to teach a variety of courses. But they were also a product of a college where they were encouraged to delve into a variety of subjects. Many of them were on faculty teams that taught “IDS” (interdisciplinary studies) courses that were required of all students in the 1970s.

, who earned his PhD in plant ecology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, taught almost every science-related course, at one time or another, that didn’t have “human anatomy” or “physiology” in its title. “I even taught a nutrition course,” he said. Over the years he became an expert on ornithology, the study of birds. For 25 years he was the curator of the in the science center.

Kenton Brubaker, with a PhD in horticulture from Ohio State University, branched out to , biochemistry, genetics, ecology and agriculture. “I taught a course on cell biology, which was new to me but very exciting,” he said. “Years later I saw a former student who got a PhD in cell biology from Harvard. He said my course started his quest in the field.”

“None of my nutrition students got a Harvard PhD in nutrition,” retorted Mellinger.

One of Brubaker’s primary interests was international agriculture, fostered by a three-year teaching term in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1960s with . Another interest that he pursued, beginning in the early 1970s, was environmental studies and conservation. He and Mellinger helped start a campus organization called that continues to this day.

Brubaker, the oldest of the retiree group, joined the EMU faculty in 1959. The others came during the 1960s and early 1970s.

The Suter Science panel discussion, coinciding with the , attracted alumni who had studied in the building and sat in the professors’ classes.

Millard Showalter, who earned an EdD from the University of Virginia, taught in the mathematical sciences department. He followed five simple teaching principles: be enthusiastic, use humor, always be prepared for class, use praise, and demonstrate a sincere interest in each student.

In his “Math and the Liberal Arts” course, he had a standing invitation for students to earn an automatic “A” by showing how they could take a plain sheet of paper and fold it eight times. For years, no one met the challenge. Showalter felt it was not humanly possible to fold a paper that many times. Finally, a student showed up one day with a tiny lump of paper that he had folded eight times. The student was – and Showalter looked to his left on the panel – Lehman, who worked part-time at a machine shop and used a mechanized press to aid him.

Glenn Kauffman, with a PhD in physical organic chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, marveled at the equipment improvements in his department over the years. “It’s amazing that we never had a major fire in the chemistry labs in the early years,” he said. “And the organic chemistry lab used to be the smelliest place in the building.”

Kauffman is most proud of “developing a culture of research” among his students. He devoted much of his own time – in addition to a full teaching load – to conducting research with students. Sometimes the research was in collaboration with James Madison University, across town, with grants from the National Science Foundation.

Joseph Mast juggled his interests in , , astronomy and . His PhD from the University of Virginia was in astronomy, but he was also trained in the other areas. He was an early student and then early instructor in computers. For 20 years he was director of EMU’s M.T. Brackbill Planetarium, enjoying his interaction with school children who came to his planetarium shows.

“My favorite course was astronomy,” he said. “When students would excitedly find Orion in the sky – that was great.”

Engineers for a Sustainable World, referred to by its members as ESW, is only a year old, and though it has already achieved significant results, still has not been heard of by the majority of the EMU population.

ESW is a national organization with chapters at approximately 40 universities across the country, with the only Virginia chapter located here at EMU.

Esther Tian, assistant professor of engineering, started the organization her first year here in hopes of stimulating sustainable projects on campus.

“I thought [ESW] was a really good fit with the mission of the university,” said Tian, who is excited with the inaugural successes of ESW.

Last winter, the club drew up plans for its first project ever: a new greenhouse for EMU’s Sustainable Food Initiative.

“We wanted to build a low-budget greenhouse with the materials we had on hand,” said junior Jordan Leaman, student president of ESW and a computer science major. “To make it more sustainable, we designed it to be completely solar-powered.”

In a continued collaboration of EMU initiatives, EarthKeepers helped to fund the building of the greenhouse, which cost about $600.

Leaman, along with five other students, completed the building project in one impressive eight-hour workday in March.

In addition, ESW used the greenhouse project design to win second place in the undergraduate division of the American Society for Engineering Education regional competition last spring.

Leaman and a team of three others designed an informative poster detailing the structure and aerodynamics of the project.

Under the guidance of Tian and Leaman, ESW has several projects in the works for their second year, including a solar panel canopy to assist in charging the physical plant’s golf carts.

“There are so many possibilities with solar,” said Leaman, “but right now, we’re doing what we can with the limited resources we have.”

In defining ESW, both Tian and Leaman emphasized the discovery of workable solutions to everyday problems.

“Our projects benefit the university and the community,” said Tian proudly. “Our club is a little different because we plan projects instead of activities.”

First-year student Isaiah Williams enjoys the practicality and project-based orientation of the club. “It allows me to utilize what I learned in engineering class and apply it to real life scenarios,” he said.

Like Williams, most members of ESW are students in the pre-engineering program. Others, like Leaman, found their interests sparked by Tian’s “Introduction to Engineering” class.

Leaman remarked, “Engineering has always been my passion, but [Esther] really drew me into the club. I’m excited for the upcoming years; we have some cool projects planned.”

EMU was among 173 schools nationwide named , based on commitments to greening every level of their operations – from energy usage to recycling to food sourcing to curriculum.

“One of the things that makes EMU different is that sustainability at EMU is not just a grassroots effort,” said professor in a recent interview with EMU news services. While there are certainly such efforts on campus, the commitment to sustainability has developed as a result of official EMU support.

Key step was staffing

The creation of a recycling coordinator position in 2005 was a big step along the way. , who held that position for five years until becoming EMU’s coordinator, worked to increase campus community awareness of recycling.

He started by tracking what EMU was already doing. He found the campus recycled about 20% of its waste. He and his work-study students introduced better signage about recycling, as well as new color-coded bins into residence halls, academic buildings and faculty offices to make proper waste disposal easy and convenient. Lantz-Trissel also included recycling education in the first-year orientation program. Now, nine years later, the percentage of waste that EMU recycles is closer to 50%.

As far as Lantz-Trissel knows, EMU is the only university that picks up recyclables entirely by bicycle. This came about through a cost-saving decision, he said, when the pickup truck used for recycling rounds needed a new clutch: “To replace the clutch was going to be $650. I said that for $550 I’ll get a bike and trailer and you can sell the truck.”

Recycling by bicycle

EMU agreed to give recycling by bicycle a try, although his supervisor was skeptical that it would last more than six months.

“EMU is the perfect size for using bikes and trailers,” said current recycling crew leader . “The geography of the campus also helps considerably.”

Freed collects the majority of EMU’s recyclables from uphill sites, enabling him to coast down to where these need to be deposited for trucking away. “We actually don’t carry any heavy loads uphill…it’s mainly just good brakes to keep the loads from running away from us,” said Lantz-Trissel with a laugh.

The recycling crew consists of at least one work-study student who is always “passionate about what they are doing,” said Lantz-Trissel. “They like getting on a bike and peddling around recycling.”

Earthkeepers club

Besides the recycling work-study position, the heaviest student involvement with campus sustainability efforts comes from the environmental club .

“We get volunteers to collect compost from the cafeteria Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” explained co-president and senior Melinda Norris.

“You have to have people who are reliable,” in order for collecting compost via volunteers to work, said Lantz-Trissel. “I have never talked to another university who has students that have been that committed to composting…usually it ends up failing and people in the facilities end up handling it.”

Other Earthkeepers projects include providing clotheslines in residence hall laundry rooms, sponsoring Food and Farming Week (a week of cafeteria meals in the fall based around local, in-season foods), and installing timers on the campus tennis courts that turn the lights on for a designated time-frame.

In the spring semester, Earthkeepers helps the recycling crew in “,” an annual intercollegiate recycling competition. EMU has placed in the top 25% each year.

Presidential support

sits on the board of the and has signed the statement.

Recently, EMU became one of the first 25 institutions of higher education in 10 states to commit to “,” aimed at reducing or eliminating the use or generation of hazardous substances.

Perhaps the greatest testament to the EMU community’s commitment to increased sustainability, though, is the .

“Each institution seeking reaffirmation of Accreditation is required to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP),” states the website for the. “The QEP describes a carefully designed and focused course of action that addresses a well-defined topic or issue(s) related to enhancing student learning.”

For EMU, that topic has been strengthening “care for God’s creation by enhancing our knowledge, values, and actions” and increasing “sustainable practices at the university.”

Campus-wide through QEP

The QEP “helps spread sustainability to students who would not necessarily be drawn to that,” said Yoder, a member of the Peace With Creation committee.

The plan moves sustainability beyond the committed students who are already on the bike collecting recyclables and in the cafeteria helping with composting. The plan invites the community as a whole to participate, with the faculty encouraged to weave sustainability lessons and themes through their curricula as much as possible.

Students are urged to bicycle or walk instead of driving locally. In recent years, they’ve help tend the university’s five beehives, four produce gardens, and dozens of fruit trees, with the results sometimes ending up in .

For information on the full range of EMU’s sustainability efforts – including solar energy panels and LEED-certified residence halls – visit EMU’s .

“Events throughout the week will focus on the MLK Jr. way of emphasizing issues of justice, pacifism, Christian faith, activism and service, and relationship building,” said Brian Martin Burkholder, campus pastor at ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř.

will join with area leaders in the renaming and dedication of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, formerly Cantrell Avenue, on Monday, Jan. 20, at noon.

Additional programs include presentations by , professor of history, and , professor of history and mission at , discussion forums and many community gatherings.

All events are free and open to the public. Those interested in attending should meet at the event location.

Wednesday, Jan. 15

10-10:30 a.m. University Chapel: “Shaped Deeply by MLK, Jr.”

In what ways was the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. formative or influential in the lives of local people? What is the impact of MLK Jr. in today’s society? For what reasons was it important for Harrisonburg to rename a significant street the Martin Luther King Jr. Way? Come hear first-person narratives from local persons who have been shaped by MLK, Jr.

Stan Maclin, director of the Harriott Tubman Cultural Center, and Titus Bender, professor emeritus, will be the panelists.

Location: Lehman Auditorium on the campus of EMU.

Thursday, Jan. 16

4-6 p.m. March Out and Speak Out at James Madison University (JMU)

March through the JMU campus and speak out about King’s life and legacy. This year’s theme is “His courage will not skip this generation.” Sponsored by the .

Location: Starts at the James Madison statue near Varner House and ends at Transitions, Warren Hall.

Information: Call 540-568-6636 or visit

Friday, Jan. 17

10-10:30 a.m. EMU University Chapel: “Take the First Step in Faith: A History of Inclusion” by Mark Metzler Sawin, PhD.

Location: Lehman Auditorium

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Mix it Up at Lunch conversations

Choose to sit at one of the round tables with a mixture of people from the campus and community for guided conversation related to EMU’s racial heritage as presented in chapel. Meal passes available for participating community members and for students without a meal plan.

Coordinated by Beth Lehman, PhD, and Kathy Evans, PhD, professors in the EMU education department.

Location: Northlawn cafeteria on the campus of EMU. and – Dining Hall located in lower level; view available visitors’ parking by clicking display option on lower left.

Sunday, Jan. 19

Worship in local congregations in the Harrisonburg Northeast Neighborhood

– at 9:15 a.m. Buses depart from EMU University Commons parking lot at 10 a.m.

Location: 400 Kelley St., Harrisonburg, Va. 22802

– at 11 a.m. Buses depart from EMU University Commons parking lot at 10:30 a.m.

Location: Corner of Effinger and Sterling, Harrisonburg, Va. 22802

– at 11 a.m. Buses depart EMU University Commons parking lot at 10:30 a.m.

Location: 184 Kelley St., Harrisonburg, Va. 22802

– Church of God of Prophecy at 12:30 p.m. Buses depart EMU University Commons parking lot at noon.

Location: 386 E Gay St., Harrisonburg, Va. 22802

3 p.m. Serving the Community Dr. King’s Way

Join the Harrisonburg and Rockingham Chapter of the NAACP for its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. community program with guest speaker Pastor Warne Dawkins from Shiloh Baptist Church in Waynesboro, Va. Music by the Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition Choir. Freewill offering benefiting The Salvation Army shelter. Transportation is provided. Buses will depart EMU University Commons parking lot at 2:30 p.m., and return at 5 p.m.

Location: Lucy Simms Continuing Education Center

Monday, Jan. 20

8 a.m. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast program

The Sigma Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. hosts “Back to Basics: Managing a Household Budget.” Continental breakfast provided. Donations accepted.

Location: Lucy Simms Continuing Education Center

10-10:40 a.m. MLK Jr. Day Chapel: “A Domesticated King” by David Evans, PhD. An after-chapel discussion forum will follow.

Location: Lehman Auditorium

12 p.m. City of Harrisonburg MLK, Jr. Way Street Renaming Dedication Program

President Swartzendruber is one of the speakers at this event hosted by the City of Harrisonburg. Transportation is provided. Buses depart from EMU library circle at 11:30 a.m., and return at 1:30 p.m., for those who do not want to stay for the ribbon cutting and unity march. They will also return to pick up those who do wish to stay for ribbon cutting and march.

Location: JMU’s Memorial Hall Auditorium

1:30 p.m. Ribbon-cutting ceremony by Harrisonburg City Council followed by a unity march from Memorial Hall to Main Street and back to Memorial Hall. Hot chocolate and rest available at the .

Location: Meet outside JMU Memorial Hall

3 p.m. Adopt a Stream, Black’s Run clean-up

Join the EMU and departments and club to clean up a stretch of Black’s Run that flows through the northeast neighborhood. Gloves and bags will be provided.

Location: Meet at the Science Center at 2:45 p.m. for carpooling or anytime just outside at 621 N. Main Street, Harrisonburg.

7-9 p.m. MLK Lecture by Dr. Steve Perry

Dr. Steve Perry is the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. formal program speaker. Featured in CNN’s “Black in America” series, Perry is the founder and principal of in Hartford, Conn. Capital Prep has sent 100 percent of its predominantly low-income, minority, first generation high-school graduates to four-year colleges every year since its first class graduated in 2006.

Perry is an education contributor for CNN and MSNBC, an Essence magazine columnist, bestselling author and host of the No. 1 docudrama for TVONE, “Save My Son.”

Sponsored by the JMU Center for Multicultural Student Services.

Location: JMU Wilson Hall Auditorium

Tuesday, Jan. 21

All day – Come Across the Bridge dialogue

Engage with black community leaders, barbers and each other for lively dialogue around issues, dynamics and opportunities related to the MLK, Jr. Way at Tyrone Sprague’s downtown barbershop (6th floor of 2 South Main Street) and at the historic Blakey barbershop in the northeast neighborhood (230 Community Street). You can get a haircut too!

Hosts: Stan Maclin of the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center and Jered Lyons, EMU multicultural student advisor.

Thursday, Jan. 23

8 p.m. follow-up conversation/discussion – “The Way of MLK, Jr. – What’s Next?”

Coordinated by Amy Knorr, practice coordinator for the .

Location: Common Grounds Coffeehouse on the first floor of EMU’s University Commons.

More info

Admission to all programs is free. For more information on activities related to MLK observances, or for a full schedule of events, visit the or call at 540-432-4115.

The energetic Carnival troupe began its two-city tour with 10 days in Harrisonburg, camping on ’s lawn while promoting “creation care” through performance, artwork and service both there and at EMU. Carnival de Resistance is a new venture, with artist-members from around the U.S. and Mexico, says member Sarah Thompson, who holds an MDiv from and is outreach coordinator for . Four main shows addressed themes of earth, air, fire and water.

At EMU’s Thomas Plaza in front of the Campus Center Wednesday, more than 100 experienced the air-themed show, titled “Out of the Whirlwind.” Featuring its creators, Jay Beck and Tevyn East as Raven and Dove, it began serendipitously as a full harvest moon emerged from clouds:

Addressing human neglect of earth

Dove (East), a wordless dancer in white robes, cradles an egg. Hatchling Raven (Beck) appears, clad in black rags. Raven’s first word is “death.” His narrative – angry, mournful, sometimes humorous – attacks humanity’s neglect of Earth:

“For the earth to stay alive, your way will have to die.”

Raven and Dove briefly dance on a biblical-type ark, but Dove gets confined to a cage. “We can scarcely fly in this soup of chemicals,” shouts Raven, who warns of angering Gaia, envisioned as the mother of Earth.

“The concepts were thought-provoking,” said ’08, an EMU staffer who brought a church youth group to the show.

At an earlier chapel service, the troupe led a Cherokee chant to “the great spirit,” along with the adaptation of a familiar spiritual’s words “When I die, hallelujah, by and by,” to “When we live, hallelujah, how we live.”

On the Carnival’s , inspiration is attributed to an array of influences, including First Nation and African earth-centered spirituality and activist theologians Ched Myers and William Stringfellow.

Resonating with students of sustainability

EMU biology professor observed that the Carnival “links oppressed people with the oppressed earth.” The radicalism, he said, may reach some who ignore conventional messages.

Troupe members visited Yoder’s classes all week. They have committed to making no purchases while touring, relying on kindnesses when needed. The Carnival is supported both by grants and hospitality.

EMU junior Chris Lehman, an environmental sustainability major, served as one of many sound-powering bikers and directed parking. Everett Brubaker, a classmate in the same major, participated as co-president of the campus . This major has been attracting increasing numbers of students, with 30 now in the program.

Junior Erin Rheinheimer, an environmental sustainability minor and Earthkeepers member, helped make sunflower signs for a parade and enjoyed a Carnival “skill-share show.”

Lehman, who enjoyed the air show most, is considering a career in conservation or wildlife biology. Brubaker, who especially liked the Carnival parade, hopes to work in advocacy.

Gifting a mural to Cedarwood

The second-floor mural in began with images by Carnival troupe member and nomadic painter Dimitri Kadiev. These were selected by art professor from his previous works, and the two worked collaboratively on shaping the overall result.

On part of the mural, between a laundry-room window and custodial closet door, a figure with outstretched arms smiles joyfully. A river seems to flow from the figure’s heart. Nearby, a quetzal (Guatemala’s national bird) displays its tail feathers.

Gusler and Kadiev started with a yellow background, which she notes, “glows through wherever there is open space.” Next, they filled in large shapes with solid colors – blue (river and shades of sky); green (landscape); purple (mountains).

Then, Gusler had all her students participate. At Kadiev’s suggestion, they created stenciled images of living things: an owl, poppy, hibiscus, egret and butterflies. Others subsequently dipped brushes in varying shades of green, instructed to “fill the shapes, and while you do, think about the earth.”

A passing student shows a spot to a companion, noting, “I did that shape.” Cedarwood resident director Micah Hurst points to the blue space his children, 4 and 8, helped paint.

Parading down Main Street

In Thursday’s Carnival parade, imaginatively retooled bicycles rolled alongside marchers from Harrisonburg’s North Main Street to Court Square. Motorists smiled at jugglers, banners, colorful costumes and percussionists with homemade instruments.

The local “Fossil Fuel Zombies,” wearing shredded black trash bags, called for burying fossil fuels with message-bearing signs, including “Oil, oil, watch Earth boil.”

“Are you really Jesus?” someone asked Kadiev, who had lettered the name atop his paint-splattered garb. “Only a stand-in,” Kadiev smiled.

The march ended with an hour-long “Power Down and Lift Up” rally at Court Square. Local groups represented by speakers included the for sustainability, the global-warming awareness movement, , , and .

Pastor Phil Kniss, who helped pedal the sound system, explained why his church installed 125 solar panels. When believers ask “Why worry about this world?” he responds, “Because God loves this world.”

At Trinity this weekend, the Carnival will offer children’s events and a “Water Show” before bicycling to Charlottesville for its final 2013 gig. Each day’s is posted on the Carnival’s website.

The 20-year-old sophomore made sure she attended the annual Fall Harvest Local Meal last week, if only because many of her friends were raving about it.

“It’s one of the most popular meals of the year,” she said.

Students, faculty, staff and visitors line up to partake of the yearly celebration of everything local: produce, meat, herbs and even the music playing through the speakers — all produced no farther away than Waynesboro, and mostly in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County.

Over the past five years, the meal has become a well-received tradition on campus.

“I’m not really on a meal plan, but I make it a point to come,” said senior James Souder, 22.

“We always make sure we come,” echoed , assistant to , who donated an array of peppers from his city garden.

provided radishes and potatoes, cabbage came from Hickory Hill Farm in Keezletown and Showalter’s Orchard and Greenhouse provided apple cider, to name a few of the event’s farmer participants.

Even the canola oil was local, derived from .

“The interest that the community gives us, it’s what makes it worthwhile,” said Ramona Lantz, serving and catering manager at the university, on a short break from practically running around the buzzing dining hall.

Every month, the cafeteria provides a themed meal.

“This is by far the most popular,” Lantz said.

The event was one of the first of the annual Food and Farming Week at EMU, put on by , a student group that aims to encourage and start environmentally friendly practices around campus.

Students learned how to bake bread in residence hall last week. They took a tour of Broadway farm Avalon Acres and various campus gardens. And that’s just a sampling of the week’s events.

“This [meal] is something that students really look forward to,” said Josh Kanagy, co-president of Earthkeepers, while eating his own locally grown meal.

Courtesy Daily News Record, Oct. 9, 2012

Sponsored by the, the event encourages students to learn about farming practices while gaining important information on how to live and farm sustainably.

“Food and Farming week provides EMU students the chance to engage area farmers, enjoy locally grown foods and even learn methods for preserving and preparing foods, skills that will last a lifetime. said , professor of at EMU.

Baking bread — Monday at 6 p.m., Cedarwood, second floor kitchen

Learn the art of making and baking bread from , associate professor of . No bread baking experience needed. If you plan on attending, contact Melinda Norris at melinda.norris@emu.edu. Bring bread pans and mixing bowls if you have them.

Fall harvest local meal — Tuesday at 5 p.m., Dining Hall

Enjoy a fall harvest meal courtesy of Pioneer Catering and the . The film, “The True Cost of Coal,” will be shown at 8 p.m. in the , presented by the Beehive Collective.

Local Farm Tour — Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., meet outside University Commons (front entrance)

Tour Avalon Acres farm.

Farm life on the quad — Thursday at 6 p.m., Thomas Plaza (in front of Campus Center)

Pay a visit to our campus chickens and take an edible garden tour with SFI.

Earthkeepers “Parklet” — Friday from 5-8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon, at Northend Greenway

Come see what Harrisonburg would look like if parking spaces were turned into parks.

About Earthkeepers

Earthkeepers’ mission is to act in and around the EMU community to encourage, simplify, and implement environmentally friendly practices, such as recycling, composting, reducing waste, and monitoring water quality in the Harrisonburg area.

Earthkeepers club members also participate in many other events and activities throughout the year, such as hiking trips, field trips, and organizing guest speakers.

For more information on Food and Farming Week, contact EMU students Melinda Norris at melinda.norris@emu.edu, or Josh Kanagy at joshua.kanagy@emu.edu.

“Recyclemania brings some friendly competition between colleges and universities, and in the end, can help spark renewed interest and dialogue in how we recycle and reduce waste,” said , EMU recycling crew leader.

During the competition, schools reported recycling and trash data, which was then ranked according to who collected the largest amount of recyclables per capita, who collected the largest amount of total recyclables, and who created the least amount of trash per capita or had the highest recycling rate.

EMU recycled 38.43 percent of its trash, finishing behind William & Mary (19, 54.44 percent) and the University of Virginia (53, 42.26 percent). Guilford College led Old Dominion Athletic Conference schools, recycling 43.27 percent of its trash.

Among area schools, James Madison recycled 25.44 percent, placing 157.

Freed said EMU has averaged between 38-40 percent recycled waste over the past four years.

Katie Jantzen, co-president of , a student group focused on environmentally friendly practices such as recycling, composting and reducing waste, said the way EMU picks up its recyclables is unique to other schools.

“To my knowledge, EMU is the only school to collect all of our recyclables by bicycle trailer,” said Jantzen. “I think it’s noteworthy that we do not use any fossil fuels in the collection of recyclables around campus.”

For more information visit .

Bob Corso, WHSV-TV3 news anchor, spoke with Katie Jantzen, co-leader of Earthkeepers, about sustainability features around campus including food disposal in the dining hall and the compost facility located by the Suter Science Center.

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Groff, a senior at ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř (EMU), began an internship earlier this winter with the , a bike-pedestrian trail that would link the Park View area with downtown.

Phase one of the 1.6 mile trail would begin near Eastern Mennonite School (just east of EMU) and end at the intersection of Main and Washington Street. A potential second phase would go tie in further downtown.

“The Greenway will also help people meet one another in public spaces, and strengthen this community,” said Groff. “It will also hopefully lessen people’s need to drive cars for short trips in town and help lower pollution.”

Thinking green

Groff learned of the Greenway through conversations with other bicycle enthusiasts at . The conversation sparked Groff’s interest, but it was a conversation with Tom Benevento, lead organizer of the Greenway, that sold Groff on the project.

Benevento explained to Groff how the Greenway fit into his concept for an internship–a larger vision of peacebuilding, extending into areas of human health, quality of life and creation care.

“Hearing about how it will help so many more people than just EMU was particularly helpful in piquing my interest,” said Groff. “Promoting walking and biking helps people get active and out of the house.”

A green valentine

Groff, who is in charge of promotions for the Greenway, was encouraged by the standing-room only turnout at a Feb. 14 meeting with city council members. While funding for the project was not finalized, Groff said the over 150 people who showed support for the Greenway emphasized the importance of the trail to the city.

“As Tom [Benevento] said in his presentation, all kinds of people were represented that night from infants to seniors; people from Park View and EMU to others from all over town… Such widespread representation really drove home the point that this is a project that people really care about and is important to people from all over Harrisonburg.

“This path will make it easier and safer to get out and about and experience everything Harrisonburg has to offer.”