Media specialist Rachel Holderman likes to take her time with a photo – finding vibrant colors and dynamic light and carefully composing the frame. Coupled with this care, though, is versatility – Holderman’s talents span from aerial photography to portraiture to event candids. 

One of her favorite shots from this year is from an Ash Wednesday service in February, when members of the EMU community gathered, pre-pandemic, to anoint one another on the forehead or hand with ashes. 

“I love how the colors in the stained glass window gives a visual sense of peace and calm to the scene,” Holderman said.

Another gem is this aerial photo of campus.

“I love all the dynamic colors and light movement within this image,” Holderman said. “The sun shining through the clouds, the foggy mountain in the distance, and the movement of water in the fountain, the glowing color of the trees – it’s beautiful.”

“Color is really important to me as well,” said Jon Styer, director of creative services. “I like warm and vibrant colors that show the energy and welcoming atmosphere of our campus. We have a beautiful location so it is a joy to get to see it change with the seasons.”

Please enjoy our selection of the top photos from 2020. Holderman was joined in capturing this tumultuous but, as you’ll see, beautiful year by former photo and video manager Macson McGuigan and photography intern Jared Oyer. 

“Just like our Tagline – Lead Together – we like to focus on the ways our students learn to work together no matter where they come from or what they believe,” said Styer. “So I think you will see a theme in our photography of people working and learning together, and not just individuals.”

Want to know who is responsible for the beautiful new mountainscape graphics accompanying the university’s new tagline?

That would be our talented creative director and brand manager Jon Styer ‘07. In the marketing and communication office, Jon is jokingly referred to our brand czar, but he really doesn’t give off authoritarian vibes. A better descriptor is brand guru. Jon teaches, guides and firmly nudges (with handslaps, if necessary) us all in the proper use of the brand.

Just take a look at the EMU brand guide, in all its detail, and you will get a good idea of the things that matter to Jon (and his broad expertise).

Jon is also responsible for all printed materials, any official EMU t-shirts, the design on the Yoder Arena floor, the graphic on the water tower up on the hill and of course, the rolling advertisements on the Harrisonburg Public Transit busses cruising around town, among other things of EMU-y importance.

Here’s a pictorial overview of some of Jon’s EMU creations:

A favorite running joke in our office is dreaming up new items for Jon to design (don’t you think enough people will want to buy a Royals-branded dog jacket or Herm costume for the baby?). [Wild ideas for Jon’s next design project are welcome to marketing@emu.edu.]

Because of Jon’s influential involvement in our EMU brand refresh, we thought now was a good time to get to know him a little better with a Staff Spotlight. 

Jon is married to Rhoda Miller ‘03, whom he describes as “a talented artist and designer who also does incredibly important work at the Collins Center.” Rhoda is completing her MA in restorative justice at EMU’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and has contributed to a new Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) curriculum for sexual harm.

The couple have a (“very well-designed, I think”) 5-month-old son and also enjoy the proximity of Jon’s sister, Amanda Styer MA ‘18, who has a counseling practice in Harrisonburg. He has many other EMU connections, some of which he shares below.

Origins And A Best Friend

I was born in Sellersville, Pa., where my father Alan Styer is from. I lived there until I was about 3. Then we moved to Greenford, Ohio, where my mother Grace Witmer Styer ‘79 and her family are from. [Grace is a current member of the Alumni Council and eight of her siblings attended EMU.]

I was mostly known as “Little Styer” growing up. My older brother, Matthew, had a big personality and had that way of being effortlessly cool. He always knew the best new bands to listen to; wore cool and unique clothes; and had a charming personality that made everyone want to be his friend. Matt was a talented artist, designer, photographer, athlete, a great cook and world traveler. He was a trendsetter, always searching for the next great thing or idea. I’m sure many people with older brothers can relate, but the unique commonality between us was that we also liked pretty much all the same things. This was probably because of his huge influence on me but also my desire to be good at everything I did. This resulted in a lot of fighting when we were younger. 

But from the end of high school onwards, he was my best friend and collaborator. He was the person who had the great ideas that he never finished and I was good at making them happen down to the finest detail. 

Matthew Alan Styer, a 2005 EMU graduate and staff member, died from leukemia at the age of 30. Life without Matt is a whole other story but looking back I think fondly on the days of being called “Little Styer.”

The Designer

Growing up, I spent a lot of my time drawing, painting, and generally making things with my hands. I was always drawn to and fascinated by art, design and architecture. I loved spending time perfecting and experimenting with different types of media (for example, I would practice by trying to paint exact replicas of my favorite National Geographic photos). 

I was heavily influenced and encouraged by my father, a master woodworker. I spent a lot of time playing and working in his woodshop from the time I could hold a piece of sandpaper through a few college summers. If I am an expert at anything, it is sanding wood because I did so much of it growing up. We built all kinds of things together from wooden swords to electric guitars. Now we mostly build kitchens together. (Well, I help design them and he builds them.)

That woodworking experience contributed to a similar set of practical skills that I use now in graphic design: problem-solving, precision, the ability to visualize how things work and go together, a concern for practicality. Design should not only make things look good but also be easier to use and serve a purpose.

Arriving At EMU

A fortunate part about having an older sibling is that you can learn from their mistakes and wisdom. Matt and I were both hesitantly interested in pursuing athletic scholarships in a sport that we didn’t really like that much: We went to a small public high school that didn’t have a soccer team at the time so we became placekickers on the football team.

After going to college for a little over a year to be a field goal kicker, Matt decided to transfer to EMU. Eventually I followed, and it was here that our worlds were both opened up to the amazing world of digital media though Jerry Holsopple, Cindy Gusler, Barb Fast and eventually Steven Johnson and many other fine folks in the VACA department. 

I originally thought I would become an art teacher or professor, but that a business minor would come in handy. My mother runs many businesses (read more about her in the ) and I always thought that combining my creative interests with some good business sense would be useful. 

I eventually decided that a profession requiring daily public speaking, even if to a classroom full of children, isn’t a good fit for an introvert. I also learned through my time at EMU, taking every drawing, painting, graphic design and photography course offered,  that I still wanted to make things. The field of graphic design offered much to explore and required an interesting combination of the skills I already had.

I may have been one of the first graphic design interns for EMU’s marketing department and then continued to do part time work for EMU until graduation in 2007. (I applied for the internship before going on crosscultural to France and Benin and by the time I get back my brother had been hired in the department. It was interesting how things worked out but fortunate that we work well together. I was also fortunate to get to work under three talented designers: Kirsten Moore, Mike Eberly and my brother.)

After graduation, I developed a good freelance business in the area. The design and photography position opened up at EMU a year later. After 11 years, I still really enjoy my work and the amazing team of creative people I work with every day. 

Life Outside of EMU (wait, is that possible?)

 I continue to love making things. My biggest creation would be designing and building a house with my wife in Keezletown. Food is definitely my biggest and not-so-secret hobby that I have thought about turning into a profession many times, but I am afraid I wouldn’t like it anymore if I did it for a job. So I enjoy spoiling my friends and family. 

I volunteer and provide freelance design, photography and consulting work for organizations that help improve our community, including The Northend Greenway, Our Community Place, Gift and Thrift, The Harrisonburg International Festival, The Fairfield Center, The Citizen, The Collins Center and Redwing Roots Music Festival.

Two Truths and a Lie

• I have never had a speeding ticket.
• My favorite sport is football.
• I have been in several bands. 

(Also check out “,” the best of our 2017 news coverage.)

Strack chose images from among the thousands taken and processed by his team, including hundreds alone that documented two major events of 2017: the spring inauguration of EMU’s ninth president, Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, and EMU’s Centennial Homecoming and Family Weekend.

To view other photo albums from 2017 events, click here.

“I tried to focus on high-quality images that may not have been displayed in our news coverage or in other venues,” he said.

The image of Huxman and her father at inauguration, he says, wouldn’t be a selected feature image for coverage, “but the way the two are isolated in that photo, sharing a moment that is pretty unusual in families, is extraordinary.”

Other images, such as the woman participating in the color run, “capture the feelings of the moment and of the weekend.”

Two photos of the new water tower on “The Hill” behind EMU’s campus made the cut. Aware of the hill’s prominent role in EMU history, Strack set up a video camera to create a of the construction.

“The Hill is an iconic feature of student and campus life for the entirety of campus history,” he said. “It was really important to capture this new feature as part of that continuity.”

From aerial landscapes to insect close-ups, the images showcase the range of photos taken by Strack and his team, which includes part-time photographer and videographer Macson McGuigan, creative director Jon Styer, and a rotating cast of interns. Former photographer/videographer Joaquin Sosa’s work is also included.

“People often admire the equipment and comment on how much it costs, but I always say that the best camera is the one you have with you,” Strack said. “We may be going from taking a group shot to event coverage, but we are always keeping our eyes open for other creative possibilities. You always carry your camera so that if the clouds or the sunset is just right, you don’t miss taking an image of campus that would be really special to share with our global community.”

Many days this fall, Strack could be seen on the campus center balcony, flying a quadcopter to collect images for the Advent video. He also flies during special events, such as homecoming and commencement.

“We have a pretty good archive of historic photos of campus taken from the air, but now that we can do it more easily, it’s fun to provide these new perspectives of our campus. People really love these photos,” he said. “It really gives you a sense of our place in the Shenandoah Valley with the nearby farms and the mountains.”

View more photos at .

Also check out “,” the best of our 2017 news coverage.

The “cowboys” were part of a joint effort between the of the and the . Many of the cowboys were Brethren or Mennonite teenagers or young men from farm communities, but others came from a variety of backgrounds.

By the time the program ended in 1947, more than 7,000 volunteers had made the trip across the ocean. The work still continues today with .

Listening to his grandfather’s story was “pretty amazing,” said Styer, who is a graphic designer and brand manager in the marketing and communications office at ��ݮ����. (He couldn’t resist taking a photo of his grandfather telling the story, which you can see to the right.)

“I had heard some of it before,” Styer said, “but this was everything from when he first arrived to what happened on his trip back to Europe.”

In November 2015, Ralph Witmer returned to Poland for the first time. Since returning to Ohio from his trans-Atlantic adventure, Ralph had been a busy entrepreneur: he had farmed the family land, partnered with his cousin (also a seagoing cowboy) to purchase and operate a combine, bought his father’s farm equipment business now known as , and also opened , an inn, shops and restaurant in Columbiana.

So much had happened in the years between that one might rightly think his activities in Poland could be forgotten. But not so.

On this trip, the 88-year-old was joined by his son, Nelson Witmer ‘87, and Nelson’s son, Alex, class of ‘15. And all three were surprised to find that Witmer and his fellow seagoing cowboys were much appreciated, many years later.

(All nine of Ralph’s children attended ��ݮ����, and seven grandchildren are also alumni.)

Luckily for the rest of us who weren’t at the Witmer family dinner table at Christmas, the story of Ralph’s two trips to Poland was published in early December under the title “” in Farm and Dairy.

Editor Susan Crowell says she had never heard about the cowboys before she received the tip from a Witmers, Inc. employee. “I was so fascinated by the seagoing cowboys, I think I was Googling them while I was still talking to him on the phone,” she said.

Based in Salem, Ohio, has a print circulation of 30,000-plus and a readership of more than 75,000. Ralph Witmer, his family and their businesses are well-known in the area, so it’s not surprising that the article Crowell wrote has been shared and read and enjoyed by many.

Since then, Crowell has heard from one other reader who made two trips as a cowboy in 1946 and from historian Peggy Reiff Miller, the granddaughter of a seagoing cowboy, who has been researching the participants and the program since 2002. Miller too had interviewed Ralph Witmer about his adventures.

For those who are interested in learning more about the cowboys, Miller maintains a and a that are both great sources of information where many cowboys and their relatives have shared memories, photos, and reflections about the program that has changed so many lives for generations.

Among other projects with her research, Miller has published a children’s book and created a video documentary. She travels around the world to keep the seagoing cowboy history alive. In 2016, she will tour to promote her new children’s book. She’ll be visiting Harrisonburg and Bridgewater, Virginia; Goshen, Indiana, and other areas of northern Indiana; Elgin, Illinois; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; North Newton/McPherson, Kansas; central California; Little Rock, Arkansas; and other areas.

“I am open to invitations,” she told EMU News.

Miller says that approximately 1,000 of the 7,000 cowboys were Mennonite. “I’d be happy to know or any cowboys [or cowboy’s relatives] who contact you after your piece is published. There are still many out there with whom I’ve had no contact,” she said.

If you are a seagoing cowboy and EMU alumnus, let us know! Email EMU news editor Lauren Jefferson at lauren.jefferson@emu.edu or call 540-432-4232.

This revision honors the past while featuring elements that speak to themes called for by alumni, students, faculty and staff in an updated design: global awareness, openness, and sharing knowledge and the light of Christ outwardly. It also has a slightly brighter color scheme and updated font.

“This change marks an evolution of the logo,” notes President. “It builds on the past, bringing fresh vitality to our already strong image. We were not looking to ‘rebrand’ the institution. Our brand is strong and there is much to celebrate from the past.”

The revision process began in August 2014 with the help of , a Harrisonburg-based brand consultant group.

Stakeholders – students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff – completed surveys and joined in discussion groups. Two main questions generated conversations: “What does the current EMU logo communicate to you?” and “If the logo were changed, what should a new or revitalized logo do?”

Unanimously more than 300 respondents called for a revision of the logo, while sharing a concern that any change honor the past and build on EMU’s global recognition.

The review process resulted in a call for a logo that:

• Balances between and honors the institution’s past and future;
• Reflects values of peace and justice, transformation and sustainability;
• Reflects the Christian Mennonite values at EMU, sharing knowledge and the light of Christ outwardly;
• Communicates diversity, a global perspective, and the warmth of a welcoming, lasting community;
• Highlights a strong focus on rigorous academics;
• Communicates a bold, vibrant vision.

“The revitalized logo offers a fresh, forward-thinking impression yet also preserves the brand equity that EMU has earned over the years locally and around the world,” says , director of marketing and communications.

Media specialist and brand ID manager , a 2007 graduate of EMU’s visual and communication arts program, praised the logo’s articulation with the current color scheme and font standards. “It solves some design challenges that came with the earlier version, updates our look and provides a lot of opportunity,” he added.

“This revised logo evolves the brand identity of EMU to reflect how much the brand itself has grown,” says Christian Perritt, creative director of Gravity Group. “The bold new icon, the font that is both traditional and uniquely contemporary – these elements work together to reflect a brand that has a rich history and a bright future.”

Read more about the logo revitalization process at

Since 1994, the center has utilized components of the university’s parent brand, with a more recent adoption of an icon, the dove carrying an olive branch. The new logo retains traditional symbolism yet integrates a different font style and color spectrum.

“In the past 20 years, The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding has had a distinctive role on campus, even as it has helped raise EMU’s profile internationally through its leading-edge peacebuilding work,” says , the center’s executive director. “This first-ever CJP logo symbolizes our unique identity, as we seek to balance domestic peacebuilding efforts with our international work.”

More than 20 years of growth

Since its launching in 1994 as one of the nation’s first academic peacebuilding graduate degree programs, CJP has continued to offer practice-oriented studies towards a master’s in conflict transformation. The (SPI), which also started in 1994, now attracts approximately 150-200 international peacebuilders in four seven-day sessions. Programmatic growth over the years has led to additional certificate and training programs, such as (STAR) and the . The center will soon launch a master’s degree in restorative justice.

“The word ‘Mennonite’ and the acronyms EMU, CJP, SPI have significant brand name recognition around the world as places to study peacebuilding,” said EMU’s director of marketing and communications . “We want to build on that so greater numbers of people can join in this community of learning that equips people to serve the common good.”

The new logo, developed by brand ID manager , incorporates a dove, a symbol that has been part of CJP’s visual identity since its inception more than two decades ago.

The brandmark highlights the center’s Anabaptist links – the dove is used in other Mennonite-related organizations – but includes design elements that highlight the center as a community of practitioners and learners around the core concepts of justice and peacebuilding.

The CJP difference

The logo design was one result of a thorough assessment of CJP’s identity, vision and mission completed in collaboration with , a Harrisonburg, Virginia-based brand and marketing consultancy.

“CJP was an ideal program to work with,” says Gravity Group creative director Christian Perritt, with more than 20 years’ experience in the field. “Rarely do you find a brand with such consistent feedback regarding the brand’s story. While it took some hard work to hone in and articulate the key differentiators of CJP’s brand, everyone ultimately embraced the work. This gives incredible clarity for CJP going forward.”

The three-stage review, which took approximately three months in the fall of 2014, included analysis of material gathered from CJP’s academic programs, as well as STAR assessment reports and SPI attendee interviews. Additionally, two focus groups with representation from across CJP programs were convened.

Four key areas differentiate EMU’s master’s level peacebuilding studies from the dozens of others now available, according to the data.

CJP acts as a nexus for a global community of learning, with more than 500 graduates working around the world in different settings. Since 1994, SPI has attracted approximately 2,800 students of diverse faiths from 120 countries for academic instruction and cultural exchange.

CJP’s core peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and restorative justice curriculum remains unique in its hands-on practice-based style of learning. Coursework is led by faculty with years of experience in international peacebuilding and community development. All graduates complete practicums and report on learnings in a capstone presentation.

A focus on restorative justice and the implicit healing power in communicative, relational practices – first developed by retiring professor – lies at the heart of CJP’s core values.

Finally, CJP operates out of a values-based paradigm that integrates the Anabaptist values.

“People from many faith traditions are comfortable at EMU,” notes Byler. “In fact, other faith traditions, and even those of no professed faith, resonate with our core values and respect our Christian identity even as we learn from the valuable perspectives they bring to this community.”

The new logo design is being used on print pieces beginning in May. By late summer, a revamped interactive website featuring the new brand identification will be launched with tools for networking among the more than 3,000 alumni of CJP programs.

A vibrant peach couch with yellow flowers, an old beat up purple pool table and a small silver refrigerator formed a half circle around a brick fireplace.

In the center of the cluttered nest, the shells of five musicians came alive. The sound was warm; a mixture of folk and rock – concocted with hints of bells, flute, drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard – with a hint of melancholy all perfectly blended into a smooth cocktail of melody.

The members of the band Half Circles have been practicing in anticipation for their half-hour in the spotlight starting at 8:10 p.m. April 6 at Court Square Theater during MACROCK: a two-day music festival with more than 60 bands playing at multiple venues throughout Harrisonburg the weekend of April 5.

With the band

The relatively new five-member band that features a brother-sister singing duo will perform songs such as “My Friend” and “Siren Song.”

The sister half of the duo, 22-year-old Amanda Styer, a cook at The Little Grill, sings harmony and plays flute, melodica, keyboard and steel bells in the band. Styer said she was a 16-year-old visiting her brother, Jon, at EMU when she first went to MACROCK.

“We grew up in a small Ohio town, so I just thought it was like the coolest thing ever. Just like, I can’t believe people do this. They have all these bands, local music and they have famous bands come … Since then, MACROCK has always had a special place in my heart.”

J. Frank Hillyard Middle School teacher Dan Baker, 30, who plays guitar and does vocals, is also a longtime fan of the festival. Having grown up in the area, he’s been in the audience for years.

“I’ve be going since I was in high school, even when it was over at [James Madison University] still. It’s had its up years and its down years, but yeah, I am excited to play,” Baker said.

“Since I’ve always been in this area, it’s something that you always hear about. And, since bands have to apply, it’s almost like a prestigious thing to actually get in and get a good slot like we did this year.”

Coming half circle

The approximately 2-year-old band has come full circle since the original one disbanded a few years ago.

Guitarist and vocalist Jon Styer, 28, a photographer and graphic designer for EMU said he and bassist Andrew Jenner, 30, a freelance writer, originally were in a band called Dear Wolfgang.The band played for five years, but split after the two lead singers moved to Kenya. Jon then started jamming one day with his roommate Baker.

“We were both fairly comfortable writing songs and singing, so we decided to give a go at this kind of dual song writers in one band,” John said.

“That’s kind of the philosophy of the band; some what where the name Half Circles comes from.”

After enlisting drummer Danny Yoder, the music gained an up beat tempo and the EMU web designer brought a rock edge to the band.

“When I was in high school, I was in a band and I was really into loud hard rock … that was what I learned the drums on. And, since I’ve gotten older, I have sort of mellowed out more.

“I really enjoy music that has minimalist drums. So, I think I have a little bit of both…”

Woman power

But, the most unique addition may be the only woman in the band.

“I think Amanda more than anything adds a different element to us because besides that we are a four-piece band.” Baker said.

“But [she] plays bells, melodica and flute. It just makes our stuff more interesting,” Baker added.

Jon said having two singer-songwriters also sets the band apart.

“We do write a lot of songs together, but we have multiple perspectives in one band, which, I think, stops it from sounding like all the same songs.”

The band’s songs – such as “Serpentine” and “Birds” – and current album cover, which features a bird flying out of an egg held by the tail of a snake, symbolizes the opposing forces of two singer-songwriters in one band.

While both come from the same musical egg, they have taken two different paths.

According to Baker, “It kind of went with our half circles imagery of having these two opposing forces.”

Courtesy Daily News Record, March 30, 2013

He not only wanted to read the magazine, he “had” to, said his mother, Grace.

“His goal was to work for them,” she said.

Leukemia cut short the 30-year-old’s life pursuit on Dec. 19, 2011. But not before Styer “created his own” version of the magazine, his mother said, in his redesign of Crossroads, the alumni publication at ��ݮ����. Now his family and alma mater are working to ensure Styer’s legacy will live on in someone else’s dream.

At A Good Crossroads

Styer’s family and EMU have started a fundraising campaign to establish the Matthew Alan Styer endowed scholarship fund. They seek $50,000, which is the minimum necessary to create a named endowed scholarship, said Phil Helmuth, the university’s executive director of development.

Alumni from the classes of 2004, 2005 and 2006 received a brochure seeking financial assistance, and EMU has set up a website for those wishing to donate to the fund.

Styer graduated in 2005.

The scholarship would be awarded to at least one rising senior majoring in the visual arts, which Styer studied. After graduation, he worked for EMU’s marketing and communications department as a videographer, designer and photographer until 2008.

Styer was a semester shy of finishing a master’s program in digital design at Philadelphia University when he died.

During his career at EMU, Styer’s accomplishments included the redesign of Crossroads, the quarterly alumni magazine.

He rebranded the publication to give it a fresh look and to feature a single topic each month, putting more focus on photography, the school and family members say.

“He created his own National Geographic,” his mother said.

Styer’s younger brother, Jon, took over Styer’s job when Matt left for graduate school.

“I was his intern,” said Jon, 28, a 2007 EMU graduate who still works there.

Styer was diagnosed with leukemia on May 15, 2010. He was the first patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia — a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — to be treated with an experimental type of therapy using modified T cells, his mother said.

“He had a kind [of cancer] that was just superaggressive,” she said.

In the treatment, doctors removed billions of the cells, which are a kind of white blood cell that fights viruses and tumors, and gave them new genes to program the cells to attack the cancer.

Styer’s brother donated healthy cells.

But in late 2011, doctors found that the T cells were not working effectively.

After an 18-month battle with cancer, Styer died in December 2011.

Telling EMU’s Story

Family members want to give back to EMU because they say Styer found his direction there. His mother graduated from EMU in 1979, followed by Jon five years ago and sister Amanda in 2012.

Styer also met his wife, Lindsay, while studying at EMU. They married in September 2011, and she now works at the university.

Styer’s mother and father, Alan, live in Columbiana, Ohio.

Helmuth said many EMU departments have endowed scholarships, and the school could work on as many as 10 new ones in a year.

But it’s less common for the fund to be in memory of someone, he said.

And none honors a man whom the school credits as the first person who combined various skills to tell EMU’s story.

“We felt like EMU is where Matt found his passion and talent,” his father said. “He got a lot of positive reinforcement.”

Courtesy Daily News Record, Dec. 27, 2012

Support the Fund

Read more about the fund and make a contribution online

EMU’s winning entry gives an overview of sustainability efforts at EMU and highlights the installation of a solar array on Hartzler Library roof in fall 2010. The two-minute video was produced by EMU’s marketing  and communications media specialists Lindsey Kolb and Jon Styer, both graduates of EMU’s Visual and Communication Arts program.

Among the university’s sustainability efforts highlighted in the video are a bicycle cooperative, integration of sustainability across the entire curriculum, dining hall composting that is used in the campus garden to grow produce for the dining hall, a residence hall built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards and more. The video prominently features EMU’s solar power array installation, the largest solar deployment in the state of the Virginia to date.

The solar array has the capacity to generate 104.3 kilowatts of clean energy from 328 high efficiency photovoltaic solar panels installed on the library roof. Within the first six weeks of operation it offset emissions of more than 8,700 pounds of carbon and also reduced EMU’s energy consumption and peak demand from the grid. In its 35-year lifetime the array is expected to offset over 6,000 tons of carbon. Live data about energy generated by the solar array can be viewed at . EMU anticipates installing a second even larger array adjacent to the University Commons in the coming months.

“EMU has provided me with numerous opportunities to put my environmental idealism into practice,” said senior environmental sustainability major Emma Stahl-Wert. “Helping start the campus garden my freshman year, learning about LEED certification in the Green Design class, trying my hand at chicken keeping, and seeing how EMU strives to integrate sustainable practices into the cultural fabric of the way we do things, has taught me that there are ways to live other than the cultural norm. This has instilled in me the desire and the skills to find those ways.”

Other winning schools in the competition include: Central Carolina Community College, Pittsboro, N.C.; Baylor University, Waco, Tex.; Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School; Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla, Mo.; and Montreat (NC) College.

The efforts of the six winners will be broadcast in on April 13 . The colleges will also receive a monetary award from the National Wildlife Federation to continue exploring innovative clean energy and climate action initiatives. This year’s webcast will be co-hosted by Tara Platt, voice and live-action actress, and Yuri Lowenthal, voice of Superman on CW’s Legion of Superheroes. The free program will celebrate this year’s award winners and showcase initiatives occurring on campuses across the nation. The webcast will be available for viewing on-demand after April 13.

“The passion that comes from these students, faculty and staff for a sustainable world invigorates the rest of society to continue the fight towards a clean energy economy,” says Jen Fournelle, Chill Out manager for National Wildlife Federation. “Chill Out is an incredible learning opportunity for campus leaders to see what others are doing and initiate positive changes in their own community. Academic institutions are an integral part of society. If if they don’t lead the charge against climate change, who will?”

Campus leaders all across the country are encouraged to host events on their campuses and in their wider communities to watch the webcast. The program will be part of a series of events scheduled on hundreds of campuses across the country, building excitement in the week leading up to Earth Day 2011 (Apr. 22). Visit for details on hosting a live screening party and to view the webcast.

“Chill Out: Climate Action on Campus” is supported by The Kendeda Fund and other partners including   Climate Counts, AASHE, Energy Action Coalition, Jobs for the Future, Campus Conservation Nationals, Earth Day Network and more.

mission is “to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.”

The winning video