The Bach Festival, in its 24th year, has been called the 鈥渏ewel in Harrisonburg鈥檚 crown鈥� by the Virginia Commission for the Arts. About 4,000 people from about 20 states and several countries typically attend.

Medley, the son of EMU professor Mike Medley, earned a degree from Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio and has since taken his to some of the world鈥檚 greatest stages. He will perform at the festival鈥檚 second concert, Friday evening, June 17, at EMU鈥檚 Lehman Auditorium, and at the June 19 Leipzig Service, also at the auditorium.

The Harrisonburg High School choir will join Medley on stage for the Friday evening concert, and his former teacher, 鈥攏ow in Washington D.C.鈥攚ill also sing. Clarinetist-turned-recorder virtuoso Nancy Buckingham Garlick, a lecturer at the University of Virginia, will bring an additional dimension to that night鈥檚 program, which features early-period classical music.

Bach Festival executive director says plans to bring Medley back to Harrisonburg have been in the works for several years.

鈥淗e grew up here and then went off and made himself famous,鈥� Adams says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so delighted to have him join us this year.鈥�

, the festival鈥檚 artistic director and orchestra conductor, says Medley will 鈥渕ake this city very proud,鈥� adding, 鈥淗e has a fantastic international reputation. It鈥檚 going to be a wonderful concert with the spectacular music he鈥檚 chosen.鈥�

Concerts, large and small

The festival opens Sunday, June 12, with a 3 p.m. concert titled 鈥淏ach鈥檚 Work Week: The Sunday Cantata.鈥� It will feature tenor Brian Thorsett and three local soloists: soprano Christine Glick Fairfield, countertenor Joel Ross and baritone David Newman.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a demonstration of the imagination that Bach had with color and shape and form and design and all those things in church music. It鈥檚 astonishing,鈥� Nafziger says, noting that Bach also had to constantly produce new cantatas as the church鈥檚 resident composer. 鈥淗e had an incredible workload. There are over 200 of his cantatas just in what we have left. That鈥檚 a lot of music.鈥�

The third major concert, Saturday evening, June 18, will take a different tone with an exploration of 鈥淩ural Roots.鈥� Music by 20^th-century composers Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and Alberto Ginastera鈥攎arking the 100th anniversary of the Argentinian鈥檚 birth鈥攚ill be featured.

The Leipzig Service, a time of worship in the style of Bach, will include a homily by Pastor Brett Davis of Harrisonburg鈥檚 Muhlenberg Lutheran Church. The service will feature the orchestra and Medley this year rather than a choir.

Other events include the free chamber music series ($5 donation suggested), held over the lunch hour daily June 13-18 at First Presbyterian Church, 17 Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg. Each day features a variety of pieces by Bach and other composers. At Thursday鈥檚 performance, Medley and a chamber ensemble will do a choral setting by John L. Gardner being presented as part of the Virginia Shakespeare Initiative. The ensemble Musica Harmonia, which includes EMU professor of music and Bach Festival concertmaster Joan Griffing, will perform music by Gwyneth Walker at three of the concerts. The ensemble鈥檚 new CD will be released during the festival.

Teaching and learning opportunities

Festival Fellowships bring five youth and young adults to play with the festival orchestra, while other students serve as interns in a variety of arts management support roles. For older adults, a Road Scholar program offers a week-long educational experience surrounded by music.

Another educational opportunity is the June 12-18 Baroque Workshop, which gives participants a chance to learn how to play early musical instruments in the period鈥檚 style. A new Baroque dance workshop has been added this year.

The 2016 festival also marks a farewell of sorts, as Adams finishes a 10-year run as executive director. Adams, a flutist, is one of four members of the festival orchestra who have been part of the group since its inception and says she plans to keep playing after retirement.

鈥淚 will be very sad the day I walk out,鈥� Adams says of her time as executive director. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a wonderful experience. I love connecting with all kinds of people in music and behind the scenes. I鈥檝e enjoyed it so much.鈥�

She says EMU, the festival鈥檚 board, the guild of donors and other supporters, the orchestra members and a host of volunteers have all been a huge help in pulling together the event each year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing feat to put it all together, but it always happens,鈥� Adams says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something we鈥檙e really proud of, and we feel the community has rallied around it. It鈥檚 something they feel proud of, too, and that鈥檚 what we really want.鈥�

Ticket information for the three main concerts and other information on the festival can be found at . Tickets can be purchased online or at the EMU box office in the University Commons, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Nafziger says the public is also welcome to sit in on the orchestra鈥檚 rehearsals, held each morning and afternoon in Lehman Auditorium the week of the concerts.

Next year鈥檚 Bach Festival, marking the event鈥檚 25th anniversary, will be June 11-18, 2017.

, director of student programs, opened the service: “Every day on this campus, there are great people doing great things, big and small gestures, accomplishments made after long-term commitments and one-off unexpected triumphs. Most of these good deeds are never recognized. We all carry on our work and responsibilities, working hard at doing the right thing because we care and we are people of integrity鈥hat鈥檚 what real leadership is all about.鈥�

While no one works solely with hope of recognition as motivation, Sawatzky said recognition is important 鈥渢o pause and honor these individuals 鈥nd to say thank you to the students who are leaders, scholars, athletes, volunteers, dramatists, future nurses, future teachers, tutors, theologians and advocates.”

She also noted that such students 鈥渟et the bar high for students around them鈥� and provide 鈥渕otivation, energy and meaning to us as professional staff 鈥� You are what makes EMU not just a good place to work and learn, but a great place.”

Language and Literature Department

Department chair presented the following awards, which honor former faculty members and current scholars:

Nathan Peters was awarded the Jay B. Landis Award for Excellence in Literary Studies.

Naomi Scoville was given the Omar Eby Writing Award and the James R. Bomberger Award for Excellence in TESOL.

English education major Rebekah Hertzler earned the Carroll Yoder Award for Teaching Excellence.

The Ervie L. Glick Award for Excellence in World Language Study was given to Teresa Garcia-Bautista, who Medley said “has exhibited academic excellence and a clear sense of calling in using her studies in graduate studies and service to the church.”

Kari King, who was the student representative on the faculty search committee, earned The Ray Elvin Horst Award for Excellence in Spanish.

Education Department

Teachers of Promise Institute are Austin Mumaw, Erin Nafziger, Isaac Driver, Malea Gascho and Ruthie Beck.

The “Courage to Teach” Award was presented to Angelica Diaz.

Psychology Department

The Exemplary Achievement in Psychology: Service and Scholarship was awarded to senior Brooke Lacock, co-president of the Psychology Club, for her impact on the and the campus as a whole, said Professor .

Mackenzie Lapp and Rachel Bowman earned the G.R. Lehman Outstanding Achievement in Research award for their “exceptional dedication” to their senior research projects. Koop praised their “intellectual curiousity and dogged persistence” and predicted future graduate school success.

All three students are among nine psychology majors at the Virginia Association for Psychological Science annual conference April 20-22, 2016, in Newport News, Virginia.

Science Department

Outstanding Second-Year Biology Student was awarded to Samantha L. Kauffman by Professor

Eyan P. Roth and Hannah L. Weaver were named Outstanding Senior Biology Students, especially impressive, said Professor , as both are transfer students and “distinguished themselves in the two years they’ve been here.”

Professor recognized three students: senior , for his entry into the Student Research Competition of the Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education; and first-year students Claire J. Waedelich and Carolann G. Wengerd for their poster presentations at Capitol Region Celebration of Women In Computing. Wengerd earned a third-place award at the undergraduate level.

Three students, all absent on their cross-cultural trip this semester, were recognized. was named Outstanding Senior Chemistry Student. Janaya M. Sachs earned an award for excellence in research. Maria R. Yoder was recognized as Outstanding First-Year Chemistry Student.

Nursing Department

Jess Rheinheimer was recognized by Professor for academic excellence in n studies. Recently named , Rheinheimer is a member of the Honors Program and has been inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honors Society.

Ann Marie Bauer was awarded the , which recognizes student-nurses who exemplify EMU’s “sacred covenant” model : service, empathy, agape love, empowerment, and faith.

Recognition for servant leadership went to Louise Krall, co-president of the Student Nurses Association.

Bible and Religion Department

Professor named the winners of the essay contest as Bekah York and Christian Hershey, sharing first place and a $500 cash prize, and Christian Parks, who won $100, for their scholarly work. Haverim is the alumni group of the department.

Theater Department

Professor recognized Clara Bush, MaKayla Baker and Caleb Townsend for their nominations for the Irene Ryan Acting Competition by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. All three are members of the cast of “,” currently in its final run on campus.

Multicultural Services

Oksana Kittrell, Tae Dews and Christian Parks聽 were the student leaders for the first that traveled over spring break. Christian Parks and Philip Watson planned and implemented the first on campus. Londen Wheeler, minister of music, and Christian Parks, choir director, provided leadership to the gospel choir. Brittany Williams, Oksana Kittrell, Kendi Mwongo, Tae Dews and Makora Nyagwegwe led efforts in organizing the first President’s Ball.聽 Delight Tigoe and Lynne Cha led the Alpha Omega Dancers for Christ.

Residence Life

Resident director recognized three-year Community Assistants , Andrew Yoder and Sam Stoner, and also senior returning Community Assistants, Valerie Meza-Cooper and Londen Wheeler. Community assistants live and serve in the residence halls.

Academic Success Center

Director presented certificates of thanks to the following student-graduates who provided services in the : Alex Bender (two years, computer science tutor), Tylar Burgdorf (one year, receptionist), Giulio Garner (two years, Spanish tutor), Stephan Goertzen (one year, computer science tutor), Brielle Hoch (four years receptionist), Andrea King (fpur years receptionist and tutor), Jaclyn Kratz (three years, math tutor), Isaac Mast (one year, computer science tutor), Lauren Sauder (one year, writing and economics tutor), and Andrew Yoder (two years, economics tutor).

Kristy Wertz, a two-year nursing tutor, was recognized as Tutor of the Year.

Student Programs

Common Grounds Coffeehouse management team this year was Rachel Schrock, events manager; Abby Dwyer, operations manager; Brianna Kauffman, finance manager; and Valerie Meza-Cooper, catering manager.

Timothy Callahan, Juan Luna and Kegan Yoder served on the Recreation Sports Leadership Council, which oversaw the nearly 500 members of the campus community involved in intermural sports. Terry Dotson and Colton Frey were the Game Room Leadership Council, which helped to set the budget and make decisions regarding programs and offerings for the approximately 2,500 visitors who used the game room this year.

Campus Ministries

, undergraduate campus pastor, recognized ministry assistants in the residence halls:聽 Megan Bishop, Perry Blosser, Sarah Boshart, Heyrin (Lynn) Cha, Dylan Grove, Abe Hartzler, Oksana Kittrell, Keyri Lopez-Godoy, Luis Longo, Jasmine Miller, Lydia Musselman, Da’Jahnea Robinson, Austin Sachs and Janet Spain.

Pastoral assistants, who support the MAs, are Jonathan Augsberger, Amanda Helfrich, Christina Hershey, Jolee Paden, Grayson Mast, Lydia Tissue, Courtney Unruh and Wesley Wilder.

Leadership Effectiveness and Development (LEAD) Series II Certificate of Completion

The following students completed a leadership seminar series: Brittany Williams, Alex Miller, Abby Dwyer, Meg Green, Hannah Heishman, Rachel Schrock, Grantley Showalter, Olga Balthazar, Delight Tigoe, Malachi Bontrager, Cameron White, Rediet Girma, Gillian Zehr, Ben Zook, Kegan Yoder, Tae Dews, Oksana Kittrell, Richard Robinson, Mario Hernandez, Alejandra Tejada Rivera, Jesse Reist, Jonae Guest, Makora Nyagwegwe and Heyrin Cha.

Student Government leaders and athletes in winter and spring sports who had earned honors (see w) were also recognized.

Editor’s Note: The following Visual and Communication Arts students were recognized in a separate ceremony April 22: Styer Scholarship, Azariah Cox; photography, Jonathan Bush; studio, Brooke Lacock; video, Jonathan Bush and Caleb Schlabach; and motion graphics, Rachel Cardwell.

The theme this year was the question, 鈥淲hy do I continue to 鈥榗hoose鈥� Jesus?鈥�

The late February event features nightly faculty/staff sharing and conversation in residence halls, special gatherings for women and men, chapel events, retreats, and the much-loved tradition of meeting in the homes of faculty and staff for a meal and fellowship.

More than 100 students signed up for dinners hosted by 20 faculty and staff. 鈥淲e have been trying to do this every semester,鈥� said , undergraduate campus pastor and event coordinator, 鈥渂ut this semester, it was really successful.鈥�

Speakers at the informal nightly discussions included , professor of English, and , professor of visual arts; head baseball coach and assistant coach Adam Posey; physical education professors and ; undergraduate dean and , office coordinator for the Applied Social Sciences Department.

Professors and led a women鈥檚 gathering, while Wes Wilder, a ministry intern, hosted the men鈥檚 luncheon.

spoke in chapel about her years-long journey with glaucoma, a reflection titled “,” which was widely read and shared after posting to EMU News and Facebook accounts. Schrock-Hurst teaches youth ministry, spiritual formation, and introduction to Bible courses in the department, in addition to overseeing the .

‘All their stories are sacred’

鈥淚 really enjoyed hearing the stories from the faculty and staff and their perspectives on following Jesus,鈥� said Christina Hershey, a pastoral assistant for campus ministries. 鈥淚t was interesting to go to multiple forums because everyone had very different stories, but all their stories are sacred, and it shows the diversity in the church.鈥�

She added, 鈥淚 really like the opportunity to hear the stories from the faculty and staff and to learn from their vast wealth of knowledge. Many of them do not get the chance to share about their faith in their classroom or other work contexts, and I enjoy hearing their perspectives on faith. I also attended both chapels and the faculty and staff meals.鈥�

鈥淚 admired Adam and Ben鈥檚 willingness to open up and discuss their personal faith journeys,鈥� said senior , who helped to host an evening forum and the women鈥檚 meal, which attracted about 50 participants to the West Dining Room. 鈥淐arl and Carolyn addressed the question, 鈥榃hat is the difference between living like Jesus and living in relationship with Jesus?鈥� [They] brought about a conversation that can be controversial and layered it in the love and grace of Jesus as they related it to attachment theory. They shared personal reflection laced with academic theory and profound passion for relationship with Jesus.鈥�

Care ‘extends beyond the classroom’

, chair of the Department, opened Saturday evening鈥檚 meal with a smile and a Punjabi song to bless the spread of Pakistani dishes before him. He and his wife, Deb, provided curried foods including lentils, chicken, potato with cauliflower, and mustard greens. In addition, they served roti, a flour-based flatbread, achaar, mixed, pickled vegetables, and raita, a tart yogurt condiment with mint and cumin to cool down the spicy Thai dragon peppers.

The dinner was typical of what he and his wife often prepare for special guests. Since a great number of EMU students study abroad, Medley thought that the ethnic food would be very much appreciated.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a matter of identity,鈥� Medley says. After living in Pakistan for 11 years, their lifestyle has become heavily influenced by the food and way of living. The influence of Pakistani culture is evident not only in the dishes served, but also in the artwork and ornaments that adorn their home.

In the past, Spiritual Life Week has often involved bringing a well-known speaker to campus. Now those resources are focused on facilitating conversation and relationships between students and their faculty and staff counterparts.

鈥淭his is what is means for faculty and staff to enter into conversation with students, and to talk about life and faith,鈥� said Miller.

First year Grace Burkhart feels that 鈥渢hese meals highlight the fact that faculty care about students in a way that extends beyond the classroom.鈥�

鈥淲e want to ask: How are faculty and staff making themselves available to students out of class?鈥� said Miller. 鈥淎s a community we can sometimes speak better into people鈥檚 lives than a big name speaker would. So now, when you see someone across campus, there is a chance you actually know something about them, but a speaker, you probably will only see once.鈥�

Initially, when Medley received the invitation to host students as well as the indication that students wish to interact with the faculty more, he felt that it was important to open his home. He finds that encouraging community feeling on EMU鈥檚 campus is an important part of Spiritual Life Week. In the past, the Medleys have invited students and other faculty members in his classes and within the department for dinners and occasional seasonal events. However, Spiritual Life Week has made it easier to do so because of its efficient organization.

鈥淚 thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some people I had seen on campus before but never had the opportunity to get to know,鈥� said junior Maddie Gish. 鈥淚t is amazing how much we can learn from everyone around us. I am so glad I participated!鈥�

Portions of this coverage were reprinted with permission from the March 3, 2016, edition of the Weather Vane.

That last one merited all caps from her keyboard because she admits the page was 鈥渂egun in blatant celebration of St. Martin鈥檚 Press for publishing my novel SMALL BLESSINGS on July 15th, 2014!鈥� is her debut novel, published when she was in her mid-60s.

Woodroof will read from her work and talk about writing, her calling to write, her creative process and other topics when she comes to 草莓社区鈥檚 Common Grounds coffee house at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4. A time for Q&A will follow. The event is part of EMU鈥檚 , sponsored by the language and literature department.

, professor of English and chair of the language and literature department, said he has enjoyed reading Small Blessings. 鈥淲hat I love about the novel is the light that Woodroof shines on the goodness in two of her main characters, both of whom have the ability to call forth the goodness in others,鈥� Medley said.聽鈥淗er novel seems to me a rebuke to contemporary cynicism about human nature.鈥�

Shenandoah Valley residents likely know Woodroof best for her work at , the Harrisonburg station from which she recently retired. She has also written for National Public Radio and the Virginia Foundation for Humanities Radio Features bureau, published essays in several major newspapers, and wrote an earlier non-fiction book based on her recovery from substance abuse, . Woodroof says on that she loves words because of 鈥渢heir power to tell other people鈥檚 stories.鈥�

Woodroof was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, but eventually found her way to Virginia by way of New England and Texas. She attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she says she became 鈥渁 grad school dropout.” Now she and her husband call the Shenandoah Valley home, where their 鈥�.鈥�

Small Blessings is set in a Southern college town, but Woodroof told NPR鈥檚 Scott Simon in that it isn鈥檛 based on Charlottesville or any other specific town. Only the story鈥檚 bookstore, drawn from a college bookstore where she once worked, comes from an actual place.

The characters are what drew in , assistant professor of English at EMU.

鈥淎ll of her characters are flawed and, somehow, lovable,鈥� Beachy said. 鈥淚 suppose it is because she, as the author, loves them. I was intrigued by how many parts of the plot and the lives of the characters were driven by addiction鈥攎ost obviously to alcohol, but also to the ways they think about themselves. The book as a whole is a great illustration of the ways addiction arises out of loneliness, and how community can create an opposite, positive pull.鈥�

An of Small Blessings said, 鈥淭his book is a charmer: quirky, clear-hearted and effervescent.鈥� By all indications, the same could be said of Woodroof herself. Find out for yourself at this first-of-the-semester installment of Writers Read. The event is free (donations accepted) and open to the public.

“After one performance of ‘Abolitionists’ Museum’ a few years ago, I saw the woman who played Harriet Tubman exchanging contact information with a guy from the Sons of the Confederacy,鈥� Bailey told a Daily Press arts reporter for an . 鈥淭his seems to put people in a more relaxed frame of mind, without being hostile.鈥�

Bailey, a Portsmouth-based writer, teacher and activist who seeks to share and broaden awareness of African-American heritage, visits 草莓社区 (EMU) as part of the Writers Read series. She will speak Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m. in the Common Grounds coffeehouse in University Commons.

鈥淎s a Southern black woman playwright, I am compelled to help others to witness how, on the backs of daily acts of simple decency and courage, each of us can lift up those who would be burdens,鈥� she wrote in a for PilotOnline.com.

In addition to her Writers Read appearance, Bailey will attend Professor 鈥檚 playwriting class. Poole, who engages with social justice themes in productions staged by his own , says he鈥檚 looking forward to his students interacting with and 鈥渓earning about the industry from working professionals.鈥�

鈥淓ncountering creative people from outside the community enriches students’ educational experience,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t can motivate them to take creative risks and to keep making art.鈥�

Bailey is committed to promoting historical understanding and healing of racial divides, says Professor , who met her when she attended EMU鈥檚 in 2014 and invited her back to campus.

She is founder and executive director of the 20-year-old festival company , which seeks to 鈥渦npack the difficult, painful history鈥� of African-American slavery 鈥渨ithout shame or blame.鈥� This summer, she participated in a community conference call hosted by EMU affiliate organization . Carrying on her theme of seeking healing for the wounds of racism in society, she facilitated a discussion about how to commemorate the upcoming 400th anniversary of the arrival of slaves in Jamestown. She has also been an active advocate for the designation of the former Civil War Fort Monroe as a 鈥�.鈥�

Bailey鈥檚 dramatic works, three of which were commissioned, include 鈥淪ummer in Suffolk鈥� (2009) and 鈥淎 Great and Dismal Swamp鈥� (1999). In 鈥淪outhern Girls鈥� (1996), her most often performed work, she and co-author Dura Temple trace the lives of six women聽鈥� three white and three black 鈥� from childhood through middle age in a small Alabama town. The play, according to a , chronicles 鈥渢he boomer generation鈥檚 cycle through questioned injustice, fiery idealism and eventual frustration with the reality that change can never keep pace with expectation.鈥�

Educated at University of Pennsylvania and UCLA, Bailey has taught at University of Southern California and Old Dominion University. From 2004-2008, she served as a school board member for Portsmouth City Schools.

鈥淚n China, students are willing to listen to professors lecture,鈥� says Yan Wang. 鈥淗ere, there are a lot of group discussions. It is good for creative thinking. Every student has their own idea.鈥�

Wang is one of ten Chinese scholars visiting EMU from Sichuan Province as part of a 鈥渧isiting faculty鈥� program. Eight are sponsored through (MPC), an exchange program that has been thriving in various formats since the early 1980s. The other two are on scholarship from the China Scholarship Council, a competitive, state-funded scholarship fund for research and study abroad.

For 16 years, Mennonite Partners in China has placed English teachers from the United States at Sichuan University of Arts and Science and many other schools. In turn, Sichuan sends visiting scholars to EMU. A cross-cultural group from EMU, co-led by MPC director , is currently in China (visit their cross-cultural blog).

The was formalized in January 2015. Administrators hope the agreement will facilitate 鈥渁cademic exchanges, scientific research cooperation, and communication between teachers and students.鈥�

Sichuan province is in Southwestern China, a region Wang describes as 鈥渄eveloping.鈥� She says English teachers there have little opportunity to study the language in an immersion environment.

Teaching, learning, research

Here at EMU for the fall semester, the scholars are working on research projects, perfecting their spoken English, and auditing classes about world literature, writing, and聽methods of language teaching. Some of the scholars will analyze the teaching techniques they observe in research papers that they will eventually publish on subjects as varied as the difference between the writing of Chinese and native English speakers and differences in American and Chinese teaching methods.

English professor is the on-campus liaison for the visiting faculty, which means, among other activities, he organizes a picnic when the group first arrives and a farewell luncheon at the end of the semester. He also provides an academic orientation, a campus tour, an explanation of the academic schedule and helps the scholars connect with 鈥渇riendship families鈥� so they have an opportunity to interact with the local community.

The scholars also interact with EMU faculty at all university-sponsored faculty events and are often invited into classes to speak. Among those professors who have extended invitations to former and current groups are visual and communication arts professor and English professor . Nursing students have also benefited from visits to their classes.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a quite different educational experience,鈥� says Liu Yang of her time so far. One of the biggest challenges 鈥渋s learning how to manage our time.鈥�

Wang agrees. 鈥淚n American colleges, the students have to read a lot. In China, the students read, but not as much鈥here is a lot more out-of-class work here.鈥�

Sabbatical helps busy teachers ‘recharge’

Hongjuan Tang has been teaching English for more than 20 years and, except for a brief visit to the United States for her son鈥檚 undergraduate commencement, had never been to an English-speaking country. Shuli Chang, too, visited Canada and Australia for brief periods. Out of the group, these two teachers were the only scholars to have traveled to an English-speaking country in the past. For both teachers, coming to EMU not only places them in an English-speaking environment, but also acts as a much needed sabbatical to 鈥渞echarge鈥� and further develop teaching expertise.

Back home, 鈥淚鈥檓 working on a nationally-funded research project studying the relationship between environment and children鈥檚 language competency in western China,鈥� she said. At EMU, she has the time to work on her project and access research resources not available at her home institution.

In part, the lack of research resources may be because of the rapid expansion of Chinese universities. 鈥淚n the ’80s and ’90s, most universities had 2-4,000 students,鈥� said Byler in a recent email. 鈥淲ith a 10-year expansion, most of these universities have grown to 30- and 40,000 students.鈥�

As a result, class sizes in China are normally large and professors become used to teaching to an exam in order to cope. Poorer provinces, such as Sichuan, don鈥檛 have the resources to reform.

鈥淭here is a gap in inequality between the big and small universities,鈥� said Yang.

Tang agrees. 鈥淭his program is a very good thing for the western part of China because it helps with development.鈥�

“Shockley聽brings excitement as she goes beyond reading to performing her work,” said Michael Medley, chair of language and literature at EMU. “The racial identity and justice themes in some of her poems will resonate with the justice concerns of many at EMU.”

Shockley聽has published four collections of poetry:聽The Gorgon Goddess听补苍诲听a half-red sea聽were published by Carolina Wren Press in 2001 and 2006 and聽31 words * prose poems聽in 2007 (Belladonna Books). Her most recent collection聽the new black聽(Wesleyan University Press, 2011) received the 2012 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Poetry.

Two of聽Shockley’s聽poems were displayed in the Biko 30/30 exhibit, a commemoration of the life and work of anti-apartheid activist Steven Biko, which toured South Africa in 2007.

Shockley聽is an associate professor of English at Rutgers University in New Jersey, specializing in African American and African diaspora literature, especially poetry. She has authored a scholarly study of black aesthetics entitled聽Renegade Poetics.

Shockley will also be a part聽of James Madison University’s Furious Flower Poetry Festival, Sept. 24-27. Visit聽FuriousFlower2014.com, or call 540-568-8883 for more information.

Writers Read information

Sign-language interpretation is available upon request.

鈥� General public, $5 at the door

鈥� EMU students (with identification), free