These relationships are formalized in Worship Nights, a weekly event in each of the residence halls on campus. The four groups meet on different nights of the week, depending on the schedules of the student leaders. And activities vary: On Tuesday nights in Cedarwood, the gatherings alternate between a study of 1 Peter and a prayer time.

While Worship Nights have been a part of for several years, undergraduate campus pastor has made significant changes to the program鈥檚 focus and foundation. In previous years, residents in the halls alternated the planning of events for the others.

Worship Nights are now 鈥渇ocusing on creating and entering into relationship and intentional conversation,鈥� according to Miller. The goal for student leaders is to respond to the group who comes.

Ministry assistants and pastoral assistants

Now within each residence hall, called Ministry Assistants (MAs), plan programs for and with their fellow residents, Miller says. They are also enrolled in a ministry exploration class led by Miller, which asks 鈥渉ow are you listening to God, to each other, and to yourself.”

This year鈥檚 MAs are

• Elmwood: Sarah Boshart, Sarah Jennings, Luis Longo;
• Maplewood: Heyrin (Lynn) Cha, Da鈥橨ahnea Robinson;
• Cedarwood: Megan Bishop, Perry Blosser, Seungkyoo (Peter) Han, Jessica Longenecker, Taylor Mirarchi;
• Northlawn: Jasmine Miller, Alexa Weeks, Megan Weaver, Oksana Kittrell, Anel Molina.

These students are mentored in their responsibilities by Pastoral Assistants, who are paid for their time. PAs include:

• Elmwood: Courtney Unruh and Jonathan Augsberger;
• Maplewood: Nathanael Ressler and Amanda Helfrich;
• Cedarwood: Rebekah York and Wes Wilder;
• Northlawn: Jolee Paden.

Miller sees this new focus as forming leaders 鈥渨ho then help others.鈥澛� The team approach 鈥渟trengthens the core so that leaders are well- equipped to reach out with genuine care rather than an agenda,鈥� according to Miller.

It also keeps student leaders from becoming discouraged if an event isn鈥檛 well attended. In the past, student leaders sometimes became 鈥渄efeated and depleted if they worked hard planning something and then few people came,鈥� Miller said. The new emphasis on relational leadership and intentional conversation 鈥渢akes off the pressure to perform.鈥�

New approach brings students together

Pastoral assistant Rebekah York, a senior major, also sees the benefits of the new approach: York, who shares PA duties with Wes Wilder in Cedarwood residence hall, says she鈥檚 noticed many changes over the past two years, and is energized by the new structure. 鈥淢y crazy ideas are supported and I have people behind me, encouraging me to keep going. That makes the world of difference.鈥�

One of York鈥檚 鈥渃razy鈥� ideas was to have a Bible study studying the connection between the gospel and justice (the events are called Jesus + Justice = 鈥淛estice鈥�) with students and faculty. Though it鈥檚 not going 鈥渆xactly as planned,鈥� York is confident because of the encouragement she receives from Miller, and because she is 鈥済iven a space and time to see if [her ideas] could work.鈥�

York also appreciates the relationships she鈥檚 developed with first-year and sophomore students. 鈥淲e are much more involved in the spiritual lives of the underclassmen and I鈥檝e been able to connect with people I would not normally have had any contact with,鈥� she said. I think it is really important for the upperclassmen to be involved with the underclassmen. I loved the upperclassmen who took an interest in me and my life, and were willing to let me ask difficult questions.鈥�

Miller says this new approach is being evaluated, with the idea that changes can be made to respond to new creative possibilities in guiding student leaders in campus ministry.

This is the third year has hosted the series of events, which includes a theater production on Monday; a 鈥淩emember the Heroines鈥� vigil for women killed in Mexico on Tuesday; and two events on Friday: chapel with Center for Justice and Peacebuilding graduate student Myriam Aziz and Darsheel Sehbi, and the 鈥淭aste of EMU鈥� cooking contest.

A committee from the International Student Organization chooses a new theme each year. The 2015 committee includes students Gamtessa, Brenda Soka, Winifred Gray-Johnson, Abdel Barry and Emmanuel Kampanga.

鈥楽别惫别苍鈥�

Monday’s performance of will be in the Studio Theater at 7 p.m. A collaboration of seven female playwrights from around the world, this documentary play is a series of monologues based on interviews with international women leaders. Directed by theater professor , 鈥淪even鈥� chronicles the worldwide struggles for empowerment, peace and well-being in Russia, protecting women from domestic violence; in Cambodia, with victims of human trafficking; in Guatemala, with the poor; in Afghanistan, with rural women; in Nigeria and Pakistan, for women鈥檚 education and rights; and in Northern Ireland, promoting peace and equality, according to the production鈥檚 website.

Olga Baltazar, who reads for the Guatemalan character Annabella de Leon, does not see herself as an actress. However, reading the script convinced her to join the cast. 鈥淭hese women rose from against all odds of their culture to fight for women’s鈥� rights,鈥� says Baltazar, who is from Mexico. 鈥淚 feel connected to to my character because I, for one, represent a culture where women are often put down.鈥�

鈥淭hese stories have inspired me,鈥� says Rebekah York, a senior from Romania who plays an Irish woman named Inez McCormack. 鈥淭o see that women have been supporting each other and empowering other women over the years is truly amazing. Sometimes we can feel so alone in our work, but looking at history and reading about some pretty incredible women of the past fills me with hope.鈥�

Vogel says the 鈥減owerful piece鈥� will be presented as a concert reading. Baltazar and York are joined by cast members Victoria Gunawan, Adila Wahdat, Dera Nwankwo and Iryna Clamp.

鈥楾aste of EMU鈥�

The ‘Taste of EMU’ competition on Friday is open to all community members. To participate, contact Susannah Lepley in the Multicultural and International Student Services office. Up to $20 of ingredient expenses can be reimbursed.

鈥淚 was part of the food festival last year as a participant, but this year I’m really happy that I got the chance to help coordinate this event,鈥� says Gamtessa, a sophomore computer engineering major from Ethiopia.

鈥淟ast year, we had to cook [for the contest] as part of my global connections class,鈥� Gamtessa explains. 鈥淭his year, we changed the name from the ‘International Food Festival’ to ‘Taste of EMU’ because we didn’t want to restrict the food to the international community. We want anyone and everyone who is willing to do it, to prepare something 聽which they believe has meaning to them and people around them and share it with the campus community.We hope this experience will take people down the road and across the globe.鈥�

Senior Zoe Parakuo from Kenya competed last year with one of her favorite snacks, samosas 鈥� a savory, fried pastry. Samosas 鈥渨ere adapted by Kenyans when Indians settled there back in the day, so I thought a lot of people would be familiar with it,鈥� says Parakuo. 鈥淚 wanted students to enjoy my food.鈥�

They were often the first on campus to greet weary travelers arriving from the airport in the wee hours of the night, and they were integral members of the SPI community: interpreting cultural differences during casual conversations in Hillside Lounge, sharing field trips to Valley attractions and meals at the weekly international potluck dinners, and escorting guests to activities like Salsa Night and into downtown Harrisonburg for dinner.

鈥淥ur community assistants are a great addition to the SPI community in so many ways,鈥� said director . 鈥淭hey were willing workers and cultural ambassadors, of course, but also representatives to the global peacebuilding community of the socially conscious, thoughtful young people who are attracted to and thrive at EMU.鈥�

Tyler Eshleman: practicing the art of hospitality

Tyler, a senior major from Harrisonburg, works with the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding鈥檚 (STAR) program during the school year. Tyler has taken (STAR) Level 1 training and a graduate course in Transforming Trauma, and plans on earning a . At EMU, he is the student leader of the , which works to promote sustainability and social responsibility in food production and stewardship.

My most memorable experience at SPI is being part of the informal gatherings that people put together: going on a hike or making a meal or putting on a presentation for cultural night. I had a chance to see people from different backgrounds and cultures having a good time together, getting to know each other and teach each other, and breaking down cultural norms in the process.

Being hospitable means something different in every culture, and we had to learn to read people and be attentive to their needs, even when we are exhausted. The people who I meet at bizarre times of the night are often the people who I remained connected with throughout SPI. At first having to do this was kind of a shock and then I realized it was a great opportunity.

The opening ceremonies that started each session were really special. The participants introduced themselves and shared about themselves to the group. I found those moments to be a testament to the recognition of how we鈥檝e shaped this community and how people are willing to share with intimacy and vulnerability.

Winifred Gray-Johnson: inspired by the dedicated work of others

Winifred is a junior economics major from Liberia. Her father Wilfred Gray-Johnson, executive director of the , first came to SPI several years ago and Winifred eventually found her way to EMU from that family connection (read about ). She had heard stories about SPI from her father but this was her first summer of experiencing it herself. Winifred is president of the .

Participants of SPI are very interested and curious about other cultures and want to share about their own culture. When you鈥檙e checking them in, the conversation starts right there. They want to know what EMU is like, what it鈥檚 like to be a student at EMU, and when they catch up on my accent, they ask where I was from. It鈥檚 not just with me. They will start a conversation with whoever is in the lodging.

To hear the amount of passion and determination is really amazing. So many people come to SPI from war zones or from situations with disasters or refugees in camps, and they have such interest and drive and hope. To see the hope they carry is really good.

It makes me very eager to do something, to work on something. All these people from all these different organizations who are doing such amazing things. There was this one man, , working with young girls in Zimbabwe and one day, I said, 鈥淥h, I envy you, I want to do what you are doing.鈥� There is so much variety. Anybody and everybody can impact change. It gives you that eagerness to help in whatever way you can, not just sit back.

At university, you are modeling yourself to become this person who can help society in the future. SPI has definitely helped me model myself in that kind of way. In this job, we are asked to be accommodating and helpful. I have learned how to work with all kinds of people here, both in my education at EMU, but especially at SPI. It鈥檚 one thing to say that I like everybody, but it鈥檚 another to really have to practice what you preach. I鈥檝e left a couple of situations where I said to myself, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know I had it in me,鈥� or 鈥淚 handled it well.鈥� I definitely surprised myself sometimes.

Bethany Chupp: transitioning through cultures

Bethany, a junior major with minors in and , is from Canby, Oregon. Bethany spent last year as a community assistant in Residential Life on campus and also worked several summers at a camp on the Oregon seashore: in both positions, she helped to acclimate sometimes disoriented and bewildered newcomers. Bethany plans to pursue a degree in counseling, with the goal of specializing in art therapy with children who have experienced trauma in foster care and adoption.

When people would find that I鈥檓 not from Virginia, I would tell them I was from 鈥淥regon, which is by California,鈥� because most people know where California is. And then we had something to talk about right from the start, because with my seven-hour flight [from California to Virginia], we had travelled about the same distance to get to SPI.

I was on my cross-cultural semester to the Middle East in the spring before SPI, so I really hoped that SPI would help with the transition back to the U.S. and to campus. And it did.聽 At SPI, there was first a professor from Palestine and then later a woman from Jerusalem. Talking to them, it was amazing how familiar they felt, even though I didn鈥檛 know them personally. The woman from Jerusalem knew the people in the town I stayed in during my cross-cultural. She knew my host family and the places we visited, and that was really helpful.

One thing that struck me was that these people have all accomplished a lot, yet when coming into a new situation, they all have fears 鈥� they鈥檙e all new here and vulnerable. But they all found ways to relate beyond language and culture, especially I think because they are people striving for the same common goals.

It can be overwhelming to learn about so many issues that need work, but it鈥檚 inspiring seeing people working in these areas. Many are coming to the US for the first time, and English isn鈥檛 their first language, and they are struggling, but because they鈥檙e so passionate about what they鈥檙e working for, they鈥檙e willing to cross all those spaces to learn skills to help bring peace.

Rebekah York: SPI community is a source of energy, hope

Rebekah is a senior majoring in peacebuilding and development and with minors in psychology and theater. Raised in Bucharest, Romania, Rebekah聽 worked this summer at SPI and also as an intern with the Washington D.C. office of , a South-Africa human-rights focused development organization.

Being a part of the SPI family was an incredibly life-giving experience. There is something so unique and special about people from all over the world sharing the same space, classrooms, lunch tables and even dorm rooms. It makes me feel at home.

What I always think of when I reflect on SPI are the potluck dinners and the many one-on-one conversations. During these gatherings, people opened up and shared details about their lives. Nothing can take the place of those moments in which we sit together — sometimes in silence, sometimes just as a listener –in which the human heart is open and exposed for a short time.

I was also able to take the class with one of my most admired professors. That is not something every college student gets to experience and it was fascinating to interact with my professor in that environment. We even worked on a project together and presented it in class with another SPI participant.

If you’re looking for a place to rejuvenate your sense of hope in the world, SPI is the place for you. Solving conflict is difficult and it is easy to become cynical and apathetic. You may feel like nothing good is happening today. But during SPI, people with life experience and a true desire to bring lasting change and peace to the world gather together to learn from each other, lighting the fire of hope for a peaceful world in the hearts and minds of everyone.

York, a junior at 草莓社区, was making her for 12 hours in solidarity with local college students and others in more than 40 states and 10 countries to raise awareness of human trafficking. The Stand, which happens from April 6-10, is an outreach of the non-profit .

York, who grew up in Bucharest, Romania, is a reluctant leader who would prefer to remain out of the spotlight, but she wants to make advocacy for victims of human trafficking her life鈥檚 work.

Changed by the stories

The stories she heard during a summer internship at a shelter for sexually trafficked women in Romania have burrowed into her heart and psyche.

鈥淚 got to know them really well and fell in love with them 鈥� that really changes you,鈥� she says.

When she returned to campus in the fall of 2014, raising awareness among her fellow students became a priority.

鈥淚鈥檓 out here for the seven girls I live, ate and breathed with for two months,鈥� York says. 鈥淭he Stand for me is all about them and the other women, men and children who are trapped and coerced into slavery.鈥�

In working to stage the Stand event, York says she is called by her faith and the knowledge, drawn from personal experience, that the survivors sometimes need someone to tell their story, because they themselves can鈥檛.

One touching story she heard from 13-year-old 鈥淎na,鈥� who was living in a state-run orphanage when she heard the rumors. 鈥淭he director has one thing in mind for the girls here,鈥� the older girls told her. 鈥淧rostitution.鈥�

Frightened, Ana ran away with the help of some of the other girls. She was able to find her grandparents and ended up at , the shelter where York worked.

York鈥檚 internship concluded with a job offer that she wanted to accept. However, her parents encouraged her to finish her degree. She compromised by saying she would graduate a semester early, in the fall of 2015, and then return to the shelter.

鈥淚 would love to eventually work with the justice system in Romania,” she says. 鈥淚 want the police to implement justice for the poor and not against them. The current system is keeping people in the cycle of poverty in which they feel forced to sell their bodies for money because they feel like they don鈥檛 have a choice.鈥�

Staying connected through activism

In the meantime, back in Harrisonburg, she searched for another internship, which is how she learned about International Justice Mission and Stand for Freedom.

鈥淚 thought that it would be really cool to be a part of, but I had a lot of doubts in my ability to pull it off,鈥� she says.

York鈥檚 experiences in that shelter and her passion for serving justice were compelling to listeners, though. On a recent that she led with junior Hanna Heishman, she gained six more allies, including Heishman: Rachel Schrock, Jessamyn Tobin, Abby Hershberger, Amy Feeser, and Jolee Paden.

鈥淚 felt drawn into Stand because of the passion Rebekah has for her work,鈥� Heishman says. 鈥淪he shared with me her vision for humanity during our Y-trip: a life without the reality of trafficking. This is something she cares so deeply for, and it is where she will devote her life.”

Together the group grew the conversation from a Facebook message, to a living room meeting, lunch room conversations and finally to connecting with the James Madison University Stand group.

That JMU group heard York’s story and decided to partner their Stand with EMU to have a united event in a centralized location. A contingent of Dukes came to Thomas Plaza for the Tuesday Stand.

JMU students with the , a faith-based group raising awareness about the human trafficking issue, also came to campus Thursday to share their work.

A vigil tonight [March 10] at Court Square will again unite students with the Harrisonburg community, which has recently seen a rise in human and labor trafficking charges. In January, Virginia鈥檚 House of Representatives passed four bills to combat human trafficking and sex trafficking, which the FBI calls the fastest growing crime in the United States and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world.

‘In your backyard’

York planned the week-long event to include a huge dose of education about modern slavery, which has the potential to affect the nearly 4 billion people living in poverty in countries with dysfunctional or corrupt public justice systems, according to the United Nations.

After all, she herself had grown up in a country with a long and traumatic history of sex slavery, and she knew nothing about it until a few months after graduating from high school.

That鈥檚 when she saw a documentary that was also aired on campus Monday night.

鈥淟et鈥檚 know what we鈥檙e standing for, before we make a statement,鈥� York wrote in her campus-wide email advertising that showing.

With more than 200 signatures gathered on two petitions during Tuesday鈥檚 event, York is optimistic about the Stand鈥檚 impact.

鈥淎ll I wanted to do was raise awareness about human trafficking and let people know that this is happening in your own backyard,鈥� York says. 鈥淏eing able to share that with someone is what I am called for.鈥�

But don鈥檛 despair! Owners of a Chicago watch repair shop know how to easily extract those maddening head clocks. That is, if people don鈥檛 attempt to prolong life by transferring time to another mortal clock.

The quirky, but delightful 鈥淗ickorydickory鈥� opens March 20 in 草莓社区鈥檚 MainStage Theater. The two-hour play, directed by associate professor , will also run March 21, 26, 27 and 28. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the EMU box office at 540-432-4582 or .

鈥淚 have wanted to do this play since before I came to EMU,鈥� Vogel says, who worked with playwright Marisa Wegrzyn at Washington University in St. Louis. 鈥淸I] love her dark and twisted humorous approach to telling life-affirming tales.鈥�

Wegrzyn, who won the 2009 Wasserstein Prize for 鈥淗ickorydickory,鈥� will be on campus for a Q&A after the March 28 performance. She鈥檒l also hold a writing workshop for students on creating complex characters in the MainStage Theater at 2 p.m. on March 28.

Having the playwright watch your performance can be daunting for any actor. Senior Rebekah York, a major, is admittedly nervous about Wegrzyn liking her portrayal of Cari Lee Bliley, but 鈥渢hrilled about her coming.鈥�

To prepare for her role, York began by reading the script several times before focusing on her character鈥檚 lines. 鈥淚 notice words or phrases she repeats, her sentence structure and also try to find where she would put emphasis on certain words,鈥� York says.

Vogel had each actor create a music playlist their character would choose, an activity that York says helps her enter 鈥渕y character zone.鈥�

鈥淲hile listening to the music, I imagine what my character does in her free time, how she interacts at school and what she does with her friends,鈥� York says. 鈥淚 try to get into her mind and fully embody every aspect of her being,鈥� which includes gestures, a walk and voice different from her own.

Vogel also has her cast improvise events that are only referred to in the show. 鈥淭his has been really useful in deepening the relationships between the characters by having the actors live those experiences, not just imagine,鈥� she says.

Prop master Robert Weaver, a sophomore major, has had challenges building props for an old watch repair shop, which 鈥渋sn鈥檛 quite the real world.鈥� Finding mechanical and sprung-wound clocks is difficult in this electronic age. And then there are the props containing blood.

鈥淔iguring out a mechanism that fits into a pocket watch and squirts bloods is definitely an interesting challenge,鈥� he said.

Even though the play is decidedly wacky, its theme of human connections through love and sacrifice is universal.

鈥淭hat lovely theme is in the world of pocket watches that spurt blood, two onstage surgeries and a rude, rebellious teenager who鈥檚 been stuck at age 17 for 18 years,鈥� Vogel says. 鈥淚 hope the audience will recognize themselves in these characters, their willingness to make loving choices even with their very human flaws.鈥�

Directed by , assistant professor of at EMU, Into the Woods will be performed in the Main Stage Theater at 7:30 p.m. on April 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12, plus a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 6. The show will run approximately three hours with intermission.

Information regarding age-appropriateness for EMU events is available through the聽聽at 540-432-4360 or聽theater@emu.edu.

Into the Woods weaves together the main characters from fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella and others.聽The story revolves around a childless baker and his wife on a quest to begin a family, and their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them.聽In a departure from the standard plot line, the musical explores the consequences of these characters’ wishes.

“Into the Woods is a sprawling story filled to the brim with complex characters and dark magic,” said Poole. “The story provides ample opportunities to push the limits of our imaginations as we explore innovative ways to stage complex theatrical moments. I want audiences to leave the theater feeling that they have had a visceral, engaging experience that transcends what they have felt while watching a film or other mediated form of entertainment.”

Reserved tickets are $15 for adults ($17 at the door) and $12 for seniors, non-EMU students and EMU faculty/staff ($14 at the door) and $6 for EMU students. Tickets are available through EMU鈥檚 box office: 540-432-4582, . Group rates are available.

Cast:

Rachelle Kratz, stage manager

Dylan Bomgardner, assistant stage manager

Sierra Comer, assistant stage manager

Hailey Holcomb, assistant stage manager

Hattie Berg, assistant director

Chris Parks, dramaturg

Bethany Chupp (sophomore)

Shannon Dove

Heather Evans (junior)

Andrew French

Dorothy Hershey (first-year)

Jeremiah Hines (first-year)

Caitlin Holsapple (sophomore)

Heidi Jablonski (senior)

Holly Jensen (junior)

Elisha Keener (junior)

Eric King (senior)

Jaclyn Kratz (sophomore)

Katie Miller (senior)

Ezrionna Prioleau (first-year)

Emily Shenk (junior)

Sarah Sutter (first-year)

Sam Swartzendruber (sophomore)

Isaac Tice (senior)

Robert Weaver (first-year)

Phil Yoder (junior)

Rebekah York (sophomore)

Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Marguiles, Time Stands Still will be staged in the Lee E. Eshleman Studio Theater at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14-15, and 21-22.

The play follows its main character, Sarah Goodwin, as she returns to Brooklyn, New York, after being badly injured by a roadside bomb. The drama explores the relationship between Sarah and her boyfriend James Dodd 鈥� also a journalist 鈥� and the moral ambiguity of earning one’s living from documenting the suffering of others.

“The war and the politics informs their situation, as it does for our post-9/11 society, but the heart of the story lies in how they learn to cope together and how they relate to each other,” says Chandler.

In the New York Times on Aug. 23, 2013, theater critic Sylviane Gold gave an outstanding review to a Hartford, Ct., production of this play, calling it Marguiles’ “finest work to date.”

“Like [his] earlier plays, it asks us to ponder the intricacies of love and friendship and the emotional perils of professional success…. ” wrote Gold. “[It] goes beyond the personal to explore the moral ambiguities of journalism, a subject that both producers and consumers of the news media tend to avoid.”

Performances run approximately two hours with an intermission.

General admission tickets are $5, or $2 for EMU Students, and are available through the EMU theater department. For more information and answers about age appropriateness, contact the theater department at 540-432-4674; theater@emu.edu.

Cast:

Nicolas Custalow, a senior from Charlottesville, Va.

Chris Parks, a junior from Philadelphia, Pa.

Lauren Wengerd, a senior from Dundee, Ohio

Rebekah York, a sophomore from Bucharest, Romania