April 18, 2013

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
John 17: 1-5 (NRSV)

News

Katrina Martin (’10) will be visiting campus on Friday, April 19 to give a seminar to Messiah’s chemistry and biochemistry majors. Katrina will be discussing her current work in the industry. If you see her on Friday, please welcome back our alumna to her alma mater!

Randall Zwally, senior lecturer in music, directed the Messiah College Guitar Ensemble as it provided music for a chapel service for the entire student body at Lancaster Mennonite High School (LMH) on April 9. The ensemble also made a presentation to the high school’s group guitar class. This allowed our students to work directly with the LMH students in a hands-on learning situation, which was a rewarding experience for all involved.

Messiah 411

Retirement reception for professor planned for May 2 

Yvonne Martin, assistant professor of business administration, a respected colleague and dear friend to so many of us, is retiring at the end of this semester. The department of management and business is planning to celebrate the tremendous impact Yvonne has had on Messiah College for more than 30 years. On Thursday, May 2 from 2:30-4:30 p.m., we will host a reception for Yvonne in the Private Dining Room of Eisenhower Campus Center. We invite you to attend and join us in celebrating with Yvonne.

Learning Technology Services makes update on Canvas

Learning Technology Services is excited to move forward with the transition to Canvas. This is an update on the planning processes associated with the implementation of Canvas. Follow our website for Canvas Information. We are updating this website on a daily basis, so please bookmark the site and visit regularly.

You will find a list of benchmark dates. It is important to remember that, in the implementation process, unexpected delays may occur. It is our goal to make courses available at the earliest opportunity without compromising the quality of the implementation process. Please remain aware that these dates are subject to change depending on unforeseen circumstances. Should that occur, we will do our best to keep you informed. You will also find an FAQ page where there is space for you to submit additional questions.

Messiah Team Triathlon around the corner

There is still time to register your team for the Messiah Team Triathlon that will be held Saturday, April 27 at 9 a.m. This fun event allows alumni, students and employees to join together for a fun fitness event. Teams are required to have three members, with each person doing only one leg. It’s a half-mile swim in the swimming pool, a 12-mile bike ride on the rolling hills around campus and a 5K run that takes you on Grantham Road and around campus. It’s free, and it’s fun. You can find the online registration form, directions for the routes, a list of possible categories your team can enter under, photos from last year and much more at the triathlon website. Don’t delay- get your entry form in today. If you need a person to make it a team, email Doug Miller  at dmiller@messiah.edu with the specific leg of the triathlon you still need to cover, and we’ll see what we can do!

Reminder to complete wellness points and return form

So far, 100 employees have turned in their wellness completion form. If this is one thing you’ve been meaning to get around to doing, now is the time. Remember, you get 10 points for participating in any of the Wellness Day events. Details on how to get your wellness points as well as the completion form can be found at the wellness website. The form can be emailed to dmiller@messiah.edu or can be sent through campus mail to Doug Miller, suite 4501. It must be returned to Doug Miller by June 15. 

Community Aid bins will be available on campus

The College will partner with Community Aid, which will place two of its clothing collection bins on our campus, so students and staff can donate used clothing for the needy in our area. Community Aid is a faith based non-profit 501 (C) (3) corporation/charity with the primary purpose of raising funds for distribution to local schools, churches, synagogues, temples and other no-profit charitable organizations. Community Aid will service the bins and remove the donated clothing at least four days-per-week and more frequently if necessary. The donated clothing is then sold in their thrift stores in Mechanicsburg and Hanover. All donated clothing is sold at affordable prices. Excess clothing is baled and taken overseas to the needy.

The clothing collection bin will show the public, our students and staff that our college is involved in our community and support our campus sustainable efforts. The collection bins also will provide a way for our students to donate unwanted clothing throughout the year, reducing the amount of clothing that is disposed of at the end of the academic year.

We plan to place the two collection bins on campus within the next two weeks. One will be placed behind the South Complex next to the trash Dumpsters and the other will be placed behind the North Complex next to the trash Dumpsters. We hope that students and staff will use the collection bins on a regular basis thought the year to donate any unwanted clothing. Please note that the collections bins are for unwanted clothing only. Please do not put books, TVs, computers or anything else other than clothing in the bins.

Any questions can be directed to Craig Dalen at ext. 4785 or Brad Markley at ext. 3500.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

National Distracted Driving Awareness Month serves as a reminder of the dangers associated with distracted driving on the road.

Cellphone use has become commonplace and text messaging, emailing and conducting business via cellphone have become routine. While the convenience of cellphones can be enormous, problems arise when using one while driving. 

A Nationwide Insurance poll found that 81 percent of cellphone owners admitted to talking on a cellphone while driving. Currently, there is mounting evidence supporting the dangerous link between cellphone usage and car accidents. According to Johns Hopkins University, as individuals focus on listening and engaging in conversation, the activity in the visual part of the brain decreases, even when using a hands-free device. In addition, the University of Utah found that drivers are as impaired on a cellphone as they are while driving under the influence of alcohol. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that an estimated 3,000 fatal traffic accidents in 2011 were the result of distracted driving. 

Several states currently ban the use of hand held cellphones while driving and many states have taken an increasingly active role in addressing the relationship between driver cellphone use and traffic safety. In Pennsylvania, text messaging while driving is illegal. Don’t become a statistic. Avoid cellphone use while driving, and if you must make a call, pull off to a safe location to do so.
Information provided by Horst Insurance Co.

Employee Recognition Reception scheduled for May 8 

Please join us on Wednesday, May 8 as we gather to celebrate the commitment of those employees who have reached significant service milestones. This year’s Employee Recognition Reception will be held from 2 – 4 p.m. in Brubaker Auditorium. The list of employees to be honored can be viewed at here. In addition to recognizing service milestones, we will also be announcing the recipients of the Pride in Performance and President’s Awards. There will be time for festive refreshments and fellowship at the beginning of the event. We hope to see you there!

Classifieds

Available:

Home — Furnished, three-bedroom home available for the summer (May 28-Aug. 2) Approximately two miles from campus. We would not charge rent, but you would need to be willing to take care of the cat and yard. For more information, contact David Owen at owen@messiah.edu.

Wanted:

Quart and gallon-sized plastic plant pots — Did you just complete some spring planting, or do you have a stack of old pots in your garage that you’d like to get rid of? Give me a call and I’ll be glad to pick them up. Contact Raeann at ext. 2850 or rhamon@messiah.edu.

For sale:

UV Sun, Stop’r Kwik Cabana — With shade (small, easy to use tent for young kids.) $20; Eurotrend umbrella stroller – $20. If interested, contact Helena Cicero, hcicero@messiah.edu or  ext. 2431.  

Snap-On KiQ series toolbox – $325; John Deer push mower – $50; Guitar — Gibson Epiphone EM-2 Custom Rebel (1991) electric guitar, $215. Kitchen Aid Ultra power mixer (red) – $105; Pentax SLR 2X-7 camera – $155; Kelty Kids Ridgeline child hiking backpack carrier – $50; (2) Sterns child and infant life jackets – $30 for both or $15 each; Wood glider rocker (white frame/denim cushions) – $50; Black heavy-duty four-drawer adjustable file cabinet – $45; Glass-top patio dining table and chairs – $90; McKenzie 8 ft. × 5 ft. rug — $90. For more information or photos, contact Anthony Caito at acaito@messiah.edu.

Outside organization announcement:

Support Operation Wildcat at Its Largest Yard Sale Ever April 19-20 — Since 2006 Operation Wildcat has raised almost $30,000 by selling items donated from families in the community. All money raised is turned into gift cards to stores such as Giant, Weis, Target, Walmart and Sheetz and are used by guidance counselors and nurses to help families in need. This year, Operation Wildcat will have its “Largest Yard Sale Ever,” indoors at the Mechanicsburg Brethren in Christ Church on York Street. Bring your friends and shop on April 19 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and April 20 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. We’ll have everything from baby and kids’ toys to knick-knacks, books, pictures, household items and decorative items. We’ll also be accepting donations for the sale at the church on April 18 from 4 to 8 p.m. Pulling off the Largest Yard Ever will require lots of help. If you’d like to volunteer to help out, you can sign up on the time to sign-up sheet here. For more information, please call or email Maureen Ross at mmross4@comcast.net or 717-773-1988; Pat Clawges at pclawges@gmail.com or 717-512-4164. Thank you in advance for your help and support – we WILL exceed our $30,000 goal.

NOTE: This is a great opportunity for students to get service hours!