The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
Psalm 19:9-10 (NRSV)

News

Brad Genevro, associate professor of music and director of bands, recently worked with the Play On, Philly! wind ensemble when they visited the campus of Messiah on two recent visits, the latter culminating in a concert. Play On, Philly! is an innovative education and social initiative that provides opportunities for personal development to children through the study of music. Inspired by the social development and music education program of Venezuela called “El Sistema,” Play On, Philly! fosters life skills among its participants by providing high-quality music education to children who would otherwise not receive it.

Todd Goranson, associate professor of music, performed in concert on tenor saxophone with legendary singer Johnny Mathis at The Capitol Theater in Wheeling, W.V. March 6. Mathis is a past recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, has recorded several dozen gold or platinum recordings and has been nominated for an Academy Award.

I am pleased to announce that Carol Hall has been named the new administrative assistant in the Career Center. Carol formerly served for 12 years in the position of assistant director of the Early Learning Center. Feel free to stop by the Career Center in Eisenhower Campus Center to welcome Carol to her new role!

Christy Hanson, director of career development

Messiah 411

Join us for “Elijah” performance April 11

The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, the Messiah College Concert Choir, the Messiah College Choral Arts Society and the Susquehanna Chorale perform “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn Friday, April 11 at 8 p.m. in Parmer Hall. Inspired by the Baroque-era choral masterpieces by Handel and Bach, Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” is the greatest oratorio of the nineteenth century. Messiah College’s choral ensembles and ensemble-in-residence, the Susquehanna Chorale, directed by Linda Tedford, join the Harrisburg Symphony, conducted by Stuart Malina, for an evening of stirring choruses and vivid orchestral writing in this timeless musical setting of the life of the Old Testament prophet. All tickets are $40. To purchase, please contact the Ticket Office at ext. 6036 or visit messiah.edu/tickets.

Student honors presentation set for April 16

Senior PreK-4 education major Kelly Sullivan will give her honors presentation “Math and Reading: Is There a Connection?” on Wednesday, April 16 at 4 p.m. in Boyer 131. Kelly will report on her findings about math difficulties as they relate to reading difficulties. Information will also be shared about addressing early math deficits in the primary grades through interventions modeled after the number-sense view of math education.

Retirement reception planned for April 22

Susanna Bede Caroselli, professor of art history, retired at the end of the fall semester 2013. We will honor Susanna’s commitment and faithful service to Messiah College Tuesday, April 22 from 2-4 p.m. with a reception in the High Center’s Steinbrecher Atrium. We invite you to join the School of the Arts, the School of Humanities and the department of visual arts as we celebrate Susanna’s achievements.

Cambodian author and human rights activist on campus April 30

Through the dedicated efforts of the peace and conflict studies program, Loung Ung will be speaking on campus on Wednesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. in Hostetter Chapel. Tickets are not required.

Born to an affluent Cambodian father and Chinese mother, Loung Ung was only five years old when the Khmer Rouge stormed into her native city of Phnom Penh. Four years later, in one of the bloodiest episodes of the 20th century, some two million Cambodians – out of a population of seven million – had died at the hands of the infamous Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime. Among the genocide victims were both Loung’s parents, two sisters and 20 other relatives. Today, Loung has made over 30 trips back to Cambodia. As an author, lecturer and activist, she has dedicated 20 years to promoting equality, human rights and justice in her native land and worldwide. In 2013, Loung expanded her activism reach as one of the writers of “Girl Rising,” a groundbreaking film directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins. “Girl Rising” tells the stories of nine extraordinary girls from nine countries who face significant hurdles in accessing education. Loung authored the segment profiling Sokha, an orphan who rises from the dumps of Cambodia to become a star student and an accomplished dancer. If you missed the opportunity to see “Girl Rising” on campus, the DVD is now available at Murray Library.

In anticipation of her visit, Loung Ung’s books are currently available in the Campus Store. For further information on Loung Ung and her work can be found here.

Save the date for Homecoming 2014

A reminder that all events during this Oct. 17-18 weekend must be approved by and planned through the office of alumni and parent relations. If you have plans for an event and have not been in contact with our office, please reach out to Brittany Claridge at bclaridge@messiah.edu or ext. 2490 by May 2.

The 2014 Homecoming Weekend schedule will be made available online by July 3.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We look forward to sharing this time of celebration with you and our alumni community!

Corporate Partner Merit Scholarships available

Harrisburg Academy is excited to be partnering for a third year with Messiah College to offer merit scholarships to children of full-time Messiah College employees. These merit scholarships are annual, renewable tuition scholarships of $10,000 per student. Applicants must be new students applying to the Academy for enrollment in fifth through 11 grades. An additional round of scholarship applications is being accepted. Upcoming dates to note:

• April 12, 9 a.m. – Admission/Merit Scholarship Testing Event
• April 21, 8:30 a.m. – Half-day Visit Opportunity (students will “shadow” in their current grades)
• May 1 – Application for Merit Scholarship application is due; click here for the 2014-15 Corporate Partner Merit Scholarship application.

Interested in learning more? Please contact Jessica Warren, director of admission and marketing.

Campus Ministries connection

During this chapel movement focusing on the polarities of a life of worship, we will be hosting the Special Olympics event which gives us opportunity to interact with people often marginalized by our culture. We intend to give of ourselves in service to them but in the process, we will learn that serving and interacting with the marginalized is a vital part of a life of worship. We also will receive valuable life lessons from the athletes and families. Common Chapel this Tuesday highlighted an international approach to worship that called us to respect the cultures that are not always highlighted among us. Tuesday’s Peace Lecturer shared compelling stories to engage us in a commitment to a peace perspective that is often a voice silenced but desperately needed in our world if our lives are to glorify God.

Classified

For rent:

House — Available starting late July 2014 for one year. Fully furnished four-bedroom home just across the road from Holy Spirit Hospital. The house has two baths, living and dining room, sunroom, small work shed, full finished basement with laundry, two refrigerators and additional air conditioner for the two bedrooms on the first floor and sunroom. A small yard at the front and back of the house. There is a car port where two cars could be parked with additional parking space in the Holy Spirit Urgent Care parking lot across from the house. The house is on a bus line and 12 minutes from Messiah College, minutes away from Harrisburg, Camp Hill Library and local shopping outlets. The house is a non-smoking space, pet and alcohol free. For further details, please contact bmichael@messiah.edu, 717-763-6836 or 717-802-4118 (cell).

Three- to four-bedroom duplex in Grantham — Located at 810 Grantham Road. $1,200/month. Available June 1. Contact Dale Fogelsanger at 717-623-0735 or dfogelsa@messiah.edu.

For sale:

House – Well maintained, architecturally interesting, all-brick English Cape Cod home with many amenities, on an acre of land located a short drive from Messiah College. This home has a scenic view and is located west of Messiah on Lisburn Road in Monroe Township (Cumberland Valley School District). It is approximately 200 yards from the Appalachian Trail. There are three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, study, sunroom, dining room, living room with wood-burning fireplace, second floor laundry room and attached two-car garage along with a full basement. It features a large eat-in kitchen (including island) with beautiful cherry cabinets. The first and second floors have warm, solid hardwood floors along with attractive tile in the kitchen and all of the bathrooms. There is also a brick patio with a view of a hardy Southern Magnolia tree and a small, pine woods. Please contact Paul Myers at pmyers@messiah.edu for more information.

Moving sale — Dozens of items to sell reasonably, including lawn and garden tools, hardware, tool boxes, hand tools, etc. Email rstevick@messiah.edu or pstevick@messiah.edu for a complete list.

Black oil sunflower bird seed — The Collaboratory’s Bio-Fuels Project is looking to supply you with this season’s birdseed! The Bio-Fuels Project currently has an excess supply of black oil sunflower seed. We press this seed into cooking oil to be used in dining services. Purchasing this excess supply of seeds helps to fund the Bio-Fuels Project purchases of necessary equipment to stay compliant with USDA standards and to make our processes more efficient. Available to purchase in 15 lb. or 50 lb. bags. This birdseed will be available to purchase now until May 10. Prices are as follows:

15 lbs.: $10/bag if purchasing one bag, $9/bag if purchasing two bags, or $8/bag if purchasing three or more.

50 lbs: $30/bag if purchasing one bag, $28/bag if purchasing two bags, or $25/bag if purchasing three or more.

Order online via our Google form www.tiny.cc/birdseed or contact Ethan Peck via email at ep1229@messiah.edu or phone 910-541-3472.

Payment Options: Cash/check (payable to ‘Messiah College’ memo ‘sunflower seeds’). For more information, please contact Ethan Peck at ep1229@messiah.edu.

Outside organization announcement:

Theatre professor to star in “Clybourne Park” at Open Stage of Harrisburg — Professor of Theater Valerie Rae Smith stars in “Clybourne Park” in residence at Open Stage for a four-week run starting Friday, April 11. This highly acclaimed play ran off and on Broadway and won multiple awards, including the 2011 Pulitzer and the 2012 Tony. One of the attractions of “Clybourne Park” is that it is a theatrical response to Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking 1959 play, “A Raisin in the Sun.” “Clybourne Park” spans half a century. It starts in the 1950s, conjoined with the end of “A Raisin in the Sun,” when a black family moves into an all-white neighborhood. Act 2 is 50 years later, when the issues are economic greed and gentrification, not integration. Playwright Bruce Norris wants to make people aware of the racist attitudes that are inherent in all of us. In Act 1, Smith plays a white homeowner who finds out only belatedly that it’s a black family who wants to buy her house. In Act 2, she’s a real estate lawyer.

When interviewed for PennLive, Smith explained, “Norris has created a satirical play that gets us laughing at ourselves. The outrageous and often inhumane ways we treat each other around issues of race are laid bare in ‘Clybourne Park,’ but somehow Norris makes this bitter pill a little sweeter.” Play continues May 3—Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m.; 2 p.m. on Sundays. Open Stage of Harrisburg, 223 Walnut St., Harrisburg. Tickets are $35-$25; students, $21. For more information, call 717-232-6736 or visit openstagehbg.com.