Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:54

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Emerson Powery, interim dean of the School of Arts, Culture and Society and professor of Biblical Studies, has been working on a multi-year project of co-editing the upcoming New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition of the Bible called The Westminster Study Bible. This edition includes interpretive materials from over eighty leading biblical experts (including Messiah’s Rebecca Harris and Brian Smith) who, as teachers in a variety of educational settings, are sensitive to how the biblical texts have been received, what their cultural and social consequences have been, and how readers might hear them now in multiple contexts. To learn more about Emerson’s work, please visit: https://www.wjkbooks.com/Pages/Item/60046/Westminster-Study-Bible.aspx

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Beth Transue ’93, information literacy librarian, presented at the 2024 PA Library Association Frontline Conference, a one-day online conference designed for frontline library staff. The presentation, “Moving Beyond Dr Google: Providing Consumer Health Literacy in the Library”, provided recommendations for how library staff can connect patrons with credible health information while understanding and respecting professional roles and boundaries.

BID FAREWELL

The Department of Marketing and Communication invites you to honor Ramona Fritschi, as we celebrate her retirement following 15 years of dedicated service to our institution. Join us for a special gathering to recognize Ramona’s significant contributions and commitment to excellence in supporting messiah.edu and advancing numerous digital accessibility initiatives.

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 20

Time: 2 – 4 p.m.

Location: Boyer Atrium

AROUND CAMPUS

The Center for Public Humanities is pleased to invite you to the 2024 Humanities Symposium on “The American Project”

The 2024 Humanities Symposium will be held during the week of Feb. 19-23. The CPH executive committee is eager to provide a forum for the University community and the wider public to engage in our weeklong conversation through faculty-student conversations, interdisciplinary and departmental panels, and artistic performances such as dance, film, concerts, poetry readings, and exhibitions.

Our featured speaker, Philip S. Gorski, Ph.D., is professor of sociology and religious studies at Yale University. He writes on religion and politics in early modern and modern Western Europe and North America from a comparative historical perspective. His empirical work focuses on topics such as state formation, nationalism, revolution, economic development, and secularization, with particular attention to the interaction of religion and politics. He is the author of several book-length studies in these fields. His current work focuses on the history and politics of white Christian nationalism and American civil religion.

Keynote Address: “Un/Civil Religion: American Christianity and Liberal Democracy in Crisis”

Date: Feb. 22

Location: Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts, Parmer Hall

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free tickets are required for this event. To reserve, please contact the Messiah University Box Office at 717-691-6036 option #1 or online at messiah.edu/tickets.

Book sales will be available before the keynote address and sales and signing will be available after the keynote address.

Messiah University Department of Theatre and Dance presents 2024 Humanities Symposium Dance Concert: “Many Parts, One Body: Dance explorations of the American Project”

Messiah University’s Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to present the 2024 Humanities Symposium dance concert “Many Parts, One Body: Dance explorations of the American Project” on Friday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. in Poorman Black Box Theater, Climenhaga Building.

Tickets are required due to limited seating. Reserving tickets in advance is recommended. Tickets can be reserved online at messiah.edu/tickets, by phone at 717-691-6036, or at the door as available.

Updates from the Division of Student Success and Engagement

The Division of Student Success and Engagement is delighted to welcome the following new employees to our Messiah family. We are also thrilled to announce new role changes for some of our existing employees.

Office of Student Engagement:

Curtis Kurtz was promoted to director of student engagement. Curtis is a proud Messiah Alum and has served at Messiah University for the past four years in Residence Life. Most recently, he served as the assistant director of residence life for first year experience and the residence director of Bittner Hall. During his master’s program, Curtis had the opportunity to intern with the Activities Programming Board at Shippensburg University, which helped grow his passion for student engagement. He is excited to continue serving our Messiah students in this new capacity and to lead the student engagement team.

Joshua Grimm is our new head eSports coordinator and coach. Josh comes to us from Lycoming College where he served as a full-time athletic trainer and as their first-ever eSports coach. Juggling the responsibilities of both roles, he was able to play a pivotal role in propelling Lycoming to its first eSports success in 2021 with a Madden championship. Joshua also worked with their Valorant, Hearthstone, and League of Legends teams and worked with their men’s basketball team. Additionally, he worked as an athletic trainer for the MLB Draft League and was a part of the UPMC eSports committee. Joshua holds a bachelor’s degree in athletic training and a master’s degree in sports and exercise psychology both from Lock Haven University.

Engle Center

Dr. John D. Goddard, CAADC, C-DBT is our new Engle counselor/program director of drug and alcohol education. John comes to us with 20 years of counseling experience in the mental health and addictions field working with a wide diversity of clients in a variety of settings. He has worked with children and adolescents in the school setting, as well as intensive, in-home family therapy. In addition, he provided individual, couples, and group therapy sessions in outpatient settings. John’s approach to care is integrative and his areas of interest include Christian counseling, spirituality, addictions, eating disorders, and the complex interactions between physical and mental health.

Alissa Ford, MA, NCC is our new part time Engle Center counselor. She is a Messiah alum earning both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Messiah. She is a National Certified Counselor and has experience working with clients from all walks of life in a variety of settings including inpatient, partial, and outpatient private practice. She has a niche for working with the young adult and adult populations. Alissa served as an intern at the Engle Center and is so excited to officially be joining the staff!

Mendelssohn Piano Trio “The American Experience”

Feb. 18, 4 p.m.
High Foundation Recital Hall

Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series

Mendelssohn Piano Trio will explore the American experience in music through juxtaposition of “Piano Trio No. 2” by Arthur Foote, the first American-trained outstanding classical composer, “Nocturnes” by Ernest Bloch, who founded the Cleveland Institute of Music, and “Piano Trio” by Erich Korngold, who created some of the most memorable scores for Hollywood and impacted generations of American composers, including John Williams.

Ticket prices are $10 for adults; $5 for Messiah University students (with ID) and youth (18 and under). To purchase, please contact the Messiah University Box Office at 717- 691-6036 option #1 or online at messiah.edu/tickets.

Welcoming Laurie de la Riva as lab coordinator

The Department of Biological Sciences has hired Laurie de la Riva in their lab coordinator role. Welcome Laurie!

The Living Library: Many Stories, One Community

The Living Library: Many Stories, One Community (formerly the Human Library Project) is where Messiah students, faculty, and staff become open books, sharing their personal stories with readers. The Living Library is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue. The Living Library is a place where real people are on loan to readers.
Please consider participating as a “book” in the Living Library at the Murray Library on Wednesday, April 10. As a living book, you would be sharing your story with others in the Messiah University community in a moderated 25 minute session.
Please complete this application to be a book no later than Friday, March 15: https://messiah.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_37v5VgYD9SA3g5D

Questions may be directed to Todd Allen, vice president for diversity affairs at tallen@messiah.edu or Liz Kielley, discovery and metadata librarian, at ekielley@messiah.edu

Please complete this application no later than Friday, March 15.

CLASSIFIEDS

Job opportunities

Murray Library has an opening for a part-time library evening circulation supervisor. Job related questions may be directed to Sarah Myers at smyers@messiah.edu (librarian). For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/26159.

The Department of Engineering has an opening for a part-time CES Local Chapter assistant. Job related questions may be directed to Philip Tan at ptan@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/26328.

Community Wellness has an opening for a full-time assistant director of the Falcon Fitness Center. Job related questions can be directed to Kris Hansen-Kieffer at khansen@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/26273.

Data Security has an opening for a full-time IT security analyst. Job related questions can be directed to Allen Snook at asnook@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/26295.

The Admissions Office has an opening for a part-time admissions hospitality assistant. Job related questions may be directed to Kristin Thomas at kthomas@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/26174.

The Agape Center for Local and Global Engagement has an opening for a part-time administrative assistant. Job related questions may be directed to Paula Holtzinger at pholtzinger@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/26176.

The Registrar’s Office has an opening for a part-time records and registration assistant. Job related questions may be directed to Kathee Clark at kclark@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/25904.

Murray Library has an opening for a full-time director of the Murray Library. Job related questions may be directed to David Weaver-Zercher at dzercher@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/25707.

The Department of Safety has an opening for a full-time 3rd shift safety officer/dispatcher. Job related questions may be directed to Bryce Wickard at bwickard@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: jobs.messiah.edu/postings/25830.

The Department of Network Services has an opening for a full-time system administrator/analyst. Job-related questions may be directed to Tony Wyland at wyland@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: jobs.messiah.edu/postings/23892.

Campus and Building services have a variety of full and part-time openings. Job related questions can be directed to Laura Price at lprice@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: jobs.messiah.edu

The Department of Education has an opening for a full-time faculty in education. Job related questions may be directed to Beverly Pitcher Johnson at bjohnson@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: jobs.messiah.edu/postings/25934.

For Sale

Bunny earrings (great gift for Easter basket). Who wouldn’t love a pair of these cute bunny earrings? They would make a great gift for an Easter basket or for a special friend who just loves bunnies. $10 each or 2/$15 (indicate posts or wire hooks, and only in silver). Email: sportko@messiah.edu