Thus says the Lord to you: “Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s.”
II Corinthians 20:15 (NRSV)
News
Mike True, director of the Internship Center, learned his website InternQube.com has been chosen again by Forbes Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Websites for Your Career.” A search function, new articles, website links, videos, books and a customer reviews section have been added.
Messiah 411
American Democracy Lecture featuring Dr. Timothy Shah
Dr. Timothy Shah will present a lecture, “Why Religious Freedom is a Universal, Necessary and Dangerous Idea” Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in Hostetter Chapel.
Shah is an emerging scholar in American academia, bringing together both religion and politics in his work. As a political scientist, he specializes in the relationship between religion and political freedom in theory, history and contemporary practice. Shah is associate director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs and visiting assistant professor in the government department at Georgetown University. At the Berkley Center, Shah focuses on developing a robust concept of religious freedom that centers on expanding the autonomy of religious actors and safeguarding their equal participation in social and civil life. He has written articles for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Journal of Democracy and the Review of Politics. Most recently, Shah co-authored “God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics” (with Monica Duffy Toft and Daniel Philpott). He received his A.B. in government and Ph.D. in political science from Harvard and his doctoral dissertation won the 2003 American Political Science Association’s Aaron Wildavsky Award for best dissertation in religion and politics. In 2009, he was awarded one of the first Joseph R. Crapa fellowships with the U.S. Commission on International Religions Freedom.
Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center to perform “Abyssinian”
Wynton Marsalis comes to Messiah College to perform Abyssinian: a gospel celebration featuring the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Chorale Le Chateau conducted by Damien Sneed on Monday, Oct. 21 with only one performance at 7:30 p.m. in Parmer Hall, Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts. You won’t want to miss this performance – Messiah College is the only Pennsylvania stop on the Abyssinian tour.
Two decades ago, Marsalis composed and recorded “In This House, On This Morning” and began a creative exploration of how to reflect the forms of the African American church service onto a theme of universal humanism while raising a joyful noise. Marsalis refined this integration of sacred and secular expression with his definitive 2008 extended work “Abyssinian 200: A Celebration,” commissioned by the Abyssinian Baptist Church on West 138th Street in Harlem to celebrate its 200th anniversary. Tickets for all seats are $60 (limit 10 tickets per transaction); to purchase, please visit or contact the ticket office at ext. 6036 or purchase online at messiah.edu/tickets. For photos and more contact details, visit messiah.edu/marsalis.
Homecoming volunteers needed
The office of alumni and parent relations is in need of employee volunteers to serve at registration for Homecoming 2013. Volunteers are needed in one to two-hour time slots on Saturday, Oct. 19 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you are interested and available to serve in this capacity, please contact Brittany Claridge at bclaridge@messiah.edu with your availability for that day by Friday, Oct. 4. We look forward to serving with you!
One-on-one nutritional counseling with nutrition majors available
The NUTR 410 course is looking for “clients” for students to work with during the fall semester for individual nutrition counseling. You are welcome to participate in this program even if you have done so in the past. Because our students are not yet registered dietitians, they are not qualified to counsel on nutritional treatment of disease. Your student counselor will work with you on nutrition issues related to weight loss and/or healthy eating strategies.
If you are interested, your responsibility will be to meet with your counselor on a weekly basis beginning the week of Oct. 28 at a time that fits your schedule for 30-45 minutes for approximately six weeks in Jordan Science Center. Additionally, depending on your nutrition concerns, you will likely be asked to keep a food journal or complete other activities throughout the semester. This is a graded experience for the students, so please do not volunteer if you think you may become too busy to regularly meet with the student during the semester during your assigned appointment time. If you volunteer, these students will be counting on you to fully participate in the program.
Interested persons can email aporto@messiah.edu before Oct. 9. In your email, please state your nutrition concerns as well as several one-hour blocks of time that you are available to meet with your student (early mornings, evenings and weekends can be included as well as times during the workday). This information will be used to match you with a student with the same availability and will become your scheduled appointment time for the six weeks. Client selection will be based on how your availability matches student availability as well as your nutrition concerns in relation to student ability to address those concerns.
Pilates class beginning soon
The wellness program is offering a six-week Pilates class for students and employees on Mondays from 12-12:45 p.m. beginning Monday, Oct. 21. Pilates is an excellent way to develop the core strength and flexibility that can reduce the risk of low back problems in the future. Only $15 for the six-week class. Participants must pre-register and pay the class fee at the front desk in the fitness center prior to the first class. See the attachment for more details.
“Messiah Goes to the World Cup” has begun
The employee physical activity program known as “Messiah Goes to The World Cup” has begun. If you meant to sign up and didn’t get around to it, you can still join the first phase. You’ve only missed one week. Instructions for signing up can be found in last week’s Intercom or at the wellness website. So far the response has been excellent as 98 employees and/or spouses have signed up and are participating. If you did sign up, but did NOT receive an email reminder from Doug Miller on Tuesday about recording your workouts, that means you need to do one more thing. In order for the wellness director to know of your participation you need to send an email to HAPA_Wellness@cvty.com with your CaféWell screen name. Your screen name will still remain confidential on the website.
Accounts payable office to adjust hours Oct. 9 and 11
The accounts payable office will be closed the following dates: Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. for a staff luncheon and also Friday, Oct. 11 to observe Fall Break.
Opportunities to support the Early Learning Center
If you like saving money and want to support the Early Learning Center, please consider buying a Kids Stuff coupon book(s). These books are filled with money saving coupons for food, shopping stores and various activities. Coupons include Subway, Isaac’s, New York & Company, Macy’s, Ski Roundtop and many more. Books cost $25. This sale will end Oct. 14. Please email Laura Price to order books at lprice@messiah.edu. Checks are made payable to the Early Learning Center.
Giant A+ Rewards: Giant donates a portion of all purchases made on designated bonus cards to the school of the shopper’s choice. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR GAS POINTS. If your card is not currently designated for another school, The Early Learning Center would appreciate your support. You may designate your number up to two schools. To designate your card, simply email your bonus card number to Laura Price at lprice@messiah.edu or you may enroll yourself at www.giantaplus.com. The school ID is 02338. (It is a Giant requirement to get permission each year. So if you supported us last year and would like to do so again, just email Laura Price to indicate that you wish to participate.)
What are event calendar forms?
Event calendar forms (ECFs) will assist the office of conference and event services in helping you plan your event. ECFs are required if:
1. Your event requires a setup that includes tech/AV needs or additional tables, chairs or furnishings.
2. You will be serving food to others outside of your group or you will be using College funds.
3. You will be having a fundraiser, selling items, showing a film or your event will include dancing.
4. Your event will have an off-campus speaker or will include an off-campus vendor.
5. You want to use mass advertising, require tickets for your event or want to place your event on the master calendar.
6. You will have more than 25 off-campus guests at your event.
Some things to remember:
1) Please return your completed ECF spreadsheet via email. Do not send it attached as a PDF file or campus mail us a hard copy. This will just delay the processing of your request.
2) Don’t forget to check the first box if you would like your event posted on the master calendar.
3) For student groups – our office will gather all necessary signatures for the approval of your event. All you need to do is submit the form with the green areas completed.
Download a copy of the form here, or call ext. 6009 with any questions.
Facility fee policy outlined
Were you aware that there are fees for use of Messiah College facilities for co-sponsored events? For example: If you are hosting a meeting of your professional organization on campus internal room rental fees apply. Please plan accordingly when planning your yearly budgets. To view the full policy and rates, see this attachment. You may also view the policy and the sponsoring department approval form on the employee page of MCSquare under “Employee Forms,” “Conference Services.” If you have questions, please call the office of conference and event services at ext. 6009.
ShreddingSolutions on campus for confidential document shredding Oct. 23
On Wednesday, Oct. 23 Shredding Solutions will provide a shred truck on campus that will be accessible beginning at 11 a.m. The shred truck will be located in the service area parking spots located outside Hoffman Hall and will be available 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Please use this opportunity to purge your office/work areas of documentation that contains confidential information that has met its retention requirements and is no longer needed. See attachment for complete information.
Office of human resources and compliance releases new and improved website
The office of human resources and compliance has recently released a redesign of our departmental website to: (a) update position description and recruitment/hiring information related to Jobs.messiah.edu, including helpful user guides for hiring managers and approvers; (b) include information on compliance; and (c) meet the standards of the new institutional web template. Individuals and offices who have links to our website are encouraged to review those links and to update as needed. Our new website can be accessed directly via www.messiah.edu/hrc.
Campus Ministries connection
This new section of the Intercom is yet to be named. The purpose of this segment is to introduce some of our thoughts on spiritual formation at Messiah College and how that relates to chapel as well as to help us to consider how the employee community impacts student formation. College Ministries hopes you will enjoy the brief articles.
The Polarities of Blessing: Job’s Story, Our Story
Brian Smith, teaching pastor, began Chapel with a dialogue about the polarities of blessing. He noted that the story of Job begins with a happily-ever-after ending: he suffers nobly and God rewards him. Job provides insight by asking, “Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” (Job 2:10 NRSV) That ending fits nicely with the first two chapters, but there are 39.5 chapters between the stoically suffering Job and his earthly reward. 39.5 chapters! And it is in those chapters that we meet a man who seems to be Job’s polar opposite.
We must always bear in mind that Job does not know how or why all this has happened to him. Would it help to know? Indeed, if we recall the sequence of events that led to Job’s losses, we might want to join in Job’s ignorance. Perhaps not knowing why would be better than knowing that all Job’s suffering is to prove God right in the face of the accuser.
Perhaps we can find the place between blessing and despair, inhabiting a spirituality broad enough to encompass both celebration and despair, both grief and life, a broad place in which our spirituality is neither too positively nor too negatively affected by blessing. This will require comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty. We will likely talk with students (perhaps even colleagues) caught between the blessing of being at Messiah College yet struggling with their realities of life at college. Job did not know what happened nor may students and that certainly contributes to his frustration and perhaps theirs. But there is nothing wrong with that frustration. Even there, we may begin to understand ourselves and know God as never before.
Classifieds
Position available:
The department of campus events has an opening for the position of campus events worker II, High Center/CFAC, second-shift. For additional information and to apply, please see https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/2744. Job-related questions may be directed to Scott Zeigler, campus events manager at extension 2940.
For rent:
Four-bedroom well-maintained home — Located on quiet street with off-street parking, 103 Bunker Hill Road, New Cumberland, 10 minutes from College. Family room, one-car garage, large yard, laundry room, one full bath, two half-baths, appliances included, gas fireplace, heat pump/central air, small pets okay (portion of yard is fenced in), park nearby. Asking $1,250 month. For questions or additional information, contact Diane Hunsinger at dhunsing@messiah.edu or Patty Myers at 717-774-1471 or pattymyers2@comcast.net.
For sale:
1992 Toyota Camry – $1,500; Large six-cushion Norwalk sectional couch — Very good condition, $500; InStep Grand Safari jogging stroller —$85; 27 in. Sanyo TV – $25. See pictures here. For more information, contact chanson@messiah.edu or 717-756-9760.
Townhouse/condo — Two bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse/condo, one mile from Messiah College. This is an end-unit with garage and partially finished basement. Rooms are large with lots of natural light and western views. It has a large screened-in deck and central air. New vinyl floors in kitchen and bathrooms, new countertops in kitchen and powder room, new sink, vanity and toilet in full bath. Windows have all been replaced in the past three years. Never mow your lawn or shovel snow again! For more information, contact groff@messiah.edu, call 717-802-0738 or visit 657colonialview.blogspot.com.
