The initiative, developed through a partnership between 黑料正能量鈥檚 Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP) and the Southern African Development and Reconstruction Agency (), will launch Jan. 5-15, 2027, with a 10-day conference at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa.

Since 2013, SADRA has worked to transform communities across Southern Africa through conflict transformation initiatives, training, and research. The organization partners with schools and universities, community and government leaders, pastors and churches, and traditional leaders to provide conflict mediation, peace training, capacity and team building, and interventions to issues such as school violence and xenophobic attacks.

Four members of the Cape Town-based organization traveled to 黑料正能量 this summer to participate in SPI 2026. Inspired by what they learned from experienced peacebuilders and conflict transformation practitioners from around the world, they are now helping bring those same lessons and principles to South Africa.

Among them was the Rev. Phumzile Stofile, a community mediation facilitator for SADRA, who said the collaboration comes at a critical time.

鈥淪outh Africa is a deeply wounded and divided society, filled with anger,鈥� he said, noting that parts of the country experience high levels of crime and violence, particularly against women. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we鈥檙e here, to learn from these models and adapt them for South Africa.鈥�

Oscar Siwali MA 鈥�20 (conflict transformation), a conflict resolution expert, peacebuilder, and the founder and director of SADRA, said the timing is right to expand peacebuilding efforts in South Africa and beyond.

鈥淲hile the language of violence and war is being amplified, we need the language of peace,鈥� he said.

The goal of SPI South Africa is not only to equip more people with skills in mediation, peacebuilding, and Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience (STAR), but also to make those trainings more affordable and accessible. 鈥淭his initiative opens the door for people,鈥� Siwali said. 鈥淲hat was once prohibitively expensive will now become affordable.鈥�

He added that the program will help develop a new generation of peacebuilders prepared to continue the work as current practitioners retire and leave the field.

Vuyokazi Luxande, another member of the South African delegation attending SPI this summer, said she is grateful for the partnership and its potential to strengthen restorative justice efforts across Southern Africa. 鈥淭his partnership will go a long way,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a one-off intervention.鈥�

The South African chapter will also make SPI鈥檚 training more accessible to participants who face barriers to traveling to the United States.

Kory Schaeffer MA 鈥�24 (conflict transformation), director of programs at CJP, said many prospective attendees have concerns about obtaining visas, navigating international travel, or affording increasingly expensive airfare. 鈥淔lights that were once $1,200 are now $3,000,鈥� he said.

Last year, about half of SPI applicants faced a visa denial or insurmountable travel barrier. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 expect everyone to come to us and take all those risks if we are serious about advocating for the work,鈥� he said.

Hosting SPI programs in different regions of the world also preserves one of the institute鈥檚 greatest strengths: its practitioner-centered learning environment. 鈥淎t SPI, participants aren鈥檛 just students,鈥� Schaeffer said. 鈥淵ou can have a class of 10 to 20 people and at least half of them are practitioners from around the world who can share what鈥檚 worked and what hasn鈥檛 worked for them.鈥�

For Stofile, SPI鈥檚 lessons are deeply personal. Born in prison to a mother incarcerated for selling 鈥渄agga,鈥� an Afrikaans word for cannabis, Stofile later experienced the trauma of being forcibly removed from his home at age 5 because his family lived in an area that apartheid laws designated for another racial group.

He said he carried anger and unresolved trauma for much of his life. Through SPI, he found new ways to understand and process those experiences. 鈥淚鈥檝e come to understand that if my trauma is not transformed, it can be transferred, and I think that is what we are experiencing in South Africa,鈥� Stofile said.

The experience was so meaningful for him that he decided to enroll at CJP and pursue a master鈥檚 degree in conflict transformation. Now, as SPI prepares to launch in South Africa, he hopes others will have the same opportunity for healing and growth. 鈥淪PI coming to South Africa is a golden opportunity that we take with both hands,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need the support it brings so we can empower our communities.鈥�

Registration information is available at .

Samuel Beckett鈥檚 鈥淓ndgame鈥� opens at 黑料正能量鈥檚 MainStage Theater this month.

The play, billed as an absurdist tragicomedy set at the end of the world, will be performed nightly from Thursday, Oct. 22, to Saturday, Oct. 24, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission and free to 黑料正能量 students with a valid ID. They can be purchased online through Eventbrite.

First performed in 1957, 鈥淓ndgame鈥� centers on the blind and chair-bound Hamm (played by Tom King), who is confined to a single room with his servant, Clov (Jay Zehr, class of 1980). The two men are joined by Hamm鈥檚 aging parents, Nagg (Jason Heller) and Nell (Theo Panzol), who appear out of a pair of trash cans. The four are seemingly the last living beings on Earth.

鈥淚t could be anywhere at any time,鈥� said producer and Transports of Joy co-founder Luis Lojo. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no mention of how the world ended or how society collapsed, but you get to watch how these people are coping with it.鈥�

鈥淎 pinnacle of Beckett鈥檚 characteristic raw minimalism,鈥� reads a from the Irish Repertory Theatre, 鈥溾�楨ndgame鈥� is a pure and devastating distillation of the human essence in the face of approaching death.鈥�

Despite the bleak setting, Lojo promises laughs. 鈥淓ndgame鈥� has the same trademark dark humor as Beckett鈥檚 better-known play, 鈥淲aiting for Godot.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 actually a lot of humor in it,鈥� Zehr said. 鈥淓ven in the worst circumstances, there鈥檚 still humanity and there鈥檚 still people trying to connect with each other. There is still humor to be found, even in the darkest moments.鈥�

MainStage Theater 鈥榯he perfect size鈥�

鈥淓ndgame鈥� is directed by Courtney King, daughter of Tom King. It is the first play produced by Transports of Joy, which she founded with Lojo. Pam Johnson, professor emerita of theatre at James Madison University, serves as costume designer.

In 2023, Courtney King and Lojo attended a production of 鈥淓ndgame鈥� at the Irish Rep in New York. Inspired by the play, which they described as both funny and moving, they began planning their own version. This past June, the team began gathering to read the script aloud and workshop it.

After searching for the ideal venue, the couple, who split their time between New York City and Harrisonburg, found a home at 黑料正能量鈥檚 MainStage Theater. The 200-seat theater provides an intimate, up-close view of the stage from anywhere in the house, Lojo said.

鈥淓ven in the last row, you see everything,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the perfect size because everyone gets to be near the action and be in the same experience.鈥�

鈥業t鈥檚 100% a labor of love鈥�

Zehr and Tom King are longtime collaborators in the Harrisonburg theater scene, having worked together for 40 years. King was Zehr鈥檚 theater mentor at JMU.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really been a pleasure and a privilege to work with him in a production after all these years,鈥� Zehr said.

The production also marks a return of sorts for Zehr, who attended 黑料正能量 in the mid-1970s and played two seasons on its basketball team. MainStage Theater occupies part of what was then the college gym.

Lojo, a theater professional with more than 40 years of experience, said 鈥淓ndgame鈥� isn鈥檛 often staged, making the chance to see it 鈥渁 rare opportunity.鈥�

鈥淎s a producer, I鈥檓 aware of how difficult this is to sell to people and say, 鈥楬ey, do you want to come see our play about the end of the world?鈥欌�� Lojo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 100% a labor of love. This is just something we wanted to do.鈥�

And while audiences might not leave 鈥渢apping a song,鈥� Lojo hopes the experience stays with them.

鈥淚t might give you some perspective to help cope with different aspects of life,鈥� he said.

During the rainy season in Eswatini, the Nkomazi (Komati) River floods, submerging the low-lying footbridge used by residents of the rural kaNdeva and Hlalakahle communities and making it impassable.

For decades, the footbridge was the only way for the roughly 1,500 residents of those communities to cross the river and access the markets, healthcare clinic, and church on the other side. Schoolchildren, who relied on the bridge to get to school, often waited three to four weeks for the river to lower before they could safely cross and return to class.

The aging bridge had fallen into disrepair. Wide gaps between its weathered wooden planks, which dangled just above the surface of the river, made crossing dangerous. Its tattered fencing also posed a risk.

鈥淎nd it swings and sways terribly,鈥� said one local mother in a about the bridge. 鈥淲e have feared that our children will fall into the river.鈥�

That all changed this summer when a group of 黑料正能量 students and alumni joined university students from Iowa, Western Ontario, and Rutgers, staff from the Engineers in Action (EIA) nonprofit, and engineers and contractors from Eswatini to design and build a new suspended footbridge across the river.

The 300-foot Tintfutfwini Bridge, located about 65 feet upstream from the old bridge, can be safely used year-round and can hold more than 88,000 pounds. It crosses the river more than a dozen feet above the high-water mark, about 15 feet higher than the old bridge.

黑料正能量 senior Isaac Greenleaf fills out paperwork as members of the bridge-building team construct one of the new footbridge鈥檚 stone-and-brick towers along the Nkomazi (Komati) River in Eswatini. The old footbridge can be seen in the background.

LEFT: Levi Stutzman 鈥�26 helps install the colorful fencing along the new suspended footbridge across the Nkomazi (Komati) River in Eswatini. RIGHT: Left to right: Isaac Greenleaf, Moravia Satterfield, and Stutzman stand beside the newly completed bridge.

Students Isaac Greenleaf and Moravia Satterfield, who are members of the 黑料正能量 Bridge Builders club, and engineering alumnus Levi Stutzman 鈥�26 spent nearly eight weeks, from May 25-July 17, completing the project in the Hhohho region of Eswatini. The landlocked country is bordered by South Africa and Mozambique and, until 2018, was known as Swaziland. They also received mentorship from alumni bridge builders Luke Wheeler 鈥�23 and Mana Acosta 鈥�25, on-site Bridge Corps members with EIA.

While working on the project, the students lived at the primary school and formed connections with local residents. On weekends, they attended youth soccer games and participated in community events.

Satterfield, a sophomore engineering major from Ashland, Missouri, and the project鈥檚 safety manager, said a celebration after the bridge was completed featured dancing, speeches, and a ceremonial crossing by residents and a member of parliament.

鈥淎 lot of people were really excited about this bridge,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey told me they had been waiting for this moment for the past six years.鈥�

Greenleaf, a senior applied math, computer science, and engineering major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, served as project design manager. He said the experience reaffirmed his passion for engineering.

鈥淭his is such a great opportunity to help people who need it the most, and to be able to use the skills I have for that purpose is just great,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy that all this hard work I鈥檝e put in will help people of this community for 50 years and more.鈥�

黑料正能量 engineering students and alumni help construct the footbridge in Eswatini, Africa, this summer.

The project brought together the students鈥� engineering knowledge with the construction expertise of professionals from the surrounding communities, including four masons and a site coordinator.

鈥淭hey had the physical skill and knowledge to build this bridge and we had the funding and engineering experience,鈥� Greenleaf said. 鈥淚t was a very collaborative project.鈥�

That collaboration also means local residents understand how the bridge was built and can make repairs when needed.

The project taught Greenleaf how quickly engineers have to adapt when problems arise. Shortly after arriving at the site, the team discovered that groundwater had flooded the bridge foundation. Students and engineers dug trenches to drain the water.

鈥淎 lot of things can go wrong on a construction site,鈥� Greenleaf said. 鈥淚t was nice to get real-world experience that I wouldn鈥檛 get in a classroom so I can learn about some of those issues and how to work through them. It鈥檚 nice to get that experience designing something and seeing how it actually gets built.鈥�

Satterfield, a recipient of 黑料正能量鈥檚 National Science Foundation S-STEM Scholarship, agreed. She said the experience sparked an interest in global development engineering projects.

鈥淪eeing the bridge from beginning to completion was a really valuable experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 got to see it at every stage and we were able to help with all of it. It was a very hands-on process.鈥�

Members of the bridge-building team celebrate the completion of the new suspended footbridge across the Nkomazi (Komati) River in Eswatini.

Stutzman, an engineer with JZ Engineering in Harrisonburg, served as project manager. He had helped build another bridge in Eswatini in 2024, during his sophomore year at 黑料正能量. Some of his favorite memories from this latest trip involved building relationships with residents and schoolchildren.

鈥淲e got to play netball with the kids and give them shoulder rides and eat and play with them,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e spent a lot of time with the people who are actually going to use the bridge every day.鈥�

In January, Stutzman will return to Eswatini to spend a year working as a bridge fellow with Engineers in Action. 黑料正能量 will likely send another group there in summer 2028.

The 黑料正能量 Bridge Builders club, a chapter of Engineers in Action, collects donations throughout the year to support its work with projects like this one. Support the club and its cause by.

Watch a video of the bridge project below!

Read more:
Eswatini Daily News:

The full-tuition scholarship is 黑料正能量鈥檚 highest academic award. Recipients are selected based on academic performance, community and extracurricular involvement, creativity, clarity of thought, and leadership potential.

The Yoder Scholars program was founded by Carol and Paul R. Yoder Jr., both graduates of 1963, with a significant leadership gift to endow the scholarship. Read more about their long legacy of philanthropy here.

The Webb Scholars program honors Ada Webb, one of the first African American students to attend the university, and Margaret 鈥淧eggy鈥� Webb, the first African American graduate in 1954.

Read about the 2026 Yoder/Webb Scholars below:

Mage Shank

Major: Biology
Hometown: Mount Solon, Virginia

For first-year student Mage Shank, enrolling at 黑料正能量 was an easy decision.

The Mount Solon, Virginia, native applied to 黑料正能量 and learned they had been accepted with a generous academic scholarship.

鈥淚 thought to myself, 鈥業鈥檓 not going to get a better deal anywhere else,鈥欌�� Shank said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 local and it鈥檚 my top choice anyway, so of course I鈥檓 going to 黑料正能量.鈥�

Shank graduated with honors from Fort Defiance High School, where they acted in the musicals each year, received an award of excellence in anatomy, and earned a spot in the all-state choir.

They had spent some time exploring the 黑料正能量 campus while their mom, Kimberly Shank MA 鈥�24 (counseling), MDiv 鈥�25, pursued her graduate studies. They said the university鈥檚 state-of-the-art STEM labs, along with its natural beauty and nurturing feel, led them to enroll.

鈥淢y mom has talked about how she thinks the 黑料正能量 community would be the best fit for me, and I totally agree,鈥� Shank said.

The wealth of scholarships available at 黑料正能量 was also a major draw. In addition to the full-tuition Yoder/Webb Scholarship, Shank received the National Science Foundation S-STEM Scholarship.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want the stress of student loans or the cost of college to fall on me or my parents,鈥� said Shank, who has five siblings. 鈥淚f I can graduate mostly debt-free, I鈥檒l be very happy.鈥�

Shank enjoys photography, drawing, and reading in their free time and looks forward to joining the theater and choir programs at 黑料正能量. They plan to pursue a degree in biology.

鈥淢y main interests are in anatomy and microbiology,鈥� Shank said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I really enjoy, but honestly, as long as I鈥檓 working in a lab somewhere, I鈥檒l be happy.鈥�

Wynter Wilson

Major: Education
Hometown: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

When first-year student Wynter Wilson was choosing a college, three factors mattered most.

Of course, the school needed to offer their major, education. But it also needed to have a vibrant campus just far enough from their Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to give them a sense of independence. And it needed to offer a culture where Wilson, who identifies as nonbinary, felt actively welcomed.

鈥淚 really enjoy faith-oriented spaces, but it can be difficult to find ones that intersect with queer-welcoming spaces,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淚 felt that I would be welcomed and understood at 黑料正能量, and that was a really important factor in feeling safe and excited to come here.鈥�

Wilson grew up attending a small Mennonite church. Their parents, Beverly Shirk Wilson 鈥�97 and Keith Wilson, class of 鈥�98, attended 黑料正能量, so the school was already on their radar. After learning about the 黑料正能量 Visit Grant, which provides students up to $4,000 over four years, and touring the 鈥渂eautiful鈥� campus, Wilson was sold.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥楾his is it. Why look anywhere else?鈥欌�� Wilson said. 鈥淚 saw how special the community was, and that visit really cemented it for me.鈥�

After committing to 黑料正能量 this spring, the J.P. McCaskey High School grad learned they had received the full-tuition Yoder/Webb Scholarship.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just kind of surreal,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 such a great education program at 黑料正能量, and being able to pursue what I want without having to worry about the financials is such a blessing.鈥�

Wilson plans to become an elementary school teacher and looks forward to joining the choir at 黑料正能量.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to figure out who I want to be, try new things, and meet new people,鈥� they said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just really excited about it all.鈥�

The university tied for No. 66 among regional universities in the South and No. 31 among private regional universities in the South.聽It ranked No. 4 among private regional colleges and universities in Virginia.

Regional universities are defined by the publication as institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master鈥檚 programs but few doctoral programs. The South includes Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. 

黑料正能量 offers two online doctoral programs: a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Peacemaking and Social Change. A new Doctor of Ministry in Adaptive Leadership is expected to launch in 2027. 

黑料正能量 also ranked among the Top Performers in Social Mobility, placing No. 144. The ranking assesses how well schools graduate economically disadvantaged students.

The university is committed to removing financial barriers to a college education through initiatives such as the 黑料正能量 Promise Grant, which covers the full cost of tuition for eligible students. For details about the tuition-free initiative, visit emu.edu/promise-grant.

Prospective students and their families can also take advantage of the 黑料正能量 Visit Grant, which provides up to $4,000 over four years for students who visit by Dec. 23 and enroll in Fall 2027. Learn more about the Visit Grant here.

U.S. News & World Report uses a range of data to evaluate colleges and universities across the country. According to the publication, its analysts and editors draw from multiple data sources to produce more than 100 Best Colleges rankings designed to help prospective students and their families compare schools.

The rankings recognize colleges in areas including academic quality, value, social mobility, teaching, and support for veterans, as well as several academic disciplines. 

Visit for the full rankings.

Students walking into Lehman Auditorium for the event were greeted by rows of faculty and staff members, who cheered and held signs welcoming them to campus. Bubbles filled the air outside the brick performing arts venue, while Kool & the Gang鈥檚 鈥淐elebration鈥� played on a loop.

As students filtered into the auditorium, they were welcomed by the drumming of adjunct faculty member Makinto GC 鈥�26, along with his wife, Mukarabe, and members of the 黑料正能量 Chamber Singers. They led the crowd in chants of 鈥淭ogether, we are power, 黑料正能量!鈥�

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president for academic affairs, welcomed returning students, faculty, and staff, as well as those joining the campus community for the first time. 鈥淵ou are stepping into a world of endless possibilities, new friendships, and academic challenges,鈥� she said. 

Willingham introduced 鈥減ower and equity鈥� as the university theme for the 2026-27 academic year and encouraged students to exercise, share, challenge, and transform the power they have. 

鈥淓very day, through our choices and our relationships, we have the opportunity to use power that is entrusted to us to make 黑料正能量 a place where more people, where students like you, can belong, learn, flourish, and contribute to the world,鈥� she said.

Christina Harrison, director of intercultural programs; Dr. Gaurav Pathania, assistant professor of sociology and peacebuilding; and Brian Martin Burkholder, university chaplain, offered a blessing for 黑料正能量鈥檚 intercultural learning programs this semester. One of those programs, a trip to India led by Pathania and Dr. Mary Sprunger, professor of history, departed campus on Tuesday. 

Harrison recognized the 13 new international students at 黑料正能量 this semester, who join 37 returning international students representing 24 countries. 鈥淭hey will be learning interculturally every day, while also giving us the opportunity to learn about their cultures as we welcome them into the 黑料正能量 community,鈥� she said. 

Davis Bert, a sophomore biology major serving as Student Government Association co-president this year, welcomed students and introduced the SGA Executive Team, which includes Co-President Esm茅 King Martin, Vice President Yuji Wenger, Marketing Coordinator Jose Lopez Vasquez, and treasurer Bennett de Tenley. He encouraged students to find new ways to get involved and support one another.

鈥淭here is no better time than now to get out there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a new semester for all of us.鈥�

As someone who鈥檚 preached and spoken to hundreds of crowds on countless stages, President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus recounted the first time she stood on such a stage. She was a six-year-old girl in ballet class, and her teacher would often encourage her to 鈥渞aise those beautiful brown arms and let us see your beauty.鈥�

鈥淭hose words inspired me,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey empowered me. And I stand here today because those words still ring true in my heart and in my head.鈥�

鈥淚 hope you know that this is a year that will encourage all that is within you,鈥� she added, 鈥渁nd that there will be voices around you who will remind you to raise your beautiful arms and to show your beauty.鈥�

This marked Dycus鈥� first Opening Convocation as 黑料正能量鈥檚 10th president. She began her term on July 1.

Esm茅 King Martin, Troy Martin, and Maria Esther Showalter shared stories of how they have experienced power throughout their lives, while members of the 黑料正能量 Jam Collective (pianist Dr. David Berry, vocalist Tabatha Parrott, drummer Dr. Benjamin Guerrero, and guitarist Adam Wirdzek) played musical interludes. 

King Martin, a senior environmental science and Spanish major and SGA co-president, spoke about how she had worked on a soft pretzel truck every summer since she was 14. Through that job, she learned to connect with customers over 鈥渟omething as simple as a soft pretzel.鈥�

鈥淭hese skills of connection are a form of power,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey will benefit me in future jobs and in future communities that I live in.鈥�

She challenged students to expand their social webs by connecting with at least 10 new people this year. 鈥淲hat would it look like if the connection you made with a student in a different major, religious group, racial or ethnic group, or political group at 黑料正能量 comes up again in 20 years when you need a lawyer, banker, doctor, or a couch to sleep on?鈥�

Martin, director of financial aid, reflected on his father, Carl, a lifelong farm laborer and construction worker in rural New York who had 鈥渄ecades of dirt and sawdust鈥� under his fingernails and thick calluses and scars on his palms. His father had an eighth-grade education and was mostly illiterate, while his mother worked as a hairdresser at a nursing home. Both parents worked hard and sacrificed so much to send him to college. That opportunity, he said, opened a new world to him and exposed him to new people and different cultures.

鈥淲hile Carl Martin didn鈥檛 hold much of what we stereotypically think of as power in his life, he exercised a power through faith, service, and care for his family that created a lasting legacy,鈥� Troy Martin said. 

Showalter, director of 黑料正能量鈥檚 language and literature program, shared how she accepted a call to serve as advisor of the fledgling Latinx Student Alliance during the spring of 2014 and watched it blossom into a 鈥渧ibrant student club full of energy and life.鈥�

During club meetings, members dreamed up all sorts of activities to celebrate Hispanic culture, including the LSA banquet that has become a highlight of the semester and the tradition of creating an Easter alfombra. 

Showalter also highlighted how past LSA members had gone on to serve as SGA co-presidents. 鈥淚 am grateful to every LSA member for the impact you have had on my life and the 黑料正能量 community,鈥� she said.

President Dycus called on students, faculty, and staff to tell stories this year and listen for them, to be curious about which stories are missing, and to have the courage to ask whose experience still needs to be heard.

鈥淧ower is right here,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t starts in summer jobs on pretzel trucks, in the legacy of courageous and arthritic hands, and in sharing important parts of our identity and cultures as our LSA group does. It lives in our ability to shape what happens around us.鈥�

鈥淲here power allows us to influence a room, open a door, make a decision, or speak a word, we are invited to explore each of these in our intellectual exercises this year.鈥�

Kirk Livers 鈥�11 had been a physician assistant for just one year when COVID-19 arrived. More than a century earlier, his great-great-grandfather had treated patients during the 1918 flu pandemic. Now, Livers found himself facing a similar challenge, reading the latest research and determining what information he could share with patients.

鈥淲e were all scrambling,鈥� said Livers, who started working at in Hagerstown, Maryland, in May 2020. 鈥淚t was a quick learning curve, that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�

Livers has remained at the primary care practice ever since, caring for patients in a medically underserved community where many face significant barriers to care.

鈥淎 lot of my patients just haven鈥檛 had good healthcare, ever,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wildcard as to who鈥檚 going to walk into my office at any given time.鈥�

For Livers, treating patients often means addressing more than a diagnosis. Many of his patients are managing chronic illnesses, mental health concerns, addiction, housing insecurity, or years of mistrust toward the healthcare system.

鈥淭hey feel like nobody is going to listen to them,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y No. 1 goal is to get them to trust me, to know I鈥檓 not going to steer them wrong, and to get them to do what I鈥檓 advising them to do for their own health.鈥�

That commitment to compassionate care earned Livers 黑料正能量鈥檚 2026 Outstanding Young Alum Award, presented annually to an alumnus or alumna whose professional achievements and Christ-like service make a significant contribution to the local, national, or global community.

鈥淚鈥檓 extremely humbled,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had the privilege of having so many brilliant and kind people in my graduating class, and I can only imagine there are so many other people before and after me who are doing wonderful things. I am beyond grateful to be recognized.鈥�

Born and raised in Hagerstown, Livers first learned about 黑料正能量 from a friend鈥檚 older brother, who had graduated and gone on to medical school. Drawn to a career in medicine, Livers visited campus and immediately felt at home.

鈥淚 knew it had a great academic program, and I knew I was going to get the education I needed to go further,鈥� he said.

As a biochemistry major in 黑料正能量鈥檚 pre-medicine program, Livers initially planned to become a physician. After graduation, however, he put those plans on hold while he cared for sick family members and worked for a nonprofit animal shelter. During that time, he discovered that a career as a physician assistant was a better fit for him.

He earned a master鈥檚 degree in physician assistant studies from Shenandoah University in 2018. He worked at a family medicine practice in Martinsburg, West Virginia, for about a year before returning to the Hagerstown area and joining Walnut Street Family Medicine, which is part of Meritus Health.

As a non-Mennonite student at 黑料正能量, Livers learned to connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds. He said that experience has helped him build relationships with his patients today.

鈥満诹险芰� teaches the value of community, and community isn鈥檛 just your neighborhood or even your country. It鈥檚 the global community,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving that sense of welcoming and being inclusive to everyone definitely helps shape how I practice medicine.鈥�

Livers lives in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, with his partner, Jared, an optometrist. When he鈥檚 not caring for patients, he mentors physician assistant students from Shenandoah University.

Despite the long hours and challenges of the job, he finds the greatest reward in becoming a trusted partner in his patients鈥� care.

鈥淚鈥檝e had plenty of patients tell me, 鈥業 will only see you,鈥欌�� Livers said. 鈥淗aving that kind of bond with patients is something I鈥檒l always remember.鈥�

Livers will share his story at 黑料正能量 TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. in Martin Chapel during Homecoming 2026. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit emu.edu/homecoming.

A new album of original compositions from Dr. David Berry, associate professor of music and chair of the music department at 黑料正能量, brings the melodies of African American spirituals into the classical piano tradition.

The album, Spirit, Body and Soul: Concert Spirituals for Solo Piano, was released Sept. 4 through the Grammy Award-winning Navona Records label. It is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 

The nine-track album features Berry鈥檚 solo piano compositions based on beloved spirituals such as 鈥淛oshua Fought the Battle of Jericho,鈥� 鈥淣obody Knows the Trouble I鈥檝e Seen,鈥� 鈥淕o Down, Moses,鈥� and 鈥淪wing Low, Sweet Chariot,鈥� as well as a special improvisation on 鈥淟ift Every Voice and Sing.鈥�

鈥淭hese are songs I鈥檝e known practically my whole life,鈥� Berry said. 鈥淎ll of this music has deep meaning for me, and so it鈥檚 definitely been an engaging and emotional process writing these pieces, contemplating the lyrics of these spirituals, and interpreting them in sound.鈥�

Berry began working on the project in November, shortly before his sabbatical last semester. He had already written several of the pieces for recitals and other performances at 黑料正能量 and seen how popular they were. When people began asking where they could find recordings of his reimagined spirituals, he saw an opportunity to turn them into his solo debut album. He recorded the tracks in January at GBH Fraser Performance Studio in Boston.

Berry鈥檚 style, praised as 鈥渢ouchingly introspective鈥� by Gramophone, blends the power, sweep, and virtuosity of the classical piano tradition with elements of various Black music styles, according to the album鈥檚 description.

鈥淭hese songs came organically from my soul and from all the music that lives in me,鈥� Berry said. 鈥淵ou hear the influences of composers like Liszt and Rachmaninoff, but you also hear the sound of the blues, of gospel music, and jazz.鈥�

The result, Berry said, is 鈥渁 human journey of emotion.鈥�

鈥淭hose feelings we carry with us of perseverance through adversity, sorrow, grief, joy, isolation, community, all of those things,鈥� he said. 鈥淓very sort of feeling you can imagine is in these spirituals. And that鈥檚 what the title tries to encapsulate: Spirit, Body and Soul. Those are the ingredients for this project.鈥�

Album release concert

An album release concert on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. at 黑料正能量鈥檚 Lehman Auditorium will feature Berry鈥檚 piano compositions alongside vocal performances from local singers he has worked with in the Harrisonburg area.

This concert is sponsored by , who will be providing a special Yamaha CSX 9-foot concert grand piano for the concert in collaboration with聽聽of Frederick, Maryland.

鈥淚t鈥檒l be a fun celebration of my work as an artist, but also of how this project was birthed through this community,鈥� he said.

Berry plans to release the sheet music for his compositions at .

For more information about the album, visit .

Hear Dr. Berry talk about the inspiration behind “Spirit, Body and Soul.”

Cynthia 鈥淐indy鈥� Lapp 鈥�86 may have been destined to become a Mennonite pastor.

Her parents were both Mennonite pastors, as were her grandfathers. Her husband鈥檚 father and grandfather were Mennonite pastors, too.

Despite the family tradition, Lapp didn鈥檛 always envision following in their footsteps.

鈥淚 would ask my dad, 鈥楬ow did you know you wanted to do this?鈥� and he never had a satisfactory answer for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think my children probably don鈥檛 get a satisfactory answer from me either. It鈥檚 a mysterious kind of thing.鈥�

Lapp, pastor of in suburban Maryland since 2003, is the recipient of 黑料正能量鈥檚 2026 Distinguished Service Award. The annual award recognizes alumni who exemplify the university鈥檚 emphases on Christian service and peacemaking and have made a significant impact on the lives of others.

鈥淚 was surprised. I thought they must鈥檝e sent the letter to the wrong person,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen I thought, 鈥極h, distinguished means old. It must mean I鈥檝e reached a certain age.鈥欌��

Lapp grew up in Oregon after moving from Pennsylvania in the fourth grade. As a child, she dreamed of appearing on Sesame Street.

鈥淚 thought that would be a great job because you could play with puppets and spend time with kids and act and sing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 feel like pastoring is like that. There are so many different things I get to do that are intriguing to me.鈥�

Those roles extend well beyond preaching. Lapp works with other faith leaders to support immigrants through the Congregation Action Network, serves as a community chaplain with the Hyattsville Police Department, and volunteers with Congregations United for Compassion and Empowerment, which operates a day center for people experiencing homelessness or financial hardship.

In August 2017, she joined nearly 100 clergy and faith leaders the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.

鈥淚 appreciate that our congregation is interested in relating to the larger community,鈥� Lapp said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about taking care of one another, which we do, but it鈥檚 also about knowing who our neighbors are outside of the church and figuring out what their needs are.鈥�

Some of her most significant ministry came through one of the most difficult chapters in Hyattsville Mennonite Church’s history.

The congregation became of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Mennonite church when it welcomed its first openly gay member in 1986. In 2005, two years after bringing an openly gay delegate to a conference meeting, the church was formally disciplined. For the next decade, Hyattsville representatives could not vote at conference meetings or serve in leadership roles, and Lapp herself was placed under review. In 2015, the Allegheny Mennonite Conference voted 72-70 to reinstate the congregation to full membership.

鈥淲e stuck around,鈥� Lapp said. 鈥淲e kept engaged with the conference, which was really hard, but it was definitely worth it. And I鈥檓 really proud of our congregation for how we navigated that.鈥�

At 黑料正能量, Lapp majored in music, sang with the Chamber Singers, and participated in the Washington Study-Service Year, now the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester. She later worked for the program from 1989-93.

鈥淭hat was very formational for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 ended up coming back to D.C. and I鈥檝e never left.鈥�

After graduating from Wesley Theological Seminary in 1998, Lapp had not intended to become a pastor. But when Hyattsville鈥檚 pastor took a sabbatical and asked her to fill in, she discovered her calling.

鈥淭hat was eye-opening for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t helped me feel that this was something I could do.鈥�

Today, Lapp and her husband, Eric Stoltzfus, live in Mount Rainier, Maryland. They have three adult children, Cecilia, Jamie 鈥�20, and Elijah.

Lapp will share her story at 黑料正能量 TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. in Martin Chapel during Homecoming 2026. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit聽emu.edu/homecoming.

There are more new faces on 黑料正能量鈥檚 campus this fall than there have been in years.

This semester, 黑料正能量 welcomed 216 first-year students, a 7% increase from last year鈥檚 total and an 18% increase compared with fall 2024. Among those first-year students include 24 aviation students, sustaining three straight years of full cohorts within the 黑料正能量 Lancaster program.

For the first time in the school鈥檚 history, more than half of first-year students identify as first-generation college students, defined as students whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree.

Those 216 first-year students are among 259 new undergraduates at 黑料正能量 this fall, a group that also includes nine readmitted and 34 transfer students. The incoming undergraduate class is 8% larger than last year and 19% larger than in fall 2024, making it the university鈥檚 largest since fall 2020.

On Monday, 黑料正能量 announced the results of its annual Fall Census, conducted Sept. 14 following the 10th day of classes. The census numbers reflect undergraduate, graduate, non-degree and non-credit enrollment at the university鈥檚 campuses in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for the fall 2026 semester.

Key takeaways from the first-year class of 2030:

• 52% identify as students of color, up nearly 10 percentage points from last year and the second-highest percentage in school history.
• 53% identify as first-generation college students, up five percentage points from last year and the highest percentage in school history.
• 44% are student-athletes.
• 79% are from Virginia, including 28% from Harrisonburg and neighboring Rockingham County. The class represents 17 states, Washington D.C., and six countries.
• The average GPA rose from 3.49 last year to 3.55, its highest level in five years. Twenty-eight percent of students entered 黑料正能量 with at least 10 college credits.

The five most popular majors among incoming undergraduate students are nursing, business administration, biology, aviation, and education. Engineering saw the largest increase, welcoming 19 new students this fall, up from seven last year.

Overall undergraduate enrollment stands at 736 students, a slight increase from last year鈥檚 total of 730.

鈥淭here is tremendous momentum at 黑料正能量, and it is exciting to see more students choosing to be part of our community. This growth reflects the strength of what we offer students: an exceptional education, a community that cares deeply about their success, and opportunities to discover who they are and the difference they can make in the world,鈥� said Braydon Hoover 鈥�11, MAOL 鈥�21, vice president of enrollment and marketing.

鈥淲e remain committed to reaching first-generation college students and expanding access through programs like the 黑料正能量 Promise Grant. I鈥檓 especially proud that more than half of our incoming class will be the first in their families to earn a college degree. We want students to know that financial barriers shouldn鈥檛 stand in the way of their educational and professional goals.鈥�

黑料正能量 provided $19.4 million in financial aid to undergraduate and graduate students this year. Fifty-nine incoming students were awarded Promise Grants this year, bringing the total number of recipients to 113. The grant covers the full cost of tuition for eligible Virginia students whose families earn $75,000 or less.

黑料正能量 also enrolled 318 graduate students this fall, including 97 new students. The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding saw an incoming class that was 14% larger than last year. Graduate students represent 15 states and nine countries.

The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program at 黑料正能量鈥檚 Lancaster campus enrolled 28 students this fall, a 175% increase from last year. The growth reflects the addition of a second student cohort and marks the program鈥檚 highest enrollment since its launch in 2022.

黑料正能量鈥檚 four-year and six-year graduation rates are 49% and 64%, respectively. The university鈥檚 retention rate, a measure of how many first-year students return to continue their studies, stands at 78%, up four percentage points from last year.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to welcome more students to 黑料正能量, but what matters most is what happens after they arrive,鈥� said Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president for academic affairs. 鈥淥ur goal is to ensure every student has the support, opportunities, and resources they need to succeed, graduate, and make a meaningful difference in their communities.鈥�

For Trent Wagler 鈥�02, lead singer and songwriter for the folk-rock band The Steel Wheels, music is a powerful way to bring people together.

鈥淎nybody who鈥檚 been around music has had that experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淕o to a music festival in some country far away, where you don鈥檛 speak the language, and listen.鈥�

鈥淭he words don鈥檛 matter so much anymore. You鈥檙e not concerned about whether or not they鈥檙e on your side of the political aisle or on the team you root for. Instead, it鈥檚 just a rhythm we can all move to together.鈥�

For more than 20 years, Wagler has toured with , performing about 100 shows each year across the United States, Canada, and Europe. During that time, the band has released more than a dozen studio albums, founded the annual , and earned several Independent Music Awards.

The banjo- and guitar-strumming frontman, who earned degrees in theater and peace, justice, and conflict studies (now peacebuilding and development), credits his 黑料正能量 education with inspiring him to create music that invites people in, offers fresh perspectives, and leaves room for listeners to find their own meaning.

鈥淭ogether, we create something special in a given night, on a weekend, and hopefully, over time,鈥� he said.

That commitment to building community through music has earned Wagler 黑料正能量鈥檚 2026 Alum of the Year Award. He shares the honor with fellow alumnus and Steel Wheels bandmate Eric Brubaker 鈥�01.

鈥淏eing recognized for the work that Eric and I are doing, in bringing music that we believe in to people, it means a lot that people have noticed,鈥� Wagler said.

At 黑料正能量, Wagler sang with the Chamber Singers and participated in the Washington Study-Service Year (now the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester). For his intercultural experience, he spent a year in Gaza teaching English and guitar lessons in a refugee camp.

鈥淚 got to know quite a few really amazing young Muslim Palestinians who were primarily my peers as I lived over there,鈥� he said.

That experience continues to shape his approach to songwriting and storytelling.

鈥淭hese are people who love to play games, sing songs, enjoy the taste of fresh fruit, and joke, laugh and cry together,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o me, our job is to remember, even when it’s difficult or unpopular, that the basic human impulses, needs, desires, and joys are universal.鈥�

Long before that formative year in Gaza, Wagler grew up in rural Indiana and later graduated from a small high school in south-central Kansas. The son of a Mennonite pastor, he remembers singing harmonies in church from an early age.

His parents, Howard 鈥�71 and Cathryn 鈥�71, met at 黑料正能量, but Wagler said it was a campus visit and conversation with Professor Emeritus Dr. Kenneth J. Nafziger, longtime director of the Chamber Singers, that convinced him to enroll.

鈥淭hat one visit to campus made all the difference,鈥� Wagler said. 鈥淭here were a lot of little steps that brought me here. They may not be the reasons I value 黑料正能量 most today, but I鈥檓 very grateful I ended up here.鈥�

When he鈥檚 not touring, Wagler builds community through music in the Shenandoah Valley. He teaches at , a four-day strings camp for youth and adults held at 黑料正能量, hosts and performs at Red Wing Roots Music Festival, serves on the board of the nonprofit , and has taught in 黑料正能量鈥檚 music department since 2002.

He said he鈥檚 passionate about helping musicians of all ages grow and creating more opportunities for people to make music together.

鈥淚 think that makes a better community and a better world,鈥� he said.

The Steel Wheels will perform a live show on campus at the annual Royal City Celebration from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, during Homecoming 2026.

Wagler will share his story at 黑料正能量 TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. in Martin Chapel, also during Homecoming. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit聽emu.edu/homecoming.

Eric Brubaker 鈥�01, fiddler and founding member of the folk-rock band The Steel Wheels, jokes that he owes his touring career to 黑料正能量.

The social work major performed in the 黑料正能量 Orchestra and choir and toured Cuba with the Chamber Singers. Music had always been an important part of his life, but he never imagined it would become his profession.

When he and four other students formed a bluegrass band called Reuben鈥檚 Potted Ferns during his junior year, 黑料正能量鈥檚 Admissions Office sent the group on a 10-day recruiting tour during the spring of 2000. The band played 16 shows, primarily at Mennonite schools and churches throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio.

鈥淪o, I blame 黑料正能量 for starting off my touring career,鈥� Brubaker said with a laugh.

After graduating, he quickly realized that a career in social work was not for him. He returned to music, joining fellow 黑料正能量 alumni Trent Wagler 鈥�02 and Brian Dickel 鈥�98 and Goshen College graduate Jay Lapp to form what would become .

More than two decades, two additional band members, and over a dozen studio albums later, Brubaker and his bandmates have carved out a successful career as musicians.

鈥淚 know that鈥檚 a hard thing to do, and 黑料正能量 gave me a great starting place for that,鈥� Brubaker said. 鈥淚 was allowed to find myself here. I didn鈥檛 know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be, and here I was able to study different things but also continue to play music.鈥�

He said his time in the Chamber Singers under Professor Emeritus Dr. Kenneth J. Nafziger taught him the importance of listening to the people he performs with.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have a band that lasts for 20 years without truly listening to each other: on stage, off stage, musically, and relationally,鈥� he said.

Beyond performing, Brubaker uses music to bring people together and build community. He is a co-founder of the , hosted annually by the band in nearby Mount Solon, Virginia, which has featured artists including Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucinda Williams, and Steve Earle.

He also hosts , a four-day music camp at 黑料正能量 that teaches roughly 140 students ages 5 to 19鈥攁dults joined the program for the first time this year鈥攖o play string instruments. Participants perform on stage with The Steel Wheels during the music festival.

鈥淢usic creates a moment where everyone is focusing on the same thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not politics. It鈥檚 not religion. It鈥檚 just a gathering of humanity that wants to celebrate something beautiful.鈥�

Brubaker鈥檚 commitment to connecting communities through music has earned him 黑料正能量鈥檚 2026 Alum of the Year Award. The award recognizes alumni for significant achievements in their profession, community, or church and serves to inspire others to lead lives of service and vocational excellence.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are so many people who have done amazing work, and so many people working hard behind the scenes who never receive acclaim.鈥�

The community Brubaker has spent years helping build became especially meaningful in 2019, when he and his wife lost their young daughter, Norah, to a sudden illness.

鈥淲e were surrounded not only by our artistic community, the people who loved the band and the music we made, but also by the community surrounding 黑料正能量 and the larger Mennonite community,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey were incredibly supportive.鈥�

Today, Brubaker and his wife, Peggy 鈥�00, are continuing their commitment to making music accessible. They recently formed the nonprofit Red Wing Academy Foundation, which provides scholarships for students to attend the camp.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing to connect with people who want to help pass music on to a younger generation,鈥� he said.

The Steel Wheels will perform a live show on campus at the annual Royal City Celebration from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, during Homecoming 2026.

Brubaker will share his story at 黑料正能量 TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. in Martin Chapel, also during Homecoming. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit聽emu.edu/homecoming.