Homecoming and Inauguration Weekend 2026 was one for the history books. It featured a first-of-its-kind gala that celebrated 黑料正能量鈥檚 history, a concert by The Steel Wheels on the campus Front Lawn, and, as the centerpiece of the weekend, the investiture of the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus as the university鈥檚 10th president.

There were plenty of events to attend and people to meet. In case you missed any of the festivities, we鈥檝e rounded up some of the highlights below!

Community Partners Luncheon

A networking event bringing together business owners, local leaders, and government officials from across the Shenandoah Valley kicked off inauguration weekend by recognizing 黑料正能量鈥檚 community partnerships.

Writers Read

The homecoming festivities continued the following evening with a Writers Read featuring Patricia Grace King 鈥�89, author of Those Who Vanish, and moderator Esther Harder 鈥�03.

Golden Alumni Luncheon

Former classmates reminisced about their time on campus at 黑料正能量鈥檚 Golden Alumni Luncheon, held at Martin Chapel for alumni who attended Eastern Mennonite 50 years ago or more.

The Inaugural Evening: An All-Black Affair

Yoder Arena took on an air of elegance on Oct. 9 as donors and other university supporters gathered for The Inaugural Evening: An All-Black Affair, a gala celebrating 黑料正能量鈥檚 history.

黑料正能量 Athletics Hall of Honor

Four former student-athletes were inducted into the 黑料正能量 Athletics Hall of Honor on Oct. 9. The 25th annual ceremony, held at MainStage Theater, featured tributes to 2026 honorees Sarah Roth Shank 鈥�10, Ryan Eshleman-Robles 鈥�13, Hannah Chappell-Dick 鈥�16, and Jess (Rheinheimer) Bishop 鈥�16.

A Cappella Collective

The night wrapped up with an a cappella concert at Lehman Auditorium, where local groups featuring many 黑料正能量 alumni joined forces for a performance.

The Investiture of the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus

Beginning at the 10th hour of the 10th day of the 10th month of 黑料正能量鈥檚 110th year, an investiture ceremony in Yoder Arena formally inaugurated the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus as the university鈥檚 10th president and first Black president.

黑料正能量 TenTalks

黑料正能量 hosted its annual TenTalks event Saturday afternoon, featuring Alumni of the Year Eric Brubaker 鈥�01 and Trent Wagler 鈥�02 of The Steel Wheels, Distinguished Service Award recipient Cynthia Lapp 鈥�86, and Outstanding Young Alum Award recipient Kirk Livers 鈥�11. Each had 10 minutes to impact, influence, and inspire the crowd.

Royal City Celebration

The sound of Americana and folk rock music filled the 黑料正能量 Front Lawn on Saturday afternoon as The Steel Wheels performed at the third annual Royal City Celebration. It marked the first time the alumni-fronted band had performed on campus since the 2017 Centennial Homecoming celebration. The band, which has performed for more than 20 years, will make its on Sunday.

As he listened to the music, John Shenk 鈥�71 remarked on the lineup of events during Homecoming and Inauguration Weekend.

鈥淵esterday, with the three events I was at, I thought, 鈥楬ow could they improve from that today?鈥欌�� said Shenk, who also attended the Golden Alumni Luncheon, the All-Black Affair, and the a cappella concert. 鈥淲ell, they totally outdid it!鈥�

Beginning at the 10th hour of the 10th day of the 10th month of 黑料正能量鈥檚 110th year, an investiture ceremony in Yoder Arena on Saturday formally inaugurated the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus as the university鈥檚 10th president and first Black president.

Among those gathered were members of the 黑料正能量 Board of Trustees, three presidents emeriti, university and community leaders, members of Dr. Dycus鈥� sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Inc., and delegates representing 30 institutions of learning and faith.

The Rev. Jane Hoober Peifer 鈥�74, MDiv 鈥�97, chair of the 黑料正能量 Board of Trustees, reflected on the journey that brought Dr. Dycus to the presidency.

鈥淗ow grateful we are to God for bringing Dr. Dycus to 黑料正能量 seven years ago,鈥� she said. 鈥淧reparing her and us, even though none of us knew it at the time. Preparing all of us for this milestone dedication and celebration in the life of our beloved school. 鈥� This is a momentous day.鈥�

The Rev. Glen Guyton, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, delivered the invocation. Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, who in 2016 became the first Black woman elected to City Council and to serve as mayor, reflected on the history being made on Saturday.

鈥淭hink of the young Black girls who will see you, Shannon, and say, 鈥楽he looks like me,鈥� or 鈥業 can do that, too,鈥欌�� Reed said. 鈥淭hey will see your leadership, your faith, and your courage and imagine new possibilities for their own lives. Shannon, you have earned this moment.鈥�

Dr. Dycus, who joined 黑料正能量 as dean of students in 2019, held several leadership positions in student affairs before becoming interim president in July 2025. She began her five-year term as the university鈥檚 10th president on July 1, 2026.

The Rev. Dr. Charisse Gillet, president of Lexington Theological Seminary, offered her greetings to the 黑料正能量 community. 鈥淭oday, we honor a leader formed at the vital intersection of church and academy, a minister and an educator whose vocation has been shaped by faith, learning, and service,鈥� she said. 鈥溾�rom these communities she has learned not only how to belong, but how to create belonging for others. 鈥� You have a leader who joins theological hope with clear-eyed pragmatism.鈥�

Delivering the campus greetings were Student Government Association Co-Presidents Esme King Martin and Davis Bert, Staff Senate Co-President Nicole Litwiller ’19, MA ’20, and Faculty Senate Co-Presidents Dr. Heike Peckruhn MA ’04 and Dr. Paul Yoder ’06, MA ’11. Board member Dr. Stephen Kriss ’94 gave the charge to the president and Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus, president of Goshen College, gave the charge to the 黑料正能量 community.

Dr. Dycus also is the first woman of color to lead any Anabaptist-founded college or university in the United States, Stoltzfus said.

鈥淚 speak on behalf of all five of the presidents of your Mennonite Church USA higher education colleagues,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e feel deeply blessed to work with President Dycus as our new colleague. When she speaks, we listen.鈥�

Dr. David Berry, associate professor of music, performed a musical selection. The Rev. Charles Webb offered a prayer of dedication and blessing.

In her presidential address, 鈥淭ogether and Becoming: Moving in Formation,鈥� Dr. Dycus recounted her first experiences of the Shenandoah Valley. Nearly a decade ago, while on sabbatical from pastoring at First Mennonite Church in Indianapolis, she enrolled at a spiritual direction program at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in the summer of 2017. She had never driven through mountains and remembered feeling both awe and fear.

As she gripped the steering wheel and navigated the winding mountain roads along U.S. 33, wondering whether to turn back, she spotted a flock of birds flying overhead. They flew in formation, heading in the same direction she was, as if guiding her forward.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have known that the road toward a spiritual direction program would eventually lead me here, to this university, to this community, and now the privilege of serving as its 10th president,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 certainly didn鈥檛 imagine standing here today, but when I think about 黑料正能量 now, I still feel something of what I felt during that first drive into Harrisonburg: awe and gratitude.鈥�

Reflecting on the stories and people that have shaped 黑料正能量, its strengths and challenges, and the students who discover their gifts and callings here, Dr. Dycus called on the community to consider what faithfulness will require of them.

鈥淪ometimes the road turns in ways you can鈥檛 see,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here will be turns ahead for us. When those moments come and when we find ourselves gripping the wheel, wishing we could see farther ahead, look again at the mountains and the birds. The mountains remind us that we are rooted in a story that is carried across generations, and that flock reminds us that we can adjust the formation without losing the destination.鈥�

Watch a recording of the ceremony below!

Eric Brubaker 鈥�01

Brubaker is a founding member of The Steel Wheels, which has performed at venues and festivals across the country for over two decades. Through the band, he hosts the Red Wing Roots Music Festival and Red Wing Academy, a four-day strings camp for youth. In 2024, he and his wife, Peggy 鈥�00, formed a nonprofit to provide scholarships to academy students.

A tune is an ephemeral thing that lasts only as long as it鈥檚 being played, and it鈥檚 never played exactly the same way twice, Brubaker said.

鈥淗ow can something so malleable and fragile last so long?鈥� he asked.

Brubaker described how, as recording technology became more portable, folklorists traveled to rural communities to document the music of banjo and fiddle players, hoping to preserve a uniquely American musical tradition.

鈥淭hey treated the tunes and even the practitioners as artifacts, something to be kept, untouched, and collected,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut this music was never fixed. It was always an evolving ferment of sounds and cultures.鈥�

Brubaker recalled learning violin through the Shenandoah Valley Preparatory Music program and playing his first fiddle tunes on the 黑料正能量 campus. After years of performing across the country with The Steel Wheels and other roots musicians, he said he has come to understand traditional music as a living, evolving language.

鈥淚t’s a tradition of gathering, remembering, dancing, and sharing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s a tradition worth preserving but you can’t preserve it by keeping it still.鈥�

Trent Wagler 鈥�02

Wagler is a founding member of The Steel Wheels, which has toured internationally and will on Sunday. In 2025, he co-founded Rocktown House of Music, a community music school in Harrisonburg. He previously taught songwriting at 黑料正能量 and holds degrees in theater and peace, justice, and conflict studies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when music venues across the country shut down, The Steel Wheels began writing and recording personalized songs for fans and friends through a project called Over two years, the band produced more than 120 original songs.

鈥淲e kind of became this little song factory within the band where one day we鈥檇 be writing a song for somebody鈥檚 anniversary, the next day it would be for somebody鈥檚 birthday or maybe for a memorial,鈥� Wagler said.

With recent advances in artificial intelligence, anyone can now generate a song without contacting a musician, he said. But producing a finished song was never the point of the project.

鈥淭he goal of our project was never to deliver the perfect song,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was to connect with someone鈥檚 story, to sit with that, to process it into a song in our own little Steel Wheels way, and it鈥檚 that process I think these tools could be really stealing from us.鈥�

Wagler compared the creative process to taking a memorable vacation and hanging a photograph from the trip on the wall.

鈥淵ou have that picture, but you don鈥檛 just want the picture,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou want to have gone on the trip. You want to have had the adventure.鈥�

Cynthia Lapp 鈥�86

A music education graduate, Lapp taught music, performed in the Washington D.C. area, and helped direct the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester program. She also worked with the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER) and graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2003. She has served as pastor of Hyattsville Mennonite Church in Maryland since 2003.

Lapp spoke about the importance of showing up for others, particularly those whose voices and experiences are too often overlooked.

Whether supporting LGBTQ+ members of her congregation, caring for her children, standing alongside vulnerable and marginalized communities in the Washington D.C. area, advocating for Palestinians, or supporting immigrant neighbors, she said, 鈥渟howing up is a matter of wholeness for all of us.鈥�

Lapp reflected on the Mennonite tradition of supporting others within the congregation and the importance of extending that same commitment beyond church walls.

鈥淲e鈥檙e beginning to understand that our own peace and liberation is woven together with our neighbors near and far,鈥� she said.

Showing up, she emphasized, doesn’t require having all the answers or taking the lead.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 even mean we have to be in the streets,鈥� she said. 鈥淪howing up means we are committed to our collective liberation. Our shared futures depend on each of us showing up.鈥�

Kirk Livers 鈥�11

After graduating with a degree in biochemistry and a minor in music, Livers worked for the Humane Society of Washington County (Maryland) before earning a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Shenandoah University in 2018. A nationally certified physician assistant, he has served patients in his hometown of Hagerstown, Maryland, since 2020, providing care in a medically underserved community.

Livers recalled arriving at 黑料正能量 in 2007 with his 鈥渨hole life planned out.鈥� After graduating with a biochemistry degree in 2011, he intended to attend medical school and become a physician.

鈥淗owever, as we all know, life happens,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd quickly, my neat and detailed plan was derailed by the great equalizer, disease.鈥�

Around the time of his graduation, his mother began experiencing shoulder pain that initially seemed like a cold settling into her body. The pain spread and eventually interfered with everyday activities. She was diagnosed with lupus and began trying different medications to manage her symptoms.

During one medical appointment, Livers recalled, a provider stopped taking notes, took his mother’s hands, and expressed sympathy for what she was experiencing.

鈥淚t was a really simple gesture, but it was the first time that someone beyond her family had shown her compassion and empathy for what she was feeling,鈥� Livers said. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 dismiss my mom or label her as drug-seeking. She simply listened.鈥�

That moment helped shape the kind of medical professional he wanted to become.

鈥淚 knew that day that if I ever was able to make it as a medical provider, I wanted my patients to feel the exact way my mom and I felt at that appointment.鈥�

Livers said his experiences at 黑料正能量 strengthened his empathy and helped him recognize the importance of connecting with patients as people first.

鈥淭here is far more that connect us as humans than divides us, and my patients show me that every day,鈥� he said. 鈥淩emember that we are all connected, regardless of our circumstances. To me, practicing medicine is remembering that we are all a part of this community and we must remember to care for one another, just as 黑料正能量 cared for me.鈥�

Watch a recording of the event below!

The event, presented exclusively by Everence, featured live music from the 黑料正能量 Jazz Collective, hors d鈥檕euvres from Pioneer College Caterers, beverages from Bluestone Vineyard, and a program honoring the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus as 黑料正能量鈥檚 first Black president while recognizing the people whose work helped make the historic moment possible.

Braydon Hoover 鈥�11, MAOL 鈥�21, vice president of enrollment and marketing, and Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president for academic affairs, reflected on 黑料正能量鈥檚 history and vision. In what Hoover called 鈥渢he most fabulous Friday night 黑料正能量 has ever seen,鈥� the gala kicked off a weekend that 鈥済ives new meaning to the 鈥楽hannon鈥檇oah Valley.鈥�

黑料正能量 made history in 1948 when it became the first historically white college in Virginia to admit Black students, Hoover said.

鈥淎nd we get to make history again,鈥� Willingham added, 鈥渁s we inaugurate the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus as 黑料正能量鈥檚 first Black president.鈥�

Hoover and Willingham emphasized the importance of preserving 黑料正能量鈥檚 identity while embracing change.

鈥淲e can make sure that the next generation inherits an 黑料正能量 rooted enough to know who we are, courageous enough to keep becoming, and welcoming enough that everyone who arrives here knows that they belong,鈥� Willingham said.

Sharon Salinas Morales, an MA in education student, shared the story of her journey from Managua, Nicaragua, to 黑料正能量 in 2019. Growing up in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, she learned early on that education could transform lives and uplift communities.

鈥淔or as long as I can remember, earning my master鈥檚 degree was a dream. I carry that dream close to my heart. Today, I鈥檓 thrilled to say that I鈥檓 almost there,鈥� said Salinas Morales, who expects to graduate in May.

Nathan Leopard, who joined 黑料正能量 as vice president for advancement this summer, recalled seeing in Dycus a conviction that the university鈥檚 values should remain central to its future.

鈥淚 saw a leader who could honestly look at the challenges before us and speak with hope about what this university can become, a leader whose laugh can shift the mood of an entire room, a leader who understands that an education should prepare people to make a living, but also to make a difference,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I wanted to be a part of that.鈥�

President Dycus invited guests to embrace the joy of the historic occasion and recognize the generations of people who made it possible.

鈥淚 think about all the people who have loved 黑料正能量,鈥� she said, 鈥渨ho taught here, studied here, prayed here, who gave what they could because they believed something good would grow here. We are living in the reach of their generosity.鈥�

鈥淭onight we celebrate,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o much of our work asks us to look ahead or look down, but tonight, I want us to look around and look up and say, 鈥業 am grateful that we are here, that we are present, and that there is joy in this room.鈥欌��

The evening concluded with a ceremonial toast led by J.B. Miller ’70 and John Daniels, who first met Dycus nearly 20 years ago when she was a 26-year-old seminary student interning at First Mennonite Church in Indianapolis. She would serve the congregation for the next 12 years, including as co-pastor, before leaving for 黑料正能量 in 2019.

Miller acknowledged the challenges and responsibilities that come with leading a university.

鈥淏eing president is an extraordinary privilege, but it鈥檚 also hard work,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he hours are long, the decisions are complicated, and everyone has an opinion. It鈥檚 just like church but with a few more committees. We鈥檙e not expecting miracles, but we鈥檙e expecting excellence, because we know what you鈥檙e capable of.鈥�

黑料正能量 welcomed author Patricia Grace King 鈥�89 back to campus Oct. 8 for a Writers Read featuring selections from her new book, Those Who Vanish.

The event, moderated by Esther Harder 鈥�03 and co-sponsored by 黑料正能量鈥檚 Spanish and English departments, was part of Homecoming and Inauguration Weekend.

King, who taught students including Harder and Dean Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler 鈥�02 as a professor in 黑料正能量鈥檚 Language and Literature Department from 2000-03, now lives in Durham, England. Her short story collection, published last month by the University of Pittsburgh Press, won the 2026 Drue Heinz Literature Prize.

The eight fictional stories explore the intersection of Guatemalan and U.S. cultures against the backdrop of Guatemala鈥檚 political history. The collection follows Guatemalan citizens and North American expatriates whose lives become entangled amid war and draws on King鈥檚 experiences living in the country after graduating from 黑料正能量.

鈥淚 owe a lot of this book to 黑料正能量鈥檚 cross-cultural program,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 pretty much how it started.鈥�

Good fiction can awaken readers to the wider world, King said.

鈥淚t gives us a wider experience of humanity. It makes us aware that our experience isn鈥檛 the only experience, and that we鈥檙e not just one thing. The world isn鈥檛 just one thing and people are many things. I hope this book can do that.鈥�

Watch a recording of the event below!

According to Chief Brown, the tribe can trace its history back to the year 900. A on tribal land in southeastern Virginia between 1965-69 uncovered the skeletal remains of 132 ancestors dating back to 1580. The remains were taken to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and placed in shoeboxes, he said.

鈥淗ow would you like for somebody to come into your cemetery and dig up your ancestors dating back two, three centuries ago and take the bones away and put them someplace else?鈥� he asked. 

Chief Brown said the tribe is working with the Smithsonian to recover the remains so they can be properly buried on its 263 acres of tribal land in Southampton County. That land is part of the 41,000 acres of reservation land originally granted to the tribe by the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1705, he said.

The convocation also offered students an opportunity to learn about the tribe’s language and cultural traditions. Chief Brown taught students how to speak several words in the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian language, which belongs to the Iroquoian family of languages.

Some examples include:

• Fox: 鈥渟kee-you鈥�
• Turkey: 鈥渒uh-noom鈥�
• Snake: 鈥渁nn-tah-tum鈥�

The name Cheroenhaka means 鈥淧eople at the Fork of the Stream,鈥� a reference to where the Nottoway and Blackwater rivers converge to form the Chowan River.

Today, the tribe鈥檚 land includes , a replica Iroquoian palisade village and cultural site constructed based on descriptions by William Byrd II, who visited the tribe in 1728. The site is open to visitors from May through November.听

Chief Brown also described how the tribe continues to honor centuries-old traditions, including an to Virginia’s governor.

Beginning with the Spotswood Treaty of 1713, the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian tribe has offered a treaty tribute to the governor of Virginia each year on April 23. The tradition of gifting three peace arrows wrapped in a beaver pelt continues today, with former governors Ralph Northam and Glenn Youngkin receiving tributes during their terms and Gov. Abigail Spanberger receiving one this spring. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e the only tribe in the state of Virginia that actually currently does a treaty tribute to the governor of Virginia,鈥� Chief Brown said. 

In addition to Chief Brown, Vice Chief Ellis 鈥淪oaring Eagle鈥� Wright, adopted tribal member Teresa 鈥淢oon Star鈥� Preston, and Joyce 鈥淔alling Rain鈥� Miley represented the tribe at the convocation. 

Monday鈥檚 convocation was sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and 黑料正能量 Engage. Dawn Neil, coordinator for the Office of DEI, said the purpose of the event was to celebrate Indigenous Peoples鈥� Day and 鈥渂ring some education and awareness about our history in Virginia.鈥�

For more information about the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) tribe, visit .

Watch a recording of the convocation below!

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.

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�

黑料正能量 is celebrating the start of its 110th academic year. Its new leader, the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus, will be installed as the university鈥檚 10th president at an investiture on Oct. 10 (that鈥檚 10/10!) at 10 a.m. And that鈥檚 not to mention all the other events that rank a 10 out of 10.

Whether it鈥檚 class reunions, program and affinity gatherings, or the perennially popular TenTalks and Hall of Honor induction ceremony, everyone鈥檚 favorite Homecoming activities are back.

But with the addition of several inauguration events and a live performance by The Steel Wheels on the Front Lawn, this year鈥檚 lineup is even more special. 

Here are a few highlights of the weekend. See the full schedule at emu.edu/homecoming. 

The homecoming website is your complete source for events, updates, and registration.

Look for the icon that denotes a livestreamed event on the . Athletic events will be streamed through .听

*Registration required
鈼哖residential Inauguration Event
Livestreamed on YouTube

Friday, Oct. 9

Golden Alumni Luncheon*
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Martin Chapel (Seminary Building)
Alumni who attended 黑料正能量 50 or more years ago (classes of 1976 and earlier) will gather for a program and luncheon that includes remarks from President Dycus and the induction of the Class of 鈥�76. Tickets are $25. 

The Inaugural Evening: An All-Black Affair鈼�
Presented exclusively by Everence
5-7 p.m.
Yoder Arena (University Commons)
This invitation-only appreciation event for donors, VIPs, and friends of 黑料正能量 features student poetry, live jazz music, and heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Hall of Honor Ceremony*
7:30 p.m.
MainStage Theater (University Commons 170)
Celebrate the 2026 inductees of the 黑料正能量 Athletic Hall of Honor: field hockey midfielder Sarah Roth Shank 鈥�10, soccer center back Ryan Eshleman-Robles 鈥�13, cross-country and track athlete Hannah Chappell-Dick 鈥�16, and basketball forward Jess Rheinheimer Bishop 鈥�16.

A Capella Collective*
8 p.m.
Lehman Auditorium
Enjoy an evening of music featuring a special collaboration of local a cappella groups, many of them led by 黑料正能量 alumni. Tickets are $15.

Saturday, Oct. 10

Investiture of President Shannon W. Dycus鈼�
10 a.m.-noon
Yoder Arena
Celebrate the formal installation of 黑料正能量鈥檚 10th president with a Presidential Address, musical selections, and the Prayer of Blessing.

Food Trucks
Noon-6 p.m.
Thomas Plaza and the Front Lawn
Enjoy delicious eats from Tacos El Primo, Grilled Cheese Mania, Catreas BBQ, and Branch’s Soft Serve Ice Cream.

TenTalks
2-3 p.m.
Martin Chapel
The recipients of 黑料正能量鈥檚 2026 Alumni Awards share 10-minute talks and answer questions in a TED Talk-style format. This year鈥檚 presenters are Jonathan 鈥淜irk鈥� Livers 鈥�11 (Outstanding Young Alum), Cynthia 鈥淐indy鈥� Lapp 鈥�86 (Distinguished Service Award), and Eric Brubaker 鈥�01 and Trent Wagler 鈥�02 (Alumni of the Year). 

Royal City Celebration
4-6 p.m.
Thomas Plaza and the Front Lawn
Come hungry, bring your energy, and celebrate together at 黑料正能量鈥檚 biggest Homecoming gathering, featuring local food trucks, endless entertainment, and a spectacular live performance by The Steel Wheels! Ticket prices vary. RSVP requested.

Meet Me on the Quad: President鈥檚 Student Quad Party鈼�
9 p.m.
Woods Quad
President Dycus hosts a celebration for the student body.

Visit emu.edu/homecoming to learn about Saturday鈥檚 other events, including class reunions and after-parties, athletic events, planetarium viewings, the annual alumni baseball game, and when to stop by the Front Lawn for 黑料正能量 gear.

Sunday, Oct. 11

Homecoming Worship Service
10 a.m. 
Martin Chapel
Dr. Benjamin Bergey and the Chamber Singers lead worship in this reflective and meaningful service. 

Faculty and staff members gathered for the Fall 2026 Faculty and Staff Conference from Aug. 18-19. Many returned to campus after a restful and restorative summer, while others joined the 黑料正能量 community for the first time.

Hosted by the offices of the president and the provost, the conference cultivates community at the start and close of each academic year and provides space for faculty and staff to reconnect, welcome new colleagues, engage with thought-provoking ideas, and share in conversation and fellowship.

鈥淚 hope this conference leaves us not only informed, but inspired, connected, and ready to do the work ahead together,鈥� said Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president for academic affairs. 

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president for academic affairs, catches up with Dr. Jamie Mak, assistant vice president of academic and program growth for 黑料正能量 at Lancaster, and M. Esther Showalter, instructor of Spanish language and Hispanic studies.

LEFT: President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus presents the presidential address at the Fall 2026 Faculty and Staff Conference on Aug. 18. RIGHT: Kirk Shisler ’81, senior gift planning advisor, chats with Braydon Hoover 鈥�11, MAOL 鈥�21, vice president of enrollment and marketing, and Christopher Jones, director of marketing and communications, at the conference.

The conference kicked off with an address from the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus, who officially became 黑料正能量鈥檚 10th president on July 1. She called on those gathered at Martin Chapel to find the courage to 鈥渂uild a university our mission calls us to become.鈥�

鈥淭his means鈥e become more aligned across a shared purpose, less defined by our individual areas, and more connected by the students and communities we are here to serve,鈥� she said. 

Dycus shared encouraging enrollment news, announcing historically high numbers of applications and admitted students to 黑料正能量. The incoming first-year class is projected to be between 10-15% larger than last year鈥檚 class. Of those students, 43% are student-athletes, 52% identify as students of color, 55% identify as first-generation college students, and 78% are from Virginia.

鈥淭his tells us something important: students and families are seeing value in what 黑料正能量 offers and they are choosing us,鈥� she said.

As 黑料正能量 moves into the third year of its five-year Forward Together Campaign, it has secured $33.5 million of its $40 million goal. Alumni participation, which has been declining nationally and at 黑料正能量, has taken an upward turn, Dycus said, citing a number of new estate commitments and corporate unrestricted giving.

鈥淟et鈥檚 make this year one that we get serious about retention, clear-eyed about our finances, and build a bold future that we can together be proud of and continue supporting,鈥� she said. 

LEFT: Faculty and staff members connect during a coffee break. RIGHT: Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz 鈥�81 leads a plenary session during the first day of the conference.

The conference theme, 鈥淧ower & Equity: Power is a Verb,鈥� built on this year鈥檚 university theme and offered an honest look at how power moves through a university and what it means to hold it responsibly.

Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz 鈥�81 led a plenary session on 鈥淔aith, Power & Belonging.鈥� She serves as denominational minister for peace and justice for Mennonite Church USA, where she resources conference ministers, conferences, and pastors and coordinates peacebuilding initiatives throughout the denomination. Prior to joining MC USA, she spent more than 25 years coordinating Mennonite Central Committee鈥檚 Restorative Justice program. She has a BSW from 黑料正能量 and an MSW from Marywood University (Scranton, Pennsylvania).

She led participants to reflect on their own social identities, power, and privilege and where they fall within each dimension.

鈥淎s leaders and educators, I think one of our highest responsibilities is ensuring that every student who arrives here in a state of uncertainty finds the same power to reshape their story,鈥� she said.

LEFT: Faculty and staff members connect over a coffee break held in the lower level of Suter Science Center. RIGHT: Luke Litwiller ’19, MATL ’24, director of undergraduate admissions, presents a learning session on workflow and AI.

The second day of the conference began with a coffee break and welcome ceremony recognizing the faculty and staff members who have joined 黑料正能量 in the past year. 

鈥淲e are so glad you are here,鈥� Dycus told them. 鈥淵ou bring gifts, experiences, perspectives, questions, and possibilities that we need.鈥�

Faculty and staff members participated in a variety of learning sessions throughout the day, with topics ranging from AI and campus safety to student mental health and employee satisfaction.

At a faculty learning session held in Suter Science Center 106, Dr. Paul Dean, professor of sociology and department chair at Ohio Wesleyan University, led a presentation on 鈥淯nderstanding Class Cultures: A Two-Pronged Approach to Supporting Working-Class, First-Gen Students.鈥� Dean is an award-winning instructor and author of several books whose work focuses on class inequality and the experiences of first-generation students.

At another session, Braydon Hoover 鈥�11, MAOL 鈥�21, vice president of enrollment and marketing, presented on 鈥淓nrollment Literacy: How Every Faculty and Staff Member Can Help Grow 黑料正能量鈥檚 Future.鈥� He provided an overview of the higher education environment, including some of the threats that small, private colleges and universities face.

鈥淪tudents expect personalization and immediacy, and that鈥檚 where small schools like 黑料正能量 can shine,鈥� he said. 鈥淯nlike our big public counterparts, we engage directly with students and their parents.鈥�

Visiting campus is among the strongest predictors of enrollment. 黑料正能量 offers a $1,000 Visit Grant, renewable for up to four years, for students who visit campus before Jan. 1 and enroll in fall 2027. Eligible students can receive up to $4,000 over four years.

One student who visited 黑料正能量 this year had the opportunity to meet Cyndi Gusler, professor of art, who guided her through a one-hour watercolor session.

鈥淭hat made the difference for her,鈥� Hoover said. 鈥淪he was applying to 10 schools all around Virginia, and because Cyndi took the time to sit with her, talk about her goals, and do something engaging, that student made the choice to come to 黑料正能量.鈥�

The conference wrapped up with a couple of hours of activity time. Faculty and staff members could enjoy frozen treats from Rita鈥檚 Italian Ice & Frozen Custard and play basketball, pickleball or disc golf, walk on the 黑料正能量 track, or knit and crochet.

Join us for an evening of baseball, giveaways, and community when 黑料正能量 Night with the Turks returns on Thursday, July 16, at 7 p.m. The event will be held at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park (395 S. High Street) in Harrisonburg.

Fans wearing 黑料正能量 apparel will receive free admission. Cheer on the Harrisonburg Turks as they take on the Waynesboro Generals, and catch 黑料正能量 T-shirts, maracas, and clappers tossed into the crowd between innings.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that 黑料正能量 and the Turks have partnered to host this event.

黑料正能量 the Turks

Established in 1915, the Harrisonburg Turks collegiate summer baseball team plays more than 40 regular-season games from May through July in the 12-team Valley Baseball League. League playoffs follow the regular season. Many Turks players have gone on to compete in Major League Baseball and to coach at the collegiate and professional levels. Follow the Turks’ season at .

Speaking to a crowd gathered in Downtown Harrisonburg on Thursday, July 2, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, President Dycus used the occasion to introduce herself as 黑料正能量’s 10th president and highlight the importance of community.

The celebration, held at the Turner Pavilion, kicked off both the Levitt AMP Harrisonburg Music Series and the Fourth of July holiday weekend. 黑料正能量 was a presenting sponsor for the event, which featured live music from Harrisonburg-based Dr. How & The Reasons to Live and Staunton-based headliner Scott Miller & The Commonwealth, along with food and drink vendors, giveaways, children’s activities, and a VA250 fireworks celebration. According to organizers, about 2,000 people attended Thursday’s event.

Braydon Hoover 鈥�11, MAOL 鈥�21, vice president of enrollment and marketing, represented undergraduate and graduate admissions at the 黑料正能量 tent. He shared information about 黑料正能量鈥檚 academic programs while handing out brain-shaped stress balls and hand fans, which offered a welcome relief from the sweltering heat.

When President Dycus took the stage, she likened the origin story of the United States to that of communities like Harrisonburg.

鈥淚t鈥檚 written by neighbors who show up for each other, who welcome new people, and who work together to make sure that the places that we create for one another are safe and that we allow each other to thrive,鈥� President Dycus said. 

The 2026-27 academic year marks 110 years since 黑料正能量 was founded in northern Harrisonburg. 黑料正能量’s tradition of educating students and preparing them to serve and lead in a global context has helped shape communities across the Shenandoah Valley.

鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to see our graduates here in the crowd this evening,鈥� President Dycus said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e also grateful to see our graduates around town leading our local government, caring for our patients in the hospital, teaching in our schools, and making sure that we鈥檙e looking out for our neighbors.鈥�

Six more free concerts in Downtown Harrisonburg will be held over the next two months. For more information on the series and its lineup, visit .

Watch President Dycus kick off the music series in the video below.

As Downtown Harrisonburg prepares to celebrate America鈥檚 250th anniversary with a free concert and fireworks spectacular Thursday, Cassidy Walker 鈥�25 is helping bring one of the city’s biggest summer events to life.

The Visual and Communication Arts (VACA) graduate has served as development manager for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance () since January, where she builds and strengthens relationships with donors, sponsors, and local businesses to advance the nonprofit鈥檚 mission.

She spoke with 黑料正能量 News about her love for Downtown Harrisonburg, the lessons she brought from 黑料正能量, and the city鈥檚 鈥渂iggest fireworks show yet.鈥�

How did you end up working for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance?

I fell in love with Downtown Harrisonburg, and I couldn鈥檛 really leave it. HDR is actually one of the reasons I fell in love with it.

Through the VACA program at 黑料正能量, I also worked with downtown business owners, so I already understood the impact HDR was making. Then someone I knew told me, 鈥淵ou鈥檇 be great at this job. You love talking to people, and you鈥檇 really excel in this role.鈥�

During my interview, I talked about how much I admired what HDR was doing and how my experiences at 黑料正能量, from admissions to VACA and working with students, had prepared me for this role. Thankfully, I got the job.

What鈥檚 been your favorite part of the job?

I love talking to people. Being able to make these amazing connections with business owners, sponsors, and community partners is my favorite part of what I do.

黑料正能量 taught me how to build meaningful relationships and have genuine conversations with people. Those skills have carried over directly into this role, and now I get to use them every day.

You mentioned falling in love with Downtown Harrisonburg. What do you love most about it?

Like 黑料正能量, Downtown Harrisonburg is incredibly community-oriented. People just care about one another and want to see each other succeed. That鈥檚 something I experienced at 黑料正能量, and when I got to know downtown and the people behind HDR, I saw that same spirit among the business owners and community partners. They really support one another, and that鈥檚 something special.

Since starting this job, what鈥檚 been your favorite moment so far?

I鈥檝e had a lot of favorite moments, but one really stands out.

One of our sponsors had worked closely with the previous development manager, and I was terrified walking into that first meeting. It was my first sponsorship meeting, and I wasn鈥檛 sure how it would go. As we started talking, I realized they also had ties to 黑料正能量. We talked about where I came from, why I wanted to work for HDR, and what this role meant to me.

In that moment, it clicked that I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing. Even though I was nervous, the conversation felt natural and gave me a lot of confidence moving forward.

There鈥檚 a big event happening Thursday. What can people expect?

We鈥檙e presenting the VA250 Fireworks Celebration, which also serves as the kickoff to this year鈥檚 Levitt AMP Harrisonburg Music Series. It鈥檚 really two events in one.

We鈥檒l kick off the series with the first of seven free concerts, featuring a local opening act. There will be food vendors, kids鈥� activities, giveaways, and our biggest fireworks show yet.

It鈥檚 designed for everyone: families, friends, kids, and even dogs. Thanks to sponsors like 黑料正能量 and Blue Ridge Insurance Services, we鈥檙e able to make this event possible and are very grateful for their support.

What are you most excited for people to experience?

The whole idea behind the Levitt AMP Music Series is building community through the shared experience of live music. I get to see that happen in real time while working with our sponsors and artists.

Watching people come together, make connections, and simply enjoy being part of the community is what I鈥檓 most excited about. That鈥檚 really what these events are all about.

黑料正能量 is a sponsor of the VA250 Fireworks Celebration and Levitt AMP Harrisonburg Music Series.

These answers have been edited for clarity and conciseness.