Since 2001, 黑料正能量 has offered the 鈥渓ocal context 鈥� program for students whose work and/or family responsibilities preclude lengthy travel, says , assistant professor in the and the program鈥檚 course leader.

Sarah Baker, starting her senior year at age 26, was one of 13 this May who explored diverse communities locally during evening sessions, and in Washington, D.C., for a weekend.

Perfect for single parent

鈥淚t was perfect for me because I鈥檓 a single parent,鈥� says Baker, who had wondered since entering 黑料正能量 how she would complete the cross-cultural graduation requirement. She and her son, in third grade, live with her parents in Rockingham County. Having never traveled further than Florida, she hopes to go overseas someday, but not without him now.

However, Baker told fellow-students in a recent chapel service that having been raised locally, when the class studied Harrisonburg history, 鈥淚 thought I couldn鈥檛 learn anything new. How wrong!鈥�

She explained, 鈥淲ithout this class I would never have heard about Zenda or Newtown.鈥� Newtown is the historic name for the area settled by former slaves. 鈥淲e鈥檇 always considered it the 鈥榖ad鈥� part of town. I had no idea why,鈥� Baker recalls, although her aunt attended school with Newtown鈥檚 basketball icon, Ralph Sampson. Studying Newtown and Zenda (a historic black community in northern Rockingham County), meant enjoying a home-cooked meal and hearing residents鈥� stories. Learning about 鈥渦rban renewal鈥� decimating Newtown in the 1960s, Baker empathized, recalling woods and fields of her childhood being razed for development.

Discovering “bad” part of town. . . isn’t

Students visited a Newtown church and a local mosque 鈥� both 鈥渄ifferent, very different, but good,鈥� says Baker. And although raised in the Brethren church, she encountered fresh history when visiting the .

Carrie Allen McCray鈥檚 book, Freedom鈥檚 Child: The Life of a Confederate General鈥檚 Daughter, served as a reference, Durham says 鈥� giving perspective from black descendants of Gen. J.R. Jones, buried in Harrisonburg.

More lessons came with viewing the locally produced documentary, The Latino Underground, and meeting , who advocates nationally for the Dream Act proposal to allow a citizenship path for undocumented youth such as herself, brought to the United States as a child.

鈥淪he is amazing,鈥� says Baker, who grew up observing immigration changing the local community. Early in elementary school, Baker met her first, lone Hispanic classmate, while adults complained, 鈥淭hey鈥檒l steal our jobs.鈥�

Eager not to be narrow minded

She says that mindset had been a 鈥渟ingle story鈥� for her 鈥� referring to a video the class saw in which Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie addressed The Danger of the Single Story. Starting with childhood memories of reading, and trying to emulate, British tales containing snow and ginger beer, Adichie said such a 鈥渟ingle story鈥� may crowd out other perspectives. 鈥淲e form our own opinion from others鈥� stories. It makes us narrow- minded,鈥� explained Belinda Hinkle, of Grottoes, who also spoke in chapel about the class, calling Durham鈥檚 teaching 鈥渁wesome.鈥�

Baker 鈥� who had only seen one large city (D.C.), and that only with her son to visit museums — shared a poem it inspired her to write:

The city created beggars and riches.###Starvin鈥� people in line for soup kitchens. . .

The students visited office, studying its work of public advocacy. They stayed at Church of the Pilgrim and visited the multicultural .

Exploring non-touristy D.C. on foot

Durham, sending them off in small groups to explore city neighborhoods, advised sampling ethnic foods, adding, 鈥淒on鈥檛 go as a tourist. Go to feel and see.鈥� She reported, 鈥淭hey walked their legs off鈥� 鈥� estimating 15 miles for many.

鈥淚t was real,鈥� Baker recalls. When she suggested her group visit the historic , and two young men realized they would be the only Caucasians present, she says, 鈥淭hey freaked out.鈥� She smiles: 鈥淚 told them I was going in, so they had to follow me.鈥�

She recalls an earlier 鈥渨ow moment鈥� when employed in the during a . Clearing tables as an African group finished dining, she realized she was the only white person there. 鈥淚 was sticking out like a sore thumb,鈥� she laughs. 鈥淚t was humbling.鈥�

Changed forever

In the class and on the trip, conversing and keeping journals, she feels 鈥渁 lot of us learned from each other鈥濃�� often from sharing uncomfortably different reactions. Some, herself included, were moved, but others not, by the film, Chocolate City, depicting black residents displaced by gentrification. Seeing homelessness troubled most classmates. Baker observed, 鈥淲hen you鈥檝e got the super rich, you鈥檝e got the super poor.鈥�

She鈥檚 determined to attend graduate school. The local context class, Baker says, 鈥渃hanged me forever.鈥�

Wednesday is the sixth annual Campus Sustainability Day, sponsored by the . Top agriculturalist John Jeavons will speak at the Suter Science Seminar later in the day at 6:30 p.m.

黑料正能量 students got a trial run at going “trayless” at a recent ‘harvest meal” in the dining hall. Photo by Lindsey Roeschley

“This is not new,” says Pioneer Catering director Bruce Emmerson. “It’s a trend that has been happening across the country for years. 黑料正能量 students have begun asking for this change, and I feel it’s time for us to join the trend.”

Eliminating the use of trays in the dining hall will save approximately 280,000 gallons of hot water a year, significant amounts of soap, hours of staff time and food scraps.

Read the student newspaper’s take on the trayless decision.

“‘Trayless’ means diners will think about the food and drinks they take, rather than mindlessly filling up their tray,” said Emma Stahl-Wert, coordinator for the campus environmental group, Earthkeepers.

Stahl-Wert, a sophomore applied sociology major with emphasis in environmental science, has documented food waste in 黑料正能量’s dining hall together with Laura Catell, a senior double major in environmental studies and justice, peace and conflict studies.

“People have definitely grown more aware of food waste since they’ve seen us measuring what gets scraped off of trays and plates,” says Catell. “This next step will result in even less waste, we believe.”

黑料正能量 students enjoy the ‘harvest meal” featuring locally-grown fare. Photo by Lindsey Roeschley

Undoubtedly, some will miss the convenience of trays, Emmerson admits. “People will get used to it,” he says, noting that he has never once used a tray since beginning his work at 黑料正能量 in July 2006. “It feels more like home if you don’t use a tray.”

Trays will be available on request for those who may need one for reasons related to disability, or for visiting families with young children. “We do want to offer a hospitable environment,” Emmerson concludes. “I predict the trayless dining hall will feel like a regular part of our 黑料正能量 culture in a short time.”

The removal of trays from the dining hall is a small addition to campus-wide sustainability efforts at 黑料正能量. A video featuring the campus composting class and garden project can be seen at www.emu.edu/begreen.

Jude V. Martin, director at 黑料正能量, has received the "Rookie of the Year" award from Pioneer College Caterers, Inc.

Tim Wolters, Pioneer district supervisor, said the recognition is given during the first year of service with Pioneer to a director who "achieves exceptional standards, elevates client satisfaction levels, provides developmental opportunities for his employees, enhances program standards and maintains financial performance."

"I’ve been very impressed with the accomplishments of Jude Martin over the past 12 months," Wolters said. "He quickly came to understand the complex role of the food service director. He is a man of exceptional character and integrity. He consistently cares for the needs of his staff and is intent on exceeding the expectations of his many customers. Best of all…the guy can make great food!"

Before coming to 黑料正能量 in January 2005, Martin was executive chef/assistant manager at Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, Va. He earned a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University, Charleston, S.C., and is a native of Williamsburg, Va.

Pioneer College Caterers, based in Culleoka, Tenn., has been serving the 黑料正能量 campus for nine years.