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�

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!

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. 

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.

The traditional final concert on campus will also take place, but what better way to show off new skills and enjoy new friendships than to hop on stage with fellow violinist Eric Brubaker 鈥�01 and one of the finest Americana roots bands in the country in front of hundreds of fans at a music festival.

The Steel Wheels Fiddle Workshop is a new addition to the program鈥檚 Suzuki Strings Day Camp, now in聽 its eighth year and typically attracting approximately 30 youth violinists. The strings day camp, from聽聽聽聽 July 29-July 2 on the 黑料正能量 campus, has a range of classes depending on age and skill level.

Children ages 3-7 have two-hour lessons, while intermediate and advanced students can participate in a longer Day Camp, for ages 12 and under, or Multi-Styles Teen Camp, for pre-college musicians. Both of these camps include the special afternoon workshop, which youth musicians can also sign up for separately.

The collaboration between 黑料正能量鈥檚 preparatory music program, The Steel Wheels, and the Red Wing Roots Festival 鈥渃ame about very organically through a shared vision,鈥� said Megan Tiller ’07, who teaches in the program and has been on the festival staff since its inaugural year in 2013.

Tiller also teaches Brubaker鈥檚 daughter in the preparatory music program, and Brubaker himself is an alumnus of the same program, which makes his participation all the more meaningful to young musicians, she said.

Benefits of camp participation are multifold, says preparatory music program administrative director , who also teaches violin. Playing for several hours each day with friends and with different teachers not only motivates and inspires students, but also causes 鈥渁 new familiarity with their instrument that takes them to a new level,鈥� she said.

The Steel Wheels workshop 鈥渨ill provide a window into what a band does and how they do it,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd just being around professional musicians, hearing their sound and watching their technique inspires students.鈥�

During the workshop, Brubaker will guest instruct, joined by Trent Wagler 鈥�02 and Brian Dickel, class of 鈥�98. A special performance will be Thursday on campus with The Steel Wheels, followed by a jam session and performance on July 10 at the Red Wing Roots Festival (where fourth band member Jay Lapp joins). Admission to the festival and a t-shirt are included in the fee for students. Parents are offered a reduced-price day pass to the festival.

The deadline for registration is June 4. For more information, visit .

A yo-yo pattern was developing.

鈥淚 just didn鈥檛 feel like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, so I would drop out,鈥� says Wert, who went on to spend time in South Texas and Central America during subsequent dropouts from college.

But Wert couldn鈥檛 quite shake 黑料正能量 altogether. A 1996 to Ghana blew his eyes wide open. He made some close friends, got involved in peace and justice activism on campus, and was inspired by a handful of professors who raised provocative, poignant questions about what it meant to be Mennonite (he was raised in a Mennonite family and congregation in Florida).

By 2001, Wert had cobbled together enough credits to graduate with a and a slew of minors, including one in . As a freshman, he鈥檇 considered studying viola performance. By his super-super-super senior year, he was playing genre-bending shows around campus and Harrisonburg with The Red Wagon Band, alongside classmates Trent Wagler 鈥�02, Jaime Miller 鈥�01, and Nick Hurst 鈥�01.

Fittingly, music will bring Wert back to campus once more on. He performs manic, foot-stomping folk, country and Americana music as a one-man band under the name .

The wanderlust that kept interrupting Wert鈥檚 college studies didn鈥檛 end with college. After graduation, he and his wife, Jenny, moved to New Mexico, then Texas. They lived in Maine for a time, then in Colorado, then back to Texas when their first son was born, to be closer to family. During that nomadic phase, Wert had mainly worked in the nonprofit world. After returning to Texas, he became a teacher 鈥� a career direction in which he鈥檇 always felt pulled. He is now a special education teacher at Curington Elementary School in Boerne, Texas.

Wert has been playing as Possessed by Paul James since 2006. He鈥檇 played a few dozen shows a year and thought it would always just be a side project. But then, to his surprise, his most recent album 鈥� 鈥� made a run on the Americana/Bluegrass Billboard charts (peaking at #12 in November of 2013). The following spring, Wert was , and at the end of 2014, a New York Times critic included a Possessed by Paul James show on .

鈥淲e were kind of dumbstruck with what the attention has been this past year,鈥� says Wert. (It wasn鈥檛 the first time attention has been paid, though; Wert was featured in a 2008 documentary, The Folk Singer, by Slowboat Films, and a previous album, Feed the Family, won an Independent Music Award in 2011 for Best Alt Country Album.)

Wert鈥檚 friends from 黑料正能量 who have followed his music are less surprised by the critical praise.

鈥淜onrad is pure energy, pure heart,鈥� says former bandmate Trent Wagler, who now fronts the widely acclaimed Americana band, . 鈥淚 have never been around a more passionate performer or artist. He is an inspiring, creative force.鈥�

Professor recalls Wert鈥檚 large impact on 黑料正能量 鈥渨ith his energy, commitment to peace, and outsized personality.鈥�

鈥淗e plays with a joyful, soulful intensity. His stage name, Possessed by Paul James, indicates something of his out-of-left-field sensibility. Konrad does his music his way, following his own muse. It’s exciting to see him meet with success.鈥�

As that musical success grows, Wert finds himself confronted with decisions about the future. He loves teaching, even though he gets 鈥渞eal rowdy鈥� about the unrealistic demands placed on teachers and public schools across the country, and the growing gap between what鈥檚 needed in schools and the resources allocated to them 鈥� topics that find their way into much of his songwriting.

(Wert has also been recognized for his work in the classroom, having recently been named Teacher of the Year at his school.)

He and his wife have two sons now, ages 4 and 6, and the family loves to travel. Every summer they load up the van and wander. The recent success of Possessed by Paul James has them wondering whether they could wander more full-time from show to show, visiting schools along the way to perform, talk, listen and stay engaged.

鈥淚f you leave [education], you kind of give up on the process of changing it,鈥� Wert says. 鈥淎nd if you stay in it, you internalize it, and it can make the quality of life pretty hard.鈥� It鈥檚 hard to find a balance where you鈥檙e passionate and positive day after day after day.鈥�

Maybe Wert鈥檚 unexpected recent musical success will offer a shot at that sort of balance, though there are lots of 鈥渋fs鈥� to figure out. Wert and family are looking at Winnebagos, thinking about their next adventure. Wert plays a show in Washington D.C. on Friday evening. Then it鈥檚 back once more to 黑料正能量 on Saturday and quickly away again for class on Monday. The future is uncertain, exciting, but for now there are still lessons to plan and progress reports to write.

Close to 3,000 people attended each day of the festival, July 11-13, 2014, at in Mt. Solon, Virginia. First held in the summer of 2013, the Red Wing festival is hosted by , a nationally known roots music band that features three alumni: Trent Wagler 鈥�02, Eric Brubaker 鈥�01 and Brian Dickel, class of 鈥�98. (The fourth band member, Jay Lapp, attended 黑料正能量鈥檚 sister Mennonite school in Indiana, Goshen College, for a time.)

After enjoying performing at other festivals across the country since they began touring seriously around 2010, members of The Steel Wheels began thinking about ways to create a new festival in the Shenandoah Valley.

Family friendly, honoring community roots

鈥淲e wanted it to be rooted in community and informed by our upbringing,鈥� said Brubaker after Red Wing ended this year.听鈥淲e wanted a family-friendly event where we would be proud to bring our own children and expose them to many different kinds of authentic musical expression.鈥�

The band partnered with Black Bear Productions, a local event production company, and began planning well over a year in advance for the first event. Their vision was realized in a multi-generational, community-focused festival that has brought dozens of performers and thousands of visitors for a long weekend of music on four stages at Natural Chimneys, about 20 miles south of 黑料正能量鈥檚 campus.

鈥淭he exciting thing is that all [our] dreams and more are already being fulfilled,鈥� Brubaker added. 鈥淚t’s amazing that so many people from our community are investing time, creativity and resources to make the festival a true success.鈥�

Jeremiah Jenkins, a managing partner of Black Bear Productions, said the welcoming, friendly atmosphere at the festival is one of its special characteristics.

鈥淩ed Wing has fans of all ages. This sets a certain tone of respect and appreciation among the crowd, and that collective enjoyment really fuels us all weekend,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ed Wing brings out both the seasoned festivarian and the first-timers, and together we create our own festival culture. We’re proud of the Red Wing fans, volunteers and staff that treat the park and each other with such conscientiousness.鈥�

黑料正能量 was official sponsor

After noticing how many 黑料正能量 alumni attended the first festival, the university signed on as an official sponsor this year. Throughout the weekend, advancement staff passed out tea and connected with hundreds of alumni, prospective students and other festival-goers.

黑料正能量 and Red Wing organizers also collaborated to minimize the amount of trash generated at the festival. The festival banned the sale of plastic water bottles and required visitors to bring or purchase a reusable steel cup to use at the free water station and in the beer garden, Jenkins said. Food vendors were also required to use renewable, recycled or compostable materials for all service items.

Aware of 黑料正能量鈥檚 commitment to sustainability, Black Bear Productions hired 黑料正能量 sustainability coordinator Jonathan Lantz-Trissel to oversee trash and recycling collection during the weekend. He and his team of volunteers collected well over 1,000 pounds of recyclable materials and 500 pounds of food waste to add to 黑料正能量鈥檚 compost piles

鈥淲hen people congratulate me on the festival, I always say that it takes a village,鈥� Jenkins said.听鈥淲e’re so glad that 黑料正能量 is part of ours, from the alumni office and sustainability team to the many 黑料正能量 alumni that bring their families each year.鈥�

Dozens of bands on four stages

In addition to The Steel Wheels, about 40 other bands performed this year at Red Wing, including , first formed under another name at 黑料正能量. Six of the eight members are 黑料正能量 graduates: Lauren 鈥�09 and Mitch Yoder 鈥�09, Jackson Maust 鈥�09, Kristina Yoder 鈥�09, Adam Schmid 鈥�09 and Seth Crissman 鈥�09, MDiv 鈥�15. Crissman also said the welcoming feel to the festival was important to the group.

鈥淪omething we care about a lot is being able to create and share music that is fun for everyone. There was a broad range of ages at Red Wing, and music brings all these people together,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n making music in this roots-folk tradition, we draw nourishment from those who have come before and, hopefully, pass it on to those who will come after us. It was a lot fun to be able to listen to and enjoy other musicians doing the same thing at Red Wing.听It was exciting to see so many people excited about roots and folk music, especially local music.鈥�

Another band performing at Red Wing, , featured Reuben Miller 鈥�00 on fiddle.

The third Red Wing Roots Music Festival will likely be held on the second weekend in July 2015, with exact dates to be announced soon on the festival鈥檚 and page. In the meantime, Brubaker said, The Steel Wheels will be recording a new album that will be ready in time for next year鈥檚 event.

Walk For Hope unites students from Blue Ridge Community College, Bridgewater College, 黑料正能量 and James Madison University to raise awareness about depression and suicide. The walk and all afternoon activities are free and open to the public. People whose lives have been affected by mental illness, either personally or through friends and family, are especially encouraged to attend.

Organizers predict this year鈥檚 event will be especially powerful. The Steel Wheels, which include Eric Brubaker 鈥�01, Brian Dickel 鈥�98, and Jay Lapp, are also bringing that special friend on stage to share the story of his struggles with depression and past abuse, and how he came to make a different, life-saving choice. Keith Morris 鈥�83 is past president and current board member of the , which addresses child sexual abuse in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

鈥淭he prevailing message of the event is hope,鈥� said planning committee member , who mentors 黑料正能量 students in her positions with and . 鈥淚t鈥檚 really moving to be a part of it, to see everyone supporting each other.鈥�

The event kicks off at 11:30 a.m. with a 2.2-mile walk from JMU鈥檚 Memorial Hall in downtown Harrisonburg along High Street/Virginia Avenue to the 黑料正能量 campus. In the past, walkers and an administrator from each school marched separately to a common location, but this year, in a show of solidarity, all will walk together. Walk For Hope T-shirts, free to pre-registered participants, will be brightly tie-dyed in school colors.

Organizers expect close to 1,000 participants to congregate at 黑料正能量鈥檚 Thomas Plaza around 12:30 p.m. for an afternoon of music, creativity, and sharing. The concert begins at 1 p.m. Other activities include children鈥檚 face-painting and games, drumming, and opportunities to create remembrance art. As in past years, participants can decorate and take home personal garden stones and add squares to the 鈥淪ymbols of Hope鈥� quilt. This year鈥檚 special community project will be decorating large wooden letters that spell 鈥淲alk for Hope.鈥�

Since it began in 2012, Walk for Hope has increased in size each year. That growth may come as the result of a tragic fact: Most college students know someone who has suffered from depression or anxiety, contemplated suicide or died by suicide. The second leading cause of death among college students is suicide, according to a 2012 study by the . reports that depression and anxiety are more common among college students than back pain, sinus ailments, and allergies.

Raising awareness and providing support are two goals of the , which co-sponsors Walk for Hope and also funds an innovative mentoring program at 黑料正能量 called CoachLink. The program began after Austin Frazier, a junior at James Madison University, died in 2009 after a long battle with bipolar disorder.

鈥淭his CoachLink program and Walk for Hope were concepts presented to local colleges by his father, Bibb Frazier,鈥� says Hostetler, one of five coaches in the CoachLink program. 鈥淏oth are ways to honor Austin鈥檚 memory, to acknowledge that there is hope for all those who experience the effects of depression and suicidal thoughts, and to provide support and resources to students who may need it.鈥� Bibb Frazier is the owner of the nearby , which supplied limestone seen on 黑料正能量鈥檚 buildings and grounds.

In 2010, CoachLink began with 15 students and three mentors. Now five coaches are paired with more than 50 students, some of whom probably would never see a counselor because of 鈥渟tigma and anxiety or past history,鈥� says coach Crystal Horning, a counselor with more than 25 years experience in the mental health field. 鈥淭he informality of our meeting places and the kind of supportive relationship we have is almost more freeing, I think, for a student to talk about really challenging issues.鈥�

Hostetler says Walk for Hope has successfully created a similar informal and positive atmosphere for educating and raising awareness. 鈥淔rom that first year, we wanted the focus to be on hope,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e wanted to create the right atmosphere that is comfortable, so people feel free to walk for someone they鈥檝e lost or someone who considered suicide, but didn鈥檛 do it. We wanted people to leave feeling hopeful and comfortable talking about depression and suicide, because it鈥檚 not something people talk about or admit they鈥檝e struggled with.鈥�

The event is co-sponsored by the Austin Frazier Memorial Fund, 黑料正能量, JMU, Bridgewater College, and Sentara RMH Behavioral Health.

To receive a free t-shirt, pre-register at .

"WWLD: What Would Lloyd Do?", is a musical comedy written by and starring Ted Swartz ’89 and Trent Wagler ’02, and directed by Ingrid De Sanctis ’88). The play, with guest artist Jay Lapp and featuring music groups The Steel Wheels, Shekinah and Sons of the Day, will be presented 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Oct. 10-11 in Lehman Auditorium. Tickets, at $7.50 for adults and $5 for students, are available in advance at Red Front Super Market and at the door.

Ted Swartz (l.) and Trent Wagler will premiere a new theater piece, "WWLD (What Would Lloyd Do??), as part of homecoming weekend at 黑料正能量, Oct. 10-11. Photo by Jon Styer

A symposium, "Forgiveness in the Face of Tragedy: The Amish of Nickel Mines," will take place 10-11:30 a.m. Friday in Lehman Auditorium. Featured speakers will be Donald B. Kraybill ’67 and Herman Bontrager ’72, both of whom played key roles with the Amish community following the tragic shootings in a schoolhouse October, 2006. A question and answer period will follow.

Ken J. Nafziger, professor of music, will lead a worship celebration of song and scripture 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 12 in Lehman Auditorium. Recipients of the alumnus of the year award, distinguished service award and lifetime of service award will participate and be recognized in the service.

Reunions and Breakfast Meetings

Traditional homecoming features will include reunions at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 11 for graduating years ending in a "3" or "8," from 1963 to 2003. The "Jubilee Alumni," persons who attended 黑料正能量 50 years ago or more, will hold a luncheon and program at 11:30 a.m. that day in Campus Center Greeting Hall, where members of the class of 1958 will be formally inducted.

Breakfast meetings will be held Saturday morning for alumni and friends of the business and economics department; nursing, education, the sciences, athletics (Loyal Royals), Bible and religion (Haverim).

The language and literature department will host a reunion 9-10 a.m. for all staffers formerly associated with the ".

See the full Homecoming schedule for more detail.

Oakwood Gathering and Science Summit

Former residents of Oakwood residence hall are invited to gather near the site of this "once-beloved dormitory," which has been demolished to make way for a three-story, environmentally-friendly, 120-bed facility, at 11 a.m. Saturday to share stories and jog memories. Read more about the recent demolition of Oakwood and see the web-cam to track progress.

At a mini science "summit" 10 a.m. Saturday, 黑料正能量 science faculty and students in environmental classes will share research projects and give updates on plans to renovate and expand the 40-year-old facility.

Arts and Athletics

An art exhibit featuring works by 黑料正能量 visual arts and communication professors Barbara Fast, Cyndi Gusler ’93, Jerry Holsopple ’80 and Steven Johnson will be on display in the third floor gallery of Hartzler Library. Media will include mixed media fiber art, drawings, photography and digital images. A gallery talk and reception will be held 4 p.m. p.m. Saturday.

Varsity field hockey, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer games are scheduled on Saturday, preceded by a Loyal Royals "fun run" 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the 黑料正能量 track.

The Paul R. Yoder, Sr., Memorial Golf Classic will be held Fri., Oct. 10 with start times at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Spotswood Country Club in Harrisonburg.

More Information

Special activities for children (kindergarten through fifth grade) and youth (grades 6 through 9) are scheduled at various times Saturday, and childcare for infants through age 5 will be provided during reunions and at other designated times.

During the weekend, a documentary video produced by alumnae Tiffany Horst ’07 and Carrie Keagy ’07, will be shown several times, featuring historic images and interviews that help to interpret the growth and changes that 黑料正能量 has seen over the years while remaining true to its vision, according to Douglas J. Nyce ’86, director of alumi/parent relations.

The registration desk in the University Commons will be open 3-8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 10 and 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 11.

For more information, go to www.emu.edu/homecoming, call the alumni office at (540) 432-4245 or e-mail alumni@emu.edu.