Hundreds join in night of celebrating EMU’s progress in belonging together
The world premiere of EMU’s Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid video at the Campus Center last week was glitzy, glamorous and grand. It had all the star power of a Hollywood awards show; actors Dennis Quaid and Billy Porter made video appearances. It had the high-energy feel of a rockin’ club, thanks to bachata lessons from the Latinx Student Alliance and a DJ-led dance party. And, said those who attended the premiere last Thursday, it showed how far EMU has come in its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
The nationally-syndicated, short-form documentary focuses on EMU and its approach to advancing DEI as a peace and justice university. The Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid crew filmed footage on the Harrisonburg, Virginia, campus in late October. The four-and-a-half-minute episode will be distributed to public television affiliates nationwide during the week of April 29 and will air in all 50 states for an estimated reach of more than 60 million households.
“It is the first time in university history that EMU will be showcased on such a grand national scale,” said EMU Regional Advancement Director and Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, who served as a host for the event.
Watch the full video on the Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid website.
In addition to the documentary episode, a 30-second promo for EMU will air during peak time (7-11:45 a.m.) and prime time (6-11:45 p.m.) on news networks between April 4 and April 30. Those networks include CNN, CNN Headline News, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business Network, TLC, Travel, and Discovery. The promo video will have an estimated reach of more than 85 million households.
Watch the promo commercial.
The night’s other host Braydon Hoover, associate vice president for advancement at EMU, said Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid also will design and generate an email campaign that sends the documentary to its database, which is more than 1 million contacts strong.
About 200 students, faculty, staff and community members packed Martin Greeting Hall inside the Campus Center for the watch party. They snacked on food from Korean restaurant Mashita, noshed from a mac ’n’ cheese bar, sipped mocktails from Merge Coffee Roasters, and indulged in treats from BMC Bakes, Pioneer Catering, and PrePOPsterous Gourmet Popcorn.
Eventgoers, many of whom were dressed to impress, posed on the blue carpet and snapped pictures at a photo booth.
Seven lucky raffle winners went home with a one-of-a-kind Herm lion head, each painted in the likeness of a DEI club or organization: Asian/Pacific Islander Student Alliance, Black Student Alliance, International Student Organization, Latinx Student Association, Queer Student Alliance, Disability Students Alliance, and the Office of DEI.
The event began with a performance from the EMU pep band, who stormed the stage playing Celebrate! and loosened up the crowd.
The EMU Gospel Choir, led by Kay Pettus and accompanied by Professor David Berry on piano, performed “Grateful” by Hezekiah Walker and “He Has Marvelous Things” by Pastor LaRue F. Kidd. Members of the gospel choir are: Reah Clymer, Marciella Shallomita, Laurel Evans, Genesis Figueroa, Canyon Penner, Jacob Nissley, Alaiyis Jasper, Philip Krabill and Micah Mast.
Members of the Latinx Student Alliance, Cristal Narciso, Belen Hernandez, Edwin Rios, and Emily Diaz, instructed the crowd in bachata dance lessons.
EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman shared in her remarks the progress the university has made in its DEI journey. In 2017, 25 percent of first-year students at EMU identified as persons of color. In 2024, that figure has risen to 44 percent of first-year students. Other steps forward include: the hiring of Dr. Jackie Font-Guzmán in 2021 as the inaugural vice president for DEI, making DEI an essential part of onboarding for EMU faculty and staff, and putting inclusivity at the center of EMU’s five-year strategic plan Pathways of Promise. Huxman said the producers of the Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid series were motivated to “find the gems” where DEI has taken root in positive ways and chose EMU as a shining example.
Keynote speakers and EMU alumni Christian Parks ’16, Akiel Baker ’21 and admissions counselor Merry Yirga ’23 shared their experiences of being students of color at EMU, a predominantly white institution, and how they’ve seen the school grow in its commitment to justice and equity over the years. They spoke about the creation of the Office of DEI and the Black Student Alliance and thanked all the people who paved the way for progress at EMU.
Showtime!
Award-winning actor Billy Porter greeted those attending the event with a video message promoting love, grace and compassion.
Next, it was Quaid’s turn to appear on screen. From a high-rise overlooking the Los Angeles skyline, the movie star introduced the topic of diversity.
“While we’ve made great strides, there’s always room for improvement,” Quaid says in the opening. “Advocates who are steadfast in their mission for inclusion can be found in just about every industry, as we’re about to see.”
The video features shots of students on campus and interviews with President Huxman, Font-Guzmán and alumnus DeVantae Dews ’19.
Before hanging up the microphone, Hoover announced that Font-Guzmán had been named the 2024 Diversity Business Leadership Award by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce.
Crowd Reactions
As she took in the night of celebration, Font-Guzmán said it was time to “go back and continue the hard work” to make EMU “the most inclusive university in the world.”
“We’re not there yet,” she said. “I know that not every single person here feels welcome and a sense of belonging, and every day we move closer to fulfilling our aspirations.”
After watching the video, Amy Knorr, the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding’s (CJP) practice director, said it was wonderful to tell EMU’s story to a new audience. “It’s exactly what EMU needs at this point in time to bring us all together and celebrate,” she said.
Over by the banquet tables, EMU junior Allie Smith eyed the line for the mac ’n’ cheese bar. Smith, who played in the pep band and appeared in the Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid video playing the bongos, said she was “stoked” to see EMU highlighted. “I think we’re well on our way in our DEI journey,” she said. “I think we’re making great strides, and I think this video is one big step toward that.”
Desmoné Logan, a DEI inclusive excellence student leader and a committee member who helped plan the premiere, remarked on the momentous occasion: “This is like the birth of a new baby. It is something we would’ve never imagined two years ago.”
Taking a break from the dance floor, graduate student and gospel choir member Philip Krabill said watching the episode gave him a sense of pride in attending EMU: “Seeing all that we do in that video, I’m thinking, ‘Yeah, I guess we really are making progress, trying to make changes and make a place for everyone to feel welcome.’”
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the committee whose creativity and vision brought this event to life, including: Jennifer Sodikoff of Contemplate Marketing, Jackie Font-Guzmán, Dawn Neil, Monica Pangle, Tyler Goss, Nicole Litwiller, Deanna Reed, Braydon Hoover, Jen Kulju, Macson McGuigan, Margaux Jacks, Virginia Zelaya, Mike Ramer, Andrea Troyer, Sarah Wittig, Celeste Thomas, Shannon Grinnan, Chris Sharp, Adesola Johnson, Desmoné Logan, Chris Neil, Daniel King, Henry Bowser, Anne Cornelius, Allie Watkins and Kate Landis.
Gratitude also goes out to the generous folks who underwrote the event, including Steve and Tracey Mullet, Brad Driver and Stacy Jennings, and others who wish to remain anonymous.
This is wonderful publicity!