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 EMU’s history.
The event, presented exclusively by Everence, featured live music from the EMU Jazz Collective, hors d’oeuvres from Pioneer College Caterers, beverages from Bluestone Vineyard, and a program honoring the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus as EMU’s first Black president while recognizing the people whose work helped make the historic moment possible.
Braydon Hoover ’11, MAOL ’21, vice president of enrollment and marketing, and Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president for academic affairs, reflected on EMU’s history and vision. In what Hoover called “the most fabulous Friday night Eastern Mennonite University has ever seen,” the gala kicked off a weekend that “gives new meaning to the ‘Shannon’doah Valley.”
EMU made history in 1948 when it became the first historically white college in Virginia to admit Black students, Hoover said.
“And we get to make history again,” Willingham added, “as we inaugurate the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus as EMU’s first Black president.”
Hoover and Willingham emphasized the importance of preserving EMU’s identity while embracing change.
“We can make sure that the next generation inherits an EMU rooted enough to know who we are, courageous enough to keep becoming, and welcoming enough that everyone who arrives here knows that they belong,” Willingham said.
Sharon Salinas Morales, an MA in education student, shared the story of her journey from Managua, Nicaragua, to EMU 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.
“For as long as I can remember, earning my master’s degree was a dream. I carry that dream close to my heart. Today, I’m thrilled to say that I’m almost there,” said Salinas Morales, who expects to graduate in May.
Nathan Leopard, who joined EMU as vice president for advancement this summer, recalled seeing in Dycus a conviction that the university’s values should remain central to its future.
“I 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,” he said. “And I wanted to be a part of that.”
President Dycus invited guests to embrace the joy of the historic occasion and recognize the generations of people who made it possible.
“I think about all the people who have loved EMU,” she said, “who 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.”
“Tonight we celebrate,” she said. “So 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, ‘I am grateful that we are here, that we are present, and that there is joy in this room.’”
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 EMU in 2019.
Miller acknowledged the challenges and responsibilities that come with leading a university.
“Being president is an extraordinary privilege, but it’s also hard work,” he said. “The hours are long, the decisions are complicated, and everyone has an opinion. It’s just like church but with a few more committees. We’re not expecting miracles, but we’re expecting excellence, because we know what you’re capable of.”
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