A prank involving free coffee, stereotypes about students at Harrisonburg’s two colleges, a reflection on Armistice Day, and the value of singing well—these are the stories revisited in this week’s trip through the archives.
This entertaining profile of Hall of Honor baseball player Maven Huffman ’99, who became a middle school teacher and won a World Wrestling Federation contract through MTV’s Tough Enough reality show, recalls a prank he pulled as a student.
One fall afternoon in 1998, Huffman posted a sign inviting patrons of the campus snack shop to enjoy coffee “on the house” and watched as “faculty and staff in search of stimulation streamed in from all over.”
This article captures the reactions of Eastern Mennonite students taking courses at then-Madison College, their opinions on the differences—or similarities—between professors at the two schools, and some of the misconceptions students had about each college.
“They’re really curious about what EMC is like, and what makes it different,” Sharon Kratz said of Madison students. “They thought maybe some of the people here were a little weird.”
When these words were written in 1951, the Korean War was raging, even as Americans commemorated the armistice that ended fighting in World War I.
“We are seeking to gain peace through diplomacy and peace talks, but at the same time we are planting ill will, hoping to reap friendship,” the column reads.
This seems like the perfect time to remind everyone that the annual Gala Concert, one of the most anticipated events of the year for our campus community, returns to Lehman Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13.
This year’s concert, themed “Dream,” features the award-winning classical, jazz, and pop fusion trio The String Queens performing with the EMU Jam Collective; Ola Gjeilo’s beautiful “Sunrise Mass,” performed by the EMU University Choir; and the EMU Wind Ensemble performing David Maslanka’s “Give Us This Day: Short Symphony for Wind Ensemble.”
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