{"id":29645,"date":"2016-08-31T12:50:42","date_gmt":"2016-08-31T16:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=29645"},"modified":"2017-03-23T14:39:43","modified_gmt":"2017-03-23T18:39:43","slug":"convocation-traditional-shenandoah-welcome-kick-off-new-academic-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2016\/convocation-traditional-shenandoah-welcome-kick-off-new-academic-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Convocation and traditional ‘Shenandoah Welcome’ kick off new academic year"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the greeting of \u201cHappy new year!\u201d from Provost Fred Kniss, an address from Interim President Lee Snyder and a traditional \u201cShenandoah Welcome,\u201d Eastern Mennonite University\u2019s 2016-2017 academic year made its debut Wednesday at opening convocation in a filled Lehman Auditorium.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor each of us\u2014student, faculty or staff person\u2014this marks the beginning of another chapter in a longer story,\u201d said Snyder, who is serving for six months during the transition from former President Loren Swartzendruber to President-elect Susan Schultz Huxman, who will take office Jan. 1.<\/p>\n

\"20160831-Convocation<\/a>
The Europe cross-cultural group, led by Professor Justin Poole and his wife Amanda, receives the blessing of Brian Martin Burkholder, campus chaplain. Andy Miller, director of cross-culturals, is at the podium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSometimes you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going, but the only way you\u2019ll find out is if you get going,\u201d Snyder said, quoting former Poet Laureate Rita Dove. \u201cSo this morning we get going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Snyder, who served as president of Bluffton University and as a vice president, dean and professor at EMU before retirement, examined the concepts of \u201cChange, Hope and Promise\u201d as three forces influencing the experience of the year ahead. She drew on the words of the prophet Jeremiah, who told the Hebrew people in exile that God had \u201cplans to give you hope and a future.\u201d (29:11, NIV)<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a community, we are part of an overarching narrative of the love of Jesus, and the end of that story is one of courage, grace and humbly walking together as we discover God\u2019s purpose for our lives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Kniss welcomed approximately 283 new students, including first-year and transfers, to campus with the accompaniment of a big round of applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are joining a community of learning that has been on the move for nearly 100 years,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is an exciting place to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kniss noted this year\u2019s academic focus on the unequal access to clean water, which will be explored through the Common Read text<\/a>\u2014\u201cMemory of Water\u201d by Emmi It\u00e4ranta\u2014as well as through visiting speakers and other events.<\/p>\n

\"20160831-Convocation<\/a>
New students, staff and faculty march through a tunnel of greeters to bluegrass music in EMU’s traditional “Shenandoah Welcome,” a ritual of each new academic year.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The celebratory tone of the convocation paused for a moment of remembrance for Sarah Armstrong, director of the MA in Education program, who died unexpectedly on Aug. 24.<\/p>\n

Other features of the program included an invocation from David Evans, assistant professor of history and mission; a send-off for a group of students doing a cross-cultural program in Central Europe this fall; greetings from Student Government Association co-presidents Quinn Kathrineberg and Elisabeth Wilder; and robust congregational singing.<\/p>\n

The music spilled out of the auditorium at the conclusion of the convocation when new students, faculty and staff were blessed with EMU\u2019s Shenandoah Welcome, exiting through a gauntlet of clapping and smiles backed by traditional Appalachian bluegrass music.<\/p>\n