{"id":40845,"date":"2019-01-07T12:20:16","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T17:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=40845"},"modified":"2020-01-06T11:54:09","modified_gmt":"2020-01-06T16:54:09","slug":"top-emu-news-and-editors-picks-of-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2019\/top-emu-news-and-editors-picks-of-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Top EMU News and Editor’s Picks of 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

[CUE MUSIC] [Sound of throat clearing] Me me me …<\/em> [then HUMMING to lyrics] Should auld acquaintance be forgot,<\/em>\/\u00a0And never brought to mind?<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Your EMU editorial staff didn\u2019t actually sing \u201cAuld Lang Syne\u201d while reviewing the 2018 news analytics, but we do hum, sometimes, as we work.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>EMU News blog<\/span> is one of the most-visited pages on the EMU website, with readers coming from all countries in the world but Tonga and French Polynesia; if you know of someone who lives there, encourage them to check us out!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also take a moment to enjoy a list of Top CJP Reads<\/a> about the hard-working folks and grads from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Top Photos of 2018<\/a> is curated by photography and videography manager Andrew Strack<\/b> and recognizes the work of his staff, which includes photographer Macson McGuigan<\/b>, as well as creative director Jon Styer<\/b>.To stay in touch with what\u2019s happening on campus and with our alumni around the world, subscribe<\/a> to our weekly news digest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Pick: Erik Kratz<\/b><\/h3>\n

Erik Kratz \u201902<\/b> had one of his best seasons ever, fans loved him, and the Milwaukee Brewers were just one win short of a World Series appearance. Two articles about Erik on our website attracted 1,167 readers (<\/span>\u201cOpportunity Knocks,\u201d a profile and interview<\/span><\/a>) and 1,227 readers (<\/span>Brewers head to NLCS<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of our coverage here at EMU is, necessarily, on fairly serious subjects and written in a tone that matches. So as a former Valley Baseball League media director who has written extensively about the history and players of the local Rockingham County Baseball League, I found typing away at articles about Erik Kratz, not to mention visiting him in the locker room pre-game at Nationals Park, to be a joy-full kind of homecoming, like slipping on my well-worn baseball glove.<\/span><\/p>\n

Staff Picks<\/b><\/h3>\n

Christopher Clymer Kurtz writes: Often the people I write about leave me feeling inspired. <\/span>Keyri Lopez-Godoy<\/span><\/a>, who graduated last spring, was herself dogged hope even in the face of her uncertain immigration status. The Magal family\u2019s <\/span>global pursuits were built on deep personal connections<\/span><\/a>. And Bev Miller\u2019s deliberate openness about her own struggles as she encourages others to also participate in a <\/span>bipolar disease study<\/span><\/a> is indeed a \u201cgift to the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Top Tweet\"\"<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

The retirement announcement of Professor <\/span>Sandy Brownscombe<\/b>, coach and mentor of teachers, in May 2018, was our Top Tweet of the Year. <\/span><\/p>\n

Top Facebook post<\/b><\/h3>\n

The video of EMU\u2019s 100<\/span>th<\/span> Commencement was our top post. View it here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Top news<\/b><\/h3>\n

1. Memorials to former faculty and staff<\/b><\/h3>\n

Among our many duties here at EMU News is the sacred responsibility of honoring the passing of community members. Well-read articles garnering more than 4,000 cumulative readers memorialized the life and work of Professor Emeritus <\/span>Titus Bender<\/b>, his colleague Professor Emeritus <\/span>Ray Gingerich<\/b>, and<\/span> former director of multicultural services <\/span>Dianne Swann<\/b>. Bender<\/a> and Gingerich<\/a> co-taught a peace and justice studies class that was the precursor to EMU\u2019s undergraduate peace and development major; both of their orbits moved far beyond Harrisonburg.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, Swann did impactful work<\/a> beyond her nine years at EMU, where she was the first<\/span> African American to hold a senior administrative role. She left EMU to become director of African-American and special programs at Monticello. In this role, she co-founded the Getting Word project, which has identified and collected oral histories from descendants of families enslaved at Monticello, and co-authored the official report linking Jefferson to Sally Hemings.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Yoder Scholars<\/b><\/p>\n

Our annual coverage of the <\/span>winners of the Yoder Scholarships<\/span><\/a>, a perennial reader favorite, garnered more than 1,640 views<\/em>. These talented teenagers always have fan clubs!<\/span><\/p>\n

3. The Lehman Family Piano<\/b><\/p>\n

For the first time, an article written by someone other than an EMU staffer broke into the Top Ten with more than 1,545 readers<\/em>. <\/span>Kathleen Weaver Kurtz<\/b>\u2019s article about the Lehman family piano<\/a>, a gift that resides in the President\u2019s Reception Room in the University Commons, is a wonderful chronicle of one family\u2019s love of music and the travails of abiding by church doctrine.\u00a0<\/span>Comments to the posted article contained rich memories from the extended Lehman family and other music lovers: \u201cJust happened to stumble across this story. Glad I did. Something about it hit home. Thanks for sharing<\/em>,\u201d wrote one reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. New Programs<\/b><\/p>\n

Readers were intrigued by the announcement that EMU offers<\/span> five new majors and five new minors<\/span><\/a>, part of ongoing strategies to prepare our students for an ever-changing workforce. (1,472 views<\/em>)<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Big Grants<\/b><\/p>\n

Eastern Mennonite Seminary earned a <\/span>$1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment<\/span><\/a> for a program designed to help pastors build thriving ministries. (1,424 views<\/em>)<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Big Wins<\/b><\/p>\n

Three EMU students teamed up<\/span><\/a> to take first place over 60 other teams from three countries in the annual Kryptos contest, sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Section of the Mathematical Association of America. They solved three puzzles before anyone else and in less than 20 hours \u2013 without pulling an all-nighter. The team consisted of one sophomore and two first-years. We hope they return to contend for a repeat title this year. (1,333 views<\/em>)<\/span><\/p>\n

7. One Fine Pianist<\/b><\/p>\n

Faculty member <\/span>David Berry<\/b> regularly draws standing ovations (and whoops from the balcony from me, I\u2019ll admit \u2013 now you all know who that is up there\u2026) after his performances. <\/span>This profile<\/span><\/a> by Christopher Clymer Kurtz introduced him to the EMU community and no doubt has informed others who wanted to know more about him throughout his first year here. And clearly, pianos have a place in the hearts of EMU readers! (1,074 views<\/em>)<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Donning of the Kente<\/b><\/p>\n

Since <\/span>Celeste Thomas<\/b>, director of multicultural services, started this event three years ago, it\u2019s blossomed into<\/span> a lively and emotion-filled celebration<\/span><\/a>, gathering undergraduate and graduate students with their mentors and family members to recognize their special achievement. It\u2019s also the first time graduates wear their caps, gowns and stoles \u2013 which means some of the beauty of the evening comes from their luminous, dawning joy at the realization of what they have accomplished \u2013 and from the anticipation of where they are headed. (1,057 views<\/em>)<\/span><\/p>\n

All-Time Greatest Hit:<\/b> Mark Loving on \u2018Loving\u2019<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

By far the most viewed article of the last three years (10,000 plus views, averaging more than 30 and as many as 50 views a day<\/em>) is this 2016 profile of then-sophomore <\/span>Mark Loving<\/b>, who graciously shared about the legacy of his great-grandparents, Richard and Mildred Loving. The Virginia couple went to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend their right to marry and live together; their story is dramatized in the fall 2016 release \u201cLoving.\u201d Readership spikes around June 12, known as \u201cLoving Day\u201d in the United States, to commemorate the 1967 ruling by the Supreme Court to disband all anti-miscegenation laws. \u00a0Mark is now a senior and set to graduate this spring.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[CUE MUSIC] [Sound of throat clearing] Me me me … [then HUMMING to lyrics] Should auld acquaintance be forgot,\/\u00a0And never brought to mind? Your EMU editorial staff didn\u2019t actually sing ... read more about Top EMU News and Editor’s Picks of 2018<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40846,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14715,17562,8845,4513],"tags":[],"feature":[17427,17426,17241,17422],"class_list":["post-40845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-life","category-digest","category-emu-at-lancaster","category-student-life","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature","feature-news-landing-page-main-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nTop EMU News and Editor's Picks of 2018 - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2019\/top-emu-news-and-editors-picks-of-2018\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Top EMU News and Editor's Picks of 2018 - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[CUE MUSIC] [Sound of throat clearing] Me me me … [then HUMMING to lyrics] Should auld acquaintance be forgot,\/\u00a0And never brought to mind? 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