Common Questions And Answers

Question:

How have you experienced spiritual growth at EMU?

Answer:

EMU provides great opportunities for spiritual growth. For one thing, being on my own and away from home for the first time allowed me to really examine what I truly believed in, especially when I was living with people who did not necessarily share the same beliefs as I did. The environment alone here provides a place to grow and develop your personal faith. People from different denominations, cultures and backgrounds bring with them different values and beliefs, and allowing yourself to be open to discussing new ideas with other people presents a chance to grow and expand in your spiritual life.

EMU does a great job of fostering faith development in its students. Chapel happens twice a week, offering speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds and faiths to speak to students about their personal experiences and more. Also, students are required to take a certain number of Bible classes, which can be geared toward the “beginner” who may have a lot of questions about what they believe in, to those who want to spend time digging deeper into their faith. In all, EMU is a great place to learn, grow and develop, spiritually and academically.

–Hannah

Question:

What are the benefits of attending a Christian university?

Answer:

The benefits of attending EMU, a Christian university, are a strong Christian community in the classroom and a strong Christian living community. EMU is unique in that you can incorporate discussions of faith in every content area classroom and you connect faith to current issues. Professors also incorporate their faith in their teaching. They always welcome student/teacher interaction and care for students as a whole individual and not just a name and grade. The same goes for the wider EMU community. Sporting events, campus activities, hall communities, and personal interactions all reflect the Christian witness of the university.

–Shannon

Question:

Hi!
My name is April and I wanted to ask if you were going to go to grad. school at EMU

Answer:

I am so glad that you asked that. I am actually not sure what I am going to do after I graduate from EMU. That is the reason that I chose to double major in both Social Work and Psychology. A degree in Social Work is very marketable without going to grad school, so I would not neccessarily have to go to grad school right away. If I wanted to do something more in the Pscyhology field, I would have to go to grad school. Either way, grad school or not, I know that I will be well prepared for the future because of the education that I recieved from EMU!

–Lara

Question:

hi! I’m studing my first year at university, and I would like to come to EMU to have a new expirience and play softball and by the way learn english! well, I feel a little bit weird talking to someone I have no idea who it is, maybe this is the magical of internet! jeje
I would like to know how is a day in EMU, I mean, what do you do.. in the afternoons, in the morning, how is live there.. and other thing that worries me is how present is the religion, because I’m a non-practition catholy.
well, thanks very much to spend your time “listening” me and I hope you anser me! and sorry for my english! have a nice day!!

Answer:

Hi Mariona!

Nice to hear from you! A typical day at EMU is really whatever you choose to make it into. EMU is located in a beautiful area, there are lots of opportunities for outdoor sports year round from hiking to skiing. You choose your adventure. The City of Harrisonburg where EMU is located also has a lot to offer students. Downtown Harrisonburg has lots of unique shops and boutiques to explore. On campus there are always interesting speakers and events ranging from foriegn film series to bands playing late night at the coffee house.

There is a very strong international community here at EMU and it’s not hard to find people to relate to from around the world. The Intensive English Program has some excellant instructors that I have really enjoyed working with when tutoring students, they are really a fun bunch of people! Since EMU is a Mennonite University, there certainly are aspects of religion involved in every day life, but only if you choose to participate in them. I have found most International Students don’t have a problem relating to people on campus and don’t feel forced into any religous type activities…it really is whatever you make it :)

Nice to hear from you…Send some of your Barcelona sunshine our way!

-Emily

–Emily

Question:

I was looking at your web site and I wasn’t able to find your staement of faith. Can you send me the your statement of faith of EMU.

Answer:

Hey Myron,
Here is EMU’s Values and mission statement down below but my guess is that you are looking for the beliefs that have brought us to take up our mission. EMU is an institution of the Mennonite Church USA and would hold to the confession of faith that they have established. For a summery of that go to www.mennolink.org/doc/cof/summary.html. If you have an more questions do not hesitate to ask.

Aaron Nussbaum

Our Vision
EMU envisions a learning community marked by academic excellence, creative process, professional competence, and passionate Christian faith, offering healing and hope in our diverse world. To this end, we commit ourselves to:
do justice,
love mercy, and
walk humbly with God.
Our Mission
EMU educates students to live in a global context. Our Anabaptist Christian community challenges students to pursue their life calling through scholarly inquiry, artistic creation, guided practice, and life-changing cross-cultural encounter. We invite each person to experience Christ and follow His call to:
witness faithfully,
serve compassionately, and
walk boldly in the way of nonviolence and peace.
Our Shared Values
EMU instills the enduring values of our Anabaptist tradition in each generation:
Christian discipleship
community,
service, and
peace building.
Together we worship God, seek truth, and care for each other.

–Aaron

Question:

I have decided to go to a Mennonite college, but i haven’t quite decided which one. What makes the EMU experience unique from the other Mennonite colleges?

Answer:

Hey Darin!
I hope that you are having a great year at school! I only just checked my messages since being back at EMU, so I apologize for the delay in my response. I really hope that you plan on visiting the EMU campus because that is what swayed me on my decision between EMU and Goshen. Both offer great academics and programs, but the people at EMU and the oppurtunities that are available here are truly amazing. The diversity of the people here always astounds me. I have people in my classes and on my floor from all over the world. It is great to have a discusion about something that you are reading in a textbook that someone actually experienced first hand. For example, in a history class that I took last year we were discussing genocides that had occurred around the world. We studied the fighting in eastern Europe and there was someone from my class who lived there and could tell us about the genocides that had occurred and how his grandfather had been killed and how his family had to escape. It was so much better than a textbook, and I doubt I would have had that experience anywhere else. It is also nice being such a short drive from DC. Class field trips to the DC area are common, and the city provides many opportunites for learning. Also, the Cross Cultural program at EMU is hard to compete with. Just a week or two ago, a group of students left to spend a semester in South Africa, some of my friends are preparing to head for the Middle East, and I am hoping to go to India next year. There are so many places that you can go! I think it is one of the things that really drew me to EMU! I think by the length of this message you can tell that I think EMU is a great place to learn and grow spiritually, academically, and socially. I hope that you keep EMU on your list of options and that you make time to visit campus! The beauty of the location is emough to make you forget about going anywhere else!
If you have any other questions, let me know!
Lara Gautsche

–Lara