'Where To, EMU' Events Coming March 23-24

The public is invited March 23 and 24 to learn about proposed visions for the future of EMU.

The weekend of sharing dreams and visions is the result of a year-long “Micah Think Tank” process, referring to the call in Micah 6:8 to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.” These words, which provide the core of EMU’s vision statement, inspired people to submit proposals for how EMU can fan the flames of creativity and learning that are already happening on campus.

The prophet Micah (Kenton K. Brubaker, professor emeritus of biology) makes the rounds of campus, foretelling the impending Micah Project weekend.
Photo by Jim Bishop

EMU faculty, staff and students, alumni and other people submitted some 32 proposals.

The weekend celebration will include meals together, plenary presentations, panel discussions and poster displays. The presentations are to be collaborative and may take creative forms including music, poetry, visual and performing arts.

The events will begin with summary presentations by C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest entrants and a memorial for Dr. Alharith Abdulhameed Hassan, 56, an alumnus of EMU’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding who was murdered in Iraq in December 2006. This will happen during a chapel service 10 a.m. Friday, Mar. 23 in Lehman Auditorium.

'Doing, loving and walking'

Robb Davis, Ph.D., who works in public health with Freedom From Hunger, will give the opening session, at 7 p.m. on Friday in Strite Auditorium of the Campus Center on the theme, "Who are we? Identity as foundation to ‘doing, loving and walking.’" Davis is former executive secretary of Mennonite Central Committee and has a doctorate in population dynamics from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.

A panel discussion on the proposal, "Venture learning: An alternative process of learning to equip and empower students engaging the world," will follow.

Saturday morning’s plenary session will focus on a proposed Center for studies in the Abrahamic traditions. Such a center would provide a setting where practitioners and scholars belonging to the three Abrahamic faith traditions—Judaism, Islam and Christianity—could collaborate.

“Be faithful, be stewards, be green,” is the theme of Saturday’s second plenary presentation. Participants will discuss how the EMU community encourages one another to consider “the sustainability of our lifestyle in the context of our Anabaptist theology.”

A third plenary will discuss “Making peace and doing justice as disciples of Christ.” The group hopes to bring together people from Mennonite and other Christian universities, institutions, and congregations to wrestle with differing understandings (theologically and in practice) of how Christians practice peace and justice in a diverse world.

A final plenary session will discuss “Sharing the road: The return journey,” and ask how EMU can encourage cross-cultural groups to respond to the collective and personal encounters they have had, translating them into acts of service and education back home.

The events will conclude with the C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest.

The full schedule is available at www.emu.edu/micah. Direct questions to committee staff Kenton K. and Shirley Yoder Brubaker; phone (540) 434-0473 or email shirley.brubaker@emu.edu.

— posted March 14, 2007