Mennonite Weekly Review

HARRISONBURG, Va. — “Community” at Eastern Mennonite University? Some may say, “We talk about it all the time, but do we really practice it?” or, “You’ll experience it if you’ve got Mennonite connections.”

Members of Selah House intentional community, from left, Grace Schrock-Hurst of Harrisonburg, Miriam Meneses of Earlysville, Chris Esh of Philadelphia, Matt Ropp of Iowa City, Iowa, and Abigail Spurrier of State College, Pa., prepare to enjoy a Moroccan meal made by Spurrier, who went on EMU’s cross-cultural seminar to Spain and Morocco last fall. — Photo by Jim Bishop/EMU

But for many of the school’s 1,500-plus members, the spirit of community pulsates through the campus — and beyond.

Community “is very present in the classrooms,” said Anna Engle, a sophomore from Streetsboro, Ohio. “Faculty care about your lives and share about theirs as well.”

Engle recalls a professor lecturing about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and “he showed a picture of his adopted daughter, who has it. That was very emotionally moving for me.

“One of my professors prays before administering tests and another prays at the beginning of class. For a girl who attended public school, this is the core of community: sharing an interest in faith.”

Other students echo the “relationships” thread that weaves through the fabric of EMU, especially through professors who make themselves available both inside and beyond the classroom.

Jenny Hochstetler, a junior from Iowa City, Iowa, said: “I value and cherish the times that I’ve gone walking with undergraduate academic dean Marie S. Morris, called [justice, peace and conflict studies] assistant professor Gloria Rhodes repeatedly for advice, lost track of time in psychology professor Judy H. Mullet’s office or had tea and scones at language and literature professor Marti Ead’s house. They have made my college experience richer, to be sure.”

Doug Wandersee, assistant director of student programs, says the student-run Common Grounds Coffeehouse offers many examples of community.

“At its most passive, Common Grounds is a place for all to gather safely to connect, share and relax,” he said. “At its most active, discussions, concerts, panels and films bring the community together and allow them to share and contribute in a common experience.”

Intentional community