Windsock

7th Grade Update: Week 4.5

Dear Seventh Grade Parents,

Each day is filled with surprises.  In math we had a couple of pop quizzes. We just finished learning about algebraic equations, and had a test on it. We had problems like these:

Q. T*T*T*T*Y=
A. T4 *Y
  Or
Q. T3*X2*Y2=
A. T*T*T*X*X*Y*Y
Some of it was a little confusing but we got through it together. Now, we are studying geometry in three dimensions. We have to imagine what the top, front, bottom, right, and left views look like.

In science we are studying about genes. In class we got to make paper pets and decide what types of traits that they had. Everybody (hopefully) is starting to work on their science projects due in October.

In gym we had the.. pacer. The pacer is when you have you run across the gym slowly at first then; you have to run faster and faster. Everybody did a great job!

Canaan, Israelites, Mt. Sinan, and Joseph. Do these terms sound familiar? We are talking about the Israelites in social studies and how God told Moses to "Let my people go!"
In Bible class,  we are studying the book of Acts. We have read many amazing and exciting stories about Jesus' followers. We had a test on September 21.

We had some other events happening too. The girls went to the Blessed Sacrament soup kitchen in Harrisonburg last week. We had a blast! We did jobs such as chopping vegetables (YUM!!!), wrapping muffins, and tearing up pieces of chicken. We chopped very strong onions which made people cry across the room!

In chapel we are talking about peace around the world which relates to our theme," Building Bridges."

In language arts we made peace pinwheels. We put them up right across the Rite Aid store in the shape of a peace sign this past Friday. Everybody's pinwheels look good! It's been a great school year so far!

- Jenny Bolander

Tutu Speaks at JMU

I am sitting at the press conference in a plastic folding chair, next to a large sign with the Gandhi Center Logo on it. It is overcast and many are concerned about the rain. I see a black sedan pull up, and a slightly hunched figure in the back seat, flanked by several escorts. He is wearing a rumpled cap and through a gap in his jacket, I can see a large, Anglican cross. This was the first time I ever laid eyes on Desmond Tutu, the famous and influential Noble Prize winner, whose brave actions led to the end of Apartheid.

He is old, but he moves a speaks with an energy that you would hardly expect from someone of his age. He retains a sense of humor, comparing himself at this press conference to "a lamb before slaughter." He spoke about "the world's deep hunger for peace," and praised the Gandhi Center for not giving up on human beings and their common sense of decency. He commented on inter-faith peace, saying that he could think of no faith that "promotes war, that promotes injustice and oppression." he also said that religion itself is morally neutral, and its adherents are what make faith good or bad.

On the subject of peacemaking in general he had this to say; "Frequently, it is not what people say; it could be a gesture or a smile...I have considerable faith in humans and we should not discount every little victory...soon like it is the sea, made up of little drops of water."

On the subject of AIDS in Africa, he said, "I think the gains we have made could be easily subverted by AIDS."

His speech was full of humor, and teachings that were targeted at peacemakers and Christians. He asserted that this is indeed a moral universe and that goodness and virtue do indeed win out over evil. He cites the recent struggle for supremacy of General Musharaff in Pakistan, and the crumbling of his power base, even lowering himself to the point of trying to negotiate with the very people he overthrew. He mentioned Milosevic, who was powerful, but eventually was tried before the Hague, a broken man. Archbishop Tutu called these men and others like them "the flotsam and jetsam of history." He closed by saying, "We are indeed made for goodness, for laughter, for gentleness, for caring, for sharing, for compassion, for we do indeed inhabit a moral universe and, yes, goodness is powerful."

- Joe Phillips

Peace Pole Placement

"May Peace Prevail on Earth." That is the slogan which is rerpeated in nine languages upon the many faces of EMHS's new peace pole. Peace poles, which were the brain child of Masahisa Goi, have been placed in over 200,000 locations in 180 countries by such figures as former president Jimmy Carter, The Dalai Lama, and Mother Teresa. September 21st is recognized as national Peace Day, and EMHS celebrated right along.

In chapel we had nine EMHS students stand up and recite, in their own language, one of the pole's readings. This included French (freshman Christophe Languet), Spanish (8th grader Kaitlin Torres), Swahili (junior Jenny Leaman) and others. The pole was then carried outside and placed in front of the school. Mr. Hartzler then led us in a song and we were dismissed to our 2nd period classes.

As I entered the building and saw all my classmates laughing and smiling, I was reminded that every day can be Peace Day if that's what you want. All it takes is a Christ-like attitude and an open heart.

- Mikey Cranston (Photo by Helen Furry)

Lofton, Zook Lead EMHS Cross Country

On Tuesday, under a scorching hot sun, EMHS's cross country teams met at Peak View Elementary to run a very difficult 3-mile course against Blue Ridge Christian School, Roanoke Catholic, and United Christian. (Left: Aaron heading down the home stretch)

The girls led off with a 4:30 start, and sophomore Kara Lofton leaped out to a lead she would never relinquish. Lofton hammered the competition, leading wire-to-wire, and finishing in 22:13, just a tiny nine seconds off the school course record, set by Rachel Clemmer in 2003. Freshman Leah Moore was the next runner to cross the finish line, in an excellent time of 23:12. Both Kara and Leah joined the "sub-24 club" for girls. Eighth grader Kristi Miller was 5th overall, as she came in with a time of 28:17. Overall, the girls finished second to Roanoke Catholic, 47-42. 

The boys took off next. Junior Aaron Zook cruised to a 2nd place finish, in 18:06, 35 seconds behind a Roanoke Catholic runner. Junior Matt Layman took home third place with a time of 19:26, as he won a full-out sprint down the home stretch against a Roanoke runner, who was having issues keeping all his lunch intact. Junior Joe Bender was the third EMHS runner to finish, 11th overall, in a time of 22:17.  The guys finished second to Roanoke Catholic, 55-23. Blue Ridge finished third with 66 points, and United Christian was fourth with 109.

Given the very difficult conditions, the runners had, predictably, one thought after the race: the heat. Leah first said, "It was really hot." Junior Maria Martin agreed, adding, "It's bad."  Aaron said just three words: "Very, very hot."  Later, Aaron gave some props to the victors, saying, "Roanoke Catholic is a very good team."

The big story of the day was Kara's close call with the school record, even though it was her first time running the course. "I didn't know where I was going," she said. At one intersection, she said, "I guessed, and I took the right [path]."  So why punish herself on such a hot day? "I like running cross country, because I don't look like a cross country runner," she said. "I like demolishing stereotypes."  It would seem like Rachel's school record isn't long for this world, since the next time Kara runs the conditions will most likely be more conducive to running.  (See the entry just below to see video of Kara finishing the race)

Final Standings for EMHS runners:

Girls:                                                                            Boys:

1. Kara Lofton: 22:23                                            2. Aaron Zook: 18:06
2. Leah Moore: 23:12                                            3. Matt Layman: 19:26
5. Kristi Miller: 28:17                                          11. Joe Bender: 22:17   
10. Maria Martin: 30:47                                      14. James Souder: 24:46
13. Hannah Stoltzfus: 32:30                                26. Matt Lind: 28:09
17. Ruth Hampton: 37:43
22. Gennie Kirk: 42:20
23. Mary Bender: 42:30
24. Rachel Pleasant: 42:49

- Special Correspondent Mr. Leonard (Picture by Philip Yoder)

Kara's Win

Soccer Holds Off Woodberry

EMHS boy's varsity soccer team pulled off a win in what Coach Kendal Bauman called a "big non-conference game" against rival Woodberry Forest at home last Friday. Goals by seniors Lucas Shrock-Hurst and Mitchell Leap gave the Flames a 2-0 lead, and though Woodberyy managed to score, they were unable to mount a comeback. With the 2-1 victory, EMHS's record improved to 7-2-1. (To the left: Bryce and Zach in an earlier game)

Eastern Mennonite played well against Woodberry Forest last year, but Coach Bauman said he knew going into the game that Woodberry had improved. While Coach Bauman was "a little disappointed" that EMHS couldn't manage a shutout, he said he was very pleased with the team's performance on the whole. Several players expressed similar sentiments; Leap said that the Flames "Could have won more comfortably," but that the team was happy with the victory all the same.

Injuries plagued the Flames earlier in the season, but Coach Bauman feels his team came out of the Menno Classic strong and is optimistic about the rest of the year. The team has three games in the coming week, including an away game against Fishburne, a home game against Miller, and a much anticipated rematch with St. Christopher's High School.

Do the Rot Thing: Composting

Last year two seniors, David Jost and Nathan Hershberger, developed an interesting proposal. They wanted to see if the school would start composting the uneaten food from lunch, instead of throwing it away. The proposal hit several red lights and did not go through.

Nathan said that they had talked to Paul Leaman and Eunice Kratz, our food services director, about composting. Mr. Leaman was cautiously supportive, but wondered about the management, odor, and vermin. Mrs. Kratz said she could put a bin up and label it for composting. Nearing the end of the year Dustin Crummett, our SCO President, promised to get the school involved in composting.

At the beginning of this year the SCO began discussing plans for composting. Concerns had come up about vermin the management and accountability of a compost pile. According to Rose Jantzi the SCO wants to start with smaller projects first, such as recycling.

         One idea that arose as another method of food disposal was feeding a piglet with the food scraps. This would help a piglet grow and when it was older it could be butchered to possibly make some money. Composting could generate some money if it was sold, or it could be used as an alternative for mulch.

Some students, like Nathan, have decided to take their own composting measures. He has suggested using compost tumblers at EMHS, but until then he might take the food scraps home for his family’s pigs.

        Eric Bendfeldt, an Area Specialist for Community Viability, has done work in the past with composting and has agreed to help our school with the composting proposal. He said there are several concerns that could be eliminated through efficient composting and management, such as flies, odor, vermin and feral dogs.

       Each day the fruits and vegetables could be collected and added to more mature compost, which could be purchased locally. They could then be mixed in and covered by sawdust from the Tech Ed classes, which would eliminate the odor and stop animals from coming.

       We would need an appropriate site and supplies for the compost pile. Compost requires a slight slope so rainwater will not collect around it. The supplies necessary would be bins, made by wood or chicken wire, mature compost, a pitchfork and scoop, and sawdust. Once we found a site the supplies would be fairly easy to come by, according to Eric Bendfeldt.

International Festival on Saturday

On Saturday, September 29 around 6,400 people are expected to attend Hillandale Park's International Festival, an event that begins at 12:00 noon and ends at 6 pm. People gather at Hillandale to enjoy singing, dancing, music, crafts, storytelling, shopping, eating and celebrating the ethnic diversity of Harrisonburg. The International Festival is a community orientated, volunteer run, non-profit event that has taken place at Hillandale Park for the last eight years, according to the event's website "rain or shine."  Last year not even damp and drizzling weather was enough to keep away an enthusiastic umbrella wielding crowd. Several EMHS students attended. (Left: Jennifer working on some tasty treats in Ethnic Foods class)

This year, EMHS will be involved in the activities in a more material way. Mrs. Bender's ethnic food class is providing Mexican wedding cake, Eastern European ruglach (rolled cookies), and Chinese almond cookies to be sold by New Bridges, a group that works with resettling immigrants.

Mrs. Bender describes the event as "a really worthwhile way to connect with the community" and encourages students to check it out.

Welcome (Again) to Mrs. Roth

Some may not know that our new government teacher, Shannon Roth, actually taught at EMHS before this year. Along with her heavy and stressful schedule of college homework, huge papers, a job as a pastoral assistant, as well as the everyday challenges of life, Mrs. Roth decided to increase her teaching experience by teaching part-time at EMHS. Last year she taught freshmen United States History for one period of the day. This may not sound like much, but coupled with her already hectic schedule, managing her time became very difficult. At one point she would start her day with morning classes at EMU, after which she would get something to eat, change clothes and then run to teach at EMHS. When she had finished teaching she would run back to her house, change clothes again and then finish her day with evening classes.

Mrs. Roth was born into a Mennonite family in Iowa, but moved while she was a young age to Virginia so that her father could teach at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. She was then raised in Harrisonburg and attended elementary and middle school in the area. She then went on to high school at EMHS and graduated to attend EMU. All throughout school she thought she would become a minister or work in some other church related job, like her dad, but she majored in teaching since EMU had no church leadership related major. When she graduated she decided that she would like to become a teacher after all and her first major experience with teaching was being a student teacher at Turner Ashby. She then taught part-time at EMHS to help out Jim Rush, who was about to retire. She was later given the opportunity to choose between teaching World History at Turner Ashby or Government at EMHS full-time. Even though the pay at Turner Ashby was better she decided to teach at EMHS, because she enjoyed Government more and liked the idea of teaching at a Christian school.

Her hobbies include watching sports, as she often did with her father when she was little, and reading casually or for educational purposes.  Her mother works at RMH and Mrs. Roth recently just got married.

7th Grade Update: Week Four

                                  

This week has been relatively normal. We've been preparing for a guitar class presentation, a drama class play, and the Bible girls have been working in a soup kitchen while the Bible guys dug a hole for the peace pole (see below paragraph for more info on the peace pole). Drama class has been hard at work preparing the play which we will put on for the seventh graders, sixth graders, and the elementary school. Guitar class will put on a presentation for the sixth graders, seventh graders, and the elementary school as well. It has been reported to me by Katie Martin that when the seventh grade ladies worked in the soup kitchen, they cried the whole time...but only because they were chopping onions.

During the past week, 7th graders have been focusing on the subject of peace. To help get us more into International Day of Peace, we have had Mrs. Nafziger come in and talk to us about building bridges of peace amongst ourselves. Also, this past week, in preparation for peace day, we have all made pinwheels. We wrote on each of them our ideas, hopes and prayers for America, the world, and even just our school. We will display these outside the school to show our support and passion for peace. This day is very important to our school body, because throughout this war we have remained trying to obtain peace for not only America and Iraq, but for ourselves. Each one of us has a battle raging inside of us, but the only battle we believe should be fought, is the battle for peace. We base this off of the seventh grade quote for the week, which is, "Peace is the only battle worth waging." -Albert Camus. Through peace day, we are hoping to make the public aware of our struggle for tranquility and harmony. Not only do we hope, but we pray, and God is on our side...

Well, that basically sums up our week. Thank you,

  Stephanie Anders, Katie Martin, Hannah Pellegrino, and Lydia Stoll

Mary with her finished product