Jim Bishop: Lordy, Lordy, This Commencement is Number 40!

Jim Bishop

The pomp and circumstance will soon be under way. President Loren Swartzendruber will acknowledge the 451 members of the Eastern Mennonite University graduating class of 2011 and invite them to begin coming forward to receive their hard-earned degrees. Hopefully, the weather tomorrow, May 1, will allow the pageantry to take place outdoors, on center campus,…

Ken Plum: Your attorney general at work

Ken Plum

In my round of community meetings several months ago I found that the most-mentioned statewide official in Virginia was Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. As the third position on the ballot of statewide elected officials the position and the person occupying it have in the past received little attention. Few were the number of Virginians over…

Larranaga leaves Mason to take job at Miami

Contributors

George Mason head men’s basketball coach Jim Larranaga has resigned to accept the same position at the University of Miami, assistant vice president/director of athletics Tom O’Connor announced Friday. “After continuing discussions with me and the University, Coach Larranaga has decided to pursue the opportunity at Miami,” said O’Connor. “On behalf of the University community,…

EMU sustainability video wins award

Contributors

Eastern Mennonite University has been honored as a winner of the National Wildlife Federation’s annual competition “Chill Out: Climate Action on Campus.” This award program recognizes U.S. schools that are designing and implementing creative approaches to advance sustainability on campuses. EMU is one of six winning schools that were chosen from a national pool of…

EMU alumna in national spotlight on immigration issue

Contributors

Isabel Castillo, a 2007 Eastern Mennonite University graduate, has become a nationally recognized spokesperson for the plight of undocumented young people in the United States. Castillo was featured in a Feb. 20, 2011, New York Times article, “Dream Act Advocate Turns Failure into Hope.” This publicity led Jesuit-run University of San Francisco to invite her…

Marirose Pratt: A cleaner energy future

Contributors

It’s been just a year since the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Rather than focus on enacting much needed safety and environmental reforms, Rep. Goodlatte wants to open Virginia’s waters to drilling, as if last year never happened (“Goodlatte bill would push offshore drilling off Virginia waters,” April 6, 2011). The notion that…

VCU researchers’ study finds major U.S. newspapers are warming up to Wikipedia

Contributors

Major newspapers in the United States are referencing Wikipedia more often and framing the online encyclopedia more positively in stories, according to a study by a pair of faculty researchers in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Mass Communications. In the study, published in the April issue of “Journalism Practice,” researchers analyzed the framing of…

Smart to stay at VCU: Agrees to eight-year extension

Contributors

Virginia Commonwealth University officials announced today that head men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart has agreed in principle to an eight-year contract. The agreement comes on the heels of VCU’s historic appearance in the Final Four of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. “Coach Smart’s contributions to the university are unquantifiable,” said VCU President Michael Rao. “His character,…

Harrisonburg Chamber hosts Military Support Fair

Contributors

The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce is hosting its second annual Military Support Fair on Wednesday, March 23, from 4-7 p.m. The Fair will be held at the JMU Festival Conference & Student Center located on 1301 Carrier Drive in Harrisonburg.This event is brought to you by the Shenandoah Valley Energy Partnership and JMU Outreach &…