Eastern Mennonite School - Shenandoah Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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1975 SHENANDOAH BOOK I VOLUME XXIX EASTERN MENNONITE COLLEGE HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA Did you ever read about a frog that dreamed of being a king, and then became one? But then he discovered that he was no longer a frog. He was lost and didn't like the song of being alone. He shouted to the air and not even the chairs took notice. His jump was too big. He had no way to measure himself. Such inability to find the way, could happen to a kid who dreams of being a college student, and then becomes one. But it's not terribly likely here at this college, here in the eternal security of the Shenandoah hills. (If that frog had been a Mennonite, would he have lost himself so easily?) Most of us here have plenty of things by which to measure ourselves and remember who we are. Here's an illustration by parable. PARABLE: We have a room at home, used little enough that a few pencil markings on the door frame don't matter. Once or twice a year my father would take each of us children there, stand us flat against the frame and level a book on our heads. Then we'd gently creep out from under the book while he held it steady and made a mark along its edge. When I was small. I'd lift my chin slightly, trying to raise the crown of my head. But later as I grew taller than my friends. I'd shrink under the weight of the book. It was the book that determined my height. Daddy judged the book and marked my growing progress. MORAL: We Mennonites and evangelicals are pretty lucky. There's always that book to measure by. Even for those of us who don't believe in it, the book is always there to return the echo of our infant shouts, to give a sense of direction. The point is, we have a traditional past by which to measure ourselves. College contains a multitude of measurements. PARABLE: For one of my courses: (1) I read and digested for personal benefit, discussion, and quizzes, the entire list of books on page two of the syllabus. (2) I prepared a 2000 word term paper (6 to 8 pages, typewritten, double-spaced, with bibliography and footnotes) on an approved topic of my own choosing. I turned it in by November 15. (3) My course grade was compiled of term paper (1 3), objective tests (1 3), essay questions (1 6), atten- dance and final exam (1 6). MORAL: I kept myself busy. I took notes and did my paper according to what I thought my professor wanted. I got a redeeming grade, according to the academic plan of student salvation. And so we measure ourselves. We measure ourselves by our spiritual expression. See page 94. We measure ourselves by how busy we are. Turn to page 102 for that. What happens when you take some of the buildings and places around campus and use them as objects of fantasy. That might be a little hard to measure. See page 106. And so here it is folks, another yearbook. In pictures and words another record of the way we were. 2 • PRELUDE