Elizabethtown College News 
Back to top 3/31/2005 Durnbaugh Lectures to focus on religion, violence in Africa Religion and violence in Africa will be the topic of this year’s Elizabethtown College Miller will discuss "The Challenge of Being a Peace Church in Africa" at 7:30 p.m., April 14, in Myer Hall’s Susquehanna Room. His presentation will include a collage of photos and a report on the People of Peace Conference organized by the historic peace churches in Nairobi, Kenya, in August 2004. The talk is open to the public free of charge and is presented as part of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies’ annual banquet. Miller served as general secretary of the Church of the Brethren for 10 years and served on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. He was the convener of the planning committee and served as co-moderator for the People of Peace Conference. Established in 1993, the Durnbaugh Lectures at Elizabethtown College honor scholarly efforts by Donald F. and Hedwig T. Durnbaugh to preserve and interpret the history of Anabaptist and Pietist groups. Each year an outstanding scholar is invited to present the lectures on a topic related to Anabaptist and Pietist heritage. Back to top 3/24/2005 Harrisburg Symphony cellist presents concert An Elizabethtown College adjunct faculty member who is principal cellist for the "Music Life Has Taught Us" will feature works by Bach, Schumann, Beethoven, Barber, Brahms and Chopin, and will include selections from Broadway and other popular pieces. Zurfluh will be accompanied by pianist Elizabeth Keller. Zurfluh has been a cellist with the Harrisburg Symphony since 1979. He earned a bachelor of music with distinction from the Eastman School of Music, and a master of music and doctor of musical arts in cello from the Catholic University of America. He has also studied at Meadowmount. Zurfluh frequently performs with Music at Gretna and has performed with the Eastman Philharmonia, the U.S. Air Force Symphony and Strolling Strings, the National Gallery Orchestra, the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, the Washington Chamber Orchestra and the National Theater Orchestra, in venues including Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Academy of Music, Kennedy Center, Berlin Philharmonic Hall and Royal Albert Hall. He is also active playing numerous Broadway show tours. An adjunct assistant professor at Franklin and Marshall College, Zurfluh has taught at Bucknell University, Susquehanna University and for 16 years was on the faculty of the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts. He maintains private studios in Harrisburg and Lancaster and performs on a rare 1730 Testore cello. Back to top 3/21/2005 Productions by theatre dept. and Young Center Elizabethtown College has scheduled two theatrical productions in April. "Small Change Theatre," presented by the theatre department, will feature two plays, both set in Texas, written by James McLure. The shows will be presented at 8 p.m. on April 15 and 16, and at 2 p.m. April 17, in Tempest Theatre. Tickets, which cost $5 for adults and $3 dollars for seniors, children and students, are available by calling the box office at 717-361-1170. "Laundry and Bourbon" will be directed by adjunct faculty member Terri Mastrobuono and will feature a three-woman cast: sophomore theatre major Julie Strickland of Gettysburg as Amy Lee, sophomore theatre and communications major Amanda Brunish of Pottstown as Hattie, and senior theatre and social sciences education major Lindsey Wagner of Shippensburg as Elizabeth. "Lone Star" will be directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Shari Taylor and "Dirk's Exodus, " an historical drama about Dutch Anabaptist martyr Dirk Willems, will be presented by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. Under the direction of former faculty member Gene Ellis, the production will be performed in the Young Center’s Bucher Meetinghouse at 7:30 p.m., April 15 and 16 and at 2 p.m., April 17. Individual tickets are $9, and tickets for groups of 10 or more are $7. All seating is general admission. For ticket information, contact the Young Center at 717-361-1470 or youngctr@etown.edu. Proceeds from the production will support the worldwide peacemaking efforts of Christian Peacemaker Teams, a joint effort of Mennonites and Brethren and Quakers. Set in Holland during the early years of the Protestant Reformation, "Dirk’s Exodus" tells the story of Willems’ escape from prison, his decision to turn back and rescue the warden who pursued him, and his subsequent capture and execution. Choral music is juxtaposed with scenes in which Willems, the inquisitor sent by Philip II, his children, and the warden and his wife face the moral choices and sacrifices of the day. "Dirk’s bold act of expressing love to his enemy has made him an all-time hero among Anabaptist groups of North America," said Donald B. Kraybill, Distinguished College Professor and Senior Fellow in the Young Center. Written by James C. Juhnke, Young Center Fellow and retired professor of history at Bethel College, the full-length play won second place in a competition sponsored by the Association of Kansas Theatre and was published in "Four Class Acts" in 1992. Back to top 3/17/2005 Dashboard Confessional to perform April 29 Dashboard Confessional will present an acoustic concert at Elizabethtown College’s Thompson Gymnasium on April 29. Opening acts are Hot Rod Circuit and General admission tickets cost $25 and will be available beginning March 29 at the Elizabethtown College Store in the Baugher Student Center or by calling the College’s concert ticket hotline at 717-361-1579. Hailing from Boca Raton, Fla., Dashboard Confessional is led by singer/songwriter Christopher Carrabba, who also fronted bands such as Further Seems Forever and the Vacant Andies. Dashboard Confessional allows Carrabba to mold simple acoustics with passionate wordplay to make for a delightful introduction to his individual work, according to All Music Guide’s MacKenzie Wilson. Carrabba marked his first solo effort with the release of The Swiss Army Romance in 2000. The album’s "Screaming Infidelities" track became a modern rock hit, and a joint tour with The Weakerthans propelled Dashboard Confessional into the spotlight. Next came So Impossible and The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most, which Carrabba toured solo, then with some friends, and eventually as the quartet that comprises Dashboard Confessional today. The Vagrant Across America tour in summer 2001 with labelmates No Motiv, Hot Rod Circuit and {Alkaline Trio} further solidified Dashboard Confessional’s popularity. MTV picked up on what was happening and started playing the video for "Screaming Infidelities," then made Dashboard the first nonplatinum act to get its own episode of Unplugged. A summer tour with Weezer followed, then an MTV Video Music Award. The band has since released Summer’s Kiss; A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar; and Vindicated. In addition to Carrabba, Dashboard Confessional includes drummer Mike Marsh, guitarist Johnny Leffler and bassist Scott Schoenbeck. Back to top 3/8/2005 Women's History Month events include talks by Norsigian, Steingraber Elizabethtown College will observe Women’s History Month with a series of events -- centered around the theme "Staying Strong, Being Whole" -- that are open to the public free of charge. Sandra Steingraber, an internationally recognized expert on enviro "Our Bodies, Ourselves: What Your Mother Never Told You" is the title of a talk by Judy Norsigian, scheduled for 11 a.m., March 30, in Leffler Chapel and Performanc Brown Bag Lunch Series – Bring your lunch and join in the following discussions: Tuesday, March 29 - Noon, Baugher Student Center 211 Thursday, March 31 - Noon, Baugher Student Center 211 Friday, April 1 - Noon, Brossman Commons 258 Evening Wellness Programs – New federal health guidelines and free healthy snacks each evening. Tuesday, March 29 – 8 p.m., Event Space, Baugher Student Center Wednesday, March 30 – 8 p.m., Event Space, Baugher Student Center Thursday, March 31 – 8 p.m., Event Space, Baugher Student Center Contact the Office of the Dean of College Life, 361-1196, for additional information.
Back to top 3/4/2005 Engineering students create wheelchair sensor system A team of first-year engineering students at Elizabethtown College have created a proximity The Audible Warning Sonic Sensor System, which is mounted to and powered by Melissa Sneath’s wheelchair, produces a warning sound when she is approaching an object or wall. The sound changes as she gets closer to the object, allowing her to correct her course and avoid a collision. "Melissa has perceptual issues," said Carol Sneath, Melissa’s mother. "She knows how to maneuver her chair, but she has issues with her distance from objects. This is a big deal, because it makes her dependent on others for direction." Sneath proposed the project last year to Elizabethtown physics professor Troy McBride. His "Introduction to Engineering" students design and construct community service projects each year to reinforce some of the core elements of the course, such as teamwork, problem solving, design, and application of basic engineering principles. Sneath learned about the students’ efforts through her work at United Disabilities Services. She turned to McBride after searching unsuccessfully for a commercial sensor system to help her daughter. "There is a similar device in Europe, but because of patent issues, it hasn’t been able to be purchased by any U.S. vendors," she said. The difficulty of the project discouraged McBride’s students last year, and none chose to undertake it. "The proximity sensor project struck me as an excellent project for computer engineering students, but I was aware that the technical challenge may have been daunting to first-year students," McBride said. This year’s class, however, produced a team of students -- Pat Gianelli of Ephrata, Matt Lauver of McAlisterville, Paul Stegner of East Berlin and Christopher Yorgey of Allentown -- who were up to the challenge. "What made us step up? It was a combination of the challenge of the project and the opportunity to do a lot of good," said Yorgey. He and Gianelli also share an interest in electronics and thought they would enjoy working on the sensor system. The team visited Sneath’s house "to get a feel for the environment," according to Yorgey. They measured the width of doorways and hallways and took reference photos to be used later. Gianelli then designed and built the power circuit and processor, to which four sensors were attached – two for the front of the chair and two for the sides. The sensors, which are mounted in cases, can be programmed to trigger at specific distances. "We don’t want the system to trigger too much so that it becomes annoying," Yorgey said. A detachable speaker mounted on Melissa’s headrest allows her to easily hear the signals sent by the sensors. "We can also customize the sounds so that the system uses those that Melissa likes," Yorgey added. Both Sneath and McBride are pleased with the team’s work. "I was very impressed with the responsibility, work ethic, project management and technical ability of this team of four students," McBride said. "They met every deadline, had the initiative to consult with senior computer engineering students and professors for technical suggestions, and designed, purchased components, constructed and programmed the entire product." "Melissa very much enjoyed having these young men around her," Sneath said, "and I am very excited about this device, because I believe it will have a huge impact on her life." Back to top 3/2/2005 PA Cable Network broadcast of intelligent design forum
Back to top 3/2/2005 Men's indoor track & field wins 3rd MAC championship Elizabethtown ran away with its third consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference Indoor Championship title on Feb. 26, finishing first out of 10 teams with 136 points, 51 points ahead of second place Widener and Susquehanna universities. The Blue Jays captured 14 conference medals, six first place finishes, one Susquehanna field house record, seven E-town indoor program records and three NCAA Division III Indoor Championship provisional qualifying performances. Additionally, E-town head coach Chris Straub was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the indoor season. |
Durnbaugh Lectures, which will be presented by Donald E. Miller, professor emeritus of Christian education and ethics at Bethany Theological Seminary. 
Harrisburg Symphony will present a concert at 7:30 p.m., April 18, in Zug Recital Hall. John Zurfluh’s performance is open to the public free of charge.
will feature a three-man cast: first-year theatre and history major Michael Gephart of York as Cletis, senior business administration major Mark Muenzen of Sparta, N.J., as Roy, and first-year theatre and mathematics major Andrew Mannion of Linthicum, Md., as Ray.
John Ralston. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show will begin at 8:30 p.m.
nmental links to cancer and author of "Living Downstream" and "Having Faith," will present a talk on the environment and women’s health at 11 a.m., March 23, in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. Her talk is titled "Contaminated Without Consent: Why the Ongoing Contamination of Air, Food and Water is a Women’s Rights Issue." Steingraber recently appeared on CNN’s "Anderson Cooper Show" to discuss the recent discovery of perchlorate (rocket fuel) in breast milk. 
e Center. Currently co-director of the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, Norsigian helped found the group in the 1960s to provide women with accurate health care information. The Collective’s 1970 publication of "Our Bodies, Ourselves" was an international bestseller and has since been translated into more than 17 languages. Norsigian was a collaborator and co-author of the revised edition of the book in 1998, as well as the forthcoming "Our Bodies. Ourselves: A New Edition for A New Era." She has also appeared on numerous talk shows and radio programs, including "Oprah," the "Today Show" and "Good Morning, America."
sensor system that will help a young Lancaster woman better maneuver her power wheelchair.
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