Have you ever gone to a book tasting before? Or do you even know what one is? What are the first things that come to your head when you hear about an event called a book tasting? Well, Eastern Mennonite University just hosted one of these “Book Tastings” after Violet Dutcher, Director of the Academic Success Center and Program Director of the Writing Program, who is retiring after 17 years at EMU, decided to give away her collection of books to the EMU community. She created the writing program here at Eastern Mennonite University.
Professor and program director of the Languages and Literature department Kirsten Beachy talked about her time working with Dutcher. Beachy said that both of them were hired by Eastern Mennonite the same year, and they have worked closely together. Beachy said, “Vi was brought in to help create a writing program for EMU, and that is what she did. Vi is the reason why EMU has such a big and strong writing department today.” Beachy also said, “it is sad that Vi is leaving us, and I am going to miss her, but what she has done here at EMU will always stay here.”
Dutcher reflected on her time at EMU. “I got hired to help with some of the writing classes here at EMU. After a couple of months here, the Provost said that they want me to build a writing program at EMU.” Dutcher built the writing program from the ground up and was given a committee of grad and grad professors and one SGA rep. This committee helps to advise her on what needs to happen with writing core classes or writing intensives, or writing tutors.
When Dutcher thought that it was time for her to retire; she said, “I worked past the retirement because I felt called to. I decided to keep working because I still had a vision. Now I still have that same vision but I think I need to slow down and leave.” The other main reason that she is retiring is she is getting married in April. Dutcher said that her husband died around eight years ago. But now she has fallen in love, and she is leaving so she can get married again.
Dutcher said that the two things that she will miss most are teaching speech. Dutcher said, “when I was in college, I loved my rhetoric class, I could not wait to get there for it, and I enjoyed trying to replicate that for my students.” Dutcher also said that, “the other thing that I will miss the most is teaching college writing. Because we became a community, and I still am in contact with some of those students.”
Dutcher said that she wanted her books to find a good home, so that is why she decided to do the book tasting. People did not think that it would be too successful, but they went through with it anyway. Last Thursday, about 300 books were brought to a room in Roselawn. Dutcher said, “I got there about ten minutes before it was supposed to start, and the room was already packed with students and colleagues looking through my books. We started with 300 books. When I left that day, there were 90 books left. When I came back the next day, there were only 40 books left. Then I sent the last books to the book savers.” Dutcher said that, “this book tasting was me saying goodbye to these books. A lot of these books were from when I was in college, and they almost became my friends. But by having this, I got to see who was taking these books and say good-bye to them and see that they will get a good new home.”
