Sarah Roth Shank 鈥�10, field hockey

Presented by teammate Kristina Landis Yoder 鈥�08

Roth Shank brought energy and laughter to practices and games, uplifted and encouraged her teammates, and brought a combination of positivity and tough love that elevated play and team morale, Landis Yoder said.

鈥淪he sprinted to every ball, her small passing game was strong, and she was feisty in the circle,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he genuinely found joy in the game and her determination was contagious.鈥�

During her four seasons on the team, Roth Shank helped lead the team to four consecutive ODAC championship game appearances. After graduating with a degree in history, she served as assistant coach of the field hockey team and earned an MA in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding in 2014. In 2017, she and her husband moved to New Zealand, where she completed a PhD in public policy. They now live in Columbus, Ohio, where she teaches at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Accepting the honor, Roth Shank said she was 鈥済enuinely surprised鈥� to hear she was considered for it.

鈥淚 have never been the most skilled on the field,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never been the highest goal scorer, nor broken records for defensive saves. 鈥� However, in reflecting and preparing for this speech, there is one label that came to mind that I will own. I am a workhorse. I am committed, competitive, and driven. When I think back on my team, it was full of workhorses like me.鈥�

Ryan Eshleman-Robles 鈥�13, men鈥檚 soccer

Presented by former coach Roger Mast 鈥�85

Defenders are rarely inducted into the Hall of Honor, Mast said, with the recognition typically going to attacking players. But Eshleman-Robles鈥� legacy at 黑料正能量 extends far beyond the goals he prevented, games he played, and records he helped establish.

鈥淗is legacy is defined by the way he competed, the way he represented his teammates and his university, and the lasting impact he made on the 黑料正能量 soccer program,鈥� Mast said. 鈥淗e helped create a culture in which teammates challenged one another to become better players and better people.鈥�

A double major in biology and philosophy and theology, Eshleman-Robles appeared in 77 matches as a center back in his four seasons. In 2012, he was named the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He recently completed his PhD at Texas Tech University and now teaches English at Eastern Mennonite School and coaches its varsity boys soccer team.

Eshleman-Robles, in his speech at the ceremony, recounted some of the mistakes from the field that still linger in his mind.

鈥淏eing a defender is sort of an inherently negative thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e always in worst-case scenario mode, thinking, 鈥榃hat is the worst thing that could happen and how do I keep that from happening?鈥� You expect the worst, and you definitely don鈥檛 expect a call from the Hall of Honor.鈥�

鈥淭hanks for helping me remember that I was who I wanted to be, at least most of the time,鈥� he said.

Hannah Chappell-Dick 鈥�16, women鈥檚 cross-country and track and field

Presented by former coach Jason Lewkowicz

Lewkowicz recalled his first season coaching at 黑料正能量 in 2011 and recruiting Chappell-Dick, whom he described as 鈥淚vy League caliber, athletically and academically.鈥� The former coach, who now serves as director of athletics for Bethel University (Indiana), said he鈥檚 often asked to define success.

鈥淢y answer is predicated on being faithful to what鈥檚 been entrusted to you,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I think of someone who modeled that, who was faithful with what was entrusted and continues to be, Hannah is one of those people.鈥�

A biology major, Chappell-Dick qualified twice for the NCAA national championships in cross-country. In track and field, she won 11 ODAC championships and qualified for five national championships. She now serves as head cross-country coach and assistant men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 track and field coach at Amherst College.

Chappell-Dick read entries from a running log she kept as a student. From her first day of college training in 2012 to her last workout at 黑料正能量 in May 2016, she shared her experiences navigating obstacles and recovering from injuries, running to clear her head, forming friendships with teammates, and competing for championships.

鈥淚 think about everything we experienced in our sport,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll the lessons we keep learning about the world and about ourselves. The confidence gained and shattered and rebuilt again. The failure that didn鈥檛 break us. I feel so fortified for life by all this failure. I have a framework now for facing hard things.鈥�

Jess (Rheinheimer) Bishop 鈥�16, women鈥檚 basketball

Presented by former coach Kevin Griffin 鈥�93

Griffin shared four stories illustrating Bishop’s character, from watching her play in high school while recruiting her older sister, Steph, to her first game off the bench, when she scored 14 points against Messiah College. He connected Bishop’s humility to Proverbs 27:2: 鈥淟et someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.鈥�

鈥淪omehow, with all your humility and all your abilities and all the class that anybody has ever played with, you managed to win every individual accolade you could win and won a bunch of games as a teammate and you let other people praise you and you didn鈥檛 call any attention to yourself,鈥� he said.

A nursing major from Manheim, Pennsylvania, Bishop helped lead the Royals to an 84-26 record and two ODAC Tournament championship game appearances during her four years at 黑料正能量. She was awarded the Jostens Trophy, which recognizes the top Division III basketball player nationwide, and finished her career with the third-most points in program history.

She shared some of the moments she鈥檒l never forget from her time on the team, including the early morning workouts, bus rides, and team dinners at the caf. She also dedicated the honor to her mom, who was diagnosed with colon cancer during her senior year of high school and underwent chemotherapy treatments for six years before passing away in 2018.

鈥淪he was 黑料正能量鈥檚 biggest fan and sacrificed so much to get to all of our home games,鈥� Bishop said. 鈥淲atching us play basketball was one of her true joys in life and I truly believe that kept her fighting for all the years she did. She was a proud Royal and I couldn鈥檛 accept a selection to the Hall of Honor without mentioning her and my dad.鈥�

A last-minute road trip led Hannah Chappell-Dick 鈥�16 to 黑料正能量, where she became one of the most accomplished distance runners in program history.

A biology major with minors in exercise science and honors, Chappell-Dick wasn鈥檛 initially focused on Mennonite colleges. She joined a friend traveling to Honors Weekend and quickly found herself drawn to 黑料正能量.

鈥淚 absolutely loved it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 stayed overnight in the dorms, and we stayed up really late talking about ideas. It just felt like the people were really invested in intellectual curiosity.鈥�

The Bluffton, Ohio, native made an immediate mark on 黑料正能量 athletics. In cross-country, she earned First Team All-ODAC honors four times, was a two-time All-South/Southeast Region selection, qualified twice for the NCAA National Championships, and earned All-American honors in 2015.

Her track and field career was even more decorated. Chappell-Dick won 11 ODAC championships, earned 12 First Team All-ODAC honors, and qualified for five NCAA National Championships. She became a four-time All-American in the indoor mile and outdoor 1500 meters, received two Co-黑料正能量 Female Athlete of the Year awards and the Co-黑料正能量 Female President鈥檚 Award, and was named a top-30 honoree for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award after winning the ODAC鈥檚 Marjorie Berkley Award in 2016.

While she graduated holding 10 school records, Chappell-Dick says 黑料正能量鈥檚 greatest influence was its emphasis on global citizenship.

鈥満诹险芰� gave me the tools to see people who are different from me as people first.鈥�

She is now head cross-country coach and assistant men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 track and field coach at Amherst College in Massachusetts.

Chappell-Dick will be honored at a ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, during Homecoming 2026. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit . 

She was a graduate assistant cross country and track & field coach for two years (2019鈥�2021) at the University of Florida, where she earned her MBA. She was a volunteer assistant coach at Georgia Tech from 2018鈥�2019 and of men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 cross country at 黑料正能量 in 2017. As a student-athlete at 黑料正能量, Chappell-Dick was one of 30 NCAA Women of the Year Honorees, a five-time NCAA DIII All-American and held school records in seven events.

鈥淚’m very excited to begin the next chapter of the Brown Women’s XC Program as the new head coach,鈥� Chappell-Dick said. 鈥淭he women on this team have always had a strong, inclusive culture. We have been fostering a new level of dedication to the pursuit of competitive excellence. Every woman on the roster plays an important role in both maintaining the supportive culture that they have built and challenging each other to pursue higher goals. Women who trust each other will fight for each other, and that’s our vision for this team.鈥�

Along with the second-place finish, Chappell-Dick broke her own 黑料正能量 and ODAC records with a time of 4:54.32.

Senior thrower (Staunton, Va./Riverheads) finished 14th in the shot put, landing his best throw at 15.38m (50-5.50ft).

A record-setting performance

Chappell-Dick, meanwhile, beat her season best time of 4:59.10 by nearly five seconds, while also breaking the ODAC record of 4:56.37 which she set last year. She also finished second in the mile at the 2015 NCAA meet.

This is the fourth All-American award for Chappell-Dick, continuing a streak she started at last year’s meet. The senior finished third in the 1500m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last spring before coming in 17th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships earlier this fall.

After finishing second in her heat in Friday’s preliminaries with a time of 5:00.23, she sat in her seeded position of fourth for much of today’s finals in Grinnell, Iowa. Over the final lap, Chappell-Dick burst past two other women to take over second. She finished just ahead of MIT’s Maryann Gong, a friendly rival on the national stage, who took third in 4:54.67. Emily Gapinski pulled away over the final lap to win in 4:52.28.

Rising to new challenges

With his appearance on the national stage, Heizer closed out his senior season in impressive fashion. In just his third season ever of throwing, Heizer was also the ODAC Champion in the shot put and weight throw. In the shot put he threw an outstanding 15.81m (51-10.75ft) and improved his national standing to No. 25. Then in the weight throw he landed at 15.06m (49-5.25ft). Both PRs improved on his No. 2 spots in the 黑料正能量 record books.

He qualified for the national meet at the Tufts Final Qualifying Meet in Medford, Mass., where he set yet another PR in shot put by throwing a 16.26m (53-4.25ft). This bumped Heizer up to No. 15 in the nation and gained him a spot in the NCAA Championships.

For an athete who entered 黑料正能量 as a basketball player, Heizer’s performances in his second sport are remarkable. For the first two years of his career, Heizer was taught by former throwing coach Carissa Eichmeyer. This year however, he is being coached by first-year throwing coach Branden Vock.

Last week, Heizer and roommate Richard Robinson were named . 鈥淲e鈥檙e roommates and we鈥檙e best friends, we鈥檙e like brothers,” Heizer said, after returning from the Tufts meet.

At the Tufts meet, Robinson narrowly missed qualifying for the national meet, completing preliminaries of the 60m hurdles in 8.30 seconds. He could not finish the final race due to stumbling on a hurdle. Robinson was ranked No. 19 nationally. The top 15 in the nation earned a spot at Nationals.

At the ODAC Championships, he broke the championship and overall conference records by running a career best time of 8.28 seconds in the finals. He is the repeating 60m hurdles champion after also winning the 110m hurdles from last spring鈥檚 outdoor season.

All three senior athletes will compete in outdoor track.

Senior (Staunton, Va./Riverheads) thoroughly dominated the throwing events, easily winning the shot put and weight throw. He was named the Athlete of the Meet, the first 黑料正能量 male since Michael Allen in 2011, and the first male to win the title at the ODAC’s Indoor Championship.

Classmate (Broadway, Va./Broadway) bettered his prelimary qualifying time with a first-place finish of 8.28 in the finals. His time broke both the ODAC conference and championships records.聽 It was also Robinson’s third ODAC Champion title of his career, repeating as the 60m hurdles champion after also winning the 110m hurdles from outdoor season last spring.

Lagging team health hindered the women, who finished sixth, despite a pair of individual championships for senior (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) who defended her titles in the 800m and mile. Bridgewater edged Washington and Lee 135 to 133 for the team title.

Two Royals also won scholar-athlete awards. Junior was voted the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Scholar-Athlete.聽 A biology/pre-med major with a minor in business administration, Denlinger holds a 3.98 GPA is also a four-time All-ODAC honoree.聽 This is the second straight indoor scholar award for Denlinger.

Chappell-Dick also earned her fifth consecutive ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Scholar-Athlete award.聽 She is a biology major with minors in coaching, exercise science and honors.聽 Chappell-Dick holds a 3.84 GPA and has won every scholar-athlete honor possible from the ODAC since the beginning of her junior season.

Men’s results

Heizer PRed in the shot put and the weight throw, while also claiming the three best throws in each at the meet.聽 In the shot put, Heizer’s best landed at a monster 15.81m (51-10.75ft), not only winning gold but also vaulting him to No. 25 in the nation.聽 Then in the weight throw, he landed at 15.06m (49-5.25ft).聽 Both improved on his No. 2 spots in the 黑料正能量 record books.

(Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) claimed fourth behind teammate Robinson in the 60m hurldes race in 8.68, while (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) took sixth in 8.73.聽 It was a PR for Faint.

Jumper (Bristow, Va./Patriot) had a great first effort, as the freshman took All-ODAC Third Team honors in the triple jump at 13.61m (44-8ft).聽 His PR distance was the third-best effort in 黑料正能量 history.

Amoateng then cleared 1.79m (5-10.5ft) in the high jump to claim seventh.聽 The freshman also grabbed seventh in the long jump, landing his best at 6.36m (20-10.5ft).聽 Both efforts were PRs, with the long jump distance putting him No. 8 all-time at 黑料正能量.

(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) earned third place in the 800m for All-ODAC Third Team status.聽 The junior crossed in 1:57.24, behind only a pair of Bridgewater runners.

Running partner (Mount Sidney, Va./Fort Defiance) had a similar finish in the mile, settling for third in 4:25.98.聽 He then took fifth in the 3000m with a time of 9:03.55.聽 Thibodeaux was five seconds behind four runners clumped within just over a second of each other.

The 4×400 relay team staked a third-place.聽 The foursome of Faint, (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass), (Salem, Va./Salem) and Denlinger finished in 3:27.32. Faint had a great all-around individual effort, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the 400m, clocking in at 50.83.聽 The sophomore’s PR also bumped him up to No. 8 in the 黑料正能量’s record books.聽 Sampson also grabbed two points for taking seventh in the event at 51.47.听 He comes in at No. 9 in 黑料正能量 history.

The distance medley relay team added two points towards the team total with a seventh-place finish.聽 (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg), (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle), (Dayton, Va./Ben Logan) and (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) came in at 11:52.21.

Women’s results

Chappell-Dick broke the ODAC Championships record in the mile, registering a time 5:03.54.聽 She was more than four seconds better than the previous best at the ODAC Indoor Meet, beating Carmen Graves’ time of 5:07.84.

Then in the 800m, she edged Marissa Combs of Virginia Wesleyan in 2:20.62, just ahead of Coombs’ 2:20.80.聽 She has now won the last four indoor and outdoor 800m ODAC titles, as well as the last two miles, which are only an indoor event.

Sophomore (Dover, Ohio/Dover), who won the 3000m and 5000m last year, took fifth in the 5000m with a time of 19:36.21.聽 After finishing runner-up last year, (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) also didn’t run the 3000m.

The distance medley relay team just missed defending last year’s title, coming in second.聽 (Goshen, Ind./Goshen), (King George, Va./King George), (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) and Paden put together a time of 13:14.36, finishing nearly four seconds behind Bridgewater’s winning foursome.

(Bedford, Va./Liberty) finished fourth in the triple jump.聽 Her first two jumps each landed at 10.57m (34-8.25ft), but Lynchburg’s Shanice Clarke edged her with one late jump at 10.66m (34-11.75ft).聽 Kittrell then settled for eighth in the long jump, sticking her best at 4.78m (15-8.25ft).聽 She was less than an inch from seventh place and 3.5 inches from sixth.

The 4x400m relay team of Williams, Yoder, Chappell-Dick and Schirch took fifth, combined for a time of 4:13.85.

(Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) claimed sixth in the 60m dash, crossing in 8.15 in the finals.聽 The freshman’s PR improves her No. 2 time in the 黑料正能量 record books.

In the 400m, Williams also finished sixth.聽 She was second in her heat, clocking at 1:02.54.聽 Pole vaulter (Denton, Md./North Caroline) was another of the women who finished sixth, as she cleared 2.22m (7-3.25ft).

(Portsmouth, Va./Churchland) finished seventh in the shot put, with her best toss landing at 10.10m (33-2ft).

For the men,聽聽(Mount Sidney, Va./Fort Defiance) took nearly six seconds off of his indoor PR in the 3000m, coming across in a time of 8:43.68 to re-break his own school record of 8:49.20 from the CNU Holiday Open in December.

A foursome of聽聽(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock),聽聽(Winchester, Va./Millbrook),聽聽(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) and Thibodeaux destroyed the program record in the distance medley relay.聽 The foursome crossed in 10:29.09, topping the 2013 record of 10:37.15 by more than eight seconds and bumping the Royals to the No. 11 spot in the nation this season.

The 4x400m team of Faint, Denlinger,聽聽(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) and聽聽(Salem, Va./Salem) had the seventh-best time in 黑料正能量 history at 3:28.34.

Denlinger set his indoor PR in the 800m, stopping the watch at 1:56.50.聽 He moves to the second-best time in the event in 黑料正能量 history.聽 Luke Yoder set the record of 1:55.84 in 2007.听 Denlinger also sits at No. 23 in the nation so far this season with the time.

A pair of young runners made a splash in the 400m.聽 Faint, a sophomore, clocked at 51.41 to win his heat and earn 21st overall.聽 Faint PRed with the effort and moved up two spots to No. 8 in the 黑料正能量 history books.聽 Sampson, a freshman, knocked 0.01 of his PR to take sole possession of No. 9 in the books at 51.65.

聽(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) had a successful re-entry to the track season, as he punched an ODAC spot in the 5000m.聽 The 2014 S/SE Region Athlete of the Year in cross country, Gehman finished his race in 16:18.61.

聽(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) improved upon his 黑料正能量 No. 2 distance in the weight throw.聽 His best toss landed at 14.87m (48-9.5ft), an improvement of more than two feet.聽 Nathan Turner holds the 黑料正能量 record at 15.77m (51-9ft).聽 In the shot put, Heizer landed at 14.18m (46-6.25ft).

For his efforts, he was named ODAC Field Athlete of the Week.

In the 60m hurdles,聽聽(Broadway, Va./Broadway) crossed in 8.78 while聽聽(Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) came in at 8.96.

聽(Charlotte Court House, Va./Randolph Henry) punched an ODAC ticket in the 200m, winning his heat in 23.69.聽 He also participated in the long jump, sticking his best landing at 6.07m (19-11ft).

聽(Bristow, Va./Patriot) made just one of his three attempts in the triple jump, but it was good enough to tie him for No. 7 in 黑料正能量 history at 12.83m (42-1.25ft).

Meanwhile on the women’s side,聽聽(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) put herself fourth in the nation in the mile run with her time of 5:02.05.聽 The All-American was the top D-III runner at the meet and took fifth overall. Chappell-Dick broke the finish line seventh overall in the 800m with a time of 2:16.02.聽 She is ninth in the nation with the time. She was named ODAC Athlete of the Week for her win.

Three other women ran in the 800m, with each earning an ODAC-qualifying time.聽聽聽(King George, Va./King George) had a PR of 2:30.74, jumping herself to No. 6 on the all-time 黑料正能量 charts.聽 Freshman聽聽(Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) shaved more than a second off of her first collegiate race with a time of 2:31.21 to take No. 8 in 黑料正能量 history, and聽聽(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) came in at 2:33.60.

In the 3000m,聽聽(Dover, Ohio/Dover) crossed in 10:34.38.聽 Senior聽聽(St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) was 12th overall in the 5000m, clocking in at 20:19.51.

The distance medley relay team of Chappell-Dick, Williams, Yoder and Schirch had a solid time of 13:42.21.

In the field events, sophomore聽聽(Bedford, Va./Liberty) was the lone 黑料正能量 representative.聽 She just missed her indoor PR in the triple jump, landing at 10.55m (34-7.5ft).聽 In the long jump she measured at 4.44m (14-7.0 feet).

The Royals head to Selinsgrove, Pa., next Saturday for the Crusader Challenge hosted by Susquehanna University.

These 10 headlines drew readers鈥� attention in the past 12 months:

1.

By far the most viewed story of the year, with 15,000 reads and nearly 600 Facebook likes, was President Swartzendruber鈥檚 December reflections on attacks in San Bernardino, Paris, South Carolina, and elsewhere. 鈥淥ur campus community continues to prayerfully discern what the peace position means to us in a world beset by violence,鈥� Swartzendruber said. He called everyone to practice Jesus鈥� command to love one鈥檚 enemies and to engage in dialogue with those who come from different backgrounds, while pledging that 黑料正能量 would work locally and regionally at Muslim-Christian dialogue and continue to train students and others with world-changing tools and principles.

2. Amish teacher, 98, returns to alma mater

Amos Yoder 鈥�54 waited a long time for this trip. Yoder, who is Amish and lives in Minnesota, spent his career teaching and farming in the Midwest and Great Plains and never returned to Virginia鈥攗ntil daughter Rebecca Barbo brought him to campus last year. A group of former classmates and 黑料正能量 alumni relations representatives greeted Yoder on his visit. Yoder said the campus looked very different, but he treasured the opportunity to return to a place so important to him, calling his years at then-Eastern Mennonite College 鈥渙ne of the high points of my life.鈥�

3. Jackson and Katie Maust with the Harrisonburg Rescue Squad

Titled “Married alumni couple spends spare time saving lives,” the story of Jackson and Katie (Lehman) Maust was one of the top five most-read of the year. They work as a physical therapist and emergency room nurse, respectively, but spend much time away from work among the ranks of the 160 HRS volunteers (including many other 黑料正能量 alumni). Katie says it鈥檚 a calling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way that we serve God,鈥� she says.

4.

Loren Swartzendruber began the end of an era in April when he announced he would retire at the end of the 2015-2016 academic year. 黑料正能量鈥檚 eighth president, Swartzendruber will have served for 13 years in the role and 33 years total in Mennonite higher education. A national search for 黑料正能量鈥檚 next president began in June.

5. The Yutzy family and their dairy’s new solar installation

Sustainability on campus and off are always popular reads. The Yutzy family, which includes several 黑料正能量 alumni, was featured by the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record for innovations at their Windcrest Holsteins farm in Timberville, Va. This past year the farm鈥檚 barn and milking parlor were covered with nearly 1,800 solar panels. The $1.3 million system, made possible via a grant, tax credits, and depreciation allowances, is expected to pay for itself within five years and eliminate the farm鈥檚 power bill. It is Virginia鈥檚 largest privately owned solar installation.

6. Articles honoring faculty of note and moments of historic importance

As we approach the Centennial celebration of 2017, 黑料正能量 readers enjoyed and shared articles about former faculty members Abraham Davis, who started what is today Multicultural Student Services, and 鈥�59, who spent a quarter-century teaching at 黑料正能量 before retiring in 2001.聽 Articles on Park Woods Cabin and the Bard’s Nest, as well as the radio station garnered a good number of hits. The celebrated 25 years in March.

7.听

Good news abounded in 黑料正能量鈥檚 student numbers in 2015. The incoming traditional undergraduate class included 257 students鈥攗p from an average of 205 in the previous decade and increasing in diversity, as well. Graduate enrollment jumped, with the master鈥檚 in education program showed the most growth. A total of 1,908 students were registered across all 黑料正能量 programs, including 黑料正能量 Lancaster, at the beginning of the fall semester.

8.

If you missed Konrad Wert ’01, this photo alone will make you wish you’d caught the show. Wert, performing as the one-man band Possessed by Paul James, returned to 黑料正能量. His album There Will Be Nights When I鈥檓 Lonely hit No. 12 on the November 2013 Americana/Bluegrass Billboard charts. Wert graduated with a degree in liberal arts and now teaches special education in Texas 鈥� when he’s not on the road.

9. Harrisonburg’s new restorative justice initiative

Restorative justice articles always draw excellent reader numbers, but this article about the new Harrisonburg initiative garnered a record number of hits and Facebook shares. The new program, the first of its kind in Virginia and more than two years in the creation, involved restorative justice practitioners from 黑料正能量 and James Madison University, Harrisonburg Police Deparetment, representatives of local law practices, the Commonwealth鈥檚 attorney and the Fairfield Center.

10. Any sports story!

黑料正能量 news blog readers love their sports! There’s always great coverage available at , but sometimes 黑料正能量 news and your former sports-writer editor can’t resist the urge (with permission from Sports Information Director James De Boer) to “break” a sports story.

Whether finding articles at 黑料正能量Royals.com or 黑料正能量 News, sports fans read, like and share them, from profiles of former athletes like pitcher-turned-Mets group sales director Kirk King ’07 to features on athletes in action, such as , Hannah Chappell-Dick and Kat Lehman at the indoor track NCAA championships, and a history-making baseball trio.

The editor’s favorite in this category was coverage of a charity basketball game that resulted in the photo above and the following headline: “Black Student Union fundraiser game pits the (victorious) Streetball Kingz against the hometown Wreckin’ Royals.”

Here’s wishing you happy reading in 2016. Send news tips to editor Lauren Jefferson at lauren.jefferson@emu.edu.

ABS is a convenient acronym, then, for the weekly Athlete Bible Study that鈥檚 begun meeting over lunch on the 黑料正能量 campus this semester 鈥� and just one manifestation of senior cross-country runner Jolee Paden鈥檚 efforts to enrich the spiritual lives of her fellow athletes and classmates.

Last January, she also helped launch a monthly event called Athletes Speak, during which students gather over pizza to hear athletes and coaches talk about their lives and faith. Both events are affiliated with 黑料正能量鈥檚 chapter of the (FCA), in which Paden has been a leader since she was a first-year student.

At the time, FCA didn鈥檛 have a particularly large or active presence on campus, and so, just as she鈥檇 done previously at her high school in St. Joseph, Illinois, Paden threw herself into the task of building it up.

鈥淔CA is for athletes and coaches to have the opportunity to encounter biblical truth and authentic community,鈥� said Paden, a double-major in and . 鈥淥ver the last three years and going into the fourth, it鈥檚 just done a complete 360 in terms of getting people involved.鈥�

One of the ways she鈥檚 promoted the ABS and Athletes Speak events was dropping any reference to FCA from their names. She decided to do so after discovering that some student-athletes didn鈥檛 understand the purpose of the group or had developed negative impressions of it in high school.

This decision, said 黑料正能量 athletics director , 鈥渄emonstrated her sensitivity and creativity鈥� as a leader.

鈥淛olee has provided the most critical ingredient for any successful program aimed at student athletes 鈥� student leadership,鈥� King continued. 鈥淪ustainable programs have quality student leadership and Jolee has provided that.鈥�

Paden is also a pastoral assistant with 黑料正能量鈥檚 , and spoke in chapel in late September. (Audio of her talk is available .)

鈥淛olee brings energy and focus to spiritual life on campus. She is always noticing and discerning opportunities for ministry among her peers,鈥� said campus pastor . 鈥淪he presents with confidence and poise. There’s no doubt that she will continue to develop as a keynote speaker and preacher.鈥�

In addition to her work on campus, Paden is an intern at Grace Covenant Church in Harrisonburg, and helps lead the congregation鈥檚 ministry for college students. She has also published a running-themed devotional book, , writes , and begun accepting more public speaking invitations.

鈥淚 think God has just really blessed me with the capacity and the grace to do so much, because I still find time to relax and have a weekend sometimes. It鈥檚 kind of amazing,鈥� said Paden.

As the fall semester slips by, she鈥檚 thinking more and more about life after 黑料正能量. Perhaps she鈥檒l enter seminary. Maybe she鈥檒l go back to Washington D.C., where she lived last summer and loved working for , a nonprofit that uses running to empower people experiencing homelessness. As she weighs those options, she鈥檚 also intent on making sure that the FCA and affiliated events that have been so important to her time at 黑料正能量 will continue to thrive after she鈥檚 gone.

鈥淚鈥檝e put a lot of my heart and hopefully the Lord鈥檚 heart into this,鈥� said Paden. 鈥淏uilding up other people who are passionate about it is really, really important to me.鈥欌��

As a practical matter, that鈥檚 meant handing over more and more responsibility to students who will return next year. One of them is Amanda Williams, a sophomore soccer player who helps schedule speakers for the Athletes Speak events. Williams hopes that she and her peers will continue building on Paden鈥檚 efforts to enrich the spiritual lives of 黑料正能量 athletes.

鈥淚 think Jolee has an authentic relationship to God and displaying her faith just comes naturally to her,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淪he has a different perspective on the Bible 鈥� it鈥檚 refreshing to me, just to hear the things that God reveals to her.鈥�

Regardless of what, exactly, next year might bring for her, Paden plans to continue on the same general path she鈥檚 followed through 黑料正能量 鈥� sharing, speaking, encouraging and nurturing the spiritual lives of the people around her.

鈥淢y dream would just be to tour and talk to young people and athletes,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 just a matter of how the Lord is opening those doors.鈥�

She becomes the first Eastern Mennonite harrier to win an ODAC championship since Hall of Honor member won her second straight title in 2002.聽The last winner for the men was Lynn Stoltzfus in 1994. Including Chappell-Dick, the women’s team landed three all-conference finishers and took third place.聽 The men had one all-conference runner and were fifth overall.

Chappell-Dick has also won four of the five official races she has run this season.聽 After her Oct. 19 performance at the CNU Invitational, topping a field of mostly D-I runners along with the D-III regionally-ranked Christopher Newport squad, she garnered her fourth ODAC Runner of the Week award.

The squad totaled 70 points as a team, finishing just behind second-place Bridgewater at 64.聽Washington and Lee won the team title with 46 points. Rounding out the scoring were (Dover, Ohio/Dover), (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden), (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg), (Goshen, Ind./Goshen), (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula), and (King George, Va./King George).

Not just running honors

Chappell-Dick is a senior majoring in with minors in , and . She plans on spending a year after graduation working with an intentional community/service program called (through the DOOR program) in Atlanta, Georgia, where she鈥檇 also continue training and competing with the Atlanta Track Club.

Her decision after that depends on how her training is going, she says. She may enroll in graduate school for a master鈥檚 in public health or an MBA. Chappell-Dick says she鈥檚 also interested in coaching.

She talks about her choice to attend and compete at 黑料正能量, as well as future plans, in .

Chappell-Dick was a two-time All-American in track and field last year, finishing second in the indoor mile and third in the 1500m at those respective NCAA D.III championships in 2015.

For now, though, there鈥檚 the regional and national meets to finish out the cross country season and an indoor and outdoor season of track to look forward to, as well as juggling the demands of the classroom and her extra-curricular activities.

Giving back

A leader in the classroom as well as on the field, Chappell-Dick is serving as a student representative on the聽 throughout the 2015-16 academic year.

She is also working with the athletic department to rebuild the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at 黑料正能量, in which student-athletes are able to give feedback on proposed NCAA legislation, advocate for student-athletes on campus, and serve the community through various projects.

With teammate , Chappell-Dick started a track club called 鈥淔LASH鈥� for 10 to 12-year-olds, which meets twice a week in the spring. She鈥檚 also active in Big Brothers Big Sisters and at Shalom Mennonite Church.

Working around her athletic schedule, Chappell-Dick completed her cross-cultural requirement during a summer 2014 trip to Guatemala. 鈥淲e stayed with host families and attended language and cultural lessons during the day at CASAS, a program through Semilla Seminary in Guatemala City,鈥� she said.

This semester, she is living in an intentional community theme house on campus. The goal of residents of 鈥淏ridge House鈥� is to 鈥渂ridge the gap鈥� between first-year students and seniors with twice-monthly social gatherings.

Royals Athlete of the Week (Mount Sidney, Va./Fort Defiance) of the has a rigorous workout schedule and strong support system, and now these factors have gained him the success he has always dreamed of.

In May聽2015, Thibodeaux won the 800m run at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference聽(ODAC) Track and Field Championships.聽Now in cross country season, the junior has taken to new heights and proved himself capable of running against D-I athletes.聽 Yet he is determined on accomplishing more.

鈥淚 want to be an Academic All-American and cross country All-American (top 35 at nationals),鈥� he revealed.

Unlike many athletes who have played their sport since they were little, Thibodeaux started running competitively his sophomore year of high school.聽 Now in his sixth season of cross country, he accepts that running is an innate talent he must craft and perfect.

鈥淣owadays, most of my race paces in high school are now my workout paces in college,鈥� Thibodeaux noted. 聽鈥淪ometimes I am a little bewildered by my improvements this year, but it would be foolish of me to say I don’t know how it happened.聽 I am ecstatic with how my mentality and fitness has progressed, but I’m not where I want to be yet.鈥�

At聽the CNU Invitational, Thibodeaux finished in third place of the 8k run behind two runners from William and Mary, a respected D-I school.聽 He set a new personal record with a time of 25:28, finishing 19 seconds before the nearest D-III runner, CNU鈥檚 Grayson Reid.

Many may wonder what a runner like Thibodeaux thinks as he鈥檚 running such a strenuous race.

鈥淭he typical things you would think someone running as fast as they can for five miles would be thinking,鈥� he answered. 聽鈥溾�業s it over yet? 聽Where’s the fourth mile at?聽 Why do my feet hurt so badly?聽 Where’s coach?鈥欌��

Before taking over as the men鈥檚 No. 1 this year, Thibodeaux was the No. 3 runner and had the privilege of training with and running behind former All-Region runners Ryan Gehman and Jacob Landis.

鈥淚t was phenomenal,鈥� Thibodeaux said. 鈥淭he opportunity to have people on your team that are currently training and racing at a place you’re trying to get to is something that can’t be taken for granted; especially those two guys. They were terrific role models for me, showing me what putting in the work actually meant and looked like day in and day out.鈥�

Thibodeaux鈥檚 experience of running with Gehman and Landis heightened his discipline. He explained that in order to be a great runner you must work on a daily basis and days off are unacceptable.

鈥淚f you want to be a serious runner, or athlete in general, your work ethic cannot be questioned,鈥� he explained. 聽鈥淭his summer I put in 12 weeks of continuous work.聽 That includes runs every day and specific lifting workouts two or three times a week.聽 That is the ideal summer for a runner as it takes 24 weeks to fully develop.聽 Right now, I am in week 21 of training so over half of my season was completed in the summer.聽 If runners do not put in work during the summer, they cannot expect to fulfill their full potential or be in racing shape until the last couple of weeks of the season.聽 A lot of runners that don’t get enough training in during the summer can also struggle tremendously with nagging injuries throughout the year.鈥�

Teammates who are 鈥渨illed to win鈥� like Thibodeaux have made his experience at 黑料正能量 even greater; he acknowledged that without them the season would not be as fulfilling.聽 In the spring Thibodeaux and his teammate (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) coach a Harrisonburg area聽youth track club. 聽Last year they coached nine middle school girls twice a week and they鈥檙e hoping to expand and develop their program further this year.

Thibodeaux’s advice to other athletes is very simple: if you鈥檙e consistent and hardworking you鈥檒l gain the success you want.聽 One, two or three weeks of training will not excel your game; it has to be a daily effort.

鈥淭he biggest piece of advice I can give other runners is that no one workout will make you great, but a lot of good workouts over time can make you great,鈥� Thibodeaux explained. 聽鈥淎s for athletes in other sports, it’s the same concept.聽 One or two weeks of fantastic training and effort does not make you a great athlete.聽 It has to be day in and day out. 聽I’ve only taken one day completely off from training since August 1. 聽It’s all about consistency.鈥�

Those honored from 黑料正能量 were:

(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton), Jr., Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Biology, 3.87 GPA.聽 Chappell-Dick, also a Capitol One Academic All-American, reaped the benefits of her first fully healthy season, heading to the national meet in both the indoor and outdoor track seasons.聽 The junior finished second at nationals in the indoor mile, and then added a bronze medal in the outdoor 1500m.聽 She claimed All-America status both times, becoming the first 黑料正能量 track and field athlete to do so since 2007.听 Chappell-Dick was the ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, and earned six All-ODAC First Team honors this year in the three sports. The South/Southeast Region鈥檚 coaches also voted her Region Athlete of the Year twice.

(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock), So., Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Biology/Pre-Med, 3.98 GPA.聽 Denlinger was a point-scorer for the men in the middle distances, taking third place at the ODAC Championships in both the indoor and outdoor 800m.聽 He earned the men鈥檚 ODAC Scholar-Athlete title for the indoor track season and was also Capitol One Academic All-District.

(Sterling, Ill./Sterling), Sr., Men鈥檚 Cross Country, Congregational Ministry/Biblical Studies, 3.94 GPA.聽 Landis capped his collegiate career with a trip to the NCAA National Championships in cross country.聽 He earned All-ODAC and All-Region honors along the way and was also voted the ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country, to go with a spot on the Academic All-District Team.聽 Landis missed his final track season by studying in the Middle East during the spring semester.

(New Paris, Ind./Bethany Christian), Sr., Women鈥檚 Volleyball – Defensive Specialist, History, 3.98 GPA.聽 Lehman returned to the court this year after missing her junior campaign to study in Spain and Morocco.聽 She stepped into a role as a defensive specialist and racked up 178 digs, averaging 1.98 per set.聽 Lehman also had 17 service aces.

(Manheim, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), Jr., Women鈥檚 Basketball – Forward, Nursing, 3.95 GPA.聽 Rheinheimer exploded in her first season as a full-time starter, averaging 20.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.聽 She was named the ODAC Player of the Year and Virginia State Player of the Year.聽 The versatile forward also landed on the All-South Region First Team and All-America Fourth Team.聽 Rheinheimer was the ODAC Scholar-Athlete for women鈥檚 basketball and became the second junior ever to win the Jostens Trophy, an award based on excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community.

(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), Sr., Men’s Soccer – Keeper, Accounting/Economics, 3.95 GPA.聽 Yoder joins Landis as a two-time Academic All-State honoree after completing one of his best statistical seasons on the pitch.聽 A three-year starter in goal, Yoder had a career best .795 save percentage, allowing 1.37 goals per game.聽 He was also the ODAC Scholar-Athlete for men鈥檚 soccer, the Royals grabbed a school-record seven such awards from the conference in 2014-15.

To earn VaSID Academic All-State honors, a student-athlete must have achieved at least a 3.25 grade point average and be at least a sophomore.聽 Each school in the state is allowed six nominees.

VaSID is comprised of sports information or athletics communications professionals from intercollegiate institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Membership is open to any individual affiliated with one of the state’s institutions at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA and community college levels, provided that individual’s area of responsibility lies within the realm of sports information.

鈥淥ne of the most important tasks of the [黑料正能量 and MEA] boards is the appointment of a president,鈥� said MEA board chair Judy Miller. 鈥淭he charge to the committee is to create a presidential position profile informed by multiple perspectives including existing statements of strategic direction for the university. The committee will review the position profile with both the 黑料正能量 and MEA boards and promote the position in order to generate a broad range of candidates. Committee work will culminate in recommendation of a candidate of choice to the 黑料正能量 and MEA boards.鈥�

Andy Dula, president of the 黑料正能量 Board of Trustees, said, 鈥淚 am grateful for the diversity of life experiences and perspectives represented by this committee. I am confident that the search committee, led by trustee Evon Bergey, will recommend a president ideally suited for leading and expanding 黑料正能量鈥檚 mission to educate students to serve and lead in the global context.鈥�

The committee includes:

• Evon Bergey, current 黑料正能量 board member and chair of the search committee, Perkasie, Pennsylvania. Bergey is Vice President, Operations Public Sector, .
• Shana Peachey Boshart, 黑料正能量 board member, Wellman, Iowa. Boshart is conference minister for Christian formation, youth ministry, congregational resources and communications for .
• Steve Brenneman, founder and CEO of , Goshen, Indiana. Brenneman is a graduate of 黑料正能量 and parent of an incoming 黑料正能量 student. Brenneman previously served on the board of and as an 黑料正能量 associate trustee.
• Hannah Chappell-Dick, 黑料正能量 student, Bluffton, Ohio. This fall, Chappell-Dick will be a senior in the 黑料正能量 Honors Program with a major in biology.
• , PhD., professor at 黑料正能量 and former academic dean, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Heisey served as president of Mennonite World Conference from 2003-2009.
• Basil Marin, MEA board member, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Marin is a graduate of . He serves as a pastor for , a member congregation of .
• Cedric A. Moore, Jr., chief executive officer of the , Richmond, Virginia. Moore is an 黑料正能量 graduate and serves as vice-president of the 黑料正能量 Alumni Council.
• J. Richard Thomas, superintendent of , Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Thomas is a former 黑料正能量 board member and former moderator for .
• , PhD., 黑料正能量 professor of , Harrisonburg, Virginia. Sawin is the director of the 黑料正能量 Honors Program and serves as a member of the Regional Chapters Committee of the American Studies Association.
• Roy Williams, MEA board member, Tampa, Florida. Williams is a retired bank executive, the pastor of and former moderator of Mennonite Church USA.
• Carlos Romero, executive director of Mennonite Education Agency, Goshen, Indiana. Romero is an ex-officio member of the search committee.

The Presidential Search Committee is responsible to both the 黑料正能量 board and the MEA board. 鈥淭he 10 search committee members, selected by MEA and 黑料正能量 board with faculty and student nominations were selected to ensure a wide representation of the voice of the stakeholders,鈥� said Evon Bergey, chair of the search committee. 鈥淭he committee will work to discern the leadership needs for 黑料正能量, keeping closely in mind the unique contributions that 黑料正能量 as a church institution has made 鈥� past, present and future 鈥� to the church, the local community and the world.鈥�

Carlos Romero, executive director of MEA and ex-officio member of the search committee, said, 鈥淚 believe the committee is well-equipped to search for and recommend a president for 黑料正能量 who will help lead the institution into the future. The breadth of experience and deep commitment to 黑料正能量 and Mennonite Church USA is a precious gift that each of the committee members brings to the endeavor.鈥� Romero noted that at the first meeting in July, the committee will lay the groundwork for the search process and refine the presidential profile.

Editor’s note: Anne Kaufman Weaver ’88 was added to the committee after publication of this article. Weaver is from Brownstown, Pennsylvania, and works as a leadership coach with Coaching Connection. Weaver has served, along with her husband, Dr. Todd Weaver, on the Science Campaign Steering Committee. She will graduate in 2016 with a master’s in divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

Senior (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) and sophomore聽 (Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) each claimed their first Academic All-District honor, in a vote done by the district鈥檚 College Sports Information Directors of America members. Junior (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) earned a spot on the women鈥檚 side, also a first for her.

Landis holds a 3.94 GPA as a double major in congregational and youth ministries along with biblical studies.聽 He was named the ODAC鈥檚 Scholar-Athlete for men鈥檚 cross country, earning All-ODAC and All-Region honors en route to a trip to the NCAA National Championships.聽 Landis has also been a Ministry Assistant at 黑料正能量 before missing the indoor and outdoor track seasons when he studied in the Middle East during the spring semester.

Denlinger carries a lofty 3.98 GPA through two years at Eastern Mennonite as a biology (pre-med) major. He was voted the ODAC鈥檚 Scholar-Athlete for men鈥檚 indoor track & field and earned All-ODAC Third Team honors in the both indoor and outdoor 800m. Denlinger is also a Community Advisor at 黑料正能量 and is part of the school鈥檚 Student Government Association.

Chappell-Dick has a 3.87 GPA as a biology major and recently completed a stellar season with a pair of All-America titles.聽 The middle distance runner took third last weekend in the 1500m at the NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships.聽 At the indoor meet she placed second in the mile.聽 Including cross country, Chappell-Dick landed six All-ODAC First Team honors this year and was named the South/Southeast Region Athlete of the Year for both indoor and outdoor track & field.聽 She was also the ODAC Scholar-Athlete for cross country, indoor and outdoor track.

Eastern Mennonite helped the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to a dominant showing on the Academic All-District teams, as the conference staked 11 of the total possible 24 spots.

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

All of the All-District honorees are now eligible for the All-America teams, which will be announced on June 23.

Before the indoor meet in March, it had been 10 years since Eastern Mennonite had sent two women in the same year to the national meet.

Similar to what she did two months ago, Chappell-Dick again qualified in two events, the 800m and the 1500m, but she elected to concentrate on the 1500m and pass up a spot in the other event.聽 She choose the mile over the 800m at the indoor meet and ended up with the silver medal and All-American status from that effort.

Chappell-Dick enters the national meet as the No. 8 seed, claiming an ODAC-record top time of 4:30.97 from the Duke Twilight on May 6.聽 The preliminaries of the 1500m will be run at 3:45pm Thursday afternoon, with the top four from each of the two heats along with the next top four runners advancing.聽 The 12-woman finals are set for Saturday at 1:30pm, with the top eight finishers earning All-American status.

Chappell-Dick did have the No. 4 time nationally in the 800m (2:09.37) but will concentrate on the 1500m.聽 She participated in the 800m in the national outdoor meet last year.

Lehman punched her ticket in the 5000m, where she will be seeded No. 17 with her time of 17:08.75 from the Colonial Relays on April 3.聽 She is one of just two freshmen in the field of 22 women in the event.聽 Lehman enters nationals with an interesting dynamic, as she has not run competitively since the ODAC Championships on April 17 and 18 while she studied in Hawaii on a three-week cross-cultural program.

The 5000m has just one race, scheduled for 4:05pm on Saturday.

Both women have also been to the nationals in cross country, with Lehman going this past fall and Chappell-Dick doing it as a sophomore in 2013.

Men’s hurdler (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) just missed qualifying for nationals in the 400m hurdles.聽 With his best time of 53.45, the freshman had been No. 18 in the nation heading into the final week of last chance meets, but he was passed by a handful of other men and ended No. 25.聽 Only the top 20 finishers go to the national meet on the men’s side.聽 Faint was just 0.11 second off of the final qualifying time of 53.34.

And in participating in the Spring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Celebration poster session in the , Stoner practiced a few more practical skills he will need: graphic design and public speaking.

Stoner and partner Sarah Carpenter were winners of the upperclass division for their research titled 鈥淏ergton Stream Restoration: Stream Health Assessment Using Macroinvertebrate Sampling.鈥�

The poster session, which is preceded by an informal multidisciplinary science quiz-off and pizza feast, offers students 鈥渁 chance to share their research with fellow students, faculty, and the larger 黑料正能量 community in a fun, social setting,鈥� says physics professor , who judged the contest with biology professor .

Poster sessions are commonly held at scientific conferences, in which 鈥渟cientists and students present and explain their own findings to those who are interested but are not necessarily experts in that field,鈥� said King, who is also an assistant professor in the program.

Posters were judged on quality of experimental design, quality of research analysis, and quality of presentation, said Herin, also with the biomedicine program. 鈥淭he presentation included the appearance, accuracy and clarity of the poster, as well as the presenters鈥� knowledge and explanation of the project.鈥�

Coursework and independent study represented

黑料正能量鈥檚 poster session featured more than 90 participants showcasing research from a variety of courses such as electronics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, statistics for natural sciences, and environmental toxicology. Students in Herin鈥檚 advanced human anatomy class (BIO 437) also contributed 3-D visualizations of body systems.

Carpenter and Stoner were among several students presenting water quality research in the nearby Bergton area as part of . Biology professors and are supervising teams of environmental sustainability students working on water quality monitoring and stream restoration in two tributaries of the Shenandoah River and the Chesapeake Bay, with other facets of the project involving and graduate students.

Students in professor 鈥檚 general chemistry class focused on phytoremediation of a variety of plants, including carrots, forsythia, corn, cattails, and radishes.

Professor 鈥檚 statistics class explored the widest range of topics, including electronic devices owned by students; the fuel economy of cars driven by 黑料正能量 faculty and staff versus those driven by James Madison University faculty and staff; cereal shelf placement based on sugar and price at Food Lion and Kroger; sustainability effectiveness in 黑料正能量 residence halls; and a statistical analysis of the 鈥淪ettlers of Catan鈥� game.

Two unique projects with professor Steve Cessna explored the rhetoric of science and instructional techniques in the science classroom. In their plant ecophysiology course, Hannah Chappell-Dick, Eli Wenger, and Emma Beachy analyzed plant physiology research literature for changes in the 鈥渁ssignment of agency.鈥� For his biochemistry research course project, Kyle Storc investigated student comprehension and retention of biochemistry topics through the use of two-dimensional tools.

Several posters were the result of independent research that students conducted with faculty members. Camille Williams worked with biology professor to analyze the effects of fermented milk supplementation on gut microbacteria in mice.

Rachel King, who will be a research assistant on this summer, worked under chemistry professor on 鈥淎 Mixed Methods Approach to Green Chemistry Knowledge Gains in the Organic Laboratory.鈥� Kishbaugh also worked with Ben Stern, who studied the effects of barium toxicity on zebrafish.

Underclass winner links research to upcoming internship

Amanda Williams and Nader Alqahtani paired up to win the underclass division with their project that compared phytoremediation between native and invasive species.

For Williams, a first-year biology and secondary education major, the research project reminded her of how much she cares about the environment.

鈥淚 live in the wetlands in Delaware, surrounded by the plants we were experimenting on, cattail and phragmites,鈥� she said, adding that she鈥檒l continue her research in a summer internship with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to understand the possible negative effects of invasive species, but also to know that sometimes they are just as important as native species.鈥�

Alqahtani, a sophomore biology major who is interested in medical research, said the hands-on learning experience 鈥渨as a more fun and exciting way to learn than reading and studying.鈥�

And the presentation? That was 鈥渢he exciting part,鈥� he said, even though English is his second language. 鈥淲e were聽confident that we knew everything about our project and we trusted each other’s ability to make a perfect presentation 鈥� when we started presenting and I saw how well we were doing, I got comfortable and started to enjoy telling our audience about our research.鈥�

Poster Session Winners: Upperclass Division

1st: Bergton Stream Restoration: Stream Health Assessment Using Macroinvertebrate Sampling – Sarah Carpenter and Sam Stoner

2nd: Keyless Entry – Stephan Goertzen and Jordan Leaman

3rd: Bergton Stream Restoration: Ecological Monitoring Using Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) – Jonathan Drescher-Lehman and Ryan Keiner

Honorable Mention: An ecophysiological study determining how three different invasive evergreen vines handle the varying winter temperatures by measuring their photosynthesis, transpiration, and Fv/Fm levels – Jonathan Drescher-Lehman, Chris Miller, and Abby Pennington

Honorable Mention: The Effects of Barium Toxicity on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) – Ben Stern

Poster Session Winners: Underclass Division

1st: 聽Comparing Phytoremediation between Native and Invasive Species – Nader Alqahtani and Amanda Williams

2nd:聽聽Phytoremediation in Forsythia – Tyler Denlinger and Jeremiah Robinson

3rd: Electronic Devices Owned by 黑料正能量 Students – Sammy Kauffman, Josh Miller, and Roy Ruan

Honorable Mention: Phytoremediation in Various Plants – Aaron Dunmore and Kat Lehman