“My students and I were very involved in the public awareness campaign about the Cow Knob Salamander,” said photography professor , who chairs the Department of Visual and Communication Arts at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ. “This campaign was spearheaded by a constellation of dedicated conservation nonprofits and advocacy groups in the region.”

Partners who worked most closely with Johnson’s classes included , , and the .

The salamander photos emerged from a class in conservation photography launched by Johnson several years ago. He sought to encourage students to “think about broader ecosystems, the environment, human culture and how they relate to the natural world, as well as about helping to protect nature.”

Johnson’s own has also received attention. [To see more photos and learn more about Johnson, visit his .]

Proposed pipeline to cross wild regions

In the fall of 2014 and 2015, Johnson’s class took photos of the George Washington National Forest and nearby areas. The images were utilized to support a half-dozen citizens’ groups opposed to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a proposal backed by four large utility companies. In a new pipeline more than 500 miles long, the natural gas would traverse the George Washington National Forest and Monongahela National Forest, in addition to other public and private properties in mostly rural areas of Virginia and West Virginia.

“The proposed pipeline will cross the central Allegheny Highlands, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the adjacent valleys. It will cut through 30 miles of national forest and cross numerous rivers, streams, and wetlands,” says the of Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition, for which senior Jonathan Bush did aerial photographic surveying. “This area represents the heart of the remaining wild landscape in the eastern United States, and it is a major biodiversity refugium that can only increase in rarity and importance.”

By the coalition’s description, “the proposed pipeline will be 42 inches in diameter, requiring excavation of an 8- to 12-foot-deep trench and the bulldozing of a 125-foot-wide construction corridor straight up and down multiple steep-sided forested mountains.

“It will require construction of heavy-duty transport roads and staging areas for large earth-moving equipment and pipeline assembly. It will require blasting through bedrock, and excavation through streams and wetlands. It will require construction across unstable and hydrologically sensitive karst terrain.

“Pipeline construction on this scale, across this type of steep, well-watered, forested mountain landscape, is unprecedented,” concludes the coalition on its website.

Photographing wildlife and landscapes

Johnson and his students did not limit themselves to documenting the rare Cow Knob Salamanders, which live in the path of the proposed pipeline on and near Shenandoah Mountain. They also photographed pristine streams, verdant farmland, and breathtaking views that would be lost with pipeline construction and maintenance.

Their salamander photos, however, were the ones that seemed to have the most impact, given that they were published widely by the news media and on civic action websites across Virginia. The potential negative impact on these salamanders and the Cheat Mountain Salamanders, plus on West Virginia northern flying squirrels and ecosystem restoration areas, was cited in the Jan. 19 letter from U.S. Forest Service administrators to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC.

The commission is deliberating whether to approve proposals to construct several pipelines for moving Marcellus shale gas from western West Virginia to Virginia and the southeast. These pipelines would be the largest ever built in this region, and all routes proposed thus far would impinge on national forest land.

The Forest Service letter referred to natural resources of “irreplaceable character” on Shenandoah Mountain, Cheat Mountain and Back Allegheny Mountain that would need to be circumvented by any pipelines.

Students contributed to publicity efforts

“I’m very proud of the student involvement in this work – surveying, hiking, mapmaking, land and aerial photographing, and writing,” said Johnson. “It’s impossible to know exactly how much the public campaign played in the final Forest Service decision, but I have to believe the amount of publicity surrounding this little amphibian helped provide political support for this move.”

Lynn Cameron, vice president of the Virginia Wilderness Committee and past president of the Virginia Wilderness Committee, has been with the latter group since it began 10 years ago. Cameron calls the partnership between her group and Johnson’s class “mutually beneficial.” Johnson serves with Cameron on the board of the Virginia Wilderness Committee.

“Being able to show the beauty and biodiversity of the area, along with its water and recreational resources, through the images provided by 91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s students really helps our efforts,” she says.

The George Washington-Jefferson National Forest receives more than 2 million visits annually, most often for hiking, fishing and picnicking, by Forest Service estimates. Access to this forest is as close as 10 miles (20 minutes by car) west of 91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s campus.

All nine students in the fall 2014 Conservation Photography took class field trips that involved photographing landscapes and biodiversity along the proposed pipeline route: Jonathan Bush, Malika Davis, Londen Wheeler, Emma King, Ryan Keiner, Chris Lehman, Meghan Good, Amber Davis and Jonathan Drescher-Lehman. These students also divided into three small groups, two of which worked specifically on the pipeline (their images can be seen here: ).

Cameron recalls that Wheeler was the first to see and photograph the Cow Knob Salamander. Then Bush, Davis and King returned to the area and found some of these salamanders on their own. “I was with them and remember being amazed that they could actually find rare salamanders on a field trip in mid-October, which is at the end of their active season,” said Cameron. “Normally, these salamanders can be found on warm, damp nights. The students found them at mid-day during a dry spell. It was just unbelievable.”

Collectively, the students emerged with some remarkable images which have been used in by and the , among others.

In the fall 2015 Conservation Photo class, four students focused on the pipeline project, but their photos centered on farmland and private property: Curtis Handy, Rachel Schrock, Azariah Cox, and Macson McGuigan. McGuigan also worked on a with his GIS class to make maps related to threatened species in the pipeline route area.

“We chose individually,” Rachel King said.

Finishing her sister’s thoughts as she often does, Emma King agreed.

“Yeah, we didn’t come because each other came,” she said. “That was a small factor.”

Together with their brother, Isaac, the 22-year-olds were three of the 486 students to walk across the stage at Yoder Arena Sunday afternoon for Eastern Mennonite’s 97th annual commencement ceremony.

Emma King said she came to 91¶ĚĘÓƵ because of its prestigious communication program. She joked that another draw was its distance from their hometown of West Unity, Ohio.

Although the triplets share a common genetic sequence and alma mater, they differ in their interests.

Isaac King graduated with a degree in biochemistry, while Rachel King studied biology and Emma King majored in digital media and communications.

The Kings also traveled to different countries for the university’s cross-cultural exchange program.

Emma King visited China; Rachel traveled to Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, and Isaac went to Israel and Palestine.

Isaac King said the exchange program sticks out in his mind as one of his favorite experiences while at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ.

“I’m pretty sure for all three of us it was pretty transformative,” he said. “It put a lasting impression on all of us.”

All three plan to stick around Harrisonburg.

Emma King will be working on an internship at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ, while her sister and brother will assist the university’s science faculty on research projects. Rachel King and her brother said they eventually plan to attend graduate school.

The siblings said that upon arriving at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ, they intentionally didn’t tell people at first that they were triplets, because back home they were always referred to as “the triplets” or “the Kings.”

“And then, this is kind of funny, because we didn’t tell people we were siblings, and they mistakenly would assume they were dating,” Rachel King said about her brother and sister, “which is kind of unfortunate.”

Despite the awkward run-ins that came with being triplets, she said having her two siblings on campus helped her adjust to college life.

“Home is 8 1/2 hours away,” she said, “but because we’re all here, it didn’t feel like it was that far away.”

Courtesy of the Daily News Record, April 27, 2015

Faculty, staff and fellow students nominated the recipients, who were cited for their “significant and verifiable impact” on the university and on student life; for their contributions to developing the institution’s positive image; for substantial contributions to the Harrisonburg/ Rockingham County area and beyond; for their high academic and social standing; and their embodiment of 91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s shared values of Christian discipleship, community, service and peacebuilding.

They wore gold and blue cords during the graduation ceremony on Sunday, April 26.

Blue represents strength of conviction that one person can help to create a better institution or community.

Gold represents the love of spirit and yearning toward creating a better university environment or community.

2015 Cords of Distinction recipients

• Carissa Harnish, a major in biology and Spanish from Manheim, Pennsylvania
• Emma King, a major in digital media and communication and minor in journalism and photography from West Unity, Ohio
• Rachel King, a major in biology, from West Unity, Ohio
• Jacob Landis, a major in congregational and youth ministry and Biblical studies and minor in biology from Sterling, Illinois
• Rebecca Longenecker, a major in English and minor in mathematics from Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Timothy (Jordan) Luther, a major in Biblical studies from Martinsville, Virginia
• Rebecca Martin, a major in history and minor in economics and Spanish from Akron, Pennsylvania
• Gee Paegar, Jr., a major in history and environmental sustainability and minor in political studies and international development from Monrovia, Liberia
• Erin Rheinheimer, a major in art with K-12 licensure and a minor in environmental sustainability from Alexandria, Virginia
• Emily Shenk, a major in liberal arts with an elementary education licensure from Goshen, Indiana

The signing occurred during a one-day visit to the 91¶ĚĘÓƵ campus in Harrisonburg, Virginia, by President Meng Zhaohuai of Sichuan University, accompanied by five other administrators. “It was cold and rainy when we arrived, but now it is sunny,” said Meng through an interpreter at a luncheon for the delegation. “That is a sign of our friendship.”

met with the delegation, signed the agreement and hosted the luncheon, along with two vice-presidents and other university leaders. ( was not present due to previous commitments in other states.)

The two universities do not overtly resemble each other. Sichuan is a public university of 11,000 students in Dazhou, a city of 800,000. 91¶ĚĘÓƵ is a private church-rooted school of 1,800 in Harrisonburg, Va., with a population of 50,000. But the leaders of both institutions emphasized their mutual interest in cultural exchange.

The two schools have been interacting for 16 years through Mennonite Partners in China, which places English teachers at Sichuan University of Arts and Science and many other schools. In turn, Sichuan sends visiting scholars to 91¶ĚĘÓƵ. (A current visiting scholar, Gu Juan, acted as the interpreter for the delegation during the 91¶ĚĘÓƵ visit.) A cross-cultural group from 91¶ĚĘÓƵ will spend some time there later this year.

, formerly known as China Educational Exchange, is sponsored by four international Mennonite organizations. It is headed by Myrrl Byler, who accompanied the Sichuan delegation on its three-day visit to the United States.

Sichuan promotes international interaction by, among other things, forging exchange agreements with universities in six countries. 91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s biggest international program is the requirement that all undergraduate students participate in a cross-cultural experience. Most students do a study-service tour in another country before graduation.

“Sichuan University of Arts and Science is the kind of school we like to relate to,” said Byler. “It is in a more rural area of China and needs help connecting with the outside world.”

While at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ, the Sichuan delegation visited three academic departments – hosted by professor , hosted by director , and hosted by two students who had been in China on an .

“This program is a mixture of the traditional arts and newer media,” said senior Emma King.

The Chinese delegation and their translator and their American hosts then began discussing the use of “newer media” and “digital media” and “social media” and several Chinese phrases. The terminology in communication, media and computer technology keep changing, they agreed, in both English and Chinese.

In addition to President Meng, the Sichuan University representatives were:
• Deng Jie, director of educational administration
• Yu Wengsheng, director of international exchange and cooperation
• Du Songbai, dean, College of Literature and Journalism
• Feng Jin, professor, College of Culture and Communication
• Li Xuemei, dean, College of Foreign Languages

Basketball players, religious studies majors, Iraqi STEM students, and missionary kids are among the siblings who have chosen to attend 91¶ĚĘÓƵ together. Some commute from nearby homes; some crossed the continent to get here; some are Mennonite, but many aren’t.

The 91¶ĚĘÓƵ database contains 46 family names associated with siblings enrolled in the fall of 2014. Three families have a trio of offspring enrolled, including two sets of parents who themselves graduated from 91¶ĚĘÓƵ: Steve and Lois Alderfer, class of 1986, parents of first-year Andrew, third-year Josh, and fourth-year Elizabeth; and Pat and Kathy King, class of 1981, parents of triplets who are sophomores, Emma, Isaac and Rachel. A third trio of sophomores includes Kennedy I. Okereke, and twins Chidera T. and Chinazo A. Nwankwo, children of Theodora Nwankwo.

“Something very profound takes place for both the family and the 91¶ĚĘÓƵ community when siblings share a common college narrative,” says , vice president for enrollment. “Experiencing Mennonite education can strengthen the family while at the same time benefiting the college with the sharing of their individual strengths and uniqueness.”

Not surprisingly, the largest cluster of siblings (14 sets) come from Harrisonburg and vicinity, but some siblings have traveled hundreds of miles in Virginia to attend 91¶ĚĘÓƵ, including a pair each from Bristol on the Tennessee border and from Chesapeake on the Atlantic.

Other home states of siblings: Pennsylvania (12 families in nine municipalities); Ohio (eight families, all in different locations), two sets of siblings from Maryland, and one set each from Goshen, Indiana; Wellman, Iowa; Rochester, New York; Plymouth, Minnesota; Puyallup, Washington; and Charles Town, West Virginia.

The 46 surnames of siblings culled from 91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s database in October 2014 are: Alderfer, Baltimore, Barrett, Beachy, Bills, Bishop, Blosser (two different families), Clemens, Cox, Driediger, Dutcher, Ferrell, Gallardo, Gish, Gonzalez, Graber, Hartzler, Jones, Kauffman, King, Kiser, Kratz, Longenecker, Luther, Mack-Boll, Mansoor, Martin, Mast, Miller, Mumaw, Myers, Nafziger, Nussbaum, Okereke, Patterson, Poplett, Raber, Salladay, Shenk-Moreno, Sprunger, Treichel, Trotter, Weaver, Wengerd, Ygarza, and Yoder.

Interviews with three sets of 91¶ĚĘÓƵ siblings yielded this common thread: They tend to maintain separate identities and friend groups, while supporting and inspiring one another – be they healthcare providers like the Ardrons, budding psychologists like the Treichels, or activist musicians like the Popletts.

“Even though the siblings may have very different experiences here, they will have the same alma mater, a bond which will benefit both themselves and our entire community over the long term,” observes Hartman.

The Ardrons

Last year, the three Ardron brothers – Austin, Adrian, and then first-year student Aaron – all commuted to campus from their home in Fishersville, 30 miles south of Harrisonburg. The attraction of 91¶ĚĘÓƵ was its strong reputation in and .

With both a mother and a father who are nurses, the Ardron brothers come from a family of healers. Among their immediate and extended family are more nurses, pharmaceutical representatives, physical therapists, an ophthalmologist, and a pediatric allergist.

“It’s just what we’re drawn to … we’re good at medicine, at making people feel better,” says Austin, who wrapped up his 91¶ĚĘÓƵ coursework this summer, passed his nursing boards, and started as a registered nurse at the University of Virginia (UVa) hospital – all within 30 days.

As the first to enroll, Austin came to 91¶ĚĘÓƵ because of the “holistic approach” to nursing, which emphasizes emotional as well as physical healing. Now working on the medical-surgical floor, Austin applies this mindset to patient advocacy, what he terms “explaining in human terms what the doctor just said.” He also values his ability to be a comforting presence and “that extra safety net for the patient” before procedures.

Austin’s older brother, Adrian, started at the College of William and Mary and circulated among a couple of university settings and majors before following Austin into the nursing program. Also a 2014 graduate, he now works as a registered nurse in UVa’s urology, surgery and burns unit.

Aaron based his college decision partly on his brothers’ positive experience. The pre-med major was also impressed by 91¶ĚĘÓƵ graduates’ nearly 90 percent acceptance rate into medical school.

Commuting from home has allowed the Ardron brothers to gain work experience, and to maintain close ties to their family and their Seventh Day Adventist church.

Austin paid his way through school by working as a nurse’s aide at UVa. For all four years of college, he attended school Monday through Friday, and worked 20 hours over the weekend.

Aaron’s extracurricular activities take the form of church leadership: he is a head deacon at his family’s church. The Seventh Day Adventists’ calling is “to help heal, help promote growth,” he says. That environment shaped his interest in helping people through medicine. After many years of schooling, he hopes to carry on the family’s healing tradition as a healthcare professional in an intensive care or trauma setting, perhaps as a cardiac or ocular surgeon.

The Treichels

Shawn and Kevin Treichel’s childhood instilled in them a fascination with the human mind and an appreciation of brotherhood. From Kevin’s perspective, many people coming to college see their siblings as an annoyance, and their family as a constrictive atmosphere to leave behind. But the Philadelphia-raised brothers grew up without an intact family to chafe gently against – they were in and out of foster care.

Some students enter college lacking independence and resilience. Not these brothers, says Shawn: “We’ve been to youth delinquent centers for a year at a time …We can do college!” (In the Philadephia area, the centers often double as temporary homeless youth shelters.)

Shawn was the first to learn about 91¶ĚĘÓƵ. His family began attending a Mennonite church after an event flyer was posted on their door. Through that youth group, he became acquainted with Lani PrunĂ©s ’14. Her descriptions of 91¶ĚĘÓƵ helped sway him from the original conviction that he would not pursue post-secondary education. He is now a third-year major whose studies may lead to ; however, he’s waiting to see what opportunities life brings: “I’ve never really had a straight and narrow path,” he explains.

Kevin is also at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ because of those church connections. He came in knowing he wanted to go into nursing, and liked 91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s reputation in that field. Specifically, he says, “I want to work in a psychology setting with children.” He plans to attend graduate school for a masters in applied behavioral analysis.

“The end goal is to have the knowledge and the context in order to take a much more holistic approach towards psychology than I ever witnessed myself,” he says.

Coming to 91¶ĚĘÓƵ, the Treichels had to adapt to both small-city living and local culture. If they drive five minutes in their home setting, they’ve made two blocks; if they drive five minutes here, they’re in a cornfield. Neither of the brothers see themselves returning to Philadelphia. “Been there, done that,” says Kevin.

Wherever their careers take them, the Treichels express appreciation for having attended 91¶ĚĘÓƵ simultaneously and maintaining their mutually supportive relationship.

“It would probably be weirder not being on campus with my brother,” says Kevin. “Due to our specific circumstances, we learned pretty early the value of relying on family.”

Yet, he adds, 91¶ĚĘÓƵ might still be the right choice for siblings who don’t feel as close as he and Shawn. “The [campus] world’s not as small as you might think it is.”

The Popletts

Alicia and Katrina Poplett, of Plymouth, Minnesota, grew up immersed in music, listening to their mother playing piano. Competition between the two young violinists became “a quite contentious part of our lives!” says Katrina, who switched to the viola in eighth grade. Thereafter they played together in school and in Mennonite church groups with less angst.

In the high school pit orchestra, the year before Alicia left for 91¶ĚĘÓƵ, “we started becoming friends,” says Katrina.

Alicia is now a junior majoring in and .

After two years of visiting her sister on campus and feeling “very at home here,” Katrina arrived this fall to study .

Again attending school together, the two have built upon their high school bond, sharing yoga classes and musicianship.

Yoga is Alicia’s interest, but “Katrina begrudgingly comes along,” Alicia says. “She has a lot of strengths, but sitting still and perhaps balancing are not some of them.” The two exchange smiles over antsiness and arduous poses during class.

The sisters also still practice music together, their individual skill augmented by the ability to read one another well. Sometimes, though, they still need to take breaks to cool down between instrumental arguments.

The sisters hope to enter humanitarian work after graduation. Alicia imagines teaching overseas or in an inner city school – “somewhere that would continue to challenge me!” Katrina sees herself working with women and children in a foreign context.

Wherever they go, the sisters want to make a difference, a goal that stems from their upbringing: “We were raised to be involved and to be present where you are,” says Katrina. An example of this was their recent participation in the New York City People’s Climate Rally on Sept. 21. “It took stamina!” says Alicia, of the three-mile walk with more than 400,000 participants.

Their mantra of presence and involvement also applies to their relationship.  Alicia recommends attending college with a sibling, as it’s an interesting way “to both grow together.”

Katrina has especially appreciated the presence of someone who knows her well as she transitions to university life. The hardest thing about starting college, she explained, is the absence of peers who know you deeply. Even though Alicia has been Katrina’s “in” to social networks, people on campus do not treat the sisters as one unit.

“You are related, but you’re your own person,” says Katrina.

Their film, “,” is helping to shape a national conversation about environmental justice, citizen activism, indigenous rights, and nonviolent resistance.

Largest open-pit mine ever?

The 45-minute film focuses on the proposed creation of the world’s largest open-pit mine – nearly four miles long, 1,000 feet wide and 900 feet deep – in the Penokee Hills, just miles from the world’s largest freshwater lake and several Native American communities that rely on the water source to preserve tribal traditions and economic well-being.

“91¶ĚĘÓƵ students are helping drive a very important dialogue about one of the major issues of our day,” says Moore, associate professor of and .

“This is a story that is far from over,” added Pete Rasmussen, co-founder of the and a prominent voice in the film. He noted the of a from mining company Gogebic Taconite to Governor Scott Walker’s recall campaign.

The film traces three compelling story lines – the extractive industry of open pit iron ore mining, its potential effect on one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes, and the multicultural group of citizen activists who have been monitoring the site and protesting the proposal. Woven into the narrative is a Greek chorus of West Virginia residents affected by the .

Alerting people of Wisconsin

The documentary is “a message to the people in Wisconsin of what will likely happen if the mining is continued,” said student filmmaker Anne Diller ’14. “After listening to the people from West Virginia share their warning to Wisconsin, it felt like we were piecing together a love letter.”

Since its premiere June 20 on the reservation of the Bad River band of the Lake Superior Chippewa tribe, the film has earned accolades from local activists.

Jill “Peach” Hartlev, a member of the tribe’s , helped host the premiere, which was open to the public and included a potluck, poetry, singing and dancing. Several of those interviewed in the film were also present, including tribal chair Mike Wiggins Jr.

“It was an overwhelmingly positive response among those present,” Hartlev said, who added that Moore’s presence made the event special. “It was very moving for me personally to see those faces and hear those voices. These are personal friends and also people who I work closely with. I was moved to tears.”

Rasmussen said he appreciated “the connections the students made, how it showed an understanding of how we’re all connected, from West Virginia to Virginia to what’s happening here.”

Putting all the pieces together

Local and national media had reported on the proposed project, Rasmussen said, but “the film put all the pieces together and has definitely had a broader impact with audiences who are not as familiar with the issue and the idea that we’re facing this all over the country in a systemic way.”

Hartlev and Rasmussen, who both attended multiple regional showings throughout the summer, noted that the various audiences shared an especially visceral reaction to Gogebic Taconite spokesman Bob Seitz’s statement about the presence at the proposed site of grunerite, a rare asbestiform rock that carries the risk of airborne carcinogens. Seitz’s statement contradicted both of the company’s own scientists, as well as that of Northlands College geologist Tom Fitz.

“There were gasps and laughter, expressions of disbelief during that segment,” said Rasmussen. “The people who have been paying attention in meetings and hearings have seen that denial, but there’s only a few people going to those meetings. So to get that on film is motivating to the public, because it’s something they’ve heard about, but they haven’t seen it.”

Moore – an experienced videographer who has produced documentaries aired by the Discovery Channel, PBS and National Geographic – noted that the experience of capturing that interview on film and dealing with the ethical aftermath was unsettling, though educational for her students.

“The students are really in the middle of this, and that interview segment shows that,” she said. “Here was a company spokesperson offering misleading information, right on film, and we spent a lot of time talking about the best way to handle it.”

Importance of bearing witness

Moore teaches a documentary filmmaking course every two years. (Previous student-involved projects include a and a feature about local cooperative restaurant .)

The challenges students – and professors, Moore says – to think about “91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s message of service and responsibility in a media industry which is so entitled and can be quite destructive and powerful.”

“How do we think about media as creating a sacred space?” Moore said. “What’s our role as a witness to the social justice movement?’

Moore was introduced to the documentary’s subject matter by Danielle Taylor, who holds a from 91¶ĚĘÓƵ. Taylor created the “” video project and blog.

Moore began filming in the fall of 2013. On several occasions, she stayed at a harvest camp established near the proposed site by the Lac Courte Oreilles band, where participants monitor a mining project entrance, conduct research, and practice traditional hunting and foraging skills.

By the time the spring 2014 documentary class began, she had dozens of hours of footage and faced the unique challenge of “getting my students excited about something I was already passionate about.”

Link to West Virginia chemical spill

That wasn’t a problem after the Elk River toxic chemical spill on January 9, which contaminated the water supply 300,000 residents of Charleston, West Virginia, for days.

Senior Emma King and junior Karla Hovde interviewed several West Virginia residents, including Bob Kincaid, host of and a frequent contributor to the anti-mining discussion in Wisconsin. Those interviews had a dramatic impact on King.

“I really saw how misusing the environment hurts everyone,” King said. “Talking to people firsthand, rather than reading about it in a book, put this into perspective for me.”

Her involvement in the project changed her from a casual supporter of environmental causes to a passionate proponent.

“We were able to amplify the voices of a group of people who were concerned about their community,” Diller said. “I felt like I had a personal relationship with the people as we edited their interviews. They opened up and shared their stories with us and trusted us to get their message out to the world.”

Moore says the film is an official selection of the . A spring showing on campus is also planned.

For more information on this issue, check out the reports on the , , and .

Editor’s note: In February 2015, Gogebic Taconite announced , citing unforeseen “wetland issues that make major continued investment unfeasible at this time,” as well as concern with impending environmental legislation. Though the company continues to claim that it will still work on securing permits to mine, some local officials and have suggested the press release is a sign of victory.

The basics about cross-cultural

Each academic year 91¶ĚĘÓƵ offers three or four semester-long cross-cultural programs to destinations all over the world. At some point during their time in college, slightly over half of all 91¶ĚĘÓƵ students study overseas for a semester. Additionally, up to a half dozen three- to six-week programs are offered every summer.

Between the two options, a large majority of students at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ study abroad to fulfill its requirement for cross-cultural education, and the remainder have a supervised cross-cultural experience nearer to home. It’s a distinctive, long-standing and wildly popular part of the curriculum.

“We overwhelmingly hear from alumni that this is one of the best things that they did as an undergraduate because of the life experience and the self-understanding that they gain, the perspective [and] the language skills,” says , assistant to .

After surveying several dozen students recently returned from an overseas cross-cultural, we’ve compiled a list of the most common reasons students look back on the experience as one of the best of their college years.

1. Gain new self-confidence

Getting from A to B in a strange place is part of every cross-cultural, and students find it’s a fantastic way to build confidence in their abilities to navigate new life situations.

“After riding many trains, planes, and automobiles – and one camel – I now have the confidence and know-how to travel by myself to just about any destination,” says Emma King ’15.

Nursing major Afton Vanderwarker ’15 says being “able to function completely independently for the first time in my life on our week of free travel … showed me how much I’m capable of and that I really can go anywhere and do anything in the world.”

2. Learn a language

Many cross-culturals include formal language study as well as an immersion experience with another language. There’s no better way to learn.

“I left knowing zero Spanish and returned able to speak enough to have conversations with host families and most people I met on the street,” says Alex Witmer ’15.

3. Make new friendships from home that will last forever

“I left the U.S. with a group of strangers and came back with a family,” says Rebekah Graham ’13.

Expect to form tight, long-lasting bonds with the other students in your group. Emma King ’15 explains why: “They were the ones who helped you carry your bag up a mountain. They ate the same sketchy looking soup with the unidentifiable green stuff in it that you did. They can now speak a foreign language just as badly as you can and laugh along with you when you accidentally ask a shop owner for a kiss rather than asking for their attention. They know all your embarrassing digestion stories. They are the people that know you at your best and at your worst.”

4. Form friendships abroad, gaining insights into the world

“I am still in contact with people from Syria to Palestine that I met through home stays and our living experiences, as well as [having] connections with people from places such as Guam and Ukraine that I made during free travel,” says ’13.

Syria and Ukraine have been spending a lot of time in the international headlines lately; Nafziger’s contacts there have given him greater understanding of the events putting those countries in the media spotlight.

5. Expand your food horizons

Chances are good you’ll eat things you’ve never heard of before (e.g., chocobananos), and maybe things you’d never considered food before (e.g., chicken feet). And, chances are good, you’ll be very glad you had the opportunity.

“The street food which we were warned not to eat was the best food I’ve ever had in my life,” says Vanderwarker. “I’d fly back for street food.”

6. Do things you couldn’t possibly do at home

Hike Spain’s Camino de Santiago! Swim with sea lion pups! Tour the Colombian countryside by motorcycle! Students come back from their cross-cultural with memories to last a lifetime.

“I got to visit Hobbiton [movie set in New Zealand], which was the greatest day of my life,” says Bonnie Fisher ’14.

Kaitlin Heatwole ’11 spent her free-travel hiking a section of the Israel National Trail, hampered by a lack of English-language maps. The best one she and her friends could find wasn’t great – imagine using a road atlas to hike the Appalachian Trail – and they did indeed go a bit astray. But gummy bear candy kept spirits high and they made it to the end intact, on time, and the better for it.

7. Change your life forever, and for the better

Talk to students who have been on a cross-cultural, and you’ll hear some variation of this over and over:

“This semester abroad marked one of the greatest times of my life – challenging, but beautiful,” says Annie Dutcher ’08. “My time in Guatemala and Mexico was completely life-altering in all the best ways. I credit 91¶ĚĘÓƵ and this trip with opening my eyes to life outside of the U.S.”

Here are a few more take-aways:

“Even now, almost 15 months after returning to the U.S., I continue to strive for that sense of profound engagement with the world around me that I felt while on cross-cultural, and struggle to find ways to step outside of comfortable American life.” – Meg Smeltzer Miller ’13

“I learned how to choose to be content in each and every situation, no matter how difficult.” – Caitlyn Suttles ’13

“It did make me more reflective and thoughtful in my daily life. I don’t go a day without thinking of Honduras and the struggles those people face each and everyday.” – Patrick Campbell ’12, MA ’14

“If you want to leave college feeling like you’ve learned something and changed who you are in the best ways, cross cultural is the path you want to take. It’s a struggle but every moment – the hours in language class, the weight gain, the homesickness – is totally worth every penny and drop of sweat.” – Lani PrunĂ©s ’14

More info about cross-cultural

Learn more about cross-cultural study abroad at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ on the program website,Ěýstudent blogs and our .

Freelance Whales – Friday, Feb. 7,Ěý 9 p.m. – $5 students; $15/$20 non-students advance/door.

“Their sound is awesome,” says Emma King, a junior who’s been a fan for several years and saw the band perform last fall in Washington, D.C. “They’ve got a great stage presence and they’re just a really great band.”

Freelance Whales makes extensive use of unusual instruments like the harmonium and glockenspiel to create a sound that has drawn comparisons to huge acts like Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens. named the group to its list of “50 Must-Hear Bands” before the 2010 SXSW festival, while in a review of the band’s 2012 album Diluvia, the called Freelance Whales “one of indie rock’s most intriguing new acts.”

The and worked together to bring the band to 91¶ĚĘÓƵ, in response to student surveys that have constantly reflected a desire for larger acts to perform on campus. The two groups have decided to pool resources every three years to attract a big-name musician or band.

“It’s really special to have a major artist come to 91¶ĚĘÓƵ,” says , the assistant director of student programs who arranged the show. “Come to hear great music and come for a more exciting experience in a more intimate setting than you’ll usually get.”

The band will perform in Lehman Auditorium.

SGA co-president Christine Baer became a fan of the band as she and the rest of SGA listened to Freelance Whales as they were discussing which group to bring to 91¶ĚĘÓƵ. She adds that the band has a group of avid followers on campus as well as a growing number of people who have begun to listen to them more recently.

“We’d love to get a good student turnout,” says Baer, who hopes to recapture the excitement that was present on campus when Joshua Radin performed.

Tickets for 91¶ĚĘÓƵ and JMU students are available for $5; non-student tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Advance purchase from the is recommended.