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 91短视频 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 91短视频 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 91短视频 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. 91短视频鈥檚 eighth president, Swartzendruber will have served for 13 years in the role and 33 years total in Mennonite higher education. A national search for 91短视频鈥檚 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 91短视频 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, 91短视频 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 91短视频 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 91短视频鈥檚 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 91短视频 programs, including 91短视频 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 91短视频. 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 91短视频 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!

91短视频 news blog readers love their sports! There’s always great coverage available at , but sometimes 91短视频 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 91短视频Royals.com or 91短视频 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.

That鈥檚 when he found an unlikely 鈥渢icket鈥� to his dream career: working at a marketing company that specialized in teaching professional sports teams how to put fans in the seats.

Nearly 13 years later, King has worked his way up with the New York Mets from an entry-level sales position to his current position as group sales director, supervising 13.

Like any good pitcher hard at work, he was willing to bear down, learn a few new pitches, and look for weaknesses in the opposition.

Ticket sales are a good way to break into a tough job market, King said from his office at Citi Field in New York City. For those willing to endure low pay at first, high turnover can translate into upward opportunity.

There鈥檚 another lesson to be learned from Kings鈥� career path, too. You might be preparing for one batter only to face a pinch hitter. Be flexible and ready to change your strategy.

In 2001, King had been accepted to graduate school at University of California, Irvine. He had resigned from his teaching job and was just looking to fill the summer hours with a job that let him get a little closer to the sport he鈥檇 left behind in college.

While at Gameface, the sports marketing company in Portland, King decided he enjoyed the work and deferred his graduate school enrollment to stay in Oregon. Still there in the fall, he developed a rapport with marketing representatives from the New York Mets, who asked him to interview for a position.

Early in 2002, King moved across the country to start work as an inside sales representative for the Mets, giving up his grad school plans. He was an inside sales manager for two years and the season ticket and group sales manager for four years before moving to group sales.

King lives on Long Island with his wife, Susan, and two young children. He makes the drive of 30 miles one way to Citi Field.

He often stays to entertain clients for nearly all of the 81 home games, which sometimes means 14-hour days. He occasionally meets some of the Mets players. At a recent event, for example, clients greeted power hitter Mike Cuddyer, a Norfolk native who the Mets signed to a two-year contract from the Colorado Rockies.

鈥淲e allow some clients to interact with players. Season ticket holders get to attend chalk talks,鈥� King said. 鈥淭here is a division between baseball operations and business. The player鈥檚 time is so valuable, just from the media standpoint. We try to be targeted about how we go about asking for some of their time.鈥�

King spent part of his youth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where his father was big on playing softball and took him to see the Phillies as his first Major League outing.

Now that he鈥檚 in the majors, so to speak, he is always looking to help others into the big show.

鈥淗e gave me my first chance in sports 鈥� He took a chance on me and he really gives me the ability to be a decision maker,鈥� says Christina Andrews, a manager in group sales who is entering her seventh season with the Mets. 鈥淗e trusts the people that he hires and that we will do a good job.鈥�

King is praised by as a team leader by long-time colleagues such as Barry Gorman, manager of group sales.

鈥淗e certainly leads by example. He sets people up to be successful,鈥� Gorman says. 鈥淚 look up to him when it comes to how he runs his team.鈥�

King recognizes that his career path, from middle school math teacher to temp work to ticket sales, is unique. 鈥淚 was fortunate to jump right in at the Major League level. It was a perfect match. I realize my story is pretty unique. If you are going to progress in sports, you have to move around the country and take opportunities when they come. You probably have to move to get those opportunities. I was fortunate to stay.鈥�