“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

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 “Bergton Stream Restoration: Stream Health Assessment Using Macroinvertebrate Sampling.”

The poster session, which is preceded by an informal multidisciplinary science quiz-off and pizza feast, offers students “a chance to share their research with fellow students, faculty, and the larger 91¶ĚĘÓƵ community in a fun, social setting,” says physics professor , who judged the contest with biology professor .

Poster sessions are commonly held at scientific conferences, in which “scientists and students present and explain their own findings to those who are interested but are not necessarily experts in that field,” 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. “The presentation included the appearance, accuracy and clarity of the poster, as well as the presenters’ knowledge and explanation of the project.”

Coursework and independent study represented

91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s 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’s 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 ’s general chemistry class focused on phytoremediation of a variety of plants, including carrots, forsythia, corn, cattails, and radishes.

Professor ’s statistics class explored the widest range of topics, including electronic devices owned by students; the fuel economy of cars driven by 91¶ĚĘÓƵ 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 91¶ĚĘÓƵ residence halls; and a statistical analysis of the “Settlers of Catan” 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 “assignment of agency.” 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 “A Mixed Methods Approach to Green Chemistry Knowledge Gains in the Organic Laboratory.” 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.

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

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

And the presentation? That was “the exciting part,” he said, even though English is his second language. “We were confident that we knew everything about our project and we trusted each other’s ability to make a perfect presentation … 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.”

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

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

3rd: Electronic Devices Owned by 91¶ĚĘÓƵ Students – Sammy Kauffman, Josh Miller, and Roy Ruan

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

, assistant professor of biology at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ, intends to learn more with the help of a $100,000 grant from the . The grant, awarded to full-time faculty members hired within the past seven years at Virginia colleges and universities, supports “one-year pilot studies that encourage the development of innovative interdisciplinary strategies.” Ten projects received funding during the 2014 grant cycle.

Halterman joined the 91¶ĚĘÓƵ faculty in 2012 after earning a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Virginia. She teaches in the undergraduate and in the .

Halterman’s research, which focuses on the effects of a salty diet on organ function at the molecular level, will begin in the spring. She is specifically interested in a protein called NFAT5.

“When salt is applied to cells in a dish, a protein known as NFAT5 is activated to turn on genes that protect cells from damage,” Halterman said. “However, this protein is also known to turn on genes involved in disease.”

Halterman wants to know more about how this effect occurs in living animals rather than cells. She will put rats on different levels of salt diets for six weeks, monitor blood pressure, and measure changes in NFAT5 levels in different organs of the body.

The goal is to “provide insight for future drug development and treatment of hypertension,” she said.

Grant funding will be used to purchase several pieces of high-tech equipment to conduct molecular biology research. The equipment includes a quantitative, real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine, spectrophotometer, and a special non-invasive device to measure rat blood pressure, all of which will also be used by students in upper-level courses at 91¶ĚĘÓƵ.

Other grant funds are designated to hire student assistants. This summer, senior biology majors Rachel King and Jason Spicher will receive stipends to work alongside Halterman. “In future semesters, both undergraduate biology students and graduate biomedicine students will be recruited to continue the research with the samples generated this summer,” Halterman said.

The research project will take advantage of 91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s newly renovated labs and animal facilities. Suter Science Center, built in 1968, is currently undergoing the final phase of a $7.3-million lab renovation project, with efforts underway to raise an additional $3.3 million for renovations to the western wing of the building.

The renovated building includes state-of-the-art facilities for 91¶ĚĘÓƵ’s three-year-old graduate program in biomedicine. A member of the program’s leadership team, Halterman instructs many of graduate-level courses, including “Human Gross and Microscopic Anatomy,” held in the .

Halterman earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas A&M University in 2006 and a master’s in biological and physical sciences from the University of Virginia in 2008.

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.