In the News

Graduates encouraged to embrace “Double Vision” at 112th commencement ceremony

Hesston College graduates once again received their diplomas and took pictures with Hesston College president Dr. Joseph A. Manickam in Yost Center on Hesston College campus in a commencement ceremony held at 6 p.m on May 14. This year’s graduation activities were held fully in person for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Hesston College’s 112th commencement featured an address titled “It Takes All of Us,” delivered by Rev. Sue Park-Hur, denominational minister for transformative peacemaking at Mennonite Church USA. President Manickam and Vice President of Academics Dr. Carren Moham also briefly addressed the class of 2022.

“Where is God showing you in the long vision of your life,” Park-Hur asked the graduates, playing on the metaphor of bifocal lenses and double vision. “And what do you see in the tangible now that will help you to get there? How do we zoom in to see and build interpersonal skills and zoom out to see how systems and structures limit or free us to do the work we are called to do?”

The prayer of invocation was delivered by Shawn ’09 and Suzanne Nolt, Dalton, Ohio, parents of graduate Alyssa Nolt. The prayer of dedication was delivered by Paul and Julie Miranda, parents of nursing graduate Jessie Miranda. Two students, David Beachy, San Nicolas, Phillipines, and Sara Bianchi Muschio, Trento, Italy, were nominated by faculty and staff and voted by their classmates as the graduate speakers to reflect on the Hesston Experience.

President Dr. Joseph A. Manickam, Ph.D., conferred 38 bachelor of science in nursing degrees, one bachelor of science degrees to students majoring in Aviation Professional Pilot and 74 associate degrees. The graduating class of 2022 includes members from 16 different countries, U.S. territories and sovereign nations.

The 38 nursing program graduates were honored at a Nursing Pinning ceremony in the sanctuary of Hesston Mennonite Church on the morning of May 14. Graduates received their nursing pins as well as the traditional blessing of hands from Hesston College nursing faculty.

Other commencement weekend events included several music recitals and a theatre showcase. On the evening of May 13, the International Chorale presented a sendoff concert in the sactuary of Hesston Mennonite Church. The concert kicked off a European choir tour schedule that includes concerts in Germany, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands.

Nursing students raise over $4,500 for New Hope Shelter

Along with high job placement and licensure exam pass rates, one feature that sets Hesston College’s School of Nursing apart is a culture of support for students. Now junior and senior nursing students are extending that same support and care to the unhoused population of Harvey County, raising over $4,500 for New Hope Shelter in Newton.

The idea began during a meeting of the Hesston College nursing club. “During a nursing club meeting, we learned that Wichita was having a fundraiser called Sleep Out ICT that encouraged people to give up their bed for one night as an act of solidarity and fundraiser for the homeless community there,” said Michelle Ramos-Carreno, a junior nursing student from Salina and class leader in the nursing club. “We discussed doing something similar. To try to raise as much money as we could, we turned into a friendly competition between the junior and senior nursing classes.”

In the end, that “friendly competition” raised $4,618 for New Hope Shelter, which serves unhoused people from Harvey, Butler, Marion and McPherson counties. Brian Bisbee, executive director at New Hope, was surprised and delighted to receive the check.

“We greatly appreciate the efforts of the junior and senior nursing students at Hesston College,” said Bisbee. “What an amazing fundraiser and an amazing group of students.”

For these future nurses, the fundraiser was a natural extension of their calling to care.

“This fundraiser connects with what we learn in the classroom,” said Delaney Lawrence, senior from Wichita and class leader in the nursing club. “Nursing care is not just focused on the hospital. There are people all over that could use some help.”

Bisbee plans to put the donation straight to work. The money will support operations at New Hope Shelter, aiding in the end goal of “providing hope and a new start to homeless people in the name of Christ,” Bisbee said.

“We appreciate Hesston’s nursing students helping us with that work,” Bisbee added. “We look forward to working with them again.”

Students recognized for academic and leadership achievements at LarkFest

Hesston College students and faculty were recognized for their achievements in academics and leadership during LarkFest Awards ceremony, held in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on April 29.

The top student award—Lark of the Year—went to sophomore Alisha Dorsing, Othello, Wash., for excellence in leadership, academics and service. Students are nominated for Lark of the Year by the Hesston Experience team and the recipient is chosen by a faculty vote.

Other student award winners include:

• Admissions Outstanding Ambassador Award: Paton Buller (Mountain Lake, Minn.), Alisha Dorsing, and Phoebe Kolb (Milford, Neb.).
• Bill Mason Business Scholarship (Receive a $2,500 scholarship for their sophomore year of business study at Hesston): David Duncan (Wichita, Kan.), Derick Fonseca (San Pedro Sula, Honduras), Jovan Suarez (Salina, Kan.) and Fikir Yemane (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia).
• Student Development Officer Awards (For students who call alumni during Phonathon): Rrok Topalli (Lezhe, Albania) and Rozario Zogu (Lezhe, Albania) for the most money brought in.
• Clayton V. Beyler Award for Bible and Ministry students: Bethany Masters (Dundee, Ohio).
• Daniel Gerber Peace and Service Award: Sara Bianchi (Trento, Italy) and Rrok Topalli.
• Art Department Ceramics Excellence Award: Lys Nolt (Dalton, Ohio).
• Art Department Ceramics Heart & Soul Award: Mari Gerber (Dallas, Texas).
• Art Department Drawing Excellence Award: AnDena Collins (Hutchinson, Kan).
• Art Department Overall Excellence Award: Kezia Angeline (Semarang, Indonesia).
• Honors Program Graduates: Alisha Dorsing and Lys Nolt.
• Musician of the Year Award: Kelly Miller (Archbold, Ohio).
• Peer Educator Award: Dara Ness (Goddard, Kan.).
• Physical Education Award: Ethan Hildebrand (Stafford, Kan.).
• Nursing Resilience Award: The Graduating Class of 2022.
• Yoder/Zaid Scholarship (Awarded to a chemistry student who shows promise): Sadie Oesch (Caldwell, Idaho).
• Outstanding Academic Achievement Award (Given to graduating international students with a 4.0 GPA): Jessica Raharjo (Semarang, Indonesia).
• Resident Assistants of the Year: Fortesa Hysenaj (Istog, Kosovo) and Camden Knight (Garden City, Kan.).

Hesston College also gave awards to faculty during LarkFest.

• Teaching Rookie of the Year: Johann Reimer, professor of engineering.
• Award for Teaching Excellence: Marelby Mosquera Jensen, professor of biology and chemistry.

Hesston College will celebrate an in-person commencement weekend on May 13 to 15. 

Hesston College partnering with Bluestem Communities in lifelong learning program

Hesston College is joining with community partner Bluestem Communities and higher education partner Bethel College in a new lifelong learning venture for residents in the region and beyond. The program, Bluestem U, will launch its inaugural semester in September 2022 hosted by Hesston College and Bluestem Communities’ Schowalter Villa campus.

Bluestem U seeks to provide lifelong learning opportunities for those 55 and better. Some courses will also be available via Zoom so participants outside the area can participate. Bluestem U will launch its inaugural semester in September 2022.

Bluestem U will offer enhanced quality of life through the joy of learning and social interaction. Courses will vary each semester and be taught by former and current instructors from Hesston College and Bethel College and community experts. Course topics will include subjects such as history, creation care, spirituality, psychology, arts, wellness and technology.

“We are excited to offer this program that will open our campuses to the community and to those who want to learn more about specific areas of interest,” said Ariana Kauffman, Bluestem Communities vice president of marketing and communications. “We are looking forward to working in collaboration with our neighbors at Bethel College and Hesston College to create professional and meaningful programs and experiences for the participants.”

Bluestem U kicks off with a Fall 2022 semester hosted by Schowalter Villa and Hesston College, followed by a Spring 2023 semester with Kidron Bethel Village and Bethel College. Each semester will offer several four- to eight-week courses for $50 per semester course. Classes will be held on the Bluestem Communities campuses, and class times may be during the day or evening based on the instructors’ schedules.

For more information about Bluestem U and available courses, visit BluestemU.org or email Learning@BluestemU.org.

Theatergoers of all ages invited to Hesston College production of “The House at Pooh Corner”

Hesston College’s Theatre for Young Audiences program returns to Dyck Arboretum of the Plains April 27 to May 1 to stage “The House at Pooh Corner,” adapted for the stage by Bettye Knappe from the book by A.A. Milne.

“The House at Pooh Corner” finds Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and the rest of the toys gathering in the Hundred Acre Wood. A “Mergency Meeting” has been called to order by the boy, Christopher Robin, who is being sent to a mysterious place called Education. Nobody knows what or where that is, and if the boy is sent there, what can his friends possibly do without him?

“This show is a wonderful mix of college students, Hesston College faculty and staff and community members all working together to create a sweet retelling of the classic Pooh story,” said Rachel Jantzi, director of theatre at Hesston College. “Audiences will experience a concept that is less Disney and truer to the era in which the story was written. Our costumer has done fantastic research to create looks specific to the late 1920s, while the cast is wonderfully capturing the qualities of Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood family.

“The simple message of friendship and the beautiful backdrop of Dyck Arboretum will be enjoyed by absolutely everyone,” Janzti said.

“The House at Pooh Corner” features a run time of approximately 60 minutes, and attendees are invited to bring their own seating arrangements for the arboretum lawn. Curtains for the April 27 to 29 shows open at 6 p.m. Two 2 p.m. matinees are scheduled for April 30 and May 1. The shows will be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Tickets are $5 for children and students and $10 for adults. Tickets can be reserved online in advance by calling 620-327-8105.

The cast, in order of appearance, includes:

• Rabbit – Phoebe Kolb, Milford, Neb.
• Kanga – Celaine Worden (Hesston College faculty)
• Roo – Rebecca Shuart (community member)
• Pooh – Malaree Hood (Hesston College staff)
• Piglet – Alexis Driscoll, Sedgwick, Kan.
• Eeyore – Smilla Burklin, Karlsruhle, Germany
• Christopher Robin – Destry Belshe (community member)
• Owl – Heidi Hochstetler (Hesston College faculty)
• Tigger – Josh Fleming, Raymore, Mo.
• Christopher Robin (understudy) – Sienna Belshe (community member)

Hesston College Chorale to “Shine the Light” in Europe and at home through music

The Hesston College Chorale under the direction of Dr. Russell Adrian and Ken Rodgers will present a music program entitled “Shine the Light” at churches in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and France May 17 to June 7, 2022. The choir will perform a send-off concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 13, at Hesston Mennonite Church. A free-will offering will be taken to help offset tour expenses.

The chorale will give twelve concerts in various churches. Tour members will also take in the history and culture of cities such as Amsterdam, Hamburg, Leipzig and Zurich. The trip features visits to important sites in Anabaptist history, as well as visits to important European cathedrals and several world-famous museums. One trip highlight will be a two-day stay in the Swiss Alps. Prior to the trip, chorale members will attend lectures on European history and fine arts by Rodgers. Students will complete written and oral presentations on topics related to the tour.

“We are keenly aware that we’re visiting these communities during times of acute stress,” said Dr. Adrian. “Between the ongoing Covid pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, people are exhausted, worried and fearful. Music can shine light in the midst of that darkness. That’s our hope for this tour.”

The 25-voice mixed ensemble is composed of members of Bel Canto Singers and Global Voices that combine on biennial international tours. The performance will include music from a variety of genres, including spirituals, folk songs and gospel music. Musical interludes will feature soloists and small groups from within the chorale. Tour itinerary, program and livestream link for the home concert can be found at hesston.edu/music.

Hesston College Chorale members include Anna Banman of Lenexa, Kan.; Bethany Masters of Mount Eaton, Ohio; Kelly Miller of Archbold, Ohio; Isaac Tice of Buhler, Kan.; Matthew Manickam and Rachel Teeter of Hesston, Kan.; Alyssa Burkholder of Goessel, Kan.; Meg Beyer, Sam Groff, Luke Huyard, Kara Longenecker, Ginny Miller, Rachel Weaver and Toby Yoder of Harrisonburg, Va.; Alyssa Nolt of Dalton, Ohio; Sadie Oesch of Caldwell, Idaho; Luke Allison of Freeman, S.D.; Jack Shingler of Kidron, Ohio; Jesse Kanagy of Lancaster, Pa.; and Aidan Swartzendruber of Henderson, Neb.

Itinerary

• 
  Friday, May 13, 7 p.m. – Hesston Mennonite Church, Hesston, Kansas
• Thursday, May 19, 8 p.m. – Doopsgezinde Gemeente, Aalsmeer, Netherlands
• Friday, May 20, 8 p.m. – Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente, Haarlem, Netherlands
• Saturday, May 21, 7 p.m. – Doopsgezinde Gemeente, Joure, Netherlands
• Sunday, May 22, 1:30 p.m. – Doopsgezinde Gemeente, Joure, Netherlands
• Tuesday, May 24, 8 p.m. – Kreuzkirche Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
• Wednesday, May 25, 8 p.m. – Probsteikirche Herz Jesu, Lübeck, Germany
• Sunday, May 29, 10 a.m. – Evang. Freikirche Mennonitengemeinde, Ingolstadt, Germany
• Sunday, May 29, 7 p.m. – Evang.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde St. Markus, Ingolstadt, Germany
• Monday, May 30, 8 p.m. – Alttäufergemeinde, Emmental, Switzerland
• Tuesday, May 31, 8 p.m. – Reformierte Kirche, Wattenwil, Switzerland
• Wednesday, June 1, 8 p.m. – Reformierte Kirche, Amsoldingen, Switzerland
• Saturday, June 4, 8 p.m. – Église Évangélique Mennonite du Petit-Val/Evangelische Mennonitengemeinde Kleintal, Moron, Switzerland
• Sunday, June 5, 5:00 p.m. – Église Évangélique Mennonite de Pfastatt, Mulhouse, France

Hesston College Theatre will offer a weeklong residential camp for 2022

Hesston College’s summer musical theatre camp will feature a new format in summer 2022. Aspiring actors and tech crew members ages 11 to 18 will stay in the dorms June 13 to 18 while participating in an immersive production schedule culminating in a Saturday matinee performance of the musical “The Addams Family.”

The weeklong overnight theatre camp replaces the two-week day camp with the goal to more fully immerse students in the theatre process. Mornings and afternoons will feature rehearsals and tech preparations. In the evenings campers will stay in the dorms and participate in activities including movie premiere night, variety show, a pool party, ultimate game night and more.

Over the last several years, Hesston College’s Summer Theatre Camp has become a popular summer event for high school and junior high students. In the year prior to the pandemic, the camp drew its largest enrollment with more than 40 participants who staged the musical, “School House Rock Live!”. During the summer of 2020, the camp was adapted for pandemic circumstances and staff worked with campers individually and produced a smaller showcase. Last year, much of the pre-pandemic camp format returned but with a smaller cast and crew staging “The Jungle Book” for an open air audience of more than 200.

This year the show selected is the family friendly musical comedy, “The Addams Family.” The show revisits the kooky characters from the classic TV show and exposes the “wackiness that can be found in every family.”

The 2022 summer theatre camp will start with 9 a.m. check in the morning of June 13 and end with a 2 p.m. matinee performance for family, friends and the community June 18. Rehearsals and meals will be in Keim Center with dorming campers staying in Kauffman Court on the Hesston College campus. Evening activities will occur on campus or within the town of Hesston. Camp staff and participants will follow appropriate health guidelines for Covid for the duration of the camp through the final performance.

Hesston College Director of Theatre Rachel Jantzi will direct and design the show, oversee staff and all camp programming. Director of Choral Activities Russell Adrian will lead voice and instrumental sessions, set up sound as well accompany for the final performance. Additional staff will choreograph, lead in areas of costuming and set building and supervise the campers overnight.

“This is sure to bring about a strong sense of collaboration and teamwork beyond anything we’ve seen,” said Jantzi. “I was a program director for a large camp in Connecticut for many years and it was incredible. There are friendships that can form so quickly in a week’s time and when you combine that with the shared interest of theatre, it makes a lifelong, positive impact.

“We are also hoping, with it being a sleep-away camp, we can bring in students from farther away who haven’t had the opportunity – for whatever reason- to drive back and forth for a traditional day camp,” Jantzi continued. “This will be an exciting test of interest. We hope to offer something bigger and better to the students who have been coming for years while also expanding our reach, and we will continue to offer those who are excited about acting, singing, dancing, building shows and running tech a serious chance to work and shine as a company member in musical theatre.”

Registration is $295 per person and $275 for each additional child from the immediate family. This includes room and daily meals for 6 days and 5 nights, all theatre materials – script and score, guide vocal tracks – and full evening programming and events. For those who only wish to participate during the morning and afternoon theatre sessions along with lunch, the cost is $245.

Questions? Contact Rachel Jantzi at rachelj@hesston.edu, 620-327-8142.

Organist and baritone duo to present concert for Sunflower Performing Arts series

In collaboration with the Andover Organ Series, organist Kevin Vaughn and baritone Stephen Lancaster will close the 2021-22 Sunflower Performing Arts season with a program of sacred songs on Sunday, March 27 at 3 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church.

The program will feature music from the married duo’s 2018 album “Sacred Song,” which centers on composer Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs.” Vaughn and Lancaster will be joined by Hesston College’s Bel Canto Singers.

“This collaboration between Sunflower Performing Arts and the Andover Organ Series is a unique opportunity to hear the organ with a solo singer,” said Ken Rodgers, music professor at Hesston College. “The approach that Kevin Vaughn and Stephen Lancaster take to finding a balance between organ and voice is exhilarating.”

“The Andover organ is a magnificent instrument, and we are thrilled to hear artists as talented as Vaughn and Lancaster making music with it,” Rodgers said.

Vaughn is Director of Music and Organist at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in South Bend, Ind., and performs nationally and internationally as a solo concert artist. Vaughn teaches organ literature in the Graduate Program in Sacred Music and is the assistant director for doctoral studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

Lancaster is an accomplished concert baritone and has been featured as a soloist in venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, Chiang-Kai Shek Memorial Hall, and Centro Cultural de Belém, as well as performing with ensembles such as EXIGENCE and Conspirare. He is associate professor and head of the Graduate Voice Studio at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind.

Single ticket prices for the final Sunflower Performing Arts concert of the 2021-22 season range from $23 to $27, depending on seating section, with discounts available to students and senior citizens. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 620-327-8158. Audience members will be required to wear a mask, according to current Hesston College guidelines.

Hesston College management and engineering bachelor’s degree programs get boost with incentives

A generous donation from an anonymous donor makes it possible for management and engineering students at Hesston College to save money while pursuing their degrees.

The one-time gift will benefit up to twenty junior students apiece in Hesston College’s Schools of Engineering and Management during the 2022-23 school year.

For the first twenty junior students enrolling in the newly created School of Engineering, the donor-backed incentive will cover room and board expenses during the upcoming school year, a nearly $10,000 value per student. The room and board incentive is designed to further incentivize enrollment in a bachelor’s degree program that boasts a unique focus on mechatronics, a field of engineering that combines mechanics, electronics and computers to create simpler and smarter systems.

For the first twenty juniors enrolled in Hesston College’s School of Management during the 2022-23 school year, the donated funds will cover travel expenses for domestic and international trips. Members of the 2021-22 junior class in the School of Management will also have their previous travel expenses covered. As with the School of Engineering incentive, the value of this incentive comes to roughly $10,000.

“With these incentives, Hesston College students can pursue their interests and passions for less,” said Dr. Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, vice president of advancement at Hesston College. “Because of the incredible generosity of this anonymous donor, engineering and management students will have one more compelling reason to pursue their bachelor’s degree at Hesston College.”