In the News

MLK Day celebration to include live documentary stage show honoring early civil rights work

In observance of Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day and the civil rights work of Dr. King and others, Hesston College will host peace ambassador and internationally-acclaimed baritone Tony Brown in his documentary concert experience, I Go On Singing: Paul Robeson’s Life in Word and Song. The show will be on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

Tickets for I Go On Singing are $12 for adults and free for students and children college-age and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the Hesston College Bookstore in Erb Hall or by calling 620-327-8104. They will also be available at the door prior to show time.

Promotion for I Go on Singing states: “Before Rosa Parks. Before Martin Luther King. Before Nelson Mandela. There was Paul Robeson.”

The 90-minute song-filled, multi-media presentation recounts the life and work of Paul Robeson, an influential 20th century figure who was successful and widely known in a variety of arenas. Robeson was an all-American athlete, scholar, champion orator, international recording artist and star of the stage and screen during the 1930’s and 40’s. He was also a social activist and courageous example of integrity and discipline in the service of peace.

The Denver Post praised the show, which has been performed in venues across the country since 2011, saying, “Brown delivers with generous beauty.”

Accompanied by a pianist, photo and video projection and a narrator, I Go On Singing is equal parts historical documentary and live concert experience with Brown depicting Robeson. Using excerpts from Robeson’s autobiography, Here I Stand, and comments from legendary peace activist and artist Pete Seeger, the show traces Robeson’s humble beginnings as a preacher’s son in Princeton, N.J., to his international celebrity and pioneering activism on the world stage.

Serving as narrator for the Hesston show will be Victor Hogstrom, president and CEO of KPTS TV Wichita (PBS).

Brown, who The Seattle Times noted as “a warm and noble baritone,” is an international promoter of peace and Hesston College artist in residence. His work as a musician has taken him to areas of conflict around the world to use music and storytelling for peacebuilding across the divides of race, culture and religion.

The I Go On Singing performance is part of several days of public community events hosted by Hesston College in observance of MLK Day. Other events include:

• Jan. 19, 10:30 a.m., Glen Guyton, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, will bring the Sunday morning worship service message at Hesston Mennonite Church
• Jan. 20, 7 p.m., Guyton will present a free community workshop on community-building. Event description: Diversity, equity and inclusion were at the heart of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Join us for a community event focused on translating those principles into a dream for the future that connects with founding principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The intersection of the American and Dr. King’s vision can help us all grow, increase our productivity and expand the impact of our businesses, civic leaders, private organizations and residents of Hesston and Harvey County. We can do more together, increasing our cultural competence and generating opportunities for our community.

Thank you to Everence for their sponsorship of the show, helping to offset some of the ticket cost.

Bib Lit textbook gets Spanish translation

After more than 18 months of work, the book that is the textbook for Hesston College’s famous Biblical Literature (Bib Lit) course and accompanies presentations of the course to church congregations and other groups across the country, was released to the public in Spanish. The Bible as Story: An Introduction to Biblical Literature, or La Biblia Como Narrativa (Workplay Publishing) in its Spanish translation, will allow more audiences to access the biblical teaching from an Anabaptist perspective.

“Latino pastors and congregants who have participated in the Weekend College Bib Lit class have been asking for a Spanish version of The Bible as Story for years,” said Michele Hershberger, Hesston College Bible and ministry professor and co-author of the book. “I have taught the Weekend College course to Latino congregations in South Philadelphia several times, and pastors Fernando Loyola and Leticia Cortes from Centro de Alabanza de Filadelfia really took initiative for this to happen. I’m excited we could finally make it a reality to better serve our Latino brothers and sisters.”

The project was funded by a grant from the Schowalter Foundation based in North Newton, Kan., with translation done primarily by Marvin Lorenzana, who serves as director for Discipleship Initiatives with Mennonite Mission Network. Lorenzana is also involved with Instituto Biblico Anabautista (IBA), a vibrant education movement that has helped shape and form Latino Mennonite Church leaders for 30 years.

The Bible as Story was co-authored by Hershberger along with former Hesston College Bible professors, Marion Bontrager, who is also the founder of the Bib Lit course and curriculum, and John Sharp. The English version of the book was released in 2016 for the course that has been in existence since 1986.

The cover art for La Biblia Como Narrativa, is an original acrylic painting by Luis Martinez called “Emerging People,” and depicts the Israelite slaves coming up out of the waters of the Red Sea. Martinez is a Mennonite pastor who served in churches for many years in the Harrisonburg, Va., area before returning to Honduras to avoid deportation. He is also the father of 2019 Hesston College graduate Mariana Martinez Hernandez, who studied Bible at Hesston College.

“My view of the painting during its creation was about infinite generations of people emerging from an ocean of possibilities, exhausted but alive, standing tall and full of hope,” said Martinez.

Bib Lit in all of its forms – in the classroom and through the Weekend College experience for congregations and other groups – takes a unique approach to teaching the Bible when compared to many other Bible classes. It reveals the Bible as a narrative of God and the people of God rather than a compilation of individual stories, and helps expand biblical literacy and understanding.

“Many Hispanic people don’t have easy access to books oriented for the academy that are easy to read and understandable,” said Martinez. “In fact, many Christian readings are very evangelical-oriented with weak theological, historical or archeological references, lacking of the pragmatic or solid historical view that would mark a sort of compass for the new generation of readers. La Biblia Como Narrativa is a solution to that lack for Latino readers.”

Hesston College professors believe that the Spanish translation will be an important tool for audiences in a variety of locations.

“We’re hoping our Latino students here at Hesston College will also benefit from having this textbook in their first language,” said Hershberger. “I think this Spanish translation opens our students up to deeper understanding of the content.”

MLK Day activities aimed at community-building and inclusion

Hesston College’s annual Martin Luther King (MLK) Day celebrations will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion learning opportunities for both the on-campus and broader communities. Public events for the wider community will take place on multiple days leading up to MLK Day on January 20.

“The intersection of the American and Dr. King’s vision can help us all grow, increase our productivity and expand the impact of our businesses, civic leaders, private organizations and residents of our communities,” said Glen Guyton, executive director of Mennonite Church USA who will be the keynote presenter for Hesston’s MLK Day events. “We can do more together, increasing our cultural competence and generating opportunities for our community. That’s what Hesston College’s celebration of MLK’s legacy will be about this year – learning how we can build and offer true community together.”

Hesston College’s public MLK Day events will begin on Friday, Jan. 17 with an 11 a.m. forum at Hesston Mennonite Church that will be an introduction to the MLK Day lineup of events and gospel music singing.

On Sunday, Jan. 19, Guyton will bring the message at Hesston Mennonite Church’s morning worship service, starting at 10:30 a.m.

That same evening, at 7 p.m., Tony Brown will present his one-person stage show, I Go On Singing: Paul Robeson’s Life in Word and Song, at Hesston Mennonite Church. Tickets are $12 for adults and can be purchased through the Hesston College Bookstore in Erb Hall or by calling 620-327-8104. Students college-age and younger are free. Tickets will also be available at the door.

I Go On Singing recounts the life and work of Paul Robeson, a 20th century African-American entertainer and social activist who was a courageous example of integrity and discipline in the service of peace before the time of influential figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela. In addition to Brown, Victor Hogstrom, president and CEO of KPTS TV Wichita (PBS), will provide the show’s narration.

Brown is an internationally acclaimed baritone and Hesston College artist in residence. His work as a musician takes him to areas of conflict around the world to use music and storytelling for peacebuilding.

On Monday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church, Guyton will present a free community workshop as a resource for anyone interested in community-building.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion were at the heart of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Guyton. “The community workshop will focus on translating those principles into a dream for the future that connects with founding principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

In addition to his role with Mennonite Church USA, Guyton’s professional background includes intercultural competency and working with people from a variety of backgrounds and socio-economic status.

Thank you to Everence for their sponsorship MLK Day events at Hesston College, and helping to offset some of the ticket cost for I Go On Singing.

College makes progress on sexual misconduct and interpersonal safety task force recommendations

Two years after the Hesston College Task Force on Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Safety completed its review of the college’s procedures and systems around the topics, the college has made significant progress in the areas of recommended improvements. To date, 42 individual items have been identified and actioned from a list of six major areas of recommendation.

Those recommendations included:

• Implementing modules to raise awareness of sexual misconduct and options for victims
• Establishing a transparent reporting and investigating procedure for incidents of sexual misconduct
• Developing a system in the institution including policy development and the hiring and assigning of personnel to manage issues of sexual misconduct
• Creating a system which supports victims of sexual misconduct
• Creating a system which holds offenders of sexual misconduct accountable for their action
• Forming a system of institutional accountability which prioritizes transparency and proactively mitigates future incidents of sexual misconduct

“Overall, the task force noted that Hesston’s campus is safe, but, unfortunately, that doesn’t mean we’re immune to incidents occurring or that we don’t have areas we could improve on to offer additional support for reporters of sexual misconduct,” said Monica Miller, Hesston College director of human resources and Title IX coordinator. “We recognize that we’ve had missteps in the past, but the purpose of the task force’s work was to help us understand where and how we can do better for the campus community moving forward.”

Some of the actioned responses to date include:

• The addition of a campus safety section to the Hesston College website that is intuitive and efficient for people to use.
• Including mandatory Title IX training to all first-year students and faculty and staff on an annual basis. So far in fall 2019, 81 percent of students and 70 percent of faculty and staff, have completed the training.
• Implementation of annual reporting of Title IX reports by semester to the Administrative Council and Board of Directors, as well as an annual overview report to faculty and staff.
• Training 12 faculty and staff members to be College Support Persons whose role is to walk with reporters through reporting and investigation stages
• Engaging SafeHope, a county-wide advocacy and support organization for reporters of domestic and sexual violence, as a resource for the Hesston College community. A SafeHope representative comes to campus weekly to meet confidentially with those interested in their services.

Miller noted that Hesston College’s general approach to creating a safer campus for all students is to focus on healthy relationships through regular educational and informational opportunities around the topic.

“By helping students understand healthy relationships and how to be in them, it creates a framework and gives options if they find themselves in situations that are unhealthy,” said campus counselor Julie Lehman.

Moving forward, the college has plans in place for continued response to the recommendations.

“Implementing responses to the areas of recommendation is not a one-and-done process, rather we view it as a continuous activity evaluating what we have in place and revamping it to ensure the ongoing safety of our students,” said Miller.

Among items in process, Hesston is exploring offering campus-wide bystander intervention training through Goshen (Ind.) College’s Prevention Intervention Network for spring 2020. The college is also working to establish consistent and transparent policies and standards around information sharing in situations of misconduct. In addition, the college is working with a local artist to create a physical memorial to be completed by fall 2020 that acknowledges broken relationships resulting from institutional shortcomings and errors in judgment, and serving as a vow to do better as a community.

Hesston College invites individuals to report any past incidents of misconduct that occurred on campus to Miller at 620-327-8265 or through the anonymous online reporting form on the college’s Campus Safety pages. We also encourage any past incidents to be reported to local law enforcement or Safehope.

“Still, Small Voice” music and theatre performance to portray the gentle side of Christmas

Hesston College will celebrate the Christmas season with a performance combining music and theatre in “Still, Small Voice,” at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7 at Hesston Mennonite Church. The performance is free and open to the public.

“‘Still, Small Voice’ is meant to remind us to stop and be intentional in enjoying the serenity and beauty of the birth of Christ,” said Rachel Jantzi, theatre professor. “The program will capture a gentler side of Christmas, reflecting that first night at the manger, and an alternative to the busy, noisy rush that often surrounds the holidays.”

Poetry, prose and other reflections performed by Hesston College theatre students will reflect the quiet and calm of the nativity and be echoed by music of the same sentiment. Hesston College choirs, under the direction of Russell Adrian, will perform the music.

“Yes, there was a heavenly host, travelers from afar and word spreading about a new King,” said Jantzi. “At the heart of it all, though, there were young parents and a newborn baby boy, tucked away from the clamor.”

The program’s repertoire will include a diverse selection of music and theatrical styles as well as well-loved traditional Christmas pieces and storytelling.

A study of biblical prophets and Revelation available for community members

Community members interested in ministry, church leaders and anyone with a general interest in the Bible are invited to join the Hesston College Prophets and Revelation course for the spring 2020 semester.

Taught by Bible and Ministry professor Michele Hershberger, the class meets on Monday night from 6 to 7:45 p.m.. The first class of the semester will meet Monday, Jan. 20 and the last class of the semester will be May 4.

The curriculum is focused on readings and discussions of scripture from the books of Jeremiah and Revelation. Participants are also allowed and even encouraged to bring their supper to the class time.

“The class functions as a symposium,” said Hershberger. “We eat supper and discuss the pertinent issues that rise from the assigned Bible readings and other books. We choose what is important to talk about, and many conversations go deep. There is an element of surprise to each session.”

Participants will learn the cultural and historical background of the prophets and the book of Revelation, how to read prophetic and apocalyptic genre and identify literary cues for interpretation to glean preaching topics and enhance worship.

“The course can serve as a refresher for pastors and Sunday School teachers on the prophetic books and the book of Revelation, give new ideas for sermons and worship themes and be the start for a new vision in a ministry setting,” said Hershberger.

The audit rate for Prophets and Revelation is $240. Financial aid is not available.

Interested participants should register for the course by January 15 by completing the online community application.

Holiday performance to feature a returning HBPA favorite

A returning Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts (HBPA) group, The Swingles, will present the series’ annual holiday performance with their “Winter Tales” program at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

The Swingles are HBPA’s only repeat performer in the 2019-20 season, first taking the series stage for the 2015-16 season. The concert is being sponsored by KMUW – Wichita Public Radio and KHCC – Radio Kansas.

Hailing from London, the ever evolving Swingles have pushed the boundaries of vocal music for more than 50 years, and the seven young singers that make up today’s group are driven by the same innovative spirit that has resulted in five Grammy® wins since the 1960s.

“The vocal and choral world has changed considerably in the last 50 years…But The Swingles have managed to hold on to their distinctive niche and continue to thrive,” said a Chicago Sun-Times review.

The Swingles were born in 1963 when American-born Ward Swingle assembled a group of Parisian singers to sing Bach’s keyboard music. The resulting album, “Jazz Sebastian Bach,” launched the group to fame.

Over the last half century, the group’s repertoire has expanded to include music across the spectrum – both covers and original songs. They have released more than 50 recordings and appeared on numerous film and TV soundtracks, including Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, Sex and the City, and Milk.

Their “Winter Tales” program mixes selections from their year-round repertoire with seasonal specialties, including gorgeous and surprising arrangements of traditional carols, winter-themed originals and nostalgic classics.

The Guardian praised the group’s versatility, saying, “Stunning reinventions of songs by the likes of John Martyn, Elbow and Mumford & Sons, with subtle beatboxing and audacious harmonies…superhero singing to truly raise goosebumps.”

That versatility has led to collaborations with artists as diverse as the Modern Jazz Quartet, Jamie Cullum and Labrinth. Luciano Berio was one of the first composers to explore the sound of The Swingles’ amplified voices in an orchestral setting, and the group continues to perform his groundbreaking “Sinfonia” around the world.

In addition to a busy touring schedule, the groups present their own London A Cappella Festival at Kings Palace each January in partnership with Ikon Arts Management. The festival is the first of its kind in the city, and welcomes the finest vocal talent from around the world.

Single tickets for The Swingles are available starting at $25, with discounts available for senior citizens and students. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 620-327-8104 or in person at the Hesston College Bookstore or Bethel College Thresher Shop during regular business hours.

The next HBPA performance will feature The Queen’s Cartoonists on Feb. 7.

Started in 1982 as Hesston Performing Arts, the series expanded in 1998 when Hesston College joined forces with Bethel College for The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts series. The series presents five performances by world-renowned or regionally acclaimed artists each year. HBPA is funded in part by the cities of Hesston and North Newton, Excel Industries and Hustler Turf Equipment (Hesston), the North Newton Community Foundation, the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Area businesses and patrons provide additional funding for the HBPA series.

Keyboard Festival will feature Baroque music from performers across age ranges

Piano and organ students ranging from elementary- to college-age will learn from accomplished musicians and compete in Hesston College’s second keyboard festival and competition on Saturday, Nov. 23.

In celebration of great composers like Handel, Vivaldi and Bach, the festival will focus on the Baroque period of music that ranged from the early 1600s to about 1750.

“Hesston College has strong organ and keyboard faculty; especially our Baroque keyboard instrument study is wonderful,” said Dr. Mei Li, adjunct piano instructor. “This festival gives us a chance to invite world-class organists and pianists as guest artists, and to give keyboard students from the state an opportunity to learn from them.”

Participants will compete by age division in a morning competition, interwoven with workshop presentations. In the afternoon, faculty and guest performers will hold masterclasses.

At 3:45 p.m., division finalists will perform a recital, which will determine age division winners. The public is welcome to attend the finalists recital in Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

Keyboardists resourcing the event include guest artist, Dr. Steven Spooner, as well as Hesston College faculty members Dr. Li, and Ken Rodgers, M.A.

Dr. Spooner, who serves on the piano faculty at the University of Kansas (Lawrence), is hailed among the forefront of American pianists. Passionately devoted to the solo recital as a platform for innovation, he has performed often at venues such as the Salle Cortot in Paris, the Shanghai Concert Hall, Budapest’s Great Hall of the Liszt Academy, and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Dr. Li began studying piano as a five-year-old in China with the renowned Chinese piano pedagogue, Zhaoyi Dan. After earning a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Sichuan Conservatory of Music and working as a teaching assistant for Professor Dan, Li came to the U.S. in 2006 with a full scholarship to study at Northern Illinois University (DeKalb), earning a performance certificate and master’s degree in piano performance. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Kansas, under the tutelage of Dr. Spooner.

Rodgers teaches organ at Hesston College, and has accompanied Hesston choirs on bi-annual European tours since the late 1980s, as well as performed recitals throughout Germany and the United States. Rodgers earned a master’s degree in church music from the University of Kansas. In addition to teaching, he has performed frequently as a collaborative pianist for former internationally-acclaimed baritone Anthony Brown throughout the world. Rodgers is also a founding member of the Sunflower Trio, which features piano/organ, violin and tenor voice.

Masterworks concert weaves music, story and art in a program for all ages

Hesston College choirs will be joined by vocalists from the community and professional orchestra for Hesston College’s annual masterworks performance on Saturday, November 16 at Hesston Mennonite Church. The 2019 concert features “Song of Wisdom” from Old Turtle, a choral and orchestra setting that combines narration and music.

A family program especially suited to children will be from 4:15 to 5 p.m., and the full program will be at 7 p.m. Admission is free. A free-will offering will be collected to help offset program costs.

Based on the children’s book by Douglas Wood (1992), “Song of Wisdom” combines narration and music as it illustrates a story of a disagreement between God’s creation about the nature of God. Mountains, rivers, stars, ants, lions and bears break into argument until the wise Old Turtle brings a new perspective, stating, “God is all that we dream of, and all that we seek…all that we come from and all that we can find.”

Once humans inhabit the earth, they also begin quarreling and lose sight of God. It is then up to all of creation to show them God’s presence.

The musical telling of the story will be paired with story narration by Hesston College faculty emeritus Jim Yoder and illustrations by artist Cheng-Khee Chee from the original book projected in on-screen accompaniment.

In addition to the “Song of Wisdom” feature, the evening concert will include Handel’s Organ Concerto in B-Flat Major performed with orchestra and Hesston music professor Ken Rodgers on the organ. The finale includes the audience singing the hymn “O Day of Peace” to the tune of “Jerusalem” by Sir Charles Hubert Parry with the orchestration by Edward Elgar, made famous from the closing ceremony of the BBC Proms.