In the News

Alumna to develop and lead new ministry program

Hesston College announces the recent hire of Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg as the director for a new ministry program that will begin in development stages this spring.

The new ministry program will provide Anabaptist theology and nurture missional leadership for pastors and other church leaders in a distance-based format. It comes as a replacement to Hesston College’s Pastoral Ministries program, which closed in 2014 with a commitment to the development of a new program.

“It has been about five years since we closed the residential Pastoral Ministries program, but we have been seeking to re-start a ministry program that can equip disciples in a variety of locations and contexts,” said Brent Yoder, vice president of Academics. “Jessica has a vision for how Hesston College can serve others in the church and the world, and we are excited that she has accepted the call to develop and direct this new program.”

A graduate of Hesston College, Goshen (Ind.) College and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, Ind.), Schrock-Ringenberg served as a pastor of Zion Mennonite Church (Archbold, Ohio) for 11 years, as well as in a variety of roles for Mennonite Church USA, including convention planning and as a member of the Constituency Leadership Council (CLC). She and her husband, Shem, recently relocated to the Kansas City area where they bought a heating and cooling business and also hope to plant a church. In addition, Schrock-Ringenberg serves as a missional discipleship leader and consultant with the Five-fold Leadership Development Assessment and the Exponential Emerging Leaders Cohort.

Schrock-Ringenberg has served as a member of the Hesston College Board of Directors since 2011, and will complete her second four-year term in May before transitioning to serve as an employee in early June.

Schrock-Ringenberg will continue to reside in the Kansas City-area, with regular teleconferencing and trips to Hesston. As the program develops and curriculum is established and approved, her role will transition from developer to instructor.

“Jessica has experience teaching disciples how to make new disciples, and she knows how to help others catch that vision,” said Michele Hershberger, Hesston College Bible and Ministry department chair. “Under her leadership, Hesston College can become a center for a new kind of missional leader in the church.”

Bel Canto Singers to tour Oregon and Washington May 21 to 29

Hesston College’s premier vocal ensemble, Bel Canto Singers, is preparing for a tour to Washington and Oregon May 21 to 29, following the end of the academic year.

The 25-voice mixed chamber choir, under the direction of Dr. Russell Adrian, will present a program entitled “Grant Us Peace,” which was inspired by the college’s International Peace Day celebration in September, and features a culmination of works performed throughout the year focused on peace and justice. The concert features a cappella and accompanied works from Renaissance through contemporary composers with special music by soloists and small ensembles.

The tour itinerary includes:

• Sunday, May 19, 7 p.m. - Rainbow Mennonite Church, 1444 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, Kan.
• Tuesday, May 21, 7 p.m. - Seattle (Wash.) Mennonite Church, 3120 NE 125th St
• Friday, May 24, 2:30 to 2:55 p.m. - Western Christian School, 9045 Wallace Rd NW
• Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. - Salem (Ore.) Mennonite Church, 1045 Candlewood Drive NE, Reception following concert
• Sunday, May 26, 10:45 a.m. - Zion Mennonite Church, 6124 S Whiskey Hill Rd, Hubbard, Ore.
• Sunday, May 26, 7 p.m. - Portland (Ore.) Mennonite Church, 1312 SE 35th Ave
• Tuesday, May 28, 7 p.m. - Bend (Ore.) Mennonite Church, Heritage Hall, 230 NE 9th Street
• Wednesday, May 29, 7 p.m. - Albany (Ore.) Mennonite Church, 3405 Kizer Avenue NE

Members of the Bel Canto Singers are: Erica Baer, Apple Creek, Ohio; Tanner DeGrado, Newton, Kan.; Harley Foster, Lancaster, Pa.; Risa Fukaya, Zushi, Japan; Elizabeth Fulcher, Goodland, Kan.; Esmi Hernandez, Newton, Kan.; Jaden Hostetter, Harrisonburg, Va.; Leah Huyard, Staunton, Va.; Chris Lichti, Shickley, Neb.; Nicole Loewen, Hutchinson, Kan.; Taylor Longenecker, Harrisonburg, Va.; Mariana Martinez, Harrisonburg, Va.; Rachel Miller, Freeman, S.D.; Jared Oyer, Hubbard, Ore.; Emma Prowell, Lenexa, Kan.; Raelynn Reeves, Abilene, Kan.; Seth Rudeen, Osage City, Kan.; Kenton Schroeder, Harper, Kan.; Jack Shingler, Creston, Ohio; Dylan Slabach Brubaker, Harrisonburg, Va.; Therin Smith, Key West, Fla.; Addie Swartzendruber, Henderson, Neb.; Madison Swartzendruber, Goshen, Ind.; Stephen Waltner, Freeman, S.D.; and Navy Widyani, Jakarta, Indonesia. Music professor Ken Rodgers is accompanist for the group. The 2018-19 year marks the 35th season for the Bel Canto Singers. The group carries out ambitious concert and touring schedules annually. Recent juried appearances have included performances for VOCES8, Chanticleer, The King’s Singers, Charles Bruffy and the Rose Ensemble.

Campus bike share program addresses transportation and physical activity needs

As the spring weather turns more mild, Hesston College students start spending more time outdoors in activities both on campus and off. A new bike share program, implemented by a team of student nurses in the college’s nursing program, was launched just in time for the change in weather and will allow members of the campus community to get around campus and the community more quickly.

Early in the spring semester, senior nursing students in a population-based nursing class were introduced to their clinical locations throughout the area and tasked with identifying health-based concerns in those contexts, and formulating and carrying out a plan to address those concerns.

“Many people are familiar with nurses at the bedside, but unfamiliar with the broader population health knowledge required and utilized by B.S.N.- (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) prepared registered nurses,” said nursing professor Duane Miller. “The Population-based Nursing course focuses on the health of populations or groups and emphasizes nursing practice at the community and systems levels.”

For the 10 students assigned to the clinical site of Hesston College, assessing health needs seemed like a complicated task.

“The needs may be less obvious, but they are there nonetheless,” said Miller.

The students started by conducting a windshield of both campus and wider community.

“A windshield survey is where we drove around the Hesston community and payed attention to really good things about our community and things that needed improvement,” said student Saralyn Oyer. “We did the same thing on campus by walking around and observing these things.”

One thing the students noted was the need for transportation.

“Many Hesston College students come from far away states and countries, and many have no means of transportation,” said Oyer. “I live on Weaver St. near the Casey’s gas station and I see students walking there all the time. This might not seem far, and the physical activity is good, however, we realized these same students, as well as many others, have to coordinate rides or walk to things like doctor appointments or school observations for education majors.”

The students also noticed a need for increased physical activity.

Taking into consideration the need for free transportation around the community as well as encourage enjoyable physical activity, the student team came up with the idea of a bike share program with 10 bicycles that can be checked out for use through a system at the college’s Mary Miller Library.

“This group of students was highly motivated throughout the process,” said clinical instructor Joy Yoder. “I provided guidance and helped the group to focus their energy, but the leadership in this group was solid. After the students talked with other students, faculty and staff about the project, they gained momentum from the excitement that this project would be positive for both mental and physical health for the campus. Knowing that students would have access to much needed transportation options, along with a way to increase activity, was a catalyst for this group.”

The students found a grant through WalMart, of which they were awarded $500. The funds helped cover the upfront cost of the bikes. They also consulted with psychology and Bible professor, Kevin Wilder, who had experience with operating a bike share. Wilder suggested they find individual sponsors to help cover the remainder of the costs, which they did among college faculty and staff.

Overall, the team was able to raise enough funds to cover the cost of the bikes, as well as accessories, such as locks and helmets, and start a fund to cover future maintenance. The college’s Environmental Stewardship Council agreed to help keep the bike share program running after the students graduate this May.

“I really love how the Population-based Nursing class integrates core values of Hesston College as we focus on caring relationships created in these community settings where we creatively explore ideas to improve health,” said Yoder. “The student is challenged in this course and can end with a broader perspective of nursing, realizing where nursing care can be integrated throughout the communities and not just in hospital settings.”

Plays by seven local playwrights to be featured at annual playwriting festival

For the third year, Hesston College’s Pen to Paper to Performance playwriting festival will showcase the work of seven local playwrights at 7 p.m., April 26 and 27, in the Keim Center Black Box Theater on the Hesston College campus.

“An ensemble of 14 actors are working on these six very different shows,” said Rachel Jantzi, Hesston College Theatre professor and director. “All are cast at least twice, with some appearing in three different plays. That can be challenging, but the actors are so strong, it makes the work really enjoyable.

Ranging from comedic to dramatic with subjects varying from faith to dating apps, the featured plays in the showcase are:

• “Citizen’s Meeting” by Lois Thieszen Preheim
• “Current Events” by Patricia Middleton
• “Graveyard Shift” by Caitlin Waits
• “Swipe Right” by Travis Duerkson and Mitch Stutzman
• “The Girl Who Could Fly But Then Didn’t” by Andre Swartley
• “Towering Toward Heaven With Hazel” by Loretta Baumgartner

In addition to student actors, two Hesston College professors are also part of the cast – Michele Hershberger, Bible and ministry professor, and Ken Rodgers, music professor.

“It’s been fun working with my colleagues on this,” said Jantzi. “It’s always a treat for both me and the students when faculty and staff perform alongside our student actors.”

Each play runs about 10 minutes in length, and the event is rated PG for mild language. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $4 for students. Tickets will be sold at the door only starting at 6:15 p.m. each night. Seating is limited, so early arrival is encouraged. Each playwright will receive a portion of the box office earnings.

Each night’s performance will include a 30-minute pre-show by the student-led On A Lark improv comedy troupe beginning at 6:30 p.m.

During intermission, ice cream will be served by The Salted Creamery, whose owner and creator is Hesston College communications professor Kendra Burkey.

One-third of The Wailin’ Jennys to bring her band to HBPA stage

A singer who’s also acclaimed for her songwriting will share her talents with Kansas audiences as The Ruth Moody Band, April 9 and 10 at Bethel College (North Newton) as the final event in the 2018-19 Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts (HBPA) series.

The Ruth Moody Band concert is at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, in Memorial Hall on the Bethel campus.

Single tickets range from $18 to $27 (Bethel and Hesston College students receive free admission). Tickets are on sale at either Hesston or Bethel College bookstores on weekdays during regular business hours, or online.

In addition to the concert, Moody and singer-songwriter Anthony da Costa will offer a song-writing and arranging workshop Wednesday, April 10 from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Memorial Hall.

The workshop will include a short presentation by Moody and da Costa, a Q&A session, and an opportunity for several area singer/songwriters to perform their own songs for critique by the guest artists.

Workshop seating is limited, and participants must RSVP to holly.swartzendruber@hesston.edu by April 1. To be selected to present a song for critique, include in the email an audio or video file or link.

The HBPA performance is the only Kansas appearance for The Ruth Moody Band’s spring touring season.

Moody was born in Australia and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is a founding member of the internationally-renowned, Billboard-charting trio The Wailin’ Jennys, as well as former lead singer of the Canadian roots band Scruj MacDuhk.

Though best known for her work with the Jennys, Moody has been nominated for five Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy®) and won two, in tribute to her “ethereal vocals,” multi-instrumentalism and songwriting talents.

Moody released her first solo album, The Garden, in 2010, and the follow-up, These Wilder Things, in 2013.

These Wilder Things includes guest appearances by Mark Knopfler, Jerry Douglas, Aoife O’Donovan, Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker and The Wailin’ Jennys.

Moody has been recognized for her songwriting in U.S. and international competitions. Her song “One Voice” became the Jennys’ signature song and has been covered by artists around the world.

“Storm Comin’,” Moody’s song recorded on the Jennys’ album Bright Morning Stars, won first place in the “Gospel” category at the International Songwriting Competition.

Other members of The Ruth Moody Band are Adrian Dolan, fiddle, mandolin, viola, mandola and vocals; Adam Dobres, guitar, ukulele and vocals; and Sam Howard, upright bass and vocals.

The HBPA series started in 1982 as Hesston Performing Arts, then expanded in 1998 when Hesston College joined forces with Bethel College for Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts, to present five performances by world-renowned or regionally acclaimed artists each school year.

HBPA is funded in part by the City of 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 media sponsor KMUW-FM 89.1 in Wichita, with additional funding from area businesses and patrons.

Lecture series performance to pay tribute to the African-American slave experience

Internationally-acclaimed baritone, Anthony Brown, will join the Hesston College Bel Canto Singers for two performances in tribute to the slave experience and African-American spirituals on Sunday, March 31, as part of First Presbyterian Church, Wichita’s Durfee 360 lecture series.

At 10:45 a.m., Hesston College President, Dr. Joseph A. Manickam, will deliver the message at First Presbyterian Church (525 S. Broadway, Wichita), and the choir and Brown will perform several spirituals

That same afternoon, at 3 p.m., at Mark Arts (1307 N. Rock Rd., Wichita) Bel Canto and Brown will present a full concert, “We’ve Come This Far by Faith.” The concert is free and open to the public. Doors open at 2:15 p.m.

The Durfee 360 lecture series identifies and provides opportunities for the First Presbyterian congregation and the community to explore the broad spectrum of religious and cultural issues facing contemporary Christians.

During the Lenten season, First Presbyterian is engaged in a study of the African-American slave experience and African-American spirituals, which will be highlighted by the Hesston College/Brown performances.

An international promoter of peace, Brown is founder of the Peacing it Together Foundation, an organization that serves the global community as a resource for peace and social justice. He uses music and the spoken word to bring people together across the divides of race, culture and religion. Brown’s travels have taken him to countries experiencing unrest, where he has seen music transform and heal.

The Bel Canto Singers are Hesston College’s premier vocal ensemble. The 25-voice mixed chamber choir is under the direction of Dr. Russell Adrian. The group carries out ambitious concert and touring schedules annually. Recent juried appearances have included performances for VOCES8, Chanticleer, The King’s Singers, Charles Bruffy and The Rose Ensemble.

Alumnus receives Niwano Peace Prize for international peacebuilding work

Dr. John Paul Lederach, a 1975 Hesston College alumnus who has committed his life and work to peacebuilding, has been awarded the 36th Niwano Peace Prize.

The prize recognizes Lederach’s work in “mediating conflicts, building peace and fostering international reconciliation for more than 30 years,” according to a Niwano Peace Foundation release. “He has developed training in conflict transformation and provided direct conciliation support services in some of the most violently conflicted regions across five continents.”

Throughout the years, and again in his recent reflections upon being awarded the Niwano Peace Prize, Lederach has consistently pointed to Hesston College as the place where the foundations for his career in peacebuilding were laid.

In a chapter entitled “Launching a Career in Peacebuilding,” which Lederach contributed to the book “Peacebuilding in Community Colleges: A Teaching Resource,” (2013) he describes experiences at Hesston College as well as the personality of the Hesston College community that were influential as he became tuned into peace work.

He writes: “I think it accurate to say it all started at Hesston College. I learned simple lessons from my professors that go beyond the materials, books and classes from those years. Follow your passions. Trust your questions. Believe in the power of conversation. Start here, go everywhere.”

In addition to communication-focused methods of conflict resolution, Lederach’s work has also focused on the use of art to assist in peacebuilding efforts – a connection he credits to the influence of Hesston College art professor emeritus Paul Friesen.

“I learned a deep appreciation for the arts at the hands of Mennonite potter and sculptor Paul Friesen, an understanding that later helped me forge a bridge between art and peacebuilding,” Lederach wrote in his Niwano Peace Foundation acceptance letter.

After more than thirty years, Lederach’s peace work and influence on the field is extensive. He currently serves as a senior fellow at Humanity United, and he is also Professor Emeritus of International Peacebuilding at the Kroc Institute for Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana) and a Distinguished Scholar at Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, Va.), where he served as the founding director of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.

As stated by the Niwano Peace Foundation, the Niwano Peace Prize was established “to honor and encourage individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to interreligious cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of world peace, and to make their achievements widely known.”

Lederach was selected for the award through a nomination process comprised of about 600 people and organizations representing 125 countries and many religions. He will be honored with the award in a presentation ceremony in Tokyo, Japan, on May 8.

Accomplished piano soloist and instructor to give faculty lecture recital

Hesston College piano instructor Dr. Mei Li, a dynamic pianist who was born in Chengdu, China, to a musical family, will present a lecture recital, “The Key Characteristics of Franz Liszt’s Late Piano Works,” at 7 p.m., Monday, March 18, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

Dr. Li is a Liszt scholar who completed her doctoral research on the works of Liszt’s late period under the direction of distinguished Liszt authority, Alan Walker. Her recital will be a presentation of a group of piano music of Liszt’s final period and discussion of two main categories – death and despair – into which Liszt’s late works often fall.

“As a pianist and composer, Franz Liszt was a major figure in European music history,” said Li. “He made some innovations in tonality, key characteristic and other aspect in his late piano works, which brought a new concept of style to the music. All of these essential changes were big influence and inspiration to future composers.”

Adding to her Liszt expertise, Li is a member of the American Liszt Society and serves on the University of Kansas (Lawrence) board of the American Liszt Society Chapter.

Dr. Li came to teach at Hesston College in August 2018, instructing pianists of all skill levels in the keyboard art. With a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree from the University of Kansas in May 2018, Li brings to Hesston a high level of piano instruction and a passion for piano pedagogy.

Li began studying piano in China at the age of five, eventually becoming the apprentice of the famous Chinese piano pedagogue, Zhaoyi Dan. At the age of 12, she entered the affiliated middle school of Sichuan Conservatory of Music to continue her rigorous and professional piano study.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Sichuan Conservatory of Music and working as a teaching assistant for Professor Dan for four years, Li came to the United States in 2006 with a full scholarship to study at Northern Illinois University (NIU, DeKalb) under Dr. William Goldenberg. She earned a performance certificate and a master’s degree in piano performance from NIU.

Li has studied with renowned American professors Jack Weinrock and concert artist Steven Spooner, and studied piano pedagogy with the noted American expert on piano methods, Scott McBride Smith.

As an active pianist and soloist in China, Li performed at major venues including the Hong Kong Concert Hall, Guangzhou Xinghai Concert Hall and the Shenzhen Concert Hall. Over the last 12 years in the United States, Li has performed as a soloist at the World Conference on Women in Chicago, at the renowned Chicago Cultural Center, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. She is CEO and co-founder of the Chicago International Music Competition and Festival, which in its first year in 2018 hosted 70 participants from all over the world. She was recently invited to perform and give master classes in Mexico, as well as participate at the American Liszt Society National Festival.

Author to visit campus with moving story of Holocaust survivor

Author Nancy Sprowell Geise will visit Hesston College on Tuesday, April 2, to share the remarkable story of Holocaust survivor Joe Rubinstein, which she wrote about in her book Auschwitz #34207: The Joe Rubinstein Story (2015). The event will be at 7 p.m., at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus, and is open to the public.

A reception sponsored by Hesston Public Library and Hesston United Methodist Church following the presentation will offer audience members a chance to meet Geise.

Geise, who lives in Topeka, met Rubinstein when they both lived in Colorado. Geise learned that Rubinstein, who was born in Poland, was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp as well as others during World War II, but he told her he would never speak publically of the experiences he endured there. Five years later he changed his mind.

Rubinstein, now 98 years old, was 21 when Nazi soldiers took him from his home along with his widowed mother and two siblings. Geise’s recounting of his story shares the atrocities he faced over the next three years until the end of the war.

Of particular note in Geise’s writing, is that Rubinstein did not let the pain, torture and horrors he faced as a prisoner define his life, but rather chose to find joy and rise above the evil he endured.

Following the book’s release in 2015, Auschwitz #34207 earned the top spot on the Amazon Bestseller list in the Holocaust Memoirs (Kindle) category, and has garnished high praise from leading Holocaust scholars, national reviewers and readers.

Geise has traveled the country sharing Rubinstein’s story, including at the U.S. Library of Congress and as the keynote presentation of the 2016 State of Kansas Holocaust Commemoration Service.

Find further information about Auschwitz #34207 and Geise.