In the News

Aviation program finalizes first industry partnership

In an effort to provide a variety of continuing education and career opportunities to students, Hesston College Aviation recently established a partnership with SkyWest Airlines, a passenger airline company that operates in partnership with Delta Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

As an official SkyWest Airlines Partner School, students from Hesston’s aviation program will gain a more streamlined and efficient pathway to transition into a flying career at SkyWest through the Pilot Pathway Program.

“Hesston College Aviation’s partnership with SkyWest Airlines, an established, formidable industry leader with the regional airline market, affords its current and future students with a myriad of professional development and career opportunities,” said Mike Baker, director of Hesston College Aviation. “Through this new partnership, SkyWest Airlines’ Pilot Pathway Program will provide qualified and accepted Hesston College Aviation graduates with essential mentoring and career development opportunities, positioning them well for a future in commercial aviation.”

SkyWest describes the Pilot Pathway Program as providing “a direct path for exceptional pilots with a desire to take control of their aviation careers.” As part of the program, pilots can gain enhanced seniority, guaranteed final interviews and have access to pilot mentors.

Hesston College student pilots have long benefitted from networking with Hesston College Aviation alumni and industry professionals, and the SkyWest partnership is the first of several Baker hopes to put in place for students in the program.

“Hesston College Aviation recognizes the imperativeness of preparing each student for their future aviation endeavors,” said Baker. “Through the establishment of substantive industry partnerships such as that with SkyWest, Hesston College Aviation will be better positioned to facilitate the successful placement of its graduates.”

Benefit run in second year to continue raising money and spreading the love

The Neuf Memorial Run, a 9K and two-mile run, will hold its second annual event at Bethel College (North Newton, Kan.) on Saturday, Jan. 12, to honor the memory of Russ Neufeld, a Hesston alumnus, director of Hesston’s Information Technology department and transplanted Canadian who lived his last 15 years in central Kansas. Neufeld passed away on Jan. 21, 2017 after an 18 month fight with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. The event raises money for the Russ Neufeld Memorial Scholarship at Hesston College and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The race will start at 10 a.m. outside of Mojo’s Coffee Shop (300 E. 27th St.) on the Bethel College campus. The Neuf early entry fee ends at midnight on Dec. 9 and is $40 for the 9K and $30 for the two-mile. The entry fee increases to $45/$35 on Dec. 10, and online registration closes on midnight on Jan. 9. On-site registration will be available on race day for $50/$40.

According to Kendra Neufeld, Russ’ wife, “This race is to remember Russ who encouraged us all to push a little harder when we feel like giving up. He never settled for how the world is, and always strived to make it better.”

The race celebrates Neufeld’s never-give-up spirit. His final Facebook post exemplifies his view on life. “Take all this love you have and share it,” he said. “It only multiplies and there are so many who could use it…just spread the love folks – it’s the only thing in this world that endures.”

The 9K distance is as unique as Neufeld. Neuf, which means nine in French, was a nickname for Neufeld, and his stick shift handle on his car was a 9-ball.

The inaugural Neuf 2018 had more than 200 runners run the races in North Newton along with satellite runners running in 18 locations in the United States as well as in Australia, Colombia and Canada. The Neuf donated $7,000 in race proceeds to its charity recipients, and generous donations brought in additional funds. Race organizers hope to exceed those numbers this year.

All registered runners receive a timing bib, a Neufbeuf (a neck warmer), a Neuf sticker and post-race festivities at Mojo’s which include coffee, hot chocolate, and continental and hot breakfast items. Medals will be awarded to age group winners, and the top three male and female finishers receive handmade pottery wall artwork from Hanna Eastin Pottery. Race day registration closes 15 minutes before the race and may not include a Neufbeuf.

Christmas program to celebrate and support global community

Hesston College will usher in the Christmas season with a performing arts program featuring global traditions. The “Peace on Earth” program will be at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The program is free and open to the public.

“Peace on Earth is a collaboration between music and theatre students that connects us with our global community,” said Dr. Russell Adrian, Hesston College music professor and choir director.

The program will feature carols from diverse cultures by Hesston College choirs and instrumentalists woven together with theatre scenes that connect the story of Jesus’ birth to stories of peace and conflict around the world. Theatre professor Carla Lahey will direct the scenes.

Continuing with the theme of global community, a free-will offering will be collected for Mennonite Central Committee hygiene kits. Monetary donations or donations of hygiene kit items are welcome. Following the program, audience members will be invited to help pack the kits.

Hygiene kit items should be new and in original packaging:

• adult-sized toothbrush
• bar of bath soap
• nail clipper
• hand towel (approximately 16” x 26”, medium-weight in dark or bright colors)
• wide-toothed comb (6” to 8” in length)

Capital campaign secures challenge grant

Hesston College met its fundraising goal of $5.25 million to secure a $750,000 challenge grant from The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation for The Be Greater capital campaign, which will provide facility renovations and additions for the college’s nursing and athletics programs. The challenge grant fundraising was completed ahead of the late-December 2018 timeline.

“We are so grateful to the supporters who gave gifts to this campaign to provide quality facilities in the college’s two largest programs,” said President Dr. Joseph A. Manickam.

Fundraising for the campaign opened in a quiet phase in the summer of 2016, during which administrators and development officers worked to secure lead gifts. In May 2017, the campaign moved into a public phase after securing about $2.4 million in formal pledges and gifts.

In addition to the building campaign goal, a second fundraising goal was also met by fulfilling an $800,000 endowed scholarship component. With more than $200,000 in the endowed scholarship fund prior to the campaign, the addition raises the total above $1 million and will provide $50,000 of annual awards to students. It also creates the opportunity for the first ever full scholarship to potentially be awarded for the 2019-20 academic year.

“Our alumni and partners believe in Hesston College and the work being done to prepare students for careers while also offering them opportunities to grow personally and spiritually,” said Manickam.

While groundbreaking is being planned for early December, the college needs to secure an additional $200,000 to ensure all of the plans can be carried forward to completion.

“While we have met our initial $6 million goal, the reality is that prices on building materials and labor have increased since that time, increasing the amount we now need to complete these projects as planned,” said Manickam. “In short, that means we’re not quite finished with our fundraising. But we’re determined to reach that additional amount so we don’t have to take any of the planned amenities and spaces away from the students and faculty who will benefit from them now and in the future.”

With about 41 percent of student population enrolled in the college’s nursing and pre-nursing programs, and 36 percent who are athletes, nursing students and athletes comprise the two largest student populations on campus. The campaign will improve on and add to facilities within these areas, as the current spaces are not sufficient to accommodate program needs and inhibit the full student experience. Each portion of the campaign carries a $3 million price tag.

A building completed in 1952, last renovated and added to in 1996, is what has been the home of Hesston College Nursing for more than 20 years. The success of the nursing program and its continued growth over many years has rendered the current space inadequate to properly fit the program and address the needs of aspiring nurses.

Campaign improvements for nursing include a 9,740 square foot addition to be named the Bonnie Sowers Nursing Center in honor of the program’s director for 37 year who retired in 2018. Also part of the improvements are new simulation labs, student practice rooms, a fundamentals lab, an administrative suite an faculty offices, a student lounge, study spaces and new restrooms.

Lark Athletics headquarters from Yost Center, which was built in 1982 at a time when the college fielded six intercollegiate teams with about 80 student-athletes. Today, student-athletes number more than 150 across 14 teams, and the need for additional space to accommodate the programs is important.

Campaign improvements for athletics include the addition of an approximately 3,000 square foot weight room on the southwest side of Yost Center that will serve student-athletes and all students, a new on-campus softball diamond, the addition of a new lobby on the northwest side of Yost Center that is a more direct and welcoming entrance for campus guests, a coaches office suite that will accommodate all coaches in one area, and the renovation of the main gym, including updated bleachers, flooring and a fresh interior.

HBPA holiday concert to feature America’s Got Talent finalists

Sons of Serendip, finalists in season nine of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, will ring in the Christmas season for Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts (HBPA) with their unique combination of harp, cello, piano/keyboard and voice at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

As graduate students in a variety of fields at Boston University – law, cello performance, harp and theology – the men met through a series of serendipitous events. Though music had been a part of each man’s life since childhood, music was not the primary focus for all of them. After graduating and working for a couple of years, vocalist Micah Christian, was presented the opportunity to audition for America’s Got Talent. He invited his friends to join him, forming Sons of Serendip and shifting each man’s plan for his career and life.

The quartet appeared on America’s Got Talent in May 2014 for season nine, finishing in fourth place later that fall and gaining national attention. The end of the show was beginning of a musical journey for the newly-formed group.

Now with three albums to their name, including a Christmas album, Christmas: Beyond the Lights (October 2015), the group continues to grow in popularity, with recordings used in several performance-based reality television shows, touring nationally and collaborating with orchestras and other musicians.

Sons of Serendip features Micah Christian, who earned a master of divinity and spent time serving overseas prior to launching the group. Christian became interested in music as a child and spent his undergraduate years following his passion for music and spending summers performing with an a cappella group, Hyannis Sound.

Kendall Ramseur is the group’s cellist, and is also a singer-songwriter and composer. His history with the cello dates back to the age of 10, and his studies and career have all involved cello.

Featured on harp with Sons of Serendip is Mason Morton. After accepting a free offer to learn the harp as a child, Mason continued to play and teach others, eventually taking him to Boston University to learn from the teacher of his undergraduate instructor.

Cordaro Rodriguez, pianist, began teaching himself piano at the age of 10. After completing an undergraduate degree in psychology, he spent a year volunteering as an English teacher in Ecuador before earning his juris doctorate degree from Boston University. Rodriguez has also produced music for several well-known international artists.

Reserved seating and general admission tickets for Sons of Serendip are available through the HBPA website or by calling 620-327-8105. Single tickets are for sale at the Hesston College Bookstore in Erb Hall or Bethel College’s Thresher Shop in Schultz Student Center during regular business hours. Reserved seating is $27 for adults and senior citizens, and general admission seating ranges from $18 to $23. Discounts are available for students and senior citizens.

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 city of North Newton, Excel Industries and Hustler Turf Equipment (Hesston), the North Newton Community Foundation and the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Area businesses and patrons provide additional funding for the HBPA series.

Night of entertainment with talent show

Hesston College students will showcase a wide array of talents at the annual talent show at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 9, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

Hosted by the Bills and Normas, a group of students known for ridiculous antics and entertainment value, and a Hesston College tradition dating back to the 1980s, the talent show will feature skits, humor, music and talents of all kinds.

Cookies and other refreshments will be served as a pre-show snack from 7:15 to 7:45 p.m. in the church’s community center.

The Hesston College talent show is free, open to the public and fun for the whole family.

Celebration and gratitude themes of annual Alumni/Community Basketball Night

The local community and alumni of Hesston College are invited to campus on Wednesday night, Nov. 7, for Alumni/Community Basketball Night, a free event featuring varsity basketball games, entertainment and fun for the whole family.

The Larks will take on Butler County Community College in Yost Center, with the women’s game scheduled for 6 p.m. and the men’s game following at 8 p.m. The evening will be filled with games, prizes, snacks and entertainment.

“Alumni/Community Night allows us to thank alumni and the wider community for all the ways they are involved with and support the college,” said Dallas Stutzman, director of Alumni and Church Relations. “It’s a way Hesston College can give back.”

In addition to the basketball games, the lineup for the evening includes free haircuts by CC’s Family Hair, Lark megaphones and free popcorn, Lark tattoos, the Hesston High School pep band and halftime entertainment.

High school students are invited to a pre-game devotional at 6:30 p.m. led by men’s basketball coach Dustin Galyon. Students who wish to attend the devotional session should RSVP to brandy.quinn@hesston.edu by Friday, Nov. 2. Devotional participants will meet in Yost Center at 6:20 p.m. to walk together to Kropf Center for the meditation. Following the devotional, participants will be treated to free pizza.

Bel Canto Singers prepare for fall tours

Hesston College’s premier vocal ensemble, the Bel Canto Singers, is preparing for short fall tours over two weekends in October and November.

The 27-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. The program features a wide range of genres.

Tour itineraries include:

• Thursday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m., Whitestone Mennonite Church, Hesston, Kan.
• Friday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., Rocky Mountain Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Relief Sale, Rocky Ford, Colo.
• Sunday, Oct. 21, Beth-El Mennonite Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Saturday, Nov. 17, Salem Mennonite Church, Shickley, Neb.
• Sunday, Nov. 18, Bethesda Mennonite Church, Henderson, Neb.

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.; Kytrena Hightree, Harper, Kan.; Jaden Hostetter, Harrisonburg, Va.; Leah Huyard, Staunton, Va.; Madi Kauffman, Haven, Kan.; 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.

High school theatre and performing arts students invited to sharpen their skills at TheatreFest

High school students with interest in any of the many areas of theatre and performing arts are invited to Hesston College’s first day-long TheatreFest on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 8:30 to 3 p.m., on the Hesston College campus.

“We want this day to be an opportunity for students to sharpen their skills, broaden their theatre and performance knowledge and have fun doing it,” said theatre professor Carla Lahey.

Led by Hesston College performing arts faculty and students, throughout the day, participants will attend three workshops from a list of options including:

• Mastering your Audition Monologue
• Actor’s Workshop, where participants bring in a monologue in progress to receive suggestions and feedback
• Dance for Musical Theatre
• Vocal Techniques
• Stage Management
• Sketch Comedy Writing
• Project Runway-style Costume Design Challenge
• What to Expect as a College Theatre Major
• Test Your Broadway Knowledge

The day will wrap up with an improv comedy mixer. Participants can also choose to meet individually with Admissions staff to learn about performing arts scholarships at Hesston College and more.

The cost to attend is $10, and includes breakfast and lunch. Participants who register by Oct. 19 will receive a free t-shirt. Find more information and registration online.

Contact Carla Lahey with questions at carla.lahey@hesston.edu or 620-327-8263.

Students with theatre interest – both as majors or extracurricular interest – have lots of opportunities to get involved at Hesston College as actors and crew. Each academic year, the theatre department performs several mainstage productions – a play during the fall semester and a musical during the spring semester – collaborates with the music department on a performing arts production incorporating both music and theatre, performs the plays of local playwrights at the annual Pen to Paper to Performance playwriting festival and wraps up the year with a theatre showcase, featuring students performing scenes, monologues and musical theatre numbers.

New in 2018-19 is the Traveling Theatre Company, which, this fall semester, has been traveling to area high schools to do improv workshops with theatre classes, and in the spring plans to take a show on the road.