In the News

Fall 2018 enrollment numbers show diversity on the rise at Hesston College

Following the first 20 classroom days of the 2018-19 year, Hesston College released official enrollment numbers for the fall 2018 semester. Total student headcount is 420, with 90 percent of students enrolled at a full-time status. The total enrollment falls right at the average of the last five years.

With an institution-wide focus on broadening global engagement launched a year ago, diversity at Hesston College is on the rise. For fall 2018, 56 international students are enrolled from 20 countries, which is 13 percent of total enrollment. While the percent of international students within the student body held steady from 2017, the countries students call home grew by three in 2018, widening the college’s global reach. U.S. students represent 28 U.S. states and territories, including about 51 percent from Kansas and 36 percent from other U.S. states.

Hesston is committed to being an institution that welcomes students from all backgrounds and beliefs. Hesston College is a part of Mennonite Church USA, and nearly 21 percent of students come from the Anabaptist-Mennonite Christian faith tradition. More than 30 other Christian denominations and world religions comprise the campus community.

“One population that was exciting to watch this past recruitment cycle was students seeking an aviation degree,” said Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, vice president of enrollment. “Our new aviation student number more than doubled from eight to 18 since last fall, which echoes the reality of job demand within the aviation market. We will continue to watch trends across all industries and try to respond appropriately with our programs of study.”

Of total student enrollment, 184 are new students. Following Hesston College trends for the last several years, fall to fall retention of students who were new in 2017 remains high at almost 73 percent, as compared to a national average of about 61 percent according to The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Students living in campus housing make up 70 percent of the population.

“We continue to closely monitor retention, both overall and of sub-populations, as one of our tools to gauge student satisfaction with the Hesston Experience,” said Brent Yoder, vice president of Academics. “Once again, we are pleased to see better than 80 percent retention of nursing students, international students and others, but we are also thinking strategically about what we can do to ensure a positive experience and high retention for all students.”

Cashore Marionettes to portray life and art in new ways in HBPA season-opening performance

A celebration of life – with all of its intricacies and emotions – will be the focus of the opening performance of the 2018-19 Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts Series as it kicks off with Cashore Marionettes: “Life in Motion” at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

In “Life in Motion,” puppeteer Joseph Cashore presents his collection of marionette masterworks as they depict life’s moments set to music by composers such as Beethoven, Vivaldi, Strauss and Copland. Unique and unmatched in the typical medium of theater productions of today, Cashore Marionettes presents characters of depth, integrity and humanity in a celebration of the complexities and richness of life.

Cashore first became acquainted with marionettes as a young boy of 10 or 11 when he saw a pirate marionette in a gift shop on the New Jersey shore. A short time later, he created his first marionette from clothespins, wood, string and a tin can. As he played with this puppet and observed the quality of its movement, he was startled by the sudden but momentary sensation that the puppet was alive.

After earning a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.) and studying portrait and figure painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (Philadelphia), Cashore made his second marionette. He soon discovered that in order to have the fluid motion he sought, he would have to create his own control designs. For the next nineteen years, Cashore experimented with the construction of the marionettes and devised totally new control mechanisms.

In the late 1980s, Cashore was inspired to create a puppet that would convincingly “play” the violin solo from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending.” In working through the technical elements of creating a marionette of which he could gain subtle control of the body, he discovered the possibility for “greater depth of expression with the marionettes.” That puppet, Maestro Janos Zelinka, became the impetus for his present productions.

Cashore has been performing full-time across North America, Europe and Asia since 1990. He has received several awards for his artistic accomplishments, and has also received a Henson Foundation Grant, which helps promote puppetry to adult audiences. Cashore also has received a UNIMA Citation of Excellence, the highest honor an American puppeteer can receive, which is “awarded to shows that touch their audiences deeply; that totally engage, enchant and enthrall.”

Reserved seating and general admission tickets for Cashore Marionettes, as well as season tickets for the full five-concert series, are available online 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.

Area elementary students will be treated to a Cashore Marionettes show earlier in the day on Oct. 23 at Hesston Mennonite Church.

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.

Moliere meets Mean Girls/High School Musical mashup: Theatre department to present classic comedy with modern twist

Hesston College Theatre is gearing up to present a classic comedy in a new and modern way with five performances of “The Misanthrope” Oct. 3 to 7.

Showtime is at 7 p.m. on Oct. 3 to 6, and 2 p.m. on Oct. 7. The performance will be in the Keim Center Black Box Theatre on the Hesston College campus. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, and can be purchased in advance at the Hesston College Bookstore or by calling 620-327-8105. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door prior to show time. The show is rated PG.

“The Misanthrope” is a comedy written by the French playwright Moliere in 1666 during the French restoration as a response to the hypocrisy of monarchs of the day. Featuring a “misanthrope” lead, or a person who dislikes all of humanity and avoids human society, larger than life characters illustrate human tendencies that are still common four centuries later.

Led by director Rachel Jantzi, Hesston College’s take on this classic is from the translation by Robert Cohen “with a bit of an update,” Jantzi explained.

The original French and Cohen’s translation are written in iambic pentameter and rhyme that was the popular style of the 17th century. Hesston’s version will keep the verse and translated language. It’s the setting that is the biggest change.

Moliere’s play was set in 17th century Paris in the courts of royalty. Jantzi chose to set Hesston College’s production in 21st century fictional Paris High School, home of the Monarchs.

“When I read through the play, I kept picturing it as an after school special or like the movie Mean Girls, with over the top classic high school characters,” said Jantzi. “So I thought, “Why not modernize it and bring these characters to the high school hallways?’”

To play into the set adaptation and further enforce the modern feel, Jantzi’s interpretation incorporates popular music by artists like Sia, Milky Chance, Walk the Moon and The Strumbellas. Overall, Hesston’s modernized version is rooted in teenage drama but also carries the powerful moral messages expressed in the original.

“The play comments on the crazy games that are played by these characters who are in various degrees of love and hate with one another,” said Jantzi.

Jantzi hopes the audience will mostly sit back and enjoy a fun show while maybe also taking with them some important qualities and traits to consider.

“We haven’t done a ridiculous comedy in a while, so we’re really having fun with this, and I think others will, too.”

Soccer field to bear coach’s name

The Hesston College soccer field underwent some upgrades during the summer with leveling and resurfacing and a new scoreboard installed earlier this week, and its transformation will soon be complete when it gains the name Sieber Field.

The pending name honors coach Gerry Sieber, who coached Lark student-athletes in a several sports for 30 years – 23 years of which were as men’s soccer coach. Sieber retired in December 2017.

The naming ceremony will take place on the soccer field about 5:45 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, between the women’s and men’s soccer games. A time to visit with and recognize Coach Sieber will be held immediately following the naming ceremony, during the men’s soccer game at the newly bestowed Sieber Field. The ceremony is also part of the college’s Homecoming Weekend activities, which will celebrate 60 years of intercollegiate Lark athletics.

“We are grateful to Gerry for his many years of dedication to Hesston College and our student-athletes,” said President Joseph A. Manickam in an email to faculty and staff. “His commitment to the school, our students and the Hesston Experience deserves recognition in this lasting way.”

Sieber, who is a 1964 Hesston College graduate, returned to his alma mater as a coach in 1968. Over the next 23 years he coached basketball, track and field and, primarily, soccer, where he tallied 247 wins, ten region titles, led 22 players who earned National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American honors, and earned Coach of the Year eight times. During those years, Sieber also taught wellness classes and served as athletic director.

In 2010, after almost 20 years away from Hesston College, Sieber returned to develop a men’s and women’s cross country team, which he also coached for seven years prior to retirement. In 2015, Sieber was inducted into the NJCAA Soccer Hall of Fame for his successes leading the Lark program.

Aside from the many performance-related accolades his teams earned, Sieber was also known for taking genuine interest in his student-athletes apart from their athletic development and focusing on the development of the whole person. When he moved on from Hesston College nine months ago, his efforts to build genuine community and camaraderie were recognized and celebrated as much as his successful teams.

Golf benefit to honor early successes of collegiate athletics teams

Hesston College will open its Homecoming Weekend celebration with the annual Homecoming Golf Benefit on Thursday, Sept. 27, at Hesston Golf Park.

The 2018 benefit will honor the Hesston College athletic teams of the 1960s that saw much success in the Prairie Junior College Conference (PJCC), winning the PJCC All-Sports sweepstakes trophy multiple times during those years.

Registration for the event is $125 per person. The deadline to register is Sept. 24. Hole sponsorships are also available. See more information and register.

Thanks to sponsors underwriting the event in full, 100 percent of proceeds will benefit Hesston College and all aspects of the student experience.

Hesston College Homecoming 2018, Sept. 28 to 30, will be a celebration of 60 years of intercollegiate athletics. Prior to the late 1950’s, the college offered only intramural sports among students. By 1963 Hesston offered men’s sports in baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, tennis and track, which all competed at a very high level and saw much success during that decade. Today, the college offers 14 men’s and women’s varsity sports.

Home Sweet Hesston community events

Observing an annual homecoming event has become a big celebration in Hesston. For the third straight year, different institutions and players in the community are teaming up to offer Home Sweet Hesston Sept. 26-30 – several days of events for the whole family at locations that showcase the many amenities offered in town and build community camaraderie.

For Hesston High School and Hesston College, Home Sweet Hesston is part of homecoming events for the respective schools. Schowalter Villa is also holding its annual Villa Days as part of the community-wide celebration with events on its campus that benefit the Good Samaritan Caring Fund and other resident-centered projects.

“Home Sweet Hesston is a great way to show to the whole community all of the wonderful things Hesston has to offer,” said Dallas Stutzman, director of Alumni and Church Relations at Hesston College and Home Sweet Hesston committee member. “Many of the events are low cost or free, so we hope many will come out and experience the community.”

Home Sweet Hesston event schedule

Wednesday, Sept. 26

5 to 6 p.m., Community meal – $6, Hesston Mennonite Church

Sponsored by the Hesston Community Foundation and served by Cititzen’s State Bank.

6:30 p.m., Parade, Route begins at Hickory and proceeds north down Main Street

Sponsored by the Hesston Chamber of Commerce.

7:30 p.m. (time is approximate), Community bonfire, King Park

Friday, Sept. 28

9 a.m., Morning with the Swathers for USD 460, Hesston High School

4:30 to 6 p.m., Hesston College/Community Art Show and Reception, Hesston College Keim Center

Featuring Hesston College alumni, USD 460 and area artists. Schowcase can be viewed through Sunday.

5 to 6:30 p.m., Community meal – by donation, Hesston High School Commons

Sponsored by Bluestem Communities and served by Villa Partners. Silent auction baskets also available for bids.

7 p.m. Hesston Swathers football game and Homecoming royalty coronation, Hobbs Stadium

A fireworks show will follow the football game.
Open late until 11 p.m., The Lincoln Perk

Saturday, Sept. 29

7:30 to 11 a.m., Villa Partners Bake Sale, Water’s Edge

8 to 10 a.m., Community breakfast – by donation, Water’s Edge

Served by Villa Partners and Hesston Area Seniors.

9 a.m., Villa Partners Mini Auction, Water’s Edge.

10:30 a.m., Hesston College The Manickam Mosey: Two-mile run/walk, starts in front of Bontrager Student Center on the Hesston College campus

Enjoy a morning run or walk through the picturesque Hesston College campus and neighboring Dyck Arboretum. Community/Alumni vs. Students Challenge: The group with the largest number of race participants will win the Challenge Trophy Cup for the year. Register online.

5 to 7 p.m., Kids’ Festival – free, Hesston College south of the tennis courts

Games, bouncy houses and face painting.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Community picnic meal – free, Hesston College Campus Activities Center

A hot dog meal with all of the trimmings by Knackie’s Catering with Water’s Edge homemade ice cream for dessert.

8 p.m., Steel Wheels concert, Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus

One of the leading bluegrass groups in the country performs live at Hesston College. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students ages 5 through high school. Purchase tickets in advance at the bookstore or at the door as available. Doors open at 7 p.m. General admissions seating.

Four days of activities planned to mark Peace Day celebration

Hesston College will join thousands of others around the world in celebration of the International Day of Peace, or “Peace Day,” on Sept. 21.

Celebrating Peace Day is fitting for Hesston College as a campus community that is home to students from 23 countries, including more than 55 international students. Likewise, as an institution established with Anabaptist values of peace and non-violence, the celebration is a chance for Hesston to live out its commitment to exemplify the life of Jesus Christ.

The International Day of Peace is observed around the world each year on Sept. 21. Established in 1981 by the United Nations, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to and build a culture of peace. The 2018 Peace Day theme is “The Right to Peace,” which celebrates the 70th year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

A masterworks concert by the Hesston College Music Department and featuring a mass choir of students and community members and a professional orchestra, will be the capstone event at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 22, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The concert, entitled “Grant Us Peace,” will be a performance of Ralph Vaughn Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem.”

Hesston will take the spirit of the day even further, with activities planned for four days.

All events are open to the public and free unless otherwise noted.

Friday, September 21

11 a.m. – Forum “The Residue of Conflict...Why Peace?”, Hesston Mennonite Church

Festivities begin with campus forum, featuring guest speakers Ron Moyo, outreach pastor at Whitestone Mennonite Church, and Armelda Xhari, Hesston College sophomore from Lezhe, Albania. We’ll hear from a former student who lived through conflict in his country and a current student born in the years immediately following conflict in her country…why they value, embrace and are activists for peace. To close chapel, a peace walk through the new on-campus Global Pathway will be available, ending at the peace pole. The Global Pathway features the flags of the countries represented at Hesston in the fall 2018 semester. Armelda and Ron will be available to the campus community for a talk back session during lunch.

Saturday, September 22

10 a.m. – Putt for Peace, Hesston College Disc Golf Course

Join college and community players in a friendly round of disc golf. An optional $5 bag tag may be purchased. No experience necessary.

7 p.m. – Grant Us Peace masterworks concert, Hesston Mennonite Church

Dona Nobis Pacem by Ralph Vaughan Williams for chorus and orchestra. Guest soloists Holly Swartzendruber, soprano, and Therin Smith, bass.

8:15 p.m. – Peace Fair, Community Center, Hesston Mennonite Church

Celebrate peace with presentations from Hesston College students and community members.

Sunday, September 23

Participants are encouraged to attend a local church celebrating Peace Sunday, including:

Hesston Mennonite Church
9 a.m. Sunday School; 10 a.m. Fellowship; 10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Mel Lehman will share “Spiritual Resources to Help End the Forever War” presenting how we can be peacemakers in Syria.

Monday, September 24

11 a.m. – chapel, Sanctuary, Hesston Mennonite Church

Featuring a panel discussion comprised of students who have lived in conditions of civil unrest or otherwise lacked peace in their lifetimes.

7 to 8:30 p.m. – Promoting Peace for the Next Generation, Room 119, Smith Center

Louise Matthews from the Lion and the Lamb Peace Arts Center at Bluffton University will demonstrate how to use children’s literature, art and music to promote children’s deep understandings and commitment to being peacemakers in their world.

The Steel Wheels to headline homecoming celebration

A widely recognized bluegrass band and Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival favorite, The Steel Wheels, will perform on the Hesston College campus at 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, as part of the college and community’s homecoming celebration.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students ages five through high school. All seating is general admission. Doors at the venue, Hesston Mennonite Church, will open at 7 p.m. Purchase tickets at the Hesston College Bookstore in Erb Hall, online or call 620-327-8104. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door, although purchasing tickets ahead of time is strongly encouraged.

“We have hoped to bring The Steel Wheels to Hesston College for a long time, and we’re excited to have them as part of our Home Sweet Hesston homecoming activities,” said Dallas Stutzman, director of Alumni and Church Relations.

Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, The Steel Wheels are surrounded by the bluegrass and folk music tradition, and have established themselves among the lauded of the genre.

A review by Country Standard Time said about the group: “What sets The Steel Wheels…apart from many bands is the combination of their stellar instrumentals, accentuated by the one of a kind lead vocal of [Trent] Wagler, and keenly supported by strong harmonies.”

The group’s home base of Harrisonburg, Va., holds many ties with Hesston College and the wider community, giving many locals a familiarity with the group. Lead singer, Trent Wagler, spent part of his adolescence in Hesston, attending Hesston Middle School, and his father is a graduate of Hesston College’s Pastoral Ministries program.

Formed in 2004, the Steel Wheels have been wildly popular at Winfield’s annual Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival since their debut appearance in 2012. National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage said about them: “Few groups have come as far in such a short period of time as The Steel Wheels.”

“They are well-known with a big following in this area,” said Stutzman. “We anticipate a high energy and enjoyable evening of music.”

New piano instructor brings global opportunities to the community

A new face in Hesston College’s Music Department will bring new opportunities and ideas to the college and an already thriving performing arts department, as well as to the wider community.

Mei Li, D.M.A., joined the Hesston College community just a few weeks ago at the start of the school year as an adjunct piano instructor, and it seems to be a mutually beneficial employment match.

With a Doctor of Musical Arts degree newly minted from the University of Kansas School of Music (Lawrence) in May 2018, Li brings to Hesston a high-level of piano instruction for students of all ages and levels, and a passion for piano pedagogy.

“I enjoy teaching different levels of students,” said Li. “Here at Hesston, I have my college students who take lessons and they have a broad range of skill levels, including some who have never before touched a piano, but I also have availability to take on high school- and elementary-age students.”

The connections Li brings with her also fit the global engagement focus that is coming increasingly to the forefront at Hesston.

Born and raised in China, Li began studying piano at five years old with the renowned Chinese piano pedagogue, Zhaoyi Dan.

“When I was a child in China, not many people had pianos in their homes or knew musicians who could teach their kids piano,” said Li. “But my family is a musical family and I was lucky. My grandfather was a banker and also played the violin. My father is a vocalist and then became a movie producer. My father had a lot of friends who were musicians, and I was able to study with a very good piano teacher.”

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 piano performance from NIU.

Li has already begun conversations with connections in China about the possibility of bringing students to Hesston to study.

“I have been talking to schools in China that are interested in working with Hesston College,” said Li. “As a two-year school, I think it’s a great place for international students who want to study in the United States to start. Many Chinese students who want to study in the U.S. just don’t know how to begin finding a place to attend. When they get here, they find a totally different culture and they don’t know how to adapt, but here at Hesston, there are so many resources for international students to help them adapt and adjust.” Also on the international front, besides performing in concert halls around the world, Li is a co-founder of the Chicago International Music Competition and Festival, which held its inaugural event in July 2018 with 70 participants from all over the world.

She will put that festival event planning experience to work in her new role as well, as she helps to plan the Hesston College Keyboard Competition: A Festival of Baroque Music slated for February 23, 2019. The festival and competition will be open to young pianists in the south central Kansas region.

As Li acclimates to her new role, she looks forward to connecting with the campus and wider communities to share her professional work, skills and more.

Li still currently resides in Lawrence and the time she spends in Hesston each week is limited to the day or two per week she teaches a class, but she is excited to connect with budding pianists in the area. She welcomes any interested students from the community or college to contact her at mei.li@hesston.edu.