General
“I have yet to find another mode of communication that cuts across differences, boundaries and borders more than the arts,” said Hesston College President Joe Manickam. “The arts provide a common language that exists in every culture.”
And so, Manickam, along with internationally-acclaimed baritone and Hesston College staff member Tony Brown, hope to join the power of the arts with that of peacebuilding in an intergenerational journey to Thailand for Hesston May 14 to 31.
Manickam came to Hesston to start his new role as president during the summer of 2017 after having lived and worked in Thailand for several years, most recently as Director of the Institute of Religion, Culture and Peace and faculty member for peace studies at Payap University in Chiang Mai.
Brown has traveled across the globe for many years through the Peacing It Together Foundation, which is his creation and exists to serve the global community as a resource for peace and social justice, using music and the spoken word to bring people together across the divides of race, culture and religion.
The trip will enter communities off the beaten path and engage with stories of hope and transformation along the margins of society. A trans-cultural course, this trip is open to all college-level students and Hesston College alumni and friends. An emphasis is being placed on the gifts an intergenerational group can bring.
“Our hope is to take along other people who can be transformed on this trip the same way Tony and I are, adding to the messengers who return home with stories and transformation,” Manickam said.
Participants will travel to four distinct regions of Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Tak Province and Southern Thailand. Along the way, the group will meet with several leaders of faith communities from the Muslim, Buddhist, Christian and Sikh groups. A few days will also be spent at Payap University with the music department learning about traditional Thai music.
“The focus of this trip is really on the arts, both performing and visual,” Manickam said. “But you don’t have to be an artist to go on this trip. It is for people who would appreciate the arts.”
The trip will also make several sightseeing stops around Thailand and will end on the beaches, allowing for a time of debriefing and reflection.
Those interested in attending this trip should contact cindy.loucks@hesston.edu or 620-327-8233. The cost of the trip is $1,800 for students and $2,200 for other participants plus the cost of air fare. A $500 deposit is due to the Hesston College Business Office by Feb. 20.
“The arts are a very powerful tool for peacebuilding because that brings people from different places and different walks of life together to connect in a common language,” Manickam said. “None of us have to be fluent in it, but we can all participate if we are willing.”
General
The Hesston College community participates in the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day “Tools for the Journey” workshop on Jan. 15, led by President Joe Manickam and John Murray, director of International Admissions. The workshop addressed injustices that are pervasive in society today and what individuals can do to recognize injustices and their own reactions to them. No classes were held on MLK Day in order to give the entire campus community – students, faculty and staff – a chance to participate in the activities.
Hesston College students participate in an activity during the “Tools for the Journey” workshop. From left are Zac Neely (Ada, Okla.), Molly Hess (Marion, Kan.), Aubrey Johnson (Mustang, Okla.), Malik Murad (back to camera) (Arlington, Texas), and Ish Moye (Olathe, Kan.). A chapel was also held in the afternoon and featured a student, faculty and staff gospel choir and speakers Ben Woodward-Breckbill, associate pastor of Shalom Mennonite Church (Newton, Kan.), and Jessica Klanderud, history professor at Tabor College (Hillsboro, Kan.).
Night of free basketball and entertainment for the community
General
The local community and alumni of Hesston College are invited to campus on Wednesday night, Jan. 24 for Alumni/Community Basketball Night, a free event featuring varsity basketball games, entertainment and fun for the whole family.
The Larks will take on NJCAA Region VI rival, Fort Scott Community College, with the women’s game scheduled for 6 p.m. in Yost Center and the men’s game to follow at 8 p.m. The evening will be filled with games, prizes, snacks and entertainment.
“Alumni/Community Night has become an annual tradition for Hesston College and a good way to reach out to the wider community as a kind of thank you for all the ways they are involved with and support the college,” said Dallas Stutzman, director of Alumni and Church Relations.
In addition to the basketball games, the lineup for the evening includes free haircuts by Snip N’ Clip, Lark megaphones and free popcorn, Lark tattoos, the Hesston High School pep band and musical entertainment by Hesston College international students.
Extending the community support, Schowalter Villa/Bluestem Communities is helping to sponsor the evening’s events.
High school students are invited to a pre-game devotional at 6:30 p.m. led by men’s basketball coach Dustin Galyon on the topic “Start with accountability: A biblical approach to walking together in community.” Students who wish to attend the devotional session should RSVP to brandy.quinn@hesston.edu by Friday, Jan. 19. 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.
Both the women’s and men’s basketball teams are having competitive seasons with the women currently at a 7-8 record and the men at a 10-4 record with eight games surpassing the 100-point mark.
Hesston College plans MLK Day activities
General
A day of celebration and learning to better understand others’ perspectives will mark Hesston College’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Day events on Monday, Jan. 15.
Hesston students will have the whole day off from regularly scheduled classes to participate in a campus-wide workshop, “Tools for the Journey,” along with faculty and staff, which will better equip them with practical life skills, like effectively communicating with others from differing backgrounds and viewpoints.
The public is invited to join the campus community at 1 p.m., in Hesston Mennonite Church for a special chapel service that will celebrate Dr. King’s life and work through music and speakers. Chapel presentations include:
- Student reflections on the “What are you doing for others” program they will attend at Hutchinson Community College on Jan. 14.
- Ben Woodward-Breckbill, associate pastor at Shalom Mennonite Church, Newton, Kan., will share “Accepting the Invitation,” a kingdom perspective on privilege and racism based on Luke 14.
- Dr. Jessica Klanderud, history professor at Tabor College (Hillsboro, Kan.), will speak about how King’s non-violence was necessary during the Civil Rights movement and continues to be necessary today.
“As we celebrate MLK Day at Hesston College, we must keep Dr. King’s broad legacy in mind,” said President Joe Manickam. “Though the African-American community birthed his legacy, that legacy now carries the hope for many around the world. We must celebrate alongside our African-American sisters and brothers who carry his name like no other can while recognizing the global impact Dr. King continues to have around the world.”
Students receive academic honors for fall 2017 semester
General
Hesston College announced the names of full-time students whose fall 2017 semester grades earned them a place on the Dean’s List (3.90 to 4.00) and Honor Roll (3.50 to 3.89).
Dean’s List – Freshmen
Samantha Amarante, Lodi, Calif.
Jola Ceca, Lac, Albania
Jenna Denlinger, Lancaster, Pa.
Jade Gleason, Brush, Colo.
Faith Hallmark, El Dorado, Kan.
Cal Hartley, Benton, Kan.
Jaden Hostetter, Harrisonburg, Va.
Laura Huang, SanMing, China
Leah Huyard, Staunton, Va.
Aya Iseki, Taito, Japan
Kylee Kasselman, Claflin, Kan.
Rebecca Kaufman, Hillsboro, Kan.
Cassidy King, Cochranville, Pa.
Yuka Kobayashi, Tokyo, Japan
Maria Kwee, Central Java, Indonesia
Kaylen Lassley, Salina, Kan.
Ivonne Ledesma, Wichita, Kan.
Chris Lichti, Shickley, Neb.
Taylor Longenecker, Rockingham, Va.
Faith Manickam, Hesston, Kan.
Sophie Miller, Goshen, Ind.
Rio Mori, Osaka, Japan
Joel Plank, Syracuse, Ind.
Hannah Rosenbaum, Richmond, Texas
Jenna Schneider, Lodi, Calif.
Zachary Smisor, Valley Center, Kan.
Morgan Sterner, Lehi, Utah
Harune Suzuki, Osaka, Japan
Addie Swartzendruber, Henderson, Neb.
Bryson White, Fort Worth, Texas
Armelda Xhari, Lezhe, Albania
Dean’s List – Sophomores
Landon Baer, North Lima, Ohio
Lacey Biggerstaff, Newton, Kan.
Jenna Boller, Kalona, Iowa
Jeremy Deckinger, Wichita, Kan.
Joy Driver, Rockingham, Va.
Elizabeth Eichelberger, Geneva, Neb.
Shota Funazaki, Chiba, Japan
Autumn Gehman, Adams, Tenn.
Luke Hertzler, Harrisonburg, Va.
Katelyn Kilmer, Goshen, Ind.
Levi Litwiller, Hopedale, Ill.
Gaitan Lleshi, Lezhe, Albania
Nicole Loewen, Hutchinson, Kan.
Elizabeth Miller, Archbold, Ohio
Mackenzie, Miller, Lancaster, Pa.
Sarah Miller, Freeman, S.D.
Curtis Oesch, Caldwell, Idaho
Ryan Oostland, Goshen, Ind.
Alexandra Pelz, Viola, Kan.
Brenna Peters, Hesston, Kan.
Monica Plank, Marion, Kan.
Jaelyn Rufenacht, Pettisville, Ohio
Abraham Vidulich, Wichita, Kan.
Sadie Winter, Newton, Kan.
Payton Yehnert, Parker, Colo.
Dean’s List – Juniors
Allison Jantzi, Hesston, Kan.
Sophia Miller, Newton, Kan.
Vanessa Steckly, Milford, Neb.
Lilian Trifena, Tangerang, Indonesia
Dean’s List – Seniors
Kaedi Baer, Englewood, Colo.
Crystal Burgess, Los Angeles, Calif.
Meredith Burkhart, Newton, Kan.
Ashley DeTurk, Salina, Kan.
Celine Gregor, Omaha, Neb.
Brooke Hershberger, Goshen, Ind.
Amber Junkins, Wichita, Kan.
Kensi Mader, Wichita, Kan.
Raven Norris, Maize, Kan.
Zahira Shafeeq, McPherson, Kan.
Sarah Whitten, Wichita, Kan.
Honor Roll – Freshmen
Louisa Angeline, Semarang, Indonesia
Alexis Avalos, Yucaipa, Calif.
Brielle Baucom, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
McKenzie Brown, Estes Park, Colo.
Mairon Chavez Garcia, Tochigi, Japan
Taylar Clark, Port Angeles, Wash.
Rina Fukada, Yokohama, Japan
Risa Fukaya, Kanagawa, Japan
William Gaby, Goshen, Ind.
Emily Hague, Marion, Kan.
Annalys Hanna, Fraser, Colo.
Grant Harding, Louisburg, Kan.
Lily Kauffman, Mountain Lake, Minn.
Jenna Magana-Garcia, Hutchinson, Kan.
Lindsay Manwell, Wichita, Kan.
Mariana Martinez Hernandez, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Brant McCune-Wall, Manhattan, Kan.
Kaede Nakada, Tokyo, Japan
SungHyoun Nam, Gyounggi-do, South Korea
Caitlyn Nichols, Mesa, Colo.
Camryn Roth, Canby, Ore.
Jared Schlabaugh, Wellman, Iowa
Teo Soler, Orleans, France
Samantha Trejo, Lyons, Kan.
Zachary Yoder, Berea, Ky.
Anna Zehr, Tiskilwa, Ill.
Taitem Zeigler, Natoma, Kan.
Honor Roll – Sophomores
Kylie Brenneman, Hesston, Kan.
Sierra Broce, Goddard, Kan.
Nebiyat Demissie, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Andre Eanes, Harrisonburg, Va.
John Ebaugh, Holtwood, Pa.
Emma Eitzen, Lititz, Pa.
Jacob Harris, El Paso, Texas
Shaelyn Headrick, La Junta, Colo.
Preston Judd, Hayden, Ala.
Guhyoun Nam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Zachary Neely, Ada, Okla.
Josie Noll, Atchinson, Kan.
Jasmine Pankratz, Abbyville, Kan.
Ricardo Pineda Moreno, Ancon, Panama
Jenna Ratzlaff, North Newton, Kan.
Kendall Richardson, Lodi, Calif.
Kantaro Sekiya, Tokyo, Japan
Haley Unruh, Wilmore, Kan.
Ashley Yasin, Lake Isabella, Calif.
Lindsey Yoder, Millersburg, Ohio
Honor Roll – Seniors
Taylor Berner, Wichita, Kan.
LaKeisha, Frierson, Wichita, Kan.
Samantha McElroy, Wichita, Kan.
Submissions being accepted for play writing festival
Theater
For the second year in a row, members of the local communities can exercise their creativity and storytelling abilities through play writing with Hesston College Theatre’s “Pen to Paper to Performance” play writing festival.
Submissions for the 10-minute play festival will be accepted through March 16. Eight winning submissions will be notified March 23 and will be produced in the final showcase event April 27 and 28. Playwrights of winning submissions will receive a percentage of the box office earnings.
“Last year was really successful, and we ended up with more submissions than expected for a first-time event,” said Hesston College Theatre Director Rachel Jantzi. “People have already been asking if they can contribute again this year, and we’ve had interest from new writers as well. I want this to be an annual event, so I’m excited that people are interested and wanting to participate. It’s important to offer an outlet to people who want to express themselves and have a voice but don’t want to do it through performance.”
The first “Pen to Paper to Performance” festival in 2017 featured seven plays by six community playwrights and covered a wide range of genres from comedy to drama. Jantzi hopes that the 2018 festival will bring a similar diversity of topics and genres and inspire even more people to try their hand at play writing.
The plays are performed at the final event by Hesston College Theatre students and directed by Jantzi.
General
Hesston College’s Task Force on Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Safety wrapped up its work in October 2017, leaving the college with six major areas of recommendations to improve procedures and systems related to sexual misconduct at Hesston College.
The recommendations include:
- 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
Hesston College’s administrative council affirmed moving forward with the recommendations starting immediately.
In an email sent to Hesston College faculty and staff on Nov. 3, President Joe Manickam wrote, “Our plan is that all major areas of recommendation will see implementation begin before August 2018 with the majority of the recommendations being completed by December 2018.”
Each of the recommendations was accompanied by detailed ideas for implementation. President Manickam, Director of Human Resources Monica Miller and the four vice presidents who comprise the administrative council are leading the charge to evaluate and choose the best implementation processes for each major area of recommendation.
Hesston College’s Task Force was assembled in October 2016 and began its work of reviewing, researching and analyzing issues of sexual misconduct related to the college in December 2016. The group was independent of Hesston College board and administrative control or oversight. Over the 10 months, members conducted surveys, interviews and delved into the college’s policies and history to form their report and recommendations for improvement.
Class learning focuses on community outreach and connections
General
Physical Education
One of two things can happen when you present eager and energetic elementary-aged kids to be led by college freshmen and sophomores for 20 minutes – chaos or connection. The latter was the case for Hesston College’s Recreation Leadership students during the fall semester as they provided the game programming during WOW (Whitestone on Wednesdays) at Whitestone Mennonite Church (Hesston).
The arrangement between the course and the church follows Hesston College’s promise to give students hands-on experiences in their first two years of college, and professor Clay Stauffer says the arrangement accomplished just that.
“Having our class work with the kids at Whitestone was a really good thing as it gave the students experience interacting with people they didn’t know very well,” Satuffer said. “It’s one thing when you’re leading your classmates in an activity, but to do that for strangers – energetic kids no less – really gives our students good practical experience for their future careers.”
The Recreation Leadership class is an experiential-based learning course through event coordination in real life settings. Aside from planning and leading games weekly at WOW, the class also organized and hosted the college’s annual two-mile run/walk, The Manickam Mosey, which drew about 225 participants during Homecoming and Inauguration Weekend in September.
Whitestone’s WOW program gives children in kindergarten through fifth grade a place to worship and learn more about their faith with their peers through Bible study, activities and a meal. A description on the church’s website says, “It is a time meant for building relationships and learning about God’s love and the teachings of Jesus.”
“The WOW children thoroughly enjoy interacting with college students,” said Kara Swartzendruber, Whitestone Family and Children coordinator. “One strength of the WOW program is intergenerational relationships, and having Hesston College students involved in leading games enhances that connection between generations.”
As an integration class, the Recreation Leadership course draws students from a wide range of majors, including sports management, exercise science, physical education, education, pre-physical therapy, business and still deciding.
“Students bring what they’ve learned in other classes and are able to apply it to real world situations and experiences,” said Stauffer. “We talk a lot about servant leadership in event leadership, so opportunities like this allow students to see what that really means in practice.”
Each week at WOW, a Hesston College student would plan and lead the children in three games with the help of two of their classmates. The children were divided into groups based on their ages, giving the college students a chance to work with different age groups and developmental levels and learn skills like conflict management and teamwork.
“Leading games at WOW will definitely help me in my future career,” said freshman Cassidy King (Cochranville, Pa.), who is studying special education and physical education. “WOW gave me experience teaching kids, learning how to speak to the different age groups and adapting to children who learn in different ways. I had so much fun getting to spend time with the kids and watching them laugh and play together.”
“Learning how to communicate the rules of the games in the best manner was a challenge,” said sophomore pre-physical therapy major Preston Judd (Hayden, Ala.). “Once everyone understood what was supposed to happen, it was rewarding to watch them learn and create new strategies as the game went along.”
Stauffer and Swartzendruber would agree that an important take away for both the college students and the children was the connections.
“In this class, servant leadership includes community outreach,” said Stauffer. “The students really enjoyed the connections they made.”
Conference to take proactive approach on confronting injustice
Bible and Ministry
General
What can one person do to stand against “the troubles of this world?” The challenges are monumental: economic injustice, gender inequity, race relations, water and land conflicts. What difference can I make? The 2018 Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series (AVDS) will explore these questions and their answers with the theme “Before the Unthinkable Happens: Confronting our role in injustice.” The conference will take place on the Hesston College campus Feb. 23 to 25 of 2018.
The AVDS Series offers a hands-on process where issues of oppression are addressed and begin to be dismantled. Specific leadership strategies will be applied to race relations, gender inequity and economic injustice.
“Throughout history, changes have most often been made by small groups of people who share a singular focus on an issue they are passionate about changing,” said planning committee member and Hesston College staff member Carlota Ponds. “No one person conquers an issue alone, and no one can successfully address all issues. Yet, each of us can become an effective agent for change on the issue we care deeply about.”
A continuation of last year’s event, “When the Unthinkable Happens,” that looked at responding with resiliency when communities are in the middle of trauma-related events, AVDS 2018 will provide a space for sharing passions and learning about strategies for fighting injustice with others in your congregation and in your community.
The Kansas Leadership Center will help in developing skills to clarify purpose, begin outcome plans and impact our future. Dr. Drew G.I. Hart, from Messiah College and an additional conference partner, will strengthen our biblical theology of justice in order to become faithful disciples and ethical believers.
Save the date now and watch for more information to come through the Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series website and brochure. Online registration will open early January 2018.