In the News

Hesston College celebrates solar eclipse as a unifying event

Hesston, Kan., missed the path of totality of the 2017 solar eclipse on Aug. 21 by about 149 miles, but that didn’t stop Hesston College from giving students, faculty, staff and alumni a chance to experience the extraordinary event.

Even though it meant missing the first day of classes, 75 math, science, education and music students traveled 174 miles north to Shickley, Neb., where they were joined by about 90 Hesston College alumni and friends as well as students, faculty and staff of Shickley Public School, Shickley community members and members of Salem Mennonite Church (Shickley) for an eclipse presentation, lunch and eclipse viewing.

In total, about 450 people participated in the day’s activities hosted by Shickley Public School, a PreK-12 school with about 135 students in the small village that boasted a population of 337 in the 2016 census.

For the main eclipse presentation, Hesston College chemistry professor, Dr. Jim Yoder, collaborated with the Bel Canto Singers, under the direction of Dr. Russell Adrian, to explain the science of the eclipse while also celebrating the event through song.

Dr. Yoder explained how every person is connected to the cosmos through the atoms and minerals produced in stars, but also through observing the same sky, sun and moon.

“This total eclipse is a good time to remember how we are all united rather than how we are different,” Yoder said in his closing remarks.

The TED-style talk was followed by lunch and the eclipse viewing on the school’s football field, allowing the groups to intermingle and share with one another. Just as Yoder predicted in his presentation, cheers and expressions of awe erupted at totality as each person experienced the eclipse physically, spiritually and personally, but also in community with one another.

Other programming throughout the day allowed Hesston College education students to observe in classrooms, and Hesston students and faculty to present panel discussions to Shickley juniors and seniors about preparing for college, as well as careers in the STEM and music areas.

The idea for the event was spurred by Hesston College science, math and education faculty during the spring 2017 semester. Education professor Heidi Hochstetler, who grew up in Shickley, connected with the administration at her high school alma mater to arrange the day’s programming. The Hesston College Alumni department further extended the invitation for alumni and friends to join in the day, and 90 individuals from a radius of about 175 miles accepted the invitation.

caption - Hesston College chemistry professor Dr. Jim Yoder and the Bel Canto Singers present an eclipse program to a crowd of about 450 at Shickley (Neb.) Public School. Groups involved in the day included Hesston College science, math and education students, faculty and staff, Shickley Public School students in grades PreK-12, faculty and staff, Hesston College alumni and friends, and members of the community of Shickley and Salem Mennonite Church (Shickley).

New faculty and staff appointments announced for 2017-18

Hesston College announces the following new faculty and staff appointments for the 2017-18 year:

• Megan Baumgartner, female resident director, is a Hesston College graduate and completed a B.S. at Goshen (Ind.) College.
• Becky Bartell, M.S.N., R.N., C.N.E., director of Nursing Education, earned an M.S.N. from Fort Hays (Kan.) State University and a B.S.N. from Bethel College (North Newton, Kan.). She has served as a nursing professor at Hesston since 2010.
• Mark Diller, development officer for the western United States, is a Hesston College graduate and has a bachelor’s degree from George Fox University (Newberg, Ore.) and a master’s in business administration from Corban University (Salem, Ore.)
• Jaecy Friesen, flight instructor, is a Hesston College graduate.
• Jeff Giroux, assistant men’s soccer coach, earned a master’s degree in psychology of sports and exercise from Leeds (England) Beckett University and a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Oklahoma Wesleyan University (Bartlesville)
• Marissa Hochstetler, graphic designer and assistant female resident director, is a Hesston College graduate and has a B.A. in communication studies with a minor in graphic design from Goshen College.
• Sheryl Hodge, registrar and dean of assessment and accreditation, holds a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in educational research and psychology and a M.A. in educational research and psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
• Christie Hoskisson, bookstore manager, holds a B.S. in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in business and accounting from Central Methodist University (Fayette, Mo.) and is an alumna of Butler County Community College (El Dorado, Kan.).
• Amy Hulse, R.N., adjunct nursing professor, holds a B.S.N. from Bethel College and plans to complete a M.S.N. in 2018.
• Thomas Kellner, baseball pitching coach, is a graduate of Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
• Jason Klanderud, multimedia projects manager, is completing a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Tabor College.
• James Komakech, men’s and women’s tennis coach, is an alum of Barton County Community College (Great Bend, Kan.) and Bethany College (Lindsborg, Kan.).
• Cindy Lapp, adjunct nursing professor, is a Hesston College graduate and is working on a M.S.N. through Tabor College-Wichita to be completed in 2018.
• Fritz Lehman, flight instructor, is a Hesston College graduate.
• Peter Lehman, history professor, holds a M.A. in American studies from Pennsylvania State University (Harrisburg), a B.A. in history from Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, Va.) and is pursuing a Ph.D. in American studies from Pennsylvania State University. He has taught English courses at Hesston since 2015 and will continue in that role.
• Ben Miller, plumbing/facilities specialist.
• Jeptha Miller, flight instructor, is a graduate of Hesston College and Goshen College.
• Jessica Miller, food service director, holds a B.A. health and physical education from Tabor College (Hillsboro, Kan.) and a B.S. in dietetics from Kansas State University (Manhattan).
• Monica Miller, director of human resources, is a Hesston College graduate and holds a B.A. in business administration with a minor in psychology from Goshen College. She is completing a M.S. in employment law from Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).
• Paula Miller, nutrition professor, holds a M.S. from South Dakota State University (Brookings) and a B.S. from Kansas State University.
• Christy Miller Hesed, adjunct mathematics professor, holds a Ph.D. in environmental anthropology from the University of Maryland (College Park), a M.S. in sustainable development and conservation biology and an undergraduate degree from Goshen College.
• Austin Mitchell, intramural director, is a Hesston College graduate and holds a B.A. in business administration, management and marketing from Bethel College.
• Diana Mitzner, M.S.N., R.N., adjunct nursing professor, holds a M.S.N. in nursing education from the University of Phoenix (Tempe, Ariz.) and a B.S.N. from Southwestern College (Winfield, Kan.).
• Susan Mungecho, food service.
• John Murray, director of international admissions, is a Hesston College graduate, holds a master’s in theological studies from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, Ind.) and will complete a master’s in interfaith action from Claremont (Calif.) Lincoln University in September.
• Brandy Quinn, admissions visit coordinator, holds a B.A. in education from Emporia (Kan.) State University.
• Corey Regehr, special services manager with Campus Facilities, is a Hesston College alumnus.
• Mary Schanbacher, food service.
• Andrew Sharp, history professor, is a Hesston College graduate and holds a M.A. in sports administration from Wichita (Kan.) State University and a B.A. from Millersville (Pa.) University. He will continue his role as softball coach at Hesston.
• Bonnie Sowers, M.S.N., R.N., nursing professor, is a Hesston College graduate and holds a M.S.N. from Ohio State University (Columbus) and a B.S.N. from Goshen College. She served Hesston College as director of nursing education from 1980 to 2017.
• Holly Swartzendruber, music professor and vocal music coordinator, holds a D.M.A. in vocal performance from the University of Kansas (Lawrence), a M.M. in vocal performance from Ohio University (Athens) and a B.A. in music from Goshen College.

Science and music to mark total solar eclipse with special program

To mark the rare occurrence of the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse path over North America, the Hesston College music and science areas will team up for a special presentation at 6:45 p.m., Saturday, August 19, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The program is free and open to the public.

The special programming will feature eclipse-themed music by the Bel Canto Singers and a TED-style talk about the solar event by natural science professor Dr. Jim Yoder.

The last total eclipse viewed from the contiguous United States was on Feb. 26, 1979, passing through states in the northwest as far east as North Dakota. The next total eclipse will be on April 8, 2024, with totality visible from Texas to Maine.

On the day of the eclipse, more than 75 Hesston College science, math and music students will present the same program at Shickley (Neb.) Public School, which is located in the 70-mile wide path of eclipse totality, before viewing the eclipse with K-12 students, Hesston College alumni and community members.

Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts celebrates 35 years with a wide array of performances

For its 35th season, the Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts (HBPA) series will feature a vast array of performing art and culture from some of the world’s most popular ensembles.

An improvised musical comedy will open the season on Oct. 5 at Bethel College’s (North Newton, Kan.) Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center, with Broadway’s Next Hit Musical. The unique performance features musical theatre meets “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” when master improvisers gather made up song suggestions from the audience and a create a spontaneous evening of music, humor and laughter.

Renowned as one of the finest vocal ensembles in the world for more than five decades, the Vienna Boys Choir returns to the HBPA stage for the first time since 1993 on Nov. 9, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. Made up of 23 to 26 boys who audition from around the world, the choir performs annually throughout the U.S. and world at renowned concert venues like Carnegie Hall and Chicago’s Symphony Hall.

HBPA will celebrate the holiday season with Christmas with Mirari Brass Quintet on Dec. 1, at Hesston Mennonite Church. The commissioners of multiple new works for brass, the group balances intensity, lightness, refined virtuosity and fun. Their repertoire spans many centuries and genres in celebration of the holiday season.

The British vocal ensemble VOCES8, now established as one of the world’s most versatile and best-loved singing groups, will take the HBPA stage on Feb. 9, at Hesston Mennonite Church. Touring extensively throughout Europe, North America and Asia, the group performs a repertoire from Renaissance to contemporary commissions and arrangements.

The culmination of the 35th anniversary season will be classical guitarist Berta Rojas with the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra on April 8 in Bethel College’s Memorial Hall. Hailing from Paraguay, Rojas ranks among today’s foremost classical guitarists and has been praised by the Washington Post as “guitarist extraordinaire” and “ambassador of the classical guitar” by Classical Guitar Magazine 

HBPA season tickets are available from $80 to $90 for adults. Single tickets can also be purchased for individual performances. Discounts are available for students and senior citizens.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 620-327-8158 or go to hesstonbethel.org.

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 Hesston Convention and Visitors Bureau, 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 an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Area businesses and patrons provide additional funding for the HBPA series.

2017-18 events schedule offers much for the community

The Hesston College community is gearing up for the start of another year, and the 2017-18 year is shaping up to be exciting with plenty to offer to the wider community as well.

Community members and others who are interested can stay informed of on- and off-campus public events by checking or subscribing to the college’s events calendar.

The new year kicks off with Opening Weekend activities starting Aug. 18 and classes beginning Aug. 21. Community members are welcome to join the campus community to observe an evening of nonsensical fun at the annual Mod Olympics at 6:45 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 20, on the Hesston College soccer field. During Mod Olympics, on-campus students compete in their mod groups in relays and games as a way to get to know one another and start the year off on a light note.

The new year also marks some significant changes and events for the college as well as those that have become annual traditions.

Dr. Joseph A. Manickam, the college’s ninth president, assumed office on Aug. 1, and looks forward to connecting with and meeting members of the wider community in a variety of ways. Dr. Manickam’s inauguration will take place on Sept. 23, during the college’s annual Homecoming Weekend. A full schedule of Homecoming and Inauguration Weekend events can be found at online.

The college’s annual Thanksgiving weekend celebration will be a new experience in the college’s recent history as Hesston will not host a Thanksgiving Weekend celebration in 2017. The calendar change reflects shifts in student demographics and refinements in Hesston’s carefully targeted recruitment strategies. The weekend’s most popular events will find new dates on the calendar, including:

• Two-mile run/walk: The Manickam Mosey, September 23. More information and registration online.
• Talent Show, Nov. 11 during Alumni/Community Day. The day will also feature men’s and women’s varsity basketball games and meal.
• Masterworks concert: “Light Eternal”, Dec. 9.

Other calendar highlights for the year include:

• Fall drama: “And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson,” Oct. 25 to 29.
• Keynote address by Cynthia Barnett, author of the community read, “Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis” (2012, Beacon Press), Nov. 2.
• Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series: “Before the Unthinkable Happens,” Feb. 23 to 25.
• Spring musical: “Hands on a Hardbody,” Feb. 28 to March 4.

Community read proposes a solution for water crisis

For the sixth year, Hesston College and the Hesston Public Library invite individuals and groups in the local communities to join students, faculty and staff for a community read during the fall 2017 semester. The book selection for the 2017 read is “Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis” (2012, Beacon Press) by Cynthia Barnett.

Barnett, an award-winning environmental journalist who teaches at the University of Florida (Gainsville), proposes that America needs a “blue revolution” comparable to the “go green” movement to address the use and abuse of water in the United States and around the world. The book examines a variety of perspectives and makes an argument for a “water ethic” with a call to action that reconnects individuals to their water.

Barnett will visit the Hesston College campus for the annual Melva Kauffman Lecture Series to discuss themes in the book on Thursday, Nov. 2. Events for the day will include a morning talk with students, an afternoon presentation for the public at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains and an evening keynote address at Hesston Mennonite Church.

Photo release - Sharing local leadership resources

Environmental science professor Marelby Mosquera presents to a group of 30 Excel Industries employees during a leadership training program hosted and presented by Hesston College. The idea for the leadership training was born of a request from Excel, a lawn care manufacturer in Hesston, to offer interactive teaching environments that would provide both office and mainline staff with a liberal arts perspective on leadership training with emphasis on conflict resolution, interpersonal communication and inclusion and diversity. Through Hesston College’s connection with the Kansas Leadership Center (Wichita), a Hesston College leadership training curriculum was created and presented to the Excel group in a pilot training July 25 to 27.

Cross-cultural study in Japan

A new Hesston College cross-cultural experience gave 20 people, a mixture of students from Hesston College and two other institutions, community members and instructors, a chance to study in Japan for a three week May term May 15 to June 7.

The May Term in Japan program incorporated eight weeks of language and culture study prior to departure, as well as an intensive study in modern Japanese history (ca. 1850 to present). Hesston College faculty Andre Swartley (English as a Second Language program director) and Kate Swartley (Spanish instructor), who lived in Japan for two years prior to teaching at Hesston, organized and led the trip. Andre Swartley taught the Japanese language and culture courses leading up to and during the travel portion of the program. Hesston College education instructor Heidi Hochstetler planned and taught the linked history course.

The group studied and traveled in seven major Japanese cities: Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Tokyo. The longest portion of time was spent in Hiroshima, where the group attended classes, collaborated with Japanese students at Hiroshima Shudo University, and listened to the the testimony of a hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivor.

In addition to the coursework, students participated in daily activities and projects that required navigating public transportation and using the “survival” Japanese language skills taught in class. Students were also able to stay with Japanese host families in both Osaka and Tokyo, an invaluable experience for making human connections and building bridges between cultures.

The college is making plans to offer the program again in spring 2019.

New and expanded programs of study for fall 2017

Hesston College students will have more programs of study and course options from which to choose when classes resume in August. The newest program additions and expansions are among at least 13 new or expanded programs that have been added to the list of more than 50 offered programs of study in the last three years.

In an effort to continually meet student needs and interests, the college is adding two new programs of study starting in fall 2017 – emergency management and sports ministry – and offering expanded, more transferable courses in five existing programs – aviation, biology, graphic design, engineering and theatre.

“We say that Hesston students ‘start here’ and ‘go everywhere,’ but our students are increasingly coming from everywhere and going everywhere,” said Brent Yoder, vice president of Academics. “These new courses and programs will help satisfy the interests of students and prepare them well to transfer to a wide variety of institutions or to immediately begin their careers.”

The new emergency management program will operate in cooperation with the City of Hesston Emergency Services Department. Students in the program will be selected through an interview process to work part time with Hesston EMS while completing coursework to earn Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and/or Firefighter certification. For students selected to the program, the coursework and fees for the EMT and Firefighter certifications will be paid for by Hesston EMS with a one-year student commitment to the department once certified.

“Hesston Fire/EMS is excited to partner with Hesston College to offer an amazing community service opportunity for students and also fill a critical need for firefighters and emergency medical responders in our department,” said Russ Buller, City of Hesston director of emergency services. “This collaboration provides a chance for students to experience meaningful and rewarding situations providing help to others in their time of need while not compromising their college experience. For our community, this program helps address the constant need for qualified emergency responders.”

The other new program addition, sports ministry, prepares students to plan, direct and initiate church-based or community recreation programs and equips students to use recreation and sports as a tool for outreach in the community. The curriculum focuses on courses in both physical education and Bible and ministry as students are provided a biblical and theological foundation for ministry through sports.

In addition to the new programs, new course offerings are being added to programs associated with aviation, biology, graphic design, engineering and theatre to give students smoother transitions into four-year programs or the career.

The college’s aviation program received FAA approval in December 2016 to offer Reduced Airplane Transport Pilot (R-ATP), which allows graduates of Hesston’s program to apply for the Airline Transport Pilot Certificate after 1,250 hours of flight time instead of the 1,500 hours typically required by the FAA. The change in the program will allow Hesston aviation graduates to more quickly climb the career ladder.

The course expansions in the remaining programs were added or revamped to better fit general course requirements in those programs at both private and public four-year programs nationwide, improving the transferability of courses from Hesston to other higher education institutions programs.

Over the last three years, other new programs added to the lineup, and which continue to grow, have been criminal and restorative justice, exercise science, leadership and baccalaureate degree nursing.