In the News

Chamber Orchestra to perform spring repertoire

The Hesston College Chamber Orchestra will showcase its repertoire with a spring concert at 3 p.m., Sunday April 26, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The concert is free and open to the public.

The 12 member ensemble is under the direction of Rebecca Schloneger.

Members of Chamber Orchestra include: Erika Byler, Shipshewana, Ind.; Isaac Dahl, Archbold, Ohio; Grant Flaming, Hillsboro, Kan.; Zac Headings, Hutchinson, Kan.; Quinn Kathrineberg, Salina, Kan.; Michael Kilmer, Glendale, Ariz.; Havela Lehman, Keizer, Ore.; Matt Lind, Harrisonburg, Va.; Eleya Raim, Oxford, Iowa; Emma Roth, Goshen, Ind.; Caleb Schrock-Hurst, Harrisonburg, Va.; and Ali Zuercher, Phoenix, Ariz.

Theatre program to host summer 2015 theatre camp for middle school students

Aspiring young actors can learn new skills and techniques as well as challenge their creativity during Hesston College’s summer theatre camp June 1 to 6 on the Hesston College campus. Hesston College theatre director Laura Kraybill will lead the workshop-style camp.

Students ages 11 to 13 are invited to participate in the weeklong workshop. The week’s theme will be “Greek Myths (The Untold Stories)” and will feature original adaptations of classic Greek myths set to popular songs. Participants will create their own musical and perform the show Saturday, June 6 at the Hesston High School Auditorium following the last day of camp.

The workshops will give the young performers opportunities to work in every aspect of staging a performance from creating the script to painting the set, working backstage and performing the show.

“This camp allows Hesston College to partner with the community to promote the arts and continued education during the summer,” said Kraybill. “Middle school-aged students will have a chance to experience college level instruction and learn the elements that go into producing a show.”

The daily workshops and rehearsals will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. across the Hesston College campus. All workshops, supplies, snacks and expert training will be covered with a $40 registration fee. Financial assistance is available upon request.

Those interested should register online by May 11 or by contacting Laura Kraybill at 620-327-8142 or laurak@hesston.edu.

Larkfest 2015 to involve whole community

Hesston College students, faculty and staff from a variety of academic areas will present on academic growth during the year at the college’s Larkfest celebration Thursday, April 16.

The day-long Larkfest celebration will be marked with no classes, but rather will highlight service and education.

Part of the day’s schedule includes two separate presentation sessions. The public is invited to attend the free presentations for a glimpse at the learning happening across campus during the 2014-15 year.

Drop-in presentations, which will operate on a come and go basis, will be from about noon to 1 p.m. Presentations include:

• Nursing simulation in the Nursing Simulation Lab in Charles Hall.
• Information about the college’s newly approved bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree program in Charles Hall.
• Student-led table talks on “Tutorials on Improving Your Interpersonal Communication” in Friesen Center Room 125.
• A student art show featured in the Regier Friesen Gallery in the Friesen Center.
• Desktop Publications software demonstrations in the ACCESS Lab in Smith Center.
• Poster presentations on “The Environment and You” in the Charles Hall hallway.
• Presentations on the college’s alternative energy and recycling programs in the Smith Center lobby.
• Four separate sessions of formal presentations will feature students sharing concepts, ideas and learning from the year. The schedule includes:

1 to 1:25 p.m.

• Music recital featuring Havela Lehman, voice; Matt Lind, piano; Anna Martin, voice; Nathan Patron, voice; and Eleya Raim, voice, in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary.
• Chemical Demonstrations for Education and Entertainment in Charles Hall Room 28.
• “Experiencing Selma and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s” in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center.
• Holy Ground Nursing Experience papers in Kropf Center Room 150.
• “Lay It All Down: Lessons from Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’” in Kropf Center Room 130
• Heilsgeschichte (salvation history) presentations (1 to 2 p.m.) in Kropf Center Room 120 and Kropf Center 160 by Biblical Literature students.

1:35 to 2 p.m.

• Career-inspired informative speeches in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary.
• A Glimpse into Russia in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center.
• World Religions Summit on War in Kropf Center Room 150.
• Challenge and Adventure Aviation by the Flight Instructor Ground Class in Kropf Center Room 130.

2:10 to 2:35 p.m.

• Music recital by Erika Byler, voice; Abbie DeWild, voice; Rachel Esch, piano; Galed Krisjayanta, voice; and Havela Lehman, violin, in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary.
• Nursing portfolio presentations in Charles Hall Room 28.
• “¡Viva la Salsa!” in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center
• “Telling the African-American Story (GrioGeschichte)” in Kropf Center Room 150.
• Student readings from Creative Writing class in Kropf Center Room 130.
• Heilsgeschichte (salvation history) presentations (2:10 to 3:10 p.m.) in Kropf Center Room 120 and Kropf Center 160 by Biblical Literature students.

2:45 to 3:10 p.m.

• Student Film Festival in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary.
• Health screenings and fitness assessments in Charles Hall Room 28.
• “Marginalized Voices: Celebrating Music by Women from the 12th Century to the Present” in the Hesston Mennnonite Church Community Center.
• “Beauty: The Whole World Round” in Kropf Center 150.
• Challenge and Adventure Aviation by the Air Traffic Basics IV class in Kropf Center Room 130.

Other events from the day include students serving in various capacities and locations around the community and local area including Schowalter Villa, Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, Prairie View, Mennonite Central Committee Center, Hesston Public Schools and more.

Students will receive awards for outstanding achievement from academic areas and departments across at the Larksfest Awards Ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary.

Explore Kansas! trip to experience a “sampling” of Kansas

A trip to the Kansas Sampler Festival in historic Wamego is the focus of Hesston College’s 14th annual Explore Kansas! day trip for alumni and friends Saturday, May 2.

The Kansas Sampler Festival, held at the Wamego City Park, provides a sample of what there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy and learn in Kansas. The annual statewide festival features Kansas artisans, entertainers, performers and food vendors. It is hosted by different towns across the state each year, and represents more than 150 Kansas communities. More than 11,000 people attended the festival in Wamego in 2014. Find more information about the festival here.

Other highlights for the day include tours of the Columbian Theatre Museum and Sogger Gallery Arts Center as well as the Oz Museum, home of more than 2,000 “Wizard of Oz” artifacts.

The Columbian Theatre, Museum & Art Center was built in 1895 by J.C. Roger, a local merchant and banker, as a home for the artifacts he brought from the Columbian Exposition at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. In its early days, the theatre hosted vaudeville performances. It was closed after World War II, but was renovated and reopened in 1994 where it again hosts live performances by local actors and entertainers.

The evening’s entertainment will be the musical “Footloose” at the Columbian Theatre.

The trip is $90 per person, which includes bus transportation from Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus, morning cinnamon rolls, an evening barbecue brisket meal and admission to all attractions and the musical. Lunch at the Kansas Sampler Festival is on your own from a variety of vendors.

Spaces are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis. To reserve a spot, call Alumni Relations at 620-327-7810 or toll free at 866-437-7866.

The day’s schedule can be found on the Hesston College website.

Chorale to perform spring repertoire

The Hesston College Chorale will showcase its repertoire with a spring concert at 7 p.m., Tuesday April 14, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The concert is free and open to the public.

The program will celebrate spring and resurrection.

The 22-voice mixed ensemble, is under the direction of Ken Rodgers.

Members of Chorale include:So Hui Bak, Gunpo, South Korea; Molly Bruner, Wauseon, Ohio; Kristy Clouse, Kalona, Iowa; Abbie DeWild, Kalona, Iowa; Bryce Elder, Ottawa, Kan.; Rachel Esch, Newton, Kan.; Jessica Fahrenthold, Solomon, Kan.; Crisentia Gregor, Banyuwangi, Indonesia; Emily Hershberger, Newton, Kan.; Molly Heusinkveld, Kalona, Iowa; Kyndell Hightree, Harper, Kan.; Lydia Holland, Russell, Kan.; Hidehiro Kaminaga, Tokyo, Japan; Emily Kauffman, Pettisville, Ohio; Cynnandra Luttrell, Tiskilwa, Ill.; Shelby Miller, Archbold, Ohio; Lincoln Moyo, North Newton, Kan.; Meredith Spicher, Belleville, Pa; Christy Swartzendruber, Shickley, Neb.; Hannah Wheeler, Hesston, Kan.; Noah Yoder, Freeman, S.D.; and Rose Yoder, Bellefontaine, Ohio.

Trio Voronezh brings sounds of Russia to Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts stage

The sounds of Russian folk instruments will fill Hesston Mennonite Church when Trio Voronezh rounds out the Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts season at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 12, on the Hesston College campus.

Trio Voronezh made its first HBPA appearance in 2009 when the group dazzled the audience with astonishing virtuosity and artistic innovation.

The Los Angeles Times hailed the trio as “Three players, alone on a large open stage, filling every crevice with their rich, imaginatively conceived music.”

The Russian folk trio of accordion, domra and bass balalaika delights with a repertoire ranging from classical masterworks from composers including Vivaldi and Bach to Russian folk songs, Argentine tangos, gypsy dance music, bluegrass and Gershwin favorites.

The trio was formed in 1993 by Valerie Petrukhin on balalaika, Sergei Teleshev on accordion and Vladimir Volokhin on domra, and was named after the place they studied together – the Conservatory in Voronezh, Russia, about 350 miles south of Moscow.

The group’s international recognition began when they were found playing in a Frankfurt, Germany, subway station in 1995. They have since performed by solo and with symphony orchestras throughout Russia, Europe and the U.S.

All three musicians have won significant awards in their respective instrument.

Petrukhin has performed with many famous Russian folk orchestras and ensembles and is an honored member of the Sierra Nevada Balalaika Society. Teleshev won the 2013 US V-Accordion Champion award as well as many regional and international accordion competitions. Volokhin is a two-time national champion of the All-Russia Domra Competition.

Trio Voronezh has released five albums and was featured in a 2007 release of a “Peter and the Wolf” orchestral suite with the London Symphony selected as one of Dr. Toy’s 2007’s “10 Best” products for children as well as a National Parenting Publication Awards “NAPPA Gold Award.”

Reserved seating and general admission tickets for Trio Voronezh are available online or by calling 620-327-8158. Ticket prices range from $17 to $20 with discounts available for students and senior citizens.

The HBPA Trio Voronezh concert is funded in part by the cities of Hesston and North Newton, Excel Industries and Hustler Turf Equipment (Hesston), the Hesston Community Foundation, the North Newton Community Foundation, Hesston AmericInn, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas and the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, federal agency, and the NEA itself.

The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts series, now in its 33rd year, is a collaborative effort of Hesston College and Bethel College (North Newton), presenting five performances by world-renowned or regionally acclaimed artists each year.

Students help rebuild “the little town too tough to die”

With Main Street completely flattened and only the headstone of the public school remaining, Pilger, Neb., is still “the little town too tough to die.”

The nickname was started long before two EF4 tornadoes struck the town on June 16, 2014, and had nothing to do with any disaster, but the motto has now become an inspiration as Pilger begins to rebuild. It is posted on a small hand-painted sign leaning up against the town bulletin board outside the trailer that temporarily serves as the town hall. The phrase is heard echoing throughout the community, even for those who have only been in town for a couple of days.

On March 8, eight Hesston College students led by Russ Gaeddert, Disaster Management Program director, traveled north to Norfolk, Neb. The students were there to volunteer with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), which was invited to Pilger to help rebuild homes as the town recovers from what many may have considered to be certain death.

With a population of 378 when the tornadoes struck, more than half of Pilger’s homes and buildings were destroyed or significantly damaged by the tornadoes. The Pilger Store, village office, senior center, farmer’s cooperative, post office and St. John Lutheran Church were all heavily damaged or leveled.

The Hesston students were joined in Pilger by a group of volunteers from Manitoba, Canada, and Topeka, Kan., as well as site coordinators and crew leaders from Manitoba, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

While many students choose to head to relaxing locations during spring break week, these service-minded students chose a different kind of experience.

“I think working in Pilger gave me just as much satisfaction as going to Florida or somewhere more typical for spring break,” said Garretr Woelk (Goessel, Kan.). “It was good to serve with like-minded people as we helped rebuild and restore hope.”

“It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had,” added Rose Yoder (Bellefontaine, Ohio).

MDS has committed to building five homes so far in the Pilger area. Three of the homes are now enclosed and shingled, and two of the homes are almost completely sided. The combined group of 27 people was divided and worked at four of the homes throughout the week.

Each day began with group devotions and ended with a daily report and reflections. Roofing, shingling, siding, insulation and the beginning of drywall characterized the week’s work. Four Hesston students helped the long-term recovery team call the affected residents to see whether additional help is needed. Though some volunteers had almost no previous construction experience, MDS crew leaders and experienced volunteers provided training. The Hesston students returned fairly confident in roofing and siding homes.

“I think my favorite part of the trip was on my first day at house number two,” said Charissa Graham (Princeton, Ill.). “Even though most of us had no idea what we were doing on the roof, and even though we didn’t really know the other volunteers, we all worked so well together.”

In the evenings, the group traveled the 20 miles back to the Norfolk City Auditorium and enjoyed the accommodations in converted office spaces, but especially the gym. When not used by Norfolk community members, the gym was heavily used by MDS volunteers for volleyball, basketball, Frisbee and card games. These activities, along with music in the evening, helped the volunteer groups to build community.

MDS focuses on forming relationships, and just as Hesston students had the opportunity to get to know those from MacGregor, Manitoba, they also had the incredible blessing of getting to know Pilger residents.

“What I’ll remember the most is all the wonderful people we encountered who were so kind,” said Desiree Corona (Newton, Kan.).

Sitting down to a lunch around one table with the Pilger community was a highlight of the week for the students. Site directors Wayne and Carole Stucky say the community has pulled together even through making a weekly meal for MDS and are serving volunteers in any way they are able.

One man in Pilger drives around the town handing out Dum Dum Pops to the community and MDS volunteers. He has been known as “the sucker man” in Pilger for a while. The closest thing the small town has to a mayor has lent many tools to the MDS crew to make work go faster. Miss Alice, homeowner of what MDS crew members refer to as “House 1,” brings her famous cookies to the MDS worksites at least once a week.

As they left Pilger after many hugs and hard goodbyes, Hesston students felt as if they had become a part of the MDS volunteer family and the “little town too tough to die.”

by Shelby Miller

Nursing program receives approval for bachelor’s degree program

Hesston College received approval from the Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN) March 25, to launch a bachelor of science in nursing program (BSN) starting with the 2015-16 year. The introduction of the program to the existing associate degree program (ADN) will make Hesston the only college or university in Kansas where students may choose to pursue either the ADN or BSN.

“The nursing program has been a strength of Hesston College for decades, in terms of both the number of students served and the quality of instruction,” said Dr. Brent Yoder, vice president of Academics. “The expansion of degree options in this program is a natural growth opportunity. Hesston will still be a place that focuses on the first two years of a college education, but we are excited to meet the needs and desires of students who want to broaden their understanding of the nursing profession and obtain advanced credentials.”

A bachelor’s degree program is new territory for the college, but one that is a logical step for Hesston College Nursing. The impetus behind the change stems from a 2010 report from the Institute of Medicine that set a national goal of 80 percent of the nursing workforce having a bachelor’s degree in nursing by 2020. Likewise, according to the American Association of Colleges in Nursing, Hesston alumni and other two-year graduates nationwide are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in increasing numbers.

“With the industry shift, both ADN and BSN options are needed to meet employer demands and industry standards,” said Bonnie Sowers, MSN, RN, nursing program director. “Placement options for clinical training are being limited for some associate degree programs at a number of major medical centers. The BSN program will allow Hesston College to continue providing nursing students with exceptional clinical learning opportunities, and ensuring they are highly prepared and employable.”

Hesston College’s discussion toward a BSN offering began in the summer of 2013. Nursing faculty diligently researched necessary additions for creating a four-year degree curriculum as well as steps to gain approval and accreditation. The college’s Board of Directors granted approval to pursue accreditation and state approval following the September 2014 meeting. Following a two-day site visit, the college received approval from the Higher Learning Commission in early February. The KSBN also conducted an on-campus site visit in February.

The BSN program will launch in August 2015 for students who will begin their first of four years at Hesston, as well as for those students who have completed their 60 hours of required college course work and are ready to begin their junior year of nursing. The college anticipates launching an RN-to-BSN program in the fall of 2016 or 2017 for students who have their ADN and are looking to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Student applications for the program are being accepted immediately. For more information, call 800-995-2757.

“We are pleased to be able to add this option for nursing students,” said Sowers. “Hesston College has always been committed to offering excellent preparation for students in their chosen fields of study, and this allows us to continue doing that for nursing students.”

Civil rights seminar sheds light on history

The historic “Bloody Sunday” of March 7, 1965, happened more than 30 years before Hesston College students were born – even pre-dating some of their parents. Yet 50 years after that tragic day, the spirit of those civil rights heroes lives on. Hesston College students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members joined with thousands of others to commemorate important moments in the fight for civil rights and gained a new understanding for that important part of American history during a week-long Civil Rights Seminar over the college’s spring break, March 7 to 14.

“I was exposed to a part of American history that is not easily thrown into a school textbook,” said freshman Irena Xhari (Lezhë, Albania). “There were many lessons I learned by walking down the streets that hold bloody memories and walking into churches that have been witness to injustice and yet continue to trust in God while full of hope and vision.” The seminar, led by Hesston College faculty members Tony Brown and John Sharp and 1972 alumnus Bruce Rogers (Goshen, Ind.), started in Selma, Ala., March 7. The group joined tens of thousands from across the country for the commemoration of the marches from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., on the 50th anniversary of the first march. Known as “Bloody Sunday,” the first march was marked by extreme violence endured by those peacefully protesting the injustices endured by the African-American community.

What would be an emotionally heavy, yet enlightening and inspiring week for the Hesston College contingent, started with stories of the march. Original marchers recounted heartache, courage and inspiration in their experiences. The Hesston group was moved by their history and buoyed by words of hope and unity for the future from President Barack Obama in Selma that day.

Participants followed the original path from the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church down city streets and across the Edmund Pettus Bridge along US Highway 80. In this place 50 years earlier, children, teens and adults were attacked by sheriff’s deputies and highway patrolmen with billy clubs, cattle prods and tear gas in a struggle for civil rights that had been guaranteed by the 15th Amendment 97 years prior.

“I have a new appreciation for the common people who put their lives on the line for the cause of freedom and equality,” said Sharp, history and Bible instructor. “I also see more clearly how the powers were exposed – authorities, whose primary task was to protect and work for the common good, used violence to punish nonviolent activists who were challenging the U.S. to live its vaunted claims of freedom and justice for all. I understand in a new way that the struggle for justice must continue.”

A visit to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, site of Dr. King’s assassination, was among many highlights of the week. “As I looked at old photos and learned about the civil rights history, what was interesting to me is that both sides were fighting for what they believed was right,” said Carlota Ponds, Alumni and Church Relations office manager.

Other experiences throughout the week included churches, museums and historic sites in Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma, Ala. In Birmingham the group attended Sunday morning worship at the 16th Street Baptist Church, site of a 1963 bombing that took the lives of four young girls, and toured the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Ingram Park where officials used fire hoses and police dogs to attack demonstrators. Montgomery stops included the Rosa Parks Library and Museum; Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s first congregation; and City of St. Jude Historic District (Montgomery, Ala.) which provided nondiscriminatory health, education and social services during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The group also interacted with Mennonite churches in Meridian and Philadelphia, Miss., that were formed in the 1960s as missions to end discrimination with voices and deeds of peace.

by Emily Kauffman and Rachel McMaster

Below - Former Hesston College Bible faculty member Marion Bontrager and freshman Irena Xhari cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala.