In the News

Generations to unite during Martin Luther King, Jr., Week

Hesston College’s annual week-long celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 19 to 23, will have an intergenerational theme.

The week’s events, with the theme “Voices of Hope,” will bring together community institutions for people across generations, including the Intergenerational Child Development Center, Hesston High School, Hesston College, Hesston Area Senior Center and Schowalter Villa. All events are free and open to the public.

“We have tried to make Martin Luther King, Jr., Week events of interest to all ages throughout the community to connect groups and see what synergy might develop across town,” said organizer Dwight Roth, former Hesston College social science instructor. “From this could flow a new source of intergenerational energy that may benefit the entire community in service as seen in the vision of Dr. King.”

The event schedule for the week includes Hesston College chapel presentations on the theme “Voices of Hope.” Tony Brown, Hesston College faculty member and artist in residence, will present on the topic at chapel Monday, Jan. 19, and Evies and Sharon Cranford (Wichita, Kan.), college educators and community leaders will speak at Wednesday’s chapel, Jan. 21. Hesston College chapel is from 11 to 11:25 a.m., in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus.

“Beat the Winter Blues,” a community-wide event sponsored by the Hesston Foundation and Hesston Area Senior Center will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Hesston High School Commons. The evening will feature a free dinner and music by the Hesston High Jazz Band, Hesston College Gospel Choir and A Terra Plana, a Wichita band that plays Brazilian jazz music known as “choro.” There will also be a scarf tree for people to take a scarf or bring a scarf for others to take to fight the cold.

A coffee house and open mic time will round out the week’s events at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23 at the Hesston College Larks Nest in Erb Hall.

Spring semester courses offered at discounted rates

Community participants can audit the courses for $50 per credit hour, compared to the normal rate of $75 per hour. Senior citizens – ages 60 and older – may attend any course at a flat rate of $30. The courses are also available for full credit. High school students may enroll in any course for credit at a rate of $124 per hour. See full course descriptions.

The classes available for audit are:

• Ceramics II with Hanna Eastin, meets Tuesdays and Thursday from 10 to 11:15 a.m. $150 plus $20 fee for clay and other materials. Participants need to have some experience with ceramics.
• Introduction to Computers with Vickie Andres, meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 to 8:50 a.m. $100.
• Desktop Publications with Vickie Andres, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 11:15 a.m. $150.
• Advanced Excel with Vickie Andres, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 2:50 p.m. (March 2 to April 30 only). $50. Participants need to have some experience with Microsoft Excel.
• Web Authoring and Publishing with Bob Harder, meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 to 10:50 a.m. $150.
• Industrialization to Globalization with David LeVan, meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 to 2:50 p.m. $150.
• Literature of Race, Ethnicity and Gender with Karen Sheriff LeVan, meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 1:50 p.m. $150.
• Creative Writing with André Swartley, meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 to 3:50 p.m. $150.
• African-American History with John Sharp and Tony Brown, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 11:15 a.m. $150.
• Introduction to Film with Donovan Tann, meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. $150.
• Class Guitar with Bradley Kauffman, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. $50. Participants need to provide their own guitar.
• Positive Psychology with Kevin Wilder, meets Tuesdays from 3 to 3:50 p.m. $50.
• Prophets and Revelation with Michele Hershberger, meets Thursdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. $150.
• Worship and Celebration with Laura Kraybill, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 11:15 a.m. $150
• Christian Education with Michele Hershberger, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. $150.
• Elementary Spanish II with Maria Day, meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 to 10:50 a.m., plus a one-hour weekly practice lab. $200. Participants need to have some Spanish language skills.

To register for the classes, complete the registration form by Jan. 6. Contact the Hesston College Registrar’s Office with questions at 620-327-8204 before Dec. 23 or after Jan. 4.

Alumni donate civil rights books

Because of his great esteem for Hesston College, 1972 alumni Bruce Rogers and his wife Joy, also a 1972 graduate, donated 65 books on civil rights and African-American history to the college’s Mary Miller Library. Rogers said of all his educational experiences, including graduate school, Hesston had the most profound effect on him, therefore he wanted to give back.

“The gift to the Mary Miller Library of civil rights books and videos from Bruce and Joy Rogers will be an asset to the library collection,” said Margaret Wiebe, library director. “They will be a great resource to those who are studying the topic in classes as well as to those who have a personal interest in studying civil rights.”

Rogers, of Goshen, Ind., has a passion for the civil rights movement, which he describes as the best example of democracy at work. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Goshen College and a master’s degree in school administration from Indiana University (Bloomington). In his 36 years as an educator in Elkhart County, Ind., he served as a school principal, teacher, coach, adjunct professor at Indiana University and a consultant for the Indiana Department of Education. He retired in June 2014.

Rogers’ interest in civil rights is fueled by his work as an educator and many years of teaching the history to students.

During the summer of 2003, Rogers retraced the 1964 Selma to Montgomery, Ala., march on foot, visiting historical sites and visiting with people along the way, in order to better teach the civil rights lessons in his curriculum as a sixth-grade teacher at Eastwood Elementary School in Elkhart, Ind.

Rogers will help lead a Hesston College civil rights seminar with Hesston faculty members John Sharp and Tony Brown during spring break March 7 to 15. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic Selma to Montgomery march, participants will travel to Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma, Ala., Meridian and Philadelphia, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn., where they will visit historical sites from the march, as well as other sites significant to the 1960s civil rights movement.

The donated books are available for check out in Hesston College’s Mary Miller Library, located in Smith Center.

below - Hesston College alumni Bruce and Joy Rogers, right, donated 65 books on civil rights and African-American history to the college’s library. Pictured with the Rogers, from left, are history instructor John Sharp, librarians Margaret Wiebe and Donna Diener and sociology instructor Tony Brown. Rogers will co-lead a spring break trip commemorating the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march from Montgomery to Selma, Ala., in March with Brown and Sharp.

Activities planned for Thanksgiving Weekend 2014

Hesston College will host its 47th annual Thanksgiving Weekend celebration Nov. 27 to 29. The public is invited to attend several events that have become Hesston College traditions.

The weekend lineup includes activities for all ages, including a traditional Thanksgiving meal, a talent show, men’s and women’s basketball games, a two-mile run/walk and a luminary walk at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains.

Hesston’s Thanksgiving Weekend allows students’ families and prospective students a glimpse of the Hesston Experience and community.

Prospective students are welcome for a full campus visit weekend, including an academic and student life open house on Friday, Nov. 28, campus tour and spending the night in the dorms. Siblings of current students are especially invited to attend.

The annual Thanksgiving evening Masterworks concert will feature the Hesston College Bel Canto Singers, Chorale and Chamber Orchestra for “A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols” at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 2,7 in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary on the Hesston College campus. The free concert is based on an early twentieth century tradition originating from King’s College in Cambridge, England. The “lessons” are scripture passages interspersed with carols that tell the Christmas story from prophesy to the advent of Christ.

Students, faculty and staff will display their talents through song, skits and video at a 9:30 p.m. talent show Nov. 27 at Hesston Mennonite Church. Admission is free.

Seasoned and casual runners and walkers can work off their Thanksgiving feasts during the 23rd annual Howard Hustle two-mile run/walk at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 28. An early entry fee of $20 is being offered to registrants before Nov. 20. The fee after Nov. 20 is $25. Participants will receive long-sleeved tech shirts and a race number. Proceeds will be donated to the Hesston College Wellness Equipment Project. Individuals may donate a gift to the project without participating in the run. Medals will be given to overall and age group winners, and door prizes will be given to winners and participants as well. Registration information can be found online at hesston.edu/thanksgiving.

The college’s music ensembles will perform pieces from their fall repertoire in a 2 p.m. concert, Nov. 28 in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary.

Music and theatre students will also perform in a cabaret featuring musical theatre songs and monologues at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 28, in the Northlawn Studio Theatre. The performance is free, though seating is limited and audience members are encouraged to arrive early to ensure a seat.

Weekend guests are invited to the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains’ annual luminary walk from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Nov. 28 and 29.

The women’s and men’s basketball teams will host Tabor College JV (Hillsboro, Kan.) at 5 and 7 p.m. respectively, Nov. 28 and Northern Oklahoma College-Enid at 2 and 4 p.m. Nov. 29. The games are sponsored by Mid-America Youth Basketball (MAYB).

A complete weekend schedule and registration information can be found here or by calling the Special Events office at 866-437-7866 or the Admissions Office at 800-995-2757.

Pianist and vocalist featured in sophomore recital

Hesston College music student Rachelle Adrian (Mountain Lake, Minn.) will perform her sophomore recital at 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22 in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary on the Hesston College campus.

A pianist and vocalist, Adrian will perform historical piano works by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. Also featured will be the minimalist piece “Changes” by Canadian composer Alexina Louie, “Footsteps in the Snow” by French impressionist composer Claude Debussy and a modernist piece by the Russian/Soviet composer Serge Prokofiev. Adrian will be joined by her piano student, Faith Elliot, for a duet entitled “Coconut Shuffle”.

Vocal selections to be performed include the aria “Blute nur du liebes Herz” from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, “O Peace Thou Fairest Child of Heaven” by Thomas Arne, and a musical theatre piece, “100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man” from Wonderful Town by Leonard Bernstein. Hesston College faculty member Ken Rodgers will provide accompaniment.

Adrian studies piano with Patty Neufeldt and is a student of Hesston voice instructor Matt Schloneger. She is also a member of the Hesston College Bel Canto Singers, the college’s premiere vocal ensemble. In the fall of 2013, she performed the lead role in the college’s production of the opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors.

Women’s Soccer makes players’ worlds smaller

When Hesston College women’s soccer coach Bryan Kehr recruited midfielder Chihiro Hikita, Hokuto, Japan, he correctly assumed he’d added an unmistakable talent and instant scoring threat. Hikita didn’t disappoint in the fall of 2011, leading Hesston to a then program-best seven wins. What Kehr didn’t realize is that Hikita was the first of many Japanese players who would make an impact for the Larks.

A year after Hikita led the Larks in goals and points scored, Kehr added Myu Kobayashi, Yokosuka, Japan, and Yoshie Ueno, Tokyo, Japan, to the 2012 roster. Kobayashi exploded onto the college soccer scene in her debut, recording a hat-trick in a season-opening Hesston win. Ueno, meanwhile, was becoming a positive leader and role model on the team – a role that Kehr describes as very significant.

Kobayashi, HC’s all-time assist leader and team captain her sophomore year, ranks fifth in career points. Hikita is tied for 8th in that same category, while current freshman Machi Kanematsu, Osaka, Japan, was the Larks’ leading scorer this season and has already cracked the career points top 10.

Looking back, the four players’ time with the Hesston program has made an impact on much more than just the stat sheet. Indeed, Hikita, Ueno, Kobayashi and Kanematsu have shared their culture and friendship, along with their athletic talents, with their teammates in south-central Kansas.

Following her first semester, teammate Jessica Donnelly ’14 hosted Ueno for several weeks at her Gresham, Ore., home, just as she had done for Kobayashi the year before. Now an Oregon State University (Corvallis) student, Ueno’s time on the Hesston soccer team enriched her college experience.

“Playing soccer gave me so many great memories,” Ueno said. “I didn’t have many American friends before I joined the team, but my teammates quickly became like family to me. The relationships I built on the team enhanced my college life a great deal.”

Japanese students have a long and significant international student presence at Hesston, and the recent women’s soccer players from Japan have added to the rich Hesston history of diversity and multiculturalism. Studying in another culture while playing soccer, the Japanese students managed to do some teaching, too.

As part of Kehr’s prescribed monthly team social activity, Ueno and Kobayashi hosted a sushi meal their freshman year. About half the team participated, Kehr remembers, with the other half being a little unsure of Japanese cuisine. A year later, Kehr recalls clean plates and a new-found appreciation for new experiences. This year’s sushi meal has been scheduled for February.

“Coach Kehr taught me so many things through soccer practice and games,” Ueno said. “He gave me a chance to join the team and for that I am grateful. As an international student, playing soccer allowed me to meet many amazing people. Words can’t explain how much I love my former teammates.”

“Through counting in Japanese instead of English, having a Japanese word of the day and learning to make sushi as a team we’ve all enjoyed having international students on our team,” said sophomore Elisabeth Wilder, Hesston, Kan. “It’s been a great way to build relationships across cultural lines.”

Prayer labyrinth dedicated as a campus sacred space

Hesston College and the local community now have a new place to go for quiet contemplation or prayer with the completion of Hesston College’s prayer labyrinth.

With candles lighting the path, the labyrinth was dedicated Oct. 30. Bible and ministry faculty member Michele Hershberger led participants through the labyrinth in prayer while local musician Ben Regier set the mood with guitar and mandolin music.

“The labyrinth provides a place to let go of resentments, worries and emotional hurts while walking towards the center of the labyrinth and then to receive God’s love and peace while walking away from the center,” said Hershberger.

Prayer labyrinths offer a way of praying that brings a person’s whole body into the prayer. Individuals walk toward the center of the labyrinth and back out – a physical action that serves as a reminder of the spiritual action they are taking.

“Our physical bodies and spiritual beings are interconnected,” said Clay Stauffer, Hesston College exercise science faculty and labyrinth committee member. “The labyrinth, with its walking and praying, activates this interconnectedness.”

The idea for a prayer labyrinth on the Hesston College campus started in 2002 when former physical education instructor Jen LeFevre returned from a sabbatical where she experienced a prayer labyrinth and thought it would fit well with campus values. LeFevre taught a physical education class called prayer walking where students walked around the campus and town focusing on contemplation, meditation and prayer.

By chance, at a meeting of Hesston College Partners, LeFevre was approached and given a donation that became seed money to build a labyrinth. Over the years, LeFevre and students in the recreational leadership class also channeled proceeds from the annual class-organized Thanksgiving Weekend Howard Hustle Two-mile Run/Walk for the project as well.

As funds were raised, a committee of faculty and staff including Hershberger, LeFevre, Stauffer, physical education instructor and women’s soccer coach Bryan Kehr, Campus Facilities Director Jim Mason and psychology instructor Kevin Wilder was formed to manage the planning and construction.

In 2013, the committee found materials at a reasonable rate to finally begin the process of constructing a campus labyrinth. In the spring of 2014, the location behind Northlawn was selected and construction took place in September during the college’s First-year Experience Service Week. First-year Experience students and the Hesston College women’s soccer team built the labyrinth under the supervision of Miller Construction, owned by Hesston graduate Jordan Miller.

The committee chose a variation of the Santa Rosa labyrinth design. The design is a seven-circuit labyrinth divided into four quadrants including a unique space called the “heart space,” which is an area not walked but serving as a sacred vessel for holding symbols of an individual’s issues, needs or celebrations.

The Hesston College prayer labyrinth is open for the college community, local residents and visitors to use at any time.

“We hope that this labyrinth will be a sacred space to be used for prayer by the college community and the larger Hesston community,” said Kehr.

College thanks local community with free event

Hesston College will host its annual Community Night during early season home basketball games on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The teams will face Region VI foe Labette Community College, Parsons, Kan., with women’s tip off at 6 p.m. and the men at 8 p.m. in Yost Center. Admission is free for all.

The evening will include performances from the Hesston High School dance teams, and pep bands from Hesston High and Hesston College. Free basic haircuts by 2003 Hesston College alumna Christy Pickerill of Snip n’ Clip Hair Shop, Newton, Kan., a pop-a-shot game for kids, halftime contests and Larks tattoos will add to the fun.

“We have a great evening of entertainment and athletic competition lined up,” said Director of Alumni and Church Relations Dallas Stutzman. “We hope this free event is a small way to say thanks for the support that is given to the college and its athletic programs from alumni and the community each year.”

In addition, the Admissions office will host high school students for a Faith and Sports devotional and pizza supper led by men’s basketball coach Dustin Galyon at 6:30 p.m. in Bontrager Student Center on the Hesston campus. All Hesston area youth are invited, either with their church youth group or individually. RSVP to the Admissions office by Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 620-327-4221 or admissions@hesston.edu.

Hesston College talent among singers to perform with Broadway stars

Local singers, including three from the Hesston College community, will perform with five Broadway stars on stage when Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts features Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7 at Bethel College’s Memorial Hall (North Newton, Kan.).

The two winners and six runners up were chosen through video audition by a panel of industry professionals for the show’s Singing with the Broadway Stars promotion.

Three of the runners up – Bethany Miller (Hesston), Nathan Patron (North Newton) and Eleya Raim (Oxford, Iowa) – represent Hesston College. Miller is an Admissions Counselor. Patron and Raim are both freshman and members of the Hesston College Bel Canto Singers under the direction of Bradley Kauffman and voice students of Matthew Schloneger.

Winners are Kate Freeland, a senior interdisciplinary studies major at Emporia (Kan.) State University, and Michael Parker (Salina, Kan.), an educator and performer with degrees in secondary education and theatre performance from Kansas State University (Manhattan). Freeland and Parker will both sing a solo in the show finale.

Other runners up are Da’Merius Ford, a sophomore musical theatre major at Wichita (Kan.) State University; Elizabeth Fulcher, a sophomore at Goodland (Kan.) High School; and Maili Kee, a sophomore music and theatre major at Barton County Community College (Great Bend). The runners up will join the stars on stage to sing “Seasons of Love” from Rent.

Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway features Broadway stars from shows including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde, Fiddler on the Roof, Wonderful Town, Tarzan, Cats, The Woman in White and It Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues singing the finest hit songs of the last 100 years of Broadway musicals.

Tickets for the show can be purchased by calling 620-327-8158 or at hesstonbethel.org.