In the News

Bel Canto Singers prepare for fall break tour

The Hesston College Bel Canto Singers will present a diverse repertoire of choral music during a fall break tour to Iowa and northeast Kansas Oct. 9 to 14.

Concerts include:

• 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9, at Iowa Mennonite School (Kalona)
• 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10, at Des Moines (Iowa) Mennonite Church
• 9:30 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 11, at Southern Hills Mennonite Church (Topeka, Kan.)
• 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus

The program entitled “Asylum: worth, beauty, and refuge” features music ranging from renaissance motet to South African and African-American freedom songs and recent works. The concert draws inspiration from Hesston College’s 2014 common read “Escape from Camp 14,” a New York Times bestseller by Blaine Harden. The program champions the cause of human rights and celebrates refuge in its many forms. The 24 member, mixed chamber choir is conducted by Bradley Kauffman.

This fall marks the 31st season for Bel Canto Singers, Hesston College’s premiere choral ensemble. The ensemble carries out ambitious concert and touring schedules annually. Combining high artistic standards with unique performance opportunities, Bel Canto Singers provides first- and second-year college musicians access to experiences typically reserved for third- and fourth-year students. Recent juried appearances include performances for the King’s Singers, Charles Bruffy and the Rose Ensemble. In May of 2013, Bel Canto ushered in its fourth decade with a performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall in a mass choir presentation of Brahms’ “Requiem.”

Bel Canto Singers represents a broad sampling of academic pursuits, from aviation to nursing to music majors. The choir has two recent compact disc recordings for sale – “Meditations and Illuminations”(2011-12) and “Songs of a Wayfarer” (2012-2013).

Bel Canto members are: Rachelle Adrian (Mt. Lake, Minn.), Erika Baker (LaGrange, Ind.), Alaina Beatty (Washington, Iowa), Mary Bender (Harrisonburg, Va.), Brady Bilderback (Caldwell, Idaho), Kiara Boettger (Harrisonburg, Va.), Zachary Headings (Haven, Kan.), Ben Helmuth (Goshen, Ind.), Galed Krisjayanta (Surakarta, Indonesia), Havela Lehman (Canby, Ore.), Elliott Leichty (Harrisonburg, Va.), Matt Lind (Harrisonburg, Va.), Jay Marston (Murpheysboro, Ill.), Anna Martin (Harleysville, Pa.), Karli Mast (Hubbard, Ore.), John Miller (Partridge, Kan.), Lorren Oesch (Caldwell, Idaho), Casey Perez (Kalona, Iowa), Eleya Raim (Oxford, Iowa), Emma Roth (Goshen, Ind.), Caleb Schrock-Hurst (Harrisonburg, Va.), Rachel Shenk (Harrisonburg, Va.), Andry Stutzman (Harrisonburg, Va.) and Taylor Zehr (Archbold, Ohio).

Campaign fundraising completed; college prepares for renovation

The north end of the Hesston College campus will soon become a construction zone as the college completed fundraising Oct. 1 for the $3.8 million renovation of the north campus entrance and Northlawn performing arts building. The renovation is set to begin in late December and be completed in August 2015, prior to the start of the academic year.

Above - An artist’s rendering of the proposed Hesston College campus entry.

Hesston College received a $500,000 challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation (Tulsa, Okla.) in January 2014. At that time, the college had also secured more than $2.2 million in donor commitments, leaving $1.2 million to be raised by Mabee’s December 2014 deadline.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of so many people that made reaching this goal a full three months in advance possible,” said Tonya Detweiler, Hesston College interim vice president of Advancement.

Lead gifts totaling $1.52 million were made to the college by Excel Industries (Hesston) and Jayco, Inc. (Middlebury, Ind.), as well as other charitable donors. A total of 232 donors gave to the campaign project.

Above - An artist’s rendering of changes to Hesston College’s Northlawn.

Original construction of Northlawn, home to the college’s music and theatre programs, was completed in 1971. Northlawn is the only building on campus to not have received renovations or new construction in 31 years. Updates will include new windows, HVAC system and other energy saving measures; acoustical work to isolate and calibrate sound; creation of dedicated spaces for instrument storage, theatre, Campus Worship, choirs and Chamber Orchestra; an additional classroom and student gathering spaces.

The campus entrance will be constructed on the north end of campus next to Northlawn. The project will increase visibility to the campus from the main road running past campus, improve aesthetics and add additional parking and a drop-off area to better serve alumni, friends and visitors.

New York Times bestselling author to present human rights message

Blaine Harden, author of New York Times bestseller Escape from Camp 14, the common read at Hesston College for 2014-15, will speak about his work as a writer and human rights advocate at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus. The presentation is free and open to the public. A book signing and reception sponsored by The Lincoln Perk and Hesston Public Library will follow the presentation.

The common read is leading Hesston College’s First-year Experience with the theme “Power of Choice: Changing Cultures of Oppression.” Escape from Camp 14 tells the story of Shin Dong-hyuk’s experience in and escape from a North Korean prison camp.

“The common read is a shared experience for faculty, staff and students who come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences,” said FYE co-coordinator Karen Sheriff LeVan. “It serves as a springboard for speakers, discussions, campus and community events.”

The FYE semester culminates in research projects and a presentation symposium in December focusing on subjects inspired by the theme. Bringing the common read author to campus provides an opportunity for first-person evidence. Harden is the third common read author to visit the Hesston College campus.

“Escape from Camp 14 offers an opportunity for the Hesston College community to explore and challenge the collective images, stories and memories that harm and victimize as well as those that offer freedom,” said Sheriff LeVan.

Escape from Camp 14 is Harden’s most well-known work and an international bestseller. It has been translated into 27 languages and won the 2012 Grand Prix de la Biographie Politique, a French literary award, and was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Harden is an American author and journalist who worked for 28 years for The Washington Post as a correspondent in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and New York as well as in Seattle where he currently resides with his wife and two children. Harden has also been a local and national correspondent for The New York Times and a writer for The Times Magazine as well as reported for PBS’s Frontline, The Economist, Foreign Policy, National Geographic and The Guardian.

Gallery recognizes and honors peacemakers from around the world

Above - fiber art by Shin-hee Chin: (left) “Imago Dei 2 - Peacemakers” and “Grandma Holt”

Artist Shin-hee Chin shares her appreciation of some of history’s finest peace makers through her show “Peacemakers” featured in the Mary Miller Library Gallery, located in Hesston College’s Smith Center, through mid-October.

“My work is not meant to be didactic or definitive,” Chin said in her artist’s statement. “It is meant, rather, to present the various forms of peacemaking throughout history and my reflections on it: the beginning of a winding thread, not necessarily a neat end.”

Through her use of coiled quilts, recycled place mats and recycled blankets, her art displays the faces of well-known peace activists.

The gallery compliments Hesston College’s 2014-15 campus theme “Power of Choice: Changing Cultures of Oppression,” led by the First Year Experience seminar and the common read “Escape from Camp 14” (Penguin Books, reprint 2013) by Blaine Harden.

“Shin-hee’s pieces of Detrich Bonhoeffer and her grandfather, Joo Soo Kang, are of particular relevance to what the first-year students are studying with the common read because each man was imprisoned and executed for his participation in the resistance movement in his country – Bonhoeffer in Germany and Kang in North Korea,” said Hesston College librarian Margaret Wiebe.

Chin is an associate professor in the Art and Design department at Tabor College (Hillsboro, Kan.). She received a B.F.A. in craft and fiber arts and a M.F.A. in fiber arts from Hong-Ik University (Seoul, South Korea). She then went on to receive a M.A. in fiber arts from California State University (Long Beach).

Chin operates her own gallery at the Department of Visual Art at Tabor College and online at shinheechin.com. Her string art piece “Pillar of Cloud” is also part of Hesston College’s permanent collection and on permanent display outside of the Mary Miller Library in Smith Center.

The show at Hesston College is based on the “War and Peace: The Art of Shin-hee Chin” exhibit at the Eisenhower Presidential Museum in Abilene, Kan., August 2012 to January 2013.

The gallery is open 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. to midnight Sunday.

Photo release - Homecoming 2014: A multicultural celebration

Above - Tony Brown performs his one-man multimedia documentary I Go On Singing: Paul Robeson’s Life in His Words and Songs” Sept. 26. Another show, Heavenly Voices, a play which tells the stories of Mennonite women of color was performed following the annual Alumni Banquet Sept. 27. Heavenly Voices was written by Goshen (Ind.) College communications faculty member Pat Lehman.

More than 350 Hesston College alumni and friends gathered on campus Sept. 25 to 28 for A Hesston College Homecoming 2014: A View From Everywhere with the theme “Each other’s light: A multicultural celebration.”

The weekend featured alumni sharing their heritage and multicultural experiences in “Go Everywhere” seminar presentations, music and theatre performances and class reunions.

The kick-off event for the weekend was the Hesston College Golf Benefit for Student Scholarship Sept. 25. The benefit, sponsored by Excel Industries (Hesston), raised funds for the Dave and Sena Osborne Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for international students. The Osbornes were also honored at a Saturday evening Alumni Banquet for their combined 59 years of service to the college and their ongoing work with international students.

Above - The official opening of Homecoming Weekend 2014 was Friday morning chapel with alumnae Tony Brown ’69 and Herm Weaver ’79 sharing songs and stories that draw from life experiences that started at Hesston regarding changing perceptions of inclusion and diversity.

Above - (left) The Hesston College Chamber Orchestra performs in its debut concert Sept. 25 under the direction of Rebecca Schloneger; Aaron Young, a 2012 graduate, performs as AY MusiK on the entertainment stage during a late night coffeehouse.

Above - (left) Guest presenter Egla (Birmingham) Hassan, who taught drama at Hesston from 1977 to 80 works with Hesston College acting student Abbie DeWild (Kalona, Iowa) on a monologue Sept. 25; A young guest at the Friday evening Family Festival has her face and arms painted.

Above - (left) Hesston College students, alumni and friends enjoy a tapas meal on the lawn; La Republica, a Latino rock band with member Daniel Moya (right), a 2008 graduate, performs on the entertainment stage during the Family Festival. Also pictured are Juan Moya (left) and David Guevara (center). The band is based out of Mexico City.

Campus welcomes an increase in new students for 2014-15

Official fall 2014 enrollment numbers show a marked increase in new students at Hesston College for the 2014-15 year. The college welcomed 237 new students, an increase of 10 percent from 2013-14.

Total enrollment for the year is 428 students from 33 states and 12 countries. Kansas students make up 46 percent of the total student population while 43 percent of students come from other U.S. states and 11 percent are international.

“Admissions employed several new visit initiatives that helped increase the number of visitors to campus, and thereby the number of new students,” said Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, vice president of Admissions and Financial Aid. “We are confident that our visit experience allows students to see the opportunities and first-class start that Hesston offers.”

There are 316 students living in the dorms, or about 74 percent of the total student population, a number that has held consistent for several years. Kansas students make up 27 percent of the dorming population, with 59 percent from other U.S. states and 14 percent international.

U.S. senior advisor to Iraq to speak on Iraqi-U.S. relations at Homecoming

A former advisor to General David Petraeus, Sadi Othman, will headline Hesston College’s Homecoming Weekend symposium as the keynote presenter with “Working as a Communication Bridge in Iraq” at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 27 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus. Othman will speak about his work as a civilian senior advisor in Iraq serving as a communication bridge between American and Iraqi leaders.

Othman, a 1993 Hesston College graduate, is vice president of the investment firm North America Western Asia Holdings (NAWAH). A Palestinian-American, Othman was hired by the U.S. government in 2003 as a cultural and political advisor to U.S. Army Brigadier General Frank Helmick, then second-in-command of the 101st Airborne Division. The primary task was to help rebuild the infrastructure in northern Iraq. Within a short time, Othman was asked to assist General Petraeus, then a major general in the 101st, as a linguist and advisor.

As Petraeus’ role and rank elevated over the next several years, so also Othman’s role and responsibilities grew as he developed friendships with political leaders from across the Iraqi political spectrum. Othman’s role in Iraq from 2003 to 2008 evolved into a pivotal communication link between the U.S. political/military leadership and Iraqi political leadership.

“The most valuable instrument in [Petraeus’] effort to influence [Iraqi leaders] was his advisor Sadi Othman,” said author Linda Robinson in her book “Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq.

Othman’s return to the U.S. in 2010 seemed to provide him an opportunity to start a career in the global business world. His plans were put on hold when the U.S. administration asked him to return to Baghdad for a short-term focused effort to assist the Iraqis in forming a new government following the March 2010 elections.

Following the short-term assignment in Baghdad, Othman joined the business world when he was named vice president of NAWAH, established in 2011 by Hyatt Hotels executive chairman Thomas Pritzker and former Petagon official Paul Brinkley. NAWAH has initiated investment projects in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. It was one of the first American companies to make a multi-million dollar capital investment in re-emergent Iraq.

Othman recently put his business career on another temporary hold when he returned to Iraq at the request of the U.S. administration to work as a communication link between Iraqi political leaders and U.S. leaders. He is tasked with helping in the formation of a new Iraqi political leadership team, with more inclusion than was the case with the previous Iraqi political and military leadership structure.

On Sept. 8, newly-appointed Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi received approval from the Iraqi parliament for his new government, although the key posts of Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior were not submitted with the rest of the positions. With the Iraqi parliament approving the new government, Othman will return to his business career as vice president of NAWAH.

Instructor wins national research and presentation award

In order to best instruct voice students on improving their instrument, Hesston College music faculty member and voice instructor Matt Schloneger believes it is important to understand vocal health. Through his doctoral work in vocal pedagogy at the University of Kansas (Lawrence), Schloneger is studying and analyzing singers’ daily voice use for his dissertation.

Schloneger’s research on the scientific aspects of the voice earned him a poster presentation spot at the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Conference in Boston July 5 to 9, where he won Best Poster Paper Presentation.

Schloneger’s presentation, which he co-authored with Dr. Eric Hunter from the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University (East Lansing) and the National Center for Voice and Speech, was titled “Testing a New Method in Voice Dosimetry Utilizing an Unfiltered Accelerometer Signal: Protocols and Preliminary Data,” was chosen for the top award among about 40 presentations.

“What we don’t understand about the voice is how much use is too much and what is the best amount of vocal exercise to improve the voice,” said Schloneger.

Schloneger’s research is designed to get a clearer picture of best practice for vocal exercise and health. In his earlier research, Schloneger used a high-dollar monitor to measure vocal cord vibrations in the field. Dr. Hunter created a new, budget friendly method with a standard digital voice recorder, and Schloneger is one of the first to conduct research with it. The new technology will eventually allow any voice teacher to monitor students’ vocal usage to instruct them on healthy vocal exercise.

“Singers use only one instrument for singing and speaking so it’s important to think about the voice’s overall use and make students aware of how they use their voice and its health,” said Schloneger.

Tony Brown to present I Go On Singing at Lancaster Mennonite School

Internationally acclaimed baritone Anthony Brown will present I Go On Singing: Paul Robeson’s Life in His Words and Songs, an original tribute to the popular African American performer and civil rights activist Robeson at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18 at the High Fine Arts Center on the Lancaster Mennonite School campus, 2176 Lincoln Highway, Lancaster.

This documentary concert experience brings music and history alive. Jointly sponsored and presented by Lancaster Mennonite School and Hesston (Kan.) College, alumni and friends of both Mennonite educational institutions are especially invited to attend.

Brown’s tribute to Robeson, all-American athlete, scholar, champion orator, international recording artist and star of the stage and screen during the 1930s and 40s, was written for Brown by playwright Andrew Flack. Brown’s telling of Robeson’s story is a 90-minute song-filled, multi-media presentation that reveals him as a towering figure in 20th century American history.

Accompanied by a pianist, photo projection and a narrator, I Go On Singing is equal parts historical documentary and live concert experience. Using Robeson’s own words from his autobiography Here I Stand and comments from legendary peace activist and artist Pete Seeger, the show traces Robeson’s humble beginnings as a preacher’s son in Princeton, N.J., to his international celebrity and pioneering activism on the world stage.

Brown is an international promoter of peace, Hesston College sociology faculty member and artist in residence and founder of Peacing It Together Foundation, an organization that serves the global community as a resource for peace and social justice. He uses music and the spoken word to bring people together across the divides of race, culture and religion. His travels have taken him to countries such as Bosnia, Moldova, Northern Ireland, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Philippines, China, Japan, South Korea and Colombia, where he has seen music transform and heal.

I Go On Singing premiered to inspiring reviews in Princeton, N.J., in 2011 and at Wichita’s (Kan.) Orpheum Theatre in Feb. 2012. Performances in 2014 include Denver and San Francisco, as well as in front of large campus audiences at Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, Va.) and Goshen (Ind.) College.

“We were very fortunate to have witnessed Mr. Brown’s portrayal of the music, life, and times of Paul Robeson,” said Benjamin J. Colbert, chairman of The Paul Robeson House Committee in Princeton. “His performance in I Go On Singing brings new life and inspiration to a generation of admirers.”

“Anthony Brown is a treasure,” said Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, Ph.D of Princeton University. “Endowed with a superb baritone voice, he has assembled an exquisite show that celebrates Paul

Robeson and his times. Instructive and deeply touching, Mr. Brown’s performance is extraordinary. More people should have the opportunity to witness it.”

Tickets are $15 for adults, and free for high school students and younger. Tickets can be reserved in advance by calling Lancaster Mennonite School at 717-509-4459 ext. 703.

Tickets will also be available at the door prior to the performance. Go to igoonsinging.com and hesston.edu for more information.