In the News

College to celebrate class of 2014

Hesston College will celebrate the class of 2014 during Commencement Weekend May 9 to 11.

The commencement ceremony will be at 9 a.m., Sunday, May 11, in Yost Center. Nursing instructor Joyce Huber and natural science instructor Marelby Mosquera will present the commencement address, “Passport For a Dream: From Here to Everywhere.”

Huber has served in the nursing department since 1973, and Mosquera, a 2004 Hesston College graduate, is in her first year of teaching in the natural sciences program.

Hannah Weaver (Inola, Okla.) and Nathan Peters (North Liberty, Iowa) will be the student speakers.

Academic departments will recognize graduates in department specific ceremonies May 10.

Disaster Management students will be recognized at 9 a.m. in the Northlawn Studio Theatre. Paul Unruh (Hesston), will present the message. Unruh is a 1958 graduate of Hesston Academy and a 1960 graduate of Hesston College, a longtime Mennonite Disaster Service volunteer and a member of the bi-national Mennonite Disaster Service Board of Directors.

A pinning ceremony for nursing graduates will be at 10 a.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary. Marcy Renollet, RN, BSN, CMSRN (Wichita, Kan.), a 1995 Hesston College graduate and risk manager for Via Christi Hospitals Wichita, Inc., will be the featured speaker.

Pastoral Ministries commissioning will be at 1 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church. John Murray, lead pastor at Hesston Mennonite Church and a 1981 Hesston College graduate will present the message.

Aviation and Air Traffic Control graduates will be recognized during a 2:30 p.m. reception in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center.

Other weekend events include voice recitals by sophomores Morgan Martin (New Holland, Pa.) and Rebecca Rhodes (Arthur, Ill.) at 4 p.m., May 9 in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary, and Mischa De Jesus (Kalona, Iowa) and Megan Goodrich (Buchanan, Mich.) at 1 p.m., May 10 in the Northlawn Studio Theatre. Performing arts students will present a music theatre workshop performance at 7 p.m., May 9 and 10 in the Northlawn Studio Theatre. The International Chorale will present a concert at 4 p.m., May 4 at Hesston Mennonite Church as a precursor to their three-week May tour to Europe.

Environmental science added as new program of study

Environmental science will join Hesston College’s list of more than 50 programs of study for transfer beginning with the 2014-15 academic year.

Environmental science programs have seen an upswing nationwide over the last few years due to increased interest in sustainability and green initiatives. Career opportunities are growing quickly in areas such as biology, public health, public policy, conservation and international relations.

“This field of study has grown out of developments in the world and changes in understanding how humans affect the environment,” said faculty member Marelby Mosquera.

The Environmental Science Occupational Outlook Handbook released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics each year, projects job growth for environmental science careers at 15 percent over the next eight years – a faster than average growth rate compared to other careers.

Hesston’s program will be designed to meet requirements for the first two years of a four-year degree within the field and more specific areas of study. Courses are designed to provide students with a foundation in population, whole organism, environmental science, chemistry and mathematics.

Students will have opportunities to incorporate classroom and lab work with field work through research projects, field experience and cross-cultural sustainability research.

“The blend of field-based and laboratory based skills is designed to maximize the range of employment possibilities,” said Mosquera.

The program is designed to meet requirements in four-year programs with a broad range of specific foci at both private and public institutions across the country.

Photo release - Cutting the transportation footprint

A parade in celebration of alternative transportation options makes its way across the Hesston College campus during the college’s Earth Day celebration April 24. A personal activities vehicle (PAV) built by students in Nelson Kilmer’s Physics II class led the parade. Also part of the parade were solar-powered bicycles built by previous years’ physics students, Kilmer’s Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid car which runs off of solar energy from his home and has averaged 99 miles per gallon of fuel over the last three months, and a Ford Fusion Hybrid car on display from Mel Hambleton Ford (Wichita, Kan.). Hesston College’s Earth Day celebration included presentations on transportation alternatives and ways to reduce vehicle emissions.

College to host summer 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 first summer theatre camp June 2 to 7 on the Hesston College campus. Hesston College theatre director Laura Kraybill will lead the workshop-style camp along with recent Hesston College theatre graduates.

Students ages 11 to 14 are invited to participate in the week-long workshop. The week’s theme will be “Fairy Tales: Re-spun,” and will feature original adaptations of classic tales set to poular songs. Participants will create their own musical and perform the show Saturday, June 7, 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 and performing the show.

The Hesston Community Foundation graciously provided a grant to help with costs for the theatre camp.

“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 will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Northlawn Studio Theatre on the Hesston College campus. All workshops, supplies, snacks and expert training will be covered with a $30 registration fee. Financial assistance is available upon request.

Those interested should register by May 1 by contacting Laura Kraybill at 620-327-8142 or laurak@hesston.edu.

Hesston College Earth Day celebration to focus on transportation alternatives

When Hesston College physics instructor Nelson Kilmer was shopping for a new vehicle in late 2013, he had one goal in mind – to lower his environmental impact.

He achieved his goal with the Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid, which is charged off of solar panels producing electricity for his house. The solar powered nature of his vehicle has meant only one fuel purchase since December 2013, an average of 99 miles per gallon of fuel over the last three months and a dramatic cut in the emissions his travels produce.

Kilmer’s dedication in lowering his environmental impact influences his students every year to look for ways to reduce their own footprint, and their solutions will be highlighted during Hesston College’s Earth Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, April 24, on the Hesston College campus.

The celebration will focus on changes in vehicle technology and transportation alternatives from the earliest Model T cars to today and explain the realities of each vehicle’s environmental impact.

Students will present research data on the impact of vehicles offered in today’s market. For example, a car averaging 25 miles per gallon of fuel produces 12,000 pounds of emissions per year while a hybrid vehicle that relies on gas to charge the battery produces 7,000 pounds per year. A plug-in hybrid – the latest advancement in vehicle technology – produces only 1,000 pounds of emissions per year, not to mention the cost in fuel savings due to the fact that the car can be charged directly through electricity.

Kilmer’s Physics II students have also spent the spring semester building a personal activities vehicle – a solar powered tricycle that offers further transportation and cost savings options. Several vehicle options including the trike, Kilmer’s vehicle and a Ford Fusion Hybrid with a representative from Mel Hambelton Ford (Wichita, Kan.) will be on display as students present their research and the benefits and downfalls during the come-and-go event. The vehicles will be featured in a parade across campus at 11:30 a.m.

Other event highlights include solar cooked snacks, recycling options and light bulb energy savings. The event is free and open to the public. Set up will be on the campus lawn in front of Charles Hall weather permitting. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved inside Charles Hall.

Exercise Science to be offered starting fall 2014

Hesston College will introduce exercise science as a new program of study beginning with the 2014-15 academic year.

“Exercise science is one of the fastest growing fields right now because students recognize the job opportunities in the field,” said faculty member Clay Stauffer.

Degrees in exercise science open students to a broad range of career paths, including athletic training, personal training, kinesiology, wellness coaching and other related areas. Students interested in physical education and coaching will also benefit from the courses offered within the program of study.

Hesston’s program will offer a strong core in the first two years of a four-year degree. It will build on a strong reputation of existing courses like Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition and Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries.

The two-year component offers unique opportunities not found in four-year degree programs. After two years in Hesston’s program and upon completion of the personal training course, students will be eligible to take the national certification exam to earn certification as a personal trainer, expanding their job prospects in entry-level positions while they continue schooling toward a four-year degree.

The program’s upward trend is bolstered in part by the country’s changing healthcare standards.

“Growth of exercise science is being directly impacted by the overall state of health in our country and the increasing wellness incentives and programs through health insurance,” said Stauffer. “We are just keeping up with society’s changing demands.”

The college is aligning its course offerings with private and public four-year institutions across the country offering an exercise science degree to ensure ease of transfer for students.

Even before its official launch date with the beginning of a new academic year in August, the college is already seeing encouraging on-campus responsiveness to the new program with full classes in the program.

Concert Band to become Chamber Orchestra

Hesston College freshman Quinn Kathrineberg (Salina, Kan.) spends a significant amount of time each week with her viola. Between String Ensemble practices and performances, private lessons and her own practice time, she has many opportunities to satisfy her love of music.

Starting with the 2014-15 year, the music program will shift from a concert band focus to a chamber orchestra emphasis in an effort to incorporate string players like Kathrineberg more fully into the program.

“We have a core of strong string players and want to create more opportunities for them to be involved in a chamber orchestra context,” said music instructor Bradley Kauffman.

Since 2007, the college has maintained an instrumental music presence and offered group concert band. The addition of strings to the larger ensemble will offer more opportunities for string players who want personalized instruction in their instrument and is expected to result in a larger performing group.

While music has played an integral role at the college since its first day almost 105 years ago, strings were not an ongoing part of the musical history until recently.

Music instructors noticed a trend in more string players considering Hesston. As students with those interests arrived on campus, a string ensemble was formed to incorporate their talents and interests in the music program in addition to private lessons with accomplished faculty. Rebecca Schloneger, a local violinist with the Wichita (Kan.) Symphony Orchestra, adjunct Hesston College faculty member and teacher at Bethel College Academy of Performing Arts (Newton, Kan.), has played a large part in enhancing Hesston’s offering to string players through private lessons and directing the String Ensemble.

The String Ensemble for the 2013-14 year is made up of six students who have performed as a small group at several campus events, music program concerts and as part of a larger chamber orchestra with local musicians for the college’s production of the opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors” in November.

Kathrineberg is not a music major, but has been heavily involved in music for many years and her ability to continue being involved played a role in her college decision.

“I came to Hesston because I knew I would get more individual music instruction, which would also help me in large ensembles,” Kathrineberg said. “Music is something I love to do and even though it is not my major, it will always be a part of my life and I will always play in an ensemble or orchestra. I am excited that the program will have more to offer string players moving forward.”

Each year, about 20 percent of Hesston College students participate in the college’s music program vocal and instrumental offerings. Students with all levels of interest in music are welcomed into the various vocal and instrumental ensembles. Hesston College offers private lessons and unique ensemble and solo performance opportunities.

Interns get an early start in the professional world

Communications and graphic design majors at Hesston College are getting an extra leg up on their peers. Whereas most students don’t start building their professional portfolios until their junior or senior years, seven Hesston students are digging in and building their portfolios as freshmen and sophomores.

The students earned competitive internships working with the college’s Marketing and Communications team. The partnership between the Communications program and the Marketing and Communications office is the brainchild of communications faculty Kendra Burkey and director of Marketing and Communications Marathana Prothro. The two have a shared vision for identifying students with particular talent in the field, providing them with a strong education and nurturing their skills and mentoring them as young professionals.

The interns – sophomores Stephen Cabe (Niles, Mich.), JD Hershberger (Hesston, Kan.), Marissa Hochstetler (Strang, Neb.) and Carley Wyse (Archbold, Ohio,) and freshmen Quinn Kathrineberg (Salina, Kan.), Alex Leff (Andover, Kan.) and Laken Richer (New Paris, Ind.) – are writers photographers, graphic designers and digital media specialists putting their creativity and talent to work in a tangible way.

“This is a smart, responsible, hard-working and creative bunch,” Burkey said. “To see those qualities in full effect as these students collaborate with professionals is incredibly rewarding.”

The students meet weekly with the Marketing and Communication staff to plan various forms of communication for the college and then work separately or in groups to bring the visions to life.

“I am incredibly impressed with these students’ innate communications and marketing sense,” Prothro said. “It’s exciting to see them developing their skills and making our team stronger.”

Take Marissa Hochstetler for example. She came to Hesston still deciding on a major and after exploring several options, chose graphic design late in her freshman year through inspiration from courses like Desktop Publishing and Career Development and the encouragement of her parents.

Hochstetler’s first assignment for her internship was to create shareable social media content that alumni and students would want to share in their newsfeeds. Her finished project –a comedic meme of longtime Bible instructor Marion Bontrager – became social media gold for the college as its most shared post ever and was so popular the Bible and Ministry program and T-shirts of her project made.

“Through my first project’s success and the positive responses I have received about my other ideas, I have grown more confident in my creativity, skill and ability to work in the graphic design field,” Hochstetler said.

The interns are learning, through challenges and successes, that creating and writing for a public audience is very different than creating for academic or personal purposes. The early experience is paying off.

“The internship has taught me a lot about the collaborative nature of journalism,” said Hershberger, who has aspirations of being a sports broadcaster or journalist. “The stories any newspaper, website or college produce have to flow together. I can’t simply stick to sports and disregard the other work being done.”

“With the internship, I not only get to create something, I get professional input on how to make my work better and take it to a whole other level I couldn’t have reached on my own,” Wyse said.

College bids farewell to administrators and prepares for transition

Two Hesston College administrators, Vice President of Student Life Lamar Roth and Vice President of Academics Dr. Sandra Zerger, have announced they will end their service to Hesston College this spring.

Both Roth and Zerger have had a significant impact on the college and have many accomplishments in their years of service. Together, they have collaborated to promote more interaction between the academic and student life areas, resulting in higher retention and student satisfaction as well as increased learning opportunities. Plans are in place for transitions for both positions.

Roth has served as vice president of Student Life and dean of students since 2003. His last day will be April 30. Under Roth’s leadership, the college has improved student retention and student satisfaction as indicated in the Student Satisfaction Instrument survey, which the college began using in recent years to measure student satisfaction and priorities. He also collaborated with the City of Hesston to provide training and management processes for the college.

“Lamar has built and led a strong team of student life professionals to adapt and meet the complex needs of students,” said President Howard Keim. “Our student satisfaction scores are significantly higher than our comparison group due to Lamar’s leadership and the fine work of the entire staff.”

Zerger joined the Hesston College administration in 2007 as vice president of academics and academic dean. Her last day will be June 30. With Zerger’s extensive background in academic leadership, Zerger has helped lead the college in improving course standards, academic challenge and faculty instruction as seen in Hesston’s outstanding results from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and Individual Development and Education Assessment (IDEA) survey. Under her leadership, Hesston College was ranked the number 2 two-year college in the country by Washington Monthly magazine in 2010, based on 2009 CCSSE data and showed markedly improved scores on the survey in 2012. During her tenure, the college has made improvements to the general education curriculum, focused on course transferability and signed several important articulation agreements with four-year colleges and universities.

“With Dr. Zerger’s leadership, we have become the best two-year college in the area of student engagement, improved our pedagogy, earned the highest possible level of reaccreditation with the Higher Learning Commission and revised the general education curriculum,” said Keim. “Sandee has worked carefully and tirelessly to promote the best interests of students and student learning. I am grateful for her service to Hesston College.”

One-year interim roles have been assigned to the vacating positions, allowing the college to have seamless transitions and keep effective initiatives in place while looking at long-term options.

Joel Kauffman will act as interim vice president of Student Life effective May 1. Kauffman has served at Hesston College for 27 years as former women’s basketball and softball coach, instructor and vice president of Admissions from 2007 to 2011. He began as athletic director in 2011, and will continue in that role during the interim period. Kauffman is a graduate of Hesston College and earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Fresno (Calif.) Pacific University and a master’s of education degree from Wichita (Kan.) State University.

Rob Ramseyer will step in as interim dean of students effective May 1. Ramseyer has served as head baseball coach at Hesston College since 2011 and will continue in that role during the interim period. He also served in student life as co-director of campus activities from 2011 to 2012. Ramseyer earned a bachelor’s degree in history from MidAmerica Nazarene University (Olathe, Kan.) and a master’s degree in sports studies from the University of Kansas (Lawrence).

Dr. Brent Yoder, registrar, will act as interim vice president of Academics and academic dean effective July 1. Yoder has served as registrar since 2011. He is a graduate of Hesston College and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, Va.) and a future professoriate graduate certificate and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Blacksburg).