In the News

Top student athletes named at Hesston athletic banquet

Hayley Gately, Roseville, Calif., a sophomore co-captain on the softball team, and Jacob Landis, Sterling, Ill., a men’s cross country runner, are the 2012-13 Hesston College Student Athletes of the Year.

Gately, an all-region infielder, is the Larks all-time leader in homeruns, doubles, triples, runs and runs batted in. Off the field, she served the Hesston campus as a student ambassador and resident assistant. Gately follows Emily Wagner-Davis, also of Roseville, Calif., as this year’s Larks’ Female Student Athlete of the Year.

“Hayley made countless contributions to our program and the broader Hesston campus,” said Hesston softball coach Andrew Sharp. “She demonstrated tremendous leadership through her words, and more importantly, her actions. We will miss her, but are excited for her very bright future.”

A two-time competitor in the NJCAA national cross country meet and all-region runner, Landis placed 44th among over 300 runners at the 2011 national meet. Landis served Hesston College as a resident assistant, a chemistry lab assistant, a ministry assistant and a student ambassador. Landis helped the men’s cross country team to the second highest team GPA in the nation.

“Jacob is a gifted, well-rounded person,” said Hesston cross country coach Gerry Sieber. “He’s had a meaningful engagement with so many aspects of the Hesston College community, and I expect he will make significant contributions to the church and the world.”

Students recognized for acheivements at Larkfest 2013

Hesston College students were recognized for their academic and extracurricular achievements during the 2012-13 year at Larkfest April 26.

Larkfest is an annual end-of-the-year event that recognizes students for their academic, extracurricular, service and leadership accomplishments throughout the academic year. The full Larkfest ceremony can be viewed online at hesston.edu/larkfest.

Two students, sophomores Bonita Garber, Bainbridge, Pa., and Jacob Landis, Sterling, Ill., received the newly established Lark of the Year Award for demonstrating excellence in academics, leadership and service. Lark of the Year nominees were selected through grade-point average and involvement in leadership and service opportunities on campus and the faculty and staff chose the winners.

• Receiving the Ambassador of the Year awards from Admissions were sophomores Quinn Bowers, McPherson, Kan., and Carly Unruh, Wayland, Iowa.
• Receiving the Resident Assistant of the Year awards from Student Life were sophomores Zenawit Nerae, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Michael Oyer, Hesston, Kan.
• Sophomore Mahlon Jones, Oklahoma City, was named a third-team National Junior College Athletic Association Division II All-American.
• Receiving the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement were Atsushi Ambo, Niigata, Japan, men’s basketball; Brooke Beckerman, Inman, Kan., softball; Broxton Busenitz, North Newton, Kan., men’s soccer; Taylor Ermoian, Hays, Kan., men’s tennis; Jenae Hershberger, Goshen, Ind., women’s cross country; Mariah Martin, Glenwood Springs, Colo., women’s soccer; Marissa Schuett, Wichita, Kan., volleyball; Kayla Stevenson, Meade, Kan., women’s cross country; Pierre Zook, McMinnville, Ore., men’s basketball. The award is given to sophomore students who earn a 3.6 to 3.79 GPA.
• Receiving the NJCAA Award for Superior Academic Achievement were Jacob Landis, Sterling, Ill., men’s cross country, and Courtney Unruh, Hesston, Kan., women’s tennis. The award is given to sophomore students who earn a 3.8 to 3.99 GPA.
• Receiving the NJCAA Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence were Olivia Miller, Newton, Kan., softball; Mollie Nebel, Hesston, Kan., volleyball; and Keisei Ohta, Kanagawa, Japan, men’s tennis. The award is given to sophomore students who earn a 4.0 GPA.
• Named as Male and Female Athletes of the year based on athletic and academic achievement were sophomore softball player Hayley Gately, Roseville, Calif., and sophomore cross country runner Jacob Landis, Sterling, Ill.
• Receiving the Hesston College Business Department Award were sophomores Neal Brubaker, Goessel, Kan.; Broxton Busenitz, North Newton, Kan.; Keisei Ohta, Kanagawa, Japan; and Matt Weaver, Goshen, Ind.
• Receiving the Bill Mason Business Scholarship were freshmen Alyssa Becker, North Newton, Kan.; Mitchell Denlinger, Denver, Pa.; Mitchell Martin, Milford, Neb.; and Amy Seibel, Lawrence, Miss. The scholarship was established in honor of longtime business instructor, Bill Mason, Hesston, Kan., and awards a $2,500 scholarship to business students during their sophomore year.
• Receiving the Mariann Martin Drama Award from the Theatre department was sophomore Deni Brummer, Hutchinson, Kan.
• Receiving the Social Science Excellence Award were sophomores Taylor Ermoian, Hays, Kan.; Sam Foxvog, Tiskilwa, Ill.; and Sam Ruth, Wichita, Kan.
• Receiving the Clayton V. Beyler Award from the Bible department were sophomores Jacob Landis, Sterling, Ill., and Mariah Martin, Glenwood Springs, Colo.
• Receiving the Daniel Gerber Peace and Service Award from the Bible department was sophomore Asbel Assefa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Receiving the Outstanding Math/Science Graduate Award was sophomore Cory Bowman, Millersburg, Ind.
• Receiving the Service Leader Award for 60 or more hours of community service logged during the academic year were sophomores Adam Heisey, Elizabethtown, Pa.; and Mason Unruh, Newton, Kan.; and unclassified student Philip Kauffman, Hesston, Kan.

Art students’ work on display

Hesston College student artwork is on display in three locations from now until May 3. The student work features a variety of art media from both fall and spring semesters of the 2012-13 academic year. All exhibits are free and open to the public.

The college’s annual juried student art show is on display in the Regier Friesen Gallery. Ted Adler, associate professor of ceramics at Wichita (Kan.) State University, served as juror for the show. Students receiving recognition included:

• Best in Show: Phillip Hilty, Peoria, Ariz.
• Juror’s Choice: Russell Klassen, Goshen, Ind.
• First Place: Trevor Toews, Hesston, Kan.
• Second Place: Nadia Loveta, Jakarta, Indonesia
• Third Place: Andrea Kelley, Archbold, Ohio

Honorable mentions in specific media include:

• Painting: Tori Wheeler, Hesston, Kan.
• Printmaking: Kayla Stevenson, Meade, Kan.
• Drawing: Marissa Schuett, Wichita, Kan.
• Photography: Alyssa Gustafson, Derby, Kan.
• Ceramics: Leah Unruh, Walton, Kan.
• Sculpture: Carley Wyse, Archbold, Ohio

The public is invited to attend a reception for the artists from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, April 29, in the Regier Friesen Gallery. The gallery is located in the Friesen Center for the Visual Arts on the Hesston College campus and is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A second viewing option for student artwork is the college’s Sophomore Art Major Exhibit featuring the work of Kayla Stephenson (Meade, Kan.) and Tori Wheeler (Hesston, Kan.). The exhibit is located in the entry to Mary Miller Library in Smith Center on the Hesston College campus.

An additional show of student work will be featured at Peace Connections, 612 North Main St. in Newton, as part of Art and Music in the Heart of Downtown Newton event Thursday, April 25. The exhibit features drawings done by students in the college’s Drawing II course reflecting their participation in a March 20 on-campus Poverty Simulation organized by the college and Harvey County Circles of Hope – Peace Connections. Students also were required to conduct additional research on poverty as part of their work for the assignment. The Peace Connections exhibit can be viewed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays until May 30.

Art students study under Lois Misegadis, who teaches drawing, painting, graphic design, photography, design and color theory, and Hanna Eastin, who teaches ceramics.

Located 30 miles north of Wichita, Hesston College is the two-year liberal arts college of Mennonite Church USA.

Photo release - Green engineering

Hesston College physics students Keenan Jensen, Hesston, Kan., and Ron Wenger, Adair, Okla., talk with Earth Day guests about the electric bicycles with solar power charging stations they helped build. Other students presented about a possible solar electric plan for the J.D. Charles Hall of Science and Arts and environmental biology and microbiology students presented about sustainability practices ranging from recycling to water conservation. Engineering students at Hesston have opportunities in their physics classes to create projects like the bikes and solar plans that give them hands-on experience for their future careers. The college also has an articulation agreement with Kansas State University-Salina for engineering technology students to transfer into and complete their bachelor’s degree in four total years of college.

Music students close year with recitals

The Hesston College Music Department will close out another successful year of music with three student recitals. The recitals are free and open to the public.

Deni Brummer, Hutchinson, Kan., will perform a voice recital at 7 p.m., Friday, April 26 at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. Brummer, a soprano, studies under Dr. Holly Swartzendruber. Selections will include music by Handel, Reger and Quilter as well as several musical theatre selections. The Hesston College Bel Canto Singers, of which Brummer is a member, will join her for “You now are sorrowful” from Johannes Brahms’ “A German Requiem.” Hesston College music faculty member Ken Rodgers will provide piano accompaniment.

Kaedi LeFevre, Hesston, Kan., will perform a voice recital at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 27 at Hesston Mennonite Church. LeFevre, a mezzo-soprano, studies under Matthew Schloneger. She will perform music by Martini, Mozart and Schubert as well as several musical theatre selections. Sophomores Alex Bargerstock, Masillon, Ohio, on guitar and Broxton Busenitz, North Newton, Kan., tenor, will join her for portions of the program. Rodgers will provide piano accompaniment.

Emerencia Dudas, Walbridge, Ohio, will perform a voice recital at 4 p.m., Friday, May 3 at Hesston Mennonite Church. Dudas, a mezzo-soprano, studies under Schloneger. She will perform music by Torelli, Franck, Barber and Bartok as well as several musical theatre selections. She will be accompanied on piano by Rodgers and joined by fellow musicians, sophomore Redfa Tithalawa, Papua, Indonesia, on piano, freshman Jake Pokorney, St. Louis, Mo., on guitar, and Bargerstock, baritone, for portions of the program.

Hesston and Baker University sign articulation agreement

Hesston College graduates can now transition smoothly to Baker University (Baldwin City, Kan.) thanks to a transfer articulation agreement between the institutions.

The agreement guarantees Hesston graduates admission to Baker when their grade point average is at least a 2.60 on a 4.00 scale and all coursework specifications are met, specifically for students who earn an associate of arts or associate of science degree.

Transfer students from Hesston who fall within the qualifying GPA range will also automatically receive an academic scholarship.

“The partnership with Hesston College provides students the opportunity to seamlessly transfer their credits to the Baldwin City campus,” said Mark Bandre, director of transfer services at Baker. “The initiative helps create more opportunities for students at two-year colleges in Kansas as they become more aware of Baker’s degree and major offerings.”

Both two-year Hesston College and four-year Baker University are private, liberal arts institutions and members of the Kansas Independent College Association, an organization of 18 private colleges and universities in the state. Hesston is a part of Mennonite Church USA and Baker was founded by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Both continue to uphold the faith principles on which they were founded.

“We have had more Kansas students in recent years, so forming articulation agreements with other KICA schools is increasingly important to us,” said Dr. Sandra Zerger, Hesston College vice president of academics. “We are happy to have finalized this agreement with Baker and give our graduates another option for seamlessly continuing their education.”

Transferring is a normal part of the Hesston Experience for graduates who want a bachelor’s degree, so part of Hesston’s service to its students is to make the transfer process simple and seamless – not just to institutions with which the college has an articulation agreement, but to any college or university students choose to attend.

Hesston’s agreement with Baker marks the 14th articulation agreement the college holds with both private and public four-year colleges and universities throughout Kansas and across the country, including eight KICA institutions, two public Kansas universities and four private out-of-state institutions.

Mennonite World Conference president-elect to headline 2013 commencement

Hesston College will celebrate the class of 2013 during Commencement Weekend May 3 to 5.

The commencement ceremony will be at 9 a.m., Sunday, May 5, in Yost Center. Mennonite World Conference President-elect, J. Nelson Kraybill, will present the commencement address.

Kraybill of Elkhart, Ind., serves as lead pastor of Prairie Street Mennonite Church (Elkhart) and will begin his six-year with MWC at the global assembly in Harrisburg, Pa., in July 2015. He is President Emeritus of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart) where he served from 1996 to 2008. He was also program director of the London Mennonite Center in London, England, from 1991 to 1996.

Student speakers for the ceremony are Mallory Eicher (Berne, Ind.) and Taylor Ermoian (Hays, Kan.).

Academic departments will recognize graduates in department specific ceremonies May 4.

Disaster Management students will be recognized at 9 a.m. in the Northlawn Studio Theatre. Paul Unruh (Hesston), a longtime Mennonite Disaster Service volunteer and member of the bi-national MDS Board of Directors will present the message “Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things.” As a member of the Disaster Management Program Advisory Committee, Unruh was influential in the formation of Hesston’s program in 2005. He frequently presents in disaster management classes about the importance of communicating with disaster survivors and introduces students to the world of MDS. Amy Repp (Valley Center, Kan.) will give a student reflection.

A pinning ceremony for nursing students will be at 10 a.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary followed by a reception in the church Community Center.

Pastoral Ministries commissioning will be at 1 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church followed by a reception in the church Education Hall. Kurt Horst, lead pastor at Whitestone Mennonite Church (Hesston) and a 1973 Hesston College graduate will present the message. Before returning to his hometown of Hesston, Horst served as administrator of Johnstown (Pa.) Christian School and as a pastor in Johnstown. He served as conference minister of Allegheny Mennonite Conference from 1996 to 2009.

Aviation and Air Traffic Control students will be recognized during a 2:30 p.m. reception in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center. Jonathan Rudy (Manheim, Pa.), father of 2013 Aviation graduate David Rudy and 2011 Aviation graduate and current Hesston flight instructor Solomon Rudy, will speak. Rudy is professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and scholar in residence at the Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. Rudy and his family spent 15 years working for Mennonite Central Committee in Africa and Asia. He has also worked as an independent peacebuilding consultant in Afghanistan, the Phillippines, Burkina Faso, Kenya and South Sudan.

Other weekend events include a voice recital by sophomore Emerencia Dudas (Walbridge, Ohio) at 4 p.m., May 3 at Hesston Mennonite Church. Theatre students will present student-directed one-act plays at 7 p.m., May 3 and 3:30 p.m., May 4 in the Northlawn Studio Theatre. The Bel Canto Singers will present a concert at 4 p.m., May 4 at Hesston Mennonite Church as a precursor to their May tour to the east coast.

For a full weekend schedule or more information, visit the Hesston College website at hesston.edu or call the Alumni and Church Relations office at 620-327-8109 or toll free at 866-437-7866.

Hesston College to “go green” with Earth Day celebration

Hesston College will host an Earth Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18 on the Hesston College campus. The come-and-go event is free and open to the public.

Coming just after the college’s week-long Sustainability Week followed by a week-long Wellness Week, the day’s theme will be “Lean, Clean and Thinking Green.” Activities will focus on conservation, recycling and solar energy and how to make those principles sustainable for the long term.

Classes and individuals from the science and math departments will present conservation methods for energy and water.

Physics students will offer presentations and rides on the electric bicycle and tricycle and will display a mode of a fuel cell car. They will also present a solar design for producing electricity for the campus science bulding. Nick King of King Solar in Hutchinson, Kan., will be on hand to answer questions and discuss solar photovoltaic installations. Environmental biology students will present information about their classroom material while microbiology students talk about water treatment. Members of the Hesston College Maintenance and Facilities staff will also talk about conservation efforts on campus.

Solar-cooked snacks will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bel Canto Singers to celebrate 30 years with east coast tour

The Hesston College Bel Canto Singers will celebrate 30 years of making music with a May tour to the east coast May 6 to 16, highlighted by a four-day New York City excursion. While in New York, the choir will participate in a Carnegie Hall performance and perform solo concerts at Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The group will make other performance stops in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

In 1983 Hesston College’s then choir conductor, David Rhodes, expanded the college’s tradition of outstanding vocal music with the formation of Bel Canto Singers – a mixed vocal ensemble that has become the college’s premiere choir.

Bel Canto Singers typically has 20 to 22 members selected by competitive audition during the preceding academic year. Conducted by music faculty member Bradley Kauffman, the current roster includes 21 students from eight states and Indonesia. The choir will perform a program entitled “Songs of a Wayfarer,” a concert inspired by the campus-wide study of immigration during the 2012-13 year and the First Year Experience seminar common read “Enrique’s Journey” by Sonia Nazario.

Bel Canto Singers will join the Masterworks Festival Chorus presenting Johannes Brahms’ “Requiem” under the direction of Donald Neuen and with the New York City Chamber Orchestra at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 12, in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. Advance tickets are required and can be purchased by calling Carnegie Charge at 212-247-7800 or visiting carnegiehall.org. Hesston College alumni and friends can receive a 15 percent discount by using the code MTN16606. Go to hesston.edu for more information.

Donald Neuen is a conductor of international renown, a composer, arranger, editor and educator. He conducts the University of California-Los Angeles Chorale and teaches conducting at UCLA’s highly-acclaimed graduate program. Neuen has also served as artistic director and conductor for the Angeles Chorale (Los Angeles), the director of the Cathedral Choir at the Crystal Cathedral (Garden Grove, Calif.), assistant conductor and director of choral activities for the Atlanta (Ga.) Symphony Orchestra and has served on the faculties at the University of Wisconsin (Madison), University of Tennessee (Knoxville), Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) and Georgia State University (Atlanta).

“Singers develop a reverence for venues that offer a satisfying acoustical experience,” said Kauffman. “Carnegie Hall is one of the few places that combines a world-class acoustic with an overall aesthetic that is difficult to describe in words. When an opportunity to Sing the Brahms ‘Requiem’ coincided with our biennial May tour, I knew I wanted our students to have that experience.”

Bel Canto will also present a full solo concert hosted by Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship at 7 p.m., Friday, May 10 at the 15th Street Friends Meeting House, and a 30-minute solo concert at the 1892 Gothic revival church Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City at 2 p.m., Monday, May 13.

The full Bel Canto tour includes:

• 4 p.m., Saturday, May 4 at Hesston Mennonite Church
• 7:30 p.m., Monday May 6 at Arthur (Ill.) Mennonite Church
• 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 7 at Belmont Mennonite Church (Elkhart, Ind.)
• 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 8 at Kidron (Ohio) Mennonite Church. The Central Christian School (Kidron) Varsity Singers under director and Hesston alumnus Tim Shue will perform with Bel Canto. A reception will follow the concert with reflections on education in Mennonite Church USA from Central Christian superintendent Eugene Miller and Hesston College President Howard Keim.
• 7 p.m., Friday, May 10 at the 15th Street Friends Meeting House (New York City), hosted by Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship.
• 2 p.m., Sunday, May 12 at Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium. Advance tickets required.
• 2 p.m., Monday, May 13 at Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City
• 9:24 a.m., Wednesday, May 15 at Christopher Dock High School (Lansdale, Pa.)
• 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 15 at Blooming Glen (Pa.) Mennonite Church
• 9:54 a.m., Thursday, May 16 at Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite High School
• 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 16 at Park View Mennonite Church (Harrisonburg, Va.)

With the exception of the Carnegie Hall concert, all performances are free and open to the public, though a free-will offering will be collected to defer expenses.

Members of Bel Canto are Alex Bargerstock (Massillon, Ohio), Josh Booth (Newton, Kan.), Cory Bowman (Millersburg, Ind.), Neal Brubaker (Goessel, Kan.), Deni Brummer (Hutchinson, Kan.), Broxton Busenitz (North Newton, Kan.), Kaci Diener (Harrisonville, Mo.), Emerencia Dudas (Walbridge, Ohio), Rebecca Eichelberger (Geneva, Neb.), Bonita Garber (Bainbridge, Pa.), Kayla Kauffman (Hutchinson, Kan.), Janae King (Gordonville, Pa.), Morgan Martin (New Holland, Pa.), Levi Miller (Hesston, Kan.), Alisa Murray (Orrville, Ohio), Rebecca Rhodes (Arthur, Ill.), David Rudy (Manheim, Pa.), Jeffrey Smoker (Harrisonburg, Va.), Redfa Titihalawa (Papua, Indonesia) and Emily Taylor (Buhler, Kan.).