In the News

Award-winning German a cappella group to close out HBPA season

The refined vocal excellence of Calmus, a German a cappella ensemble, will round out the 2012-13 Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts season with a concert entitled “Bright Side of Life” at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 14, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. Following the concert, HBPA will host a dessert reception in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center. Season ticket holders have free admission to the dessert reception and non-season ticket holders can purchase their admission for four dollars at the door.

Calmus presents a unique quintet combination of a pure female soprano voice with four male voices ranging from bass to countertenor, each a graduate of the renowned St. Thomas Church Choir Singing School in Leipzig, Germany. Together they have mastered the art of close harmonies to create a perfect blend of sound and precision, and have earned the honor of one of the most successful vocal groups in Germany. Their repertoire comes from a limitless range of music, from Renaissance and Baroque masters to contemporary choral and popular songs.

“We are excited to cap off our season with one of the world’s most up-and-coming vocal ensembles,” said HBPA director Matthew Schloneger. “Patrons who enjoy a cappella music in the style of The King’s Singers or Chanticleer will fall in love with Calmus.”

The “Bright Side of Life” program is named after Eric Idle’s popular sing-a-long comedy song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” first featured in the 1979 film “Monty Python’s The Life of Brian.” It features classical works by Heinrich Schultz, Henry Purcell, Robert Schumann, Benjamin Britten and Adriano Banchieri as well as popular a cappella works by Elton John, Leonard Cohen and Bobby McFerrin.

Calmus began as a men’s ensemble in 1999 shaped by the centuries-old tradition of boys’ choirs and rich choral traditions of its hometown of Leipzig’s musical heroes, Bach and Mendelsshon. As the group was forming, they chose to forgo the more recognized quartet arrangement and, inspired by the British “King’s Singers,” added a fifth member in order to sing more complex arrangements. Over time, the group’s membership changed, including adding a female voice in 2001.

The group receives rave reviews from musical critics around the world. Salt Lake City’s “Deseret Morning News” described a local concert as “nothing short of remarkable…they, quite simply, bring whatever they sing to glorious life.”

In 2009 Calmus was the first-prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, and have won many other international prizes and competitions, including the 2009 ECHO Klassik Award for “Leid: Gut!” an album of treasured German folksongs and first prizes at the fourth annual Robert Schumann Choral Competition, the International Competition for Vocal Ensembles and the 37th Tolosa Choral Contest in Spain. They regularly travel across Europe and North and South America partnering for performances with instrumental groups and commissioning numerous new works from composers.

Single tickets for the Calmus concert are available for $17 or $20 with discounts available for students and senior citizens.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 620-327-8158 (Hesston College) or 316-284-5205 (Bethel College) or visit the HBPA website at hesstonbethel.org.

HBPA is funded in part by Excel Industries and Hustler Turf Equipment (Hesston), the cities of Hesston and North Newton and area patrons.

Photo release - Sharing culture

Hesston College sophomore Victoria Gunawan (Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia) describes the Indonesian food she and freshman Kelvin Ferbianto (Jakarta, Indonesia) share with staff members Brenda Wenger and Michael Smalley at the Cultures Fair. International students and students from non-dominant North American cultures shared their customs and culture with the rest of the campus community during the celebration complete with food and performances of global music and dances. In past years, the college has hosted an International Festival for international students to share their culture with the campus. This year’s Cultures Fair was in place of that celebration and offered a more interactive atmosphere for participants.

Scholarship supports journey toward inclusion

The changing profile of race and ethnicity within Mennonite Church USA is the inspiration for the newly established Hesston College Inclusion Scholarship in support of the college’s ongoing work with inclusion and diversity.

As membership and participation within Mennonite Church USA continues to expand beyond traditional Swiss-German and Russian Mennonites, it is important for Hesston College, as the two-year college of Mennonite Church USA, to recognize, accept and embrace the experiences students bring from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures.

“Society is changing around us, and so are the demographics within Mennonite Church USA,” said 1983 Hesston College alumna Annette (Steider) Brown of Frisco, Texas, who initiated the scholarship with her husband, Greg. “Hispanics will account for 95 percent of the U.S. teen population growth through 2020. To support the church of the future, Hesston College must recruit students from all our diverse Mennonite congregations while finding new ways to help those in financial need.”

Annette Brown is a former Hesston College admissions staff member and Board of Directors member since 2007. She and Greg are both employees of PepsiCo. and have been part of the company’s two-decade long inclusion journey. The new scholarship’s purpose is to improve diversity at Hesston by mirroring the diversity of students within the denomination, and to support the efforts Hesston is making in being a welcoming campus to all students. Students from underrepresented groups within Mennonite Church USA will be priority recipients.

“Being a diverse campus is not enough,” said Brown. “Inclusion is the goal and it means embracing differences and accepting unique contributions.

As a campus that is home to students from 27 states, 15 countries and more than 20 religious backgrounds, Hesston College has been intentional in taking steps toward increasing inclusion and diversity on campus. Members of the Hesston College Inclusion and Diversity Initiative are working to identify areas the college can be more welcoming of diverse backgrounds and experiences.

“In order to fulfill our mission to be a Christ-centered community, we must do as Christ did in reaching out to persons and groups in minority positions and who may not have the same opportunities as others,” said Hesston College President Howard Keim. “We also recognize the demographics of our region and the church are changing, and that we have an opportunity to include persons that will enrich the experience of all students on our campus.”

The Inclusion and Diversity Initiative council is comprised of Hesston administrators, faculty, staff, students and board members, and their goal is to educate the rest of campus about becoming a truly inclusive community and to help establish new policies and procedures to achieve those goals.

“We are so thankful for this new scholarship and how it can assist in supporting under-represented students who are currently on our campus and in bringing new students to Hesston,” said faculty member and Inclusion and Diversity Council member Tony Brown.

Anyone who supports the scholarship’s mission of inclusion is welcome to make contributions toward its intended purposes by contacting the Hesston College Development Office at 620-327-8147.

Hesston College and American Guild of Organists to sponsor Easter Hymn Festival

Hesston College and the Hutchinson Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will sponsor an Easter Hymn Festival at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 4, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The program is free and open to the public.

The program will feature music for the Easter season by organist Ken Rodgers, the Hesston College Bel Canto Singers under the direction of Bradley Kauffman, Hesston College Chorale under the direction of Rodgers and the Hesston Mennonite Church Handbell Choir. The congregation will also have an opportunity to join in singing traditional Easter hymns.

Hesston Mennonite Church is located at 309 South Main Street in Hesston.

Hesston College students catch a glimpse of poverty

More than 100 Hesston College students spent Wednesday night learning what it is like to live below the poverty line during a college-sponsored poverty simulation led by Harvey County Circles of Hope – Peace Connections in Newton, Kan. Circles of Hope works to develop resources, educate the community and inspire change in trying to eliminate poverty.

Students were separated into families of all sizes – from one to seven – and dealt with real scenarios while juggling all the responsibilities that come with taking care of self and family over the course of a month. Some family members worked, others stayed home on disability or unemployment and children attended school. Together they had to figure out how to pay for rent, food, utilities, gas, child care and any other necessities.

Failure to fulfill their responsibilities resulted in consequences such as having their utilities shut off and paying to have them turned back on, children taken into protective custody by social services because of parents who failed to buy groceries during the week and winding up in court for a variety of offenses and neglect.

“We hope that through this experience, students will gain a greater understanding of and sensitivity toward all people in the world,” said Hesston College education faculty member and event organizer Tami Keim.

According to Circles of Hope representative and simulation leader Glenda Reynolds, 15.1 percent of the United States population lives below the poverty line, which for a family of four is below $23,021 a year as determined by the federal government. She encouraged students to jump into the roles they were assigned – to act as their characters may act and try to imagine how they must feel.

As students hurried from one location to the next to be sure they paid all their bills and met all their responsibilities each week, they began to understand what low-income families face every day.

“I knew that it was a struggle for families living in poverty to get by, but I didn’t realize the extent of what they face and the stress they feel in trying to make everything work,” said freshman Abbi Hochstetler of Arthur, N.D.

above - Hesston College students work together in a “family” group to plan out their strategy for the week during a poverty simulation led by Harvey County Circles of Hope.

During the first week of the simulation, only two families bought groceries, and no families paid for utilities. During the second week students ended up in court for various offenses, including failing to pick up their children from daycare, and during the third week, some families had their utilities shut off for failure to pay.

For some students, they poverty simulation was a new experience and a glimpse into the lives of the lower class. For others, the simulation was an experience that hit close to home.

“I have such a greater appreciation for families who live this way,” said sophomore Valerie Maust of Goshen, Ind. “They are often looked down on for not working hard enough, but many of them do everything they can to get by, and sometimes that is not even enough.”

Instructors from several academic disciplines including education, psychology, sociology, nutrition, social work and art had students participate in the simulation. They were encouraged to view the simulation from the perspective of the course they were taking.

“We really appreciate the instructors and the college for orchestrating this event for students,” said Circles of Hope volunteer Bill Reynolds. “Educating our young people in the realities of poverty can go a long way in helping to eliminate it in the future.”

Hesston College announces new vice president

Hesston College President Howard Keim announced the appointment of Mark Landes as Vice President of Finance and Auxiliary Services. He will begin his new role in June.

Landes’ role includes serving as the college’s chief financial officer, as well as overseeing human relations and the college’s auxiliary services, including the Business Office, Food Services, Information Technology and Campus Facilities.

“Mark brings expertise in higher education finance that will be most helpful in our strategic planning,” said Keim. “His care for Hesston College, desire to serve in this kind of setting and his competent leadership will be great gifts to Hesston College.”

Landes spent the last 13 years in the banking industry, specializing in banking and lending for higher education and nonprofit groups for the last seven years. His most recent position was Senior Vice President of Education and Nonprofit Banking with Wells Fargo in Denver.

“I am honored and excited to join a team at Hesston College that is pursuing a common vision and is all rowing in the same direction as we look to navigate some very real challenges in higher education,” said Landes. “I hope to continue building upon the financial discipline that has been achieved in recent years with particular attention to stewardship, not just of our financial resources, but also our people and facilities.”

Karl Brubaker, who has served as Hesston College Business Office Manager for many years, also served in the interim role during the college’s search to fill the vacated position. Brubaker will continue in the interim role until Landes begins and will continue as Business Office Manager moving forward.

Landes earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Goshen (Ind.) College. He is a member of Belleview Community Church in Littleton, Colo., where he has been actively involved in church leadership and ministry roles. He is married to Hesston alumna DeeDee (Martin) Landes and they have two young children.

Art gallery features “Portraits of Change”

“Portraits of Change,” a traveling art exhibit by artists from a prison art class, is featured in Hesston College’s Regier-Friesen Gallery on the Hesston College campus through April 5. The inmates participate in the class through Offender Victim Ministries in Newton, Kan., taught by Youthville’s Micala Gingrich-Gaylord.

“The Portraits of Change program is based on the premise that art has a message, and through a guided experience, one can find their own story revealed and reflected through the lens of art,” Gingrich-Gaylord stated in the exhibit explanation.

Each piece of art tells an inmate’s story and reveals emotions and thoughts through a multitude of techniques.

“Being able to be free in my art is peaceful and an experience I am thankful for,” wrote one inmate. “The crime I committed is not going to change, but I can change, and that is a start.”

The gallery, located in the Friesen Center for Visual Arts, is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Sophomore violinist to perform recital

Hesston College violinist Michaela Zook will perform a recital at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 23, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The public is invited to attend.

Zook, a violinist from Hesston, Kan., studies under adjunct violin instructor Nancy Johnson. She is the daughter of Kevin and Marcella Zook of Hesston.

Accompanied by collaborative pianist and Hesston College music faculty member Ken Rodgers, selections will include works from multiple centuries including compositions by Bach, Rachmaninoff and Saint-Saens.

For a personal touch, Zook will perform an original arrangement, “Emmanuel” by Michel Columbier, a twentieth century French composer, songwriter, arranger and conductor known for his advertising jingles as well as television and movie soundtrack scores. Her parents will provide accompaniment while her brother, Caleb Zook, assists on trumpet.

Following the recital, there will be a reception in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center.

Hesston College to experience student cultures

Hesston College students will share a sampling of the campus’ global and cultural diversity with a Cultures Fair at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center. The event is free and open to the public.

International students and students from non-dominant North American cultures will display information about their countries, customs and culture for participants to browse through while they interact with the students, sample ethnic foods and enjoy live performances of global music and dances.

“Even though the majority of students on our campus come from a dominant white North American background, we have students from other countries and experiences who represent rich cultures,” said Jeron Baker, director of International Student Life. “The Cultures Fair will give the students a chance to share their traditions with the rest of campus and the community.”

About 50 international students at Hesston College represent 17 countries while other students represent non-dominant North American ethnicities like African-American, Native American and Hispanic.

“Hopefully we will all be reminded that there is much more to the world than the dominant culture with which we are most familiar,” said Baker.