In the News

Art students featured in Friesen Center gallery

Hesston College art students are the featured artists in the Hesston College Friesen Center gallery through May 4. The student work features two and three dimensional art from both fall and spring semesters of the 2011-12 school year.

The student work was juried by Rachel Epp Buller, assistant professor of art at Bethel College (North Newton, Kan.). Erika Fujimoto’s untitled fused glass piece was named Best in Show and will be purchased by Hesston College and added to the college’s collection. Fujimoto is a sophomore from Toyama-ken, Japan.

“I experienced a strong showing of diverse media,” said Epp Buller. “Many of the pieces have a strong design presence. The functional ceramics were beautiful and demonstrated a nice range of various glazing techniques.”

Honorable Mentions were given to sophomore Shuvo Das of Mohammadpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh, for his untitled wood carving; freshman Grant Fenton of Hesston, Kan., for his cone 10 reduction fired pitcher; sophomore Alyssa Horst of Orrville, Ohio, for her untitled acrylic painting; freshman Russell Klassen of Goshen, Ind., for his cone 10 reduction fired wheel thrown vessel; sophomore Alanah Rempel of Grand Lake, Colo., for her untitled fused glass piece; sophomore Delmer Reyes of Hugoton, Kan., for his pencil drawing “Mi Raza;” freshman Kayla Stevenson of Meade, Kan., for her fused glass piece “Flow of Traffic;” and freshman Natalie Young of Wichita, Kan., for her cone 10 reduction fired lidded slab box.

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

The gallery is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

An untitled fused glass piece by sophomore Erika Fujimoto was named Best in Show in the Hesston College student art show.

Remembering Al Yoder

“Here is the particular case of Mr. Al Yoder, who gave me great support when I was struggling in my classes because of my poor English.”

Victor Carrasco’s words echoed dozens of his fellow Hesston College international students who studied English with Yoder and who sent prayers and words of encouragement during their former instructor’s battle with esophageal cancer.

“This situation was not all bad because it helped us build a very good friendship,” continued Carrasco, a 1992 graduate from the Dominican Republic. “I often remember those words that came from Mr. Al Yoder: ‘Do not give up, Victor. You can make it. Do not give up, keep going.’ Those words still come to my mind every single day, and those words encourage me to understand that dreams come true when you one day [finish the things you started].”

To say that Al Yoder influenced the lives of the students he worked with would be an understatement. Yoder was more than an instructor – he was a mentor, a father-figure and a friend – especially to the students who studied English as a second language with him. Even with years and miles separating Yoder from his former students, many fondly remembered him and the way his encouragement, enthusiasm and passions helped them adjust to life and education in the United States. His nurturing and supportive ways provided them with a foundation for the rest of their lives.

Yoder, Hesston College faculty emeritus, passed away on April 3 after battling cancer for several months. In the months leading to his death, notes filled his email inbox and the wall of the CASS (Cooperative Association of States for Scholarship)/Peace Scholars Facebook page remembering the man who touched so many lives.

“You were certainly a teacher in its truest sense, and you never gave up on any of us no matter how much we struggled with English,” Cesar Dubois, a 1995 graduate from Nicaragua, said in an email to Yoder. “Even more, you were an inspiration for integrity and dignity and a wonderful ambassador for introducing us to the U.S. way of life.”

Yoder arrived in Hesston from Garden City, Mo., for the first time as a student in 1947 studying teacher education. He started his career in one-room schools in Missouri, teaching alongside his wife, Irene. He then taught in Glenwood Springs, Colo., before moving on to administration and serving as an assistant elementary principal in Denver. After returning to school himself, he worked at the University of Wyoming (Laramie) Laboratory School where he developed curriculum and innovative teaching techniques before returning to Hesston in 1974.

Upon his return to Hesston, Yoder served as the principal at Hesston Elementary School and curriculum coordinator for U.S.D. 460 before transitioning back into teaching when he began as teacher education instructor at Hesston College in 1980. In 1984 he became co-director of the Title IV program, a federally-funded precursor to today’s academic support services. He added an ESL certification to his skill set, and in 1990 began teaching English as a second language to international students until his retirement in May 2005.

“Teaching is my passion, so these 25 years [at Hesston College] have been wonderful and the most fulfilling,” said Yoder upon his retirement. “I love the cultural interaction with the students and the excitement with which they learn.”

When Yoder began teaching ESL classes, the college had just become part of the CASS program administered by Georgetown University (Washington D.C.), which hosted economically disadvantaged Central American and Caribbean students to prepare them for successful careers in their home countries.

Hesston College was no stranger to international students. Students from Canada had been a part of the student population since the college’s early years, with students from Europe, Asia, Africa and Central and South America attending beginning in the mid-1940s. Dozens of international students from dozens of countries add a unique perspective to the campus community every year.

And Yoder himself was no stranger to international students. During a sabbatical in 1986-87, Al and Irene taught English at Chongqing University in China. They also taught at Lithuania Christian College (Klaipeda) during the summer program in 1997. For 15 years, Al was the primary Hesston College instructor to teach English and American culture to hundreds of international students.

Gerry Selzer, Yoder’s colleague at both Hesston Public Schools and Hesston College, said Yoder was a mentor to him as an educator who shared his passion for teaching and education.

“Al was not afraid to entertain new ideas or to have old ideas challenged,” said Selzer. “I discovered that he had time- and experience-tested ideas that spoke to some of my uncertainties about education. He truly understood how learning happens.”

That passion spilled into all the areas in which Yoder worked. In 2001, Hesston College and U.S.D. 460 hosted a banquet in celebration of his 50 years of teaching and for all the contributions he provided to the schools in the community.

Former students remember Yoder’s sense of humor, his passion for teaching and his encouragement. Some recounted stories of how he introduced them to brownies, carving pumpkins, and roasting marshmallows and hot dogs over bonfires.

Al Yoder helped establish an atmosphere for international students to feel safe and encouraged as they integrated with a new culture and language. His legacy will live on in the students who had the privilege to call him their teacher, mentor and friend.

“Al is the type of teacher that has the power to leave an undeletable mark on his students,” wrote Donaldo Samayoa, a 1994 graduate from Guatemala, who now lives in Maryland. “Thank you, Al, for all you did, for your dedication, your patience and love.”

Bel Canto Singers membership for 2012-13 announced

The Hesston College Music Department has announced membership for the 2012-13 Bel Canto Singers. Members are selected by competitive audition.

Incoming first-year students named to the ensemble are Josh Booth of Goessel, Kan., Morgan Martin of New Holland, Pa., Rebecca Rhodes of Arthur, Ill., Jeffrey Smoker of Harrisonburg, Va., and Emily Taylor of Buhler, Kan.

Hesston College students named to the ensemble for their sophomore year are Deni Brummer of Hutchinson, Kan., Kaci Diener of Harrisonville, Mo., and Janae King of Gordonville, Pa.

Hesston College students who were part of Bel Canto during their freshman year and who will return with the ensemble for their sophomore year are Alex Bargerstock of Massillon, Ohio, Neal Brubaker of Goessel, Kan., Broxton Busenitz of North Newton, Kan., Emmie Dudas of Toledo, Ohio, Bonita Garber of Bainbridge, Pa., Rachelle Hanna of Whitewater, Kan., Levi Miller of Hesston, Kan., Alisa Murray of Orrville, Ohio, and Cameron Ponce of Elkhart, Ind.

For 28 years, Bel Canto Singers has been Hesston College’s premiere choral ensemble. Under the direction of Bradley Kauffman, the twenty-voice mixed chamber choir carries out ambitious concert and touring schedules annually

The choir has performed for professional clinicians including The King’s Singers, Charles Bruffy and Constantina Tsolainou and appeared with the Wichita (Kan.) Grand Opera in its tenth anniversary gala concert in 2011. During the 2011-12 academic year, Bel Canto toured in Indiana, Ohio, Colorado and Iowa and was a featured choir at the Kansas Music Educators’ Winter In Service Workshop.

Bel Canto Singers represent a broad sampling of academic pursuits, from aviation to nursing to music majors.

Plans for the 2012-13 performance schedule include a two-week tour to the east coast that culminates at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Hesston College announces resident assistants for 2012-13

The Hesston College Student Life department announced 32 students as resident assistants for the 2012-13 academic year.

Resident assistants are sophomore students who lead nine to 15 students in the dorms and serve as a communication link between students and the resident director. They direct dorm activities and assist the administration in the enforcement of college policies. Student Life staff choose resident assistants based on their high respect of lifestyle guidelines and exemplary academic work.

Resident assistants for the 2012-13 year are:
Gina Benton of McPherson, Kan., Tim Bixler of Indianapolis, Ind.; Nathan Bray of Galva, Kan.; Neal Brubaker of Goessel, Kan.; Ian Croyle of Goshen, Ind.; Joel Dick of Wichita, Kan.; Kaci Diener of Harrisonville, Mo.; Erika Dorsch of Whitewater, Kan.; Mallory Eicher of Berne, Ind.; Taylor Ermoian of Hays, Kan.; Hayley Gately of Roseville, Calif.; Jessica Graybill of Gap, Pa.; Vicky Gunawan of Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia; Adam Heisey of Elizabethtown, Pa.; Preston Hornbeck of McKinney, Texas; Kayla Kauffman of Hutchinson, Kan.; Janae King of Gordonville, Pa.; Jacob Landis of Sterling, Ill.; Mariah Martin of Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Rachel Miller of Hutchinson, Kan.; Michelle Moyer of Monticello, Ill.; Alisa Murray of Orrville, Ohio; Mollie Nebel of Hesston, Kan.; Zenawit Nerae of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Keisei Ohta of Kanagawa, Japan; Logan Orpin of Canton, Kan.; Michael Oyer of Hesston, Kan.; Luke Ropp of Inman, Kan.; Alec Stahly of Newton Kan.; Derek Swartzendruber of Shickley, Neb.; Redfa Titihalawa of Kuala Kencana, Papua, Indonesia; and Pierre Zook of McMinnville, Ore.

Inaugural Hesston College Athletes of the Year named at annual sports banquet

Three Hesston College student athletes were named Athletes of the Year at the college’s annual sports banquet Tuesday, April 24. The recipients were freshman Pierre Zook, McMinnville, Ore., a guard on the men’s basketball team; sophomore Krista Rittenhouse, Mt. Pleasant, Pa., a women’s cross country runner; and sophomore Emily Wagner-Davis, Roseville, Calif., an outfielder on the softball team.

The award was created to recognize an outstanding male and female student athlete each year. Hesston coaches were able to nominate one of their players for the award, with votes from the entire department determining the winners. Rittenhouse and Wagner-Davis tied for Female Athlete of the Year in this year’s voting.

The new award, which recognizes excellence on the field, in the classroom, in the dorms and campus community, was created by a desire from the athletics department to acknowledge the outstanding men and women who represent Hesston College through athletics.

“Athletics play a pivotal role at Hesston College,” said athletic director Joel Kauffman. “We’re proud of what our student athletes contribute to our college, both in the athletic venue and around our campus and community. Pierre, Krista and Emily are excellent examples of the type of athletes we look for at Hesston College.”

Zook led the nation in three-pointers with 127, setting a career mark in that category at Hesston. As a captain, he averaged more than 20 points per game and will lead a strong returning class for the Larks in 2012-13.

“Pierre continues to grow and be challenged while challenging others,” said Hesston men’s basketball coach Dustin Galyon. “He pursues his life with integrity and is a terrific leader, and I’m excited to see what he can do next year.”

Rittenhouse capped off an outstanding career by representing the Larks at the NJCAA National Cross Country Championship Race in Hobbs, N.M., in November, finishing 47th out of 268 runners with a time of 20:53.57. A team captain, Rittenhouse was a 2011-12 Academic All-American.

“It has been a pleasure to coach Krista the last two years,” said Hesston cross country coach Gerry Sieber. She brought an infectious enthusiasm for running and training which was a real gift for our team. Krista is a kind, caring, servant leader.”

Wagner-Davis, an Academic All-American, ranks second in all-time hits at Hesston College and sixth in career runs batted in. She started every game of her career with the Larks and served as team captain in 2011-12.

“Emily represents everything I look for in a Hesston College softball player,” said Hesston softball coach Andrew Sharp. “She’s a team leader, a tremendous competitor and has a heart for serving others. She will be missed.”

European Chorale prepares for tour

The Hesston College European Chorale will kick off its biennial European tour with a concert during Hesston College Commencement Weekend at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. The concert is free and open to the public.

The 37-voice choir, under the direction of Bradley Kauffman and with accompaniment provided by Ken Rodgers, will perform nine concerts in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain May 8 to 29. Choir members represent both Hesston College choirs – Bel Canto and Chorale. The trip will mark the first time that a Hesston College choir has visited the south of France and Spain.

Hesston College choirs have taken a European tour every two years since 1980. Aside from concert appearances, students will also explore the history and culture of the countries they visit, visit historical Anabaptist and early Mennonite sites and stay with host families.

Sophomores to perform recitals

Hesston College sophomore music students will perform voice recitals during Commencement Weekend. Michael Darby and Melody Marshall will perform at 9 p.m. May 4 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. Libby Waltner will perform at 1 p.m. May 5 in the Northlawn Studio Theatre on the Hesston College campus. The public is invited to attend.

Darby, of Iowa City, Iowa, and Marshall, of Grottoes, Va., have both been members of the Bel Canto Singers, the college’s premiere vocal ensemble under the direction of Bradley Kauffman, for two years. They study voice with Matthew Schloneger.

Darby, the son of Carl and Donna Darby of Iowa City, is also a two-year member of Concert Band under the direction of Kauffman. Marshall is the daughter of Mark and Kelley Marshall of Grottoes.

Darby and Marshall’s performance will include works by Handel, Carissimi, Mozart and musical theatre selections. Ken Rodgers will provide piano accompaniment.

Waltner, of Hurley, S.D., has been a member of the Hesston College Chorale under the direction of Rodgers for two years. She is also a two-year member of Concert Band and studies voice with Schloneger. She is the daughter of Kevin and Amy Waltner of Hurley.

Waltner’s performance will include works by Faure and Handel and feature selections from several musicals. Rodgers will provide piano accompaniment.

Hesston College to celebrate 2012 graduates May 6

Hesston College will celebrate the class of 2012 with the 102nd commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 6, in Yost Center.

Joe Manickam, a 1987 Hesston College graduate, will present the commencement address “Back to Basics,” based on the college’s 2011-12 theme verse from Micah 6:8.

Manickam of Lancaster, Pa., serves as director for Asia programs for Mennonite Central Committee. He served as associate director of Admissions at Hesston College from 1991 to 1996 and as associate director at the Center for Anabaptist Leadership in Pasadena, Calif., from 1996 to 2005.

Student speakers for the ceremony are Hannah Bachman of Tiskilwa, Ill., and Zach Baumgartner of Hesston, Kan.

The class of 2012 will be recognized for its accomplishments during Larkfest at 7:30 p.m. May 5 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus. A reception will follow in the Community Center.

Academic departments will recognize graduates in ceremonies May 5. Disaster Management students will be recognized at 9 a.m. in Kropf Center, room 150.

A pinning ceremony for nursing students will be at 10 a.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church and Community Center. Kristina (McMillen) Ibitayo, Ph.D., RN, and a 1985 Hesston alumna will be the featured speaker. She is the clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and editorial assistant for “Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing.”

Pastoral Ministries commissioning will be at 1 p.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. Reverend Geniese Stanford, lead pastor at Hesston United Methodist Church, will be the featured speaker.

Aviation and Air Traffic Control students will be recognized during a 2:30 p.m. reception in the Bontrager Student Center.

Other weekend events include a Band Concert at 8 p.m. May 4 in the Bontrager Student Center and sophomore recitals by Michael Darby (Iowa City) and Melody Marshall (Grottoes, Va.) at 9 p.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. Libby Waltner (Turkey Ridge, S.D.) will perform her sophomore recital at 1 p.m. May 5 in the Northlawn Studio Theater. The European Chorale will perform a bon voyage concert entitled “Meditations and Illuminations” at 4 p.m. May 5 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. The concert is a precursor for the choir’s tour of the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain May 8 to 29.

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

Hesston College reflects on year during Kansas Private College Week

Hesston College will recognize April 16 to 22 as Kansas Private College Week based on a proclamation issued by Governor Sam Brownback.

Hesston College is one of 18 independent colleges and universities that form the Kansas Independent College Association to be recognized during the week.

According to the proclamation, the KICA member schools enroll 22,000 students each year in undergraduate and graduate programs and combine for more than 200,000 living alumni – half of whom live and work in Kansas.

Hesston College is the only two-year liberal arts college in the state of Kansas. Hesston was founded in 1909 and is affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. Enrollment for the 2011-12 year is 468 students representing 27 states and 14 countries.

Hesston College offers students hands-on practical experiences in their first two years of college to help prepare them for future educational and career pursuits.

(left) Hesston College Environmental Biology students work with Hesston Elementary third graders to prepare wildflower seeds for winter dormancy. The college and elementary students worked together three times throughout the fall 2011 semester to prepare for a prairie planting at the elementary school in the spring. Pictured from left are Hesston College freshmen Sarah Geiser of Apple Creek, Ohio, Logan Blackford of Orrville, Ohio, Alex Martin, Drew Hiebert, third grade teacher MeLissa Dryzmalla and Mariana Martinez; (right) The Hesston College Entrepreneurship class takes a break from turning 55-gallon food-grade drums into rain barrels. Pictured from left are sophomores Brenda Nieto-Montoya (Three Rivers, Mich.), Mallory Schroeder (Newton, Kan.), business instructor David LeVan, Kyle Albrecht (Clarence, N.Y.) and Hayden Goerzen and freshmen Matt Weaver (Goshen, Ind.) and Brandon Sharkey (Goshen, Ind.). Class member not pictured is sophomore Miranda Hilliard (Sedgwick, Kan.).

During the 2011-12 academic year, students studying in various departments were given unique opportunities to explore their interests. Environmental Biology students worked with kindergartners and third graders at Hesston Elementary School on a prairie plant restoration project.

Education majors explored differences in education with a day trip to Central Junior and Senior High School in Tulsa, Okla. While there, they observed in classrooms, presented on preparing for college and reviewed standardized test objectives.

Students enrolled in Entrepreneurship class during the spring semester created and are operating a business for three weeks manufacturing and selling recycled rain barrels. All of the profit earned from the sale of the rain barrels will be donated to Mennonite Central Committee to help with relief efforts in countries around the world.

Students in the spring semester Physics II class built an electric bicycle and solar bicycle charging station.

The theatre department presented two full-length productions – “The Boys Next Door” during the fall semester and Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” during the spring semester. Students enrolled in the Music Theatre Workshop also presented a program of showtunes and musical scenes. Student-directed one-act plays will be presented during commencement weekend in May.

The music department held performances in local churches and schools and in 11 states across the country during choir and Concert Band tours. The 37-voice European Chorale will travel to five European countries May 8 to 29 during the biennial European tour.

(left) The cast of the fall 2011 theatre production “The Boys Next Door” rehearse a scene. Pictured from left are freshmen Deni Brummer (Hutchinson, Kan.), Simeon Taylor (Girard, Kan.), Cameron Ponce (Elkhart, Ind.), Nathan Bray (Canton, Kan.) and David Rudy (Manheim, Pa.); (right) Jerry Holloman (left) and Jacob Gayer (right), members of Hesston College’s first class of Air Traffic Control graduates in May 2011, work with Director of Aviation Dan Miller in the on-campus table model simulation lab.

Students in the college’s 10 two-year degree programs continue to receive quality education and training as they prepare for the workforce. The nursing program continues to be one of the strongest in the state with a 98 percent pass rate for more than 40 years.

In May 2011, the college recognized its first graduates in Air Traffic Control. Hesston became part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative programs in April 2010. Hesston is the only college in Kansas, and one of only 36 nationwide, to receive FAA certification for Air Traffic Control. Aviation remains a strong program with 45 students, including 12 Air Traffic Control students enrolled at the beginning of the year.

The college focused on sustainability efforts and green initiatives on campus in 2011-12. The renewed interest in environmental care was spearheaded by the First Year Experience class and a campus-wide common read “No Impact Man” (Picador, 2010) by Colin Beavan. In September, the college recognized its first “No Impact Week,” which provided events and opportunities for the campus community to experiment with sustainable living and care of the environment on campus and in their personal lives. The college also became a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education to further efforts toward building a healthy and just world.

Hesston offers more than 50 programs for transfer, including five pre-professional programs, as well as 10 two-year degree programs, making the college a viable option for traditional and non-traditional students.

The college hosts various educational and cultural events for the public on campus and at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains throughout the year.

With 166 employees, the college is the fourth largest employer in the city of Hesston, and through student involvement maintains connections with other local organizations including Schowalter Villa, the Hesston College Preschool and U.S.D 460.

Governor’s proclamation

TO THE PEOPLE OF KANSAS, GREETINGS:

WHEREAS, There are 18 private non-profit colleges in Kansas, enrolling 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year; and there are over 200,000 living alums—half of whom live and work in Kansas; and among these alums are some of the state’s most important civic, business and cultural leaders; and

WHEREAS, Kansas private colleges award over $120 million in institutional grants and scholarships to students annually; and 20% of the state’s bachelors degrees and 29% of the state’s masters degrees are awarded to students attending private colleges; and

WHEREAS, Kansas private colleges are major employers in many smaller communities and enrich those communities with an array of cultural and community education events, contributing significantly to the quality of life; and

WHEREAS, Kansas private colleges routinely invest significant financial resources in the economies of their local communities and the state through annual budgets and major construction projects; and

WHEREAS, Kansas private colleges promote civic engagement and leadership development of student through extensive community service and internship/work study programs, and provide educational programming and campus culture that places a priority on the development of personal character and ethical practice;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, SAM BROWNBACK, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF KANSAS, do hereby proclaim April 16 – 22, 2012, as

KANSAS PRIVATE COLLEGE WEEK

in Kansas and urge all citizens to join in this observance by recognizing the important contributions of private colleges in the state.