In the News

Hesston College graduates encouraged to get back to the basics

above Kate Steury (New Paris, Ind.) receives her Hesston College diploma from President Howard Keim. Steury was one of 167 graduates of Hesston’s 102nd graduating class.

Hesston College’s 167 graduates of the class of 2012 were encouraged to get back to the basics of life and faith during a May 6 commencement ceremony.

Joe Manickam, a 1987 Hesston College graduate and director for Asia programs with Mennonite Central Committee, presented the commencement address “Back to Basics,” based on the college’s 2011-12 theme verse from Micah 6:8. Manickam served as associate director of Admissions at Hesston from 1991 to 1996 and as associate director at the Center for Anabaptist Leadership in Pasadena, Calif., from 1996 to 2005. He lives in Lancaster, Pa., with his wife, Wanda, and children Faith and Matthew.

Manickam encouraged graduates to remember that genuine relationships with the people they encounter throughout life can serve as lessons in community, justice, mercy and humility.

“Rules serve as the glue that bonds communities together, but sometimes, the rules we surround ourselves with get in the way of being in relationship with others, and Micah is telling us to get back to the basics,” said Manickam.

Manickam summed up “the basics” in three points: Do justice – “How does this decision impact the poor?” Love mercy – “Don’t let someone else tell you who your enemy should be,” and walk humbly with God – “Are our faith practices getting in the way of translating Christ’s love?”

“There will be times when God is going to place in front of you things that scare you, things that you don’t understand, but if what Micah is teaching is relevant today, you must step into that situation, because if there is something more important that Christian rituals, it’s relationships,” said Manicakam.

Graduates Hannah Bachman of Tiskilwa, Ill., and Zachary Baumgartner of Hesston, Kan., were nominated by their classmates to give the student address during commencement.

Individual student groups were recognized in special ceremonies May 5. Longtime Mennonite Disaster Service volunteer Paul Unruh addressed nine Disaster Management graduates in a pre-recorded message in which he encouraged them to be bridge builders for disaster survivors. The students will spend 10 weeks this summer working with various agencies at disaster sites around the country to complete their requirements.

Travis Pollock, a 2007 Hesston College graduate and first officer with Cutter Aviation in Phoenix, addressed 12 aviation and air traffic control graduates during a reception.

The college’s Nursing Department presented pins to the 50 members of the 45th class of graduating nursing students. Kristina (McMillen) Ibitayo, Ph.D., R.N., a 1985 Hesston College nursing graduate and clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing gave the address “Doors of Opportunity.”

The Pastoral Ministries program commissioned three graduates for service in the church. Genise Stanford, lead pastor at Hesston United Methodist Church, gave the address “Be Strong and Courageous.”

Other weekend events included a Concert Band concert and sophomore recitals by Michael Darby (Iowa City, Iowa), Melody Marshall (Grottoes, Va.) and Libby Waltner (Hurley, S.D.). The European Chorale presented a concert as a precursor to its three-week tour through five European countries May 8 to 29.

(left) Hesston College sophomore Alanah Rempel (Grand Lake, Colo.), graduate Dawson Waltner (Freeman, S.D.) and freshman Junau Louis-Jean (Les Cayes, Haiti) pose for a picture following commencement May 6; (right) Air Traffic Control graduate Heather Harkins (Wichita, Kan.) receives congratulations from the aviation department faculty and staff at a reception honoring aviation graduates studying both flight and air traffic control.

(left) Josh Musser (Newport News, Va.) is recognized as part of the Disaster Management program by director Russ Gaeddert; (right) Hesston College Pastoral Ministries graduates and their wives receive a prayer of blessing from Bible and Ministry faculty and staff. Pictured from left are Udechukwunyere Chukwukelu, Chijioke “CJ” Chukwukelu, Ronald Moyo, Sukuluhle Moyo, Jolene Miller and Bryan Miller.

(left) Erica Fitzmorris (Littleton, Colo.) receives a blessing from Hesston College nursing faculty member Sondra Leatherman during the nurses pinning ceremony; (right) Hesston College graduates Aaron Jones (Kansas City, Mo.) and Saki Nozaki (Tokyo, Japan) pose for a picture following commencement May 6.

Students commissioned for service

During Hesston College chapel Monday, April 23, 48 students were commissioned for Christian ministry and service during the summer. The students will serve around the world in positions from camp counselor to supervisors at disaster sites.

“These students are going to make a difference in someone’s life because they are willing to join with and participate in Jesus’ ministry that is already taking place in all of these different settings,” said Todd Lehman, Hesston College campus pastor.

Disaster Management students working with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) and other agencies

• Doing an eight-week field experience in Minot, N.D., cleaning up from 2011 flooding with Mennonite Disaster Service are Scott Jordan of Hutchinson, Kan., Logan Orpin of Canton, Kan., Amy Repp of Valley Center, Kan., Luke Ropp of Inman, Kan., Paul Schoenhals of Archbold, Ohio, and Mason Unruh of Newton, Kan.
• Saralyn Mast of Ephrata, Pa., will serve with MDS in Minot and in the MDS binational office in Litiz, Pa.
• Marshall Ragland of Marion, Kan., will serve with MDS in Minot and in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
• Jonathan Burkholder of Warden, Wash., will serve with MDS in Birmingham, Ala., and with Mennonite Central Committee in Bolivia.
• Josh Musser of Newport News, Va., will work with the MCC SWAP (Sharing With Appalachian People) program in Kentucky.
• Andrew Penner of Fresno, Calif., will serve with MDS in Birmingham, Ala., and with Habitat for Humanity in Fresno.
• Logan Rierson of McPherson, Kan., and Krista Rittenhouse of Mt. Pleasant, Pa., will serve with MDS in Birmingham, Ala., and with MDS’s youth group program at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp in Divide, Colo.
• Joey Stoltzfus of Hesston, Kan., will serve as a construction supervisor with MDS in Minot.
• Sierra Wheeler of Bristol, Ind., will serve with MDS in Birmingham, Ala., and with The Window in Goshen, Ind.

Service projects

• Leah Mueller of Halstead, Kan., will serve with Youth Venture in Bolivia until spring 2013 and then with Amani Baby Cottage in Uganda.
• Alyssa Rychener of Hesston, Kan., will serve with Youth Venture in Bolivia.
• Erin Hershey of Mechanicsburg, Pa., will serve overseas with Youth Evangelism Service through Eastern Mennonite Missions beginning fall 2012.
• Angela Entz of Whitewater, Kan., will serve with Campus Crusade for Christ in San Diego, Calif.
• Brocia Beachy of Wolcottville, Ind., will serve with Hopi Mission School in Kykotsmovi, Ariz., beginning fall 2012.
• Brad Sandlin of Valley Center, Kan., and Kaitlyn Miller of Sarasota, Fla., will do Mennonite Voluntary Service with Mennonite Mission Network beginning fall 2012.
• Tyler Yoder of Bay Port, Mich., will serve in a youth ministry internship role at Pigeon River Mennonite Church in Pigeon, Mich.
• Mollie Nebel of Hesston, Kan., will serve with Fellowship Guatemala.
• Josanna Raber of Wooster, Ohio, will serve with Rosedale Mennonite Missions.

Church camps

• Maria Martin of Harrisonburg, Va., will serve at Beaver Camp in Lowville, N.Y.
• Students serving at Little Eden Camp in Onekama, Mich., are Harvey Brow of New Paris Ind., Becca Short of Archbold, Ohio, Taylor Waidelich of Stryker, Ohio, and Kenny Graber of Archbold, Ohio.
• Students serving at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp in Divide, Colo., are Taylor Ermoian of Hays, Kan., Kaedi LeFevre of Hesston, Kan., Jacob Landis of Sterling, Ill., Mariah Martin of Glenwood Springs, Colo., and Lauren Weaver of Hesston, Kan.
• Students serving at Camp Friedenswald in Cassopolis Mich., are Zach Baumgartner of Hesston, Kan., Cameron Ponce of Elkhart, Ind., and Mallory Eicher of Berne, Ind.
• Students serving at Camp Mennoscah in Murdock, Kan., are Rachel Miller of Hutchinson, Kan., and Kayla Kauffman of Hutchinson, Kan.
• Students serving at Menno Haven Camp and Retreat Center in Tiskilwa, Ill., are Hannah Bachman of Tiskilwa, Ill., and Michelle Moyer of Monticello, Ill.
• Matt Hershey of Harleysville, Pa., will serve at Crooked Creek Christian Camp in Washington, Iowa.
• Jill Eigsti of Goshen, Ind., will serve at Amigo Centre Summer Camp in Sturgis, Mich.
• Sarah Gilman of Knoxville, Tenn., will serve at Pine Lake Camp in Meridian, Miss.
• Melody Marshall of Grottoes, Va., will serve at Highland Retreat in Bergton, Va.
• Bonita Garber of Bainbridge, Pa., will serve at Camp Deerpark in Westbrookville, N.Y.

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.