In the News

Hesston College art gallery features young artists

Kids from Newton’s United Methodist Youthville campus, are the featured artists in the Hesston College Friesen Center gallery. The works of art are from “The Monster In Me” project through Youthville’s Expressive Arts Center, directed by Micala Gingrich-Gaylord, and will be displayed through Feb. 18.

“The Monster In Me” project gave kids at Newton’s Youthville campus an outlet to process personal experiences – both of things that have happened to them or they have done – and find ways to grow beyond them. Each unique monster picture is a testament to pain and frustration and is a tangible example of the power of art as a tool for healing and overcoming abuse, violence and trauma.

The pictures drawn and painted by artists ranging from 7 to 18 years old, were collected over the last five years. Although the Newton Youthville campus has downsized the number of children served, the Expressive Arts Center will continue to help at-risk kids in the community and local area find ways to express themselves.

Youthville is a child-welfare agency that specializes in foster care, adoption, counseling and therapy for Kansas children suffering from abuse, neglect, abandonment and trauma.

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

Hesston College announces fall 2011 honor roll

Hesston College announced the names of full-time students whose fall semester grades earned them a place on the Dean’s List (3.90 to 4.00) and Honor Roll (3.50 to 3.89).

Dean’s List 3.90-4.00
Freshmen

Lauren Adams – Wichita, Kan.
Asbel Assefa – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Seth Bitikofer – Saint George, Kan.
Cory Bowman – Millersburg, Ind.
Lindsey Carter – Alden, Kan.
Mallory Eicher – Berne, Ind.
Grant Fenton – Hesston, Kan.
Taylor Fritz – Atglen, Pa.
Bonita Garber – Bainbridge, Pa.
Sarah Geiser – Apple Creek, Ohio
Gabrielle Guesnier – Olathe, Kan.
Crysta Haury – Pretty Prairie, Kan.
Jordan Hefner – Atchison, Kan.
Adam Heisey – Elizabethtown, Pa.
Andrea Kelley – Archbold, Ohio
Fredrick Lehman – Dalton, Ohio
Mariah Martin – Glenwood Springs, Colo.
Olivia Miller – Newton, Kan.
Mollie Nebel – Hesston, Kan.
Keisei Ohta – Kanagawa, Japan
Logan Orpin – Canton, Kan.
Ty Richardson – Wichita, Kan.
David Rudy – Manheim, Pa.
Alyssa Rychener – Hesston, Kan.
Paul Schoenhals – Archbold, Ohio
Sydney Smith – Inman, Kan.
Kayla Stevenson – Meade, Kan.
Derek Swartzendruber – Shickley, Neb.
Matthew Weaver – Hesston, Kan.
Ron Wenger – Adair, Ok.
Michaela Zook – Hesston, Kan.

Dean’s List 3.90-4.00
Sophomores

Zachary Baumgartner – Hesston, Kan.
Jonathan Burkholder – Warden, Wash.
Shuvo Das – Mohammadpur, Dhaka,Bangladesh
Logan Duerksen – Newton, Kan.
Angela Entz – Whitewater, Kan.
Katie Fiedler – Newton, Kan.
Hayden Goerzen – Newton, Kan.
Karli Graybill – Goshen, Ind.
Ashley Hager – West Liberty, Ohio
Erin Hershey – Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Alyssa Horst – Orrville, Ohio
Leann Johnson-Fast – Inman, Kan.
Jonathan King – Hillsboro, Kan.
Danielle Klotz – Hesston, Kan.
Kendra Litwiller – Hopedale, Ill.
Maria Martin – Harrisonburg, Va.
Kara Meyer – Orrville, Ohio
Katie Miller – Rio Rancho, N.M.
Ronald Moyo – North Newton, Kan.
Joel Murray – Hesston, Kan.
Ashley Oglesbee – Great Bend, Kan.
Krista Rittenhouse – Mount Pleasant, Pa.
Crystal Royer – Lehigh, Kan.
Stefanie Ruhs – Bielefeld, Germany
Grace Schmidt – Wichita, Kan.
Mallory Schroeder – Newton, Kan.
Rebecca Short – Archbold, Ohio
Mara Short-Miller – Bellingham, Wash.
Katharine Steury – New Paris, Ind. 
Kara Stutzman – Hesston, Kan.
Colby Troyer – Waterford, Pa.
Sarah Unruh – Durham, Kan.
Emily Wagner-Davis – Roseville, Calif.
Taylor Waidelich – Stryker, Ohio
Lorena Weymouth – Subiaco, Ark.
Grace Yoder – Bellefontaine, Ohio

Honor Roll 3.50-3.89
Freshmen

Erin Albrecht – Sebewaing, Mich.
Atsushi Ambo – Niigata, Japan
Jennifer Bastian – Dakota, Ill.
Brooke Beckerman – Inman, Kan.
Sarah Blosser – Hesston, Kan.
Neal Brubaker – Goessel, Kan.
Broxton Busenitz – North Newton, Kan.
Brent Cook – Clayton, Kan.
Joel Dick – Wichita, Kan.
Taylor Ermoian – Hays, Kan.
Ryan Gehman – Millersville, Pa.
Jessica Graybill – Gap, Pa.
Jenae Hershberger – Goshen, Ind.
James Hershey – Harleysville, Pa.
Chihiro Hikita – Yamanashi, Japan
Elyse Hooley – Goshen, Ind.
Crystal Huxman – Russell, Kan.
Kayla Kauffman – Hutchinson, Kan.
Russell Klassen – Goshen, Ind.
Jacob Landis – Sterling, Ill.
Jeptha Miller – Millersburg, Ohio
Renita Miller- Kalona, Iowa
Irene Mine – Iwate-ken, Japan
Namrud Miruts – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Alisa Murray – Orrville, Ohio
Tyler Patty – El Dorado, Kan.
Kelly Reimer – Hesston, Kan.
Jacob Rhine – Indianapolis, Ind.
Marissa Schuett – Wichita, Kan.
Jade Southern – Newton, Kan.
Redfa Titihalawa – Papua, Indonesia
Carly Unruh – Wayland, Iowa
Courtney Unruh – Hesston, Kan.
Matthew Weaver – Goshen, Ind.
Alicia Wenger – Hesston, Kan.
Kaitlynn Wills – Kapolei, Hawaii
Natalie Young – Wichita, Kan.

Honor Roll 3.50-3.89
Sophomores

Hannah Bachman – Tiskilwa, Ill.
Andrea DeAvila Balboa – Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Erika Fujimoto – Toyama-ken, Japan
Philip Hochstetler – Strang, Neb.
Courtney Mast – Weatherford, Okla.
Saralyn Mast – Ephrata, Pa.
Bryan Miller – Hesston, Kan.
Leah Mueller – Halstead, Kan.
Cynde Postma – Dallas, Ore.
Stephen Quenzer – Visalia, Calif.
Courtney Reimer – Inman, Kan.
Joey Stoltzfus – Hesston, Kan.
John Swartley – Elkhart, Ind.
Isaac Tice – Salisbury, Pa.
Sierra Wheeler – Bristol, Ind.
Jesse Woodward – Goshen, Ind.
Corey Wyse – Archbold, Ohio

Photo release - Continued education

Ashley Finley, Senior Director of Assessment and Research for the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the leading national association concerned with the quality of undergraduate liberal education, was on the Hesston College campus Jan. 9 for a faculty in-service. The faculty spent the day discussing how to evaluate student learning on the newly revised Hesston College Outcomes and how to develop essential assignments for learning. Hesston College instructors use indirect assessment tools regularly to see how the college measures up on benchmarks and identify places for improvement. “Washington Monthly” magazine used results from the 2009 Community College Survey of Student Engagement and graduation rates to name Hesston College the number 2 two-year college in the country in 2010. Hesston conducts the CCSSE every three years. Pictured from front left are Maria Day, Spanish instructor; David LeVan, business instructor; Finley; and Tami Keim, Education instructor.

Hesston College to honor Martin Luther King Jr. as servant to humanity

The life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored with a week of events at Hesston College Jan. 15 to 20.

The week’s events will highlight Dr. King’s emphasis on service to all people. All events are free and open to the public.

“It is good to focus on the memory of King and the service he provided to millions of people,” said Dwight Roth, event co-coordinator and director of the Lifelong Education Aging Development program.

Events during the week include a concert by African-Americans Renewing Interest in Spirituals Ensemble (ARISE) of Wichita at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15 in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center. A reception will follow the concert.

One of Dr. King’s sermons, “The Drum Major Instinct,” will be the focus of chapel Monday, Jan. 16 at 11 a.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. The service will include a short viewing of “Following the Drum Major,” which is based on the sermon. Sophomore Aaron Young of Kansas City, Mo., will perform some of his original music.

“Dr. King’s philosophy of service is best captured in ‘The Drum Major Instinct’ when he declared he wanted to be known as a person who tried to help others,” said Maria Day, event co-coordinator and Spanish instructor. “Service is central to the life and teachings of Christ, as well as to the Hesston College Mission Statement.”

Marion Bontrager, Bible and Ministry instructor, and Lorna Harder, biology instructor, will lead a viewing and discussion of King’s Vietnam War speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 17 in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center. The speech is one of King’s lesser-known speeches, but serves an important role for people interested in peacemaking.

Education instructor Marissa King will share about her experiences with service in Guatemala and Phoenix during chapel at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary.

On Thursday, Jan. 19, the campus community will have a Service Day with an opportunity to serve residents at Schowalter Villa in various ways.

A panel of alumni speakers will share their experiences with service during chapel forum at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20 in Kropf Center 150.

Students, faculty and staff will read poetry and perform music during a coffee house at 9 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Larks Nest.

Unexpected estate gift to build Hesston College endowment

Hesston College is one of six Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren organizations, including four higher education institutions, to receive a generous estate gift from Gunther Henry Schmitt, a doctor from San Bernadino, Calif., who passed away August 2.

Dr. Schmitt’s estate was left to Mennonite Brethren Foundation to be divided equally among the institutions and organizations. Hesston will use the more than $400,000 gift to build the college’s endowment. The endowment fund helps ensure the long-time financial health of the college and its programs.

Dr. Schmitt, who worked as a pharmacologist, internal medicine doctor and radiologist left no family and had no ties to Hesston College. His family was helped financially by Mennonite church agencies during World War II, and his gift to the college was a way of giving back to those who had helped during a time of need.

“We are grateful to Gunther Schmitt and to the Mennonite Brethren Foundation for the welcome and unexpected gift,” said President Howard Keim. “We are thankful that our current financial situation is such that we can use this gift for the long-term benefit of the college. We give thanks for people like Dr. Schmitt, who place a high value on institutions of faith-based higher education.”

Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts presents musical comedy sensation

The third Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts event of the 2011-12 season will feature the unique collaborative duo of Igudesman & Joo with their groundbreaking show “A Little Nightmare Music.” The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus.

The duo, made up of Aleksey Igudesman on violin and Hyung-ki Joo on piano, are classical musicians who have taken the world by storm with their unique and hilarious theatrical shows, which combine comedy with classical music and popular culture. Collectively, their clips on YouTube have gathered more than 15 million hits, and they have appeared on live television in several countries, including an exclusive interview for CNN.

“Igudesman & Joo has become an international sensation in large part thanks to their sidesplitting YouTube videos in the tradition of Victor Borge and Peter Shickele – world class musicians with a brilliant sense of comic timing,” said HBPA director Matthew Schloneger.

Igudesman & Joo both attended the Yehudi Menuhin School for musically gifted children in Cobham, Surrey, United Kingdom, where they met at the age of 12. They created “A Little Nightmare Music” in 2004, which premiered at the Vienna Musikverein. Since then, they have performed the show worldwide as a duo and also with major symphony orchestras in “Big Nightmare Music” as they make classical music accessible to a wider and younger audience. They have been joined in their sketches several times by many of classical music’s biggest names, including Emanuel Ax, Janine Jansen, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, Viktoria Mullova and Julian Rachlin.

The duo has collaborated with actor Roger Moore on several occasions for UNICEF. They also performed Igudesman’s original sketch “The Music Critic,” a collage of some of the most critical classical music critiques of the last centuries with actor John Malkovich playing the role of the critic.

Individually, Igudesman has worked with musicians ranging from Academy Award winning composer Hans Zimmer to multi-Grammy Award winning vocalist Bobby McFerrin. He studied violin with Boris Kuschnir at the Vienna Conservatoire before beginning a career performing, arranging and composing for his string trio, “Trilogy.”

Joo has worked with Academy Award winning composer Vangelis and was chosen by Rock and Roll legend Billy Joel to arrange and record Joel’s classical compositions, which reached number one on the Billboard charts. Joo began playing piano at the age of eight and studied with Nina Svetlanova, Richard Goode and Oleg Maisenberg at the Manhattan (New York) School of Music. In 2001 he founded the piano trio “Dimension” with Rafal Payne and Thomas Carroll. He also developed a personal style workshop, entitled “The Inner and Outer ***** for a Musician,” which aims to encourage young musicians to experience music and life from a different perspective.

“The duo just celebrated the New Year with a performance at the Vienna Konzerthaus, and will be performing in Germany, London and Switzerland this spring in addition to their U.S. tour,” said Schloneger. “We’re thrilled to be hosting them for their first appearance in Kansas.”

Remaining concerts in the Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts series include traditional Irish music and dance rhythms with the highly acclaimed Celtic Crossroads and ancient choral music by Rose Ensemble. Visit www.hesston.edu/hbpa for dates and times.

Single ticket prices for Igudesman & Joo range from $15 to $18 depending on seating section, 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), email hbpa@hesston.edu or visit the HBPA website at www.hesston.edu/hbpa.

This program is presented in part by the cities of Hesston and North Newton, with generous underwriting by area patrons.

The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts Series, now in its 30th year, started in 1982 as the Hesston Performing Arts Series (HPA) with funding and planning provided by Hesston College and the Hesston community. In 1998, HPA planners launched a partnership with Bethel College (North Newton) and the name changed to Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts. Hesston College and Bethel College host five performances by world-renowned or regionally acclaimed artists each year.

Hesston College offers course to community during spring 2012 semester

The Hesston College Bible Department is offering a three-weekend course on Psalms and Epistles during the spring 2012 semester. Church leaders, those with an interest in ministry and any other interested people are invited to participate.

The class, taught by Bible and Ministry faculty member Michele Hershberger, focuses on the books of Psalms and 1 Corinthians, and Paul’s letters over three weekends – Jan. 27 to 29, Feb. 17 to 19 and March 16 to 18. Participants can earn three course hours.

“This class is an excellent opportunity for pastors and lay leaders to have an enrichment course and be reenergized,” said Hershberger. “We hope offering the course over three weekends is a more accessible way for interested people to travel from a distance.”

The first weekend, Jan. 27 to 29, will focus on the book of Psalms. The second weekend, Feb. 17 to 19, will center on Paul’s letters to the churches and will explore the biblical themes and epistle genre in general. The third weekend, March 16 to 18, will be a verse-by-verse study of the book of 1 Corinthians, a book that deals heavily with conflict in the church.

Participants will learn the cultural and historical background of the books, and how to identify literary cues for interpretation to glean preaching topics and enhance worship. Hershberger will use a variety of teaching styles to present and explain the course material, including lectures, small group discussions, drama and literary work.

“Psalms and Epistles seem very different, but when you study them together, you begin to see emerging themes,” said Hershberger.

Hershberger teaches a semester-long Psalms and Epistles class every other year for Hesston College students, and is excited to share that course material with the wider community and church.

Hesston College offers a variety of degree and transfer options in Bible and Ministry, including two-year degrees in Bible and Religion, Pastoral Ministries and Youth Ministry.

For more information including pricing for the course, or to register, call the Bible Office at 620-327-8290. An audit option for the course is also available. Scholarships and grants are available for students considering the Pastoral Ministries program.

Go everywhere, remember the start

“Start Here, Go Everywhere” is more than just a tagline for Hesston College. It is a prediction, a promise and a reality for the students who make Hesston their starting place.

Students scatter across the globe after two years at Hesston. Some accept service assignments while others begin careers with their associate degree in nursing, business, early childhood education, pastoral ministries, aviation and air traffic control. However, the majority of students transfer to another school to finish their education and secure a four-year degree.

For 2011 graduates Chelsey Alden, Santa Fe (N.M.) University of Art and Design; Jenny Carter, University of Missouri – Kansas City; Jennifer Kaberline, Central Christian College (McPherson, Kan.); David Tedone, Bethel College (North Newton, Kan.) and Ryan Wengerd, Goshen (Ind.) College; transferring from Hesston College was a smooth and stress-free experience.

Transferring credit hours, finding a niche and rebuilding a social life at a new place ranked among the students’ top concerns as they thought about the transfer process, but their fears were quickly put to rest.

Hesston administrators and academic advisors make a concerted effort to prepare students with credits that transfer smoothly. Articulation agreements are in place with 11 colleges and universities across the country, including the four other institutions that fall under the Mennonite Church USA umbrella, six local Kansas private institutions and one in Pennsylvania, to make a seamless transition for students.

“We have found most four-year colleges and universities to be very helpful when we inquire with our specific course selection questions,” said Deb Roth, who works with Student Success and coordinates the advising program. “It is helpful to know of a student’s transfer plans as early as possible so advisors can help them make the right choices in terms of general education courses as well as courses specific to their major. Advisors also remind students to contact us when and if a certain course does not seem to transfer easily so the registrar may intervene if necessary.”

For Tedone and Wengerd, articulation agreements between Hesston and their new schools meant all their course credits would transfer with no problem. All of Alden, Carter and Kaberline’s credits transferred with minimal discrepancies as well.

“One of the reasons I chose Bethel was because all of my credits would transfer,” said Tedone.

Besides formal agreements with other institutions, Hesston also works to fully prepare students for their future transfer during their first two years. Academic advising moved to a model that requires first-year students meet with their faculty advisor on a weekly basis for the first eight weeks of class. The intentional arrangement helps the advisor gain a focused picture of the student’s academic and career goals and recommend classes that will be most beneficial upon transferring.

“Academic advisors are continually updating their files of transfer requirements for institutions in which students commonly transfer,” said Roth. “Many departments have done transfer audits as a way to review how Hesston courses are transferring and what additional courses we might offer to prepare students for their next academic steps.”

The students noted that the relationships they built with professors both in and out of the classroom and the educational opportunities offered helped prepare them for the challenges of upper-level undergraduate courses.

“I knew classes that were geared specifically toward my social work major were going to be tough at Bethel and I have been challenged,” said Tedone. “But I had challenging classes at Hesston that prepared me and gave me confidence to move into my major.”

“Hesston has well rounded classes and educational experiences,” said Alden. “My professors helped me line up an internship with the Wichita (Kan.) Public Library as an editor for their news column the summer after my freshman year. That experience allowed me to move directly into more advanced classes at Santa Fe.”

Of course, adjusting to a new environment means hurdles to overcome and anxiety that comes with leaving behind friends and familiarity. While they acknowledge moments of uncertainty, the students found that a little effort can go a long way.

“I wasn’t worried about transferring,” said Wengerd. “I already knew people at Goshen and other Hesston College students transfered there with me. After about a week I realized I was going to have to put forth an effort if I wanted to get to know new people as well. I just kept getting out of my apartment and meeting people. It’s been a great experience.”

“UMKC is a totally different environment than Hesston,” said Carter. “I live in campus apartments, but getting to know people is difficult – it’s just hard to know where to start. Hesston’s small population and the way they do community makes meeting people so natural and simple.”

The students anticipated differences in their new communities, and being prepared for something new helped to ease the transition.

“Santa Fe doesn’t have the same relational atmosphere that Hesston does,” said Alden. “The professors are quick to help, but in most cases, it is more of a strictly business approach. I miss the friendships I had with many of my professors at Hesston, but I am also happy where I am. I identify with the students, and it’s a great fit for me to pursue my passion of creative writing.”

Even though they can no longer claim Hesston as their “home away from home,” the students maintain a connection – both physical and emotional – with the place that started them on their future paths. They stay in touch with classmates, dorm friends, teammates, faculty and staff to remember the community they built in south-central Kansas.

“I miss being able to drop into my professors’ offices to talk about problems and celebrate triumphs,” said Kaberline. “When I come back to visit, people still stop to talk and it’s kind of like I never left.”

Hesston College musicians to perform in Iowa

he Hesston College Concert Band and Bel Canto Singers will present separate Iowa performances Sunday, Jan. 15. Bel Canto will present a program of sacred choral music during the 9:30 a.m. service at First Mennonite Church of Iowa City. The Concert Band will perform with the Iowa Mennonite School (Kalona) Symphonic Band at 2 p.m. in IMS’s Celebration Hall. Both concerts are free and open to the public. Hesston College alumni and friends are particularly invited to attend.

The 22-member Hesston College Concert Band directed by Bradley Kauffman and 21-member IMS Symphonic Band conducted by Karenza Yoder, will present “Collaborations,” under the direction of Kauffman. The concert features band selections by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, and Percy Grainger, as well as solo performances by Hesston College students.

The concert marks a homecoming for Kauffman who began his teaching career at IMS 15 years ago. He is in his fifth year as a music faculty member at Hesston College.

“Music is nothing if not a collaboration,” said Kauffman. “We cultivate collaboration among musicians and we engage audiences in a relationship as well. The give and take of music-making can teach us how to have mature conversations.”

Bel Canto, also under the direction of Kauffman, is a 21-voice mixed chamber choir selected by competitive auditions during the 2010-11 school year. Their Sunday morning concert is entitled “Attributes, Actions and Adulation.”

“The set of pieces explores God’s attributes and actions, and the adulation God’s people pour out in response,” said Kauffman.