In the News

Chorale prepares for Spring Break 2011 tour to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania

The Hesston College Chorale is preparing for its annual Spring Break tour March 5 to 13. The 37-voice choir under the direction of music faculty member Ken Rodgers will present 12 concerts in 10 days across Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The program of choral music from the Renaissance era to the 20th Century will focus around the theme “Christ, Our Peace.”

Tour Schedule:

• Tues., March 1 – Hesston Mennonite Church , 309 S Main St., Hesston, Kan., 7 p.m.
• Sat., March 5 – Hopedale Mennonite Church , 5192 Hopedale Rd., Hopedale, Ill., 7 p.m
• Sun., March 6 – Willow Springs Mennonite Church , 16621 Kentville Rd., Tiskilwa, Ill., 9:30 a.m.
• Sun., March 6 – East Goshen Mennonite Church , 17861 SR 4, Goshen, Ind., 7 p.m.
• Mon., March 7 – Bethany Christian School , 2904 S Main, Goshen, Ind., 9:20 a.m.
• Mon., March 7 – Greencroft Goshen , 1721 Greencroft Blvd, Goshen, Ind., 1 p.m.
• Mon., March 7 – Central Mennonite Church , 21703 State Route 2, Archbold, Ohio, 7 p.m.
• Tues., March 8 – Beaverdam Mennonite Church , 17721 Route 89, Corry, Pa., 7 p.m.
• Wed., March 9 – Kaufman Mennonite Church , 916 Miller Picking Rd., Davidsville, Pa., 7 p.m.
• Thurs., March 10 – Springs Mennonite Church , 1686 Springs Rd., Springs, Pa., 7 p.m.
• Fri., March 11 – Howard-Miami Mennonite Church , 3976 East CR 1400 S, Kokomo, Ind., 7 p.m.
• Sun., March 13 – Arthur Mennonite Church , 710 E Park St., Arthur, Ill., 10:30 a.m.

Hesston College Chorale to present concert in Hesston March 1

The Hesston College Chorale will present a program of worship through sacred music at 7 p.m., March 1 at Hesston Mennonite Church. The concert is free and open to the public, though a free-will offering will be collected to cover program costs.

The program of choral music from the Renaissance era to the 20th Century will focus around the theme “Christ, Our Peace.” The choir is presenting this program as the opening concert of its week-long Spring Break tour through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania March 5 to 13.

The 37-voice choir is under the direction of music faculty member, Ken Rodgers.

Hesston College to present “Common Threads” in Harleysville, Pa., March 7

Hesston College will host “Common Threads: Anabaptist and African-American Songs and Stories of Suffering and Hope” at 7 p.m. Monday, March 7, at Salford Mennonite Church in Harleysville. The event is free and open to the public, though a free-will offering will be received to cover program costs.

“Common Threads” is a program that features Hesston College faculty members Tony Brown and John Sharp. Brown is a professional baritone, artist in residence and sociology professor. Sharp is a history professor, storyteller and author. They will give voice to Anabaptist martyrs and enslaved African-Americans by singing their hymns and telling their stories. It is an exploration of the way Anabaptist religious persecution and African American racial suffering have intersected. Both groups have suffered at the hands of legitimate governments, and both found hope in the midst of pain and humiliation.

“Both groups found strength and consolation in their steadfast faith in God,” Sharp said. “They were utterly confident that God’s purposes would, in the end, prevail. Their stories and songs have not typically been linked, but we believe it is useful to do so. Their witness stands for all who will see and hear.”

“Thinking about how we can connect with others and finding those common threads can offer promise for humanity,” Brown said. “In the end, we as a human species are more profoundly alike than different. It is the idea of difference that formed the basis for racism, persecution and systematic oppression. Humanity needs to find value in difference while at the same time exploring the common threads that bind us together.”

A reception for all attendees including alumni and friends of Hesston College will follow the program.

Salford Mennonite Church is located at 480 Groff Mill Rd. in Harleysville. Hesston College alumni and friends are particularly invited to attend.

For more information, contact Dallas Stutzman, Hesston College Alumni and Church Relations director at 866-437-7866.

Hesston College announces Kauffman as new athletic director

Hesston College Vice President of Student Life Lamar Roth has announced the hiring of Joel Kauffman, a 1980 Hesston graduate, to replace Art Mullet – who will retire this spring – as athletic director. Kauffman currently serves as Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid at Hesston, a role he will continue until his responsibilities in the athletic department begin this summer. A search for a new Vice President of Admissions will begin immediately.

“Joel brings a wealth of experience in athletics, academics and administration to this position,” Roth said. “His understanding of current trends in student athlete recruiting will benefit him well, and his coaching tenure has given him a window into the Hesston College student experience.”

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to give back to a college that is so unique and special in what it offers students,” Kauffman said. “Our athletes are students first, and I’m looking forward to working with others on campus to provide a holistic experience that connects academics and athletics in ways that will give our students the best start possible.”

Following high school teaching and coaching appointments in Nevada and California from 1982 to 1987, Kauffman moved to Hesston in 1987 and assumed coaching duties for the Hesston College women’s basketball program, a post he held until 2007. Kauffman was named National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) District B Coach of the Year following the 1996-97 season in which the Larks advanced to the NJCAA Division II national tournament. Kauffman’s teams won five NJCAA regional championships during his time as coach.

During Mullet’s sabbatical year of 1993 to 1994, Kauffman served as co-athletic director and baseball coach. In the 1996-97 academic year, Kauffman coached the softball team.

Aside from his time on the court, Kauffman has taught humanities courses at Hesston since 1990. He holds an associate degree in liberal arts from Hesston College, a bachelor’s degree in history from Fresno (Calif.) Pacific University and a master’s of education degree from Wichita (Kan.) State University.

Kauffman has made a career of being a positive involvement in students’ lives on the Hesston campus, both in academics and athletics. His many years of relationship building and mentoring among students and co-workers alike make him an ideal fit for what he describes as his ‘dream job’.”

“Joel was one of those coaches whose influence on his players reached far beyond the court,” said former Hesston basketball player and assistant coach Joy Smith Yoder ’96, Cassopolis, Mich. “He challenged me to creatively explore life and to not allow my thoughts to be reigned in by societal norms. Joel allowed us to process our lives with a supportive listening ear, yet would provoke us to explore choices we were making. As a former player who then had the opportunity to assist him coaching for seven years, I am honored to have been a part of his teams, yet more honored to call him a friend.”

“Joel has a broad understanding of the mission of Hesston College given his experience as an administrator, instructor and coach here,” Roth said. “I am confident in Joel’s abilities to lead as he assumes the athletic director role from Art Mullet who has provided 30 years of service at Hesston College.”

Kauffman and his wife, Ariana, also a Hesston graduate, live in Hesston and attend Hesston Mennonite Church.

Hesston College athletics compete in Division I and II of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Hesston College Alumni/Community Night features free admission to basketball games

The Hesston College alumni office will sponsor its annual Community Night during the final regular season home basketball games Saturday, Feb. 19. The teams will face Region VI rival Brown Mackie College (Salina, Kan.) with women’s tip off at 2 and the men at 4 p.m.

“This will be an exciting and entertaining afternoon of basketball, especially with our rival Brown Mackie coming into Yost Center,” said Hesston athletic director Art Mullet. “Both men’s and women’s games will be highly competitive. Our fans will not be disappointed.”

Free autograph signings by the Hesston teams, a Pop-a-Shot game and free Henna tattoos, courtesy of Hesston College admissions, highlight evening events for youth. Deb Preheim from A Cut Above in Hesston will be giving ‘Lark Clips’, free basic haircuts, during the action. Entertainment also includes a hip-hop performance by Hesston freshman Marcus Ruiz. Admission is free to all.

“We have a great evening of entertainment and athletic competition lined up,” said Director of Alumni and Church Relations Dallas Stutzman. “We hope this free event is a small way to say thanks for the support that is given to the college and its athletic programs from alumni and friends each year.”

Lyric Arts Trio to present Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts concert

Lyric Arts Trio, a chamber ensemble of soprano voice, clarinet, and piano, will be the fourth concert in the 2010-11 Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts Series

The trio, which hails from Kansas City, will present “American Voices” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

Acclaimed coloratura soprano Sarah Tannehill, clarinetist Elena Talley and pianist Daniel Velicer present classical music with a fresh and innovative approach.

“Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts devotes one concert each year to the finest musical talent in Kansas,” said HBPA director Matthew Schloneger. “Soprano Sarah Tannehill is a rising star and one of America’s finest young singers, so when I heard that she had joined forces with Kansas City’s Lyric Arts Trio, I knew we had to bring them to Hesston. Their program, ‘American Voices,’ will be a wonderful celebration of Kansas’ 2011 sesquicentennial year.”

“American Voices” celebrates classic American life and landscapes through pieces adapted from famous poets, including Willa Cather, Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. The trios, duets and solos also showcase a range of musical traditions from musical theatre to works by classical composer Aaron Copland.

Lyric Arts Trio has been performing and traveling across the Midwest for 20 years. Each of the members have careers with other musical endeavors as well.

Tannehill is a vibrant young singer with versatility and flare for both comedy and drama on the stage. She has performed leading operatic roles with the Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Omaha, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the Saarländisches Staatstheatre in Saarbrücken, Germany. She received rave reviews for singing her first Ophelia in Hamlet with the Kansas City Lyric Opera after only a few hours notice. Equally at home in symphony and concert, Tannehill earned Emerging Artist distinction in 2007 from Symphony magazine. She has sung with Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Wichita Symphony, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony, among others. She is a member of the Grammy Award-winning Kansas City Chorale. She also teaches voice in Overland Park and at William Jewell College (Liberty, Mo.).

Talley, founder of the Lyric Arts Trio, performs frequently with the Kansas City Symphony, and has also performed with the Lyric Opera Orchestra of Kansas City, the Missouri Symphony, the Kansas City Camerata and the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. She previously taught at Emporia (Kan.) State University and Mid-America Nazarene University (Olathe).

Velicer performs regularly with the Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Ballet outreach programs, and is in constant demand as an accompanist and vocal coach. He previously served as an Opera Coach Fellow at the Aspen (Colo.) Music Festival and the head staff pianist at the University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music (Stockton, Calif.). He is now chamber music coach and artist performer on the faculty at the Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory (Steamboat Springs, Colo.).

In addition to the HBPA concert appearance, the trio will conduct an educational residency with students from Hesston College and Bethel College Feb. 21. The trio will lead an instrumental master class in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary at 9 a.m., and a vocal master class in the Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center at 10 a.m. Both sessions are free and open to the public.

Single ticket prices for Lyric Arts Trio range from $14 to $17, depending on seating section, with discounts available to students and senior citizens.

The remaining performance in the HBPA season is instrumental ensemble Three Part Invention, Sunday, April 17, at Hesston Mennonite Church.

For more information or to purchase tickets , call 620-327-8158 (Hesston College) or 316-284-5205 (Bethel College), e-mail hbpa@hesston.edu or visit the HBPA website at www.hesston.edu/hbpa.

This program is presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which believes a great nation deserves great art, and is supported by Mid-America Arts Alliance, with generous underwriting by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kansas Arts Commission and foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts Series, now in its 29th 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.

Theatre department to present Tony Award-winning musical

The Hesston College theatre department will present the Tony Award-winning musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 and 19 and Feb. 25 and 26 in the Northlawn Studio Theatre.

The musical comedy chronicles the experience of six quirky middle schoolers competing in a regional spelling bee run by two equally quirky adults. The story plays with words, wit and humor to address adolescent experiences, struggles and family life. As the story unfolds, the young characters realize that success does not equal winning.

The musical marks the second Hesston College production for first-year director Laura Kraybill, who directed “Dead Man Walking” during the fall semester.

‘Spelling Bee’ speaks to society as it brings to light family issues and the obsession of winning, said Kraybill. “The often sensitive issues are dealt with through humor, which brings down defenses. It is also funny and upbeat in contrast to the fall production, and will give students and the community an opportunity to experience a range of dramatic styles.”

Like most musicals, dance, song and spoken dialogue are interwoven to create an entertaining environment. Audience participation and performer improvisation are built into the script to bring a unique factor to “Spelling Bee.” The Hesston College production also features an expanded cast to provide more student roles, a rotating set to create visual excitement and a cameo appearance by a historical figure.

The show features a small cast, but Kraybill is excited by the experience, natural humor and versatility the students bring to the stage. Most of the performers have previous acting and musical experience. Many of them are also members of Bel Canto Singers, the college’s top choir.

“The cast is made up of people with already funny personalities, who shine as extremely quirky characters,” said Kraybill. “The show gives these students an opportunity to flex their acting muscles and have fun.”

Audience members who attended “Dead Man Walking” will easily see the versatility of the student actors in “Spelling Bee.” Freshman Robert Howell of Newton, Kan., played the lead role of Matthew Poncelet, a convicted murderer on death row in Dead Man Walking. Howell plays Poncelet’s stark opposite in “Spelling Bee” – a sweet, innocent kid who makes his own clothes and wears a helmet for fear of bumping his head.

“‘Spelling Bee’ is one of the most popular shows to come out of Broadway in the last ten years,” said musical director and Hesston College music faculty member Matthew Schloneger. “We have a talented group of singing actors this year, who I know will deliver some outstanding performances. It’s guaranteed to leave your sides aching from laughter.”

The show also features the full orchestration used in the original production, including both Hesston College students and professionals.

“Spelling Bee” has a running time of less than two hours. It is rated PG for sensitive issues and some language.

Tickets can be purchased through the Hesston College Bookstore in person, by phone at 620-327-8105 or online at www.hesstonbooks.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors (65+). Tickets will also be available at the door 30 minutes before each show, and are subject to availability.

Tabor Mennonite Church to host Tony Brown concert Feb. 20

“Stories and Songs of Peace and Hope,” a concert featuring internationally acclaimed baritone Tony Brown will be at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20 at Tabor Mennonite Church.

Tabor Mennonite will co-host the event along with Hesston College as Brown shares stories from his travels as a peacemaker through music. The concert is free and open to the public, though a free-will offering will be received to for the Peacing It Together Foundation.

Brown, Hesston College sociology instructor and artist-in-residence, is an international promoter of peace. He uses music and the spoken word to bring people together across the divides of race, culture and religion.

“Tabor Mennonite Church has had a strong history as a peace church, and we continue to pray and act for peace in numerous ways,” said Corey Miller, Tabor Mennonite lead pastor. “Tony’s message of peace fits with our desire to have Christ’s peace flow out from us to the world. We trust that his music and message will inspire us all to be God’s faithful peace-makers.”

Brown is the founder of Peacing It Together Foundation, an organization that serves the global community as a resource for peace and social justice. Brown’s travels have taken him to countries such as Bosnia, Moldova, Northern Ireland, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Philippines, China, Japan, South Korea and Colombia, where he uses music and the spoken word to uplift areas of despair to hope. He has seen music transform and heal, and the concert offers audience members an opportunity to experience that transformation as well.

“The stories and songs are meant to inspire, educate and challenge all of us in our daily quest to live peace-centered lives,” says Brown.

Hesston College music faculty member Ken Rodgers, who has traveled with Brown on some of his overseas trips, will provide accompaniment.

A reception and Hesston College update will follow the concert.

Tabor Mennonite Church is located three miles south and one mile east of Goessel at 891 Chisholm Trail, Newton Kan.

Hesston College hosts Know Jesus event

About 180 junior high students and sponsors from Mennonite churches across Kansas and as far away as Milford, Neb., descended on the Hesston College campus Jan. 29 and 30 for the biennial Know Jesus event.

The event, organized by the Western District Conference of Mennonite Church USA and hosted by Hesston College, is a weekend-long retreat for junior high students to worship together and learn more about their Anabaptist roots.

“Know Jesus encourages junior high students to grow in their walk with Christ,” said Hallie Cable, an organizer for the weekend and a junior high youth sponsor from Kingman (Kan.) Mennonite Church. “It is important for the youth to explore their personal faith, and learn about the struggles of the early Anabaptists.”

The speaker for the weekend was Joel Schroeder, Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at First Mennonite Church in Newton, Kan., whose theme, “Seriously Ridiculous!” was taken from Colossians 3:1-4.

Schroeder’s message encouraged the youth to take a step of faith in times when it is easier to cling to the familiar and comfortable, and allow God to work in their lives.

“We have a seriously ridiculous God with a seriously ridiculous love for us that we can plug into, and he will do some seriously ridiculous things in our lives,” said Schroeder.

A highlight of the weekend included the Anabaptist Game, which gave students a glimpse of the persecution that early Anabaptists suffered for their faith. The youth searched for eight “safe houses” on campus where they heard the stories of famous Anabaptists like Pilgrim Marpeck, Michael Sattler, Dirk Willems and Conrad Grebel. As the youth traveled between safe houses they tried to evade the persecutors, who took them to “the dungeon” when captured.

About 100 Hesston College students, faculty and staff members were involved in game operations, playing the parts of tauferyagers, or Anabaptist chasers, and portraying the early Anabaptist and state church leaders.

A group of youth from Eden Mennonite Church in Moundridge, Kan., said they were not familiar with the stories of their early Anabaptist ancestors, and enjoyed discovering the foundations of their Anabaptist faith.

Tracey Funk, an eighth grader from Southern Hills Mennonite Church in Topeka, Kan., also enjoyed learning the Anabaptist stories.

“Until this weekend, I didn’t know that Menno Simons was a Catholic priest,” said Funk.

Hesston College students Simon Foote of Doylestown, Ohio, Josiah Hershberger of Richmond, Va., Laura Unruh of Goessel, Kan., Anna Yoder of Garden City, Mo., and Tyler Yoder of Bay Port, Mich., led music for the weekend.