In the News

Music Department Presents January 14 Masterworks Concert: I Believe

The Hesston College Music Department will present a Masterworks Concert titled I Believe on January 14, 2023, at 7 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church. This performance during Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend will feature works by Black composers William Dawson, Robert Owens and Margaret Bonds.

Performers will include the Masterworks Choir made up of Hesston College students and community members along with professional orchestra members. Evan Julius Nelson, baritone, Dr. Carren Moham, soprano, and Dr. Holly Swartzendruber, soprano, are featured soloists.

Albany, Ga., native Evan J. Nelson appeared in the roles of Guglielmo in Mozart’s “Cosí fan tutte” and Polyphemus in Handel’s “Acis and Galatea” with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory Opera in addition to being the baritone soloist for Margaret Bond’s “Credo” with the UMKC Conservatory’s combined choirs and orchestra in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. His operatic credits also include Masetto in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” Mr. Gedge in Britten’s “Albert Herring,” Aeneas in Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” and Prince Yamadori in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.”

Dr. Carren Moham, Hesston College’s vice president of academics, has highlighted virtually unknown and unpublished art songs of African-American composers through two concert series “Songs by African American Composers” and “Songs by African American Women.” She has performed these concerts and given lecture recitals and master classes on this topic in several venues throughout the United States, Europe and South America. She was invited to perform “Songs by African-American Composers” for a National Endowment of the Arts program for President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hilary Rodham Clinton during their White House tenure.

Hesston College music professor and Sunflower Performing Arts Director Dr. Holly Swartzendruber’s work includes soprano solos in Handel’s “Messiah,” the Brahms “Requiem” and Mozart’s “Requiem.” In addition to her work at Hesston, Swartzendruber offers private lessons and classes to high school students locally and statewide.

The composers chosen for this performance bring their own history to the forefront. William Dawson was recognized for his contributions as a composer to both orchestral and choral literature. He is best known for his arrangements of and variations on spirituals and his Negro Folk Symphony gained notoriety at its 1934 world premiere.

The work of Robert Owens draws heavy inspiration from the poetry of Langston Hughes. Owens met the poet in 1955 and continued correspondence with him for several years. His works can be heard broadcast on Bavaria Radio and several have been recorded for Naxos, Cinnabar and Albany record labels. Owens taught at Albany (Georgia) College, The University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas).

Margaret Bonds was a lifelong advocate for racial and social justice and was influenced by the philosophy of W.E.B Du Bois. By the time she was 8 years old, Bonds had played the piano for several years and written her first composition. In 1933 and 1934 she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano from Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). She would go on to become such a renowned musician that in 1967 Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley made January 31 of that year the city’s official Margaret Bonds Day.

John Fullbright Returns to the Prairie Window Stage December 11

Tulsa-based John Fullbright will return to the Prairie Window Concert Series (PWCS) stage on Sunday, December 11, 2022, at 4 p.m. in Hesston at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains. The concert will take place in the Prairie Pavilion at the arboretum overlooking the lake.

Tickets are by online reservation or by calling 620-327-8127. Cost of tickets is $25 for adults and $15 for children, plus tax. Proceeds benefit the arboretum’s mission to cultivate transformative relationships between people and the land.

In addition to high quality acoustic music, this concert will feature delicious savory and sweet food options for sale during intermission, with a menu provided by Crust & Crumb Company. The menu for December 11 will include: mushroom vegetable dressing, ham and cheese on cranberry bagel, a holiday cookie selection and joyful almond croissant.

Dyck Arboretum of the Plains is a 29-acre public garden and arboretum located in Hesston, Kansas, and operates under the auspices of Hesston College. Its mission is to cultivate transformative relationships between people and the land.

Artist bio by Becky Carman

“If you can’t say it, you don’t have to,” sings John Fullbright on “Bearden 1645,” the opening track to his new record “The Liar.”

The song details the GRAMMY-nominated songwriter finding refuge in playing the piano, starting as a child and still today. For fans, it may feel like a bit of a rebuttal to “Happy,” the opener from 2014’s “Songs,” one of several in his repertoire that speak explicitly about mining one’s angst in order to make music. In that way, “Bearden 1645” is also a firm nod to the fourth wall: Fullbright knows you’re thinking about his songwriting. He is, too…but not quite the way he was before.

The public at large hasn’t heard much from the him since the critically lauded “Songs,” a chasm of eight years that seemed unthinkable for someone with so much hype—including a GRAMMY nod, an Americana Music Association Emerging Artist nomination and awards from ASCAP and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame—surrounding his early career. Why did it take so long?

“It’s been a process of learning how to be in a community of musicians and less focusing on the lone, depressed songwriter…just playing something that has a beat and is really fun,” Fullbright said. “That’s not to say there are no songs on this record where I depart from that, because there are, but there’s also a band with an opinion. And that part is new to me.”

He recorded the album, an exploration of the highs and lows of emotion, the good times and the aftermath, with his band of “usual suspects,” all of them key players in Tulsa’s vibrant music community.

Also in the title track of “The Liar,” we find Fullbright talking to God, again. It’s the soft landing of his lifelong struggle with the concept of God, of accepting tenets of Christianity without believing in its central figure.

He explored this notably in 2012’s “Gawd Above,” where the vengeful title character exacts terror and salvation in equal measure. “Give ‘em wine and song, fire and lust / When it all goes wrong, I’m the man to trust,” Fullbright sang.

In “The Liar,” the power dynamic has shifted. “God, grant me whiskey,” Fullbright sings, “and I promise I’ll be good.” It’s all done with a wink and a nod, less like a prayer and more like a request of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”

The sentiment is real, but the words are false. He’s still telling essential truths, which was always his gift, but this time they’re a little more slant. Maybe lying to tell the truth was always the songwriting target. Maybe throwing out some of the rules is what got him there. So is Fullbright, as a songwriter, a liar in his own estimation?

“What I love about songwriting is you’re the hero in your own story, most of the time, and I think that’s very human,” he said. “But short answer: yes.”

College Announces Establishment of Five Endowed Scholarships

Hesston College announces establishment of the following endowed scholarships: RD Snyder Life Sciences Scholarship, Janice R. Brubacher Nursing Scholarship, Sherwyn J. Smeltzer Business Management Scholarship, Doris and Harold Hjelmstad Scholarship and Ventura Family Scholarship.

RD Snyder Life Sciences Scholarship

Dr. Ronald Snyder ’54 began his educational journey at Hesston Academy in 1950. The foundations he gained at Hesston College served him throughout this career. “As it turns out, my college experience was the springboard that eventually propelled me onward to a very satisfying career in medicine,” said Snyder.

A college education was not a guarantee for Snyder. “Coming from an agrarian, small farm background, higher education was not a top priority for my future,” he said. “My hope is that this scholarship will be helpful to the recipients toward achieving their goals in one of the many life-science careers.”

This scholarship will be awarded to student(s) in good standing with the college experiencing financial need who are pursuing studies in nursing, medicine or a similarly affiliated life science field.

Janice R. Brubacher Nursing Scholarship

The Janice R. Brubacher Nursing Scholarship will provide funding for students experiencing financial need and pursuing nursing.

For Janice Brubacher, Hesston College has always been part of her life. Her parents worked for the college for twenty years and her home was just down the street. “We lived near the campus so I grew up riding my tricycle and bicycle on the campus sidewalks,” she said.

Her own educational path started at Hesston Academy in 1962 and led her to pursue a career in nursing. Although her life took direction away from nursing into the field of business management, her passion for the field never changed.

“My parents, now both deceased, always taught me the importance of tithing, saving and giving,” said Brubacher. “May God continue to work through your nursing program to carry out His love to many people.”

Sherwyn J. Smeltzer Business Management Scholarship

Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in management at Hesston College have the opportunity to benefit from the newly established Sherwyn J. Smeltzer Business Management Scholarship.

The scholarship was established in memory of Sherwyn Smeltzer who graduated from Hesston College in 1984 with an Associate of Arts degree. Sherwyn thrived at Hesston College and loved his years as a Hesston College Lark. These years were foundational for him, his career and his life. His natural desire to serve others was nurtured.

After graduating from Hesston College, Sherwyn went on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he majored in accounting. However, he never forgot his transformational START at Hesston College.

Sherwyn’s varied career path, including positions in accounting, school counseling, special education and financial planning, have a common thread of providing the opportunity to Sherwyn to utilize his passion – serving and helping others.

Sherwyn’s life ended tragically when he was killed in a traffic accident in May of 2020. His widow, Deirdre L. Smeltzer, established this scholarship to honor Sherwyn’s memory in the hope that it provides the opportunity for other students to thrive at Hesston College the way Sherwyn did. Her hope is that a management degree at Hesston College and the nurturing environment experienced by her late husband will provide a way for his deep commitment to serving and helping others to continue.

Doris and Harold Hjelmstad Scholarship

The Hjelmstad family is a Hesston family. Doris attended Hesston College 1939-1940, and then her daughters, Shirely (Hjelmstad) Hostetler, and Sharon (Hjelmstad) Marner, attended 1961-1963. Her son, Richard Hjelmstad, attended 1972-1974. Her son, Kenneth, also attended in 1972.

With 80 years of Hesston College history in the making, this scholarship has been named on behalf of this Lark family to support students pursuing nursing. This scholarship will serve those in particular who are experiencing financial need.

Ventura Family Scholarship

Hesston College has provided an academic, spiritual and foundational influence in the lives of the Ventura family since the 1940s. “We are so appreciative to the many Mennonites who had the vision to establish Hesston Academy and College, which provided a Christ centered education and Christian role models,” said John Ventura.

With the help of lifelong friends Lester Hershey, Esther Rose Buckwalter-Graber, Don Driver and the Snyder family, members of the Ventura family were able to study and be nurtured at Hesston. “We pray that this scholarship will provide financial support to minority students who can experience the rich Christian foundation it has brought the Ventura family,” said Ventura.

“I wanted to honor my father and my mother,” said Ventura. “We have hopes that students of Mexican heritage or Native Americans will benefit from the rich Christian education that it has brought the Ventura family.”

Myers Appointed Vice President of Enrollment Management

Hesston College President Joseph Manickam has announced the hiring of Grant Myers to serve as Vice President of Enrollment Management, a new role at the college. Myers was previously Dean of Enrollment Management at Tabor College (Hillsboro, Kan.).

The role of Vice President of Enrollment Management was created as part of the college’s strategic plan, Vision 2025, to increase outreach and meet the challenges ahead. This role is designed to oversee several vital departments involved directly with increasing enrollment. These include admissions, financial aid and marketing and communications.

Myers brings a wealth of experience from his time in higher education as a coach and an institutional leader. He also brings knowledge from the fields of sales and marketing.

“The vision he brings to Hesston College and the future is set to increase enrollment and uplift the values the college holds dear,” said Hesston College President Dr. Joseph Manickam. “After an extensive nationwide search conducted with the help of both the Hesston College campus and an outside firm, Hesston was able to secure the talents of Myers for the job.”

Manickam shared about Myers in a recent announcement to the campus community. “Grant’s excitement was contained in what he observed in us as a community and the strength we collectively have to forge a strong path forward together.”

Myers’ official start date will be January 3, 2023, but will likely pay a few visits to his new home campus over the next couple of months.

SPA Christmas Concert by Calmus Canceled

The Dec. 6 Calmus Christmas concert at Hesston Mennonite Church has been canceled with the hope of rescheduling Calmus or another ensemble for a different program in spring. Single-event ticket holders can request refunds by contacting Brandy Quinn, Bookstore manager, at brandy.quinn@hesston.edu, 620-327-8104. Sunflower Performing Arts will share news of a replacement or rescheduled concert in early 2023.

Sunflower Performing Arts presents Calmus, a German vocal group offering songs from the Renaissance, Baroque and Romantic periods as well as the 20th century. The performance will be held December 6 at 7 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church. An earlier performance will take place at Bethesda Home in Goessel.

“I’m excited for the evening performance of international Christmas songs. I am also pleased that the members of Calmus are willing to offer a short program in a neighboring community,” said Sunflower Performing Arts Director Holly Swartzendruber, “and that they have invited Bel Canto Singers to join them during the evening concert for a couple of songs.”

Calmus has won several international prizes and competitions including the OPUS Klassik 2019 for “Best Choral Recording”. This vocal ensemble performs often throughout Europe and North America with more than 50 concerts a year.

Calmus has commissioned and premiered compositions from artists including Paul Moravec, Mathew Rosenblum, Bernd Franke, Stefffen Schleiermacher and many more. In addition, the ensemble has a robust history of collaborations with other musicians and musical groups including the MDR Sinfonieorchester, one of the oldest radio orchestras in the world and the oldest in Germany.

The performance will consist of global Christmas songs performed a cappella. Hesston College’s Bel Canto Singers will share the stage for a portion of the evening concert.“Making music and experiencing it in person are such a wonderful way to make and strengthen connections between people,” said Swartzendruber.

Currently masks are optional, but as the series complies with the masking policies of both Hesston College and Hesston Mennonite Church, audience members should be prepared to wear a mask if required.

Tickets are available at the door, or may be purchased at the Hesston College Bookstore. For more information, call 620-327-8158.

Performing Arts presents It’s a Wonderful Life: The Live Radio Play

Hesston College Performing Arts presents It’s a Wonderful Life: The Live Radio Play on December 3, 2022, at 7 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church. The cast and crew are faculty and students alike with performances accompanied by Bel Canto Singers and Global Voices.

This beloved American holiday classic is performed as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. This production takes on an exciting challenge with the addition of sound effects occurring live, as they did in radio shows of the past.

“It can be a challenge for actors to have an audience buy-in to something so well known, when characters like George and Mary Bailey have been so iconically portrayed by Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed,” said Director of Theatre Rachel Jantzi. “We are embracing that challenge by telling the story without trying to mimic the film.”

This theatrical performance will collaborate with Bel Canto Singers and Global Voices to incorporate music before, during and after the show. Russell Adrian will conduct the singers and Ken Rodgers will accompany on piano.

The cast includes students – Sam Setiawan, Desirae Rodriguez and Josh Fleming – and faculty and staff members – Joel Krehbiel, engineering professor, and Whitney Douglas, the Title IX and disabilities coordinator. The crew is Alexis Driscoll, Sophia Crawford and Minori Fujioka.

“The actors are working hard to fully flesh out the folks of Bedford Falls, which are many,” said Jantzi, “and they are doing a beautiful job!”

This show is free to the public and will feature holiday refreshments after the event. For more information, call 620-327-8142.

Currently masks are optional, but the performance will comply with the masking policies of Hesston College and Hesston Mennonite Church. Audience members should be prepared to wear a mask if required.

Prairie Lights at Dyck Arboretum Begins November 25

A winter tradition continues as Dyck Arboretum invites the community to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season and the quiet of winter with Prairie Lights. Formerly the Luminary Walk, Prairie Lights will once again feature a quiet winter walk along sidewalks sparkling with lights. Hot chocolate, s’mores by the campfire, festive displays and musical performances are all included in the price of one ticket.

Prairie Lights will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on the evenings of Friday, November 25, through Sunday, November 27; and Friday, December 2, through Sunday, December 4.

Tickets are $5 per adult. Admission for children 12 and under is free. Tickets are available online (https://dyckarboretum.org/prairie-lights) or they can be purchased directly at Dyck Arboretum, 177 W Hickory, Hesston, KS 67062. Your ticket purchase and donations support the ongoing work of the arboretum, which seeks to cultivate transformative relationships between people and the land.

This year’s theme, “Welcoming Winter,” will showcase dioramas and performers reflecting cultures that have shaped and continue to contribute to our community – Native American, African American, Mexican American and Germanic/European. Visitors are invited to share in the rich cultural stories and traditions that are part of our local community, traditions that welcome the arrival of winter on the Kansas prairies.

Each evening, storytelling will occur on the south side of the Prairie Pavilion “snow globe” at 6:15, 7 and 7:45 p.m. Musical programming will occur on the west side of the Prairie Pavilion at 6:30 and 7:15 p.m. Performers and storytellers will be inside the pavilion, with music projected outside through speakers. Visitors can watch performances from the covered patio.

Hesston Public Library and Newton Public Library will provide storytelling. The musical line up includes: Ken Rodgers on piano on November 25, Outside the Bachs with Joan Griffing and Les Nicholas on November 26, Wichita War Dancer on November 27, Prairie Bronze Handbell Ensemble on December 2, Azteca Dancers on December 3 and the Bethel College Academy of Performing Arts dancers on December 4.

Holiday gift items from local artists and vendors will be available for purchase in the Visitor and Education Center.

In addition, the local scout troop will serve hot beverages outdoors as a fundraiser and marshmallow roasting will be available at the fire pits. Although no live flame luminaries will line the path, tribute luminaries to memorialize a lost loved one will be available by donation near the Visitor Center.

This and all events at Dyck Arboretum are underwritten by our business partners, including AGCO Corporation; Adrian & Pankratz, Attorneys at Law; Golden Plains Credit Union; Kairos Consulting and Counseling, LLC, and Red Truck Painting.

Goodnight Moonshine Returns to Hesston November 13

Goodnight Moonshine will return to the Prairie Window Concert Series (PWCS) stage on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at 4 p.m. in Hesston, five years following their initial performance at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains. The concert will take place in the Prairie Pavilion at the arboretum overlooking the lake.

Tickets are by reservation at http://dyckarboretum.org/arboretum-event/goodnight-moonshine-e/ or by calling 620-327-8127. Cost of tickets is $35 for adults and $25 for children, plus tax. Proceeds benefit the arboretum’s mission to cultivate transformative relationships between people and the land.

Goodnight Moonshine pairs the intimacy and immediacy of the 90s with the sonic explosion of the 60s. Molly Venter (Red Molly) is a viscerally potent singer, à la Fiona Apple and Tracy Chapman, whose songwriting is redemptive and playful. Consummate musician and producer Eben Pariser (Roosevelt Dime), is a devotee of Ray Charles, Wes Montgomery, The Beatles and The Band. Courageous unveiling and depth of experience make the collaboration between married couple Molly Venter and Eben Pariser addictively captivating.

Molly Venter’s voice bends from a sweet moan to a gritty shout and back into a playful run in the space of a few bars and “it all goes down like silk,” writes American Songwriter Magazine – “few singers turn first time listeners into eternal fanatics as effortlessly as Molly Venter.” The potency of her voice is surrounded and supported by a lush landscape of orchestration and improvisation created by Eben. The couple uses the creative process to explore a healthy authentic relationship. Both wholesome and irreverent, songs of grief and joy in equal measure; Molly gives smooth delivery to Eben’s energy while Eben gives form and focus to Molly’s passion.

This musical marriage encourages them to embrace opposing desires, to challenge and support each other through inspiration and dissolution, all while totally killing a live show.

Venter’s voice has caught the ear of industry giants and been prominently featured on FOX television, Apple Computers and in Warner Brothers films. Molly and Eben’s co-write “Willow Tree” was a #1 hit on the folk charts in 2014 and was featured in USA Today. Consummate performers, Molly and Eben have also appeared nationally and internationally, with their respective bands Red Molly and Roosevelt Dime.

In addition to high quality acoustic music, this concert will feature delicious savory and sweet food options for sale during intermission, with a menu provided by Crust & Crumb Company. The menu for November 13 will include: autumn squash soup in a bread bowl, chili in a bread bowl, dulce de leche morning buns and chocolate eclairs.

Hesston College Celebrates Two New Emeritus Faculty Who Served a Combined 74 Years

On October 24 Hesston College celebrated two new emeritus faculty members. With over 74 years between them, Vickie Andres, business professor, and Margaret Wiebe, library director, were honored for their years of dedication and commitment to the college and students.

Vickie Andres served in the business department for 33 years as professor, mentor and business advocate. Through her years at the college Vickie ushered in relationships with local businesses that brought internships, jobs and financial support. Her vision for a future business program was the beginning of the School of Management Hesston College has today. “Vickie helped to put together the entire program,” said VP of Academics Dr. Carren Moham. “A lot of it would not have happened if it hadn’t been for Vickie’s input.”

Heidi Hochstetler, Intensive English Language Program and education professor, spoke about her experience with Andres. “Vickie is like an aspen grove,” said Hochstetler, “on the surface they look like individual trees, but once you look below the surface, all of the roots are interconnected.”

The current home of Mary Miller Library at Hesston College is the result of the work and vision of Margaret Wiebe. Beginning her career at the college in 1981, Wiebe brought forth the remodel and renovation of the campus library that has served generations of students as well as the community.

In the span of 40 years, the way information is delivered has seen extensive change. Wiebe navigated these changes and was able to deliver new methods of data as they were available. “The library at the beginning of her career and today is a really different place,” said chemistry professor Will Wiebe-Friesen, “and we can thank her flexibility, creativity and adapting to those changes for the many resources we all have available to us now.”

Emeritus status is granted to selected faculty who have served the college for 15 or more years and have retired. By being granted this honor, Andres and Wiebe will be given the rights and privileges of current faculty. They were each presented with a plaque honoring their service and this day of celebration.