Hesston College’s 104th year underway

Hesston College kicked off the 2013-14 year with Opening Weekend Aug. 16 to 18 and the first day of classes Aug. 19. Traditions like Opening Celebration, freshman games, a campus-wide picnic, Mod Olympics and volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer scrimmages helped welcome students and their families to the Hesston College community.

Official fall enrollment numbers for the year are 449 students from 32 states and 17 countries. A wide variety of cultures, countries, backgrounds and experiences are represented with 64 new and returning international students making up 14 percent of the total enrollment. Students from Kansas comprise 44 percent of the student population, with 42 percent coming from other states.

“Hesston College has a long tradition of attracting students from across the country and around the world, which ultimately enriches the experience for each student,” said Rachel Swartzendruber ’00 Miller, vice president of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Students give a week of service

Students enrolled in the First Year Experience had the opportunity to serve in various ways on campus and in the local community during Service Week Sept. 3 to 7. Service projects included spending time with elderly residents at neighboring Schowalter Villa and the Hesston Area Senior Center, helping with the Dyck Arboretum’s annual plant sale, painting and cleaning at the Harvey County Homeless Shelter in Newton, serving meals at the Lord’s Diner soup kitchen in Wichita and packaging books for the Ethiopia Reads project.

Extending home

The college’s campus-wide theme for the 2013-14 year is Extending Home: Stories of Migration and Transformation, inspired by the common read book Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference (Spiegel & Grau, 2009) and spearheaded by First Year Experience seminar.

“Extending home changes everyone,” said FYE co-director Karen Sheriff LeVan. “The concept of extending home harkens a relationship between long-time residents and new members that is inclusive and transformative, with mutual reciprocity intended. Yet as Outcasts United depicts, such mutuality is rarely comfortable and is consistently challenging. It does not come quickly or easily.”

The author of Outcasts United, Warren St. John, a journalist and former New York Times reporter, was on campus Sept. 19 to share about his experiences researching the book, which focuses on the challenges and rewards of refugee resettlement and creating community in an atmosphere where people do not seem to have much in common.

College welcomes new faculty and staff

New faculty and staff members for the 2013-14 school year include: Kyle Albrecht ’12, aviation flight instructor; Jessica Alexander, co-director of campus activities, snack shop and Larks Nest manager; Becky (Friesen) ’05 Armstrong, director of international student services; Suzanne Burch, aviation administrative assistant; Donna Diener, library assistant; Myron Diener ’78, tennis coach; Sheri Esau, Advancement administrative assistant; Jeremy Ewy ’92, campus facilities; Jan Gattis, bookstore clerk; Kathryn Glanzer, English instructor; Heidi Hochstetler ’00, student support services, Writing Fellows co-director, College Writing instructor; Ethan Koerner, theatre lighting designer; Mark Landes, vice president of Finance and Auxiliary Services; Jasmine Martin ’09, co-director of campus activities; Kaitlyn Mast ’10, admissions counselor; Brent McNeil, assistant baseball coach; Bethany Miller ’08, admissions counselor; Marelby Mosquera ’04, science and English as a Second Language instructor; Dan Muhwezi, sociology instructor; Stacey Mumaw, assistant cook; Carlota Ponds, Alumni and Church Relations administrative assistant; Brett Prothro, Dyck Arboretum staff; Zac Remboldt, graphic designer; David Rudy ’13, aviation flight instructor; and Megan Tyner, theatre technical director.