A Note from the Dean of Students

It has been great to have your students back on campus since Christmas break. The student body has had its highs and lows. They returned to the sight of damaged trees from an awesome ice storm. Most recently, the students, faculty and staff were faced with and mourning the death of one of our students, Ben Haury. We have appreciated all the prayers and words of support and encouragement.

I encourage you to check out the Student Life web page link on the Hesston College web site. You will find schedules of activities and more pictures of students. You might even find your son or daughter involved in one of our campus activities. www.hesston.edu

Ice storm photos
Campus Activities/bowling photos
Campus Activities/rodeo and bingo night photos

Julie Stauffer, RA Erb Hall 3EA

What comes to mind immediately when I think of my mod is laughter. It seems every mod meeting I have called for, in the end, has become much longer and much more humor-oriented than expected. From watching impersonations of characters on popular TV shows to humorous voices made by mod members, it is difficult for me to keep a dry eye from laughing so hard. What a blessing these girls are to me! They have impacted my life in so many ways and caused me to grow as an individual and a leader.

The most exciting aspect of our mod this semester has been the addition of a new student, Joy Gehman. Having Joy in our mod has surely been a blessing as we learn to grow and learn from her. One thing I find so special about the dorm here at Hesston is the way that people welcome new faces to the school at the beginning of the spring semester. It is hard for many people to leave their set group of friends once a semester has gone by, but I feel like the girls in my mod have been open and welcoming to new students and new ideas for our mod.

Mod meetings, as of late, have been composed mainly of discussion on mod shirts which will be coming soon. These shirts are an opportunity for the mod to show its true colors and create an article of clothing uniquely our own. To create an idea, choose a color, and combine 11 girls' opinions into one shirt is somewhat intriguing for me as an RA. It takes time and patience, but we all agreed on one idea which I would say definitely says a little something about our mod (although I will need to keep specifics quiet because we promised each other to keep the idea secret until the day it is revealed).

This past weekend was the Super Bowl Sunday and our mod, along with the brother mod, had a really nice time spending the drawn-out evening at our mod-parents house, John and Rhonda Schrock. One of the first weekends back on campus was the rodeo in Wichita and this weekend we spent an evening at the bowling alley for a late-night run at the lanes (which takes place at college age 'prime-time' which is between 11:00 and 12:30). These activities are a really amazing part of Hesston College and I appreciate the emphasis placed on bringing Hesston together as a community.

I have found that, as an RA, while we all have very different schedules and are all unique individuals, we mesh together well and appreciate each other's company. I look forward with great anticipation to what this semester holds for my mod and to see how we will grow together. I really do thank God for this opportunity to lead so many girls in this position. I continue to ask for His guidance and presence in our interaction, in the lives of the girls, and in my position as a leader.

Cory Toews, RA Kauffman Court 1B1

This has been such a busy and fun year here at Hesston College! It's been wonderful having the chance to grow friendships with sophomores here from last year, in addition to meeting and making relationships with the new freshman this year. Although a lot of exciting things take place at Hesston, one of the most fun experiences I've had here is mod life. It's been great getting to know the guys in my mod and hanging out with them through various activities. Here are some of the exciting traditions that mods take part in every year at Hesston College:

Mod Olympics

Definitely one of the most exciting mod events takes place right at the beginning of the year. Each mod makes up a theme for their mod and dresses up accordingly. Our mod had some kind of paradise theme where we had inflatable palm trees, grass skirts, leis, and all sorts of other tropical goodies. After dressing up, every mod marches out to the soccer field and competes in a gigantic series of incredibly fun events called "Mod Olympics." It's an excellent time to hang out with new modmates, meet new people, and just have a great time outside playing fun games.

Pick-a-date

Each year, every mod has an event called pick-a-date. Before the pick-a-date occurs, the mod gets together to plan what to do for the afternoon/evening. Some popular ideas are mystery suppers, group games, bonfires, and the like. Anyway, one by one, each person is sent out of the room so that the rest of the mod can secretly choose a "date" for them, someone that they might not know so well. Then, the day comes and the mod goes on a gigantic group blind date. It's really an enjoyable time to hang out with friends in the mod and also to get to know some people you might not know so well.

Sister Mod/ Brother Mod

Every mod on campus has either a sister mod or a brother mod--whatever the opposite gender is. The purpose of the sister mod/brother mod is to have another group of people to plan mod events with, and it's (another) excellent way to get to know people on campus! Our mod plans fairly frequent events with our sister mod, such as kickball games, barbecues, and all sorts of other events. The guys always love events with the sister mod and they ask me often "When we're doing something with the sisters again?"

This article includes just a few of the awesome activities that mods get to do together. There are so many fun opportunities to get to know people in and out of the mod at Hesston College. Overall, mod life is one of the most memorable, unique, and fun parts of the Hesston College experience!

Diversity Club bridges gaps - Sharon Cranford, Diversity Director

The Diversity Club at Hesston College began the Spring semester of 2002 as a part of the college's fifth overarching strategy: create an environment that supports, respects and celebrates racial and ethnic diversity for the intellectual and cultural enrichment and well-being of the campus community. The Diversity Club is composed of fifteen students from many racial and cultural backgrounds.

Advised by Sharon Cranford, Diversity Director, they meet on a regular basis to address issues that affect North American students of color, such as culture specific foods as well as social and cultural activities. The club is also involved in activities that educate others about the importance of multiculturalism and valuing people from different backgrounds and experiences. Some of their sponsored events include the rotating ACCK (Associated Colleges of Central Kansas) multicultural conference, Fall Get Acquainted Social, After-Game-After-Glow, Black Arts Festival (Wichita), Spring Fling with Blues Legend Berry Harris, and chapel presentations.

The Diversity club will present a skit at chapel on April 4 entitled "Get on board." It will be entertaining as well as educational, as we focus on getting rid of stereotypes that we didn't know we had. Spring Fling '05 will be held at the Arboretum on April 23 and tickets will be made available mid-March through the members and faculty advisors. For more information about diversity on campus, conduct Ronnie Warren, president (620-327-8327) or Sharon Cranford, advisor (620-327-8238).