Greetings from the Student Life department
by Lamar Roth, V.P. of Student Life
Welcome to the fall ’07 edition of the Hesston College Parents Newsletter. So much has happened since Opening Weekend! Your students have been at work in the classroom. They have enjoyed soccer, volleyball, and now basketball. The music performances have been incredible. Add theater performances, late night runs to Druber’s, and all that goes with learning to live in the mod. What stories your students have to tell! Please enjoy the articles and pictures in this newsletter.
I also want to encourage you to join us for Thanksgiving Weekend. This is a very special time for our students, families and for the campus. You should have already received the information in the mail. If you have not made plans to attend, I strongly recommend making that decision to join us. Make sure you sign up to attend the Parents’ Breakfast on Saturday morning! I hope to see you then.
Photos from fall sports and music--Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Volleyball, Music, and Campus Activities
A care package for your student
by Melissa Unruh, campus bookstore manager
Want to do something special for your student? Try a monthly gift basket or birthday package available through the bookstore.
November: “Fall Frenzy” - Hot cider, popcorn, pumpkin cookies, cheese & crackers assortment in a basket.
December: “Home for the Holidays” - Hesston College scarf, ornament and snacks for finals week.
January: “Wishing for Warm” - Hesston College mug with hot chocolate mix and chocolate chip cookies.
Shop at your convenience on-line at www.hesstonbooks.com.
M.D.S. work at Greensburg
by Russ Gaeddert, Disaster Management Program director
On May 4, 2007, a tornado destroyed approximately 95 percent of the town of Greensburg, Kansas. When students returned to campus in the fall, they didn’t have to wait long to help with the recovery process. On August 25, a van load of students went to Greensburg to work on the reconstruction of one of the houses not completely destroyed by the tornado, tearing the shingles off of its roof. The next weekend, on September 1, another van load went back, this time to tarpaper the roof and also to work on another one of the houses. Two weeks later, on September 15, a group went to work on a building that MDS is constructing to house volunteers. Students put on the sheathing, the tarpaper, and the shingles.
Jordan Pierce, freshman from Palmer Lake, Colorado, said, “I really enjoyed working there and meeting with the people. It’s good to see the progress that’s being made and good to be a part of the work that still needs to be done.”
Photos from the Greensburg project
Greetings from the Aviation Department
by Dan Miller, program director, and the Aviation faculty and staff
The 2007/2008 school year is well under way and all of us at Hesston College Aviation are anticipating the remainder of the semester to be exciting and challenging for the students. This fall we have started the year strong with a total of 42 new, returning and community students.
Here are some events and achievements by our aviation students:
- Five students have completed their first solo flights (photos)
- Jafeth Bruinink on 9/21/07
- Brandon Sidebottom on 9/27/07
- Sheldon Goerzen on 9/28/07
- Toby Schrag on 10/10/07
- Ben Jantzi on 10/10/07
- Our Student Aviation Advisory Board has met three times this semester and have some very exciting ideas and discussions. The board planned our Aviation Department kick-off event. On August 25 we had a BBQ, washed some planes and got to know each other better (photos). The board members are:
- Zach Hurst, Glenmoore, Pa. - Co-Chair
Kris Miller, Greeley, Colo. - Co-Chair
Jafeth Bruinink, Indonesia
Dylan Gingerich, Mt. Home, Idaho
Sheldon Goerzen, Newton, Kan.
Ben Jantzi, Indonesia
David Kautz, Leola, Pa.
Jason Marner, Brighton, Iowa
Ben Rohrer, Elkhart, Ind.
C.J. Smith, Newton, Kan.
Travis Pickerill - Aviation Fac/Staff Representative
Lamar Roth, Campus Community Representative
- We are also planning the following events this fall:
- Aviation Aviary - An activity held by students (ex: Aviation Movie/Pizza Night, Aviation Game Night, etc.)
- FAA Safety Seminar
- Field trip to the Wichita Tower and Flight Safety facilities
- Aviation Christmas Party
The Landing (or Design on a Dime - HC Style)
by Kevin Wilder, Campus Pastor
We have been more intentional about small groups at Hesston College this year. We have eight Ministry Assistants who work with small groups. Meeting in the lounges in Kauffman Court (KC) worked pretty well, but there didn’t seem to be a good space for Bible studies in Erb Hall. Most of the small groups meet between 10 p.m. and midnight. It became apparent that there were not adequate spaces available in the dorms for late-night male/female small groups.
Consequently, we created “The Landing.” The Landing is the old foyer to the little theatre in the basement of Northlawn (the music building). It is an informal setting with a small coffee bar, carpet, coffee shop-style painting, a round table, couches, lamps, and end tables. It is presently used on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays by groups, and is used for some classes with small groups. The room was put together by the Facilities Department, some Admissions Department staff, Ministry Assistants, and the Campus Pastor. It is a neat space and cost less than $200 to create. Heather Yoder put on the finishing touches in the last couple of weeks.
The following students are the small group leader Ministry Assistants:
- Ellie Eberspacher (sophomore, Milford, Neb.) - third floor Erb girls
Matt George (freshman, Lebanon, Ore.) - KC guys, A & C mods
Kaely Miller (freshman, Newton, Kan.) - second floor Erb girls
Rachelle Nitzsche (sophomore, West Point, Neb.) - nursing students
Jeremy Patterson (sophomore, Millersburg, Ohio) - Erb guys
Taylor Stutzman (sophomore, Hutchinson, Kan.) - KC guys, B & C mods
Naomi Tice (sophomore, Salisbury, Pa.) - first Floor Erb girls
Heather Yoder (sophomore, Bellfontaine, Ohio) - Book club
The Hesston College Traveling Theatre Troupe is on the move
by Megan Tyner, Theatre Director
This fall, members of the Hesston College Traveling Theatre Troupe have performed in at Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church in Wichita and at Pleasant Valley Mennonite Church in Harper, Kan. Before the end of the semester, the group will also appear at Hope Mennonite Church in Wichita and at Grace Hill Mennonite Church in Whitewater, Kan. We will also perform for the Bible study group that Marion Bontrager has been working with in South Hutchinson. Our final congregational performance will be at Bellwood Mennonite Church in Milford, Neb., the weekend of December 2. Dave Miller, a recent graduate of the Hesston College Pastoral Ministries program, is the pastor at Bellwood. Along with those engagements, students will perform for the Hesston College Board of Overseers and a few members of the group will perform for a youth event at Hesston Mennonite Church and for Schowalter Villa residents in December.
If it sounds like a crazy schedule, I assure you, it is! The commitment these students have shown is both refreshing and inspiring. They are doing this not just because they like to perform, but because of their commitment to Christ. It's wonderful! It's also very rewarding to see drama incorporated into worship services.
On a side note: Mitch Stutzman was originally cast in one of the groups, but sustained a serious knee injury that required surgery. He was unable to perform with us, but put in so much time and effort in the rehearsal process and should be recognized for that. He has amazing talent and I hope you will have the opportunity to see him on stage next semester! Because of Mitch’s injury, Carson Stutzman (no relation!), who was Mitch's role in the other group, has been pulling double duty. His dedication to this project has been amazing.
These students have been representing the college very well.
Cast A |
Cast B |
||
| Caroline Clymer, freshman, McGaheysville, Va. Tiffany Friesen, freshman, North Newton, Kan. Tara Harms-Becker, freshman, Hesston, Kan. Caleb Miller, sophomore, Middlebury, Ind. (Mitch Stutzman, freshman, Middlebury, Ind.) |
Ben Rohrer, sophomore, Elkhart, Ind. Virginia Sauter, freshman, Pawnee Rock, Kan. Carson Stutzman, freshman, Beaver Crossing, Neb. Hannah Titus, freshman, Roland, Iowa Lauren Zehr, freshman, Wauseon, Ohio |
Traveling Theatre Troupe photos
 Detweiler |
 Miller |
 Stauffer |
 Steury |
 Stutzman |
KC guys destroyed by seventh grade girls
by Kevin Wilder, Campus Pastor
Taylor Stutzman recently brought four of his small group guys to a Bible Quiz against five junior high girls from Whitestone Mennonite Church. Both groups had been studying the book of Galatians. They met for a Bible Quizzing match at Whitestone on Sunday, Oct 28 at 2 p.m. for a best-out-of-three quiz. Taylor's team faired almost as well as the Colorado Rockies in the World Series, or the Campus Pastor's Fighting Irish of Notre Dame! Members of Taylor's quiz team were Taylor Stutzman, Michael Steury (MVP for the KC guys), Nick Miller, Caleb Detweiler, and Ryan Stauffer. The quiz ended with a game of full-contact “How Do You Like Your Neighbor?” and a snack of Oreo cookies. Members of the Whitestone team included faculty members’ kids, Megan Baumgartner and Elisabeth Wilder, and community and Whitestone kids, Hannah Fenton, Holly Peters and Mikela Neddles. Taylor announced that his team was retiring after this quiz.
Grandparent Days April 3-4, 2008
from Dallas Stutzman, V.P. of Alumni and Church Relations
This two-day event is a great opportunity for grandparents to participate in a variety of seminars, spend time with their grandchildren, and learn more about student life at Hesston College. The Special Events Office is working on updating grandparent address information for this event. Cards were filled out with parent and grandparent address information prior to your student coming to Hesston in the summer. If any grandparent information has changed since then, or you think you didn't complete the form at that time, please contact us with the updated information. You may call us toll free at 866-437-7866, or e-mail us at alumni@hesston.edu by December 1. Please include your son/daughter's name. Thanks for your help!