Vol 121 No. 10 by The Record

NOVEMBER 29, 2018 Vol. 121 No. 10 Goshen, IN 46526

G FEAT U RES

A tale of two GC grads Carter McKay-Epp, 3

record.goshen.edu

Student Senate presents the first State of the Student Address

SP ORTS

Bulgarian star emerging in Goshen Nick Yutzy, 5

P ERSP ECT IVES

Radical hospitality Yazan Meqbil, 6

F U NNI ES

The first State of the Senate Address, updating the GC community on senate projects, was given in AD 28.

‘Hilarious, Unenforced, and Useless’ Christi Sessa, 7

LANDON WELDY

ARTS

Pianist family comes to Goshen Kory Stoneburner-Betts, 8

Staff Writer

landonw@goshen.edu

Student Senate held their first State of the Student Address (SSA) in front of a full crowd on Monday, Nov. 19. The event, modeled after the Presidential State of the Union Address, served as a way to inform the student body about various projects the group has been working on throughout the

semester. “The SSA was made so that the Senate can be transparent in all that we are doing, give updates that students should know about and be a bridge between the administration and the GC community,” said Katja Norton, liaison for student organizations. So far this year, Senate has worked at continuing to connect students with campus administration. To help facilitate this connection during the address,

time was given to Goshen College President Rebecca Stoltzfus for her to share her own initiatives with the student body. “Senate has made it a point this year to gain a presence on campus where students, faculty and staff, and administration can utilize us to meet their needs,” said Senate President Khampha Stempel. “Through the State of the Student Address, we wanted to make it a point that we have been, are and will be working on projects.”

Photo by Olivia Copsey

During the event, student representatives gave updates on their progress in several key initiatives, including disposal of feminine hygiene products, gender inclusive housing and further developing compost initiatives on campus. Norton spoke during the address on how to better dispose of feminine hygiene products on campus. “We took more time to explain this topic during the

See ADDRESS, page 4

‘Festival of Carols’ returns to Sauder Hall City Council passes Goshen

Hospital expansion proposal

Editor’s Note: Duane Stoltzfus’ Writing for Media class attended a Goshen City Council meeting Nov. 20. The assignment called for reporting on event with a midnight deadline. The class voted on the top four articles, which were then submitted for print.

KRISTIN TROYER

Executive Editor

ktroyer@goshen.edu

Deb Detwiler leads a Women’s World Choir Rehearsal for Festival of Carols.

Photo by Olivia Copsey

For example, Festival of Carols always includes audience participation throughout the program. Audience members sing along with college ensembles for about five Christmas carols. Unlike most musical performances, Festival of Carols does not include an intermission which allows audience members to immerse themselves into the performance. Additionally, the program is presented as a worship service instead of a regular music performance. The worship service is based on the Anglican tradition of Lessons and Carols, which includes Biblical readings complemented by music. Deb Detwiler, director of Goshen College’s Women’s World Choir and Chamber Choir, said, “This program has become a

part of my mental and spiritual preparation for the holiday of Light appearing in the midst of the darkness.” Each GC ensemble will perform two individual selections during the program. The community children’s choir, Shout for Joy, will also be featured, performing one song. The combined choirs and orchestra will perform selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” including the Hallelujah Chorus. The Women’s Choir will also be performing a song from “Considering Matthew Shepard,” a selection previously performed by the professional choir Conspirare as the opening concert of the Performing Arts Series.

PAMELA ORTIZ

Staff Writer

pmortiz@goshen.edu

Sauder Concert Hall will again host the annual Festival of Carols. Performances will take place Dec. 7-9. The concert will include performances by the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra, the Goshen College Choirs, and Goshen College music faculty with the expectation of audience participation. This December will mark the fifteenth year of Festival of Carols. Created by former GC choir director, James Heiks, the program has several different aspects that make it to stand out among the other concerts done throughout the year.

Read the full article at record.goshen.edu

The Goshen City Council voted 5-2 on Tuesday, Nov. 20 to pass an amended proposition for the $87 million expansion of Goshen Hospital. The amendment, which calls for reducing the geographic footprint of the hospital’s original plan, was proposed by councilman Adam Scharf and was the center of the discussion. Mayor Jeremy Stutsman also proposed a plan for city and hospital officials to work together to make a parking garage a financially feasible option. Councilwoman Julia King and Councilwoman Julia Gautsche offered an amendment to the amendment, removing the proposed parking lot to the south of Westwood Road. The council voted this down two different times, both failing 4-3. The council voted to table the original ordinance in the Oct. 30 council meeting, delaying the

addition of a four-story tower — which will add 106 singleoccupancy rooms — and a parking lot expansion. This pause gave the hospital, the affected neighborhood and city officials a chance to discuss the issue and look into various options. “I know that this is a contentious topic for many in the community,” said Mayor Stutsman. “I spent a good portion of my last week in meetings about this exact topic talking to both sides.” Representatives from the neighborhood and Goshen Health were given time to speak. Randy Christophel, President and CEO of Goshen Health and Goshen Hospital, says this project is critical to the health of patients and organization for the next decades to come, and expressed frustration that it has been delayed so long. “We have delayed this by over six months to allow more time for discussion,” said Christophel. “If we don’t approve this tonight, you are adding $100,000 a month to the cost of our project.” Marshall King, president of the Historic Racemere Peninsula Neighborhood Association, shared that much of the hospital’s plan, including the tower, had “overwhelming” support from the neighborhood.

See PROPOSAL, page 4

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018

An international friendship forms at GC

KATIE YODER

Contributing Writer katiey5@goshen.edu

When asked why they continue to be friends, Sara Azzuni and Nimoy Vaidya, both seniors at Goshen College, responded with mock confusion. “We’re just stuck at this point,” said Azzuni. Vaidya agreed, addressing Azzuni, “I feel like the biggest question in our relationship is ‘Why the heck are you still friends with me?’” Despite their banter, Azzuni and Vaidya showed that their friendship means something more than coincidence to them. They built it through smooth and rough patches at Goshen College, as both have persevered through academic pursuits and experienced living in a foreign country. Both have been well-known leaders on campus and active in many circles throughout their time at GC. Azzuni, a nursing major, has worked on the Campus Activities Council and for the Admissions department. Vaidya, a business major, has served in various Resident Life roles and is known for his b-boy dance performances. Both of them have been leaders for the International

Student Club (ISC), which they credit as one of the foundations of their friendship. Azzuni and Vaidya could look back and see that it wasn’t always obvious that they would become friends, though they happened to know about each other while still living halfway around the world. International students are assigned to “orientation guides.” These are older students who contact them before they get to campus to give them information and accompany them once they arrive. Azzuni and Vaidya had the same orientation guide. The two met on the first day they arrived in Goshen: Azzuni from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Vaidya from Kathmandu, Nepal. Azzuni remembered being impressed with how much better Vaidya’s English seemed in comparison to hers. This led to some initial confusion. When Vaidya asked Azzuni if she considered herself an extrovert or an introvert, she responded by saying, “The second one.” Vaidya remembered being confused and decided not to ask more questions. Any breaches in communication didn’t prove to be disastrous, and the two international students became good friends. And while the pair didn’t see each other a lot outside

of their shared ICC class, they began to bond the summer after their freshman year. Both of them stayed on campus to work, with Azzuni in Admissions and Vaidya at the Welcome Center. Like other international students and student workers, they lived in the Coffman Residence Hall. They often cooked together, and Vaidya helped Azzuni study for a physics exam. Azzuni recalled how Vaidya had just gotten a new Xbox at the time and that they had played a lot of FIFA, a soccer video game. The two have relied

frequently on each other as fellow international students. Vaidya explained his appreciation for Azzuni giving him good life advice. He also cited one crucial instance when she helped him find information about getting a visa and faxed it to him at the last minute so that Vaidya could go on a May Term trip to Spain. Nonetheless, the friends also have also had cultural differences that have shaped their relationship. In adherence to her Islamic faith, Azzuni prefers not to touch males, which Vaidya has developed methods of responding to. He

gives Azzuni air high-fives and handshakes. When they take pictures together, he hovers his arms around her. Azzuni believes that the challenges she has faced during her time at GC made relying on others necessary, especially as an international student. She also respects his leadership in his role for ISC. “[Vaidya has been] one of the few guys on campus that I would go to if I need help on something,” she said. The two intend to keep in touch after graduating, and they one day hope to visit each other’s home countries.

Sara Azzuni and Nimoy Vaidya’s friendship began the summer after their first year at GC.

For the RECORD

Kristin Troyer, a senior, is executive editor of the Record. “For the Record” is a weekly editorial. By most definitions, I wouldn’t say I’m a risk taker. I would say I like knowing what’s going on. As a Five according to the Enneagram, an INTJ according to Myers-Briggs and high-strung according to my mother, I like to be in control of my situation or at least have a general understanding of what’s happening. So if you’re expecting my last editorial to be an inspirational story about how I took a risk and applied to be executive editor and it changed my life for the bet ter, I’ll say now that’s not what this is. Was being editor a lot of work? Yes. Did being editor make me a better journalist? Definitely.

Photo by Dillon Hershey

Was being editor something that made sense for me to do? For sure. So was being editor a risk? Not necessarily. That is not to say it was easy. It certainly was hard work; I know that not just anyone could take this position and be successful. But I’m not going to disregard or undermine the work I have put in to get here and say it was a “risk.” While this is my seventh year of being a journalist, this is not my seventh year of being a good journalist. That happened gradually as I got more comfortable and pushed myself a little more with each story, photo, assignment, edit and submission.

The tasks I completed in my role as editor were a combination of the things I hope to do for the rest of my life: writing and designing, but also solving problems creatively and working with people who are just as passionate as I am. I didn’t realize all of this without a few risks-gone-wrong. I took these risks-gonewrong by choice, putting myself in situations I didn’t have any business being in, and I dealt with the consequences. And more often than not, I, unfortunately, must report that I got very little from those experiences. What has had an impact on my life? It’s not the risks I took because thought they’d be good for me or challenge me in a way I had never been challenged. The things that have changed my life were well thought out. They were calculated ahead of time to be safe and gratifying but still give ample room for growth. We can’t let other people tell us we are taking our risks the wrong way. If you like throwing yourself into the unknown with no prior research, good for you. But I’ve learned that’s not how I grow, and I’m tired of people assuming I am not doing hard things. I will do them on my own terms, paying attention to what I need, not listening to whether or not that’s good enough for anyone else. I’m not a risk taker, but as capable as I am, I don’t need to be.

Photo by Chelsea Risser

Micah Raber | Business Manager Duane Stoltzfus | Advisor

“The Record,” published weekly during the Fall and Spring semesters, is produced by student journalists on campus. The views expressed are their own. “The Record” is not the official voice of the student body, administration or the faculty of Goshen College. Please keep letters to the editor under 600 words. Editors reserve the right to edit letters for space and clarity. “The Record” is located in the Student Organization Center on the Goshen College campus. Postage is paid at Goshen, Indiana 46526. The subscription rate is $20 per year.

574.535.7398 | record@goshen.edu | record.goshen.edu

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A tale of two Goshen College graduates

Photo by Carter McKay-Epp

Kennan Bitikofer enjoys his new job because of the relaxed workspace.

CARTER MCKAY-EPP

Features Editor

cbmckayepp@goshen.edu

This April, a new batch of Goshen College graduates will disperse to locations across the U.S. and the world. Yet every year, there is a group of students who choose to start their adult lives just blocks away from their alma mater. Kennan Bitikofer, a 2018 GC graduate from Manhattan, Kansas and Phillip Chan, a 2018 graduate from

Zhuhai, China, have both found their first jobs only minutes away from the college. Bitikofer graduated with a major in computer science and now works at Studio Ace of Spades in downtown Goshen, in a building right beside Better World Books. Bitikofer said that he began thinking of what he wanted to do with his life his last semester of college. “I was monitoring Google alerts for jobs in the area and I found [an internship] position at

Everence,” he said. As a programmer at Everence, Bitikofer was able to get a feel for professional work. “And they paid me, so that was nice,” he said. Upon reaching the end of his internship, Bitikofer sought out a different kind of experience in the local tech community. Peter Miller, a friend of Bitikofer’s and one of his former computer science professors, told him about the Studio Ace of Spades job. “So I went in for an interview,” he said. “Well, it was more like that I went in with my resume, and they told me what I’d be doing.” Chan, meanwhile, graduated from GC with a degree in physics and had dreamt of becoming an engineer. Yet despite enjoying his time at GC, Chan worried that he might not find an engineering job with only a four-year degree under his belt. “That’s not usually enough for engineering,” he said. Chan considered going elsewhere to continue his career, but in February of 2018, Chan attended a job fair at the Lerner Theater in Elkhart, along with Nimoy Vaidya and Hajin Kim, both current seniors at GC. There, Chan caught the eye of Genesis Products, a local company that makes parts for RVs. Chan said that, although he didn’t have a full engineering degree, he had knowledge of specific programs that he would need for the job that set him apart. Before graduating,

Chan spent a lot of time working with AutoCad, the same 3D design software he now uses as a product engineer at Genesis Products. Chan designs countertops for the RVs. “A customer will usually give us a design and what tools and how we’re going to make it. We have to do it according to the blueprints,” he said. For any given project, Chan will get 15 or so designs from the customer, and from there, it’s up to him. “I get to create a bunch of cool, weird designs,” said Chan. Over at Studio Ace of Spades, Bitikofer works developing a website for a company based in California. “The reason that I was hired was that they have a particular client: a company out in California that makes clickbait websites,” he said. In fact, the site that he is designing is home to such modern Internet staples as pop-up ads and personality quizzes. For Bitikofer, what makes his job so enjoyable is the work environment at Studio Ace of Spades. “We do some real quirky things,” he said. From regular Pokemon Go excursions to ping-pong matches, team bonding is never dull. “We’ve been magnet fishing,” he said. “One day, a coworker brought a 150-pound magnet in, and we fished giant

chunks of metal out of the Millrace.” The group works at an island of desks, arranged so that they all face each other. “It’s a really nice workspace,” he said. “If I have a question, I can just turn to whoever to ask it.” Bitikofer said that he has learned so much since starting his work in the field. “There was an enormous amount to learn when I went in. With any tech job, you never come in knowing everything,” said Bitikofer. Chan and Bitikofer agreed that it was nice to remain a part of the community that they spent their college years getting to know. “Tomorrow, I’m taking engineering and physics students from GC to give them a tour of the facility,” said Chan. “A bunch of Goshen grads usually get together once a week. Recently, we did pumpkin carving.” The pair offered this advice to the next group of graduates. “If you want to go into a certain field, it’s good to have had a bunch of personal projects that you have involved in. If they see that you’ve been doing things for the pure enjoyment of doing them, that will make you stand out,” said Bitikofer. “Look for tools that you’re going to use and stuff that will make you different. It’s always good to stand out,” Chan said.

Wilmont brings a winning culture to GC WILLIAM TROYER

Contributing Writer

williamt7@goshen.edu

“Dribble-dribble. Crosscross. Between the legs. Hit the three!” said Roderick Wilmont, an assistant coach. This is how afternoon basketball practice begins for the Goshen College Men’s Basketball Team. “Get hot, Ryan!” Wilmont yelled to a first-year during a shooting drill. This may sound typical of a college basketball practice, but the man yelling it is not your average coach. Wilmont grew up in the Miami area playing basketball, where he did not start playing the game until he was 7 or 8 years old. “My mom played basketball at Baylor University and my dad was all about football,” Wilmont said. “I just started playing basketball because it was fun.” Wilmont starred as a 6’4” shooting guard for Miramar High School in Miramar, Florida. As a senior, Wilmont averaged 40 points per game and was named co-Mr. Basketball for the state of Florida, alongside famed NBA player and six-time NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire. Coming out of high school in 2001, Wilmont had many offers to play Division I basketball, including offers from Florida, Boston College, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and NC State. In the end, Wilmont

chose Indiana. “I knew Indiana was one of the top traditions in college basketball,” Wilmont said. “Coming from south Florida, it’s all about football. I wanted to come to a place that was all about basketball. It was a nobrainer, coming on my college visit sitting next to Isaiah Thomas.” Wilmont committed to Indiana under head coach Mike Davis and finished his time at Indiana under head coach Kelvin Sampson. In his four years at Indiana, Wilmont averaged 7.3 points per game. He had his best season as a senior, where he averaged 12.6 points per game. Wilmont still holds the record for most three-pointers in a single game at Indiana. “I hit 10 in one game,” he said. “I got warm.” Wilmont knew he wanted to play at the next level: the NBA. In 2007, when the New York Knicks invited him to a workout, he sought to impress the scouts. “I had an unbelievable workout with the Knicks,” Wilmont said. “I kind of opened their eyes. They brought me in with some other guards they were looking at drafting and I was the best guard there.” On draft day, Wilmont received a call from the Knicks organization. Isaiah Thomas, the general manager and head coach for the Knicks at the time, said that they were thinking about drafting him in the second round.

“It’s either going to be between you or Demetris Nichols,” Thomas said. “He was in that same workout with me, and I killed him,” said Wilmont. Wilmont did not get the news he was hoping for, and the Knicks selected Nichols with their second-round pick. The Knicks contacted Wilmont right after they selected Nichols and said that they would like to sign Wilmont as an unrestricted free agent after the draft. After going undrafted, Wilmont said, “At the end of the day, it was almost a blessing not to be drafted because I became a free agent for everybody instead of being owned by one team.” Wilmont would go on to play his NBA career with three teams: the New York Knicks, the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks. Wilmont also played overseas in Spain, Italy, Greece, Sweden and China. Although Wilmont bounced back and forth between the D-League and the NBA while in North America, he remains very pleased with his career. Once his playing career was over, Wilmont made up his mind that he wanted to coach. “When I was playing I never thought I’d be a coach,” he said. “God has definitely given me a gift to do this.” Wilmont has already won more championships as a coach than he ever did as a player. Wilmont spent six seasons

Roderick Wilmont comes to GC after an impressive career.

coaching the Fort Wayne Flight, a team in the Central Basketball Association—a semi-professional league—right under the NBA’s D-League. He took the Flight to three straight championship wins. Wilmont then made the transition to high school basketball. There he led the Lakewood Christian High School to an impressive 21-6 record, winning the school’s first-ever sectional championship in the process. Wilmont then moved to coach at Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana. It was while he was there that Wilmont met GC basketball head coach Jon Tropf. “I was very impressed with his effort and persistence in staying in touch with me,”

Photo by Jen Todd

Tropf said of Wilmont. “We developed a relationship before he was hired. That was only possible because he made sure to stay in contact with me regularly.” “The reason I picked Goshen was because I want to change the mindset to a winning way,” Wilmont said. “That means more than anything to me.” “He makes us all play to our fullest potential,” said Alhassan Barrie, a senior forward for GC. After his first game on the sidelines for the Maple Leafs, Wilmont shared this thought during his post-game interview: “I love winning. When I talk to these guys, I tell them, ‘When you taste winning, that is all you’ll ever want.’”

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018

Merry Lea and sculpture students to turn trash into art

Contributed by Lydia Dyck

Rheannon Starr (left) and Lydia Dyck (right) clean up discarded items that ended up at Merry Lea.

GWEN STEPHAN

Contributing Writer gwens3@goshen.edu

This Saturday, Dec. 1, Sustainability Leadership Semester (SLS) students Lydia Dyck and Rheannon Starr, both juniors, will be leading a trash cleanup of an old farm dump in the woods on Merry Lea property. Students will have an opportunity to clean up the local environment; the discarded objects will then be used by Goshen College’s sculpture class. Dyck and Starr have been working on finding a creative way to deal with the discarded glass, metal and garbage in the Elkhart watershed as part of SLS at Merry Lea.

The dump site is located directly above High Lake and all water in the local landscape flows down from this point. Any pollution at the dump site seeps into High Lake and goes through Goshen and out to Lake Michigan. “There is a trash dump here, when our headwaters should be the cleanest place in our landscape,” said Dyck. “At the same time, we want to recognize that dumps are not uncommon, and we want to encourage people to think creatively about our trash.” The idea of combining this cleanup initiative with art was proposed by Sarah Gothe, a Goshen College graduate student. This spring semester, art students can help weld, screw and

glue the materials collected this weekend into a new sculpture to be displayed on campus. The display location has not yet been decided, but it will possibly find a home by the visual arts building or the sculpture lab north of the physical plant. It will be a visual representation of the transformative nature of sustainability. “One thing we talk about a lot in sculpture is taking material that has been discarded by society and industry, and by making it into a sculpture giving it purpose and a second life,” said John Mishler, professor of art and instructor for the sculpture class. Volunteers on Saturday will go into the woods and sort through the materials left behind at the dump

site, separating out glass, metal and trash. Art students will collect the materials they want to use, and the rest will be properly disposed of. The Merry Lea students are asking for more volunteers to help clean up the dump site on Dec. 1. Interested volunteers should meet at the physical plant parking

NEWS BRIEF | RECORD LEADERSHIP FOR SPRING Junior Siana Emery will serve as executive editor of the Record for the spring semester, effective in January. Emery is majoring in writing with a minor in communication and is from North Yarmouth, Maine. She has previously served on staff as a copy editor, arts editor and news editor. Olivia Copsey, a senior journalism major with minors in graphic design and psychology from Goshen, will serve as digital editor. She has served as photo editor for the past three semesters.

From ADDRESS, page 1 address to show the process we took to accomplish a studentgiven topic and how the Senate can be of assistance in problems such as this one,” she said. Ultimately, the Senate came to the conclusion that the current method of disposal is already the most environmentally friendly option available. Laura Miller, head of publicity and marketing, spoke on the Gender Inclusive Housing Task Force. “We anticipate that needs will be met by using one or more floors of the KMY dorms, most likely in Miller, as gender inclusive space,” said Miller. The task force will present a

proposal to administration by the end of the semester. Students also had the opportunity to respond at the end of the address. Stempel said, “We wanted to hear responses to the projects that were spoken about, new projects students would like to partake in, and reactions to the State of the Address event itself.” Rowan Miller, senate treasurer, hopes that this event can allow students to better understand what the Senate does and how they go about doing it. “We want them to know that the Senate really is a resource for them to bring issues to the administration that they feel are

important,” Miller said. “We are here and available and we want to work with students to develop creative solutions to issues.” Stempel shares a similar passion for making positive change on campus. “Student Senate wants to call on the campus to participate alongside us to create projects and goals that will make Goshen College a stronger community,” he said. “Participation from students and the broader campus guides Student Senate in what we put on the agenda to meet the needs of the community.” For questions or concerns, student representatives can be reached at senate@goshen.edu.

Photo by Olivia Copsey

At-large student senate members Debbie Reynolds and Mara Beck address the GC community at the first State of the Senate Address.

lot at noon this Saturday. Bring warm clothes, waterproof footwear and a water bottle. Snacks will be provided throughout the afternoon and the day will wrap up with a hot supper. Contact either Lydia Dyck, lydiad@goshen.edu, or Rheannon Starr, rstarr@goshen.edu, to sign up or get more information.

From PROPOSAL, page 1 However, this expansion has been highly contested by homeowners, as the proposed parking lot would require the demolition of several houses. “What we as a neighborhood really want,” said King, “is no more houses torn down for parking lots. . . We simply don’t want to lose more homes where families could be part of our neighborhood, and we don’t want parking lots to come even closer to our homes.” “This isn’t a parking problem,” he said. “It’s a logistics problem.” Homeowners living south of the hospital on Woodward Place expressed concern toward the light pollution and increased traffic congestion that would come with an added parking lot. One solution that came from community members was building a multi-story parking garage, something the hospital has deemed to be too expensive. Regardless, the hospital insists that current parking lots are not sufficient. With their setup, many employees are forced to park east of State Road 15 and crossing this road to get to the hospital has proven to be a safety concern. Several hospital employees shared

stories of having to cross the four lanes of traffic and called for an expanded parking lot to combat this problem. Lynette Stark, a Dunlap resident who commutes to Goshen Hospital, was almost hit by a car while trying to get to work on an icy morning. Emotionally rattled, it affected her ability to do her job. “We can’t take care of our patients if we are injured,” Stark said. Several people pointed out similarities between the Tuesday night discussion and one that happened when the hospital wanted to expand and rezone into its current footprint a decade ago, including Councilwoman Gautsche who was on the council during those conversations. “It was actually almost a complete replay of what we did 10 years ago,” Gautsche said. “It was the parking issue. 10 years later, we’re back and we’re asking the same questions and we’ve gone over this same ground.” In addition to the hospital zoning ordinance, an annexation agreement with Goshen Community schools, two ordinances vacating public ways within the city and a transfer of funds were also approved.

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Student-Athlete Advisory Committee begins at Goshen NICK YUTZY

Staff Writer

njyutzy@goshen.edu

The inaugural year for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at Goshen College is set to give a voice to athletes, bridge the divide of students on campus and give back to local and national charitable organizations. The committee was introduced by first-year GC athletic director Harold Watson. Watson is striving to engineer a strong athletic department by elevating the status of studentathletes in the department. “I just want to first create leaders,” Watson said. “Also, I want to hear what’s important to them and this group is empowered to speak on behalf of their teams.” The implementation of SAAC provides an opportunity for student-athletes to gain experience in leadership and provide insight to aid the athletic department in their operations. SAAC consists of two male and female representatives from each sport, four student-athlete

leaders and two administrative faculty. They meet in the Recreation-Fitness Center once or twice a month in order to bounce ideas off each other with a goal of hosting an event or fundraiser every month. An area of emphasis for the committee this year has been to unify non-athletes on campus and student-athletes. Chelsea Foster, a junior and SAAC student leader, has noticed a divide between the two groups since coming to Goshen, and feels as though the committee can play a vital role in not only the athletic department, but the entire student body. “I feel like I can fit in with both [athletes and non-athletes],” Foster said. “I wanted to be a part of a change that helped bring together those students.” Sharing ideas and orchestrating events to bring the two parties into the same space enables this goal to come to fruition. Their debut school function occurred on homecoming weekend as students gathered to play cornhole and socialize with each other prior to the women’s soccer game.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee seeks to bridge the divide of students on campus.

The first SAAC-sponsored fundraiser was a trick-or-can food drive where members of the committee invited friends and teammates to go to houses in the community and ask for nonperishable food items to collect and send to a local food pantry. This fundraiser was the first of many to come for the advisory committee. Katherine Boyer, a senior SAAC student leader, announced the next sponsored event, which will take place on Dec. 5. “We are pairing up with the men’s basketball team and raising money for the fight against

Bulgarian star to play volleyball

prostate cancer,” Boyer said. At the game, shirts will be sold for $5, with proceeds benefiting prostate cancer research. Events like these are what makes the introduction of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee special and beneficial to Goshen College as a whole. It offers a common place in athletics for students on campus to rally together and show school spirit while supporting a good cause. “I’m ready to help make Goshen athletics something people want to come back and take part of,” said Boyer.

Contributed by Harold Watson

By giving student-athletes a voice, offering a place for leadership experience and bringing Goshen College’s campus together for charitable causes, SAAC looks to transform the culture behind athletics at GC. “My goal for SAAC is to find things that are important to [student-athletes] and support those initiatives,” Watson said. “Whether that’s creating change on our campus or department, giving back to their community, supporting each other’s teams or you name it, I just want them to use their voice.”

BY THE

NUMBERS Men's Basketball vs. University of Saint Francis (Ill.) Wednesday, Nov. 14 @ Goshen College

ST. FRANCIS

GOSHEN

Women’s Basketball vs. Viterbo University Friday, Nov. 16 @ Goshen College The men’s volleyball team prepares for their first varsity season.

NICK YUTZY

Staff Writer

njyutzy@goshen.edu

Aleksander Rabadzhiev was studying in his house in Bulgaria, just like any other night, when he received an email from his agent about a school called Goshen College. Not knowing anything about the college, Rabadzhiev paused his homework and opened a new tab on his computer to do some research. “I went to the website, checked it out and turned in my application form,” Rabadzhiev said. “I started contacting the coach, and that was it.” 19-year-old Rabadzhiev dreamed of coming to the United States not only to further his educational interest in medicine but also to advance his already decorated volleyball career. Rabadzhiev played amateur volleyball with his hometown club team, Pirin Razlog, for nine years. The highlight was a thirdplace finish in the 2016 national championship, when as captain, Rabadzhiev earned most valuable player of the tournament. A 6’3” deadly outside hitter with a serve that earned him two “best server awards,” Rabadzhiev battled his way onto the competitive Bulgarian Junior

National Team at the age of 16. In his first year with the squad, they took second place in 2014 Balkan Championships, falling to the host team, Turkey. “Before I even watched [Alex’s] videos, it said his vertical reach was 132 inches; that was the first thing that grabbed my attention,” said Jim Daugherty, the Goshen College men’s volleyball head coach. Once Daugherty watched the highlight tape of Rabadzhiev, more features of his game stood out. “He can play all the way around,” Daugherty said. “He’s hitting over the block; he has a heck of an arm swing. I think he’ll be a great feature for us. A go-to type of a hitter when he’s in the front row.” A couple weeks before the start of a new school year, Rabadzhiev arrived in the United States for the first time ever, only knowing what to expect from his friends from Bulgaria who made the same trip to states like Hawaii and California. In Goshen, he found vast fields of corn and beans, the odor of cow manure and horse and buggies hugging the right lane. However, in a lot of ways, the town in rural Indiana reminded Rabadzhiev of his hometown,

Photo by Dillon Hershey

Razlog. The people are friendly, the four seasons are always unpredictable and you only need to drive two miles to get anything you needed. In many ways, it’s a home away from home for Rabadzhiev. “It’s a close-knit community and everybody knows everybody,” Rabadzhiev said. Despite the 5,000-mile trek, it was always more excitement than nerves for the standout volleyball player and his family. “My parents were excited that I [could] go and develop as a person in a new culture,” Rabadzhiev said, “but they were very sad that I would leave home for a long time.” After nearly two months in Goshen, he has found himself adjusting to a vastly different American college life. Through volleyball practices and workouts, meeting new people on campus and challenging himself in the classroom, Rabadzhiev has grown to enjoy his time being the first Bulgarian Maple Leaf. Rabadzhiev will join the the Maple Leaf men’s volleyball team as they kick off their inaugural season on Jan. 18 at Gunden Gymnasium in Goshen.

VITERBO

GOSHEN

Men's Basketball vs. Indiana University Northwest Saturday, Nov. 17 @ Goshen College

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IU NORTHWEST

GOSHEN

Women’s Basketball vs. Ohio Christian University Saturday, Nov. 17 @ Goshen College

OCU

GOSHEN

Women's Basketball vs. Mount Vernon Nazarene University Tuesday, Nov. 20 @ Goshen College

MVNU

GOSHEN

Men’s Basketball vs. Mount Vernon Nazarene University Tuesday, Nov. 20 @ Goshen College

MVNU

GOSHEN

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Pers pec ti ves

NOVEMBER 29, 2018

Three ways to identify a ‘snowflake’

ELIJAH LORA

Contributing Writer ealora@goshen.edu

Trigger warning: opinions Snowflake: “a small, feathery ice crystal, displaying delicate sixfold symmetry; sensitive to heat.” Snowflakes are unique, beautiful, and perfectly content to sit outside surrounded by other snowflakes. Be wary though, snowflakes are very delicate and if accidentally or intentionally exposed to heat, pressure or touch — they will melt. For those of you who haven’t caught on yet, this is an analogy for many GC students. That’s right, I’m talking about many of you. Goshen College students and alumni are, all too often, snowflakes. Terribly sensitive to outside arguments or beliefs and prone to “meltdowns,” it often takes only a candle’s worth of heat for your entire world to collapse. Do you think you or your friends might be a snowflake? Well, if you want to find out, here are my “3 ways to identify a ‘snowflake.’” Method 1: expose to heat. This is far and away the least elegant method to identify a snowflake, but it can be quite the spectacle to watch. This method requires an individual to enter an adverse political opinion into an otherwise homogeneous space. For example, if you’re in a pro-border security or pro-immigrant space, represent an aspect of the opposing views argument you find logical and be prepared to defend it. If the people in that space engage you without calling you a

Elijah Lora offers three methods to identify a ‘snowflake’.

racist or communist, congratulate them for they have passed the test. However, you will find that in many of these spaces, you will be branded a racist, you will be screamed at, there will be a Facebook post, and they will all feel very proud of themselves for the whole ordeal. Snowflakes on this campus are all too happy to set someone straight for having an ideological viewpoint that they consider bigoted or hateful, so if they address you it will be in public, so as to avoid that “one-on-one conversation to better understand

Photo by Autumn Proudfoot

each other” garbage. Method 2: experience the chill. This method may sound like a mint gum commercial, but actually, I’m referring to the simple act of sitting in an ideologically insulated environment and learning what they consider acceptable and unacceptable. Snowflakes are perfect, but they are also human. That means every now and then one of them will fall out of line and the way that group responds can show you what kind of environment you are in. This often manifests itself in

the use of words like “safety” and “triggered.” There are many people who have serious reasons to feel unsafe expressing themselves in a given space. Likewise, there are people who experience trauma that can be legitimately triggered in everyday life. It’s not fake. It’s not a show. Those people need our support, no questions asked. However, if you use words like “unsafe” or “triggered” because someone brings up an adverse opinion on healthcare, or environmentalism or literally any topic where you are not personally affected, you have no business saying you’re unsafe. You’re scared; just acknowledge that (#notthatdeep). Snowflakes like to create spaces where discomfort is treated the same as safety, when it’s not. Deep down they just aren’t sure if they would be able to respond when challenged. Quietly sitting and observing the chilling effect this mindset has on classrooms or friend groups can be a good indicator of whether or not you’re surrounded by snowflakes. Method 3: snow is (often) white. That’s right. This really is the perfect analogy. Snowflakes view themselves as on the side of the angels, so they like to carry around minorities in their purses like dogs they can take out to show their friends. Snowflakes never only represent themselves because they can be more convincing when they can speak with all of the minority world behind them. I’ll be straight to the point, there is nothing more annoying than a white person pretending to be offended on your behalf for

something that doesn’t bother you White people trying to be good people: speak for yourself and if you’re concerned someone is being offensive, just ask the person you think they’re offending. That being said, snowflakes who are minorities can be just as bad. If a minority tells you what “Black people think” or “how immigrants interpret a given situation,” there is a strong chance they are basing it entirely on their personal recollection. People of color, just like “the whites,” have diverse opinions on every subject. So, minorities who think they have a special privilege to speak for the one Black kid you knew in elementary school (yep, only one), are probably just using him to bolster their own shallow argument. Now that we have the tools to identify these snowflake-like individuals living among us, where do we go? I think the first thing we can do is put a stop to all the exaggeration and lack of introspection we partake in. Why do we have to assume a person is hateful or our enemy? Why do we enjoy putting people in their so-called place and what does that do for the movement we represent? My rule of thumb: “never attribute to malice what you can attribute to incompetence and stupidity.” If you think someone is wrong: prove it. Stop sitting behind your keyboard or in your insulated friend group denigrating people who might be more willing to join you if you presented the right arguments. Learn to take a joke. You’re made of more than ice and water.

Radicial Hospitality: two continents do what a village cannot YAZAN MEQBIL

Contributing Writer

yjmeqbil@goshen.edu

Radical: a word usually associated with the right wing, extremist groups, or a term associated with the vague socially-rejected ideas that a society does not want to pursue. Anyways, away from the political Fox News use of the word, as always, I want to challenge the use of this term. On my way back from the Elkhart train station a few weeks ago, I had a great morning conversation with my host father, Leon Bauman (GC class of ‘82). We talked about various things and of course, religion and specifically Assembly Church came into the conversation. He told me about the sermon that Paul Keim (GC class of ‘78) delivered the previous Sunday. Dr. Keim talked about radical hospitality, or how extreme people can be in helping others. I replied to Leon by saying, “That makes you a terrorist, then.” Now don’t freak out, that was a metaphor. I have been living with

Leon for 2 years now, and last year Leon got married and we both moved into his lovely wife Char Yutzy’s house. Leon and Char are as radical as any one can get when it comes to helping others; without their help, I would not have been able to attend Goshen College. The same thing applies to Hashem Abu Sham’a, John and Joyce Cassel, JoAnne Lingle, Margee Kooistra and Deya’ Dresner, just to name a few people who have been very supportive and influential during my educational journey in the U.S. Another “radical” family I lived with over the past summer was the family of Tamara Loewen Hazbun (GC class of ‘89). I spent my summer at Purdue University working for her husband Dr. Tony Hazbun. Living with the Hazbuns made things easier for me and allowed me to spend a very educational summer at Purdue. And it did not stop there. Their hospitality extended to 6 other GC students when we attended the Big Ten Graduate School Expo at Purdue University in October. The Hazbuns took us all in and made us feel at home. It’s Thanksgiving season. While many of us do not know

how to feel about this holiday and its history, we certainly make use of the discounts and gain a few pounds. Regardless, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the churches, organizations, individuals, families, and friends from four countries, two continents and many religious and nonreligious backgrounds who were very radical in their support and love, and who made it possible for me to be here. It certainly took churches, organizations, and individuals from two continents to make things work for me. It took Leonard Education Organization, College Mennonite Church, the First Church of Brethren, Fairfield Mennonite Church, Market Square Presbyterian Church and over 30 individuals so that Yazan Meqbil can be “Yazan Meqbil, GC class of ‘19”. To all of you, thank you. To all of you, thank you for being radical in your support and hospitality. In times of uncertainty, political instability and heartbreaking news about fires and borders, it is important to be hospitable, to reach out to the people who are different from us, and to recognize the importance of working together to fight oppression and injustice.

Also, #GivingTuesday was two days ago. I would like to use this platform to encourage you to search for Leonard Education Organization online

and learn about their work. Search for organizations that help migrants and asylum seekers such as RAICES and KIND, and extend your support.

Photo by Chelsea Risser

Yazan Meqil discusses the imporatance of hospitality.

Fu n n i e s

the Record

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The campus sign: hilarious, unenforced and unused CHRISTI SESSA

Contributing Writer chsessa@goshen.edu

People walk by it all the time. Ignore it. Or better yet: they board by. At the very southern edge of campus, on the west side by the train tracks, there exists the more ephemeral of signs. I’m convinced it’s only visible at night. Or at least certain times of the day. It’s always a tad blurry in photographs. Whatever the case, it’s there, it’s real and it haunts me whenever I go on my walks south. It was only a few weeks ago that, finally, for the first time in nearly a decade, I got a picture of this elusive cryptid while on a walk with a cool person and boarder Katie Baer: “NO SKATEBOARDING ON CAMPUS.” Whenever I walk between from my parents’ house to campus, I pass this sign. When my brothers skateboard or longboard or whatever-the-heck board to my parents’ house, they go by this very sign. Every day, students just north of this sign get on their wheeled little things and zoom around on sidewalks, hopping off when crossing train tracks and then getting right back on again.

The board is truly life at Goshen College. And if that is life, then we are all clearly sinners. I also find this sign absolutely hilarious. I have wanted to write something about this sign for ages now and Nathan Pauls, funnies editor, finally got me to do it. It’s clearly such a relic of long ago. In any case, this sign, so wrong and off in the face of today’s campus, is one of my favorite things. So, I have decided to educate you all on what is, perhaps, the greatest sign on campus that no one has ever heard of. I began this work of education by talking to the people who needed to hear it most: the great ones who board. It should be noted that I do not know how to use any sort of board. I have the balance of a drunk man with vertigo. So, I needed to inform those who this would impact before it was too late. “LOL, I didn’t know it existed,” said local bearded board bro Jace Longenecker. Surprisingly, most people are not familiar with the very remote south side of campus that has no buildings and leads only to yet another parking lot and a drainage ditch. “That sign isn’t valid,” said Kailey Rice, who then proceeded

to hop on her longboard and ride away, presumably hoping her board would not be taken from her. Rest easy, Kailey: no one would dare do that to you. “I don’t think that it refers to using them as transportation,” said Hugh Birky, who is obviously doing something with skateboards that we don’t know about. It could be that this man is the reason skateboarding is banned. The answer to this question is to be determined. Recent boarder Madeline Smith Kauffman perhaps had the most universal answer of all: “I didn’t know it existed and I’m not going to listen to it now that I know it exists.” Truly, this is a sign that nobody actually listens to or cares about. But I encourage all of you to follow the sidewalk to the south end of campus and see this beauty for yourselves. But I implore you, Goshen College: do not take this sign down. Do not take away this symbol of our history and throw it into the dumpster behind Phys Plant. Have it displayed, prominently, so we may all know and remember the law we all ignored and loved to break. Or, you know, we can just leave it. It’s hilarious.

Out-of-Context Professor Quotes I have no morality. I love and want to marry Thomas Jefferson. -Philipp Gollner

Imagine Goshen College opening up a local prostitution ring.

photo by Christi Sessa

The terrifying sign that would affect about 73.69% of the student population, if enforced.

The best hibernation in the nation GOSSIP SQUIRREL Guest Writer

Hey squirrel, heeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy! As the temperatures and sidewalks become increasingly dangerous, I find that the time is nearing for my sisters and I to hit that sweet, sweet hibernation. I’ve put on my best furs, which are great, but I really was hoping to get one of those GC Athletics parkas this year…A custom squirrel size of those glorious garments would keep me out and about all year! But alas, neither Santa nor my girl Jo-Ann came through, so it’s time for me to hide away until the Science Center oranges thaw again. This is *sniff* my squirrel song. As the semester draws to a close, do remember these nuggets of wisdom from a squirrel who

has seen more Finals Weeks than she has toes: • Take a page from the woodpecker’s book and just keep chipping away at your work. Not everything has to be finished immediately. • Make sure to take a break every once in a while. Watch the snow falling. Peep a meme. Dance around the room to your favorite boppin’ Christmas song (my favorite is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”). • Lastly, as our dear Dr. Matthew Hill reminds us every day, stay warm and well fed. So, ciao, bellas and fellas. See you ‘round the Rott! XOXO, Gossip Squirrel

It’s the government trying to be cute. -Jerrell Ross Richer

Send us your out-of-context professor quotes. record@goshen.edu

RECYCLE

YOUR RECORD

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018

‘Bad Theater’ an opportunity to help Goshen community DELANEY POWELL | LAURA MILLER Staff Writer | Arts Editor

djpowell@goshen.edu | lymiller@goshen.edu

“Everyone has that one can of soup on their shelf they’re never going to eat,” said Kelsey Winters, a junior, and she has a great place for you to take it. Goshen College’s GC Players Club will be hosting the inaugural “Bad Theater for a Good Cause” event on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 4 p.m. in the Umble Center. This event is open to the public and the entry fee is a can of soup or any other non-perishable item. “Bad Theater for a Good Cause” is a Goshen College student-led production of what theater professor Anna Kurtz Kuk described as “a more obscure side of theatrical entertainment.” Attendees of the event can expect goofy musical numbers, as well as a dramatic reading, a live puppet show and improv. The idea for a production with community good in mind came to Winters a year ago. As a peace, justice and conflict studies major, she says she is always trying to find ways

to combine her love of theater with her passion for social justice. After talking it over with the other members of GC Players, a student-run club that branches off from the theater department, they decided to make the event official. As planning took shape, it was very important to the GC Players to be able to make a positive contribution to the community as well as making the event accessible to everyone. Asking for a can of soup in return for a seat to the show seemed like a good way to achieve this goal. All the items collected at the event will be given to the Window. The Window, located in downtown Goshen, is a non-profit faith-based organization that provides services and necessities to people with limited income. In 2017, the Window celebrated 50 years of serving the community. But there is more to this event than community service. The show has been designed to entertain. “[The acts don’t] have to be good, [they] just have to be fun,” Winters said. Kailey Rice, a sophomore sign language interpreting major, organized an act performing “One

Day More” from the musical “Les Miserables.” She explained that while the group is made up of talented singers, they will have no trouble making it “bad theater.” Everyone in the group has learned every role in the song in preparation. “Onstage, every performer will draw a character name and then proceed to sing for that character,” Rice said. “So a bass voice could end up singing for Cosette or a treble voice could end up singing for Jean Valjean.” Bek Zehr, a sophomore musical performance major, is part of an act organized by Becca Choi and Anne Buckwalter. Along with a number of other students, they will be performing a song spoofing the style of GC’s Women’s World Choir. “This is, like, the wrong way to do Women’s World Choir,” Zehr said. As the choir sings music from around the world, the act will be singing Africa by Toto. “We’re pretty good at singing it but also kinda bad, and it’s really cringy,” said Zehr. “Here’s a teaser: at the end, Ethan Lapp picks me up and carries me offstage.”

A GC PLAYERS EVENT

Bad Theater Theater Bad FOR A

Umble Center

Good Cause

· Sunday, December 2ND @ 4PM

Please bring a can of soup or another non-perishable item. All donations will be given to The Window. for more info, contact knwinters@goshen.edu

Graphic by Dillon Hershey

Pianist family, The 5 Browns, comes to Goshen KORY STONEBURNER-BETTS Contributing Writer kjstoneburnerbetts@goshen.edu

The 5 Browns are bringing their musical talents to Sauder Concert Hall as part of the 201819 Performing Arts Series. They are set to perform Saturday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The group consists of five siblings: Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae. All five siblings were born in Houston, Texas and began their piano training at the age of three. The family moved to Utah in 1991 and grew up in the Church of Latter Day Saints. They were homeschooled while they continued their piano study. Each of them were accepted to Julliard School in New York. Three of their albums went to #1 on Billboard’s Classical Album chart. The 5 Browns tour extensively. They have performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Issac Stern Auditorium, the Grand National Theater in China, Suntory Hall in Japan and Symphony Hall in Chicago. Individually and as a unit, they have performed with orchestras from around the world, including the St. Louis Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. A highlight in the quintet’s career was a commissioned fivepiano concerto written by famed composer Nico Muhly. Under

Siblings, musicians and advocates, The 5 Browns will perform in Sauder Concert Hall.

the direction of Maestro James Conlon, the concerto premiered in 2011 at the Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Outside of their musicianship, the 5 Browns are published writers. Their book, “Life Between the Keys,” a collection of personal stories was released in 2009. In addition to performers and writers, the group members are advocates. In late 2011, Desirae and Deondra Brown established The Foundation for Survivors of Abuse, a non-profit organization

which works for the advancement of victim’s rights. The 5 Browns have also received extensive attention in the media. The quintet enjoyed their first instance of critical acclaim in 2002 when People magazine dubbed them the “Fab Five” at the same time they were featured on Oprah and 60 Minutes. The group was featured in a PBS TV special, “The 5 Browns in Concert,” which aired on PBS affiliates across the country. They

have garnered extensive coverage across various media outlets including The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and The View. In April 2018, the documentary “The 5 Browns: Digging through the Darkness” was released. The film chronicles the struggles the siblings experienced both within and outside of the home during their rise to prominence. They have also been featured in print media via The New York Times, Parade, The L.A. Times,

Photo Contributed

and Entertainment Weekly among others. The New York Post proclaimed; “One family, five pianos and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years.” Tickets for the Dec. 15 performance are available at tickets.goshen.edu, through the Music Center Box office or by phone at (574) 535-7566. Tickets are $45, $40, and $30.