Vol. 118 No. 10 by The Record

NOVEMBER 12, 2015 Vol. 118 No. 10 Goshen, IN 46526

G FEAT U RES

Diversity talks with Regina Shands Stoltzfus Achieng Agutu, 3 S P ORTS

Cross country concludes season Michael Walker, 5 P ER SP EC T IVES

Who really goes to orchestra concerts? Abbie Kaser, 6 F UN NI ES

A day in the life of an Al Roker groupie Leah Landes, 7

A RTS

Soweto Gospel Choir captivates audience Emma Koop Liechty, 8

record.goshen.edu

Al Roker visits Goshen College JORDAN WAIDELICH Staff Writer

jrwaidelich@goshen.edu

Al Roker dropped by Goshen College on Tuesday in the name of breaking records and raising funds for Feeding America. The well-known weatherman from the Today show began “Rokerthon 2: Feeding America By Storm” on Nov. 6 with a goal to report the weather in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C. in a week. Along the way he’s raising money for the Feeding America food banks. For every dollar that is donated, 11 meals are provided for the food banks. Out of the eight states he visited on Tuesday, Indiana was his sixth stop. “It’s a privilege to be chosen to represent this state and this city,” said Jodi Beyeler, director of communications and marketing. “We’re just excited to spread the word about what’s happening on campus and in the larger community.” Roker’s plane was originally supposed to land before 12:30, but delays pushed him closer to a 3:00 arrival time. But that didn’t diminish support. Pam Catalano, a community member, had anticipated at least an hour of delay. She came prepared

Photo by Hannah Sauder

Al Roker visited Goshen College on Tuesday as a part of Rokerthon, in which he will give the weather report in all 50 states in one week.

with a book and an excitement to see Roker. “Al Roker’s my favorite,” she said. “He seems nice and has a good sense of humor.” During the downtime, Chuck Lofton, meteorologist for the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, filmed the choir singing part of the “Al-ma Mater,” a re-written version of the school song prepared especially for Roker.

The final lines of the song poked fun at the notoriously cold Goshen weather, but remained cheerful: “Goshen College, ever singing, to our motto we’ll be true; though the weather could be better, Good ol’ Goshen we love you.” By the time Roker arrived to campus, people surrounded the Adelphian Fountain in front of Kulp Hall, along with a goat in a GC t-shirt.

During his brief visit, Roker reported on the Goshen weather alongside Lofton. The choir sang again, this time for Roker, and then he continued on. Maryn Munley, production manager for the GC Music Center and a huge fan of the TODAY Show, was instrumental in getting Roker to campus.

See ROKER, page 4

GC hosts, honors grandparents CIIE and local African JENAE LONGENECKER James News Editor

jenael@goshen.edu

When Sarah Hartman-Keiser, a sophomore nursing major, was handed her first stethoscope, blood pressure monitor and set of scrubs last Friday, her grandmother Margie Keiser, a retired nurse, was by her side. John and Margie Keiser visited Goshen College for last Friday’s Grandparents Day festivities, and they accompanied her to Nursing 210: Intro to Professional Nursing. “It was exciting because I didn’t know we were getting those things that day, but it made the moment even more special. My grandma was there to be excited with me and see a part of my future become a reality in a small way,” she said. Over 100 grandparents visited the GC campus Friday, participating in a variety of activities designed to give them a taste of their grandchildren’s college experience. One of the first activities was a chapel service, where President

Brenneman welcomed grandparents to campus and wished them a “reunion of great joy and blessing” with their grandchildren. President Brenneman spoke about the importance of honoring grandparents as “living proverbs,” who, in the words of former US President Jimmy Carter, “possess the distilled wisdom of pain and joy.”

At the chapel service, the Women’s World Music Choir performed the song “Lineage” by Andrea Ramsey, honoring grandmothers as “strong” and “full of sturdiness and singing.” Also during chapel, HartmanKeiser and her twin sister Lydia Hartman-Keiser read a litany with their grandparents. According to Lydia, the

See GRANDPARENTS, page 4

Photo by Hannah Sauder

Trever Emery, a senior, with his grandparents, Mary and Robert Emery and President James Brenneman.

American communities

MADDIE BIRKY

Associate Editor

madelinemb@goshen.edu

This fall, Goshen has had its most diverse first-year class ever, with 40 percent of traditional students identifying as nonwhite, compared with 15 percent in 2006-2007. Goshen College’s Latino student population, in particular, has skyrocketed. But that was not the only advancement towards growth in minority student enrollment. CIIE is currently working with the African American community in both Elkhart and South Bend to make higher education much more achievable. Since 2006, Goshen College has dramatically increased minority student enrollment. During the 2015-2016 academic year, 36 percent of traditional undergraduate students were minority or international students, compared with 17.7 percent in 2005-2006. “Goshen College’s outreach to the African American community is, and was, among

many efforts—old and new— to increase our outreach to all aspects of our community to recruit more students as well as to increase support for our college in other ways,” said Richard Aguirre, director of corporate and foundation relations. “Goshen College welcomes support from all those who share our values, mission and vision and our commitment to provide an exemplary Christian liberal arts education.” This past year, Aguirre said that some students have been frustrated, feeling that the needs of African American students have not been met and that there is a climate on campus that does not fully embrace inclusion and diversity. “Over the years, African American students also have expressed concerns about their interactions with other students as well as GC employees,” said Aguirre. “We have known about that for some time and the concerns have been taken

See CIIE, page 4

Features

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NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Rachel’s: Where ‘everything is good’ SYDNEY CRUZ Contributing Writer slcruz@goshen.edu

Rachel’s Bread opens at 8 o’clock on Saturday morning, but the line has formed long before. Customers wait to order pumpkin swoons, chocolate croissants, quiche and much more. “When I was a student at Goshen College, my friends would always talk about how there was no place to hang out downtown,” said Rachel Shenk, who opened her bakery business 21 years ago. “So in retrospect, it’s interesting that I decided to do this.” Since 1994, Rachel’s Bread has been a staple business in downtown Goshen. Originally born in Belgium, Shenk was never satisfied with the bread selection in the United States—including in Goshen. “In Belgium they had really good bread, and when I came here the bread was just pitiful,” Shenk said. “It made sense to me that I would make bread at least for myself and my family.” After baking out of her home, she began selling bread in the Old Bag Factory in 1994, and she continued doing so for eight years. She moved to her current location at the Farmer’s Market in 2002, at the request of Dave Pottinger, the owner and developer of the market. Though she spends her days surrounded by dough, flour and brick ovens, Shenk still takes pleasure in making and eating most everything at her store. “I still enjoy making bread, even though I’m always around it,” she said. “I particularly enjoy the seasonal breads that are a little bit different. I also like making

croissants.” Emily Stoltzfus, a first-year student at Goshen College, works at Rachel’s Bread on Saturday mornings, as she did when she was a student at Goshen High School. When asked to name her favorite item, she said, “Everything. Everything here is good.” Stoltzfus added, “People have their preferences, but we pretty much always sell out of everything. Usually the frittatas, French toast and specialty breakfasts go first.” Selling out is confirmation of the quality. “It makes me feel good,” Shenk said. “It doesn’t surprise me, though. We know what goes into it from start to finish, so we know what it’s worth, and people can taste that.” Though she has been in business for more than two decades, Shenk said it doesn’t feel like a business. “When I started I never thought that I was starting a business; I just knew that it was something that I was good at, so I planned to see where it led me,” she said. “Over the years, I often don’t think of it as a business. I think of it as just a little bit bigger than my house.” “I would have said I would never go into business, because in my mind, especially in our culture, people go into business for pure profit earning,” she said. “My approach has always been ‘If I can live off of what I do, then I’ll do it.’ That may come from my European upbringing, where there are small Mom and Pop places spread all over town.” On June 23 of this year, Shenk expanded her business by opening up The Wedge, a cheese shop, adjacent to Rachel’s Bread. Here, customers can order as much

Photo by Sadie Gustafson-Zook

Jess Sprunger, a 2015 Goshen College graduate, currently works at Rachel’s Bread.

imported cheese as they want. Customers who like not only the bread but also the “Rachel” in Rachel’s Bread may not like her rationale behind the expansion. “It’s a little bit like my retirement program funding,” she said. “There will come a time when this bread business will

For the RECORD For a small school, Goshen College gets its fair share of highprofile guests. Al Roker’s visit to the college on Tuesday flooded local media outlets and brought a crowd of community members onto campus to be a part of the event. While he didn’t stay very long, Roker’s presence on campus drew the attention of news stations from Indianapolis to the national level. What the brief clip of on the TODAY Show didn’t say is that Roker isn’t the only acclaimed visitor who has made the choice to visit Goshen College. GC has several venues for guest speakers and artists to come to campus, and they have a history of bringing in big names. The Performing Arts Series has featured the Peking Acrobats, Garrison Keillor, Lea Salonga, Bobby McFerrin and many others. The Yoder Public Affairs lecture series brings awardwinning guests like Simran Sethi and Mike Tidwell, and the S.A. Yoder Memorial Lecture Series

has hosted authors like Seamus Heaney, Madeline L’Engle and William Stafford. Many academic departments have structures in place to invite people who are influential in their field to come to the college and share with students and with the community, as seen in the weekly science speakers and regular Topics and Issues lecturers for the visual arts department. Here’s my question: why Goshen? The only answer that I have come up with so far is ‘why not Goshen?’ If nothing else, it’s true to say that Goshen—both the college and the city—works hard to build a community where people will want to live, work, create and grow. Some of the people who have given guest lectures here are GC graduates themselves, like Sofia Samatar, a renowned science fiction and fantasy author who is returning in the spring to teach a short writing workshop. Even though Goshen is a

small place, it’s clear that people from all over are recognizing that something is happening here and want to be a part of it. My hope is that we, the students who benefit from the knowledge and gifts of our guests, can appreciate what all of their trips to a little school in northwestern Indiana show—we’re in a place worth spending some time.

become too physically demanding. I thought ‘Well, what goes well with bread?’ and that’s cheese. It is less physically demanding, and I like it,” she said, laughing. With she mentioned retirement, a visitor asked if there is anything that would stop her from continuing her businesses.

“What would stop me would be circumstance, or me choosing not to continue,” she said. “I don’t feel like my career is who I am. I know who I am, and that is in here,” she said, pointing to her heart. “I am not this business,” she said. “I am what my heart is.”

“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.

Grace Weaver, a senior, is the editor-in-chief of the Record. “For the Record” is a weekly editorial.

The subscription rate is $20 per year. 574.535.7398 | record@goshen.edu | record.goshen.edu

Features

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Diversity talks with Regina Shands Stoltzfus ACHIENG AGUTU Contributing Writer

aaagutu@goshen.edu

Regina Shands Stoltzfus, assistant professor of peace, justice and conflict studies at Goshen College, explores the meaning of diversity on campus. What does diversity mean to you? I would say that diversity is a fact, like the world is diverse in a lot of ways. And for the work that I do, I usually say both outside and inside the classroom, that I do “anti-oppression work.” I used to call it diversity work, but it became such a buzz word and such a word that escaped the vision that I have become a little suspicious of it. Sometimes I think the word means that we need to be more colorful, but we are not really changing the structure or the system. Just adding more colorful people and then we can say that we are diverse. Why do you think the world needs diversity? Having diversity means having multiple perspectives, which gives us more opinions. There are different strengths that people bring to the table, putting culture and race aside. If everyone has the same strength, then you are lacking in the things that we need, but you may not know it. You may all agree on that one thing, but there is a piece about it that you may not know about. Diversity strengthens what we try to do together. It is just more interesting, and in an educational setting like Goshen College, we absolutely need it. How do you think diversity affects GC? It depends on what kind of diversity. I think that the campus is a better place the more diverse it is. So I’m definitely for it. Any institution will change if there is a dominant group, that is whether it

is racial or religiously, when there are more people to counterbalance the dominance. It raises questions. It’s a question that comes up, for instance, when our population of Mennonite students grows smaller—it changes things. It changes the way we talk about faith, it changes the game for us who teach, the way we think about who is in the room. There is greater good than bad in having diversity anywhere. Where do you think we lack diversity at Goshen College? We certainly don’t have many faculty of color. I think that it’s better if we had more diversity on the faculty. But I definitely know the reasons why that is. It’s not just because people said, “Yeah, we don’t want them.” It takes work, long-term work. The other thing that I am more aware of now is that students are saying it to me. Students are recognizing that this is something that is important. It’s not just students of color saying that we need more faculty of color, it’s every student. There’s also a number of faculty who feel the same way, too. And it makes me happy to be able to know that there are people who are pushing for something that we all need, and that is diversity. Why do you think it is hard for people of color to live in Goshen? The first thing that comes to mind, especially for people who are coming from more diverse settings, is that it’s hard to be around mostly white people. I like seeing and being around people of color. I get tired of being the only, or one of a very few, person of color in a group—at work, at church, out socializing. I think it’s tiring because you always have that double consciousness that W.E.B du Bois talked about—the possibility of having to ‘explain’ yourself to people, being on guard about racist remarks, usually not intentional, but still and having

Regina Shands Stoltzfus discusses her view of diversity on Goshen College’s campus.

to decide whether or not you are going to respond to it. How do you think we can tackle the topic of diversity on campus? First, we need to acknowledge the fact that we are not as diverse as we say we are. We also need to know that diversity is a longterm engagement and that it can’t happen overnight. It takes strategy and people who are willing to see things happen. What about the history of Goshen makes it hard to attract more people of color? This area has a racist past, and that memory lives on. It is very true that Goshen was once a sundown town and everyone knows that. We

have to acknowledge it. Knowing how much black lives are under assault, it’s hard to feel safe. I find myself resenting the fact that I have to be extra, extra careful. And I worry about the safety of my children, and of my students. How can people start to make a difference? I think that it will be a challenge for us moving forward, just thinking that racial and ethnic diversity is certainly not the only one. And I think that we are learning how to do that better, but I’m hoping that we don’t end up nurturing a culture whereby people feel like they are not wanted here because they have different perspectives. And it’s a

Photo by Sadie Gustafson-Zook

difficult thing to do. How do you engage in genuine conversation without pushing or shaming people or even hiding or blurring their own beliefs? I think for those of us who teach, that’s a really important thing to get a handle on. We need to hold the balance of living into the integrity of my own understandings and beliefs, but not using that to shame other people. I know that some of that is not in my control. But the least I could do is try and see what happens. Interview has been condensed and edited.

John Moreland: country lyricist coming to Ignition

HAYLEY MANN Features Editor

hayleym@goshen.edu

John Moreland, a 30-yearold singer-songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma, will be playing his soulful, resonant country ballads at Ignition Garage next Wednesday, November 18. Moreland has been touted as a revivalist of country music and a true lyricist by NPR, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, just to name a few of his accolades. Moreland began playing music at just 10 years old, picking up his father’s old guitar and writing songs as he taught himself how to play. “I just wanted to be in a band, playing guitar because I had just moved and had no friends,” Moreland said. “I don’t think I would’ve had the desire to play guitar and write if I hadn’t moved. Being isolated brought the music out.”

Moreland did make friends in his home in Tulsa, the entire group rooted in punk and alternative rock music. This forceful style still resonates with Moreland today, influencing his music in sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle ways. “Little things happen because I’ve been steeped in punk rock,” Moreland said. “Like that tambourines aren’t cool, slide guitars aren’t cool—so some of them I’m still getting over. But I’ve evolved the most in becoming more and more open to things and breaking the rules I’ve held since I was a 13-year-old listening to Green Day.” That evolution has not caused Moreland to lose his love of punk, as he and his tour manager still listen to Red City Radio when on the road for tours, but now that style is mixed in with Tom Petty, Neil Young and 90s country. This eclectic listening taste influences the music Moreland writes, but in listening to his albums, it’s the lyrics that really hit hard.

“I think I’ve always wanted to write lyrics that dig deep—not necessarily said but emotionality draws them out of me,” Moreland said. “Great days don’t make me sit down and write a song about them. I’m drawn to that epic quality of emotion.” Moreland’s latest album, “High on Tulsa Heat,” highlights his grainy, powerful baritone. The lyrics weave in and out of intimate sadness and harmony, creating music that affects the listener in creative ways. “[Writing] is a different process every time, with lyrics sometimes coming first, sometimes at the same time as the music,” Moreland said. “Many times I have a line or two in my head that I really like and come back to them six months later when I’ve found a melody line that fits. I think it’s easy to romanticize that all of the best songs are written in 10 minutes, but for me, six months can be normal or a song falling out of the sky can be.” With such poignant lyrics,

Photo contributed by Lindsey Thompson

John Moreland will be performing at Ignition Garage on Wednesday.

Moreland has been asked a lot about sadness that he has experienced and where these deeply emotional songs come from. Moreland is quick to say that he is normal and well-adjusted, he just has the unique ability to write down some of the vivid moments of life and put a voice to them. Moreland has been gaining popularity with the release of his new album, opening for many

bands recently in larger venues but also playing in smaller towns, as well. Tickets are available to see Moreland next week through Ignition Garage. “I think that for shows in big cities, you know what to expect,” Moreland said. “But I’ve played in little towns that were really awesome and surprising. I have a feeling Goshen is going to be like that.”

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Super Tuesday provides opportunities for students JORDAN WAIDELICH Staff Writer

jrwaidelich@goshen.edu

Super Tuesday provided students with an opportunity to hone their interview skills in a realistic setting on Nov. 10. Twice a year, the alumni and career networks department brings in professionals from the broader community to hold mock interviews with GC students. The department makes an effort to match a student’s academic discipline to an employer in that field. On top of the interview itself, the professionals give students feedback on what went well and things to improve. “I got feedback that was really helpful,” said Sohail Das, sophomore accounting major. “Even though it’s a mock interview,” said Mikhail Fernandez, a senior, “it’s very realistic. I got feedback on things I never really thought about.” Participation in this event was voluntary for some students, while others were required for a course. Das chose to participate this year and plans to do it again in the future. Fernandez is the student assistant for the alumni and career networks department and had a number of responsibilities with the event. While being one of the three in charge of organizing and hosting it, he also took advantage

Photo by Dona Park

Bryan Aponte Ortiz practices his interviewing skills at Super Tuesday.

of the opportunity and participated in an interview. He saw the interviews as a way for students to refresh their professionalism. Students were also encouraged to update their resumes. Melissa Kinsey, alumni and career networks coordinator, said, “Think of how strong your resume will be simply because you’ve had all of this feedback from these different professionals.” Besides helpful feedback, students are getting great practice and more confidence. “The most helpful aspect was simply practice,” said Eric Cender, a junior. “I was asked questions that I will have to answer again in the future so it was good to get practice in shaping how I portray myself to employers.” Adrienne Schmucker, a senior, said, “Answering questions will make me more confident in future interviews.”

But Super Tuesday goes beyond just practice and feedback. These interviews have the potential for some students to be offered internships that could lead to jobs. There were about 34 students who participated this past Tuesday, but next semester, as seniors prepare for graduation, Kinsey is expecting a full event with a cutoff of 60 students. Fernandez said, “For the next Super Tuesday, I recommend students start applying as soon as possible, especially if they want to get matched with an interviewer in their field.” Kinsey also reminds students to start working on their resumes now. “If you start working on your resume earlier in your academic career, by the time you graduate, it’s much easier to be prepared,” she said. The next Super Tuesday event will be Feb. 16, 2016.

From GRANDPARENTS, page 1

NOVEMBER 12, 2015 From CIIE, page 1 seriously and have either been addressed or are being addressed. We really do care about all students and take seriously their concerns.” DaVonne Kramer, coordinator of retention and intercultural student support, has taken steps towards addressing these concerns. “Her role as Black Student Union adviser is about ensuring that African American students have space to organize and present ideas to the wider campus community,” said Gilberto Perez Jr., senior director of intercultural development and educational partnerships. “Through the CIIE office we offer African American students support by bringing resources to campus for learning and leadership development.” Last year CIIE partnered with Kingdom Impact Cultural Church, My Hood Needz Me, and Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church for higher education workshops with African American youth. These three partnerships put Goshen College front and center with African American youth and youth pastors. Perez Jr. is currently working with local African American pastors and other leaders to better understand how Goshen College can make a better connection to the African American community. “Our effort on the Intercultural team is to collaborate with the African American community and it appears to be on the right track,” said Perez Jr. “The African American pastors are excited about Goshen College and they want more engagement. For example, this Sunday Canaan Baptist is hosting a ‘dollars for scholars’ event and they are telling their youth that the monies are for them to attend Goshen College.” Prior to relating to the African American pastors,

GC’s main contact was having admissions counselors visit high schools in Elkhart. Through CIIE partnerships, they are now entering spaces of worship. “Our reach into the African American community in Elkhart is about being culturally responsive,” said Perez Jr. From African American community outreach in places such as Chicago to the Latino community of Goshen, Goshen College has welcomed international and diverse U.S. students from its earliest days. The $12.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. in 2006 provided the resources that allowed Goshen College to offer more financial assistance to Latino students, create a more welcoming intercultural teaching and learning community and to research ways to recruit, retain and graduate more Latino and minority students. “So this grant specifically was focused on addressing the needs of Elkhart County’s growing Latino population,” said Aguirre. “However, this was not (and is not) a zero-sum game and there was no shift in resources to Latinos and away from other groups. In other words, the increased emphasis on Latino students was not at the expense of any students. Our enrollment statistics confirm that: we continue to actively recruit African American students and to provide them the same type of financial aid available to other students,” said Aguirre. Aguirre expressed his belief that even though Goshen is doing a lot, GC needs to keep working hard to foster an intercultural teaching and learning community. “We need to reach across lines of race, ethnicity, economic status, gender and more, and make this a place where all are welcomed and valued,” said Aguirre.

From ROKER, page 1

Photo by Hannah Sauder

Emma Koop Liechty with her grandparents (from left) Russ Liechty, Marge Liechty, Shiela Koop and Henry Koop.

Keisers “felt honored to be part of the service and were glad to have read words that resonated so deeply with them.” Following the service, President Brenneman then invited all of the visiting grandparents “or surrogate grandparents,” to join him for a reception. Grandparents also had the opportunity to take a “behindthe-scenes” tour of the Music Center; hear presentations about the Inside Out program, GC’s Communications Department, the Mennonite Historical Library, and

diversity at Goshen College. They also could attend a hymn sing and visit on-campus art galleries. According to Marge Liechty, grandmother of GC junior Emma Koop-Liechty, part of the attraction of Grandparents Day is also in connecting with other grandparents. “Of course it was special to spend time with our granddaughter, Emma,” Liechty said, “but we also enjoyed connecting with other grandparents, some of whom were our classmates from earlier GC

years.” In the evening, grandparents were invited to attend the Best Western Hoopfest, where the men’s basketball team took on the Moody Bible Institute Archers, and the GC Symphony Orchestra Fall Concert, where they received a special welcome from conductor Jose Rocha. According to Rose Shetler, GC’s Director of Annual Giving & Operations Manager and event planner, Grandparents Day was “hugely successful.”

When she heard they were coming to Goshen, IN, she sent an email saying she “would be remiss if Al Roker came through… and [she] did not offer our facility or campus to host [her] favorite weather man.” She included in her email that the “institution is by no means large, but as an alumni turned staff, [she] can tell [them], this place has heart.” Munley sent the email not expecting much in terms of a response. I thought I was just sending it out into the oblivion,” she said. “We got lucky. I somehow said the right thing to the right person.” NBC liked what Munley had to say and arranged for Roker to come to campus. In less than a week, a number of different departments pulled the visit together. “No one department would have been able to pull it all together,” said Munley. That hard work gave students like Michael Oyer, a fifth-year,

the opportunity to be a part of Rokerthon 2. Oyer has been interested in weather and meteorology since childhood, and NBC’s local news happened to be his favorite. He spent a great deal of time watching Roker. “Roker went beyond my area and talked about things going on across the nation, which was different than what I’d get with the local news,” he said. “I enjoyed the passion he brought to the weather.” Roker’s tour across the country would be a dream come true for Oyer. “I’m jealous of someone who gets to go to all 50 states and talk about the weather in each one,” he said. “Traveling and weather: two of my favorite things.” After the forecast in Goshen, Roker was on the road for a drive to Coldwater, Mich. and then Montpelier, Ohio, where he rounded out day five. His weeklong tour finishes up in New York City on Friday, Nov. 13.

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Cross country concludes season

Luke Graber, a junior, finishes his Crossroads League Championship run.

MICHAEL WALKER

Staff Writer

michaelgw@goshen.edu

Both the men’s and the women’s cross country teams concluded their seasons in Huntington, IN, on Saturday at the Crossroads League Championship meet. The women finished 10th with 266 points and the men finished fifth with 126 points. Alejandro Rodriguez, a senior, and Ryan Smith, a junior, both left the meet with a chance to qualify for the national level. Smith has an almost-guaranteed slot in nationals with his seventhplace (26:05.35) finish. Rodriguez (26:35.98) finished 14th, and both earned all-conference honors by finishing in the top 15 slots. Hannah Barg, a senior, led the Goshen women with a 20:50.13 time for a 57th overall finish. Fellow senior Natalie Graber finished eight places behind Barg with a time of 21:11.31. Katie Yoder ran a career-best 24:26.70 in the final race of her freshman year. Also posting a personal record was Trevor Yoder, a firstyear, with a time of 28:59.41. Reflecting on the final meet, Coach Rustin Nyce was generally pleased. “The athletes, for the most part, raced their best race of the season at conference.

The men rebounded from an off performance at Great Lakes. We ran very close to Bethel, who is ranked 25th nationally. The women's success is not defined by team place but by the perseverance this group showed all season long. I am going to miss the senior leadership, especially on the women's side,” he said. Nyce also added that because of the many hills, the course was a difficult one to run, but was pleased with how the teams handled it. “I wanted the runners to focus on attacking the course and being aggressive. I certainly think they did just that. We ran this course earlier. They still were much faster as a team this time than the last time,” he said. Nyce was particularly proud of the seniors’ efforts. “The seniors had a great day. Alejandro ran the gutsiest race of his life to finish all conference, and likely qualify for Nationals, and Lucas Harnish sacrificed himself for the team—again. Hannah Barg and Natalie Graber led the women all year and set the tone yet again. Irene Schmid and Grace Boehm ran strong as well. Katie Yoder had a particularly strong race, knocking off about two minutes from her lifetime best.” Graber described finishing her last race as “bittersweet,” but

Photo by Marissa Hochstetler

she will cherish the relationships she has built through the sport. “My teammates are some of the most supportive and encouraging people you will ever meet. They are really what makes cross country all worth it,” she said. Rodriguez agreed. “Even though it saddens me that I will not be running for Goshen College cross country anymore, I will always remember this group of runners,” he said. “They have shown me that no individual is able to support themselves; a [true] team is when an individual puts the team before themselves.” Harnish said that he will always remember this year’s team as “a rag-tag group of goofy guys who were brought together with the common love of running ourselves into the ground.” Looking forward, the group is excited to continue running. “Running has always been a part of my life and it will continue to be a big part of my life,” said Graber. “After NAIA nationals, I plan to keep running road races individually and would love to run relay road races with a team,” Rodriguez said. After track, Harnish said that he will “most likely be going overseas as part of the SALT program. And someday I'd like to run an iron-man triathlon.”

Volleyball ends season with loss

SETH WESMAN

Sports Editor

sawesman@goshen.edu

The Goshen volleyball team saw their season come to a close this past Saturday, as the Leafs fell in the Crossroads League Quarterfinals to the Cougars of Mount Vernon Nazarene. The top seeded Cougars took the match in three close sets, winning 25-20, 25-22, 25-21. The loss dropped the Leafs’ final record to 16-18 (6-12 in conference) for the season and was the final match for five members of the team. Whitney Peterson, a firstyear, led the Leafs in kills with 16, while Natalie Hubby, a senior, recorded four blocks, and Danielle Plank, a sophomore, had 18 digs. The Cougars led the Leafs in terms of kills 56-42, and digs 76-69. While the end result wasn’t ideal, Hubby had nothing but praise for the team. “We had such great chemistry this year. Even though we had our ups and downs this season we really supported each other through everything. We worked together as a team rather than working on our personal goals or

Photo contributed by Isaiah Friesen

Goshen's cross country team competed in the Crossroad Leagues Championship meet this past Saturday as the conclusion of their team seasons. Ryan Smith and Alejandro Rodriguez may continue individually at the national level.

BY THE

NUMBERS Women's Basketball vs. Indiana-Purdue University-Fort Wednesday, Nov. 4 @ Indiana Purdue

GOSHEN

INDIANA PURDUE

Women's Volleyball vs. Indiana Wesleyan University Wednesday, Nov. 4 @ Indiana Wesleyan

iNDIANA WESLEYAN

GOSHEN

Women's Basketball vs. Trinity Christian College Friday, Nov. 6 @ Goshen

GOSHEN

TRINITY

Men's Basketball vs. Moody Bible Institute Friday, Nov. 6 @ Goshen

GOSHEN

MOODY BIBLE

Women's Cross Country, Crossroads League Championships Saturday, Nov. 7 @ Huntington

GOSHEN, OUT OF 10 TEAMS

Men's Cross Country, Crossroads League Championships Saturday, Nov. 7 @ Huntington

Photo by Maria Bischoff

The Leafs go up to block against Mount Vernon in their last game this year.

focusing on our personal statistics. So this connection worked well on the court just as it did off the court. We trusted each other on the court and if someone made a mistake it was easy for us to shake it off because everyone was so supportive,” she said. Goshen is set to return 12 of their 17 players next season and Hubby will miss being a part of the team. “The friendships that I made this season were just amazing and priceless. I'll really miss seeing these girls every day at practice and it will be sad to not be part

of that gang next year. At the beginning of the season we were just getting to know everyone, but by the end of the season we developed strong friendships. I even became closer to girls that I already had relationships with from past seasons,” she said. Hubby continued, “I'll also really miss the competitive nature of the sport, because there aren't really a lot of opportunities to play competitive volleyball outside of the college and high school levels. It’s weird to be done, and I'm not sure how I feel about it, I'm sure it will hit me soon.”

GOSHEN, OUT OF 9 TEAMS

Men's Basketball vs. Lawrence Technological University Saturday, Nov. 7 @ Goshen

GOSHEN

LAWRENCE

Women's Volleyball vs. Mount Nazarene University Saturday, Nov. 7 @ Goshen

MOUNT VERNON

GOSHEN

Women's Basketball vs. University of Michigan-Dearborn Tuesday, Nov. 10 @ Goshen

GOSHEN

MICHIGAN-DEARBORN

PAGE 6

Pers pec ti ves

Who really goes to orchestra concerts?

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Exploring frustrations with religious conviction

Photo contributed by Halle Steingass

Halle Steingass processes her reaction to the Gideon International outreach on campus this week.

HALLE STEINGASS Contributing Writer

Abbie Kaser (left) performs with the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra on Friday evening.

ABBIE KASER Contributing Writer abigailk@goshen.edu

Last Friday evening, the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra performed our fall concert in Sauder Hall. If you don’t know me, this is my third year playing in the orchestra with the violas. Based on experiences from previous years, some of my fellow musicians and I were lamenting the fact that Sauder Hall would undoubtedly be only sparsely filled on Friday night, especially compared to the crowd choir concerts typically draw in. However, by the time the lights in the hall dimmed and we were preparing to play, I realized that the audience was actually pretty full. After taking a closer look at the demographics of the audience, it was clear that a majority of our supporters were the grandparents visiting their grandchildren for the third annual Grandparents Day. This is the generation that I always think of when I picture the people who attend our concerts. Another good-sized portion of the audience consisted of familiar faces of family, community members and GC faculty. What was even more exciting was the fact that nearly three whole rows in the front were taken up by college students. Three rows may not sound like a whole lot. Even when you add the clusters of other students sitting in the side rows in the back, the proportion of my peers to their grandparents and others in that generation was very small. All things considered, it was more students than I remembered attending at concerts in previous years, perhaps due to the added incentive of convocation credit. I can’t help but wonder what the audience size would have looked like if the concert was not worth a swipe for convo credit or if it did not occur on Grandparents’ Day. How many more empty seats

would there have been without these added incentives? Now, I’m not questioning the motivations of the student body in attendance, nor do I want to hypocritically guilt trip those not in attendance, because I certainly don’t go to all of the events on campus. But still, it’s not fun feeling like relatively few people actually enjoy going to hear the music that we had been practicing and polishing for the previous nine weeks. After all, what would be the point of making music if no one heard it? I, along with my fellow musicians, have often felt that the choirs get much more emphasis and attention than the orchestra. One of my main arguments in this article was originally going to be that the Goshen College Choirs receive so much more publicity and promotion for their events than the Symphony Orchestra does. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, I guess) I discovered that I was wrong. In doing more research through the many modes in which music events are announced and publicized, I did not find that there were any more announcements about the Fall Choral Concert than the Fall Orchestra Concert. The music center faculty, or whoever is in charge of announcing events on campus, is not to blame for our impression that the orchestra is underappreciated by the student body. Which leads me to my next question: why is it that the older generation values orchestral music so much more than my generation? A recent experience with my grandparents made me begin to reflect on this topic. I was sitting in the Fraker eating lunch and listening to my grandparents reminisce about their days when they were students at Goshen College, which eventually led to a discussion about the college radio station. Until fairly recently, 91.1 was known for playing mostly classical music. Since The Globe has become “culturally

Photo by Hannah Sauder

progressive,” to my knowledge they have stopped playing this genre of music. While The Globe may consistently win awards, my grandparents are very sad that they no longer have access to some of their favorite music. Adding classical music back to the college’s radio station is not necessarily a demand that has been made by the student body. For many in my generation, music typically played by orchestras feels inaccessible and less engaging than other genres of music. Choral concerts, on the other hand, usually feature pieces that are shorter and more similar to the music that students listen to in their free time. The truth is, I would say that a majority of my generation does listen to orchestral pieces, and believe it or not, I think they even enjoy them. From Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture in V for Vendetta, to the Overture to the Marriage of Figaro by Rossini in Shawshank Redemption, there are countless examples of movies in which classical music plays an important role. And when I say countless, yes, I really mean a lot. Ever watched “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Bend it Like Beckham,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Birdman,” “The Breakfast Club,” “The Exorcist,” or “Zoolander?” You’ve listened to classical music. And whether you can admit you liked them or not, these pieces created suspense, emotion or even comedic effect that helped make these movies so great. Orchestral music may not be as boring or elusive as it may appear. On behalf of the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra, I would like to thank the many people who do support us, especially the GC students who come to our concerts. To those who didn’t make it, I would encourage you to consider being a part of our audience in the future; you may enjoy the experience more than you expected.

hesteingass@goshen.edu

I am frustrated. Without much more than a glance, a wall has been assembled, and I feel its heaviness looming over me. I stare at the signs of Gideon’s International displaying a suave military personnel, pamphlets stacked side-by-side and miniature versions of the New Testament in the hands of an older duo. I do not see any interaction between students and this pair, but instead this pair blocking off a part of the first floor connector. Before I let this frustration dictate my actions, I sit there and think: why does it bother me so much that these people are here? Why am I cringing as they pass out the New Testament to students walking past? They are not hurting anyone. Their purpose is not to cause a ruckus. And yet, something is eating at me, distracting me from my work. So to deal with my frustration, I write this article, almost as a form of prayer. To start off, I must respect their beliefs, for they are as true to them as my own beliefs are to me. I also recognize my inability to have dialogue with them in a healthy, discussion-based interaction, thus hindering my own experience to see their idea of truth. I am fully aware of this, and regret not taking that action. I also am aware that these people only stirred up my

frustration, instead of sparking it. That being said, my frustration stems from a fight that has gone on for many years of my life, and I am only recently beginning to be able to articulate this. As a woman who is considering furthering her education in theological studies, I struggle when I encounter Christian groups who decide that the most effective way of spreading the Gospel is by passing out Bibles. In some sense, it feels as though there is this imposition that people must know the Word to know God, or even to be good stewards of this world. I am sorry that in a place of diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds, students have to contend with proselytizers who may bring a sense of discomfort. In this regard, I write this article not to belittle the Christian faith, but in hopes of exploring a more welcoming way of sharing the good news of love, regardless of a deity or not. I would plead that instead of quickly handing out New Testaments that are nearly impossible to read, we might come to community without an agenda or expectation. I pray that we, and myself included, listen to, instead of talk over one another, work with, instead of against, and create a loving space with mindful and coexisting relationships that might be more fulfilling and rewarding to this life together.

Funni es

the Record

PAGE 7

A day in the life of an Al Roker groupie LEAH LANDES

Funnies Editor

ljlandes@goshen.edu

7:00 a.m.: Wake up. Go to Concord Middle School. Tell the students that I get to see Al Roker today. They don’t know who that is and tell me I’m old. I take it as a compliment. 11:00 a.m.: Eat tacos for lunch with a bunch of Debbie Downers who don’t even know who Al is. Receive a call that causes me to loudly exclaim a naughty word while in the presence of approximately 1,700 CCYC kids. Surprisingly, the call has nothing to do with Al Roker. Apologize profusely. Receive blank stares from children. 11:50 a.m.: Go out to the Adelphian fountain, which has suddenly magically been refilled even though it was just drained like two days ago. Almost poop myself in excitement (or because I had tacos for lunch), much like Al Roker did at the White House in 2002. #twinz 12:15 p.m.: Practice the painfully tacky Al-ma mater. Decide the paper with the lyrics would be better used to give my phone number to Al. Write my number down, fold it up really small, and practice doing that sly thing where you shake someone’s hand and secretly transfer a note to them. 12:30 p.m.: Receive word that Al is running late. Rokerthon starts going RokerWRONG. 12:31 p.m.: Pet two English bulldog puppies and feel infinitely better about the situation. 1:00 p.m.: Still petting the puppies. 1:15 p.m.: Bike over to the fountain again only to find that Al still hasn’t left Arkansas. Lose faith in humanity. 1:20 p.m.: Come up with

the hashtag #SlowPokerthon and restore my faith in humanity because I’m so hilarious. 2:10 p.m.: Head back to the fountain, wondering how many calories I’ve burned while walking back and forth for Al. Probably at least two. 2:15 p.m.: Throw a fit about the recent erecting of barriers around the fountain, then ignore their presence entirely. 2:20 p.m.: Get really excited when I hear that there is a goat present. Start coming up with goat puns. Goat Goatshen Goat! Baa baa baa baa baa baa baa! 2:24 p.m.: Get summoned to the other side of the fountain by some elderly people who don’t understand the sign I’m holding (“Roker!? I barely know ‘er!”). Do my best to explain it. They still don’t understand it, but are sympathetic and tell me it must be a generational thing. 2:30 p.m.: Start to question whether or not Al is actually coming and consider writing the funnies article about the Starbucks red cup fiasco instead. Feel a deep disappointment that both Al and Jesus are absent this holiday season. 2:30:05 p.m.: Remember that Avery Martin said this was my “time to shine” and decide that I can’t let her down. The article must go on! 3:05 p.m.: Try to lead a camp song. Nearly die of embarrassment but decide that it’s okay because it’s good material for a funnies article and at least I wasn’t being super alienating to the rest of the crowd by singing only hymns. 3:10 p.m.: Kulp saves the day by playing secular, inclusive music. Everyone within seven inches of them can hear it and is appreciative. 3:18 p.m.: Al Roker finally arrives. I shake his hand, but

Photo contributed by Leah Landes

Al’s biggest fans featuring Brianne, a poser.

forget to slip him my number. He gives the weather report. The whole event is anticlimactic and Al is a much smaller man than I was expecting. The camera really does add ten pounds (and at least two feet). Wonder how tall Matt Lauer really is. 3:20 p.m.: Al is gone, but a bag is left behind. I put my number in it in case it’s his. Turns out the bag belongs to a camera man. 3:21 p.m.: Give up my groupie ways and go back to being nothing more than a lowly funnies editor.

Out-of-Context Professor Quotes If you could stop licking me that’d be great.

Thirteen steps to make summer last 4 eva CHRISTINA HOFER

Arts Editor

cjhofer@goshen.edu

HANNAH SAUDER

Photo Editor

hasauder@goshen.edu

Have you been enjoying the abnormally warm temperatures and sunny days this fall? Do you find yourself wishing that winter would just stay away forever? Well, two unlikely GC students (names discretely mentioned above) have decided to run an independent campaign appropriately named “Summer4Eva.” We believe that you, too, deserve to have summer as long as you want and have the power to make this a reality. (And you’re already on the right track!) If you would like to see the warm weather continue forever, consider following one or more of the actions outlined below: 1. Buy all your groceries, apparel, electronics, etc. from

large corporations like Walmart. And if you buy something you don’t like, burn it! 2. Support big fracking companies. 3. Burn your recycling—fire is fun! Watch your #2 plastics just disappear into thin air! 4. Steal all the bikes on campus (you’re so good at that already!) and destroy them. 5. Get your campaignsponsored Hummer and drive it everywhere—it will make you feel even more awesome. 6. Cover up all the windows in your house with cheap Justin Bieber posters and use lots and lots of incandescent light bulbs instead. 7. If the weather starts getting too hot, blast the air conditioner all day! 8. Stop using your silly iPad and go back to printing—print everything you can. You know you have too much print money. 9. Convince Phys Plant to purchase a few more big yellow lawnmowers that spew black smoke into the air. 10. Take way too much food at the Rott and then “forget” to put

it into composting. 11. Switch to a processedmeats-only diet. Invite your friends to your barbecues and cook outs! 12. Eliminate all porous surfaces possible. Turn KMY lawn into a giant hot cement roller skating rink. 13. Transform Witmer Woods into an indoor water park (until it gets warm enough to build an outdoor one). We know that this list may seem daunting at first, but we’ve seen many contributions to this campaign already! By committing your time and effort to this brilliant campaign, you can enjoy the fun of Summer4Eva all year long. Don’t you wish you could show off a year-round summer glow? Don’t you want to wear your worn out SST Chacos every day? Do you think winter is the curse of the devil? Well, we promise that by supporting this campaign, your winterless dream can become a reality. Say goodbye to snow and hello to Summer4Eva. Donate now.

-Brooke Lemmon

The thickness of it does not matter. -John Ross Buschert

We can’t go with the facts, we have to go with what’s easy. -Dan Smith

PAGE 8

A rts & Cul ture

Soweto Gospel Choir entertains audience EMMA KOOP LIECHTY Contributing Writer

emmakl@goshen.edu

The highly acclaimed, Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir took the stage on Sunday as part of the 20152016 Performing Arts Series. The group is a choir from the Soweto Township, a part of Johannesburg, South Africa. Their performance included gospel songs in several native South African languages as well as English. The turnout for the concert was significant, with the majority of the hall filled. The choir was not unfamiliar with the Sauder Hall stage as they had given a concert for the Performing Arts Series at Goshen College in 2007. The concert included upbeat African drumming in all of their songs, whether they were traditional South African pieces or their versions of American pop songs and spirituals. They used two djembe drums throughout the night and added in the occasional use of a keyboard. The performers, all 17 of them, were dressed in bright, traditional clothing, and danced along to every song. The concert started with an alto soloist as the rest of the choir brought a powerful presence behind her. A notable piece that the group sang in the first act was the song “Asimbonanga,” a piece written by South African Johnny Clegg as a protest song for South Africans.

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Prepare ye the way to see ‘Godspell’ CHRISTI SESSA Contributing Writer

chsessa@goshen.edu

Photos by Hannah Sauder

The Soweto Gospel Choir from Johannesburg, South Africa, performed on Sunday evening.

The piece was based on the inspiration that former President Nelson Mandela brought to the country. The Goshen College Women’s World Music Choir performed this same song for the Earthtones spring concert in 2014, and used a video of the Soweto Gospel Choir as inspiration for their performance. The second half of the show brought more South African gospel songs, but also featured the group’s take on some songs that the audience was familiar with. James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” Sarah McLachlan’s “Arms of an Angel” and spirituals “This Little Light of Mine,” and “Kumbaya,” were all featured after the intermission. The second half of the show featured a gumboot dance that was performed by four of the choir members. Gumboot dancing is native

to South Africa, and the dancers wear rubber rain boots, or gumboots, and slap the sides of the boots to create unique rhythms. Sarah Hartman-Keiser, a sophomore who attended the concert found the dance familiar. “It was cool recognizing the gumboot dance from when I had visited the Soweto Township in 2012,” she said. The Hartman-Keiser family lived in South Africa for six months. The largest reaction from the audience came near the end of the performance when the choir encouraged the crowd to join in singing. The last song had the audience on their feet, clapping, swaying, singing and dancing along. The next PAS concert, “A Christmas Gathering: Féile na Nollag” by Danú, is on Tuesday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m.

The 2012 revised version of “Godspell” will open this weekend as Goshen College’s Fall Main Stage. ”Godspell” follows the story of Jesus and his disciples in a modern setting. The story is about the community of Jesus’ followers and how they come together as a group, growing in their common love for Jesus. Fourteen students make up the “Godspell” cast, including sophomore Jacob Zehr as Jesus and senior Ben Ganger as John the Baptist/Judas Iscariot, as well as seniors Paul Zehr, Martin Flowers and Christina Hofer; juniors Galed Krisjayanta, Maggie Weaver, Sadie Gustafson-Zook and Morgan Short; sophomores Emily Evans and Simon

Weaver; and first-years Naomi Peters and Lukas Thompson. Rather than a pit orchestra, the show features a live band. “It has been a rip-roaring fun time to be involved in our production of ‘Godspell,’ and I think the final product is shaping up to be a pretty good time,” said first-year Lukas Thompson, identifying the amount of hard work the entire cast and crew has put into the process. This weekend, “Godspell” will be performed on the 13th and 14th at 8 p.m. and on the 15th at 3 p.m. The show will also be performed on next Saturday the 21st at 8 p.m. and the 22nd at 3 p.m. The 22nd will be ASL interpreted. Tickets are $12 for the general public and $7 for students, seniors, and Goshen College employees, and are available at the Welcome Center and the Box Office, as well as online.

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