Hesston College Today

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A Centennial Celebration

Hesston College Today is the official publication of Hesston College, published three times yearly at Hesston, Kansas, for alumni and friends of Hesston College. Address correspondence to Hesston College Today, Box 3000, Hesston, KS 67062, or e-mail to larryb@hesston.edu.

Editor Alumni News Graphic Design Photography Printing

Larry Bartel Dallas Stutzman Nancy Miller Larry Bartel Baker Bros. Printing

Hesston College Board of Overseers Norm Yoder ’67, Henderson, Neb., Chair Kelvin Friesen ’73, Archbold, Ohio,Vice Chair Dee Custar ’98, West Unity, Ohio, Secretary Dale Beachey ’66, Sarasota, Fla., Treasurer Ginny (Davidhizar) ’68 Birky, Newberg, Ore. Wilbur Bontrager ’73, Middlebury, Ind. Annette (Steider) ’83 Brown, Frisco, Texas Luke Hartman ’89, Harrisonburg,Va. Denton Jantzi ’94, Hesston, Kan. Harley Kooker ’66, Christiana, Pa. Phyllis (Liechty) ’69 Nofziger, Goshen, Ind. Jorge Vallejos, Goshen, Ind. Alumni Officers Mark Yoder ’80, President, Wichita, Kan., 316-440-2813, myoder@bethelks.edu Jan (Swartz) ’74 Erb,Vice President, Hesston, Kan., 620-327-2321, erbhouse@cox.net Alumni Advisory Council Kermit Ac57, ’60 and Clydene (Jantz) ’61 Gingerich, Mountain Home, Idaho, 208-845-2875, kcgingerich@gmail.com Don ’69 and Shirley (Good) ’70 Kempf, Shickley, Neb., 402-627-7595, donaldkempf@windstream.net Patsy (King) ’75 and Doug ’74 Unruh, Perryton, Texas, 806-435-4558, patsyunruh@hotmail.com Lynn ’80 and Janice (Leichty) ’80 Hostetler, Kalona, Iowa, 319-656-3022, hobunch@kctc.net Glen ’88 and Rhonda (Yoder) ’88 Rhodes, Arthur, Ill., 217-543-2440, glenarhodes@yahoo.com Ben ’97 and Angie (Book) ’98, ’02 Savanick, Scottdale, Pa., 724-887-0193, skyben51@ hotmail.com Jeremy ’00 and Erin (Nebel) ’00 Kempf, Goshen, Ind., 574-903-0577, jeremykempf@mennonitemission.net Dave Miller ’07, Milford, Neb., 402-761-4393, david67@windstream.net

calendar December

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January

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Feast of Carols campus Christmas event Final exams, semester ends (17) Spring semester courses begin Prospective student visit days

February

8-9 Camp recruitment days 10-11 Mission and service days 11 International Festival 12, 13, 19, 20 Theatre department presents All in the Timing by David Ives 18 Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts presents Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 7:30 p.m., Bethel College Memorial Hall 19-20 Prospective student visit days 20 Parent-alumni-community basketball event 21 Bel Canto Singers concert, 4 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church 22-24 Pastor-in-residence Brent Warkentin, First Mennonite Brethren Church, Wichita 25-March 1 Bel Canto Singers winter tour to Oregon

March

5-6 Hesston College Board of Overseers meetings 6-14 Spring Break

Chorale tour to New Mexico, Colorado, and Nebraska 18 Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts presents Glenn Miller Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Bethel College Memorial Hall 19 Performing arts scholarship auditions 19-20 Prospective student visit days 20 Hesston College hosts a National Golf Tournament and Weekend Golf package in Phoenix, Ariz.

23 Music department concert, 7 p.m., Hesston Mennonite Church 25-26 Grandparent Days For sports schedules, visit the Athletics page at www.hesston.edu/larks ALUMNI

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Alumni are invited to visit the Hesston College alumni page on the web to update contact information and to inform classmates about a new job, degree completed, new spouse or baby, or other significant events. You may also call or e-mail.

I also invite you to share your Hesston story by completing an alumni profile, also on the alumni page at www.hesston.edu. Your story is important to Hesston College, your classmates, and Hesston’s prospective students.

Many Hesston classes are forming on Facebook.com/hesston - Hesston College’s page on Facebook - and I invite you to become a fan of Hesston College. Check the Hesston College page to see if your class has its own group. If not, start your own or ask us to start one. If you start one, please inform us of the group.

As always, our office welcomes your suggestions for improvements for the magazine and ways to improve relating to the college and your classmates.

Dallas L. Stutzman ’76 —Director of Alumni and Church Relations alumni@hesston.edu Toll-free 866-437-7866 (866-HESSTON) Hesston College Alumni Office, Box 3000, Hesston, KS 67062

3 perspective

Solid rock and shifting sands Today, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. We have inherited an institution with close ties to the Mennonite Church, with attractive, clean facilities, with a dedicated faculty and staff, with a fine academic and student life program, with stable enrollment, with a student population coming from more than 25 states and 12 countries, and alumni with a legacy of service around the world. The week before the Centennial Homecoming celebration began, I had contact with alumni from Ghana, Japan, Laos, Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, Colorado, Michigan, and of course, Kansas. I had correspondence with a church planter, a pilot, a marketing professional, a nurse, a teacher, a pastor, a research scientist, and a carpenter. We are making a difference in the world. People do start here and go everywhere.

But the ground is shifting beneath our feet. We serve a more diverse group of students than ever before. Mennonite Church USA is changing, with less loyalty to church structures. The nature of higher education is changing, with mobility of careers and technology that allows on demand delivery of content.

And much of this is good. We are being called on to gain efficiencies, to be more accountable, and to track our results. The strength of our community is no longer a function of bloodlines and geography, but of ideals and commitments. Our future will depend on our imagination and on our determination to continue to serve the church and the world.

I am drawn to Psalm 90: Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever you had formed the earth and the world, From everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn us back to dust, and say, “Turn back, you mortals.�

For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.

We are on earth, and part of human institutions for a short span of time. We cannot pretend to understand the present without being grounded in the past. We inherit what has gone before, and we leave our own legacy for those who follow.

We live in the in between. We cannot change what has gone before, and those who come after will make their own choices. But we do have now.

We have a sacred trust to be good stewards of the time that we have.

When one considers the effect that even one life that we touch in this institution can have, we have a wonderful opportunity and responsibility.

I close with the end of Psalm 90: Let your work be manifest to your servants, And your glorious power to their children.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, And prosper for us the work of our hands – O prosper the work of our hands.

Howard Keim, President

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Homecoming 2009—a Living the Vision centennial gathering More than 1,000 alumni and friends return to campus to join the celebration

by Carol Duerksen

Hope Weaver ’09, Herm Weaver ’79, and sophomore Chloe Weaver, all of Nederland, Colo., sing and share during Friday morning’s Centennial Homecoming Chapel.

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“Would it advance the cause of Christ to establish a school somewhere in the West in which Bible work is made a specialty?”

That was the query, crafted by Anna Smith King, and posed to delegates of the Mennonite Church’s Kansas-Nebraska district conference held in Cheraw, Colorado, on October 18, 1907. The answer to that question was celebrated by more than 1,000 people at Hesston College’s Centennial Homecoming Sept. 25-27.

Herm Weaver was one of the celebrants. Currently the conference minister for the Mountain States Conference of Mennonite Church USA, Weaver was back on campus to tell his story—the story of a young man who showed up at Hesston in the fall of 1977 because a high school advisor told him he should go to college.

“I watched my brother’s car leave, and I realized I was all alone. Literally,” Weaver recalled. “There were no cars in the parking lot, and no students walking around. It seemed odd. This was a college campus—I thought there would be kids here.”

Weaver found his way to the administration building, and there he discovered that he was three days early and that most prospective students register before they arrive. He hadn’t.

“For the next few days Bill Mason patiently walked me through the process of entering college,” Weaver said. By the time the other students arrived, he had completed an aptitude test, filled out a schedule of classes, and found jobs both on and off campus. “When the real students arrived, I was all set, and I almost felt like a real student myself,” he said.

Weaver and his daughters Hope, a 2009 Hesston grad, and Chloe, a sophomore, shared their dreams for Hesston College during the opening chapel service. Also introduced at the service were0the 9newest emeritus faculty 0 2 members Jim Mininger, Jake Rittenhouse, 9 - and Gerry Sieber. The Centennial

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sculpture by Paul Friesen, “Prairie Cloister,” was unveiled.

Friesen, Hesston alumnus and emeritus faculty member, was commissioned by the college to create a work of sculpture celebrating the Centennial year. He chose to work with a red cedar log because red cedar trees were some of the first trees to be planted on the campus. Of the cloister theme, Friesen said, “Each of us should yearn for a cell where in silence we can hear God’s call to a life of service, where we can begin to contemplate the richness of a servant life in the economy of God. The cloister of Hesston College has sent countless students out to serve in needy places around the world... In the silence of the cloistered cell, students are still given strength to move mountains, and when they do so, the cedars clap their hands.

“Rather than asking of others what this piece says, ask what it is calling forth from within you,” Friesen said. “Enter the silence of your cell within your cloister and breathe deeply the inspiring wind of truth which will encourage you to spread your wings, to soar with the wind of truth that sets you free.

“It is my wish, my hope, that each viewer when interacting with the prairie cloister will be challenged to seek the experience of the attributes of truth, joy, and freedom; to flow with the prairie’s tall bluestem grass as it dances freely to the rhythm and spirit of the great wind; and join the free and frolicking tumbleweed as it shares its joy and presence with all inhabiting life on God’s vast prairie, the world.”

Friesen received a standing ovation after his remarks, and President Howard Keim commented, “When I stand with you or one of your pieces of art, I feel I am standing on holy ground.”

Lana (Yoder) Dale and Luanne (Yoder) Southern, sisters who graduated from Hesston in 1981, returned to Hesston to share as keynote speakers at

above - Emeritus faculty member Paul Friesen Ac42, ’44, speaks at the unveiling of Prairie Cloister, a sculpture commissioned by Hesston College and created by Friesen to mark the college’s centennial. above left - Friesen’s daughters, Jen (Friesen) ’84, faculty, LeFevre and Jan (Friesen) ’75 former faculty Roth West unveil Prairie Cloister. The sculpture is on permanent display in the Friesen Center for the Visual Arts.

6 centennial celebration

above - Sisters Lana (Yoder) Dale and Luann (Yoder) Southern, both members of the Hesston College class of 1981, shared the dais at the Alumni and Friends Banquet. below - Jubilee Transfer—Calvin Yoder, Willard Yoder, Darla (Slagell) ’74 Zook, and Renee (Slagell) ’78 Almos—performed several selections at the gala and at Sunday’s worship service.

Former Interim President Peter Wiebe, also a former pastor of Hesston Mennonite Church, offered a meditation on the theme, “Back to the Future: Century II” during the Centennial Homecoming Worship Service.

Carol Duerksen ’74 is a freelance writer in Goessel, Kan.

the Saturday evening alumni banquet. “We’re not here to see through each other; we’re here to see each other through,” Dale said, summarizing their college memories and how Hesston’s emphasis on service to the church and the world has impacted their lives and careers.

Following the banquet, the Centennial Music Gala took center stage, featuring alumni from across generations, current college music groups and individuals, and the Centennial Choir. “We assembled some of the best and brightest of Hesston students and alumni for a special evening,” said Dallas Stutzman, Hesston’s vice president of Alumni and Church Relations. “We had barbershop harmony, opera, bluegrass, chorales, Ethiopian and Celtic dance, and everything in between. It was an amazing evening, and we were excited to share it with the Hesston area community and all of our guests on campus.”

The rich variety of music continued through Sunday morning’s worship service, as Tim Shue and the alumni band gathered people in, bluegrass style; followed by artist-in-residence Tony Brown’s moving rendition of “Prepare Ye the Way” from Godspell. The Centennial Alumni and Student Choir shared several numbers, as did the popular Jubilee Transfer quartet.

Peter Wiebe, former Hesston College Interim President and Hesston Mennonite Church Pastor, shared a message titled “Back to the Future: Century II.” He briefly recalled the contributions of Hesston’s eight presidents, then took a phrase from Eugene Peterson’s translation of Hebrews 12:1-2.

“Let’s get on with it,” Wiebe said. “Let’s get on with helping young people discover their talents, so that after their passion and talents work together, they become a gift to the church. We are tied to the larger vision of the church. At this place, many people are called out. That’s why we need Hesston College. Since it’s a two-year school, our students immediately become leaders. We need to get on with the original vision—help people prepare themselves for ministry.”

Herm Weaver couldn’t agree more. “Several years ago, while teaching at Eastern Mennonite University, I got a package in the mail,” he said. “It was a giant framed certificate that had my name on it and noted that I had earned a Ph.D. I sat that day in my office, remembering and giving thanks for Ernie Martin, my high school counselor, and remembering my first days at Hesston College. (I gave) thanks for such a place as this that could receive and nurture such a person as I. “Last week found me in Southern India working on a peace-building adventure with Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Hindus from across India, and Christians from Bangladesh. I was the only American. My dream is that Hesston College would continue to be a place where a simple person like me can be welcomed totally unprepared, and nurtured, and helped to find meaning and purpose.”

“Would it advance the cause of Christ to establish a school somewhere in the West in which Bible work is made a specialty?”

09 HofElives, Yes! For thousands S S and a hundred years, the answer is yes!

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Forum explores Hesston College history, connection to Mennonite Church

by Susan Miller Balzer

A panel of distinguished historians talked about Hesston College and its relationship to the Mennonite Church throughout the past century at the Friday afternoon forum during the Centennial Homecoming Weekend.

Jim Juhnke, Wichita, professor emeritus of history at Bethel College who has also taught at Hesston College and authored several books and plays, moderated the discussion.

Joe Miller, pastor of Mellinger Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pa., and the author of Beyond the Mystic Border, a centennial history of the Whitestone Mennonite Church in Hesston, spoke first. He said one can find an institution’s DNA in its origins. Hesston College came into being when Kansas Mennonites were very much in danger of losing their original Anabaptist theology and practice to the “radical holiness” movement. Hesston’s faculty can be credited with reintroducing the Anabaptist Mennonite perspective and preparing Mennonites to face the challenges that World War I had on their faith.

John Sharp, author of Hesston College’s Centennial history book and a history instructor at the college spoke on the influence of the Mennonite Church on the college during the administrations of Presidents Milo Kauffman, Roy Roth, and Tilman Smith. He reported that the Mennonite Board of Education ordered Kauffman to appear at the Elkhart, Ind., office to inform him he was appointed president of Hesston College. Kauffman accepted the church’s calling and led the college through the Depression and World War II during which time he encouraged the church to pay for the Civilian Public Service alternative service program.

Sharp noted that the MBE micromanaged the college during Roth’s years as president, as it tried to turn back the tide of acculturation.

Smith, a public school administrator before coming to Hesston, saw enrollment grow as he determined “not to major in minors.”

Jim Mininger, director of special projects for Claremont School of Theology in California, and a former president of Lithuania Christian University and dean and interim president at Hesston College, talked about the college during the administrations of Laban Peachey, Kirk Alliman, and Loren Swartzendruber and the era in which the Mennonite Church went from being a distinctive people to a largely indistinguishable part of the low church, evangelical, Protestant middle class. He challenged Hesston College to lead in the present post-Christian age in openly prophetic ways.

Tim Burkholder, associate director of Mennonite Education Agency expressed gratitude to Hesston College for finding practical ways to serve the church.

above - Joe Miller ’76, John Sharp ’73, faculty, Jim Juhnke former faculty, and Jim Mininger Ac61, former faculty, discussed Hesston College’s history and its connection to the Mennonite Church during a Friday afternoon forum, Sept. 25. below - H.D. Swartzendruber Ac46, ’49, of Harrisonburg, Va., asks a question at the history forum.

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Susan Miller ’67 Balzer is a freelance writer in Hesston, Kan.

8 centennial celebration

Lynette (Slagell) ’78 Duerksen and Elaine (Slagell) ’82 Unruh find classmates on the college’s new History Center touch-screen kiosk. A gift of the Academy class of 1956, the kiosk also includes photos and history of Erb Hall and Kauffman Court.

Cast members for the musical Quilters rehearse a scene (left to right): Megan Leatherman (freshman, Hesston, Kan.), Kristen Horst (sophomore, Orrville, Ohio), Lisa (Swartzendruber) ’97 Yoder (Hesston), Holly Swartzendruber (faculty, Hillsboro, Kan.), Ana Loucks (sophomore, Hesston, Kan., obscured

by Swartzendruber), Laura Unruh (freshman, Newton, Kan., foreground, in pink), Amy Brubaker (freshman, Goessel, Kan.), and DJ (Franz) ’78 Freeman (Goessel, Kan.). The Theatre and Music departments presented three performances of Quilters during Centennial Homecoming Weekend.

Quilters cast members helped unveil the college’s centennial quilt (above) following the first performance Friday evening. The quilt, created by Martha (Buckwalter) Ac46, ’48 Hershberger and her daughter, Faith (Hershberger) ’74 Penner, represents Hesston College’s past, present, and future. Its design was inspired by Nancy Miller’s centennial event logo. The centennial quilt hangs in the Bontrager Student Center entry.

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Chemistry faculty member Jim Yoder ’62 presents a dramatic monologue as T.M. Erb, one of the college’s founders and its first business manager, from the porch of 300 S. Main in Hesston, Erb’s former home. A self-guided walking tour along local streets offered alumni and friends an opportunity to learn about the homes of individuals and families that played key roles in the college’s history. Front Porch Narratives by Yoder and Gerald Brunk of Harrisonburg, Va., offered additional insight into the college’s history and the context in which it was founded in 1909.

below, far left - Minerva Yoder Ac48 and former Food Service directors Emil Yoder and Bob Nunemacher ’69 arrived early in the week before homecoming and baked more than 900 cinnamon rolls. The rolls were available for purchase at the heritage auction and served for breakfast Sunday morning. left - A 1909 International tractor owned by Jerry Toews of Goessel, Kan., was on display, along with several antique cars.

above - Roger ’62 and LouAnne (Jantz) Ac61, ’63 Eichelberger visit with Kathy Goering at the reunion for current and former faculty and staff members. above, left - Hesston College students, alumni, friends, and faculty gather to bless a house framed by students, faculty, and staff. The frame was taken apart in sections and trucked to Picayune, Miss., where Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers reassembled the pieces and finished the house over the ensuing six weeks. The framing project, a cooperative effort of MDS and the college’s Disaster Management program, was completed in the week leading up to Centennial Homecoming Weekend. Visit the Disaster Management page at www.hesston. edu for photos of the project as it progressed.

The weekend included a reception to honor Hesston College’s living presidents and interim presidents (Laban Peachey, Kirk Alliman, Jim Mininger, Loren Swartzendruber, Peter Wiebe, and Howard Keim).

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College dedicates Freedley Schrock memorial at Centennial Homecoming Weekend

by Susan Miller Balzer

above - A crowd gathers to dedicate a memorial to former Hesston College faculty member Freedley Schrock Saturday, Sept. 26. below - Melvin Schmidt, Hyattsville, Md., speaks at the dedication service for the Freedley Schrock memorial.

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At the dedication of the Freedley Schrock Memorial on Saturday, Sept.

26, family, friends, and former students remembered a Hesston College teacher whose mentoring profoundly affected their lives.

A sun-splashed afternoon permitted guests to gather around the memorial, which is located in a shaded area north of Alliman Administration Center, near the former location of the industrial arts building where Schrock taught for 23 years.

The memorial features a bronze toolbox that is a replica of the one Schrock’s grandson, sculptor Tony Hochstetler, Ft. Collins, Colo., inherited from his grandfather. Hochstetler used his own hand as a model for the bronze hand reaching into the toolbox. The toolbox is set on a limestone base. Two tiger wood rounded benches made by Gene Swartzendruber Ac50 provide seating on either side of the memorial.

Landscape artist Pam Gerber, of Harper, Kan., worked with representatives of the Academy class of 1952, and with college and Stone Creek Nursery staff to create the memorial setting.

Freedley Schrock’s oldest son, Marvin, a member of the Academy class of 1952, provided the incentive for this memorial. Before Marvin died in June 2007, he offered a challenge gift to be matched

by Hesston alumni for the memorial. Members of Marvin’s class who met for their 55th reunion in September 2007 decided to act on Marvin’s challenge. Merrill Raber Ac52, Belle (Stoltzfus) Ac52 Boyts and Jim Boyts Ac51 coordinated the project which included fundraising and collecting items for a scrapbook. Alumni sent in photos of projects they made—and in many cases are still using—in Freedley’s woodworking and pottery classes and wrote notes expressing their appreciation for the teacher who taught them woodworking skills and so much more.

Michele Miller ’74 Sharp assembled the photos and class members’ notes into a scrapbook that elicited more sharing of memories at the dedication service and the reception that followed it.

Edwin Schrock Ac56, ’58, Colorado Springs, spoke for his siblings, Dorothy Kratz Ac48, ’50, Elkhart, Ind., and Eunice Munn Ac60, ’62, North Webster, Ind., saying he remembers his dad “as a warm and unique person.”

Melvin Schmidt Ac55, ’57, Hyattsville, Md., spoke of the “profound influence” Schrock made on his students with his gentle mentoring and simple prayers before each class. “Freedley knew his real work wasn’t to teach us how to make birdhouses.”

In his dedicatory remarks, President Howard Keim spoke of Schrock’s reputation as a quiet, thorough, patient craftsman and teacher who cared deeply about students. He described the memorial as “a place to stop, rest, reflect, and remember a great man.”

11 centennial celebration

Sharp signs A School on the Prairie

by Susan Miller Balzer

John Sharp, author of A School on the Prairie: A Centennial History of Hesston College 1909-2009, got to write his name many times during the book premiere and reception in Bontrager Student Center Friday evening, Sept. 25.

Throughout the Centennial weekend, 400 of the 450 history books Faculty member John Sharp, author of A School ordered by the college bookstore on the Prairie: A Centennial History of Hesston were sold. Sharp signed many of College 1909-2009, signs a copy of his book for them during the premiere and Duane Yoder ’81 and former faculty and staff encouraged the high bidder at the member, of Harrisonburg, Va. at the book’s premiere auction of the “first” copy of the book to increase the bid an extra $50 to get his signature on it.

Sharp received numerous accolades for the history book that he said was his obsession for the past four years. The books arrived in Hesston from Cascadia Publishing House on Aug. 31.

In a video, Cascadia publisher Michael King said that Sharp crossconnected the stories of the college and church, so that the Hesston story is the Mennonite Church story. He said the book has “500 pages of intriguing anecdotes.”

Sharp reported that having to choose what to include and what to leave out was one of his most difficult challenges. He quoted a piece of advice given to writers: “Leave out the parts people will skip,” but said that wasn’t at all helpful.

Sharp thanked people who began brainstorming the plans for a Centennial book eight years ago, for making room for college archives in the basement of Smith Center, and for organizing the archives, copying numerous articles from church and student periodicals, offering counsel, editing, but not micromanaging the project. Some of those named were former President Loren Swartzendruber; Interim President Peter Wiebe; President Howard Keim; archivist Sandra Richard; volunteers Bill Zuercher and Becky Roth; publisher Michael King; historians James Mininger, James Juhnke, and Joe Miller; Centennial committee co-chairs Elam Peachey and Dallas Stutzman; and, most of all, his wife, Michele Miller Sharp, and the couple’s children.

Sharp said his research indicates that Hesston College is at its best when it is innovative, flexible, egalitarian, and attentive to the church.

President Keim said, “This book will help us understand our own culture and Hesston College’s place in broader Mennonite history.”

Sharp said, “The story goes on, and leaves the writer behind. I hope (the book) will stand on its own two feet – after all, it has a spine.”

Also making their debut Friday night were the Hesston College Centennial Cookbook; “...in the fragrant and velvety air,” a CD of Hesston College Music; a video DVD of Glimpses of A School on the Prairie; and Centennial “Living the Vision” pottery mugs made by Steve and Jane (Kauffman) ’74 Fry of Elk Falls (Kan.) Pottery. Four hundred of the 500 cookbooks printed by Baker Brothers, Hillsboro, sold during the weekend.

Ken Rodgers said he got the idea for a Centennial music CD from a similar project at St. Olaf College.

The Hesston CD has 30 tracks, beginning with a monophonic recording of “God So Loved the World” sung by the college choir directed by John P. Duerkson in the 1950s. Rodgers credited Phil Hoffman for digitizing the music from LP records and cassette tapes to preserve it and make it available for the Centennial CD. DaLonna Schroeder, academic assistant, edited the cookbook, which grew to contain 935 recipes. The earliest recipe is a 1912 cookie recipe submitted by a granddaughter of A.L. Hess. The fun part of her work, Schroeder said, was hearing the stories from many people who submitted recipes. Both stories and recipes are included in the book.

Gary Oyer created the DVD, using photos and script supplemental to those in the history book, which was limited to 10 photos per chapter. Dallas Stutzman said his teenage daughter watched the hour-long DVD and found some ideas for good pranks she might like to pull when she comes to Hesston College. The DVD was described as “an outstanding piece of work.”

12 campus news

Heritage Auction during Centennial Homecoming will support dorm renovation project

by Susan Miller Balzer

above - Don Ac56, ’61 and Debbie Diller of Phoenix, Ariz., place a bid on a silent auction item. right - Jessie Couch ’07, Mulvane, Kan., and sophomore Chad Newcomer, Mount Joy, Pa., display a quilt for auction bidders.

above - Stan Sommerfeld Ac59 of Sharon Springs, Kan., won the bid for one of the final six Green Gables candlehouses.

What happens in a heritage auction?

Donors give, buyers pay premium prices, and Hesston College benefits.

President Howard Keim prays, “Give us generous hearts” and auctioneers Jim Brenneman, of Denver, Colorado, and Larry Martin Ac56, and Clark Roth ’82, of Hesston, remind people that this is not the time to find bargains.

“It’s a tangible way to move into the next century,” Brenneman said.

The auction began with the sale—and resale—of a couple pans of cinnamon rolls made by former Food Service directors, Emil Yoder and Bob Nunemacher. Yoder confessed that he didn’t bake rolls during his time as Hesston College cook; Martha Wenger did.

Donated items spanning the last century changed hands during the Saturday afternoon, Sept. 26, live auction and silent auction. They included Green Gables memorabilia; 50th and 75th anniversary items; works of art, quilts, vacation packages, books, chapel pews, and college mementos from current and former presidents, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends.

More than 500 bidders competed for the one-of-a-kind sale items.

Even as the Yost Center crowd dwindled at the end of the second hour of the auction, a baseball signed by the 1964 championship team brought $800 and a pair of “famous sky blue twill culottes...worn by women basketball players in the 1950s and 60s” sold for $100.

Hesston College Development Officer Phyllis Weaver wrote the descriptions for the 130 sale items, tracing many of their origins and introducing the artists among the faculty and alumni who gave their stoneware, quilts, and paintings.

An Italian dinner for 10 at the home of John and Chris Hershberger sold for $1,050. A framed art piece of the college fountain, made and donated by Phil Hershberger brought a top bid of $1,700.

The money raised—around $23,000—will go toward renovation of the plumbing, heating, and cooling systems in Erb Hall’s central and west wings. left - Gilbert Alliman checks in with mom and dad, Elizabeth Carlson and Chris Alliman ’95, Kansas City, Mo.

Feb. 11, 2009

13 news briefs

Partners ponder How did you become a Hesston College Partner?

LeVan

Goerzen

Schroeder

Horst

Zucconi

Chaffinch

Rhodes

New faculty members for the 2009-10 year include David LeVan (business), Elizabeth Gatz and Fern Gerber (nursing clinicals), Sheldon Goerzen ’09 and Mike Moore (aviation flight instructor interns), and sabbatical replacements Gregg Schroeder ’86 (nursing/Ruby Graber) and Hannah Neufeld and Holly Swartzendruber (music/Matthew Schloneger). Seven staff members joined Hesston College’s ranks or took on new assignments. Jeron Baker ’03, David Horst ’07, and Stephanie (Roth) ’03 Zucconi are admissions counselors. Katie Chaffinch ’04 serves as a resident director. New coaches include Gerry Sieber ’64 former faculty (cross country and intramurals), Kristin (Rusk) ’01 Rhodes (volleyball), and Andrew Sharp ’99 (softball).

Hesston College’s enrollment is up nearly four percent this fall with a student count of 439 including 228 new students. Hesston students represent 25 states and 12 countries. Mennonite students number 192, 44 percent of the student population.

Hesston College closed the 2008-09 fiscal year in the black for the fourth consecutive year. Revenues outpaced expenses by nearly $250,000. “Stable enrollment, generous giving by Hesston’s alumni and friends, and careful budget management contributed to our success this year,” commented President Howard Keim.

Alumni and friends contributed $1.15 million to the Hesston College Fund in 2008-09, surpassing the annual goal by $25,000. The college’s Partners— donors who commit to supporting the Hesston College fund with annual contributions—gave more than $860,000. The fund aids current students through scholarships and grants.

Lincoln Perk, Hesston’s local gourmet coffee shop, has found a home on the Hesston College campus. Already popular with students, faculty, and staff, Lincoln Perk is now conveniently located in the Larks Nest in Erb Hall. The perk offers a variety of hot and cold beverages as well as lunch menu items and is open 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Former soccer coach Gerry Sieber returned to campus this fall with a new assignment: start a cross country team. Sieber will recruit a team to begin competing in fall 2010. Sieber coached men’s varsity soccer at Hesston for 23 years, compiling a 247-128-27 record including 11 regional championships.

During his Hesston tenure he also coached track (8 years) and men’s basketball (5 years) and served as physical education department chair and athletic director (7 years).

“We considered it an honor when Howard and Martha Hershberger invited us to a meal and told us about a new thing, ‘Partners.’ Since I’ve known Howard and Martha as long as anyone, we decided to join. Probably another reason we were interested was that we had a $l,000. A few years before that we had moved to western Kansas to farm. I’m sure if you were farming then, you remember the 70s.

We had some real good years. We had a real good year last year. It’s pretty exciting to be in a business that is real profitable every thirty years or so!

Looking back I suppose this helped us start giving.There have been some hail storms and lots of windstorms but God has been faithful. We have been able to continue to support Hesston College through the years and to help support some missionaries, go on many short term mission trips, and help out in some other areas. I guess we stand here today because we believe what God says in Malachi 3:10, ‘Bring in your tithes and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing until it overflows.’

God has done that.”

—Stan Ac 59 and Jan (Burkey) ’61 Sommerfeld Ac59, Sharon Springs, Kan. “Hesston College has afforded us a wonderful education, outstanding relationships, and a wonderful transition into our independence.The HC experience paved so many roads for us professionally, personally, inter-personally, and spiritually that we want others to have the opportunity to experience it. So becoming a Partner was a no-brainer, if we believe in what we experienced, we needed to put our money where our mouths were!”

—Derek ’96 and Joy (Smith) ’96 Yoder, Hesston, Kan.

14 A l o o k b a c k — Ce n t e n n i a l s t o r i e s

Special Bible Term

by John E. Sharp

Winter Bible Term with S.C. Yoder as teacher, ca. 1920.

John E. Sharp ’73 teaches history at Hesston College and has written A School on the Prairie: A Centennial History of Hesston College 1909-2009.

On Monday, January 10, 1910, the first of the long-standing annual Special Bible Terms began. Sixteen students enrolled for the four-week term. J.B. Smith, who would join the academy faculty in the second year, and George R. Brunk, who was relocating from Protection, Kan., to Denbigh, Va., supplemented the teaching faculty. The term’s purpose was to provide Bible and doctrinal instruction for those who could not take regular course work. Bible Term students were also invited to sit in on regular classes, which included “a thorough drill in vocal music.”

Tuition was free for ministers and spouses, and for all others $1 a week, or $4 for the term.

Smith and Brunk were collaborators in the campaign for a uniformly plain church as a mark of separation from the world. Wesleyan holiness theology taught that inner spirituality would be expressed in outer simplicity. Though he rejected much of Wesleyanism, Brunk had been impressed by its teaching on plainness. Attending a Free Methodist camp meeting with his brother Joe, George was convicted of the carnal nature of the necktie. He launched a vigorous campaign against the tie and other tokens of worldliness and carnality in Kansas-Nebraska Conference churches. “If the Free Methodists can be plain, Mennonites can be even plainer,” he quipped and he campaigned to make it so.

At length many, T.M. Erb included, were convinced. Erb’s children recalled their father announcing that he was going “to put the devil up the chimney,” before tossing all his neckties in the furnace. Satisfied that the West was “well established in conservatism and fully warned against the influence of Goshen men,” Brunk took his campaign to Virginia. Confirming Brunk’s perception, the conference, in the fall of 1910, reaffirmed their historic position on “Gospel simplicity,” but further resolved to promote “uniformity in attire... as a matter of distinguishing Christians from the world.” The Hesston faculty taught and modeled this emerging doctrine of uniformity, and so expressed its commitment to remain “in the order of the church.”

After 46 years the annual Winter Bible Term was discontinued. An enrollment of seven during the 1955-56 academic year indicated that its usefulness had passed. Hesston’s constituents were making the transition from a traditional rural character to a more urban society; the time when a farmer or H Efarmer’s could take four or six weeks off for a Hesston 0 9Bible term was S S Tdaughter 0 2 O a thing of theN past.C O L L E G E 1 9 0 9

15 alumni news

1930-1939 Deaths

Edna (Schultz) Ac39 Brian, Coloardo Springs, Colo., March 23, 2009 Clayton Diener Ac39, ’42, husband of Inez (Snyder) ’41 former staff Diener, Hesston, Kan., June 4, 2009

1940-1949 David Lehman Ac44, Goshen, Ind., was a 2008 Fairview High School Wall of Fame Recipient, honored for his involvement in the first successful tooth transplant and donating his life to providing dental and orthodontic treatment.

LeRoy and Pauline Kennel ’49, Elkhart, Ind. are transitioning from co-pastoring Christ Community Mennonite Church, also known as the “church in a barn,” which they founded more than 20 years ago in Schaumburg, Ill.

Deaths

Earl Gerber Ac41, Hastings, Neb., April 20, 2009 Doris Hostetler Ac42, Hesston, Kan., July 10, 2009 James Kuhns Ac43, ’45, Harrisonburg, Va., March 31, 2009 Wileta (Voran) Ac45, ’47 Tieszen, Wellington, Kan., July 24, 2009 James Washburn, husband of Mary Lou (Weaver) Ac49 Washburn, Wichita, Kan., June 29, 2009

1950-1959 Deaths

Herbert Hess, husband of Eunice (Bergey) ’51 Hess, Lititz, Pa., April 4, 2009 Kathleen Hershberger, wife of Gordon Hershberger Ac57, ’59, Syracuse, N.Y., June 28, 2009

1960-1969 Marilyn (Begly) ’60 Stauffer, Waxhaw, N.C., volunteers at the JAARS Center, a service arm of Wycliffe Bible Translators, and enjoys being involved in hospitality for people coming to the center. Marilyn and her husband Norman also volunteer as part of the Service Opportunities for Older People (SOOP) program, recently working at Swan Lake Christian Camp in Viborg, S.D., and MCC Connections in Kidron, Ohio.

Class of 1969 (left to right) - Cheryl (Speicher) Miller, Tony Brown, Darlene Shirk, Brad Miller, Cheryl Lichti, Bob Nunemacher, Maxine Martin, Rachel (Buckwalter) Miller, Glenna (Hershberger) Lowry, Phyllis (Liechty) Nofziger, Jane (Widmer) Yoder, Mary (Bontrager) Owens, Bruce Kooker, Mary Jane Pletcher, Royce Schweitzer, Ruth (Gingerich) Penner, Don Kempf, Marlys (Bitikofer) Becker, Daniel Becker, Althea (Diller) Harvey, Paul Zehr, Laura (Dorsey) Kurtz, Galen Yoder

John Oyer ’61, New Braunfels, Texas, retired in 2006 and is serving as president of the board of EdenHill Communities, a continuing care retirement facility. His wife, Jolene, is active in New Braunfels Art League, displaying numerous award winning photos in the monthly gallery showings.

Keith Miller ’66, Edwardsburg, Mich., retired from Whirlpool Corporation in November, 2007, as a refrigeration quality manager. He and his wife, Lois, recently moved from Evansville, Ind. to be closer to family.

Royce Schweitzer ’69, Henderson, Neb., was named 2009 Nebraska Father of the Year and was honored at a Celebration of Fatherhood luncheon in Lincoln on June 18.

1970-1979 Ken Gingerich ’71, former staff, Albuquerque, N.M., presented “At home in the middle kingdom,” an exhibit of recent paintings at the Cobalt Gallery in Newton, Kan., Oct. 22 to Nov. 30, 2009 Don Clymer ’73, Harrisonburg, Va., works as assistant professor of Spanish at Eastern Mennonite University and was honored for ten years of service in April, 2009.

Bill ’73 and Susie (Brunk) ’70 Swartley, Bluffton, Ohio, have relocated from Hesston, Kan. Bill is a staff nurse anesthetist

at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay.

Susie and Bill are busy remodeling their 1900s vintage house.

John Bolton ’76, Glenside, Pa., is client development manager at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference. He works to find new ways for the conference center to serve the churches, schools, and Christian organizations of the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware region.

Diane (Horst) ’77 Miller, Goshen, Ind., works as a part-time payroll clerk in the Human Resources Office at Goshen College.

Deaths

Exie Walker ’73, husband of Jerilyn (Banman) ’73 Walker, Hesston, Kan., June 22, 2009 Leonard Schmucker ’77, Louisville, Ohio, Sept. 8, 2009

1980-1989 Michele (Schrock) ’81 faculty Hershberger, Hesston, Kan., wrote an academic article, “Preaching that Engages Youth and Young Adults” which was published in Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology. She also wrote three chapters for three different books. The chapters are titled “Jesus Matters,” “Do Not Let your Hearts be Troubled,” and “Telling Our Stories: Personal Engagement with Jesus.”

David Landes ’81, Dulles, Va., is living in Turkmenistan for the next two years, along with his wife Lisa. He teaches

16 alumni news intensive English and music at the Ashgabat International School. Lisa works for the U.S. State Department as a nurse practitioner.

Jay Kabira ’84, Tokyo, Japan, performed in the U.S. premiere of Talk Like Singing, the first ever Japanese musical to premiere in the U.S. The musical, directed and written by Koki Mitani, was produced in New York University’s Skirball Center Nov. 12-22, 2009 and will reopen in Tokyo in January 2010.

Paul Roten ’84, Seattle, Wash., owns and operates a family run renovation business that specializes in tile, stone, plaster, and stucco.

Suvendrini Christopher-Schuhmann ’88, Klamath Falls, Ore., is enrolled at Argosy Online University to complete a doctorate of education in counseling psychology.

Lillian (Haas) ’89 Nicholson, Bluesky, Alberta, Canada, and her husband, Norm, work as missionaries under Mennonite Church Canada Christian Witness in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Lillian works in Bible translation and Norm works in vernacular media.

Amy Springer ’89, Harrisonburg, Va., works as assistant undergraduate dean and coordinator of student success at Eastern Mennonite University and was honored for 15 years of service in April, 2009.

Death

Sharon Weldeghebriel, wife of Tecle Weldeghebriel ’87, Coweta, Okla., July 1, 2009

Marriages

Lana Yoder ’81 and Kevin Dale, Evergreen, Colo., May 2, 2009 Paul Roten ’84 and Shari Dee Wilson, Seattle, Wash., Nov. 21, 2008

Births

Larry ’87 and Kendra Peifer Guengerich, East Petersburg, Pa.: Hudson James, Aug. 31, 2009 Miriam Huebert ’87 and Christopher Stauffer, Canton, Kan.: Sapphire Diana, April, 23, 2009 Lillian (Haas) ’89 and Norm Nicolson, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Nadine Ruth, April 2, 2009

Death

Death

1990-1999

Marriages

Steve Hershberger ’87 former staff, Goshen, Ind., June 12, 2008

Jana (Unruh) ’90 Beyer, Harrisonburg, Va., finished a post-graduate certificate program through Shippensburg (Pa.) University for Reading Recovery Teacher Leader. She trains new and supervises current Reading Recovery teachers for Shenandoah County (Va.) Public Schools.

Jeff ’92 and Dana (Jackson) ’92 Selzer, Thomas, Okla., began a three year mission assignment at Mountainview International Christian School in Salatiga, Indonesia.

Dana teaches first grade and Jeff teaches high school Bible and physical education.

Jonathan Shenk ’94, Euless, Texas, flies for American Eagle as a first officer.

David King ’95, Beaverton, Ore., works in the IT department at Trimet as a systems engineer. Trimet provides the public transit system for the Portland metro area.

Mel ’95 and Dottie (Beachy) former faculty Hathaway, Dalton, Ohio, Mel became pastor of Sonnenberg Mennonite Church on September 1, 2009, after pastoring at Salem Mennonite in Elida, Ohio, for 14 years. Dottie is an adjunct nursing faculty member at Malone University in Canton.

Joel Short ’96, Valparaiso, Ind., was installed on March 8, 2009, as pastor at Hopewell Mennonite, Kouts, Ind. Kristina Arriaga ’98, Baltimore, Md., graduated from University of Baltimore Law School and passed the Maryland Bar Exam in 2008. She is now practicing law for the City of Baltimore, Public Defender.

André Swartley ’99, Bluffton, Ohio, operates a self-publishing business called Workplay Publishing, designed as a professional, user-friendly, and affordable resource for people looking to develop either their skills or new careers in writing. Swartley’s second novel, Americanus Rex, is the premiere title for Workplay Publishing.

Rachel Thomas, wife of Chris Thomas ’92, Bella Vista, Ariz., June 22, 2009 Chad Frey ’92 and Mary Prodoehl, Newton, Kan., Jan. 10, 2009 Larissa Miller ’93 faculty and Victor Lawrence, Wichita, Kan., May 7, 2009 Traci Siebert ’96 and Kevin Chambers, Newton, Kan., July 11, 2009 Anne Yoder ’97 and Timothy Wiens, Newton, Kan., May 23, 2009 Julie Martin ’98 and Branson Yoder, Harrisonburg, Va., June 24, 2009

Births

Tim Miller ’90 and Tracy Albers, Centennial, Colo.: Maxwell Joseph, April 12, 2009 Mary Jane (Puryear) ’91 and Joel Peña, Lancaster, Pa.: Max E., Jan. 10, 2009 Mark ’91 and Deborah (Anderson) ’91 Penny, Loveland, Colo.: Logan Christopher, July 7, 2008 Jonathan ’94 and Anielka Shenk, Euless, Texas: Jeremiah, March 29, 2009 Chad ’96 and Courtney Goertz, Denver, Colo.: Liam John, Sept. 17, 2009 Sarah (Nitzsche) ’96 and Rob Simms, Omaha, Neb.: Ty Robert, May 25, 2009 Darla (Knepp) ’96 and Eddie Trejo, Melbourne, Australia: Stella Magdalena, Sept.

11, 2009 Angie Birky ’97 and Brian Bohnert, Denver, Colo.: Xavier Gage, May 1, 2009 David ’97 and Ericka Histand Gingerich, Canby, Ore.: Josiah Douglas, Aug. 9, 2009 Deb (Miller) ’97 and Matt Hickman, Normal, Ill.: Laineigh Alyssa, born July 9, 2007, received for adoption May 4, 2009 Tasha (Propps) ’97 and Ben Warner, Hydro, Okla.: Hudson Neal, May 22, 2009 Monica (Miller) ’98 and Korey Bromley, Middlebury, Ind.: Sophia Lee, Feb. 14, 2009 Sara (Bedsworth) ’98 and Ryan Kopper, Newton, Kan.: Noah Philip, April 30, 2009 Darrin ’98 and Sarah Leichty, West Liberty, Ohio: Isla Jeanette, July 18, 2009 Doug ’99, former staff and Elizabeth (Heatwole) ’00 Maury, Hesston, Kan.: Kyle Douglas, Aug. 3, 2009 Cynthia (Eberly) ’99 and Matt Morris, Grottoes, Va.: Blake Douglas, June 1, 2009 Mindy (Thomas) ’99 and Fred Schmidt, Newton, Kan.: Katie Elizabeth, June 15, 2009 Clay ’99, staff and Mariah (Stutzman) ’99 Stauffer, Hesston, Kan.: Briggs Keith, Sept.

17, 2009

17 alumni news nite University and works for Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Moon Yu ’06, Lincoln, Neb., started graduate studies this fall at University of Nebraska as an educational psychology major in cognition, learning, and development for children and adolescents.

Megan Vendrely ’06, New Paris, Ind., began working as an ESL paraprofessional at Wawasee High School in Syracuse in September 2009.

Class of 2004 (left to right) - Luke Krehbiel, Hannah (Hartzler) Krehbiel, Laura Garber, Joel Garber, Kara (Kauffman) Klingenberg, Danae Unruh, Jeff Clark, Heidi (Bender) Willems, Jocelyn (Kliewer) Busick, Daniel King, Heather Bender, Leah (Yoder) Baker, Derek Christophel, Angela Lederach, Rachel Jaberg, Daniel Jantz, Kayla Miller, Joe Shetler, Alison Neufeld, Nathan Litwiller, Katie Chaffinch, Jason Gerig, Marcos Kuhns, Josh Gross, Kim Voth, Krystal Esch, Melissa Wenger, Emily S. Yoder, Heather Guth, Drew Willems, Dustin Galyon, Matt Walker

2000-2009 Jesse Versch ’00, South Sioux City, Neb., received a bachelor of science degree in business administration with emphasis in marketing and started a new position with BPI as a training director.

Neil Richer ’01, Goshen, Ind., and his wife, Elizabeth, began three-year work assignments with Mennonite Central Committee in Colombia. He serves as a micro loan promoter.

Marie Voth ’03, Lakewood, Colo., began a position in July 2009 as the assistant to the national director of Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR) in Denver. DOOR is a faith based network of urban service-learning programs that expose, educate, challenge, and motivate participants to respond to the issues and concerns facing an increasingly urban world.

Elyzabeth (Lyz) Weaver ’03, Cassopolis, Mich., ended as pastor at Fellowship of Hope, Elkhart, Ind. in March 2009.

Kyle ’04 and Lisa (Unruh) ’04 Beun, live in Park City, Kan. Kyle is completing a degree at Wichita State University and Lisa teaches second grade at Isely Traditional Magnet School in Wichita.

Joel Garber ’04, Goodwell, Okla., has accepted a position as director of Choral Music at Oklahoma Panhandle State

University. His responsibilities are directing choral groups, providing private vocal instruction, and teaching several music courses.

Monte Glanzer ’04, Charlottesville, Va., completed his master’s in accounting at James Madison University and will sit for the CPA exams. He works at Hantzmon Wiebel, LLP in Charlottesville.

Chika Sunoto ’04, Goshen, Ind., received a master of science in accounting degree from Indiana University and is working as an accountant in South Bend.

Eve (Unrau)’05 Isaak, Burns Lake, B.C., Canada, worked in Chihuahua, Mexico, from September 2007 to December 2008 in a drug and alcohol rehab centre for Low German speaking Mennonite men.

She is co-pastor, along with husband Helmut, at First Mennonite Church in Burns Lake.

Audra Christophel ’06, Moundridge, Kan., graduated from Goshen College in spring 2009 and spent summer doing intense study and research during the college’s eight-week Maple Scholars program.

Audra studied vengeance and forgiveness strategies from biblical, theological, and anthropological perspectives, in order to strengthen peace theology and practice.

Drew Ebersole ’06, Estero, Fla., graduated in April 2009 from Eastern Menno-

Kara (Weaver) ’07 Ebersole, Estero, Fla., graduated in April 2009 from Eastern Mennonite University with a degree in business administration. She works as a Senior Team Leader for Target in the Estero/Ft. Myers area.

Danielle Craft ’08, Hutchinson, Kan., works on the pulmonary unit at Promise Regional Medical Center.

Kara Mishler ’08, Shipshewana, Ind., participated in Goshen College’s summer 2009 Camping Inquiry Program at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Mich.

Todd Stutzman ’08, Lawrence, Kan., is a student at Kansas University and was appointed student assistant for the KU women’s basketball team.

Katelyn Nussbaum ’09, Union, Mich., participated in Goshen College’s summer 2009 Camping Inquiry Program at Camp Friedenswald in Cassopolis, Mich.

Karen Dalke ’09, Des Moines, Iowa, accepted a position as pastor at Des Moines Mennonite Church beginning September 1, 2009.

Marriages

Jon Graber ’00 and Kristina Shrewsbury, Cheyenne, Wyo., June 20, 2009 Lisa Hawkins ’01 and Wendell Shank, Harrisonburg, Va., June 29, 2008 Neil Richer ’01 and Elizabeth Miller, Goshen, Ind., Sept. 13, 2008 Ben Baker ’02 and Jill Swiers ’03, Albany, Ore., Dec. 28, 2008 Stephanie Jackson ’02 and Justin Yoder ’03, Hesston, Kan., Sept. 5, 2009 Jill Widmer ’02 and Josh Lundberg, Kalona, Iowa, May 30, 2009 Jonathon Kliewer ’03 and Jennifer Fabling, Newton, Kan., April 25, 2009 Lindsey Petermann ’03 and Zach Ondrak, Lakewood, Colo., August 2, 2009

18 alumni news

START HERE, GO EVERYWHERE

Bookstore

HESSTON COLLEGE

Your headquarters for textbooks, supplies, and Lark gear

Alumni Special

Clothing 10% Off Use “Alumni” in promotional code field during checkout.

Centennial and Hesston College items can be ordered at www.hesstonbooks.com A School on the Prairie history book Glimpses history DVD In the fragrant and velvety air music CD

Zach Bauer ’04 and Kim Norris ’07, Harper, Kan., May 30, 2009 Monte Glanzer ’04 and Luella Kauffman, Charlottsville, Va., May 17, 2008 Jocelyn Kliewer ’04 and Darren Busick, Hutchinson, Kan., Nov. 29, 2008 Sara Ratzlaff ’04 and Brian Yost, Moundridge, Kan., May 3, 2009 Shannon Weaver ’04 and Christopher Rutt, Harrisonburg, Va, April 4, 2009 Lachelle Horst ’05 and Brian Hackman ’06, Lancaster, Pa., July 25, 2009 Michelle Mast ’05 and Michael Marshall, Merrillville, Ind., Nov. 21, 2008 Vanessa Smith ’05 and Joseph Montano, Newton, Kan., July 17, 2009 Ricky Snyder ’05 and Mandy Klusener, South Hutchinson, Kan., Oct. 25, 2008 Jared Widmer ’05 and Angela Stauffer ’06, Glendale, Ariz., June 27, 2009 Drew Ebersole ’06 and Kara Weaver ’07, Estero, Fla., July 11, 2009 Micah Loucks ’06 and Lucy Roth, Goshen, Ind., July 18, 2009 Rylan Miller ’06 and Karissa Miller ’07, Harper, Kan., Jan. 24, 2009 Grant Baker ’07 former faculty and Julia Klassen ’07, Goshen, Ind. May 23, 2009 Jared Boese ’07 and Katelyn Lamb, Hesston, Kan., July 25, 2009 Eric Eberspacher ’07 and Lauren Janzen ’07, Overland Park, Kan., June 12, 2009 Jason Widmer ’07 and Lindsay Erb ’08, Wellman, Iowa, Aug. 1, 2009 Luke Aeschliman ’08 and Oriann Stauffer ’08, Goshen, Ind., July 25, 2009

Centennial Cookbook Centennial Mugs

Ben Barwick ’08 and Kaely Miller ’09, Mishawaka, Ind., June 6, 2009 Brent Garber ’08 and Julie Snyder ’09, Hesston, Kan., June 20, 2009 Jennifer Troyer ’08 and Dustin Carmichael, Haven, Kan., June 13, 2009 Tiffany Friesen ’09 and John Milone, North Newton, Kan., March 21, 2009 Michelle Gibbens ’09 and Derek Embry, Newton, Kan., Aug. 8, 2009

Births

Jake ’00 and Tammy Gunden, Hesston, Kan.: Addilyn Sophia, May 29, 2009 Jeremy ’00 and Erin (Nebel) ’00 Kempf, Goshen, Ind.: Talia Joy, Sept. 30, 2009 Blake ’01 and Carlin Buhrman, Littleton, Colo.: Reece Josiah, May 13, 2009 Eric ’01 and Jana (Petersheim) ’02 Troyer, Sarasota, Fla.: Grant Andrew, Feb. 2, 2009 Vince Yoder ’01 and Gretchen Brenneman, Kalona, Iowa: Marie Ella, April 17, 2009 Miriam (Amstutz) ’02 and Rainer Friesen, Asuncion, Paraguay: Mark Sebastian, Feb. 10, 2009 Eve (Aeschliman) ’02 and Rodney Knepp, Bridgewater, Va.: Maya Hope, May 16, 2009 Catie (Froese) ’02 and Troy Springer, Elkhart, Ind.: Andrew Lee, July 3, 2009 Ben ’05 and Jessica (Sweigart) ’03 Hershberger, Wichita, Kan.: Christian Mitchell, Aug. 2, 2009 Troy ’05 and Verene Weaver, Irwin, Ohio: Lucy Lea, May 4, 2009

Bobbie (Phillips) ’07 and Clint Hesting, Littleton, Colo.: Madisyn Grace, Feb. 18, 2009 Amber Rosebrough ’07, McPherson, Kan.: Hudson Reed, Oct. 6, 2008 Laura (Epp) ’08 and Jesse Vap, Edgar, Neb.: VaNessa Ann, Feb. 6, 2009

Faculty/Staff Todd Lehman staff, Hesston, Kan., traveled 26.5 miles by unicycle following old Lincoln highway across Wayne County Ohio with his brother in July 2009.

Dwight Roth faculty, Hesston, Kan., and Karen LeVan faculty, Newton, Kan. presented at the AARP conference “The Power of Inclusion: Aging and Diversity in the 21st Century” in Chicago. Their presentation, “Intergenerational Conversations on Aging and Diversity: Mennonite Perspectivies” shared their ongoing scholarship on the positive outcomes of the intergenerational relationships fostered by the partnership between Hesston College and the Schowalter Villa retirement community. Roth also presented their work in Topeka, Kan., at the quarterly meeting of the Kansas AARP Diversity Advisory Council and was invited to be a member of the council.

19 columns

Celebrating a Hesston College century There was work involved: writing a history book, planning Division Open Houses, directing a musical, planning meetings, organizing worship and music, submitting recipes, preparing historical monologues and, of course, teaching our classes. Yes, Hesston College faculty put in many extra hours to prepare for Centennial Weekend 2009. However, we believed it would be worth the extra effort to make this Centennial event one to remember. We were right.

On the Tuesday prior to Centennial Weekend, the faculty gathered to commemorate the “official” centennial anniversary of Hesston College; the first day of class was held on September 22, 1909. John Sharp read excerpts describing the conditions: no blackboards, camp chairs for desks, 21 students, four faculty members. Jim E. Yoder helped us look forward with renewed commitment as we figuratively raised our ebenezers, our rocks of dedication. In a circle, we sang “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” looking at the faces of colleagues who continue educating in the name of Christ with much the same vision, dedication, and love for students as those in 1909. It was then that I experienced my ‘Centennial Moment.” I was now part of the history of the next hundred years and had a newfound respect and appreciation for those who came before me.

During this special weekend, Hesston College faculty members encountered many ways to recognize and show our gratitude to those in our history who led the way. Through the art of Paul Friesen, the music of the restored Steinway piano, the drama depicting life for women on the prairie, we honored the rich history of Hesston College. We also celebrated our sense of community during Centennial Weekend when more than 200 current and former faculty and staff members gathered at the Faculty Staff Reunion on Saturday morning. Many decades and departments were represented as we reminisced and reconnected over coffee. A former staff member said it best when she described how wonderful it felt to see familiar faces from the past, “This must be what heaven will be like!”

As a Hesston College faculty member, I thoroughly enjoyed hosting those of you who were able to be our guests during this weekend. I hope you left campus feeling informed, entertained, inspired, and most of all, reassured that the vision and dreams of the Erb and King families, are very much alive in this “School on the Prairie” we now know as Hesston College.

—Deb (Swartzendruber) ’83 Roth, faculty chair

Centennial Homecoming Weekend September 25-27 was a wonderful celebration.

A warm thank you to those who came and those who helped make a memorable time together as a community of God’s people connected in relationship by a church institution.

As its second century begins, Hesston College faces many challenges and questions. Mennonites face sobering demographic shifts indicating an aging and in some ways disinterested constituency. The college itself is changing, becoming more regional and less Mennonite. In 2009-10 Hesston College has more Kansas students and a lower percentage of U.S. Mennonite students (48) than in any year of it’s history.

The challenge is to adapt to serve the new diverse representation while retaining the core Anabaptist values that are critical to us as followers of Christ.

Advocacy on behalf of the college, prayers for it’s well being, and financial contributions to sustain its efforts from Hesston’s alumni and friends are even more essential to provide the opportunities we experienced at Hesston for the next generation of students who will then go out in service to the church and the world.

—Dallas Stutzman, director of alumni and church relations DallasS@hesston.edu

Box 3000 Hesston, KS 67062

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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED (If you are a parent receiving your child’s mail, please forward his or her current address to Hesston College Today)

Hesston College National Golf Benefit Tournament & Phoenix, Arizona Golf Weekend March 19-21, 2010 All Hesston alumni and friends and golfing teams/individuals are invited for a weekend of warm springtime weather and activities in Arizona.

Weekend activities include: • On-your-own golf rounds at premier courses in the Phoenix metro area at group discounted prices during the three day weekend.

• Participate on Saturday morning in the Hesston National Golf Benefit Tournament to be held at The Legend at Arrowhead. Proceeds support the Hesston College Fund.

• Evening group events planned with opportunities to attend MLB spring training baseball, NBA basketball, or NHL hockey games.

• Food and fellowship with Hesston alumni and friends throughout the weekend.

• Optional group discounted hotel accommodations, air travel reservations, and car rentals available through Reflection Travel of Wichita, Kan.

Make plans NOW for you and your family and/or golfing friends to spend your spring break in warm and sunny Arizona and support Hesston College at the same time!

Complete information available at www.hesston.edu, or call for more information toll free at 866-437-7866 (866-HESSTON).