For those who haven’t played pickleball, first assumptions generally follow a pattern: “What kind of name is that?” said Andrew Hartzler, professor of accounting. “That’s for older folks, right?” wondered Gilberto Perez, dean of students. “I thought it was a dumbed-down version of tennis,” said Rebecca Stoltzfus, president of Goshen College. “To play pickleball is to admit you’re old.” Pickleball may have a reputation for being a sport for people in their encore years, but an intergenerational mix of Goshen community members are challenging that. After playing pickleball for the first time, these newcomers had three things in common: they...

By Caleb Shenk • October 7, 2022 • Features

Dan Eash-Scott raised his arms in victory.  Four entire cobs of corn in 90 seconds made him champion of the corn-eating competition. “I love eating corn.” Eash-Scott, a junior history major, said, “My dad never realizes how many ears we’ll need, so I compete with my brother for who’s gonna get that last ear. This was honestly just a warm-up for Thanksgiving dinner.” Corn-eating competition? Only in Indiana. The “corn festival,” with a corn-eating competition and various other corn-themed activities, was held this past Friday on the outdoor basketball court from 6-7:30 p.m.  At first, people were just milling around,...

By Phil Witmer-Rich • October 7, 2022 • Features

Ingredients: 2 eggs, canola oil, garlic, onions, bell peppers, and salsa of choice   Dice the onions, garlic and bell peppers and keep them separated   Heat up the canola oil on a medium heat in a medium size skillet. Add garlic and onions and cook them until fragrant. Add bell peppers and cook them until partially cooked (3-5) minutes. Add salsa of choice on the pan and cook everything for 10 minutes and reduce the heat   Make two small spots for the eggs and crack them on the salsa mixture (make sure they get covered with salsa)  ...

By Gonzalo Barahona Hernandez • September 30, 2022 • Arts

A group of 21 Goshen College students traveled to Ecuador to experience their Study-Service Term (SST) this past summer. Ecuador is a popular SST destination for students, and while many experiences are shared among the groups, there is always something that makes their time abroad unique. The group arrived in Quito, Ecuador’s capital city, on May 6. During the journey there, Joel Yoder, class of 2022, began to think: “What am I doing? This was maybe a mistake.”  “It was hard for me to realize I was actually going to another country for such a long time,” he added. “The...

By Sarah Miller • September 30, 2022 • Features

While many professors may choose to relax in their free time, Ryan Sensenig, professor of biological and environmental science, runs a mini agricultural operation selling grass-fed beef. Sensenig and his wife have three to four cows on their farm at all times. These cows are eventually butchered, and the meat is sold to friends and other Goshen faculty members.  Being grass-fed, specifically prairie-fed, it is much healthier than other kinds of beef and usually sells out quickly.  However, Sensenig is clear that the animals’ primary purpose is ecological research. “The animals are there for the grass, not the other way...

By Amelia Witmer-Rich • September 30, 2022 • Features

The Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale was held this past weekend at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds. Since their first sale in 1968, they have been raising funds to support the Mennonite Central Committee, a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches.  One of the sale’s highlights is its famous apple fritters. Sold by Yellow Creek Mennonite Church, the fritters undergo a multi-step process. “First is peeling, then pouring, slicing, batter, and then they’re fried, drained, sugared, and bagged,” Deanna King, relief sale volunteer, said. Shifts of 17 church members rotate to keep the assembly line moving. A specific, time-honed recipe includes a...

By Phil Witmer-Rich • September 30, 2022 • Features

To many Goshen College students, Mayor Jeremy Stutsman is a faraway figure from our boxed-in campus. Unwittingly, we often see pieces of him when we see the occasional hot air balloon sailing through the air.  Since age 9, Jeremy Stutsman has been around and inside of hot air balloons. His parents Ann and Gene Stutsman, who are GC grads, run a hot air balloon tour business.  “The majority of the time I helped by being on the ground crew,” Stutsman said. “We would set up the balloon, follow and help with the landing and packing the balloon back up.”  He...

By Fatima Rhana • September 15, 2022 • Features

There’s always miscellaneous beeping at a gas station. There’s the beep of the scanner, with its pitch rising every once in a while; the signature “ding dong” whenever someone steps inside; the aggressive pulsation of the credit card machine, lest you forget to grab your card.  Change rattles around in the cash register while the cashier grabs 37 cents. “I’ve worked here for almost 3 years — at first people were like, doesn’t it scare you to work there at night, with crazy people coming around? It’s actually the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.” That’s the cashier — Betsy....

By Phil Witmer-Rich • September 15, 2022 • Features

Chilaquiles Anyone who grew up in a Mexican household most likely also grew up eating chilaquiles. It’s one of the most popular breakfast foods in México, and for good reason! This recipe is super simple and quick to make– the perfect meal for a busy college schedule. COOK TIME: 10-20 minutes SERVINGS: 2-3 Ingredients 8-10 tortillas (preferably stale or dried out), cut into 2-3 inch pieces OR 6-7oz tortilla chips (about half a large store-bought bag) 1-2 cups of red or green salsa (homemade to please the ancestors, or store-bought to please the college student) Cooking oil Salt Optional, but...

By Brandon Jiménez • September 15, 2022 • Features

16 GC students and two faculty leaders departed for their 13-week Study-Service Term in Senegal in early May. The group returned in late July.  Goshen College’s Study Service Term (SST) is a program that each GC student experiences in some capacity, whether through SST alternate courses, hybrid semesters or a 13-week semester studying and serving abroad. SST contributes to GC’s motto, “Culture for Service,” and core value of global citizenship. When the group arrived in Senegal, they strapped luggage to their bus, traveled an hour to Thiès, and stayed in a small dormitory the first few nights.  “I remember getting...

By Sarah Miller • September 15, 2022 • Features

Sara Method, the new art professor at Goshen College, got the first of her three degrees “at a small liberal arts college [sic] not unlike this one.” She has practiced and studied art throughout her life, growing up in Virginia before moving to North Carolina.  “As a kid […] I would always ask people what I should draw on those long road trips we took as family […] and I stuck with it!” Method said, reflecting on what led to her becoming an art instructor.  She has an extensive background in studio art and art history, having studied at Salem...

By Liam Morris • September 8, 2022 • Features

A black pickup truck pulled up to the group’s first campsite, signifying the arrival of elected Apache leader and extreme distance runner Wendsler Nosie. He’s spearheading the fight for the Apache people to retain their land from Resolution Copper, a mining company that seeks to mine the copper-rich land located within 15 miles of Oak Flat, Arizona. The man’s appearance was no small feat— Nosie has been shot at on multiple occasions, and he is frequently tracked. “He told us that night that he was going to leave tomorrow morning, and we’re like, oh, okay,” said Arleth Martinez, sophomore biochemistry...

By Phil Witmer-Rich • September 8, 2022 • Features

While most GC students spend their summers at busy internships or traditional jobs, Annika Fisher chose a more unique project: building a tiny house.  Fisher, a sociology and art double major from Staunton, Virginia, has a concentration in pre-architecture and intends to apply to an architecture graduate program after graduation. While formulating summer plans last spring, she said, “I had the idea to build a tiny house which would still give me a resume item for applying to grad school and also get exposure to construction and get life skills that would be relevant.” In fact, Fisher’s interest in tiny...

By Amelia Witmer-Rich • September 8, 2022 • Features

Welcome to Middlebury, Indiana, population 3,605, the unexpected headquarters of a rapidly expanding ‘Amish crack’ empire.  Rise’n Roll Bakery and Deli is home to a variety of Amish-style goods at 12 different locations in Indiana, and will open a new franchise near Indianapolis in six weeks. Enter the original Middlebury location and one will find jars of jam, bottles of honey, a selection of Amish romance novels, a spinning display case of pies, a cooler full of massive blocks of cheese and donuts – Bavarian cream, peanut butter and “Crunch Bismark.”  Upon seeing the boxes and boxes of one particular...

By Greta Lapp Klassen • February 21, 2020 • Features