This year’s annual Kick-Off event at Goshen College was marked by dynamic performances, unexpected challenges, and teamwork behind the scenes. With meticulous coordination of stagehands and managers, Kick-Off demonstrated not just the talent of the performers, but also the vital contributions of everyone involved, setting the stage for an unforgettable night. As the show began, Dontaye Albert, a senior theater major, took center stage with his “cow” and set an energetic tone for the performance. Later, Phil Witmer-Rich made a grand entrance but forgot his mic.  Fortunately, the crew members were prepared with extras. Someone from the tech box quickly...

By Ana Alves Machado • October 3, 2024 • Features

Jason Samuel, associate professor of communication at Goshen College and general manager of 91.1 the Globe, spent his summer at Ox Bow County Park, overseeing the installation of a new disc golf course that is professional enough to host the world championships. In April, The Record covered the announcement of renovations coming to the disc golf course in Ox Bow Park being overseen by Samuel, followed by a grand reopening weekend full of live music, food trucks, vendors and, of course, disc golf. From Friday to Sunday, over the third week in August, new and old fans of the sport...

By Gavin Johnson • October 3, 2024 • Features

Goshen College’s Prevention Intervention Network  is a program that seeks to equip bystanders with tools to prevent and intervene in the context of sexual violence.  PIN was created in 2014 by a driven group of students and associate professor of sociology Kendra Yoder, current co-advisor. Each year, PIN members collaborate to present sexual violence preventative training for first-years in their Identity, Culture, and Community classes.  This year, PIN implemented a new curriculum for their bystander training. PIN co-advisor, Emily Hahn, who also serves as program director for interpersonal violence prevention, education and advocacy, created this new curriculum over the course...

By Lucca Kauffman • September 19, 2024 • Features

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, and the Latino Student Union  wants to share about the upcoming month and how to get involved in the club’s activities and goals. LSU, advised by Christobal Garza Gonzalez and Raquel Montanez Gonzalez, is an affinity group that centers around Hispanic experiences. It is available to any student who desires an opportunity to socialize, engage with the community and, most importantly, become comfortable with getting involved on campus. “We create events and celebrate the diversity of Latin American culture and countries,” said Angelica Garcia-Ponce, sophomore social work major a LSU...

By Cheyenne Flanagan • September 19, 2024 • Features

Leadership skills can apply to many facets of life. Providing and improving those skills is the goal of the new United Leaders of Goshen College program, led by Gilberto Pérez Jr., vice president for student life and Hispanic serving initiatives. The group had several meetings during this past semester, in March, April and May, and is now looking to get started once again. Pérez spoke with enthusiasm about the mission of the group: “One primary goal is that our students who are in the leadership program have a better sense of direction for what they want to do at Goshen...

By Josiah Miller • September 19, 2024 • Features

September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month and the campus safety staff at Goshen College are using the opportunity to promote student safety with various tips and activities.  Chad Coleman, director of campus safety, explained that September was designated as Campus Safety Awareness Month by Congress back in 2008, but that this is the first year GC is using the designation in their promotions. Coleman said, “[f]or me every month is Campus Safety Awareness Month — but this year we decided to recognize [it] as part of some greater program and awareness initiatives. It seemed timely and apt.” Kris Polega,...

By Kate Bodiker • September 12, 2024 • Features

As reported in The Record last week, this 2024 first-year class is the biggest since 2017, with 201 new students. While it may seem on the surface that Goshen College is still the same place, something had to cause this uptick in enrollment.  The admissions office sits in the back corner of the Leaf Raker. Nearly all students pass by it every day while getting food, and it’s easy to identify, with large windows surrounding the suite. If students traveled inside, they’d find the reason for the increase.  Heather Zile, the director of admissions at GC, said “We want students...

By Alyssa McDonald • September 12, 2024 • Features

“I think a lot more people struggle in college than those who don’t,” said Peace Muhagachi, a senior sociology major.  This summer, Muhagachi worked on a project aimed at addressing these struggles and meeting the needs of students at Goshen College. Also collaborating on the project was Gabe Martinez ‘24 and supervising was Emily Hahn, program director for interpersonal violence prevention, education and advocacy.  The project, completed over the course of GC’s eight-week Maple Scholars program, sought to combine outside research and aspects of internal review in order to determine how GC can become a health-promoting campus.     “We...

By Lindsey Graber • September 12, 2024 • Features

“I am five feet tall and sometimes people think I am the scariest person on campus,” said one of the newer additions to Goshen College, Patty Hartshorn. “I understand that feeling, but I almost always have candy!” Hartshorn joins GC as the new Director of Health and Wellness and Title IX Coordinator. Hartshorn will also continue work alongside the peer wellness educators, the group on campus that works closely with the Health and Wellness Director to bring awareness to issues of mental health and substance abuse. Hartshorn holds a Master of Science in Academic Advising from Kansas State University, and...

By Grace Stevens • September 5, 2024 • Features

Over the summer, 50 Mennonites embarked on a 135-mile walk, determined to make their voices heard amidst the heat of mid-July. Carrying signs and banners adorned with messages of peace and calls to action, the participants made up the initial group of the “All God’s Children March for a Ceasefire,” an endeavor organized and supported by social justice organization Mennonite Action.  The march from Harrisonburg, Virginia to Washington, D.C. served to call attention to the “suffering, death, and destruction unfolding in Gaza,” while urging the United States government to support a peaceful and timely end to the occupation of Palestine...

By Lindsey Graber • September 5, 2024 • Features

“The grass isn’t greener on the other side,”  That’s what I heard from my former coach after I told him I was transferring to Goshen College.   Now, before we dive into that lovely, totally optimistic quote, I’d like to give some context. To start, school sucks. At least for me it does. For as long as I can remember I’ve always struggled. Everything from the ‘simple’ concepts of algebra to the early mornings scrambling to the bus. As hard as that was, though, the hardest part was working with teachers or any sort of authoritative figures. Words such as...

By Charlie Aldrich • September 5, 2024 • Features

An ice rink in Goshen—  could it be? Many longtime Goshen residents know that remains a question. My Reporting for the Public Good class in 2022 covered the news of a possible ice rink and pavilion in Goshen, potentially at Goshen College.  When my family ventured to Mishawaka or South Bend or Elkhart to ice skate this winter, I felt a pang of disappointment as I longed for a closer, more accessible rink. A couple years older and wiser, I now know this ice rink question has been in the works for years—decades, in fact. While we can continue to...

By Anna Groff • April 11, 2024 • Features

  The Warehouse Climbing Co. opened its doors in Goshen on 605 Logan Street almost two years ago. It is a bouldering gym with 15 foot high walls of angles ranging from vertical to fully horizontal. The hours are typically 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and continue from 5-9 p.m. for the evening climbers everyday except Tuesdays. A Q & A with Lily Bowser, routesetter at Warehouse Climbing Co. Q: Why do you work here? Why do you rock climb?  A: I really enjoy the physical activity aspect of it. I enjoy outdoor recreation a lot [and] since there is nowhere near...

By Albert Aguilar • April 11, 2024 • Features

For thousands of years, yoga has helped humans control their thoughts and senses. Now, it has evolved into an accessible tool for stress management and physical well-being. Just a few poses a day can help get you back into your body, paying attention to your senses and releasing tension throughout the body.  Angie Nisley is a former yoga instructor at Spacious Heart Yoga, a studio in Goshen that was sold to new owners in 2020 and has since lost its presence in the community. Nisley said that yoga is a “wonderful way to develop focus and attention on the physical...

By Sadie Brenneman • April 11, 2024 • Features

For non-student athletes at Goshen College, it can be difficult to find easy access to organized sports on a regular basis and intramurals are limited. There is an option for organized sports that is easily accessible and found locally in Michiana: co-ed volleyball. There’s even a direct connection to campus: Raquel Montanez-Gonzalez, assistant professor of biology at GC who participates in several co-ed volleyball leagues. Q: Tell me about your involvement with the South Bend Volleyball League and what got you interested in joining the league? A: In 2019, I started summer beach volleyball at Wings Etc. (Osceola). During the...

By Collin Echols • April 11, 2024 • Features