News
January 18, 2024
GCSO makes music amidst missing members
As the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra faces low numbers, students hope stable leadership will increase participation. Victor Vegas, a junior music major and violin player, explaining his perspective on the recent low membership said, “the previous semester, we had a kind of rocky situation with an interim director … and I feel like that probably made people lose motivation to join orchestra.” One immediate solution that has been implemented concerning membership is hiring community members to play in performances. One such member is Kristin Waltner, interim registrar at GC and flautist. On her decision to join, Waltner said, “It felt...
January 18, 2024
Millsaps celebrates ‘sheroes’
This past weekend, Goshen College celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a variety of events surrounding this year’s theme: “Black Housing and Unsung Sheroes, Champions of Change in Elkhart County.” Cyneatha Millsaps, executive director of the center for community engagement and keynote speaker for MLK day, hoped that the weekend sparked meaningful conversations around campus. “I think we only move if we create spaces for us to have the tough conversations in which we can hear truth and listen and debate even,” Millsaps said. “I often know the things that I say challenge people, it is...
November 30, 2023
Giant acorn
Goshen College has many squirrels on campus, but one new visitor is more zealous than most. In the breezeway of the Good Library, a new sculpture is on display. Titled “Ambition” and crafted this year by John Peterink of Milford, Indiana, the piece is a fusion of steel, fiberglass and resin. It features a life-size squirrel hoisting an acorn (approximately the size of a washing machine) on its back. The concept was based on Peterink’s yard being covered in acorns. In his artist’s statement, Peterink wondered, “Could a huge acorn trash can be a better fit for such a beautiful,...
November 30, 2023
Senegal SST canceled
The Study-Service Term slated to go to Senegal in summer 2024 has been canceled. There were nine students registered for the unit, ultimately falling short of the 12 students needed to run the semester abroad, according to the global engagement office. “I’m very sad,” said Jan Bender Shetler, director of global engagement. “It’s a great SST. It’s a great location, and it’s a great place to learn so many things.” The cancellation came down to “a financial decision,” according to Shetler. SST requires many things to fall into place for any unit to run, and Senegal is no exception. Language...
November 30, 2023
First African-American open house
The Center for Community Engagement hosted Goshen College’s first-ever African-American open house on Nov. 18. There were five students in attendance, all of whom were juniors and seniors from local high schools. While the admissions portion of the day were similar to any other open house, several activities set the occasion apart. Lawrence Giden, specialized community engagement coordinator and organizer of the event, explained one such event as “a presentation from Black Student Union regarding student activism on campus and the importance of knowing who you are as an African-American, even at a predominantly white institution.” Jakyra Green, a senior...
November 30, 2023
Bible studies find new reach
Over the course of the fall semester, Goshen College has seen an increase in student Bible study groups. Jen Shenk, recently hired campus pastor, has been instrumental in starting them up again. The campus ministries team has set their focus on building community through Bible groups to inspire conversation around faith and provide a safe and open space for GC students to foster connections. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic placed Bible study groups on the back burner, and have struggled since then. Shenk said that years ago, Bible studies were possible when “they had more staff in this position,...
November 30, 2023
Trans day of remembrance at GC
Jenna Reyanne Martin, a Goshen College graduate and an active member of the LGBTQ+ community, visited GC on Nov. 20. Martin came to campus to speak at a bonus convocation in remembrance of all lives lost in the LGBTQ community, with a focus on transgender deaths. The bonus convo was put on by Advocates, and the president, Aiden Schloneger, said, “Her being a Goshen College alumna, living in Goshen, and having given other sermons about being LGBTQ made our decision easy, as she seemed like the perfect fit.” Schloneger first came into contact with Martin through the Brethren Mennonite...
November 30, 2023
Shetler hands global engagement office to new co-directors
Jan Bender Shetler, director of global engagement, will retire at the end of this academic year. Shetler started the role in 2018 and has worked at the college in some capacity since 1999. Jerrell Ross Richer, professor of economics, and Kendra Yoder, professor of sociology, will replace her as co-directors. Shetler came into the role after a search conference evaluated Goshen College’s Study-Service Term. “We [had] this wonderful 50-year-old program that has been so important to our alumni and to student growth, but it felt out of date,” Shetler said. “We really needed to adapt to what students and faculty...
November 20, 2023
Globe wins 5th radio station of the year
Faculty and students from Globe Media gathered with hundreds of other college broadcasters at three different nationwide award ceremonies in October: College Broadcasters Inc. in Orlando, Florida; the Marconi Awards in New York City; and the College Media Association Pinnacle Awards in Atlanta. Students from The Globe and FiveCore Media received 18 individual awards across the three competitions. 91.1 The Globe was named Radio Station of the Year among institutions with enrollments under 3,000 students by the College Media Association. This is the first organizational Pinnacle Award for The Globe and the station’s fifth national title. Jason Samuel, associate professor...
November 9, 2023
Enrollment dip, national trends hit humanities
With 695 students in traditional undergraduate programs and a freshmen class of 156 students, President Rebecca Stoltzfus is “dissatisfied” with enrollment numbers. The freshmen cohort is the lowest since 2002, according to the registrar’s office. Stoltzfus said, though, that “there’s nothing we’re focused on more than increasing undergraduate enrollment” and that some “early signs are looking up.” Steve Wolma, vice president for enrollment management, characterized the decline in students as a “dip, not a trend.” Wolma described how multiple factors were at play for last year’s dip: “a very thin year staff-wise … combined with a growing concern that college...
November 9, 2023
Leichty ’96 elected mayor
Candidates affiliated with Goshen College were well-represented in the city elections last Tuesday. Of the 18 candidates, eight were affiliated with GC, four of whom won. All candidates were elected to a four-year term. In the mayoral contest, Gina Leichty, a Democrat, won 54% of the vote to defeat Benjamin Rogers, a Republican. Leichty is the first woman to be elected mayor in Goshen. She graduated from GC in 1996, majoring in English. Leichty received 3,095 votes — the most of any Goshen candidate in the evening — compared to Rogers’ 2,628. In the clerk-treasurer race, Richard Aguirre, a former...
November 9, 2023
Another professor leaves biology department
Just as plant communities have a constant flux of disturbance, loss and resilience, so too has the biology department at Goshen College experienced change in recent months. Neil Detweiler, associate professor of biology, is leaving GC after leading Study-Service Term in Senegal in the summer of 2024. Ryan Sensenig, a former biology professor, also left GC last summer to take a position at Notre Dame. Detweiler did not respond to a request for comment, and Sensenig declined to comment for this article. Jody Saylor, chair of biological sciences and director of faculty development and academic innovation, announced that “Dr. [Neil]...
November 9, 2023
Sustainability on campus
Dan Barwick has been hired to fill the role of sustainability coordinator at Goshen College. Recently, the role has been held by someone with other job titles on campus. Barwick graduated from GC in 2013 with a degree in elementary education. He returned to GC to work because of a position his partner has. “My partner teaches a graphic design class here, [so] there was a bit of jealousy that she had a role here,” Barwick said. The new position caught his eye because of the larger steps GC is taking towards sustainability. “It shows the level of dedication to...
November 2, 2023
Mayoral conference held at GC
Goshen College hosted a mayoral candidate forum featuring Gina Leichty, a Democrat, and Benjamin Rogers, a Republican, last Thursday. The event, hosted by the Student Senate, was in the fellowship hall of the Church-Chapel. Students filled the room, requiring some to grab extra chairs and sit in the back. Along with Rogers and Leichty, all candidates for various council seats were in attendance and were recognized before the forum began. After a few opening statements and gratitudes, the forum began with the declaration of question topics given by Daniel Eash-Scott, a senior and vice president of marketing for the Student...
November 2, 2023
GC adds new honors program
Over two-thirds of the Goshen College teaching faculty approved a major curriculum addition two weeks ago. Beginning next fall, GC will have an honors program — all incoming freshmen with a high school GPA of 3.6 or above can apply by writing an essay. “I’m quite excited,” said Kathy Meyer Reimer, professor of education and director of elementary education, who worked on the task force for the proposal. “I’m just delighted it got voted in.” In the Oct. 19 vote, 76% of all teaching faculty voted “yes” and 20% “no,” with 4% abstaining. According to an initial draft of the...