News
February 23, 2023
‘Don’t Say Gay’: Proposed education bill raises controversy in Indiana
A controversial education bill colloquially titled, ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ HB 1608, passed the Indiana House Education Committee on Feb. 20 and is now before the Indiana House of Representatives. The bill, authored by Rep. Michelle Davis, resembles a controversial Florida state law that is known colloquially as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Both Indiana’s bill and Florida’s law prohibit discussion and education in the classroom regarding gender and sexual orientation in certain grade levels and in other specific circumstances. Many people on campus have expressed their concerns about how the bill will impact the GC community. Suzanne Ehst, professor of...
February 23, 2023
Hahn steps into new director position
Emily Hahn stepped into a new position on Jan. 3 at Goshen College: She is now the program director of sexual assault prevention, education and advocacy. Hahn was previously the full-time Residence Director (RD) of Kratz Residence Hall and Kulp Residence Hall, but she has been splitting her time between the two jobs this semester. The new position has been created and funded by a three-year grant that GC received in October 2022 from the Office on Violence Against Women, a branch of the U.S. Department of Justice. The grant is intended to improve an institution’s ability to handle the...
February 16, 2023
Fight with Filer: Journey of a young tennis star
Editor’s note: David Filer passed away peacefully on March 12 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, surrounded by loved ones. Game, set, match: In tennis, each word marks steps along a journey. For 16-year-old David Filer, tennis itself was the beginning of a remarkable journey. In recent years, Filer has been a regular sight on Goshen College’s tennis courts. He showed an incredible talent for the sport from a very young age and while being a nationally-recognized prospect, began training with GC’s team. However, his playing stalled in February last year when he was diagnosed with cancer. Filer has...
February 16, 2023
Students to compete in oratorical contest
Five student finalists will take the Umble Center stage Tuesday, Feb. 21 for the 50th annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest. Since 1974, the contest has challenged students to apply Christian peace positions to current issues in society. This prompt may be broadly interpreted to include methods to address social inequalities and injustices. Contestants will share with students and the Goshen community about the ways they have recognized peace and social justice in their lives. The five finalists in this year’s contest are: Daniel Eash-Scott, a junior history major from Wauwatosa, Wis.; Jakyra Green, a junior English Education major...
February 16, 2023
Students jump in the Leaf Pile
Most of the time, the Ruth Gunden gymnasium is full of sports teams practicing, students playing pickup basketball and community members walking on the track. But, for a few hours every week, after the glossy wooden bleachers have been pulled out, the tranquil environment of the gym is transformed into a place of roaring school spirit and competition. The Leaf Pile is the nickname of Goshen College’s student section and it is an opportunity for students to join in song and chant, wear themed outfits and dig into the opposing sports teams. Recently, however, it has gained the reputation of...
February 16, 2023
Pacifism as a measure of citizenship
Communication professor Duane Stoltzfus presented the 2023 C. Henry Smith Peace Lecture in Umble Center on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The lecture, titled “Love of Country Distilled to a Question: When Pacifism Became a Litmus Test for Citizenship,” was intended to showcase the hardships of certain aspiring United States citizens in a post World War I society. In 1906, the government added a question to the citizenship application process that asked, “If necessary, are you willing to take up arms in defense of this country?” For many, the answer would be an unwavering “yes,” but for others, the answer wasn’t so...
February 2, 2023
Unknown man spotted in Kratz women’s bathroom
An unidentified man was sighted leaving the women’s bathroom on the second floor of Kratz Hall last week on Jan. 25. In the week since, rumors have circulated on campus about his identity and method of entry, and campus safety has been working with Res Life to get to the bottom of it. The man, described in a campus safety alert as “white with blonde hair” and “approximately 6 feet, 2 inches” remains unidentified. “[We] responded to the call to learn more details about this sighting,” said Chad Coleman, director of campus safety. “After taking a report from the RA,...
February 2, 2023
Award-winning poet to speak at GC
“Poetry for me is a space,” Urayoán Noel said. “It doesn’t have to be quiet. Poetry can be noisy; it can be messy; it can be performance.” Noel, a Puerto Rican poet, translator and performer will present at the 2023 S.A. Yoder Memorial Lecture, “Adjacent Islands: A Geopoetics of Translation” on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. in Umble Center. Noel was invited to speak in the lecture series held annually to honor Dr. Samuel A. Yoder, an English professor at Goshen College from 1930-70. Every year, the GC English department seeks to bring nationally and internationally renowned writers and thinkers...
February 2, 2023
GC implements EV charging fee
Goshen College offers two charging ports for electric vehicles on campus. Since their installation, they have been free to use — until early this year, when GC began to charge EV drivers a fee for using the stations. The decision was made following a meeting between GC representatives and officials from the city of Goshen, including engineers, legal staff and accountants. The purpose of the meeting was to maintain consistency between GC’s policies and those of the city itself, as the city recently began implementing a fee for all existing and future charges in the Goshen area. The question of...
February 2, 2023
CONNECT Transit Plan pushes for improvements
The CONNECT Transit Plan (CONNECT), a collaborative, 10-year plan for interurban transportation in the Michiana area, has entered its final stage of development and is seeking to make major improvements to the area’s transit systems over the coming decade. The trolley is a resource many people rely on in Goshen and surrounding communities, such as Dunlap, Mishawaka and Elkhart, giving 338,606 total rides in 2022. It is also especially important to Goshen College’s community, since students, staff and faculty have free admission with their GC IDs. The plan has been spearheaded by the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) and...
January 26, 2023
GC designated as Hispanic-Serving Institution
Last week, Goshen College was labeled as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education. This means that for consecutive years the college has met the criteria of having at least 25% of full-time undergraduate students identify as Hispanic/Latinx and enrolling a significant number of students who show financial need. “We are committed to deepening our relationships with Hispanic/Latinx students and their families as we work toward more fully realizing equity and inclusion for students of all backgrounds and identities,” said President Rebecca Stoltzfus. “As we have stated in our vision: ‘Rooted in the way of Jesus, we...
January 26, 2023
Alcohol: Responsible use, addiction and everything in between
Despite its “dry campus” policy, alcohol consumption is still a recurrent activity on Goshen College campus. This past summer, Student Life implemented a medical amnesty policy which states that “Students who seek professional medical assistance for themselves or others related to the consumption of alcohol or use of illicit drugs will not be subject to disciplinary sanctions.” This policy has opened the door for conversation regarding alcohol usage and consumption on campus. For Gilberto Perez Jr, vice president for student life and dean of students, the amnesty policy is an opportunity for students to “come talk to us … it’s...
January 26, 2023
New state grant becomes available to GC students
According to Goshen College institutional research, 99.6% of students receive financial aid with an average package of nearly $29,000. The Indiana State Budget Committee recently approved an additional request from the Indiana Commission of Higher Education (ICHE) for the largest increase in state grant funding since 2008. “We are thrilled to see that the [ICHE] is increasing the Frank O’Bannon Grant for the 2023-24 school year,” said Matt Wimmer, assistant director of financial aid. The Frank O’ Bannon/Freedom of Choice Grant will become available to students who complete their FAFSA by April 15, hold a GED or high school diploma,...
January 26, 2023
Geek Off Creative Contest
Students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the Good Library Geek Off, an inaugural creative contest, through Feb. 4. “Geek Off is a chance for everyone on campus to show what they are passionate about … ” said Kelsey Mclane, access services coordinator for the Good Library. Entries will be judged based on the following criteria: creativity and originality, technical excellence and overall impression. In addition, entries must be items that are created outside of courses, in order to focus on a student’s creativity away from school. Prizes for the top three entries include a Nintendo Switch, an...
January 26, 2023
Good Library ‘weeds out’ thousands of books
The Good Library is getting rid of books. In an attempt to trim down its collection of roughly 190,000 physical books, the library is undertaking a massive deaccessioning — or “weeding” project — in which librarians are removing thousands of books from the catalog. The project, which started last summer, serves as a way to cut down on books that are not being read. All books have to meet two criteria to be withdrawn from the library’s collection: they were published in 2000 or earlier and they have not been checked out since 2012. Fritz Hartman, the library director, says...