News
April 3, 2025
Composting comes to Romero
Goshen College’s sustainability department recently expanded its composting initiative to the Octavio Romero Student Apartments. After a handful of apartments started a trial run of the program in February, a communicator announcement was released on March 26 inviting all other apartments to participate. Composting has already been made accessible at East Hall, the Good Library, Java Junction, the Science Building, Howell House and the Administration Building. As of now, four apartments are a part of this new installed system. Kevin Liddell, a senior physics major, started the initiative in his residence. “The earth as a whole gives us everything, and...
April 3, 2025
Connect Goshen Day fundraises for GC
Yesterday was Connect Goshen Day — an annual giving day hosted by Goshen College every fall. On campus, the Gunden Commons in Westlawn were occupied by various stations and activities to engage students and the campus community in thanking donors and connecting with one another. Jill Koop Liechty ’90, manager for annual giving, is in charge of the event. She said, “We call it Connect Goshen day because we believe that the connections that people make while they’re at Goshen are important and valuable.” Koop Liechty said the main goal of Connect Goshen Day is to raise money for the...
April 3, 2025
New pizza place, café coming to Goshen
With summer just around the corner, there are several new additions coming to the restaurant scene in downtown Goshen and changes being made to familiar locations. The new restaurants being introduced include The Fold and Cortado, while Common Spirits, an existing restaurant, has decided to close its kitchen. The Fold will be a bar and New York-style pizzeria opening in the building once occupied by the bar Constant Spring. It is projected to be up and running in just over a month, according to Jesse Shoemaker, an owner and co-founder of the restaurant and Goshen College alum. Shoemaker, along with...
April 3, 2025
Soda Shop temporarily closed after fire
A fire broke out in one of the upstairs apartments of the South Side Soda Shop last week on Wednesday. The fire was contained to the apartment, and nobody was hurt. However, due to water damage in the drywall of the restaurant below, it is temporarily closed. Nick and Charity Boyd became owners of the restaurant in 1986, which has existed as the South Side Soda Shop since the 1940s. The building was built in 1910. The fire was called in just after 11 p.m. Nick Boyd was quick to express appreciation to the fire department. “The fire company, we...
March 27, 2025
Student Senate summary 3/27
The Student Senate’s bi-weekly meeting was held in WL 309 on Monday evening. It opened with introductions, and started with a few questions for Chandler Buchfeller, director of residence life and housing. The senate had several questions to follow up on the meeting Buchfeller and Brian Mast, director of facilities, had with students living on the third floor of the Kulp Residence Hall earlier this month to speak about concerns of mice and a broken toilet. They inquired if there would be a potential for students to use Coffman for housing instead of Kulp, but Buchfeller said no. He did...
March 27, 2025
Acclaimed author visits GC
Sofia Samatar, associate professor of English at James Madison University and renowned author of “The White Mosque,” among other works, visited Goshen College and hosted a writing workshop from Friday, March 14, to Sunday, March 16, as well as an S.A. Yoder lecture at Rieth Recital Hall. Samatar, a GC alumna, has established herself as a highly regarded author, winning awards such as the British Fantasy Award’s “Best Novel” for her book “A Stranger in Olondria,” as well as the 2023 Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography & Memoir for “The White Mosque.” Her connections to the Goshen community, including...
March 27, 2025
Maple Scholars program announces student researchers
On Feb. 6, Maple Scholar projects were announced — 10 projects in total from a range of departments. Andy Ammons, professor of biology and Maple Scholars director, said, “We have had more student applicants than ever before this year and at least as many mentor applications if not more than the last four or five years.” This year, 30 applications were narrowed down to 10 students who will be part of the research program. The selected students were announced on March 20. One of the projects is being run by Cristóbal Garza González, associate professor of Spanish. He explained, “The...
March 27, 2025
Localizing executive orders: Effects on GC
Nine weeks into his second term, President Donald Trump has signed over 100 executive orders. Last Thursday, one of four executive orders signed included an order to start the process of dismantling the Department of Education. The Education Department was created through a congressional act in 1979, under former President Jimmy Carter. Ann Vendrely, vice president for academic affairs and academic dean, said, “The president’s executive order was expected and is not legally binding. Any changes to the function of the Department of Education require congressional action, so we will watch to see what action they agree to do.” Vendrely...
March 27, 2025
Showcase and shine: digital portfolio workshop
For the first time, on Wednesday, March 19, Career Networks and the Academic Success Center hosted a workshop to strengthen portfolio-building skills, an event they hope to make an annual occurrence. David Kendall, director of Career Networks, said that a portfolio is incredibly important and that “this idea was born out of a necessity to have that conversation, and to put really dynamic, smart, great people in front of students to give them information that will be helpful.” The workshop was titled “Showcase and Shine.” The guest speakers were Anna Parker, the vice president of marketing at Patrick Industries, and...
March 27, 2025
Bluffton University merger called off
Bluffton University’s planned merger with University of Findley was called off in late February, after the Findlay Board of Trustees voted to not proceed with the joint application to the Higher Learning Commission. Bluffton University is a private Mennonite university in Bluffton, Ohio. Like Goshen College, it is affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. The initial proposal would have merged both institutions into one, while still maintaining two campuses. The initial press release said that one goal was to “innovate in response to the changing climate of higher education while honoring individual campus traditions.” Both schools would have maintained their church...
March 13, 2025
Student Senate summary 3/13
Four members of Student Senate met on Monday evening, one of their biweekly formal meetings, in the Mark Community Room in Westlawn. The meeting was opened with comments from the floor — Emma Gingerich, a senior history major, voiced concerns about the lack of convocation credit for Monologues, a misunderstanding between box office and seniors about commencement tickets and the state of the leadership hub. I’m a student leader with [Prevention Intervention Network],” Gingerich said. “We used to have our meetings there, and it was a really good space, but with the Westlawn construction, the dining hall staff took it...
March 13, 2025
GC hosts science and religion conference
This past weekend, Goshen College hosted the Conference on Religion and Science, an event which has been held almost every year since its creation in 2001. The conference took place over three days, from Friday to Sunday, with a session each day, along with meals shared together at Westlawn and at an Amish restaurant. There were also discussions, including a student-only session and a worship service which were not public. The keynote speaker for the entire weekend was Sarah Fredericks, associate professor of environmental ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Over the course of the three days, Fredericks...
March 13, 2025
Workshop helps students navigate SNAP
This past Friday, Patty Hartshorn and Cristina Reyes, both of Health and Wellness, held a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program workshop in Westlawn, offering information and guidance on how to utilize the benefits available for low-income students. SNAP is a program focused on providing low-income students and families with opportunities to receive food assistance through an online application. To qualify for SNAP, individuals must be enrolled for at least six credits, and meet one of eight conditions, including working 20-plus hours a week, having a disability that prevents them from working, caring for a child dependent or in a work-study. Hartshorn,...
March 13, 2025
Monologues: Stories of the feminine experience
On Sunday evening, Goshen Monologues hosted its twelfth annual performance in the Church Chapel. Centered on the feminine experience, the Monologues committee collects anonymously submitted stories, and then holds an open casting call to find people to perform those stories. At the beginning of the show, members of the Monologues committee asked that the audience not clap in between pieces. Madeline Bollinger, a senior elementary education major and member of the Monologues committee, shared her thoughts on this practice. “I like to think of it as leaving some silence and space for people to consider what they’ve just heard and...
March 5, 2025
Capps fired after three seasons
The Goshen College athletic department fired Kyle Capps on Wednesday morning. Capps was the head coach of the men’s basketball team. Capps was the head coach for three seasons, and posted a record of 8-76 across his entire tenure. During the 23-24 season his squad went 0-28. In the Crossroads League, he finished his career 1-53 – the lone win came against Taylor University on Jan 26, 2023, when the Maple Leafs won 72 – 65. GC finished last in the conference every year Capps was at the helm. His career winning percentage of .095 ranks lowest among all former...