This past summer, 18 Goshen College students participated in Maple Scholars, the college’s summer research program. Maple Scholars is an eight-week long research experience in which students work with faculty members on projects in a variety of disciplines. This year, students explored topics from honeybee genetics to early Anabaptist history. Elizabeth Franks-North, a senior English secondary-education double major, said she joined the program to gain experience in the research side of education and to prepare her for student teaching. “I was dreadfully naïve about what real research would be like and how to do it,” she said. “I also wanted...

By Jacob Penner • September 3, 2015 • Features

There is just one week left in this semester. Your reactions to these words should tell you how you feel about the coming week – probably either stressed or relieved. If finals leave you in mental exhaustion just thinking about them, possibly in a state of total comatose shock, you might have some studying to do in the days ahead. Luckily, this list of tips can help you effectively study for all those exams, minimize your stress, and allow you to look forward to the days when you can actually enjoy the semi-warm weather. Tip One: Make a master list...

By Hayley Mann • April 16, 2015 • Features

Last Saturday, 23 students participated in the academic symposium. The contestants competed for two different prizes: the Audience Choice Award and the Director’s Prize. According to Jo-Ann Brant, Faculty Program Director, the Audience Choice is determined by ballots cast by the audience and the Director’s Prize is determined by feedback from the chairs of the session, faculty members, the assistant director's observations and her own assessment. The contestants presented on a variety of subjects. According to a press release on the Goshen College website, “Besides thesis papers and investigations using the scientific method, presentations include expositions on the creative process...

By Briana Schrock • April 2, 2015 • News

March is Disabilities Awareness Month. Sarah Poisson Osiro, a leader of the Disability Student Union and third-year student here at Goshen, said that this month is important to her “because it is a month [when] people with different learning styles can teach others that there are different ways to learn.” Osiro finds that working in groups helps her a lot. While she finds memorization and reading difficult, group discussion comes naturally to her. She said, “if I work with others, the sky is the limit for me.” Many are quick to group all people with learning disabilities together. For the...

By Jenae Longenecker • March 26, 2015 • Features

Every ten years Goshen College goes through the Higher Learning Commission Accreditation process. Colleges in the United States are required to go through an accreditation process in order to receive federal money to give to their students. The accreditation process is meant to ensure that institutions are providing their students with a quality education. An accreditation team of four members from other Midwest colleges will come to campus to evaluate whether or not they should recommend the continuation of Goshen’s accreditation. Though the accreditation team is not coming to campus for another month, the accreditation process actually began in 2012....

By Briana Schrock • February 12, 2015 • News

On Tuesday, February 17, more than 50 students will be participating in mock interviews during the Super Tuesday event. Alumni and Career Networks Coordinator Melissa Kinsey said that Super Tuesday is in its tenth year this year. “The event was originally started as a result of a Lilly grant to encourage colleges and universities to develop programs to help students gain experiential education,” said Kinsey. “One of the goals of the grant was to encourage students to work for Indiana companies, thereby eliminating Indiana Brain Drain,” explained Kinsey. “Goshen College is seen as a net importer of intellectual capital by...

By Monica Miller • February 12, 2015 • News

The Study Service Term (SST) program at Goshen College has developed since its beginning in 1968. Since then, there have been 24 different service locations to which Goshen students have travelled, with earlier locations including Cuba, Mali and Poland.   The available SST locations have changed over time for various reasons. “Costa Rica was an SST location for 20 years,” said Tom Myers, director of international education. Likewise, the SST location in the Dominican Republic was an option for students for almost 30 years. Both of these locations were removed as options because “families need a break from hosting students...

By Frances Fonseca • January 29, 2015 • Features

On Thursday afternoons, patrons of Westlawn Dining Hall now have the opportunity to practice their Spanish. Judy Weaver, academic counselor, took the idea of a Spanish table from her previous position as a Spanish teacher at Linfield College in Oregon. She and Dean Rhodes, associate professor of Spanish, have previously tested the idea at Goshen. Weaver reflected, “Dean Rhodes and I offered a Spanish table at Goshen 5 or 6 years ago. I think we did it only for a semester, but both students and staff came and it was fun!” Weaver and Rhodes feel it is time for the...

By Monica Miller • January 22, 2015 • News

Patricia Oakley, an avid gardener, environmentalist and knitter has returned to Goshen College as an adjunct mathematics professor. From 1998 t0 2013, Oakley was a vital part of the Goshen College mathematics department.  In addition to teaching the three-course Calculus sequence, Abstract Algebra and Linear Algebra, Oakley consistently made connections between mathematics and the arts. In the spring of 2013, Oakley resigned in order to pursue some of her passions: sustainability, education and small-scale farming. During the past year, Oakley worked at Clay Bottom Farm, an “artisan farm” in Goshen. On their website, Clay Bottom Farm highlights that they are...

By Maggie Weaver • January 15, 2015 • Features

On Thursday, December 11th, Wisewords.co announced that it would add an additional 5,000 advisors to help undergraduates and graduates establish themselves in their job field of choice. This increase will allow the company to help many more college students find jobs. Wisewords, which began as a fledgling start-up in 2013, now boasts an 8,300-person advising network and works to connect students and job seekers with established persons in virtually every industry. “Launching a career is far from straightforward,” said Wisewords CEO and Founder Dawson Whitfield. According to the Toronto-based Wisewords, “Millennials need a better way to understand what it actually...

By Monica Miller • January 15, 2015 • News

Goshen College has long prided itself in being a strong academic school and the college’s athletic department has added to that. This past fall, 30 Maple Leaf student-athletes were named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. This is the most ever in the fall season for Goshen College athletics. In order to qualify to be a Scholar-Athlete, an athlete must be a junior or senior who has earned at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA and completed at least one year for Goshen prior to the season according to acting Athletic Director Josh Gleason. For a total of 30, five members of the men’s cross...

By Michael Walker • January 15, 2015 • Sports

A new student instigated class on sustainability will be coming to Goshen College in the upcoming semester. Sustainability has always been a vital part of Goshen College. Last May, Goshen announced that it would voluntarily purchase all of its energy from renewable sources. The Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center earned the Platinum LEED certification, the highest ranking for green buildings, in 2007. Students have initiated projects such as the SunShower project, which harnesses solar energy to heat the shower water in the Roman-Gingerich Recreational Fitness Center. This new course, entitled Sustainable Living Skills, will focus on various sustainable lifestyle skills....

By Maggie Weaver • December 3, 2014 • News

Campus Ministries hosted a retreat for students to discuss vocations and their plans for their lives after college. This retreat, held at the College Cabin on Nov. 9, focused on three questions: What gives me joy? What am I good at?  Who does the world need me to be? The retreat was aimed for juniors and seniors, those who are looking into their vocational future. This year, Campus Ministries sponsored the event. “Ultimately, [the retreat] was to help focus on how they will work at decision making and discernment after college, related to their vocation, related to life choices,” Bob...

By Maggie Weaver • November 13, 2014 • News

On Nov. 4, Super Tuesday helped students prepare for real interviews and offered career preparation. Super Tuesday is a mock job interview that allows students to practice their interviewing skills and receive feedback on their professional resume. Students submitted their resume and a job description along with their registration for Super Tuesday. At the event, a local community professional paired with a student for 45 minutes to interview and then discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Students are expected to treat Super Tuesday as a real interview, including dressing professionally. Career Services supports students signing up for both the fall and...

By Drea Mast • November 6, 2014 • News

Fall academic advising concludes this week, as students and faculty meet to register students for classes to finish out the 2014-15 academic year. For many students this is not a lengthy process. Becky Horst, interim registrar, says “fall advising has a smaller agenda than in the spring.” For first-years, however, it can feel complicated and overwhelming to meet with an academic advisor. Horst said that the Goshen College website directory is a tool for finding information about academic advisors, and the MyGC webpage is a tool for students to use in preparation for the advising sessions. Faculty do their share...

By Katie Hurst • November 6, 2014 • News