After their first weekend meeting of the year, the Goshen College Board of Directors announced a time of "thoughtful and prayerful discernment," with a review of the decision to play the anthem before select sports events in June 2011. President Jim Brenneman, who speaks on behalf of the board when not formally assembled, sent out an e-mail announcing the decision late Wednesday afternoon. Along with the date for a review, Brenneman also named a few ways they intend to continue that dialogue, including "a symposium to discuss the anthem in the larger context of Mennonite identity, peacemaking and civic engagement."...

By Marlys Weaver • February 18, 2010 • News

The Goshen College community gathered in Newcomer 19 during lunch on Monday to continue discussion of the national anthem. A variety of responses were expected from the President’s Council, and the present community stated exactly that. The discussion took the form of a question-and-answer time with President Jim Brenneman. Faculty, staff, students and community members were present and active in the discussion, including a man from Pennsylvania. For some, like Heather Zimmerman, a Goshen College student, the national anthem is simply a part of the athletic ceremony. Zimmerman plays soccer for the women’s national team of Guam. Before each game,...

By Kelsey Shue • February 3, 2010 • News

Two garbage cans, a soccer ball, and a group of compassionate peacemakers are what make up the game of rugball, as played at Goshen College. But don’t let the players’ religious beliefs fool you; these peacemakers play rough. It’s 3 p.m. on a Sunday and senior David Horst dashes past an opponent with two others in close pursuit. He cuts left avoiding yet another defender. His feet move faster and faster as he builds up speed. Stiff arm; one less adversary. He focuses on the garbage can, sprinting. Ten yards. Five yards. Three. Two. He leaps with both hands over...

By Haven Schrock • January 27, 2010 • Features

The Goshen College President’s Council announced last Friday that beginning in March, an instrumental version of the national anthem will be played at select sporting events followed by a prayer. More than a year ago, a spectator at a Goshen women’s basketball game expressed his disappointment that the college didn’t play the national anthem before sporting events. The issue received national coverage after the fan forwarded the e-mail discussions to talk show hosts such as Mike Gallagher. Although this opened a discussion about patriotism and allegiance at Goshen College, it’s not the first time the college has confronted the issue....

By Kelsey Shue • January 27, 2010 • News

It was announced Friday by the Goshen College President’s Council that an instrumental version of the national anthem will be played at some sporting events (depending on the sport’s tradition to play the anthem), and it will be followed by a prayer. The decision will be implemented at the beginning of the spring sports season in March. “We have a diverse campus,” said Bill Born, the Dean of Students, “that represents different faith perspectives.” In fact, Goshen College’s student body represents 40 Christian denominations, as well as several other religions. Taking into consideration the different perspectives of both current students...

By Kelsey Shue • January 23, 2010 • News

Around four in the afternoon Monday through Friday you will usually find the training room full of athletes preparing for practices, whether that means getting their ankle taped, heating, physical therapy or something like that. With 256 athletes coming in and out of the training room throughout the year, Linda Kaminskis is always there doing everything possible to help Goshen athletes be successful in their sport. In the process of becoming the Goshen College athletic trainer, Kaminskis got the chance to be an athletic trainer in various events that include the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship, Indiana State games,...

By John Tamrat • November 11, 2009 • Sports

When six-foot six-inch basketball player Daniel Butler graduated from Milwaukee Tech Community College in 2006, he never expected to play basketball as part of a team again. As it turns out, Butler’s career on the court did not end there. Though he was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Butler was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he calls it home. When he was little, his dad taught him to play basketball, but it was nothing more than a backyard hobby until Butler joined his first team as a sophomore at Milwaukee Custer High School. He finished out with a very successful high...

By Anna Ruth • October 28, 2009 • Features

A year ago, Campus Pastor Bob Yoder would never have imagined himself running the route of the original marathon through the hills of Greece. But in November, Yoder and his wife, Pamela, will do just that. This will be Yoder’s second full marathon, having participated in the Bayshore race in Traverse, Michigan this past May. The idea for the run came about as an accident. Pamela, pastor at First Mennonite Church in Middlebury, is taking a sabbatical leave from her pastoral work this fall. As part of her plans for the break, Pamela decided to focus on three “R’s:” reconnecting,...

By Anna Ruth • October 14, 2009 • Features

In an effort to attain a larger incoming class for 2009 and to build better teams, Goshen College created a new scholarship model for its athletics program. The program seems to have worked, considering the large proportion of athletes who are new to GC this year. Of 292 athletes, 104 are first years and 11 are transfer students. Coaches who recruit more student athletes now receive more funding for scholarships. The new model took effect in September and greatly contributed to Goshen’s highest enrollment in 27 years (with 237 incoming students), according to Tim Demant, Goshen’s athletic director. This year,...

By Haven Schrock • October 7, 2009 • Sports

Ultimate Frisbee in Goshen has taken on a slightly more organized look than you might be used to seeing.  This summer, Goshen College alum Craig Glick Miller founded Goshen Ultimate Summer League (GUSL), Goshen’s first community Ultimate league. GUSL turned out to be a great success.  Over 100 people from the Goshen community made up 6 teams that showed up at Oxbow Park every Tuesday evening to learn, teach, and play Ultimate. Now that summer is over, Craig is turning his attention to the fall.  This Tuesday marked the inaugural day for the fall Ultimate league.  Glick Miller hadn’t really...

By Micah Kulp • September 9, 2009 • Sports

Since the fall of 2004, Goshen College has been competing on more than soccer fields, baseball diamonds, tracks and basketball courts. For five years, students, faculty, staff, alumni and several others have been competing in the South Bend Senior Hockey League, a non-collegiate ice hockey league. According to Jason Yoder, a veteran team member and 2008 graduate of Goshen College, the team began as a roller hockey club dubbed Association of Mennonites for Ice and Steet Hockey – A.M.I.S.H. for short – established by James Heibert in 1999. After some generated interest, members of the club gathered modest funding from...

By Brandon Long • March 11, 2009 • Sports

They’ve jogged enough miles to cover the globe multiple times, and they’re not one of the Goshen College athletic teams. The “G.C. Joggers,” a group made up of Goshen College faculty and staff, have been faithfully recording their jogging mileage since 1965 and are still tallying those laps today. As of December, they had accumulated 258,847 miles total. “It wasn’t an organized club but a group that enjoyed running together and being healthy,” said John Ingold, former Goshen College athletics coach, referring to the “golden age” of the G.C. Joggers – a period in the early 1970’s when as many...

By Laura Schlabach • March 11, 2009 • Features

After four years in the making, a benefit marathon for LaCasa will soon become a reality. On Saturday, a mix of local and out-of-town runners – ages ranging from mid-20’s to late 50’s – will come together for the first ever Maple City Indoor Marathon. It will be the third known indoor marathon in the United States. Doug Yoder, the men’s and women’s cross country coach, is coordinating the 26.2 mile (204 lap) race, which will take place indoors at the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center. “I first thought of the idea when I heard about an indoor marathon being held...

By Brandon Long • February 18, 2009 • Sports

Competing in the Wildcat Indoor Invite at Indiana Wesleyan University on Saturday, members of the men’s track team set a third school record, while individuals on the women’s track team continued to position themselves for national competition. “Although the meet was used with an emphasis on individual performances for the Maple Leafs,” said Coach Rick Clark, “the women’s team still finished sixth, while the men’s team placed ninth.” Deanna Kronk, a senior, hit NAIA qualifying marks in both the shot put (40′ 11″) and the weight throw (51′ 6 1/2″) for the third consecutive week. “Deanna had another fine meet...

By Matt Harms • February 17, 2009 • Sports

After five students qualified for the NAIA Indoor National Championships last week, the women’s track and field team had another strong meet on Saturday. In addition to winning four events and qualifying in another five, the women’s team hit four more national qualifying marks and broke a school record. Goshen College’s all-American thrower, Deanna Kronk, a senior, led the way with National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics automatic qualifying throws in shot put and weight throw. Kronk won the shot put event with a throw of 42′ 11 1/2″ and placed second in the weight throw with a season best 49′...

By Matt Harms • February 11, 2009 • Sports