The International Student Club put on another successful ISC Coffeehouse event this past Saturday evening, March 14. Students, family and friends alike enjoyed a meal as well as a music and dance performance at Sauder Hall following put together by the international community of Goshen College. Festivities began at 5:00 in the College Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall where ticketholders were greeted by international students and volunteers ready to serve an array of dishes from over 30 different countries from around the world, all represented by Goshen College students. Due to a sold out event, lines were lengthy with patrons eager...

By Josh Stoltzfus • March 17, 2016 • News

With her lilting, stunning voice, Prashansa Dickson captivated all of Sauder hall on Saturday as she sang a love song from India, her home country. As an international student, Dickson made a transition from Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India to Goshen College that gives her a unique perspective regarding the international community abroad and at Goshen. “I have been singing since I could talk,” Dickson said. “My mother’s side of the family is full of composers and musicians. A lot of music they have written has imbedded itself into the Christian vernacular of prayer meetings across India and some of...

By Hayley Mann • March 17, 2016 • Features

International education is a large part of the Goshen College culture. It is usually thought of in the terms of the Study Service program that places traditional GC students in different cultures. However, an important aspect of Goshen’s commitment to international education is the incorporation of international students within the student body. As a relatively small college, getting international students to comprise nine percent of the student body is no small feat. Tae Hwang is an international student from Korea, studying biochemistry, who found Goshen through connections with his host family in Ohio. “My host father was Terry Shue, a...

By Hayley Mann • March 10, 2016 • Features

Goshen College, if you haven’t noticed already, is not a particularly large campus. So, inevitably, many faces on Goshen’s campus become familiar. Most likely, many are already familiar with the face of Sara Azzuni, a first-year nursing student with a concentration in biochemistry. One way you might recognize Sara Azzuni is due to her recent recognition in this year’s Kick-Off as the ‘audience favorite’ by her powerful reading of “Shades of Anger” by Rafeef Ziadah. The poem is Ziadah’s reflections on her identity as a Palestinian woman, even though she has been unable to spend any time in Palestine at...

By Ellen Conrad • February 4, 2016 • Features

The start of a new semester can mean students transferring to a different college for any number of reasons. For Oliver Smith, transferring to Goshen meant the opportunity to play soccer for a new team while furthering his education. Smith is a first year student from Thirsk, in the northern part of England. Moving to a new country may seem like a big leap, but he is not the first to move to Goshen for a sports team. There are two other students on the team from England, as well as three other students who are from Trinidad and Tobago,...

By Elsa Lantz • January 21, 2016 • Features

Galed Krisjayanta, a third-year student at Goshen College, released his first album at the age of 10. Cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and even karaoke versions of him singing traditional Indonesian folk songs have been sold, and every song has a music video. Krisjayanta’s album was used to raise money for the people of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which had been devastated by an earthquake in which nearly 3,500 people were killed. That’s where he found the power of music in healing. Krisjayanta was born in Yogyakarta and spent his first eight years there. But in 2006 when the earthquake struck, his family was...

By Jordan Waidelich • January 14, 2016 • Features

Can you tell me a little bit about your home country? It’s pretty similar to the US. There are shorter summers, but colder winters, and we have large lakes. I moved to the U.S. when I was 6, so I don’t have much memory of Russia because I was so young. Do you ever go back to visit? I haven’t been back recently. I was going to make a trip this summer but my citizenship process got in the way.  Does your family live here, in Goshen, too? Yes, my mom went back (to Russia) in 2005 to visit my...

By Liz Tecca • November 5, 2015 • Features

What made you want to take the leap and go to school in the United States rather than go to school in India? I went to an international boarding school in India. Woodstock School is much closer to an American high school that to an Indian high school. Most of the students who graduate from Woodstock go to American college or British college. It’s mostly because that transition is easier than transitioning into your native country’s college. What was your first time in the U.S. like? I think it should have been a lot scarier than it actually was. I...

By Ashley Davenport • October 15, 2015 • Features

What do you miss most about your hometown of Baden, Switzerland? What I miss the most is probably the public transportation. You can go on a train (in Switzerland) and go where you want. It always works perfectly and it’s always on time. That doesn’t really exist here that much. I feel like everything is a lot more distanced. If you want to go to another good city, you have to ride three, four, maybe even eight hours. Oh, and of course my family. I miss my family. Do you miss the public transportation more than your family? No, no....

By Record Staff • October 8, 2015 • Features

It is not hard to see him on campus—he is 6’5” and he always has a smile on his face. Tevin Gilkes is a newcomer on the Goshen College men’s soccer team and one of the voices for the songs before games. Gilkes was born in Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago, on January 6, 1993. Ever since he was little, he has played soccer. Gilkes’ passion for soccer comes from his family, where the sport is a big tradition. “My uncles and dad played ‘football’ a lot,” he said. For Goshen, Gilkes will play as a center back, but at the...

By Luis Pérez Lerchundi • September 10, 2015 • Sports

Having lived in more than three different countries, namely South Korea, Canada and the United States, the Moon brothers, Chris and Alex, give a snippet of their lives as “modern nomadic explorers.” What is your major? Chris: I’m an accounting major.   Alex: I’m a PJCS (peace, justice and conflict studies) major.   What is it like back home? Chris: It is definitely less liberal than life here in the United States. We lived in Seoul when we were in Korea. I feel as though I got a taste of different cultures and was not as culture-shocked as I thought...

By Annie Agutu • March 26, 2015 • Features

Rising from the wrecks of the Korean War, in the last 50 years South Korea has become one of the world’s most economically influential countries. This is a result of South Korea’s growing prosperity, fashion culture and social media. South Korea has been able to maintain its exclusive culture that is now becoming a recognized inspiration for worldwide trends. This includes a more expressive style that echoes a sense of individuality. Tae Hwang is a third-year biochemistry and molecular biology major from Suwon, South Korea, a 40-minute drive from Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Hwang, however, has been living...

By Annie Agutu • March 19, 2015 • Features

Nepal has an outstanding number of diverse cultures, languages and religions. The vast society is filled with complex and rich heritage that is among one of the oldest in the world. Ashika Thanju is a senior nursing major from Kathmandu, Nepal. Nursing has always been Thanju’s passion and she has had to struggle with “The stereotype of nurses being inferior to doctors.” In her four years of studying at Goshen College, Thanju had many opportunities to show how powerful a nurse can be in the healthcare system. Thanju is currently looking into furthering her education by going to graduate school...

By Annie Agutu • March 12, 2015 • Features

Deeksha Pagar, a first year physics and biochemistry major from India, tells us a little bit a how she is adjusting to life here in the United States, and specifically at Goshen College. Pagar was born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra and moved to the United States only 7 months ago. This free spirit is passionate about culture and is eager to know more about different countries and people. This is very apparent from her multilingual abilities. Pagar speaks English, Hindi, French and Marathi, her native tongue. What is it like back home? It is very crowded, fast-paced, hot and...

By Annie Agutu • February 19, 2015 • Features

The opportunity to live on two different continents is a dream many of us have. One lucky person, Dmitriy Shendel, was able to have this chance. He grew up in Ukraine, moved to the United States when he was seven years old, and for the past 11 years has been living in Goshen, Indiana.   Shendel is a first year student and is currently majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He is enjoying many of his classes this semester, especially cell biology, which he finds both “challenging and interesting.”   Shendel found out about Goshen College while attending Goshen High School....

By Annie Agutu • February 5, 2015 • Features