Csaba Attila and Balazs Pirot both hail from Hungary and love to play tennis. Csaba is a senior business major and Balazs is a first-year informatics major. Q. The Hungarian F1 Grand prix is one of the most famous sport activities in your country. How did you guys end up being tennis players? Csaba: The Hungarian Grand Prix is one of the biggest sport events during the year and brings a lot of tourists to the country, which is good. However, in Hungary, soccer is the most popular sport by far. That’s why it is not surprising that I started...

By Ezra O’Michael • January 23, 2013 • Features

Diego Zago is a freshman from Brazil studying pre-architecture. His passion for soccer opened the doors for him to come to Goshen College. What is your attachment to soccer? I would say that soccer is a big and important part of my life. I’ve played soccer since I was a little kid and it always was a passion for me. I think the main reason for this passion is my father. I can remember my mother telling me all my life about my dad’s reaction the day I was born. He bought and dressed me in Sao Paulo Football Club...

By Ezra O’Michael • November 29, 2012 • Features

Solongo Gonchigsuren is from the far eastern country of Mongolia. She is a first year student at Goshen College. Fun facts about Mongolia: -Capital city: Ulaanbaatar -Official language: Mongolian -Other languages: Russian and English -Size: 603,909 sq mi, 19th largest in the world -World’s coldest city: The average temperature in Ulaanbaatar is 32 degrees Fahrenheit -Population: 3 million people Background Mongolia is a rugged and beautiful land poised between Russia and China. To the north stand sharp mountains while the Gobi Desert stretches to the south. Grasslands supporting nomadic families and their domestic animals lie in the middle. Over 2,000...

By Ezra O’Michael • November 8, 2012 • Features

Yumi Otsuka, a first-year Japanese student, first heard on Facebook about the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that occurred in her home country three weeks ago. “I had extra time, so I was on Facebook,” she said. “At first I was thinking that this could not be true, because we have many earthquakes in Japan and oftentimes they are no big deal. When I found out it had a magnitude of 9.1, I was shocked,” Otsuka said. She was worried about the Japanese people, but after emailing her dad, she said, “I knew my parents, other family members, and friends were...

By Christine Ludin • April 7, 2011 • News

When he decided to attend a college that claims “global citizenship” as one of its core values, Mohamed Meissara, a sophomore from Mauritania, didn't envision himself sitting at a cafeteria table composed only of other international students. But Meissara—and others, too—claim that there is a divide between American and international students at Goshen College—and so they met recently to discuss this disconnect. Eight percent of students at Goshen are internationals who come from over 40 different countries around the world. When SaeJin Lee, a senior Korean-American, organized a meeting for international students to discuss their experiences, Lee said there was...

By Sarah Rich • March 23, 2011 • News

The International Student Club (ISC) is hosting their annual dinner and show this Saturday, March 19 beginning at 5 p.m. The dinner will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the Church-Chapel and the show in Sauder Concert Hall. The ISC Coffeehouse will showcase the talents and stories of international students representing various nationalities on campus. Tickets can be purchased now at the Welcome Center or at the door. Separate tickets are available if guests wish to attend only one of the events and can be purchased at a lesser price. All proceeds from the event are either used to...

By Liz Core • March 15, 2011 • Arts

When sophomore Jan Dohnal arrived at Goshen College in mid-August, making the Mid-Central College Conference All-Conference team for soccer was the last thing on his mind. Born and raised in the Czech Republic, Dohnal came to the United States because he wanted to get a better understanding of the American legal system. Ever since high school, Dohnal’s dream has been to become a lawyer.  Growing up, however, Dohnal’s one and only focus was soccer as he traveled around playing on successful premiere club teams. Dohnal was in high school playing on the first league team at an elite soccer academy...

By Katelyn Yoder • November 17, 2010 • Features

Goshen College’s international students will take center stage on March 13 at the International Student Club Coffeehouse, an annual event with two parts: an international meal and a performance of dance, music and readings featuring the different countries represented at the college. The buffet-style meal will begin at 5 p.m. in the College Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall and the show will follow at 7 p.m. in Sauder Concert Hall. Tickets for the meal and show cost $17 ($11 for students and children) and tickets for the show only cost $10 ($6 for students and children). The event, hosted by Goshen...

By Laura Schlabach • March 5, 2010 • Arts

For Samuel Chege, running has been more than a sport. It has been a way of life. Growing up on his family’s farm in the countryside of Kenya, Chege’s feet were his means of transportation as he hunted, farmed, commuted to town and ran to school. “Running was not something to gain interest in since I had to run to get to where I needed to go,” said Chege, a senior. Using what he had been doing throughout his childhood, Chege began his running career competing barefoot in Kenya’s interscholastic championships. According to Chege, it is normal to run without...

By Brandon Long • March 18, 2009 • Sports

A large, half-naked man lays fast asleep, snoring on a table in front of you. Smooth music, sweet aromas and a massaging touch proves too much to stay conscious. No sort of tweaking or shaking can wake the man up. Not knowing what to do, you turn off the music. The man jerks awake. “Are you done?” the man asks, startled. “Yes,” you say. “I just finished.” After performing an exceptionally relaxing massage for one of his customers, this image was reality for Michal Grepl. Grepl is currently attending Goshen College to complete his master’s degree in recreation and leisure...

By Alysha Landis • February 4, 2009 • Features

"When Obama first obtained his Senate seat, I was in a rural area of Kenya doing fieldwork," said Ryan Sensenig, assistant professor of biology. "My field assistants were excitedly discussing Obama's run for the Senate seat before I knew who Obama was." Sensenig, who grew up in Kenya, explained that news "is part of the very fabric of Kenyan culture ... The citizenry is very literate about global concerns." In fact, the greeting "hello" in Swahili is literally translated, "What is the news?" Afrah Haile, a sophomore from Kenya, remembers talking online in November to his brother and sister. His...

By Kathryn Birky • January 21, 2009 • Features