performing arts
March 29, 2019
A celebration of countries and cultures at ISC
On Saturday, students got the chance to witness a celebration of different countries and cultures at the International Student Coffeehouse. The evening began with a dinner held in the Church-Chapel. Dishes from 13 different countries were offered, including hummus from the Middle East, kachumbari salad from Kenya, stroganoff from Brazil and chana masala from India. The dishes were all prepared by students who used the church’s kitchen under the supervision of Jessica Whicker, the kitchen manager. Becca Choi, a junior, was involved in the dinner and the coffeehouse this year. She made kimchi from Korea for the dinner and participated...
March 28, 2019
Percussive Dance Comes to Goshen
The Step Crew, a percussive dance team, will take to the stage of Sauder Concert Hall this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Performing Arts Series. The troupe specializes in three different types of percussive dance: Irish, Tap and Ottawa Valley. The Step Crew’s specialty is combining these diverse types of dance to create an energized new style that honors the traditions of each culture while creating a dance that is entirely their own. The dancers and musicians have been part of a number of other groups, including The Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies and the violinist group,...
March 21, 2019
Spring Musical ‘swings high and low’
Goshen College students, faculty and community members gathered at the Umble Center on March 15 for the opening performance of “Bright Star,” the spring mainstage musical. There were three performances last weekend and two more on March 22 and 24. Written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, “Bright Star” offers a story of family that will leave a smile on your face. The bluegrass and americana influenced musical travels back and forth through time to tell a tale of love, loss and redemption in midcentury North Carolina. “Bright Star” did not have much attention when it was first...
March 7, 2019
Acclaimed poet to perform on campus
Goshen College students can look forward to hearing spoken word poet Carlos Andrés Gomez this Friday at 8 p.m. in Newcomer 19. This event is the first put on by Campus Activities Council in March. A Colombian speaker, actor and writer from New York City, Gomez has authored several books, such as “Hijito,” the winner of the 2018 Broken River Prize, and his memoir “Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood,” published by Penguin Random House. “Man Up,” inspired by Gomez’s one-man play, is a coming-of-age memoir and seeks to reverse the ominous trends Gomez has witnessed in masculinity through...
February 14, 2019
GSWA hosts annual Chocolate House
Students of all years came to support their classmates’ performances and eat chocolate desserts during the annual Chocolate House event on Friday, Feb. 9., in Newomer 19. Chocolate House is an event hosted by Goshen’s Student Women Association (GSWA). The coffeehouse-style event allows women and non-binary students to share their voices. Male students are welcomed to help provide chocolate desserts. Everyone is invited to come support their fellow women and non-binary peers. “The purpose of the event is to allow women and non-binary students to have [a] place to share their voice for others to hear and bring...
February 7, 2019
FROGZ troupe performs at GC
The middle of winter can be dreadful and lifeless, especially with biting cold weather and falling snow. This weekend, Goshen College presented FROGZ, a show that brought joy and whimsy to brighten up the winter. FROGZ is a show that combines mimes, dance, special effects, costumes and music to create a diverse and spectacular experience. FROGZ is presented by Imago Theatre, a company based in Portland, Oregon. The show used five dancers dressed up as different animals to portray different human emotions. The show is nonverbal and light-hearted, allowing it to be suitable for all audiences. The characters are sassy...
January 24, 2019
Monologues’ leaders hope for best year yet
Together they stand in black, one by one taking the stage to recite a story written by another. This sets the scene for the annual Goshen Monologues, a night where women and non-binary people perform a selection of stories, monologues and poems created anonymously by other non-male identifying people of the Goshen College community. The Goshen Monologues, born out of a desire to create an event similar to Eve Ensler’s 1996 play The Vagina Monologues, first took place in 2013. Because the event has grown in popularity over the years, the number of participants has grown to around...
November 28, 2018
Highly anticipated “Festival of Carols” returns to Sauder Hall
Sauder Concert Hall will again host the annual Festival of Carols. Performances will take place Dec. 7-9. The concert will include performances by the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra, the Goshen College Choirs, and Goshen College music faculty with the expectation of audience participation. This December will mark the fifteenth year of Festival of Carols. Created by former GC choir director, James Heiks, the program has several different aspects that make it to stand out among the other concerts done throughout the year. For example, Festival of Carols always includes audience participation throughout the program. Audience members sing along with college...
November 7, 2018
GC Chamber Choir joins Symphony Orchestra in Sauder
On Friday, the Goshen College Chamber Choir and Chamber Orchestra combined for an evening of music in Sauder Concert Hall. The concert provided a sneak peek of the tour the two ensembles will go on this coming February, as well as showcasing additional Chamber Choir and Symphony Orchestra pieces. Under the direction of Dr. Jose Rocha, the Chamber Choir and Chamber Orchestra started the concert by performing “Te Deum,” composed by Joseph Haydn. Rocha expressed the educational value of the experience for those involved to work together with other musicians. He said, “We get to explore a new way of...
November 7, 2018
Nimoy Vaidya evolves through dance
In 2016, Nimoy Vaidya and Phillip Chan took first place in Kick-Off for a b-boying routine — an art form similar to breakdancing — that took about a month to prepare while practicing about eight hours per week. In September, Vaidya reclaimed his title as king of Kick-Off, becoming the only student to ever win Kick-Off twice. This time, however, Vaidya led a group of b-boys known as Barnett’s Boys, a group named after Skip Barnett, longtime GC professor and international student advisor. Joining Vaidya were students Hajin Kim, Josiah Phiri, Levi Glick, Natan Nafziger, Ian Keim and Andrew Nussbaum....
October 31, 2018
Alice Parker to share music with Goshen College community
Goshen College will be welcoming Alice Parker for a festival performance of her music at the College Mennonite Church-Chapel On Sunday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. Parker, age 92, is known worldwide for her contributions to music, specifically in vocal compositions. Throughout her career, she has maintained close connections to the Mennonite community, using the traditional Anabaptist four-part harmony as the core of her work. The multi-award winning composer will be in the Goshen area for three days. At noon on Nov. 16, she will be joined at Rieth Recital Hall by Mary Oyer, Goshen College music professor emerita, and...
October 10, 2018
More than just a “History Lesson”: the GC Peace Play
With a crack of thunder, sudden darkness descends. There is disarray, confusion and a search for a flashlight until from the blackout a British woman’s voice crows, “Hang on, love. I’ve got one,” and a spot of light flashes across the stumbling visitors of the Audubon Store. The stage is set for the climax of “History Lesson,” the one-act play by Frankie Little Hardin that made its global premiere on the John S. Umble Center stage last weekend as the 17th winner of the biennial Goshen College Peace Play contest. Hundreds of submissions for the contest come from all across...
October 10, 2018
Music Department Celebrates Homecoming With Annual Gala
The 2018 Homecoming Music Gala drew in Goshen College community members from all over the country on Oct. 6. The yearly gala is always a well-attended event because Chamber Choir, Men’s and Women’s Choirs and the orchestra perform. Deb Detwiler, a GC music professor, commented that the event has been a Goshen College tradition since before she joined the faculty. Dr. Doyle Preheim, Detweiler’s former mentor and predecessor, and Dr. Lon Sherer founded the gala. They were faculty members of the college during the 1970s through the early 2000s. The Homecoming Music Gala is the first concert of the year...
October 3, 2018
Kick-Off highlights student talents
Hundreds of people filled Sauder Concert Hall this past Saturday to see who’d come out on top at “A Night at the Oscars.” Of the 25 acts that auditioned, Kick-Off 2018 featured 12, showcasing a wide variety of students and talents. “This year’s show was exciting because we had more acts that weren’t exclusively music,” said Corie Steinke, associate director of community life and Campus Activities Council (CAC) advisor. The Goshen College event was emceed by Alia Byrd and Amy Castillo, alongside other members of CAC. Planning for the event began even before school started, deciding on factors such as...
September 18, 2018
Kick-Off auditions to take place next week
Goshen College is once again carrying an annual its tradition — Kick-Off. Auditions will begin this week. Marisa Marquez, chair of the Campus Activities Council (CAC), described Kick-Off as a “big talent show for all of campus to be a part of.” [blocktext align="right"]“[Kickoff is a] really good night to actually see the campus spirit,” said Amy Castillo, CAC’s campus and community events chair.[/blocktext] The theme this year is “A Night at the Oscars.” The group described the process of preparing for Kick-Off as “time consuming and meticulous” but agreed it is worth it in the end. According to Gi...