The Goshen College Theatre Department performed the plays “Stay Tuned” and “Do Not Gentle” for Winter One Acts at the Umble Center last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “Stay Tuned” was written by 1999 GC alumnus Peter Eash-Scott. The play explored the impact of the external voices of our daily lives upon our relationships with others. Grace Swartzendruber, GC performance venue production manager, directed “Stay Tuned,” which featured Brett Conrad, a junior; Karsten Hess, a senior; Lea Ramer, a first-year; Nick Peebles, a first-year; and Adrienne Schmucker, a sophomore. “It was my first time performing a one act play at Goshen...

By Shina Park • February 19, 2014 • Arts

Confession: the only sport that interests me involves ice skates, spandex and an abundance of glitter. Since the2014 Olympics started exactly a week ago in Sochi, Russia, I’ve been in heaven. I’ve been binging on figure skating, and with the changes to this year’s Olympic format, figure skating has taken on a fresh importance. For the first time ever, not only is figure skating a competition of individuals, but of teams. As a crotchety old curmudgeon who views any sort of change with suspicion and disdain, I initially was offended that the Olympic committee even dared to suggest a change...

By Chenoa Mitchell • February 12, 2014 • Arts

Back in November, junior and senior music students took the Sauder stage one by one to compete with both voice and instrument. Three months later, a selected few have been invited to perform again – this time for a crowd. Goshen College’s 54th annual Concerto-Aria concert will be held this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Sauder Hall. The seven student winners of the Concerto-Aria competition will perform individual concerto moments and both solo and duet arias, along with the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra, which is directed by Christopher Fashun, professor of music. For the performers, including Micah Detweiler, marimba; Ben...

By Kate Stoltzfus • February 5, 2014 • News

For most people, this Kick Off was different. “More polished,” said some. “Nicer,” said others. Maybe it was the Campus Activity Council’s $5 admission fee for all attendees, with proceeds from the evening going to Habitat for Humanity. According to Katie Dwyer-Zeman, Goshen College has laid plans for further interaction with and support for Habitat projects as the semester continues. This semester, CAC introduced a unique innovation for the Kick Off performers: each group had to produce a six-second “Vine” video that would act as an introduction to their performance. The audience enjoyed these videos between acts, in contrast to...

By T.J. Keiderling • January 29, 2014 • Arts

‘Why do I have to choose between my son and my church? Why do I have to choose between my son and God?’ These were the questions Ted Swartz asked of audience members this past weekend during the unveiling of his new show, “Learning to Play: A (Timely) Conversation about Sexuality and the Church.” The play, which premiered at Goshen College Sunday evening and as an abridged version at Monday morning’s convocation, grapples with a faith community’s questions about same sex relationships, as a father processes his son’s decision to come out. Swartz, who is the writer, producer and performer...

By Kate Stoltzfus • January 29, 2014 • News

Before the time of Goshen College Kick Offs at which students could see the GC President and his council galloping around on stage to the sounds of  “Gangnam Style,” Goshen College was a place that did not welcome dance. Though “expressive movement” was encouraged when performed in association with religious, cultural or otherwise educational purposes, the act of dancing was an unsanctioned and forbidden activity. In the late 1970s, young people across the country were experimenting with a number of progressive ideologies. Goshen College, like many other campuses, called for a move from strict policies to ones that empowered individuals....

By Liz Core • January 22, 2014 • Features

Goshen College offered a series of Martin Luther King Jr. celebration events centered on the theme of “Diversity: Then and Now” on Monday and Tuesday. To commemorate the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., the college hosted the performance of Anthony Brown’s (’72) “I Go on Singing: Paul Robeson’s Life in His Words & Songs” at Umble Center on Sunday evening. A community breakfast, featuring state representative Rebecca Kubacki, as well as Spoken-Word Coffeehouseand Talkback Session, were held at College Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall the following Monday. Subsequent convocation featured a performance by the gospel choir Voices N...

By Shina Park • January 22, 2014 • Arts

The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble will perform in Reith Recital Hall this Sunday, as the third concert in the Reith Chamber Series. The Freimann ensemble, made up of principal members of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, will play a variety of musical combinations such as Benjamin Britten Phantasy Quartet for Oboe, Violin, Viola and Cello and W.A. Mozart’s “Kegelstatt.” The ensemble gives a musical taste to what is to come; the full Fort Wayne Philharmonic orchestra will perform an orchestral concert at Goshen on April 11.

By Dona Park • January 22, 2014 • Arts

When it comes to social justice and faith issues within the church, a little humor can go a long way. This is exactly what actor Ted Swartz and his team of talented musicians and actors provide for audiences across the U.S. Through comedic storytelling and passionate messages, Ted and Co. raise important questions about the true meaning of the church, social justice and gender issues. [caption id="attachment_29548" align="alignleft" width="234"] Ted Swartz will be a special guest on campus next week.Photo contributed[/caption] Fortunately, Ted and Co. will be gracing the Goshen College campus with their new show, “Learning to Play”, during...

By Maddie Birky • January 22, 2014 • News

This Friday, the folk music and a cappella ensemble, moira smiley and VOCO, will perform in Sauder Concert Hall. According to the band’s website, moira smiley and VOCO was named the number one a cappella group in 2007 and have since been called, “persuasive, near perfect musicians,” by the Herald Times. Their original pieces have been adapted for larger choral groups and have been performed on multiple occasions by Goshen’s own International Women’s Choir. The voices of the trio of women make one cohesive sound. However, each individual uses their voice and body as distinct “instruments.” One is a body...

By Natalie Hubby • January 15, 2014 • Arts

In a collaborative event featuring Goshen College Choirs, the GHS Advanced Crimson choir, guest soloists, Rejoice children’s choir, GC percussionists and ASL interpreting majors among others, “Carmina Burana,” a collection of medieval poems set to music, was performed on Saturday, Nov. 9 in Sauder Concert Hall. Although the performance showcased the choirs, soloists and musicians, the event also illustrated the unique intersection between spoken and unspoken art. Interpreted by Goshen ASL students, it revealed both the unique heritage and the rich cultural significance of deaf performing art. This weekend, Goshen will host a similar event, featuring another deaf performing artist:...

By Nina Fox • November 22, 2013 • News

Blend and balance: these seem like essential elements in a college student’s life.  But for members of Goshen College’s singing group Parables, blend and balance are crucial in both their lives and performances. Parables consists of eight students. Sophomores in the group are Paul Zehr, Martin Flowers, Prashansa Dickson, Miranda Earnhart and Benjamin Ganger.  Remaining members are Becky Snider and Brody Thomas, juniors, and Rachel Mast, senior.  Dr. Deb Brubaker leads and directs Parables, and Gwen Gustafson-Zook, minister of worship, provides spiritual focus. Blending and channeling diverse personalities into a polished product is challenging, but the group has made it...

By Mia Engle • November 22, 2013 • Features

The Michiana Monologues, a collection of stories written and performed by local women as anonymous monologues, will be performed Thursday in Rieth Recital Hall. The program is hosted by the Goshen College social work department and women’s studies program. A guest performance by The Bergamot, a South Bend Americana duo with a soulful, modern pop sound, will open the show. The Michiana Monologues are organized each year by a student-led club at Indiana University South Bend. They were initially inspired by Eve Ensler’s award winning production, “The Vagina Monologues,” which has been performed around the world since 1996 as a...

By Nikita Zook • February 21, 2013 • Arts

Anne McCue describes her music, as “a bit dirty, a bit rockin’, a bit swampy and a bit bluesy, with a touch of mysteriousness to it.” What isn’t mysterious is McCue’s musical talent and range. She was voted the Roots Music Association’s Folk Artist of the Year in 2008, and was included in the Four Decades of Folk Rock box set alongside of Bob Dylan and Wilco. She has played in concert halls all over the world including the Sydney Opera House Americana icon Lucinda Williams had this to say: “Initially, her stunning voice hooked me in. Then I got...

By Becca Kraybill • November 15, 2012 • News

This weekend, Goshen College will be presenting a stage production of Urinetown: The Musical. Urinetown is a satirical comedy set amidst a 20-year drought that has made private bathrooms impossible and pay-per-use toilets mandatory. Anyone who breaks the law by engaging in bathroom activities outside of these restrooms is sent to a penal colony called Urinetown—which is where the play is set. Doug Caskey, a professor of theater and the director of Urinetown, acknowledged that the title and subject matter might be too crass for some audience members. “In a way, though, that's OK with us,” Caskey said. “There will...

By Nathan Vader • November 8, 2012 • News