Latest reports show the death toll in the Bahamas has risen to 50 after Hurricane Dorian left the islands seeking lifesaving assistance this past week. The storm comes at a time when natural disasters around the globe are growing in intensity, a trend that many scientists believe is caused by rising surface and ocean temperatures. An article released by The Washington Post last month explored data from peer-reviewed scientific studies kept by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to look at the effects of these rising temperatures around the United States. The studies examined showed that on average,...

By Nick Yutzy • September 12, 2019 • News

While many used fall break as a time to relax and rejuvenate, five Goshen College students spent the time off classes a little bit differently, traveling to Puerto Rico as part of a short-term service trip organized through Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). MDS is a volunteer network of Anabaptist churches which seeks to assist those in need in the wake of natural and man-made disasters. They generally focus their efforts in the United States and Canada, as well as U.S. territories. MDS contacted two pastors from College Mennonite Church, David and Madeline Maldonado, inquiring about interest in the trip. The...

By Siana Emery • October 24, 2018 • News

Lisa Rosado, a first-year from Puerto Rico, woke up in her dorm room on September 19 thinking it was going to be a typical day. She later realized it was far from it. At breakfast, Rosado took a look at the TV screen. It caught her attention that the news anchor was presenting the path of Hurricane Maria, which was going to affect Puerto Rico. Strong winds reaching 155 mph and heavy rainfall began to lash over Puerto Rico at 11:15 a.m. that day. At that same time, Rosado was about to start class when she began seeing more updates...

By Giselle Munoz • November 9, 2017 • Features

The second major earthquake in many months struck on Saturday, this time near Chile’s second-largest city of Concepción. The 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck 200 miles from the capital city of Santiago, 21 miles underground.  Fortunately, despite the staggering magnitude, this quake didn’t amount to nearly the destruction as the recent tragedy in Haiti. Although the earthquake that shook Chile on Saturday was reportedly 501 times stronger than the recent disaster in Haiti that killed an estimated 220,000, the death toll is so far only around 700, though that is predicted to rise as rescue and identification efforts continue. Aside from...

By Kate Walker • March 5, 2010 • News

After a devastating earthquake shook Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, relief aid swept the nation. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an Anabaptist ministry that “shares God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice” has sent supplies, relief workers and money to Haiti.  So far MCC has raised $4.8 million for relief and recovery efforts. Goshen College has been a part of this, already raising $1,164 for the relief effort.  Collections at the women’s basketball game produced $444, Night at the RFC raised $65 and...

By Kristen Ulery • January 27, 2010 • News

The Mennonite community has rallied together to organize relief and recovery efforts after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake destroyed the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas on Jan. 12.  Paul Antoine Bien-Aime, Haiti's interior minister, estimates that between 100,000 and 200,000 people have died, and hundreds of thousands more have been injured.  Buildings all over the city have collapsed, including most hospitals, schools and countless homes. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has worked in Haiti since 1958. In recent years, its focus has been on reforestation, the promotion of food security and human rights.  Fourteen MCC staff members are currently in Port-au-Prince...

By Kate Walker • January 20, 2010 • News

The Mennonite community has rallied together to organize relief and recovery efforts after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake destroyed the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and beyond on January 12.  Paul Antoine Bien-Aime, Haiti's interior minister, estimates that between 100,000 and 200,000 people have died, with hundreds of thousands more injured.  Buildings all over the city have collapsed, including most hospitals and schools and countless homes. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has worked in Haiti since 1958. In recent years, its focus has been on reforestation and the promotion of food security and human rights.  MCC currently has 14 staff members in Port-au-Prince and...

By Kate Walker • January 20, 2010 • News

Holiness is at work on the Goshen College campus. Four Physical Plant custodians have the story: Olga Rabchuk, Olga Astakhov and two named Olga Panchelyuga. Each flew independently to the United States from Ukraine during the last decade, but somehow they landed jobs in the same department on the same Christian campus. Maybe the college was praying for more holiness, they joked. After all, it can’t be just coincidence that the name Olga means “holy.” “In the Soviet Union, Christians were under pressure,” Olga Astakov said. “You had to be in the communist party, but we couldn’t, because we believed...

By Kathryn Birky • April 15, 2009 • Features

The presidential election in El Salvador last week marked the first time that a left-wing political party has been in power, and a Goshen College student was there to help officiate. Bethany Loberg, a senior peace, justice and conflict studies major and Spanish minor, was in El Salvador during the elections on March 8-17. A week was a short stay for Loberg, who prior to the start of this semester, spent eight months in El Salvador working with Christians for Peace. Upon her return to the States, Loberg connected with Share Foundation, which is based in El Salvador. Through the...

By Anna Ruth • March 25, 2009 • Features