Tabor College

Canceled: Carson Center Banquet March 13

March 08, 2010

Categories: General News

The Carson Center Banquet, to be held Saturday evening, March 13, at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Point, has been canceled.

Naomi Gaede-Penner to Present 'Last Frontier School Teacher' at Learning in Retirement March 8

March 02, 2010

Categories: General News

Writer, educator and speaker Naomi Gaede-Penner will present “Last Frontier School Teacher” at the Tabor College Learning in Retirement Program, beginning at 9:45 a.m. Monday, March 8, in the Wohlgemuth Music Education Center.

A frequent speaker at the Learning in Retirement Program, Gaede-Penner, who grew up on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, will tell the story of her second-grade teacher, Anna Bortel, who accompanied her father, Dr. Elmer Gaede, on a medical and educational mission to serve the Nunamiut Eskimos in Alaska in 1959.

Gaede-Penner’s parents, Dr. Elmer Gaede and Ruby Leppke, grew up on Marion County farms and attended Tabor College. After earning his medical degree, Elmer and Ruby went to Alaska to serve the natives, where he flew his own airplane to remote Alaskan villages.

Gaede-Penner’s “Prescription for Adventure” book series are non-fiction books that depict life in Alaska, including “Bush Pilot Doctor”, “Finding Home in Alaska”, and “Anna – Alaska Frontier Teacher.” The author’s web site, www.prescriptionforadventure.com, contains additional resources such as curriculum, discussion guides, and current adventures.

An alumna of Tabor College, Gaede-Penner holds a Master’s degree in Counseling from Denver Seminary, Denver, Colo. She has two married children, daughter Nicole Penner Clark, and son, Aaron. She lives in Parker, Colo.

The public is welcome to attend all Learning in Retirement programs. Fees are $3 per session or $15 per semester ($28 per couple). Registration and discount cards for lunch in the cafeteria will be available at the door during the half hour before the meeting. For more information, contact Connie Isaac, coordinator at 620-947-3121, 947-5964, or conniei@tabor.edu.

Creation Care Efforts Featured in ‘Green Awakenings Campus Report’

March 02, 2010

Categories: General News

The important first steps toward building a greener and more sustainable campus community at Tabor College have been recognized are featured in the recently-published Green Awakenings Campus Report.

Written by the student-led Christian environmental group Renewal: Students Caring for Creation, the report chronicles the environmental initiatives on 52 Christian colleges across the United States and Canada. The report is a project of Renewal, a growing movement of young Christians dedicated to caring for God’s creation through mobilizing and equipping their campuses to be better stewards of the environment.

“Tabor is honored to have our efforts featured in this exciting report,” said Eric Codding, Vice President of Student Life, Learning, and Formation, who leads the newly-formed Creation Care Task Force at the college. “We feel like we’ve just begun working on projects to advance the college in the area of sustainability, and we realize there is more work to be done in the future.”

Highlights of the report include over 50 diverse campus write-ups organized by geographical region and write-ups contributed by students, staff, and faculty on the respective campuses.

“This report is merely a sampling and is in no way exhaustive,” reads the introduction. “One of the early lessons we learned is that there is far too much going on to be able to cover every campus that is actively engaged in caring for creation. Even on the campuses that we have featured, we have had to focus on a small proportion of all the good work they are doing.

“In the end, our message in this report is simple: We care deeply about all of God’s creation; these are our stories. We hope that you will be inspired to join us in bringing renewal to our campuses, communities, and the world.”

Page 19 of the Green Awakenings Campus Report chronicles Tabor’s success in obtaining a Creation Care Grant from the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), and subsequent activities on campus:

_In 2009, Tabor College’s class in Principles of Public Relations was studying the greening of America and the emerging Creation Care movement. They decided to write a proposal to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), requesting a $5,000 Creation Care Fund grant — a grant designed to help campuses that are in the beginning stages of their creation care journey._

As was hoped, the grant was awarded to Tabor. This prompted Tabor’s Student Senate to charter a Creation Care student organization and fund it with a portion of student fees. These fees, for the 2009-10 school year alone, will total about $4,000.

The Creation Care task force, working with the newly formed student organization, is pursuing several initiatives intended to raise environmental awareness and to promote better stewardship of natural resources. These efforts include a Creation Care week (jointly planned and promoted by the Creation Care group and campus ministries office), increased recycling efforts among students (with recycling bins strategically placed around campus), and the purchase of recycling equipment for their cafeteria (directed initially at cardboard and tin cans).

In addition, the physical plant has committed several thousand dollars of its budget toward upgrading light fixtures and other equipment intended to reduce the community’s utility consumption.

Collectively, these early steps will not only raise awareness of sustainability issues on campus, but will also help the community to reduce its impact on the environment. Furthermore, the Creation Care task force hopes to extend campus concern into the local community and explore possible improvements of the area recycling program.

Read the full “Green Awakenings Report” Visit “Renewal, the Creation Care Movement”:http://www.renewingcreation.org

Tabor College Sets Spring Enrollment Record with 621 Students

March 02, 2010

Categories: General News

An all-time record number of students for a spring semester are enrolled at Tabor College.

According to registrar Deanne Duerksen, the total head count for all programs on the Hillsboro and Wichita campuses is 621 students, compared to 590 students last spring. Total full-time equivalency (FTE) is 561 students, compared to 543 students at this time last year.

Overall enrollment at the college grew almost 4 percent from the 2009 spring semester to the 2010 spring semester, which came as great news to Tabor College President Dr. Jules Glanzer.

“I am thankful to God and to the many people at Tabor who faithfully give themselves to make Tabor a special place,” Glanzer said. “Having record enrollment requires the grace of God, the hard work of many people, and the strategic decisions of those in leadership. I am humbled and honored to be part of Tabor at a time when we are experiencing sustained growth. Like in the story of the feeding of the 5000, God is multiplying our resources.”

According to Duerksen, the full-time equivalency on the Hillsboro campus is 464 students this spring, compared to 451 last year. The full-time equivalency of students enrolled in courses at the School for Adult and Graduate Studies in Wichita is 80 students, compared to 78 students last year.

Tabor began the 2009-10 academic year this past fall with a record 640 students, a 4.5 percent increase over the previous year. Fall enrollment records were set in five areas, including total overall enrollment (640); overall full-time equivalency enrollment (596); full-time students on the Hillsboro campus (504); full-time students in all programs (521), and, graduate students (22).

The record-setting spring enrollment was bolstered by a concurrent rise in student retention at the college. According to Amy Kjellin, Director of Student Success, retention from last fall to this spring was about 91 percent. The college retained 85 percent of the freshmen who enrolled last fall, up from 81 percent a year ago. Senior retention also increased, Kjellin said.

Megan Souter to Perform Junior Flute Recital March 9

March 01, 2010

Categories: General News

Flutist Megan Souter will perform her junior recital at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 9, in the Tabor College Chapel. The public is invited to attend.

Souter, from Fairview, Okla., will play The Swan by Camille Saint-Saens; Sonata In F Major, Vivace, Largo, and Allegro by Georg Philipp Telemann; and Sonata I for Two Flutes by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.

“I selected these numbers because I felt that they were unique in their own style and way,” Souter said. “I like pictures and I think that pictures help create the mood of a piece. Each of these pieces has their own character and their own picture. That is why I picked these numbers, and that is what I like best about them.”

Souter, a student of Adjunct Instructor Joyann Brake, has grown as a flutist through the Music Department at Tabor College.

“I never had private lessons in flute before Tabor, so I never learned the techniques that I have learned in my lessons now,” Souter said. “Tabor has also helped me grow in my appreciation of music. I have always loved music, but I love it even more now because I understand what is going on in the background.”

She added that playing her flute has helped deepen her relationship with God.

“Music performance helps me express my Christian faith because it allows me to use the talents that God gave me for his glory,” she said.

After graduation, Souter hopes to get a job at a small school as a band director, working with middle school children. She also is considering going on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Family and Child Counseling, or working as a Music Therapist.

Megan is the daughter of Randy and Robin Souter.

Mary Goering to Perform Junior Violin Recital March 9

March 01, 2010

Categories: General News

Violinist Mary Goering will perform her junior recital at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 9, in the Tabor College Chapel. The public is invited to attend.

Goering, from Newton, Kan. will play Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26, Allegro Moderato and Adagio, by Max Bruch.

“The Bruch Concerto is one of the violin concertos which have become almost a rite of passage for violinists along with the Mendelssohn and the Lalo,” Goering said. “This piece contains challenging technique, yet also is very beautiful.”

Goering, a student of Adjunct Instructor Nancy Johnson, has relished her experience in the Music Department at Tabor College.

“Being involved in music at Tabor has provided the opportunity to get to work with professors who genuinely care about helping me grow and advance in the direction I desire to go,” Goering said. “Realizing my passion for music has helped me connect with students and professors who share the same feelings.”

Playing the violin has become a special way for Goering to express her Christian faith.

“I’m always amazed at what God created when He gave us music,” Goering said. “At times, it seems unfathomable that we have this thing that touches us so deeply, more deeply than words at times, and goes directly to our souls. God knows us so well, and putting music in our lives is like an unexpected gift in life, kind of like the extra chocolate at the bottom of an ice cream drumstick.

“Music has become a strong outlet for me, and a way of expressing myself,” she added. “When I cannot find the words for prayer, or just want to give to God, playing helps me do that. Music is also such a strong witness, as it touches people’s lives, and I love that the only reason musicians are able to do what they do is because of God.”

After graduation, Goering hopes to pursue a Master’s Degree in Music Therapy.

Mary is the daughter of Preston and Deborah Goering.

Darren Enns to Perform Junior Voice Recital March 9

March 01, 2010

Categories: General News

Vocalist Darren Enns will perform his junior recital at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 9, in the Tabor College Chapel. The public is invited to attend.

Enns, a baritone from Hillsboro, Kan., will sing Die schšne MŸllerin: I. Das Wandern II. Wohin III. Halt! IV. Danksagung an den Bach, with music by Franz Schubert and lyrics by Wilhelm MŸller; Biblical Songs: II. Lord Thou art my refuge, III. Hear, O God, my prayer, and IV. God, the Lord, my Shepherd, by Anton’n Dvor‡k; Aria from “The Marriage of Figaro”: Non pi andrai, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; and The Green Eyed Dragon, by Charles Wolseley.

“The German numbers are a very popular and well-known song cycle with rich poetry that became very famous,” Enns said. “These are only the first four out of 20 songs in the cycle. The three English art songs by Dvorak take passages from scripture and sets them to music, which are some of my favorite songs because it is very easy to be expressive with that kind of music.

“The Italian piece by Mozart is a very boisterous song that has a sarcastic tone to it, which I greatly enjoy,” Enns added. “The last English song by Wolseley has a great story that is entertaining and a joy to perform and listen to.”

Enns said he feels blessed to be a student of Dr. Brad Vogel, Professor of Choral Music.

“Dr. Vogel is a very well known conductor especially in the Midwest region and it is very evident why,” Enns said. “He is very charismatic and a great musician and director who brings the best out in choirs. This is one of the biggest reasons why I came to Tabor, because the Tabor choir competes with the highest level of choirs in the state of Kansas. And this has all rubbed off on me as I have watched and been personally instructed by Dr. Vogel.

“But he isn’t the only person in the Wohlgemuth music building,” Enns added. “All the faculty are experts in their field and very friendly and God-seeking people who have not only coached me musically, but spiritually as well.”

Singing has become a special way for Enns to express his Christian faith.

“Most everyone can say that there is something about music that can move the soul,” Enns said. “No one has figured it out yet, but I have definitely felt that there is something special about music. I am also the only one of my extended family who has been gifted with a talent for music, so I found it a real joy to further pursue that gift and develop it for God’s glory.”

At this point, Enns is undecided about which career path to take after graduation. “I am not sure what I am going to do,” he said. “The two biggest possibilities are finding a choir teaching job at a high school, or even attending a seminary to become a pastor. But I still have a few more years to figure it all out before its crunch time.”

Darren is the son of Jim and Brenda Enns.

‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ March 4-6

February 26, 2010

Categories: General News

The Tabor College Theatre Department will present the classic 1940s comedy Arsenic and Old Lace March 4, 5, and 6 at Tabor College.

The spring play, directed by Judy Harder, Associate Professor of Communications and Drama, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Theatre Lab located in the H.W. Lohrenz Building.

“I’m pleased with the entire cast,” Harder said. “The abilities of those in supporting roles remind me that there are no small parts. They are all seriously funny!”

Arsenic and Old Lace is the story of the wacky Brewster household, where “insanity runs in the family.” Soon-to-be-married Mortimer Brewster (Nolan Dirks, Hillsboro, Kan.) and his lovely bride-to-be Elaine (Clarissa Berglund, Gettysburg, S.D.), must deal with “sweet old aunts” Abby (Kirsten Krehbiel, Kingman, Kan.) and Martha (Maria Loewen, Hillsboro, Kan.), who’ve been offering their own remedy to lonely old men needing a place to stay.

Delightfully sour notes are added by Mort’s bugle-blowing Uncle Teddy (Carson Stutzman, Beaver Crossing, Neb.), who believes he’s Teddy Roosevelt.

The arrival of Mort’s shady brother Jonathan (Samuel Brucks, Wichita, Kan.) and his partner in crime Dr. Einstein (Jakob Brucks, Wichita, Kan.), and a steady stream of other misfits, played by Ben Heyen (Hillsboro, Kan.), Aaron Epp (Henderson, Neb.), Joshua Paulus (Victorville, Calif.), Sam Klein (Valley Center, Kan.), Victor Rogers (Hillsboro, Kan.), Scott Morrow (Bryan, Texas), and Andrew Rails (Hutchinson, Kan.), bring more hijinks than the happy couple can handle.

Tickets for Arsenic and Old Lace are $5 for students and $8 for general public. Seating is limited. Tickets should be purchased in advanced by calling the Student Life Office at (620) 947-3121 Ext. 1033.

A contest was held to select the promotional poster for the Tabor College production of ‘Arsenic and Old Lace,’ and the winning entry was created by junior Julie Wiens, a Graphic Design and Biblical/Religious Studies major from Fresno, Calif.

New Community Project Director David Radcliff to Speak March 1

February 26, 2010

Categories: General News

David Radcliff, Director of the New Community Project, will speak at 7 p.m. Monday, March 1, in the Wohlgemuth Music Education Center Lobby at Tabor College. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Living more sustainably with the earth and more fairly with its people, that’s the mission of the New Community Project. The New Community Project promotes peace through justice, care for creation, and experiential learning.

Join the New Community Project Director, David Radcliff, for a presentation and discussion on the State of the Earth intertwined with our Christian responsibility. Learn how the environment has become a peace & justice issue, and how we can be better stewards of God’s earth.

Based in Elgin, Ill., Radcliff travels widely around the U.S. doing presentations in schools, congregations, youth events, community settings, and regional and national gatherings. His areas of emphasis are living responsibly with the earth, living respectfully and justly with our neighbors, and generally confronting the culture of consumption for our own spiritual health and for the good of the planet, its people and coming generations.

David is a graduate of Bridgewater College and Bethany Seminary (MDiv, DMin [peace studies]); teaches courses at Elizabethtown College in the areas of globalization, environmental care, and poverty and hunger; has led Learning Tours to the Arctic, Amazon, Iraq, Sudan, and Central America; and has traded in his car for a bicycle.

Visit New Community Project

Storyteller John Sharp to Present ‘The Gravestone on Old Highway 56’ at Learning in Retirement Program March 1

February 23, 2010

Categories: General News

Historian and storyteller John Sharp will present “The Gravestone on Old Highway 56” at the Tabor College Learning in Retirement Program, beginning at 9:45 a.m. Monday, March 1, in the Wohlgemuth Music Education Center.

Sharp, who lives in Hesston, Kan. and teaches history at Hesston College, will tell the story of Henry and Suzanna Heatwole Brunk Cooprider, who arrived in Marion County in 1873. He will be accompanied by Herb Zook, a retired professor from Fort Hays State University and a direct descendant of Brunk.

“Many of us have been intrigued by the large headstone in the little cemetery between Hillsboro and Marion that reads ‘BRUNK’ in very large letters,” said Connie Isaac, Coordinator of the Learning In Retirement Program. “The tragedy behind that headstone is only part of their story. We will be particularly blessed to have John Sharp share their story with us.”

Sharp edited a collection of 28 stories of interesting people called, “Gathering at the Hearth.” More recently, Sharp was chosen to write the history of Hesston College for the celebration of its Centennial. The commemorative book is titled, “A School on the Prairie: A Centennial History of Hesston College, 1909-2009.” He also is active in leading tour groups to historical sites in Europe and Central Asia.

Sharp was raised in Central Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate education at Hesston College and Goshen College, Goshen, Ind. His post graduate work was done at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind. For 10 years he was director of the Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee and Archives, based in Goshen, Indiana.

The public is welcome to attend all Learning in Retirement programs. Fees are $3 per session or $15 per semester ($28 per couple). Registration and discount cards for lunch in the cafeteria will be available at the door during the half hour before the meeting. For more information, contact Connie Isaac, coordinator at (620)947-5964 or conniei@tabor.edu.