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McPherson College Honor Roll, Honorable Mention for Spring 2019

McPherson College recognizes its highest academic achievers in the spring 2019 Honor Roll and Honorable Mention. To qualify for the Honor Roll, students must be a full-time student and earn a grade point average of 3.55 or higher during the previous term. Students earning a grade point average from 3.25 to 3.54 are named to the Honorable Mention Roll.

Students named to the McPherson College Honor Roll for spring 2019 include:

Morgan Abbott, Junior, Decatur, TX
Nicole Abunaja, Sophomore, San Tan Valley, AZ
James Aikins, Junior, Hutchinson, KS
Kento Aizawa, Senior, McPherson, KS
Zackary Alexander, Junior, McPherson, KS
Riley Allen, Freshman, Logan, KS
Jose Alonso, Sophomore, Wichita, KS
Esther Tibaidjuka Amuli, Sophomore, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Aryana Archuleta, Junior, Sacramento, CA
Olivia Baldner, Senior, Johnston, IA
Reganne Barker, Junior, Tipton, KS
Thane Barta, Sophomore, Anchorage, AK
Guido Battistini, Junior, Pilar, Argentina
Cody Baumgartner, Freshman, Hudson, CO
Walter Behrens, Sophomore, Crested Butte, CO
Julia Berger, Senior, Washington, DC
Ethan Billhime, Senior, Windermere, FL
Diamond Blaylock-Norris, Junior, Flower Mound, TX
Julien Bodin, Sophomore, Cartagena, Spain
Kevin Boeckman, Junior, Wamego, KS
Jonatan Bonilla, Sophomore, Del Valle, TX
Molly Booker, Freshman, Roseville, CA
Luke Borton, Junior, Independence, KS
Zoe Bouwmeester, Senior, Zutphen, The Netherlands
Kyle Bowers, Senior, Wichita, KS
Cameron Boyce, Freshman, Tebbetts, MO
Reven Bradbury, Sophomore, Castle Rock, CO
Riley Bradbury, Sophomore, Castle Rock, CO
Trey Brand, Junior, Maize, KS
Kyrstin Branscum, Freshman, Gravette, AR
Abigail Briscoe, Freshman, Little River, KS
Cedric Brown, Freshman, Culpeper, VA
Makaylee Bryson, Freshman, Spanish Fork, UT
Ashley Burch, Senior, Pittsburg, KS
Alex Burger, Junior, Sedan, KS
Robert Calkins, Senior, Rowlett, TX
James Canar, Freshman, Longmont, CO
Diego Cantu, Senior, Roma, TX
Garrett Carroll, Junior, Conroe, TX
Eugenio Cervantez, Sophomore, Princeton, TX
Karley Clark, Senior, McPherson, KS
Chloe Cloud, Senior, Wichita, KS
Justin Cochran, Senior, Wichita, KS
Tyesha Collins, Freshman, Colorado Springs, CO
Garrett Connor, Junior, Parker, CO
Chelsea Conrad, Senior, Ione, CA
Timothy Cowan, Senior, Shawnee Mission, KS
Jonathan Cox, Senior, Hialeah, FL
Micaila Curtis, Senior, Great Bend, KS
Rashida Davis, Senior, Liberal, KS
Dante Dellacroce, Junior, Colorado Springs, CO
Dominic DeLuca, Senior, Hutchinson, KS
Brooke DeLuca, Senior, Hutchinson, KS
Tyler Dunn, Sophomore, Lawton, OK
Paul Calvin Dusabe, Freshman, Commune De Limete, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Taylor Ellison, Senior, Tulsa, OK
Greggory Elvin, Senior, Marquette, KS
Keisha England, Senior, Sand Springs, OK
Benjamin Falconer, Junior, Greeley, CO
Jadin Fleming, Freshman, Castle Rock, CO
Theodore Flint, Freshman, Sagle , ID
Linda Flores, Junior, Paramus, NJ
Rachel Foreman, Senior, Holcomb, KS
Erin Fralick, Senior, New Palestine, IN
Jesse Freeman, Senior, Castle Rock, CO
Rinaldo Gagiano, Junior, Sydney , Australia
Alejandra Galindo, Senior, Roma, TX
Chandler Gehring, Junior, Las Vegas, NV
Elle Gillen, Junior, Castle Rock, CO
Kollin Goering, Freshman, McPherson, KS
Victoria Gonzalez, Junior, Keller, TX
Quinn Gordon, Junior, Sherman Oaks, CA
Cullen Grabast, Junior, Osborne, KS
Moneshya Green, Junior, McCook, NE
Sierra Grow, Freshman, Halstead, KS
Madison Hall, Freshman, The Colony, TX
Alicia Hall, Junior, Aurora, CO
Daniel Hartman, Senior, Wichita , KS
Kaitlyn Heinis, Senior, Oviedo, FL
Shyanne Henkis, Freshman, Laveen, AZ
Grayson Henry, Freshman, McKinney, TX
Sydney Hicks, Freshman, Thornton, CO
Jaden Hilgers, Senior, Wichita, KS
Charles Hoehaver, Senior, Auburn, AL
Joshua Hoerner, Sophomore, Lindsborg , KS
Alissa Hofmann, Junior, Gilbert, AZ
Danielle Holt, Junior, Glenpool, OK
Cara Hudson, Senior, Wasco, CA
Haley Hurst, Freshman, Norman, OK
Florine Ibale, Sophomore, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lionel Ibonga, Junior, McPherson, KS
Colin Irvin, Sophomore, North Kingstown, RI
Navid Istanbullu, Sophomore, Bremen, Germany
Makenzie Jansonius, Freshman, Prairie View, KS
Ashley Jensen, Senior, Indianola, IA
Lucas Jez, Senior, Westfield, MA
Juan Jimenez, Senior, Pereira, Colombia
Destiny Johnson, Sophomore, Arlington, TX
Jessica Jones, Junior, Brentwood, CA
Codi-Lane Jones, Junior, Salina, KS
Daniel Journey, Junior, Olathe, KS
Neville Kabangu, Sophomore, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Sebia Kalambayi Kabedi, Junior, Lake Bluff, IL
Thara Kalambayi Kapinga, Junior, Lake Bluff, IL
Gracia Kasereka, Sophomore, Commune De Selembao, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Christopher Kelly, Senior, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Jessica Knoeber, Senior, Hutchinson, KS
Justus Clemens Kohler, Sophomore, Prosselsheim, Germany
Jakob Komel, Freshman
Jessica Lane, Senior, Weatherford, TX
Tatelyn Lasley, Junior, Springfield, CO
Jaivion Lattimore, Freshman, Aurora, CO
Timothy Lauring, Senior, Paxton, MA
Cierra Lee, Junior, Goodyear, AZ
James Lee, Sophomore, Royston, United Kingdom
Alexander Lehn, Senior, McPherson, KS
Yunce Liang, Senior, Tianjin, China
Dakota Logan, Sophomore, Monclova, OH
Amanda Lolling, Senior, Haysville, KS
Andre Guillaume Lubaya, Sophomore, Young America, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Esther Lubiba, Sophomore, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mitchell Ludinich, Sophomore, Nowata, OK
Kylee Martin, Senior, Larned, KS
Aventino Martinez-Garcia, Sophomore, Wichita, KS
Brent Masters, Junior, Howe, TX
Samantha Coraliss Mayaka, Freshman, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Hannah McKay, Freshman, Golden, CO
Nathaniel McLaughlin, Junior, Ticonderoga, NY
Robert Medina, Freshman, Olathe, KS
Hunter Meeks-Riner, Sophomore, Broken Arrow, OK
Matthew Melchor, Freshman, Wichita, KS
Wyatt Miceli, Freshman, Woodacre, CA
Micayla Mikulski, Freshman, Houston, TX
Matthew Tyler Miller-Wells, Senior, Leavenworth, KS
Rodrigo Miranda Enriquez, Freshman, Great Bend, KS
Myron Moncur, Senior, San Jose, CA
Zackery Moran, Junior, Bonnet Bay, NSW, Australia
Karl Moritz, Senior, Columbia, PA
Peyton Morris, Sophomore, Burleson, TX
Maison Moseley, Freshman, Woodward, OK
Ilanna Moyer, Junior, McPherson, KS
Billy Muhizi, Junior, Dacula, GA
Joyce Muhizi, Junior, Dacula, GA
Juliana Munoz, Senior, Antelope, CA
Paul Kapya Mwengwe, Freshman, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Michel Mwengwe, Freshman, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Nicholas Navarro, Senior, Paramus, NJ
Samantha Nelson, Senior, Clearfield, UT
Matthew Nutting, Sophomore, Foxboro, MA
Lillian Oeding, Senior, Wichita, KS
Tevin Oller, Junior, Shawnee Mission, KS
Julianna Olvera, Senior, Bakersfield, CA
Garrett Owen, Junior, Woodward, OK
Grant Owens, Freshman, Hutchinson, KS
Frances Parish, Freshman, Rogers, AR
Louis Parker, Senior, Oklahoma City, OK
Katherina Paulson, Senior, McPherson, KS
Tina Payne, Senior, Limon, CO
Allison Penalva, Sophomore, McPherson, KS
Taylor Perez, Sophomore, Tulsa, OK
Mason Polston, Senior, Emporia, KS
Aysia Pryor, Senior, Wichita, KS
Grant Raleigh, Senior, Hesston, KS
Alexander Ramsier, Senior, Wooster, OH
Kendryk Rankin, Junior, Fountain, CO
Philip Reinhardt, Senior, Tenants Harbor, ME
Joshua Reyes, Junior, Plano, TX
Ian Rhoten, Senior, Wichita, KS
Rianne Richard, Senior, Kechi, KS
Cami Richardson, Junior, Hesston, KS
Dylan Riley, Junior, Lake Ozark, MO
Joseph Robben, Sophomore, Goddard, KS
Sean Robinson, Freshman, La Grange, IL
Scarlet Rodriguez, Senior, Houston, TX
Kaleb Rogers, Senior, Falun, KS
Nathaniel Russo, Freshman, Wheat Ridge, CO
Rick Sakamoto, Freshman, Frankston South, Australia
Juan Salmeron Rattana, Junior, Dodge City, KS
Yoranne Sambu, Sophomore, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kody Scholl, Freshman, Colorado Springs, CO
Morgan Sechler, Senior, McPherson, KS
Leia Seiler, Senior, Brighton, CO
Amber Shuey, Senior, Wichita, KS
Jamie Siess, Senior, Tecumseh, KS
Christie Silber, Sophomore, Simi Valley, CA
Emma Singleton, Freshman, North Las Vegas, NV
Kortney Slaughter Jones, Junior, Brentwood, CA
Blake Slaymaker, Junior, Johnstown, CO
Bo Slaymaker, Freshman, Johnstown, CO
Rhianna Smith, Senior, Lindsborg, KS
Zadie Smith, Senior, McPherson, KS
Alison Smith, Junior, Lockeford, CA
Karlie Sneed, Freshman, Seminole, OK
McKenzie Stalnaker, Junior, Wichita, KS
Stevie Stockham, Senior, McPherson, KS
Ryan Swiggart, Junior, Haysville, KS
Brett Sykes, Junior, Coldspring, TX
Xavier Taylor, Sophomore, Waynesville, MO
Sean Thomson, Freshman, Blandford Forum, United Kingdom
Elizabeth Thornton, Junior, Karval, CO
Kaden Tichenor, Freshman, Holcomb, KS
Meklit Tilahun, Junior, McPherson, KS
Adriana Tilleman, Freshman, Van Alstyne, TX
Max Tucker, Junior, Saint Charles, IL
Jacob Turley, Junior, Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom
Nicholas Turner, Freshman, Hemphill, TX
Kaitlynn Usdansky, Senior, Olathe, KS
Kaitlyn van Asselt, Senior, McPherson, KS
Susana Velasquez, Sophomore, Monterey Park, CA
Italia Venegas, Junior, Shawnee Mission, KS
Victoria Voyles, Senior, McPherson, KS
Nicolas Wahl, Junior, Koenigstein, Germany
Myriah Webster, Junior, Lindsborg, KS
Collin Wedel, Freshman, Moundridge, KS
Hannah Wedel, Senior, Halstead, KS
Courtney Weesner, Junior, Hutchinson, KS
Albert Wegener, Junior, Kansas City, MO
Benjamin Wellikoff, Junior, Newberg, OR
Sierra Werries, Senior, McPherson, KS
Elizabeth Williams, Junior, Broken Arrow, OK
Alyssa Wilson, Sophomore, Lukachukai, AZ
Parkes Wolters, Senior, Osborne, KS
Ellis Woodruff, Sophomore, Princeton, TX
Logan Worswick, Senior, Garland, TX
Julianna Yanez, Sophomore, Wichita, KS
Marissa Zamora, Junior, Chester , CA

Students named to the McPherson College Honorable Mention for spring 2019 include:

Evariste Abeli, Freshman, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cori Alexander, Sophomore, Roanoke, TX
Destiny Bacon, Sophomore, La Mesa, CA
Ian Baker, Freshman, Provo, UT
Lilliana Balderas, Freshman, Wichita, KS
Christie Betker, Junior, Reno, NV
Jack Bradley, Freshman, Mounds, OK
Mairion Brunken, Sophomore, Willemstad, The Netherlands
Brady Carstens, Freshman, Firestone, CO
Brett Carter, Senior, Sachse, TX
Naomi Cartmell, Junior, Oberlin, KS
Calvin Cassida, Junior, Louisburg, KS
Gavin Christensen, Junior, Tacoma, WA
Justin Clemens, Freshman, Colorado Springs, CO
Cailey Cornett, Freshman, Lindsborg, KS
Ed Crouch, Senior, Miami Gardens, FL
Jake Curtis, Freshman, Great Bend, KS
Charity Davis, Junior, Lawton, OK
Haydn Denis, Freshman, Phoenix, AZ
David Deramee, Senior, Azle, TX
Matthew DeVoe, Junior, Chanute, KS
Jennie Erven, Sophomore, Scott City, KS
Jerod Fuller, Senior, Polk City, FL
Micah Gilbert, Senior, Elkhart, IN
Cali Godwin, Junior, Wichita, KS
Jacqueline Gullion, Freshman, Fremont, CA
Careino Gurley, Senior, Minneapolis, MN
Garrett Ham, Sophomore, Albuquerque, NM
Brittni Harlow, Senior, Lincoln, KS
Mitchell Harms, Senior, Orange Cove, CA
Curren Harris, Senior, Hiwassee, VA
Tristan Hawkinson, Senior, Hutchinson, KS
Natalie Hemann, Junior, Osage, IA
Cole Hinton, Junior, Wathena, KS
Jonathan Hoffman, Freshman, Wysox, PA
Martin Jaime, Freshman, San Antonio, TX
Janell Johnson, Senior, McPherson, KS
Chloe Jones, Freshman, McPherson, KS
Liliane Kathoheryo, Freshman, Goma, Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Choucranie Kayembe, Sophomore, Lubumbashi Haut Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Thomas Kleywegt, Junior, Gravesend, United Kingdom
Haelie Kniesteadt, Junior, Gove, KS
Connor Kresky, Senior, McPherson, KS
Lance Lagasse, Sophomore, New Sweden, ME
Skylar Lane, Sophomore, Castle Rock, CO
Sydney Lang, Senior, Berryton, KS
Aaron Leck, Junior, McPherson, KS
Kyle Lux, Junior, Lewes, DE
Carelle Mampasu, Freshman, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Luis Martinez, Sophomore, Dallas, TX
Adrian Martinez Sanchez, Freshman, Laredo, TX
Trisha Mathewson, Freshman, Axtell, KS
Richard Mbuyamba, Freshman, Johannesburg, South Africa
Gerardo Mendez, Senior, Wichita, KS
Cole Miller, Freshman, McPherson, KS
Killian Millner, Senior, McPherson, KS
Tyler Minney, Senior, Stewkley, United Kingdom
Grant Munsen, Junior, Manhattan, KS
LeaAnn Myers, Junior, Loveland, CO
Tyler Norris, Sophomore, Arvada, CO
Madison O’Brien, Senior, Dighton, KS
Kentaro Oya, Freshman, Saitama-shi, Japan
Nicholas Papini, Senior, Mundelein, IL
Erica Paradise, Freshman, Bakersfield, CA
Tyler Perkins, Senior, Lake Ozark, MO
Kristin Potter, Junior, Houston, TX
Bela Raimondi, Senior, Colfax, CA
Onya Rainbolt, Larned, KS
Dominick Ramos, Senior, Fresno, CA
Carlos Reyna, Junior, Hutchinson, KS
Jonas Rivero, Freshman, Dumas, TX
Nathan Robl, Junior, Lyons, KS
Carter Runyan, Freshman, Olathe, KS
Katherine Saul, Freshman, Porter, TX
Bryce Snodgrass, Junior, Peyton, CO
Antonio Snyder, Sophomore, Newton, KS
Jack Stalcup, Sophomore, Hugoton, KS
Hunter Sury, Senior, Katy, TX
Jacob Tiernan, Senior, Abilene, KS
Peyton Turner, Senior, McPherson, KS
Luis Valdez-Rivera, Freshman, Sachse, TX
Joshua Wade, Sophomore, Olathe, KS
Kellen Watkins, Senior, Hugoton, KS
Frederick Watts, Sophomore, Channelview, TX
Bradley Wells, Senior, Olathe, KS
Austin Wiley, Freshman, Kansas City, MO
Justin Wiltfong, Senior, Stockton, KS
Cordell Wingerd, Junior, Davenport, IA
Evan Wojtkiewicz, Senior, Kansas City, MO
Brandt Wolters, Senior, Portis, KS
Madyson Woog, Sophomore, Highlands Ranch, CO
Brittany Zipf, Junior, Rockhampton, Australia

McPherson College Celebrates Graduating Class of 2019

MC Graduation 2019

Two long-time faculty members delivered words of advice to the 2019 graduating class when McPherson College conferred degrees on 151 students in its 131st Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 19, 2019. The graduating class included 7 students receiving masters of education degrees.

In his introduction, President Michael Schneider said, few people embody the mission and values of McPherson College like Dan Hoffman, associate professor of health and physical education. Hoffman has served the college as a campus leader, teacher, coach and friend for nearly four decades, President Schneider said.

Professor Hoffman, who retired at the end of the semester after 37 years, shared some of his favorite life philosophies with the graduates.

“Make time for play in your life,” he said. “When you drive by a city park, stop and spend some time on the swings. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel. Never discount the benefits of play.”

In the Homily, Dave O’Dell, professor of accounting, congratulated the graduates for climbing mountains that seemed too high, and reminded them that life is about making memories. “And, don’t forget to call your parents,” he said. “They love you and want to hear from you.”

Keisha England, senior class representative, also addressed the class. She reminded the students of all that was offered to them during their four years at McPherson College and hoped they took full advantage.

“There may be some regrets, but I encourage you to remember them in this next stage in life. Use it to push you to take advantage of all the fun that you can, so you can leave knowing you have experienced everything that you wanted to.”

Names of the graduating class of 2019, the Commencement video, and photos of the day can be found at: www.mcpherson.edu/graduation.

Sixth Graders Visit Campus to See What College is Like

Sixth grade students from the McPherson Middle School got the opportunity to see what college-life is like when they visited McPherson College today. The students toured campus, sampled food in the dining hall, visited a residence hall, and got a close look at an academic program.

The college hosted 180 sixth graders as part of the McPherson Middle School’s College and Career Ready program.

“The college visit gets kids out to experience what college is like,” Joan Schieferecke, College and Career Ready advocate at the middle school, said. “I think the visits really open their eyes at an early age to how important grades are to get into the college they want.”

The College and Career Ready program takes students to colleges, community colleges, state universities, and career fairs beginning in sixth grade and continuing through eighth grade, according to Schieferecke. McPherson College has hosted the sixth graders on campus for the past five years.

“It’s a great way for us to help young students picture themselves going to college,” Christi Hopkins, vice president of enrollment management, said. “Middle school is not too early to begin exploring colleges and thinking about careers. We are excited that McPherson College can be the first college visit for many of these students.”

The college visit is just one of the ways the students are encouraged to start discovering what they like and don’t like, what interests them, and what their dreams are for the future, according to Shieferecke.

“It helps the students to start asking questions that they might not have thought about before,” she said. “For example, they might not have considered a career in automotive restoration before touring that program. Especially for some of the girls who noticed the female students in the program last year, they were very excited about the possibilities.”

McPherson High School musicians sign with McPherson College

McPherson High School students sign letters of intent to participate in the McPherson College Band

Left to right, back row: Austin Russell, MHS band director; Kyle Hopkins, McPherson College band director; Kyle Unruh, MHS band director;
Left to right, front row: Lindy Reynolds, Grace van Asselt, Hannah Butler

Three students from McPherson High School recently signed letters of intent to participate in the McPherson College Band. Hannah Butler, Lindy Reynolds, and Grace van Asselt, will join the college band this fall.

Butler is the daughter of Jeff and Angela Butler and plays the saxophone. In high school she was active in band and journalism, part of the band leadership for two years and a member of the Quill and Scroll Society. Reynolds is the daughter of Brian and Kristen Reynolds and plays the trumpet. During high school she was active in band, jazz band, theatre, and youth group. Van Asselt is the daughter of Allan and Deb van Asselt and is a percussionist. She participated in band and is a Presidential Scholar.

Kyle Hopkins, director of McPherson College bands, stated, “The McPherson College Band is thrilled to have such a close relationship with the McPherson High School Band. We host their marching band camp on our campus every summer and work collaboratively throughout the year to make both of our programs better. Hannah, Lindy, and Grace will be an amazing addition to our college program. They’ve been leaders and catalysts for success in their high school band and we look forward to them making a huge impact on our college band.”

MC Students Take Top Awards at Design Competitions

Wichita AIGA Student Portfolio Forum

Students in the McPherson College Visual Arts Department are finding success this year in design competitions and in career opportunities. Students in the program recently brought home top awards again this year from the Wichita AIGA Student Portfolio Forum and from the Dallas Society of Visual Communications (DSVC) national student show and conference and one student was selected out of 700 applicants for a prestigious summer internship.

This summer, Chloe Cloud, a senior from Wichita, will work with Barkley Advertising in Kansas City, Missouri. Barkley is the largest independent advertising agency in Kansas City and the seventh largest independent agency in the United States. Its clients include Applebee’s, Cargill, Spirit Airlines, Russell Athletic, AMC Theatres, and many more. This was the first time that students from McPherson College applied for the internship opportunity.

This is also the first year that McPherson College students competed in the DSVC national student show. Six student projects were accepted into the show and Micah Gilbert, a junior from Elkhart, Indiana, received first place for his photography entry. Visual Arts students also competed at the AIGA annual student competition where college students have the opportunity to have their design portfolios reviewed by professionals in the industry. Students taking top awards there include:

  • Italia Venegas, junior, Shawnee Mission, Kansas, first place, motion design
  • Lillian Oeding, senior, Wichita, first place, web design
  • Chloe Cloud, senior, Wichita, first place, best ad
  • Jaden Hilgers, senior, Wichita, third place, overall portfolio

“We received great comments about our students at each of the design competitions,” Dee Erway-Sherwood, professor of graphic design and department chair of art and design, said. “We encourage the McPherson College design students to take part in competitions and design shows to network with industry professionals, which in some cases lead to internships and job opportunities. Not only are these great experiences for our students, but they are also highly competitive with students from schools across the country.”

McPherson College Art Professor Takes Top Prize at National Show

Michaela Valli Groeblacher

McPherson College Assistant Professor of Art Michaela Valli Groeblacher with her award winning sculpture.

McPherson College Assistant Professor of Art Michaela Valli Groeblacher received first place in the prestigious national ceramics exhibition in Wichita with her piece Clown #2.

The Art of Clay: Wichita National Exhibition focuses on ceramic and sculpture made of clay and assembles entries from artists across the country. It was juried by renown artist Marko Fields, owner of Mojo Gallery in Minnesota who is widely exhibited, collected and published and Diego Valles, a master potter from Mexico who was recognized as the Premier Visual Artist of Mexico.

“This show assembles a dazzling array of exquisite work,” Fields said. “Culling the accepted works from the pool of entries was challenging, but determining the award winners was especially so. The work at the top is extraordinary.”

The exhibit is on display at the Mary R. Koch Mark Arts Center in Wichita through June 29.

McPherson College Student Takes First at State Science Conference

MC senior Parkes Wolters

MC senior Parkes Wolters presenting at Kansas Academy of Science and Kansas Entomological Society.

Parkes Wolters, a senior at McPherson College, placed first in the undergraduate oral presentation competition at the annual meeting of the Kansas Academy of Science and Kansas Entomological Society on March 30. Wolters, a biochemistry major, is from Osborne, Kansas.

His presentation was titled “Measuring the Relationship Between Body Condition and Body Composition in Two Kansas Spider Species.” Wolters will attend medical school at the University of Kansas next year. During his sophomore year, he was one of 16 students accepted into the Scholars in Rural Health program at the University, which assures his acceptance into the medical school.

Two other McPherson College students Micaila Curtis and Samantha Nelson also presented at the annual meeting. All natural science students at McPherson College work on a capstone research project for nearly two years. Students from McPherson College consistently place among the top undergraduate research presentations each year at the meeting, according to Dustin Wilgers associate professor in natural sciences.

“The Kansas Academy of Science and Kansas Entomological Society meeting is an excellent opportunity for our students to share their research with scientists of all levels across the state and our student all did an excellent job sharing their research again this year,” Wilgers said. “The opportunity to hear about other research going on by other students and other institutions and networking with other scientists makes this experience worth all the extra effort they put into it.”

The Kansas Academy of Science is the second oldest state academy of science in the United States and is committed to encouraging education in the sciences and sharing scientific information through academics. Its annual convention draws student presenters from all universities and colleges in Kansas. The annual meeting is held jointly with the Kansas Entomological Society and this year was hosted by Johnson County Community College.

McPherson College Student Selected For National Convention Internship

MC Student Cali Godwin

Cali Godwin selected as one of only six students who will serve as interns and multimedia journalists for the Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) Annual Conference.

McPherson College student Cali Godwin has been selected as one of only six students who will serve as interns and multimedia journalists for the Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) Annual Conference. More than 50 students from across the country, from both undergraduate and graduate programs, applied for the six internships positions. Godwin, of Wichita, is a communications major with an English minor.

“This is a very big deal,” said Julia Largent, assistant professor of communications at McPherson College. “Cali’s application competed against students from much larger universities. Some of the other interns are from schools like Washington State University and the University of Alabama.”

According to BEA, Godwin was selected based on her well-rounded skill sets, innovative ideas, and letter of recommendation. BEA is the premier conference for broadcast education and partners with the National Association of Broadcasters each April for its event in Las Vegas. Along with assisting with on-site conference logistics, Godwin will also be producing daily news stories about the conference for various web and digital platforms.

McPherson College Student Designs Exhibit for Museum

Eliminating racial boundaries is something Diamond Blaylock-Norris is committed to doing in her lifetime. The McPherson College junior is taking a step in pursuing that goal with an exhibit she helped create at the McPherson Museum, titled “Social Change: Then & Now.” The exhibit is part of several exhibits on display in February at the museum to celebrate Black History Month.

“This museum exhibit has always been a dream of mine,” she said. “I’m pretty spontaneous and I just walked in one day and asked if I could do it.”

Blaylock-Norris, a history major at the college, did most of the research for the exhibit, developed a plan for it, and worked with museum staff to create the concept and build it. Anna Ruxlow, director of the museum, is pleased with the final result.

“It’s a great conversation starter,” Ruxlow said. “We have received really positive feedback from our visitors. I’ve lived in McPherson County my entire life and I have learned a lot from the exhibit.”

The centerpiece of the exhibit is a recreation of a 1950’s drug store counter and represents a real-life event that happened in Wichita, Kansas at Dockhum Drug Store. In July 1958, Dockhum’s was the site of one of America’s first sit-ins, a nonviolent tactic that was pivotal during the Civil Rights Movement. Larger and more well-known sit-ins occurred later in the 1960s. The exhibit features an audio recording of a sit-in to give viewers an interactive experience.

“The recording really puts you in the scene,” Blaylock-Norris said. “I think there is so much about Kansas that people don’t know.”

The exhibit also explores social change closer to home with photos from the All-Schools Day parade depicting change from Ku Klux Klan marchers in the 1920s to how different cultures have been incorporated in more recent years. Another portion of the exhibit includes a story told by a man whose father helped save his neighbor from a potential KKK threat near Galva in 1917 when he recognized the shoes of one of the hooded klansmen.

“My main objective was educational,” Blaylock-Norris said. “It’s really about just letting people see how much we have overcome, but that we still have a way to go.”

The exhibit is a nice companion to the other two exhibits currently on display at the museum. In the front entry, cultural artifacts from the Church of the Brethren missionaries in Africa and China display the work of the church in those countries. Also, a traveling exhibit from the Kauffman Museum in Newton titled, “Sorting Out Race,” examines racial imagery through thrift store donations.

Blaylock-Norris plans to continue her education after she graduates from McPherson College to become a social worker. She participates in track and field, is a student ambassador, an executive board member of the Student Government Association and plans to run for student body president later this spring. She is also considering continuing her work at the museum.

“Maybe, I’d like to volunteer to do tours for third graders,” she said.

McPherson College Students Selected for Juried Photo Exhibition

photo by Micah Gilbert

“Drop of Color” by Micah Gilbert

Photographs taken by three McPherson College students were selected for exhibition in the 35th Annual Five State Photography Competition in Hays, Kansas. One student was selected by the juror for an honorable mention cash award.

Micah Gilbert, a junior from Elkhart, Indiana, received honorable mention in the open class for his color photograph titled, “Drop of Color.” Photographs by Chloe Cloud, senior of McPherson, and Jaden Hilgers, senior of Wichita, were selected for exhibition.

“It’s quite an accomplishment for a student to get selected into the exhibit,” Ann Zerger, professor of art, said. “They are competing against the work of professional photographers. This is only the second time one of our students has been selected for an award.”

The Five State Photography Exhibition is an annual photographic competition of works submitted from Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri, and Nebraska sponsored by the Hays Arts Council. This year 326 photographs were submitted and 161 were selected by the exhibition juror, Kevin Sisemore, a professional photographer from Kansas City. The exhibition closes on January 26.