News

Study abroad fair includes information for international program options By Rebecca Pirrie In the 2017-2018 academic year, 291 Bethel students studied abroad. Of those students, 55 chose to study with an off-campus international program. The rest travelled with one of Bethel’s faculty-led programs. “There’s such a wide range of choices in regards to countries and disciplines,” Director of AIFS Study Abroad Ann Hubbard said. Bethel partners with multiple off-campus programs including Global Semesters, Academic Programs International and International Study Abroad. Presented alongside the other travel options, these organizations have the same cost effectiveness as Bethel’s faculty-led programs. “I think students feel more comfortable going with a program where they know the faculty,” Bethel Study Abroad Office Coordinator Eliza Jensen said. Jensen explained that with independent trips, the lack of familiar Bethel faces accompanying them could be intimidating to some. In other instances, a language barrier could be a concern involved… Keep Reading

School-wide email announces 2019-2020 presidential pair By Elena Vaughn The Brushaber Commons was crowded on Wednesday afternoon with a youth outreach organization recruitment table, the study abroad fair and a Bethel Student Government station. BSG held their reelection for the 2019-2020 Student Body President and Vice President. BSG social media director Kory Dahlstrom estimated a turnout of 50 voters within an hour. Senior senator Taz Song’ Ony observed a lot of energy and effort from both BSG and the student body. The election results exceeded the previous record for student participation, recording 1,111 voters after duplicates and false IDs were removed from the count. “There’s never been a time when a computer was just sitting open,” Executive Director of Student Senate Josh Turek said. “People have been voting all day.” The election results were emailed to students Friday morning. The 2019-2020 Student Body President and Vice President will be Kennadie… Keep Reading

By Sam Johnson Healthy conversations spark over a roundtable discussion of socialism. A full cookie platter and lemonade pitchers welcomed students to the Underground Tuesday evening for a conversation about democratic socialism. Bethel’s college democrats club, with the help of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), put on this event for a dozen students and community members attending the roundtable discussion. DSA Twin Cities chapter co-leaders Rita Allen and Nick Raymond led the conversation. Raymond began by talking about how he became passionate for democratic socialism, citing the 2016 election as his catalyst to begin advocating for socialism. “It ignited a fire in me,” Raymond said. He wanted to do something. Because of that, he joined DSA. For Raymond, his passion for socialism goes beyond the label. “Democratic socialism is about democracy,” he said. “I am a democrat with a lower-case ‘D.’ I believe in democracy.” Allen discussed the essence of… Keep Reading

Bestselling author and speaker discusses the importance of authenticity and being present By Emma Harville Crowds of excited students gathered in front of Benson Great Hall almost an hour before chapel was scheduled to begin Friday morning, clutching copies of Bob Goff’s New York Times bestselling book Love Does and hoping to get as close as they could to the author and speaker known for his goofy smile and infectious laugh. Goff walked on stage wearing his iconic Red Sox cap and a mood ring on his finger, speaking to a packed audience about the importance of authenticity. Minutes later when his cell phone rang, he tossed it into the crowd, asking a student to turn it off as he yelled out the passcode. “Now you know the password of every bank account I’ve got,” he said. Goff challenged the audience to take genuine interest in people, including enemies and… Keep Reading

BSG Candidate pairs share their opinions and goals for their presidential campaigns. By Jasmine Johnson “Riptide” by Vance Joy echoed against the walls of the Underground Monday night as two candidate pairs running for Bethel Student Government leadership took the stage for a public debate. Bags of fresh popcorn and BSG notepads laid on a fold-out table and students started to trickle in, completely filling the set tables. Current Student Body President Kennadie Anderson and Vice President Lucas Bentrud sat across from candidates Sean Doherty and Kristina Curtis with Executive Director of Student Senate Josh Turek moderating the questions. In the informational handout provided to the audience, both candidate pairs were provided the space to state their goals and hopes for their presidential terms. “We are passionate about advocating for those who feel that they don’t have a place or voice at Bethel and aspire to make Bethel a better… Keep Reading

Freshman Seth Haskin embodies the old days one suit at a time. By Zach Walker Seth Haskin spied on two families from a Dennys’ booth. Holding the laminated menu, he glanced from pair to pair, split by era, trapped motionless in only two dimensions. On one side sat a father and son adorned in the fashion of the 1950s. A three-piece suit and striped polo ordering dinner. Across from them, a similar family sat 60 years in the future. Haskin, adorned in a suit and tie, his daily garb, grinned at the older pair. The grin remained as he ordered a bacon cheeseburger. Haskin, a freshman at Bethel University, looks out of place. Surrounded by ripped jeans and hoodies, he walks the halls like a Dickens character would walk a cobblestone path. A top hat is placed firmly upon his head in the winter. Bow tie and suspenders always. “Everything… Keep Reading

By Carmen Syverson John Chouinard sat at Buffalo Wild Wings this fall semester with both first-year and second-year BUILD students. They all looked at him. Students he had just met. And students whom Chouinard reminded to do laundry every Monday night. Chouinard could see the growth in his second-year students and the potential of the first-year students all around one table on that fall evening. Chouinard, a junior at Bethel University, just filled out his application to be a BUILD housing mentor for the third year in a row. During Chouinard’s freshman year, he received an email from the BUILD program asking for applicants to be BUILD housing mentors. With no plans for roommates in place, Chouinard took the email as a sign to apply for a kind of housing situation that would look different from his classmates. Before coming to Bethel, Chouinard attended a small high school in Colorado… Keep Reading

Brittanie Blume’s journey of being a full-time student and a full-time parent. By Sara Dvorak Brittanie Blume dropped two pregnancy tests and a Butterfinger peanut butter cup on the conveyor belt. She teetered in line at the new Dollar General in Grantsburg, WI. Since no one she knew worked there, no one would be in on the secret. She threw the Butterfinger on the conveyor belt as an afterthought. That way, if anyone asked, she could say she went to the store to get some chocolate. She got into her black 2007 Dodge Charger. Her hands shook as she drove exactly one mile to her house. Her sister was the only one home, and she was asleep on the charcoal couch. “Ok, I’m fine,” Blume thought. She set her timer for 10 minutes and perched on the edge of the folded-down toilet seat. Her mind was as empty as a… Keep Reading