Bethany Magazine - Winter 2023

BUILDING THE MAST

THANK YOU!

Through the support of many loyal Bethany alumni and friends, Give to Bethany Day 2022 was a tremendous success. When the clock struck midnight on November 10 after a full day of interaction across the Bethany Advancement office, friends and alumni of Bethany made

555 gifts totaling $123,324!

After that date, the mail continued to flow in, and our staff heard from Bethany supporters and Challenge Grant originators who wanted to fully maximize the collective momentum of this event. When all the phone calls were answered, and letters, emails, and texts were opened, God blessed our efforts with a final GTBD tally of 597 gifts and $135,169. Adding in the $70,000 from Challenge Grants, our Bethany Fund grew by

$205,169!

As this fund annually represents five percent of our College budget, a huge thank you for all those who chose to make a donation enhancing both the experience for this year’s students and our ongoing mission to bring the “One Thing Needful” to each of them.

BY GENE PFEIFER • PRESIDENT, BETHANY LUTHERAN COLLEGE

The Bond of Bethany’s People

Typical for any school year, this past fall Bethany hosted several significant events that brought many guests to campus. Among them, over the course of one November week, the College hosted the WELS West Regional Choral Fest that brought students from ten Lutheran high schools, along with many families and friends, to campus, and then the following day hosted a site visit team from our accreditation agency. An outcome stemming from these events was that hundreds of people – perhaps a thousand – had the opportunity to spend time on our campus for the very first time. Among the many comments received were that Bethany’s campus and facilities are outstanding.

Bethany has certainly been blessed by God with a beautiful campus and excellent facilities, and we do hear these positive comments frequently. But when alumni and friends are asked what’s special about Bethany, what is mentioned most frequently is the faculty, staff, and friends they were mentored by and interacted with while enjoying their time on campus, and by the bond of Christian faith that united them. The focus of this issue of the Bethany Magazine is about just that—Bethany’s people. Through the articles shared you’ll read many stories about these special people whose important work and lives are being blessed by our Lord at BLC and beyond.

God is blessing this special college through the people connected to this place including our talented students and Bethany alumni throughout the world. When I reflect on the countless blessings we have here at Bethany, foremost in my mind are the gifts and talents He’s given to those who labor on her behalf. I marvel at the team God has assembled at Bethany for the purpose of carrying out our mission and His purpose.

The unique abilities of our faculty and staff shine through our student body. When I see Bethany through our students, I’m also amazed by their wide-ranging and exceptional abilities, by their values

and character traits, and by their ever-maturing faith that continues to grow on this Christ-centered campus.

And while I stand in admiration of the contributions our faculty and staff make to Bethany and our students’ achievements, I witness these same traits exemplified in our alumni who take their Bethany education focused on our Savior into their homes, communities, workplaces, and churches.

We also realize these special gifts are part of an imperfect world that will not last forever. Ultimately, what we have in common at Bethany is a zeal for proclaiming the Truth found through the One Thing Needful—that through Jesus’ perfect life and innocent suffering and death on our behalf we have confidence that by faith our eternal futures are secure. And it is Jesus’ model of servant leadership that inspires our faculty and staff to dedicate their time, gifts, and talents in service to their Savior and to our students and constituents.

It’s such a joy and privilege to serve at Bethany Lutheran College, and to witness the unceasing dedication and support for our mission, students, alumni, and most importantly the love for our Savior, Jesus, while thanking Him for His love for us every day.

God is blessing this special college through the people connected to this place including our talented students and Bethany alumni throughout the world.

First recipients honored with Exceptional Service to Bethany Award

BY LANCE SCHWARTZ ’86 • CHIEF COMMUNICATION OFFICER

The first recipients of the Exceptional Service to Bethany Award were recognized at a ceremony held during the 2022 Fall Festival and Homecoming Weekend. A group of family and friends of Bethany President Emeritus Norman Holte and Ms. Eleanor Wilson gathered in Honsey Hall as the inaugural inductees were acknowledged for their contributions to the College. Bethany President Dr. Gene Pfeifer shared remarks at the event, as well as Dr. Thomas Kuster who spoke on behalf of Eleanor Wilson, and Mr. Ron Younge on behalf of Norman Holte.

This Exceptional Service Award was created to recognize faculty or staff members, administrators, volunteers, or a specific class or group who has contributed substantially to the well-being of Bethany Lutheran High School or College by furthering its purposes and programs. The award is selected annually by the Bethany Alumni Board.

Norman Holte graduated from Bethany Lutheran College, then worked for two years in the shipyards in Richmond, California. He returned to college in 1944 and graduated with a bachelor of science and later a master’s degree in social studies — both from the University of Minnesota. He began his 41-year career at Bethany in 1945 teaching history, economics, political science, psychology, and social science. He also served as Dean of Students, Principal of the high school, Registrar, Academic Dean, and President of the College. Holte was known for his gentle and humble servant demeanor, and most importantly he was committed to bringing the “One Thing Needful” to Bethany students throughout his many years on campus. Wherever the College needed him, Holte was willing to faithfully serve. As a result he made a wonderful impact on so many who studied and worked at Bethany. Holte passed away in 2011.

Eleanor Wilson received her bachelor of science degree in Latin from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and her master of science degree in Latin and teaching Latin and English from Columbia University, New York City. She taught English and Latin at Bethany Lutheran High School and Junior College from 1952-1961, and was also an advisor to the Service Club, Latin Club, and The Scroll newspaper. The Service Club she started at Bethany supported many projects such as making visits to mentally ill patients of the State Hospital in St. Peter, Minnesota, and to residents of the Kasota Home for Aged to visit, read, write, and sing. This group also collected funds to support mission work and items for children in need. Wilson resigned from her beloved teaching position at Bethany in order to care for her two older sisters. In retirement, she would tutor students in Latin, was active at her church by teaching Sunday School, and also continued to support Bethany by being an active member of the Madison Area Bethany Auxiliary. In 1990 after her passing, through her estate she endowed the Eleanor Wilson Chair of Speech/English Communication. This chair supports the teaching of communication courses, the continuation of intercollegiate speech competition, and instruction of seminary students in communication skills.

Ron Younge spoke on behalf of Norman Holte.

Dr. Tom Kuster spoke on behalf of Eleanor Wilson.

The Exceptional Service to Bethany awards display is located on the main level of Honsey Hall.

From our Faculty & Staff

Peter Bloedel (Theatre) was granted a sabbatical to create an interdisciplinary original work for stage. The Bethany Theatre Program has become known for producing original theatrical scripts and family friendly, Christ-centered productions. The plan for this new script will be to write a Christmas play with a working title What Child Is This? The desired timeline is for the production to premiere in Fall 2024.

Mark DeGarmeaux (Languages, Music, Religion) has been involved with a number of presentations and projects. He led an organist workshop and hymn festival in Frankenmuth, Michigan, and preached in Norwegian and was organist for Rock Dell Lutheran Church 150th anniversary services in summer 2022. For the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) Worship Committee, he prepared Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (ELH) Made Easier (three-part settings of the liturgies, and some hymns in easier settings and easier keys), and led a Heritage of Hymns event at the ELS Synod Convention.

Benjamin Faugstad (Music) presented Understanding our Hymnary and How to Navigate the Classical Music World at an annual summer music camp at Norseland Lutheran Church. He also served as the Orchestral Clinician at the 2022 All-Conference Music Festival featuring top music students from eight participating schools at Chanhassen (Minnesota) High School. At the Lutheran Youth Association (LYA) Convention at St. George, Utah, in July, he presented three separate sessions on Battle Strategies of the Bible. Faugstad also serves on the ELS Board for Youth Outreach.

Chad Heins (Biology) maintains a Spiders of Minnesota Project on iNaturalist which has surpassed 9,000 observations. These observations were contributed by over 1,900 people across the state and accounts for 338 species of the 519 spiders that are known from Minnesota at this time. Heins also served as a consultant to the U.S. Forest Service for jumping spider surveys conducted in the Deer River District of the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota. Two of Heins’ spider photographs were used for a Princeton Field Guide—Spiders of North America by Dr. Sara Rose which was published in late July 2022. Finally, Heins assisted the Minnesota DNR with a BioBlitz in June at the Cedar Rock Scientific and Natural Area in Redwood County where he served as an expert for spiders, birds, and herps. A total of 17 spider species were recorded with nine new records for Redwood County.

Jennifer Kom (Psychology) presented Gender Solid Parenting at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in the spring of 2022. Her talk focused on key concepts pertaining to gender development and strategies used to promote healthy gender development.

Ryan MacPherson (History) presented Getting the Facts Straight: How Grammar, History, and Logic Can Rescue Education from Postfactualism at a conference hosted by the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Shawn Stafford  (Religion) served as co-director of Camp Indianhead (Minnesota) in 2022. Over one hundred  ELS youth attended the camp held near Henning, Minnesota. Bethany Admissions counselor Audrey Schilling gave a presentation about Bethany and vocation to the campers. Bethany Seminary President Tim Hartwig encouraged campers to prayerfully consider the public ministry by becoming pastors or teachers and gave a homily during chapel.

Elizabeth Torres (English) received a  Creative Support for Individuals Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and has essays accepted for publication in forthcoming issues of Ecotone, The McNeese Review, and Pleiades.

Mark DeGarmeaux

Peter Bloedel

Ben Faugstad

Chad Heins

Jennifer Kom

Ryan MacPherson

Audrey Schilling

Shawn Stafford

Tim Hartwig

Elizabeth Torres

Denice Woller’s (Art) photography students were busy this past semester. They enjoyed using a new darkroom in Meyer Hall. Woller said the students “…loved being able to get into the darkroom and work, and many are looking forward to their next opportunity.”

Woller also integrated a real-world experience for her students during a trip to Walters Publishing in North Mankato. Walters, a Taylor company, prints yearbooks for schools across the United States including Bethany’s yearbook Fidelis. Students taking part included staff from Bethany’s student newspaper The Scroll, photojournalists, and yearbook staff. Nearly thirty students were part of the trip.

Woller noted, “All of these experiences have been very educational and fun for my students, and just a part of what we try to incorporate each semester.”

In 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a nursing program accreditation body, adopted a new model and framework for preparing nurses. Additionally, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing established a new model and format for the NCLEX licensing exam—referred to as Next Generation NCLEX—that measures specific elements of the decision-making process in the context of case studies to directly evaluate clinical judgement of graduate nurses. Sara Traylor, Director of Nursing, and nursing faculty, Deb Matzke-Lewis and Cheryl Clendenin, have been busy performing curriculum analysis and mapping to understand how these changes affect Bethany’s nursing program’s curriculum. In 2022, Traylor, MatzkeLewis, and Clendenin participated in a Next Generation NCLEX conference to learn new teaching methods and learning activities that promote clinical judgement and help students develop evidence-based connections between clinical, simulation, and classroom learning. These efforts will ensure Bethany graduate nurses are prepared to meet the new accreditation standards and continue to achieve success on the licensure exam.

Philip Wels (Theatre) has finished a feature length movie The Life of a Stage Play. Part documentary, part textbook this fast-paced film discuss all the different aspects of a theatrical production. It features faculty, staff, and students from the Bethany Lutheran College Theatre Department and showcases Snow Queen, as well as many other BLC productions. The full documentary can be watched for free on YouTube.

Sara Traylor Deb Matzke-Lewis

Cheryl Clendenin

Philip Wels

Denice Woller

Above: Students visited Walters Publishing for a tour of their printing facilities.

Below: Working in the new darkroom located in Meyer Hall.

Photos by Denice Woller

Photo by David Norris

News Briefs

Student Films Win at Film Festival

Two films written, directed, and produced by Bethany students were selected to screen at the 2022 Eagan (Minnesota) Art Block Short Film Festival. Hey, Jim!, directed by junior Colin Neville, was given the Finalist award, and A Rush at the Beginning, directed by Rea Kuske (’22) won Best of Fest. Both of these films consisted of Bethany student cast and crews.

Associate Professor of Media Arts Amanda Quist served as Faculty Advisor to the group and noted, “The festival staff reported that this was their most competitive year yet. It was incredibly exciting for us all to see Bethany films represented alongside such terrific work.”

U.S. News ranks schools in four categories –National Liberal Arts Colleges, National Universities, Regional Colleges, and Regional Universities. Bethany falls in the National Liberal Arts classification. This marks the third time in the past four years that Bethany is the top college in Minnesota for social mobility. This is also the first top-ten national ranking for the institution. The high ranking indicates that Bethany is doing a good job educating students from a variety of academic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Social mobility refers to the ability of a person to move upward in income and social class.

This type of ranking is due in part to the important role and excellent work of so many Bethany faculty and staff in providing students with the time, attention, and support they need to succeed and achieve beyond what would be predicted.

Fourth Consecutive Year Bethany Receives High Ranking for Social Mobility

Bethany Lutheran College is ranked number ten in the United States and number one in the State of Minnesota for graduates’ social mobility—the ability to climb the success ladder—in the 2023 U.S. News College Rankings - National Liberal Arts Colleges Category. The rankings were released on Monday, September 12, 2022.

New Bethany Branded Vans

Perhaps you’ve already seen one of the attractive Bethany vehicles sporting new Viking graphics. If not, keep your eyes open as the vans move about the Midwest for events and outings. Bethany senior Emily Dietz designed the new wraps.

BLC Studios Drops Puck on 22nd Year of Maverick Hockey

Bethany Lutheran College students continue to produce Minnesota State University Maverick Hockey games for audiences throughout Minnesota and the nation. The first games of the 2022-23 season aired on FOX9+ in the Twin Cities and locally on KEYC’s new channel called The Circle. This new broadcast

Students who helped produce the films (from left): Alec Lade, Caroline Gernander, Rea Kuske, Alec Mueller, Colin Neville.

Photo courtesy of Rea Kuske

Emily Dietz

home for Maverick games may also lead to new opportunities for BLC athletics to potentially air on the KEYC Circle channel.

Orchestra, Band Visits Ordway

Students in the Bethany Chamber Orchestra and Concert Band traveled to the Ordway Concert Hall in downtown St. Paul for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra performance of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony on September 11, 2022. This was Bethany’s first time back to the Ordway since February 2020. These firsthand opportunities for Bethany students to visit and hear world class performances are an important component of Bethany’s music program and liberal arts emphasis.

Mock Trial Team Success

Bethany’s Mock Trial Team continues with stellar performances in 2022-23. The team captured both team and individual honors at the University of Arkansas virtual mock trial tournament in Fall 2022. Bethany’s Tristen Lindell won a Best Attorney award with a perfect score of 20, and Adam Hoeft won a Best Witness award. The Bethany team placed fifth out of 20 teams from across the nation.

The Team also took home three trophies from the St. Olaf Invitational. Tristen Lindell had a perfect score of 20 as a Plaintiff’s Attorney and won a Best Attorney award. Adam Hoeft won a Best Witness Award with a score of 18/20. The Bethany team scored highest in team history and won third place overall in a field of 20 teams from Minnesota and Iowa.

Bethany Featured in MPR Story on International Enrollment

In October 2022, a reporter from Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) visited the campus to learn more about our growing international student population. The story aired on MPR, was picked up by the Associated Press, and received a front page feature in the Mankato Free Press daily newspaper.

Speech and Debate Success

The Bethany Speech and Debate Team is competing throughout the Upper Midwest and traveled to Brookings, South Dakota, in November 2022 for two tournaments in the Valley Forensics League.

During the first day of competition, sophomore Katriana Berglin took third place in Dramatic Interpretation and fourth place in Prose Interpretation. On the second day, Katriana took first place in Dramatic Interpretation and fifth place in Program Oral Interpretation. Senior Jahir Nunez-Martinez was named the second best debate speaker in the tournament.

Most of the hockey broadcast team works in the control room at Bethany in Honsey Hall, while others are at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in downtown Mankato.

Photo by David Norris

Photo courtesy of Ben Faugstad

Photo courtesy of Sara Edwards

Photo courtesy of Jon Loging

LinkedInsiders

BY EMELINE GULLIXSON ’21 • CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Career Development gets new space, leadership

One of the central questions on any soon-to-be graduate’s mind is, “What am I going to do after I graduate?” Though Bethany certainly prepares students for their future vocations, searching for a career can still be a daunting process. Enter Bethany’s new Career Development Center, headed by Angie (Rode ’99) Phares.

The Career Development Center assists current students and alumni with finding rewarding and fulfilling jobs through one-to-one guidance and resources. Phares helps students through every phase of the career hunt—developing resumes, interview skills, networking practice, and facilitating connections with local businesses.

“There’s lots of one-to-one conversations where we’re developing career and success skills, whether that’s the resume, talking about a job opportunity—or if they received an offer, how you deal with those types of things,” said Phares. “[The student interaction] is absolutely my favorite part. You get to know them and exactly what they’re looking for.”

Closer to graduation, Phares will have plenty of conversations with students about evaluating resumes and job offers.

Phares is not without help, though. Emma Morris, the Career Development Coordinator, handles the behind the scenes, technological elements. She works with potential employers on job postings, the Center’s website maintenance, and their social media platforms.

"During mock interviews, businesses were asking our students to apply right during that interview process. That says a lot about the high quality of those students, and it says a lot about the organization."

- ANGIE PHARES DIRECTOR OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Angie Phares (left) and Emma Morris in the newly-renovated Career Development Center, located in Luther Hall.

Photos by David Norris

The Center currently partners with online platforms PathwayU and Handshake to streamline the job search process. Handshake shows relevant, available jobs students can connect with. PathwayU is a career compass service, where students fill out a personality assessment, and PathwayU shows them what careers would best be suited to their strengths. For easy access, both of these services are available on Bethany’s Career Development web page.

“We’ve always had career development in certain ways, but this is the College’s way of putting a concerted effort into it,” said Phares.

Besides one-on-one conversations and mentorship with Phares, students have opportunities to network in the community. Phares will facilitate mock interviews with prominent businesses in town, as well as “business after hours,” where students go to local events and learn how to network. This gives students the chance to hone skills they would not get to develop in the classroom.

Career Development is not just for current Bethany students; it also serves alumni who have already been in the workforce for years.

“There comes a time in a career for reflection,” said Phares. “It’s okay to re-evaluate from time to time. We want to make sure alumni know that no matter how long you’ve been out of school, if you’re looking for further assistance or direction, please contact us.”

Though Career Development is a resource outside the classroom, Phares also assists with Bethany’s newly-developed Vocational Seminar course, a capstone class for juniors and seniors.

“It’s sort of like the finishing product for us to help students figure out how they’re going to translate all the information [they’ve learned] into a vocation,” said Phares. “It gives students a dedicated time to consider and prepare for jobs amidst their other schoolwork. Local speakers are invited to share expertise, as well as discuss things like leadership, taxes, and budgeting.”

Connections from local businesses come in a few ways. Phares and Morris will actively seek out partnerships, but there are many businesses that reach out to them. These partnerships give Bethany students a chance to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom, through mock interviews and networking. Following those events, students can assess if and how they need skills developed.

These business connections have also established Bethany students as strong candidates for future employment.

“During mock interviews, businesses were asking our students to apply right during that interview process,” said Phares. “That says a lot about the high quality of those students, and it says a lot about the organization.”

Phares anticipates that the program will continue to expand and develop, especially with its move to the newly-renovated Luther Hall, where Career Development is sure to see even more student use. Along with the Career Development Center, the Academic Resource Center (ARC), and the Ada Stokes Writing Center are now located in Luther, making it a central hub for student services.

“That area gets a lot of student traffic, so that will provide more access. We also have a lounge and coffee area, for if [students] have questions here and there,” said Phares.

The space is big enough for local speakers to visit and present to groups of about twenty people. Businesses will have opportunities to showcase their organizations and give students direct access to jobs and internships.

“We have amazing students—high quality, incredible people who are going into the workforce,” said Phares. “It’s fun to think about how opportunities facilitated through the Career Development Center will turn into a career for so many people.”

With the direction Career Development is going, there is no doubt this will be the case for Bethany students and alumni for years to come.

Dr. James Hebl, Regional Vice-President for Mayo Clinic Health System across Southern and Southwestern Minnesota, was the guest speaker for the Vocational Seminar class at Bethany. He spoke to the class on the topic of Leadership in Challenging Times.

Legal Studies Graduates Excelling

Bethany’s Legal Studies program graduates are doing some exciting things. Several recent graduates provided updates on their progress in law school and careers.

Madison Barber ’20

Madison is in her final year of law school at St. Thomas College of Law in Minneapolis. Last summer, she was a law clerk for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services. She was selected for this position through the Minnesota Justice Foundation’s fellowship to assist their Mankato location. Madison is currently a law clerk for the Juvenile, Protective Services, and Appeals Division in Dakota County, Minnesota. She appears in court as a certified student attorney for child protection and juvenile delinquency matters. When necessary, she also conducts legal research and drafts legal documentation for Assistant County Attorneys.

David Evans ’21

David is a second year law student at Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virgina. He recently completed a summer internship with the Virginia Court of Appeals, and before that, an internship with the North Carolina Supreme Court. This year, he is a Law Review staff editor and an associate member of Regent’s Moot Court Board. He is also serving as the Secretary for Regent’s Federalist Society Chapter.

Isabella Lattery ’21

Bella is a second year law student at St. Thomas College of Law in Minneapolis, and is currently ranked third in her class. She has been selected to serve as an editor on the Law Review journal committee.

Silas Petersen ’20

Silas is in his final year at Notre Dame Law School. He recently accepted an offer to begin his legal career as an associate attorney at Larkin Hoffman in Minneapolis in their business litigation practice group in the fall of 2023. He spent the summer of 2022 as an associate at Larkin Hoffman. Silas also had an externship during the fall of 2022 in the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office in South Bend, Indiana.

Ryana Sadaka ’20

Ryana is currently in her final year at Thomas Jefferson School of Law located in San Diego, California. She began interning with the San Diego District Attorney’s office in December 2022. She has been awarded a criminal law fellowship, which is an honors program focusing on criminal law, and has been selected as a teacher’s assistant for rising second year law students in two sections of Property Law and one section of Criminal Procedure.

Social Media Recap

@BETHANYLUTHERANCOLLEGE 9/19/22

Stay connected with your fellow vikings!

@BLCMOCKTRIAL 1/15/23

Bethany’s mascot Halvar showing our Bethany Esports team how it’s done (or failing miserably since he only has four fingers...) #BLCEsports #BLCSpirit #BLCHalvar

@BETHANYLUTHERANCOLLEGE 9/23/22

11/11/22

We just received word that our varsity team came in 1st place overall in the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues tournament! Tristen Lindell won a best attorney award and Elena won best witness! Way to go!

@BLCXCTF 2/1/23

Bethany Women’s Cross Country achieve the second highest academic GPA in the nation for DIII!

Some new looks going up around campus! Be sure to take a look around during Fall Festival this weekend! #BLCVikings #BLCEsports #BLCSpirit

Behind the scenes of an upcoming Art Service project! There are so many creative and talented people at Bethany who collaborate with Art Service. These underwater photos by media arts students will be used as reference images for a sculpture.

Search Bethany Lutheran College on your favorite social media apps, hit follow, and stay in the loop!

Our 2022-2023 Viking Cup winner is…. GULLIXSON HALL!

@BETHANYACTIVITIESCOMMITTEE 10/28/22

Partners in Rhyme

BY LANCE SCHWARTZ ’86 • CHIEF COMMUNICATION OFFICER

Bethany Professor of Theatre Peter Bloedel and his son Hans (’19) found themselves in a familiar spot this fall. The two, for the second time, adapted a wellknown work for the stage by putting a special Bloedel touch to the script of the classic The Adventures of Pinocchio. The adaptation premiered on the Sigurd Lee Theater stage in November 2022.

The father/son duo first adapted Washington Irving’s classic, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, four years ago, and the two most likely not by coincidence, proved to be very compatible partners. Their writing style could be described as fun, sometimes whimsical, and often dependent on rhyming which adds a unique humor to the dialogue that generally connects with audiences of all ages.

“In 2018, my father and I had the opportunity to adapt The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, for the stage. In this process, he and I became well acquainted

with each other’s artistic voices, and quickly found ourselves to be easy collaborators. Between cracking jokes, rhyming, speaking in caricatured voices, and making each other laugh for minutes on end, somehow, we were able to put out a script. As men who aren’t particularly outdoorsy, we began to refer to these sessions as our “Father/Son Fishing Trips,” explained Hans Bloedel.

Pete Bloedel, who’s been writing plays for years welcomed the collaboration, but the process might not be what it seems on the surface.

“Not all of my creative ideas can get Hans’ attention. He isn’t always interested in co-writing with me. But when he’s excited about a project, then he’s all in, and his excitement really puts the wind in my sails too. Our two adaptations of Sleepy Hollow and Pinocchio have been as much fun in the writing of them as they have been in their production. When

Peter Bloedel (left), and his son Hans, have collaborated on two theatrical adaptations of classic stories.

Photos by David Norris

audience members enjoy our plays, I like to imagine that they picture a father and a son laughing in a room together, who just can’t wait to share the fruits of their labor with all who care to watch and get caught-up in their storytelling.”

Despite not always being on the same page, the elder Bloedel certainly does enjoy the time to write with his son.

“Obviously, the best thing about writing together with Hans is simply the quality time that a father and a son love to enjoy. I tend to dig Hans’ sense of humor and there is nothing like sharing creativity and a bunch of laughs with your son. I’ve done plenty of script writing, and it can be pretty lonely work when done by one’s self. Writing with another person, though still a lot of work, can sort of turn into a social occasion. It’s great to bounce ideas around and to test jokes off of one another. We can really crack each other up, and I will remember some of those bouts of laughter until the day I die.”

The process leading up to writing the adaptation of Pinocchio came about during the height of the pandemic in late 2020.

“Neither of us quite remembers why the idea to adapt Pinocchio came to our minds. Growing up, I remember my family having an extravagantly illustrated book of Carlo Collodi’s original story, but I had never ventured to read it myself. After reading the first few chapters, I became very excited about what my dad and I could do with a potential adaptation,” explained Hans Bloedel.

ON PAGE 16

It’s clear that Peter Bloedel and Hans Bloedel have fun while collaborating—even for a photo.

From left: Greta Bloedel as The Cat, Mizha Overn as Pinocchio, and Nick Pleiss as The Fox from a performance of The Adventures of Pinocchio, 2022.

Photo by Benji Inniger

"Obviously, the best thing about writing together with Hans is simply the quality time that a father and a son love to enjoy. I tend to dig Hans’ sense of humor and there is nothing like sharing creativity and a bunch of laughs with your son."

- PETER BLOEDEL PROFESSOR OF THEATRE

Interestingly, Pinocchio saw something of a renaissance in 2022. Three different movie adaptations of the story were released by the end of the year. Hans explained his take on the allure and magic of the story.

“I think the reason we hold the puppet near and dear is, despite his woodenness, Pinocchio is very human. In all his endeavors, no matter how much he builds himself up, or tries to set himself straight, he deliberately goes back to his old, rascally ways. If anything, we commiserate with the puppet boy and his wooden condition because it isn’t too far off from our own attitudes in life.”

And the father and son both revelled in the opportunity to work together again.

Hans explained, “Seeing this project come to fruition is very exciting for my dad and me. As writers, there’s a sense of magic in seeing the scenes we dreamt up on a "Father/Son Fishing Trip," become a reality.”

For Pete, the idea of a son following in his father’s love for theatre wasn’t always that apparent but he’s thankful for it.

“I don’t remember overtly encouraging Hans to follow in my theatrical footsteps, but I didn’t really discourage it either. Hans was in a few of my shows at BLC when he was a kid, and showed some real talent and discipline for the stage in high school, and then to an even greater degree in college. Hans’ decision to pursue an MFA in theatre was strictly his own. As a matter of

fact, I was sort of surprised when he announced his plans.”

Another thing the duo has is common is their outlook for Christians interested in theatre.

“Hans and I love to talk about the state of the arts today and where Christians need to fit into that everchanging landscape. We are both grateful to BLC for being such a wonderful venue and springboard for Christians in the arts.”

And whether or not the duo ever teams up again is a question that will linger for a while. Peter sums it up this way.

“We definitely hope to collaborate again, but we don’t know what and we don’t know when. I mean, we do have a few ideas bopping around. So we’ll just follow Hans’ illustration that we are fishing buddies and someday we’ll have to actually go fishing again. We’d probably scare all the fishes away though!”

VIEW PRODUCTION VIDEOS AND PHOTOS AT: BLC.EDU/PAST-PRODUCTIONS

Photos from the performance of The Adventures of Pinocchio

Photos from the performance The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Photos by Benji Inniger

A Homecoming Weekend

Please join us September 15–17, 2023, for the annual Bethany Fall Festival–A Homecoming Weekend. This event includes activities for all ages and alumni reunions. All alumni and friends are invited to be part of the weekend!

Visit

A detailed schedule for the weekend will be announced closer to the event. Please save the dates and plan to join us in Mankato!

Activites and events include:

• Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet

• Music Concerts

• Theatre Physics

• Little Viking 1/2 Mile Fun Run and BLC Viking 5K

• Inflatable Games and Children’s Activities

• Tailgating Party/Hog Roast

• Soccer Games

• Alumni Gatherings and Receptions

• Social at the Mankato Brewery

• Sunday Worship Service

• Breakfast at Bethany

• And more!

All-Campus Photo Revived Twenty Years Ago

During the first week of every fall semester, the entire Bethany campus family of students, staff, faculty, and administration come together on the Campus Green for an annual group photo. It’s a Bethany tradition that can be traced back to the 1930s—perhaps earlier if you’re counting the all-girls school era of the College. The all-campus photo tradition continued through the 1950s, but then for whatever reason, went away in the 1960s.

Twenty years ago, in August 2002, the Bethany Communication Office revived the all-campus photo. It’s a great

visualization of the close campus community at Bethany, and a tradition that we intend to continue to carry out for the foreseeable future. The larger photo is from 2002 and the right was taken in August 2022.

If you’d like to see a collection of all-campus photos online, head over to the Bethany Archives where you’ll find the whole collection stored digitally.

Professional development workshops held for Mankato Area Public School teachers

BY LANCE SCHWARTZ ’86 • CHIEF COMMUNICATION OFFICER

Improving Student Literacy

Bethany Lutheran College Professor of Education Dr. Carrie Pfeifer is keenly interested in literacy education. It’s a subject she cares deeply about. So much so, that she regularly offers to share her expertise with teachers and schools looking to enhance their own literacy knowledge and offerings.

Rachel Moeller is the Mankato Area Public Schools (MAPS) Literacy Coordinator. She had been noticing some changes in literacy outcomes in Mankato schoolchildren beginning in early 2020.

“As we looked at MAPS elementary reading trend data, we observed a slow decline in reading achievement over the previous few years. We sought to understand what was strong about our reading instruction and what research-based shifts we could make in practice to improve student outcomes,” said Moeller.

Pfeifer, to enhance her own literacy knowledge, often looks for opportunities to learn more about the subject. Coincidently, in 2020 she had completed a literacy professional development course facilitated by the Minnesota Department of Education. Without

any knowledge of the changing literacy outcomes in Mankato schools, she reached out to MAPS Superintendent Dr. Paul Peterson to offer her time as a resource for the District. Peterson connected Pfeifer with Moeller which has resulted in ongoing collaborative professional development work in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) – literacy education.

Pfeifer explained more about the serendipitous, collaborative effort.

A group of 32 Mankato Area Public School teachers gathered together at Bethany to learn new ways of improving student literacy outcomes.

Mankato Area Public School teachers worked through exercises during a recent workshop.

Photos by David Norris

“I was really just excited about the professional development I had received from the Minnesota Department of Education and wanted to share what I had learned.”

Moeller remarked, “In my role as Mankato schools Literacy Coordinator, I was exploring teacher professional development in literacy that could support our instructional efforts to improve student literacy outcomes. The opportunity to partner with Dr. Pfeifer and BLC came at just the right time, and we’ve been very appreciative of this collaborative work. Dr. Pfeifer has deep literacy knowledge and brings her expertise to our professional development sessions.”

Pfeifer began working with a cohort of fourteen Mankato Public School elementary educators during the 2021-22 school year. The work was well received, and now Pfeifer and Moeller are collaboratively facilitating LETRS professional development for a second cohort of 32 MAPS elementary educators, which began in the fall of 2022.

The group of teachers taking part in the LETRS training serve Mankato elementary students in grades K-5. The cohorts are primarily made up of classroom teachers, special education teachers, reading interventionists, teachers of multilingual learners, instructional coaches and principals are also participating.

Moeller explained, “Training begins with a focus on sound awareness and phonics, so this is where teachers are currently seeing the most growth. However, the cohort that is in their second year is currently applying their learning to vocabulary and comprehension instruction. The teachers are actively implementing their learning and observing growth in students’ reading skills.”

The partnership is also benefiting Bethany education students who had already been involved with

clinical placements and student teaching in Mankato schools.

Pfeifer explained, “I also wanted to find opportunities to put our students into clinical placements and student teaching situations where the classroom teacher was knowledgeable and practiced with the science of reading. It’s especially helpful for our students to be supported in those classroom learning experiences.”

Moeller is thankful for the opportunity to work with Pfeifer.

“Dr. Pfeifer commits two evenings a month from September to April for MAPS literacy professional development, and the MAPS cohorts have benefited from Dr. Pfeifer’s deep knowledge of literacy development and her support of the work we are engaging in. We are grateful to Dr. Pfeifer and BLC for the opportunity to collaborate—it is timely and meaningful work. She is a true advocate for all students.”

Moeller and the Mankato schools are gathering teacher feedback and analyzing student data to determine the lasting impact of this professional literacy development on student outcomes.

“We want to ensure this literacy work and professional development is making a difference in teacher practice and most importantly, in our student outcomes. The most important goal is to develop skilled readers and writers.”

Mankato Area Public Schools (MAPS) Literacy Coordinator

Rachel Moeller.

Workshop attendees gathered in Bethany’s Memorial Library.

Bethany Professor of Education, Dr. Carrie Pfeifer.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

The Bethany women’s cross country team earned a program-best second place conference finish in 2022. Kayla Tobin (junior) was the top individual finisher for the Vikings as she took home her second consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) All-Conference honor, crossing the finish line in fourth with a time of 25:18.4. Seniors Jordan Merwin and Cianna Hoppe also ran well for the Vikings, finishing in 11th and 14th, respectively, with times of 26:20.8 and 26:53.8 and both earning All-Conference accolades.

WOMEN’S

GOLF

Bethany placed sixth at the UMAC tournament. Bella Garza (sophomore) shot the low score for the Vikings on the final day with a 111 and finished the event with a 348.

WOMEN’S

SOCCER

11-7-1 Overall, 10-4 UMAC

For the fourth straight year, the Vikings qualified for the UMAC Tournament, where they received the third seed and fell to Northwestern 1-0 in a tightly contested match. The Vikings finished the year tied for the most UMAC wins in program history with ten.

Elena Luján Rubio (freshman) paced the Viking attack with 26 points (11 goals) which is the ninth most in a single season in program history. Senior Asia Jota found a spot in the record book, as she posted 11 assists which is the third most in a single season. In net, Brooke Wolanin

(junior) played every minute for Bethany and posted eight shutouts, which is a new single-season record.

Olaitz Azkue (sophomore) was the second leading scorer for the Vikings this year with eight goals and five assists, adding four game-winning goals. Both Azkue and Luján Rubio posted that number of game-winners, which put them in the record books as the fourth most in a single-season.

At the release of the end of the season conference awards, defender Ashley Casper (sophomore) was named First Team All-Conference while Rubio, Azkue, Jota, and Wolanin earned Second Team honors.

VOLLEYBALL

8-18 Overall | 6-8 UMAC

The Bethany Lutheran volleyball team qualified for the UMAC tournament but lost to No. 5 Northwestern 3-0. Senior Alexis Morsching received conference Honorable Mention accolades. It is the second year in a row that she has been named to the All-Conference list. Morsching finishes her Bethany career with 772 career kills which is fourth all-time in program history.

BY WALKER FROEHLING ('18) • COORDINATOR OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Jordan Merwin

Asia Jota

Olaitz Azkue

Alexis Morsching

Ashley Casper

Cianna Hoppe

Bella Garza

Kayla Tobin

Elena Luján Rubio

Brooke Wolanin

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

The Bethany men’s cross country team took fourth place at the UMAC Championships. Titus Kibet (freshman) took home his top finish of the season as he finished in eighth place to earn All-Conference honors with a time of 28:51.0. Senior Jakin Anderson was once again a mainstay near the top of the leaderboard, finishing in 12th place with a time of 29:29.5 to join Kibet on the All-Conference team.

MEN’S GOLF

Freshmen Sam Hansen and Keaton Ginter were both All-Conference honorees for the 2022 golf season. Hansen and Ginter both played well for the Vikings with just one stroke separating the two players through nine rounds this year. Hansen posted a scoring average of 80.67, and finished in the top ten in three of the five multi-team events Bethany competed in this season. Ginter had a scoring average of 80.78 this season, including four rounds under 80. Bethany Lutheran finished fourth at the UMAC Championships with a three-day total of 995.

MEN’S SOCCER

15-4-3 Overall | 11-2-1 UMAC

The Bethany men’s soccer team qualified for the conference tournament for the fourth straight year and were the number two seed. Bethany defeated Northland 2-1 in the first round before falling to UW-Superior 3-0 in the finals.

In 2022, the Vikings set new school records for wins with 15 and goals against average with a mark of 0.86.

Antonio Lima (freshman) led the offense for Bethany in his first year racking up 16 goals and 12 assists for 44 points.

Agostino Quadrio

Curzio (junior) was the second leading scorer for the Vikings, notching four goals and nine assists.

Nick Lundberg (sophomore) made the most starts in net for the Vikings with 12, and posted six shutouts and a 9-2-1 record. In his two seasons, he’s now saved 109 shots while allowing 22 goals to post a career save percentage of .832 which ranks second in school history and is the top mark of any Viking keeper to appear in at least 10 games.

When the conference announced its awards at the end of the season, Liam Peterson (senior) was once against named Defensive Player of the Year, while Lima was named Rookie of the Year. Quadrio

Curzio joined Peterson and Lima as First Team All-Conference members, while Eirik Hansson (sophomore), Andre Silva (senior) and Danny Pilot (freshman) earned Second Team, and Sam Irsfeld (freshman) earned Third Team.

Keaton Ginter

Liam Peterson

Andre Silva

Sam Irsfeld

Jakin Anderson

Sam Hansen

Nick Lundberg

Antonio Lima

Agostino Quadrio Curzio

Eirik Hansson

Danny Pilot

Titus Kibet

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

Class of 2022 Inductees

The 2022 Bethany Lutheran College Athletic Hall of Fame inductees were officially recognized at the annual Hall of Fame banquet on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.

JERALD BINDER played basketball for Bethany in 1961-63, and the 1961-62 team won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XIII Championships and placed eighth at the National Tournament. He tied the single game scoring record of 44 points, which was previously set by his coach, Bruno Wilinksi, a 1995 BLC Hall of Fame Inductee. Binder was also a member of the BLC Hall of Fame men’s basketball 1961-62 team of distinction that was honored in 2017.

LEE BRANDEL played baseball from 19992000 and was the starting catcher both seasons. He hit .363 as a freshman and helped the Vikings win two Minnesota Community College Conference (MCCC) titles. Brandel was named MCCC All-Southern Division First-team and NJCAA All-Region for his sophomore season. He continued his baseball career at Concordia University-St. Paul and was named First-team All-Conference and an Academic All-American.

JEFF BRUDWICK played basketball from 1984-86 and baseball from 1985-86 for the Vikings. On the court, he was a starting guard and led the team in assists his freshman year. On the diamond, he was a starting second baseman for the first baseball team in the new era. He was named MCCC All-State and NJCAA All-Region in 1986. That same season, he led the team with his .383 batting average, 28 hits, 29 runs, 12 RBIs and was a perfect 18-18 in stolen bases.

KYLE DUSHANE was the starting third baseman from 2002-03. The Vikings were two-time Regional Champions. Individually, he was a two-time MCCC All-Division, All-State, and NJCAA All-Region honoree. He hit .439 his freshman season with 14 doubles, seven home runs, 44 RBIs, 30 runs, and four stolen bases. He hit .360 his sophomore season with 10 doubles, two home runs, 26 RBIs, and 33 runs.

JODI (FAHRENKAMP) FOSTER played volleyball from 1998-99 and softball from 1999-2000. On the court, she was a defensive specialist that helped the Vikings win two MCCC Division Championships, two State Championships, and two NJCAA Regional Championships. She was named First-team All-Division her sophomore year. On the diamond, she played third base and helped BLC to two Division and two State Championships. Foster was named Second-team All-Division and Honorable Mention All-Region. After Bethany, she continued as a dual-sport athlete at Huron University.

VIEW VIDEO AND PHOTOS FROM THE 2022 EVENT AT: BLCVIKINGS.COM/HALL-OF-FAME

Bethany Baseball Honors

Four Bethany Baseball alumni were recently honored for their years of service to the sport.

Luther Dorr (’62) played baseball at Bethany Lutheran High School and College before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He was inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. According to his biography, Dorr’s love of baseball began at age seven while listening to the 1949 World Series on the radio at home in Tracy, Minnesota. After his family moved to rural Princeton (Minnesota) a few years later, he began hanging around the town (baseball) team at nearby Santiago. At age 13, he played his first organized baseball for Santiago. That was the beginning of a 48-year career in amateur baseball where her played in six different decades.

In 1970, after 14 seasons with Santiago, Dorr joined the Princeton Panthers and played another 34 seasons, retiring at age 60 in 2003. Dorr was fortunate to play with his son for 21 years and they homered in the same inning twice, once when Luther was 50.

Dorr began his career as a writer and later editor of the Princeton (Minnesota) newspaper in 1965, covering sports in the area for over fifty years.

Pete Meyer (’87) played baseball for two years at Bethany and finished his career at the University of Wisconsin Stout. Meyer was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball of Fame in January 2023. Meyer has been teaching and coaching in the Lisle (Illinois) School District since 1991. He teaches technology education, has coached Lisle Junior High baseball, and is also athletic director at Lisle Junior High. He has been the head coach at Lisle Senior High since 2008. Since taking the helm, the Lions have captured five regional titles and the first two Interstate-8 North Conference

Championships in school history. In 2013, the Lions captured the Illinois 2A State Championship. In the classroom, Meyer’s Tech. Ed. program has been nationally recognized. In 2000, Meyer was named the Illinois Technology Education Association Teacher of the Year.

Joe Grose (’88) was inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2021. He played collegiate baseball for two years at Bethany and two years at St. Cloud State University.

His amateur baseball career began at age 13 and extended over 33 seasons. A very versatile player, Grose could play any position but was primarily an infielder, pitcher, and catcher. Well known as a powerful hitter, he hit .350 for his career with 165 home runs. He played in 10 state amateur tournaments—three times as a draftee. Later in his career, he became the team’s manager and served in that capacity for 12 years before retiring in 2016.

Perhaps one of Grose's largest contributions to the game of baseball is his maintenance of Waterville’s William J. Grose Park, named after his father who is also a member of the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association (MSHSBCA) named 1992 Bethany alumnus

Paul Schumm to its Hall of Fame Class of 2022, alongside six other coaches. Schumm, and the others, were honored at the annual MSHSBCA coaches clinic in January 2023.

Schumm has served as the head coach of St. Michael-Albertville High School (Minnesota) varsity baseball team for more than a quarter-century. He took the job in 1995 after spending two years as an assistant coach at Bethany.

BY EMELINE GULLIXSON ’21 • CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Accelerating Education in

Maker-space open to more than just students in engineering

Engineering sciences is one of Bethany’s fastest growing programs, and with that growth comes a need for additional accommodations–notably, The Mast, an open layout lab with updated technology in Meyer Hall. The name evokes a Viking ship’s mast, and the facility is propelling the program forward.

Recently constructed with help through a generous gift from the Minneapolis-based Graco Foundation, the space allows students hands-on experience with relevant engineering equipment. And, it has a promising future for expansion. Before its construction, Meyer Hall held a few, separate engineering labs. Now, The Mast is a cohesive combination of those labs on Meyer’s lower level. With a walkable, open layout, many students can work there at a time. A wide open space allows for students of different disciplines to work together, sharing ideas.

Inside The Mast is an engineering student’s playground: updated 3D printers, laser cutters, and a high-powered computer that can do complex computations, simulations, and calculations. They also have two CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines, which are digital cutting tools. These machines are used for testing materials and electronics for a variety of engineering disciplines, such as physics and solid

Students Trace Edmondson (left) and Ethan Ernest and work on the new CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine in the The Mast.

The room with 3-D printers and the new CNC machine are separated by a wall with windows to look into a second room with more tools to work and build.

Photos by David Norris

mechanics. There are also plenty of basic tools for cutting and drilling in the mechanics section.

Almost all engineering classes involve labs at one point or another, to supplement and apply what students are learning in the classroom. The Mast’s open layout and updated equipment ensures that Bethany students get the most practical, hands-on experience, and gives them an advantage for their future careers. Students are also encouraged to make use of the space outside of class, taking their time to work on projects. It is certainly big enough that many students can work there at a time.

Assistant Professor of Engineering Sciences Sheng Sang is one of the engineering professors at the forefront of The Mast’s continual development. Sang teaches and develops mechanical engineering classes while also planning The Mast’s future.

“Mechanical engineering is developing every year—new technology, new machines—so we have to update everything year by year,” said Sang.

Because engineering technology is constantly evolving, Sang will often place orders for new equipment to add to the already useful essentials inside The Mast. Teaching has given him a keen understanding of what equipment students will most benefit from. When a machine needs an update or the department has an idea for a new piece of equipment, he will purchase that equipment through grants—that is how they got their new CNC machine, for instance.

One of Sang’s goals is to make sure that students have the opportunity to become proficient in machines that they will be using in the field. The CNC machine is one such piece of equipment, which students already enjoy using. Often, engineering companies will look for keywords on an applicant’s resume, showing that the applicant has worked with a few different pieces of equipment and technology. Sang noted that any engineering company would expect their employees to know their way around a CNC machine—particularly mechanical engineers. Thankfully, Sang gets to see those needs up close while teaching.

“We have several different sizes of 3D printers, which really give students a leg up,” said Sang. “It’s a very basic tool for all mechanical engineers. No matter what company you go to, [engineering students] should know how to use that machine.”

It seems that living in the Midwest is an advantage for some engineering students. Sang was pleasantly surprised to learn that many of his native Midwest students knew their way around the basic mechanical

tools, since some of those students grew up working on farms.

The Mast will certainly serve engineering students well, but other departments are making their way down to Meyer to take advantage of The Mast. Studio art students use mechanical tools for engraving or embossing pieces they’re working on. The Mathematics Department will use the 3D printer to demonstrate equations. Even nursing students make use of the lab.

“We are not trying to serve just students in our department, but students all over campus,” said Sang. He also noted that it’s good for students of different disciplines to work side by side and exchange ideas. The collaboration fosters a liberal arts mindset—that the majors are not isolated from one another, but are interconnected in ways that students might not expect.

Many students who are not in engineering would never have the occasion to visit the lower level of Meyer. Now, they have that opportunity.

As for the engineering program as a whole, it is only trending upward. Their current employment rate is 100%, with engineering alumni finding jobs in their specific field. As of this year, they have around 45 engineering majors.

With The Mast further legitimizing Bethany’s engineering program and professors facilitating hands-on, practical learning, interest in engineering sciences is sure to grow in the coming years.

During a recent class, students worked on measuring the shear modulus of different materials via torsion and laser technique.

ART SERVICE in

Discovering What God Has Given You

BY LANCE SCHWARTZ ’86 • CHIEF COMMUNICATION OFFICER PHOTOS COURTESY OF JASON JASPERSEN

The path that led Associate Professor of Art Jason Jaspersen to Bethany Lutheran College seems almost unbelievable— perhaps even scripted.

Jaspersen was in the 8th grade, and like many teens found himself wondering about his future occupation. Art was on his mind, fueled by an intense interest in comic books—particularly comic book artwork.

“My dream job was drawing for a Batman or Spiderman comic book series. I put a lot of time, energy, and money into researching that field and developing the necessary skills. For a few years I would hang out at the local comic shop, purchase about 10 issues a month, and work with a friend to develop our own storylines. He would write, I would draw. I hunted for any book or class that could help me with my dream.”

Key in an opportunity to feed Jaspersen’s comic book artist dream through an invitation to an event at Bethany Lutheran College. Bethany art professor Bill Bukowski and his artist cousin Peter Poplaski were offering an opportunity for students to experience the artistic process firsthand at the Young Michelangelo Art Camp.

“I had never heard of Bethany Lutheran College, but the camp description mentioned cartooning so I was interested,” said Jaspersen.

The weeklong dive into the possibilities that art offered piqued Jaspersen’s interest, and the seemingly unlikely story was set in motion.

“[At camp] I learned drawing techniques for comics. I was thrilled to know that there were adults who took my dream seriously. But I also learned about oil painting, traditional drawing tools and techniques, and art history. After four years of art camp my dreams expanded. I wanted to be a painter and I wanted to learn at Bethany.”

The wide breadth of artistic projects that Jaspersen was exposed to throughout his years of attending the Young Michelangelo Camp inspired him to enroll at Bethany where he majored in studio art.

Fast forward 20-some years and today Jaspersen reflects with wonder about how God’s hand led and directed his life’s course as a professional artist and educator—although it wasn’t always that obvious.

“Art training was essentially non-existent in my grade school and high school education, and throughout my 20-plus years teaching high school and college art courses, I’ve seen other young people who are similarly created to create,” said Jaspersen.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

"Now, in my teaching, my aim has been to design classroom cultures that value creative gifts. God has allowed me to provide artistic training that I so craved in my youth."

- JASON JASPERSEN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ART

Members of The Art Service worked on a project for Living Hope Lutheran Church in Shakopee, Minnesota.

Mutual benefit for artists and clients

“Now, in my teaching, my aim has been to design classroom cultures that value creative gifts. God has allowed me to provide artistic training that I so craved in my youth.”

It’s that life experience that is now inspiring Jaspersen to encourage not only those exploring their creative talents, but also the next generation of professional, Christian artists, through a new creative undertaking at Bethany called The Art Service.

The Art Service, which involves Jaspersen and a half-dozen Bethany students who mostly are majoring in studio art, works with a mission to help Confessional Lutheran churches and religious organizations to visualize Christian artwork in their sanctuaries and facilities. Jaspersen based the venture on a similar model that served Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School (MVL) during his seventeen years of teaching there. At MVL, his students worked together as the school’s Art Club to create artwork used for special events at the school.

“The Art Club produced a custom-designed artwork for each Christmas and Easter concert. We also produced other artworks for various

events and installations around campus. I always insisted that anyone could walk into an Art Club session and we would find a way for them to contribute,” explained Jaspersen.

Today, the Bethany Art Service primarily enlists students who intend to make art their life’s vocation, and while a relatively new group on campus, it has proven to be very active already. Jaspersen leads the small group of students in producing contracted work for ministries with members paid by commission profits.

“We’re just a few months into it, but theoretically this arrangement holds benefits for students, ministries, Bethany, and me. Studio art majors gain access to project-based, professional, vocationally relevant work situations in a way that is similar to other programs on campus. The Art Service is intended to provide ministries with a resource for affordable and appropriate visual expressions of Lutheran concepts. As demand for my work in that market

Above: Students worked on a commission for St. John Lutheran School in Redwood Falls, Minnesota.

Right: The finished work for St. John Lutheran on display at the Bethany Fall Semester Campus Art Show.

has steadily increased, the Art Service provides me with competent assistance in fulfilling these commissions. The Art Service fits Bethany’s mission and exemplifies the personal mentoring that we value.”

And while God was guiding Jaspersen to a place where he’d be able to inspire young creatives, he finds himself just a bit surprised how it came to fruition.

“It’s important to note that I never intended to be an educator. My focus throughout my education was investing in my creative studio practice. I trained to be an artist and I have nurtured that part of my life with over 100 commissions in various formats including public monuments, paintings, illustrations, and animations. In the course of that journey, I made a decision to find ways to blend my creativity with my Christian faith, explained Jaspersen.

He continued, “In some ways the role of the Christian artist is the same as the role of any other Christian vocation—that is to be a good steward of one’s time, talent, and treasures. If someone has discovered in themselves a creative skill or urge, ignoring that can lead to deep frustration. Christian artists should fulfill their part to the best of their God-given abilities. To me that means investing time and energy into developing one’s mind and methods. God calls us all through our various strengths to function as members of “The Body of Christ.”

Bethany’s Studio Art Department has been distributing promotional material that employs the phrase, “Discover

What God Has Given You.”

Jaspersen explains the meaning behind the slogan, “First, it acknowledges that God gives us our abilities. Not only that, but consider how much God gives us in our daily bread, and our eternal salvation. Second, it hints that you may not know what your abilities are. You may need to discover what you’re made of. If God continues to extend our time of grace on earth, it seems wise to explore our potential. As soon as we think we know something it can feel resolved in our mind. ‘Knowing’ can result in a sort of mental auto-pilot. However when we stay curious we can see so many unexplored possibilities. ‘Discovering’ can activate life. Problems open up into thousands of solutions and blessings become evident. I advise a stance in life that’s less about knowing and more about discovering God’s abundance. We are more than we know.”

Above: This “Christus Paradox” painting recently settled into its home at Bloomington (Minnesota) Living Hope Lutheran Church. Bethany Studio Art students created this hand-painted copy of the original by Jason Jaspersen.

Lots of hands went into a project to display nine separate circular works (above) that were on display in Trinity Chapel for Christmas at Bethany 2021, and later moved to Honsey Hall (left).

from our ALUMNI

1950s

Minnesota. Samuel is the first grandchild of Michael and Kirsten (Kiki) (’87 Weseloh) Schnackenberg also of Bemidji. Samuel joins Vivian and Larry’s other two great grandchildren: Ezekiel Weseloh was born April 24, 2018; his brother, Odin, was born March 30, 2021. Ezekiel and Odin live in West Fargo, North Dakota, with their parents Devin and Claire Weseloh; grandparents are Christian and Wendi Weseloh (Vivian and Larry’s son) who live in Watertown, South Dakota.

1970s

Heather Bakke (’93) recently moved to St. Peter, Minnesota, to teach special education at St. Peter High School.

Pastor Paul Meitner (’96) recently had published a commentary on the book of Exodus titled, From Egypt to Sinai. The commentary is available through Northwestern Publishing House, and also available in Kindle and Nook format through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Paul is currently serving Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Winthrop, Minnesota.

2000s

p Dick Hybl (’56) came to Mankato, Minnesota, to visit his Bethany classmates Bruno (’56) and his wife Marian (Solli ’57) Wilinski. Dick makes his home in Virginia.

p The Bethany High School class of 1957 met on-campus for Fall Festival Weekend and celebrated their 65th class reunion. A special time to visit with classmates was created where those at Bethany could meet in a room, and other classmates unable to attend could participate via Zoom or phone. All had a great time reminiscing. Pictured from left: Don and Caroline (’57 Rabenhorst) Hanel, Karen (’58 Swenson) and John Radway (’57), Marian (’57 Solli) Wilinski, Marsha and Hal Natvig (’57). Not pictured but on Zoom or phone were Joyce (’57 Brakke) Fuller, Deanne (’57 Bleick) Cooper, and Judy (’57 Wold) Modene.

1960s

p Larry and Vivian (Unseth ’60) Weseloh recently welcomed their third great grandchild this year. Samuel Stewart was born July 28, 2022, to Katrina and John Stewart in Bemidji,

p Nile (’77 Seminary) and Lynn (Schurke ’70) Merseth celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on September 3, 2022. Present with them on this joyful occasion were their six children and 14 of their 16 grandchildren. Nile and Lynn both retired in 2020, Lynn from 47 years as a registered nurse and Nile from 43 years in parish ministry.

1980s

Deb (Kopischke’82) Schulz was inducted into the Minnesota State University, Mankato, Athletic Hall of Fame in September after working in academic athletic eligibility for over 27 years. Deb retired in July from her duties as Associate Director of Registration and Academic Records after almost 30 years in this department.

1990s

p Bethany roommates Jason Tweit (’92)  and Chris Fowler (’92) recently celebrated turning 50 together!

p On August 6, 2022, six Bethany Baseball alumni organized the Bethany Baseball Futures Tournament for 9U teams that their children play on. Coordinators were Dr. Jon Mielke (’06), Seth Hueckman (’07), Dr. Josh Mears (’05), Tony Lane (’03), KC Johnson (’07), and Jake Krier (’06). The tournament was held at Sechler Park in Northfield, Minnesota, but was unfortunately cancelled after a few innings due to weather. Participating teams were from the Minnesota communities of Chaska, Lakeville, Burnsville, and Northfield. The tournament was sponsored by Up North Trading Co. which is owned and operated by Johnson.

Jes (’07 Schmidt) Woller, children’s author, and Kory Henkel (’11), Director of Marketing and Communication for Centricity Music, collaborated to create a new book called Beloved The book was inspired by award-winning pop recording artist and songwriter Jordan Feliz’s song “Beloved” which was the title track to his debut album released in 2015.

2010s

Jeff (’10) and Carla Hendrix, are parents to children Koren, Isaiah, Corinthia, and a fourth child due in May 2023. They are working on opening a small classical Lutheran school at their church, Faith Lutheran Church, Oregon, Wisconsin, where Jeff serves as pastor.

p Cameron Koopman (’11), and wife Ashley, welcomed daughter Isabelle Alice Koopman to the world at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2023, at Maple Grove (Minnesota) Hospital. She was 6 pounds 15 ounces and 20 inches long. Alice is believed to be the first baby born in Minnesota for the year 2023. They were interviewed by KSTP-TV (Twin Cities).

Rachel Knudson (’11) reports that she is doing well since graduation. She currently works in Washington County (Minnesota) in the department of motor vehicles and lives in the Twin Cities. She notes that she has a great circle of friends who participate in trivia, movie nights, and day trips to such places as the “biggest ball of twine in Minnesota” and the Jeffers Petroglyphs in Comfrey, Minnesota. Rachel notes that she is proud that she has kept four plants alive for the past six years. Rachel has learned the art of being content in whatever season she is in - Philippians 4:11-13 and Jeremiah 29:11.

Michael (’13) and Moriah (’14 Barker) Harting are excited to return to Bethany Lutheran College and the Mankato area. Michael over the summer accepted a job at Bethany as a member of the IT Department. Michael and Moriah have been blessed with two children, Solomon (three years) and Simon (six months).

p Hannah (’14 Rank) Dupont and husband Joey welcomed a baby boy on September 11, 2022, Grayson Thomas Dupont.

2020s

p Daryl and Hayli (’15 Mathe) Littlehead were married on September 2, 2022, in St. Peter, Minnesota, surrounded by a few other Bethany alumni, Alyssa Shields (’18), Hayes Schneider (’18), and Tessa MacPherson (’19).

Brittany (Titus ’15) Fenrich graduated from Texas State University with a master of arts in literature on August 6, 2022. She currently teaches tenth and eleventh grade English in New Braunfels, Texas, and was recently hired to be an adjunct faculty member for the English Department at Palo Alto Community College in San Antonio.

p Matt (’22) and Maddie (Hart ’21) Maisch are proud to announce their marriage and that they have started their own companies, Ghost Dog Media, LLC and Maddie’s Moments Photography.

Mackenzie Floyd (’22) started her first post-college job in August 2022. She is a paralegal for the McLeod County Attorney’s Office.

p Olivia Lippert (’19) and Joseph Lundsten (’14) were married August 20, 2021, in Easton, Minnesota. They reside in St. Paul, Minnesota.

p Jordan Poff (’19) and Fallon Yates (’19) were married on June 4, 2022, at Rice Creek in Little Falls, Minnesota.

p Joelle Nkoy (’22) is proud to announce that she was married on October 22, 2022, in Dallas, Texas.

Deaths – Alumni, Regents, Faculty and Staff

Esther Radtke (Hellermann’39) passed away on October 16, 2022

Anna Haake (Eggebraaten’41) passed away on August 16, 2022

Robert (Bob) Rickels (’43) passed away on January 23, 2022

Robert A. Overn (’48) passed away on December 13, 2022

Elaine (Klindt ’49) Nelson passed away on April 2, 2022.

Esther E. Faugstad (Petersen’51) passed away on December 4, 2022

Eunice C. Streufert (Cordes’51) passed away on July 9, 2022

Catherine Anderson (Brekke’52) passed away on September 30, 2022

Janice Nibbe (Roschen’54) passed away on October 24, 2022

David T. Lillegard (’55) passed away on November 5, 2022

James P. Olsen (’57) passed away on October 27, 2022

Andrew H. Gullixson (’59) passed away on June 28, 2022

James Ronald Menke (’62) passed away on August 19, 2022

Norma Miller (Bell’66) passed away on October 25, 2022

Mark Manthe (’67) passed away on September 9, 2022

Laurel Severson (’67) passed away on December 9, 2022

Mark O. Jaeger (’69) passed away on September 25, 2022

Pamela Pfeifer (Lindstrom’69) passed away on July 28, 2022

Rev. Emil Carl Frederick Stubenvoll IV (’70) passed away on November 17, 2022

Alonzo Poindexter (’72) passed away on November 16, 2022

Karen Engdahl (Shelvik’82) passed away on September 8, 2022

David Volk (’84) passed away on September 16, 2022

Daniel Edward Tonn (’84) passed away on November 14, 2022

Brian L. Goens (’86) passed away on November 18, 2022

John L. Johnson (’89) passed away on October 28, 2022

Obituaries

she was able to be on campus in 2019 for the 40th Anniversary of the Dobson chapel organ installation—a trip she cherished according to her son, Greg. She's pictured with Lynn Dobson (left) and Christopher Young (right). Blessed be her memory.

p Isaac Stephen Schmidt (’19) passed away after a seven-month fight against cancer on Friday, August 12th, 2022. He received a bachelor’s degree from Bethany Lutheran College where he met his wife, Bailey (’19). He is survived by his wife Bailey; their son Jeshua; parents Rev. Stephen (‘89, Sem ‘96) and Sarah (Post ‘89) Schmidt; brothers Andrew (Rachel) Schmidt, Aaron Schmidt, and Jonathan Schmidt; grandparents Dennis (’69) and Judith Schmidt, and LoAnn Twedt. Blessed be his memory

p Former Bethany music faculty member Arlene Hilding passed away on October 14, 2022. Hilding worked at Bethany for nearly 30 years (1968-97). She served in the Music Department teaching organ lessons, music classes, and was fine arts director for a time. Hilding was instrumental in helping the College to purchase the organ in the Anna John Silber Recital Hall and the Dobson organ which was first installed in the Old Main chapel and was later augmented and moved to Trinity Chapel. Although her health was declining,

p John A. Moldstad Sr. passed away on December 6, 2022. He attended Bethany Lutheran College graduating in 1945, and then enrolled at Northwestern Lutheran College, Watertown, Wisconsin, graduating in 1947. He was in the first cohort of students to attend Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, graduating in 1950. Reverend Moldstad was called to Bethany Lutheran College in 1965 where he primarily served as a religion professor, Dean of Students, and as Director of Advancement until 1978. During his lifetime he also served Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) congregations in five different states. Pastor Moldstad was also very involved in the work of the ELS. In the early 1950s he started a summer camp, now called Camp Indianhead in Minnesota. He served on numerous synodical boards and committees, most notably the Bethany Lutheran College Board of Regents from 19802009, and one term as Synod Vice President from 1986-1989.

A funeral service was held at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Mankato on December 12, 2022. Blessed be his memory.

Bethany RETROSPECT

Remembering a campus moment from years gone by.

BROADCASTING BLAST FROM THE PAST: Bethany’s first audio/video studio was located in what is now Milton Tweit Hall. The current BLC Studios in Honsey Hall continues to build on this foundation of communication which, although looks antiquated, was state of the art back in 2000.

Do you recognize anyone in the photo? Send your reactions to editor@blc.edu Find more photos from years past on archives.blc.edu.