Bethany Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023

Department News

English Honors Society represented at 2023 National Convention in Colorado

Sigma Tau Delta is a national English Honors Society and several Bethany students and faculty members were in attendance at the organization’s national convention in Denver, Colorado. The Sigma Tau organization also accepted the original creative works of two Bethany students for their 2023 Convention. Bethany seniors Jerod Harris and Libby Kassuelke presented their essays at the convention. Others attending the conference included students Audrey Amiling, Audra Dale, Ruth Kennedy, Annika Kourkkari-Mason, and Sabrina Seiwert. The group was accompanied by faculty members Professor Angie Johnson and Dr. Lars Johnson.

New Boston Pianos Delivered to Campus

The Music Department took delivery of six new Boston/Steinway pianos in January 2023. The large delivery is a result of many gifts over the past three years for Bethany’s All Steinway Fund including those from the estate of Rebecca (Madson '80) Lussky, and also considerable funds were directed to Bethany from sale of the property of the former Evangelical Lutheran Synod congregation in Escondido, California.

Theatre Success for Students, Faculty at Kennedy Center

Bethany students and faculty participated in the 2023 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Des Moines, Iowa. Holly Harris and Sophie Zawisza participated in the Design, Tech and Management Expo featuring their work on masks and puppets from Pinocchio. Sophie received a special commendation for her work.

Mizha Overn and Carrie Gernander participated in the festival’s professional auditions, and both received callback (second round) auditions for summer programs. Overn also auditioned for the Music Theatre Intensive program. Out of 200-plus participants, Overn made the final ten singers. She received the “Broadway Bound” special recognition for her work with the program.

Faculty member Emily Kimball’s costume design was selected and featured in the Costume Parade at the closing ceremonies, and adjunct instructor Benji Inniger taught a workshop entitled “Adaptive Audio: What Theatre and Video Games Can Learn From Each Other.”

Several students and faculty members received special commendations from the KCACTF respondent on the Bethany production of Pinocchio. Greta Bloedel, Holly Harris, and Anna Tausz for puppet design, Peter Bloedel for direction, The Cast and Peter Bloedel for ensemble work, Emily Kimball for costume design, and Sophie Zawisza for mask design.

President Pfeifer and Bethany Students Visit Capitol

The Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) hosted students from seven member institutions on Thursday, March 30 for the annual Day at the Capitol including a few students from Bethany. This event had not been held for the previous three years due to the pandemic. The event includes advocacy focused on the importance of the State Grant Program for Minnesota students attending private and public colleges with the goal to help convince state legislators to keep making all Minnesota colleges more affordable.

The MPCC organized the event, which invited students from Bethany and other member schools to share their experiences with the State Grant, which helps students from low-and-middle-income families pay for tuition at eligible colleges in Minnesota. Nearly one-third of Bethany students receive the Grant.

Mock Trial Wraps Up Remarkable Season

Bethany’s mock trial team finished their historic season at the Open Round Competition held at Macalester College in St. Paul. Mock trial competitions have no divisions; all teams (regardless of school size or prominence) compete at the same level, and all teams compete anonymously. The judges have no idea which teams they are evaluating until after their scores are submitted.

Bethany competed in the first round against the third-ranked team in the nation, and was narrowly defeated in a remarkably close round. The winning team, the University of Chicago, moved on to nationals. Bethany’s varsity team exceeded expectations all season led by the efforts of team members Emma Bruegger, Ashley Casper, Eric Dobberstein, Adam Hoeft, Tristen Lindell, Elena Osmanllari, Andre Silva, Brooke Wolanin, and Kayla Wilson.

Band Tours Southwest in Spring

The Bethany Lutheran College Concert Band, under the direction of Professor Benjamin Faugstad, traveled to Arizona and Utah over spring break to share the excellence of Bethany’s music program and the College to prospective students and alumni. Pictured is a group photo at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. They also performed at several churches and to a large group at Arizona Lutheran Academy.

One host said this, “This past Monday evening our church hosted the Bethany Band concert during their tour. The concert was absolutely fabulous! Those present gave them a standing ovation at the end and would have loved for it to go on. The students were wonderful and we so enjoyed hosting four girls in our home for the night. They were all a delight and so much fun. It certainly restored our faith in the younger generation and further supports the decision we made to establish the scholarship endowment for Bethany. How blessed we are to have this school!”