Shattering the Glass Slipper p. 12
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Bethel Bucket List p. 19
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The Skeptical Believer p. 22
Winter/Spring 2014
Challenges and changes. A critical time for Bethel. How will we
respond?
College of Arts & Sciences
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College of Adult & Professional Studies
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p. 25
Graduate School
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Bethel Seminary
From the President Winter/Spring 2014 Volume 5 Number 2
Faith in All Seasons In the years leading up to my appointment as Bethel’s president in 2008, I dreamed of ways to advance the university and all of its schools. I often thought of ways to say “Yes!” to a new dream or program and to unleash the resources to make it happen. That would be one of the fun parts of the job! While there have been moments of saying “Yes!” and seeing God do remarkable things as part of His provision and providence, this has been a season of saying no more often than saying yes. With the economic impact and enrollment challenges detailed in our cover story (see p. 25), we’ve made many painful choices. As we’ve made them, I’ve been encouraged by many who cover us with prayer, give sacrificially, and maintain an amazing sense of trust in God. When it comes to hard choices, there are many things that guide me. First, as in other leadership situations, I know that the odds of making a better decision are helped by the body of Christ. Praying together, getting input from multiple perspectives, and bringing in people with expertise increase the wisdom needed. Second, I know that God works in redemptive ways in all seasons. Some of the most important life lessons have come to me in times of deep challenge. Since He has promised never to leave us or forsake us, I know He is with us in the difficult seasons. I’ve been humbled by some of our colleagues who have lost employment but manage to maintain a buoyant trust in God’s providence. Third, I know that we have Bethel’s mission as a sacred trust. In making hard choices, we always come back to the question of how to advance the mission as we make those decisions. Fourth, I always remember that the lives of real people are involved in each choice we make. One of the most painful things we ever do is separate someone from Bethel. It is a time for tears— for us and often for them. I’ve been encouraged by Jim and Carole Spickelmier’s recently published biography of Carl Lundquist, Bethel’s third president (see p. 5). Give First Priority to Jesus Christ is not only the title of the book, but also a mandate in how to lead in all seasons. Over more than 142 years, God has seen Bethel through very challenging times. If we keep our focus on Christ, surround ourselves with the body of believers, trust God’s ability to redeem situations, and maintain tender hearts toward those who are hurting, God will continue to advance Bethel’s mission for His glory.
Jay Barnes
Senior Vice President for Communications and Marketing Sherie J. Lindvall ’70
Editor Michelle Westlund ’83 Design Darin Jones ’97 Contributors
Barbara Wright Carlson Roman DeWitt ’15 Nicole Finsaas ’13 Erik Gruber ’06 Timothy Hammer ’08, S’12 Jared Johnson Monique Kleinhuizen ’08 Nathan Klok ’17 Suzanne McInroy Cindy Pfingsten Scott Streble Daniel Taylor Tricia Theurer Michele Wojciechowski Suzanne Yonker GS’09
President James (Jay) H. Barnes III Editorial Offices 3900 Bethel Drive St. Paul, MN 55112-6999 651.638.6233 651.638.6003 (fax) bethel-magazine@bethel.edu Address Corrections Office of Alumni and Parent Services 651.638.6462 alumni@bethel.edu Bethel Magazine is published three times a year by Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999. Postage paid at St. Paul, Minnesota, and additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2014 Bethel University. All Rights Reserved. Bethel University is sponsored by the churches of Converge Worldwide, formerly known as the Baptist General Conference. It is the policy of Bethel not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, or disability in its educational programs, admissions, or employment policies as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments. Inquiries regarding compliance may be directed to: Compliance Officer, Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999.
John Roberts adds FCS label here.
Remembering the Holocaust
Departments Campus News
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New! Programs, property, brand, logo
5 Sports News 10 Bookmarked
Recently published books by Bethel faculty members
Standout winter athletes; women’s hockey coach Brian Carlson; men’s basketball player Kyle Zimmermann
16 Profile 18
PlaceMeant
Bethel Seminary San Diego Expansion
Joel Hodgson ’82, creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Alum News
photo by Nathan Klok
The Bethel community explored issues of identity and suffering, and our response, during a series of winter events, including a portrait exhibition entitled “Transfer of Memory.” The traveling exhibit illustrates Holocaust survivors living in Minnesota, in their homes, in full color, and tells their stories of survival in exceedingly difficult circumstances. As a collection, the images focus on life and hope. The exhibit was presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, KFAI Radio, and Bethel University.
Features
12 Shattering the Glass Slipper Bethel provides a safe place not for fairy tales, but for the gritty, gratifying work of building real relationship.
19 Bethel Bucket List Have you fully embraced your Bethel experience? Take our quiz to find out.
22 The Skeptical Believer Daniel Taylor, professor of English Emeritus, argues that believers can live rich and meaningful lives of faith—without proof and with doubts.
25 Challenges and Changes Widespread economic change has created significant challenges in higher education, including at Bethel. How are we responding? What does this mean for our future?
30 Bethel University
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Campus News
New Programs! Gender Studies Minor
The new Gender Studies minor provides an opportunity to develop a reflective and interdisciplinary understanding of how our notions of gender, gender roles, and gender identities have been—and continue to be—shaped by the intellectual, historical, and sociocultural contexts in which they emerge. New courses in this minor began during interim 2014.
The new M.A. in Mental Health Counseling actively integrates theology and biblical studies with clinical theory and practice, training students to become licensed professional clinical counselors in California. A challenging program with high standards, it will prepare students to counsel clients with a wide variety of needs—including life adjustments, career counseling, and severe chronic mental illness—from a framework of theology and spiritual formation.
The new Graphic Design major offers a unique interdisciplinary emphasis that combines a deep development of technical skills with distinctive elements of artistic creativity, conceptual resourcefulness, and critical thinking. A Graphic Design minor is also available, enriching academic opportunities for students in other disciplines. With the addition of the new program, the Department of Art will change its name to the Department of Art and Design. Read more at cas.bethel.edu/ academics/departments/art Visit seminary.bethel.edu/ academics/san-diegoprograms/mental-healthcounseling for more information.
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Winter/Spring 2014
Heard on Campus It’s important to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. There are so few of us left... that it’s time to transfer the memories.
photo by Greg Schneider
photo by Roman DeWitt
Graphic Design Major/Minor
At Bethel Seminary San Diego
photo by Nathan Klok
At the College of Arts & Sciences
—Dora Zaidenweber, Auschwitz survivor and participant in the photo exhibition “Transfer of Memory,” which featured Holocaust survivors living in Minnesota and was on display at Bethel through mid-February
Campus News
Faculty Awarded Templeton Foundation Grant Two Bethel University professors were awarded a $196,409 grant from the John Templeton Foundation for an initiative on science and the church. Christian Collins Winn, professor and chair of biblical and theological studies in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Kyle Roberts, associate professor of theology and director of the Christian Thought program at Bethel Seminary, received a 24-month grant to engage and transform the evangelical church culture regarding the integration of science with the Christian faith. The program will be directed by Kenneth Reynhout, an alumnus of the college and seminary who specialized in theology and science while receiving his doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary. “Research has shown that young people are leaving the church because science issues are not covered
or addressed in churches,” explains practitioners on significant topics Roberts. “Our goal is to bridge the in theology and science. The two gap between science and faith. We planned themes for the summits are want Bethel to be a resource to local origins and human nature. The third churches on this topic.” Three major activity will be the development of activities are planned for the initiative. a six-week adult education course First, Bethel will host four roundtable that can be appropriated and taught workshops for local pastors to engage in local churches with the help of in conversations with other pastors Bethel professors. The course will and Bethel faculty about key issues be developed in the first year of the in the faith-science dialogue. These initiative and will become available to workshops will also provide a way churches during the second year. “Most for the initiative to gather pastoral everyone is familiar with the apparent concerns about the challenge of conflicts between science and faith,” relating science with faith in church says Reynhout. “This initiative is contexts. That research will help designed to give pastors opportunities organizers plan the second activity: to consider the possibility that conflict two large summit conferences in is not necessary, that there may be fall 2014 and fall 2015. Held at local other options.” churches, the conferences Visit bethel.edu/news/articles/2014/ will provide resources february/templeton-grant to read more. for pastors and ministry
Bethel Magazine Recognized for Excellence
57th Festival of Christmas. More than 6,000 guests enjoyed Bethel’s 57th Festival of Christmas, themed “Your Light Has Come!” The cherished holiday tradition featured more than 300 talented student musicians, a children’s choir, and an authentic Scandinavian Smörgåsbord before and after several performances.
In November, Bethel Magazine received three silver awards in the annual Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association’s Publishing Excellence Awards competition. In the education category for magazines with a circulation of more than 30,000, Bethel Magazine was recognized for cover design, feature article, and overall excellence. Bethel University
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Campus News
Nursing Professor Honored by March of Dimes The Minnesota March of Dimes recently honored Professor of Nursing Karen Drake as the 2013 “Distinguished Nurse of the Year.” Drake was recognized for her development of high-tech simulation labs at Bethel and for her work abroad teaching future nursing leaders in Uganda. “Karen mentors, encourages, and nurtures Ugandan students through a difficult program, in a difficult environment,” says former student Jill Bauer CAPS’06, GS’13, who nominated Drake for the award. “Thanks to her work, a number of these
students now have master’s degrees in nursing and are making an incredible impact in their profession and in their country.” Drake began teaching at Bethel in 1992 and has traveled to Uganda through a collaboration between Bethel University and Uganda Christian University. She recognized that there were not enough nurses in Uganda with master’s degrees to sustain the program, so she started a master’s program with a focus on nursing education. Today, graduates function as faculty, in leadership roles, and at the Ministry of Health.
Bethel Acquires New Property In December, Bethel acquired property at 2 Pine Tree Drive in Arden Hills, a little more than a mile from Bethel’s main campus. The property includes 42 acres of land, nearly 200,000 square feet of building space, and 777 parking spots. In 2012, Bethel completed work on a Campus Master Plan that identified the need
for additional new construction to accommodate current needs as well as anticipated growth in the next 20 years. The new Pine Tree property allows Bethel to realize much of these space needs without new construction, effectively providing the same amount of identified space needs at half the cost and in less time. Bethel now occupies
about 26,000 square feet of classroom and office space at Pine Tree for College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School (CAPS/GS) programs, including the newly launched Physician Assistant program, while sharing the space with several office tenants. Over time, the building may house consolidated CAPS/GS offices and programming, auxiliary library space, administrative functions, and classrooms. The site also provides increased parking options with the addition of shuttle service to the main campus. Financing of the Pine Tree purchase was accomplished with the help of a Bethel investor who stepped forward to make the acquisition possible without Bethel incurring debt, using additional operating funds, or using previously designated funds.
Read more about the new property at bethel.edu/news/articles/2014/ february/pine-tree
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Winter/Spring 2014
Campus News
Bookmarked Recently published books by Bethel University faculty Introducing Christian Theologies by Victor Ezigbo, Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies (Cascade Books) Few standard textbooks on Christian theology acknowledge the unique contributions of African, Asian, and Latin American theologians. This two-volume textbook alters the predominantly European and North American “theological face” of Christianity by interacting with the voices of Christian communities from around the globe.
The New Faces of American Poverty edited by Lindsey Hanson ’06 and Timothy Essenburg, Professor of Economics (ABC-CLIO) The Great Recession of 2007 to
2009 brought the United States— routinely touted as the richest country in the world—to historical levels of poverty. In one of the first books to focus on this phenomenon, more than 20 contributing writers, including Bethel faculty and alumni, explore the history of poverty in America and provide a vision of what lies ahead for the American economy.
Give First Priority to Jesus Christ by Jim and Carole Spickelmier, former Bethel University staff members (Harvest Press) A tribute to the life and work of Carl H. Lundquist, Bethel president from 1954-1982, this book is both a biography and a celebration of the values Lundquist emphasized in his own life and ministry. It was written by Lundquist’s daughter, Carole, and her husband Jim, who both served at Bethel during their careers. They
finished the book just a week before Jim’s death in September 2013.
Essential Atlas of the Bible by Carl Rasmussen, Professor of Old Testament Emeritus (Zondervan) This full-color atlas is concise but thorough, perfect for Bible students, travelers to the Holy Land, or any Bible reader who is curious about the places mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. The book contains 200 multidimensional maps and fullcolor images, chronological charts, historical background, regional details, weather, roads, and more.
All books, as well as many others by Bethel faculty, are available at the Campus Store. Visit bookstore.bethel.edu to shop online; shop in person; or shop by phone at 651.638.6202.
on U.S. News Best Colleges for Veterans
Bethel University was ranked #7 on “Best Colleges for Veterans” by U.S. News & World Report and was named a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media. The recognitions highlight Bethel’s ongoing commitment to providing resources and benefits for veterans. Josh Daubenmeyer, Bethel’s veteran center supervisor and member of the Navy Reserves, says that the presence of military members and vets on campus and in the classroom helps everyone: “Both military and Read more at bethel.edu/ non-military students benefit from the diversity of each other’s news/articles/2013/december/ experience.” military-friendly
Bethel University
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Campus News
Senior Gains Experience Fighting Terrorism Emily Stroud ’14, a double major in business and political science and international relations, interned in Washington, D.C., with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. Her projects included the Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States, in which she profiled radical extremist individuals whose ideology inspired illegal acts in the U.S. Now her research will be used to further the study of similarities in radical extremists. Stroud is vice president of the Model United Nations Club at Bethel and president of Pi Sigma Alpha, a political honor society. “Emily is intellectually curious and interested in connecting classroom experiences to internship and career experiences,” says Chris Moore, associate professor of political science. “And she’s mindful about how the content she’s studying now will lead to future life goals.” After graduation, Stroud hopes to enter the military intelligence and operations field. “It would be thrilling to work with the CIA, Homeland Security, or the National Counterterrorism Center,” she says. “It won’t be an easy area to work in, but I believe I can be a light in a very dark field of this country.”
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Winter/Spring 2014
175 “Faithful Science.” In January, Bethel’s “Faithful Science” Convocation series featured Dorothy Chappell, professor of biology and dean of Natural & Social Sciences at Wheaton College, Ill., who discussed the relationship between science and faith in an address titled “The Joy of Discovery: Reflecting God’s Light and Love.” This year’s Convocation series grows out of “a belief that our world belongs to God,” says Rebecca Seaberg, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science. “We have invited scientists from a variety of fields to explore how they view science as a Christian vocation, as well as a discipline that can deepen our appreciation of how the natural world proclaims the eternal power of God.” The series continues this spring with Shaundra Daily, assistant professor at Clemson University, speaking on April 16 on “One Body, Many Parts: The Constructionist Strategy for Education”; and Krista Tippett, radio journalist and host of “On Being,” speaking on May 2 on “Einstein’s God.”
Bethel celebrated the 175th birthday of founder John Alexis Edgren on February 20. The event was sponsored by the Royal Legacy committee, a group of students working to create awareness of Bethel history and traditions.
Bethel Seminary of the East Closing As part of a response to changes in seminary education, including declining seminary enrollment on a national scale, the President’s Cabinet made the decision to close Bethel Seminary of the East in July 2014. All sites where Bethel Seminary of the East classes are now offered will be closed, and current students have been given options for finishing their degrees either online through Bethel Seminary St. Paul or at another institution. Read more on p. 26.
Healthiest Campus
The Daily Beast ranked Bethel University eighth on its list of healthiest campuses. To determine the list of 20 healthy schools, the online news source used College Prowler ratings for three categories: best school for nondrinker students, top drug-free campuses, and the healthiest campus dining options.
Campus News
Bethel Completes Branding Initiative Bethel University has unveiled a new logo, the final phase of a twoyear branding project. The branding initiative was a critical part of accomplishing one of the university’s strategic priorities—to clearly articulate the distinctiveness of a Bethel University education in a way that distinguishes Bethel within a crowded higher education marketplace. “Our brand communicates the essence of who we are,” says Michael Vedders, director of web and creative services, who co-led the branding project. “While our core values and mission never change, it’s important to look at our image and messages, and talk to our community about the things that make Bethel unique, so we can all effectively tell the Bethel story. It’s been 10 years since we last examined our brand and asked constituents
to evaluate the institution’s image and messages, so it was a good time for this project. Ultimately, it’s an gold colors. Added to the university’s investment in the future.” The goal name is a torch to represent light, of the new logo was to develop a more which connects to Bethel’s strong cohesive and unified representation spiritual ties and pietistic heritage, and of all the schools—Bethel Seminary, to the quest for truth—the essence of the College of Adult & Professional education. A crest adds to the academic Studies, the Graduate School, and and traditional feel of the icon as a the College of Arts & Sciences. After whole and connects back to Bethel’s months of research and talking to Swedish roots. The “1871” banner many stakeholders—including staff, represents the university’s founding faculty, Board of Trustee members, and strength as a well-established alumni, donors, and students—about institution. what the visual identity should reflect, one unanimously popular version emerged as the clear choice. To read more about Bethel’s new logo, The new logo retains the visit bethel.edu/offices/communicationsmarketing/resources/identity familiar Bethel blue and
Bethel Football: A Record-setting Season
By the Numbers
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Bethel passing records broken by quarterback and MIAC MVP Erik Peterson
The Royals football team finished the 2013 regular season undefeated, winning their fifth MIAC Championship since 2000 and advancing to the NCAA playoffs for the eighth time. Their success is highlighted by the numerous records and awards amassed by players, coaches, and the team during a record-setting season.
+21 1
COSIDA Academic All-American: J.D. Mehlhorn
Led the MIAC in turnover margin
131
Tackles by Bethel record holder, two-time AFCA All-American, and three-time All-MIAC Seth Mathis
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10-0 regular season record led to 5th MIAC Conference title since 2000
24 Royals were honored by the MIAC
Coach of the Year awards for Head Football Coach Steve Johnson MIAC Coach of the Year | AFCA Region Coach of the Year
Bethel University
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Campus News
Professor’s Leadership Nets National Award
Sports Camps For more than 30 years, Bethel sports camps have taught young players the high-level skills, hard work, and competitive attitude necessary to succeed. Through personal instruction by Bethel coaches and varsity athletes, campers improve their skills and learn to integrate faith with athletics.
Boys and Girls Basketball Cross Country Soccer Tennis Volleyball For more information or to register, visit www.bethelroyals.com “Bethel volleyball camp taught me to play for an ‘audience of One’ and give God the glory no matter what.” –Jillian Krier, former camper, Bethel volleyball player “Bethel basketball camp encouraged me to be a leader on and off the court. We were challenged to have a sound body and soul and a Christlike mind. That’s what made the Bethel camp unique.” – Cameron Wold, former camper, Bethel men’s basketball player
#MyMediaCamp Students learn to tell their stories and report the news with today’s social media tools.
For more information or to register, visit bethel.edu/events/ journalism-camp
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Winter/Spring 2014
photo by Zahler Photography
(for all ages)
An elementary school formerly led by Tracy Reimer, assistant director of Bethel’s Doctor of Educational Leadership program, has been named a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Annandale Elementary School, Annandale, Minn., is one of 286 schools nationally and seven schools in Minnesota to be recognized. Reimer served as its principal from 2003-13 and had a key role in the school’s success, implementing regular monitoring of student progress; grouping children in creative ways so teachers could provide targeted help; lowering class sizes; and setting high expectations for parent involvement. “Tracy also fought hard to devote time for research into the best practices of teaching and to instruct
and demonstrate what she learned,” explains Allyson Kuehn, current principal, who worked with Reimer for eight years. The effort paid off. The school’s math and reading scores climbed, and they have been in the top 10% in the state for several years. Reimer’s impact continues as part of Bethel’s doctoral program. “The selection of Annandale Elementary School as a National Blue Ribbon School recognizes the importance of the leadership that Tracy provided over the last two decades in that community,” says Craig Paulson, director of the Doctor of Educational Leadership program. “She exemplifies qualities encouraged within Bethel’s doctoral program: authenticity, intellectual flexibility, honesty, clarity, compassion, and humble confidence. As a Bethel faculty member, she’ll be able to have a broader impact as she inspires future principals and superintendents to become leaders who transform students, schools, and communities.”
Visit gs.bethel.edu/academics/doctorate/educational-administration to learn more about the Doctor of Educational Leadership program.
Smartest Colleges
Bethel University ranked 46th out of 456 schools in Lumosity’s second annual ranking of the “50 Smartest Colleges in America.” Lumosity, a company that produces web-based brain teasers, based the ranking on an analysis of its database of human cognitive performance. The study examined game play data from 72,388 college students who played Lumosity games and looked at five cognitive areas: memory, processing speed, flexibility, attention, and problem solving.
Campus News
The History Center at Bethel University recently received a $20,000 endowment from the estate of the late Virgil Olson, who served Bethel in several roles during a long career at both the seminary and the college. Olson, who died in June at the age of 96, was a leader of deep faith and piety, an engaging professor of history, and a devoted chronicler of the history of the Baptist General Conference (BGC), now Converge Worldwide. “People have said that Virgil Olson made history ‘real and relevant’ in his career as professor and dean,” says Randy Bergen, executive assistant to President Jay Barnes. “With this endowment, Virgil will continue to make Bethel and BGC history real and relevant for future generations. We are very grateful for this remarkable gift.” The History Center, located on the second floor of the Carl H. Lundquist Addition at the Bethel Seminary Library in St. Paul, houses and archives documents significant to Swedish Baptist institutional, cultural, and immigration history; Converge Worldwide; and Bethel University. The center is funded in part by Bethel University, Converge Worldwide, and through the fundraising efforts of the Friends of the History Center, which comprises volunteers who promote the work of the History Center, present fundraising/educational events, develop a newsletter, and advocate for The History Center’s staff, funding, space, and projects. Nine of the 19 collections in the Bethel University Digital Library were digitized from materials originally housed in the History Center, and funds from the Olson endowment will likely support efforts to digitize additional materials. “An endowment will afford the History Center the opportunity to embark on projects that otherwise would take years to complete in-house or piecemeal through grants,” says Diana Magnuson, professor of history and director of the History Center. “It’s so moving that someone who invested his whole living life in Bethel will continue to significantly invest in Bethel after his passing.”
Thank you, donors! IT’S NO SECRET THAT COLLEGE STUDENTS LOVE DONUTS. BUT WE LOVE OUR DONORS EVEN MORE. Gifts from donors provide much-needed support to Bethel students. So Bethel’s Royal Legacy committee got together recently to share that information—along with fun and donuts—with other students and a lion.
Read more at bethel.edu/news/articles/2013/ december/history-center photos by Nathan Klok
photo courtesy of the BGC History Center
History Center Receives Olson Endowment
Bethel University
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Sports News
From the Locker Room
Meet standout Bethel winter athletes
Men’s Basketball Quinn Gorski • Sr., Batavia, Ill. A four-year player, Gorski helped the Royals advance to the MIAC playoffs twice in his first three years. In 86 career games so far, he’s totaled 336 points, 141 rebounds, 137 assists, and 75 steals, averaging 40.3% shooting and 79.6% from the free-throw line. He also received MIAC Academic All-Conference honors in 2012 and 2013. Women’s Basketball Katelyn Vavra • Sr., Askov, Minn. A sharpshooter from the outside, Vavra has helped Bethel start the 2013 season with their best record in nearly 20 years. Her career totals so far include shooting 35.2% from 3-point range and 80.5% from the foul line, while scoring 406 points, grabbing 137 rebounds, and assisting 76 shots in 83 games played. She also earned MIAC Academic All-Conference awards in 2012 and 2013. Men’s Hockey
Steven Bolton • Sr., Las Vegas, Nev. A former United States Hockey League goaltender, Bolton is in his second season at Bethel since transferring. He ranks fourth among MIAC opponents in save percentage (.916) and second in total saves (384) throughout 2013. This season, he’s started 13 of Bethel’s first 17 games and tallied more than 780 minutes, while allowing just 35 goals against.
Women’s Hockey
Extra Points Killing It. Freshman volleyball
player Carlee Hoppe was selected as the MIAC 2013 Rookie of the Year. She averaged 4.19 kills per set during her first year, second among league players.
Record-setting Runner. Matt Berens finished seventh at the 2013 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships at Hanover College, Hanover, Ind. His top 10 time of 24:57 was the highest finish by a male runner in Bethel history. Undefeated. The Royals football
team finished the 2013 regular season at 12-0, winning their fifth MIAC Championship since 2000 and advancing to the NCAA playoffs for the eighth time. (Read more on p. 7.)
Kali Johnson • Jr., Richfield, Minn. Johnson has scored 21 goals, assisted 43 more, and totaled 64 points in her 70 career games played. She helped Bethel reach the MIAC playoffs in each of her first two years, and this season she leads the league in total assists. She also received MIAC Academic All-Conference recognition in her first year eligible.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Mark Rice • Sr., Maple Grove, Minn. A 400-meter phenom, Rice has excelled in both the sprint and hurdles events. In 2013, he was MIAC champion in the 400-meter hurdles, propelling Bethel to third place overall at the conference meet. His hurdles time ranks fourth in school history, and he, along with three other teammates, finished with a time of 3:16.02 in the 2013 Drake Relays, which ranks sixth in BU history.
Women’s Indoor Track and Field
Courtney Fregeau • Sr., Andover, Minn. Fregeau has broken numerous Bethel track records, contributing to the setting of six marks in the Bethel women’s indoor and outdoor record book. Her accomplishments include a time of 57.41 in the 400-meter outdoor race, while she and three teammates have broken BU records in the indoor 800-meter and 1600-meter relays, as well as the outdoor 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1600-meter relays.
Follow the Royals: bethelroyals.com | youtube.com/bethelroyals | facebook.com/bethelroyals | twitter.com/bethelroyals 10
Winter/Spring 2014
Sports News
CoachQuote
Royal Profile
“Our goal on the women’s hockey team is to build a program that brings glory to God in everything we do. It begins with having grateful hearts for the spiritual and material blessings we receive each day, combined with using our gifts, talents, and effort to strive for excellence both on and off the ice. Collegiate athletics are extremely intense and competitive. The word “team” takes on a whole new meaning. Thankful and joyful hearts, loving and serving others, and commitment are the trademarks we want for our team.”
Name: Kyle Zimmermann Year: Senior Sport: Men’s Basketball
Read the full interview with Coach Calson at www.bethelroyals.com
What’s your favorite memory of playing basketball for the Royals? My best memory happened this year when we played Luther College from Iowa. It was only the third game of the season, so as a team we were still trying to find our identity. We played a good game, but were down eight points with 50 seconds left. Somehow we pulled it together and finished on a 9-0 run, including a buzzer-beater to win the game as time expired. I’ve only been involved in a few buzzer-beaters, and none was more special than this one during my senior year. Who has had the greatest impact on you as a person? My mother has had the greatest impact on me. Not only is she a great role model, but she holds me accountable for my actions and supports me in everything I do. She’s a big reason why I’m the person I am today. You’ve seen a great deal of adversity throughout your four years. How do you play through it and keep a positive attitude? I keep a positive attitude by remembering that playing college
photo by Scott Streble
—Brian Carlson, women’s hockey coach, 4th season
Hometown: Champlin, Minn. Major: Athletic Training
basketball is a privilege. It’s not something that everyone gets to experience. Four years go by quickly, and I have tried to enjoy every second of that because soon it will be gone. Staying positive makes the experience more enjoyable for me and for my teammates. What are your goals after college? I hope to go to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in physical therapy. My dream job would be a physical therapist, where I could help other people and work with athletes. You’ve been injured much of your career. How do you make an impact in spite of injury? Since I’ve been injured often, I’ve had to look to make an impact on my team in ways other than on the court. Each time I’ve been injured, it’s been my goal to get back to playing condition as fast as possible. My hope was to get back to the court, but also that my hard work would encourage my teammates to keep working hard too. Each year the season is filled with highs and lows, ups and downs. I just want to be there for my teammates and help them become the best players and men they can be. Bethel University
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©iStock.com/DNY59
the Glass Slipper
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re
Weddings have a way of bringing out our most romantic side. Who hasn’t grown a little teary celebrating the start of a couple’s journey toward their own happy ending? But when the honeymoon is over, reality sets in. Demanding jobs, conflict with family members, and the challenges of raising children have a way of quickly turning the magical carriage back into an ordinary pumpkin. While there’s no magic wand to wave over the difficulties inherent in intimate relationships, there are steps couples can take to prepare for the realities of marriage and to maintain a thriving, God-centered union for life. And the principles that work for marriage can be applied to any relationship, from co-workers to roommates. Read on to learn about the ways Bethel helps students and alums establish and nurture healthy relationships in all areas of life. by Suzanne Yonker GS’09 Winter/Spring 2014
Trading the Cinderella Myth for
eal relationship Activities Foster Relationship
Perspectives on Christian Marriage
From residence life to athletics, student activities at In addition to student life activities, Bethel’s curriculum Bethel are really “just one massive, ongoing relationship features a popular class that focuses on marriage. Open program,” says Chris Frank, former associate dean to any student, Perspectives on Christian Marriage helps of student life. “Relationships are one of the greatest students clarify their values, consider how their faith developmental opportunities we have. For traditional informs their perspectives, and reflect on their experiences undergraduate students, our focus on helping students in relationships, says Michelle Louis, adjunct assistant relate to others in healthy ways sets us apart from many professor of psychology and general studies, who teaches other schools.” the class. “We spend time deconstructing what I call the As students live together, lead together, and participate ‘Cinderella view’ of marriage,” she explains, “so that we can in competition side by side, they learn how to communicate replace it with an understanding of the marital relationship more effectively and work through conflict. “All the events that is more closely tethered to reality—one that is more Bethel provides encourage us to meet new people and thoughtful and will serve students better if they actually do strengthen our relationships with friends and with the get married.” Lord,” says Rachel Graybill ’12. The course covers forgiveness, navigating conflict, The Office of Student Life also holds specific events managing expectations, and communicating effectively, around relationship issues, like the annual Relationship Louis says. These themes help students understand the Emphasis Week, which began when a donor provided dynamics that occur in the varying seasons of life and funds for three years of relationship programming. More marriage, from newlyweds to retirement and beyond. recently, the event has been When Allison and I got married last year, we weren’t expecting a fairy tale. coordinated with the Offices of Campus Ministries, But I was surprised to discover my expectations about things like dirty dishes Disability Services, and picking up socks. We also deal with the more serious matters, like finances Counseling Services, and and family dynamics. These issues actually bring us together. We’ve had to others, and includes chapel learn to talk through them and offer grace to each other. Sometimes I step speakers and activities that highlight one important toward her, and sometimes she toward me. It’s about being honest with each relational theme, such as other and taking the time to be intentional. forgiveness or sexuality.
—Jake Wienke ’08
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Tips for a Healthy Marriage from President Jay and Barb Barnes • View your wedding vows as promises meant to be kept. • Include God. • Set realistic expectations for your partner. • Tend your marriage like a garden. • Eliminate divorce as an option. • Find a mentor couple to help you on your journey. • Spend as much on marriage preparation and annual enrichment as you do on the one-day wedding itself.
Seasons of Relationship
The “seasons of life” theme resonates with Bethel President Jay Barnes and his wife, Barb, who are passionate about premarital preparation because of the experiences of their own wedding party. “Of the eight people who stood up with us, five couples have gotten divorced,” Barb explains. “These were close family and friends who all attended Christian colleges. Plus, Jay and I had a stressful ‘year seven’ in our own marriage. We want to invest in young adults so they can develop the means to build thriving relationships.” To that end, each spring the Barnes conduct a weekend marriage retreat for young alumni called “The Seasons of Marriage” (see box on p. 15). For them, “seasons” refer to the good and bad times during a marriage. “Winter” describes difficulty and slow growth. In “spring and summer,” the couple is planting and investing in growth. And in fall, the couple harvests their healthy relationship and builds up strength to get through the “winter” to come. Couples learn to expect the changes that each season brings, and to be
prepared for both joys and challenges. In addition to the alumni retreat for married couples, Jay and Barb also host a popular five-week workshop for engaged couples at their home each semester. The workshop covers needs and expectations, communication, the biblical foundation for marriage, sexuality, family and in-law relationships, finances, and other topics relevant to each unique group. While they acknowledge the deep joys of marriage, Jay and Barb also want engaged couples to understand the realities of it. “Engaged couples need to hear that you will always love each other, but some days you just don’t like each other,” Barb says. “Some couples are startled by that. But we hear from alums that what we talk about in these workshops really helped them.” Joe ’11 and Rachel Graybill ’12 attended the workshop in fall 2011. The meetings encouraged them to “think critically about the reality of marriage and what it entails,” Rachel says. “Jay and Barb really helped us prepare for our marriage and offered a lot of advice that we still use every day.”
Growing Healthy Relationships
Along with their retreats and workshops for Bethel students, the Barnes also travel to other Christian colleges and seminaries across the country to conduct Growing Healthy Relationship (GHR) retreats, using a curriculum provided by the Center for Relationship Enrichment at John Brown University. And here at Bethel, GHR retreats are held at Bethel Seminary once a year. Hosted by seminary staff members Jeff and Mary Sanders, these retreats are open to married, engaged, and seriously dating couples from across the university. The events feature a variety of speakers who focus on the topics of conflict and communication. “Only seven couples conduct these retreats around the country,”
Not Just for Married Couples: Relational Skills Create Job Success For adult students, relational skills often set apart those who succeed from those who don’t. “When employers are surveyed about what they look for, they say they want someone who knows how to relate to people,” says Chris Frank, former associate dean of student life. Bethel’s adult programs address this need by helping students learn to communicate effectively in all areas of life, including on the job. “We’ve learned from research that organizational success is tied first to individual and organizational health,” says Dick Crombie, vice president and dean of the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School. “All of our adult programs include components for healthy relationships and have direct application to individual, community, and organizational health.” Even a General Studies financial literacy course helped relieve stress in—and save—at least one student’s marriage and work life by helping her get out of debt, a common source of strife in families.
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says Jeff, who is associate dean for Student Development and Support at the seminary. “So it’s unique that two of us couples are here at Bethel. While we follow a curriculum, we’re also encouraged to add our own perspectives and experiences to enhance the teaching.”
Healing Relationship Wounds
Besides offering marriage retreats, the seminary also encourages aspiring pastors and teachers to develop all their relationships while at Bethel. Jeff and his wife Mary, director of spiritual and personal formation at the seminary, along with other staff and faculty, help students work through issues that are uncovered during a seminary student assessment process, whether it’s divorce, painful childhood memories, or other situations. If necessary, students can also meet with seasoned therapists in the Office of Counseling Services to work through concerns. Additionally, pastoral care and spiritual formation courses provide forums for discussing ways to strengthen marriages and other relationships. Numerous students in all schools of Bethel have had poor role models for healthy relationships, are themselves divorced, or are children of divorce. Bethel supports these students with resources in student life, campus ministries, counseling services, and residence life. Caring staff, faculty members, and coaches help those who need it to find hope and healing. In his former role with the Office of Student Life, Frank often worked with students who experienced family breakups. A child of divorce himself, he’s committed to help others pursue healthy marriages and interpersonal relationships. He shared his own story in chapel last year, then began a support group to help students work toward forgiveness for family-related hurts, which he believes is one key to healing and moving forward.
A Safe Place
When we go through broken marriages or other losses, we need time to grieve and forgive. “We don’t talk enough about how forgiveness is a process,” says Jeff Sanders. “We don’t get to choose the pace of that process; we just need to support people through it, however long it takes and whatever form it takes.” Kassie Hendrickson ’15 is one courageous student whose journey to forgiveness began at Bethel. When she arrived here, her parents had been divorced for more than six years. Her father had abandoned her and her sister, and she was
Maintaining Healthy Relationships: Bethel Alumni Survey Results
1.2%
2.3%
2012 5-year Bethel alumni respondent divorce rate
2012 10-year Bethel alumni respondent divorce rate
feeling broken and alone. But God reached out to her in that place. “The first few months at Bethel were like CPR for my soul,” she says. “I realized that I do to God every day what my dad did to me. I constantly hurt and reject God, yet He surrounds me with His unconditional love and forgiveness, and I needed to do the same with my father.” Whether we need to forgive a family member, learn how to resolve conflict constructively, or set reality-based expectations, Bethel provides a safe place not for fairy tales, but for the gritty, gratifying work of building lasting marriages and relationships. “We hope we have contributed to lifelong conversations,” says Sanders, “so that our graduates establish healthy relationships for the rest of their lives, both in and out of marriage.”
Grow Your Relationship! Young Alumni Marriage Enrichment Retreat March 21-22 This year’s retreat is almost full, but to be notified about future marriage enrichment events, update your contact information at: bethel.edu/alumni/stay-connected/update-info
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PlaceMeant– Bethel Seminary San Diego Expansion
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Thanks to the generous commitment of alumni, investors, and friends, Bethel Seminary San Diego completed a $6.8 million construction project at the end of 2012. The space was dedicated during a celebration in February 2013. Improvements include a two-story 14,500 square foot addition and a 6,800 square foot renovation, allowing for a 380-400 seat chapel and conference center as well as additional classroom spaces, enhanced learning technologies, offices, and an expanded gathering center.
photo by Greg Schneider
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photo by Greg Schneider
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photo by Barb Barnes
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xpansion by Tricia Theurer 1. The cross in the new chapel is made of steel and Douglas fir wood with a copper laminate. 2. Crosses in the student lounge were collected from around the world. They were donated to Bethel Seminary San Diego by faculty, staff, and friends. 3. Lush, native landscaping completes the renovation. 4. The combination of dusk, additional lighting, and palm trees makes for a captivating night shot of the campus. The expansion includes several delightful touches that preserve the past while celebrating the future, by tying in elements from the present and former St. Paul campuses with the West Coast location. 5. Students keep up on campus communication with mailboxes from Bethel University’s main campus. 6. The stunning stained glass window is from the original seminary building on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul. 7. This wood block scripture was fashioned from the ceiling grid of the previous Bethel Seminary San Diego chapel, reminding the seminary community of the heart of Bethel’s mission. It is part of the same custom ceiling grids built for the chapel and a second floor gathering space. During demolition, this fully intact smaller grid was uncovered underneath a remodeled ceiling section, and workmen set it aside to salvage for an art piece. The wood blocks were then cut, beveled, stained, and stenciled.
photo by Barb Barnes
photo by Barb Barnes
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photo by Barb Barnes
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Special thanks to partner College Avenue Baptist Church in San Diego for providing classroom and meeting space for many years. Visit bethel.edu/news/articles/2013/february/ bssd-building-complete for more information about the Bethel Seminary San Diego building dedication and expansion.
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ProFile – Joel Hodgson
by Michele Wojciechowski
Movies so bad they’re good, a row of theatre seats at the bottom of the screen, and hilarious commentary from two robots and a guy in a jumpsuit. What else could it be but Mystery Science Theater 3000, the beloved—albeit weird—TV show created by 1982 Bethel alum Joel Hodgson? Hodgson’s journey to cult comedy acclaim began in seventh grade in Green Bay, Wis., when he began performing magic and ventriloquism. His senior year of high school, headed for a career as a cruise ship magician, he visited Bethel— and got hooked. At Bethel, he continued doing magic and added comedy to his repertoire, practicing his form by reading chapel announcements with his trademark deadpan delivery. He also developed his ability to humorously critique bad television, riffing on the B movies he watched with friends in Bethel’s TV lounges. It was a skill he would later employ with great success. Hodgson refined his prop-based comedy and magic act at area comedy clubs, winning a local comedy award in the “Twin Cities Comedy Invitational.” His college years, spent experimenting and honing his craft, served him well. “The act that I started while at Bethel helped me get on the Late Show with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, and the Young Comedian’s Special on HBO,” he says, “but I really figured out my stage persona by doing Bethel chapel announcements.”
Michele Wojciechowski is an award-winning humorist and writer based in Baltimore, and author of Next Time I Move, They’ll Carry Me Out in a Box. 18 18
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And the magic continues. In November 2013, Hodgson celebrated MST3K’s 25th anniversary by hosting a special six-episode “Turkey Day Marathon” live on YouTube. He just completed a six-year national tour of Cinematic Titanic, a live version of Mystery Science Theater. He performs as the voice of Mayor Dewey on Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe. And he’s the creative lead for media at Cannae.com, a Philadelphiabased aerospace company. “I studied speech communication at Bethel,” he says, “and I just want to announce that I am using my major.”
Photo by Jessica Kourkounis
After graduation, Hodgson moved to Los Angeles to continue pursuing stand-up comedy. He was discovered by a Letterman producer and appeared on that show five times. He worked with Jerry Seinfeld, co-writing Seinfeld’s first HBO special Jerry Seinfeld: Stand-up Confidential. Back in Minnesota in 1988, he created Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), which ran from 1988-1999 on KTMA Channel 23, then Comedy Central, then the Sci-Fi Channel. The cult classic won a Peabody Award in 1993 and was named one of the “All-Time 100 Greatest TV Shows” by Time magazine and one of the “100 All-Time Greatest TV Shows” by Entertainment Weekly.
Bethel Bucket List by Erik Gruber ’06
©iStock.com/Aleksangel
The Bethel University student experience is packed with academics and activities. There’s so much to do, so little time. New students might feel like college goes on forever, but the years pass quickly, and some of the best Bethel experiences might get missed. To make sure that doesn’t happen to you, check out our list of must-do Bethel experiences and start checking them off your Bethel bucket list. Or, if you’re an alum, relive some fond memories of your own time at Bethel or plan an activity or two for your next campus visit! Bethel University
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utis Photo by Andy Ken
Go to a game at Royal Stadium. Because Bethel’s football team is a legitimate Division III football powerhouse. They’ve won five Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) championships since 2000. Made three trips to the NCAA Division III playoff quarterfinals in the last six years. And in 2013, they were undefeated in the regular season and finished the season ranked 6th nationally. Go to a Royals game. You won’t be disappointed. Get the made-to-order Asian stir-fry in the Dining Center. Because it’s delicious. Pick all your favorite veggies and meats, choose from a variety of sauces (try the spicy Thai Chile if you’re feeling brave), and watch chefs Wing Lui and Bill Bentzen wok-cook your creation before your eyes. Explore the stacks in the Seminary Library. Because you’ll find some seriously good books in their vast collection. And the books are housed on cool adjustable bookshelves that roll back and forth to fit more shelves in the stacks. With the turn of a knob, you can move a whole row to find the book you’re looking for. Just don’t get stuck in between. Visit the archives. Because you’ll find old yearbooks, photos, student newspapers, portraits of Bethel’s leaders, and Bethel founder John Alexis Edgren’s Bible. Officially called the History Center: Archives of the Baptist General Conference and Bethel University, the collections document the history of the university and its founding denomination. Find the archives at Bethel Seminary, room 216. You’ll need an appointment, so plan ahead. Go see the Ping-Pong Cannon. Because it’s one of the most exciting displays of physics you’ll ever see. Located in Bethel’s physics labs, the cannon is the brainchild of Dick Peterson, University Professor of Physics Emeritus. It’s capable of shooting ping-pong balls at 581 to 693 miles per hour, fast enough to shred through two soda cans. Go see the cannon in action. Just don’t stand in front of it. Visit Jeff Port’s birds. Because Professor of Biological Sciences Jeff Port is extremely smart (if you have any biology questions), and his pet birds will chirp the whole time you’re there.
Photo by Scott Str
Take a nature walk. Because Bethel’s campus is amazing, and sometimes we take that for granted. The Russell W. Johnson Nature Trail starts by Lake Valentine and wraps around the perimeter of campus. On your journey, you’ll pass through eight ecosystems. That’s a lot of ecosystems in a small area.
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Play a round of disc golf. Because it’s a great way to get a little exercise and appreciate Bethel’s natural beauty. The nine-hole course winds through the woods on the north end of campus.
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Jump in Lake Valentine. Because everybody does! Whether you want to cool off on a hot day or join in on a polar plunge, many Bethel students jump in Lake Valentine at least once during their time here. In winter, Lake Valentine is a hotspot for area ice-anglers, so you might also consider drilling a hole and testing your luck. Sign up for a random class. Because Bethel has a huge selection of fascinating course offerings. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try photography, acting, or creative writing. Maybe you want to learn a new sport. Don’t worry if the class isn’t in your major. The point of a liberal arts education is to become a well-rounded person with a wide variety of experiences, skills, and knowledge. This is your chance to explore.
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What did we forget
Send your Bucket List suggestions to bethel-magazine@bethel.edu
Paint the rock. Because painting the infamous Kresge Courtyard rock is a favorite—though not officially sanctioned—pastime. The rock changes identity many times within a year. Whether it’s blue and gold to celebrate Homecoming or dorm colors to show residence hall pride, you never know what might show up. Go to a show. Because Bethel has some seriously talented students. See their gifts on display at Festival of Christmas; the theatre department’s productions; choir, band, and orchestra concerts; readings for the student literary journal the Coeval; coffee houses; or “Raspberry Monday,” the annual student art exhibition.
Study abroad. Because a semester in another country will get you out of your comfort zone, push you to grow, and give you a greater awareness of the world around you. Seventy-five percent of our students study abroad by the time they graduate, and Bethel recently ranked 7 th in U.S. News’ “10 Colleges Where the Most Students Study Abroad.” Get an internship. Because internships are one of the best ways to prepare for life after college. Bethel helps students find internships at Fortune 500 companies like Target and General Mills, national laboratories, engineering companies, accounting firms, and many other types of organizations.
How Full Is Your Bucket? 12-15 You fully embraced the Bethel experience. Go ahead and graduate. 8-11 You’ve got some work to do. Double major so you have an extra year or two to catch up.
4-7 You’re studying too much. 1-3 Come back for a reunion and take advantage of what you missed! 0 You must have picked up this magazine in the dentist’s office.
Bethel University
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Get involved. Because you’ll gain leadership experience, a sense of belonging, and lifelong friends. Bethel is all about community. Get involved in the things that interest you.
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Skeptical Believer The
Telling Stories to Your Inner Atheist When it comes to belief in God, many of us have doubts—unanswered questions that often leave us wondering about our own faith. In this excerpt from his latest book, Professor of English Emeritus Daniel Taylor argues that you can live a rich and meaningful life of faith—without proof and with doubts—by seeing yourself as a character within an ancient story. And if you’re still wondering whether the story is true? The best way to find out is in the living of it. by Daniel Taylor, Professor of English Emeritus book design by Matthew Taylor ’97, Taylor Design Works
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WHAT KIND OF STORY IS THIS? It takes a story to make a story. Flannery O’Connor
This tale grew in the telling, until it became a history… J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
If I am going to commit myself to a story, and to playing my part as a character in it, I want to know what kind of story it is. When I am living within the Christian story, what kind of story am I in? Knowing the kind of story can help me better know my lines. I am in a story that participates in most all the different kinds of stories human beings tell and at the same time transcends all categories. My story is an epic story, for epics tell the foundational tales and explain origins (think Homer and Milton). Epics people their story with great characters (Achilles, Odysseus, King Arthur, Abraham, Moses, Satan, Christ) operating on a grand scale, with everything hanging in the balance (life and death, time and eternity, the fate of humanity). My story is also a quest story. Something lost or distant must be found (reunion with God), and perils must be overcome (sin and Satan) in order to reach a priceless goal (shalom). The quest takes place with companions (the church, fellow believers, kindred spirits), some of whom are lost (in this life) along the way. My story is that special kind of quest story called a pilgrimage—physical travel for a spiritual purpose. The act of traveling is as much a part of the pilgrimage as the moment of arrival. In our pilgrimage of faith we are both always traveling and always arriving. Each arrival—at some place of insight or communion with God—signals the need for more traveling. We are both at rest and striving, secure and at risk, satisfied and restless. My story is a mystery story. Faith is not a puzzle to be solved, but rather a mystery to be plumbed and lived. In a mystery story we have enough information to fully engage us, but not so much as to fully satisfy us. We want very much to know more, and we spend whatever time the story takes to uncover that information. In a fictional mystery story, that information comes after a few hundred pages, in a mystery film after a couple of hours. In the story of faith,
it comes only through and after a lifetime. We see now as in a glass darkly (the mystery), but then face-to-face (the denouement). We often wish it were not so. We want the complete answers now. Not getting them, we even wonder whether there are any answers. But this mystery story, the ultimate mystery, tells us what we need to know only when we need to know it, revealing all only when all is fulfilled. My story is a love story. A love story above all. It is the story of God’s love for his creation. This is the master plot of all things—God made us, God loves us, God calls us. One could rightfully substitute the words “the cosmos” for “us” in that declaration, but love stories are intimate stories, and so I will say not only “us” but “me.” God made, loves, and calls me.
You should not commit yourself to any story for your life that is not itself worth the spending of the only life you have. I like that the story of faith in which I am a character is a great story composed of many small stories. I like that it is told by people from a wide range of cultures and times and understandings. I like that it includes the 1,500 years of stories in the Bible, but also includes 2,000 years of stories since, and countless stories from throughout time and eternity known only to God. Such a vast range of smaller stories makes the master story all the more believable to me. God inhabits his creation and his creatures—from before time to after, throughout the world and the cosmos—and wherever he appears, he is telling a story. If I am to live fully in such a story, I must be willing to let go of some things—the desire for certainty, universal approval, superficial safety and security, perhaps life itself—in exchange for other things—meaning, significance, Bethel University
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adventure, hope, grace. Fundamental questions arise: What are the qualities of a story for which I am willing to give everything? What am I willing to give up? What am I willing to risk? Are there enough problems with this story that I must exchange for another, lesser one? I offer this proposition: You should not commit yourself to any story for your life that is not itself worth the spending of the only life you have. You are spending your life on some story, whether you have identified it or not. You only get one life. Is the story you are spending it on worth the value of your one life? If not, change your story. I believe the only kind of story worth spending a life on is a love story. I will admit that the reality of God personally and individually calling me by name is not altogether comforting to me. I would actually rather be one among many in the “us” than think of God as looking directly at me—and extending his hand. I am, Lord, a Skeptical Believer. I have had to work hard just to get beyond lukewarm and thereby avoid getting spewed. I prefer, if you don’t mind, being in the back rows, watching gratefully from afar. But this is a love story, and God will have none of that. As the Christ, God came among us. He emptied himself, became Immanuel—one of us. Not after we had cleaned ourselves up for a royal visit, but while we were still playing in the muck. He lived with us, healed us, forgave us, came into our homes, ate our food, wept when we wept and laughed when we laughed. Then he died for us and rose again—to make things right. See—there I go again with the plural pronouns—us, we. I want this to be a “God loves us” story, and it is. But it is, even more important, a “God loves me” story. And so I must put my own name in there—God loves Dan—or it isn’t really a love story. When Shakespeare Taylor’s books, as well as many others by Bethel faculty, are available at the Campus Store. Visit bookstore.bethel.edu to shop online; shop in person; or shop by phone at 651.638.6202.
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wrote a love story, it wasn’t the Montagues love the Capulets (they didn’t), it was Romeo loves Juliet. And so it is with the greatest love story of all. It isn’t, ultimately, God loves humanity. It is God loves Dan. God made Dan. God died for Dan. God defeated death for Dan. God desires to be known by Dan. That I use this kind of intimate language to describe a relationship with God reveals the version of the story of faith I know best. I was raised in it. It put its stamp on me. I am not always at ease with it myself, but it is the way I know to tell the story. And therefore it is the way I tell the story to you. For all good stories are particular, rooted in a specific time and place and way of seeing and speaking, even if they also partake of eternity. So this is how I understand the story—it is, among many other things, an epic story, a quest, a pilgrimage, a mystery. But most of all it is a love story, one in which God calls me by name. Your story will, of necessity, be uniquely your own. But I hope you still hear someone calling your name, too.
Dan Taylor is professor of English emeritus at Bethel University. He is the author of 10 books, including The Myth of Certainty; Letters to My Children; Tell Me a Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories; Creating a Spiritual Legacy; and most recently The Skeptical Believer. He speaks frequently at conferences, colleges, retreats, and churches on a variety of topics. Taylor is also a contributing editor for Books and Culture, and cofounder of The Legacy Center, an organization devoted to helping individuals and organizations identify and preserve the values and stories that have shaped their lives. Taylor is married and the father of four adult children. Learn more by visiting www.wordtaylor.com
Challenges Changes How Will We Respond?
In fall 2008, widespread economic change caused ripple effects worldwide, and the higher education industry was not immune. Across the country, universities began trimming budgets, asking employees to do more with less, and looking for ways to make education more affordable for struggling families and students.
How did these economic challenges impact Bethel? What changes are occurring on our campus in response? What does this mean for our future?
by Suzanne McInroy, Director of Communications Bethel University
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Initial Challenges
“Whether your university has an endowment or whether you’re primarily tuition driven, everybody has felt the sting of what has happened in the economy over the last five years,” says Bethel University President Jay Barnes. At Bethel, financial aid for College of Arts & Sciences students was the first area to see challenges in the 2008-09 academic year, when parents of these students experienced layoffs and job loss. Since 2008, more than 500 Bethel families have seen the primary wage earner lose his or her job. Administrators were faced with a decision: offer more financial aid to keep students enrolled, or let those students drop out of college. “We decided that you can’t change lives if they’re not here, so we’ve shifted millions of dollars into our financial aid budget,” says Barnes. As existing funds were reprioritized to allow more money to be used for financial aid, Bethel’s financial aid budget for traditional undergraduate students increased from $16 million to $30 million over the last six years. And while undergraduate enrollment was growing or stable during part of that time, in the last two years, it has dropped— along with the income it generates. The result is that on a per student basis, Bethel’s financial aid spending has nearly doubled. “One of our biggest single challenges is the financial aid investment we’re making in the College of Arts & Sciences to serve our students and their families,” says Kathleen Nelson, former senior vice president for finance and administration. Bethel is tuition driven, so enrollment affects more than just financial aid. “More than 90% of our income comes from tuition, room, and board, which makes it more difficult when there are enrollment declines,” Barnes says. In the Midwest, the number of high school students has been declining for several years, and is predicted to bottom out in 2014. In spite of this trend, Bethel’s College of Arts & Sciences had record enrollment in the fall of 2011, but dipped lower than predicted in fall 2013. These anomalies have made financial forecasting—never an exact science— even more challenging.
Changes in Seminary Education
Bethel was founded as a seminary, and today Bethel Seminary—the 16th largest theological school in North America—is a large part of Bethel University. The seminary includes campuses in St. Paul, San Diego, and on the East Coast. But seminary education is on a national five-year downturn, as churches think differently about the type of 26
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Bethel remains one of the largest and
strongest
private Christcentered universities in the U.S.” —Jay Barnes, President
preparation they expect of pastors. Enrollment declines have caused some seminaries to close completely and others to look for new ways to attract students. Following national trends, enrollment at Bethel Seminary has also declined in the last six years. Bethel Seminary of the East programs have struggled with enrollment for more than a decade, despite strong support from churches in the region and some improvements in the recent past. “We’ve felt the decline mostly in St. Paul,” says Barnes, “but it has led to some hard decisions in terms of seminary education at Bethel.” In fall 2013 the President’s Cabinet, an administrative team including Barnes and seven senior university leaders, made the decision to close face-toface teaching at Bethel Seminary of the East at the end of spring semester 2014. Current Bethel Seminary of the East students have been given options for finishing their degrees either online through Bethel Seminary St. Paul or at one of two other seminaries. David Clark, vice president and dean of Bethel Seminary, explains that three major trends affect the significant shifts in seminary education. First, fewer students overall are choosing to go to seminary. Some balk at the cost, and others fail to see its value when they are often already involved in ministry. Second, of those who do go to seminary, fewer are entering the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program— which, says Clark, has long been regarded as the “gold standard, general pastoral preparation degree”—because
it is the longest master’s program to complete. And finally, many denominations and church movements that require seminary education are in decline. This translates to decreased demand for pastors and other ministers. “When prospective students express interest in Bethel Seminary but choose in the end not to come, the main alternative they choose is no seminary at all,” says Clark. “It’s not that prospective students compare Bethel with another seminary and choose the other seminary. Rather, prospective students weigh the cost in time and money, and then decide they can go directly into ministry without a seminary education.” To counteract these trends, Bethel Seminary has launched a shorter, more focused ministry degree, the Master of Arts in Ministry Practice (M.A.M.P.). This degree provides foundational ministry preparation in fewer credit hours than the M.Div. The M.A.M.P. program is designed, however, to allow students to transition seamlessly into the M.Div. later, if they so choose. In addition, as the seminary recently transitioned from a quarter system to semesters, its other master’s programs have been condensed by between 9% and 20% in credit hours while continuing to fulfill all accreditation requirements. To ensure effective results, all programs now include an assessment of student learning. Finally, the seminary is aggressively seeking new relationships with churches, denominations, and ministry agencies who need a leadership development partner. “Bethel Seminary needs to connect its unique educational philosophy with the movements of God that need mature leaders,” Clark says. “As Bethel keeps building its reputation for serving the kingdom of God and improving its capacity for making a transformative difference in the lives of future leaders, we believe we will see more churches, denominations, organizations, and
individuals recommending the premier programs at Bethel. Fundamentally, a seminary will only thrive if it truly serves the right audience in the right way.”
Difficult Decisions
With financial aid increasing and enrollment numbers decreasing in both the seminary and the College of Arts & Sciences, Bethel administrators have been faced with the harsh reality of balancing the budget. The decision to close Bethel Seminary of the East was one of many difficult announcements in 2013. In May, nearly 20 staff positions on several campuses were eliminated. In September, the New York Center for Art & Media Studies (NYCAMS) was closed. In October, 14 faculty positions were eliminated and a number of academic programs were cut (see box on p. 28), with both changes effective in the 2014-15 academic year. And in November, nearly 20 more staff positions were eliminated. It was a season of campus-wide grief and disappointment. As the changes continued to be announced, administrators were committed to transparency about the university’s decisions, inviting questions and feedback from Bethel community members and faculty leaders. While most faculty enjoy teaching and research more than administrative tasks, says Gary Long, president of the College of Arts & Sciences faculty senate, faculty members were motivated to get more involved as further cuts were considered. “We needed to work together on the strengths of the university, identify the weaknesses, and make changes,” he says. Beginning in March 2013, a group of faculty leaders from each of Bethel’s schools began meeting with the Cabinet on a monthly basis. In addition, former Senior Vice President Nelson invited business and economics faculty to meet with her team, and asked human resources faculty to
History reminds us that Bethel has not only
survived adversity, but thrived in spite of it.
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assist the university’s Office of Human Resources. But perhaps the biggest faculty contribution was to the process called Prioritization and Review. Led by Deb Harless, executive vice president and provost, and Joe LaLuzerne, senior vice president for strategic planning and operational effectiveness, Prioritization and Review began in spring 2013. Recommendations were made to the Cabinet by September, and final reports were announced in October and November, with academic changes set for implementation in the 2014-15 academic year. The ambitious time frame involved 37 faculty and staff members serving on six segment teams—three that examined Bethel’s academic programs (one team each for the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Adult & Professional Studies/Graduate School, and Bethel Seminary) and three that looked at administrative functions. For academic
programs, the teams examined criteria such as enrollment trends, number of graduates, and cost, as well as unique or distinctive contribution to the university. The criteria varied for administrative areas, but included usage trends over the past three to five years, cost and efficiency, internal impact, and use of assessment or review data for improvement. The teams’ recommendations for cuts to programs and functions will trim up to $7 million from the university’s operating budget.
A Strong Future
While Bethel’s financial challenges have led to significant changes, administration and faculty have sought to make strategic decisions that will position the university for a strong future. Core programs continue to excel: last year, three professors in Bethel’s nationally recognized physics department were awarded prestigious National Science Foundation grants for their research projects, an unprecedented achievement. New revenue-producing programs are being College of Arts & Sciences added: the Graduate School is attracting Majors: new students to its recently launched • Applied Performance: Composition Physician Assistant program and will • Applied Performance: Vocal begin a Nurse-Midwifery program in • French Education fall 2014. Retooled marketing has led • Middle level education endorsement in French to the unveiling of a new university • Music Education brand this fall that allows all schools • Sacred Music within the university to use common language, visual themes, and a new logo Minors: to help unify the university and better • French market its distinctive programs and College of Adult & Professional Studies value (see p. 7). And through the help of a generous investor, Bethel has been and Graduate School able to address space concerns at a huge • B.A. Human Resource Management savings, without using tuition dollars, by • B.A. Healthcare Leadership purchasing a 200,000-square-foot office • M.A. Communication building located on 42 acres a little more • M.A. Literacy than one mile from the current St. Paul • Certificate in Post-secondary Teaching campus (see p. 4). Bethel is also looking at creative new Bethel Seminary Program Changes models for delivering higher education. • Reduce the total number of concentrations offered “The traditional undergraduate model • Eliminate the offering of concentrations in multiple delivery systems of education is very expensive because • Share courses between the Master of Arts (Christian Thought) and you have a highly educated individual Master of Arts (Theological Studies) working with small groups of students,” • Streamline and consolidate elective course offerings says Barnes. Bethel aims to look beyond
Program Eliminations
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Bethel Seminary needs to connect its unique educational philosophy with the movements of God that need mature leaders.”
—David Clark, Vice President and Dean of Bethel Seminary
that model to reduce the cost, but not take away from the traditional undergraduate experience. A group of faculty and administrators serve on a “College of the Future” task force to explore these ideas. A second long-term project, “Moving the Needle,” is looking comprehensively at improving student success and retention in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Out of the Ashes
As in any time of challenge, looking at the bigger picture brings perspective—and renewed hope. This is not the first time Bethel has faced difficulties. In fact, Bethel was literally founded out of the ashes of adversity. In 1871, John Alexis Edgren opened the Swedish Baptist Theological Seminary—which would later become Bethel University—in Chicago, but the Great Chicago Fire nearly destroyed his dreams. Instead, the day after the fire, a young Swedish immigrant named Christopher Silene wandered through the smoldering ruins looking for Edgren. Silene became Edgren’s—and Bethel’s—first student. The school that would be Bethel persevered through numerous moves, setbacks, growth, and changes. By 1959, Bethel College & Seminary was rapidly outgrowing its 10-acre St. Paul campus. Then-President Carl Lundquist
began to pray about a 235-acre parcel of land, owned by the Dupont Company, on the shores of a lake called Lake Valentine. After years of phone calls and refusals, prayer and persistence, Dupont abruptly agreed to sell the land to Bethel at one-fourth the original asking price. Lundquist subsequently referred to Bethel’s campus as “God’s miracle on Lake Valentine.” Barnes reminds us that despite Bethel’s current challenges, it “remains one of the largest and strongest private Christ-centered universities in the U.S.” And history reminds us that Bethel has not only survived adversity, but thrived in spite of it. As we consider our institutional history and the faith and perseverance of our founders, we find great reason for hope. As Lundquist once wrote, “divine work is never limited to human genius or human resources or human organization. The big question about any undertaking is not ‘Can we do it?’ but “Is God in it?’ If He is, anything is possible.” Visit www.bethel.edu/offices/president/ projects/prioritization-review/general-faq for details about Prioritization and Review.
Is God in it? If He is, anything is possible.” —Carl Lundquist, Bethel President 1954-1982
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Alum News
Sandy Hook: One Year Later The facts refuse to be forgotten. On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, 20, allegedly killed his mother at home, then headed to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., with three guns, including an assault rifle. Twenty students, ages six and seven, and six adults were killed at the school, and police say the gunman then took his own life. More than a year later, the Newtown community continues its journey of healing, and a number of Bethelconnected pastors are part of that. Jim Solomon, a 1998 Bethel Seminary San Diego graduate, is lead pastor of New Hope Community Church in Newtown. Adam DePasquale, a 2013 graduate of Bethel Seminary’s Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership program, serves on the leadership team at Walnut Hill Community Church, a network of five evangelical churches with a main campus 10 minutes from Newtown. Four other Bethel-trained pastors are also on the staff at Walnut Hill (visit bethel.edu/news/ publications/bethel-magazine/winter-spring-2013 to read more). We asked Jim and Adam what the past year has been like for them, their churches, and their community. Jim: This year has felt like an emotional roller coaster. I have two young daughters in the Newtown Public School system who have friends very closely affected by the tragedy, and I was challenged to rely on God to bring peace and hope to the Sandy Hook families I counsel while staying at peace myself. Adam: Perhaps the area that I was most surprised about was just how important it is to create space for asking hard questions. Following Jesus’ example as He received Mary and Martha—and their hard questions—with love after their brother Lazarus died, we have been intentional about providing opportunities for the community to ask hard questions, be received with love, and hear the Good News.
Did the faith community in the Newtown area hold any events in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the tragedy?
Adam: As a town community, we sensed it was best not to hold large anniversary events. The media was asked to give the community space. Many local churches held prayer meetings, including ours. Our simple prayer was, “Come, Lord Jesus.” We prayed for families and officials by name. It was very powerful and healing. Jim: Our church held a candlelight vigil, and other houses of faith planned small, local observances. Still, we
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Newtown community members met outside the Sandy Hook volunteer fire department for a multi-church community prayer gathering in fall 2013.
were concerned that the media would not be respectful of our requests for privacy. We prayed and prayed. Then Newtown was hit with a huge snowstorm that prevented anyone from even trying to enter the town to cover any of the events!
What healing has occurred in Newtown? How will you move forward?
Jim: I’ve personally witnessed a dozen or so families coming to faith in Christ, who continues to bring life out of death and peace out of pain. That healing has empowered people here to forgive but not to forget, so that they do their part in preventing another tragedy by reaching out to those who are socially isolated with the welcoming love of our Lord. Unfortunately, I’ve also witnessed many others, particularly children, who are only now beginning to show outward signs of grief through emotional outbursts, depression, and lack of interest in academic and athletic activities. The healing process will surely take many years. Yet, we will not lose hope, as we serve the God of hope (Rom. 15:13). Adam: While this past year was largely about grieving, asking hard questions, and standing with people impacted by the tragedy, I sense that the one-year anniversary marked the beginning of a new season. Already, I observe an optimism that I didn’t sense last year. There seems to be grace and a desire to step into the future. Walnut Hill’s Sandy Hook Restoration Fund, begun shortly after the tragedy, has helped thousands of people, and plans are in place to continue restoration for the next 10 years. There are still great emotional, spiritual, and financial needs in the community, but Newtown has a great opportunity to reach out and help other communities who experience tragedy. The lessons learned need to be shared.
Alum News
“Measure our performance by what God accomplishes through our graduates after they have been prepared at Bethel to go out into the world to serve.”
—John Alexis Edgren, founder
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Gordon Krantz ’49, long retired from a career in rehabilitation psychology, keeps busy with volunteer work and writing. This year he completed his seventh book since turning 80, a biography of his immigrant parents, Claus and Christine. His books are available at gnkrantz@aol.com
Peter Collins ’85 is associate professor of electrical engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s (AFIT) Graduate School of Engineering and Management at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In January, he was presented with the 2013 Harold Brown award for his research on weapons systems sur vivabilit y. The Harold Brown award is the Air Force’s highest award given to a scientist or engineer who applies scientific research to solve a problem critical to the needs of the Air Force. Collins, who earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering at AFIT, developed several new signature reduction and radar techniques to improve weapon system survivability and effectiveness.
Julie (Weihrauch) Desrosiers ’03 is a fifth grade teacher for the Council Bluffs Community School District, Carter Lake, Iowa.
After seven years serving as missionaries at Dakar Academy in Senegal, West Africa, Murray Sitte ’70 and his wife Kathleen (Morris) ’71 have settled in Wausau, Wis.
While Bethel strives for accuracy in all we do, we cannot be responsible for the content of news items submitted by alumni. The inclusion of news items here should not be construed as an endorsement of their content by Bethel Magazine or Bethel University. Due to limited space, Bethel Magazine reserves the right to exercise editorial discretion in the publication of alumni news and photos.
90s Troy Rife ’92 is senior pastor at United Evangelical Free Church in Klamath Falls, Ore. After five years as chaplain at Okinawa Christian School International, Jason Sorley CAS’98, S’04 and his wife Janelle returned to Minnesota. He is senior pastor of Elk River Baptist Church, Elk River, Minn.
Bethel Magazine incorporates Alum News from all schools of Bethel University. (S) indicates news from Bethel Seminary alumni, (CAPS) indicates news from College of Adult & Professional Studies, and (GS) indicates news from Graduate School alumni. No indication is news from College of Arts & Sciences alumni.
Regional Emmy Award Winner by Nicole Finsaas ’13
Halfway through her junior year at Bethel, Laurel Lindahl ’83 changed her major, and changed her life. She calls her decision to become an English Literature major “the first best decision I ever made.” After graduating, Lindahl worked as a staff writer at a local magazine and then began freelancing. In 2009 she started telling stories in a different form, making her first short film. Just four years later, she won a Northwest Regional Emmy award for writing and coproducing Ketchikan: Our Native Legacy. Ketchikan, a small city in southeastern Alaska, is known for its excellent fishing and is home to three Native Alaskan tribes. Lindahl’s documentary covers the history and heritage, the native arts, the cultural ceremonies, and the disappearing languages of Ketchikan’s first people. “The native people were very wary of me,” she says. “I spent a lot of time gaining their trust, ensuring them that I was only there to help them tell their own story… I was honored to eventually be trusted by the native elders and honored that they shared their knowledge and their culture with me.” She says that despite hours of planning, she did not know exactly how the story would play out, which was actually positive. “My films are pieces of history, snapshots of true life. I do not start with a fully formed idea of what the story is going to be; I work hard to let it unfold before me,” she explains. “When you are given the opportunity to tell someone’s story, you really need to get it right.” Lindahl’s work can be viewed at www.ketchikanstories.com. © 2013, Team Photogenic
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Tricia (Shaver) Miller ’03 is a Spanish language teacher for the Spring Lake Park School District, Minn. She was selected as a district teacher of the year in May, and says she truly
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Alum News Alum Researches Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Roger Peterson CAPS’09 is the director of International Ministries Partnerships for Converge Worldwide in Orlando, Fla.
by Nicole Finsaas ’13
In the fall of his senior year at Bethel, Steven Lancaster ’05 was deployed to Iraq, serving as a combat engineer and destroying bombs and other explosive devices before they could cause harm. Later, he saw the effects of war experiences manifested as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some of his fellow soldiers. “…I was shocked to see how we all responded so differently to what happened there,” he says. Now an assistant professor of psychology at Drake University, Iowa, Lancaster is researching the differences in people’s reactions to a traumatic event. “Most people are resilient, some experience distress, some note they changed for the better after the event, and some report distress and growth,” he explains. “We, and other groups, have found that having the [traumatic] event as part of your identity is associated with both good and bad outcomes.” For example, people often feel they have grown as a person after experiencing traumatic events. This finding, while counterintuitive, is just one idea to emerge from Lancaster’s research, an interest he cultivated during his Bethel years. “Bethel was an amazing place for me as a young scholar,” he says. “I was very fortunate to go to a small school with big opportunities! I truly cannot overstate the positive impact faculty… had on my life, both personally and professionally.” considers teaching as her own mission field, showing students Christ’s love each day they set foot in her classroom. Her motto is, “They won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!” Gregg Lindberg ’04, GS’06 was elected to the St. Louis Park, Minn., city council in November. A lifelong resident of St. Louis Park, he is excited to embark on this journey of service to his community. Marguerite Dummer GS’06 received the Catholic Spirit “Leading with Faith” award, given to 10 Minnesota professionals each year who exemplify their Christian faith and values in the workplace. She is
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the dean of health careers at Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park, Minn. Tyler Gerdin ’08 is earning a doctorate in clinical psychology at George Fox University by completing a predoctoral internship at the Reading Hospital in Reading, Pa. Wendy (Mazzarella) Patrick S’09 serves on the Bethel Seminary San Diego executive board and the seminary alumni board. She earned a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and was ordained by Converge Worldwide. This year she co-wrote, with Peter Lang, Using the Psychology of Attraction in Christian Outreach.
Marriages ’05 Karl Nelson married Anna Battcher in October. Wedding party members included Reed Weber ’05, Matthew Sutterfield ’05, Tom Beukhof ’05, Jessica (Nelson) Moore ’00, and Julie (Nelson) Lilley ’11. Other wedding participants included Eric Ahlstrom ’05, Dan Slotman ’05, Mark Herscher ’06, Matthew Knutson ’06, Janelle (Johnson) Knutson ’06, Jake Donatelle ’05, and Betsy (Peterson) Wall ’05. ’09 Krista Goff married Michael Earl in N ovember in M in netonka, Minn. ’10 Justine Petry married Nathan Willar ’10 in October. Included in the wedding party were Mike Ervin ’09, Dan Greeno ’10, Brian Bauernfeind ’11, Britney (Johnson) Perzichilli ’10, and Abbey (Strote) Holm ’10. ’12 Ethan Fearing married Alyssa Hultgren in September at Lutheran Island Camp, where they met as camp staff in 2008. They have volunteered and worked there as much as possible since. Ethan is seeking his master’s degree at Institute for Lutheran Theology, Brookings, S.D.
Births ’93 Winston James was born to Gretchen (Merwin) and Dan Twogood ’92. He joins four brothers and two sisters. Phoenix, Ariz. ’03 Ruth Yufen was born in February 2012 in Guangzhou, China, and adopted in November 2012 by Carrie (Mathews) Tucker and George. Carrie is a nurse practitioner at the Hope Institute for Children and Families. Springfield, Ill. ’05 Zachary Troy was born in May to Pamela (Kohler) and Troy
Carlson ’03. Liberty Township, Ohio. ’05 Colt Adam was born in July to Krista (Daniels) Saxon GS’08 and Adam. Merced, Calif. ’06 Oliver Benjamin was born in November to Laura (Huisinga) and Ben Rasanen ’07. Minnetrista, Minn. ’06 Kate Anna was born in November to Julie Siegert GS’06 and Troy CAPS’06. She joins a brother, Daniel. ’06 Parker Jack was born to Emily (Bergeson) and Scott Tungseth ’04. Scott is a finance manager at U.S. Bank and Emily is a registered nurse. Cincinnati, Ohio. ’09 Peter Clark was born to Katie (Clark) and Ryan Orvis ’08 in July. Eagan, Minn. ’10 Harris William was born in July to Aly (Carlson) and Bjorn Hanson ’09. Lino Lakes, Minn.
Deaths ’58 Leslie Murry Funk, age 82, died in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, after a battle with cancer. He had a wide group of friends in his faith community and art associations. He is survived by his wife of almost 46 years, Lucille, and his children Maureen and Steven. ’62 Ramona “Noni” (Gehring) Bjornstad died in Januar y 2013, just months after the death of her husband Bill. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1976 and later received an M.Ed. degree. She taught elementary school for 25 years, and with her husband, fostered nearly 1,000 children over 20 years; three became family. She is survived by her daughter, Jody Bjornstad ’86 (Carrie) and (foster) sons Shawn (Jenn) Hoover, Jason (Krista) Specht, Brandon (Kellie) Bostic, and eight grandchildren. ’67 Darlene Palermo died in November in Laguna Hills, Calif. She is survived by her daughters, Nicole (Porter) Maiocco ’98 and Lindsey Porter ’01.
Alum News ’70 Douglas A. Olson S’78 died in October. After high school he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during the Vietnam War. He married Carol Erickson in 1979. With Carol he pastored Converge Worldwide churches in Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota. He served as a part-time pastor in Sioux Falls, S.D. in the 1990s. ’71 Barbara (Lind) Cornelius, age 64, died in July in Klamath Falls, Ore. Following graduation she taught in Rome, Ga., and a year in Indonesia. She
moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to teach at Pan American Christian Academy, where she met Ben Cornelius. They married in 1976. Barb served as a director of women’s ministry at United Evangelical Free Church as well as being a mentor to many women. She enjoyed cooking and sharing in farm life with her husband. She is survived by her husband, Ben; daughter Rebekah Cornelius; sons Jonathan (Katie) and Andrew (Danielle); and six grandchildren.
’88 Jay C. Substad, age 47, died suddenly on January 17. He was founder of Agua Viva (“Living Water”), a ministry in Honduras that brings Christ and clean water to remote villages, and was recently honored as Bethel’s 2013 College of Arts & Sciences Alumnus of the Year. Preceded in death by his mother Jane, he is survived by his wife of 26 years Susie (Mathis) ’88 and their children Allison ’13 (fiance Grant Mitchell), Bethany ’15, Trent, and Burk; father Robert
(Gong); siblings Todd (Diane), Keith (Lonna), and Paige; and many nieces and nephews. ’91 S t eve n Ll oyd T h o m p s o n (CAPS), age 67, died in July in Burnsville, Minn. He is survived by his wife, Jacquelyn A. (Jahnke) Thompson; son Brent M. (Lisa), and daughter Kristy (Jeremy ’94) Rockford ’94.
—Save the date!—
Bethel Homecoming October 3-5, 2014
Undergrad classes celebrating a reunion: 1939, 1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2009 Visit bethel.edu/events/homecoming to learn more, update your contact information, and let us know if you want to help with your reunion.
Visit bethel.edu/alumni to: - Update your contact information - Submit news - Find out about alumni events
- Get involved and support Bethel - Learn about benefits and services for alumni - Nominate an Alumnus of the Year Bethel University
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“It was sleeting and cold and the wind pelted mini icicles on our faces as we headed off to backpack up 5,400 feet to the top of Avalanche Peak in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. We slipped on the icy rocks, and our numb hands clung to boulders and tussock grasses as we tried not to look down at the thousands of feet that dropped off below us. The foggy sky blocked much of our view, but what caught my eye was a kea perched precariously on a boulder ahead of us. The kea is the world’s only alpine parrot and is found exclusively in regions of the South Island of New Zealand. As I stood there wet and shivering, I couldn’t have been more grateful for our trek up the mountain. What surrounded me was breathtaking.” Environmental science major Rachel Walton ’14 took this photo in Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand, during the Creation Care Study Program in spring 2013.