The Clarion | Issue 05 | Feb. 2022

Bethel drops semester-long, faculty-led study abroad trips

Two for one

Bethel student athletes Joey Kidder and Allie Fauth take on multiple sports and balance athletics with academics year-round.

Title IX Coordinator position in flux

the

Investing advice from business students

Feb. 2022

Table of Contents Bethel drops semester-long, faculty-led study abroad trips

Fighting diagnosis with design

Spring athlete spotlights

06 Students and faculty are

20 Bethel alum and adjunct

20 Although snow is still on the

Our heavy hearts

Two for one

Title IX Coordinator position in flux

08 From students who had planned

24 Bethel student athletes Joey

40 After Cara Wald’s departure from

Enrollment decline creates debt

Breaking the cycle

Twin Cities day trip

10

28 After 14 years of losing seasons,

42 Seize a Saturday and explore the

Investing advice from business students

Go figure!

Mug recipes for your dorm

14

32 As Bethel's winter sports enter

43 Check out these quick, easy and

'An opportunity to thrive'

Three months, four seasons

Opinion

16

34 The Bethel women’s basketball

44

An apology letter to pink

46

Single on Valentine's Day

left with questions after the unexpected cancellation of Bethel’s decade-old Europe term and 43-year-old England term.

professor combines her painful cancer experience and design talent into a passion project creating an impact in the classroom and beyond.

Kidder and Allie Fauth take on multiple sports and balance athletics with academics yearround.

to participate in either England Term or Europe Term in the fall of 2022.

As Bethel University faces an unexpected enrollment shortage, the institution is projected to have a $1.5 million budget shortfall.

the men's hockey team turns things around.

Looking to buy some stocks?

Cryptocurrency, maybe? Don’t fret. Bethel’s business majors are here to help.

the playoff season, let's take a look at how some of our athletes have been performing.

Bethel alum Deven Nelson cofounds an online ethical shopping platform inspired by her faith and her work in politics.

team overcomes a slow start and gives hope for a promising end of their 2021-2022 season.

ON THE COVER Graduate student Allie Fauth poses with a volleyball and a softball bat. | Photo by Bryson Rosell

Opposite Page: England Term students Aidan Ruch, Tyler Hayft, Cameron Blom and Elijah Sams walk in front of Le-Mont-SaintMichel in Normandy, France. The on-location experience took place after the students read “The Inquisitor’s Tale” by Adam Gidwitz, which partially takes place in the tidal island's abbey.

ground, spring athletes are hard at work prepping for their upcoming seasons – let's get to know some of them.

the position, Bethel searches for someone to fulfill a role focused on enforcing Title IX and supporting victims of sexual assault.

Twin Cities with this itinerary filled with the latest and highly sought after eats, events and activities.

cheap recipes for those days when the Dining Center just seems too far away.

from the editor

Rachel Blood Editor-in-Chief rachel-blood@bethel.edu

Windows, not doors I’ll be honest. In my 20 years of life, I’ve made mistakes.

When I was six I called 911 on a family friend’s home phone. I thought the phone was a toy, but the police officer who showed up 10 minutes later definitely didn’t.

I messed up, but that’s OK. What matters is that I apologized, learned from the experience and never again called 911 to report a “monster on Main Street” before giggling and hanging up.

What matters is that I can be honest about that incident and the countless mistakes since. That’s my truth.

You might notice that the Clarion looks a little different. As we launch a full visual rebrand, we’re leaning into a new mission statement: The Clarion is a student-led publication boldly seeking to communicate truth. We serve as a medium of storytelling to objectively share diverse perspectives to encourage dialogue within and outside of the Bethel community.

Our slogan is “truth matters,” and that requires honesty on the part of our staff and our sources. Let me be honest, too: I want the Clarion to be more representative of all students and encourage open, honest dialogue. We have some growing to do, just like everyone else.

As you read these stories of vulnerability and transparency, I encourage you to be honest with yourselves, too.

Guest columnist Hannah Bronner is honest about what it’s like to be single during the holiday of love. Managing Editor Soraya Keiser is honest about the gender expectations she suffered through while growing up.

Within these pages of honesty, you’ll also find evidence of evasion. Administrators canceled study abroad trips long after registration had passed. Enrollment is down.

Bethel is in debt, and yet we’re continually met with un-

answered emails, refused interviews, vague and scripted responses.

A community – of faith, of students, of storytellers – cannot rally to solve a problem if the problem remains unknown.

As a reporter, I sometimes feel like a kid holding a glass to a closed door, desperately trying to catch snippets of the conversation on the other side and wishing there was a

Can we truly understand the world without understanding how Bethel fits into it? window there instead. But we’re not children. We’re stakeholders who routinely sacrifice significant dollars and time to be Royals.

Bethel University: We want you to be honest. Stop hiding the facts like parents eating ice cream after the kids are in bed. In order for this community to best plan for the future, to carry out our callings and to support one another, we need to have an understanding of the state of our university – financially, spiritually and administratively.

Can we truly understand the world without understanding how Bethel fits into it?

Honesty, not avoidance.

Windows, not doors.

The Staff

Find us online

Editor-in-Chief Rachel Blood

News Editor Sarah Bakeman

Sports Reporter Kaden Lamb

Managing Editor Soraya Keiser

News Reporter Molly Wilson

Staff Designer Davis McElmurry

Copy Editor Morgan Day

Lifestyle Editor Makenzi Johnson

Staff Designer Joy Sporleder

Art Director Bryson Rosell

Lifestyle Reporter Hannah Hunhoff

Staff Photographer Mild Du

Asst. Art Director Hannah Hobus

Sports Editor Emily Rossing

Staff Photographer Toby Ryberg

Ariel Dunleavy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Social Media and Website Manager Kindre Radloff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Business Manager Grace Bonfig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marketing Director Eli Barlue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sales Director Maya Spinler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contributing Writer Spencer Vang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Contributing Designer Aimee Kuiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contributing Designer Addie Stern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Contributing Photographer Ava Thiewes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Photography BUILD Mentor

Have a response to a story in this issue?

Email Editor-in-Chief Rachel Blood at rachel-blood@bethel.edu with questions, thoughts or concerns or drop by the Clarion newsroom during community time Tuesdays and Thursdays to speak with a Clarion staff member.

Want to write for the Clarion?

Email our Managing Editor Soraya Keiser at sok32884@bethel.edu and she'll get you connected.

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Dan Ritchie explains the France metro area to students, including a kneeling April Vinding, during the 2000 England Term. The students had just finished a Hemingway tour of Paris, stopping in the Luxembourg Gardens. | Photo Submitted by April Vinding

Bethel drops semester-long, faculty-led study abroad trips Students and faculty are left with questions after the unexpected cancellation of Bethel’s decadeold Europe term and 43-year-old England term.

By Sarah Bakeman | Design by Joy Sporleder

FEB. 2022

6

April Vinding stood in the Luxembourg Gardens of Paris to take in the French government buildings surrounding her. She and her classmates had just finished a Hemingway-inspired walk through the greenery and were now taking a break to listen to their trip leader, Professor Dan Ritchie, explain how to navigate the metro area. In Vinding’s first days at Bethel University, studying abroad with the school’s England Term of 2000 was a staple in her academic plan.

The trip would be the first time she experienced literature in 3D. Instead of reading “Pride and Prejudice” in a concrete classroom, she walked the streets of Bath. She saw the Brontëё’s fireplace and imagined meals cooked and a home warmed. She walked through Hemingway’s memoir “A Movable Feast” in Paris.

“When you’re standing in the middle of a story, it becomes immediately clear that these works considered great were made in places and times by people,” she said. “That’s all touchable.”

Bethel Provost Robin Rylaarsdam sent an email to students and faculty Jan. 24 informing them that semester-long study abroad programs – including the English and Journalism Department’s England Term and the Communication Department’s Europe Term in fall 2022 – would be permanently canceled.

The decision was attributed to the school’s finances.

“While the importance and benefits of studying abroad remain, the disproportionate relationship between the costs of these programs and the accomplishment of learning outcomes necessitates a change,” Rylaarsdam wrote.

Two decades after her trip to Europe as a student, Vinding is now Co-chair of the Department of English and Journalism. She was set to lead England Term for the first time in the fall. Leading the trip was a career landmark, she said, and she now struggles to understand the contents of the email.

“This really does seem to be a decision based on cost instead of what these programs were worth to these departments and to this institution,” Vinding said. “When there are programs that help with recruitment and retention, even if we’re talking business and not education worth, I have a hard time seeing how something could be more fundamentally aligned with Bethel’s mission.”

The news of the cancellation came after Vinding had filled pages of notes with Eu-

ropean locations and experiences, as well as the literature that would go alongside it.

Co-chairs of Bethel’s communication department Ripley Smith and Peggy Kendall had advertised Europe Term to prospective students, telling stories of midnight bakery runs in France and ski trips in Switzerland.

“I would’ve liked to see them keep this really unique program,” Kendall said. “I think it’s helped us stand out. We were leaders in the field of study abroad.”

Reservations had been made and pre-trip retreats were planned. One of the few tasks left was buying plane tickets.

“We were going through these processes, but there was not any indication that we were doing it for no reason at all,” Vinding said.

As professors’ plans for England and Europe Terms are scrapped, students are left to rework course plans for the fall semester.

Senior English literature and theatre arts double major Hannah Smason had extended her college plan a semester in order to go on England Term.

When Smason decided on Bethel, she said she was persuaded by two aspects: the small, tightly-knit theatre program and the possibility of studying in England for 15 weeks.

Her freshman year, the theatre program was terminated, and the quick phasing out of theatre classes meant she couldn’t go abroad sophomore year. Then COVID-19 caused the cancellation of her junior year trip. Then Rylaarsdam’s email was sent.

“It was the second huge blow for me as a student here,” Smason said. “They’ve cut huge parts of what I was doing and why I was here.”

Smason is one of dozens of students who

Why were students allowed to plan their college experience around this trip if there was any financial uncertainty behind the scenes?

Why were Europe Term and England Term still advertised to prospective students?

Why were trip faculty not part of this decision-making process?

Why couldn’t the cost of these trips be increased?

Why not grandfather the already planned trips in for registered students before phasing them out?

Before coming to a conclusion about study abroad’s future, Rylaarsdam said she sought the counsel of colleagues from financial aid, international studies, the business office and academic affairs. Faculty trip leaders played no part in this decision.

“It was and is still clear that there’s no action on the part of faculty that could fix the finances,” Rylaarsdam said. “It is simply very expensive to live and study in Europe or the UK for 15 weeks.”

Vinding believes that faculty could have economically altered the trip in a way that would satisfy Rylaarsdam, especially if they had been involved in the decision-making process. Following the decision to cancel semester-long study abroad programs led

by Bethel faculty members, Ritchie sent an email to Rylaarsdam which included a list of potential changes that could have been made.

Some of the options included raising the price of the trip, charging separately for expenses such as plane tickets, staying in study centers instead of large cities, shortening the trip by 5-7 days and appealing to donors for dedicated study abroad funds.

During the past decade, the financial impact of study abroad has been reviewed multiple times. When Rylaarsdam met with

Associate Provost Julie Finnern in the fall, the budget for the 2023 fiscal year seemed promising enough to ensure the continuation of semester-long study abroad programs.

However, January is a benchmark for predicting enrollment for the coming academic year, and one thing became clear: spending would need to be reduced significantly.

“When the decision was made, we set up a meeting with the faculty so that we could communicate the decision as soon as possible,” Rylaarsdam said. “Students and families affected were communicated shortly after the announcement to faculty.”

After spending a few days hiking through nature and lamenting over the news, Vinding and department co-chair Susan Brooks began the process of undoing their plans. Brooks spent more than $13,000 on cancellation fees. In addition to monetary cost, Vinding and Kendall’s time has been absorbed in not only reworking the fall semester, but also the future of the departments.

“I don't know if it'll impact our numbers,” Kendall said. “We have to figure out a different way to recruit, and I think the same is true for the English department.”

The impact of this decision on Bethel’s recruitment in the coming years cannot be measured. However, in order to gain greater insight, Ritchie reached out to the 22 students from his 2009 England Term trip. He asked how knowledge of the trip impacted their college decision, and nine of the 22 said the program was “highly significant” in their decision to attend Bethel. Although he admits his analysis is not perfect, Ritchie believes the potential loss of tuition from prospective students interested in study abroad could be greater than the cost of the program.

“To me, this makes a powerful argument that the programs are too valuable to cut,” Ritchie said.

Study abroad was heavily integrated into many English and communication students’ time at Bethel. Kendall recalls the deep bonds students made on the trips – how they would come to talk and visit with her even after the 15 weeks were up. Upon students’ return to campus, Vinding graded dozens of writing assignments in which students would recount their experiences from England Term.

“It is irreplaceable in terms of having an immersive, on-location experience,” Vinding said. “But we are going to do everything we can to give students an echo of that experience.”

The English department is rushing to offer a travel writing class for next interim to Thailand or Belize, as well as on-location learning for locally-focused literature. In addition to this, both the English and communication

% of students that study abroad at Bethel by year 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 2014/15

2015/16

2019/20

Retention rates Retention rate is nearly 100% for study abroad students while regular student body retention is 86.3%. departments have students now searching for third-party study abroad opportunities.

While these alternatives satisfy many students’ desire to travel, Kendall says they lack a spiritual component.

“I’m not sure there is a great alternative for students who want to study abroad for a semester in a way you can explore your faith as you are also learning content,” Kendall said.

“We’re not going to get that with third-party programs.”

As English and communication studies students figure out how they will spend their fall semester, Vinding has come to a clear conclusion: She will never guide Bethel students through the cobbled streets of Paris or the passages of Hemingway’s novels, and her students won’t imagine the warmth of the Brontë’s fire or the life of Elizabeth Bennet in the same way that she did two decades ago.

“I’ve been looking forward to this trip for my entire career,” Vinding said. “And that’s one of the smallest losses.” 

7

FEB. 2022

now face difficult changes to their fall plans.

Following the email, students and parents were invited to an informational Zoom meeting with Rylaarsdam Jan. 25. During the call, the cancellation was once again attributed to the cost of the programs, but the primary focus was alternative options for students to pursue, such as third-party study abroad and grants.

Though many participants asked questions during the call, Smason believes Rylaarsdam was unwilling to address why the price of the trip could not have been raised when parents asked. Even after the call, students and faculty felt some questions remained unanswered.

OPINION

OUR HEAVY HEARTS From students who had planned to participate in England Term or Europe Term in the fall of 2022.

Annika Carr:

Carissa Falkenberg:

I first toured Bethel University as a high school sopho-

I was sitting in Pancheros enjoying my lunch with a friend

more who wanted to study English education. One of the

when I received the email. After an initial skim, I had to read

main things that stuck with me from that trip was my meet-

it again because I could not fully comprehend the news of

ing with one of the professors in the education department.

Europe Term, MY Europe Term, being canceled. The semes-

In that meeting she told me about England Term. As the

ter-long program I had implemented into my four-year plan

program was explained to me, something awakened in me.

since my freshman year, the study abroad trip that had in-

I didn’t know much about the program beyond a few loca-

spired me to go to Bethel for communication studies, the trip

tions and authors they studied, but I knew there was some-

that had originally been planned for fall 2021 but had been

thing special that happened on that trip. I had to go on it.

postponed to 2022 due to COVID-19 — that trip had been

Throughout the rest of high school, I toured other uni-

cut because of financial issues. Later, in a Zoom call set up by

versities, many of which had better English programs and

Provost Robin Rylaarsdam, I would learn that these specific

placed a higher emphasis on their creative programs, but

financial issues were lower enrollment numbers for Bethel’s

none of them beat Bethel’s England Term.

2022-2023 school year — my senior year.

When it came time to fill out my college applications, I

There are not words to describe the turmoil of emotions I

only finished my application to Bethel because attending

have felt in the past few weeks of processing the news. I threw

here was non-negotiable. From my very first exposure to

away my packing list in sadness, frustration and disappoint-

the English department in Survey of British Literature I

ment. I scheduled a meeting with the study abroad office in

during the fall of my freshman year, I was encouraged to

desperation and in search of other study abroad opportunities.

register for the department’s England Term. It was some-

I cried and asked God why.

thing reiterated by every English professor I’ve had in my

With these feelings, however, I have been supported on

time at Bethel. The highlight of the English department

many sides by family, friends, fellow Europe and England

was England Term. Now it’s gone.

Term participants, professors and those in the study abroad office. My professors didn't even know about the cancellation until 10 minutes before students did. As a poor college student myself, I understand that funding these experiences is difficult

8

and costly, but I am deeply saddened by this opportunity being taken away from me twice. I hope the programs are able

FEB. 2022

to return in the future, but for me and many others, it will be too late.

This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Clarion, its staff or the institution. If you would like to submit a response or an opinion piece of your own, please contact Editor-in-Chief Rachel Blood at rachel-blood@bethel.edu.

Hannah Smason:

I was sitting cross-legged on a patterned couch in

I came to Bethel University because I was excited

a beautiful city in Guatemala when I got the news. It

about the strong Christian community that waited

came from my roommate, who had just recently got-

for me. I thought that we, the students, and our lives

ten COVID-19 and joined our little quarantine house,

were put above other things and that Bethel wasn’t so

reading a mass Bethel email out loud.

much a business, but a community. As a senior who

I couldn’t hear anything else.

has been here since 2018, I can say I have been proven

England Term is canceled.

wrong on multiple occasions. The first few were disap-

Honestly, that was the last thing I needed. The tears came before I could finish processing. They were mournful, but more than anything, they were frustrated. Why let us register and put down deposits, let the entire trip be planned out, let us get our hopes up and base our four-year academic plans around this promise, just to shut it down?

I understand that Bethel is struggling financially and that the continuation of these programs is unsus-

pointments I classified as bad luck – one being Bethel cutting my theatre major, meaning I was unable to go on England Term in 2019 because the last time some theatre classes I needed to graduate were offered were that fall. But losing England Term forever, something I had been trying to do since I came here as a freshman, was what broke me. I had applied and been accepted.

I had spent years saving up. I was told what kind of

tainable. What I do not understand is the utter lack

places were being added to the itinerary. I was excited.

of accountability, communication and empathy from

After COVID-19 canceled the 2021 trip, I was finally

our administration surrounding this decision.

getting my chance to go and see the world while study-

When England Term was one of the primary fac-

ing what I love.

tors in my recruitment to Bethel, I expected it to be

And then Bethel decided that even with all of that,

grandfathered in under any circumstances like these

the last group of accepted students couldn’t go. We

– anything else would be considered recruitment

offered all sorts of solutions and begged for them to

fraud. I expected that Bethel would communicate

reconsider, but they refused every time. No matter

any issues like this to me far in advance so that I could seek out third-party programs and additional financial aid before all of the deadlines closed. I expected something a bit more personal than a blanket email giving “disproportionate relationship between the costs of these programs and the accomplishment of learning outcomes” as a vague reason for wrecking my academic trajectory. When I discovered the trip’s leading faculty member wasn’t addressed in advance and consulted in the decision, I was infuriated.

The only feeling lingering now is one of extreme disappointment in Bethel’s administration for the way this situation was handled. Nowhere in those half-hearted emails was the word “sorry.”

how much problem solving parents and students did, it wasn’t enough. Bethel claims to care about us, but in the end, they don’t. They only care about you in the way that a business cares about its product; how much money can you bring them? England Term was my dream for four years, and I had four years of daydreams and anticipation built up. Now, I have to find a way to graduate on time. So thank you, Bethel. You won’t see a cent of my money in the future.  9

FEB. 2022

Rachel Blood:

Enrollment decline creates debt As Bethel University faces an unexpected enrollment shortage, the institution is projected to have a $1.5 million budget shortfall.

By Molly Wilson | Design by Davis McElmurry

FEB. 2022

10

During the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly all aspects of life at Bethel University, from masking in classrooms to Arden Village West transforming into quarantine housing. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, nationwide enrollment has dropped 5.1% since fall 2019.

Bethel’s enrollment has been declining since 2011 when the number of millennials in college peaked. After World War II came the baby boom, which created a rise in college enrollment during the ’60s and ’70s. From 2008 to 2011, the children of that generation were going to college, Bethel’s Chief Institutional Data and Research Officer Dan Nelson said.

In the time between these peaks, birth rates declined, leading to a lower population of college-age students in 2022 despite graduation rates remaining steady since 2001.

The number of incoming freshmen is indicative of the enrollment decrease, Nelson said. The numbers show the instant effects of events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 recession.

Nelson also looks at Bethel’s “natural clientele,” which he defines as students and families predisposed to come to Bethel, and how it has changed.

Bethel draws students from a variety of categories, including legacy students. Many Bethel students have family members who attended Bethel. A category that used to be more influential is the university’s denomination. Bethel is a part of Converge – the old Swedish Baptist conference – which represented 54.6% of students in 1972 and only a reported 15.3% now.

As of 2013, 75% of students were from Minnesota and, according to Nelson, that number has not changed much.

Bethel is also seeing a lower amount of transfer students. According to Nelson, the phenomenon is due, in part, to transfer students opting for public universities. This has not always been the case.

In 1969, when Nelson was first attending Bethel, the football team had a 0-9 record.

Now people are coming to Bethel for athletics and the football team went 8-3 this fall.

The majors that Bethel attracts have also changed over the years. Currently, the most

popular majors are nursing and business. In 1972, education topped the list. Now education programs like art education and early childhood have been cut.

In an email sent to staff and faculty from President Ross Allen Jan. 21, enrollment numbers for the 2021-22 school year were “meaningfully lower.” According to the Common Data Sets from 2019 and 2021, College of Arts and Sciences enrollment has dropped 10.9% compared to the 5.1% nationwide.

Nelson says some, if not all, of these factors have contributed to a $1.5 million deficit in the budget. Based on the projections for the 2022-23 school year, about 100 more students are expected to graduate in spring 2022 than there are incoming freshmen in the fall.

According to tuition and financial aid data from 2019, each student is worth almost 18 thousand dollars in tuition after institutional grants and scholarships, meaning an increase of 100 students in 2019 would be worth nearly $1.8 million, or more than the current shortfall.

Allen also included in the email that Bethel has expanded the PSEO program to include high school juniors. Students are able to take Bethel University classes online or in person, creating the possibility for more students to attend Bethel and possibly contributing to bridging the gap between recent enrollment numbers. While Allen did not give a projected number of students, he did say that "we will be ready to serve every person God directs our way!"

He also said, "I’ve heard from many prospective parents and students who are thrilled to know they’ll be able to get a Bethel education in a pathway they are searching to experience."

Allen said admissions has hosted 700 students so far this year, a 20% increase from last year. Requests for data about past visitation rates and trends, including whether visits have returned to their pre-COVID levels, were declined by the Office of Admissions.

"Our office doesn't have 10 years of this info and what we do have I cannot release," the office said via email.

Lower enrollment rates comes with lower revenue, so students can expect Bethel to continue spending less money in the coming years. 

Number of students

Bethel enrollment compared to Minnesota high school graduation rates

Year

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11

The tuition rate from 2019, not including the $150 student activity fee.

$38,300 Where does your tuition money go?

The breakdown

47% Bethel provides $44,043,003 of institutionally funded aid. That makes up about 47% of a student’s tuition.

By Molly Wilson | Design by Bryson Rosell

FEB. 2022

12

The Clarion looked through the ‘Form 990’ tax document and ‘Bethel University and Affiliates, Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Information Years Ended May 31, 2021 and 2020’ and talked to campus employees including Vice President of Finance Amy Blaz to get a sense of where tuition dollars go. Liz Miller denied the Clarion's request for information on the Health Counseling Services spending. The Clarion does not know precisely how much is allocated to specific funds.

All information listed below is drawn from 2019 documents unless explicitly stated otherwise.

1% 4%

1% of a student’s tuition goes toward advertising to increase enrollment and donors.

Retirement plans paid almost 5 million dollars in 2019-2020, accounting for 4% of students’ tuition.

Alumni spent $15 million in 2019 to pay for the new Nelson-Larson Science Center, Sodexo was paid almost $5 million from board costs and Bethel received nearly $90 million from traditional undergraduate tuition, all three years ago at the start of an unpredictable pandemic.

32% of students’ tuition goes towards what is known as “instructional expenses,” which includes the cost of classes, printing, public relations, information technology and other services.

5%

10%

There are also a few miscellaneous expenses covered by tuition.

10% of tuition money contributes to the total of $62,229,806 which Bethel pays its employees.

5 5.5

5 students’ tuition went toward Provost Deb Harless.

5.5 students’ tuition covers post-retirement healthcare benefits.

9.5

9.5 students' tuitions covered the salary and benefits of President Jay Barnes in 2019.

11.5

11.5 students’ tuition covers self-funded health care plans provided by Bethel.

13

FEB. 2022

32%

Number of full student tuitions required to cover particular costs and expenses at Bethel in 2019

Investing advice from business students Looking to buy some stocks? Cryptocurrency, maybe?

Don’t fret. Bethel’s business majors are here to help.

By Sarah Bakeman | Design by Bryson Rosell

If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t understand the ever-changing investment scene. People are buying and selling digital drawings of monkeys for hundreds of thousands of dollars, calling them NFTs and claiming this will somehow change the world.

I am a humble communication studies major (aka clown school student), so I thought I’d do some hard-hitting reporting and ask the professionals.

No, not stockbrokers and financial advisors.

I mean the people who have coveted IDs that can get them into that fancy glass room across from the RC gym. The people who collectively carry all of Bethel’s athletics. The people with the most LinkedIn connections.

Yes, I’m talking about the business majors.

JOSHUA YOUNG | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, ROYALS INVESTMENT FUND | ECONOMICS AND FINANCE | SENIOR What apps should I use?

I would recommend setting up a brokerage account with Charles Schwabb or Fidelity. I would avoid Robinhood. It’s not very good to its users and has been involved in multiple scandals.

Can I invest in real estate?

There [are] lots of opportunities to invest in real estate, but the transactions require more time and more money than buying stocks or cryptocurrency. It’s a bigger commitment, and it tends to go up for long periods of time and then go down by a lot over time. Be careful and figure out where you are in the cycle.

What is the block chain?

The block chain is a digital way for everybody to agree on who owns what … It’ll be a pretty powerful future technology, and it is what is used to back NFTs and cryptocurrencies.

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14

Should I buy cryptocurrency?

It’s pretty risky right now and the price moves a lot. You want to set up a wallet through something like Coinbase or FTX rather than crypto.com or any of the other services. I would be really careful about how you buy it. Never put more than 5% of your money into crypto.

Should I buy NFTs? NFTs are a great way of building a digital fingerprint, but the metaphor that they’re like paintings is not super accurate. I would say NFTs are reserved for very specific instances that most people are never going to encounter. There’s no reason to be pulled into a lot of the NFT scams that exist, so I would recommend avoiding NFTs.

AUDREY ANDERSON | BUSINESS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE | FRESHMAN How do you build a budget?

I set a limit to how much I put in and distribute the money into different stocks. It’s good to have a variety.

Should I buy NFTs? No. It’s a waste of money.

What happens if somebody screenshots my NFT? You wait for a knock on the door from the government.

Should I invest in cryptocurrency?

I think it’s too new, and I would not trust putting my money into something that’s more of a gamble. I don’t think I would want to put my money into something I don’t know much about.

DEREK FROMM | BUSINESS AND BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL STUDIES | FRESHMAN How do you build an investing budget?

Use your heart.

What is diversification?

It’s when you spread your money out between a bunch of different investments so you’re not dependent on one. If something goes south, all of your money is not in one basket.

What do you like to invest in?

I like to invest in tech companies and the S&P 500 index fund: the old reliable.

Should I buy cryptocurrency?

Don’t sue me. It’s the most volatile thing ever. You could very easily lose your money. But I think if you hold onto it for a while, it’ll be big in the future. So put a little bit in and just test the waters.

Should I buy NFTs? No, because you can just screenshot them… If you screenshot them, the entire world explodes.

Definitions Cryptocurrency: The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines cryptocurrency as “a digital asset/credit/unit… which is cryptographically sent from one blockchain network user to another.”

Non-Fungible Token (NFT): According to Forbes, an NFT is “a digital asset that represents real-world objects like art, music, in-game items and videos. They are bought and sold online, frequently with cryptocurrency, and they are generally encoded with the same underlying software as many cryptos.”

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Thank you, oh wise business majors. I’m sorry if I ever underestimated you. Now that I feel confident with my investment choices, I’m overwhelmed with all the untapped potential buzzing around campus. Political science majors can tell me who to vote for in the upcoming study body president election.

Music majors can curate the perfect Spotify playlists for me. Engineering majors… can do something. I’m still not exactly sure what engineering even is. Maybe they can explain that to me!

Basically, this campus is filled with free, unprofessional advice. Ask your friends for some today. 

‘An opportunit Bethel alum Deven Nelson co-founds an online ethical shopping platform inspired by her faith and her work in politics.

By Makenzi Johnson | Design by Hannah Hobus

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Deven Nelson had never been afraid of a presidential election before. As a white Christian, she’d never worried how the next person in office would impact her life. She had never been afraid – until the 2016 election.

When Donald Trump took office and began his role as president in 2016, Nelson realized some of the policies and laws he was promising to change would alter her personal life.

“Trump talked about how he wanted to change the immigration laws and ideas so that people couldn’t bring their additional family members [to the U.S.],” Nelson said. “We were really scared.”

Nelson is married to Simon Chunkath, an Indian immigrant who was not a citizen of the U.S. yet. He

was in the country for university and work, but didn’t have his green card as he believed his stay would only be temporary. His mother was back home in India, and if Trump changed the immigration laws, it would mean she couldn’t stay with him in the U.S. “Politics were never personal to me and I never thought I would be personally impacted,” Nelson said. “I felt powerless.”

A new door opened up when her husband’s employer, Medtronic, wanted to send him to Singapore.

“You can bring your parents [to Singapore with you], but you can’t in the U.S.” Nelson said.

Using the little power they thought they still had, the couple moved to Singapore to be closer to Chunkath’s mother. It was only then that Nelson took the time to think about what she truly values.

And from there People Heart Planet, an online shopping platform, was born from Nelson and co-founder Maithreyi Ramdas’ individual consumer needs as people who care

about the planet and want to do good.

Nelson graduated from Bethel University in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in political science and social work.

“Politics, I think, at its best, is bringing people together to solve challenges that society faces,” Nelson said. “I loved the thought of politics at its best and I was so passionate and excited about that.”

After graduating, Nelson started working in politics right away. She’s worked for congressmen on political campaigns, issue campaigns, nonprofit consulting and more. Nelson later worked for a St. Paul consulting firm, Grassroots Advocacy Solutions, that worked with national nonprofits.

She was assigned to work on a campaign called Power Shift in 2009, which sends college students to a climate change conference to train them to be advocates.

“While there, I stupidly told someone I was working with that ‘Oh you

ty to thrive’ FAIR TRADE

Fashion brands should recognize that every part of their business impacts the environment, examining the entire life cycle of a product from design to final sale. There are no set criteria for defining sustainability.

Refers to the process of manufacturing and producing products without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetic modification, antibiotics, growth hormones, etc.

Products abstain from using any animal parts or byproducts in their materials and production. They must be cruelty-free, never use leather, wool, silk or cashmere or any type of hyde, skin or bone (ethical veganisms, environmental veganism, dietary veganism).

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VEGAN

ORGANIC

To be considered, a company must at least pay employees and suppliers a fair wage, provide safe working conditions and never employ child or slave labor.

SUSTAINABLE

People Heart Planet only includes ethical brands that meet their criteria: fair trade, sustainable, organic and vegan.

Co-founder of People Heart Planet Deven Nelson said that it is because of husband Simon Chunkath’s encouragement that she turned her Excel spreadsheet with hundreds of sustainable clothing companies into an online platform for other people to access. The online platform officially launched in late 2021. | Photo Submitted by Deven Nelson

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know, the environment isn’t really my issue. I care a lot more about poverty issues and human suffering,’” Nelson said. “What an ignorant thing to say.”

The woman Nelson was having this conversation with was gracious in explaining to Nelson that climate change does have a human factor to it. “[She told me] how [climate change] impacts people of color and some of the poorest places in the world and how it would hit them first,” Nelson said.

After moving to Singapore in 2016, Nelson realized climate change isn’t just an environmental issue. To her, it’s about human justice.

Nelson was already learning to shop differently in Singapore. Her options were limited. She started to

evaluate the question of how she was consuming products and realized the way she was consuming was inconsistent with her values as a Christian.

“We believe that every person should be treated with dignity and respect like they are a creation of God,” Nelson said. “We should give [people] an opportunity to thrive, yet the economic system that we participate in is doing the exact opposite … it’s exploiting and causing physical harm to women and children. It’s putting people at risk.”

That system was not something Nelson wanted to participate in.

“I looked at my husband and said, ‘OK, we’re going all in, 100% ethical consumer all of the time,’ which for me was more of a fair trade issue than sustainability,” Nelson said.

In 2017, she sat down and created an Excel spreadsheet with the names

of various ethical companies and stores that she and her family could shop at. Her husband told her, “You need to turn this into a platform, not just an Excel spreadsheet.”

So she made a website and found a business partner.

People Heart Planet is an online platform that acts as a resource guide for people wanting to shop ethically and sustainably. Roughly 150 brands are available for purchase through PHP, all of which have been selected and approved by Nelson and Ramdas.

“We are just a tool. The idea is to give people as much information as you can about what’s available and where to buy it,” Nelson said.

The co-founders judge various brands by four forms of criteria. They have to, at minimum, be either sustainable, fair trade, vegan or organic,

Bethel alum and co-founder of People Heart Planet Deven Nelson said that PHP was not specifically created on Christian values, but her individual faith impacted why she is passionate about ethical consumption. “It is because of scripture [that] participating in the world in a way that does not oppress or exploit people makes sense to me,” she said. Nelson’s faith, political background and world experiences all played a role in creating PHP. | Photo Submitted by Deven Nelson

show people how.”

Nelson recognizes that no one single person will ultimately stop climate change, but they can help “challenge the status quo” of buying into a system — a system that only furthers the damage to the environment and humans.

“There are women working in Bangladesh who are making less than $1 a day,” Nelson said. “$1 a day is not a living wage over there.”

An accessible, ethical online shopping platform gives people the chance to make a decision whether or not they are going to support an industry that exploits the planet’s resources, humans, plants and animals alike.

While PHP itself was not specifically founded on Christian values, Nelson’s own faith impacts her passion and decision for ethical con-

sumption.

“For me, the Bible tells a story about God who is a liberator and one who makes a way for overcoming oppression and breaking free from bondage,” Nelson said. “Participating in the world in a way that does not oppress or exploit people makes sense to me.”

Through scripture she is able to see why love is important not only for the people, but for the planet.

“God does not see the planet as some inanimate [object] – kick it around, who cares. No way,” Nelson said. “The spirit of God is dwelling in it. If we as humans can’t get it right, the planet will cry out and praise God. This love is so much more amazing than I ever realized.” 

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but many are a combination of these aspects.

“Since we personally vet all the brands ourselves to ensure they meet our criteria… people can shop with peace of mind,” Ramdas said.

“Whether you care about human rights, animal welfare or environmental sustainability, we have something for everybody.”

Nelson and Ramdas met while living in Singapore and realized they had a shared passion for wanting to fight against climate change. Ramdas’ vegetarian lifestyle and affinity for the environment plus Nelson’s passion for human rights created an opportunity to build a platform to help not only themselves, but others.

“This business is the intersection of everything that I care about,” Ramdas said. “If we want to change the world for the better, we need to

Fighting diagnosis with design Bethel alum and adjunct professor combines her painful cancer experience and design talent into a passion project creating an impact in the classroom and beyond.

By Hannah Hunhoff | Design by Hannah Hobus

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Andrea Bonhiver lay restlessly in her bed in 2018, scrolling through Amazon in search of any forums or books about young women battling cervical cancer. She longed to find other young women who had the same type of cancer, experienced a hysterectomy and “were facing the things that terrified her the most:” chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

If the statistics are saying the diagnosis of cervical cancer is common among women in their thirties, why aren’t we talking about this?

Feeling isolated, exhausted and fearing the future ahead of her, Bonhiver reached for her laptop, opened Google Docs and began to pour out her heart on the empty document — her feelings, her to-do lists, her what-ifs — that would eventually become thousands of women’s cherished companion in their cervical cancer journey. Her first words in her journal emerged at 3 a.m. — “So, I guess this is real.”

Writing and design have always been Bonhiver’s outlet to personally process the pain she has gone through, hoping that someone else will somehow identify with the same pain.

Growing up as the “kid with the art kit,” writing stories, poems and family newsletters, Bonhiver believes she was

born with an innate passion for art.

After her uncle was killed by a drunk driver when she was in eighth grade, she wrote a personal essay called “Turning Points” and gave it to all of her family members. Her journal entries throughout her cervical cancer diagnosis served the same purpose, allowing her to be real and raw with the thoughts and emotions that flooded her mind.

“If you have a cancer diagnosis, everyone around you is experiencing your diagnosis in a way because it's sad for them … but nobody around you has what you have,” Bonhiver said. “Your experience is unique and isolating.”

In June 2017, Bonhiver went to her annual doctor appointment and had a routine pap smear. The results of the test revealed that there were type 16 and 18 HPV lesions found in her cervix, which her doctor revealed were the lowest severity one could have.

From there, Bonhiver endured a colonoscopy to test abnormal cells in the cervix. Her doctor said that some bodies tend to clear this type of HPV and recommended that Bonhiver check in the following year. When Bonhiver returned for a second pap smear in June 2018, her levels were elevated. Her doctor recommended another colonoscopy.

Soon after, Bonhiver saw a gynecologist to have a Loop Electro-surgical Excision Procedure, an invasive but necessary surgery that helps in the diagnosis of cervical cancer. Her LEEP in August 2018 confirmed that the cancer was present and would grow if action was not taken soon. With stage zero cancer on the verge of being invasive, Bonhiver saw an oncologist and was told that a hysterectomy was the only curative measure in September 2018. To avoid chemo and radiation, Bonhiver only had a year to get a hysterectomy: a procedure that would prevent her chances of getting pregnant in the future, but fully remove the cancer from her body.

Bonhiver had a hysterectomy March 7, 2019. She calls this day her “cancer anniversary.” Five days later, she found out that all evidence of cancer was removed from her body and no chemo or radiation was needed.

During her recovery in April 2019, she felt compelled to use her writing and design experience to write a guidebook about her cervical cancer journey, full of tips and tricks and

Adjunct Professor Andrea Bonhiver sits in CC207 Feb. 11 and reflects on her journey back to Bethel University and her experience with cervical cancer. She attended the Graphic Design III class and shared about the process of harmoniously designing and writing her book, “The Cervical Cancer Companion.” | Photo by Mild Du

More about Cervical Cancer 1.

“Women with early cervical cancers and pre-cancers usually have no symptoms.”

2.

“Cervical cancer is typically discovered via protocol of testing involving an annual pap exam, a positive HPV result, a cervical biopsy, a more in-depth cervical sample (called LEEP or cone biopsy), then a cancer diagnosis.”

3.

“Cervical cancer is treated by chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery.”

Andrea noted that “Australia has nearly eradicated cervical cancer because their vaccination rate is so high.”

(direct quotes from “The Cervical Cancer Companion”) Bonhiver, A. The Cervical Cancer Companion. (s.p).

After eight weeks of recovery, she returned to her Digital Design Manager role at Regis Corporation working on websites, web-advertising, social media and animations. Bonhiver has always considered herself as the “Jane-of-AllTrades,” running the creative gamut in marketing strategy, copywriting and 3D styling for photoshoots through her previous roles at JL Buchanan and Eagle Brook Church.

Bonhiver spent the summer and early fall of 2019 designing and writing her book, “The Cervical Cancer Companion,” filling InDesign pages

with topics such as “telling people you have cancer,” the first oncology appointment, informative cervical cancer facts, empowering mantras and medication trackers. Bonhiver also structured her book with intentional writing prompts inviting readers to process their own thoughts and pages accented with teal, the official color for cervical cancer. When she shared her passion project with her husband, Justin, he suggested that she add excerpts from her personal journals at the beginning of each section.

“In hindsight, now that the book

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revelations gained throughout her experience. She was a part of a Facebook group called “Cervivor” and found herself constantly responding to women’s questions about cervical cancer, such as what to expect during a LEEP. Because she wanted her book to be tailored towards women whose cervical cancer stories include chemo and radiation, she asked “Cervivor” members a number of questions.

What products did you find helpful?

What things did you bring to chemo?

What helped you through your radiation?

is finished and it's out there, I can see how necessary it was that she wrote it,” Justin said. “Not just because of the people who have read the book and found a companion in it, but also because of how the creative writing process helped provide structure and

“

“My focus 100% of the time every day that I worked on [The Cervical Cancer Companion] was ‘you have to finish this’ because I could so palpably remember what it felt like to be searching online for something like this.

There are women who need this.”

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“

Andrea Bonhiver, Adjunct Professor of Design and cervical cancer survivor

purpose to her grief.”

He was referring to the same long-running Google document that she used to empty out her thoughts all throughout her cancer journey, recovery and return to work when she couldn’t think about anything else. It was her outlet to release all her feelings in the midst of heaviness, lack of sleep or work, as she said that she

“types faster than she writes.”

Other cancer survivors run races to raise money for cervical cancer research all year long, but Bonhiver’s book is her voice, always available and existing for anyone to connect with.

“When I had cancer, my big fear was that it was gonna define my life … I didn't want my whole life to now have to be about cancer,” Bonhiver said. “So I thought, I’m going to write this book and this is how I'm going to help people.”

Bonhiver self-published her book and released it on Amazon in February 2021. She hopes that it feels like a companion that goes with women on their cervical journey and “invites them into a sisterhood that they never asked to be a part of.”

Her greatest dream for the book is to make it accessible at oncology and gynecology clinics. If women bring the book to their doctor appointments, Bonhiver imagines that she is physically going with them.

“When someone is diagnosed, that is a life-changing day,” Bonhiver said. “To be able to hand someone that book and say someone is going to walk through it with you … That is my dream.”

Along with authoring the “The Cervical Cancer Companion,” Bonhiver has designed a small selection of products to go with the book, such as treatment totes, art prints, post-op belly pillows, medical supply pouches, teal leggings, coffee tumblers and a mantra mat for the book’s online “CCC” shop.

Bonhiver’s passion for helping people through design and writing turned into GoodWinter Creative, a retro and vintage online shop selling mugs, sweatshirts, art prints and handpicked vintage vinyl records. Her shop is inspired by her “quirky interest” for old movies, jazz music and the fashion of the 50s and 60s. GoodWinter Creative also acts as Bonhiver’s new creative outlet to use her digital illustration and motion graphic skills.

In the fall of 2021, Bonhiver returned to her alma mater, Bethel University, as Adjunct Professor of Graphic Design to

teach Introduction to Digital Media.

Bonhiver graduated from Bethel in 2007 with an individualized major in advertising design. Bethel was where Bonhiver developed the passion for design that remains in her today. It was where Guy Chase, the late and former Professor of Art, taught her the value of teaching herself. Bonhiver spent her college career writing music reviews for the Clarion, serving as Executive Marketing Director for the Bethel Student Association, now known as Bethel Student Government, attending chapel and fostering her love for writing while sitting on a window sill outside Benson Great Hall.

“We are excited to have Andrea work with the Art and Design Department as an adjunct professor,”

Adjunct Professor Andrea Bonhiver pages through her book, “The Cervical Cancer Companion,” while sitting on her favorite writing spot at Bethel University: the window sill outside of Benson Great Hall. Bonhiver spent a lot of time writing in this special spot throughout her undergraduate years. | Photo by Mild Du

More about HPV 1.

“The human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause 6 types of cancer, including cervical cancer. There are two types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer and need to be monitored closely – types 16 and 18.”

2.

“HPV is not contracted only by people who have multiple sexual partners.

It is not a sign of being promiscuous.

HPV can be contracted after intimate contact with only one person.”

3.

“More than 33,000 men and women get HPV in the United States each year.”

4.

“Four out of five people can expect to have it at one time or another.

There are typically few if any symptoms.”

Bonhiver, A. The Cervical Cancer Companion. (s.p).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(2021). HPV vaccination recommendations.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/ hcp/recommendations.html

through the journal entries and writing prompts. Whether Bonhiver is sharing her story on Twin Cities Live, in the classroom or with women around the world, she is using her painful experiences and artistic gifts to help others.

“When I think about art and why it's meaningful, I think about the fact that God is creative at his core. In making us, he has made us creative,” Bonhiver said. “That’s why I love art: because you can make anything. You can create emotions and really make an impact with it.” 

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Associate Professor of Graphic Design Jessica Henderson said. “She is excited about sharing her knowledge and helping students develop their skills and creative voice and we know she will bring both expertise and passion into the classroom.”

The lights of the projector turn on and the official website of “The Cervical Cancer Companion” appears on the screen in CC207 Feb. 11, the same room where Bonhiver was taught art and design fifteen years ago. She walks into the design lab in a black turtleneck with a Royal Grounds iced coffee in hand, preparing to share the process of designing and writing her book to a room of nine aspiring designers in Henderson’s Graphic Design III class. The teal book is passed around from table to table and students page

Bethel student athletes Joey Kidder and Allie Fauth take on multiple sports and balance athletics with academics year-round.

J

By Rachel Blood | Design by Bryson Rosell

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oey Kidder’s Nikes squeak against the Robertson Center Gym floor, the rhythm of his dribbling punctuated by the shouts of Bethel University and Macalester College spectators.

Coming in from the right side, he leaps and sends the ball into the air and right through the hoop.

The room erupts in sound with 59.9 seconds left on the clock, the scoreboard’s orange numbers flickering to 58-56.

Bethel takes the lead.

Kidder, a sophomore biokinetics student from New Richmond, Wisconsin, spends his time not only on the basketball court, but on the football field.

Of Bethel’s 600 student athletes, only about 40 take on more than one sport, and most of that number consists of students participating in both track and cross country.

Balancing athletics with academic and social life, these athletes navigate their busy schedules with the help of supportive teams and coaches.

Even when basketball and football season overlap in early October, Kidder powers through, dialing in to get homework done after practice so he can continue to pursue what he loves.

Kidder got into football young, his family coming home from church every Sunday and watching the night’s game together. He grew up with sports – pick-up games around the neighborhood, messing around with his dad, recess.

Kidder started looking for colleges under the impression that he’d have to choose football, but when Bethel offered him the opportunity to play both, he took it, not wanting to part with either sport. Even when Kidder doesn’t come out on top, he finds joy on the court or on the field.

In the MIAC Championship football game against St. John’s University, Bethel lost 2829, but Kidder hasn’t forgotten the crowd turnout and the wonder of second-half snow.

For him, it was just another challenge to overcome. And Kidder is no stranger to challenges.

In a home basketball game against St. Olaf Jan. 8, Bethel played with seven players on the court, half the roster out due to COVID-19.

Bethel held them off with a 71-61 win.

“It was pretty exciting to see that [even when] down numbers, we unified just to get a nice win against a good team,” Kidder said.

Kidder recommends being a two-sport ath-

lete to those who know they can handle it.

“Just go for it,” Kidder said. “I don’t think I could give up either sport. It’s a love I’ve had since I was really young, so I know I’ve got to work with whatever is going to get thrown at me and battle around it.” Kidder’s football teammate Aaron Loe came out for the basketball team this year. Football coaches Steve Johnson and AJ Parnell along with Head Basketball Coach Zach Filzen are also very supportive.

“It’s a blessing to have them, honestly,” Kidder said.

Athletic Director Greg Peterson, who took the position June 1, 2021, also played football and basketball during his time at Bethel. The opportunity provided by Bethel to play two sports while being involved in a Christ-centered community was one Peterson couldn’t pass up.

According to Peterson, many student athletes actually perform better academically while in season, a probable result of the discipline and dedication that goes along with playing a college sport.

For graduate student Allie Fauth, choosing only one sport was never on the table.

In searching for a college, she made sure she selected one that would allow her to continue both passions – softball and volleyball – while working toward a degree in elementary education.

Starting out young with slow-pitch T-ball, Fauth’s love for softball is a part of her upbringing. Being competitive has instilled in her a love for all sports, but softball remains her long-time love.

Fauth didn’t start playing volleyball until middle school, transitioning from soccer to spend time with more friends, but falling in love with it in sixth grade and sticking with it.

Though a few other Division III MIAC schools were options, Fauth chose Bethel and grew under the guidance of Head Volleyball Coach Gretchen Hunt and Head Softball Coach Penny Foore, both women she looks up to.

Fauth says it’s common to see athletes begin playing two sports and choose one as the years go on, but a few of her teammates join her in dual-sport endeavors, including track hurdler and volleyball player Kelsie Sealock and softball and hockey players Lexi DeBace and Grace Halvorson.

For Fauth, there was a balance to be struck between playing a fall sport and a spring

W T O ROF

Joey Kidder | Photo by Bryson Rosell

WO FOR ONE

sport. When the volleyball season wound down in November, she started lifting with the softball team, and when softball season came to a close in May, she spent the summer months conditioning on her own before starting the whole cycle over again.

It was a system – one that worked.

And then COVID-19 pushed the volleyball season to the spring, and suddenly Fauth was doing everything at once. She went from having no athletic obligations but home workouts in her hometown of Hutchinson to a packed schedule filled with volleyball, softball and academics. Fauth, who puts in about 25 hours a week during the regular softball season, had her doubts.

How am I going to do all this stuff?

6 a.m. volleyball practice. Making the trek to Pact Charter School in Ramsey to student teach – a 20-minute drive on a good day, 30 minutes on a bad one. Back to Bethel for softball practice, bouncing between second base and centerfield. From softball to a volleyball game. Go, go, go.

“I would get overwhelmed and cry a lot, but I was never like, ‘Oh, I’m going to quit one.’

I was always 100% dedicated to each, which is why it was so hard,” Fauth said. “You don’t know how to split your time equally when

2021 as an outside hitter, finds momentum and endurance in the form of her teammates, who double as her closest friends. Now in her fifth softball season with the option of returning for a sixth, she is working toward her master’s degree in counseling while working fulltime at the Anderson Center as an enrollment counselor. She goes home after nights spent with her softball team to two of her former volleyball teammates.

“You have two different team dynamics, two different groups of girls that you can really rely on and that are walking through different stages of life with you, and it’s just really, really cool,” Fauth said.

During her sophomore year, her volleyball team got into a bus accident when a car swerved into their lane and hit them head-on.

“It was super traumatic, and we … were able to process that together,” Fauth said. “It’s definitely something that brought us closer and created a team dynamic that I’ve never been a part of before.”

Fauth’s softball team has provided a family for her, too. She remembers walking through the Brushaber Commons before COVID-19 hit her sophomore year and seeing the whole team crowded around Royal Grounds each day.

6.6% Approximately 6.6% (60/400) of Bethel student athletes play multiple sports. | Stat from Athletic Director Greg Peterson.

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they’re both technically in season.” Though COVID-19 moving the volleyball season was a first-time occurrence, her coaches were flexible and understanding about it.

With a support system in place, Fauth’s experience as a two-sport athlete has allowed for a lot of personal growth.

“I would really recommend it. The coaches, especially at Division III, especially at Bethel, are more than willing to work with you so that you can be able to do both,” she said.

Fauth, who was named the MIAC volleyball Elite 22 Award recipient in November

“[The softball team] are the goofiest group of girls I’ve ever talked to in my whole life.

We’re always joking around, always making funny comments,” Fauth said. “It was just fun walking through the hallways and knowing that you’re going to see one of your best friends.”

Now, as Fauth finishes up her classes at 9:30 p.m. on a Thursday, she smiles to herself.

She knows that this weekend’s double-header softball games, regardless of the outcome, will be more evidence that she does not have to be only one thing. 

Allie Fauth | Photo by Bryson Rosell

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Players from the men's hockey team huddle and pray at the center of the rink after a loss against St. Scholastica. "We're all here for more than just hockey," said Jory McWilliams. | Photo by Toby Ryberg

Breaking the cycle After 14 years of losing seasons, the men's hockey team turns things around.

By Kaden Lamb | Design by Spencer Vang

mind.

“We believe we have a really strong team, but we also believe we’re positioning ourselves to be strong for years to come,” McKelvie said.

A culture change is in the works, and this year’s team is setting the foundation. A tightly knit group of seniors leads by example, building relationships with the underclassmen and welcoming them into the hockey family. Jory McWilliams, Ridge Gerads, Nick Ketola and Brandon Baker have been coached by McKelvie since his first season at Bethel.

“I honestly [get] a little emotional. [Those guys] have been here for four years, and they were with this program at one of its lowest points,” McKelvie said. “Now they’re the ones leading the charge to bring the program to new heights.”

The players reciprocate that same attitude of appreciation toward their coach, who laughs and plays games with them before practice. They recall the ways that McKelvie has challenged them to grow as a player and as a person. Time and time again, he shows his care for their character off the ice as well as their productivity on it.

“He really emphasizes that we’re all here for more than just hockey,” senior Jory McWilliams said.

If the way they play together signifies anything, it’s that these players have friendships that stretch beyond the glass encasing the ice rink. From the goofing around in practice to inside-joke fun, this team has learned that in order to be successful on the ice, they need to get along off the ice. Seniors and freshmen often play on the same lines, and some even live in the same houses together.

“It’s a lot more of a close group than we’ve had in the past. We have good guys from a lot of different [backgrounds] and we all just mesh well together,” junior Jarrett Cammarata said. Cammarata is the leading scorer on the

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Cold skates carve long lines in the ice at the Blaine Super Rink. The coaches glide around the rink, setting up the nets on either end and dumping a bucket of pucks at center ice.

They toss pucks into the rafters of the arena and try to catch them in the air cleanly with their sticks. Little by little, the team filters out of the locker room and onto the ice.

A sharp whistle forces the team into collective motion. The men circle the ice, collecting the pucks that have drifted off and piling them back in the middle. The players gather around the coaches for a quick word, then break to form drills. The vibrant energy from warmups transforms to an attentive focus. It’s time to go to work.

The last winning season for Bethel men’s hockey was 14 years ago, finishing the 20072008 season with a record of 17 wins, seven losses and two ties. The year before that, Bethel won the conference championship and took a trip to the NCAA playoffs for the first and only time in program history. The last time Bethel had a winning season, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston were still alive. The first Iron Man hadn’t been released yet, and since then, three different U.S. presidents have been elected and sworn into office. Even within the team itself, a handful of head coaches have cycled through without much success.

The team had gone 3-19-3 the season before Head Coach Chris McKelvie took over in the spring of 2018. His first two seasons showed little improvement, going 11-33-6 before COVID-19 took away most of his third season. Now finishing his fourth season as Head Coach, McKelvie has led his squad to its first winning season in more than a decade.

With the regular season finished as of Feb. 20, the Royals are 14-10-1, exceeding the win total for their last three seasons combined.

Rather than being satisfied with the upturn in success, McKelvie has bigger goals on his

The team leans over the divider as they watch their teamates on the ice. | Photo by Toby Ryberg

FEB. 2022

30

team with 21 points this season.

The more technical side of the team’s success this year has revolved around defense. It was emphasized for the returning players in the off-season, and the freshman class was recruited with defensive skills in mind. In 2020, the Royals’ last full season, the team was outscored by opponents 92-51. They also gave up 17 goals to the power play. So far this year, the team has outscored opponents 73-65 and given up only nine power play goals. A solid team defense is the mark of a winning hockey team, and the Royals’ improvement is noteworthy.

“We made tremendous strides … with our team defense and our penalty kill,” McKelvie said. “Our guys take pride in defending really well.”

That solid defense comes on the heels of some outstanding goaltending. The three goalies on the team have a combined 749 saves this season, a save percentage of 92.1%.

Gerads has 396 saves on the season, the fifth best in the MIAC. Sophomore Travis Allen is right behind him with 336 saves, ranking seventh in the MIAC. Goaltending isn’t the only position that’s deep with dexterity. Players and coaches

agree that this year’s success has a lot to do with the multitude of talent at every position.

Whether the first or fifth lineup of players is on the ice, each man down the bench believes

We have a lot of heart. We want to prove to people exactly who we are and what we can do.

Braeden Bartoo, freshman

that they will take care of business.

“What sets this team apart [from last year] is just the depth of our team. Anyone could play anywhere [on] any given night,” McWilliams said.

Assistant Coach Trevor Tollette played hockey for Bethel in 2009, at the beginning of their cold streak. His head coach at the time was Joel Johnson, who recently won the silver medal coaching team U.S.A. Women’s Hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Bei-

jing. Tollette noted that this year’s team is building a championship culture, emphasizing the family aspect of the team, similar to the one he was a part of more than a decade ago.

“It’s a credit to our guys, just building a great locker room [atmosphere] that guys want to hang out in. After practice, they’ll probably be here for another half hour playing ping pong and goofing around,” Tollette said.

About a dozen players remain on the ice at the close of practice, standing in a big circle, zipping a little black puck between them as if they have been doing it together for their whole lives. The puck never bounces astray off a stick or a skate. The coaches didn’t ask them to stay after practice to put in extra work, but these guys have big dreams on their minds. Four seniors are gearing up for their final run in the conference playoffs, and the whole team has a strong vision for the rest of the season.

“We have a lot of heart. We want to prove to people exactly who we are and what we can do,” freshman Braeden Bartoo said. 

Travis Allen's save percentage:

92.8%

(third in MIAC) 246 saves

Ridge Gerads' save

percentage:

92.5% (fifth in MIAC) 396 saves

Junior Jarrett Cammarata skates forward with the puck on an offensive turn for the Royals. Cammarata has the most points on the team, with five goals and 16 assists on the season. He is hopeful about the team’s commitment to work hard, and sees it paying off. “I think we’re taking the right steps to create a great program here, and everybody’s bought in,” Cammarata said. | Photo by Toby Ryberg

Go Figur Go Figure Go Figure Photo by Soraya Keiser

As Bethel’s winter sports enter the playoff season, let’s take a look at how some of our athletes have been performing.

32

Ball-thief! Senior Bella Williams has stolen the

FEB. 2022

By Kaden Lamb | Design by Davis McElmurry

above the second-highest player.

ball from the opposing team 86

times this year.

That’s the highest in the MIAC and 20 steals

Puck-stopper! Senior Mallory Tidona has saved 503 shots from finding their way into the net, leading the MIAC. Her save percentage is

93.0%, which is

third in the MIAC. Sharp-shooter!

Freshman

Dom

Aguilar

makes

44.7% of his three-pointers, which is the secondhighest record in the conference. He has made 31 shots from downtown this season.

Super-saver! Senior Ridge Gerads has the fifth most saves in the MIAC with

396. He has saved 92.5%

of the shots slapped at him this season.

Bucket-getter! Sophomore Zach Doely leads the MIAC in field goal percentage. He makes the shots that he takes, averaging

re e

game.

Photo by Makenzi Johnson

61% of

14.9 points per

Three months, four seasons The Bethel women’s basketball team overcomes a slow start and gives hope for a promising end of their 2021-2022 season.

By Emily Rossing | Design by Spencer Vang

59-65. 18.8 seconds left on the clock inside the Robertson Center on a Tuesday night in November. The ref blows the whistle, signaling the end of the timeout.

Five players from the Bethel women’s basketball break away from the huddle and walk onto the court, taking their offensive positions against Augsburg University. Scoring is the only option now.

Bella Williams dribbles the ball up the left side of the court before passing it to Makenna Pearson. Pearson shoots for three.

It bounces off the rim. Courtney Nuest retrieves the ball and pulls up to shoot for two. The ball

hits the backboard at the wrong angle. Hayden Glander recovers once more and shoots for two.

This time, it goes in.

Too late. The clock reads 1.9 seconds.

Augsburg hold onto the ball just as time runs out. Final score, 61-65.

The heads drop. Another loss.

The team is 0-4 now. Two more baskets, and it would have been theirs.

Dec. 1, and it's the same story.

Hamline ousts them by 9 points this time. 0-5.

But three days later, the tide changes.

Dec. 4, the Bethel women’s

basketball team beat St. Katherine 63-49 and sparked a fundamental change in their season.

They would go on to win 14 of the next 16 games.

So, what changed?

Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer, who the team knows as “Herbie,” says the key was forcing younger athletes to perform.

A few exposures to COVID-19 shut down nearly half of the team and forced many younger players to fill in the shoes of the starters. It happened not just once, but twice – once just after Thanksgiving and again right after New Year’s. Coach Herbie said with pre-season, it feels like

FEB. 2022

34

Freshman Hayden Glander plunges forward for a shot in the Robertson Center Gym Feb. 12. Glander put up 10 points in this game against Macalester, blowing past the MIAC opponent with a final score of 80-48. With the regular season behind them now, the Royals are looking forward to the playoffs. “We will be ready when the time comes,” Glander said. | Photo by Addie Stern

The women's basketball team anticipates a basket in their game against Macalester College Feb. 12. | Photo by Mild Du

of their next five games against full-strength varsity rosters.

Coach Herbrechtsmeyer’s diverse coaching background, including stints at Division I schools and even a brief career as a scout for a WNBA team, has left him overseeing many different teams composed of many types of players. In the past 20 years as Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Bethel, he’s seen a variety of players and team dynamics. But there’s something different about this team.

“I have more confidence in the depth of our depth chart than I ever had on any team I’ve ever coached in 32 years,” Herbrechtsmeyer said.

The record speaks for itself.

With all the girls on the roster registering minutes in the winning season, the team’s vast skill set is evident. The players, though, speak to some of the intangibles that characterize the team.

The senior leadership has been crucial to developing the team, according to Herbrechtsmeyer. Fifth-years Makenna Pearson and Bella Williams have been integral parts of the team this year as well as the past few years, including the 2019-2020 season, when the team won the MIAC Conference Championship. Pearson, who recently scored her thousandth point in

"I have more confidence in the depth of our depth chart than I ever had on any team I’ve ever coached in 32 years."

35

Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer FEB. 2022

the past three months have been four separate seasons.

“We’ve been through a lot,” he said.

During one of those shutdowns, the team had only eight girls eligible to play. In order to effectively practice, a team needs at least 10 players to play both defensive and offense. Some assistant coaches filled in the roles at practice. In games, the absences meant longer stretches of playing and less substitutes, all with a younger team.

And yet, with this younger team composed of three varsity players and five junior varsity players, the Bethel women's basketball team went on to win four

Fifth-year Makenna Pearson handles the ball in a game against Macalester Feb. 12. Pearson scored 9 points for the Royals with a shot percentage of .600, one of her best of the season. “We realized winning isn’t just handed to you because you're wearing a Bethel jersey,” Pearson said. “You have to earn it every game.” | Photo by Mild Du

Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer explains the next play against Macalaster in the Robertson Center Gym Feb. 12. Herbrechtsmeyer holds a defensive philosophy that has proved successful for the Royals this season. “Defensively, we’ve figured out how to make it really difficult for teams to do what they want to do,” Herbrechtsmeyer said. | Photo by Mild Du

were short-handed is freshman Hayden Glander, who went from minimal playing during the first five games of the season to averaging 13 points per game, the most on the team. Glander is one of nine freshmen on the team, joined by one sophomore, two juniors, one senior and two fifth years. With such a young team, some bumps in the road were inevitable. But Glander speaks to

what she pinpoints as the turning point for this team’s success.

“I think what changed the spark from the losing to winning streak was that we all started to meld together and have patience,” Glander said.

This chemistry is pacing the team toward a positive playoff picture. The four-round playoffs are set for the week of Feb. 1926. With all the challenges the

team has faced this year, they feel ready for it.

“This team knows what we are capable of and that is nothing short of MIAC champions,” Pearson said. 

37

FEB. 2022

her career for the Royals, says she is particularly proud of her younger teammates for overcoming the adversity that COVID-19 has brought. “[It] can be hard to fill in those missing pieces, but the thing I love about this team is we have filled those spots when we needed to,” Pearson said.

One of the key players who began to shine while the Royals

Spring athlete spotlights

Although snow is still on the ground, spring athletes are hard at work prepping for their upcoming seasons – let's get to know some of them.

By Maya Spinler | Design by Davis McElmurry

Abbie Swenson Sprinter and hurdler Abbie Swenson has been an athlete since she could walk. While running has always been a passion of hers, she has only been competing for four years.

Running has given her an opportunity to be welcomed into the Bethel community after transferring in last spring. Upon coming to Bethel, she discovered that fellow teammate Jessie Smith had joined her on the same mission trip a couple of years earlier. After uncovering their connection, the two enjoyed sharing memories and even relearned the dances from that trip. Now, they are inseparable best friends. Nevertheless, being an athlete is not always fun and games. “[Balancing] academics and social life and not having enough time to do everything [can be difficult],” Swenson said.

Fun Fact: Swenson listens to worship music before each meet to calm her nerves and get her in the right head space before competing.

Swenson (left) and Smith (right)

Angela Dabu

38

Fun Fact: Dabu

FEB. 2022

prefers creamy over crunchy peanut butter.

Senior social work major Angela Dabu did not choose softball. Rather, at five years old, her friend begged her mom to sign her up so that they could play together. Despite Dabu’s protests and fears, that push changed her forever. Now at Bethel playing utility, she has made so many memories with her team – in particular, a spring break trip freshman year that involved getting to know her teammates better in their own homes.

“I have constantly been inspired by many coaches and teammates throughout my life and I'm so thankful,” Dabu said.

One of the many reasons Dabu picked Bethel was because of how faith plays an important role in athletics as well as the classroom.

“I pray that I can be a light for Jesus in how I treat my teammates, opponents, coaches and umpires.

Jacob Parent Parent is a sophomore sprinter on the men’s track and field team. Though a multisport athlete in high school, he only runs track at Bethel. He is currently ranked second in the MIAC for men’s 200m and 400m dash.

Parent credits coach Andrew Rock for bringing him to Bethel and going above and beyond to make him feel welcomed and wanted. His teammates and the athletics staff have inspired him to pursue God and give Him the glory for every win and loss.

“The toughest thing about being an athlete is consistency and not being content with your successes,” Parent said. “Mindset is everything, and once you are in control of it and always striving to accomplish something more, you will become a better athlete and person overall.”

Fun Fact: Parent's best friend (apart from long-time girlfriend Cassie Dolezal) is none other than Joey Kidder, sophomore basketball and football two-sport athlete (see page 24).

The two have known each other since kindergarten.

James Woelfel

Fun Fact: A song that pushes Woelfel to finish strong is "Pour Some

39

Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard."

FEB. 2022

Junior catcher James Woelfel has been playing baseball for 15 years, a trait that seemingly runs in his family. Watching his older brother play and going to Twins games with his family ignited an insatiable enthusiasm for the sport.

“This sparked a passion in me that I have yet to experience with anything else in my life,” Woelfel said.

When looking for a school that checked all his athletic boxes, Bethel fit the bill.

“I wanted to play for a program with a great coaching staff and a successful history.

I didn't care so much if I played, but I wanted to be a part of a successful team,” Woelfel said.

Woelfel, like Swenson, says the toughest thing about being an athlete is the balancing act of sports, school and life. But baseball is not an opportunity he takes for granted.

While in high school, a close friend he grew up playing baseball with died in a car crash.

“Just like me, baseball was his passion. Every time I get fed up with baseball or want to take a day off, I think about him and the fact that he never had the opportunity to play college baseball,” Woelfel said. “He helps me to remember how blessed I am to be where I'm at.”

Title IX Coordinator position in flux After Cara Wald’s departure from the position, Bethel searches for someone to fulfill a role focused on enforcing Title IX and supporting victims of sexual assualt.

By Soraya Keiser | Design by Bryson Rosell

FEB. 2022

40

Since its passage into law as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title IX has protected people from discrimination based on sex for education programs and activities that receive financial assistance from the federal government.

The civil rights law states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Title IX obligations encompass many different aspects of the education system, including recruitment, admissions, counseling, financial aid and athletics. A large part of the law discusses sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence.

Bethel University remains consistent with Title IX, and as stated on Bethel’s website is “committed to maintaining a Christ-centered community, free of discrimination, including sexual harassment in all of its forms.”

All Bethel community members are required to comply with Bethel’s policies regarding sexual misconduct and sexual harassment. If this does not happen, community members can report instances of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment to Bethel’s Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer. Employees are required to report instances unless they are confidential resource persons. These people include employees in Counseling Services, the Office of Christian Formation and Church Relations and Health Services.

Cara Wald, who formerly held the position of Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer as well as Vice President of People and Culture, announced her resignation Oct. 15, 2021 with her official last day being Nov. 19, 2021. Since Nov. 17, 2021, Dean of Student Success and Retention for the College of Adult and Professional Studies Ryan Gunderson has served as Interim Title IX Coordinator. He has taken on the responsibilities of Title IX Coordinator in addition to his position in Bethel’s CAPS program and will continue to do so until someone new is hired.

The job position for Title IX Coordinator was posted on Bethel’s job listings in early February and was updated most recently Feb. 11.

Vice President of Finance Amy Blaz has been in charge of the hiring process. However, President Ross Allen announced Feb. 10 that Blaz will be resigning from her position.

Blaz expects that another cabinet member will transition into the role of manager of the Title IX Coordinator hiring process in the next few weeks.

When asked about the position, the hiring process and the need for an interim coordinator, Blaz said, “At Bethel, we are committed to maintaining a Christ-centered community free of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. Our Title IX nondiscrimination policy serves to protect students and employees from discrimination based on sex. The Title IX Coordinator position specifically manages this process for us and is also required by the Title IX legislation.”

Gunderson did not respond to inquiries from the Clarion regarding these topics.

Blaz hopes that the position will be filled by mid-March. Until then, Gunderson remains the contact person for anything related to sexual harassment or Title IX and its policies. 

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Twin Cities day trip Seize a Saturday and explore the Twin Cities with this itinerary filled with the latest and highly sought after eats, events and activities.

By Hannah Hunhoff | Design by Hannah Hobus

Just over five weeks into spring semester at Bethel University, snowflakes are glistening in the frigid air, the temperature continues to freeze and the snow crew is hard at work earnestly shoveling snow and sprinkling salt on the sidewalks. The weekend rolls around and despite hours of homework left on your to-do list, you allocate one day to adventurous, inexpensive winter fun with friends in the Twin Cities. It’s time to brave the cold, grab some friends, pile in your vehicle and go on a new adventure.

8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | Breakfast at Hope Breakfast Bar Venture 22 minutes to Hope Breakfast Bar for some unconventional comfort breakfast food that will satisfy your craving for fried chicken and waffles or German chocolate pancakes. One of Brian and Sarah Ingram’s purpose-driven restaurants, Hope Breakfast Bar is committed to giving back to the community and recently opened their second location in St. Louis Park. Pro-tip: order the banana bread pancakes and thank me later!

9:50 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Snow-shoeing at Fort Snelling State Park Trail

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42

1:10 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Lunch at Cossetta's Italian Market & Pizzeria Just five minutes down the road, mostaccioli con ricotta and authentic cannolis are calling your name at Cossetta’s. Choose from an array of pasta, pizza, salad and sandwich options to fuel you up for the day ahead and top it off with some dangerously delicious gelato.

2:20 p.m. - 3:05 p.m. | Bad Axe Throwing 14 minutes northwest will lead you to Bad Axe Throwing, where you can attempt to burn off some of your carbo-load. There’s no need to worry if you haven’t done this before, as Bad Axe Throwing will ensure that everyone in your group is comfortable and equipped for your 45-minute group session.

4:20 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Midday coffee break at Nina’s Coffee Shop A caffeine boost is needed at this point of the day, so meander your way 13 minutes toward Cathedral Hill and enjoy a vanilla latte at this historic coffee shop. Grab your espresso, bundle up and take a brisk walk towards the beautiful Cathedral of Saint Paul.

5:20 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Dinner at The Nook

Head north on S. Leech St. toward Grand Avenue, zip up your winter coats and drive 18 minutes to Fort Snelling State Park Trail, where there are 18 miles of snow-shoeing trails and stunning views along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. Rent a pair of snowshoes for $6 at the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center and you’ll be on your way.

Only a six-minute drive away, head to one of Guy Fieri's “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” spots and enjoy one of their famous burgers. If your group is feeling up to it and getting impatient while you wait for your food, you can bowl the night away at their attached bowling alley.

11:25 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Explore Keg and Case Market

6:10 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. | See a movie at Grandview Theater

Next, travel southwest toward Snelling Lake Trail. Set a music playlist for 17 minutes as you head to Keg and Case Market, a “culinary and retail” marketplace filled with local vendors such as Five Watt Coffee, Poppin popcorn and O’Cheeze. Explore one of U.S.A. Today’s top-ranked food halls and treat yourself to a bouquet of flowers from Studio Emme!

Start driving north on Hamline Ave S. five minutes to your final destination. End your Twin Cities day trip with a cinematic experience at the 1933 retro Grandview Theater. Check their website for which movies will be showing. From there, enjoy your 18-minute drive back to Bethel and cherish all the memories you’ve made! 

Check out these quick, easy and cheap recipes for those days when the Dining Center just seems too far away.

By Anna Saholt | Design by Joy Sporleder

Are you tired of watered-down ramen noodles and burnt microwavable popcorn? Say no more! There are plenty of simple and delicious recipes you can make right in your dorm room. All you need is your favorite microwavable mug, a microwave, a few ingredients and the patience to wait a few minutes.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Instead of eating that old Pop-Tart or granola bar, make yourself a nice, hearty breakfast.

One easy recipe is some good old-fashioned scrambled eggs. The ingredients you will need are eggs, milk, canola oil, shredded cheese (optional) and bacon bits (optional).

First, grab your favorite microwavable mug. Then, spray the mug with canola oil spray. Next, crack two eggs, then add two tablespoons of shredded cheese. Then, add a sprinkle of bacon bits. Lastly, add one tablespoon of milk.

Mix the ingredients together with a fork. Set the mug in the microwave and put on high for two minutes. Now you can enjoy a nutritious breakfast!

Not a fan of eggs? No worries, there is another option for your morning breakfast! If you want more of a sweet breakfast, you can always have pancakes. You’ll need water, pancake mix, butter and syrup (optional). In a mug, add ½ tablespoons of melted butter, ⅓ cup of pancake mix and three tablespoons of water. Stir the ingredients together and put it in the microwave between 1 ½ minutes and three minutes. Finally, top off the pancakes with

a drizzle of maple syrup. Now you have a sweet and simple breakfast made in less than five minutes!

These quick and tasty breakfast recipes will help you in your morning when you are running late to class. Now you won’t be starving in your first lecture.

Lunch & Dinner

There are also recipes for lunch and dinner, especially for the cold, negative-temperature winters when you don’t want to leave your nice and cozy dorm room.

The first recipe is good ol’ mac and cheese. You’ll need macaroni noodles, water, milk and shredded cheese. Using a microwavable mug, add ⅓ cup of macaroni and ½ cup of water. Put the mug in the microwave on high for two minutes. Next, stir the macaroni and water in the mug, and set the mug back in the microwave for one minute. Repeat by stirring the mug and placing it back in the microwave for one minute. Now, add ¼ cup of milk and ½ cup of shredded cheese and stir the ingredients together. Put the mug back in the microwave for thirty seconds. Finally, you are finished and ready to eat your mac and cheese.

Want another option? There is also a delicious pizza mug recipe! This recipe includes refrigerated biscuits, canola oil, spaghetti sauce, pepperoni and shredded mozzarella. First spray the mug with canola oil, then set the refrigerated biscuit at the bottom of the mug and microwave for thirty seconds. Add two to three tablespoons of spaghetti sauce, three tablespoons of mozzarella cheese and a few pepperoni slices. Put the mug in the microwave for one minute and you’re done!

These easy and tasteful recipes will help you make more time throughout your day to focus on your education. Tasty meals are only a few minutes away and fit perfectly in your favorite mug. 

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FEB. 2022

A

Mug recipes for your dorm

OPINION

FEB. 2022

44

An apology letter to pink

By Soraya Keiser | Illustration by Aimee Kuiper

O

“Outfield, back up!”

All the validation I needed.

Standing just a few feet behind the painted-on home plate of the kickball diamond on the blacktop of St. Sebastian Catholic School, I geared up to bring my team home. Three on base. Two outs. But my team captain, a beansprout of a fourth grader, wasn’t worried.

I was sporting my red Land’s End polo, navy blue uniform pants, green Keen’s sandals and dark blue rectangular glasses with stars spangled on the side.

The pitcher rolled the kickball in a smooth line toward me. I took a running start and kicked. I think I made it to third base. All three of my teammates scored. And my team could keep on dominating the recess kickball game.

My cheeks were flushed red, my glasses slick with sweat, and I felt so affirmed in that moment.

As a kid — besides being a kickball fiend — I only wore dresses when forced to for the annual Christmas concert, my 12-year-old friend group practically shunned anyone labeled a “Directioner” and I hated pink. Absolutely despised it.

I preferred my plaid shorts. I liked listening to my dad’s U2 CDs. My favorite colors were blue and orange. I preferred playing kickball to watching from the sidelines. And I genuinely liked these things, but it was more than that.

I consciously rejected femininity in order to not be made fun of by scrawny middle school boys. I didn’t want my music to be

seen as silly or a color to make me look weak.

I wanted to be cool. Smart. Strong. Worthy.

And you’ve probably heard that colors are gendered and that is a bad thing and men can wear pink too and blah blah blah, which is all true because Harry Styles can wear pink better than anyone I’ve ever seen. But I never really thought of myself as being affected by colors until I grew up and realized how poorly I treated the color pink. It’s not even a bad color.

It’s the color of sunsets and bubblegum and Bryson’s guitar strap and snazzy dress shirts and tulips and my cheeks when it’s cold and pigs and my old soccer team’s jerseys and the second-best Starburst flavor and gems and my tongue and my roommate Grace’s cool shoes and cherry blossoms.

At the ripe old age of 19, I wouldn’t consider myself a “pink girl” or a “girly girl,” but I don’t avoid these labels like I used to, either.

I like to put on bright red lipstick because it makes me feel feminine and powerful. I don’t play kickball or rugby anymore, but that doesn’t make me feel weak. I may or may not have just bought some butterfly clips to live out the early 2000s dream I used to shun.

And I’m still the most valuable asset to your kickball team if you are looking for one. Especially if you have pink jerseys.

Sorry, pink. You didn’t deserve it. 

This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Clarion, its staff or the institution. If you would like to submit a response or an opinion piece of your own, please contact Editor-in-Chief Rachel Blood at rachel-blood@bethel.edu.

FEB. 2022

45

OPINION

Single on Valentine’s Day

By Hannah Bronner | Illustration by Aimee Kuiper

FEB. 2022

46

Flowers. A dozen red roses lay in the glass vase, so perfect I don’t even want to touch them. He bought me chocolate, too – the delicate milk chocolate that just melts in your mouth. We’re going out to dinner tonight at Restoration Hardware, one of the fanciest places in town. We both clean up well – him in a pressed white shirt and slacks, me in black tights and a smokin’ red dress. He holds my hand the whole way there and I can’t stop the smile that spreads to my cheeks.

Chandeliers adorn the ceilings and the light flickers, creating intricate designs on the walls. The fountain at the center gives off a luxurious ambiance. Smells of garlic bread, lobster roll and broiled salmon waft in the air. What’s also in the air? A crazy little thing called love.

Is that the Valentine’s Day single Bethel girls dream of? Maybe. But that’s not reality.

Half of you reading this will have spent Feb. 14 with your gal pals eating pancakes in your

living room at 10 p.m. At least, that’s what I did my sophomore year. And while that’s a sweet memory, I know most of us desire a relationship with Prince Charming or some devoted Christian guy with a middle part and muscles. He’s probably going to be a doctor, allowing you to live out your dream of being a stay-at-home mom – without kids.

Others spent Valentine’s trying not to cry off all their mascara. Past relationships crept in. A recent break-up. For the single ladies, this day could be sad and hopeless. You listened to your friend gush about her middle school sweetheart she’s marrying this summer. Scrolling through Instagram, you saw yet another couple engaged. We ask, Am I ever going to find love? Am I ever going to get married? Will I be alone for the rest of my life? Seems dramatic, but we’ve all thought it at one point.

when you aren’t tied down by anyone. A time when you don’t have to think of anyone else’s interests. Be free. Spend more time with your girlfriends and pick your bridesmaids for when that day does come.

Ultimately, love yourself more. God made you beautiful in His image and thinks you’re freakin’ awesome. My roommate told me that everyone makes Valentine’s Day out to be this great thing of people in relationships, but we know that Jesus is love and He’s the face of love. We don't actually know what true love is until we are looking Jesus in the eyes.

This holiday is a day meant to celebrate loving each other regardless of relationship status. We were meant to love people like Jesus did because He is love. Happy Valentine’s Day.

This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Clarion, its staff or the institution. If you would like to submit a response or an opinion piece of your own, please contact Editor-in-Chief Rachel Blood at rachel-blood@bethel.edu.

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FEB. 2022

What I think is that no good can come from dwelling on what we don’t have. Learning to be content is hard, but worth it. The old adage goes, “patience is a virtue,” and to be honest, I kind of want to slap that person in the face. Well, not really. But it is difficult for me to be patient with so many things — especially love.

A friend once told me that she didn’t need a boyfriend because she already has a ton of guy friends, and I can name more than a few guys who are simply solid friends in my life.

If you’re looking for male companionship, there’s a lot of it here at Bethel.

Something else that encourages me during tough times is that we may only be single once in our lives. Marriage is a lifelong commitment and once you’re in, there’s no backing out. So, single lady friends, enjoy this time

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