A week in the life of…

Brad McKellip Photo

Welcome to the first post of my Bethel blog. I’ve been told that this first post is supposed to be a “introduction/welcome,” and I’ve decided that the best way to introduce myself would be to briefly explain the activities of my last week (July 15-22.)Sunday Austin M-J and I went on a man-date to “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” Like a good friend, he held me during the scary parts.Monday After getting out of bed and making myself presentable, I packed a change of clothes, some toiletries, and an amalgam of CD’s into my car and set out for a quick road trip from my home just south of Newton to the Starlight Theater in Kansas City to see Bob Dylan. This satisfied a dream of mine that had been sitting in the back of my mind since middle school.Following the show, I drove to Lawrence to stay the night at the home of my good friend Jane (it’s worth noting that Jane and I met at the Broadway At Bethel summer camp a few years before and have been close ever since.) We made a quick run to Dillon’s for a frozen pizza, then ate it while discussing the pointlessness of unpacking between semesters, and the glory of the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival.Tuesday Jane and I went out for brunch. Once we finished saying goodbye, I had a swell drive home with the White Stripes, NPR, and Nina Simone.Wednesday Hung out with some of my friends that will be living in my mod next year. They are simply some of the coolest guys at Bethel College, and were invaluable in assuring me that I could probably write a Bethel blog without sounding like a total idiot.Thursday Volunteered at Peace Connections (a local organization that promotes nonviolence in the community), half out of a deep conviction in the cause, and half in rebellion against my father. He’s an earnest, loving, hardworking man, but he makes George W. Bush look like Michael Moore.Friday Played at Mokas, our local coffee shop. It was mostly folkie-ish music, but I’ve been known to bust out the occasional Prince or Ace of Base cover.Saturday The first half of the day was spent driving from the Bethel Fine Arts Center parking lot to Freeman Academy in South Dakota, with three friends of mine from (surprise!) Bethel for the First Annual Prairie Arboretum Folk Festival. The second half was spent listening to folk music from locals, with an audience that consisted almost entirely of Bethel kids. After the festival, everyone descended on the yard of nearby farmhouse to think and be merry into the wee hours of the morning. I look forward to spending the next semester giving, if not insight, at least fair and balanced reporting on what I see going on at Bethel.Talk to you later, kids, Brad McKellip