New Beginnings

Hello all you voracious Bethel readers out there. It’s my pleasure to begin a blog for the “Beyond the Green” blog, but before I take you on a verbal tour of the college, let me introduce myself.

My name is Ben Histand, and I’m a fifth-year senior most recently from North Newton, Kansas. I’m a Business Administration major, and I’m also a member of the cross country and track teams, but like most Bethel students, I don’t fit into a specific mold. I do a lot of different things on campus, some of them more official than others: I’m a member of Men’s Ensemble, and we’ve got bi-semester concerts; I’m not in the Bethel College band or Orchestra, but I still get together and play with others and jam for the fun of it; last year I organized a meditation group and a film club.

I’m eclectic, and I know it. So are lots of others at Bethel, a place where the tagline of “Seek, Serve, Grow” is really embraced. Those going here aren’t afraid to question, to seek opportunities to expand their knowledge or go through a new experience. Bethel’s set-up is structured to encourage interaction and exchange. Because of its smaller class sizes and liberal arts emphasis, it’s easy to take classes that interest you and to get personalized instruction. You really feel like you get to know most of your teachers and your fellow students. This is the reason I love Bethel; because I’m in a community with people who inspire me to greatness in everything that I’m involved in (did I mention the excellent academic and music programs?).

That’s what I do at Bethel in a nutshell. At the moment I’ve been moved in for a week and I can’t wait for the semester to start. I’m living in Warkentine Court (the Mods), with a bunch of cool guys. These guys are absolutely amazing–I’m in cross country with three of them. Some of them I play instruments and jam with. Some of them I nerd out about Japanese manga with. Some of them I’ll chat with for hours at a time and we’ll solve the world’s problems. Everybody brings something different to the table, and it’s a great experience to be in this mini community within the larger Bethel community.

Well, it’s time for me to sign off on this blog post. I’ve got a jam session with one of my friends, and cross country practice in the morning. Until next time,

Ben