If you’re new to Bethel or not from around the area, you may find yourself wondering what fun stuff Newton, Kansas has to offer.  Although it is a pretty small town, there’s more to do than you might think.  If you’re needing to get off campus for a while and go have some fun, you’re reading the right blog post!

1. Half-price appetizers at Applebee’s.  I never fully understood the beauty of getting a full order of mozzarella sticks for $4 until college.  My friends and I average going to Applebee’s about once a week.  The food is cheap, and really good.  Plus, it’s really nice sometimes to just go out and eat at a restaurant with your friends late at night!  You can get half-apps on weeknights 9pm – midnight and weekends 10pm – midnight.  

2. Druber’s Donut Shop.  This is a beloved Newton classic that’s been around for a number of years.  This unique donut shops opens its doors at 11:30pm every night (except Saturday night) and stays open until 2:30 pm the next day, and Saturdays they stay open until 11am.  The donuts are the best and  are very affordable on a college student budget.  If you’re craving something sweet at 2am, go check out Druber’s.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/2622643782725908443

3. CaNewton.  As you may know, the Sand Creek runs through Newton and has become a popular place for walking and fishing.  Last summer, I discovered that a couple had opened a canoe and kayak rental business from their backyard, which overlooks the creek.  My boyfriend and I rented a couple canoes and set out on the Sand Creek for a couple hours and it was a blast!  There are plenty of canoes and kayaks to rent for a good price.  With the weather getting warmer, it’s the perfect time to check out CaNewton on Facebook and get out on the water!

4. Kauffman Museum.  Located right across the street from Bethel, this place is one you’ll want to visit during your time at Bethel.  They’ve got great permanent and traveling exhibits, as well as a tallgrass prairie reconstruction with a great grasses and wildflowers.  The museum is even open on weekends!  Next time you need a study break on a Sunday afternoon, head on over to Kauffman.

5. Disc golf courses.  As you probably know, we have our very own disc golf course on campus that is just incredible.  What you may not know though, is that it’s been expanded to 18 holes now!  If you’re an avid disc golfer and want to check out other courses in the area too, there are a few others around.  About a half-mile away from campus is the 9-hole course at Centennial Park just off of Kansas Avenue.  Out south of town, there’s a 24-hole course at Camp Hawk.  If you’re willing to drive a few miles, Hesston (north of Newton) has a 10-hole course on the Crosswind Conference Center property.

6. Dyck Arboretum.  Located just a few miles north of Bethel in the town of Hesston, the arboretum is a large and beautiful area for walking, biking, running, or laying out a blanket and reading!  There are lots of trees and so many interesting plants.  There’s a large pond in the middle that’s known to have turtles that love to be fed bread crumbs too 🙂

http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/kansas/kansas-gardens/

This list is just a glimpse of the fun things to do around the Newton area.  Newton also has a bowling alley, several restaurants, parks, and places to shop!  My friends and I sometimes go to Wichita for a fun day or night out also.  Wichita is big and has tons of things to do.  One of my favorite things in Wichita is Botanica — a beautiful and large botanical garden.

So get out there and explore.  See for yourself all of the great things in South Central Kansas!

That’s what I thought to myself when I heard tragedies on the news.  My small town of 3,700 people in South Central Kansas would never have to face anything like that.  Our town had good people.  Our town did not have anything of interest for someone who would wish to cause harm.

Thursday, February 25th, my hometown of Hesston, Kansas, encountered a mass shooting.

Bethel’s text alert system sent out a notification just minutes after the shooting had occurred, informing us that there was an active shooter in Hesston but no danger was posed to Bethel’s campus.  I was at dinner in the Caf when I got the text.  The shooter was at Excel, a large company that manufactures lawnmowers.

It was a little after 5pm.  I contacted my mom, who works in Hesston just a couple blocks away from the Excel plant, to make sure she was okay and to ask if she knew anything about what was going on.  She assured me that she was fine, and filled me in on what had happened in Hesston just as she was leaving.  I was relieved to hear that she was safe. I was very saddened though to hear about the victims and those involved in and affected by the shooting.

In the hours and days following the event, the details of the tragedy became public and it was clear what had happened.  I don’t want to explain everything.  I’m sure I don’t need to explain everything, as the story made national news.

What I do want to say though, is how encouraged and impressed I am at the support surrounding Hesston.  Companies here in Newton have posted signs with “#HesstonStrong” — a symbol of support to the community.  Numerous social media posts have shared similar support, and a billboard on I-135 Southbound is currently showing love and care for the community as well by displaying the “#HesstonStrong” design.

Many people on campus who knew that I’m from Hesston asked if I was okay, and if my family and friends were safe.  They asked if I knew anyone who was affected.  The support of the Bethel community was amazing.  This community is one that shares in joys and sorrows alike, and that is really important.

CREDIT ABIGAIL WILSON http://kmuw.org/post/hesston-sounds-resilience

It’s so comforting to live in an area that cares so deeply and is so resilient even in the face of devastation.  Hesston’s people are strong and their faith and hope is remarkable.  The surrounding communities and people across the nation have shown what it really means to be a neighbor and that is part of what makes Hesston strong.

Hesston and it’s people have endured a great deal.  They have served each other with loving hearts and helping hands and will continue to do so — all the while staying #HesstonStrong.

When something tragic happens to a person, it’s always good for them to have a supportive circle of family and friends around to comfort and help in such times of need. I’ve always had family and friends who have been there for me when disaster strikes, but it wasn’t until I came to Bethel that I fully experienced how loving and supportive a community could be.

A couple of weeks ago, my grandmother passed away. It was hard on my family and me. My grandparents and a good portion of my family live in Oklahoma, so I traveled back and forth to Oklahoma a few times during those two weeks. I mainly told my close friends about what was going on with my grandmother’s passing, but it wasn’t long before I was being consoled by students and faculty around campus that I didn’t even know that well.

So on behalf of myself and my family — thank you, Bethel community, for your continued support in times of great joy as well as great loss.

I am truly blessed to be surrounded by a people that cares so deeply for the needs of others. Bethel College has again proven to be exactly where I need to be.

Kiley

Hi everyone! My name is Cassandra Josselyn. Most people know me as Cassie here on campus.

I am a freshman from Plymouth, Nebraska.

I intend to major in social work and hopefully get into law school after graduation. That’s my plan for now anyways — who knows, in the next four years, I may change and have a brand new plan altogether!

I’ve never really had a blog so I apologize if this blog sucks, but I will try my best to write about some fun things!

I guess since this is an introductory blog post, I should start by telling you all a few things about me. I am 18 years old with high interest in volunteer programs that involve helping people and animals. Right now, I am serving my Service Learning Scholarship at Heart To Heart, a child advocacy center in Newton, and I would also love to help out at the homeless shelter and/or animal shelter.

I also love to write. I write for The Collegian, and am a copy writer for this year’s Thresher yearbook. My campus job also involves writing — as the News Service assistant, I write publications for certain upcoming events at Bethel.

If you’ve seen me around campus, you might notice that I am a bit shy and not very outgoing. This comes from me having a bit of social anxiety around new people.

My favorite color is blue, which happens to be the same color as my hair! A lot of people ask me why I decided to dye it this color, and the answer is simple! I just wanted to try something new 🙂

My favorite movie is A Walk To Remember and my favorite author is, of course, Nicholas Sparks. My favorite two books though, would have to be Dreamland and Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. And yes, I like to read for fun, when I have time.

I love listening to all kinds of music, from alternative punk rock, to classic country music, but my favorite band by far would have to be Pierce The Veil. I saw them at Warped Tour this last summer, and they were amazing!

My favorite television show is American Horror Story, for those of you who haven’t seen it, it is the most intense show I have ever watched and yes, okay, it might all be more of a fantasy-type program, but you will get addicted if you give it a chance!

The only thing I am allergic to are arrogant people and know-it-alls. I can’t stand people who think they are better then everyone else.

Now that you know a bit more about me, come say hi anytime when you see me around 🙂

Hey, anyone and everyone who reads Bethel blogs!

My name is Eric Preheim and I am a junior here at Bethel. I was born in Kansas City, Kansas, grew up in Augusta, Georgia, and currently reside in Nashville, Tennessee. I came to Bethel as a 4th-generation legacy student. I have been fortunate enough to play soccer with Bethel in my three years here so far. I am a double major in business and psychology but I definitely have a love for history and geography as well. In my free time, I enjoy playing disc golf and the most important aspect of college, building friendships. I am involved in a variety of aspects of Bethel including: intramurals, admissions and the weight room on campus. I enjoy learning from fellow students and professors while hopefully influencing them in a positive manner as well.

I look forward to continued blogs,

Eric

Okay folks, spring is upon us and everyone knows what that means… Sun’s Out Guns Out.

Everywhere you look on campus there is spring clothing. You’ve got those who rock the khakis, bro tanks, and Raybans. Then you’ve got the spring dresses and skirts. Of course, there are those cute strappy sandals. And you will ALWAYS see people without shoes.

This is the best part of Bethel! Bethel always gets lively when the sun comes out. You will see people do many of the following things…

Ultimate Frisbee on the Green

Studying outdoors

Disc Golf

Sand Volleyball and basketball

The list goes on and on. So when you see these people outside go join them! I am 100% positive they will not mind at all. Get out there and have some fun in the sun!

Brooke

Hello Bethelites!

I just wanted to write a post introducing myself.  I am one of Bethel’s newest bloggers.

My name is Kiley Varney.  I am a freshman here at Bethel.  I run cross country and track, and I am a freshman representative on our Student Government Association.  My major is biology, and I’m also minoring in chemistry and art.  My hope is to be accepted to medical school after graduation from Bethel.  Besides classes, sports, and extracurricular activities, my jobs keep me pretty busy.  I currently work at the Citizen’s State Bank in Hesston, where I’ve been a customer service representative for almost a year and a half.  I also work as a chemistry department assistant and I’m an office assistant for our Department of Counseling, Career Services and Experiential Learning.

I am originally from Hutchinson, Kansas, but I moved to Hesston, Kansas, when I was 9 years old and graduated high school there.

In my free time, I love to bake and cook, as well as spend time with my 3 dogs.  I also love meeting new people and making friends!

Hello all. Here is my first blog for Bethel. I am not sure how this is going to go, so here is the warning now. Let’s start with the logistics.

Name: Brooke Powers

Classification: Senior

Major: Dual in Athletic Training and Natural Sciences (emphasis in Biology)

Minor: Chemistry

Hometown: Too many places, I grew up military, but for the time being, let’s say Wamego, Kansas.

Athletics: Not anymore. I played softball for two years here at Bethel.

Music: Heck no, I am awful.

Now that the boring stuff is out the way, I will tell you the fun stuff. I grew up military, as I said before, which was the best thing ever. I mean I lived in Germany! I got to go to Disneyland Paris, hit the Alps, see too many castles to count, and so much more. I talk far too much (ask anyone who knows me). I am a serious book fanatic. I am the weirdo who loves the smell of libraries. I also am a sports fanatic (hint: this is why I like Athletic Training so much). My favorite teams are K-State, Notre Dame, the Green Bay Packers, and the KC Royals. I also follow NASCAR and am a fan of Dale Jr. (Yes, all they do is take another left turn, yet I still love it.) I got to go on an interterm trip this past January to Costa Rica. That was so much fun! I had the best group of people and the best professor. I will blog about that trip in a different post. This post is strictly for introductions. Let’s see — my favorite color is purple, my favorite meal is spaghetti, and my favorite saying is “God Bless America.”

Hope this has helped you get to know me a bit more and I hope this makes you want to read more. Although, I totally understand if you don’t. I mean, hey, I don’t know that much and don’t have that good of stories. I am only 22.

Talk to you soon, my new loyal followers.     — Brooke

(in the back of the cart, with the long hair)