Kindergartners

September 16, 2012 by in Academics | Comments Off

We are now four weeks into school and it feels like it has been much longer! Classes are keeping me very busy, but I am enjoying them so much. One of my favorites right now is a class called Teaching the Expressive Arts. It involves learning about how to use art, music, drama, and PE in the classroom to enhance student learning. It is a class that meets from 1-4 p.m. once a week and we get to spend from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. working with elementary school students. They are always so excited when our class goes to their school. My most memorable day so far is probably the first day of class when the kindergardeners gave us tours of their school. Every week, I am spending at least four hours in a classroom somewhere in Newton and that continues to be the highlight of my year so far.

Outside of classes, everything has been going exceptionally well. The girls in our mod this year are all wonderful. I have a new roommate who is a transfer student from K-State. I am continually suprised with how well we get along. Getting to know some of my new modmates and continuing relationships with my modmates from last year has been a lot of fun and having that support system has been awesome. The 9 of us are all pretty busy. The majors among us are a wide range. Just to name a few we have math, nursing, psychology, social work, communication arts and education. We don’t get to see each other too much, but when we do, it is a blast.

Better late than never….right?

September 14, 2012 by in Academics | Comments Off

So…. Better late than never is the saying…right? As far as things go I am not technically late, but just later than the others. Let me start out by introducing myself.I am Erin Bradley, a junior from Newton, majoring in Communication Arts. Currently I participate in track and newspaper. I am editor-in-chief of the newspaper, The Collegian, along with Justin Baldia. I throw for the track team, I enjoy it and have been participating since my freshman year of high school and wanted to continue so I came to Bethel. I am also a resident assistant in Haury Resident Hall. I am a minority mentor for the Multicultural Student Union. My long term goals are to be a journalist in a magazine. I love working with design, and writing peoples stories and sharing them with people. This is also partially the reason I blog, to get experience for the future.I am super excited today because the first issue of The Collegian went out today. We are

A Land of Contradictions

September 11, 2012 by in Study Abroad | Comments Off

The last time you heard from me I was heading off to a new adventure in the city of Barcelona, Spain. Having now been in the area for more than a week, I am finally ready to share some of my impressions of one of Europe’s oldest cities.

Barcelona is a land of contradictions. Century old buildings share the same aura with modern architecture, while a conservative older generation is housing young tourists from all over the world. The city is a breath-taking, open museum and beauty is so often times found on the physicality of the city that Barcelonans forget to smile to each other on the streets. The subway’s signage is written in Catalan, yet most Barcelonans have forgotten how to speak it; and the great number of tourists who have made their home in Barcelona has forever changed the way locals go about their city.

An Alternate, albeit Similar, Reality

September 10, 2012 by in Academics | Comments Off

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent a couple of weeks at Bethel visiting with my friends who are remaining on campus this semester (which was all but 3 of them). However, I am now back home in the great city of San Antonio, Texas.

My adventure in Greece starts on Sunday (Sept. 16)and I find myself feeling similarly to the days leading up to the start of school in years past. I have a few definite details, like where I will be traveling and staying, but for the most part, the next semester is just a big pile of unknowns. As scary as this experience seems to me when I think about it, it’s really not too horribly different from when I started Bethel. I don’t really know anyone; I don’t really know the location; I don’t really know what’s coming. Remembering that very little of the circumstances surrounding my Greek adventure are different from my Bethel adventure that I set out on two years ago is comforting.

An Introduction

September 6, 2012 by in Academics | Comments Off

Hello good folks of the blogosphere.

I am Ben Kreider, a hometown boy from North Newton, Kansas, a sophomore and an excited blogger. I am majoring in Social Work and Bible & Religion – both areas that stimulate me intellectually and vocationally. I find myself captivated by many things here at Bethel College. I am a soccer player – from the center defender position I survey the field, careen into opposing players, and find great joy. I am a singer; In the Concert Choir, I focus my bass voice onto particular notes and rhythms and in conjunction with fifty or so other folks find transcendent harmonies. I am a member or at least onlooker in many groups, in clubs with fellow social work students or people wanting to make social change, in the chapel worshiping with the wider college community, at the lunch table feasting on food and conversation.

I am intrigued by the possibility of telling the stories of my experiences at Bethel, of letting you all into the little beautiful crannies of life, of sharing the ordinary and extraordinary with you.

Bethel College: Construction Zone

September 4, 2012 by in Campus Life | Comments Off

This year, when students returned to Bethel College for the fall semester something was different. The east part of our campus was a construction zone! Tall orange fences block off a large section in the middle of the three residence halls. While it is tempting to grab some hard hats and help out, it’s probably best to let the construction crew do their work. The crews are still working and hopefully, they will be through by Fall Festival (October 12-14). Here’s a list of some of the work that’s been done thus far (I’m sure that I’m forgetting some):

-Academic Center- The new Academic Center was completed this summer. Previously it was known as the Old Science Center. Crews added on a new part to the building and renovated the old part. The building looks wonderful and has a cool atmosphere with a large 3-story atrium that lets in some lovely natural light. It is now home to many faculty offices, has many large classrooms, conference rooms, two computer labs, nursing simulation rooms, and even a student lounge area.

Good times at Bethel

August 31, 2012 by in Campus Life | Comments Off

Hello! I’m Jenae Janzen, a senior from Newton, Kansas majoring in Literary Studies and Bible and Religion. This is the very first blog that I’ve ever written, and I have to admit that the whole idea of blogging has been stressing me out all week. I’m not really sure why; as a lit. major, I’m more than used to writing (last spring I had forty-five pages worth of essays due in the last two weeks of school). Yet, for some reason, the idea of writing something that’s not an essay or a fictional story makes me tongue-tied. However, I’ll try my hardest to say something interesting and pertinent here.

I guess I’ll start by saying a bit about myself.

I grew up in Newton and have lived in the same house my whole life. It’s a nice town, I guess.

I work at Mojo’s Coffee Bar, here on campus, and it’s really a wonderful place to work. For one thing, I love coffee, and the coffee at Mojo’s is fantastic. The other reason I love Mojo’s so much is the people. At work, I’ve met so many people from Bethel and the greater Newton community, and I definitely enjoy spending time with all of my coworkers and my boss, Patty Meier.

Some of my hobbies include reading, walking, tennis, yoga, writing abstract poetry during class, drinking coffee (or tea) and searching for the meaning of life. I have not yet found the meaning of life, but someday I will. But when that day comes, I won’t tell anyone so that everyone can have their own fun figuring it out.

Bethel is a pretty cool place. Today was fancy Friday–a student-generated effort to bring classiness to classes–and everyone looked fantastic. I’m really looking forward to this year of school, even though it’s my last year here.

So have a great year, everyone!

Peace and love,

Jenae

A Weird Beginning

August 30, 2012 by in Campus Life | Comments Off

Dear Blogosphere,

My name is Becca Epp. It’s my junior year here at Bethel and my first year blogging. I had a blog once before, but I did a poor job of taking care of it and it died. I very much hope that the same fate will not come of this one. Anyway, I’m a Literary Studies major and a History minor. Reading and writing are two of my favorite hobbies (which is good considering my major) along with movie watching, rain walking and strange conversations at the dinner table which happen daily – one of the many perks of coming to Bethel. If you’re into that kind of thing.

We’re almost through our second week of classes for fall semester. Summer days are slowly fading away, although the heat is not necessarily going with them, and I can’t stop feeling a sense of weirdness. Something about this year is just weird. There have been a lot of changes made to Bethel this summer. Remodeled cafeteria where there are so many options you always end up seeing something better after you already got food, a revamped Academic Center which looks peculiarly like a hospital (especially when the nursing students are out and about in their adorable uniforms) and all the new landscaping changes (where did the bushes outside the caf go?!). I’ve felt like a freshman so many times this week. Seriously, I’m supposed to be able to find all my classes after two years here. Or maybe the weirdness stems from my new mod (full of gorgeous ladies pictured above). I mean they are pretty odd, but I don’t think it’s them. Still. Weirdness.

BC: Year 3

August 30, 2012 by in Campus Life | Comments Off

Hello everyone, I am Samantha Wilkerson, a junior from Hartford, Kansas (If you’ve heard of it, I’m impressed). I am also a Communications major and Marketing minor, but if you ask what I want to do with these I could give you an endless list. The truth is, I am not sure what direction I am going to take, but I do know that coming to Bethel has been a wonderful experience! This year already looks promising and I look forward to the new adventures I will embark on.

As a first year blogger, I am more than happy to share aspects of the Bethel experience with you all. One of the greatest parts about attending BC is how involved you can be. Take me for example, I am on the women’s basketball team, sports editor for the Collegian (our student-run newspaper), and a member of FCA. While those are just a few of the opportunities available here, it is enough to keep me busy. Who knows though, maybe I’ll join one of the many other clubs on campus!

It’s great to be back on campus, studying, and making new friends! I am also happy to be living with my awesome modmates and especially my roommate, Haley. Year 3 at BC is sure to be a good one!

And So It Begins..

August 29, 2012 by in Academics | Comments Off

Hi, my name is Madelyn Weaver, and this will be my first year blogging. I am a sophomore here at Bethel majoring in Social Work and minoring in Management, as well as playing tennis for the women’s tennis team. I am from Hesston, Kan. seven miles down the road which I love because it’s close enough that I can go home often to see family and do my laundry but far enough away that I feel like I am living in a completely different area.

So classes have been going for about one and a half weeks and this school year is a year full of changes for us. Of course new freshman and transfers, and many new faculty, but many new building changes as well. The newly completely renovated Schulz Student Center is now up and running and it’s amazing. It has lots of classrooms and offices but also includes computer labs and places where you can sit and socialize or study as well as a kitchen.

There's more to life at Bethel than classes & seminars

Concert Choir Tour 2015

Bethel in bloom

Spring Fling 2015

The end of another school year