Vol. 134 No.1 Sept. 30, ’20
SGA Blurb Page 2
Professor Spotlight Page 5
Ethernet Page 7
Quarantine Crafts Page 10
Sports Update Page 11
Messenger 2
About Messenger / News & Features
ABOUT US The Messenger has been serving Bethany College since 1892 and is an independently run newspaper. The Messenger is entirely produced by Bethany College students who are deeply committed to providing relevant, accurate, and timely information to the Bethany College and Lindsborg communities.
EDITORIAL POLICY The Messenger encourages letters to the editor. Authors should include name, address, and phone number, though names may be withheld from the publication. Letters to the editor can be dropped off at Room 12 in the lower level of Presser Hall or by the mailroom in the Pihlblad Memorial Union. Alternatively, emails can be sent to messenger@bethanylb.edu. The Messenger reserves the right to reject or edit letters. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the signed author. They are not necessarily those of the Bethany College administration, faculty, staff, student body or The Messenger staff.
CONTACT US If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at messenger@bethanylb.edu. To directly contact the head editors, email workms@bethanylb.edu or ballantyneel@bethanylb.edu. We can be reached via mail at 335 E Swensson St, Lindsborg, KS 67456.
THE MESSENGER STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Miranda Work Managing Editor: Emily Ballantyne Treasurer: Ashley Nightingale News & Features Sydney Walker Opinions Editor: Allison Young Arts & Entertainment Editor: Abigail Rishel-Barnett Sports Editor: Serenity Storey Layout Editor/ Social Media Manager: Gabriella Hernandez Advisors: Rebecca Miller and Frank Ballew Front Page Photo Credit - Emerald McGlashan
Hello everyone!
Sept. 30, 2020
SGA Blurb
I hope you all have had a great start to this strange semester! It is hard to believe it is nearing halfway over already. Remember to take advantage of your resources on campus in preparation for upcoming midterms such as the Student Success Center and Tutoring, which can be set up through eSwede. We have had a great start to the year with SGA and have found success through working together as a team. Unfortunately, we have not allocated money for a Dump Funds Bill this semester like we have in semesters past, but with this, we encourage writing bills for what you need to make your organization great. Look for a ‘How-To’ in your email from SGA which will include a bill writing template! You can also find resources like this on the Student Development tab on eSwede in the Clubs/Organizations section. We have already passed a few bills this semester, one of which allocated funds for Homecoming events. To kick off the events, we are having a Hot Dog Social on September 30th at 8pm, followed by the kickoff of Lift High the Cross, which I highly encourage you all to come out and support! Please also remember to vote for Homecoming King and Queen starting Wednesday the 30th, going through 5pm on Thursday the 1st. The King and Queen will be crowned on Friday night following the Virtual Talent show on the SAB Facebook Page, so please tune in! Future events that we are planning are an Open Forum, and another educational event pertaining to cooking basics, so look forward to those! If you have any ideas or if there are events or activities you would like to see put on, I encourage you to bring them up at our SGA E-Board meetings at noon on Mondays in the Levin room. Can’t make it to a meeting? No problem! Just email us at sga@bethanylb.edu! Keep going on a great semester and stay healthy! Your President, Michael Nece
Messenger 3
After an abrupt ending to last year, the SAB team welcomes everyone back to campus for the Fall 2020 semester! We have a great semester of events lined up for you all that will be fun and safe for everyone to attend. Remember to always wear your masks at events and follow social distancing rules. We kicked off the semester in August with the Swede Social followed by our first-of-many Trivia Tuesday’s, and then a Snack Cup giveaway. The Trivia Tuesday was Disney themed and all three rounds went great! At our Snack Cup giveaway we gave out awesome free SAB cups to students that have a handy snack compartment on the top. In September we held First Friday Fun on the Lawn where students played cornhole, ladder ball, giant connect four, and colored on the coloring wall. We love a good social event! The following week we had DIY Leather Bracelets. 169 students came and made awesome looking bracelets to take away! Sign-ups for this year’s Talent Show are the next week, followed by the try-outs and the dress rehearsal. We can’t wait to see all the talented students perform on October 2nd in the live
News & Features
Sept. 30, 2020
SAB Blurb
streamed show! We have such a talented bunch of students here at Bethany! Our final event for the month was our second Trivia Tuesday. This one was Friends themed! Keep an eye out for next month’s Trivia Tuesday to have your shot at winning a $50 gift card!
What a great start to the school year! We have more fun events planned for you all in the coming months including Pumpkin Schmumpkin and, everyone’s favorite, Stuff-A-Bear! Keep an eye out for the posters around campus or ask one of our trusty SAB members for all the details! Remember, if you see us wearing our grey SAB shirts, that means there’s an event that day, so ask us all about it! If you don’t already, make sure you follow us on our social media so that you stay updated on all the cool events we are putting on! Instagram: @bethanycollegesab_ Facebook: @Bethany College SAB Twitter: @Bethany College SAB Emerald McGlashan Student Activities Board Photo Credit: Emerald McGlashan
Kristyl Washington
washingtonkd@bethanylb.edu
Sept. 30, 2020
News & Features
Messenger 4
Presidential Race 2020
The 2020 elections are coming up quick this year and are being affected by the current pandemic. This year the Democratic party has nominated Joe Biden and he has chosen Kamala Harris as his running mate. The Republican Party has chosen to renominate Donald Trump. The elections this year have taken a complete turn due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes it has made includes how the campaign is conducted, how the people vote, and what the people value. Many professionals say the way to get voter turnout is to speak to the voters face to face. This is usually when parties go door to door to talk to voters, but this year it is a risk to do so. Covid has also caused many conventions to be cancelled, allowed for more campaigning and funding to be directed online, and caused many states to have to change how people get and turn in their ballots. Many of the issues coming out of the pandemic are causing people to rethink their values. This is causing them to change their ideals of characteristics they want in a leader. For instance, at the beginning of
the year 46% of Americans approve of Trump being the president. Now only 40% of Americans approve of him, while 55% disapprove of him. As of September 21st, the National Poll has 51% of votes towards Biden, 43% of votes towards Trump, and 6% of votes towards others. This means that Biden is up by 8.5%. While this may be true for the Nation as a whole Kansas has different numbers. As of August 12th, Kansas’s Poll has 41% of votes towards Biden, 48% of votes towards Trump, and 11% of votes towards others. This means that Trump is up by 7% in Kansas. If the Elections were held today professionals predict the electoral college votes to be 270 for Biden and 131 for Trump. This prediction also includes the fact that 67 of the votes on the democratic side are leaning and 54 of the republican votes are leaning as well. It also includes that 137 votes are a toss-up. The prediction entails that if the election was held today, Biden would win the presidency. But these are predictions, meaning they can change at any moment or once the election is held in may take a turn. Every vote matters.
When talking to many people about elections, they simply do not vote because they believe their vote does not matter. While it is true that the electoral college gets the say in who becomes the president, our votes still matter. When the people register to vote, or when they do vote this shows the electors who the people want. For instance, if the polls in Kansas shows the majority of people want a certain candidate to win then it is more likely that the electors will vote for that candidate. There are many ways you can register to vote. You can either do it in person or you can even register online by going to https://www. kdor.ks.gov/Apps/VoterReg/ Default.aspx. You can also use the website to print off an
Photo By: BBC
application and send it to your local election office. The last day to register is October 14th, and if you decide to do it by mail the envelope must be postmarked by the date. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is October 27th. In person voting has started September 18th for some states. For Kansas in person voting will start October 14th and end on November 2nd. The Election day this year is November 3rd. Remember that your vote matters! Make sure to register to vote before the deadline. And, if you do go to vote in person, do not forget your mask!
Messenger 5
News & Features
Sept. 30, 2020
Professor Spotlight: Michelle Barreiro
Miranda Work
workms@bethanylb.edu
The Messenger is dedicated to the academic community of Bethany College; our goal is to inform and assist students in regards to current events, campus activities, and new opportunities. In order to extend ourselves and better help students with their classes, we have created and will continue this column dedicated to getting advice and information from various professors in regard to classes, life, etc. This month, our featured professor is Professor Michelle Barreiro.
Photo Credit: Michelle Barreiro
Tell us a little about yourself, your family, your background.
I was born and raised in Conway Springs, Kansas. I ended up going to school at K-State University for my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education. Once I graduated, I taught fifth grade for six years in Clearwater, Kansas. Afterward, I moved on to teach eighth-grade language arts and journalism in Clearwater. I got married to my husband, Enrique, in 2015. We have been married for five years, we love to travel, and we LOVE our two dogs, Bully and Blade. They are the center of our world!! We moved to McPherson where I got a job at Central Christian College as the Director for Development. I realized that teaching was what I really loved to do, and I decided to get back into teaching by taking a job in Hutchinson teaching seventhgrade language arts. Still, during this time, I was also working as an adjunct instructor for Central Christian College. I taught classes for their accelerated adult degree program at night. This was the first time I had actually taught college courses and I loved it! I loved it so much that I began looking for jobs in higher education and I came across an opening for a job in the Education Department at Bethany College! Lo and behold, I got a callback to spend a whole day on campus, teaching a 50-minute
lesson to a panel of students. I had a great time teaching classroom management and I got the job! I started teaching here in the fall of 2017 as the Elementary Education Coordinator and the Assistant Professor of Education. I love it!
What subject/classes do you teach? I teach Introduction to Teaching, Classroom Management, and all the Elementary Methods courses! I also teach ED200 and I supervise student teachers as well! However, this year, I am super excited, because I am teaching a new class called Health Movement & Wellness in the Elementary Classroom. I got to develop this course from scratch! Do you have a favorite class? If so, what is it and why? I love teaching classroom management because it is the number one factor in how successful you will be as a teacher. It is really important to set our preservice teachers up for success. In my own teaching career, it was something I thrived in and it ended up being one of my strongest factors as a teacher. Where did you get your undergraduate degree? What was undergrad like for you? I received my undergraduate degree from K-State University and then I went to graduate school at Friends University! K-State was
vastly different than what I see at Bethany. It is a very large school and overall the experience was very impersonal to me. I didn’t ever really feel like I got to know my instructors, or the other students in the department that well. When I look back, if I had gone to a smaller institution, I would have gotten more out of my undergraduate degree. What advice would you give Bethany students for how to succeed in your classes? The most important thing a student can do is be in attendance. BE THERE. Participate in classroom discussions. Be organized! They should put all the due dates in a calendar of some sorts so they know what is going on! They need to be active in their education! What general advice do you have for the impressionable young adults of tomorrow?
It is important to unplug from time to time. It is very important to create relationships with people face to face! A lot of social skills have been lost over the years and screen time has had such a negative impact on people. Also, people need to be thinking about their future-you will be starting your career before you know it! Start planning for it now and get the most out of your education! Think toward the future! Travel when you get the chance, anytime you get the chance!
Opinions
Messenger 6
Frickin’ Bats
Sydney Walker
walkersm@bethanylb.edu
I never really expected bats to be a part of the college experience but they have definitely become a part of mine. As I’m sure many of you have heard tales of bats flying about in Greg I can confirm that they do live in the residence hall with us. I had always dismissed these tales as just rumors but that changed when I moved into Greg this year. It started with my roommate hearing them in the ceiling and walls that surrounded us. A few days later the bat would make its appearance and wake up my roommate and I at 5:30 in the morning. The bat entered our room through a ceiling tile that was slightly raised. None too happy about our new and unexpected roommate, We began to contact not only our RAs but also Anna Waugh. Anna has assured us that Bethany is working to have the bats removed, but because they are a protected species it complicates things a bit. We have been told that our new roommate (we have named the bat Lazlo) should be gone within a few weeks. Animal control has visited a few times to try and relocate the bats, but they are still here, hiding just out of sight. Every time we think that the bat has finally left it likes to make an appearance as if to contradict us. My roommate and I have differing opinions of Lazlo. She is terrified of him and feels unsafe knowing that he is flying about.On the other hand I view him more as a minor nuisance and a source of comedic relief. While it isn’t ideal having a bat
living with us it does have a few benefits. It gives us fun stories to tell and it keeps the bug population down. The bat has become a frequent conversation piece as of late and a few of my professors have taken to asking me about the bat whenever they see me. However, the fear of other diseases (mainly rabies) is very real and I would feel better about living in Greg if I knew that Lazlo and friends were gone. My roommate and I have been documenting anytime that we hear or see the bat. If we hear the bat we tend to grab our phones and start to record the sounds. She tends to hear it in the ceiling above my desk, whereas I have heard it most frequently in the hall above the ceiling. If you hear or see a bat in Greg please report it to the RAs so that they can document where it is staying. Also, do not attempt to capture the bat on your own. Doing so can be dangerous as you run the risk of being bitten. If you are having encounters with bats as well I recommend contacting maintenance if you have any ceiling tiles that are raised so that they can fix them and possibly prevent a bat from entering into your room.
Sept. 30, 2020
A Letter to COVID
Dear COVID-19,
movie that doesn’t have an ending, and if it does, it better be one heck First, I would like to start off of a happy ever after. Oh, and by saying un-thank you for all the the way, hand sanitizer, clorox hardships you have caused for us. wipes, and other cleaning supplies Many people are out of jobs, can’t have become our best friends thanks go back to college and yes, you are to you (except toilet paper, we said making us wear these stupid masks. “sayonara” for a few weeks). All Many of us had to move back with of us on campus can not even get our parents in March. Are you to know each other because no kidding me?!? I guess you really one knows who is under a mask; wanted us to go utterly insane. it’s kind of sketchy. Furthermore, Quarantine sucked for everyone! our cafeteria is closed for seating Feel better about yourself and school functions are done with Covid. Your virus has wiped masks on and 6 feet apart. This is across the U.S., splitting up family not a way to live here at Bethany members and making us feel and it is all because of you, COVID. powerless. Did I mention that As a community we would like WE HAVE TO WEAR MASKS you to stop antagonizing the people EVERYWHERE? COVID, the of our town and making us “shelter people of America would like you in place” for 14 days if our test to stop this madness. Especially comes back positive. Un-thank you trying to stop us from living our for the fear factor you have caused lives the way it was supposed to for many of our elderly, hospitals, be. 2020 has already turned out and families. COVID-19, I wish to be horrible-we lost Chadwick there was a way to wipe you out Boseman, John Lewis, Naya so we all could have a better year Rivera, and many more. RIP. and hopefully by 2021 you will be COVID-19, you are a nuisance. gone. PEACE OUT COVID! NOT You have made our lives worse CATCHING YOU TODAY! beyond comparison: shutting down most of our states. You make us Sincerely, fear if someone coughs or even Allison Young tries to hug one another, we might catch you and die. We fear walking through stores, following tape; making it hard to even shop at stores that are not online. You are always in the back of our minds, making us stay 6 feet apart and making us believe we are in a
Messenger 7
Opinions
Sept. 30, 2020
COVID Testing Among Students
Kristyl Washington
washingtonkd@bethanylb.edu
I am sure by now a majority of the population is tired of the COVID-19 pandemic. We do not want to wear masks, we do not want a huge q-tip up our nose, and we do not want to social distance. The truth is many of these precautions are saving lives. There has been a lot of talk about how masks are really not protecting us against the COVID-19 virus. While it is true that masks do not keep us 100% safe, they do help a lot. The masks allow for less of the virus to be contracted into the air. Also, it is best to social distance while wearing your mask to even further prevent the virus from being contracted. The United States did not suspect the virus to happen, causing shortages in tests. Many people are still not being tested even in the showing one or two of the symptoms. It is unrealistic to have every student on campus taking a test. Even if the college was able to get their hands on that many tests, the virus is spreading every second. Some one may take the test and come out negative and then contract the virus the very next day. We definitely can not test everyone everyday. It is pointless to test everyone at the college. It would be smart to check temperatures, which is one of the main symptoms. Even if
the temperatures were checked everyday, the student may not have the virus even though they have a temperature. I believe that the students should have their temperatures checked but only be sent to get a test done if they have another symptom such as chest pain, cough, or a sore throat. Yes, the pandemic is inconvenient but if we do not take it seriously the people can get really sick or everyone will have to quarantine. As much as we all hate the precautions we must take, it is
important for our safety. It would be really difficult to take the temperature of each student every day. The student athletes should be the main focus when it comes to taking the students’ temperatures. During practices and games, the students cannot wear masks while they are playing the sport or exercising. This means that the virus can be contracted way more easily. Therefore, the coaches should take everyone’s temperatures before practice to make sure
everyone is safe. Everyone has their opinions on the coronavirus outbreak. Some think it’s fake, some people will not wear a mask (or throw a fit when they have to), some people take extra precautions, and some people just follow the bare minimum regulations. At the end of the day people are dying from this virus, and we should at least do our best to ensure the safety of everyone.
Photos Credit: Emerald McGlashan
Messenger 8
Kristyl Washington
washingtonkd@bethanylb.edu
Opinions
Ethernet: Our Savior
As college students we, for the most part, procrastinate. We do homework 30 minutes before it is due. We like to turn things in right before the deadline. These things are quite impossible with the horrendous wifi problems we have to go through. I remember, not so long ago, it took me 30 minutes just to load my emails so I could check them. I also remember I actually started an assignment four hours before it was due and I got only halfway done before it turned itself in. I am not the only one going through this issue. Many other students are as well. The other day my friend came to my dorm. I thought my wifi was horrible but she said, “Dang, your wifi works really good compared to the wifi at my dorm,”. I then started to feel bad for her because if my wifi was this bad, I can only imagine what she has to go through. If you talk to anyone on campus they will, most of the time, tell you how they’ve struggled with the wifi. Many people say to go to the library because the wifi is a lot better there. So one day after my classes, I went to the library. THE WIFI WAS STILL SLOW! I mean, maybe I went in at a bad time, but I am pretty sure the wifi was just as bad as it was in my dorm. I do not know about how others feel, but I know that I do not want to be spending four hours on an assignment that should be taking me an hour. Many professors, as well as students, also suggest to hard wire in. This is said to fix the problem, but I have not tried it. Many of the students I have talked to have not tried to hard wire in and still complain about the wifi. One of my roommates explained to me that the wifi is alot faster if you use an ethernet cable to hardwire in. So if you’re at your dorm I would suggest getting an ethernet cable to improve your wifi. If you do not have an ethernet cable, most RA’s in every dorm should have some so you can ask one of them for one. But if you are not somewhere where an ethernet cable is easy to access then you are out of luck. For instance, many classrooms do not have an ethernet connection. Wifi is really bad in classrooms because of all the people trying to use the same internet source at the same time. This causes delays in being able to do your work or access something you need for the class. I think the school should fix this issue. Many classes need the internet to complete a task in class, but they end up not being able to do it. This then causes the teacher to assign the task after class where you either still have trouble with the internet or you forget how to do the task.
Sept. 30, 2020
The school should try to do more to fix the wifi problem on campus; afterall, with classes being hybrid, students need to access the internet more than ever. Until then, though, students will have to make do with what they have, because at this moment, there is no other choice. The school should try to fix the wifi speed for the classrooms. However, when it comes to the dorms, or other buildings, students can hardwire into the wifi. All you have to do is ask an RA for an ethernet cable and plug it into a connection. Every dorm should have a connection in the rooms. So if you have an assignment due at 11:59 p.m. and you decided to do it at 11:00 p.m. you should not have a problem as long as you are using an ethernet cable...maybe...if you pray.
Photos Downloaded from Bethany College
Arts & Entertainment
Messenger 9
Sept 30, 2020.
Singing Through a Pandemic
Abigail Rishel-Barnett
rishelbarnettak@bethanylb.edu
The Coronavirus has affected each person in different ways, but students, artists and teachers in the music profession have had to rethink how they function and do their jobs. Within the walls of Presser Hall, there are students and faculty alike who depend upon singing and blowing air through instruments to go about their daily business. While the world is taking the precautions of mask wearing and sanitizing, the music department at Bethany and schools across the globe are taking additional precautions beyond what one would immagine. Current studies state that aerosols and droplets can travel through the air up to six feet, but while singing that distance is more than double, 13 feet. According to Dr. Lucas, director of choirs at Bethany, the college choirs are socially distant during rehearsals and rehearsing in smaller groups than usual, but the most important part of the choir’s new “norm” are their special singing masks. Bethany College provided all students in the choir with a “Singers’ Mask.” This mask was created with an internal structure that allows the mask to stay “away” from the mouth while singing, yet fit snuggly all the way around the face in order to drastically limit the aerosols put into the air. Dr. Lucas also pointed out that the masks have three layers of protection,
an antimicrobial lining, an antibacterial layer, and a replaceable biofilter. These masks provide more protection from the aerosols put into the air by singing and speaking while also allowing the singers to breathe deeply without inhaling the masks themselves. The other ensemble largely affected by the pandemic is the Symphonic Band. Dr. Dodson, the newest addition to Bethany’s Music Faculty, stated that both Band and Orchestra are practicing social distancing during rehearsals, but there are a few extra precautions. When band members are not playing, masks remain on and are only lowered while the instrument
Photo Credit: Emerald McGlashan
is played. Also due to the increase in aerosols, rehearsals are in session 30 minutes at a time with 15 minutes between sessions to allow the HVAC system to cycle the air out. If it wasn’t for the HVAC system and the extra ventilation fans in Presser, music at Bethany would be even more limited than it is now. The music department at Bethany is very fortunate to have facilities available to social distance and rehearse indoors. Many universities and college music departments are either not meeting at all, or they are rehearsing
outdoors. With the increased risk for COVID-19 within music, the administration could have cancelled music altogether for the year, but Bethany’s administration has helped save the music department and prepare them with the safest options available.
Messenger 10
Arts & entertainment
Quarantine DIYs
Madison Price
pricemp@bethanylb.edu
If you ventured out to Walmart in late March, you likely found many shelves empty. We all know about the rush on toilet paper and nonperishable food, but the shelves previously containing things like paint, yarn, and clay were also completely bare. Art supplies were flying off the shelves as those going into quarantine anticipated the need to fill their time at home. In this time, people were quick to figure out that one of the only good things about being stuck at home was the fast and chaotic pace of normal life coming to a screeching halt. What was left was more unstructured free time than anybody knew what to do with. The days of every moment being planned out and filled with prior engagements. Many people wanted to use this newfound time to be creative, whether that meant picking up an old hobby or learning a new one. During quarantine, it felt like there was a new art or DIY trend every day. One week, people were painting and embroidering canvases, the next week, they were making cloud-shaped lights to hang from the
Photo Credit: Business Insider
ceiling. A huge wave of people started making stickers on photoshop that could be anything from drawings of flowers to quotes from The Office written in calligraphy. Whether it was painting mirrors or crocheting giant plush bees, there was always a new creative endeavor spreading across social media. TikTok was a huge catalyst for the new arts and crafts craze. When quarantine started, millions of new users flocked to the app. TikTok has become a platform that people can use to showcase their creations and teach others to unleash their creativity. Every type of art from painting to pottery has a place on the app. Many TikTok artists started creating step by step breakdowns of how they created their art and encouraged their audience to make their own versions. There has been a flurry of new interest in arts and crafts lately because, typically, it is hard to fit creative pursuits into regular life. When we were kids, we were taught to be creative which was reinforced by weekly art classes in school. Anything that a child makes is deemed worthy of praise and an esteemed place on the refrigerator. As we grow up, less and less importance is put on our artistic pursuits and there is much less time to be creative. However, the need for creative outlets is still present. The resurgence of interest in arts and crafts during quarantine is simply people finally having the time to explore those creative outlets.
Sept. 30, 2020
Thank God for TiKTok Kristyl Washington
washingtonkd@bethanylb.edu
Tap Tap Tap in. 2020 has been a crazy year. But through everything that is going on right now, we have TikTok. From making fun of Karens, to ranting, and now the infamous WAP dance, most people can admit that TikTok has been a much-needed distraction while going through the COVID 19 pandemic. To see how different ages interpret the app, we talked to Destiny, 10, and Gustavo, 21, who are both avid TikTok users.
“How much time do you spend on Tik Tok everyday?” Destiny: “5 hours on weekdays and 10 hours on the weekends.” Gustavo: “An hour or two a day.” “Do you think you’re addicted to the app and why?” Destiny: “Yes, because I like learning the dances and seeing how many followers I can get. It makes me happy to watch them.” Gustavo: “Yes because I like the dark humor and the sus memes.” “What kind of Tik Toks are you interested in?” Destiny: “I like seeing the story times while they’re doing their makeup. I also like the funny ones. I also really like to watch the dances” Gustavo: “I like the ones that have dark humor, anime, as well as the ones that have memes.”
“Would you want to go viral on the app? And if so what do you think you would go viral for?”
Destiny: “Yes, I think I would go viral for making slime, talking about food, or talking about school. Going viral would make me the happiest person in the world and I would follow everybody.” Gustavo: “I do not really care if I go viral or not, but if I ever did it would be for my sense of humor.”
There’s different kinds of TikToks for every person. There’s story times, dark humor, dances, and way more. From what I know younger audiences like to learn the dances, and young adults audiences like the funny videos. Also a lot of young adults are also the ones who use TikTok to rant about their days. The platform could not have come at a better time. During quarantine many people of all ages used the app to pass by the time, whether it was making videos or just watching them. But now the app is in danger of getting shut down by Donald Trump. Trump wants to ban TikTok because it is run by a company in China. The app was said to have been banned on September 20th but the date was pushed back. The government is now saying the app will be officially banned Nov 12th, if it is not bought by a US company. Still, TikTok is an amazing app that has allowed quarantine to not be as boring and has been an amazing outlet for creativity. Now just remember, if you get stuck on the app during class just “Don’t be suspicious, Don’t be suspicious.”
Messenger 11
Stacey Barron
Sports
Swede Soccer Scores a Season
barronam@bethanylb.edu
Bethany’s men’s and women’s soccer programs are some of the few fortunate programs to be up and running through their season. Due to many programs or collegiate levels postponing fall sports due to COVID-19, this was a very questionable call all the way up until the first game the Swedes played this season. The Swedes’ first victories both stem from the away games at Ottawa on the 18th. The men started off the night of soccer with a five o’clock start time. It was a solid first half performance given by the men’s team resulting in a 0 to 0 tie; however, things took a change of pace in the second half. Ottawa managed to get the first goal of the night off of a free kick, but that did not discourage our offensive attack. Bethany’s own senior forward Lisandro Nunez managed to put a goal in the back of the net during regulation time to tie the game and send them into
Photo Credit: Paige Young
Sept. 30, 2020
overtime. Within the first half of overtime the Swedes and Braves battled it out, ending in the 1 to 1 tie. However, just a few short minutes after the second overtime began, Bethany’s midfield newcomer Damian Lira-Martinez put one over the opposing keeper’s head to get the 2-1 win for the Swedes. After the men’s game, the Bethany women’s team played another competitive match against the Ottawa Braves. We began the first half like the men’s game, going strong with the attack – maintaining the majority of the possession through the game so far. The first half ended in a 0-0 tie. Again though, the Bethany offense excelled in the second half. The first goal of the night for the women Swedes came from freshman Bella Lopez, assisted from her own sister Jules Lopez. This put Bethany up 1-0; however, we did not stop. A few short minutes later, a second goal for the Swedes came
from veteran player Lo McLeod. This second goal put the Swedes up 2-0 and sealed the deal for our win. On the 16th, the women’s team had another competition – although, it was only scrimmage. The women faced off against the Lynx club based out of Wichita, Kansas. The game was very competitive through and through, constantly going back and forth. The Swedes were able to get a number on the score board though against the opposers thanks to junior Lo McLeod. Sadly, moments later with the Lynx coming back and scoring a last-minute goal – leaving the score to be 1 to 1 tie at the end of regulation. With an off weekend, 9/11 – 9/13, in conference play the men’s team decided to use the weekend to do a scrimmage of their own against Central Christian College, even getting in a JV match. Friday night, the 11th, the men’s varsity had their chance to compete. It was a fiery and quick match from start to finish, however the Swede’s varsity ended up falling to Central Christian 1 to 0. The junior varsity team, however, hit the field the next day. The game started off very competitive, although once the second half began, Central Christian seemed to get a strong second wind that the Swedes did not. The junior varsity team ended up falling 3-0. The first weekend of play, September 5th, both the
Swede’s competed again together on their season openers against Avila University. The women started off this night of competition at five o’clock. This was a tough and competitive game for the lady Swedes. The game was constantly back and forth throughout the first and second halves. After falling behind 2 to 0 to the Eagles, the Swedes managed to get back up and take the lead to 3 to 2 with goals by Jules Lopez, Lyric Green, and Dani McSeveney. Sadly, Avila managed to tie the game, sending us into double overtime. This match ending with an Avila win, 4 to 3. The men followed behind, facing a similar struggle as the women. The game constantly went back and forth. Avila scoring in regulation time, as well as Bethany’s own Lisandro Nunez leaving the score at the end of regulation to be 1 to 1. The men then proceeded to follow suit and go through double overtime as well, however, they did not suffer a loss, just the 1 to 1 tie. The men are currently 1-0-1 and the women are 1-1 in conference. They play next against Friends University on September 26th.
Messenger 12
Emily Ballantyne
ballantyneel@bethanylb.edu
Sports
New
The Bethany College Swedes are them I’m here to make sure they facing adversity in many different have the best student/athletic year forms this fall season. While the possible. I need to show them my Coronavirus prompted the first work ethic, be transparent and and third scheduled games to be explain my actions so they know postponed or cancelled, an even they can trust me,” Carter said. bigger shock to the football team After the first scheduled game took place Sept. 1. Curran White, against St. Mary’s was cancelled who was about to kick off his due to Covid-concerns, the Swedes second season as head coach for the competed against the Coyotes, a Swedes was fired, just days before nationally ranked team, at home the first scheduled game. Taking Sept. 19. The hard-fought game left his place as interim head coach, is the Swedes defeated 34-59, after a Tyrone Carter, a new, yet familiar close score earlier in the contest. face on campus. However, Carter viewed this loss as Carter previously worked at an opportunity for learning and Bethany College as an assistant growth. head coach, offensive line coach, “I’m very optimistic,” Carter run game coordinator and an assistant professor of Business Education before he left to coach at St. Mary’s. Bethany College President, Elizabeth Mauch, said she is unable to reveal any information behind their decision to fire White due to FERPA restrictions. This involuntary silence has prompted confusion and anger among the football team and some of their supporters. While rumors have been circulating not only around campus, but among Bethany alumni as well, Carter pays little Photo Credit: Emerald McGlashan mind to them, and instead sets his sights on victory. Photo Credit: Emerald McGlashan “I believe I have to show
Sept. 30, 2020
Season, Coach, Challenges
said, “Our coaching staff has put in a great deal of work and that is producing positive results. Our players have created a positive team culture and hold each other accountable. With great team culture, wins on the field will follow.” Many of the Swedes continue to feel bitter about the departure of White, mostly due to the inability of administration to provide any explanation. This has led the team to speculate that the dismissal of their previous coach was retribution for a previous incident with a teammate. In any case, the Swedes have come together to strive for
victory. “[Our] biggest goal is to win a conference championship. The biggest challenge will be the continued adversity we will face throughout the season,” Trevin Chandler, wide receiver said, “ I have confidence in us. This is the best group of guys I’ve been around since I’ve been here. I’d go to war for these guys and know they’d do the same for me.” Despite any controversy surrounding the dismissal of the previous coach, Mauch and Carter, say they feel optimistic about the rest of the season. “I have every confidence in Coach Carter and our football team – as I have gotten to know the football team, I have seen that they are men of character and integrity.” Mauch said, “I am proud that these men are representing Bethany College on and off the field!” The Swedes’ game against the Southwestern College Moundbuilders, originally scheduled for Sept. 26, has been postponed until Nov. 14. The Swedes will face off against the Avila University Eagles Oct. 3 at home.
Extra
Messenger 13
! t n e v E urprise
S
-16 t. 12etails c O ed k of mor Wee tuned for y
Sta
Sept. 30, 2020