CA M PUS N E WS
D ECE M B ER 2020
CampusBriefs Mock Trial Team Grows Bethany’s Legal Studies Department is sponsoring a mock trial team. Interest is so strong that the team began the new year with enough participants for two complete competitive teams. During the pandemic, all mock trial events are held virtually. The BethPaul Gunderson any Mock Trial team is coached by Ryan Drea, J.D. a public defender in Mankato, Professor of Legal Studies Sara Edwards, J.D., and Bethany alumnus Paul Gunderson, J.D. (’07) a private practice attorney in New Ulm, Minnesota.
SPEECHLESS says
GOODBYE
Bethany Fund Surpasses Goal A sincere thank you to the many alumni and friends of Bethany who contributed to the Bethany Fund during the 2019-20 fiscal year. The College was blessed, even during a worldwide economic downturn, to surpass the Fund’s goal by raising almost $615,000 of annual budget support. This tremendous outpouring helped the College to nearly achieve a balanced budget for 2019-20 despite the challenging circumstances. The support of over one thousand alumni and friends of Bethany is truly heartwarming, and a testament to the tremendous help the College receives for higher education taught from a Christian worldview.
BLC Nationally Ranked by U.S. News Bethany has once again been recognized by U.S. News and World Report for its excellent outcomes in the social mobility category. The yearly poll includes colleges and universities from across the country. U.S. News places Bethany in the prestigious National Liberal Arts Colleges classification and the College is ranked highly both in Minnesota (#3) and in the nation (#86). Social mobility refers to the ability of a person to move upward in income and social class after earning a bachelor’s degree. This high ranking demonstrates Bethany’s ability to help students achieve to their fullest ability regardless of background. 8
Speechless Ends Its Successful Run Bethany’s Speechless Film Festival, an event created by the Media Arts faculty and staff, will not resume in 2021 after being forced to appear virtually in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From early on, the event was a success while attracting filmmakers from around the globe. And southern Minnesota embraced the event with enthusiasm. Numerous community sponsors, venues, and volunteers helped the participating filmmakers by giving to them a passionate and supportive audience to view their art. Over the years, festival organizers in the Media Arts Department staged a number of host venues while assembling eight Speechless annual programs. But the pandemic and the economics of the event are a tricky road to navigate in these uncertain times, and after considerable deliberation the organizing committee made the difficult decision to end the event. Media Arts Professor Kurt Paulsen explained. “It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to discontinue the Speechless Film Festival. The mission of Speechless has always been deeply tied to education, and to that end we believe it is time to redirect our efforts to other initiatives. “When we launched this event in 2013, we were immediately thrilled with our newfound connections to a great many visual storytellers from all over the world. We are exceedingly grateful to those who have made this festival possible by generously volunteering their time and financial support.” Paulsen says the Media Arts Department will focus their efforts on new ways to bring the film and visual storytelling industry to the campus and into the classroom.
