2
Office hours are available to students
3
Editorial: Education over abstinence
6
Spirit becomes a vital aspect of campus
Friday, November 22, 2019 | Volume 108, Issue 6 | North Newton, KS
8
Bethel football team breaks records
11
Holiday season events around campus
Charlie Gibson, sophomore from Ashland, is an active member of the cheer team and spends most athletics events rooting for Thresher athletes with her fellow cheerleaders. Photo by Lindsey Pfannenstiel
2 NEWS
UNICACH sends first exchange student to Bethel
NOAH LARSON Staff Writer
This year is Bethel’s first year having an exchange program with UNICACH (Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas), a university in Chiapas, Mexico. However, we have had teams of biology students and professors going back and forth during interterm for some time now. Bethel had two students go to Chiapas this past summer, Madison Hofer-Holdeman, a senior from Wichita, and Sarah Balzer, a senior from Inman. The first exchange student we have received from UNICACH, Eduardo López Argueta, is
a senior biology student at UNICACH in Chiapas. Unlike the German exchange students from Wuppertal who will stay until the end of May, Argueta will be returning home in a few short weeks, at the end of the fall semester. He has enjoyed his time in Kansas, though it has been shorter than most. “I really enjoy Bethel. When I came here, I thought it was paradise. All the people here are so kind and helpful with people who don’t understand the language and those who come from another culture,” said Argueta. While he has enjoyed his time with the people of America,
he has also learned a lot from being here. Coming to America and improving his English has helped him a lot. “The most important thing I have learned at Bethel is improving my English. I have also learned a lot about science. People here have a lot of different options. Learning art has opened my heart to be more sensitive to the things around me,” said Argueta. Argueta has been here for nearly a semester, because he came to the United States in September. One of his professors, Sergio López came to Bethel more recently and is also enjoying his time in America, working on how to make the
connection between UNICACH and Bethel better than it has ever been. “I have had a great experience here. Everyone has been so kind to me and my family,” said López. While he has been here, he and Bethel staff and faculty have been working hard to make the exchange program with UNICACH better, and more accessible. “Bethel staff and I are working to develop a long term project that involves both students and professors. The main idea is to establish an exchange program to send or receive persons in Chiapas and Kansas.
For example, Argueta is the first that can come here for a full semester. In January 2020, some Bethel students will be in Mexico. This is a starting point and maybe in the future, a complete group could be traveling from Mexico to Kansas, and vice versa,” said López. As can be seen, much has been worked out during López’s short stay with us in Kansas, but there is still much more to iron out for the future. “I admire the way you are organized here at Bethel. But, we’ll see what happens. Maybe more things I will take back to UNICACH,” said López.
improve or it’s staying after class for a little bit,” she said. Jon Piper, professor of biology, comments on how few students take advantage of office hours. “I wish [students] would come to me when they have problems or questions and they don’t. I do think there’s a lot of help we can give the students who are more willing to ask for help,” he said Born also comments on his thoughts about why students may not use office hours wisely. “I think some students just feel self-sufficient and don’t want to seek out help. Others are so busy that they can’t figure out how to carve out time to go see professors during their office hours,” he said. The professors don’t just want to pressure students into seeing them. They all commented on how they want to help students succeed. “All the colleagues I know want their students to be
successful and if they can help through better communication, they would want that from an office visit,” Born said. Although professors wish to watch Bethel’s students succeed in class, they know they can only remind students about their open doors so often. “Professors are readily available, accessible, but you have to take the initiative,” said Mark Jantzen, professor of history. Professors are a huge resource, both in class and outside of school. Spending more time with them can be a big help. “My advice to students is to get to know the faculty, get to know your professors. They will be the ones writing letters of recommendation or making calls about setting up an interview or an internship and if I know you well, I can do a much better job of that,” said Piper. While seeing a professor may feel like a hassle; many let students know that they are
there to aid in whatever they may struggle with. They offer themselves as resource unique to a small campus. “Stop by and chat
sometimes, whether you have a problem or not, our doors are open to students and we want them to succeed,” said Epp Buller.
Bethel professors encourage students to use office hours KELLY HABEGGER Staff Writer
Bethel College is much smaller than other colleges and universities, which has allowed students to have more contact with their professors. A few Bethel professors gave their own thoughts about whether the student body is taking advantage of the small campus. Each of these professors said that only a handful of their fifty or more students take advantage of their office hours or even interact with the professor outside of class. “Very few students will follow up during office hours to get more explanation on content,” Brad Born, professor of english said. Rachel Epp Buller, associate professor of visual art and design, had a similar response. “A few students come to office hours. More often, it might be like an initial email contact wondering how they can
SGA Updates NOVEMBER 10 MEETING - 2/3 of water fountains are installed - Contracts have been signed - New senators have been sworn in and briefed on duties 2019 Senate meeting schedule (subject to change): November 24 December 8 *As always, these meetings are open to the student body SGA Number: (316)-804-8234
Safety lies in education not abstinence
JADIN KALTENBACH Opinion Editor
Picture this: you are in your sophomore year at your (extremely) catholic high school. While some students are rushing to first lunch, you walk into your fourth hour Biology class. You place your books down on your table and take a seat next to one of the basketball players you hardly ever speak to (probably because deep down you think they’re cute but you never want to outwardly admit it to yourself ). As the bell rings, your male teacher walks to the front of the room and reminds the class what today’s lesson is about: human anatomy, specifically genitalia and reproduction. There are few giggles exchanged between girls and some of the guys make eye contact from across the room. You feel your face getting hot as your table neighbor glances at you. Your teacher tells the class to open their books to page 350 something and everyone immediately starts laughing. You get to the page and see why. I remember this class period so vividly because for myself and a lot of my classmates, it was the first time we had visually seen or discussed the topic of human anatomy. When I reflect on
the involuntary giggles and laughter that echoed throughout the class, I hear confusion and embarrassment rather than joy and comedy. The truth is we were fifteen and sixteen year olds who, since entering our catholic schooling system, had always been taught to know God and our neighbor, but were very rarely ever taught to know and understand ourselves or our own bodies. We had excessive amounts of knowledge about our bodies being “temples,” and that we were made in the “image and likeness of God,” but we were never properly educated on how to properly nurture and/or protect our bodies. The only “rule” drilled into our heads growing up was that sex was reserved for marriage and in order to be following God’s commandments, you must abstain from sex. Safe sex education was never an option for us, despite the fact that Catholicism doesn’t mean you are immune to your hormones, sexual urges and/or your ability to participate in sexual activity. The system assumed fear of hell and shaming by others in the community would deter a lot of individuals when in reality it is simply a personal preference. Do I believe that sex should be reserved for marriage? Yes. Does a lot of the population? No. That is why safe sex education is imperative, regardless of religious beliefs or societal status. Abstinence-only education trumps all other forms of sexual education in this country. In America, there are only 22 states that mandate sex education, and only 13 of those require the information to be ‘medically accurate.’ That means that there are 37 states where there is no requirement to educate children on their bodies and the bodies of the opposite sex and how
they work together and in opposition of one another. There is a fair amount of the population participating in some sort of sexual activity between their middle school and high school years. Another series of mind blowing statistics are that “50,000 new HIV infections, 20 million STIs, 3 million unintended pregnancies, and 1 million rapes annually” are reported in the United States. These stats are a direct result of the insufficient way we talk about sex. Statistically, there has been an increase in reported rapes and/or accusations of sexual assault in ages ranging from 12-16. While not all of these cases are preventable with safe sex education, a fair amount could be avoided if individuals were being taught about themselves and their bodies and had ample education on verbal consent. Safe sex education should be required in all schooling systems, regardless of religious affiliations or customs. When I think of the education I want my children to have, I want it to be protective of all aspects of their lives and their relationships with others. I don’t want my daughters to live in a world where they’re slut-shamed and encouraged to be a backseat driver in their sexuality. I refuse to allow my sons to be raised by a society who asserts that men are violent and abrasive. Safe sex education is more than just how to put a condom on correctly or how to avoid unwanted pregnancy. It teaches that the body is nothing to be ashamed of. It is beauty. It is art. Some of its best work is done when in tune with another, and there is no shame in that.
WORD ON THE STREET How do you celebrate Thanksgiving/ Christmas? Breanna Galindo
FIRST-YEAR
“On Thanksgiving, I usually go home to my family and we do the normal Thanksgiving dinner. We pray before we eat and we go around the table saying what we’re thankful for throughout the year. Then we spend the rest of the afternoon on the couch watching football or Christmas movies.”
Noah Ballesteros
SOPHOMORE
“For Christmas, I go back home down south of Mexico and I go to my church and I stay for thirty days and don’t leave the church. That’s a family thing we do. “
JUNIOR
Adam Sigwing
“For Thanksgiving, I just go home and spend time with my family, eat the turkey and mess around with the cousins. “
Madison Hofer-Holderman
SENIOR
“My grandparents on both sides are out of state so for the holidays, we always drive eight plus hours to go see them and spend two or three days at one place and two or three days at another place.”
Jadin Kaltenbach is a junior from Wichita, majoring in Communication Arts.
The Collegian is a student-run newspaper published bi-weekly while classes are in session. The Collegian is funded by advertising revenue and student fees. The Collegian is delivered free to Bethel faculty, staff, resident and commuter students. Off-campus subscriptions are available at the rate of $18.00 per school year. Subscriptions may be sent to:
The Collegian, Bethel College, North Newton, KS, 67117
OPINION 3
BETHANY POWLS
ELIZABETH RATZLAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CHRISTINE CROUSE-DICK FACULTY ADVISER EMILY KONDZIOLA
NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
ZACHARY SHIMA
BUSINESS MANAGER GABE JOHNSON
SPORTS EDITOR
CAPRI STEVENSON-BISOM
CHRISTINE CROUSE-DICK DESIGN/LAYOUT EDITOR ADVISER
SYDNEY JOHNSON
AUSTIN PROUTY NEWS EDITOR DESIGN EDITOR
JADIN KALTENBACH OPINION RILEYEDITOR SCHMIEDER
COPY EDITOR
NATHAN GARBER
FEATURES BAILEYEDITOR STRAUSZ
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
JESSICA LAROCQUE SPORTS ZACHEDITOR SHIMA
BUSINESS MANAGER
STAFF
MADI HARKINS
CALEB ALLEN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR PHOTO EDITOR
CHARLOTTE EHRMANN
JADIN KALTENBACH
COPY EDITOR
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
MIKI HARKINS
WEB/SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
MADI HARKINS PHOTO EDITOR
4 OPINION
THRESHPECTIVES : staff writers share their perspectives
How do people think about Thanksgiving/holidays and its ethical implications? Be mindful of the way you celebrate this holiday A lot of Native Americans and European immigrants? people argue that In 1863, Abraham Lincoln set Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a as a national holiday to promote unity during racist holiday, and the civil war. Each president set the date it is not hard to yearly until 1942 when Franklin D. Roosevelt understand why. With designated the fourth Thursday of November the genocide of the to be Thanksgiving Day, as it remains today. Native Americans that When did it all change from giving thanks occurred at the hands for a plentiful harvest to what it is today? of the pilgrims, it is In 1876 we had the first Thanksgiving Day SYDNEY JOHNSON reasonable that some football game between Yale and Princeton, News Editor would be opposed to a in 1924, the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day story of the two sharing parade. These events are highly connected to a meal together that completely ignores the how we celebrate Thanksgiving today. violence Native Americans faced. There are tons of people that celebrate Most of America’s traditions have a history Christmas who could care less about the birth of racism, as we are a of baby Jesus, it’s all about country built on the backs Christmas trees, presents of slaves and the land of and pictures with Santa. “Be sure you are Native Americans, but as In that same vein, most not perpetuating of today, most holidays’ people that celebrate stereotypes about original meanings have Thanksgiving have totally deteriorated and are now disconnected it from its Native Americans celebrated in a totally when you celebrate origins. Today it’s just different way. celebrating family, eating the day, and try to According to a lot of food and watching be understanding of football. Most people are Encyclopedia Britannica Online, the first those who are against just excited to see family Thanksgiving occurred and get time off of work it.” in 1621 with a harvest or school. feast shared between the If you choose to pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. The two celebrate Thanksgiving, make sure you are groups ate and drank together, and sealed a doing it in a way that will not be offensive. treaty between them that lasted over fifty years. Please, do not dress up as pilgrims and For many, this is the Thanksgiving story “Indians” for a Thanksgiving play. Just make they learned in school, and quite possibly sure you are not perpetuating stereotypes about the only Native American history they know. Native Americans when you celebrate the day, Especially in elementary classes, but even with and try to be understanding of those who are older kids, teachers often leave out the true against it. Educate yourselves and others about story of relations between white people and the hardships Native Americans have faced at Native Americans. the hands of European immigrants, in the past No one likes to talk about mass murder or and still today. the forceful relocation of thousands of people. No one wants to address the fact that even today, Native Americans are disproportionately Sydney Johnson is a sophomore at Bethel represented in prisons and in poverty. No one College and an aspiring Social Work major. wants to take ownership of hundreds of years of oppression. So how did we get a national holiday based on the one positive interaction between
Be aware of self and others in ethical celebration As a rule, in my Thanksgiving or Christmas ethically is to household, holidays be aware of people in this world who view like Thanksgiving and things through different lenses of experience, Christmas are reserved culture, and background. The second piece of for family and friends, advice I would give is to refuse to support an for staying home industry that makes a profit off of culturally and existing in peace appropriating holidays. Don’t buy that set of and community. For paper plates that has a cartoon Native on it Thanksgiving, we for your Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t buy into decorate according the secular version of Christmas if you think BETHANY POWLS to our beliefs, with a it takes away from your religious practices. Editor-in-Chief special emphasis on Don’t feed the beast, people. At the very least, religiously inspired don’t impose secularized Thanksgivings and signs, fake falls leaves, and cinnamon scented Christmases on other people. candles. For Christmas, it is the same story, If you see something that seems suspicious with decorations featuring pine cones and or offensive to you or to another person or garland, angels, and an culture, don’t let it go, don’t emphasis on the Christ in ignore it. If more someones Christmas. However, this spoke up against corporate is not true for every family. secularized “If you see something industry, As a culture, we are holidays wouldn’t be as bombarded with images of that seems suspicious supported by products that what these holidays should or offensive to you are designed to be cheaply look like according to the or another person or appealing to those who have “majority” of society (a.k.a. awareness. culture, don’t let it go, no worldly Corporate capitalism). Recognize the don’t ignore it.” Every commercial on advertisements on TV that TV or youtube features a try to market their products salesman dressed horribly off of the suffering of natives. as a pilgrim, native, or Try to recognize the cultural elf. There are signs sold standards of people who at your local retail chain that feature some practice things differently than yourself. Yes, cleverly punny, but also remarkably offensive, you can have your turkey and your stuffing. Thanksgiving phrase that leaves people who Yes, you can be holly and jolly and drink are more culturally aware with a distinct so much eggnog that you regret it the next feeling of discomfort. There are songs sung morning. However, try to avoid falling for the at Christmas that take a holiday in which advertising methods that companies will use people use to celebrate their faith as a time to to market their product for the season. Try celebrate make-believe crises like having your to notice when customs, foods, and objects grandmother ran over by a reindeer (why???). are culturally appropriated to suit industry What is popular is popular because that’s standards of holidays. what culture has bought into. If it wasn’t supported by someone somewhere, corporate industry wouldn’t market these holidays in Bethany Powls is a sophomore at Bethel College the way that they do. In fact, it takes a lot of and an aspiring English and History major. someones to determine what advertisement media supports and what they ignore in favor of big, booming business. The first piece of advice I would give to anyone who is trying to celebrate
FEATURES 5
Coping with crisis: How community helps those in need
When crises happen around the world, there are always a few questions that run through people’s heads before anything really gets better. Where do we go? What do we do? Who should we ask for help? Can I do anything to help others? People focus on “crisis” as being a large-scale, world changing event and usually want to know if happenings in another part of the world will affect their community in any way. However, crisis does make its way to college campuses, whether they be large with thousands of students, or small like Bethel. In many cases, crisis comes in the form of large-scale change, detrimental health issues and the deaths of loved ones. This is where community plays a valuable part. Students are in a constant state of adaption as they move from locations and classes between semesters. With this movement, issues resulting from crisis are often
not addressed. It is the same with faculty. Over the last six months, many members of Bethel’s campus have faced crisis in losing loved ones or experiencing job and life related changes. Bethel’s Director of Student Wellness, Jill Hoopes, knows what it is like for people to be going through a lot when different crises happen. “I like students to come in who are struggling in any way, shape or form and together we can develop a plan with that. I like to look for solutions. I like to look at different options. And sometimes I’m just a sounding board. It’s very hard to be here and have your family far away,” said Hoopes. To Hoopes, every person is different. Every student who comes to her has a different amount of stress or experience that they are working through. You’re living on your own for the first time, the stress of classes. The class load, what’s required in these classes is crazy. My goal is to do whatever is needed for the student,” said Hoopes.
lost a loved one. People volunteered encouraging and caring message for this individual as facilitated by chapel leaders. Along with bringing crisis to Hoopes, Goerzen, and the chapel environment, students and staff members are invited to reach out to those in crisis and to aid them in whatever way they may require. According to the MerriamWebster dictionary, “community” is defined as “a unified body of individuals.” In confronting crisis, existing as a unified body is the community way to cope.
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NOAH LARSON Staff Writer
ones. SafeHope is an organization on campus that has Domestic and Sexual Violence services and they have two help lines: (800) 4870510 and (316) 283-0350. Prairie View also has crisis lines such as 1-800-362-0180 and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800273-TALK (8255). Any of these are available to help you in times of need. While these are helpful, Student Chaplains are available on campus who, like Goerzen can help with spiritual guidance if one wants a person more on their level, unlike Goerzen who is also a professor. The Chaplains this year are Adam Kroeker, junior from Augusta, Amondre Street, junior from Dallas, Texas, Bruce Rosario, senior from Pollocksvile, N.C., Emma Beachy, sophomore from Kalona, Iowa, Madison Roth, senior from Chapman, Luke Unruh, senior from Newton and Matthew Hernandez, sophomore from Chanute. In addition, chapel services are available weekly to people as a time for rest, rejuvenation and worship. For those who need sanctuary or help with recovering from a personal crisis, this time is a valuable resource. The Bethel students and faculty gather weekly to participate in community oriented activities. One of these activities involved making a large card for someone who had just
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On the bottom level of the WAC, there is a bulletin board outside of Hoopes’ office that has resources for those struggling with various crises; the bulletin board is updated on a regular basis. Photo courtesy of AJ Dugan
While Hoopes is trained to help with people’s wellbeing, there are also many others on campus who are available to help with other needs. “Some people may need help with coping skills for anxiety and depression. Somebody else might need help for interpersonal issues. Someone else may need me to be an advocate for domestic violence issues. It’s hard to say what I do because each case is different,” said Hoopes. Someone may have certain religious affiliations and wants to be prayed for instead of going to Hoopes for guidance. If they do, then one of the people they can go to is our Campus Pastor and one of the instructors of Bible and Religion, Peter Goerzen. “I provide immediate pastoral care and counseling, in coordination with Student Life staff. Depending on the nature of the event, this can include a holding space for the community to gather to express its grief and find support in each other,” said Goerzen. While a safe space is a good thing for those who are mourning or simply want to express emotions about some issue or crisis, there are other things Goerzen can do for people in those times of crisis. “Part of the pastoral counseling process often includes conversations about spiritual/ VER people theological resources COthat DIS have available as they grapple with loss and pain, as well as the use of liturgy, ritual, scripture, and prayer to express lament and potentially hold the totality of the experience and need in the mystery and compassion of God,” said Goerzen. Both Hoopes and Goerzen have acted on behalf of the community to aid those in need, especially in recent months. However, there are also other systems on campus that can help anyone in a crisis. While Hoopes and Goerzen are both great people to contact, they are not the only
THE BETHEL COLLEGE COLLEGIAN
6 FEATURES
Thresher Spirit burns bright this year (Right) Sarah Smith, junior from Topeka and Kendra Gooden, sophomore from Wichita are excited to be at a Thresher football game. Photos by Lindsey Pfannenstiel AVERY HAWKINS Staff Writer
Thresher athletics have been on the rise for the past couple of years. While there are many people that deserve credit for the incline of thresher athletics, none should be appreciated more than the community coined as Thresher Nation. This fall, Thresher fans kicked it up a notch, boosting the Threshers into capturing 12 home competitive events. This is a testament to Thresher spirit not only on campus, but in the community. Shirley Dietzel, who is has worked as a Bethel College faculty member for the past 26 years, spends a large portion of time working out of the Thresher Shop, a campus hub of school spirit. “I think the coaches have done a great job. It makes a huge impact when we have coaches that want to stay and want to win, and I think we have that now,” said Dietzel. The entirety of the fall coaching staff is relatively new to Bethel. Alex Hagan, head coach of the women’s soccer team, and Stacey Middleton, the head coach of
the volleyball team, are the veterans of the fall coaching staff. Middleton and Hagan both entered their third season as the head coaches of their respective programs. Head coach Terry Harrison, from Thresher football, and men’s soccer head coach James Cottage, have both entered their second year as coaches here at Bethel. There has been an incline in attendance at athletic events this past season. Each and every game that was played at Bethel was lively and packed with Bethel students cheering on their fellow students. One new tradition started this year was a cheer using a drum line. After every drum beat, you say “roll” or “on” depending which beat it is and as you cheer, the tempo gets faster and faster. Pretty soon it gets to the point where everyone is chanting so fast that everyone just starts whooping and hollering to cheer on the Threshers. Bethel College also has a pep band that plays at the home football and basketball games. This group is led by Brad Shores. The group plays fun and
exciting songs at the games to get the fans’ spirits up so that they can more effectively cheer on the teams. “Coming from an athlete’s perspective I always enjoyed having a pep band,” said Trae Gering, sophomore from Pretty Prairie. “Having a live band playing pep band music got my adrenaline going a lot more than just a song over a speaker ever. I think it can get the crowd going a little more and it’s important because we also get to coordinate cheers with the cheer team.” Another group that generates a lot of school spirit is the cheer team. “I love being a member of the cheer team because I like cheering people on and encouraging them, and that is what Bethel Spirit is to me,” said Charlie Gibson, sophomore from Ashland. In addition to the cheer team, there are members of the community who attend games and events regularly to support Threshers in every field. “I also can’t talk about Bethel Spirit without mentioning Loren Reusser. He’s the embodiment of Bethel Spirit, with everything he does for all the athletic teams,” said Gibson.
Reusser can be found at most events with a megaphone, a poster, or bags of caramel popcorn, happily cheering on Bethel College Threshers. Over the past couple years, the involvement and interaction of athletics with the rest of campus has been incredible. “If you have the student and faculty support, the teams will want to play for the people watching,” Dietzel said about campus involvement. Athletics have made sure to put on for the fans at Bethel. When the stands are packed with peers of those on the sports teams, it really helps to improve the overall morale of the team. The Thresher team ended the 2019 fall athletic season with 19 players receiving All-KCAC honors, and two athletes from the volleyball team also found themselves on the list of top performers in
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2019 the KCAC. Thresher men’s and women’s soccer each added a player to the list of All-KCAC athletes this fall. With fall sports coming to a close, winter sports are underway. Men’s basketball has started the year off strong with a 7-1 showing thus far. Women’s basketball has also started the season off with a hot hand with a 5-2 record up to this point. Indoor track and field kicks off the first week of December at Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kansas. Competitive cheer and dance will start-up later on in the season. Thresher athletics are back and better than ever. Monumental records have been already been set for different athletic departments this school year. Continue to show your support for your Bethel Threshers this Saturday, November 23, in Thresher Gymnasium as the Tabor Bluejays come to town.
FEATURES 7
(Above Right) Noah Ballesteros, sophomore from San Diego, Cali. prepares for a play. Photo by Carmen Ariza (Above Left) Jeff Kauffman, junior from Hutchinson, Brad Shores and Kayla Newman, sophmore from Halstead, play their trumpets during a Pep Band piece. (Left) Landon Peery, senior from Shawnee, Okla., Trae Gehring, sophomore from Pretty Prairie, Bryce Wilson, first-year form Sterling and Allison Weaver, first-year from Hesston jam out on a fun and exciting song. (Bottom Right) Students in the stands cheer on their Threshers. Photos by Lindsey Pfannenstiel (Bottom Right) Kalynn Wiles, sophomore from Pontiac, Ill. waves the Bethel flag for a touchdown. Photo by Carmen Ariza
THE BETHEL COLLEGE COLLEGIAN
6 FEATURES
Thresher Spirit burns bright this year (Right) Sarah Smith, junior from Topeka and Kendra Gooden, sophomore from Wichita are excited to be at a Thresher football game. Photos by Lindsey Pfannenstiel AVERY HAWKINS Staff Writer
Thresher athletics have been on the rise for the past couple of years. While there are many people that deserve credit for the incline of thresher athletics, none should be appreciated more than the community coined as Thresher Nation. This fall, Thresher fans kicked it up a notch, boosting the Threshers into capturing 12 home competitive events. This is a testament to Thresher spirit not only on campus, but in the community. Shirley Dietzel, who is has worked as a Bethel College faculty member for the past 26 years, spends a large portion of time working out of the Thresher Shop, a campus hub of school spirit. “I think the coaches have done a great job. It makes a huge impact when we have coaches that want to stay and want to win, and I think we have that now,” said Dietzel. The entirety of the fall coaching staff is relatively new to Bethel. Alex Hagan, head coach of the women’s soccer team, and Stacey Middleton, the head coach of
the volleyball team, are the veterans of the fall coaching staff. Middleton and Hagan both entered their third season as the head coaches of their respective programs. Head coach Terry Harrison, from Thresher football, and men’s soccer head coach James Cottage, have both entered their second year as coaches here at Bethel. There has been an incline in attendance at athletic events this past season. Each and every game that was played at Bethel was lively and packed with Bethel students cheering on their fellow students. One new tradition started this year was a cheer using a drum line. After every drum beat, you say “roll” or “on” depending which beat it is and as you cheer, the tempo gets faster and faster. Pretty soon it gets to the point where everyone is chanting so fast that everyone just starts whooping and hollering to cheer on the Threshers. Bethel College also has a pep band that plays at the home football and basketball games. This group is led by Brad Shores. The group plays fun and
exciting songs at the games to get the fans’ spirits up so that they can more effectively cheer on the teams. “Coming from an athlete’s perspective I always enjoyed having a pep band,” said Trae Gering, sophomore from Pretty Prairie. “Having a live band playing pep band music got my adrenaline going a lot more than just a song over a speaker ever. I think it can get the crowd going a little more and it’s important because we also get to coordinate cheers with the cheer team.” Another group that generates a lot of school spirit is the cheer team. “I love being a member of the cheer team because I like cheering people on and encouraging them, and that is what Bethel Spirit is to me,” said Charlie Gibson, sophomore from Ashland. In addition to the cheer team, there are members of the community who attend games and events regularly to support Threshers in every field. “I also can’t talk about Bethel Spirit without mentioning Loren Reusser. He’s the embodiment of Bethel Spirit, with everything he does for all the athletic teams,” said Gibson.
Reusser can be found at most events with a megaphone, a poster, or bags of caramel popcorn, happily cheering on Bethel College Threshers. Over the past couple years, the involvement and interaction of athletics with the rest of campus has been incredible. “If you have the student and faculty support, the teams will want to play for the people watching,” Dietzel said about campus involvement. Athletics have made sure to put on for the fans at Bethel. When the stands are packed with peers of those on the sports teams, it really helps to improve the overall morale of the team. The Thresher team ended the 2019 fall athletic season with 19 players receiving All-KCAC honors, and two athletes from the volleyball team also found themselves on the list of top performers in
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2019 the KCAC. Thresher men’s and women’s soccer each added a player to the list of All-KCAC athletes this fall. With fall sports coming to a close, winter sports are underway. Men’s basketball has started the year off strong with a 7-1 showing thus far. Women’s basketball has also started the season off with a hot hand with a 5-2 record up to this point. Indoor track and field kicks off the first week of December at Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kansas. Competitive cheer and dance will start-up later on in the season. Thresher athletics are back and better than ever. Monumental records have been already been set for different athletic departments this school year. Continue to show your support for your Bethel Threshers this Saturday, November 23, in Thresher Gymnasium as the Tabor Bluejays come to town.
FEATURES 7
(Above Right) Noah Ballesteros, sophomore from San Diego, Cali. prepares for a play. Photo by Carmen Ariza (Above Left) Jeff Kauffman, junior from Hutchinson, Brad Shores and Kayla Newman, sophmore from Halstead, play their trumpets during a Pep Band piece. (Left) Landon Peery, senior from Shawnee, Okla., Trae Gehring, sophomore from Pretty Prairie, Bryce Wilson, first-year form Sterling and Allison Weaver, first-year from Hesston jam out on a fun and exciting song. (Bottom Right) Students in the stands cheer on their Threshers. Photos by Lindsey Pfannenstiel (Bottom Right) Kalynn Wiles, sophomore from Pontiac, Ill. waves the Bethel flag for a touchdown. Photo by Carmen Ariza
SPORTS 8
Bethel football team making historical strides
on their roster, he feels that they are a well developed team, with talent in every position. This means that every player must perform to the best they can and no one is above that expection. When you have a talented team built on wholesome relationships, athletes will continue to go to class, go to study hall, show up to workouts and do more to keep their positions. Bethel has been in and out of the top 25 NAIA teams in the nation throughout this season. This a big accomplishment Morgan Murphy, senior from Wichita, acts as a and hasn’t been done leader for the rest of team. Photo by Carmen Ariza in some time. The John Hansberry Threshers finished the Staff Writer season ranked 24 in the nation. They took on Kansas Wesleyan The Bethel College football University which is ranked #3 in team has had a remarkable season the country, with a 10-0 record. so far. They have shattered their The game ended in a 61-31 loss. 3-7 record from last year and The Threshers recently took improved to a record of 8-2 so far down the University of Saint this year. Mary 48-3 at home. Josh Seabolt, “It has been great,” said a sophomore from Cimarron, second-year head coach, Terry made a big impact on the Harrison, concerning the season. defensive side of the ball with 11 Harrison has made a big tackles. emphasis on the culture of the The football team also made a football team this year. Based trip down to Texas to play against
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week honors for the game against Ottawa, having ten solo-tackles. The Threshers pride themselves on having a great winning culture and a “brotherhood”. This is something that they’ve been looking to develop over the past two seasons. “I feel like it’s an actual brotherhood,” said Austin Price, first-year from Russell. “We look after each other on and off the field. It’s a great representation of family while being away from home.” The brotherhood culture seems to be paying off.
Matt Hernandez, sophomore from Chanute, celebrates the end of a good game with his fellow teammates. Photo by Carmen Ariza
NOV. 23
at KANSAS WESLEYAN
vs. TABOR COLLEGE NOV. 25
Harrison, senior from Austin, Texas. Scurry is a running back who has had a few big games for the threshers this season. He tallied over 150 rushing yards against Sterling, earning him KCAC offensive player of the week honors. Harrison also received KCAC offensive player of the week honors for the game against against Ottawa. Harrison had nearly 280 rushing-yards. Seabolt has also made a great impact for the threshers on the defensive side of the ball. Seabolt is a line-backer who received KCAC defensive player of the
Upcoming Events
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NOV. 23
Texas College. This trip was fully funded by donations and the team took the field in Tyler, Texas, getting the win. Zach Esau, sophomore from Hesston, has been a standout quarterback this year. The junior has been contributing to the threshers over the past two years and has had a breakout year. Esau has had 3 games with 3 touchdowns or more, either rushing or throwing. Other standouts on the offensive side of the ball include Chantz Scurry, sophomore from Ardmore, Okla. and Camryn
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Coach perspective on student leadership JOHN HANSBERRY Staff Writer
Athletes always aspire to become the best they can be. They make sacrifices on their behalf to help their teams succeed. Some athletes take this to a new level and their coaches recognize that. Players become not only great athletes on their respective teams but also become the leadership on those teams. Bethel College athletic programs hold their leaders in great regard. Coaches understand that they need help pushing their team to the next level. When a coach gives an instruction or encouragement, that can be taken differently than if one of your peers on the team does. It gives a whole
different dynamic to leadership, which makes leadership on athletic teams extremely important. Most Bethel College coaches don’t make certain players “captains” but rather let those leaders emerge from the rest of the team. This means that an athlete can come in not necessarily knowing that they are a “captain” but they can take initiative to lead their peers in the right direction. Coaches also have big expectations from those emergent leaders on their teams. “Our seniors are the ones that lead our team. They are the ones that hold everyone accountable to our guidelines,” said head volleyball coach, Stacy Middleton. “Our team chemistry has been so great this year that we haven’t had any off
the court issues and practices and games have been drama free.” “With our leaders on our team, we look for consistency. We want a leader that is consistent day in and day out doing the things that we want from our players,” said head men’s basketball coach, Jayson Artaz. “It can be difficult to follow a leader that is hypocritical with their actions. If you are a lazy player you can’t try and push others to work harder.” The first one is to be very vocal during practice. We expect the energy in the gym to be very high so we believe that players will drive the volume and communication,” said head women’s basketball coach Drew Johnson. “We use the phrase ‘Attack The Day’ which to us means that it is a choice to have a great day
every day. We expect our team as a whole to have that mindset when we walk in the gym each day.” The biggest issue with emergent leadership is that you never know where it will come from. As great as Bethel college is at recruiting great athletes, there are times when things get difficult and athletes may lead their team in the wrong direction. This is where culture is challenged by tough times. “I also think the attitude of a leader is someone who is generally positive in that they believe success is possible and expected,” said Artaz. “ It is difficult to follow someone who only points out the negative in others. They have to be players who aren’t afraid to challenge others to be their best.”
Intramural sports help students connect DANEN KISTNER Staff Writer
As the indoor track and field season approaches for the Bethel College Threshers, we need to take a second and admire the work that these student-athletes are putting into their craft. Indoor track and field is a sport that takes place during the winter months and most teams throughout the country are able to practice indoors while it is cold outside. Unfortunately, Bethel College does not have an indoor facility to practice at. That doesn’t stop these thresher athletes. “We practice outside, we just bundle up with multiple layers of clothing and practice no matter how cold it is,” says senior sprinter, Bruce Rosario, from Pollocksville, N.C. “I haven’t been able to participate just yet, since football is still going on, [but] my teammates have informed me that practices have been very tedious.”
The goals for this team is simple: qualify for the national track meet and continue to build the team camaraderie moving forward. “[We] just want our team chemistry to 100%, so Coach [Parsley] doesn’t have to coach us so hard, because we as a team are already holding each other accountable. ‘Nothing less than greatness.’ That’s the motto is this season. [As for myself ] qualifying for nationals [in] the first three meets, and [our] team qualifying for nationals in relays,” said Rosario. One of the big responsibilities this sport attempts to conquer is continuing to gain the interest of the community and being able to run for the ones that came before you. That comes with expectations, whether that is from inside the locker room, campus, or community off campus. One of those expectations for this year’s indoor track and field team is
speed. “The Bethel fans can definitely expect some fast times from not only [myself ], but the whole team. We have some really fast sprinters this year. I can’t wait to shock the KCAC,” said Rosario. The first meet of the season will be the Crimson and Gold
Invitational held on December 7th, 2019 in Pittsburg, Kan. The Thresher team will compete in five other meets before heading to the Kansas Athletic Collegiate Conference (KCAC) two-day meet on February 21st-22nd, 2020 held at the Heskett Center in Wichita, Kan.
SPORTS 9
the
Sideline JESSICA LAROCQUE Sports Editor
ABIGAIL SCHMIDT BASKETBALL Why did you decide to play at Bethel? “As I grew up, it was always just the expectation that I would play basketball at Bethel, so there was really no deciding. While I didn’t really have a choice, I don’t regret choosing Bethel at all. I can’t imagine being an athlete anywhere else.”
What keeps you motivated? “I am motivated by watching the success all Bethel sports have had this year. Being a part of a new era in Bethel Athletics is an awesome opportunity!”
What is your guilty pleasure? “One of my weaknesses is ice cream. I don’t eat hardly any sugar, but ice cream is where my self-control goes downhill.”
10 ENTERTAINMENT
What a steal: A Black Friday VS. Cyber Monday satire MIKI HARKINS Web/Social Media Editor
There are two kinds of people in this world. Actually there are three: those who go Black Friday shopping, those who go Cyber Monday shopping and those who couldn’t care less about shopping, but for now let’s forget about that third group. This year on November 29, people like you and I, will decide to hit any and all department and retail stores, hungry for some deals. The roads, calm and empty on Thanksgiving day while everyone was busy stuffing their faces during dinner (maybe lunch too), will now be bustling with traffic. Horns are honking and the term “road rage” is taken to a whole new level as a line of cars gets backed up behind a
wreck. Forget the people who have sustained injuries and totalled their vehicle, this inconvenience might cause others, like ourselves, to miss out on the buy-one-get-one deals at Bath and Body Works. Once you have FINALLY passed the wreckage, taking your time to examine the damage yourself (I wonder why the traffic gets so backed up?), you zoom past the cars ahead of you, zigzagging in and out of traffic, hardly bothering to check over your shoulder. Nobody has time for that on Black Friday; we have to hurry to the nearest Target! Finding a parking spot can be as difficult as finding Waldo, and by the time you do find one, some fool going the opposite direction whips into the space first. Aggravated, you finally, FINALLY,
find a parking spot a mile away squeezed between two cars that were hurriedly parked diagonally across the yellow lines. So, you crawl into the passenger seat, open the door a crack and suck your gut in, sliding out of the vehicle without denting the one next to you. The walk to the front doors is more like a hike in the mountains with the icy, brisk air smacking you in the face (possibly trying to knock some sense into you), numbing your cheeks. Once inside the store, you already look a mangled mess prior to fighting your fellow shoppers. Snagging a cart, you walk down the aisles on a mission, swiping the shelves clean of BOGO deals and anything that ends with “% off.” You’ve reached the pet aisle
overflowing with dog food and chew toys at sale for regular price. At the end of the aisle is a large, soft dog bed. A. One. Singular. Above it hangs a sign that reads: “50% off!” Another shopper turns the corner down the same aisle. You can tell she has targeted the dog bed by the way her face lights up with delight, but you were here first. You charge down the aisle, ramming your cart into hers like a jousting match. As she’s standing there stunned, you snatch the dog bed, stuff it in your cart and take off past her. You don’t need a dog bed. You don’t even have a dog! But man, what a steal! Throughout the duration of the rest of your shopping experience, you brave a few bruises, cuts and hair pulling in order to claim the last bottles of
hair products and clothing, but it is well worth it because you saved a whopping $3.50. Meanwhile, Cyber Monday shoppers sit safely inside their homes, sipping hot chocolate and scrolling through Instagram, awaiting December 1, to scope out the good bargains online. Sitting under a warm fuzzy blanket, stroking their pet cat, purring on their lap, a fire crackles in the fireplace and a classic Hallmark Christmas movie plays in the background. So cozy. So serene. Those smart cookies! They avoid all the heavy traffic, miserable weather and insane shoppers, and still manage to purchase items at a wider variety and at even better prices!
Jessie Thomas is a sophomore from Halstead. Her aspiring major is English Education. She has a passion for art, with a love of digital media, and creating characters like Amos. This comic, featuring Amos, was inspired by the holiday trend that Thanksgiving is often overshadowed by the onslaught of Christmasinspired media. If you would like to contribute a piece of artwork to a future issue of the Collegian, email us at collegian@bethelks.edu!
ENTERTAINMENT 11
Shores leads Steel Drum Band in concert preparation AKIA JONES Staff Writer
Brad Shores, director of the oncampus Steel Drum Band, began playing steel drums in 1986. Since then, Shores has accomplished many things revolving around steel drum music prior to coming to Bethel College. “Since I’ve started, I have accumulated over 19 instruments and have been leading steel drum bands since 1989 in the public schools. I have also written over 200 arrangements of steel band
music and 15 method books for steel drum players,” Shores said. Shores began his position as Bethel’s athletic band director in 2016. Shores, who was named the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) Outstanding High School Music Educator for 2015 to 2016, came from area USD 312 in Haven where he was the middle school and high school band instructor until 2000. He has led marching, pep, concert and steel drum bands, as well as gave instruction in guitar and music theory.
Since 2016, Bethel’s steel drum band has participated in at least 7 concerts and have also had at least 3 tours to area schools. They were even selected to perform at the Kansas Music Educators convention in February of 2019. The band members themselves, though they do not practice as frequently as some of the other ensembles, had to be rigorous in their preparation. “Students prepare for practice by learning the basic pattern of the drum they are playing. They also may need to mark some notes on
the sheet music if they are not sure of some, but many times the music is custom written for the members of the steel drum band,” Shores said. Fellow Bethel student, Noah Ballesteros, is a member of the steel drum band. Although unable to finish out the rest of the semester because of his injuries, Ballesteros hasn’t lost his love for playing and hopes to be back soon. “Being in steel drum was fun. I loved every moment of it even though it sucked having Dyslexia. But Brad is a great person and was
able to really help me,” Ballesteros said. The band is always accepting and welcoming new members. The ensemble does not require tryouts, so those who want to join just have to contact Shores and inform him on their interest. Shores with then meet with those interested and fit them to a type of drum. The next upcoming event for the Steel Drum Band will be a concert on December 4 at 7 p.m., featuring a wide range of music, many of which is arranged by Shores himself.
Bethel hosts annual holiday events for the campus Students participating in the 2018 celebration of the Lighting of the Green pass the symbolic flame from one candle to another. Photo by Vada Snyder
BETHANY POWLS Editor-in-Chief
As December approaches and the season becomes heavy with the expectation of final exams and projects, many activities are hosted on campus in order to uplift students’ spirits. As the holiday season is celebrated and the weather turns brisk, here are some key events to look out for in the upcoming month. Winter Week: Winter week, the week right before finals, is the celebratory culmination of the end of the semester as well as a bit of fun as people study-up for their exams. Winter Week features a different activity every day of the week, as hosted by the Student Activities Council (SAC). During the fall semester of 2018, SAC organized
a winter themed painting night, a stuff-your-own stuffed animal night, and a Christmas cookie decorating night. This year, Winter Week starts on December 2 with a dodgeball tournament, Thresher cinema on December 3, Cocoa and Canvas on December 4, Craft Night: Winter Edition on December 5, and ending with the Christmas Gala on December 6. Gala: The Bethel College Christmas Gala is a formal event held on the Friday night of Winter Week. Students choose how formal their attire will be, and show up in couples, pairs, or large groups. During this time, Memorial Hall is transformed into a winter banquet hall with tables for the students to sit at and a photo booth for guests to take photos with their friends. Food is provided by Aladdin and is traditionally served to the students
by the Bethel College faculty and staff. Live music is offered during the meal, usually in the form of Christmas carols, and guests may leave whenever they wish. Christmas Jazz and Cookies at the President’s House: After attending the Gala, students and staff file into Krehbiel auditorium to listen to each of the jazz ensembles perform a selection of pieces. The community is invited to this holiday themed event as well. After the concert, which lasts about an hour or so, students are invited to the President’s house for cookies and hot chocolate. The historic home is decorated especially for the event and President Jon Gering and his family will be present to welcome guests into their home. Usually, there is an entire table full of sweet and savory goodies, as well as, space in several of the sitting rooms for students to loiter for some friendly conversation. The Lighting of the Green: One of the final campus wide events of the season is the annual Lighting of the Green celebration. At 8 p.m. on December 8, students are invited to gather at the Green (in warm clothing, advisably) for a religious ceremony that has lasted for many years. Each
student and staff member that attends receives a candle to hold during the ceremony. The candles are then lit for the ceremony as everyone moves to a circle around the Green. A musical ensemble will perform some Christmas carols that the campus is invited to join in on. There are both scriptural and inspirational readings given at this event as members of the community are called to reflect on the past semester and the impact of gathering as a community to support each other during the holiday season. As the semester comes to a close, students are called to be aware of changes to the schedule that may be made on the basis of weather or crisis. Winter Week, Gala, Christmas Jazz, Cookies at (Above Right) Students attending the 2017 Gala pose with decorations in Memorial Hall. Photo courtesy of Noah Larson (Right) Students attending the 2018 Gala take the opportunity to capture a group photo in their Gala finery. Photo courtesy of Annie Carlson
the President’s House, and the Lighting of the Green are all events created to establish a firm sense of community and peace as the year comes to a close. Join us in spirit and celebration for these holiday festivities!
12 PHOTO FEATURE
THE BETHEL COLLEGE COLLEGIAN
SAC hosts a variety of events for November
Students enjoy the last bunch of SAC events, including Food Truck Week, Craft Night and Dine @ 9 Pie Night before the semester ends.
(Top Left) A group of students visit the Hot-2-Trot cart during food truck week. Photo by Lindsey Pfannenstiel (Top Right) Kaci Wilson, senior from Sterling, and Rachel Geyer, first-year from Kalona, Iowa, making dream catchers at Craft Night. Photo by Bethany Powls (Bottom Left) Students serving themselves pie from The Breadbasket at Pie Night.
Photo by Lindsey Pfannenstiel (Bottom Middle) Noah Larson, sophomore from Wichita, eats a lumpia from the Lumpia Palooza food truck. Photo by Bethany Powls (Bottom Right) Ayden Rolph, junior from Newton, and his guest enjoy their slices of pie. Photo by Lindsey Pfannenstiel