Bethel Magazine Winter 2018

New Science Majors and Spaces p. 12

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Sandy Hook Five Years Later p. 16

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Football Players Win National Service Award p. 22

Winter 2018

LIFE AFTER DARK

Campus Life Finds a Different Rhythm at Night p. 25

College of Arts & Sciences

| College of Adult & Professional Studies | Bethel Seminary | Graduate School

Winter 2018 Volume 9 Number 1

Editor Michelle Westlund ’83 Design Darin Jones ’97

Bethel is proud to announce new majors in the College of Arts & Sciences:

• Community Health • Digital Humanities • Electrical Engineering • Neuroscience • Mathematics and Data Science These new majors are built on Bethel’s outstanding foundation of academic excellence and unique Christ-centered learning, and developed with industry best practices and current hiring trends in mind.

What does your future have in store?

Explore majors—and imagine the possibilities—at bethel.edu/undergrad/academics/majors-minors.

photo by Scott Streble

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES

Contributors Whitney Bak ’15 Timothy Hammer ’08, S’12 Paul Hjellming ’13 Jenny Hudalla ’15 Jared Johnson GS’14 Anna Kaihoi ’07 Monique Kleinhuizen ’08, GS’16 Nathan Klok ’17 Suzanne McInroy Scott Streble President James (Jay) H. Barnes III Editorial Offices 3900 Bethel Drive St. Paul, MN 55112-6999 651.638.6233 651.638.6003 (fax) bethel-magazine@bethel.edu Address Corrections Office of University Advancement 651.635.8050 university-advancement-updates@ bethel.edu Bethel Magazine is published two times a year by Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999. Postage paid at St. Paul, Minnesota, and additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2017 Bethel University.

All Rights Reserved.

B ethel U niversit y is sponsored by th e c h u rc h e s of C o nve rg e .

It is the policy of Bethel not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, or disability in its educational programs, admissions, or employment policies as required

by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments. Inquiries regarding compliance may be direc ted to: C om plia n ce O f f ice r, B eth e l University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999.

A View from the Top An aerial view of the winter landscape reveals Bethel’s campus from a starkly beautiful perspective: clean lines and symmetry on the shores of a (what else?) royal blue lake.

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

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JayTalking Building on Excellence A conversation with President Jay Barnes

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Bethel sciences are building on a nationally recognized reputation for excellence by adding new majors and expanding research spaces—all with the goal of preparing scientists who will change the world.

UNews Bethel University community updates, including alumni of the year, new programs, new spaces, new scholarships

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Bookmarked Recently published books by Bethel authors

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22 Good Works

SportsShorts Highlights from the best of Royal athletics

Five years ago, the Sandy Hook shootings fractured the Newtown, Connecticut, community. But rather than be divided by tragedy, one church—led by three Bethel Seminary alumni—has chosen instead to embrace unity.

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In the past five years, five Bethel football players have been named to the Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team—one of the most coveted off-the-field honors in college football—in recognition of their commitment to service. Find out what motivates these athletes to serve others.

AlumNews Any Given Night Campus life settles into a different rhythm after dark. Join our photographer for a glimpse of what happens at Bethel...on any given night.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about Bethel Magazine!

Complete our reader survey online at bethel.edu/magazine-survey Bethel University

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JayTalking A conversation with President Jay Barnes

Athletes are in the news a lot these days. There are positive stories of athletes who go above and beyond in serving others, but often the stories are not good: sexual assault, performance-enhancing drugs, lack of academic integrity, financial misconduct, or failure to complete a degree. People may naturally wonder about athletics at Bethel, and I’m proud that we have a good story to tell.

How competitive are we athletically?

• We routinely compete for conference titles: Last year, the men’s basketball and baseball teams were conference champs.

• We succeed on a national level: Volleyball, football, and men’s and women’s basketball have advanced to the NCAA national playoffs; our men’s track and field 4x400 team finished second in the nation last season.

• Twenty-one Bethel athletes were selected MIAC Athlete of the Week in 2016-17; so far this year, 14 of our players have been selected.

How competitive are we academically?

• Last year 91 of our students earned Academic All-Conference awards. For most sports, that means a GPA of 3.5 or better and playing time of at least 50%.

• Last year we had two Elite 22 winners, an award given to the student with the highest GPA playing in the championship game (team sport) or receiving All-Conference honors (individual sport).

• Volleyball player Carlee Hoppe was awarded an NCAA Post-Graduate Fellowship, the seventh Bethel has earned since 2012. The odds of earning this fellowship are about one in 3,000.

• Our women’s cross country team had the fourth highest GPA in the nation, and our women’s basketball team had the 13th highest among all 453 NCAA Division III institutions.

How well do we build character?

• Josh Dalki was named to the 2017 AFCA Good Works Team, a national award recognizing a commitment to service. He’s our fifth football player in a row to receive this recognition and the 11th player in our history. Read more about our five winners in five years on page 22.

• Our sports teams travel on mission and service trips to places like Tanzania, Nicaragua, Peru, and Morocco.

• Our coaches model Christ-like leadership and character, structuring their programs to include a strong commitment to competition, academics, and character development.

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New Grad Programs in Athletic Training In anticipation of heightened requirements for athletic trainers in the state of Minnesota, Bethel has added two new graduate programs: M.S. in Athletic Training Bethel’s undergraduate athletic training program will transition to a “3-2” bridge program leading into a new Master of Science (M.S.) in Athletic Training. The two-degree track—which can be completed in as few as five years—prepares students for careers in sports medicine while infusing faithbased principles.

M.A. in Athletic Training Leadership Bethel’s Master of Arts (M.A.) in Athletic Training Leadership is designed for established athletic trainers who want to improve their leadership, understand their strengths, and take their career to the next level within a competitive field. Students will learn practical leadership frameworks and work through research-based courses that provide an immediate competitive advantage.

All online courses are built for working professionals, so students bring their work experience into the classroom and put their learning right to use.

photo by Scott Streble

Bethel Sports Are Good News

UNews Updates from the Bethel University community

In September, Bethel Seminary commemorated 40 years of reflecting the light of Christ in San Diego and, through hundreds of graduates, around the world. Founded in 1977 as “Bethel West,” in a home-turned-office provided

by College Avenue Baptist Church, the location answered a need for accredited theological education in the San Diego area. All four deans from the school’s history were present at the 40-year celebration to share memories of their eras at Bethel: founding Dean Clifford Anderson, Steven Voth, John Lillis, and Arnell Motz. “Little is much when God is in it,” said Anderson, recalling the sacrifice many made to give, teach, or study at Bethel over the years. “We all thrill at God’s quick miracles, but there is a different exhilaration watching God’s faithful ongoing blessing over an entire generation,” wrote Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, in honor of the evening. “Bethel Seminary San Diego has been touched by God for 40 years and I’ve seen it firsthand… excellent faculty, strategic location, and future promise.” Bethel Seminary San Diego has graduated 704 seminarians to date, with 188 students currently enrolled. Fifty percent of the fall 2017

photo by Greg Schneider

Bethel Seminary San Diego Celebrates 40 Years

student body identify as students of color, reflecting the diverse community in which the seminary is located. In recent years, with the expansion of online Bethel Seminary offerings, the seminary has served an important role in furthering Bethel’s reach and reputation beyond its two campuses.

Visit bethel.edu/news/bssdanniversary to see video of the 40th celebration, or visit bethel.edu/seminary/ academics to learn more about programs at Bethel Seminary San Diego.

Post-Traditional Enrollment Growth 19% Skyrockets Adult in Fall 2017 Undergrad

STAY CONNECTED! bethel.edu/news betheluniversity Bethel University @bethelumn @bethelu

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21% Graduate School

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New College of Arts & Sciences Majors Bethel added five new majors in fall 2017: Community Health As the world continues to globalize, the need grows for community health practitioners who see the value of each human life and the collective need for all to flourish. The B.A. in Community Health prepares students for careers in healthcare, public policy, community education, and more.

Digital Humanities Bethel recently became one of the first Midwestern liberal arts colleges to offer a B.A. in Digital Humanities.

The program challenges students to use modern skills like graphic design, data analysis, and programming to

explore questions traditionally posed in fields like literature, history, and philosophy.

ties for independent research, collaboration, mentoring, and hands-on work both on and off campus.

Electrical Engineering A longtime, strong emphasis in Bethel’s widely recognized physics and engineering department, the B.S. in Electrical Engineering is now a standalone program enhanced by strong electronics faculty and specialized advanced labs. Read the full-length story on p. 12.

Mathematics and Data Science The B.S. in Mathematics and Data Science creates a specific pathway for preparing the next generation of data scientists, a critical field as organizations make strategic decisions about their internal business units, customers, and products.

Neuroscience Bethel’s B.S. in Neuroscience is research-focused, providing opportuni-

Visit bethel.edu/undergrad/ academics to learn more about Bethel’s majors and programs.

Ed.D. Student Named Bush Fellow When Hsajune Dyan GS’19 came to Minnesota with his family as a 17-year-old refugee, he knew almost nothing about the state he now calls home. Since then, he’s found the Twin Cities a surprisingly accessible home for refugees—especially those belonging to the Karen ethnic group, like himself. But one problem remains, and he wants to address it. “Often parents don’t know how to navigate the school system or advocate for themselves,” he says.

“I want to be the face and voice for this underserved population.” Dyan serves as St. Paul Public Schools’ Karen cultural specialist, translating educational materials, facilitating parent trainings, and coordinating district-wide parent events. In 2017, he became the board chair for the Karen 4

Winter 2018

Organization of Minnesota—a nonprofit that educates others about Karen culture and provides social services to Karen refugees. And recently, he was one of 24 leaders from Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota selected as a 2017 Bush Fellow.

He’ll be awarded up to $100,000 to invest in community-strengthening leadership development, and he plans to use a portion of the funds to travel back to Thailand and Burma, where he will speak with educational leaders.

The remainder will go toward funding his doctoral degree program at Bethel.

Dyan is enrolled in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership in

K-12 Administration program, and when he earns his degree, he will become the first Karen licensed school administrator in the state.

Bethel’s Ed.D. in Leadership program draws students from around the world. Visit bethel.edu/graduate/ education-doctorate to learn more.

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Bethel Connections Abound for Foundation Board Member Not many alumni have a Bethel legacy like Peter Rekstad ’85. He and his wife Beth (Carlson) ’85 estimate that at least 35 of their extended family members from three generations have attended Bethel. Two of the Rekstads’ daughters graduated from Bethel, and the third, Krista, is a current student. Even a Rekstad dog attends classes and lives on campus as a mobility service animal helping Krista.

An investment professional, Rekstad has spent 28 years in his own practice managing portfolios

for foundations and individuals. He brings those skills to his service on the Bethel University Foundation Board of Governors, a group that provides investment expertise in support of the Bethel University Foundation, which manages the university’s endowment and trust assets established by donors.

“My role on the Foundation Board is an intersection of service to Bethel and my professional abilities,” he says.

Rekstad is motivated to give and serve because Bethel provides great academic programs surrounded by a strong spiritual influence. “The most

distinctive thing about Bethel is the integration of great academics with a Christ-centered worldview,” he says. “In all these years, that hasn’t changed.”

Visit www.bethellegacy.org to learn more about giving to Bethel.

Bookmarked Recently published books by Bethel University authors They Came for Freedom: The Forgotten, Epic Adventure of the Pilgrims

by Jay Milbrandt, Department of Business and Economics Introduction to Political Science: A Christian Perspective

by Fred Van Geest, Professor of Political Science

Marginal(ized) Prospects through Biblical Ritual and Law

by Bernon Lee, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies The Pietist Option: Hope for the Renewal of Christianity

by Christopher Gehrz, Professor of History, and Mark Pattie III

Visit bookstore.bethel.edu to see more books by Bethel authors.

Diversity Matters: Race, Ethnicity, and the Future of Christian Higher Education contributions by Leah Fulton, Academic Enrichment and Support Center Transition and Change in Collectivist Family Life: Strategies for Clinical Practice with Asian Americans edited by Karen Mui-Teng Quek, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Program Director; and Shi-Ruei Sherry Feng

Bethel University

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Bethel University 2017 Alumni of the Year Mitch Duininck ’81 College of Arts & Sciences

Tulsa-based physician Mitch Duininck ’81 manages a patient load while directing In His Image—a medical residency training program— and two nonprofits: Good Samaritan Health Services, which partners with local churches to meet the needs of medically underserved populations in the greater Tulsa area; and In His Image International, which offers international health rotations for medical residents. Duininck believes medicine has a unique way of opening doors. “Whether it’s in the mountains of Nepal or the poor areas of Tulsa, people need the same things,” he says. “When they feel like someone feels their pain, sees their hurt—and that there’s a loving God who wants to heal them? Wow. Medicine is this incredible opportunity and privilege, if we’ll take it.”

Duininck and his family members have served on countless overseas assignments in places like Kenya, Ghana, and Afghanistan. They were in Pakistan after 100,000 people were killed in an earthquake, and in Indonesia after a tsunami. At the heart of it all is a desire to be the hands and feet of Christ in some of the most war-torn and devastated areas of the world. “Mitch is one of our heroes

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at Bethel. He’s the type of person we want our graduates to emulate,” says President Jay Barnes. “He is bold and unflinching in his willingness to use his medical expertise to help hurting people in some of the most challenging places in the world.”

Visit bethel.edu/news/ articles/2017/october/mitchduininck to watch a brief video interview with Duininck.

Sammy Wanyonyi S’08, S’14 Bethel Seminary

Born in a rural village just outside of Kitale, Kenya, Sammy Wanyonyi S’08, S’14 washed and wore the same shirt every day, and didn’t have a pair of shoes until he started sixth grade. His parents were subsistence farmers by day and evangelists by night, preaching and ministering.

Decades later, Wanyonyi is doing the same as founder and president of SHINE in the World Ministries, a global organization that spreads the gospel and trains ministry leaders for evangelism. “The most energizing part of my work is seeing people come to faith in Jesus,” he says.

“That moment when you witness people embracing the gospel is so special and so sacred.”

Wanyonyi started preaching when he was eight years old. His father

took him to open-air markets, where Wanyonyi told large crowds about God. By the time he finished high school, Wanyonyi had committed himself to a career in global ministry. With nothing but $50, the clothes on his back, and a firm belief that God would provide, he boarded a plane bound for the U.S. in pursuit of evangelistic training. After earning an undergraduate degree, he realized God wasn’t finished preparing him for ministry, so he set up a visit at Bethel Seminary and eventually enrolled on the conviction that “the Lord would provide.” He earned both a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry, and—through a combination of scholarships, grants, and generous friends—graduated without debt.

Visit bethel.edu/news/ articles/2017/september/ sammy-wanyonyi to watch a brief video interview with Wanyonyi.

Andy Schweizer CAPS’11 College of Adult & Professional Studies

At age 14, Andy Schweizer CAPS’11 trudged along a snowy sidewalk in south Minneapolis delivering newspapers. Now, more than four decades later, Schweizer is a successful entrepreneur and a member of the Twin Cities Salvation Army Advisory Board.

Early in his career, he worked 100-hour weeks as a partner in his brother’s garbage and recycling company, ACE Solid Waste. Later, as sole owner, he grew his customer base from 25,000 to

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Digital Health Grants Provide Student Scholarships 80,000, and realized he had to be more than a manager—he had to be a leader with a vision. “People say that if you have a successful business but not a degree, you’re lucky, not good,” he says.

“I wanted to prove that I was good.”

With a full-time job and a family of five, Schweizer enrolled in Bethel’s adult undergraduate business management program. “What I learned in class on Monday night, I’d apply on Tuesday in the lunchroom with my work folks,” he says. “The company changed from week to week as I learned more and put it into practice.”

In 2014, he sold ACE after 21 years and founded Wheelhouse Capital, a holding company that owns and operates commercial real estate properties. The business has a nautical theme, a fitting tribute to Schweizer’s lifelong love of sailing. “There’s nothing more exciting than the thrill of going where you’ve never gone before—on the water, in business, and in life,” he says. “You can’t always see where you’re going…but if you know your destination, you can sail past the horizon without fear.”

Visit bethel.edu/news/ articles/2017/august/ andy-schweizer to watch a brief video interview with Schweizer.

In spring 2017, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation made a $50,000 grant donation to Bethel’s Center for Healthcare Excellence to provide scholarships for students.

Richard M. Schulze is a renowned Minnesota entrepreneur who is also founder and chairman emeritus of Best Buy Co., Inc., and the foundation annually awards grants in the areas of human services, education, and health and medicine. The grant enables Bethel to offer 10 scholarships to students who accept an internship with a Bethel-approved digital health partner.

Michael Fontaine ’18 is one recipient.

He’s been involved with the Digital Health Pathway since its inception and had already accepted an internship with Bethel partner Invenshure when the Center for Healthcare Excellence received the grant. Prior to attending Bethel, Fontaine trained alongside medics and was HIPAA certified as part of a healthcare unit in the Army National Guard. As a student, he knew he wanted to pursue computer science.

The Digital Health Pathway provided him with opportunities to combine his computer science skills and his passion for healthcare. “I’m kind of middleman medicine,” Fontaine says. “Part of our calling as Christians is to help those in need, which is the sick and the poor.

By working with the Digital Health Pathway, you gain exposure to the technologies that help the people who help those who are sick.”

The Digital Health Pathway doesn’t just provide opportunities for computer science students like Fontaine. The pathway is structured to give students

of any major exposure to the healthcare field—including an understanding of medical terminology and cuttingedge advancements—by working for a health tech startup in a variety of roles. Startups provide innovative, hands-on learning opportunities for students, which further add to the value of an internship. Approved internship partners and opportunities for students are identified through the Center for Healthcare Excellence.

Visit bethel.edu/academics/ digital-health for more information on the Digital Health Pathway.

20% of Bethel’s incoming freshmen were students of color, the most diverse class yet Bethel University

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Professor Leads Professional Counseling Board Associate Professor Karen Quek, now in her second year as director of Bethel Seminary San Diego’s Marital and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling programs, was elected board director by the California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors, the premier leadership and governing

organization for counselors in the state of California. In her short time at Bethel, she’s refreshed curricula and expanded the seminary’s reputation and student opportunities outside the classroom. Now, she’s excited about the additional networking possibilities and mutually beneficial cross-pollination that will happen when her communities of counseling professionals become more connected.

“This is huge for our students!” she says. “Having a well-established network is becoming an important part of our profession—especially for those in private practice.” Quek is a

dual-licensed marriage and family therapist and professional clinical counselor who has been providing therapy for individuals, couples, and families from diverse backgrounds for more than 20 years. Her innovative research reflects her expertise and interests in multicultural clinical work, cross-cultural family dynamics, and gender equality, and has resulted in numerous publications and presentations, including her 2017 co-authored book, Transition and Change in Collectivist Family Life: Strategies for Clinical Practice with Asian Americans.

New Spaces Significant updates were completed for the start of the academic year, including outdoor and indoor spaces.

Indoors

• Athletics upgrades: film room, indoor golf practice facility, updated offices • Expanded physics and engineering space • Updated lounge near biology and chemistry departments

Outdoors

• Creekside outdoor space updated with natural stone seating and retaining walls, native grasses and plants, and walking paths • Lundquist Community Life Center Circle enhanced with new patio seating, landscaping, and signage • Upgrades to free, public 18-hole disc golf course • New outdoor volleyball court • New turf at Hargis Park baseball field

Anderson Center

• The Offices of Marketing and Communications, Human Resources, Business, and Information Technology Systems moved from 3900 Bethel Drive into new office space on the fifth floor of the nearby Anderson Center. Openconcept, naturally lit workspaces include powered sit-stand desks; all employees have access to dedicated kitchen and lounge space, outdoor patios, and conferencing rooms.

Want to see campus for yourself? Bethel friends, alumni, and prospective students are always welcome! Visit bethel.edu/ undergrad/admissions/visit to schedule a tour.

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SportsShorts

HOMECOMING2017 Homecoming fans cheered on their number one team, and the Royals rewarded their fans’ confidence with a 49-0 win over Carleton College in the Homecoming football game on October 7.

photos by AJ Barrett

At halftime, fans also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the 2007 team crowned NCAA West Region Champions. More than 20 players from that squad—the first in Bethel’s history to win an NCAA region championship—were in attendance.

2007 NCAA West Region Championship Team Bethel University

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SportsShorts Highlights from the best of Royal athletics

photo by Nathan Klok

photo by Nathan Klok

Volleyball coach Gretchen Hunt earns career win No. 300 in Bethel’s 3-2 victory over No. 10-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College in September.

MAKING HISTORY

Senior golfer Christine Piwnica becomes Bethel’s first-ever four-time MIAC All-Conference honoree at the 2017 MIAC Championships this fall, finishing in second place for the third time in her career with an overall score of 227, the secondlowest score in the history of the event.

Annika Halverson races to her second career AllAmerican award at the NCAA National Cross Country Championships in November, running the second-fastest time in Bethel history at 21:29:80.

3.27 All-athlete GPA in 2016-17

Josh Dalki is Bethel’s fifth consecutive American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team honoree. Read more about him and Bethel’s past four winners on p.

22.

JUST DOING IT Bethel athletics inked a six-year deal with BSN SPORTS—the nation’s largest distributor of sporting goods equipment, athletic footwear, and apparel to schools and leagues—to become Bethel’s official athletic gear provider.

BSN will supply Nike products to all 18 Bethel sports.

Follow the Royals: bethelroyals.com | youtube.com/bethelroyals | facebook.com/bethelroyals | twitter.com/bethelroyals

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photo by Nathan Klok

No. 300

ALL-AMERICAN

Trey Anderson ’20 (football) and Kristin Stern ’18 (volleyball) are named to the 2017 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District Team in their sports. The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined athletic and academic performance. Fewer than 1% of Division III athletes in the district encompassing Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan receive it.

TOP

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MIAC Athlete of the Week awards won by Bethel athletes so far this fall and winter

39 3900 @

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Number of career touchdowns scored by senior wide receiver Bryce Marquardt, a new Bethel all-time career touchdown record

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Kolin Kiekhoefer’s record at No. 2 singles.

He and four other Royals men’s tennis players received MIAC All-Conference honors.

photo by Nathan Klok

31,329 sq/ft

New artificial turf was installed on the infield of Hargis Park, complete with brown base paths and a navy and white BU logo behind home plate.

photo by Nathan Klok

SportsShorts

Bethelroyals.com launches a new series—a weekly web interview—this fall.

Interviews feature 39 student-athletes from all 18 sports throughout the 39 weeks of the academic year.

Bethel University

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BUILDING ON EXCELLENCE Preparing Scientists Who Will Change the World From Bethel’s founding, our leaders have recognized the inextricable link between faith and science, considering natural discovery and lifelong learning to be among the deepest forms of worship. Now Bethel is poised to build on this rich heritage with the goal of being the leading Christ-centered undergraduate university for research in the sciences. Bethel is intent on preparing scientists of the highest caliber who actively integrate a robust faith into their work, and will use their training and skills for God’s glory and the world’s good.

by Monique Kleinhuizen ’08 GS’16 12

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Collaborative, Real-World Research

Bethel has always been committed to excellence, particularly in the sciences. More than 200 biology graduates have been accepted into health-related graduate and professional schools in recent years.

The chemistry department ranks in the top 15% of U.S. chemistry programs. And the growing Department of Physics and Engineering is a national top-15 undergraduate physics program. These achievements are born of an atmosphere of equality and individuality. Bethel has capitalized on its cohesive campus community to foster highly collaborative, tailored learning relationships between faculty and students.

Bethel’s science faculty routinely pursue high-level research and publish work in leading journals, but they feel called primarily to teach and mentor their students. Advanced labs and cutting-edge equipment are core to the undergraduate experience, with small class sizes allowing students to select and tailor research to their unique interests, graduate study topics, and long-term career goals. This valuable combination leads to multifaceted, real-world research opportunities for undergraduate students, a Bethel distinctive. Just as important, students explore their role as scientists and learn how their faith informs their research.

And as graduates, Bethel-trained scientists leverage this unique preparation to approach real-world challenges with clarity, compassion, and creativity.

Biology

As a prospective student, Jason “Jay” Homme ’95—now a pediatric doctor at world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota—had the chance to meet with Bethel’s biology department chair to discuss college plans. “During the conversation, I learned he had gone to Harvard,” Homme says. “And I thought, ‘This man is so humble and so inviting. If anyone else at Bethel is half like him, then this is the place for me.’” At Bethel, Homme says he learned “how to learn,” a foundational skill that served him well in the many years of school following his undergraduate education. Another important lesson came from the opportunity to work with cadavers in anatomy class. Bethel is still one of only a few schools where undergraduate students get the opportunity to dissect a human body themselves, a significant advantage in preparing for a future in medicine. Today, in addition to his pediatric practice, Homme is a researcher and faculty member at Mayo Clinic’s College of Medicine & Science and School of Graduate Medical Education, and is director of the pediatric residency program there.

Chemistry

Paul Boswell ’03 is just one chemistry alumnus doing creative things with his degree. He and his wife Alyssa ’03, S’10, an elementary education graduate, combined their areas of expertise to develop Turing Tumble, a tabletop game aimed at teaching simplified, computational thinking. Lighthearted and kidfriendly, the game introduces computer-like thinking to even the youngest players. Paul earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the

200+

Biology graduates accepted into health-related professional schools in last eight years

Top 15% Chemistry programs in the U.S. - Major Field Test results

Top 15

Undergraduate physics programs in the U.S. - American Institute of Physics

Bethel University

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SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Through the Bethel Physics and Engineering Program Scholarship, two full-tuition and two $10,000/year scholarships are awarded to new students pursuing majors in physics or engineering. Visit bethel.edu/undergrad/ academics/physics/ scholarship for more information.

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University of Minnesota, where, after being awarded a $1.6 million post-doctoral research grant from the National Institute of Health, he ran a research group in the horticultural science department and taught chemistry. He says his time at Bethel shaped his ability to explore ideas and push the envelope scientifically.

“At Bethel, professors encourage you to just try things…to take initiative, to do things independently,” he says. “Having those experiences and going to Bethel for undergrad made a huge difference in getting into graduate school.”

Physics and Engineering

In Bethel’s physics and engineering department, students and faculty collaborate on open-ended research projects; in the last four years, 135 students have co-authored 86 published and/or presented papers.

Faculty have been awarded numerous research grants, including four recent National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. In the last six years, Bethel has received nearly $1.5 million in research grants to fund student research in physics. And nearly 100% of physics graduates receive full financial support for graduate work.

Physics graduate Lauren Otto ’12 began her unique career path through an internship. After graduation, she launched her own company, Laminera, in Berkeley, California. Otto has been awarded a prestigious place among Cohort Three of Cyclotron Road, an elite group of hard science innovators who are committed to

using technology to have a profound, positive impact on society. Cyclotron Road projects are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Activation Energy, and the Department of Energyfunded Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In November, Otto was also included in the 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 for Energy list, ranking her among national trendsetters and innovators in energy.

New Majors and Pathways Bethel sciences continue to grow, in national reputation as well as in student numbers. In response to student and marketplace demand, Bethel launched these new science majors and pathways in fall 2017:

Neuroscience. This biologypsychology hybrid program hinges on independent student research and extensive laboratory experience—with a solid foundation in diverse scientific areas.

Electrical Engineering. The university’s first stand-alone engineering program is built on Bethel’s established reputation in engineering, strong electronics faculty, and specialized advanced labs.

Mathematics and Data Science.

This program marries computer science and mathematics—plus business analytics—to prepare students well for the growing field of data science and data mining.

Community Health. Clinical experiences are infused with a humancentered approach, preparing students for careers in healthcare, public policy, community education—and much more.

Imagine what could be accomplished by world-changers in the sciences who influence our society at a time when excellent and ethical science is needed.

Center for Healthcare Excellence: Digital Health Pathway. This tailored educational experience prepares students in any major for custom-fit job opportunities through early exposure to real-life work environments and individual career counseling.

In developing new programs in the sciences, says Dean of Natural and Behavioral Sciences Carole Young, “we’re looking in directions in which we know there’s potential for future growth. Here at Bethel, we have really talented faculty who are both knowledgeable about their disciplines and also keenly aware of the needs in the marketplace.”

In addition, Bethel is making a significant commitment to providing facilities and equipment befitting a premier program. In summer 2017, the Department of Physics and Engineering space was expanded and renovated, “putting science on

Nearly

100%

Physics alumni receive full financial support for graduate work

display” and incorporating cuttingedge, collaborative lab space. “The ‘NanoLab’ is expanding to include dedicated space for a new Materials and Devices course, more space for our full Optics and Lasers course projects, as well as continuing student-faculty research with a new floating optics table and a nanotechnology scanning probe microscope bench,” explains Associate Professor of Physics Nathan Lindquist. Students also now have dedicated space for research alongside peers and faculty, even outside of class.

Barrett Fisher, dean of arts and humanities. “Students prepared at Bethel offer not only their knowledge and expertise, but they are also salt and light in the industries, agencies, and organizations where they continue their work.”

Bethel sciences alumni are already changing the world, their accomplishments fueled by a triad of influences that marks Bethel’s unique approach to preparing graduates.

“There’s this important mix at Bethel: a liberal arts education, engagement with personal faith, and academic excellence—producing graduates who are really outstanding and competent,” says Associate Professor of Physics Chad Hoyt. “All three of those things, by themselves, are exciting. But together they make for dynamic, exceptional leaders who go on to contribute to society and their fields in ways other schools’ grads might not. These aren’t just great scientists—they’re really great people.”

Investing in the Future

The new programs and expanding spaces represent Bethel’s ongoing commitment to becoming the Christcentered university of choice for this century. It’s an audacious goal that, in today’s economic and industrial climate, won’t happen without a significant and sustained investment in the sciences, healthcare, and technology. “Imagine how much could be accomplished by equipping worldchangers in the sciences to influence our society at a time when excellent and ethical science is needed,” says Visit bethel.edu/news/articles/2017/october/physics-engineeringspace to read more about new science spaces at Bethel.

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UNDIVID Fractured by the Sandy Hook tragedy, a church chooses to embrace unity

by Michelle Westlund ’83

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DED

Tragically—unfathomably— the violence has happened many times since. In Orlando.

In Las Vegas. In Sutherland Springs, Texas. But five years ago, it happened in Newtown, Connecticut. On December 14, 2012, a shooter entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and took the lives of 20 students and six adults, then killed himself.

Where is God in the midst of such pain? It’s a common heart-cry in times of suffering, and in Newtown it was no different. But there was a church there, and believers there, who dared to have hope.

Now, that church—led by three Bethel Seminary alumni—is taking the lessons learned in their five-year journey and continuing to walk the difficult path of healing. Refusing to let tragedy divide them, they’re instead allowing the power of Jesus to draw them together in a radical commitment to unity.

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An Undesired Privilege

On that December morning, Brian Mowrey ’01, S’09, S’18 was attending his daughter’s winter concert at an elementary school just a few miles from Sandy Hook.

Then the Newtown community heard the news. “You hear of shootings, of murders, but then suddenly it’s on your back step, and it’s children,” he says quietly. “It’s horrific, unthinkable, unimaginable.”

Mowrey was one of five Bethel-trained pastors then working at Walnut Hill Community Church, a network of four evangelical churches serving more than 3,000 people in western Connecticut. Walnut Hill’s main campus is just 10 minutes from Newtown. The pastors began calling parents in their church, and as they did, the story got closer and closer to home. “We quickly learned that the shootings had high impact for us—more than 500 members of our church were from Newtown,” Mowrey says. “Fifty to 75 kids from our church were in the Sandy Hook school that day.

We had parents and grandparents, police officers and first responders. It was hard to believe it had happened to us.”

The event is still hard for Mowrey to talk about. Yet he considers it a privilege to have ministered in the midst of it. “You could never imagine it, but when it happens, it is a privilege to walk alongside the families who were Bethel Seminary alumni (l to r) Craig Mowrey S’06, Adam DePasquale S’13, and Brian Mowrey ’01, S’09, S’18 form a unique lead pastor team at Walnut Hill Community Church, a network of four evangelical churches serving more than 3,000 people in western Connecticut.

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affected,” he says. “It was an undesired privilege to be here and minister into such sorrow.” The tragedy’s impact was both immediate and enduring. “This changed the culture of our community overnight,” says Mowrey. “But we quickly learned that this wasn’t a months-long journey—this was 10 or 20 years of ministry.”

“We’re Still Here”

The journey began right away. Walnut Hill opened its doors and became a place of healing for many, both from within the church and outside of it. The church auditorium hosted event after event for a community in need of comfort and hope. “Like never before, we’re now connected to our community,” says Mowrey. “People have seen the church as an active part of the healing journey. And we’re still here.

Five years ago, there was an outpouring of support and resources to the Sandy Hook community, but as time went on, the support and resources have nearly run out. Walnut Hill is still here, and people are experiencing healing because of the love of Jesus seen through the church.”

Today, three of the five Bethel Seminary alumni remain on Walnut Hill’s staff, forming a unique lead pastor team that has redefined the traditional senior pastor role.

Mowrey is responsible for teaching, preaching, and the

discipleship ministry of the church. Craig Mowrey S’06—Brian’s brother— supervises development, lay leaders, and campus pastors, serving as campus pastor himself at the Waterbury, Connecticut, location. And Adam DePasquale S’13 oversees the executive functions of the church, administrating the areas of finance, operations, and facilities, as well as the family ministries team. The three pastors share responsibility for the vision and strategy of Walnut Hill.

The past five years have left their mark on the leadership team. “As leaders, it changed us personally,” says Brian Mowrey. “I didn’t realize the extent to which a tragedy like this would change me, but five years later I can look back and see how I’ve grown in maturity and boldness—all of us have. We had to.”

DePasquale has found he’s a much more empathetic leader now. “There was a time in my life when I could quickly scroll through the national and world news headlines,” he says. “Today, my heart stops whenever I read of suffering and pain. I recognize the complexity of decision-making in leading a community through tragedy. I see the tension that so often exists as community members heal at different paces and in different ways. And I feel real frustration when I realize so little has changed in five years and that somehow mass, senseless violence has become a national epidemic. This is what leads me to pray. It keeps me involved in ministry. And it increases my longing for Christ’s return.”

The team now serves as a resource for other communities facing tragedy, including Las Vegas, where at least 59 people were killed October 1, 2017, in the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. “Because of our experience with the Sandy Hook community, we have an immediate voice when there’s a new tragedy,” says Mowrey. “We feel a burden to respond to those facing similar circumstances with a voice of encouragement and love. With humility, we have had many opportunities to resource church leaders who are walking with their communities through tragedy.”

Practical Theology

Now Mowrey is taking another step on the long journey he began five years ago. He’s pursuing a doctoral degree at Bethel Seminary, in a new Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program track: biblical and theological engagement. The program emphasizes the application of biblical wisdom in ministry and life, says Professor of Ministry Leadership Justin Irving, director of the Doctor of Ministry program and interim co-vice president and dean of Bethel Seminary.

“Rather than just being a degree focused on study,” says Irving, “the D.Min. in Biblical and Theological Engagement challenges students to apply what they’re learning in the midst of their ministry contexts.”

As the seminary developed the program, Irving thought of the pastoral team at Walnut Hill. “Justin reached out and encouraged us to consider this program,” says Mowrey. “I loved the idea of a very practical theology that I can actually implement into regular caring for my community. Talking about theology in the classroom is one thing, but when you’re sitting with parents who just lost a child, it’s another. That’s when the theological muscle gets flexed. I wanted to be better equipped to help people directly in my ministry context.”

SIX PRINCIPLES FOR UNITY IN DIVERSITY 1. Honor brings healing.

2. Education is necessary to bring understanding.

3. A strong identity in God can overcome any adversity.

4. Through serving, a sense of belonging emerges.

5. Leadership must be all in.

6. Through relationships, hearts change.

Read the 2013 Bethel Magazine story about the Sandy Hook tragedy and the response of Walnut Hill Community Church at bethel. edu/news/publications/ bethel-magazine/winterspring-2013

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If anyone has a chance for unity, it’s the church, because we share the same Spirit— we share Jesus.”

A Healing Journey

Mowrey began the D.Min. program in 2014, determined to write his thesis on the church’s response and role in tragedy.

But as he began his proposal, he experienced an unexpected shift in perspective. “I had every intention of doing a study on the church’s response to tragedy, yet God turned my heart to focus on unity in diversity instead,” he explains.

“Rather than looking back at the tragedy we lived through, God drew my attention to a topic that will become a part of the healing journey.”

His original sense—that the journey would be measured in decades, not months—proved accurate. “At the beginning, in the news and on TV, the community comes together,” he says. “But once you get past the first few months of lighting candles and having unity services, you realize there are a lot of fractures present. Not because of hate, but because of the different levels of impact and the unique ways people respond to tragedy and trauma.”

Now, Mowrey’s passion is for unity to grow from the fractures of tragedy. “This topic really speaks to the condition of our world right now,” he says. “We live in a heated environment filled with divisions and fractures.

What we need is a plan for unity—and that has to do with race, disability, age, and gender.”

Unity in Diversity

Runners from Walnut Hill Community Church participated in the 2014 Ragnar Relay on Cape Cod, Mass., to benefit Dylan’s Wings of Change, founded in memory of Dylan Hockley, one of the children killed at Sandy Hook.

When tragedy strikes, the varying degrees of impact create brokenness and division within a community.

Walnut Hill is committed to fostering greater unity as the next stage of healing for their community. The church isn’t far from New York City, and attendees represent 45 nations, speak 32 languages, and span a variety of age groups.

Mowrey sees great redemptive potential in using the impact of tragedy to transform the Walnut Hill community, leading them to embrace the very differences that could divide them.

Bethel Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry Bethel Seminary offers the nation’s first fully online Doctor of Ministry program that is fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Program tracks include: • Biblical and Theological Engagement • Missional Effectiveness • Church Leadership • Transformational Leadership • Congregation and Family Care Visit bethel.edu/seminary to learn more about Bethel Seminary programs.

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Mowrey’s research is shaping an intentional plan for unity in diversity. Based on more than 45 interviews with Walnut Hill attendees—as well as surveys and interviews with other churches doing similar work—the goals are to heal wounds, restore relationships, and draw people into greater unity with one another and with God. While the plan’s six principles arose from Walnut Hill’s journey, their truth can spark transformation in individuals, leaders, and churches anywhere: 1. Honor brings healing.

“If we want greater unity, we need to learn how to honor each other,” says Mowrey. “Honoring one another—for who we are created to be—heals any fractures between our races, ages, or genders. To honor means to accurately acknowledge the goodness of God in one another. When we honor others, we heal the broken places within them. So many people carry around false labels and aliases placed on them by the world. When we honor, we reinstate and reengage a person’s true identity as a child of God. Honor is actually a bridge we can use to connect to each other.”

2. Education is necessary to bring understanding.

“Education is more than learning information; it involves learning about others,” Mowrey explains. “We didn’t want to pretend we were experts after the tragedy took place. We wanted to be learners. We had to educate ourselves not only about trauma and recovery, but about the differences in people’s experiences and backgrounds that affected their responses.”

3. A strong identity in God can overcome adversity.

“When you know who you are in Jesus, you have a firm foundation,” says Mowrey. “From my research, I’ve found that people who have a strong identity in God walk through life in a different way, not defined by what another person says or thinks. When our identity is firmly placed in the Lord, offenses become passing events instead of lifelong friends.”

4. Through serving, a sense of belonging emerges.

“At Walnut Hill, we do a good job of welcoming people, but do people feel like they really belong?” asks Mowrey.

“We want to move from a sense of inclusion to a sense of belonging, and even further—we hope to become

family together. Members of minority groups I surveyed say they felt they belonged when they started to serve.

Serving together can help bring healing through the context of relationship.”

5. Leadership must be all in.

“When I began this research, I prepared our elder board for the possible changes to our church based on my findings,” says Mowrey. “I had to hear from them that they were ready for our church to change, to embrace diversity in a new way. I actually asked them to stand up to signify their commitment. They all did.”

6. Through relationships, hearts change.

“If we’re trying to cross division lines—whether lines created by a tragedy or by race or history—it has to happen through relationship,” Mowrey emphasizes.

“We’re not just going for a change of mind—we’re going for a change of heart. If we are going to obey the command of Jesus to love one another, it must happen in the context of relationship.”

Igniting a Spark

No leader is fully prepared for the unthinkable tragedy the Walnut Hill pastors faced five years ago. But Mowrey says his Bethel training equipped him to be the hands and feet of Jesus as their team accepted the undesired privilege of walking alongside a shattered community. “Bethel provides a learning environment that equips people to actually do real-life ministry,” he explains. “I found that to be true in my undergraduate work, and in the seminary’s transformational leadership and doctor of ministry programs.”

Mowrey is finishing his thesis work and plans to graduate this spring. His three-year journey of study and research has been surprising, profound, challenging, and ultimately transformational—both for him and the church he serves.

“The main thing I’ve learned through all this,” he says, “is that despite deep hurt or horrific tragedy, the power of Jesus is strong enough to bring people into unity, no matter what the adversity or offense. If anyone has a chance for unity, it’s the church, because we share the same Spirit—we share Jesus.”

That truth reaches far beyond one tragedy, one church, or one community. The light of healing casts a wide arc and embraces the world. “Sometimes the only way you can see a spark ignite is in real darkness,” says Mowrey. “I look at this time in history, and it’s an opportunity for the church to strike a match and the world to really see it.”

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GOOD WORKS

Five Bethel Athletes Live Out a Commitment to Service

by Jared Johnson GS’14

Drew Neuville ’17 Joshua Perkins ’15

Josh Dalki ’18

Matt Mehlhorn ’16

In 1992, the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team was established by the College Football Association to recognize the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the football field. It’s one of the most coveted off-thefield honors in college football. Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and Super Bowl champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning are members of previous Good Works Teams.

So are 11 Bethel University football players. In fact, five of them have been honored in the past five years—including Josh Dalki ’18, who was selected for the 2017 Good Works Team in September. Bethel’s total of 11 honorees ranks second all-time among all NCAA Division III programs, and fifth all-time among all college football programs, including NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA. Bethel is one of only 22

Winter 2018

J.D. Mehlhorn ’14

two schools to have five players selected in five consecutive years. The other school is Duke University.

How is it that Bethel is a national leader in an award category that recognizes athletes for their character and commitment to community service? The answer lies close to home, at least according to Joshua Perkins ’15, a 2014 Good Works Team member. “Bethel has a culture of service,” he says. “It’s part of the football program, it’s part of the academic community, and it’s the focus of a variety of the co-curricular options on campus. Service seemed to me to just be part of being a Bethel student.”

Here, meet Bethel’s five most recent Good Works Team members, and find out how they balanced the demands of football and academics as they lived in—and lived out— Bethel’s culture of service to others.

#2

JOSH DALKI ’18

Life Science Education 5-12 major Linebacker Minnetonka, Minn.

After graduation, plans to work as a high school teacher/coach

ON BALANCING HIS SCHEDULE: “I made sure to put volunteering on the same level of importance as anything else that physically grows you as a person, like eating, staying active, and sleeping. This helped me to instill volunteering as a habit even when I was busy, making it something that I didn’t think twice about doing.”

ON WHY HE LOVES COMMUNITY SERVICE: “As humans, we all crave positive relationships, and this was one service I could always offer people. Even if I’m not the best math tutor or T-ball coach, I can do a genuine job of connecting with the people I interact with through those activities. I’ve gotten to build relationships with people I didn’t even know the day before. That’s why I love community service and find it to be so impactful to those involved, on either side.”

Bethel’s total of 11 honorees ranks No. 2 all-time among all NCAA Division III programs

DREW NEUVILLE ’17

Psychology major Tight End Green Bay, Wis. Now NetSuite business development representative, Minneapolis

MATT MEHLHORN ’16 Business major Defensive Back Lakeville, Minn.

Now in medical device sales with Stryker Orthopedics, Minneapolis

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE: “I’ve been afforded so many opportunities, and community service is a simple way to give back, to spread Christ’s love, and hopefully make a difference in someone’s life. So often you come away from a community service experience feeling like you gained a lot more than you gave.”

ON BALANCING HIS SCHEDULE: ON BALANCING HIS SCHEDULE: “Playing a sport actually helped structure my schedule. It comes down “Finding time to volunteer can be to the fact that you can make time for tricky, especially when you want to what’s important to you. Bethel has play football at a high level and get created an incredible culture of giving good grades. The key to this is time back, and our football coaching staff management. You might have to give instilled in us to have ‘an attitude of up some time you would usually use gratitude’ and to ‘leave more than we for playing video games or watching take.’ Volunteering is an easy way to Netflix. Or spend spring break or give back and really try to pass on other school breaks doing community Christ’s love, in the same way that it service. During school, set a realistic has been so plentifully shown to me goal of how much you can do. People don’t need the world from you; they will over my life.” be grateful for whatever you give. So just give what you can.”

ON TRAVELING TO NEW ORLEANS WITH HIS GOOD WORKS TEAM: Visit fox9.com/news/bethel“The trip to New Orleans is one of my linebacker-surprised-withfavorite memories—no doubt a Top 5 community-service-award to see experience of my life. All the guys I Fox 9 News coverage of Dalki receiving met were super friendly, and getting his award. to hang out with Tim Tebow was also pretty cool.”

1 in 70,000 Odds of being selected to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

5 5 for

Bethel is one of only two schools to have five Good Works Team members five years in a row.

Duke University is the other.

Bethel has a culture of service. Service seemed to me to just be part of being a Bethel student.”

—Joshua Perkins ’15

2014 Good Works Team member Bethel University

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JOSHUA PERKINS ’15 Missional Ministries major Offensive Line Iowa Falls, Iowa Now Bethel University assistant director of recruitment, St. Paul

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE: “If I’m going to call myself a follower of Jesus, I have no choice but to serve and share when and where I’m called.

We’re meant to be members of our community, and to serve is to take seriously the command to love others as ourselves.”

ON BETHEL’S CULTURE: “Bethel has a culture of service. It’s a part of the football program, of the academic community, and really is the main focus of a variety of the cocurricular options on campus. Service seemed to me to just be part of being a Bethel student. I felt incredibly fortunate to be here and be among such incredible students, professors, and coaches.”

ON MEETING THE OTHER GOOD WORKS TEAM MEMBERS: “I loved meeting guys from all across the country who were passionate about football, but understood that their impact went so far beyond any athletic skill they had. It was also moving to see that, for many of them, their faith played a pivotal role in their lives and actions.”

J.D. MEHLHORN ’14 The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team tells the full story of what it can mean to be successful as a studentathlete. It’s important to develop the skills of these young players on the field, but it’s even more important to encourage them in all the good they can do off the field, and help them understand the impact they can make with the platform they have.

—Tim Tebow,

two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner, and 2009 Good Works Team member

#5

Bethel’s total of 11 honorees ranks No. 5 all-time among all college football programs (NCAA Division I FBS and FCS, II, III, and NAIA)

Biokinetics major Defensive Back Lakeville, Minn.

Now University of Connecticut football strength and conditioning coach

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE: “As a follower of Christ, I’m called to love my neighbor as myself. Taking action and serving the community is one of the ways to show that love. Jesus was/is the ultimate example of love and service, and I want to follow His teaching.”

ON BALANCING HIS SCHEDULE: “Being a Bethel student allowed service opportunities to find me, rather than me having to spend time going to seek them out. I am extremely grateful for that, as it allowed me to take those opportunities and attempt to make the most of them.”

ON THE BETHEL COMMUNITY: “Bethel does an unbelievable job engaging in the community and serving others in a very real way. I felt like the Good Works award should have been given to the entire community at Bethel, of which I was just a very small piece. Some of the work done by other members, even on our football team, left me feeling like there were so many deserving of an award. I am honored to have represented Bethel for the award, but it truly was a collective effort.”

Bethel’s Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Recipients Name Year Position Josh Dalki 2017 Inside Linebacker Drew Neuville 2016 Tight End Matt Mehlhorn 2015 Defensive Back Joshua Perkins 2014 Outside Linebacker J.D. Mehlhorn 2013 Defensive Back Reid Velo 2009 Wide Receiver 24

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Name Year Position A.J. Parnell 2005 Wide Receiver Matt Wassink 2004 Linebacker Josh Gingerich 2002 Outside Linebacker Chico Rowland 1999 Outside Linebacker Eric Runyan 1998 Wide Receiver

by Jenny Hudalla ’15 photography by Paul Hjellming ’13

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Bethel never really sleeps— at least, that’s what a second-shift employee cheerfully told us as she mopped up the remnants of an eventful day on campus. In fact, it isn’t until the sun dips below the shores of Lake Valentine, and the structure of daily activities gives way to the freedom of the night, that the vibrancy of life at Bethel comes full circle.

You can hear it in the hum of vacuum cleaners, the clinking of forks and spoons, and the echoes of laughter floating through residence hall windows.

You can see it in the student poring over a book in the library and the group of friends tossing a Frisbee in the lighted courtyard outside. Campus life settles into a different rhythm after dark. Here, take a visual tour of what happens at Bethel…on any given night.

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Freshman Aiyanna Klaphake is out for a late-night stroll with her residence hall’s floor ministry leader, sophomore Mariah Uphoff. “We’re just walking and talking,” Uphoff says. “Talking about Jesus and discernment and trusting Him with our future plans.”

As a teaching assistant, biochemistry major Nina Lebrun makes stock solutions for use in general biology labs. “I was here until 1 a.m. last night,” she says.

“Students are going to put this solution through dialysis tubing that simulates a cell membrane so that they can see how macromolecules would move through an actual cell.

How cool is that?”

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Hall sports, ping pong, and hanging out—that’s what night life looks like on a freshman floor, according to the residents of second-floor Getsch Hall. “I met these guys while I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom,” says freshman Cobi Heckmann. “The community here is what makes Bethel home.”

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Design students work on a project due at 9 a.m. the next morning. Soft music plays in the background as they arrange and rearrange colored paper like a puzzle. “It’s a color illusion project,” says sophomore Amy Nelson. “We’re trying to make that gray strip in the middle look like a different shade. I’ve been in here for an hour and a half trying to do it.”

“I grew up driving a Ford pickup truck, so I thought I could handle it,” says junior Sophia Carlson about her job as a campus shuttle driver. She passes the time by listening to audio books— including the entire Harry Potter series—and involuntarily eavesdropping on her passengers.

“I don’t know if they think I can’t hear them or what,” she laughs, “but I end up getting emotionally attached to the lives of people I don’t even know.”

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An art student perches on the arm of a chair in the student commons, using swift, short strokes to create a likeness of the scene in front of her. “I literally do this every night,” says freshman Whitney Cottrell.

“The assignment was to use a whole pen on one drawing. So, I’m drawing change in whatever I see.”

The cleanliness of campus is thanks in part to student facilities management crews, who work in shifts from 4 p.m.–2 a.m.

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AlumNews “Measure our performance by what God accomplishes through our graduates after they have been prepared at Bethel to go out into the world to serve.”

—John Alexis Edgren, founder

70s Doug Warring ’71 was awarded emeritus status upon his retirement from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn., where he taught courses on teacher education, multicultural education, diversity, curriculum, conflict management, and cooperative learning. He served on numerous university committees; boards at the state, national, and international levels; and education accreditation teams to 42 universities in 23 states. During his 32 years at St. Thomas, his roles included department chair, associate dean, director of student teaching, and director of continuing education. His more than 300 professional presentations and publications reflected his research in cultural diversity, accreditation, teacher development, identity development, and multicultural education.

Jean (Carlstedt) Myers ’73 is the executive assistant to David S. Dockery in the office of the president at Trinity International University, Deerfield, Ill., where she has served for a B e th e l M a g azi n e i n cl u d e s Alum News from all schools of Bethel University. “S” indicates news from Bethel Seminary alumni, “CAPS” indicates news from the College of Adult & Professional Studies, and “GS” indicates news from Graduate School alumni. All other news is from College of Arts & Sciences alumni.

total of 20 years. Previously, she taught junior high for 17 years.

She lives in Lindenhurst, Ill., with her husband, Don Myers, and has two children and two grandsons.

Stephen V. Anderson, who attended Bethel from 1974-77, is a research associate at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy and the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany, NY, where he teaches scientific methods and the philosophy of science. After his time at Bethel, he completed his B.A. at Westmont College, Calif., his M.A. at San Diego State University, and did doctoral work at the University of Michigan. He currently resides in the Capitol region.

Kim (Saylor) ’78 and Mike Anderson ’78, S’81 are planning their third Marriage Enrichment International Bike Tour through Austria and Hungary next summer. If you are interested in joining them, please contact Mike at mandersonii@comcast.net.

While B ethel strives for accuracy in all we do, we cannot be responsible for the content of news items submitted by alumni. The inclusion of news ite m s h e re s h o u l d n ot b e construed as an endorsement of their content by Bethel Magazine or Bethel University.

Due to limited space, Bethel Magazine reserves the right to exercise editorial discretion in the publication of alumni news and photos.

Grandparents Day —April 20, 2018—

Grandparents are invited to spend a special day on campus with their Bethel student!

Visit bethel.edu/events/2018/grandparents-day for more info or registration.

David Girtz ’79 retired in May after teaching 37 years in his hometown of Little Falls, Minn.

For the past three years he worked as the district media specialist and program director for educational television station LFCStv, channel 181. Over the past six years the in-house TV station was updated with full HD broadcast equipment and this past year aired over 100 sporting events, concerts, and education events. LFCStv also has a mobile studio that was used to produce the first-ever live broadcasts of Little Falls Community High School sports, as well as fine arts events from five school locations. The media production club, Flyer Media Productions, was named the Minnesota Rural Education Association Program of the Year in November 2016, and was a featured live remote broadcaster at the 2016 Minnesota School Boards Association conference in Minneapolis in January 2017.

All of the broadcasts were student produced.

Dwight Martin ’79 is executive director of CrossTies Asia, serving in Thailand as the research coordinator for the Thai church’s national plan for strategic evangelism and church growth. He and his team developed Harvest, a database and mapping system that tracks church growth and development in Thailand. CrossTies Asia operates as part of Reach A Village, a partnership bringing together biblical missiology and the latest technology to reach more people for Christ.

Visit www.reachavillage.org for more info.

80s Rober t Corey S’ 80 graduated from Central Seminary in Plymouth, Minn., in May with a Doctor of Ministry degree. His thesis title was Preaching and Teaching the Tenets of Traditional Dispensationalism to a 21st Century Audience.

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AlumNews 90s

It’s a Jungle Out There Shortly after graduating from Bethel in 2015, life science education major Danielle Freiermuth moved to Orlando, Florida, to find a job at Disney World.

“To work as an educator for Animal Kingdom was the dream,” she says. “I decided I would try.” She landed a job as an attractions hostess in Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park, hoping to eventually connect with their education department. After four months spent making sure guests secured their lap bars on the Splash Mountain log ride, Freiermuth got the chance to do what she’s truly passionate about: teach.

She’s now a conservation educator for Walt Disney World, teaching kids about animals while strapped to a harness and climbing across rope bridges on the Animal Kingdom’s Wild Africa Trek.

Originally a biology major, Freiermuth took an education course recommended by her advisor, Professor of Education Patricia Paulson, which led to a shift in focus. Freiermuth’s subsequent preparation was a factor in helping her dream become reality. “Danielle chose not only to go into education but to obtain licenses in elementary education, middle school science, and high school life science,” says Paulson. “This broad base of preparation really caught the eyes of the people at Disney. She has a

Kevin Von Busch ’87 was appointed head of wealth management lending solutions at Citizens Bank, Boston. He has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services sector and will provide high net

Heidi Zwart ’97 published It Began in the Garden: Understand Your Past for a Healthier Future in spring 2017 through Beaver’s Pond Press. Through the integration of her profession and life experience, she dives into the Genesis narrative to explore the battle with physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Using stories, humor, and practical tips, her book can help readers learn to live a healthier future.

Visit www.heidizwart.com for more info.

heart for informal education and assisting young people in seeing the science behind phenomena in the real world.”

In her spare time, Freiermuth is creating a physics curriculum on the science behind trapeze stunts, and recently took a side job as an educator with iFly Indoor Skydiving. She continues to look for ways to inspire young people about God’s creation. “It’s incredibly important for kids to learn experientially as well as from a textbook,” she says. “That’s where the passion is born, I think: when they get to experience an elephant up close, or learn about the physics that make a roller coaster work, and then actually go and ride one.

There’s immediate engagement with the material.”

worth clients with personalized services and guidance related to financial planning, investments, estate and charitable planning, banking, and lending.

Bryan Moak ’89 was appointed vice president of church strengthening for Converge MidAmerica in March. He resides in Vernon Hills, Ill.

00s Where Does the Squirrel Sleep? is a children’s book that poetically explores the sleeping habits of a variety of animals.

It was written by Grant Dawson ’05, illustrated by Nathan Stromberg ’00, and the layout was completed by Shalanah Dawson ’06. Visit www. wheredoesthesquirrelsleep. com for more info.

Roger Maldonado ’05 is entering his fourth year of practice as an attorney and litigator, and was just hired by Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, an international law firm that serves local, national, and international clients in Minneapolis. In addition, in April, he was elected vicepresident of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association.

Austin Bleess ’07 was appointed city manager for the city of Jersey Village, Texas, in March 2017. He had previously served as the city manager in Caribou, Maine, since October 2012.

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Winter 2018

AlumNews 10s Zach Windahl ’10 has published The Bible Study: A One Year Study of the Bible and How It Relates to You, written for millennial Christians. Visit www. tbsstudy.com for more info or to order the study. Windahl resides in Minneapolis.

Janice Gingerich S’11 was accepted into a doctoral program at Alliant International University, San Diego, in 2013.

She completed her California state license requirements in October 2016, and in December, defended her dissertation, completed requirements for her doctorate of psychology, and achieved her American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy super visor approval. In January 2017, she began working as a full-time clinical therapist for active-duty service members, couples, and families at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego.

Kayla (Robb) Wallace ’11 was promoted to vice president of client relationships for FurnitureDealer.net. She’s responsible for overseeing and directing the company’s 110 premium client relationships and leading the business consulting team.

She was also recognized as a young leader in the home furnishings industry by receiving the 40 Under 40 Award by Home Furnishings Business in July 2014. She resides in Minneapolis.

Jacob Schneider ’15 works in communications for the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus.

Marissa Gamache ’15 works as a creative blogger for EssayVikings.

Marriages ’80 Bud and Eileen (Jones) Hanzel were married in Chicago in July. They reside in Red Wing, Minn.

’10 Kari (Peterson) and Jordan Slominski were married in July. They reside in Hudson, Wis. ’13 Justine (Diffee) and Cody Young were married in August. They reside in Shoreview, Minn.

Births ’05 Ellie Joy was born in May to Pamela (Kohler) and Troy Carlson ’03. She joins Zachary and Sadie. Cincinnati, Ohio. ’07 Hannah Grace was born to Brandon and Amanda (Ericson) Lewis in June.

Wauwatosa, Wis. ’07 Simon Thomas was born to Arianne (Braithwaite) and Jeff Lehn ’04 in June. He joins Eden. Wilmette, Ill. ’09 Ford Thomas was born in October 2016 to Mike and Krista (Goff) Earl. He joins Evelyn. Eden Prairie, Minn. ’10 Katherine Ila and Anna Joy were born to Nathan and Mary Ellen (Bray) Olmstead in November 2016.

This second set of twins joins sisters Leanora, Jane, and Emma. Bluemont, Va. ’10 Clare Elese was born in March to Britney (Johnson) and Mark Perzichilli.

New Hope, Minn. ’12 Hazel June was born to Denika (Anderson) and Edmund Anderson ’11 in September. New Brighton, Minn.

Deaths ’50 Alleen (Lindquist) Fraser, 86, died in summer 2017.

She attended Bethel for one year, then finished a bachelor of music degree at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, in 1953.

She earned a master of music education degree from Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, in 1956, and

spent her career in various roles as a musician and music educator. She was the music director of the Rochester City Schools, Rochester, NY, for 14 years, and performed for 50 years with the Penfield Symphony Orchestra as a member of the flute section and a soloist. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Jeff; Carlos Gomez, who is like an adopted son; and 10 cousins. ’53 Nadine (Westin) Dye, 84, died on December 21, 2015.

She received an associate of arts degree from Bethel in 1953 and an elementary education degree from the University of Minnesota in 1955. She was a teacher, piano instructor, and church pianist for many years, and served alongside her husband Donald ’51, S’55 in churches in Minnesota, Illinois, and Colorado before working as secretary for the Florida Baptist Conference.

She is survived by Donald; sons Tim (Karla) Dye and Dan (Alea) Dye; four grandchildren; one greatgrandchild; and her brother Glenn and his family. ’55 Bailey Anderson, 84, died on March 30 following a battle with Alzheimer’s. He

loved the Lord and Bethel and he left a lasting legacy of faith in Christ for his children and grandchildren. He was a pastor and worship leader for nearly 50 years, serving in Florida, Minnesota, Kentucky, Missouri, and Utah. His last ministry position was with Living Hope in Willmar, Minn. His family is praising the Lord that he is now with his Savior and his wife, Joy. ’59 LeRoi D. Danielson (S’67) died on May 4 in Mesa, Az., following complications from a stroke. He pastored churches in rural Wisconsin and Minnesota before retiring and moving to Arizona.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce, their five children and their wives, 19 grandchildren, and six siblings.

Helen Lewis Schneider, wife of retired Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies Art Lewis, who died in 2005, died on September 18 at the age of 93.

She was deeply involved in the Bethel University and Calvary Church communities and served as a missionary in Portugal.

Her love for others and hospitality were integral aspects of her entire life.

Alfred “Bud” Pierce ’53, age 89, died on July 13.

Pierce was a standout basketball player, scoring 1,158 career points, and was inducted into Bethel’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990. He coached basketball and served as athletic director at Crown College, St. Bonifacius, Minn., for 25 years, and after retiring there, coached tennis at Bethel for 10 years. He is survived by his wife Joanne; children David (Jodi), Patti (Linda), and Julie (Dean); eight grandchildren, four of whom are Bethel graduates; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Bethel University

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“My experience abroad helped me learn about community, communion, and joy. This photo in Paris captures all three of these qualities. A diverse collection of people gathered to watch a street performer bringing joy and a sense of community to children at play, adults, tourists, and French natives.”

SOCIAL WORK MAJOR MOLLY O’TOOLE ’18 TOOK THIS PHOTO IN PARIS DURING A SPRING 2017 STUDY ABROAD TRIP.