But why the sudden interest? The root is in the marketing. In one of the world’s biggest soccer leagues, the English Premier League, 11 of the 20 teams are sponsored by sports betting companies. In the States, the NBA (National Basketball Association) holds DraftKings and FanDuel as “Official Gaming Partners.” They are also sponsored by 12 other betting companies as “authorized gaming operators.” This is by no means accidental; this is multiple-million-dollar companies praying on the innocence of teenagers, not fully understanding the risk before they take part.

We’ve seen this before, with vapes, nicotine pouches, and more. The market for teens will always be easy for major companies. It doesn’t stop at jersey sponsors or commercial breaks. It lives where this generation breathes, with “locks of the day” on TikTok, Instagram, etc. We see so many celebratory screenshots, but hiding behind that are hundreds of thousands of dollars lost, the empty bank accounts, or the “lock” that will be the last-ditch effort to just break even.

Sports betting isn’t designed to be a one-time decision, mirroring in-person gambling. Open any betting app, and you’ll see the same promises over and over. FanDuel and Underdog promote offers such as “Bet $5 Get $300 If Bet Wins,” and “Up to $1000 bonus funds when you make your first deposit.” One bet turns into another, especially when the money doesn’t even leave the app. A win equals the money going straight into the next wager. And when you lose, it invites you right back to where you started. This constant cycle is built to be ignored by users; it’s built to keep people playing longer than they are meant to.

Sports betting is currently illegal in 11 states, but even in these places, people will find a grey area and manage to continue. Sports betting doesn’t need to be illegal to be worth questioning. Ask yourself the question: why is this everywhere? Why is this marketed so heavily to young people? When gambling becomes this easy, constant, and invisible, who is it really designed for? And who pays the price?

Academics are supposed to come first, but with packed athletic schedules, student-athletes miss more classes than nonathletes.

Attendance is important; students can be penalized for missing too many classes. Slowly, we forget this.

Unlike large universities, small ones lack strong online resources for makeup work. When lectures are missed, student-athletes are told to “look at the slides,” but they miss the main points. This forces them to teach themselves, often leading to confusion and lower performance.

Engagement also suffers. Missing class once a week strains relationships with professors.

Athletes may avoid asking questions, causing grades to drop. Professors are frustrated, too. If a professor has five fall athletes in a class, nearly half the students are gone because of small ratios. Athletes aren’t to blame for their schedules, but then who is?

Coaches want what’s best athletically, not always academically.

Missing class might not seem like a big deal to them, while professors focus on academics and student well-being. Still, it’s the athletes who are punished. Missing class means missing labs, discussions, and opportunities to ask questions. At small liberal arts colleges, this is especially important. Athletic directors should adjust schedules, prioritize class time, plan more weekend games, and collaborate with professors. Coaches should communicate which classes will be missed and why. Professors can adjust syllabi or offer Zoom options. At smaller schools, this flexibility is possible. That’s the beauty of small-college life: taking both athletic and academic pursuits seriously, but in balance. Seeing your biology professor in the stands is something unique to small schools. But when half the classes are missed each week, we lose our values. We owe it to ourselves and our community to find a better balance between the classroom and the court.

And then imagine someone comes up and says, “It can't be that heavy. You're exaggerating.” This reaction is part of the stigma that still surrounds mental health, especially men's mental health. Progress has been made, but shame persists: many young men are taught from day one that crying is weak and emotions are “for girls.” So instead of putting the weight down, they keep holding on until their arms and minds can hold no longer.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, roughly 49,000 Americans died by suicide in 2023; about 39,000 of them were men. These numbers are a blunt reminder that stigma has consequences. My sophomore year brought months of depression and weeks when I wondered if I should keep going. I am still here, and I'm here to tell you that when I say there will always be a better day ahead, I mean it: there will be a finish line, and staying makes it worth crossing.

Our generation has a chance to end the “man up” narrative and shift it into a discussion of empathy and support. It takes one conversation to save a life, and you may not even know you're doing that. However, it starts by creating a habit. Eventually, you won't have to think about checking up on someone; rather, it will become an automatic thought to talk about the deeper things going on. In the wise words of Mike Potter, from D2UP,

“The worst thing you can do is nothing at all.”

If you're reading this and thinking you don't belong—something could never be as untrue as that. When I tell people that I have severe anxiety or used to struggle heavily with depression, I get a sense that they have no idea what to say. I don't want them to feel bad, but what I want is for people to understand that it is okay to have problems and to speak about them. Mental health is real health, and often, problems stem from chemical imbalances in the brain (it's not your fault). Talk to someone.

We owe it to one another to ask a simple question: How are you really? And with this question, to listen without judgment. Normalize vulnerability: When men speak, believe them and help them put the weight down. Check on a friend. Let conversations about mental health be normal instead of shameful.

If you are in crisis, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988.

Kennedy has repeatedly promoted discredited claims linking vaccines to autism and other health conditions—a claim that has been repeatedly debunked by the scientific community. Despite this, his anti-vaccine rhetoric continues, blanketed in the language of “freedom” and “choice.” This skepticism and misinformation being put out erodes public trust in medicine that has saved millions of lives. Instead of making progress in health, we are moving backwards. We are seeing outbreaks of measles—a now preventable disease because of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Children are dying because of this belief in claims made by someone who is neither a doctor nor any kind of healthcare professional, for that matter.

Kennedy has also spread conspiracy theories about COVID-19, suggesting that the virus may have been engineered as a bioweapon and that lockdowns were a form of government control rather than a public health necessity. These claims are not supported by credible evidence, but they have gained traction among people who feel alienated or distrustful of institutions. Instead of encouraging informed debate or critical thinking, Kennedy exploits that distrust, presenting wild speculation as fact and casting scientists and doctors as villains.

Public health depends on trust. People must believe that vaccines are safe, that medical advice is based on evidence, and that public health measures are meant to protect, not control. When someone in a position of influence spreads lies or undermines expert consensus, that trust is eroded. The result? More illness, more preventable deaths, and a population increasingly divided by fear and misinformation.

Supporters may argue that Kennedy is simply “asking questions” or “challenging authority.” But there is a clear difference between healthy skepticism and deliberate distortion of the truth. Public health is not a political game; it’s about protecting lives. How many more children are going to have to die from preventable illnesses before people begin to realize the discredibility of Kennedy’s claims?

For someone who claims to care so much about Americans and their health, Kennedy has done nothing to stop the cuts Trump has made to medical research all across the country. At a time when science should unite us, figures like RFK Jr. create division and doubt. That’s not leadership; that’s recklessness. He is being reckless with the lives of millions of Americans.

America deserves leaders who respect truth, listen to experts, and value human life over political theater. Kennedy’s record on public health shows that he is not one of them.

Students at Bethel are expected to be scholars, athletes, performers, artists, club leaders, and the list goes on. One of my favorite things about our school is that everyone is so involved. However, when you take a closer look into several students' calendars, you begin to understand that “Bethel Busy” isn't just a phrase, it is taking over as a lifestyle –one that often trades connection and presence for an overcommitment and burnout.

Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Yes, I know, let me apologize for this overused and cliche graduation quote, but stick with me. We’re so busy being everywhere on campus, that we're not really anywhere. We are constantly going to different events, but do we even acknowledge that our social battery is running on 4% while on our way to earn the eighth convo credit of the semester?

Staying “Bethel Busy” comes with a strange pressure to do it all, and to do it well. There is this unspoken expectation that if you're not doing absolutely everything that you can, you're not doing enough. We say yes because we don't want to disappoint the people around us. But by trying to be involved in everything, we end up being fully present in nothing.

Although the busyness may feel like a constant tug on students. I tend to bring with me an appreciation for it all. Bethel Busy doesn't come from a bad place. It's not like the administrators all got together and said “let's make being at college a living hell for our students!” The fact that we are all so busy actually gives hope in a way. All of the students packing their schedules shows how much care and devotion goes into making this school as good as it can be. People in our community want to make a difference, contribute to something bigger than themselves, and say “yes” to opportunities that might not come again. All of these events and activities can foster a better community and may even bring upon lifelong friendships. But, even good things can become too much when we don't press our pause button, and truly enjoy what's going on.

To anyone who feels like they need to slow down on their own “Bethel Busy,” remember that just because you are able to say yes, doesn't mean you should.

The political climate this year following the election has been tense. You can see it on campus, across social media, and in the news, where reactions vary depending on who you sided with. Whether you were happy or frustrated with the results, there’s one key point that often gets overlooked. Relationships should not be casualties of political differences.

As humans, we naturally gravitate toward people who share our beliefs. It creates a sense of belonging and understanding. But why can’t we do the same with those who think differently from us? Stepping outside your comfort zone isn’t easy by any means, but it can be incredibly valuable. Engaging with people who hold different views helps us understand why they think the way they do. Even if we don’t agree, we can still listen and respect their perspective.

I firmly believe that we learn the most from those who are different from us. You don’t have to believe or adopt their views, but hearing them out strengthens relationships, fosters open-mindedness, and helps us grow. In a time when division feels stronger than ever, let’s not allow political lines to divide the personal connections that matter most.

At the end of the day, friendships and relationships are built on more than just politics. The values that make someone a good friend, such as kindness, respect, and trust are not determined by who they vote for. If we let political disagreements ruin our relationships, we are missing out on meaningful connections that could shape us in a positive way. It’s okay to disagree – there’s no obligation to believe what someone else does – but it’s not okay to let those disagreements create hostility. We all have different experiences that shape our views, and sharing and listening is what makes discussions worthwhile.

Instead of pushing people away because of politics, we should choose to listen, learn, and grow. Real change happens in understanding each other as human beings.

Students have advocated for alternatives throughout the year, including SGA Bill 92-029. Unfortunately, contrary to the Board's avowed support for putting “time and engagement” towards finding alternatives to patrols, the Administration ignored the students’ and the Board’s entreaties and instead formalized patrols via a Memorandum of Understanding with the North Newton Police Department that states: campus “patrols will be carried out.”

The MOU does not: (a) address what the Board understands can feel like an “intrusion into the living spaces of Bethel students,” (b) outline a path towards alternatives, (c) include ways to enact “creative approaches to living harmoniously within a constantly changing world,” from BC’s values, quoted by the Board.

Quite the opposite: it formalizes patrols, vaguely attempts to make them palatable, doesn’t establish any boundaries/guidelines for when/where they can happen, and dismisses the students’ and Board’s concerns without any input.

Some teams, unfortunately, cannot avoid the fact that they have to play games over the break. This creates a unique situation that athletes in fall sports don’t have to face. Athletes are able to stay in the dorms over break, or if they have to travel, they spend their break on the road and at a different place. For many athletes, the choice to not go home is pretty easy to make based on their love for their respective sports. Most teams play in the middle of the break or towards the beginning, so it is possible for athletes to both play and go home. Unfortunately though, for some, it’s just not possible due to the distance they would have to travel home.

For athletes, this is a problem because spring break might be the only period of time off from school where they can go visit family. This creates a conflict between them and their sport that is sometimes overlooked when scheduling games. This conflict is important because teams like tennis and softball play important games and matches over break, where it is vital for their players to stay and play.

As a student-athlete myself, with things going on over break, I honestly don’t mind. It would be nice, though, to get to go home. I think that it is a great opportunity to get a week off from school and focus solely on sports. It is important to remember, though, that in the spring semester, it is hard to find time to see family, especially if you have to travel a long way to go home. In both my years at Bethel College, my spring breaks have consisted of golf tournaments. It’s honestly not the worst way to spend the break but I would also love to go home to see my family and of course my dog.

The NBA also finished its All-Star break, holding events such as the three-point contest, slam dunk contest, and skills challenges. Their All-Star game format consisted of a 4 team tournament; 3 teams with 8 All-Stars apiece, and 1 team full of young “rising stars.” The NBA only averaged 4.7 million viewers throughout the All-Star tournament.

The NBA fills the weekend with unnecessary, money-grabbing moves that make even the most avid fans uninterested, then wonder why viewership is down. They look for new formats to solve their problems, but have more commercial time than actual gameplay. Instead of focusing so much on advertising and fan viewership, the NBA needs to take a page out of the NHL’s book.

The NHL prioritized their players’ desires for their Four Nations tournament. They didn’t look for celebrities to invite to the games or new “skills challenges.” Instead, they focused on what would drive the players to play hard. Canadian and United States NHL players throughout the broadcast were speaking about the championship match-up as if it was the most important game of their life. The NHL gave their players something to play for: pride.

Fans want to see the multi-millionaires on the rink and the court care. The NBA continues to look for secret formulas to make All-Star weekend interesting instead of prioritizing their players’ interests.

The 2020 NBA All-Star game is proof that this idea would work. After the death of Kobe, NBA players felt motivated to play hard to win the Kobe Bryant MVP award, named for a notoriously prideful, hardworking player. Fans were on the edge of their seats watching Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James battle in the last seconds of the game. The players had pride in what they were playing for, and the result speaks for itself.

Obviously, we do not want a tragedy to motivate NBA players to try hard in the All-Star game. This is just proof of what player pride can mean for the NBA in their All-Star game. Whether that’s by borrowing the NHL’s idea and having a US vs International All-Star game, or something else entirely, it’s clear that the NBA needs to prioritize players if they want successful All-Star games.

With this in mind, there is a very prominent issue going on in our country today. Donald Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2025 and since then, the administration has been very adamant on carrying out their mass deportation plans.

The fear of enforcement raids by ICE has caused many students and adults to stay home from work and school due to the fear that they may be detained by ICE agents. Many of these people have families, own houses, have lived in the United States for a majority of their lives, and came to the US in the first place as a way to seek security and a better life, but all of this could be destroyed in the matter of a few seconds if raided and detained by ICE.

A very important thing to note is that the Trump administration cleared the way for immigration enforcement officers to take action on campuses. This means that ICE can raid any college campus and detain any undocumented individual, without warning. There have been instances where they have also detained individuals who are legally here.

For this reason, I believe all colleges and universities, including Bethel College, must be prepared to respond if ICE comes knocking on their door. Students, faculty, and staff deserve to feel safe where they learn and work, which requires clear support from college leadership.

In the past, it has seemed as though Bethel College has been naive in thinking that we are immune from what’s going on in the broader world. For instance, we just had safety cameras installed this past year when more than 50 school shootings took place in 2024. Although Bethel College may be located in a small town, it is not exempt from the challenges faced by other institutions and within society as a whole.

Given this reality, Bethel College must take a clear stance on how it would respond to an ICE raid. Many individuals in our community are vulnerable, and the college has a responsibility to support them by outlining its course of action and ensuring everyone is informed of their rights. This kind of transparency and commitment is essential – not only to protect those directly impacted but also to reinforce the college’s values of inclusivity, justice, and human dignity. Without such measures, fear and uncertainty may undermine the sense of safety and belonging that a college campus should provide.

Now, I know this isn’t entirely accurate. There are students here at Bethel who don’t drink, and I’m sure there are parties at other Mennonite colleges. However, there is definitely some truth to the statement.

Despite the fact that Bethel is a dry campus – presumably due to its Mennonite affiliation – alcohol consumption is incredibly common. Every weekend, a large portion of the campus can be found drinking. This fact is an open secret. Considering the fact that many of the staff and faculty members at Bethel also partook in illicit drinking during their time as students here, how could they not be aware that it happens?

I don’t want to come across as though I think that being a dry campus is a bad thing. I just believe that the school should be clear on what is and is not acceptable. In my opinion, when policy does not line up with practice, something needs to change.

As you walk through the courtyard of Warkentin Court, half crushed beer cans are a common sight. In the recycling bins of the residence halls, it’s often accurate to say that there are more liquor bottles than cardboard boxes. The “Bethel Challenge” is to take a shot in every building on campus. “Marathon Monday” is the Monday after football season ends, when many football players drink a beer every hour of the day – including during their classes.

Drinking, on the level which many Bethel students do, is not healthy. What students need in order to learn healthy habits with alcohol, though, is not performative dryness. They need intentional education on how to have a healthy relationship with drinking. If Bethel would choose to focus less on having a theoretically dry campus, and instead decided to meet the problem head on, I think students would benefit greatly.

When drinking is forced underground, unhealthy habits proliferate. When secrecy is key to drinking, then liquor is much more popular than less alcoholic drinks like beer. If the goal of drinking is to get drunk fast, before someone sees you with a bottle, then you are taught to drink fast, and a lot.

Obviously, I don’t have the solution to binge drinking, beyond the necessity of education. What I do know, though, is that calling ourselves a dry campus is not helping anyone. All that “banning” alcohol does is make us hypocrites, and drive drinking underground.

A core presupposition we make about pranks is that pranks are intended to be lighthearted, funny, or fun. The nature of pranking, as per the rules, is not meant to cause harm. An intentionally harmful “prank” isn’t a prank, and non-prank rule violations are covered in another section of the handbook – one emphasizing restorative practices.

 If Bethel presses charges against pranksters, they could face jail time or fines that can cost between $500 to $2500. These punishments could be dealt out for the crime of a poorly thought-out prank.

With the introduction of more police presence, Bethel is moving away from restorative justice, and towards criminal penalties. The fact that these rules are at the back of the handbook, separated from the segment on restorative justice, places emphasis on possible criminal and financial charges for pranks. 

In the student conduct process, a strong emphasis is placed on restorative justice procedures rather than police or punitive justice. The focus is placed on righting your wrongs. Sanctions such as probations, fines, apologies, housing reassignments, mental health referrals, and more are provided as solutions. The only mention of involvement of law enforcement is for violations of public law. But, pranks aren’t violations of public law. Why do they carry the threat of legal punishment?

Pandora Freeman

To the best of my knowledge, the responses to the two incidents were understandable given the circumstances. But, to paraphrase President Gering, no crisis occurs in a vacuum: there is a before and after to every encounter with the police. These encounters happened in our community and so, we must ask ourselves, what part did we play in this mess?

One group of students involved in the second incident that resulted in a police response expressed that they don’t feel safe at Bethel College. They feel out of place here. They feel unsupported, unwanted and targeted in this community because of their race and background. As the community that recruited these students, it's our responsibility to create conditions where all students can be safe, feel at home, and thrive. Instead, we watch as some fall into the criminal justice system.

This is unacceptable.

There is a better way and we must come together to find it. We have a Student Handbook with restorative policies and procedures. We have the Office of Culture and Belonging. We have KIPCOR and we have Offender-Victim Ministries in Newton. We are fortunate to have this wealth of resources, experience, and expertise. Let’s use it to better support all our students.

Josué Coy Dick

The student handbook states the following rules about pranks. First, pranks have to be creative and light hearted. Second, they cannot do damage of any form to any part of school property. Third, the prank has to be good in taste and done without attacking another individual, physically or verbally. The fourth rule is that pranks shouldn’t happen during a busy time of year, for instance the start of the year, Fall Fest, or graduation. The fifth and final rule is that the clean-up should not be on the maintenance department, or really any other faculty. The handbook even says that a heads-up to the maintenance department is a good idea. One separate requirement the school has put in place for these pranks is that they can not happen in the Administration Building, any staff office space, or in Memorial Hall . 

Considering the damage pranks can do, I feel that these rules are fair. For example, the graffiti scandal that went on around campus last year (2023-2024 school year). This situation, while done with a comedic intention, did cause harm to the school that was then dealt with by the administration. Staff have not prohibited pranks from being done, but instead highlighted the negative sides of pranks and warned students to avoid them. 

On the other hand, the rules can also limit the amount of freedom that comes with pranks. In my own experience and from what I have witnessed in younger people, when they are told to do something, they will want to do the opposite. The same goes for when they are told not to do something, now all they will want to do is that thing. 

Over all pranks are meant to be entertaining, and comedic. They are a part of our student culture.  The items addressed in the rules were previously more of unspoken rules, but now have been set in stone. The pranks that have been pulled have not been to intentionally harm the school or people within it but instead to bring some fun. I’m glad the school has figured out a way to have a policy and still allow for some good-hearted pranking fun. I look forward to seeing the fun, creative, safe ways students will keep staff on their toes. 

When I was looking at who to vote for this election cycle, I wanted to try my best to be as unbiased as possible. I am not someone who likes to hide their opinions, and my thoughts on former president Donald J. Trump are not ones I'm scared to share. I believe that Trump is unfit to serve as the next President of the United States. 

Trump has 34 felony accounts, including falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to a pornstar he had an affair with. Recently, Trump stated that whether women such as myself like it or not, he is going to protect us. Trump baselessly claimed that immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. He allowed blatantly racist comments to be made about Puerto Ricans at his rally at Madison Square Garden, and feigned ignorance when confronted about the comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. Even if I give Trump the benefit of the doubt, and accept he didn’t know those comments were going to be made, why would I want to have a president that isn’t aware of what was going to be said at his own rally?

This brings up another issue I have with Trump. I want a president who is able to make statements that are factual, rather than complete fabrications of reality. Trump has told countless lies both in and out of office. Why would I want a president who can’t even tell the truth?

A common claim by Trump supporters is that he is going to help boost the economy. Mass deportation, one the biggest policies that Trump promises to deliver on if he is elected, will not have the economic effect that many supporters are hoping for. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. Some people argue that immigrants are taking jobs from American citizens, however, when looking at the current unemployment rate of 4.2%, this is still lower than the long-term average unemployment rate of 5.69%. In early 2023, according to the Department of Commerce, the unemployment rate actually hit its lowest in 54 years, at 3.4%. Additionally, when looking at Trump’s tax policies from back in 2017, his plan was skewed towards the rich and barely benefited the lower and middle class, which is the majority of America. Households who made less than $114,000 saw almost no change in earnings after the corporate tax rate cut, compared to those who made greater.

Finally, I should not have to worry that if a candidate isn’t elected president they will not accept the results. Multiple times, Trump has been quoted saying that if he does not win this year, the election was rigged. I want a president that, no matter the election results, will accept them, like every other president has for the past 250 years.

  Many of Trump’s previous advisors and supporters – even Mike Pence, his former vice president – have stated they will not be endorsing or voting for Trump this election cycle, and will be choosing their country over their party. I hope the rest of America will do the same, so we can move past the hateful and deceitful rhetoric Trump has spread for the past 8 years. 

I have a unique perspective when it comes to police on school property. My old high school, Pretty Prairie High, was a little school of around 70 to 90 students, though the building shared a city block with our junior high school of around the same size. This meant the Pretty Prairie JR/SR High schools were split between 6 different buildings and sections on one block, making it a nightmare for emergency response. Because of this, my school was used as a training ground, with officers from all over south central Kansas coming to do active shooter training within our campus; the idea being that “if you can handle a school shooting at Pretty Prairie, you can handle a school shooting anywhere.” 

I had never worried about my school being in danger; we were a small town of 650 people where everybody knew everybody. That is, until training for an unlikely threat began becoming a regular idea. Fences were constructed, cameras and door locks were installed, and police began regularly showing up at school events to act as guards. School felt like a prison, and I felt more trapped than safe.

Then, when I arrived at Bethel in the fall of 2021, I felt much safer simply because Bethel felt like home to me; it felt like my old school before all the locks, cameras, and fences. I was able to walk around campus without feeling the need to look over my shoulder or impatiently wait as I had to get checked in by three different people. The small town aesthetic Bethel advertised to me felt like I could explore, relax, and have fun, especially after learning about Bubbert’s pranks, taking part in one or two.

Now here I am in my senior year at Bethel College, another small town campus where I once felt like everybody knows everybody. Where now I feel more watched and monitored. Where the worst case scenario is the expected reality. I understand preparing for the worst. But preparing for the worst shouldn’t become a daily routine we have to work around. Research agrees, with many organizations such as The Trace, an anti-gun violence group, stating that students don’t feel safe when officers are introduced to campus; instead, it damages their learning experience, placing the fear in the back of their minds that at any given point, something will go wrong. Bethel adding police to campus is not ensuring safety, but anxiety, paranoia, and concern.

Bethel College’s website states that these convocation periods seek to “broaden your horizons and explore basic value issues” through “renowned guest speakers.” 

If we look at some of the past speakers at Bethel, it is easy to see that their statements are true. Though not always occurring at scheduled convocation time, over the years, the college has heard from speakers such as Martin Luther King Jr., presenting his “The Future of Integration” speech in 1960.

Bringing big-name speakers results in students at the college getting the opportunity to hear many big ideas. Well-renowned speakers arrive full of big ideas and have the ability to deliver them with confidence and boldness. After all, the best speakers are the ones passionate about their cause.

Now, of course, you can’t speak boldly without having some expectancy of backlash or at least disagreement at times. This brings up the topic of controversy within convocation. 

This topic has especially been brought to life after the most recent convocation guest, Dr. David P. Gushee, delivered his speech. Gushee is a Christian ethicist who, over his short stay at Bethel, spoke about the relationship between Christianity and democracy. Another thing Dr. Gushee did was make sure to inform his listeners that he planned to speak boldly, believing it would be the most effective choice.

I agree with this premise. I believe controversial topics at convocations are powerful because they do two things: peak people’s interest and start a conversation.

Convocation is a required course for Bethel students. This means that whether they are interested in listening or not, they must attend most of these lectures. This often results in a large number of students not paying attention to the speaker unless they are given a reason to pay close attention. Controversial topics do just that. Whether you agree or disagree with the presenter, a bold statement will likely grab and maintain your attention.

I believe a majority of speakers in all contexts want their speeches to be talked about, and when students hear something controversial, they love to talk about it. Speakers and their ideas will be talked about if there are multiple opinions on them. I think convocations are successful if they provoke conversation. 

After all, as stated on Bethel College’s website, convocation attempts to help you “determine where you stand on national and world issues from a more well-rounded view.” I believe the best way to do this is to listen to speakers that spark conversation. These conversations with students around us are what lead to growth both individually and as a community.

In my experience at Bethel, my academic adviser is really willing to hear me out on the things that I want to achieve throughout my four years here and she is pretty open to agreeing with any class that I want to take. As a communication arts major, I have taken numerous classes that are completely unrelated as electives just because I want to be around my friends in class or just because I am interested in a course. 

I also feel like I have a pretty good relationship with my adviser. I know that she will support me 100% of the time and that I can go to her and feel comfortable asking her help with anything I might need. I know that she will not micromanage me, and mostly let me make my own decisions about my schedule and about meeting times for her and I, rather than her creating it all for me. Although, this does not seem to be the case for every student here.

As most of my friends are in other majors than I am, I have got to hear from them about their own advisers throughout the years. Some of them have similar relationships with their advisers as I do, a closer relationship with support for most scheduling aspects as well as letting the student choose when to come to their adviser for help. 

There are other of my friends, however, that do not have this kind of relationship with their adviser. I have friends that have complained that their adviser micromanages them, creating a meeting schedule for the advisee, and ultimately not letting the student choose a lot of their schedule. These students feel like they don’t have much of a say in what classes they take, feeling like they can only take the requirements and then whatever classes their adviser suggests. 

Even for my friends that are really on top of things and ahead of the game, some of their advisers require meetings with them, even if they don’t need help. 

I believe that the reason for these issues between advisers and students is a lack of relationship building early on. When a student feels comfortable with their adviser, they are more likely to inform their adviser of their personal wants from being here at Bethel, in my experience. In building better adviser to student relationships, I believe there will be more success in getting students to where they want to be, when they want to be there. 

I write because of changes made at Bethel College that threaten its essential identity as a part of the peace church tradition.  Indeed, our core values of peace, justice and creative community engagement are the essence of what makes Bethel unlike any other small, liberal arts college in the region. 

Bethel now allows armed N.N. City Police to patrol the campus on foot, including within buildings.  This decision is a decision to rely on the potentially lethal violence of the state to enforce its campus rules and preserve personal safety. 

The administration also announced a set of rules concerning pranks where violators will be punished either by “fines and/or penalty of the law”. BC has historically tried to resolve any issues with students in-house, rather than funneling them into the criminal justice system. 

And, these fundamental changes relating to student safety were imposed without input from students--the party most significantly affected. Many members of the campus community aren’t even aware of these changes. Mennonite ethics rest on community processing and community informed decision making. 

Josué Coy Dick

A longer version of this letter appears in Survival. Survival is an online publication run by the Bethel College Community for Justice and Peace.

This academic year is the first year with full implementation of the Employment Experiences (EE) program. EE, according to the Bethel website, has the goal of “preparing students for meaningful lives of work and service.” Through the program, students work 80 hours a semester for the college or a community partner, and in return receive a $2,500 reduction of their tuition, in the form of a work grant. This, I believe, is wonderful. The program has monetary benefits for students well beyond what they would receive from a typical on-campus job. What I take issue with, then, is not the program itself, but is the fact that every Bethel student is required to be a part of the program. Every Bethel student must have an EE position. Per the contract by which I am currently bound for my EE position, if the student is terminated from their position, and fails to get another job offer within one week, they may face immediate suspension from the college. I don’t depend on EE for a tuition reduction, I depend on it for the ability to attend Bethel College at all. 

Additionally, Bethel has a new required class for all second-year students: Vocation Seminar. The goal of Vocation Seminar, as might be expected from the name, is to help students find their vocation. An admirable focus, for sure. However, I question the fact that it, like EE, is required of all Bethel students. There are very few classes absolutely required for all Bethel students. First-Year Seminar, to introduce Bethel to first-years; Basic Issues of Faith and Life, for soon-to-be graduates; and now Vocation Seminar, for those of us in the middle of our time at Bethel.

Preparation for a career is part of a liberal arts education, it’s true. However, I would argue that the focus of a liberal arts college is not to create good employees, but to create educated, independent members of society. Those people may be good employees as well, but that is a result of a broad knowledge base, and their ability to think critically. It is not a result of being forced into vocational training. By making a student’s place at the college dependent on their employment status, and by forcing them to take a class entirely focused on their future career, Bethel does not empower students to live more meaningful lives – they take away their students’ autonomy, and their chance to learn initiative and personal responsibility. 

I support Bethel providing resources for students to explore their future vocations. I don't support the college transforming into a school whose purpose is to create good workers. If Bethel wishes to survive as a Mennonite liberal arts college, I believe the administration needs to ask what they most want to give their students: education, or employability?