Clubs, businesses welcome visitors at Get to Know the Community event
The annual tradition took place around the Green.
Last Tuesday, Bethel College’s annual “Get to Know the Community” event took place around the Green at the center of campus.
The come-and-go event hosted local businesses and on-campus clubs. Many churches and organizations were involved with lots of giveaways for students. The two-hour event allowed Bethel students and surrounding communities to share opportunities, amenities, and services.
This year’s edition didn’t offer convocation credit but still had an impressive turnout of students and faculty alike.
Many booths offered the opportunity to find jobs, internships, volunteer work, and to sample some of the best Newton restaurants. Each booth had something to offer for students to become involved with the community. For first-year students at Bethel, this gave them the opportunity to connect with communities that they otherwise might not have.
“I thought it was really cool,” Farah Shehab, a sophomore transfer from Egypt said. “I liked getting to know everything around and all things that are in the community. It helped me with a lot of connections — like knowing what is around me and what businesses have to offer.”
BeLonGTo was one of the student-led clubs that hosted a booth, handing out candy, snacks, and face masks to provide students with the opportunity to learn more about their club and sign up for membership.
“I wish there was more involvement from the students [with us], but I was able to educate people about BeLonGTo and how they can be involved with our events,” said Hayden Honomichl, president of the club.
Returning students also had the chance to continue building relationships and future opportunities with businesses and organizations to fulfill their internship needs and future careers.
“The event was a big success,” Claire Broxterman, a junior from Lindsborg said. “As an upperclassman, I found this event super helpful because it helped me make some connections with the local hospital and set up some physician shadowing hours, which will prove to be very helpful and important as I move forward in my education.”