If you don’t know what a Creeker is, you can probably ask the person next to you; they’ll tell you it’s a sort of tradition here at Bethel. A Creeker is a gathering of students on the creek a little ways into the Bethel trail. Over recent years, they have died off because of people taking advantage of it and students endangering themselves.
Yet, Creekers have been around forever. My host mom, who went to Bethel from 1965-1969, remembers Creekers herself. Classmates whose parents have gone here have also reminisced about their time at Bethel and mentioned Creekers. One of my classmates’ parents remembered a time when he and a friend were walking towards the Creeker when they saw someone sitting in a tree with binoculars. To preface, Bethel is a dry campus; if alcohol is found on campus, there are consequences, and the creek is no different.
Creekers should stay a tradition among the students at Bethel. Now, some of us may remember a Creeker that got out of hand, but we all know why that was. It’s the Creekers that happen among one another that I’m talking about. When someone says, “Let’s go to the creek and hang out,” is exactly when a Creeker should happen. I can honestly say that every Creeker at Bethel I’ve attended has been the most fun experience I’ve ever had.
“It’s a great community event. We would start a fire sometimes too. The best ones are when they’re last minute because you know everyone wants to be there,” Said a Bethel graduate from 2024.
When students at Bethel come together not in a classroom, the caf, or a job, and just get to know each other, relationships grow. I met a good number of people at my first Creeker as a freshman; it helped me find people outside of my sport. Bethel already offers students a unique experience, as most of its student body is 85 percent athletes. Having a space like that allows student-athletes to get to know each other as well as non-student-athletes.
One of Bethel College’s guiding principles of value is, “Community with global consciousness that cherishes social connectivity, shared endeavors, and intergenerational living.” Creekers depict exactly that. Being outside around people you’re familiar with but don’t know, listening to music, playing games, and talking is social connectivity. I’ve had conversations that range from asking where she got that top from to who did you vote for? I think that students at Bethel would also agree with me about Creekers.