SGA Report | SGA swears in associate justices and discusses facilitated conversation

Senators pass recommendation for a facilitated conversation around police on campus

9/24/2024

The Student Government Association met on Sep. 24, and discussed an executive order, the swearing in of two new associate justices, and a recommendation from the Bethel College Community for Justice and Peace.

First in the meeting, Vice President Taryn Paulino reminded the senators of their ability to go into executive session if they chose, which would make the meeting closed to the public and media. 

Paulino then briefly discussed an executive order which created a fourth associate justice position in SGA, a position which would be filled by Joshua Suazo. Suazo and Ben Janzen, the two new associate justices, were then sworn into office.

Next, Paulino introduced a recommendation brought to SGA by BCCJP, which calls for the school administration to hold a facilitated conversation with students, community members, administrators, and the North Newton Police Department regarding the presence of police on campus. The recommendation passed unanimously, with two senators abstaining. 

10/8/2024

On Oct. 8, the SGA meeting centered around discussing the facilitated conversation approved in the last meeting. Josue Coy Dick, representing BCCJP, and Jim Bethards, the North Newton Chief of Police, were in attendance.

Coy Dick stated that the goal of the conversation was to create a single, cohesive narrative around the police on campus, and said that although the North Newton police will participate in the conversation, they would not be a part of planning it.

Bethards expressed his hope that the relationship between the police and Bethel would improve, and that the conversation would help that process. In response to a question about students feeling unsafe around police, Bethards said that if students had had negative experiences with police around Bethel, it was likely that the officer had been from Newton, where there are a large number of young police officers. Those young officers, he said, were more likely to police aggressively.

If students had any negative experiences with police, Bethards said, he would be happy for them to reach out to him directly to address the issue.

In response to a question from Coy Dick, Bethards said that the only training around bias and race which the department currently completes is a 20 minute bias training, which he did not find to be valuable. Bethards said that although race played no part in how he policed, he would be open to looking into anti-racism training for his department. 

Bethards then addressed the fact that some people took issue with police bringing guns onto Bethel’s campus. According to Bethards, there are already other guns on campus, in glove boxes and rooms, which pose more of a threat than the police’s do. The officers, Bethard said, were highly trained, and only had guns to protect people.

Chief Bethards and Coy Dick agreed that it might be difficult to get students to participate in the facilitated conversation, but that it was a worthwhile effort.

Bethards ended his time by informing senators that it was possible to text 911, and asking them to help spread the fact to their friends.

After Bethards and Coy Dick finished speaking, the Senate went into executive session to discuss an individual scholarship request, after which they adjourned.