Bethel Focus                                                                                      A Magazine for Alumni & Friends of Bethel University

Campus News

Professor receives $20,000 grant for Holy Land site

Bethel professor Carl Rasmussen received a $20,000 grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion for further development of his Web site www.HolyLandPhotos.org. "The purpose of HolyLandPhotos.org is to make images from the lands of the Bible available free to the general public," says Rasmussen, a professor of biblical and theological studies. "I get a lot of positive feedback regarding the site and am excited about its kingdom potential."

Recently, the Free Methodist Church Web site featured the site as a resource for pastors, stating: "HolyLandPhotos.org is an excellent resource for bringing a sermon to life or even for illuminating your daily Scripture reading."

Rasmussen is assisted by Bethel alum Jesse Gavin '01, who developed and helps maintain the Web site on a volunteer basis. "His creative and technical abilities have made this site into a joy to use," said Rasmussen.

Prior to coming to Bethel in 1980, Rasmussen was dean of the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem for seven years. He has been teaching and guiding academic groups in the Middle East since 1973. During these trips, he has been constantly adding to his digital archive, and those images form the basis of this site. Rasmussen is the author of the award-winning Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible and the history, archaeology, and geography editor for the new, revised version of Halley's Bible Handbook.

Student collaborates with professor on textbook

A Bethel senior has put her attention to detail and math prowess to work by serving as a freelance proofreader for a Bethel math professor's textbook project. A math education major, Michelle Nielsen '03 (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) was a proofreader for Discrete Math with Proof, a textbook by Eric Gossett, professor of mathematics and computer science, that was recently published by Prentice Hall. Nielsen first became interested in the project when Gossett field-tested the book in one of his classes and challenged students to find errors in it. After Nielsen found more errors than everyone else in the class put together, Gossett suggested to Prentice Hall that she serve as a freelance proofreader for the text.

In the acknowledgements for the book, Gossett recognized Nielsen's work: "Her meticulous care for details and her perspective from a student's point of view have both contributed toward making this a much better book than it might have been."

Bethel alumna, trustee becomes First Lady of Minnesota

When Tim Pawlenty was elected governor in November, his wife Mary, a Dakota County District Court Judge, was also propelled into the spotlight. The new First Lady has strong connections to Bethel as an alumna from the class of 1983 and as a trustee since 1997.

Why would a busy judge, wife, mother of two daughters (Anna and Mara), and now First Lady agree to be a trustee at Bethel? "It's in God's plan," Pawlenty said in a 2000 Focus article, "and I am very sensitive to God's call." The article went on to say: "Knowing that Bethel and its graduates minister in many areas gives Pawlenty great hope. She believes her role as a trustee, serving on the college affairs and membership committees, dovetails with her strengths as a judge."

Bethel President George K. Brushaber, calls Mary "an extremely intelligent, talented, and compassionate person who lives out her faith in her personal life and her professional roles. She will be able to handle the challenges and privileges of this new position with humility and integrity."

Bethel prof presides over national physics organization

Richard Peterson, professor of physics, was elected to the four-year presidential leadership track of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) this fall. AAPT is an 11,000-member national organization dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching. Peterson will serve four years in the positions of vice-president/program chair, president-elect, president, and past-president.

"The mission statement of the AAPT, `to enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching,' is surely the goal of my professional life, and I very much look forward to the challenges of the next few years," said Peterson. He also noted that roughly one-third of the AAPT membership is made up of about 3,000 of the very best high school teachers in the United States. "The position will provide wonderful visibility for Bethel physics and engineering—enabling us to present our program to their best students."

The AAPT has a full-time staff of 25 located at the American Center of Physics near Washington, D.C., and publishes the most widely distributed physics journal in the world, the American Journal of Physics, along with The Physics Teacher for introductory-level physics teaching.

Students give college high marks in national survey

Bethel freshmen and seniors who participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement ranked the school in the 80th and 90th percentiles for "level of academic challenge," "enriching educational experiences," and "supportive campus environment," according to recently released survey results.

From January to May of 2002, 437 randomly selected Bethel students were polled, with 73 percent completing the survey, reports Rich Sherry, dean of faculty growth and assessment.

When students were asked whether "the Bethel College experience has contributed to developing a personal code of values and ethics," 81 percent of freshmen and 87 percent of seniors said it contributed "quite a bit" or "very much." This is about 30 percent higher than at peer colleges.

In one defining question, students were asked, "If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending?" Ninety-three percent of Bethel first-year students said "probably yes" or "definitely yes," which was 12 percent above the average reported at peer colleges; 91 percent of seniors said the same thing, 11 percent above the average of peers elsewhere.

Indlecoffer returns to Bethel as head baseball coach

Bethel graduate Greg Indlecoffer '88 was named the school's head baseball coach this fall. Indlecoffer comes to Bethel from Groves Academy, a private school for students with specific learning disabilities, in St. Louis Park, Minn., where he served as physical education teacher, physical education department head, and athletic director for 13 years.

A baseball player while a student at Bethel, Indlecoffer established himself as a top NCAA Division III catcher, earning All-MIAC honors twice and receiving tryouts from the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and Minnesota Twins professional organizations.

Indlecoffer's coaching experience includes time as the top assistant baseball coach at Bethel, an assistant director of Northern Twin Cities Baseball Schools, and a camp director for the University of Minnesota baseball camps. He has also served as a private instructor for baseball players age 6-18.

"We are excited to have someone with a heart for Bethel and its student-athletes lead our baseball program," said Athletic Director Dave Klostreich. "I have known `Indo' as a student and assistant coach. I have great confidence in his ability to lead this program. It is always good to hire one of your own graduates."

Indlecoffer takes over for Ken Neuhaus, who resigned in July after 14 years at Bethel.

History Center `Friends' help preserve BGC faith history

The Friends of the Baptist General Conference History Center was recently launched to preserve the stories of immigrant churches and the beginnings of Bethel University and the BGC.

More than 100 people attended a kickoff fundraising dinner for the Friends in spring 2002. A second dinner was held recently at Elim Baptist Church in Minneapolis, the third oldest BGC church in the Twin Cities. In addition, the Friends are publishing the newsletter Trailmarkers, and interviewing conference leaders with firsthand stories of BGC history. Churches are encouraged to preserve their records and send historical material to the BGC History Center for preservation.

The BGC archives have been housed at Bethel Seminary St. Paul for several years. Diana Magnuson, associate professor of history at Bethel College, is the archivist.

To receive Trailmarkers or help preserve the BGC faith history, contact Jim Spickelmier at j-spickelmier@bethel.edu or 651-635-8054. To conduct research on church or family history in the archives or contribute historical records from your family or your church, check out the BGC History Center Web site at www.bethel.edu/bgcarchives/index.html and click on Requests.

Forensics lands two top-5 finishes

When the forensics tournament season had drawn to a close in March, the Bethel team had racked up two top-5 finishes and its director had garnered national honors for outstanding coaching. Bethel took fourth place in Division II (mid-sized entry) at Novice Nationals at Cameron University (Okla.), and fifth place out of 22 teams at the National Christian College Forensics Invitational (NCCFI) at Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.).

"We were aiming for a top-5 finish at Christian College Nationals, and we succeeded in reaching our goal," said Michael Dreher, associate professor of communication and director of forensics at Bethel.

Dreher, director of the NCCFI event, also had a good season. He received the Travis G. Jones Memorial Outstanding Coach Award at NCCFI and was recognized at the Concordia University of Nebraska tournament as the first winner of the outstanding coach award for his contributions to the forensics community.

Peggy Kendall, assistant professor of communication and department chair, noted Dreher's leadership role in taking Bethel's forensics team from "a very small group of students to a national powerhouse" in five years. The team received 88 awards this year in individual events and debate, setting a team record.

At Novice Nationals, junior Edie Broadbent (Rosemount, Minn.) ranked tenth in overall sweepstakes out of nearly 200 students, reaching the semifinals in Impromptu Sales and taking second place in Oral Interp. Freshman Faith Kroeker (Wayne, Neb.) and sophomore Bethany Piety (Wheaton, Ill.) both advanced to semifinals in Prose Interpretation. Piety and sophomore Janell Draper (Roches ter, Minn.) came in ninth in Parliamentary Debate, with a record of four wins and two losses.

At the NCCFI, Bethel set a team record for the most students making the elimination rounds. Bethel's Reader's Theater cast of juniors Broadbent, Kelli Meyer (West Concord, Minn.), Anne Carroll (Shoreview, Minn.), Lacy Larson (Redwood Falls, Minn.), and Pamela Kranz (Edina, Minn.); and freshmen Kroeker and Lisa Stauter (Aitkin, Minn.) advanced to the semifinals. Broadbent won third place overall for Individual Speaker in the Novice Division, and Kroeker took sixth place overall for Individual Speaker out of more than 100 students.

Broadbent advanced to four final rounds: second in Novice Informative, second in Novice Oral Interp., third in Novice Faith Literature, and fourth in Novice After Dinner Speaking. Kroeker was third both in Novice Communication Analysis and Novice Poetry, and with Stauter ranked fifth in Novice Duo. Stauter also took sixth in Novice Communication Analysis. Meyer was third in Open Dramatic Interp., Larson was sixth in Open After Dinner Speaking, and Kranz was sixth in Open Persuasion.

Junior Katrisa Bohne (Circle Pines, Minn.) advanced to the semifinal round in Open Impromptu Speaking. Draper and Piety advanced to the octafinal round (the round of 16) in Novice Parliamentary Debate. Senior Jason Jenkins (Apple Valley, Minn.) took eighth place in Junior Varsity Parliamentary Debate.

Proud of the teams' accomplishments, Dreher predicts a bright future for forensics at Bethel. "With almost the entire team returning next year, we think next year should be even better," he said.

Bethel Foundation announces new leadership

When Bethel Foundation President David Lissner retired from Bethel at the end of 2002, he set off a string of changes at the Bethel Foundation.

Angella Hjelle was promoted to executive director and corporate counsel for the Bethel Foundation. In her new position, Hjelle is the executive in charge of the Bethel Foundation and serves as a member of the President's Leadership Team. Previously, Hjelle was controller for the foundation for 12 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in business management from Bethel and earned her Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law in 2002.

"Angie's wealth of experience and passion for building the Bethel Foundation will help serve the needs of the institution and our benefactors," said Paul L.H. Olson, executive vice president for institutional advancement.

In addition, Charles (Chuck) Stroud was promoted to controller for the foundation. Stroud has served at the foundation for two years and has a strong understanding of Bethel's mission and operations. He worked with trusts at Moody Bible Institute for many years prior to coming to the Bethel Foundation. Chuck holds a bachelor of arts degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University (OH) and is a certified public accountant.

The Bethel Foundation, established in 1971, serves friends of Bethel through asset management and assistance with planning charitable gifts, and helps increase the financial strength of Bethel University.

Bethel's Jon Foss named to the AFCA's 2002 Aztec Bowl Squad

Senior Jon Foss (Hinton, Iowa) had the honor of playing in the 2002 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Aztec Bowl on December 14 in Torreon, Mexico. The outside linebacker/defensive end was part of the AFCA Division III all-star team that represented the United States against the Mexican National team. The final score of the game was 15-9, with the Americans pulling out the win. Foss was one of 42 NCAA Division III seniors from around the country who were honored with positions on the team.

During the 2002 football season, Foss had an award-winning senior campaign in which he earned All-MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) honors for the third year after he led the MIAC in tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss. Foss set a Bethel record with 16.5 sacks for the season and finished his career with 36.5 sacks, second most in the history of the MIAC.

National multicultural leaders conference draws hundreds of students

Bethel hosted more then 300 students from across the country during the National Christian Multicultural Student Leaders Conference held in November. It was Bethel's first time to host the three-day event that addressed diversity and racial reconciliation around the theme "Coming Together at the Cross."

Student business interns impress top public accounting firms

When Business and Economics Department Chair Bruce Olsen came to Bethel five years ago, only a small number of Bethel's accounting majors were going to work in public accounting firms. Olsen made it his goal to get Bethel students and graduates better placements in better firms.

And that has been happening in the last few years as several Bethel students have been placed in jobs in the top four accounting firms: Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG International, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. One local firm, Divine, Scherzer & Brody, was so pleased with its first accounting interns from Bethel that it has been hiring Bethel interns exclusively for the last few years.

"We have had a very positive experience [with Bethel interns]," said Dawn DePauw, senior tax accountant at Divine, Scherzer & Brody. "We really like that they are very motivated, energetic, and willing to work hard. They have really good personalities and are high-caliber students." The firm's appreciation of its Bethel interns and interest in helping to develop the skills of young people led Divine, Scherzer & Brody to recently establish a scholarship for Bethel accounting students.

One of the most enjoyable parts of Olsen's job is hearing from students when they find internships and jobs they are excited about. "It's fun for me to see them get great jobs," he concluded.

Commission leads anti-racism and reconciliation efforts

by Kundai Chirindo '04 Twenty-three faculty, staff, and administrators from the college and seminary campuses are leading Bethel's anti-racism efforts and developing strategies for change. The Bethel Anti-Racism and Reconciliation Commission (BARRC) was charged by President George K. Brushaber in December 2001 to serve as a catalyst for making Bethel "a community where all people and races are respected, valued, and made welcome, where all expressions of racism are eliminated, and where genuine biblical reconciliation is practiced."

During the past year BARRC members participated in four days of anti-racism training and helped facilitate anti-racism workshops and follow-up discussion sessions for faculty and staff.

Three BARRC subcommittees were formed to address communication and budget concerns, develop an institutional analysis, and establish theological foundations for anti-racism. Members are auditing systems and procedures at Bethel to better understand how institutional structures may contribute to racism.

Papers that address biblical and sociological frameworks for racial reconciliation were presented by faculty members from Bethel Seminary St. Paul at seminars in March and April. David Clark, professor of theology, and Jeannine Brown, associate professor of New Testament, presented "A Sociological Theory," and "Shalom: A Biblical/Theological Vision for God's People," respectively.

Gilbert garners MIAC honors

Bethel senior forward Andy Gilbert (Plymouth, Minn.) was named the MIAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year and earned All-MIAC honors for the third consecutive year. Gilbert, the league's scoring leader last year, finished the season second in the MIAC in scoring (20.5 ppg) and led the league in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and steals (2.42 spg). His 1,493 career points place him sixth on Bethel's all-time scoring list.

In addition to his Player of the Year award, Gilbert was also named to the Verizon Academic All-District V second-team this season.

Bethel finished the season 15-12 overall and 12-8 in the MIAC. The Royals advanced to the conference playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, the longest current streak in the league.

Missionary nurse to Arabs brings world of experience to Bethel

When Bernita Missal was asked to go to the United Arab of Emirates (UAE) with The Evangelical Alliance Mission in 1976, she agreed to one year in the country. "It was God's way to get me there," she remembers. "Every furlough I would ask God, `Is this what you want me to do?'" And after every furlough for 26 years, she would return to the UAE.

When Missal returned to the United States this past summer, she accepted a position as associate professor of nursing at Bethel. Today, she's passing on her experiences and knowledge to nursing students. "I felt like God was leading me to encourage a younger generation of nurses to get involved with missions," she said.

She hopes to be able to bridge some of the gaps between Americans and Arabs and help clear up misconceptions they have about one another. "When I was leaving [UAE], so many people said, `America does not like Arabs.' It really hurt me to hear that because I love the Arabs. My life is so much richer because I spent time in their culture," she explains. "We have so much to learn from them because of their values—the way they care for people and reach out to those in need."

Missal worked in nursing administration at Oasis Hospital in the UAE. She was overwhelmed by the closeness of families who came to the hospital. "Arabs love their children," she said. "If you talk to them about their children or they can see you're interested in or care about their children, it just builds bridges." Missal's job gave her opportunities to build friendships and relationships with women, and she enjoyed watching how women there have changed over time. "In 1976, many of the girls didn't even go to school…today all children go to school. In fact, many of the girls are graduating from college. The University in Al-Ain has a large percentage of women—almost 75 percent are women," she noted.

Missal plans to return to the UAE frequently and hopes to inspire Bethel students to join her on those trips. She said, "I want to encourage others to think about the Arab world."

Nursing symposium scheduled in May

Alumni and friends of Bethel are invited to a free nursing research and practice symposium on Thursday, May 1. The event will provide nurses an opportunity to learn from each other and hear from speakers in their field. Keynote speaker Elaine Hogan-Miller, R.N., Ph.D., will discuss "Christian Perspectives on Nursing Scholarship for the 21st Century." Two Continuing Education Units will be offered for nurses. The event will start with poster presentations and hors d'oeuvres at 5 p.m. and speakers will begin at 6:30 p.m. Registration will be in the Benson Great Hall lobby. RSVP to Bridget Berkland at b-berkland@bethel.edu. Interim offers students unique opportunities for off-campus learning

by Anna Nissen '03

Interim, that three-week time period between fall and spring semesters, offers Bethel students a chance for an intensive study experience focused on a single academic course. It's also a time when many students opt to participate in off-campus study programs. This year more than 2,000 students took a range of fascinating on-campus courses. For example, there was a literature class, The Plot Thickens, and a World War I history class, It's a Long Way to Tipperary. And there were classes in design, photography, Greek, Kenyan culture, and Christian Theology, to name a few.

Another 158 students took part in off-campus study through nine Bethel programs thoughout the world. Here's a glimpse into those experiences:

Amsterdam: The Urban Church. Students in this interactive anthropology/sociology course analyzed the role of the church in the city of Amsterdam through involvement in its neighborhood churches. In addition, they explored the Dutch countryside, visited cafés, windmill villages, and museums such as the Anne Frank House and the Corrie Ten Boom Museum.

In the Footsteps of the Apostles. Students did on-site investigation into the biblical ministries of the apostles, explored locations in western Turkey and Greece such as Philippi, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus, and examined the historical, geographical, and cultural contexts.

Introduction to International Business. Students observed business operations throughout Europe, visiting banks, accounting firms, unions, manufacturing facilities, and multi-national corporations in London, Rome, Venice, Munich, Salzburg, Switzerland, and Paris.

Exploring Culture and Education. Students gained a greater awareness of how culture and education are influenced by tradition, history, government, language and values by observing and teaching in schools in Hong Kong, China, Boracay Island, and Manila in the Philippines.

Travel Writing. Students served as crew on a large sail boat that sailed through the Bahamas to Cuba and other Caribbean locations. In addition to doing service projects and local church work they read and wrote travel literature of various kinds.

Natural History and Future Prospects. Students explored the Amazon rainforest, Andean cloud forests, volcanic mountains, and the Galapagos Islands, analyzing the land, climate, plants, animals, and industries as well as the effects of human presence in those areas.

Cross-Cultural Ministry Experience. Students traveled to Thailand for an intensive ministry experience in Thai culture. They taught English to Thai university students, developed relationships with local people, and participated in various cultural activities and sports.

Cultural Diversity in Health Care. Nursing students examined the impact of culture on health through two trips that involved planning culture-specific nursing care. Sixteen students traveled to South Korea and Japan, and two students went to Ecuador to learn how adaptation to a specific culture affects health and health care.

Guys & Dolls showcases Bethel theatre talent

The acclaimed musical Guys & Dolls: A Musical Fable of Broadway was presented February 6-9 in the Benson Great Hall. Nearly 40 students participated in producing and performing the musical and spent January interim rehearsing for the musical. Meg Zauner, associate professor and department chair of theatre arts, served as director and choreographer for the production.

Taking in the excitement of Broadway, at left, are Rob Mickelson '04 (Rinelander, Wisc.), Adam Nordmark '06 (Rockford, Ill.), and Adrienne Baker '05 (West Chicago, Ill.). Playing the lead roles of Miss Adelaide and Nathan Detroit, at right, are Elizabeth Peyton '03 (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Dave Berggren '04 (Shoreview, Minn.).

The art of crafting an organ

by Matthew Boettcher '04

On a hot day in August 2002, before Bethel was once again filled with the noise of a new school year, the most prominent sounds on campus emanated from Benson Great Hall. Five men stared at a 700-pound wooden pipe with quiet reverence before attaching it to a simple chain pulley and winching the 16-foot beast up to the second floor. As the first pipe in the new Blackinton Organ was lowered into its permanent position, the men looked at each other and thought, "One down, 3,999 to go." This was the day when years of planning and design for installation of an organ in Benson Great Hall finally began to take physical shape.

Including an organ in Benson Great Hall was planned originally when the hall was built, but budget restrictions prevented it. In the fall of 1999, however, the college received a generous gift from the Blackinton family, whose son Lyle is the organ's builder. Since that time, the remaining funds for the organ have been raised from private contributions.

Installation of the organ has involved Bethel staff members from the music department, physical plant, and art department who went to San Diego in January 2000 to hear organs that Blackinton had previously installed. Blackinton and Stephen Self, professor of music and resident organist, discussed the number of ranks (sets of pipes used to recreate sounds of instruments) the organ should have, finally deciding on 67 ranks and approximately 4,000 pipes.

Self was particularly interested in choosing the sounds he wanted represented in the 67 ranks. The collection of sounds helps create a subtle but powerful instrument. "You want an organ that has plenty of power in it, but also has plenty in reserve so you don't have to push the instrument," Self said. After the musical aspect of the organ was designed, the long process of developing the proper visual design began.

"Certainly the biggest challenge for me," said Blackinton, "was designing the visual element of the organ, attempting to add unique character that compliments the design of the rest of the building." Bethel representatives and Blackinton accomplished this goal in the form of a unique, three-dimensional effect stemming from the idea of Jacob's ladder. The pipes get smaller and smaller as the ladder goes higher, creating the illusion not only that the ladder goes up, but that it has depth, like a staircase. Achieving this effect presented a particular challenge for head carpenter Barry Luttman, who watched the process carefully.

After a year and a half of design, the area behind the stage was torn out and new sound baffles were added in early summer of 2002. Meanwhile, Blackinton placed orders for the massive amounts of tin and nickel pipes to be custom made and delivered, as well as for the large amounts of circuitry needed to run a modern organ. From the moment that first pipe was placed, Blackinton appreciated the area he was working in: "It's a wonderful room musically, it adapts itself well to an organ, and we are looking forward to the potential it has in adding to the musical life of Bethel College."

As pipes arrived, Luttman began the construction of the woodwork and massive cabinet of the organ, which stands nearly seven feet tall with a walkway beneath it.

Over the next few months, Blackinton and his crew worked long days to ensure that the organ was playable for its Festival of Christmas debut. Pipes continue to be added, and the final teak pedal board console will be finished in early summer. However, even when every pipe is installed, there are still years of fine-tuning to be done. "It is important that the hall and the instrument are one, and with any organ that can take a long time," said Jeff. "Benson Great Hall is a warm, gracious, kind room that wraps its arms around you when you enter. We need to make sure that the organ does the same thing."