Grandparents Day 2018

There's a special connection between a grandparent and a grandchild, no matter their ages. Bethel University's 6th annual Grandparents Day is an opportunity for Bethel students and their grandparents to celebrate that special connection and enjoy a day together on Bethel's campus.

Grandparents, you will have the opportunity to attend Chapel, tour campus, hear from university leaders, eat lunch in Bethel's beautiful Monson Dining Center, and have a wonderful time engaging with your grandchild as you experience their home away from home.

Here's what several grandparents shared as their highlight from Grandparents Day events in the past:

"My granddaughter and I have always enjoyed a very tight relationship, but it's so good to see how she is maturing both academically and spiritually. It was heartwarming to know how much she appreciated me coming! And, so good to meet some of her friends!"

"We enjoyed spending time with her and exploring the beautiful campus. It was fun to see her room and also going to chapel with her. We now understand why she loves Bethel so much."

"It was so much fun having lunch with our grandchildren. They were so very attentive in carrying our trays, picking up our drinks, etc. - a real reversal of roles."

Schedule

8-9 a.m. | Check-In and Coffee Reception
Lobby, Community Life Center (CLC), level 1

Check in and receive your Grandparents Day materials. Once you've checked in, mingle with other grandparents and enjoy coffee and pastries before the opening session.

9-9:45 a.m. | Opening Session
Benson Great Hall, Community Life Center (CLC), level 1

Gather with other grandparents to hear from President Jay Barnes and other Bethel community members. Students are also welcome to attend this session as their schedule allows.

10:15-11 a.m. | Chapel
Benson Great Hall, Community Life Center (CLC), level 1
Attend chapel with your Bethel student and hear from guest speaker Dr. Luther E. Smith Jr., a world-renowned authority on the great theologian Howard Thurman, and professor emeritus of church and community at the Candler School of Theology of Emory University. He is also the senior advisory editor of the Howard Thurman Papers Project. Dr. Luther E. Smith Jr. is the author of Howard Thurman: The Mystic as Prophet and Intimacy and Mission: Intentional Community as Crucible for Radical Discipleship and other writings related to the life, ministry, and works of Howard Thurman and reconciliation. In Living Into God's Dream, Dr. Luther E. Smith Jr. "explores the idea that God has a dream for us to be a community, what hinders it, and ways we can embrace it."

This chapel is co-sponsored by Campus Ministries and the Reconciliation Studies program.

11 a.m.-2:15 p.m. | Lunch
Monson Dining Center, Brushaber Commons (BC), level 3

Experience lunch on campus with your grandchild (as their schedule allows) and enjoy the variety and appeal of Bethel's buffet-style dining. Your Grandparents Day registration includes a ticket for lunch. Students may use their meal plan or flex dollars. If your student doesn't have a meal plan or flex, they may purchase lunch at the entrance to Monson Dining Center for the special Grandparents Day rate of $8.50.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Hospitality Center and Photo Booth
The Underground, Brushaber Commons (BC), level 2

Looking for a place to spend some time connecting with your grandchild or to unwind while they're in class? Visit the Grandparents Day Hospitality Center, where you can enjoy refreshments, read the newspaper, get to know other grandparents, or simply relax. Also, be sure to stop by the photo booth with your grandchild to take a selfie as a momento from your time spent together!

11:15 a.m.-noon | Class without a Quiz: Student-Managed Investment Fund, LLC
Olson Boardroom, Brushaber Commons (BC), level 4

Explore the financial markets through the eyes of Bethel students who manage the Royals Investment Fund. Discover how students, with faculty oversight, run an investment management firm. Learn how marketing, accounting, analytics, economics, and finance majors manage an investment portfolio that exceeds $1 million in value in the dynamic capital markets. This session will be led by business professors Chuck Hannema and Amanda Carter.

12:30 p.m. | Campus Tour
Tour departs from Admissions Guest Center, Brushaber Commons (BC), level 2

Join student hosts from Bethel's Office of Admissions for a one-hour indoor walking tour of campus.

1-1:45 p.m. | Class without a Quiz: Paradox at Trinity
Olson Boardroom, Brushaber Commons (BC), level 4

Summer 1945 saw the Trinity test (near Alamogordo, NM) of a "gadget" resulting from an unparalleled national effort to build an atomic bomb before Hitler. Learn about the design work at Los Alamos and how these first crude bombs worked. Find out about the backgrounds, challenges, and personal motivations of Manhattan Project workers at laboratories spread throughout the U.S. This session will conclude with a discussion of the subsequent use of atomic bombs to help end WWII and the development of much larger H-bombs in the years that followed.

Other Options

9 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed during Chapel) | Campus Store
Brushaber Commons (BC), level 2

Be sure to check out all the great merchandise at the Campus Store (next to the Grandparents Day Hospitality Center). You'll receive a special Grandparents Day 20% discount so you can show your Bethel pride!

10 a.m.-midnight (visiting hours) | Your Student's Residence Hall

The Office of Student Life has extended visiting hours for residence halls. Accompany your grandchild and experience his/her living community.

Hotels near Bethel University

Looking for a place to stay during your visit? Bethel has worked with a number of area hotels to secure good rates for our campus guests. View a list of hotels and request their Bethel rate when you call for reservations.

Request an Invitation

Grandparents Day invitations are mailed to grandparents for whom we have contact information. To request an invitation, please complete the Grandparent Information Form.