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Thresher E-View
October 2007
IN THIS ISSUE- – Museum offers bus trip to Tulsa
- – Enrollment increases slightly, shows more diversity
- – New cable channel located in Bethel’s RTV lab
- – San Jose checks delivered to two service organizations
- – Alumni professionals sought for 13th Career Night
- – Birds flock to Kauffman Museum in new exhibit
- – 37th Fall Festival features plenty of music
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MUSEUM OFFERS BUS TRIP TO TULSA
Bethel alumni and friends are invited to reserve a spot on a Kauffman Museum bus tour headed to Tulsa and Bartlesville, Okla., October 17-19. Participants will visit Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Gilcrease Museum of the Americas, the Oklahoma Aquarium, Tulsa Oktoberfest, Blue Bell Creamery, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower and the Phillips Mansion.
The cost ($395 for a Kauffman Museum member) includes all entrance fees, lodging, meals (except supper at Oktoberfest), gratuities and travel expenses. Tour hosts will be Susan Rhoades, Kauffman Museum volunteer enhancement coordinator, and Andi Schmidt Andres ’84, Kauffman Museum curator of education. For more information or to reserve a seat on the bus, contact Andi at asa@bethelks.edu or 316-283-1612.
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ENROLLMENT INCREASES SLIGHTLY, SHOWS MORE DIVERSITY
Enrollment at Bethel College remained steady, increasing slightly to 541 students this fall as compared to 539 in fall 2006. However, this fall’s student body is more internationally mixed than has been true in several years.
In fact, Bethel ranks first in U.S. News & World Report's annual college survey for 2008 in percentage of international students for a four-year liberal arts college in the state of Kansas.
Bethel students represent 19 countries other than the United States, including first-time freshmen from Cameroon, Canada, Denmark and Mexico (one each) and three from the United Kingdom (two from England, one from Scotland).
This fall’s numbers represent a retention rate of 84 percent of students who were on campus last spring, excluding those who graduated.
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NEW CABLE CHANNEL LOCATED IN BETHEL’S RTV LAB
Bethel College audio-visual staff worked through the summer and into the beginning of the fall semester to bring facilities online for the new Newton Channel, which can be found on Cox cable Channel 7 in the Newton/North Newton area. The Newton Channel project is a cooperative effort of Bethel, Newton Public Schools, the City of Newton and Newton Medical Center.
The “head end” of the Newton Channel is located in the RTV Lab in the basement of the Mennonite Library and Archives. Recorded content from DVDs, DV and VHS tapes and a 1 TB video server can be broadcast. The station also has the capacity to broadcast live on the Newton Channel from the RTV Lab studio and several locations on the Bethel campus, including Krehbiel Auditorium, Thresher Stadium, Thresher Gym, Memorial Hall and the Ad Building Chapel.
Students under the direction of Tim Buller ’96 are doing much of the recording and production work using digital video cameras and computer workstations. “This is a great addition to Bethel due to the technology upgrades, cooperative community involvement and new opportunities for students,” Buller said.
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SAN JOSE CHECKS DELIVERED TO TWO SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
Two of the checks from the four-day fundraiser that was part of Bethel College’s display booth at the Mennonite Church USA Youth Convention and delegate assembly last July in San Jose, Calif., have been delivered to the designated service organizations.
On Aug. 12, director of church relations Dale Schrag was in Glendale, Ariz., to bring a check for $1,000 to Goldensun Peace Ministries, a community-building program for developmentally disabled adults sponsored by Trinity Mennonite Church. On Sept. 7, admissions counselor Lowell Wyse took a check for almost $1,800 to Hopi Mission School in Kykotsmovi Village, Ariz. In both cases, the presentations also included the large pieces of canvas that visitors to Bethel’s booth signed to show their support for the service organizations. (Read a longer story on the Hopi Mission School presentation.)
The third designated organization that will be receiving a check is Mennonite Urban Corps in Los Angeles. The youth group from Harrisonburg (Va.) Mennonite Church won the drawing on the fourth day and has said they will likely use the funds for their service project next summer at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Philadelphia.
The amounts of at least $1,000 per organization came from tickets deposited each day at Bethel’s booth. Funds that Bethel would have spent on giveaways plus individual gifts comprised the totals.
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ALUMNI PROFESSIONALS SOUGHT FOR 13TH CAREER NIGHT
Each November since 1995, the Student Alumni Association (SAA) has planned and hosted Career Night, where students have the opportunity to interact with alumni about job options and professions. The 13th annual event is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14, beginning with a meal for alumni at 6 p.m. and followed by the career fair in Memorial Hall from 7:30-9 p.m.
Alumni are invited to represent their professions and life experience at this year’s Career Night. Representatives sit at tables in Memorial Hall gym and students stop by to visit. Many alumni bring displays and literature as well as prizes for a drawing held at the end of the evening.
Alumni who are interested in volunteering should e-mail their name, mailing address, home and work phone numbers, profession/title and company name to alumni@bethelks.edu, and indicate that they would like to receive an invitation to attend.
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BIRDS FLOCK TO KAUFFMAN MUSEUM IN NEW EXHIBIT
Feathered friends are the feature of Kauffman Museum’s new special exhibit “Meet the Beak,” open through January 20, 2008. Designed as a learning center, the exhibit includes 34 bird specimens from the Charles J. Kauffman bird collections and hands-on activities for all ages.
The focus on exploring the structure and function of bird beaks grew out of a request from USD 373 in Newton for field trips that specifically meet fourth grade science standards. Kauffman Museum curator of education Andi Schmidt Andres ’84 and USD 373 curriculum personnel Jill Lachenmayr, Karen Loucks ’81 and Lynn Loucks ’67 developed activity lesson plans with feedback from museum docents.
The exhibit also features eight porcelain Boehm sculptures of North American birds being offered in a silent auction, which continues until Jan. 18, 2008, at 4:30 p.m. All auction proceeds will be placed in the Kauffman Museum Collections Fund to support projects that were important to Voran.
Friday, Oct. 26, the museum’s annual Living Endowment Dinner will feature nature photographer David Seibel with an illustrated program, “Confessions of a bird paparazzo.” Reservations and pre-payment of $125 per person are necessary for this event.
For information on museum field trip opportunities or public programs or for more details on the Living Endowment Dinner, call the museum at 316-283-1612 or e-mail asa@bethelks.edu.
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37TH FALL FESTIVAL FEATURES PLENTY OF MUSIC
Plan now to attend this year’s Fall Festival activities, Oct. 4-7. Following is a sampling of entertainment and features new this year or in recent years. A complete program is at www.bethelks.edu/fallfest.
Friday, October 5
- 8:15 a.m.-5:30 p.m.: STEM (Science, Technology, pre-Engineering, Mathematics) Symposium
- --7 p.m.: Sedan vs. La Crosse high school football, Joe W. Goering Field
- --7:30 p.m.: Bethel College Jazz Gala Concert
Saturday, October 6
- --7 a.m.: Early morning bird walk with Gregg Friesen (start at Kauffman Museum)
- --9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Handcrafted furniture by Daryl Nickel ’71
- -- 10-11:30 a.m., Class Reunions: 1992, 1997
- --11 a.m.: Newton Children’s Choir and Rosewood Winds
- --1:30-3 p.m., Class Reunions: 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987
- --2 p.m.: Ben Regier ’03 and Daniel Regier ’05, folk/bluegrass music
- --3:30 pm.: Bethel College Music Extravaganza
Sunday, October 7
- --2 p.m.: Bethel College Music Extravaganza
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Questions about “Thresher E-View” may be e-mailed to alumni@bethelks.edu. Back issues are at www.bethelks.edu/bc/news_publications/thresher_eview/index.php. Additional news is at /bc/news_publications/news/bc/.
Alumni may submit “Class Notes” for “Context” magazine and update information online at https://www.bethelks.edu/alumni/directory/update/index.php.
For current Bethel employment opportunities see www.bethelks.edu/bc/careers/openings.php.
For additional information about Bethel College go to www.bethelks.edu or contact Office of Alumni Relations, 300 East 27th Street, North Newton, KS 67117, (316) 284-5251, alumni@bethelks.edu. Thank you.