When Mark Jantzen, professor of history, titled his commencement address “This is a historical event,” he probably wasn’t referring to the weather.

Led by faculty, the graduating class usually processes around the Green in the center of campus to enter Memorial Hall for commencement ceremonies.

On this day, the volume of rain falling stopped that – but after a year of historically low rainfall in the Central Plains, few were complaining.

Geri Tyrell, nursing, and David Long, visual arts and design, were honored with awards for service and teaching at the end of the school year.

The first Franz Community Service Award since 2012 was presented to Tyrell, director of nursing and associate professor of nursing.

This award, named in honor of Julius and Agatha Dyck Franz, recognizes a faculty member judged to have made an especially important contribution to the college community through achievements and service beyond classroom teaching and scholarship.

Given the unprecedented experience of the Class of 2021, it’s not surprising that “life’s challenges and choices” occupied much of the commencement speaker’s address.

Because of rainy weather, the May 16 ceremony took place inside Memorial Hall rather than in Thresher Stadium.

President Jon C. Gering set the stage in his welcome when he reflected on some of the luminaries – from Martin Luther King Jr. to lyric soprano Adele Addison to Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball – who had spoken or performed in Memorial Hall over the decades.

Professor of Social Work Ada Schmidt-Tieszen was named a Newton Area Woman of the Year for 2020.

She will retire from Bethel at the end of the 2019-20 school year, after 35 years on the Bethel faculty.

Schmidt-Tieszen graduated from Bethel in 1974 as a member of the first class of social work graduates.