June 2010 Bethany Report

JUNE 2010 the magazine of bethany lutheran college

4Lindberg receives graduate fellowship

10Psychology class gives experience

16Rettmer receives alumna award

Bethanyreport

Before the Bethany Report goes to press, I often have the opportunity to read some of the feature articles. It gives me a chance to step back

and see the College in a broader perspective and heightens my apprecia-tion of the variety, depth, and impact of the accomplishments achieved by our students, faculty, and staff. In this issue there are several articles that highlight items that are not only newsworthy to our regular Bethany readership, but are also truly remarkable in their own right. These are particularly exciting because they reaffirm that, although a small campus, our achievements often belie our size.

Dr. Thomas Kuster of our communication department was recently honored as a Fulbright Specialist. This honor was the first of its kind for

a Bethany faculty member and represents a significant milestone for Bethany as a young baccalaureate institu-tion. Tom spent six weeks teaching conflict resolution to eager students and faculty at United International College (UIC) in Zhuhai, China. He and his wife Judy (HS 62, JC 64) had a marvelous experience. As you might recall, UIC is the institution where a number of our students have studied abroad and our faculty have taught.

A member of the Bethany Lutheran College senior class of 2010 has also received a prestigious award. Tova Lindberg, a Meyer Scholar, earned a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship grant for her graduate studies that she’ll begin next fall at the Univer-

sity of Arizona. These grants are very competitive, are awarded to only a select few, and provide a generous stipend to assist the student while pursuing a Ph.D.

We are thankful the Lord brings us incredibly talented individuals to campus and are humbled that we have the opportunity to offer a Christ-centered education to provide the tools needed for our students to serve in whatever vocation they pursue. Without this blessing Bethany would not be the special institution that it is.

Another aspect of these types of honors is the awareness that a Bethany education is viewed as one of strong academic quality and value. Recogni-tion of academic pursuits and goals is important to our growing College. We are blessed to have such capable and talented faculty members and equally capable students who ask the difficult questions and look for answers. This occurs on a daily basis at Bethany. For us, the process is all guided by the appreciation of God’s Word, the One Thing Needful.

Visit us soon. Learn more about us. And join us in this pursuit of excel-lence in Christian higher education.

editor, writer | Lance Schwartz design, photography | David Norris proofreader, writer | Emma Bauer contributors | Dr. Ted Manthe Dr. Jennifer Wosmek Please direct all correspondence, letters, news, corrections, and comments to: Bethany Lutheran College Bethany report 700 Luther Drive Mankato, MN 56001-6163Email: [email protected] | www.blc.edu507.344.7000 | 800.944.3066FAX: 507.344.7417

ISSUE: CXIX

The Report is published quarterly by the Bethany Lutheran College public relations office and distributed free of charge to the college’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends.

All contents © COPYRIGHT 2010 Bethany Lutheran College. Articles, images or photographs may not be reproduced without written permission.

Mission: Bethany Lutheran College, owned and operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, is a private, residential, liberal arts college committed to the teachings of the Bible as set forth in the Lutheran Confessions. Bethany provides studies culminating in a Bachelor of Arts degree. The college serves Lutherans and others by offering a challenging, student-centered approach to education that fosters spiritual development, intellectual and creative growth, self-understanding, and responsible citizenship. In keeping with its heritage, Bethany aspires to produce students with a clear understanding of Christian vocation, which encourages students to make the most of their God-given talents.

On the cover: Tulips were blooming early this spring as students gathered on the campus green to enjoy the nice weather.

President Dan Bruss

Growing list of honorsBethanyreport

from the president

From the editor: The Bethany Report magazine represents a compilation of stories and events that have occurred over a specific period of time. In order to reflect that period of time, we have traditionally named the issues by season of the year. This naming practice, at times, can be confusing to the reader. To alleviate any confusion going forward we will simply date the issue based on the month of publication, which normally will occur in June, September, December and March.

2 report | JUNE 2010

April 15, 2010Hebrews 11:17-19—“By faith Abraham, when

God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ,Thirty two years ago my wife and I became

parents. In time we would have four children. I think all parents have hopes and expectations for their children. They want their kids to be good looking, popular, intelligent, nice, kind, and considerate. They want children who are easy to manage and who will bring honor to the family.

My wife and I used to speak about our hopes for our chil-dren. One day, however, she clarified and simplified our hopes and dreams for our chil-dren. She said, “All I want is to see our children in heaven.”

Friends, that’s Christian and that’s Easter. It is simply stat-ing the obvious, that our chil-dren will die and then will come the Resurrection. Our prayer for our children is that they remain in the Christian faith until life everlasting in heaven. This is what I call an Easter faith, a Resurrection faith.

In our text this morning we find the greatest human example of an Easter faith. I know you will not grow bored if I retell it for you.

Now Abraham was a man of faith. God promised him that through the line of his son, the Messiah would be born, and all the world would be blessed. Now, Abraham was a very old man and he had a fine young son.

Yet, one day God ordered Abraham to take this son of his and go to a particular mountain, and there slaughter him as an offering to God. Let’s pick up some of the details. God gave Abraham this command. The Bible says that “Early the next morning Abraham got up...” and set out on the jour-ney (Genesis 22:3). Stop right there, and think. What kind of night did Abraham have? What went

through his mind all night? I can only imagine that his agony was akin to that of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. “I can’t do this; I don’t want to do this; how can I do this; is there no alternative? What will I say to my wife, Sarah? How can I explain to her that I am going to kill our son?”

So Abraham set out on the journey to the region of Mt. Moriah. The journey probably took three days. Again, what thoughts swirled around in his mind? “Isaac is so young; right now he’s happy; to him this is a father-son outing; will he resist when I tie him and hold the knife over him? What will I see in his big dark, beautiful, sparkling eyes at the last moment?”

Let’s not forget, Abraham was a man of great faith, yes, but he was also human, a husband and a father.

You know the rest of the story. Abraham did as God commanded. He arrived at the place, built an altar, tied up his son, and was just about to kill him when God intervened, provided a ram in the thicket, and praised Abraham for his faith.

What kind of a faith was it? What motivated Abra-ham to go through with it? It was an Easter faith. Our text tells us exactly that, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead.” Now we can again connect our thoughts to those of Abraham. The whole time he was agonizing over his circumstance, he was driven forward by the hope of the resurrection of the dead. God gives life. God takes life. And God can restore life once He takes it. After all, God took the life of His own Son as punishment and payment for our sins. Yet, God raised Him to life. Not a dead, but a living Jesus lives and reigns to all eternity. This is Easter and this is the basis for an Easter faith.

Today in the afterglow of Easter, we too can adopt this correct view of things. If only we can keep our Easter faith strong, things make sense and fall into place. My wife got it right—children’s looks, intelli-gence, popularity, what does it matter? Resurrection from the death, waking up in heaven—that’s what matters. Abraham got it right—God can and will keep all his promises even to the extent of reaching into the grave and restoring life to the body.

In the last analysis, as we go through our lives here on Earth, let’s put things into perspective. Let us be driven, not by death, but by life. Like Abraham focus on the Resurrection. Amen.

Dr. William Kessel

from the chapeL

education that lasts beyond a lifetime 3

Lindberg earns high honorBy Lance SchwartzDirector of Marketing and Public Relations

It’s an honor that few earn. And it’s only given to the best and brightest aspiring

science minds across the nation. Bethany Lutheran College senior Tova Lindberg of Pine Island, Minn., has been awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Lindberg, a 2010 Bethany graduate, will pursue graduate studies in analysis in the math department at the University of Arizona.

Lindberg majored in both mathematics and theatre at Bethany. If you’re think-ing that’s a strange combination of skills, don’t think twice. At a liberal arts college like Bethany, students are encouraged to explore the curriculum, and that’s just what Lindberg did.

“Theatre was one of the things that brought me to Bethany, as I wanted a Christian environment in which to pursue continued work in theatre. I think the main reason that I love theatre so much is its ability to powerfully tell a good story. The theatrical experience can be

very powerful, with its live combination of visual and auditory elements, but its real punch comes with the telling of a good story, said Lindberg. The primary connection for me between math and theatre has been their mutual demand for creative problem solving. In theatre, the implementation of a design might not be working out quite as well as planned, necessitating some creative ideas to solve the problem. In math, creative is not an oft-applied adjective, but creativity is in fact essential in abstract math.”

Dr. Aaron Luttman, former Bethany professor, advised the research that led to this award for Lindberg. She began work-ing with Luttman while he was teaching at Bethany and continued the research with him after he accepted a position at Clarkson University. Julie Kjeer of the Bethany mathematics department advised Lindberg’s senior thesis.

Lindberg was a recipient of the presti-gious Marvin G. Meyer Scholarship at Bethany and has been a member of the Bethany Scholastic Leadership Society since her freshman year. She participated

in two summer research programs at other universities. The first was in 2008 at the University of Arizona in their VIGRE Arizona Summer Program on computational group theory. The second was in 2009 at Clarkson University with Dr. Luttman. Lindberg received two speaking awards at MathFest, a national math conference, which is sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). In 2008, she received an MAA Outstanding Presentation Award. She also earned a Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) Exemplary Student Award in 2009.

Lindberg eloquently spoke of her time at Bethany, “I have been so incredibly blessed to spend the past four years here at Bethany. Faculty and staff from across the College have encouraged and inspired me, and my classmates are friends that I will treasure forever. Bethany has provided me with some very unique and wonderful opportunities, all in a beauti-ful Christ-centered environment, and I can’t think of a better place to have prepared for the next stage of life.”

Photo by David Norris

Senior Tova Lindberg was recently awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation.


Miller retires after 19 years of servicecampus news

By Ted MantheDean of Student Services

When I approached Judy Miller about a reception in recognition

of her retirement, she stated, “Well, I’m really not a hoopla-type person. That’s okay for other people, but not for me.” I told her we will respect that, but nineteen years of living, working, and dedicated service in Anderson Hall is definitely worthy of commemoration, and at least a little “hoopla.”

For Judy, being a resident manager wasn’t as much of a job, as it was a call-ing. She always approached her service, as not only to Bethany, but also service to our Lord and his Kingdom. This is how she approached all that she did, and how she interacted with the hundreds if not thousands of residents that she has been in contact with over the years. She truly loves what she does and the women she works with.

Typically, resident managers at Bethany are around for about two or three years. Judy, with her nineteen years of service and experience, has brought a rich set of history and continuity to our residential

life department.I have always appreciated in Judy the

ability to dig deeper and find the good in people. Another thing that I’ve appreci-ated in Judy was her heart. Her heart for the women of Anderson Hall, and for that of Bethany is enormous. In contem-plating a replacement for Judy, it was my

hope and prayer to find someone with a similar-type heart.

It is a challenge to find words that totally encapsulate all that Judy has done for the women of Bethany, and in a broader context, for this institution. Bethany appreciates her many years of dedicated service.


Judy Miller was honored for her nineteen years of service to Bethany at a gathering on May 11.

Campus spaces receive new namesA pair of Bethany Lutheran College

campus venues are set to bear the names of long time Bethany employees.

At their May 2010 meeting, the Beth-any Lutheran College Board of Regents unanimously voted to name the theatre housed in the Ylvisaker Fine Arts Center as the Sigurd K. Lee Theatre.

Lee was a professor of English and drama director on the Bethany campus for over three decades spanning the years 1960-1993. He directed countless dramatic productions on the Bethany campus. Lee is retired and resides in

Mankato, Minnesota.“Sig embodies the Bethany spirit. His

tireless devotion to students and his dedi-cation to the mission of the College are recognized with this naming,” said Beth-any President Dan Bruss.

Additionally, the South Gym (as it has been known) will now be called the Ronald Younge Gymnasium.

Younge arrived on the Bethany campus in 1967 and served the College as athletic director, biology instructor, registrar, head men’s basketball coach, and most recently as vice president for academic

affairs. While Younge held many impor-tant roles on the Bethany campus, many alumni and friends know him for his years coaching (1967–86) the Bethany men’s basketball team. In December 2009, Younge announced his retirement effective June 30, 2010.

“While Ron’s career at Bethany was about much more than basketball and coaching, his heart has always been in the gym and I’m pleased that the place where he coached so many games will bear his name,” said Bethany President Dan Bruss.


Students lobby for state grant programacademics

The Minnesota State Grant Program is a critical piece of financial aid for

many Minnesota residents attending a college or university. The grant program assists students with their tuition bills by awarding funding based solely on the student’s financial need. Over 200 Beth-any Lutheran College students are recipi-ents of a Minnesota State Grant.

Each year, a large contingent of Beth-any students travel to the Minnesota State Capitol to thank legislators for their support of the State Grant Program. Bethany senior, Kelsi Anderson, has attended four Day at the Capitol events. She recounted the 2010 trip to Saint Paul:

“On Wednesday, March 24, a bus parked outside Old Main to pick up forty Bethany students and headed up to the State Capitol. This was my fourth year attending the annual Day at the Capitol event. It is a day in which private college students from all over the state are able to participate in an organized lobbying effort for the Minnesota State Grant. The State Grant is a need-based grant offered to college-seeking Minnesota resi-dents. The grant money is available to the student as long as they choose a Minne-sota college or university—whether public, community, or private.

When we arrive at the State Capitol, we are welcomed by a representative of the Minnesota Private College Council, updated on the issue’s current status in the legislature, and given our schedule and materials for the day. Each student meets with one senator and house representative, having the opportunity to speak with them one on one about the importance of the State Grant. My legislators have all been very knowledge-able and supportive of the State Grant; the meeting takes about fifteen minutes including the legislator asking about my education and future goals and letting

me know that they will do what they can to maintain funding for the State Grant. Overall, they are very appreciative of us taking the time to come and advocate for this important issue.

Throughout my four years attend-ing Day at the Capitol, I have helped Bethany promote this event in hopes of increasing student legislative awareness and involvement. Even if students are not personal recipients of the grant, I believe the exposure to the legislative process and

organized lobbying is extremely useful for students. It is important that students understand that they do have a voice and legislators do want to hear what they have to say, whether it is about funding for higher education or any other issue they are passionate about. I truly believe that Day at the Capitol is more than a success-ful way to support the Minnesota State Grant, it also gives students the skills and confidence to stand up for what they believe is important.”

Photos by David Norris

Top: Rep. Tony Cornish from Good Thunder was visited by several students.

Above: Tracey Mehlhouse talked with Rep. Paul Torkelson outside the House chambers.

Left: Group photo of the students who attended Day at the Capitol


By Lance SchwartzDirector of Marketing and Public Relations

Nazi. Holocaust. Auschwitz. Certainly words that evoke

emotion. The emotion of these words and a dark part of the world’s history were (literally) brought to life in April 2010 on the stage of Bethany’s Sigurd K. Lee Theatre.

Bethany’s spring play was an emotional retelling of the lives of two Holocaust survivors, Ed Silverberg, played by Josh Wierschke and Eva (Geiringer) Schloss, played by Ellen Tommerdahl. Ed was Anne Frank’s first boyfriend. She wrote about him in the beginning of her now-famous Diary. Eva Schloss was the same age as Anne Frank and lived in the same apartment building in Amsterdam. Her family went into hiding the same day as the Frank family. And like the Frank family, they were betrayed. On Eva’s fifteenth birthday, her family was arrested by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. Eva and her mother survived, and after the War her mother married

Otto Frank (Anne’s father). The dramatic production used both videotape technol-ogy and live theater to tell the story of Ed and Eva. Through the use of taped interviews of both Ed and Eva, the actors bring the story of the teenagers’ lives and trials to an emotional production.

A very special guest was part of the first weekend of the play’s run. Margot De Wilde of Plymouth, Minn., who spent two years at Auschwitz during World War II and underwent Nazi medical experiments talked with the audience after the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances of the play. Sunday, April 11 was Holocaust Remembrance Day making De Wilde’s contribution very timely.

The play saw two special matinee performances for junior high students from Mankato and surrounding commu-nities, offering children who are approxi-mately the same as age as the play’s main characters the opportunity to learn about and understand the historical significance and human toll of the Holocaust.

Play highlights dark part of history

fine arts

Photos by David Norris

The production of And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank featured a cast of eight. The actors occasionally interacted with taped interviews of their characters who were actual Holocaust survivors.

Holocaust survivor Margot DeWilde spoke with audiences after each of the first three performances of the play. DeWilde answered questions about life before, during, and after her time at Auschwitz.


Media arts added to majorsacademics


Today’s world of communication is highly visual. Just think about the

variety of mediums that bring informa-tion and entertainment to the masses. There’s television and film, mobile devices, Web sites, and visual displays in lobbies of hotels or airports just to name a few. The process of communicating and story-telling in some respects has become entertainment—requiring media that grabs your attention, involves your emotions, or invites you to participate in the story.

Effective visual communication requires employees who possess the neces-sary technical skills to produce media for a variety of different applications. Bethany’s new media arts program has that aspect covered, but it’s also about the creative implications of being a visual artist and communicator. It’s about a multi-sensory experience that combines mediums such as Web graphics, 3-D animation, and sound to the process. Studying media arts at Bethany is about more than merely the technical—it’s about producing artists who can see the whole picture—artistic directors with a vision for what can be.

Bethany media arts graduates will not only understand and use the latest technology available; but they will also possess the critical thinking skills and sound ethical judgment that are essential to being an effective communicator.

Andy Overn is a faculty member teach-ing within the new media arts major.

“Our media arts major is about find-ing and utilizing emerging graphic design and animation technology and then

helping our students to connect the dots and to apply that technology to new ideas,” says Overn.

“We aim to produce graduates who are creative in the way they approach their work; they will be directors and not just technicians.”

The new Bethany media arts major is an exciting program rooted in an histori-cal perspective to art criticism and theory that also embraces the latest in technol-ogy. Faculty members include professors William Bukowski, Andy Overn, and Kurt Paulsen. Career opportunities for media arts graduates include such fields as advertising, animation, art direction, broadcast design, graphic design, illustra-tion, multimedia production, videogra-phy, and Web development.


Kurt Paulsen assisted students in a stop-motion animation production.

Photo by Steve Woit

Andy Overn says the aim for media arts majors is to ‘be directors and not just technicians.’



What destinations come to mind when you think of college students

and spring break? Florida? Texas? Mexico? Perhaps even Europe? Surely these are popular destinations for legions of college students, but what about Ohio? Yes, that’s right, Ohio is where four Bethany students spent a significant part of their 2010 spring break. Abigail Bourman, Andrea Hanneman, Rachel Skaaland, and Mary Voigt represented Bethany Lutheran College at the National Christian College Forensics Associa-tion Championship Speech and Debate Tournament this year held at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio.

It was a successful trip for the students as Bourman earned a fourth place finish

in drama interpretation with her selec-tion from the play, Necessary Targets. She also earned a fourth place finish in the interpretation of faith category with her story of a woman leaving the Amish to marry an outsider. Andrea Hanneman took fifth place in informa-tive speaking, talking about the physi-cal and psychological effects of fear. Mary Voigt earned a sixth place finish

in after-dinner speaking with a speech on how handshaking will destroy the world. Overall, the students representing Bethany earned enough points to capture third place overall in the small school division at the tournament—a terrific accomplishment for the College. Profes-sor Jon Loging (communication) is the speech team’s advisor and coach.

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$289,032 Current Bethany

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Bethany Fund almost to goal

Speech team captures third place finishacademics

advancement

Mary VoigtAbigail Bourman Andrea Hanneman Rachel Skaaland

By Sarah HarstadDirector of Alumni Relations

The Bethany Fund supports the ongoing daily operations of the

College —where the needs are greatest. Your contribution provides opportuni-ties for students to retain the competi-tive edge while receiving an irreplaceable, Christ-centered education.

Thank you to the many alumni, parents, and friends who participated in the recent Phone-a-thon for the Bethany Fund. Due to your generous support, the Phone-a-thon students finished a success-

ful year by hitting their goal of $125,000. They are encouraged by your stories and support! But the work isn’t over, as the overall goal for the Bethany Fund has yet to be reached.

With approximately 80% of the goal for 2009-2010 received, we are grateful for your support. Gifts from alumni and friends have allowed us to be ahead of our giving last year at this time.

During the month of June, please consider a gift to the Bethany Fund as we attempt to close the fiscal year on a black note.


academics

Psychology class offers students

ExperienceJourney

for the

By Lance Schwartz • Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Let your mind wander back to your college days. Did you

ever question, “Where will I be in ten, twenty, or even thirty years from now?” Were you concerned about making the correct career choice? Or wonder what happens if I don’t like my work?

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A course developed by Dr. Jennifer Wosmek (psychology), helps to alleviate some of the uncertainty for psychology students at Bethany Lutheran College.

At the broadest level, the goal of Wosmek’s supervised study course in psychology is to help students identify where they are going and how they are going to get there.

The course requirements are arranged to provide students with experiences that will improve the likelihood that their plans will become a reality. Students meet weekly as a group to network with each other regarding weekly tasks and progress. They also meet weekly with the instructor in private to develop and discuss individual weekly tasks. To make such individualized instruction possible, the enrollment for this course is purposely kept under ten students.

“Supervised study gave me the chance to sharpen my time management skills. We often had five to ten tasks due for the week on top of the homework from all our other classes. I had to learn various strategies in order to complete everything on time,” said student Sarah Doebbeling. “Supervised study was definitely the most challenging course of my college career, but also one of the most valuable.”

Supervised study in psychology offers an opportunity for first-hand learning experience within an area of interest. Designed specifically for psychology students, the course consists of both indi-vidual and group work. Students first become familiar with the range of career options available in psychology and, based on their talents, go on to develop areas of interest. Students engage in professional development within psychol-ogy, establish contacts within their areas of interest, and gain hands-on experiences in applied settings.

In addition to their individualized career development, the class also entails a spiritual component. As a group, the students learn about the doctrine of Christian vocation, as described by

Gene Veith in his book God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. This book stresses the concept of doing everything for God’s glory in all aspects of life; personal and professional.

“Of course everything in the class was of importance, but the most important aspect (which helped all of us survive the mental and emotional intensity of the class) was Veith’s book God at Work, which essentially emphasizes the recognition of the importance of our various vocations throughout life and ultimately serving God through every-thing we are and do,” said student Abigail Lecy.

This course even comes with its own dress code. Throughout the course students are required to come to each of the group meetings in professional attire. To keep this simple and equitable, Wosmek has defined this as “black and white clothing, formal, and no frills.”

This unique course was designed to avoid the “deer in the headlights” feel-ing some students (and their parents) fear they will experience upon graduation. Through the experiences provided in this course, students emerge prepared and confident in their ability to tackle current and future career challenges.

Christa Redmann said of the class, “Many people will say the class was extremely hard and time-consuming and yes it probably was. However, I was pushed to my very limits and for that I will be forever grateful.” And she added, “In the end this class challenged me phys-ically, emotionally, and spiritually all for the better.”

The semester concludes with “journey presentations” wherein students present a review of their “journey” through the semester to friends, family, and faculty. This provides students with the oppor-tunity to reflect on the experiences they have had and celebrate how far they have come.

Michah Teisberg offered her summary of the class, “Through taking this course, I feel more self confident that I am able to accomplish what I set out to do, and have the tools to succeed in my field of psychology and in my personal life in general. Though it was challenging at times, when you finish this class you feel like you can accomplish anything, and it is so rewarding to finish something that many students don’t even want to attempt to do. The greatest part of the class was our final presentations, because through these you really saw how far you and everyone in the class had come.”

Dr. Jennifer Wosmek contributed to this article.

ExperienceJourney


Christa Redmann said the class was challenging but rewarding.

‘This unique course was designed to avoid the “deer in the headlights” feeling some students (and their parents) fear they will experience upon graduation. ’


Kuster receives Fulbright awardfaculty


Among the benefits of Bethany’s involvement with United Interna-

tional College (UIC) in China are the opportunities for Bethany instructors to find creative and unique ways to involve Bethany students and themselves with the academic program at UIC. You’ve read in this publication a number of arti-cles in recent years about the ways Beth-any faculty and students have utilized this relationship, including presentations given by both President Dan Bruss and Kathy Bruss at a UIC High Table Dinner.

Dr. Thomas Kuster, professor of communication at Bethany Lutheran College, was recently selected for a Fulbright Specialist project in China at UIC during the spring of 2010.

As a result of this Fulbright selection, Kuster conducted a series of workshops for students on conflict management and resolution, as well as some additional consulting with UIC staff in Zhuhai and Hong Kong. Judy Kuster (HS ’62, JC ’64), who teaches at Minnesota State University, Mankato, accompanied her husband on this trip and also presented to students at UIC.

Kuster said of the opportunity, “While UIC has had visiting Fulbright scholars from nearby schools lecture there for a day or two, they were very pleased to have Fulbright scholars assigned directly to their school for the first time. And we were very pleased that one of their first Fulbrighters represented Bethany Lutheran College. Since one of their first visiting professors, Dr. Janet Moldstad, also came from Bethany a few years ago, this signaled a growing special relation-ship between our two schools.”

Kuster is one of over 400 U.S. faculty and professionals who traveled abroad this year through the Fulbright Special-ists Program. The Fulbright Specialists

Program, created in 2000 to comple-ment the traditional Fulbright Scholar Program, provides short-term academic opportunities (two to six weeks) to prominent U.S. faculty and professionals to support curricular and faculty develop-ment and institutional planning at post secondary academic institutions around the world.

The Fulbright Program, America’s flag-ship international educational exchange activity, is sponsored by the U.S. Depart-ment of State Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs. Over its sixty years of existence, thousands of U.S. faculty and professionals have taught, studied or conducted research abroad, and thou-sands of their counterparts from other countries have engaged in similar activi-ties in the United States. Over 285,000 emerging leaders in their professional fields have received Fulbright awards, including individuals who later became heads of government, Nobel Prize winners, and leaders in education, busi-ness, journalism, the arts and other fields.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Kuster

Dr. Thomas Kuster recently returned from teaching at United International College in China.


Reflecting on the past 30 years

faculty


How does an art professor celebrate thirty of years of teaching and creating on the Bethany Lutheran

College campus? For Professor William Bukowski, it’s capped off by presenting a career retrospective lecture in conjunction with a gallery show featuring works impor-tant to the artist. The special event took place on February 25, 2010, in the Sigurd K. Lee Theatre with a reception following in the gallery.

The career retrospective exhibition consisted of a selec-tion of Bukowski’s oil paintings from 1973-2010. The show was entitled, “A Short Journey,” referring to our short time on this Earth and it offered a condensed look back on his career. Bukowski explained some of the inspi-ration behind his work, but also focused a great deal of his presentation on the joy and motivation that teaching brings to his professional and creative lives. The exhibition was on display during the month of March.

Several alumni and friends of Bethany also cele-brated Bukowski’s career milestone by joining him on

February 20, 2010, at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for a unique and personal tour given by Professor Bukowski. Every semester, beginning in 1980, Bukowski has been taking student groups to the Institute, and he enjoys lead-ing groups through one of Minnesota’s great treasures. The tour ended with a look at the exhibition, A Foot In the Door, where any artist in the state of Minnesota was invited to show a square foot of art at the Institute. Profes-sor Bukowski and several Bethany students were included in this exhibition.

And, of course, to celebrate a significant career mile-stone and to fully appreciate the world of art, a trip to Europe was also on Bukowski’s agenda for 2010. On March 5, Bukowski led his eighth art trip to Europe. Thirty-three students and friends traveled with Bukowski to Venice; Florence; and Rome, Italy. The tour is part of a class called Masterpieces of the Western Tradition. The tours started in 1997, and have gone nearly every other year since.

Sarah Harstad contributed to this article.


Professor William Bukowski celebrated thirty years of teaching art with a retrospective show in February.


Winter athleticsVIKINGS VIKINGS VIKINGS VIKINGS VIKINGS VIKINGS VIKINGS VIKINGS VIKINGS

Men’s basketball team finds rhythm as season progresses

The Bethany men’s basketball team faced a number of challenges during

the 2009-10 season. After a slow start against a tough non-conference schedule, Bethany ended 10-16 overall, and tied for second in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) at 9-5. The Vikings advanced to the UMAC post-season tournament, soundly defeating Martin Luther College but then falling to the eventual tournament champions, Minnesota-Morris, in the semifinals.

Senior Tommy Saffert led the Vikings with 13.2 points per game, and dished out 81 assists throughout the season. Saffert topped off a stellar career with the Vikings, being named UMAC First Team All-Conference and UMAC Player of the Year. The Mankato native also set a new school record by becoming the all-time leading scorer at Bethany,

finishing his career with 1,265 points. Senior Stephone Frederick was out due to injury for eight games, but made an immediate impact when he returned to the court finishing the season with 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Frederick was named to the UMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention Team.

The injury to Frederick, along with other team injuries posed a challenge, but “just being real young was a challenge,” head coach Rick Jeddeloh said. “I thought our young guys really matured as the season went along.” This was evident in freshman Derek Peterson, who emerged as a threat earning UMAC All-Defensive honors.

Next year’s team will have to replace the scoring of Saffert and the leadership of Frederick, but Coach Jeddeloh is confi-dent in his group. “Our young talented players received a lot of experience this year. We had a great group of dedicated guys that were a privilege to coach.”

Players step up to keep women’s basketball season competitive

The women’s basketball team looked to fill some missing pieces after grad-

uating two 1,000-point scorers from the previous season. Multiple players stepped up to fill the roles and came together to emerge as a competitive threat. The Vikings finished 10-15 overall and 5-9 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Confer-ence (UMAC), just missing out on the UMAC post-season tournament. Key moments in the season include sweeping Martin Luther and nearly coming back in the last game of the season against a tough Northland team that made an appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament.

“Our conference is extremely competi-tive,” head coach Tiffany Young

Klockziem said. “Any team could win on any given night, so while we lost a few very close games, next year our experience will hopefully turn some of those close losses into wins.”

Junior Nicole Jones and sophomore Anna Cepek led the team, averaging 12 points per game. Jones also led the team in rebounds averaging 6.2 per game, and in assists dishing out 2.9 per game. Both athletes received honors from the confer-ence with Jones named Second Team All-Conference, and selected as part of the All-Defensive Team. Cepek was awarded All-Conference Honorable Mention.

“Next year, I think we will be a very strong contender in the conference. We ended the season so strong, play-ing at our potential, and I look to build off that momentum,” remarked Young Klockziem.

By Julie ThomasCoordinator of Athletic Communications and Events

Photo by Sport PiX

Tommy Saffert became the all-time leading scorer at Bethany with 1,265 points.

Photo by Sport PiX

Nicole Jones averaged 12 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season. She also led the team in assists with 2.9 per game.


Faculty and staff anniversariesFebruary 8, 2010, marked a significant career milestones for nineteen Bethany Lutheran College employees. At the chapel service, Pastor Erwin Eckhoff, a member of the Bethany Lutheran College Board of Regents, spoke of the commitment of the nineteen employees who are celebrating years of service to the institution in 2010.

Employees recognized, back row from left: David Norris, Coordinator of Publications-10 years; Julie Kjeer, Mathematics-15 years; Mark DeGarmeaux, Religion/Latin/Norwegian-15 years; Mark Meyer, Manager of Academic Computing-10 years; Lyle Jones, Health/Physical Education-20 years; Lynette Merseth, Executive Assistant to the President-15 years; Gina Moldstad, Admissions Secretary/Data Specialist-15 years; Mark Harstad, Religion /Hebrew-30 years; William Bukowski, Art-30 years; Rev. Herbert Huhnerkoch, Chair of the Bethany Board of Regents

Front row from left: President Dan Bruss; Daniel Mundahl, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer-10 years; Janet Moldstad, Business Administration-10 years; Lance Schwartz, Director of Marketing and Public Relations-20 years; Tiffany Young Klockziem, Physical Education-10 years; Lois Otto, Housekeeping Technician-25 years; Chad Heins, Biology/Science-10 years; Glenda Bossow, Meyer Hall Administrative Assistant-10 years; Steven Jaeger, Vice President for Student Affairs-25 years; Paul Wold, Bookstore Manager-15 years. Not pictured: Christopher Johnson, Director of Studio Services-10 years.

campus news

Joel Laube Memorial Golf TournamentFriday, June 18, 2010Crystal Lake Golf ClubLakeville, Minnesota

Bethany Sports ClassicMonday, August 2, 2010Mankato Golf ClubMankato, Minnesota

Call 800-944-3066 for more information


Rettmer receives 2010 alumna awardalumna profile: Georgia Rettmer, ’51

By Sarah HarstadDirector of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

To know Georgia (Stoll) Rettmer is to experience the warmth of a bright

summer day—bask in rays of sunshine. It is no wonder that she has accomplished so much in her life and has been selected as the 2010 Bethany Lutheran College Distinguished Alumna.

Bethany yearsGeorgia first discovered Bethany

during her high school days when she came to the campus for voice lessons. She enrolled at Bethany in 1949. For her, Bethany represented an extension of a happy childhood. There was a continua-tion of the values she had been brought up with and enrichment from interac-tion with special faculty. She fondly recalls time spent in choir with director Alfred Fremder. She also feels blessed to have studied under such notable faculty members as Rudoph Honsey and Barbara (Ylvisaker) Newsom. Attending chapel was an important part of each and every day. Looking back today, Georgia commented, “Bethany maintains a high-quality education and wonderful Chris-tian values.”

After earning an associate’s degree from Bethany, Rettmer completed her education at Minnesota State Univer-sity, Mankato, earning degrees in music and art. She began a career teaching and directing high school choir in Mapleton, Minnesota. After teaching in Mapleton, Georgia was married to her high school sweetheart, Forrest Rettmer. When the couple was blessed with a family, Geor-gia moved from classroom teaching into full time motherhood. The couple lived in Mankato where they raised their four children: Rebecca, John, Peter,

and Kimberly.

Art and business inspirationAs the family was growing, Geor-

gia continued to create art. Daughter Kimberly inherited the artistic gene but expressed it in a different way through written word and poetry. Georgia thought there might be something special in Kimberly’s words and hoped for an opportunity to share this unique gift with others. The two began to pair Kimberly’s inspirational words with Georgia’s lovely torn paper artwork, creating cards for family and friends. “You should sell these cards,” was the encouragement they heard from many. Neither of the women had much business experience but they did have an unquenchable optimistic spirit and fantastic support from family. So in May of 1984, Georgia and Kimberly

started the business, It Takes Two. Their internationally distributed catalogs and cards speak of positive Christian messages that proclaim from Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name on the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

A new chapter“In retirement, there are so many

opportunities for volunteering. A whole new world opens up,” Georgia shared. To both current students and alumni, Rett-mer reflects on the most important lesson learned at Bethany Lutheran College. “Carry the ‘One Thing Needful’ with you and witness wherever you go. You never know when you are going to touch someone. This is what you take into the world.”


Georgia Rettmer was presented with the Distinguished Alumna award at this year’s commencement ceremony on May 14, 2010.


1951Dick and JoAnn (Munson) Morgan

had a wonderful trip to England in September to visit a friend who lives near the Wales border. The small villages were charming and the weather was great. In May, they bought a Golden Retriever puppy, so they are out walking and running every day.

1954Thomas and Adrienne Going have

twenty-two grandchildren. Their son, Tom, is a missionary in Indonesia where he resides with his wife and two children.

1955Dick Bode was inducted into the first

class of the Racine Lutheran Hall of Fame this spring. He served as athletic direc-tor at the high school for fourteen years, coached for over thirty (football, track, JV volleyball, JV football), and later he was the announcer for home football games. He also taught theology, history, and English. Dick and his wife Doris currently reside in Racine, Wisconsin.

1960Allen and Mary (Younge) Hansen

cruised along the Danube River from Budapest to Amsterdam in August 2009, with many stops including Vienna, Melk, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg, etc. They were gone for two weeks. Allen and Mary became great-grandparents with the birth of McKenna Martha Jorgenson in October 2008.

1963The year 2012 will mark the fiftieth

anniversary of a home-grown Bethany musical called Orbit Ebix. The script was written by Sigurd K. Lee and the music was composed by alumna Mary Dorn (Lippert). It took place in the future and

spoofed the “space race” between Russia and the United States. Bethany alumni who participated in this project might be interested in downloading PDF files of a slightly revised script and score at Mary Dorn Lippert’s website. There are also MP3 files of the songs. All of these files can be downloaded, free. If you are inter-ested in reminiscing or just curious, click the Orbit Ebix rectangle on the home page of www.faithsings.com and have a little fun with a space walk in the past!

1965Melvin Fadness’ oldest grandson,

Manuel Romero, is starring in The Buddy Story in April and May.

1970Rita Gienapp’s mother, Ruth Seidel,

who taught at Bethany will be 102 years old soon.

1971Harold “Dean” Lindquist and Joan

(Hendrickson) have been married for thirty-nine years. They have six grand-sons. Their son Joshua (’99) was blessed with triplet boys on November 4, 2008. The triplets have a six-year-old big brother Michael. Jacob (’99) is married, and he and his wife travel the world together when they are not working. Their daugh-ter Heidi is married and her husband is a professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Heidi has two little boys.

In March, Daniel Schaefer began as interim associate dean for instruction for the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural Sciences.

1974Esther (Merseth) Iverson moved to

Georgia to accept a teaching position in the theater department at Valdosta State University.

1976Mark Gebhard’s second child and

first-born son, Collin, is to be married in September. His fifth child and third-born

son, Grayson, is graduating from North-field.

1980Wilma (Hatton) Wagner and her

family recently moved to a new home, which they built in the foothills outside of Golden, Colorado.

1981Steve and Lois (Gullixson) Johnson

are happy to say that their son Joshua graduated from basic training in the Air Force, and he is now working in airfield management in New Mexico. They remind everyone to remember our servicemen in your prayers.

Kristy Langworthy and her husband Patrick were blessed with the birth of the third son, Abram Frederick Langworthy, born on October 8, 2009. He joins their other two boys, Samuel and Elijah.

1984Denise (Nelson) married David

Moede on September 9, 2000.

1988Jon Humann was married June 6,

2009, to Mami Nakamura. He now works for County of Orange Corpora-tion.

1988Jodi (Sladek) Love and her husband

Greg had their first baby on December 29, 2009. Zachary Matthew came into the world at 8 lbs, 5 oz, and 20 inches long. Jodi retired from in-home therapy at Mental Health Resources in March 2009, and is still working with counsel-ing returning veterans on a volunteer basis.

1995Sean and Rachel (Ruddat) Crites had

a daughter, Phoebe Jean Crites, on Janu-ary 22, 2009.

Eric Harstad is no longer a music teacher. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

alumni news


alumni news

Jason Krengel is married and recently welcomed his fourth child, Lana, who joined older siblings Lillian (3), Reid (4), and Ian (12).

1996Rachel (Aderman) and Paul Learman

welcomed their son, Hudson James, into

the world on January 19, 2010. He was baptized into God’s grace on January 24, 2010. He joins his sister, Cadence, who is two years old.

1997Sarah (Masurka) and Ryan Nygaard

were married at an outdoor ceremony

in Red Wing, Minnesota, on October 3, 2009. Michelle (Priebe) Hiemstra photographed the wedding. Sarah is employed by Thomson Reuters in Eagan, Minnesota. Ryan is employed by Festival Foods in Bloomington, Minnesota. They reside in Farmington.

Tristan Severson and his wife Sara had their second daughter, Bree Severson, on November 2, 2009.

1998 Phil Meitner and

his wife Amy were blessed with the birth of their first child, Carl Travis Meitner, on June 27, 2009.

Britta Fisher was promoted to Execu-tive Director of Wheat Ridge 2020, a nonprofit doing economic and commu-nity development in Wheat Ridge, Colo-rado.

Jason and Amy (Wurster) Snodie were blessed with a baby girl, Aubrey Liv, on December 15, 2009, weighing 7 lbs, 3 oz.

2003Jeffrey and Megan (Armbrecht)

Merseth and their two-year-old son,

Judah, welcomed another boy, Andrew Allan, into the family on October 22, 2009. Andrew was baptized on Novem-ber 1 by his father, while serving as vicar at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, Minn. Megan gets to stay at home with her boys, and also drives to Mankato one day a week to teach music lessons.

Adam Saidler and his wife had a son, Owen, a year ago.

Amber Otto and Michael Ander-son were united in marriage at Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Prague, Minnesota, on October 3, 2009. Bethany alumna Skye Gramentz (’01)

was a member of the wedding party. Amber enjoys working for the family businesses: Otto Drug Express and Belle Plaine Motorsports in Belle Plaine, Minn. Michael currently works as a store manager for Super America in Shakopee, Minn. The couple resides in Belle Plaine.

2005Gary and Alanna (Preuss) Lienig are

happy to announce the birth of their son,

Blake Logan Lienig, who was born Dec. 14th, 2009, at Redwood Falls, Minne-sota. He is welcomed home by his sister, Brianna, who is three.

Ivy Pike married Eric Gilles in Septem-ber 2009.

2006Jill Yost married Ryan Sohlden on

November 21, 2009, in St. Paul, Minne-sota. The wedding was held at the Marjo-rie McNeely Conservatory. Jill currently works for South Metro Human Services as a vocational counselor. Ryan works for Brooks Stevens as a design researcher.


alumni news

2008Corey Olsen and Ashley Wall were

married on June 6, 2009, at Trinity

Chapel on the Bethany campus. Corey graduated in 2008 with a business degree, and Ashley graduated in 2009 in elemen-tary education. They are now living in St. Peter, but will be moving to North Mankato soon.

Ashley Sue Weelborg and Preston Isaiah Preuss were married on Oct.

24, 2009, at St. John Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Bethany alumni who participated in the wedding included: Clarissa (Preuss) Okins (’09), Peter Harstad, and Justin Loehrs (’09). Current Bethany student Nicole Weel-borg was also a participant. The couple is living in Morgan, Minnesota.

In Memoriam

1942Dorothy (Rehwaldt) Williams passed

away January 12, 2010.

1949June (Whitham) Kendall lost the love

of her life, James D. Kendall, whom she was married to for fifty-seven years.

1968Paul Baumann passed away on Feb. 2,

2010. His wife Liz comments that even though Paul had not been able to see many of his former classmates, he always had such fond memories of their time spent together at Bethany.

We need your personal and professional updates to include in our alumni news. You may also submit alumni news and photos by emailing them to [email protected], or through our Web site at www.blc.edu/submitnews.

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Calendar of Events

august2 August Open House2 Bethany Sports Classic Mankato Golf Club21 Residence Halls Open, 9 a.m.22 Opening Service Younge Gymnasium, 3:30 p.m. 24 Classes Begin

september6 Labor Day Break 17-19 Fall Festival 17 Theatre Physics, YFAC, 7 & 9 p.m.18 Theatre Physics, YFAC, 7 & 9 p.m.19 Theatre Physics, YFAC, 2 p.m.27 Bethany National Auxiliary Day

october7 Art Lecture & Reception, YFAC, 7 p.m.14 Lutefisk Supper Dining Center, Old Main, 4:30 p.m.14 Faculty Recital, Trinity Chapel, 7 p.m. 17 Fall Music Festival with Bethany Choirs and Bands Trinity Chapel, 2 p.m. 29, 30 Vocal Viking Speech Tournament Campus, 4 p.m.

For more calendar events, visit: www.blc.edu

value and Affordability at Bethany • Do you think going to college is too expensive?• Are you concerned about loan debt after college?• How long do you think it should take to earn a college degree?

At Bethany, we have excellent teachers who are committed to your success. Bethany graduates find jobs at great companies and enroll in top graduate schools. When we talk about value and affordability, we are referring to the entire Bethany experience. that’s why we are confident to say that Bethany Lutheran College is an affordable private college where our goal is to help you finish your program on time without a load of debt.

What you need to know:• Bethany is the least expensive private, residential,

liberal arts college in Minnesota• Our four-year graduation rates are among the best – private or public• 98% of Bethany students receive some financial aid• Our advertised cost is BEFORE financial aid is applied• through a combination of sources our financial aid packages

averaged over $20,000 for the 2008-09 academic year

Go to blc.edu/value to learn more about the real cost of enrolling at Bethany Lutheran College. We think you’ll discover why Bethany represents value and affordability in a college decision.

Majors and Programs

• Biology• Broad Field social studies• Business Administration• Chemistry• Communication• Elementary Education• Engineering Dual Degree Program• English• Exercise science• History

• Liberal Arts• Mathematics• Media Arts• Music• Psychology• Religion• sociology• studio Art• theatre

Documents

June 2010 Bethany Report