The Clarion - Issue 12

bethel university

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012VOLUME 87 • NUMBER 12

Page 19Page 5 Page 13

the stories behind the inkpages 10-11

2 • THE CLARION • MARCH 8, 2012 MARCH 8, 2012 • THE CLARION • 3

MISSION STATEMENTThe Clarion is a student newspaper for the Bethel

University community. The views expressed are not neces-sarily those of Bethel University.

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How many alums head over to Bethel Seminary?By Alex Kempstonof The Clarion Staff

Every year, Bethel Seminary accepts applications from people all over the United States looking to earn their Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and more. Most of the people who are enrolled at Seminary come from liberal arts backgrounds, and many come from outside of Bethel.

How many Bethel graduates choose to go to Seminary? Ac-cording to Sarah Crabtree, assistant director of operations and third-year Seminary student, 25 Bethel graduates started classes last fall, four of them coming directly after graduation, which is a significant number.

Why do this many students choose Bethel’s master’s pro-gram?

First off, with three campuses in St. Paul, San Diego and New England, students have some variety in location.

But most people do not go to Seminary right out of college. Joseph Dworak, director of admissions at Bethel Seminary, said

that the average ages at the three campuses range from 37 to 47 years old, with some students fresh out of college, and some people nearing 50 years old and returning.

There are benefits for students who go to Seminary right after graduating from Bethel. The seminary program, unlike most col-leges, does not have semesters. Instead, it has four quarters: fall, winter, spring and summer, and it runs year-round. According to Crabtree, “If you start in the same academic year at the seminary from when you graduated, you get one quarter for free,” which is a pretty good incentive to choose Bethel’s program.

© 2012 MCT

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Source: U.S. Energy DepartmentGraphic: Los Angeles Times

Gasoline prices in the U.S. are at the highest level ever for this time of the year, leaving analysts to speculate pump prices will rise to some of the highest levels ever seen later this year.Average price per gallon for self-serve regular gasoline

On the rise

U.S. $3.52 U.S. $3.52

’08 ’10 ’12’09 ’11


News

Have a question that you want us to explore? Email us at [email protected] or tweet it to @TheBUClarion with a hashtag: #Goodquestion

Two die in Afghan suicide attack

Last month, copies of the Quran were “inadvertent-ly” put in an incinerator and burned at the U.S. Bagram air base in Afghanistan. Although President Obama and other U.S. officials have repeatedly apologized, public anger did not die down. In several days following, vio-lent protests left more than 30 people dead. On Mon-day, March 5, a bomber targeted a NATO vehicle at the entrance to Bagram and the suicide attack killed at least two civilians and injured four, according to officials. The Taliban claimed the attack and stated that they carried it out to avenge the burning of the Qurans.

Penguin escapes in Tokyo

Although it remains unclear as to how the penguin escaped from an enclosure at Tokyo Sea Life Park, an official from the aquarium staid that the one-year-old Humboldt penguin appears to have scaled a wall in order to escape. The aquarium learned of the escaped penguin when a neighboring zoo emailed them with a photo of the penguin bathing in the mouth of the Kyu-Edo river that runs into Tokyo Bay. Although great efforts are being made to find it, the penguin has been evading capture by swimming “at a tremendous speed.”

Russians retaliate after election

Following protests against Vladimir Putin’s election as president of Russia, police in Russia have detained 300 people in central St. Petersburg and 250 people in the capital, Mos-cow. The protesters, led by Alexy Navalny, believe the poll was skewed in the favor of Putin, however, foreign states have accepted his win. UK Prime Minister David Cameron phoned Putin and discussed working to improve their countries' re-lationship; French President Nicolas Sarkozy congratulated Putin while urging the continued “democratic and economic modernization” of Russia. Both the U.S. and EU have request-ed investigations of the allegations of irregularities in the poll by the Russian government.

Death sentence overturned

The death sentence of former U.S. marine, Iranian-American Amir Mirzai Hekmati has been overturned. Hek-mati had been accused by Iran of spying for the CIA. While he had admitted to having links to the CIA, he stated in his trial that he never intended to harm Iran. Repeatedly insist-ing that the claim Hekmati was a CIA spy was “simply un-true,” the U.S. urged Iran to release him. Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, a judiciary spokesman, told a news confer-ence in Tehran on Monday that the Supreme Court had dis-missed the death sentence due to objections to the verdict and shortcomings found in the case that will be reviewed by an affiliate court.

Sri Lankan man buried alive

Janaka Basnayake, a 24-year-old man from Sri Lanka, allegedly buried himself with help from friends and fam-ily, in an attempt to break the informal local record for longest time spent being buried alive. According to his family, this was his third attempt. On the first occasion he was buried for two and a half hours and on the sec-ond, for six hours. Basnayake was buried on Saturday morning in a trench sealed with wood and soil in the town of Kantale and was pronounced dead the same afternoon. The government of Sri Lankan has urged the public to not attempt similar “high risk events.”

Spider silk violin strings

Japanese researcher Dr. Shigeyoshi Osaki of Japan’s Nara Medical University has used 300 Nephila maculata spiders and their dragline silk in creating violin strings. Each string is composed of between 3,000 and 5,000 individual strands of silk twisted in one direction to form a bundle, then twisted in the opposite direction against other bun-dles. This results in a structure with practically no space between the strands. The unique strings are said to create a “soft and profound timbre” that “several professional vi-olinists report…[as] a preferable timbre, being able to cre-ate an new music.”

By ABBey Villwockfor The Clarion


NewsStudents elect new presidential pairn Austin Laroche and Ashley Pivaronas were uncontested in their race for the presidency

By Katie Pricefor The Clarion

On Feb. 27 and 28, the Bethel community went to the polls to elect its new student body presi-dent. But students didn’t have to mull over the decision—there was only one candidate.

This year’s presidential elec-tion had fewer contenders than ex-pected. For comparison, when the current president, Tyler Sura, was elected last spring, three people competed and Bethel saw one of its largest voter turnouts ever.

Despite this year’s less-than-competitive race, newly elected president Austin Laroche still

made the experience worthwhile. Laroche and his running mate, Ashley Pivaronas, will take office in June.

Prior to the election Laroche admitted, “I probably could not do any campaigning, not tell anyone, and just vote for myself and win.” But he and Pivaronas did not slack in their campaign. They handed out wristbands, posted signs and worked to connect with the stu-dent body. “I’m only going to have this opportunity once in my life. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to go all out,” said Laroche.

Still, Laroche wonders why few have chosen to run for president. “I think a big part of it is things like

PSEO and study abroad depleting the candidate pool.” Many Beth-el students are entering college younger with extensive credits already gained, and it’s typical to take on high credit loads to gradu-ate sooner. Many are also itching to spend time overseas. These factors make it more difficult for students to commit to the two-semester role.

Sura echoed this sentiment and explained that the large time commitment was the most chal-lenging part of his time in office. “There are sacrifices you have to make. That comes with any worth-while position,” he said.

Sura also suggested that stu-

dent perceptions of the Bethel Stu-dent Association often get in the way. He said that many students feel that BSA is “untouchable” and therefore avoid involvement.

Though he acknowledges these perceptions, Sura insists that they are far from reality. “I knew nothing coming in. You grow in the position, and you grow in your abilities. So many people help you along the way.”

Laroche has made this attitude a primary focus of his presidential platform. “BSA can seem distant and dissociated with the student body. This is a great opportunity to bring them together.”

Laroche’s political goals are also driven by his developing faith. Laroche, currently junior class president and a Senate member, became a Christian just over three years ago. He attributes necessary spiritual support to Bethel’s com-munity. “I have grown so much from being here at Bethel. This is a chance to give back to the Bethel community.”

Because of the support he has felt, Laroche wants to put God at the forefront of his presidential ministry. He and Pivaronas con-tinue to discuss how they can in-corporate God more fully into the BSA mission.

This includes encouraging com-munity in their decisions. Before running, both candidates sat their friends down to ask for support and prayers. “I wanted to give it to God and make sure this was some-thing that my best friends support-ed me in,” Laroche said.

The candidates have also sought counsel from those who are more experienced. According to Laroche, “It’s irresponsible of

us to go into something without knowing what the job will be, what our responsibilities will be.”

The student body president is responsible for two realms: con-necting with administration about student concerns and opinions, and overseeing BSA. According to Sura, this means “ensuring effec-tive running, setting the vision for BSA and propelling it to meet that vision.” Sura said that incorporat-ing student input into this process is crucial. Sura will meet with La-roche weekly until he takes the job in June, and he advises him to “ensure that BSA continues to be of the students.” He said, “That is what it is founded on; that’s what it’s about.”

At the center of his goals, La-roche is working simply to be hon-est in his ministry. “God has made me who I am, and that is who I’m running as.”

PHOTO FOR THE CLARION BY NICOLE NETTLETON

Juniors Ashley Pivaronas and Austin Laroche will take over for Tyler Sura and Amber Oslin in June.Election Process

Feb. 28-29: Student Body President & Vice President Election

March 1: Election results released, new President & Vice Presi-dent named

March 16: Executive Director Position Applications Deadline

April 13: Director Position Applica-tions Deadline

June: President & Vice President officially take office


NewsStudents elect new presidential pairn Austin Laroche and Ashley Pivaronas were uncontested in their race for the presidency

National politics at Betheln Due to the election year, students are more interested in national politics

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By Kristina Buschfor The Clarion

Andrew Baker, senior and president of the Bethel University College Republicans, called the political atmosphere at Bethel “pretty mild.”

Given that it’s the year of presidential elec-tions, political awareness and concern on cam-pus may be at a higher level.

Jacky Arness, a freshman political science major, said “I believe that the political atmo-sphere at Bethel is relatively high, but I believe that this is due to factors other than students' individual political conviction. Factors such as the upcoming election year and Congressman Ron Paul's visit to campus have sparked an atypically high amount of political awareness.”

Even if some students are getting more in-volved in politics for this election cycle, other students continue to be uninterested and do not see how politics affects them directly.

“Many students are apathetic about politics,” said Matt Robey, a senior and the president of the Bethel University College Democrats. “For some, it's because they're disinterested in much of the content of politi-cal discourse, including topics like the budget, economics, trade and taxes.” It can be difficult for students to see how these issues affect their individual lives.

Robey also suggested that other stu-dents are fed up with the political rhetoric and don't want any part of it. “Far too often at Bethel, there's a disconnect: Many are pas-sionate about social justice issues, but apa-thetic about the political systems that could be instrumental in implementing policies that encourage reconciliation and social equality,” said Robey.

Dr. Fred Van Geest, professor of political science at Bethel, wouldn’t call college stu-dents apathetic about politics, but instead less engaged. “There are a variety of reasons why,” he said. “One obvious reason is that stu-dents are busy with school, work and trying to balance everything.”

A student may also be living at Bethel,

out of their home district, leading to a sense of disengagement in one place or both. Van Geest believes that another reason why stu-dents tune out is that the political campaigns in the media seem very shallow, prolonged and dominated by activists in political parties.

“Usually when people talk about politics, I kind of zone out,” said Alyssa Weinhold, a freshman elementary education major. “I feel like most presidential candidates lie or exag-gerate all the time,” she said.

Even among students who are interested, there is a wide spectrum of political beliefs and involvement.

“The political atmosphere at Bethel is ex-tremely mixed,” said Robey. “The majority of students would probably call themselves con-servative, though from my experience, faculty seem much more moderate.”

Despite the conservative majority at Beth-el, American Millennials in general (people age 18-30) tend to adopt liberal perspectives on most social and governmental issues, which includes America’s approach to foreign policy, according to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Baker, said Bethel's College Republicans at-tracts students of all majors. It is roughly half male and half female and mostly freshmen (possibly because freshmen are more inter-ested in getting involved in student groups).

Whatever side of the aisle students are on, there are still ways to stay politically informed despite fast-paced lives.

“Things as easy as making a news station's website your homepage so that when you pull up the Internet, you at least can see the head-lines, and if a particular topic or event grabs your attention or interest you are only a few investigative clicks away from becoming more aware of current political, national and inter-national events,” said Arness.

For those on Twitter, following politicians and news stations can also help. YouTube is also a helpful tool to catch clips of debates and news reports that deal with politics. There is also a 2012 New York Times election app that is available at no cost.


News

The blue half of the BSA posters listed activities for Guys Night: video games, dodgeball and "The Bourne Identity." On the pink half, women were invited to Zumba and fat-free frozen yogurt.

Senior Brittany Baurle described the posters as really funny in the most awful way. “How stereotypical could it have been? I un-derstand that it wasn’t intentional, but it seemed something that didn’t have much reflective thought given to it,”

she said.Female professors noticed the posters also and saw them as illustrating the gender stereotypes that

persist at Bethel but are not usually recognized. “It is symbolic of a lot of feelings that female students in particular have about gender stereotypes here,” said Dr. Sara Shady of the philosophy department.

n A BSA event began a dialogue on gender issues that several students and faculty members felt was overdueBy Kate BeecKenof the Clarion Staff

Baurle said one main cause is theological differences. “When Paul says that women should be silent in church, is that literal or in terms of the church that he was talking to historically?” Baurle said. Gender can be a question of biblical interpretation that is easier to avoid.

“The theology piece is obviously a big piece,” said Dr. Pamela Erwin, Bethel's first female chair of Biblical and Theological studies. Similar to the conversation on homosexu-ality, people want to understand God’s perspective but have differ-ing interpretations.

According to English professor Dr. Marion Larson, Bethel is not unique but represents American evangelical Christianity. Many students coming into Bethel have been shaped by conservative church traditions and media influences, without critically testing cultural assumptions about gender.

“Definitely not a solely Bethel issue,” agreed Dr. Carrie Peffley, a Bethel phi-losophy professor. She said that there is nothing wrong with traditional roles, but if that’s all that students have ever seen, they may not have considered alterna-tive viewpoints.

“It is symbolic of a lot of feelings that female students in particular have about

gender stereotypes here.”

DESIGNED BY LEAH SANDS

philosophy professor


News

“I don’t think there’s a lot of blatant sexism; we’re 21st-century enough that we know better than that,” said Shady. “It’s subliminal, and a lot of it is stuff that students aren’t even aware of.”

Shady said that every semester she has at least one male student challenge whether she should be working or at home with her kids, and she gets a sexist comment on her teaching evaluations every semester. “Female faculty deal with this day in and day out,” said Shady.

Peffley said that she has fewer problems within the philosophy department, but she still notices some differences. “Male students will wink at me, which is totally inappropriate,” she said.

As a student, Baurle said that the stereotypes she hears most are about dat-ing, marriage and future plans. “As an education major, the presumption is that I am going to get married and be a stay-at-home mom. ‘You’re just here for your Mrs. degree,’ and it’s like no, I’m really not,” said Baurle.

Erwin said that typically the majority of youth ministry majors are female, but they usually want to do behind-the-scenes work. “Their understanding of what it means to be female has confined the realm of possibilities for them... That sad-dens me, because often they are gifted speakers, communicators, leaders, but they don’t see those things as viable options,” said Erwin.

Erwin also said that at Bethel, women attain formal positions of power but

can lack the informal power to get things accomplished. “People are being in-vited to the table, but they are not always being given an equal voice,” said Erwin. “Sometimes I think women’s voices are discounted or diminished in ways that are often subtle.”

Larson explained a different experience. “As a woman on the faculty, I feel very supported by the administration and by other faculty members, male and female,” said Larson. “If I am on a committee, I don’t feel like I am treated differ-ently because I am a woman.”

Gender stereotypes not only affect faculty and students' future plans, but they also can psychologically and emotionally harm people. “For women or men who don’t fit into those gender stereotypes, it can be really, really damaging to their entire person,” said Peffley.

Larson said that the stereotypical description of women as artsy, homemakers and concerned with body image does not describe all women. “The implied message is that you don’t measure up to whatever this norm or ideal is,” said Larson. “[Stereotypes] basi-cally prescribe what’s the desirable ideal and what’s not.”

“I don’t think we have made progress in the last 15 years, and that breaks my heart,” said

Shady. Although there has been activity, such as the Bethel University Feminist Forum, sporadical-ly throughout her time at Bethel, she has not seen

sustained dialogue or change.“A start is to make people aware of things and

to talk about it,” said Larson. Since promoting gen-der stereotypes is unintentional for many students,

Larson recommended raising awareness, beginning with being more conscious in chapel and in papers of using

gender-inclusive language.Baurle also wants to see more conversation and emphasized upper-

classmen mentoring younger students. “Let’s talk about it in Shift, let’s talk about it in our freshman-level classes, CWC, humanities,” said Baurle.

Shady said that mentoring and community are significant, and she has also

been working to cre-ate a gender studies

minor, housed jointly by phi-losophy and history but interdisci-

plinary in nature. She hopes that having a minor will give the topic more validity and fill a gap in Bethel curriculum that many other schools have. “You’ll investi-gate a variety of different views about gender and evaluate them and be critical thinkers about these issues,” said Shady.

Since reconciliation is a core value at Bethel, Erwin suggested incorporating gender issues and making it a top priority. “Not leaving the other [reconciliation issues] undone, but this one we ought to be working on,” said Erwin.

Shady also recognized the importance of other aspects of reconciliation but said that gender should be a focus. “We don’t in my opinion, institutionally, edu-cate students the same way about issues of gender and sexism, and I think that needs to be more of a priority. I don’t mean that in any way to undermine our ef-forts on anti-racism because that’s hugely important, but I think we need to be more holistic about what reconciliation looks like,” said Shady.

The blue and pink BSA posters put gender issues temporarily on students’ radars, and Shady and others hope to keep the conversation going.


Views

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By Kristina Buschfor The Clarion

The Arizona Department of Health Services ran a tobacco education and prevention program ad campaign that said, “Tobacco. Tumor causing, teeth staining, smelly, puking habit.”

But what if you could smoke tobacco in a way that was more “natural” and included flavors such as grape mint, pomegran-ate, bubble gum and even honey? Many people have defended the belief that smoking hookah is actu-ally “healthier” than smoking ciga-rettes because it does not contain the chemicals that are in cigarettes. However, there is some evidence

that smoking hookah is actually significantly worse than smoking cigarettes.

A hookah is a water pipe that contains a smoke chamber, bowl, pipe and hose. Once the flavored tobacco is heated, the smoke pass-es through cooled water and then passes through a rubber hose to a mouthpiece, where it is inhaled.

Practiced for centuries through-out the Middle East and originating in India, hookah smoking is both a habit and a way of life. Today hookah smokers can find hookah lounges worldwide, in cities ranging from Anchorage, Alaska, to Mel-bourne, Australia. Hookah lounges in the United States tend to serve primarily college students. Hoo-

kah shops are emerging in college towns nationwide, and there is one in Dinkytown near the University of Minnesota.

Although the smoke from a hookah is less harsh on the throat than that of cigarettes, there is some evidence that smoking hookah is potentially more harmful than smoking cigarettes.

“People who use these devices don’t realize that they could be inhaling what is believed to be the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes in one typical 30-60 minute session with a waterpipe, because such a large quantity of pure, shredded tobacco is used,” said Christopher Loffredo, Ph.D., and Director of the Cancer Genetics and Epidemiology

program at Georgetown University Medical Center.

College students tend to like smoking hookah because it’s very social. The atmosphere tends to be one that students describe as “chill” and “relaxed.”

One Bethel freshman considers smoking hookah part of the culture he was brought up in. “One side of my family is Arabic,” he explained, “and smoking hookah is part of family gatherings.” Like many college students, he has smoked hookah in a social setting with friends as well.

“I think that cigarettes them-selves are probably actually worse in the long run,” said the student. “People seem to be more

prone to addiction when they have the ‘immediate reward’ and avail-ability of smoking a cigarette, while smoking hookah is a more social and drawn-out process.”

Whether one decides to smoke hookah in a social setting is obvious-ly a decision that involves a number of risks and benefits. Anything in excess has the potential to be harm-ful and one must decide to smoke or not on one's own terms and values.

Honing in on hookah smokingnCollege students are attracted to the more social and natural form of smoking but should know the risks


Views

By Emma ThEisfor The Clarion

The grinding of coffee beans and the whir of milk steamers can be heard throughout Brush-aber Commons as Royal Grounds attempts to fulfill the orders of the never-ending line of stu-dents awaiting their morning caffeine fix. Millions of people start their day with a caffein-ated product due to its magical energizing powers, so it’s no surprise that caffeine maintains a top spot in the college stu-dent’s diet.

Caffeine is an organic chemi-cal mostly found in coffee beans, but it is contained in so many products that it is difficult to avoid.

Caffeine arouses your central nervous system, which tem-porarily relieves tiredness and makes you more alert. It is a legal stimulant drug that bears resemblance to the illegal sub-stances of cocaine, heroin and other amphetamines.

According to the National Coffee Association, the typical college student drinks three cups of coffee per day. The aver-age cup of Joe contains 112 mil-ligrams of caffeine. That’s 1,095 cups of coffee a year and 40,880 milligrams of caffeine.

For some, attaining their caffeine fix from coffee just isn’t enough anymore. There are now products for those caf-feine extremists who want to take it straight. Everything from tablets, gum and mixable drink powders to caffeinated popcorn, marshmallows and brownies are available for your pleasurable consumption on thinkgeek.com. Is consuming this much caffeine

necessarily a bad thing?We are bombarded with both

positive and negative reports about the effect that caffeine has on our body. Most of us ignore the bad and continue on with our caffeine consuming habits that we have become so comfortable with, because isn’t caffeine there to help us get through our day?

In lower doses, caffeine can help us stay more alert and lift our moods. Research studies

through the American Journal of Alzheimer’s disease have shown that caffeine could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases.

But by digesting too much and not replenishing yourself with water, the caffeine in that triple mocha latte you’re sipping on is slowly dehydrating your body.Caffeine also increases your heart rate, dilates your pupils, tightens up your muscles and

releases glucose into your blood stream for extra energy. The long term effects can be ongoing spikes in blood pressure levels, insomnia, headaches, ulcers and, in the worst case, addiction. The body can quickly become accustomed to regular doses of caffeine intake and withdrawals are difficult and very unpleasant.

Caffeine overdose is very serious and can be lethal. In 2009, CBS News ran an article about caffeine intoxications on

the rise. They mentioned a 2008 report from the University of Massachusetts Medical School that noted 4,600 caffeine-related calls to the American Associa-tion of Poison Control Centers in 2005, the most recent data available. I can only imagine how much more those numbers have risen since then.

As mothers from all over had stated for years and years, ‘Ev-erything is good in moderation.’

Caffeine: Killer or crucial? n Your favorite coffee drink may be doing more damage than you think


Focus

Melanie’s tattoo reading, “Love Never Fails,” is a reminder to “love without expectation.”

Dr. Marion Larson wanted a tattoo that no one else would have, some-thing that would combine her religious and literary passions. As a result, she chose a representation of St. Matthew from an early Celtic manuscript.

The tattoo on Tyler’s leg, which he got in Dublin over interim, was inspired by 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 which says:“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Casey Nordine

Dr. Marion Larson Melanie Robertson

Tyler Weber

Casey took advantage of an offer to give back, as his tattoo parlor was doing $25 tattoos, with the proceeds going toward Christmas presents for underprivileged children. According to Casey, gettting this tattoo "was the perfect op-portunity to bridghten a child's day."

InkIng Up:

Scrabble has been passed down through four generations in Me-gan's family, and the symbol holds multiple meanings. The "B" repre-sents her grandma, Beatrice. The "3" is the letter value of "B" in the game and represents her family of 3 and the trinity.

StUdentS, Staff & facUlty Share the meanIng behInd theIr body art

Callie Hatch

After hitting a low point the first couple years of college, Callie’s tattoo is a statement that represents her decision to never allow herself to go back to that time and a reminder to keep moving forward. It’s also brand new - she got it on Thursday, Feb. 23!

Megan Thomas


Focus

Brock's tattoo features his three favorite sports teams.“I just love my Minnesota sports!” he said.

Roommates Jeff and Grant were able to go to New Zealand last semester. These matching tattoos symbolize the friendships they made and the experiences they had while there.

On Jenna’s wrist is her first word, which she describes as her favorite word: love. Relating to the movement “To Write Love on Her Arms,” Jenna said it’s a reminder to love other people and to love herself. She then got faith and hope at the same time, in her own hand-writing, completing the trifecta.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Katie’s tattoo is a reflection of the fact that regardless of her background, that may not have set her up to become a Christian, nothing can stop Jesus’ love from her.

As a result of going through many challenges and ob-stacles in Renee’s childhood, her mom used to always tell her to remember that God uses everything for a purpose and that she was fighting for Him. This tattoo is a reminder to Renee that no matter what challenges she goes through, she fights for the glory of God.

To Sara, agape love has been prevalent in her life, and by getting this tattoo she wanted to be reminded every day of Christ’s sacrificial love and her call to show that love to others.

Jenna Bolmgren

Jeff Dahlquist and Grant Broz

Nicole Vande Zande

Renee Schumann

Sara Mulliken

Katie Price

Brock Buesing

On Nicole’s foot are the Romanian words “Este bine cu sufletul meu,” translating to “It is well with my soul.” It reminds her of her trip to Romania and the experiences she had while there.


Culture

By SaBrina FieSterfor The Clarion

Reconciliation is something that has been stressed numerous times here at Bethel. We are called to engage with our own biases and preconceptions towards others. During spring break, a diverse group of students will have the opportunity to challenge their think-ing, build deep friendships and exam-ine a history of discrimination up-close together during a week-long bus tour called Sankofa.

The word Sankofa, coming from West Africa, means “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.” It means looking back to move forward. Students have the opportunity to travel through key landmarks of the civil rights movement to learn about the American struggle for justice and equality. The hope is that the lessons learned can help them move forward toward fur-ther reconciliation today.

Some of the sites students will be visiting include the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. where “Bloody Sunday”

took place.Freshman Kristina Busch is looking

forward to being able to “see things in person and talk to people that experi-enced the events firsthand.”

She hopes that the experience will help her to build bridges, embrace dif-ferences between people and learn more about the cultures of those around her.

Edwin Gonzalez, a resident assistant in Nelson Hall, participated in Sankofa for the first time last year. The most valuable thing he gained from the expe-rience was “recognizing that the world is far more complex than what people in our society make it out to be.”

Gonzalez didn’t leave the lessons behind when he got home. The experi-ence has continued to affect his day-to-day life at Bethel.

“I try to speak up against ignorant, narrow-minded behavior that per-petuates the very same system that oppresses the marginalized,” he said. “When the students return this year, I hope that they, too, will feel empow-ered to speak up against any injustices that are happening among them and around them.”

Sankofa prepares for southeastern trek

Memphis, Tenn. National Civil Rights Museum

Birmingham, Ala.1. 16th St. Baptist Church2. Kelly Ingram Park3. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Atlanta, Ga.1. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Home2. Ebenezer Baptist Church

Selma, Ala. National Voting Rights Museum

Montgomery, Ala. 1. Rosa Parks Museum and Library2. Civil Rights Memorial Center

1. 2. 3.

2.

2.

1.

1.

Sites seen on Sankofa

n Students, staff and faculty will take a bus and tour through key sites from the Civil Rights Movement


CultureSankofa prepares for southeastern trek Not your typical 'Ring by Spring'

n Communication Studies professors Artie Terry and Nancy Brule married over spring break in 2009

By ABBy Stockerfor The Clarion

Nancy Brule was giving a Pow-erPoint lecture when it happened.

The light hit the new ring on her finger.

“It sparkled,” Brule remem-bered about three years later. “All of a sudden I could sense something in the room, and one student raises their hand and goes, ‘Um, what’s…what’s on your finger?’…I wouldn’t tell them who it was. I didn’t tell them it was

Artie. But they guessed it.”They got married over spring

break in 2009. But this isn’t just another ring-by-spring story. Nancy Brule and Artie Terry are both professors of Communica-tion Studies at Bethel, and though some would dislike working with their spouse, Brule and Terry agree that they wouldn’t have it any other way.

In fact, the two professors owe their 12-year relationship to just that—working together. Terry had been teaching at Wheaton

College for 11 years when Brule started her first “teaching gig” there. “We were best buddies,” Brule recalled. Three years after joining Wheaton’s faculty, she came to Bethel. However, three years after she made the move, Terry followed her. “They had an opening in media, and I said, ‘I know the perfect person…’” Brule said. She told Terry, “You’ve got to come here! You’ll love Bethel!”

Terry did. “It’s a freeing ex-perience. You get to explore things,” he said. “I don’t want to

make disparaging remarks about any other school, but sometimes I think we don’t fully appreciate how unique an opportunity it is to teach here.”

They’d been the “best of friends” for nine years. They were working together at Bethel, their offices just around the cor-ner from each other. So when they started dating, they tried to keep it quiet. Now, three years into their marriage, they don’t worry about keeping it hidden quite so much.

“We do studies together, we write together…we work really well,” Brule said.

“We’re a good team,” Terry added.

Unlike some couples, they love hav-ing their work and home lives integrated so fully. “I guess I don’t really see a line between work and home. I mean, this is just our life, together,” Brule said. “I can’t imagine not working with [Terry]. I would hate it. I would be lonely,” she said in a sad voice before bursting into laugh-ter.

But the lack of separation also brings their biggest challenges. “She’ll just yell stuff to me,” Terry said, from her office around the corner. Like asking if their dog

had gone to the bathroom before they left home. “You probably shouldn’t be yelling that type of stuff,” Brule said, “but it works out.”

Their enthusiasm and passion for life clearly spills into the class-room. Kory Keller, a junior Com-munication Studies major and Brule’s teaching assistant, said he has valued having both Terry and Brule for class.

“I can honestly say that I’m much more open with people now that I’ve taken Interpersonal [Communication],” he said. “She [Brule] challenges her students to

think beyond class material.” Neither of the professors are afraid to con-nect with their students or to use personal exam-ples to reinforce what they’re teaching, Keller said. “They genu-inely care about their students, and want them to succeed well be-yond here.”

Brule calls her students “her kids,” and she and Terry tell of the fun they’ve had teaching together and sharing jokes

by sending their students to the other’s class with goofy ques-tions.

“I’d hang with him even if I wasn’t married to him,” Brule said of Terry. “We have the perfect life, the perfect school…God has blessed us.”

PHOTO FOR THE CLARION BY JARED JOHNSON

Brule and Terry met while both were professors at Wheaton College in Illiniois.

“All of a sudden I could sense some-thing in the room, and one student raises their hand and goes, ‘Um, what’s…what’s on your finger?’… I wouldn’t tell them who it was. I didn’t tell them it was Artie. But they guessed it.” -Nancy Brule, professor


Culture

Mem

bersBen N

oble- Lead Guitar / Vocals

Taylor William

s- Rhythm G

uitarM

ike Haggar- Bass

Kevin Berens- Drum

s

Genre

Alternati

ve/ Indie Rock

Influences M

UTEM

ATH, Barcelona, Coldplay, Radiohead

As the only band com

prised completely of Bethel

students, the four friends made m

usic on and off for

a few years w

ith hopes of one day becoming a for-

mal group. They finally “threw

together” the band N

oble for the competi

tion. N

oble plans to make

their energy known as they take the stage Friday

night. “We love jum

ping around and rocking the stage,” said Ben N

oble.

Mem

bersChristi

an Hulti

ng - Lead Vocals/Rhythm G

uitarZach G

rusznski - Lead Guitar/Supporti

ng Vocals

Anthony M

aahs - Bass Guitar/Supporti

ng Vocals/Keys

Jesse Matti

la - Drum

s

Genre

Groove/Rock/Pop

InfluenceKings of Leon, Stevie W

onder, Bill Withers,

MG

MT

West of A

ldine has been circulating the Twin

Cities for two years, hitti

ng venues ranging from

Fineline to the Metrodom

e. The group is de-term

ined to make m

ake music that m

oves their audience. M

aahs stated, “If the people aren't dancing- w

e're doing something w

rong.” This band aim

s to please, telling potential audiences to “get excited- you’ll love it.”

Mem

bers G

enreJosh Tarp- Lead G

uitar/ Vocals Contem

porary Am

ericanaJason Stegenga - Electric G

uitar Influences

Ike Kremer- Bass

Bob Dylan, various soul &

N

ic Hentges- Banjo/M

andolin gospel m

usiciansJoel Bow

ers- Drum

s

Josh Tarp and the Still cam

e together form

ally after leading w

orship at First Covenant Church in M

inneapolis two years

ago. The group draws inspirati

on from a

number of genres, w

hich Tarp said creates a cohesive sound letti

ng the band “hit a few

different areas along the spectrum

.”

PHO

TO FO

R THE CLA

RION

COU

RTESY OF W

EST OF A

LDIN

E

PHO

TO FO

R THE CLA

RION

COU

RTESY OF JO

SH

TARP A

ND

THE STILL


Culture

By C

eleste Ha

rlow

for T

he C

lario

n

BSA

is hosti

ng the annual Batt

le of the Bands to show

case Bethel’s up-and-com

ing music groups on

Friday, March 9, at 8 p.m

. Four new

bands from Bethel and tw

o from

Northw

estern will be com

peting in

the Underground. A

t auditions last

week, w

e caught up with the Bethel

competi

tors to see what they w

ill be bringing to the stage.

Mem

bers G

enreA

nthony Jones- Guitar / Vocals

N/A

(band finds genres discriminatory)

Nick Fay- G

uitar Influences

Beck Nebel- Bass

The Band, Katy Perry, Metallica

Schmuck Puder- D

rums

The Phantom Lim

bs is as concerned with creati

ng an experience as making

music. N

ebel guaranteed “super natural feeling of explosions in their heart.” A

bout the competi

tion, Jones said, “W

e wouldn’t be surprised if som

eone passes out.” A

fter com

ing together two w

eeks ago through what they called

“online dating for bands,” the group has been preparing for all aspects of the

competi

tion. N

ebel insisted that the band is taking the battle seriously. “I’ve

been lifting a lot of w

eights--mostly refrigerators.”

DESIG

NED

AN

D ILLU

STRATED BY LEA

H SA

ND

S

PHO

TO FO

R THE CLA

RION

COU

RTESY OF TH

E PHA

NTO

M LIM

BS


Sports

By Matt Kelley of The Clarion Staff

The combination of sports and religion can be a strange one, es-pecially if Christianity is involved. How can athletics — a meritocra-cy in which athletes and coaches attempt to control as much as possible — peacefully coexist with Christianity, the admittance of an omnipotent higher power? But the two worlds don’t always clash. Sports and religion, specifi-cally prayer, combine in both won-derful and head-scratching ways.

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has become the poster child for Christian athletes, and his one-knee prayers have become so common that “Tebowing” is now

synonymous with public prayer. His quirky playing style and mirac-ulous wins have led some to claim divine intervention, bringing the question to the forefront: Does God influence football games?

When Tebow was asked in a February interview with ESPN if he prayed for God to help him win games, he responded, “More than anything, more than wins and losses, [when praying] I’m asking that I have a platform to honor Him.” He went on to add, “I’m ask-ing the Lord for strength whether I win or I lose, whether I’m the hero or the goat.”

Although he said he prays for strength more than outcomes, Tebow did say that God is “in every aspect of our lives” and that

he thought God’s interaction in people’s lives was beyond human understanding.

Bethel head football coach Steve Johnson agreed that God’s influence over sports is fuzzy. “I think God cares about how we feel, I think He cares about us, and He can give us the desires of our heart, but I don’t think He has a role in winning or losing. He doesn’t move the ball.” After a chuckle he added, “Or maybe He does. I guess He can do what He wants.”

Royals head basketball coach Jeff Westlund was emphatic that God doesn’t decide games, say-ing, “God will give you power to do your best, then it’s up to you to make decisions and choices that

cause you to win or lose.”While divine intervention is

debatable, there is evidence that prayers can benefit athletes in more concrete ways. Sports psy-chologist Jay J. Coakley identi-fied six peripheral advantages of athletes’ prayers: “As a cop-ing mechanism for uncertain stressful situations; to help live a morally sound life; to sanctify athletes' commitment to sport; to put sport into perspective; to establish a strong bond of attach-ment between teammates; and to maintain social control.”

Prayer also provides Christian athletes an opportunity to wit-ness to the largely secular world of sports. While the prayers are a private matter, the popularity

of sports can make them a pub-lic exhibition, even when sincere. Johnson expressed his delight that his players pray in public — for ex-ample at a pregame meal — but only if done with the proper heart. “You hope you’re being different, but not showy,” he said.

So while God’s response to prayer is a point of controversy, prayer remains a widespread prac-tice within Bethel athletics and in the mouths and minds of Christian athletes everywhere. “We have a higher purpose for playing; it’s not just winning and losing,” said Westlund. “The higher purpose has to do with honoring Him with our talents and abilities and then praying for the power to do that.”

n How prayer and religion influences sportsThe reason they pray

PHOTO FOR THE CLARION COURTESY OF BETHEL SPORTS INFORMATION


Sports

By Callie HatCHfor The Clarion

What wisdom can be offered by a relay team of top-notch runners? One piece of advice from Bethel’s men’s 4x400-meter team: don’t drink orange juice before running.

Seniors Zachary Schlegel and Jordon Spronk, junior Rob LeMay and sophomore Anthony Puckett are the four young men that make up the Royals’ indoor 4x400 relay team and they like to avoid orange juice before a workout – “Unless you want to be hugging the trash can,” Spronk vividly described it.

These four men are cham-pions of the MIAC in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:21.52 in the conference meet on March 3. The top ten teams appear at nationals, and Bethel’s group held the eighth best time in Division III well into the sea-son at 3:19.20. Unfortunately, the team didn’t quite qualify for nationals, but LeMay says they have an excellent chance at making nationals during the outdoor track season this spring.

Beginning in August and September, this team has spent nearly every day completing workouts strategically laid out

for them by Coach Mike Frege-au – the “go-to guy” for longer distances in track, as Spronk and Schlegel described him. They need to be on the ball for their attempt to clinch their spot to nationals. The team also has two alternates, Gavin Woodland and Mark Rice, who must be ready to fill in at any time. Spronk and Schlegel de-scribed them as equally impor-tant members of this team.

These six runners have formed a familial unit. They have grown together both in the improvement of their hand-offs and their relay times, as well as in their relationships to

each other and to their coach. Spronk and Schlegel both em-phasized the pure enjoyment they experience by participat-ing in this sport and in this relay team. For them, it isn’t about winning or losing, going to na-tionals or not going. It’s about the memories.

Puckett agreed, “The meets are great. But everything that happens outside of them is the memorable stuff.” For these men, it’s about their God-giv-en gifts that they are thrilled to have been blessed with and able to share.

Fregeau described his chance to work with the track

team’s young men (and women) as a privilege. “They truly have hearts and a love for God, and they use track and field as a platform to share the gifts He has given them,” he said. The senior members of this relay team agreed.

Despite not making it to na-tionals in the indoor season, they have been nothing short of impressive. But that’s not what this season and their hard work is completely focused on. Schlegel quoted Colossians 3:23 when describing their motiva-tion, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Men's track: 4x400 relay top in the MIACn Despite missing indoor nationals, the four runners are eyeing nationals for the outdoor season

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Sports

By Jenny Hudallafor The Clarion

The 2012 softball season of-ficially started for the Royals on Feb. 1 with 29 girls on the ros-ter. Only 11 of whom are upper-classmen, highlighting both the team’s biggest weakness and its greatest strength.

“We have a young team this year,” said coach Rod Radcliffe, who is in his fifth season with the Royals. “We won’t know exactly where we are as a team until we play, but we also have a high energy fueled by some of the younger girls.”

Despite the large number of new players, team members feel united on and off the field. This is due in part to the coaching staff’s belief that each girl should know why and for whom she plays. Captain Rachel Gilbert chose the team’s new motto, “I am sec-ond,” which is engraved on the bracelet that each player wears around her wrist.

“That’s the way we’re trying to live our lives,” said Gilbert. “We are striving to put ourselves second when it comes to serving others and serving God.”

While it may have adopted a new motto, the team’s goal has

remained the same: to earn a spot in postseason play. Last sea-son ended with a heartbreaking loss to Hamline for the final place in the 2011 playoffs, putting a dent in the team’s otherwise strong morale. However, the girls have resolved to use this experi-ence as motivation for the 2012 season, demonstrating an incred-ible work ethic.

“We’ve been putting in a lot of hours at the weight room,” said freshman Angie Jackson. “Some of us have been getting up at 6 a.m. to go to Insanity workouts and improve our conditioning.”

The team will soon see the

products of all the hard work when they travel to Florida over spring break to compete with some of the most impressive teams in the nation. Faced with 13 varsity and 12 JV games, the Royals will have the opportunity to engage in a high caliber of play.

“The spring break trip helps us prepare for the beginning of conference games,” said Rad-cliffe. “It creates depth in the lineup. There’s always a girl who surprises us once she gets on the field.”

With the Florida trip and a few games sprinkled in before the start of the regular season,

the Royals feel well prepared for their first conference game against Gustavus on March 28. While the Minnesota Intercolle-giate Athletic Conference is high-ly competitive, the team harbors no doubts about its competence.

“One thing I’ve learned about softball in the MIAC is that the team that shows up and makes the least amount of mistakes that day is going to win,” said Gil-bert. “It doesn’t matter what a team’s record is. We always have to come and play our best game.”

With an attitude like that, the Bethel Royals softball team is ready to hit the dirt.

Royals softball team ready to hit the dirtn After just missing postseason play last year, players hit the field ready for a rigorous season


Sports

By Joe Johnsonfor The Clarion

Last year was a disappointing year on the baseball diamond for the Bethel Royals, a team that has been characterized over the past several years as having immense talent but not getting the results that they feel they deserve on the field. The players are hopeful that 2012 will be a fresh start for the team and a breakout year for their new identity.

The biggest step in putting this process in motion is the man at the helm. New head coach Brian Raabe is putting his best foot forward to instill a culture of winning and hard work into the Bethel baseball team.

Senior Buddy Flaherty is hopeful about the experience and expertise of a new head coach “He is a great coach, and was a really good player… There is a lot of excitement amongst the guys on the team,” said Flaherty.

Raabe himself knows a thing

or two about success. He was a minor league (AAA) All-Star and spent time on major league ball clubs such as the Colorado Rock-ies, the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins.

“He knows baseball really well,” said senior catcher Jay Slick, who is optimistic about his final year at Bethel. Slick went on to say, “Our goal is to make the playoffs this year, and we definitely have the talent and the coaching staff to do it.”

The Royals will be depend-ing on a core of veteran players this year to obtain their playoff goal. The seniors are Slick (catch-er), Flaherty (shortstop), Mike Sedjo (third baseman) and Tra-vis Piepho (outfielder). The team will also receive leadership from junior pitchers David Freed and Matt Rowley.

The Royals also expect a few newcomers to make a big splash this year. Freshmen Grant Ander-son and Joe Zorn both should see the field this year, and the team

is hopeful that the two can make an impact even with less experi-ence.

Both Slick and Flaherty also said that fans should keep an eye out for utility infielder Chris Da-vidson to have a breakout senior season for the Royals. Slick went as far as to say, “I think Davidson is our X-factor. He brings intan-gibles to the team.”

The new season also offers its fair share of challenges for the squad, the greatest being the crop of talented players who graduated last spring. The list includes four-year contributors Eric Anderson, Chris Harrell, Chris Dent, Matt Johnson and Alex Hinseth. “These guys left a big hole for us to fill,” said Flaherty.

The Royals started off the season in the right way on Feb. 27 with back-to-back wins against North Central University in the Metrodome. They hope to keep the trend going, continuing the momentum gained by those early wins.

Baseball looks to establish new identityn Under new head coach Brian Raabe, the team hopes to use the fresh start for a breakout year

PHOTOS FOR THE CLARION COURTESY OF BETHEL SPORTS INFORMATION

The Royals will rely on the leadership of captains David Freed (#13), Jay Slick (#14) and Travis Piepho (#10) this season, as the team already has its sight set on making the playoffs.

Royals softball team ready to hit the dirt

20 • THE CLARION • MARCH 8, 2012

The Clarionion - Bethel's own slice of "The Onion"

By Marsha M. alloof The Clarionion Staff

Seth Fraher, a sophomore at Bethel University, is confused as to how loud he should talk in the library.

Fraher makes rare appearances in the library, so he does not know the rules about when to talk or not talk or how loud to talk.

“Sometimes I’m not sure if I’m in a talking zone or not,” said Fraher.

The library is generally a quiet place where people go to study in peace without disruptions. To avoid any type of conflict, Fraher whispers as soon as he steps foot in the library.

“Every time I walk in, I feel like I don’t belong. Like I’m in some kind of sound-protected area,” said Fraher. “I feel like everyone is watching me, like they can even hear me breathing.”

Not only is Fraher confused as to what a strange place the library is, but

he also doesn’t understand why talk-ing is allowed in some areas, but not others.

“I just don’t understand why people can act normal and carry on in certain areas in the library. It’s not like there are sound barriers blocking noise to the second floor,” exclaimed Fraher.

Fraher has been influenced so greatly by the libraries rules that he noticeably becomes introverted when walking into the library.

“I can’t wait to get out of there sometimes,” said Fraher. “I just want to yell and talk really loud as soon as I make it out the doors, that is, if I can make it past the alarm gates.”

Luckily, Fraher usually makes it out in time with little to no damage to his extroverted personality. He continues to use the library resources, and he usually keeps his voice down as much as he can.

By Marsha M. alloof The Clarionion Staff

Eastwestern has realized that the placements of the classroom numbers, which include Braille, are somewhat inconvenient for the visually impaired, as well as the vertically impaired.

The Braille and classroom number signs are elevated 7.5 feet high, located above door-ways of the classroom. This poses a great risk for anyone that is less that six feet, five inches tall. This also increases the risk of an acci-dent as a student might stand on a chair to read the sign, standing in front of the doorway or block-ing through traffic as he or she stares in confusion.

The placement of these signs seems almost illogical to some.

“I’m not sure why they’re up so high,” said Nathaniel Hurder, a passerby. “I don’t know how any-one can read it up there.”

There seems to be plenty of wall space next to the doors and people are perplexed as to why the classroom number signs are not at a normal reachable level.

“It’s not really at eye level… or any convenient level for that mat-ter,” pondered Janie Klockens, a current student searching for her class.

It is a mystery as to why the signs are so high up. Students and passersby remain confused and mind-boggled.

Student conflicted about his 'library voice'

Finding classrooms proves difficult for some Eastwestern students

PHOTO FOR THE CLARION BY MARSHA M. ALLO

Classroom identification placards are placed above the doors at Eastwestern, which is proving to be inconvenient and problematic.

GRAPHIC FOR THE CLARION COURTESY OF MARSHA M. ALLO

n Seth Fraher is unsure at what volume he should speak when studying in the library

n Inconvient classroom number placards are causing problems for some students navigating campus

Documents

The Clarion - Issue 12