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Bethel programmers place high in regional competition

For the second time in four years, Bethel placed first out of all Kansas schools competing in the ACM North Central Regional Programming Contest held Nov. 11 at Emporia State University. ACM stands for Association of Computing Machinery.

Bethel took two teams to the competition. One placed 17th out of around 180 teams from 66 schools competing. This was Bethel’s best showing in its history of participation in the contest.

The north central region covers Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, western Ontario and Manitoba. The annual programming competition is dominated by large universities--the top six finishing teams came from the Universities of Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

In the programming contest, each team consists of three programmers. They are given one computer, nine problems and five hours in which to solve them.

The members of Bethel’s two teams were Matt Beth, sophomore from Newton, Kyle Claassen, freshman from Andover, Nathan Eigsti, senior from Hesston, Peter Goerzen, senior from Goessel, Tyler Huntley, senior from Goessel, and Alex Unruh, senior from Valley Center.

Overall rankings for the contest can be viewed at http://ncna.unomaha.edu/~acmregn/rankorder.html.

Campus ministries events bring area college students together

A worship event spearheaded by students and staff involved in campus ministries at Bethel continues into its second year.

Campus pastor Amy Barker knew from her conversations with students and with other area campus pastors that a significant number of students were looking for contemporary style worship experience, but no one college had the critical mass to pull it off.

With the help of resident director Deanna Wisdom and several Bethel students, the vision became reality. Last April, 250 students from seven area colleges congregated at Bethel for the first Crossroads contemporary worship event.

Since the first gathering, three additional Crossroads events have been held--at Sterling College, Tabor College, and again at Bethel on Nov. 28, when approximately 75 students crowded into Bubbert’s in Schultz Student Center for worship and fellowship.

A praise band comprised of Bethel students Max Wedel, sophomore from Tucson, Ariz., Tyler Doerksen, junior from Prescott Valley, Ariz., Jesse Goertzen, junior from Goessel, and Michael Unruh, junior from Peabody, performed. Peter Goerzen, senior from Goessel, gave a short message, and a panel of students from each college answered questions.

Thresher Bookstore meets your Christmas gift needs

Christmas is coming and Thresher Bookstore has gifts that will meet your giving needs.

A five-color, vertical banner featuring the Bethel logo comes in two sizes: an 11-by-17-inch garden banner for $8.00 or 27-by-37-inch porch banner for $21.00. Flag poles, brackets and garden banner hangers are also available. Show your pride by displaying a Bethel banner, and give one to someone who also supports Bethel.

A Bethel music CD would make a wonderful gift and is easy to mail. Recordings of the 2005 and 2006 spring Masterworks concerts on campus are available, as are CDs of the Concert Choir and men’s octet, Open Road. In addition, “Echoes of Sacred Choral Music” features selected pieces from choirs directed by Walter Jost and Marles Preheim during the years 1965-1999. All CDs are $15.

Thresher Bookstore also offers other great gifts: Bethel mugs, Thermoses in a leather case, clocks, blankets, sunshades, license plates, stadium seats, pennants, golf balls, golf towels, pens, key chains, lanyards, apparel and additional items that display the Bethel logo.

Hooded sweatshirts range in price from $39.95 to $41.95, and new KCAC 2006 Football Co-Champions T-shirts are $14.95.

Located in Schultz Student Center, Thresher Bookstore is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Stop by, or feel free to call (316) 284-5205 or e-mail bookstore@bethelks.edu for product, price and shipping information.

Share your business experiences with Bethel students

Business and Economics Department faculty members Sharon Eicher and Allison McFarland are seeking entrepreneurs in the Newton/Wichita area to share and discuss their experience with budding student-entrepreneurs and other students interested in business.

More specifically, as part of a January 2007 Interterm course titled “Entrepreneurship,” alumni and others are asked to talk about how they developed a business idea, formulated a business model, acquired funding, explored risks and established their business.

Those who manage or have managed small businesses are also being sought to talk about the various aspects of being a manager-owner for the spring semester course, “Small Business Management.” Topics to discuss may include human resource management, marketing, operations, growth and other issues related to being a manager-owner.

The goal in both courses is to enhance conceptual and theoretical learning with real-life stories. In order to reflect reality, the department welcomes reports of struggles as well as success, so that students may learn what not to do as well as what to do when creating and running a business.

Those interested in sharing their experience with Bethel students should e-mail amcfarland@bethelks.edu or seicher@bethelks.edu, or call (316) 284-5319 or (316) 284-5353.

Young alumni, save the date!

Young alumni in the Wichita area should mark their calendars for Saturday evening, Jan. 13, 2007. The Young Alumni Committee will host a gathering at a local restaurant in Wichita and will join others to attend the Thresher basketball games against Friends.

More details will be announced soon. Similar events in Newton and Leavenworth over the past few years have provided an opportunity for young alumni to connect with Bethel friends in the area and support Thresher sports teams.

The Young Alumni Committee represents alumni between the ages of approximately 22-32, who attended or graduated from Bethel within the past 10 years. Members of the committee are Crystal Gaeddert ’04, Ray Garcia ’04 and Jerol Schrag ’02 from Newton; Kenton Nickel ’05 from North Newton; and Matt Pankratz ’97 and Krista Voth ’98 from Wichita.

Other young alumni interested in joining the fun in Wichita are welcome to attend, as well. Contact kristavoth@hotmail.com for details.