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Alumni association annual report online

This year’s Alumni Association report includes photos and items of interest about the association, its member groups and the activities of the Alumni Council in 2006-07. It may be viewed or printed from the Bethel Web site. (Adobe Reader required).

In the past, the report was mailed to all alumni. This year, printed copies are available only upon request. Contact alumni@bethelks.edu.

Your new alumni council members

The following Alumni Association members are being recommended for three-year appointments to the Alumni Council: Byron Ediger ’66, Newton; Kent Erb ’95, Newton (second term); Victoria (Peters) Howard ’83, Halstead; Brad Janzen ’02, Newton; Kira Kindall ’03, Newton; Matt Pankratz ’97, Wichita (second term); Valerie (Brashears) Oliver ’05, Hutchinson; Carol (Ediger) Peters ’69, North Newton (second term); Lynn Preheim ’84, Wichita. Their selection is to be affirmed at the Alumni Banquet May 19.

The council advises the Office of Alumni Relations, plans and hosts events for alumni, and implements other special projects throughout the year. For more information about the candidates and Alumni Association activities, read the Alumni Association annual report.

The deadline to make Alumni Banquet reservations is Wednesday, May 9. Cost is $16 per person. Visit or phone Thresher Bookstore in Schultz Student Center at (316) 284-5205. Payment or credit card information is required when the reservation is made.

Bethel completes another successful forensics season

Bethel continued its tradition of devoting one spring convocation each year to the talents of forensics students, in honor of an even longer one — sending successful teams to the major national forensics and debate competition.

As academic dean Brad Born introduced the April 13 convocation, he noted that forensics coach John McCabe-Juhnke ’78, professor of communication arts, was a member of the first team Bethel sent to the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) in 1978. That was the tournament’s first year and Bethel is one of only six schools in the nation that has qualified a team every year since then.

This year’s AFA-NIET was hosted by Mankato (Minn.) State University, April 5-9. McCabe-Juhnke and assistant coach Brian Stucky ’02 took seven student qualifiers in seven different events: after dinner speaking, duo interpretation, extemporaneous speaking, impromptu speaking, informative speaking, poetry interpretation and programmed oral interpretation.

Those competing were Robert Weaver, senior from Wichita; Matthew N. Stucky, freshman from Moundridge; Justin Shook, senior from Lyons; Shannon Carey, junior from Moundridge; Jonathan Nathan, junior from Moundridge; Lewis Kosjer, freshman from Douglass; and Joshua Powell, freshman from Basehor.

Also part of Bethel College’s 2006-07 forensics and debate squads were Cory Buchta, junior from Newton; Dana Daugharthy, freshman from Iola; Alan Harpool, sophomore from Sedgwick; Jamie Lugo, junior from Wichita; Ashley McDonald, sophomore from Douglass; Peter Miller, senior from Partridge; and Becky Schulz, sophomore from Newton.

Bethel College and graduate recognized for excellence in science education

For the third time, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has recognized Bethel College for the high number of its science majors who go on to earn M.D. degrees and/or Ph.D. degrees in the sciences. Bethel was recognized in 1996 and 2003 and most recently this year.

HHMI, a major supporter of biomedical science teaching and research worldwide, has been recognizing American colleges and universities in this way, through its program called Initiatives for Colleges, every four years starting in 1996. No other four-year college or master’s degree-granting university in the state of Kansas has received the honor.

To identify institutions for recognition, HHMI assesses the most recent 10-year period for which data are available on both the percentage and the absolute number of graduates from U.S. institutions who have entered medical school or have earned doctorates in biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics.

In another HHMI program recognizing biological and biomedical scientists for their creativity and productivity, Bonnie Bartel ’83, Houston, was recently selected an “HHMI professor.” The goal of the HHMI Professor Program is to “recognize and support innovative approaches to teaching, infusing undergraduate science with the excitement and rigor of scientific research as a model for fundamental reform of the way undergraduate science is taught at research universities.” Bartel is a professor of biochemistry and cell biology at Rice University, Houston.

BCWA to host fourth annual public lecture

The Bethel College Women’s Association will sponsor its fourth annual Faculty Public Lecture on Thursday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Krehbiel Auditorium in the Fine Arts Center.

Dr. William Eash, professor of music, will give a presentation on “Monastic Life and Gregorian Chant.” Eash is director of the college’s vocal ensembles. In spring 2006, he lived for two months at the abbey of Solesmes near the city of Sable sur Sarthe in western France.

The presentation is free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow the lecture and a brief BCWA business meeting.

Uncle Carl’s camps to delight children again this summer

This summer, Kauffman Museum is again offering a series of Uncle Carl’s Camps for children of various ages. Although most sessions are filled, one is still seeking campers.

“From Microbes to Milkweed: Exploring Biodiversity” will be held June 25-29, 9 a.m.-noon, and is for children ages 12-14 (or completed grades 6-8). It will be taught by Bethel alumnus and Newton High School biology teacher Jerry Epp ’96, North Newton. Epp brings excitement about the topic and a great understanding of the native biology of Kansas. Campers will explore the diversity in the world around them. They will culture soil microbes, create pitfall traps to collect prairie and woodland insects, and investigate the “sour” in sourdough bread.

Camp topics range from watercolor to reptiles to one-room schools. For a full list go to www.bethelks.edu/community/summercamps/unclecarlscamps.php. To register for “Microbes to Milkweed” or to add a child’s name to a waiting list for another camp contact Monty Graber ’01 or Andi Schmidt Andres ’84 at kauffman@bethelks.edu, (316) 283-1612.

K is for Kansas at Kauffman Museum through June 3

The traveling exhibit “K is for Kansas” came home to Kauffman Museum this school year.

Conceived and created by Kauffman Museum staff, “K is for Kansas” traveled to five other sites in Kansas over a two-year time period before returning to North Newton last August. Throughout this school year, area elementary school and preschool classes have participated in organized learning experiences in the exhibit under the guidance of Kauffman Museum docents (trained volunteer guides). More than 1,500 children have visited the exhibit since September.

“K is for Kansas” will be open at the museum through June 3. Next fall it will travel to Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum in Arkansas City.

Bethel web site offers RSS news feed

Subscribe to Bethel’s new RSS feed for immediate access to the latest Bethel headlines. RSS, most frequently used as an acronym for “Really Simple Syndication,” distributes news and other Web site content in a compact, easily updated format.

To sign up for the free service, go to the Bethel home page, then click on “RSS Feed” in the gray News box. Most Web browsers will then give the option of subscribing to the RSS feed, granting instant access to the day’s headlines.