November 2007

Bethel senior Jeff Buller from Inman is on the winning Thresher football team, is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national champion in the javelin, studies wind energy as he pursues a major in physics, and sings opera arias.

Buller was featured in the Oct. 25 edition of The Wichita Eagle in an article titled, “Priorities steer Buller at Bethel,” by Eagle staff writer Jeffrey Lutz. The article focused not only on Jeff’s achievements, but on his values and Christian faith, which led him to stay at Bethel despite original plans to transfer to study engineering.

At its Oct. 5 meeting on campus, the Bethel College Board of Directors authorized a $21 million financial campaign that will include three main components: (1) renovate the Old Science Hall and add a nursing wing to the structure at a total cost of $8.5 million to create a state-of-the-art Academic Center housing seven departments, (2) increase the current endowment of the college by $8.5 million in order to strengthen core programming, and (3) provide ongoing support for the Bethel College Fund (current fund) at $4 million.

The campaign will first enter a “quiet phase,” during which major donors will be contacted and lead gifts solicited. A public phase of the campaign will follow.

The undefeated Thresher football team celebrated its seventh straight victory when they beat Ottawa University 31-6 on Joe W. Goering Field Oct. 27. The Threshers are 7-0 both in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) and overall. Currently ranked 10th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, Bethel is again vying for an NAIA playoff spot, which was achieved a year ago. To close the regular season, they play Friends University in Wichita Nov. 3, and McPherson College at home Nov. 10. The NAIA playoff game would be Nov. 17.

The men’s soccer team finished the regular season third in KCAC play with its best record in recent memory: 7-1-1 in conference and 13-3-2 overall. The Threshers lost to Friends University 1-0 in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The team is waiting to see where they will be seeded in the Region IV tournament, to be played Nov. 5 (quarterfinals) at the highest seed. The semifinals and finals will be played Nov. 7 and 8 at Park University, Parkville, Mo.

The women’s soccer team had six wins, nine losses, tripling the win total from the last three seasons. Although they did not finish where they wanted to in KCAC play, a strong foundation was laid and the future of women’s soccer looks bright.

The women’s volleyball team is wrapping up its regular season. With two matches remaining the team is in third place in conference play with a 13-4 mark, 19-10 overall. They were ranked seventh in the Oct. 29 NAIA Region IV poll. The KCAC tournament begins Nov. 6 at the higher seed and the semifinals and finals will be played Nov. 8 and 10 at the higher seed.

The men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the KCAC championships Oct. 27. In just its first year back, the women’s team placed sixth overall out of nine teams. Sophomore Natasha Esau from Hutchinson led the way with a seventh-place finish. The men’s team did not have enough runners to compete as team; however, individually, freshman Ben Moore from Green led the way, finishing 28th out of 68 runners.

For up-to-date information on Thresher sports, go to http://www.bethelthreshers.com.

The Bethel College Men’s Ensemble and Women’s Chorus will perform their annual joint fall concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, in the Administration Building chapel. Admission is free and open to the public. Professor of Music William Eash will direct the groups. Neither group requires an audition, which helps to cultivate and develop singers with a wide range of experience, Eash says.

For this year’s concert, the Women’s Chorus will sing several pieces with international influence — including “Psalm Trilogy” set by Canadian Srul Irving Glick and “Salmo 150” by Brazilian Ernani Aguiar — in addition to several vocal jazz arrangements. The Men’s Ensemble’s program will include Gregorian chant, several turn-of-the-century men’s quartet pieces — including one arranged by J. Harold Moyer ’49, Bethel professor emeritus of music — and Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time.”

Women’s Chorus singers are senior Elyse Butcher, Newton; junior Andrea Kaufman, Harrisburg, S.D.; sophomores Krista Hostetler, West Liberty, Ohio, and Victoria Janzen, Wichita; and freshmen Whitney Coleman, Lawrence, Justine Erb, Henderson, Neb., Rachel Gaeddert, Larned, Lindsey Geisler, Leonardville, Lisa Geist, Scott City, Renee Gonzales, Andale, Alyssa Harvey, Wichita, Robin Lamb, Halstead, Morgan Peters, Henderson, Neb., Sierra Pryce, North Newton, Keila Quenzer, Visalia, Calif., Genevieve Rucker, Lawrence, and Leah Smith, Aurora, Colo.

Men’s Ensemble singers are seniors Jonathan Nathan, Moundridge, Tim Parker, Moundridge, and Jordan Penner, Reedley, Calif.; juniors Noah Fridley, Rocky Ford, Colo., Dusty Gudde, Parsons, and Jeremy Voth, Hillsboro; sophomores Yenikah Fon, Hyattsville, Md., Jeremy Newhouse, Walton, and Will Peterson, Bonner Springs; and freshmen Alex Boldt, Parlier, Calif., Drake Engleman, Manhattan, Shane Greer, Whitesboro, Texas, and Caleb Stephens, Lawrence.

Bethel has more living presidents than ever before in the history of the college: D.C. Wedel, Vernon Neufeld, Orville Voth, Harold Schultz, John Zehr, Douglas Penner and E. LaVerne Epp. All seven have been invited to campus in mid-November for the President’s Club Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 17, and to share reflections and answer questions in a public forum on Sunday, Nov. 18.

The public event, The Former Presidents’ Round Table Discussion, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, in Krehbiel Auditorium in the Fine Arts Center. The participants will reflect on their presidency, events during their tenure and the college in general. Former President Epp will serve as moderator. The public is invited to this free program, and will be invited to suggest topics or ask questions.

From 1942 to 1970, sisters Alma and Edna Ruth and their niece Ruth Rose, all of Halstead, enjoyed birding activities and kept daily lists of birds seen — a major contribution to knowledge about bird species in Harvey County. In recognition of this special legacy and wealth of information, Kauffman Museum invites the public to a free Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum program titled “Birding Adventures: The Ruths of Halstead” by Bethel professor emeritus Dwight Platt ’52 at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 11.

The lecture, based on Platt’s presentation to the Kansas Ornithological Society, complements the museum’s current special exhibit “Meet the Beak,” which is on display through Jan. 20.

Kauffman Museum is located on campus at 27th and North Main. For more information, contact (316) 283-1612 or kauffman@bethelks.edu.

Start celebrating the holiday season on Saturday, Dec. 1, by going on the annual “Five Places of Christmas” tour, now in its fifth year. Two campus buildings will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. as part of the event.

Bethel College Women’s Association will hold its annual bake sale at Leisy Welcome Center, 303 East 24th Street, North Newton. The restored arts-and-crafts-style house will be decorated for Christmas.

Kauffman Museum, 2801 North Main, will also hold an open house, with a special display of Boehm porcelain sculptures of North American birds, a pinecone birdfeeder craft for children, and holiday gifts for sale in the museum store. For more information, contact Andi Schmidt Andres or Rachel Pannabecker at (316) 283-1612 or kauffman@bethelks.edu.

U.S. tax law gives donors who are age 70 1/2 or older the opportunity to make tax-free gifts direct from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) before the end of 2007. Giving in this way assures that the funds will never be subject to income or estate tax, which may make it possible to give more at the same or lower cost than in the past.

Those interested in supporting the college in this way are invited to check with their IRA administrator for applicable time limits and other details. Or, for related information, contact Bethel development director Fred Goering at fgoering@bethelks.edu or (316) 284-5226. Thank you.