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Last-minute Fall Fest updates

The entertainment is lined up, booths planned, food made or ordered, tents up, items donated, sports teams fired up, volunteers recruited -- Fall Fest 2009 is ready to go!

In addition to the programming outlined on the original schedule, alumni and friends of the college may want to be aware of the following:

At Taste of Newton Thursday, Oct. 1, those desiring treats served by Bethel groups will find them at a new location: the corner of Broadway and Main. The Alumni Association will serve verenike, the Student Alumni Association will dish up “dirt cups” (Oreo crumbs, pudding and gummy worms) and the Bethel College Kansas Association of Nursing Students will make fresh funnel cakes. Look for tents with Bethel flags in front of JT’s Java Hut (formerly Moka’s). Munch while listening to Bethel jazz from 6-6:50 p.m. and other entertainment later.

Friday, Oct. 2, the public is invited to view student, faculty and staff creativity at a first-ever Recycle Fest. Using materials such as glass, metal, cardboard, paper and plastic, competitors will create entries in the following four categories: fashion, furniture, invention/household product or the Interim President John Sheriff look-alike. Come to the Ad Building steps at 1 p.m. to see the check-in process followed by judging and a full display at 2 p.m. All entries will also be displayed during Fall Fest.

Saturday, Oct. 3, as part of the 9 a.m. Low German event in Krehbiel Auditorium, Low German radio personality Carl Zacharias, Reinland, Man., will tell of his experiences producing and hosting a Low German radio program. He hosts “Zacharias Vetalt” (“Zacharias Tells”), a weekly half-hour Low German program syndicated to several radio stations in Canada and Paraguay.

Also Saturday, Oct. 3, Campus Ministries invites everyone to a third annual hymn sing 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Room #143 (choral room) of the Fine Arts Center. Lift your voice in praise to God in a venue that’s great for group singing!

For the original Fall Fest schedule, go to www.bethelks.edu/fallfest. News articles about Fall Fest are at www.bethelks.edu/bc/news_publications/news/bc/.

New scholarship already making an impact on campus

Although it only took shape a matter of months ago, a new Bethel scholarship is already making an impact on campus.

Half a dozen new students are present this fall who most likely wouldn’t be there without a scholarship established last spring to recognize and thank the Newton community for almost 125 years of supporting the college.

“Three Newton businessmen -- J. J. Krehbiel, Bernard Warkentin and David Goerz -- were pivotal in founding Bethel College in 1887,” said Bethel’s interim president John Sheriff. “Newton community and business leaders have consistently provided support and leadership to the college.”

Sheriff originally proposed the idea of a 125th anniversary scholarship (Bethel will mark the milestone in 2012) as “a tangible expression of appreciation and gratitude for a partnership that opened doors of educational opportunity to Newton community residents.”

The 125th Anniversary Scholarship guarantees $40,000 over four years to any student who is a Newton or North Newton resident and/or attends a Newton or North Newton high school, who commits to attend Bethel College beginning now and running through 2012, to coincide with 125-year celebrations.

Bethel admissions counselors on the road

Admissions staff members will, once again, be on the road this fall, traveling through the state and beyond to represent Bethel at College Planning Conferences (college fairs), visit high schools and make other contacts with prospective students and their parents.

In Kansas, alumni should encourage high school and potential college transfer students to visit with Bethel representatives at any of the following fairs in October and early November. Parents and other family members are welcome to attend, as well.

Oct. 1

  • 9-10:30 a.m. -- Colby Community College

Oct. 5

  • 1:30-3 p.m. -- Dodge City High School
  • 6-7:30 p.m. -- Ulysses High School

Oct. 6

  • 8:45-10:15 a.m. -- Garden City High School
  • 1:30-2:45 p.m. -- Seward County Community College, Liberal
  • 7-8:30 p.m. -- Scott City High School

Oct. 7

  • 1-2:15 p.m. -- Pratt Community College

Oct. 8

  • 1-3 p.m. -- Kansas Expo Center, Topeka

Oct. 12

  • 1-2:30 p.m. -- Osawatomie High School
  • 6-8 p.m. -- Olathe Northwest High School

Oct. 13

  • 9-10:30 a.m. -- Highland Community College

Oct. 14

  • 1:30-2:30 p.m. -- Oskaloosa High School
  • 6:30-9 p.m. -- Shawnee Mission East High School

Oct. 15

  • 9-10:30 p.m. -- Manhattan High School
  • 6:30-8 p.m. -- Lawrence High School

Oct. 19

  • 1-2:30 p.m. -- Parsons High School

Oct. 20

  • 9-10:30 a.m. -- Coffeyville Community College
  • 1-2:30 p.m. -- Allen Community College, Iola
  • 7-8:30 p.m. -- Emporia High School

Oct. 21

  • 9-10:30 a.m. -- Ottawa High School
  • 7-8:30 p.m. -- Leavenworth High School

Oct. 26

  • 9-10:30 a.m. -- Valley Heights High School, Blue Rapids/Waterville
  • 1:30-2:30 p.m. -- Cloud County Community College, Concordia
  • 7-8 p.m. -- Salina South High School

Oct. 27

  • 9-10:30 p.m. -- Chapman High School
  • 1:30-2:30 p.m. -- Junction City High School

Nov. 2

  • 1-2:30 p.m. -- Arkansas City High School
  • 7-8:30 p.m. -- McPherson High School

Nov. 3

  • 9-2:30 p.m. -- Wichita Futures Fair, Century II

Nov. 4

  • 1:15-2:30 p.m. -- Butler County Community College, El Dorado

Counselors are also scheduling visits elsewhere. Call (316) 284-5229 or e-mail admissions@bethelks.edu for more information.

Behind the scenes work yields campus energy savings and stewardship

The open space in the center of campus isn’t the only “green” at Bethel these days.

It’s just more visible than the efforts of three Bethel staff, who over the past several years have reduced campus water and energy consumption. The increased responsible use of both financial and natural resources has begun to pay significant dividends.

Sometimes the solution to a large problem like an institution’s energy consumption is “to be aggressive in targeting small [things],” says Bethel maintenance worker Roger Reimer. Since he began his position at Bethel a little over a year ago, he has spent the bulk of his time doing just that, along with maintenance co-worker Adam Akers and Les Goerzen, director of Bethel’s physical plant.

“Small things” include converting all regular incandescent bulb lighting to compact fluorescent bulbs and, in the Memorial Hall and Thresher gyms, HID lamps to high-efficiency, high-output T5 fixtures; putting in occupancy sensors for several areas on campus, such as the library’s basement stacks, to keep lights turned off when no one is present; and installing hardware -- and sometimes thousands of feet of wiring -- to bring more of the campus buildings online with a computerized energy management system first deployed in 1985.

Bethel and Kauffman Museum involved in this year’s Big Read

Bethel College, Kauffman Museum and Newton Public Library are partnering to host two programs on the prose and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe for Wichita’s Big Read. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture.

Sunday, Oct. 25, at 3:30 p.m., senior Aimee Siebert from Topeka will present “Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’: How to Think about Tearing Down the House of Disregard for Mental Health.”

Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3:30 p.m., Bethel English professor Ami Regier will use a Kauffman Museum taxidermy specimen in her discussion of “Consciousness, Living Art and Taxidermy in ‘The Raven.’”

Both programs are free and open to the public, and will be held in the museum auditorium.

Alumni professionals sought for 15th career night

Each November since 1995, the Student Alumni Association has planned and hosted Career Night, where students interact with alumni about job options and professions. The 15th annual event is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 18, beginning with a meal for alumni at 6 p.m. and followed by the career fair in Memorial Hall from 7:30-9 p.m.

Alumni are invited to represent their professions and life experience at this year’s Career Night. Representatives sit at tables in Memorial Hall gym and students stop by to visit. Many alumni bring displays and literature as well as prizes for a drawing held at the end of the evening. Although the evening is not a “job fair” where students are interviewed, contacts in the past have led them to positions following graduation.

Alumni who are interested in volunteering should e-mail their name, mailing address, home and work phone numbers, profession/title and company name to alumni@bethelks.edu and indicate that they would like to receive an invitation to attend.