Bethel University
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
- Sports. Sure, I might be a Division III school, but I take my sports seriously. My football and women's volleyball teams are consistently at the top of the conference. No matter how the scoreboard looks, I can promise you this: my students aren't afraid to get loud and proud at all sporting events.
- Nursing. If it seems like one in three students are nursing majors, you aren't going crazy. I have a huge population of nursing majors and they don't ever let my student body forget that.
- My education program is well-known by Minnesota schools for the quality teachers who graduate from it. Trust me, you'll want my ed majors to teach your kids one day.
- Study abroad. Over the last decade or so, I've been recognized by the Institute of International Education as one of the top forty colleges in the United States that sends students to study abroad.
- Service. I'm all about that service. I have an organization called Twin Cities Outreach that sends my students to service locations all over the Twin Cities area, and also have about a dozen spring break mission trips that I send hundreds of students on yearly.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- A Bible. C'mon, this is a no-brainer. Any Bible is fine, I guess, but bonus points if it's an ESV Study Bible so worn that it falls apart every time you open it.
- An ENO hammock. Most of my green spaces on campus are filled with trees, so if you don't have one of these hammocks you won't find yourself hanging with the cool kids.
- A pair of Birkenstocks—I mean, they're basically modern-day Jesus sandals, right?
- A longboard. The commute across my campus might not seem that long, but longboards are the preferred mode of transportation for those days when I'm not covered in snow.
- A to-go coffee mug—or maybe five or six. I'm hooked on coffee. Plus, bringing your own mug will help you save money at my on-campus coffee shop, Royal Grounds.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- Abigail and Brittany Hensel, the dicephalic parapagus twins featured on TLC's show Abby & Brittany, are the alumni who really put my name on the map.
- Some notable theologians have taught in my Biblical and Theological Studies department. If your theology game is on point right now, you may recognize the names of adjunct professors John Piper or Greg Boyd.
- I'm often dubbed by other Minnesotan schools as "the place where students can't drink," which is true. What these other schools fail to mention is that this means my campus is safe to walk around any time of the day and is free of alcohol-induced messes in bathrooms and stairwells.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
My Student Activities organization is on fire when it comes to organizing student events—especially weekend events. From coffeehouses featuring student musicians, to drive-in movies, to a film competition, to interactive Bethel's "The Voice" and "So You Think You Can Dance," the on-campus events are fun and (more importantly) free.
When I'm not attending on-campus events or hanging out in residence hall lounges, you can find me hanging around Minneapolis's picturesque Stone Arch Bridge or attending a concert at one of the Twin Cities' many concert venues (Prince's venue, First Ave, is a favorite).
Favorite Hangouts:
- Looking for something fun to do with friends? Flaherty's Arden Bowl is within walking distance of the campus and has $1 cosmic bowling specials.
- The Twin Cities are full of local coffee roasters and creative cafes. A few of my students' favorites include Spyhouse Coffee Northeast and Black: Coffee and Waffle Bar.
- For all of those complicated relationships on campus, my "Seminary Hill" is the classic place to go for a DTR (defining the relationship) session.
Quirks:
- I'm your typical two-semester university, but I also require students to take three J-Terms. Sure, taking a full class in one month can be intense at times, but it also means more free time for important things like naps and broomball...or taking a short study abroad trip (ever wanted to go to the Galápagos?).
- I just introduced the Bethel University Inclusive Learning and Development (BUILD) program, which is a program designed to give students with disabilities a college experience. BUILD students are basically superstars walking around campus—everybody knows who they are and everybody wants to be their friends.
- My homecoming week is something else. Tons of traditions have been passed down through the students over the years, but none can top homecoming week. Think the House competitions in Harry Potter, only with residence halls.
- Laptop broken? Need a high quality camera so you can improve your Insta feed? How about a graphing calculator for that math class you're required to take? Have no fear, the equipment closet is here. My library has a magical closet full of equipment that students can rent for days or weeks at a time—all you need is a student ID.
Famous Alumni:
- Abigail and Brittany Hensel, dicephalic parapagus twins
- Ron Tschetter, former director of the Peace Corps
- Joel Hodgson, television writer and actor
- Linda Runbeck, politician
- Jeff Hayden, politician
- Dave Berggren, journalist and sports anchor