Volume 107, Issue 1, March 3, 2012Bethany College, Union Box 669, Lindsborg, KS 67456

Swedes spend Saturday giving a Helping Handby Ashlee Conrad Many college sports teams across the country volunteer their time to charity events and the Beth-any College women’s soccer team is joining the bunch. On Saturday, February 18, 2012, the Swedes participated in the Polar Plunge and Strut in Salina for the Special Olympics Kansas. The event rang in a new era of community service for the team.

The Special Olympics started as a summer camp for disabled children and adults in the summer of 1962, according to the Special Olympics Kansas website. The founder, and eventual Presi-dent of the organization, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, defied experts’ beliefs in the capabilities of these individuals. She wanted to give these disabled individuals a better of quality of life through participat-

ing in sports. Soon after, Kansas founded its own organization. Six students from Wichita, Kansas, competed in the International Special Olympics Summer Games in Chicago in July 1968. Kansas then held its first Olympics in 1970 with 300 participants. Since then, Special Olympics Kansas has grown to host over 5,400 athletes in 21 different sports. Along with athletic competitions, Special Olympics Kansas hosts many charity events and programs across the state to support the athletes. The Polar Plunge and Strut is just one the available events. The schedule of events included a 5K run/walk or a one mile road race, a costume contest, and the plunge itself. The Swedes donated their time and money in a variety of ways. The soccer team raised $200 for the event. The players had various duties. Some of the players participated in the 5K run while others helped with course guidance and finish line timing. The team was selected as

special judges for the costume con-test and awarded the winning com-petitors their prizes. The Swedes finished the day by cheering on the brave souls who entered the freez-ing water for the plunge. For some of the players, this isn’t the first time they have dedicated their time to the organi-zation. Junior Lindsey Pfenninger has been a volunteer for 3 years. However, other players like sopho-more Melissa Pressnall has had limited experience. But both see the importance of the team donating their time to a community event. “We don’t all realize how lucky we are to be able to play this game and we’ll get a greater appre-ciation when we come out and play every day,” states Pfenninger. Pressnall added, “We are so wrapped up with soccer and classes that it’s good for us to do something for someone other than ourselves.” The team also was able to see why others thought it was important to donate to Special Olympics.

Head Coach Sean McMannis chal-lenged the team’s people skills at the event. He asked each player to talk to one other volunteer about their involvement with the organi-zation. The girls heard stories from the other participants and broad-ened their perspectives as to what Special Olympics meant to those individuals. Pressnall described that experience as one of the best parts of the day. Both players, as well as the rest of the team, took away many valuable lessons from the day. Pfenninger believed that this event will benefit the group. She stated that even though the partici-pants are individuals, they are still working together. “It’s not about the sport. It’s about doing what they love.” Pressnall concluded that this experience opened her eyes to a community event that was well worth the time she put in. “I would definitely consider volunteering again. I like getting the chance to do something for someone else.”

The Bethany Women’s soccer team poses at the Special Olympics. Right: Some Swedes participated in the 5k run. (Photos by Raeanna McMannis)

Bethany College Chaplain, Pastor Noni Strand and Communication Professor, Dr. Carl Isaacson have both battled cancer in the past six months, and both report progress in their therapies. Pastor Strand was discovered to have breast cancer late in 2011. Her original diagnosis left her fearful of the course that surgery may have to take. Isaacson’s cancer, a sarcoma on his left thigh, was found in the early fall of 2011. After six weeks of radiation therapy, the sarcoma was removed in November of 2011. In both cases the surgical procedures were successful and both Strand and Isaacson have no signs of the cancer in their bodies.

In both cases, however, doctors advised that the patients undergo chemo-therapy. “My doctor explained that even absent signs of disease, I would raise my chances of five year survival by undergoing chemo-therapy,” Isaacson explained. Likewise, Pastor Strand was advised to undergo chemo and radiation therapy to be certain of conquering the disease. Cancer, contrary to popular opinion, is not a single disease, but a variety of diseases. There are, for example, forty different types of sarcoma. There are several types of breast cancers as well. Each of these demands its own set of treatments and protocols of therapy.

Pastor Noni is working on chemo therapy from home, for example, while Professor Isaacson must go to the hospital six times for chemo, staying in the hospital four days each time. Both cancer victims report progress on becoming cancer suvivors. “My goal,” Isaacson said, “is to be among my friends and colleagues five years from now. My doctor says I have a good chance of making it, provided I let him make me sick now.” Dr. Isaacson will return for his third round of chemo-therapy during spring break, marking the half-way point of his treatment.

Bethany’s Strand, Isaacson continue to make progress against cancer

Editor Matthew AllenAdvisers Frank Ballew ’05 Carl Isaacson, Ph.D.Business Manager Phoenix HutchinsonReporters Ashlee Conrad Hope Harbert Jordan Schwartz Dayna Mannebach Julee Freeman

Editorialsby Julee Freeman I was never going to be a sorority girl. I’ll admit, I completely bought into the stereotypes that Greek Life was all about being popular and partying. I knew that it was just a facade of community service and friendship, and that beneath it all was the ridiculous drama that they based the movies on. Many anti-Greek people feel exactly this way. They are independent and they don’t need the sisterhood or brotherhood that Greek Life provides. Amanda Mong adds that she “doesn’t need to pay dues to be friends with someone.” However this is based on the opinion that Greeks are purely social organizations. This attitude towards Greek Life seems to be the result of no more than ignorance and misdirected information. This week I spoke with several Bethany College Greeks, in order to provide you, the ever constant independent, with an accurate depiction of what it means to be Greek at Bethany. Aaron Silco is a Freshman Christian Ministry major and a

member of Pi Sigma Chi fraternity. “I thought it would be a good experience.” Aaron responded when asked why he chose to join a fraternity. This is one of the more positive stereotypes that the media enforces; Greek Life is part of a college experience. This is not to say that it is the only college experience or even that it is for everyone. Aaron found his best fit by letting “God decide”, which, if you have ever met Aaron Silco you know is a very genuine response. For Sophomore Gwendolyn Woerple joining a sorority was a way to expand from her specific group of friends. “I also don’t have that many female friends and I thought being in a sorority would help me become more confident.” Gwen is a member of Alpha Delta Zeta sorority which is unique because of the diverse backgrounds of their members. “We are all individuals and completely different from one another, and yet we get along great as a group and love each other and appreciate our different talents.” Like most of the Greek

organizations Alpha Delta Zeta is dedicated to community service. Community service and sisterhood were the primary reasons that Gwen joined her sorority and her only regret is that “Sometimes I feel like I got the short end of the stick, since when I pledged there were a ton of girls in the sorority. This year there are only seven active members and we haven’t been doing as much as I know they’ve done in previous years.” This lack of interest in Greek Life is a plague that haunts many Greek organizations on campus forcing sororities like Alpha Delta Zeta to focus more on rebuilding their sorority than experiencing sisterhood as it should be. However hope prevails and Gwen is “confident that we will soon be back to the way we were!” Monica Ashdown is a Junior Art major, as well as president of Kappa Gamma Phi sorority. She joined the fall of her freshman year but it wasn’t until she became more involved that she gained a more intimate view of Greek Life. “We’re not national so we have more community a more ‘homey’ feel” Ashdown said when asked about what makes Bethany College Greek Life

unique. When asked about Greek stereotypes she immediately got very passionate about hazing and how different Bethany Greeks are from movies like Old School and Sydney White. “The hazing thing! We don’t haze people at all! We don’t beat people, or make them eat raw fish. Or the crazy things the media says we do. We do none of that!”, the fact of the matter is that most sororities and fraternities have much more important things to worry about, Kappa Gamma Phi for instance is focusing on recruiting members that represent all aspects of Bethany College. Community service is also important to Ashdown and Kappa Gamma Phi “We’re focusing more on community service, like making a quilt for the homeless shelter, the walk and planting a tree on campus. I really want to do that.” Finally I spoke to Braden Bruntzel, a Senior member of Gamma Kappa Alpha who said that being Greek means “Having a group of friends with the same ideals as me and becoming part of a community.” This community reaches far past the here and now; alumni give unique history and a sense of belonging to a fraternity.

Gamma Kappa Alpha has very close connections with their alumni within the community. “They are good resources for community service ideas. We use them as bouncing board for ideas.” Braden said. The pattern of community service and belonging continues with Gamma Kappa Alpha but it still does not seem to change the stereotypical depiction of Greek Life. “Greeks are viewed in not a good light. There are movies like Animal House and all other fraternities are held up to that standard.” Movies promote the party aspect of Greek life and while having fun is part of the Greek experience it is certainly not the most important. No matter what reason you have of liking or disliking the Greek System, it is clear that Bethany is a special place. We don’t always fall into the norms or the stereotypes of other large universities. I, for one, am very glad that I looked past my stubborn independence and took a chance on Bethany College Greeks. I won’t say that it has changed my life or that it is the most important part of my college career, but it is an experience I would never trade in.

Greeks at Bethany: A positive influence

BYMT: Calling All Followersby Dayna Mannebach Bethany Youth Ministry Team a.k.a. BYMT is a fun, spiritual enhancement to socialize with members in the covenant of Christ’s followers. Friends gather together on Monday nights at 9 p.m. to play carefree games, and take turns doing the fellowship Bible verse for the lesson. Each year the group chooses a theme from the Bible to engage in its scriptural message. To be reminded throughout the semester of what God’s intentions are for one and all, the calling. Within the body of worshippers, they support each other and worship together in the name of the Lord. Sarah Peterson a member of the bible study feels that, “BYMT has been one of the biggest highlights of my college experience. While I’ve treasured the opportunity to serve as a positive role model for the area’s youth alongside other members, I’ve also bonded with several amazing college students who’ve taught me a lot about friendship and faith.”

Some individuals might not know it, but God calls everybody constantly in their daily lives. He is the voice inside of one’s own heart and within the very soul. It is up to the followers to answer that voice that calls to them. (Romans 10:13) for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” People sent out prayers to Him for guidance, comfort, and wisdom for anyone who is in need of it. It begins with faith to know that God answers back when people call upon Him. He answers their call, in ways many may not expect, He does what He knows is best for others. (Romans 11:29) “For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Jesus calls to all to do His bidding by living God’s Word, which is a binding promise. God knows a person’s potential in ways nobody can even imagine. He knows where people are going to be, and who the people are going to be in their lives. Even though some folks might believe that they’ve

found their calling, that doesn’t mean it ends there, it continually goes on and on until everyone is home with Him. When it comes to being called to a position in occupation, not every person is meant to do the same thing- they can help people in different ways. God knows everybody’s comfort zone and what lies in the deepest part of everyone. Each person has a purpose here. For example: not everyone can sign up for a 2 AM for lift high the cross on a weekday, but there other times when one can join at a different hour of the day. God understands that humans are humans and that they seek no perfection from us, but a loving effort to be in His way of life. So dial up with hands in prayer and call to Him, for He will answer back. If anyone wants to be answered, reply back to His calling. If someone has time to come and join, please do- BYMT would love to have your company in our presence.

The Bethany College Messenger is located in the basement of Presser Hall, Room 14. The Messenger encourages letters to the Editor. Authors should include name, address, and phone number, though names may be withheld from publication. The Messenger reserves the right to reject or edit letters. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the Messenger Editorial Board or the signed author. They are not necessarily those of the Bethany College administration, faculty,

student body, or the Messenger Staff.

Letters to the Editorcan be dropped by Room 14 in the basement of Presser Hall or by the Post Office in the lower level

of the Pihlblad Memorial Union. Alternatively, email can be sent to messenger@bethanylb.edu

by Jordan SchwartzThe genre of horror films these days is one that is looked at with disdain and disgust, and it’s not hard to see why. With film series like Saw, Hostel, and countless gory remakes of classic horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween, the goal of horror films seems to have shifted primarily to grossing out the audience rather than actually scaring them. Very few genuinely scary films are being made today, but thankfully, The Woman in Black is most definitely one of them, and is one of the scariest movies I have ever seen in theaters. The story is fairly standard haunted house fare. Arthur Kipps (played by Daniel Radcliffe) is a lawyer who lost his wife when she gave birth their son. He is assigned to prepare a scary house in a marsh, owned by the late Alice Drablow, for sale, but it turns out the house is inhabited by a vengeful ghost of a scorned woman who’s son was taken away from her. Since this would make the house very difficult to sell to anybody, Kipps enlists the help of the only people in the nearby village who will talk to him, Sam and Elizabeth (played by Ciaran Hinds and Janet McTeer, respectively), to get to the bottom

of what is going on in the Eel Marsh House. The story is bare-bones thin, and lacks the old-timey narration feeling and emotional dilemma of the Susan Hill novella it’s based on; the plot here is in place only to get the characters to the scary house. The characters are very simple and serve to drive the plot along, but the actors do their job pretty well and work with what they have. Daniel Radcliffe is the standout performance here, and really shows that he has what it takes to break out of his Harry Potter typecast. A lot of his scenes take place in silence with him walking around the creepy house, and his facial expressions and movements go a long way to convey anxiety and fear. The next most interesting performance goes to Alisha Khazanova, who puts a lot of effort into her portrayal of Alice Drablow. While her character basically requires her to stand around and look ethereal and creepy, less is more here, and her lack of much visible movement amps up the scare factor when you know she could be just around the corner, waiting. The rest of the characters are okay, but fail to really stand out very much. In fact, I only remember the names of two

other characters, which usually isn’t a sign of strong characters. But as I said earlier, the story and characters take a backseat to the real meat and potatoes of this movie: the haunted house. Almost all of the movie takes place inside the house with the characters walking around getting spooked by creaks, thumps, and the occasional shriek. You might think that sounds like almost every other haunted house movie ever made, and you’d be right. This movie is traditional horror almost to a fault; it goes back to the most basic roots of horror by relying almost exclusively on music, sound effects, atmosphere to scare the audience. Honestly, it’s for these reasons that I think this movie just works. The film is genuinely scary; not the lets-saw-a-guy’s-leg-off-on-camera scary, but rather the icy cold water down the length of your spine kind of scary, the fear that you experience when exploring a dark, unfamiliar place with unsettling sounds coming from everywhere around you. This is the kind of fear where your heart is threatening to thump out of your chest, your fingers are gripping the armrests, and your brow is cooling with sweat as your

eyes remain glued to the screen. This kind of fear is the hardest to bring out in the audience, but it is extremely effective when executed correctly, and here it works well- it recognizes that less is more. There are no real big special effects on display here; where there are effects, they are subtle and effective in their execution. When all is said and done, The Woman in Black is a

very effective chiller of a film with some excellent scares and jump-out-of-your-seat moments. The story is paper-thin, however, and the characters, while performed well, are very generic and nothing to write home about. Even then however, I still recommend you see this movie if you like genuine terror and fear. Or if you like Daniel Radcliffe. Either one will work.

“The film is genuinely scary; not the lets-saw-a-guy’s-leg-off-on-camera scary, but rather the icy cold water down the length of your spine kind of scary, the fear that you experience when exploring a dark, unfamiliar place with unsettling sounds coming from everywhere around you.” FINAL RATING: 6/10

Fresh From the Theater ReviewThe Woman in Black is a truly fearful experience

by Hope Harbert A student at Bethany College is busier then he or she has ever been before. With weekly events, sports teams and regular everyday classes it seems hard sometimes to find time for anything other than homework and the occasional hour or two of sleep. So is it possible to get everything done and still have time to have eight hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep every night. The short answer is no. But don’t be discouraged. There are plenty of ways to get enough done so that sleep is something that is not a foreign word to us. The first – plan your day. As familiar as that sounds, it’s really helpful. It took me nearly twenty years to figure that one out.Second – write out all homework assignments. Even if you have a great memory, it helps to reduce the daily stresses of life. College isn’t an exercise in what you can do. It’s an exercise in what you can get away with not doing. Case

in point…I had one hour to read 65 pages of my Heath Anthology of American Literature. (For all of you still awake after reading that ridiculous title, yes it is was awful as it sounds.) But I employed an amazing technique from high school called “skim reading”. This is when one reads the first and last few sentences of each paragraph and if there seems to be important information you back track and read the full paragraph. Let me tell you a secret: this is how I survived my college level English class in high school. Long story short, of all the time management techniques that I’ve ever used, writing down my assignments and skim reading has got me further than anything else. That is my grain of salt for you today.

Question: What is the best way to deal with noisy neighbors?

Answer: I guess it depends on the situation. A dorm is a place where you’re going to have to learn to

deal with other peoples annoying habits. If you’re worried about trying to study and it too loud it will probably be best to just go to the library or the computer lab. It’s not worth the headache to try and get people to be quiet anytime before 10 pm. However, if the noise is preventing you from getting a decent night’s sleep, take action early. Introduce yourself to the noisy neighbors and make them aware that they are being extremely loud late at night. People usually know they are being loud but if no one tells them that it actually is affecting others they will assume that the noise level is fine. Approach the neighbor in a calm fashion, they last thing you want is someone feeling under attack. If you are on the shy side it might be beneficial to see how others around feel about it and enlist their help. Chances are they are feeling the same way.

Disclaimer: Don’t make any rash choices. Yelling at them in the middle of the night or banging on the wall will at best, do nothing, and at worst, make the situation far worse. Remember the point is to make the dorms harmonious, not a blood bath.

Hope’s Helpful Hints“What is the best way to deal with noisy neighbors?”

Editor’s Note: If you have questions for Hope, send a letter or an email to the Messenger!

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by Julee Freeman Being a musician is a lot like being an athlete. In order to achieve greatness you must have time, passion and devotion. Where athletes practice in order to do well in games, musicians practice to be ready for concerts, and, in the case of Bethany College music majors; Degree Recitals. Every music major is required to perform at least one degree recital. Degree recitals take place during your junior and senior year. They are the most important performances in a Music Major’s academic life. Chelsea Kenyon is a senior vocal music education and performance major who has recently given her senior recital. “It was a lot of work.” Kenyon said when asked to reflect upon her recitals. This is perhaps an understatement, as I mentioned before being a musician is just like being an athlete. We spend years training our bodies and minds to act differently than what is normal. We learn to breath differently and use our breath differently. We teach our brain to think both abstractly and logically at the same time. Sarah Schaeffer, who recently gave her junior viola recital, said that she did

“close to two years of work” when preparing for her recital. “I started working on my music, spring semester my sophomore years.” That’s two years worth of practice and preparation for one 30 minute recital. While most students begin picking out music as a sophomore, the reality of your Junior recital begins the summer before your Junior year. By this point most students have a clear idea of when they want to have their recital but the brunt of the work begins at the start of your Junior year and leads up to a “preview”. The preview occurs one month before the students recital. At this preview the majority of your pieces must, not only be learned, but perfected. Previews are basically a straight run-through of your recital songs in front of a panel of music faculty. If you do well, you pass and are allowed to proceed as planned with your recital. Passing your preview does not mean that your hard work is done, in fact the month following their preview might be the hardest month of a music majors life. “I was in the practice rooms sometimes up to three times

a day.” Schaeffer reflects, “I had to perform at the nursing home as well as Bethany Lutheran Church before I could give my recital.” Performing and perfecting your music is not the only responsibility music majors have in the months leading up to their recital, they also have to deal with all the behind the scenes business. This involves everything from finding a page-turner and stage manager to planning a reception and (for girls) buying a dress.

Recitals are “Musical Milestones” for music students

Some people might think that one recital is not worth the time and effort music majors put into it and that we would be excited when they’re done and over. However, Chelsea Kenyon said it best; “ “It’s kind of bitter sweet. A great load is off my shoulders, but, at the same time, it was one of my best college experiences.” Senior and Junior recitals prepare students for life past Bethany College. They help us prepare for auditions, graduate school and even teaching.

By the time most musicians reach college, we have only begun to experience the torture and joy of being a full time musician. During college we not only learn a variety of techniques but master them. We spend tireless hours in the practice room perfecting solo music, as well as performing in various ensembles. Junior and senior recitals are our chance to show our audience and ourselves just what makes the effort worth it.

A band performance takes lots of practice. (Photo: Catherine Spicer)

Rank School1 Grand View (Iowa)2 Campbellsville (Ky.)3 Southern Oregon4 Great Falls (Mont.)5 Oklahoma City6 Morningside (Iowa)7 Midland (Neb.)8 Baker (Kan.)9 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)10 Mt State-Northern11 Missouri Valley12 Missouri Baptist13 Dickinson State (N.D.)14 Concordia (Neb.)15 Menlo (Calif.)16 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)T17 Cumberlands (Ky.)T17 Waldorf (Iowa)19 Bethany (Kan.)T20 Jamestown (N.D.)T20 York (Neb.)

Lindsborg, February 23, 2012 - The Bethany College wrestling team has placed on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Wrestling Coaches’ Poll for the first time in school history, ranking No. 19. The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the qualifying groups. Bethany has qualified four wrestlers for the 2012 NAIA Wrestling National Championships to be held March 1 to 3 at the Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. They are Colby Crank, Brandon Goodwin, Colt Rogers, and Courtney Strauss.

Swede’s Wrestling Ranked Nationally

(Photos: Betsy Verhoeff)