K Bierma

In the wake of the government dismantling the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [DEI] program, Bethel University and those involved in the DEI program on campus, known as Inclusive Excellence, are reevaluating its policies on who is included as well as making sure no laws are violated. 
An executive order was issued January 20, 2025 by the White House and stated that institutions needed to dismantle their DEI programs within sixty days. For institutions such as Bethel, this meant that no discrimi...

The first thing Coco Nolen noticed at the border wall during her deployment was the smell. 
“There’s people who try to cross and they just don’t make it,” her guide told her. “A lot of dead bodies get brushed up along the shore.”
Nolen’s heart dropped to her stomach. What am I looking at? 
Before her, the U.S.-Mexico border wall rose up. That’s your land, she thought. And this is mine. But what do you do when you get to the ocean?
Nolen teared up realizing the extreme measures people were willin...

Cayla Paumen remembers coming to Bethel University as a freshman and leaving her dog, Gunner, behind. In the wake of her new life without Gunner’s presence, Paumen got involved with her campus’s mental support system, “Be Well.” She helped organize an event that brought the joy of dogs to campus: Puppies and Puppy Chow.
Amid homecoming week at Bethel University, students can get caught up in the spirit of dodgeball, cheer and men’s dance, alongside their coursework. 
“We were thinking, since it’...

By K Bierma, video editorEmmaree Lauritson remembers the loneliness she felt stepping onto Bethel University’s campus freshman year as one of the few LGBTQ+ identifying students. The weight of not fitting into Bethel’s community settled on her shoulders during her sophomore year until she walked into chapel one day and saw an advertisement for Prism, a group for students who identified in the same way Lauritson did. She finally found a place to belong.Prism, Bethel’s formation group for students...