k bierma

Soderlund has endured microaggressions from people as a result of growing up in a predominantly white area. She remembers being stared at while in public with her parents and even strangers coming up to her to ask if she was adopted, among other very personal questions. However, she handles such interactions and struggles with humor.“Sometimes people will be like, ‘Oh, are you adopted?’” Soderlund said. “And I’m standing next to my tall, white parents and I’m like ‘Hmm, I don’t know, what do you...

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’...

Q: What was your first job when you started your career?A: I had a job that the title was media producer at a church, and that was including video editing. But then also I would shoot B-roll. I would produce my own videos that I was editing, whether that was a promo for an event or a faith story for one of the messages or something like that.Q: What steps did you take to get to where you are today?A: Career-wise, they’re all wonky. … In high school, I was interested in production, but I didn’t k...

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...