Bethel University Magazine Spring 2021

Women’s Volleyball Brings Home Pilots’ 42nd National Championship Overcoming all the obstacles COVID-19 presented this year, %HWKHOŠV :RPHQŠV 9ROOH\EDOO WHDP ZDV DEOH WR ZLQ WKH 1&&$$ National Championship in November 2020, bringing the Pilots’ WRWDO WR 1DWLRQDO &KDPSLRQVKLSV %XW WKH VHDVRQ LV QRW RYHU as the team is headed to the NAIA Division I Tournament in late April. The only other time the team made it to the Division I WRXUQDPHQW ZDV LQ ZKHQ +HDG &RDFK .DWLH :HLVV ZDV D Bethel player. COVID-19 Updates Throughout most of spring semester, Bethel has maintained code blue status, meaning low-risk but increased readiness to do what is necessary for the safety of everyone on campus. The hope for Fall 2021 is that the semester will resume as a normal, pre-COVID-19 semester and we will be able to move forward as a university. (VSRUWV $UHQD 5LEERQ &XWWLQJ (1) )HE PHPEHUV RI %HWKHO 8QLYHUVLW\ŠV HVSRUWV WHDP DORQJ with President Gregg A. Chenoweth, Ph.D., celebrated the ribbon FXWWLQJ RI WKH PLOOLRQ %HQGL[ (VSRUWV $UHQD ORFDWHG LQ WKH Century Center in South Bend. The new 6,000-square-foot arena features a 36 PC gaming center, Nintendo and Xbox gaming stations and a 600-seat theater capable of hosting regional and national esports events. This space, just about 10 minutes from campus, is home to BU’s co-ed esports team. Chenoweth spoke at the event, sharing Bethel’s heart behind esports. Ţ%HWKHO LV LQ IRU WKH PDWK DQG PLVVLRQ ţ KH VDLG Ţ(VSRUWV LVQŠW D fad, with 300 million gamers globally, seven in 10 of whom are in high school. Nor is it mindless, when half of college gamers are STEM majors, with an average GPA near 3.5. So, we’re in, but GLƂHUHQWO\ ŝ RQ SODWIRUPV ZLWKRXW JUDWXLWRXV YLROHQFH RU VH[XDO innuendo and conducting team Bible studies that redeem an LQGXVWU\ VWHUHRW\SHG IRU VORWK DQG FUDVVQHVV ţ Bethel University Observes Collegiate Day of Prayer (2) On Feb. 25, Bethel University observed the National Collegiate Day of Prayer, a day set aside for prayer, revival and awakening on college campuses across America. Interactive prayer stations were set up in the Taylor Memorial Log Chapel, and three student-led prayer gatherings were held in Shiloh Prayer Chapel. %HWKHO 8QLYHUVLW\ 5HFHLYHV /L̃ *UDQW Bethel University presented a revised Phase II proposal to the LIFT Digital Skills Accelerator Fund, which was accepted in April. 7KH WRWDO SURMHFW EXGJHW LQFOXGHV D IRU 3KDVH ,, DQG RI UHPDLQLQJ 3KDVH , SODQQLQJ JUDQW IXQGV %HWKHOŠV SURMHFW DGGUHVVHV WZR DUHDV )XWXUH 7DOHQW 3LSHOLQH Development and Adult and Incumbent Digital Skills Retraining. 7KH JRDOV RI WKLV LQLWLDWLYH ZLOO EH ƃUVW WR EHWWHU SUHSDUH FXUUHQW Bethel students as technical managers for manufacturing and engineering jobs in the South Bend-Elkhart (SBE) region, with an increased focus on lean manufacturing principles, and second, to grow the cloud computing skillset of the SBE region's current DQG IXWXUH ZRUNIRUFH %HWKHO ZLOO WDUJHW WZR GLVWLQFW SRSXODWLRQV Bethel University Students (traditional undergraduate students) and the current workforce (individuals currently employed in or seeking employment in the regional manufacturing and engineering sectors) with additional opportunities for high school students. %HWKHO WR /DXQFK 0HQŠV 9ROOH\EDOO Bethel Athletic Director Tony Natali announced the addition of Varsity Men's Volleyball to Pilot athletic programs at Bethel University. Team recruitment will begin in Fall 2021 for intercollegiate competition in Fall 2022. Bethel will compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which RƂHUV 0HQ V 9ROOH\EDOO DV DQ RƅFLDO &KDPSLRQVKLS 6SRUW LQ WKH spring season, as well as the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) as an Invitational Sport in the winter season. The addition of Men's Volleyball will bring Bethel's varsity /HDUQ PRUH DW %HWKHO8QLYHUVLW\ HGX 1HZV 1 CAMPUS L I FE CAMPUS NEWS Continued on p. 8 2 7 SPRING 2021