This fall, a crowd of 100 thinkers, including Bethel students, alumni, faculty and local high school students came together on campus for a screening of the critically-acclaimed documentary Poverty, Inc. The event, sponsored by the Bethel Business Department and organized through the Bethel branch of the American Enterprise (AEI) executive council, challenged viewers to re-think poverty in the developing world – and how to help.

Alumnus Patrick Oetting ’14, who currently serves as director of alumni relations at the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids, Mich., came to introduce the film.

Part of our 70 Years of Bethel celebration, this story focuses on the 1950s decade, where Bethel experienced tremendous physical and spiritual growth. Don ’57 and Alice (Sahmel) Severance ’52 reflect on their Bethel experience in the ’50s, from helping construct some of campus’ most iconic buildings and witnessing spiritual revival, to abiding by the college’s strict dating policies.

For the past 28 years, Bethel College has given back to the local community through a student-organized Service Day. This year, students and faculty donated 2,007 hours to more than 50 organizations, doing everything from serving meals and lawn and park maintenance to donation sorting, general cleaning/organization and even pet grooming!

This academic year marks Bethel’s 70th! To celebrate, we’ll be featuring a graduate from each decade on the blog, in the months leading up to our 2017 commencement. The first story features Virginia (Schultz) Krake ’49, the wife of Bethel’s very first graduate, Marcus Krake ’48. Read about what life was like when Bethel began in 1947.