Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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Have you ever considered how much easier teaching would be without students? I have. Admittedly, students do add a bit of color to the classroom but they certainly make the whole ordeal rather humbling. Here’s what I mean. From somewhere I got the idea that teachers are supposed to be more intelligent than students. After several semesters of standing in front of students I now realize that although I have more facts at my disposal (not an unfitting end to my facts some say) it’s possible for an innocent-looking student to scatter my facts like so many “Scrabble” pieces by wielding unanticipated questions. The questions they ask cause me to suspect that there are as many ways of thinking as there are heads in a classroom. What’s more, the ideas in these heads seem to be regarded as valid by others. As a result of these classroom confrontations I’ve been forced to develop defensible reasons for doing things—things like giving grades and assignments. As profound as these lessons are, the most weighty one has to do with what teaching is all about. After dutifully trying to subdue my students with precepts and presentations. I’ve come to think that the real substance of teaching is something almost subliminal. It’s as if students spend more time wondering about my assumptions than they do listening to my answers. All things considered, teaching has been profitable. I hope students have benefited. I’ve certainly gained. If nothing else, I can take comfort in asking myself, “Where else would I get paid for being humbled?” DARREL NELSON In September, seven Bethel students rode up to a cabin near Brainerd for the weekend. A regular get-away-from-it-all couple of days? No, this weekend was Dr. Gregg Johnson’s way of teaching his plant taxonomy class about plants and their life zones in northern Minnesota. On Saturday we went on a day-long field trip to learn about plant life. Since we left early, we got back to the cabin early enough for the sun to be fairly high up in the sky. “Why don’t you do some water skiing?” Gregg suggested. So wc took advantage of the relative warmth of that September afternoon. Whether wc skiicd, swam or just rode the boat, we all were tired and hungry by late afternoon. I still remember the home-cooked meal Gregg’s wife Lois prepared for us. Especially the fruit salad and the homemade raspberry jam. I was impressed that they both took the time to give us that weekend. It was not only a learning experience, but a time of fellowship and good times. The learning experience was important to all of us but, at the risk of offending the plants. I’ll say it was even more valuable for me to get to know Gregg and Lois as persons. I learned something besides plant taxonomy that weekend—I got a glimpse of the value of caring and making others feel at home with you. DIANA GONZALEZ

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Teachers. Arc they the opposition or teammates, a hinderance or a reinforcement, the district attorney or the counsel for the defense? Or are they just beige, part of the college backdrop, a take ’em or leave ’em proposition? The answer to that question may depend on the student or teacher or even the college you have in mind. Butaboveall, the answer depends on the situation in which you get to know them. We all know the classroom lecturers, paper-assigners and test-givers. They arc a part of our daily routine. But if we, by chance, get to know a teacher outside of the classroom situation, we’ll find that teachers can be more than a stepping stone or stumbling block on our way to a bachelor’s degree. The key is in getting to know them in a variety of situations. I first met Randy Johnson back in his T.A.ing days. Now he is a part-time teacher and has done everything from subbing as my advisor and showing me how to organize a paper to selling me a desk at bargain prices. Another friend in my early semesters was Jim Johnson, a friend of the family. It would be great if everyone could have a “Jim Johnson” during those first few weeks of college -someone who says “hello to you by name, someone who will stop and talk about family and old times, someone who makes you feel like you fit in at Bethel. I first met Art Lewis at a summer camp. He taught me to say “hello” in Hebrew and listened appreciatively to my ragtime piano. Ever since he has been a true friend. Last year, when I could have gone off the deep end spiritually, the Lord used Dr. Lewis to stop me. Although he didn’t always have the answers to my questions, he did always show concern. Simple things like listening and lending me a helpful book kept me from giving up on Christianity. Besides the friendship angle, teachers are a valuable source for help in college requirements. A1 Glenn is one of my favorite libraries. At the A.G. L.R.C. there are no overdue fines and no two-hour limits on crucial sources. Then there is Stanley Anderson, my advisor. Always available to sit and talk, Mr. Anderson is willing to listen to my viewpoint but also willing to set me straight when I’m not quite on track. He had the wisdom to let me drop out of school when I couldn’t cope with it any longer, the patience to head me in the right direction when I came back the next semester, and the concern to sec that I would have the opportunities to try to reach my goals. While there’s no getting around the tests and the papers, there is more to a teacher than a gradebook. To a student, a teacher can be a giver-of-advice, a valuable resource person, and, most importantly, a friend. It seems that Bethel will only be Bethel as long as its students and teachers hold on to the special friendships that have characterized Bethel for so long. CARLA HAGE

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Oiling Hinges Crossing fields of varied green, 1 paused again to open gate. And found it stiff with underuse From keeping out and keeping in. Beyond the gate the field was fair. In silence cried for me to come And smell its earth and wade its stream That long had laid unshared, unknown. And so I turned to come again; With oiling can I overcame. Now every life’s a field of green. And oiling hinges conquers pain. MARTHA BARKER