Good Start

One down, three to go. College isn’t so hard…yet. My freshman year was very interesting, very valuable, and very quick. It seems like I was just a scared freshman going to orientations and barely surviving through two-a-days, and now here we are at the end of the year. I find myself packing up all of my stuff and wondering where the year went. One thing I definitely do not have to wonder about is which direction I am headed in my life. I have gotten off to an awesome start here at Bethany College, and I couldn’t ask for more, the small town environment, friendly faculty and staff, good food, and the best admissions office this side of the Mississippi River suited me to a T. If a person can’t survive or even excel in this kind of atmosphere, then they need their vital signs checked because Bethany is designed to provide the essential information necessary to live a very productive life in today’s society. No matter what happens, my blood will always bleed a little blue and yellow, and I will always have a little bit of BC in my heart. I guess when I am sitting around wondering where the year has gone I can vouch that time actually does fly when you’re having fun. Finally, I would like to say that I owe a lot to the amazing people in the admissions office. Without them, I wouldn’t have had half the Bethany experience that I have had, and for that I am very thankful. That is all for his year folks, we have had a good run and I have enjoyed it.

Matt

Hello all. I hope this letter finds you well. I'm sorry I haven't written in such a long time, but in all honesty I've been putting off this blog because I don't know where to begin. I've searched and searched and I don't know how I can sum up three of the best years of my life in a couple paragraphs, but I finally decided that as my deadline approached I should at least give it a shot, so here goes.

I came to Bethany because I had family here. My brother was two years older than me and had previously chosen Bethany for his college career. But what kept me here wasn't my biological family, but the family I formed of friends, professors, faculty and staff. Through the last three years they've been the ones I've turned to when I needed a hug and my family was absent, and they're the ones I called when the excitement of my engagement and then being accepted into law school set in. They've made my life at Bethany bearable and enjoyable, and I know without having met them I wouldn't be the person I am today.

So to all of those who have helped me conquer all I set out to conquer, thank you. And to all that have held my hand along the way, I love you! As I take my final steps across Presser Hall stage tears will dwell in my eyes, but not in sadness. Rather, they will be for all the memories that I have of a wonderful place that I like to call "Dear Ole' Bethany"!I'll be headed off to law school and I know that I won't forget the people and memories that I've made here.

I hope that you too will keep in mind all the accomplishments, friends, and memories that you have formed throughout your last several years. Good luck with the rest of your life and I wish you the best of luck. I also hope that you'll consider what is now my Alma Mater as the place for you to begin the rest of your life.

~ Sammie

Summer Fun!!

Hey Everyone!! So only two finals to go next week and then it's the end of my Freshman year here at Bethany!! This year has gone by super fast! I can't believe that I'm already packing up my room to get ready to move back home. It's amazing how much stuff I have crammed into my dorm room this past year!

My summer plans are not too exciting this year. I am going to go home to the BIG Kensington, KS, and help my dad on the farm again! I am excited to go home and get together with some of my high school friends again though!! It'll be fun catching up on how everyone's first year away at college was!!

I hope all of your school years are coming to an end and that you all are getting excited for next year!! Good luck with your decisions about your future education and hopefully I'll get to meet some of you at Bethany next year!!
GO SWEDES!!

Hello!!!

So this is the last official week of classes and finals are next week…which means I’m a week and a half away from being done with classes forever!! Well, until grad school that is. I have one final this Thursday, one next Wednesday and one take home final due next Tuesday… so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As I’ve said before I’m doing my student teaching this fall and then I graduate in December. I am doing the first 10 weeks of my student teaching here in Lindsborg at Soderstrom elementary and the last 6 weeks are at Oakdale elementary for the special ed. portion of my practicum. But I interviewed yesterday for a cheerleading coach position at the Lindsborg Middle School and was offered the position, and I am way stoked about that! So that will definitely be something to look forward to.

Well as of right now it looks like my life is panning out pretty well.. I’ll let ya know when I make any other major decisions :) I’m looking forward to graduation in two weeks to have a big send off for my best friend who is going to law school next year!

I hope you all have a great summer, and that this blog has shown you how great Bethany has been for me, and could be for you as well! Bethany has definitely shown me a lot about myself over the past few years, and I hope that wherever your college decision takes you, you can have the same growing experience!

peace out,
mariah

Hi everyone...

So I just got word yesterday that I got the summer position I applied and interviewed for... and I'm so stoked!!! It's at a mental health center working with children with behavior and emotional disorders... so it will be great experience for me since I'm going into elementary education and special education. Also, since I last blogged I got my placement for student teaching! I will be at Soderstrom Elementary here in Lindsborg... which is amazing considering I won't have to drive out of town with these outrageous gas prices :) That part lasts 10 weeks and then I have the special ed. portion of my practicum for 6 weeks after. So things are going good on my end...
The softball and baseball teams are playing in our conference tourney this weekend. The boys won yesterday against Sterling... and the girls won 2 of their 3 games yesterday. So hopefully they will continue to do well! :)

GO SWEDES!

crazy kansas weather..

Wow, what month are we in again? It seems like April just got here, and now it’s half over. April and May are awesome months for a couple of reasons. First, it means school is almost over, and second, it means thunderstorm season. We have had a few good storms here recently, and it is times like this when you realize how diverse Bethany College actually is. At breakfast, some kids that are not used to Kansas weather told me stories of some recent stormy nights. Most of them woke up in the middle of the night thinking they were in a tornado, and wondering whether they should seek shelter. After hearing this, I laughed, mainly because I didn’t even wake up those nights at all. I guess I was used to the April and May shenanigans after growing up in central Kansas. I had no idea how windy it was, and how much hail and rain Lindsborg had actually gotten, but apparently lots of students did. While walking around campus and eating meals in the Caf, I hear many out of state students complaining about the Kansas weather. Well I would have to say that Kansas keeps it real when it comes to weather, because no one knows what the weather is going to be like until they walk outside and see for themselves.

Spring Fever....

Hey Everyone!!!

So I am totally ready for some summer weather and only 5 weeks till summer break!!!!
After Spring break things got pretty busy around campus. Last week was President Leonard's inauguration and campus was filled with activity!
My life has also been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. My classes are getting to the point where projects are due and the tests are getting harder :( But i guess that means school is almost out!! The women's basketball team has been playing open gym about 3 times a week and we have been doing our off-season lifting workouts, so overall my days are pretty packed, but i love keeping busy and it definately makes the weeks go by super fast! I can't believe that my freshman year of college is almost over, this year has gone by faster than i have ever imagined it would! Well i hope all is well with everyone and I can't wait to chat again!!