Clarion 1992-02-21 Vol. 67 No. 08

              Vol. 67, No. 8; February 21, 1991
Administration Disciplines Partygoers
by Steve Urbanski
News Editor
During the evening of December 7,
members ofthe administration arrived at a
fraternity house on the University of Minnesota campus in an attempt to discourage
Beihel students from attending a party involving the consumption of alcoholic
beverages. Afler members of (he administration left, the party continued with Bethel
students in attendance until (he Minneapolis Police arrived later that evening.
"We knew the scale of the party, we
knew where it was going to be, and we
knew who was responsible for at least the
Bethel studenis who were going down t here.
There was just so much thai we knew; we
figured we would get down there early, talk
lo the hosts, and try to shut it down before
it started," says Director of Residence Life
Dale Peterson. "We went down there for
45 minutes and left. We didn't sit around
and watch, we didn't wrile down names,
and we didn't call the police."
Members of I he administration left after
trying to convince ihe alleged organizers to
contact Belhel students and discourage them
from comi ng. Peterson says, "We were left
wilh the impression that when we left [the
alleged organizers] would call the people
t hey contacicd and nobody el se would show
up."
While several students who attended the
parly chose nol lo speak on ihe subject, one
participant says, "[Members ofthe administration] didn't show up until around seven
o'clock. Atlhat point it was too late to call
everyone." It was nol until police broke up
the party around midnight that the party
ended. According to the Minneapolis Police Department at least one Bethel student
was arrested.
Since the party involved Bethel students
consuming alcohol, Student Development
took disciplinary action.  Approximately
r
HIGHLIGHTS
Bethel
Students
Around
the
World,
see
page 4
(Valentine's
Day
Horror
Story,
see page 7
fifty students receivedconsequences ranging from communily service, to suspension, lo expulsion.
According to Barbara Martin theseverily
of discipline "had to do with past involvement. We tried to get a big picture and then
try to put these people into categories of
discipline."
The students involved received lellcrs
notifying them ofthe disciplinary action
that would be taken, and were given the
opportunity to appeal these actions. "We
always, in a letter of discipline, remind the
studenis lhat they have the right to appeal,
" says Vice President of Student Life Judy
Moseman. Accordingto Moseman studenis
are given 24 hours to appeal from the time
that ihey receive a letter of discipline.
Five students who received letters of
discipline chose to appeal. These students
appeared before the Judiciary Advisory
Committee, which is made up of both
faculty and students. Normally the committee makes a recommendation to the
Provost 10 uphold, modify, or repeal the
punishment. The Provost then decides
whether lo accept or reject the recommendation ofthe committee.
In this case, since the Vice President
and Provost David Brandt was one of ihe
four members of the administration who
arrived at the fraternity house on the night
ofthe party, he removed himself from the
appeals process. He says, "I felt lhai I
should not receive appeals having been
right at the from."
Instead, President George Brushaber
took Brandt's place.
Brushaber overturned three of the suggestions made by the committee, according
to Assistant Dean for Student Life Ken
Hadley. This meant that all ofthe decisions
made by Student Development were upheld, and every student who appealed faced
disciplinary action.
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Bethel students hosted a party, which the administration attempted to
stop, at a University of Minnesota fraternity house.
According to Assistant Dean for Student Life Barbara Martin, Sludent Development is evaluating the manner in which
it handled the situation. She states, "I will
be the first to say we haven't done this
perfectly. We've learned some things."
Some students who attended ihe party
question the manner in which ihe administration attempted to discourage studenis
from attending. Junior Joseph Mach says,
"I believe Bethel has a right lo enforce ihe
lifestyle policy, but I don't know if I agree
with their method of going down there."
Another student who attended the party
adds, "In a way they set us up to fall,
because they waited until the party had
started to warn us. If they would have
called the people who organized it before
hand, they could have told people not to
come."
However, members of the administra
tion feel that they have a responsibility lo
ensure that studenis are held accountable to
the lifestyle statement.
Brandt says, "I guess people have criticized us forthe methods lhat we used, and
I'm nol sure what they mean by
lhat...Because, the method that we used
was to go down and see who was there and
lo see whether, indeed, there were Bethel
people at this party."
Peierson adds,"Wc have acommitment
to make this community freeof alcohol and
other issues in the lifestyle statement. We
really feel that the lifestyle statement supports positive growth."
Students involved have also questioned
the disciplinary actions taken by the administration. "We have to realize that if we
break lifestyle wehave to be punished. But
il was questionable why some people got
Party, continued on page 2
Lifestyle Promotes Integrity
Statement is more than a list ofDON'T's
by David Laurence Smith
Staff Writer
In recent weeks the purpose for Ihe
Lifestyle Statement has been the subject of
careful scrutiny in discussions by both
faculty and students. Why does the Bethel
communily have a Lifestyle Statement at
all and whal purpose does it serve?
According to Barb Martin, Assistant
Dean for Student Development, one ofthe
reasons the Lifestyle Statement is a part of
Bethel is that it supports distinctive policies
which set the college apart from other
universities. According lo Martin, the
Baptist General Conference wanted Bethel
College to be "..a communily where wc are
very intentionally integrating faith andour
walk with God with our learning and living
together." This, says Martin, is what the
Lifestyle Statement encourages.
The purpose for ihe Li fcstylc Statement
is "...not to define what a good Christian
is,"says Dale Peterson, Directorof Studenl
Life at Bethel, "but rather lo define what
we want to be as a community." Bethel
College is special, according to Peierson,
since il is the only legitimate Christian
liberal arts college in the Twin Cities.
Peterson believes thai if ihe Lifestyle
Slalement were nol in place. Bethel could
lose thai standing.
As both Peierson and Martin stressed,
the Lifestyle Statement is more than a 1 ist of
"DON'T's" pushed onto the students by
faculty and administration. It is a "covenant" entered into by each person who is a
member ofthe Bethel community. Faculty,
administration and students agree to abide
by the rules ofthe covenant as long as they
are a part ofthe Bethel community. "We are
all in this together," says Martin, "and we
are asked to be accountable to each other as
Christian brothers and sisters."
Stacey Schwittcrs, a junior RA in Getsch,
gave an analogy describing her understanding of ihe Lifestyle Statement.
Sch wi iters said lhai being a student at Bethel
is like being a member of an athletic leam.
Being on the leam means agreeing to certain standards laid down by the coach. The
rules are not Iaiddown to restrict Ihe players'
lives, but lo provide ihe players with an
atmosphere in which they can work most
efficiently as a team—without any one
individual's personal lastes getting in the
way of teamwork. Being a member of the
team is a privilege and should be seen as
such.
"It's not like anyone in Beihel administration expects you to behave like this the
rest of your life," Schwitters continues,
"just while you are a pan of the Beihel
Community."
So what is the purpose of the Lifestyle
Statement? The purpose of ihe Lifestyle
Statement is, according to Peierson, to
"...lay out a li festyle that promotes academic
learning combined with Christian development and social development."
Though ihe main purpose ofthe Lifestyle
Statement is lo promote a lifestyle which is
conducive toacademic and spiritual growth,
Martin suggests that it also teaches us valuable lessons about life. Along wilh providing guidance for the members of the
Belhel community, Martin also believes
lhat accountability, self-discipline, and integrity are developed as a result of abiding
by the rules ofthe Statement.
The fact that many college students are
dealing with complicated identity questions is not overlooked by Bethel, says
Peterson. "On one hand we encourage ihem
[students] to become their own self, yet we
also give Ihem some guidelines—experiment, but don't go beyond this point."
Since Bethel does understand the situation
of students, Peterson explains, the application and enforcement of the Lifestyle
Statement is a "nurturing" process in which
there may be disciplinary action— but it is
usually followed by an affirmation ofone's
acceptance back into the Bethel community.