Clarion 1992-10-23 Vol. 68 No. 03

              Bethel College
Vol. 68, No. 3; October 23, 1992
Dig It: CLC Breaks Ground
$11.5 Million Building to begin construction in late November
by Todd Henrikson
Contributing Writer
On Saturday, October 10, members of
the Bethel community participated in the
ground breaking for the Community Life
Center. It was the first step in the 11.5
million dollar project which is planned to
be completed by the start of the fall semester
of 1994.
The ceremonial beginning was held at
the west entrance of the AC building, the
future site of the CLC, in front of a crowd
of about 400 students, faculty and alumni.
Conducting the ceremony was President
George Brushaber who welcomed the new
addition as a sign of agrowing campus and
introduced the individuals who had taken
part in making the project possible. Also
involved with the ceremony were Student
Body President Geoff Roise, Board of
Regents Chairperson Warren Eastlund,
CLC Campaign Chairperson David
Monson, and Bethel Alumni Association
President Timothy Doten.
The ceremony also included the announcement of the general contractor, M. A.
Mortenson, by David Lissner, President of
the Bethel Foundation and Director of
Campus Planning, as well as a dedicational
prayer by Nancy Lundquist. After the
ceremony, those attending were allowed to
walk around to see the boundary lines and
sections of the CLC which were laid out on
the ground.
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The CLC groundbreaking attracted a
faculty, and alumni.
The next phase in Che project is planned
for late November when the construction
site will be fenced off and digging will
begin. According to Lissner, "We're
looking at some visual impact, visual disruption... but in terms of heavy work [the
disruption will be] minimal." Instead, the
site work will involve "disturbing the earth"
including construction and reconstruction
on the drainage ditch which runs into Lake
Valentine as well as proteccion or rerouting
of utilities which run through the site.
Photo/Courtesy Public Relations
crowd of about 400 students,
"The student impact once the construction starts has been a consideration," Said
Development Officer Kathy Dombross
about the decision. "They thought about
starting construction this fall, but do we
really want the pilings being driven into the
ground right next to the science facility?"
Construction will Chen be shuc down for
the winter and not begin again untii April
of 1993. "We're looking after spring has
settled in... doing a little more site work and
doing some demolition. The major portion
of demolition involved is thaC ceremonial
staircase... As demolition goes, it's minor
stuff," said Lissner. After this, materials
will be brought in during the remainder of
the spring semesterin preparation for heavy
construction which will begin the day after
graduation, continue through the summer
and be completed before the first day of the
fall semester. "There will be a lot of
activity when school starts up but noise
generation-wise most will be done and
we'll just be building from that point on,"
said Lissner.
The projected cost of Che CLC is 11.5
million dollars wich nine and a half million
dollars going Cowards construccion costs
and two million dollars towards technical
services. Included in these services are
architectural designs, interior and civil engineering, and geotechnical and landscaping work.
As for Che fund raising for the projecC,
Dombross reports it is going well. A little
over six million has been raised in gifts and
granCs from private sources including parents, alumni, friends, foundations, and corporations and an additional 840,000 has
been committed by the Bethel Foundation.
The remaining funds are anticipated to be
coming from short-term loans, interest from
the money already received, and a grant
from the Kresge Foundation.
The Kresge Foundation will announce
CLC, continued on page 3
Alumni Protest Gowdy Firing
By Josh Freed
Editor
Alumni picketed and passed ouC fliers
during Homecoming in suport of Associate Professor of Sociology Ken Gowdy,
who was fired in May because of his beliefs
about homosexuality.
The group, who called themselves
"Concerned Alumni" and wore stickers
that read "Open Hearts, Open Minds
Concerned AboutBethel," passed out about
2000 fliers Co people as chey entered Che
campus, according to Scott Brownlee, one
of Che protest organizers. The fliers explained Che posicion of Concerned Alumni,
reprinced a letter to the College chat questioned Gowdy's firing, and also reprinted
two Clark Morphew articles from the St.
Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch. Morphew
was the firsc Co make Che Gowdy incident
public.
College and Seminary Presidenc George
Brushaber said chac the picketers "have a
right to express their opinions, and chey
chose an acceptable means of doing so."
He claimed mac "By pickecing, [Concerned
Alumni] gave many other alumni attending homecoming an opportunity to express
theirsupport for the decision that Che school
made."
Mike Egelston, anocher organizer of the
protest, said that many of those who attended homecoming may have come from
out of staCe, and were chus unaware of Che
facts surrounding Gowdy's firing. "A lot
Two of the demonstrators at the west entrance during Homecoming, the
sign on the right is a reference to John Piper, the Minneapolis pastor who
reported Gowdy's position to the Bethel Administration.
of folks...may have the same concerns that
we have, and it's only fair chac they are
aware," EgelsCon said.
"We're also concerned abouc Che fuCure
of Bethel," EgelsCon said. "Is this going Co
continue Co be a liberal arts college, or is it
going to continue to bend towards being a
Bible institute? If it is, that's fine,...as long
as Chey let people know that [Bethel] is
becoming a Bible institute and not a liberal
arts college."
Egelston said thaC Chere were no run-ins
with Bethel Security or the Ramsey County
Sherriff s Department, adding chat Bethel
Security even offered to bring coffee out
for the demonstrators.
In a letter sent to Che alumni and princed
in the October 9 Clarion, Bethel President
George Brushaber wrote "It might be argued
thaC before invoking [his due process] righCs,
Dr. Gowdy has soughc Co advance his case
through Che media and oCher pressures."
Morphew asserted ChaC neither Gowdy nor
Concerned Alumni informed him of the
Protest, continued on page 3