Clarion 1998-10-08 Vol. 74 No. 03

              A&E:
page 9
;
New York artist's work
on display in CLC
gallery
i
Sports.
pages 14 & 15
Variety:
pages 6 & 7
Royals defeat St. Olaf
in Homecoming game
•far;:
Honors students' weekend
at Turkey Day
Thursday, Octobers, 1998
NEWSPAPER OF BETHEL COLLEGE
Volume 74 • Number 3
Clarion/ Photo by Hannah Maria Hayes
Bethel and the city of Arden Hills are discussing developing this lot, across from the west entrance, into
extra sports fields and more parking spaces.
Bethel and Arden Hills
discuss joint venture
By Amy K.N, Herman
News Editor
Bethel College and the city of
Arden Hills are currently discussing the joint development of the
10 acres of land across the street
from the west entrance to Bethel.
If ihe potential plan is approved
by both sides, soccer and softball
fields, tennis courts and 100 additional parking spaces may be
constructed by the fall of 2000.
In meetings held between
Bethel representatives and the city
staff of Arden Hills, the recreational needs for both parties
seem similar. Bethel's priorities
are soccer and softball fields, tennis courts and overflow parking.
Arden Hill's priorities, based on
a survey conducted by the city one
year ago. are soccer and softball
fields."
Craig Hjelle. Director of
Physical Plant and Campus Planning, presented the joint venture
idea to the Arden Hill's Cily
Council on Sept. 23. The council
thought the idea was "worth further investigation."
With encouraging reactions
from the City Council. Bethel has
conlracted two firms to look into
site-development. The local
Anderson Johnson firm has been
hired to design the complex and
estimate ihccost of development.
Stanley Consultants have been
hired to investigate vehicular and
pedestrian traffic control across
Old Snelling Avenue.
We are very concerned about
how [the traffic pattern] happens."
said Hjelle. "We arc looking at an
ad-grade pedestrian crossing with
a light, a traffic light or a pedestrian overpass."
While Bethel has hired firms
continued on page 2
Late classes cause
conflicts with sports
By Doug Ascher
Staff Writer
Bethel's addition this year
of "late" mod classes between
4-5 p.m. force student athletes
to choose between staying for
full class periods, or leaving
early to make it to practice on
time.
No one knows who is to
blame for this problem. Some
blame the students for taking
a class at the same time that
sports practice. Some blame
Ihe administration's bad planning.
Although faculty committees are discussing the issue,
and professors, students and
athletic directors are frustrated, there are no unfavorable feelings between the ath
letic and academic departments.
"There is no conflict between the athletic department
and us," said Barrett Fisher,
head of the Academic Affairs
Committee. "In fact, it's a
great working relationship
between the two groups."
Head football coach, Steve
Johnson, also said that there
is no rivalry between the
sports and academic operations at Bethel.
"The Registrar's Office
has been exceptional," said
Johnson. "They've tried to accommodate freshmen athletes
into classes that don't conflict
with practice."
The football and soccer
teams have moved back prac
tice time to accommodate athletes that have class until 4:00
p.m.
"I know a few kids are going to miss practice sometimes due to labs or certain
classes that are crucial to students' majors," said Johnson.
"Because most of the late mod
classes are entry-level or second-level classes, we moved
practice back because a lot of
kids are in these classes." By
doing this, football players
won't have a conflict between
class and practice every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Despite the efforts of the
coaches, academic leaders and
the registrar, student athletes
are still frusturated.
continued on page 2
Bonds cover $14.5
million pricetag
By John Groh
Contributing Writer
Despite having been in use
for three decades, the residence
hall and Fine Arts building currently under construction will be
paid off just weeks before the
class of 2028 graduates.
To cover the S14.5 million
pricetag. Bethel financed the new
additions with bonds issued by die
Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority (MHEFA).
The bonds also enabled
Bethel to refinance, at a lower interest rale, the remaining balance
due on Bodien, Edgren. the
Robertson Center and the Nelson
Hall addition. Bethel purchased
an $800,000 off-campus office
building, made parking improvements, secured final funding for
the new baseball field and remodeled space on campus.
The total amount of the bond
issued by MHEFA was $22.87
million. The final payment is
scheduled to be made on April I.
2028.
If the college takes the full 30
years to repay the debt, it will pay
close to $22 million in interest,
paying a total of $44.88 million
over the life of the loan.
"At this point I assume we're
going to be paying this for 30
years," said Bethel's Chief Financial Officer, John Bergeson.
"Typically most of the bond issues like [this] for college facilities are for 20 or 30 years in terms
of financing."
The cost of the new dorm is
being spread out lo allow student
rent to pay off most of the debt.
"If you [paid it off] real short, you
would have lo have some other
continued on page 3
Construction planned
to connect Bethel
College and Seminary
By Peter Rockwell
Staff Writer
Preparations have begun
for the addition of the Bethel
Student Center which will
connect the college and the
seminary. Included in this new
building will be a dining center, auditorium, bookstore,
cafe and post office.
"One of the major things
Bethel is missing right now in
facilities is a place for students
to meet and congregate," said
Craig Hjelle, Director of
Physical Plant and Campus
Planning.
The new student center's
primary function is to meet
these needs. In addition, much
needed lounge space, the new
complex will have a multilevel dining room with areas
for private dining, student organization offices like BSA
and the Clarion, a late night
coffee cafe, Market Square
and an outdoor terrace. These
facilities arc designed for both
college and seminary use.
"There is a real interest in
connecting the campuses in a
physical way so Ihey will become more connected in other
ways," said Hjelle. Bethel
would like to see the college
and seminary more involved
with each other, and this building will help to fulfill that goal.
The Bethel Student Center
will start by the northwest side
of the CLC and go straight
through to the seminary. It will
be a three-level complex resting on a hillside with a view
of Lake Valentine. Architecturally, the complex will be modern in structure, in contrast to
the square style of many of the
other buildings on campus.
Sasaki Associates, Inc., who
designed the CLC, is also designing the student center. This
building is in compliance widi
city ordinances on how much
continued on page 3