Inspired by theSkimm, longer than the E-announcements, created with your short attention span in mind.

By Mandy Mach

A slight rise in COVID-19 cases as Bethel enters week 3 of classes. 

As of Friday, September 11, there are 12 confirmed cases of students with COVID-19, and 68 students in quarantine who have been exposed to the virus. Keep up to date with the latest COVID-19 information here. 

Getting connected virtually. 

Bethel is adapting many of their typical face-to-face events to connect students on and off campus by offering virtual fairs.

Bethel Student Government (BSG) is putting together a virtual club fair on Tuesday, September 15 from 6-8 p.m. via Google Meet. Be sure to check out the BSG calendar and download the Studium app to stay informed on more events to come. 

Bethel is also hosting a virtual Church Connection Fair on Thursday, September 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Zoom links will be provided for the churches that attend on the Christian Formation and Church Relations website. 

Bethel professors are being recognized for their achievements. 

Three National Science Foundation (NAS) grants have been awarded to CAS faculty. Sara Wyse in the Department of Biological Sciences received a grant, along with Nathan Lemke and Nathan Lindquist, both in the Department of Physics and Engineering. They all  will be working on their respective projects over the course of the next three years through the funding they received from the grants. 

Looking for a new book to read?  

Dr. Catherine J. Wright had her latest book published; Spiritual Practices of Jesus: Learning Simplicity, Humility, and Prayer with Luke’s Earliest Readers. Her book examines the way Luke’s Gospel is meant to transform by placing readers in the historical context of the Jewish and Greco-Roman world. In her book, Wright looks at the spirituality of Luke’s Jesus and the themes of simplicity, humility and prayer in Jesus’ teachings. 

Finally, let’s turn our attention to our West Coast neighbors. 

The West Coast is experiencing an abnormal amount of fires this year. The fires are causing severe damage to California, Oregon and Washington. Since mid-August, 27 people have been killed in the wildfires and a dozen more are missing. 

Experts are warning the United States that immediate action is needed to lessen the human effects of climate change. Oregon’s governor Kate Brown tweeted on Thursday that the 2020 wildfires are not a one time event and the devastating effects of climate change are going to be felt around the world.