Bethel Student Government (BSG) and Clarion leaders opened their computers Thursday Jan. 16 to find an email from Vice President of Student Experience, Miranda Powers, detailing several office space moves with the goal of expanding career services for students. Phase one of the project would include:
- Career Development and Calling moving into the Admissions office
- Admissions moving into the president’s office
- The president moving into the BSG and Clarion offices
- BSG moving to a townhouse in AV West
- The Clarion vacating its smaller office
In a meeting with BSG executives Feb. 4, Powers explained the reason for this office reshuffle was because career development is a major recruitment factor, and Bethel could benefit from becoming more noticeable on the national map. But even after discussing this plan for four years, a donor giving money to support the construction projects of phase one was what set off the various office changes.
“Both nationally and at Bethel, having a first job [out of college] ranks among the most important decision points for prospective students,” Powers said. “This move of offices will allow Career Development and Calling to have a central location… [and] will offer more opportunities for students to connect with employers.”
The only people who wouldn’t benefit from these changes would be BSG, the Clarion and the PSEO and commuter students who use the Loft. According to Bethel alum and former Clarion writer Suzi Nelson, George Brushaber designed the Brushaber Commons (BC) specifically as a student space, functioning as the “living room” of the university. Both BSG and the Clarion have held office spaces in the BC building for 16 years.
“Anybody needing to move from one place to another, a place… where they made a lot of memories like that can be hard,” Executive Director of Student Activities Abby Burbach said. “I think it was just unexpected, and I wish there had maybe been a little more, like a heads-up, but as Miranda said in the [BSG] meeting, we can’t always be consulted. Sometimes we’re just informed.”
By Feb. 4, phase one of the construction projects began transforming the Arden Village West townhouses and the old BSG office. News of these changes spread amongst the student body by word of mouth alone, raising mixed reactions from students and faculty alike.
“I think student voices need to be heard, because…this is why we’re here,” Nelson said. “Bethel is the students. I mean, all of us who work here, we’re here for the benefit of the students.”
Given that the decision was made with little student input, Nelson expressed concerns of whether or not the office reshuffling would actually benefit the students.
“I think they always have good hearts and intentions about space, but they need to think more broadly about who this is this going to affect,” Nelson said. “Students should be number one, so displacing them from their places of congregating or… important offices where students work for the benefit of the institution and especially the student body, you can’t just cast that aside.”
Despite being upended from their space, the BSG students took the changes in stride, cracking jokes about interior design choices and blasting music on the speaker while they decorated their new desks. The discovery of a coat rack in the back sent a cheer of joy through the townhouse, and the whole room was a jumble of moving boxes and furniture as students attempted to figure out where things were supposed to go.
One concern for BSG seemed to be making sure Bethel’s student body knew where to find these services if they were ever needed.
“Part of the appeal for being in BSG for me is like, ‘Oh, I have this space that people know they can come here and talk to a student leader,’ and people know where the BSG office is, that those doors are open and that you can go and ask questions,” Burbach said. “And I think it’s important for students to know where that space is and where they can talk to other student leaders.”
For former Clarion editor-in-chief Sarah Bakeman, the Clarion office provided connection on campus. It was a base camp – a place to do homework, talk with staff and conduct interviews.
“Being involved on campus is being part of a space, or having access to a space that is unique to your group,” Bakeman said.
Old minion posters. A binder bursting with data documents. A four-year-old “emergency energy drink” and a never-been-washed-before blue blanket. For Bakeman, these are the little things that make up 20 plus years of Clarion history.
“There’s just weird things in the space,” Bakeman said. “If it’s moved, it’ll kind of lose some of that allure, almost […] It definitely had its own history.”
The general student body has not been directly informed of this construction project yet. All that is currently in place for campus-wide communication is a message from the Office of Communications and Marketing this upcoming spring as well as a more official announcement in Fall 2025.
The Clarion staff will continue to await updates regarding the new location of their office space in phase two of the project while BSG works to rebuild their legacy in the old townhouses.
