Executive Director of Student Activities Tavniah Dyer hosted a forum where she asked BSG presidential candidates questions for students in the Underground or on Instagram. Elections will take place Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Responses have been edited for clarity and grammatical accuracy.
President Katie Storlie and VP LC Underwood
Katie Storlie, current Vice President of BSG, is a junior graphic design major who never leaves her dorm without coffee.
Q: What are some groups on campus that you see as underrepresented and how would you work to improve the experience of those groups?
A: We want to make sure that we’re a listening ear that is present and willing to do the work to amplify their voices and have hard conversations to put ourselves into a position that is open and welcome. It is not just a space to say,“Hey, we’re here if you need.” It’s something that we want to put into practice, and that takes a lot of education for ourselves. That takes meeting with different people across campus that can help us, because we are still learning so much about cultural awareness, or learning so much about our place in this world.
Q: How do you see your faith influencing your role as President?
A: We understand that these roles are not something that should be or are possible without our relationship with the Lord. We have an opportunity to be present with that. Because by our own strength I don’t think we have the ability to communicate well or to serve others as well as we can with the Lord. In terms of the tangible goals: How can we create that as a concept throughout our office as it is now? How can we really support each other in a Christ loving service fashion?
LC Underwood is a junior biochemistry major who currently holds the role of Executive Chair of Student Senate. Her dream job at five years old was to be a bible study teacher in space.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Bethel that made you “fall in love” and want to serve like you do?
A: The biochem student of the week – let me explain. In our biochemistry class there’s a student who’s declared herself as a supreme dictator and determines a student of every week. Their picture is on the wall. The reason why I love this is, one, because I think it’s hilarious, but two, because the reason I decided to come to Bethel was because I thought that I would be known here. I thought I’d be known by my peers. I’ve been known by professors. I would be known by staff and that’s 100% true … We have a community where not only the students know the student of the week but so do the professors and they engage with it. They engage with our silliness, they engage with our sorrows and they engage with the things that matter to us.
Q: What are a few of the main goals you plan to accomplish in your role?
A: We’ve made a lot of changes at the BSG this year. We’ve changed the way the legislative branch is structured. We’ve taken over the Underground. We’ve absorbed intramural sports. So there are a lot of changes that can be really meaningful in serving the student body and just creating a better community. But in order to see those changes through, we really want to facilitate a smooth transition between what we’re doing now and then what’s happening next year.
President Trey Adelsman and VP Mild Du
Trey Adelsman is a junior applied physics, physics and psychology triple major who served as a student senator from his freshman year until fall 2022. When he is not doing homework, he spends his time rearranging his furniture based on themes like a saloon.
Q: What are a few of the main goals you plan to accomplish in your role?
A: One of the main things that we have been talking about wanting to do is communication between the student body and administration. Looking at last fall, and other times, there [have]been instances where the administration makes changes and the information as to why doesn’t quite make it down to students. I think that that can sow a little bit of distrust.
Q: How do you see your faith influencing your role as President?
A: I know that I cannot do this without the love and support of Christ. I think that Christ led person to person, and so whether that’s in an interaction with an individual student, with a group, in a meeting, it is just going into it trying to be Christlike and trying to be as loving as we can in all things. If we were elected we would go into everything thinking, “How can we further Christ’s presence on this campus?” But I think most importantly it comes down to making sure that what we do is with the forefront intention of creating a Christ-centered community that glorifies God. We are by no means capable of doing that alone.
Mild Du is serving in her second year as a student senator. She is also the Director of Special Media. She is a junior political science, business and media production triple major. Her prized possession is a metal Captain America shield.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Bethel that made you “fall in love” and want to serve like you do?
A: This is very cheesy to say, but definitely the community. It’s just a big part of why I love being at Bethel, attending all the events. Just knowing I have the support of all my peers and encouraging that to be put in this position because community is what draws people to Bethel. People talk about the Bethel Bubble and how we’re stuck in this little community. We would love to branch out and spread that community to other local churches, universities all around us.
Q: What are some groups on campus that you see as underrepresented and how would you work to improve the experience of those groups?
A: I am a BIPOC student, so especially going to CCC I’m hearing that it feels like BIPOC students’ voices aren’t really being heard as much as they’d like to be, but a part of that is also [that] we should encourage them. When they do events it is welcoming to not just BIPOC students but also the rest of Bethel. It’s difficult sometimes because you’ll look at people in positions of power and you see that they’re predominantly white and it’s just hard sometimes. It feels like you can’t gain a position just because you’re a BIPOC student. So I definitely want to be in this position so that I can encourage them that “You guys can do it. It is possible.”
Applications for Executive Director, Director and student council positions are now open.
