With more than 20 recognized student organizations, Bethel has something for everyone. If you are interested in starting your own student organization, please fill out the necessary Student Organization Docs and turn them into the office of Student Life in the basement of the Ad building.
Academic Organizations
Student Social Work Organization offers students the opportunity to learn more about the social work profession. The Student Social Work Organization provides opportunities to participate in service to the community, advocacy for social justice, and to join together with like-minded students in social and educational activities.
Club Leader: Emily House
Contact: emilyrhouse@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Ada Schmidt-Thiessen
Clio hosts various history themed events for students, by offering museum trips, historically themed movie showings, and other opportunities of historical and sociological value.
Club Leader: Storm Myer
Contact: stormrmyer@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Mark Jantzen
Bethel College National Alliance on Mental Illness (BC-NAMI) is dedicated to the education of Bethel College’s community on mental illness, to the elimination of the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to promoting the understanding and to creating a safe environment for any and all affected by mental illness.
Club Leader: Taylor Wright
Contact: taylorkwright@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Paul Lewis
Pre-Health Professions Club provides students who are interested the opportunity to learn about health related careers and projects from Bethel alum who are currently in those positions.
Club Leader: Cayla Lawless
Contact: caylaelawless@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Dwight Krehbiel
Astronomy Club offers Bethel students the opportunity to observe celestial objects throughout the school year through one of the best observation towers in the state. The club will work to educate students about astronomy and space observation.
Club Leader: Matt Lind
Contact: matthewjlind@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Casey Shunn
Business Club
Club Leader: Caleb Allen
Contact: calebjallen@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Allison McFarland
Arts & Cultural Organizations
FEMCore is a feminist collective that brings awareness to gender and social issues on a campus, state, national, and global scale. FEMCORE also stands as an advocacy group as well as a safe- space.
Club Leader: Becca Schrag and Meredith Stone
Contact: rebeccaschrag@bethelks.edu and meredithastone@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Ada Schmidt-Thiesen
The Gay, Straight, Alliance (GSA) is an organization for members of the community regardless of their sexual orientation. GSA increases the visibility of the LGBTQ community on campus and their interest, by providing opportunities to share information and resources to encourage advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ students at Bethel College via the Queer and Question Group and the Safe Zone Program.
Club Leader: Caleb Allen
Contact: calebjallen@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Gabriel Fonseca
- The Queer and Questioning Group (QQ Group) exclusively provides support to people who identify as LGBTQ or are questioning their sexual orientation. The group is student-led and isn’t open to the community. The meeting space and time of this group is solely anonymous for those who want anonymity.
- The Safe Zone Program is an open and loving community of individuals who choose to engage respectfully with students, faculty, administrators, and community members on the topic of homosexuality. Safe Zone members commit themselves to building interpersonal relationships based on terms of equality for the LGBTQ community.
Campus Government
Student Government Association is the umbrella, representative organization that governs all Recognized Student Organizations and directs a flow of information from the student population via three separate branches: The Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch.
- The Executive Branch is composed of 5 officers; 2 elected and 3 appointed. The President is the chief executive officer of the Student Government Association while the Vice-President serves as the Speaker of the Senate. The responsibility of student organizations and finances falls under the Secretary of Finances and Student Organizations, while campus-wide programming and the Student Activities Council falls under the Secretary of Student Activities and all matters relating to the public such as social media, website management, etc. falls under the Secretary of Public Relations
- Club Leader: Student Body President Jacob Miller
- Contact: jacobamiller@bethelks.edu
- Faculty Advisor: Gabriel Fonseca
- The Legislative Branch, or the Senate, is made up of elected representatives from the student body. Each class elects 3 representatives to serve on the Student Senate, as well as 1 Commuter Senator and 1 At-Large senator. The legislative branch sets goals/projects for each year, creates policies that govern the SGA, approves all expenditures, and acts on all petitions from the student body.
- Club Leader: Speaker of the Senate Cayla Lawless
- Contact: caylaelawless@bethelks.edu
- Faculty Advisor: Gabriel Fonseca
- The Judicial Branch or Judicial Council is made up of Presidential Appointments pending Senate confirmation; including the Chief Justice and 4 Associate Justices. The Judicial Council is able assist in the College Conduct program that involves students in violations of the Community Standards and/or Student Policies. The Judicial Council acts on any Articles of Impeachment, interprets the SGA Constitution and Bylaws and works to serve the student body by protecting their student rights.
- Club Leader: Chief Justice Cassandra Voth
- Contact: cassandraavoth@bethelks.edu
- Faculty Advisor: Gabriel Fonseca
Campus Organizations
Student Activities Council: The Student Activities Council (SAC), a council under the Executive Branch of the Senate, is the campus programming board, is responsible for campus events and entertainment. SAC plans and produces activities for the entire campus, such as Welcome of Week, Spring Fling, Bubbert’s and much more. Any student who enjoys event planning and entertainment is welcome to join SAC.
Club Leader: Mareike Bergen
Contact: mareikecbergen@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Gabriel Fonseca
The Collegian is the official newspaper of Bethel College, and shall serve as a medium for communication to the student body and the College community. News stories concerning current campus, national, and international events that are of interest to the student body shall be published. The Collegian provided a means of communication for the entire campus community and, to that end, a free exchange of ideas and opinions are encouraged. Editorials and features appearing in The Collegian reflect the opinions of the writers, independent of the newspaper and the Student Senate. The Collegian functions as a learning tool by providing the students of Bethel College with an opportunity to develop their organizational, financial, journalistic, and graphic design skills.
Club Leader: Daniel Ratzlaff and Reece Hiebert
Contact: See Collegian tab
Faculty Advisor: Christine Crouse-Dick
Performance Organizations
YAWP! Literary Magazine offers students a place to publish their creative writing and create a vibrant literary community on campus
Club Leader: Allie Chesbrough
Contact: allisonrchesbrough@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Siobhan Scarry
Religious Organizations
Fellowship of Christian Athletes is an organization that provides students with opportunities to play games, eat food and worship. FCA tries to host as many events as possible and reaches out to all of the athletic teams on campus as well as non-athletes.
Club Leader: Grant Walker and Austin Mitchell
Contact: grantwwalker@bethelks.edu and austinamitchell@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Lonnie Isaac/Peter Goerzen
Service Organizations
Service Corps provides serves opportunities for students around the Newton area and amount the broader US over Spring Break.
Club Leader: Serena Wong and Austin Coulter
Contact: serenalwong@bethelks.edu and austintcoulter@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Sara Kovalesky
Special Interest Organizations
Environmental Action Club aims to create a place for conversation about environmental issues and implement green policies and practices here on our campus, as well as in the community.
Club Leader: Westen Gesell
Contact: westenrgesell@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Jon Piper
The Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ) Organization sets up one to two zombie apocalypse theme games per semester for students to participate in. HvZ encourages students to get to know each other when they step out of their comfort zones to participate because the games inherent focus on teamwork to achieve a goal.
Club Leader: Connick Roe
Contact: connickjroe@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor:
Bethel Fitness Club provides a community that will help all students to achieve their fitness goals. BFC provides information about exercise and nutrition for club members and have regular group workout sessions so that students can encourage and motivate each other to reach their goals.
Club Leader: Jaden Schmidt
Contact: jadenkschmidt@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Dwight Krehbiel
The Fishing Club
Club Leader: Ethan Birdwell
Contact: ethantbirdwell@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Shirley Dietzel
Rock Climbing Club
Club Leader: Heath Goertzen
Contact: heathrgoertzen@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor:
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club
Club Leader: Fabian Soermann
Contact: fabiansoermann@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Merle Schlebaugh
Video Game Society
Club Leader: Austin Coulter
Contact: austintcoulter@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: David Long
Political Organizations
Honor Society
Pi Kappa Delta
Club Leader: Jacob Miller and Clinton Unruh
Contact: jacobamiller@bethelks.edu and clintondunruh@bethelks.edu
Faculty Advisor: Mallory Marsh
