
The Clarion
Featured Writers

Pete Collova
I'm a PSEO student at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. I like concise stories, working with a photographer and interviewing musicians. I enjoy R&B; music, classic literature and getting …
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Makenzi Johnson
I'm a recent graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota with my Bachelor of Arts in journalism and Spanish. I have worked at the university's student-led newspaper for four …
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Molly McFadden
Molly McFadden is a writer and editor based in St. Paul, Minnesota. With a B.A. in English and an emphasis in creative writing, she likes learning new MLA and AP …
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Luca Lombardi
Luca Lombardi is a Business Marketing major with minors in Photojournalism & Spanish at Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He likes eating homemade Argentine food, going for walks around …
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Latest Articles

Before I had my first conversation with Barbara Josephs, she told me she didn’t understand why I wanted to write a story about her. Before I asked my first question, she said I should interview Malia Beilby, an All-MIAC soccer player. It’s not that Josephs has anything to hide; she …

Crush and burn
Griff Bangston was a 5 ‘9 curly-headed hockey player with blue eyes and a bad attitude. Always the leading scorer on the ice but never in the classroom. Although he made up for his lack of effort in school in the dating scene. It was almost impressive. Griff turned the …

Bethel students, alumni respond to Alpha News post about professor Chris Gehrz
“Gretchen, come look at this.” Senior history and psychology major Gretchen Mugglin rushed into her dining room. Her roommate, Bethel alumna Mild Du, sat frozen at the table; her eyes fixed on her cellphone. Mugglin stood behind her and squinted. A Sept. 20 Facebook post from the Minnesota-based independent news …

Bethel alum announces run for governor
State Representative Kristin Robbins’ campaign aims for fiscal responsibility and improved education.

Discounted tuition, discounted students
This is my testimony to the true costs of Bethel’s tuition repositioning. “Sometimes you just have to be grateful for the gifts that God has given you,” was a statement I wasn’t expecting to hear from the Financial Aid Office, especially not at Bethel University. Sitting in the small office …

Turning Point USA returns to Bethel with a goal of civility
Student members say they hope to revive respectful political discourse amidst a growing national divide.

Bethel faces backlash for George Floyd scholarship
Hundreds of Bethel alumni and community members took to social media to express their disapproval, and some their support, of a new scholarship for Black students in memory of George Floyd. By Emma Harville Bethel University received support, but mostly criticism, from alumni and community members on social media following …

The Egg, Ep. 6: May 13, 2020
Inspired by theSkimm, longer than the E-announcements, created with your short attention span in mind. By Jaimee Hood Re: Missing intentional community :/ It has officially been two months since the last “normal day” of on-campus activity. Although Bethel culture has drawn criticism in the past for its sometimes-cheesy buzzwords …

Target on their backs
Grant Nelson positions himself in lane 6 on an indoor track in Rochester, N. Y., waiting for the pass in the final leg of the 4×400 meter relay. As teammate Victor Lelinga bolts down the final stretch of the 200 meter indoor track, Nelson knows he’ll have to make up …

[PHOTO] Government dismantles DEI, Bethel University responds
In the wake of the government dismantling the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [DEI] program, Bethel University and those involved in the DEI program on campus, known as Inclusive Excellence, are reevaluating its policies on who is included as well as making sure no laws are violated. An executive order was …

[PHOTO] Bethel’s accessibility has come a long way, but has more to go
Freshman Hill has no accessible dorm rooms. Not every bathroom on campus has Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant push buttons that automatically open the door. There is only one lift across the entirety of Bethel University’s campus. These things all pose a challenge for sophomore Ashton Lafleur. Lafleur uses …

Beyond the border
The first thing Coco Nolen noticed at the border wall during her deployment was the smell. “There’s people who try to cross and they just don’t make it,” her guide told her. “A lot of dead bodies get brushed up along the shore.” Nolen’s heart dropped to her stomach. What …

Government dismantles DEI, Bethel University responds
In the wake of the government dismantling the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [DEI] program, Bethel University and those involved in the DEI program on campus, known as Inclusive Excellence, are reevaluating its policies on who is included as well as making sure no laws are violated. An executive order was …

Why aren’t students doing the reading? Bethel English professors tell us why.
Through the many courses taken in my Bethel career, one thing seems to remain the same: No one ever wants to do the class reading. I’d argue it’s easier than ever to not do the readings, with AI and SparkNotes and endless digital distractions. I once had a peer who, …

The ROTC Experience
Ashlyn Erickson looked out her window as her neighbor came home from work. His arms were full, carrying his work equipment. Her best friend, Lucy Helgestad, came running out to greet her dad. Erickson watched as the father dropped everything and knelt to hold his little girl. Helgestad’s dad wasn’t …

The ROTC Experience
Ashlyn Erickson looked out her window as her neighbor came home from work. His arms were full, carrying his work equipment. Her best friend, Lucy Helgestad, came running out to greet her dad. Erickson watched as the father dropped everything and knelt to hold his little girl. Helgestad’s dad wasn’t …

Bethel University cancels 2026 Thailand Study Abroad program
Lulu Shwe sobbed in Grace Johnson’s arms. The rumors were true: the 2026 Study Abroad Thailand program had been canceled. “Thank you for letting us share our culture with you,” Shwe said. WCCO-TV published a news story “Karen refugees attending Bethel University reconnect with culture on transformative trip to Thailand” …

Letter from the editor
I have sobbed every night this past week. The driver’s seat of my car, mile six of my 10-mile run, the rocking chair in my living room. Tears. Everywhere. I don’t even know how I still have tears in my body. Laugh out loud. My two roommates are graduating in …

Everything is embarrassing
“Emily Christiansen, go sit in the take-a-break chair.” My heart pounded in my tiny chest. I had been twisted around in my seat, talking to my friends in the back of the classroom. But I watched their faces turn from laughter to fear as they gazed at the figure creeping …

Will anybody read it?
I totaled my first car 30 days ago. I got Dewy, my 2008 white Subaru Legacy, when I turned 16. Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled with the selection that my parents had made for me. I had always made fun of people who drive Subarus. But it took about 2.3 seconds …

The BSG boost: What’s changing next year?
Student government leaders look forward to higher pay as Bethel adjusts its finances to support student activities.

The office reshuffle: Who’s going where and why it matters
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...

Love is a towed car, PACER test and a stale candy heart
Love is a stale candy heart. My cousin Porter is in second grade, and today, he asked a girl to be his Valentine. I’m 20-years-old, and the last time I got a Valentine’s from a boy was in sixth grade. The card was simple, straight to the point. It read: …

Bethel University graduate Josie Harms takes on the position of South Dakota press secretary
21-year-old Josie Harms achieves her dream job, but gives all the credit to God.

Rivalry renewed: Royals and Oles set for playoff battle once again
The 2023-24 season was a historic one for the Bethel University men’s hockey team, who finished the regular season with a 17-5-3 record good for a .733 winning percentage—the best in program history. The Royals appeared primed to win the MIAC for the first time since 2007, even defeating the …

Today is a gift
On a wet and soggy field at the Ona Orth Athletic Complex in early November, the Bethel University men’s soccer team’s historic 2024 season came to a close. It was one that saw the Royals earn their most wins and conference wins since 2004 and host the first ever MIAC …

1-1 series secures Royals and Oles’ rematch in the MIAC semifinals
BLAINE, Minn. – The crowd at the National Sports Center watched for flying pucks, nets and bodies Friday, Feb. 21 as intensity built during the Bethel University Royals’ hard-fought 3-1 win against the St. Olaf College Oles in the first game of both teams’ final regular season series. Aside from …

Ready set vote
Click. Bethel University student Noah Schmit turned off his TV in the middle of the first presidential debate. When the second debate aired he couldn’t bring himself to watch it. The theatrical nature and lack of policy description left the new voter disappointed in the 2024 election. “I’m definitely turned …

Bridging the gap
Alivia Wulff and Grace Christensen stood behind a table surrounded by boxes of fresh greens. Flurries of people came through the line: a young couple, a man wearing glasses fogged from the cold and a teen in Mario Bros. pajamas. Wulff and Christensen offered bags of grapes and boxes of …

Am I woman enough?
OPINION - As a long and lanky, gap-toothed kid, I thought very little about my appearance. My mom let me dress myself, so I wore whatever I wanted. The most trouble that got me into was being chased by a boy at the park because I was wearing my fleece …
