Democracy in Ukraine and the Russian Invasion

Ruins in Chernihiv Oblast. State Emergency Service of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons This week, political science Professor Matt Kuchem kindly agreed to share his thoughts on democracy in Ukraine, and how that relates to the ongoing crisis in Eastern Europe. Professor Kuchem has recently been involved in a project titled “Building …

Alumni Roundtable: Advice for Working in State and Local Government

Today, we're happy to share part two of our roundtable conversation with five History, Philosophy, and Political Science graduates of Bethel who work in state or local government. In your job do you ever feel like you draw on what you learned in your studies at Bethel? Chelsey Olson '12 (Political Science/International Relations — Legislative and …

What Can You Do with a History Major? Become President of the United States

Earlier today, the Associated Press, Fox News, CNN, and other major news organizations formally called the presidential election for Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Assuming that result holds up after any recounts or legal challenges (2020 is still 2020, after all), Biden will become the 46th president of the United States on January 20, 2021. He'll …

Some Historical Context for Last Night’s Sports Strikes

I'm not scheduled to teach our History and Politics of Sports class again until Spring 2022, but this past week has reminded me why it's such a relevant addition to our curriculum. In the wake of Sunday's police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin — and then a white militia member shooting two protestors on Tuesday …

How You Can Help People in Minneapolis and St. Paul

Whether you live in the Twin Cities or far away, you're surely aware of what's been happening in Minneapolis and St. Paul in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. If you've been wondering how you can respond, please consider this message from our colleague Annie Berglund '13. I am at a loss for …

Save the Date: UK Election Watch Party on December 12th

On Thursday, December 12, Britons will vote in the United Kingdom's first general election since 2017. Two years ago, the Conservative Party actually increased its share of the overall vote — but lost seats in the House of Commons. Since then, the ongoing debate over how to implement Brexit (Britain's departure from the European Union) …

Three More Books to Read for Black History Month

Earlier this week at The Anxious Bench, I mentioned five books that I'm planning to read for Black History Month: biographies of Frederick Douglass and Jackie Robinson, plus a study of Catholic civil rights activism in Chicago, an analysis of the impact of the black church on the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Jemar Tisby's widely-acclaimed …

The History Department Welcomes (back) Dr. Ben Wright!

The Fall semester has a certain cadence. The rush of September gives way to a steady October routine; as we approach the finale, Thanksgiving week allows a (too brief) respite before the mad scramble of the final weeks, when final projects compete with the Festival of Christmas and final exams. Today, we as a department …

Honoring God Through Athletics

On Saturday, November 12, 2016, friends and fellow travelers of The History Center gathered at the Underground for the program "Honoring God Through Sports and Athletics."  Three coaches—Gene Glader, Tricia Brownlee, and Steve Johnson—presented the history of athletics at Bethel University. In the 195os and 60s, Dr. Gene Glader was coach or assistant coach for four …

How about Historians and Welders?

At last night's GOP presidential debate several candidates used our friends in the discipline of philosophy as a punch line. Most memorably, Sen. Marco Rubio (FL) claimed that "Welders make more than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers.” Or as he put it today at an event in Iowa: "You deserve to know that …