Bethany-isms

We're Doin' Good!

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:52:18 -0400

Check it out! Check it out!

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2013/01/28/national-liberal-arts-colleges-where-most-accepted-students-enroll

http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/bethany-college-named-national-leader-community-se/nWhYC/

Is there any truth to the rumor that the latest addition to the Trustees is indeed NOT a graduate of the class of 1998, but IS one who, like so many of our fellow students, left to finish elsewhere? They even had the nerve to bring him to campus to speak to Kalon students? Is P-Mills padding the board so they'll soak up the blood when this place finally lets go so he can stay clean when he leaves?

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:51:01 -0400

If one would simply take a look at the Bethany website, one would learn the truth.

The Board Member in question is in fact not a Bethany alumnus. However, his father and other family members have been on the Board as well as large donors of the school. Despite this member never being a Bethany student, they have donated quite a bit of time and money to the school over the years, making their appointment appropriate.

Bethany College Listed in CBS News Article

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:19:25 -0500

Bethany College Listed in CBS News Article:

Yeah…it’s not good, though. Apparently Bethany College is listed as one of the top 25 schools in the nation with the unhappiest freshmen. How did they determine this? They looked at every school’s retention rate.

Congratulations! Bethany College apparently has one of the lowest retention rates in the country!

The article also said:

“Schools that encounter trouble getting their students to return tend to be less selective and possess fewer resources.”

Sounds about right.

Way to go, administration. We’re making top news sites—but in all the wrong ways. Well done.

-Sekhmet

The End of Comps?

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:26:54 -0500

Word around campus is that due to a recent lawsuit in which the College lost, they are going to be getting rid of Comprehensive Exams for the incoming freshmen of Fall 2013.

Well… There goes our last claim at being a semi-decent institution.

Welcome Back!

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:33:18 -0500

Who knows what this semester has in store for us, but we Bethanians certainly know how to make it a memorable one!

Don’t forget to send us the juicy happenings around campus!

~Sekhmet

Happy Christmas??? :/

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 23:51:09 -0500

http://rollredroll.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/sports/high-school-football-rape-case-unfolds-online-and-divides-steubenville-ohio.html?pagewanted=all

So…

Our school’s still actively recruiting these gentlemen, accused included…

May I be say: WHAT THE FUCK?

~Amun

Worker Killed in Bethany

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:12:51 -0500

Worker Killed in Bethany:

BETHANY, W.Va. — Officials are investigating the death of worker while installing a natural gas pipeline in Bethany.

I’m just going to leave this here.

-Sekhmet

Bird Droppings

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:09:00 -0500

So how about the stuffed birds being stolen? They have apparently searched a few of the Greek Residences and other Academic Buildings but as far as I know, they haven’t been returned.

What about here in Campbell Village? My RA didn’t ask to come and search our rooms and no e-mail from the school about searches, but I wonder why not? I know plenty of other independents that like to steal from all over Campus. I’m not claiming full innocence on my part either, but jeez! Even I have limits!

A little musical peace:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB_fDwBMkCQ

What the Huff!?!

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 14:56:06 -0400

In the past week or so The Huffington Post released an article written by our very own Dr. Scott Miller.

Here’s the link for those wishing to view for themselves: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-scott-d-miller/college-tuition_b_1967255.html

Couple interesting things:

“At my institution, Bethany College, we’re increasingly selective but still driven by the right numbers. Our marketing program yielded 330 incoming students this fall, bringing total enrollment to around a thousand…”

Increasingly selective? How so P-Millz? Many of the freshman and transfers I am finding in my classes are not able to wrap their heads around anything. I hear questions of “How far away is East Virginia?”; “What’s this thing called Moodle?”; “What are Comps?”… Selective? I say not. “Right numbers”? Haha, nope.

And what of this “around a thousand”? Could our esteemed carrot not give the actual number? Too embarrassing Couldn’t find one since students transfer out almost every day? What’s the real number? Why hide it?

P-Millz says we have the “latest campus amenities”… We have lackluster internet, uncomfortable classes, unlit areas on campus… Come on man, who you lying to?

Take the time to read the article for yourself. It’s quite the treat.

Homecoming!

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:28:07 -0400

Homecoming came and went, and boooooy did it go out with a boom. So, I’m not too sure what the loyal readers may or may not have heard, but some interesting events occured that just haven’t happened since the “non-existent” screwdriver stabbing of 2010. From what your dear friend Robin has heard around these parts, some poor soul from Beta was jumped and assaulted to the point of hospitalization. I don’t know about you, but it gives me shivers to think that I could be leaving the bar and be assaulted by some stran- oooooh, that’s RIGHT. They were students. To make it better, the school kept it all under wraps, except for the part where they don’t know who some of the people are, better yet where to find them.
At Student Government, from what I hear, the new Dean addressed the students assembled, claiming we need to change the culture on campus to handle problems diplomatically; he challenged us to use words instead of fists. He said we need to come together as a community. I agree heartily with this statement. I’d agree more if we were more selective with who we bring in. First off, I will not be party to having tea with some of the knuckle-draggers I have to sit in class with. It’s bad enough when they ask me if class material is on moodle after the teacher has said it over five times in twenty minutes. But, screwdriver stabbings and profuse stupidity aside, I hear about sexual assaults all the time. Last year, there was a mugging. Violence pervades Bethany culture as a part of the people we choose to bring into the fold. It’s only now we choose to address it because this one was just too hard to hide (mostly because emt technicians are notoriously hard to bribe, I assume). But, as fast and urgent as it came, just as fast the acts were swept away and forgotten about by all but the victims. The president used his puppets appropriately and all seems well, at least below the surface. But beneath the poking tip of Bethany lies an iceburg just waiting to sink another student to the seafloor. When will the administration realize that alumni would rather see a safe campus for students instead of a thriving football team? I suspect when the alumni or students themselves buck up to pay for it, like last year when it was suggested that Student Government pay for locks on the doors in Phillips Hall for the individual floors or lights for Richardson lawn as a donation to the school. Pardon me, but considering I’d have to scrap a kidney to pay for a year at Bethany, safety should come included. It shouldn’t come with an asterisk claiming *when we damn well feel like providing it for you.
…that aside, it was a good time everywhere else and drunken debauchery caused the heads of RA’s everywhere to spin as if they were starring in The Exorcist. But, please remember the lesson we learned as children: it’s all fun and games until someone gets mugged, assaulted, or hospitalized.

Forever yours,
Robin Mansions

Concussions

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:03:20 -0400

Seems like we’re seeing more and more student-athletes with them who are STILL playing. Odd how a new coach on the football team ran a drill where in roughly 10 minutes something like 5-6 players got ‘em and he still has a job. Odd how the men’s soccer team has players who have been out of class for weeks because of serious concussions and yet, when cleared, will be playing again. I know sports are physical and I know that people get hurt. What I don’t get is what seems to be a lack of concern when it comes to injuries that could impact the rest of someone’s life.

~Anon contributor

Is it me, or was P-Mills awful at the Convocation, today? He should really change his speech a little bit. It was the same damn thing (lies) as Matriculation.

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:21:54 -0400

I couldn’t agree more.

“Bethany College is the most pure and effective of the Liberal Art Colleges in America…” But we don’t have many of the degree programs like most LA Colleges do ~ Physics, French, German, Philosophy, etc. The school has a clear idea of what would make them successful, and that appears to be pumping all of the school’s funds into the athletic programs and forget that Bethany is only a Division III school…

“This incoming freshman class is the most diverse and academically talented to come to Bethany in the past 12 years…” Huh? How can that be? There were over 100 freshmen recruited for football (as usual), many of whom who have already quit the team in the past three weeks of school… The ratio of men/women in this new class is 65%(m) to 35%(w), this is clearly a result of the heavy push for new athletes… But how many of these people that they brought in this year will stay? Bethany has had a large problem with their retention rates in recent years, typically not disclosing the proper stats to the school. They’ve recently developed many new roles in the administration, one of them coming with Stephanie Kappel’s takeover for Susan Doty in which she is now in charge of “Retention”… Only time will tell if this will be effective.

“Long held sense of legacy…” Miller obviously referring to the longstanding traditions of Bethany, Convocation being one of them. But I’m wondering what will P-Mills’ legacy be in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years down the line. I hope to never return to this place with fellow alumni and see Richardson gone and replaced by something that bears the name “Miller”.

Out of the entirety of his speech, there was only one thing I found I could agree with P-Mills on, and that is “Bethany College is indeed a special college, a special place for all of us.”

Are there going to be Quotable Fridays this semester?

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:26:52 -0400

If people submit them!

I think I hear a call for some fresh quotes!

Do you have any professors this semester who have good...

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:23:31 -0400

Do you have any professors this semester who have good handwriting? Or is it constantly a task to read it, similar to being a translator?

Trash Palace

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:55:00 -0400

As a member of this community it is always great to see the students return to Bethany but I am sad to see the litter come with them. All summer long I have noticed what a nice job the Building and Grounds crew has done to keep the campus looking exceptional and they did not disappoint this weekend for the students return. Riding my bike through campus and along Main Street this weekend I was distraught at how little time it has taken to see trash along the roads and walking paths. Is there a way to inform students that this will be “home” to them for 4-6 years and it is home to many people living in Bethany and we would appreciate it if they could help us keep it beautiful and free of litter. Maybe more trash cans along Main Street and throughout campus would help? Any other suggestions?

Welcome Back!

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 22:55:00 -0400

Here’s to another great year in our beloved Bethany.

Cheers!

Mail Time!

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 01:36:03 -0400

So, I don’t know how many of you have been keeping up with the news at Bethany, but I’ve been reading the president’s letters and I have to say, there is apparently something that I’ve missed.

Let’s begin with July’s lovely letter from the desk of P. Mills…or whomever he hired to write this “news” for him. Now, he talks about this Master of Arts in Teaching degree. From what I am aware of, this degree is actually not from an accredited program, which means it amounts to a fancy piece of vellum with latin scrawled on it that can be used to decorate the house, or perhaps even a mother’s basement, which is likely where the recipients of this degree will be living while they work off their debt.

From there, P. Mills inform us that Bethany College class of 2016 is the strongest yet, just like last years was the strongest yet and the year before that and the year before that. The qualifications he gives to justify this is that they are from a bunch of different places. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there are some gems in the incoming class and I don’t want to judge before arrival, but if the only justification is that they are from a bunch of different places? That doesn’t seem as though that is a proper judge of anything to do with quality. From there, he goes to inform people about 9 new Kalon Scholars that came in as a part of this class. From what I hear, Kalon is a glorified knitting circle at this point that, sometimes, does some leadership-ey things. So, I am left still unimpressed.

Oh, here’s an interesting tidbit! Apparently, Bethany is sitting on about 42 million dollars for the endowment fund to make Bethany better. You know what could really use improvement? The wages for professors so that they don’t have to jump ship to feed their families. Oh, and Richardson could probably be replaced with no complaints, considering it smells and feels like a nursing home, only people are even more saddened when they are sent to it. Perhaps new dorms could be built or, I don’t know, Campbell Village could be fixed so that the sliding foundation doesn’t bring down a few hundred students with it when it falls. That seems like a good idea. However, the Bethany fund seems to be lagging behind the leading colleges by just a smidgen. Of course, by a smidgen, I mean about 454 MILLION DOLLARS. Am I to assume that we will wait for our endowment to reach this amount before we make improvements to our campus? I sincerely hope not. Next point in the letter was about alumni visiting and mentoring students. I honestly don’t have snark for this one; it is nice that alumni remain involved in our Alma Mater.

The next point, however, almost made me close my laptop in a laughing fit when I first read it. Apparently, and this was something I had no idea about, Bethany has a strong past with scholar-athletes. Please, President Miller, tell this to all of those athletes that fail out their first semester because they say that classes are too hard when, really, they don’t want to read. Please tell that to the students who have to work alongside these failing students and have to be frustrated as classes are slowed to a sloth’s running pace so that these “scholar-athletes” can keep up with the class and NOT completely fail every single test. I mean, even I have had the problem of telling a professor that a test was easier than a french prostitute. The professor’s response? An exasperated sigh followed by a nod and an apology, but the explanation that she had no choice since most of our “scholar-athletes” could barely handle a test that a monkey could have passed, all the while flinging poo at the chalkboard. You know, P. Mills, the poo that you had gathered so you could feed us this much crap in a letter.

Oh, and congrats to our basketball team for doing so well. Let us completely ignore the accomplishments of some students, such as an accomplished Football player receiving recognition at a conference, or a nod to this year’s valedictorian for her accomplishments beyond a short quip in the June letter. You speak of alumni appreciating and giving back to Bethany, but they don’t ONLY care about sports. That’s almost like someone coming to look for a vehicle and only showing that person the motorcycles because they seem more exciting. Sometimes, Alumni might want to see the “sedan”, so to speak. Sometimes, perhaps we should acknowledge our academic strengths instead of how awesome the sports teams are. It’s division three. Let’s be real here.

Following that, P. Mills spoke of how cheap Bethany is compared to its competitors and yadda yadda yadda. What was interesting to see is that Bethany’s tuition has gone up by nearly double in the past decade. Seems odd to me that, as P. Mills came in, student tuition began to rise. Also, since he came around, acceptance rates have went up to nearly 100 percent, retention has fallen, and professors seem to rotate faster than an out of control merry-go-round. He may embellish all he likes, but he cannot hide facts behind that thick layer of foundation, rouge, and lipstick. Instead of lying by omission, perhaps he should be upfront and transparent with his policies so all can see what it is that is being paid for with the hard-earned money of the students of Bethany.

Coming soon will be the second installment of the summer recap! I hope you have enjoyed this little rant and I will talk to you later, my adoring public.

Yours always,

Robin Mansions

We got a response from our last post. I believe this summarizes...

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:53:36 -0400

We got a response from our last post. I believe this summarizes what the person said succinctly.

~R. Mansions

THERE'S A HAIR IN THE SOUP!!

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 20:24:25 -0400

*Moderators’ Note: The following article is written in response to a recently received submission. As much as it pains me to not publish the full submission (to show both its stupidity and downright arrogance), I feel it is necessary to keep the identity of the submitter a secret. Anonymity is something we strive for here at Bethanyisms and by publishing the full submission, the identity would be quickly realized by the current student body.*

**Moderators’ Note, part deux: This post is a collaboration of all the moderators here at Bethanyisms. This is something that has never been done before. But this should just go to show how floored we all were by the submission.**

Despite what many readers seem to think, we the moderators here at Bethanyisms would like to believe that we have an open mind, whether it comes to politics, social movements and of course, our beloved Bethany. We just happen to persecute one man we think is anything but. Recently a submission of a person who proudly identified themselves calling out what they believed were a series of problems with our site claimed that we weren’t. This student complains that we “exaggerate” the issues we discuss. This person clearly must have a problem with many blogs, as most blogs use a device known as ‘hyperbole’, which we use for comedic effect. You cry out for protest for the changes you want to see occur on campus. But tell us, do people complain before they protest? (They do, if you couldn’t actually answer it.) Last I checked, the saying was “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”, not “Rome would have been built in a day, but SOMEONE tripped on a brick and we gave up.” Pay attention to the change you can see and measure in the increments that it happens before you rant about how people are doing it incorrectly.

The submitter would like to believe that we the moderators are nothing but intolerant of other’s cultures, religions and beliefs. I personally know the submitter as someone who claims that their own beliefs and upbringings are the reasoning behind their own intolerance, yet when confronted they blame it on their opponent’s own “racism”, refusing to believe that their own assumptions and understanding of particular situations are off and misguided.

This foolish, and apparently ignorant, submitter does not see why us moderators, or the people that submit things to us feel the need to remain anonymous.This is a site where students can have an anonymous outlet for their voice. If there isn’t any power in anonymity, then please tell us why the President and other higher ups of the College follow the blog. Please inform us of why people continuously attempt to figure out who the “ghosts” are. If there is no power in it and nobody cares, then nobody would follow it and nobody would care. Maybe if they realized the wrath that would certainly be dropped upon the moderators if they were discovered by the Bethany administration, or for the submitters who wish to not be connected with the piece of juicy Bethany goodness that they wish to inform the rest of the Bethany “Bubble” with.

Which leads to their next argument, a comparison of our blog to big businesses like Nike with some odd connection of how if this blog was about them, they would hire some third world hackers to shut down the site. But as the submitter points out, Bethany isn’t a company that would sort to hire hackers to discover us out… So why even make this connection? Do you simply wish to continue typing and just grabbing for straws?

“Students here know about your website but the outside world barely knows and probably could careless. Its called the Bethany bubble for a reason.” That’s exactly what Bethany is - a bubble, a magical bubble that we proudly call our home and is why we look to call attention to the discrepancies we find in it. We the moderators are not out to make national headlines, or even make an appearance in the Wheeling Intelligencer’s Community Section. This site was simply created for our fellow Bethanians. To give them a new perspective of things going on other than what’s published on Bethany’s home page or what the Orange Man decides to tweet about.

Which leads to yet another problem the submitter points out, the fact that us moderators do this behind a computer screen, that we aren’t out on main campus with protest signs and chants to get our voices heard.

“Bethany -isms is kind of a joke compared to most student protests about improper school conduct.” But we’re using the media of today. Based off of the amount of tweets Mr. Orange delivers (roughly 5-7 a day… About the equivalent of my 13 year old cousin), clearly he knows how to use the magical internets. Social protests of today are largely based off the internet. How about the use of social networking sites like Facebook for a call of social change…(http://www.facebook.com/#!/opegypt). Obviously we here at Bethanyisms are not facing the same issues and problems found over in Egypt, but the point is there. We’re using what is available to us that would reach the most people. Perhaps if we truly wished to reach national headlines we would march through main campus with signs and our own slogans calling for change in our beloved school, but only after calling all radio/television stations and every newspaper in the Ohio Valley.

The submitter equates our little site here to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, saying that our site is nothing in comparison to it… Yet they were the one to make the comparison.Not once in Bethanyisms history has any moderator made that claim or connected the site to the movement. Yes, we would like to think we’re trying to cause a change in our community, like the great men and women who went out into the streets, refused to get up from their seat, or gave incredible speeches. But you will never see or hear us making any connections to the incredible things these people did. Our struggles and problems here at Bethany don’t hold a candle to the wind of the 1960s movements. So again, just seems like you’re pulling at straws here buddy. Think about that submitter.

So to the submitter: It seems that you are simply bitching just to bitch. But then again, based off of all of our personal interactions with you, this seems just right up your alley. But perhaps your right, maybe next year we should stage our own “sit in” on Richardson Lawn or in Old Main Corridor right in front of Miller’s office. But answer me this: “Would you sit down with us or would you simply bitch about us some more?”

“Yawn, I’m done.”

~Amun

~Sekhmet

~Robin Mansions

~Erebus

Heard anything currently in regards to the fracking pad located on 88N - college owned property?

Thu, 31 May 2012 10:20:06 -0400

A while ago, the school sold a large portion of its land rights to Chesapeake Energy so that they could make money towards the ten-year plan that has made no progress towards completion in the past several years since it has been introduced. It is likely that we just don’t know exactly how far that goes since that deal was shady-er than a redwood. But, deals have to be made at Bethany College when P-Mills is around. How else can we expect him to keep his face as fresh and fruity as a drag queen drinking a glass of orange juice? I hope that answers the question.

Yours truly,
Robin Mansions