These are the picks of the class of 2013 for the one course they would suggest to underclassmen. Some of them are gen eds, some are electives, some are upper level classes for different majors. Any way, you should trust their judgement. The Beacon hopes that you save this list and reference back as you look to select classes in the upcoming semesters.
| Cultural Anthropology | Scott Monsma | “This class grabbed my world view by the hips, lifted it up and shook it until there was nothing recognizable remaining. It then set me back down and rebuilt my thoughts about nearly everything from the beginning.” – Isaac Hendricks |
| Topics in New Testament: Galilee | John Vonder Bruegge | “He will blow your mind!” – Adam Van Der Stoep |
| Vertebrate Zoology | Todd Tracy | “You learn a lot of interesting things about animals (which when you want to be a vet is a refreshing change from most other classes). Dr. Tracy is just a fun person to have as a professor, and you get to do a lot of fun labs.” – Savannah Ellerbe |
| Christian Spirituality | Jackie Smallbones | “Practical ways to get close to our Lord…I don’t mind if I do.” – Bryent Slagter |
| Money and Banking | Eric Elder | “If you want to know how the financial and monetary system fits into the larger economy, this course is for you.” – Brett Amiotte |
| Graphic Design | Phil Scorza | “He provided a lot of opportunity for feedback and his assignments never seemed like work. They were fun.” – Tyler Zeutenhorst |
| World Religions | John Hubers | “I had the opportunity to explore other religions and deepen the understanding of my own by taking this class.” – Emily Mahlum |
| Spanish 202 | Rick Clark | “Bilingualism is good for your brain and your job prospects, and Clark is the most affirming and inspiring professor with whom you will ever take a class. 4 years later, I’m still talking about it.” – Katie Nelson |
| Intro to Christian Theology | Mitch Kinsinger | “He showed us what it meant to understand our faith from different perspectives. Nothing beats writing about the theology in the movie The Sandlot.” – Noah Bohlmann |
| Linguistics/History of the English Language | Michael Kensack | “Most challenging, rewarding course I ever took. It taught me to push myself and have high expectations of myself and to not be afraid to have high expectations of others.” – Carrie Engen |
| Live the Story, Not the Dream | Jackie Smallbones | “I loved this class the most because it helped me see the Bible as a story and each person got to share stories from their life with the rest of the class.” – Bryan Duffey |
| Coaching Methods | Kris Korver | “He was very invested in us and expected real effort, teaching us to expect more of ourselves in the process; his lessons were extremely applicable to coaching and to life in general.” – Sadie Mennan |
| Cultural Anthropology | Scott Monsma | “Honestly, I’d recommend any class with Monsma. The man is insightful, and the class can really open your eyes to think differently than you might have done before. Plus he’s hilarious.” – Keely Wright |
| Game Theory | Graham Lemke | “The movie “A Beautiful Mind” finally made sense.” – Nathan Nieuwendorp |
| Christ and Psychology | Laird Edman | “I really enjoyed this class because it allowed me to really wrestle with my faith in the context of my field of study. Every day of class I walked out thinking that I would never hear a better lecture, and then the same thing would happen every class time. My faith is sturdier because of this class.” – Taylor Culver |
| Live the Story, Not the Dream | Jackie Smallbones | “This class helped me gain experience as a storyteller, using stories for teaching, especially in ministry, and growing a deeper awareness of God’s authorship in my own story.” – Jenna White |
| Intro to Bib Studies | Vonder Bruegge | “He not only engaged my mind in a way that I hadn’t experienced before, he also engaged my faith in a new way.” – Leah Dykstra |
| Linguistics/History of the English Language | Michael Kensack | “It changed the way that I think about written and spoken language. I studied more than I had ever studied for any other class, and it was very rewarding. Kensak has found a way to push students and gently make our brains explode with knowledge.” – Nate Johnston |
| Helping Skills | Laird Edman | “I signed up for the class simply because I wanted one more class with Edman before graduating, but love the class because of its practical application to everyday life and my future.” – Jennifer Welch |
| Philosophy & Christianity | Randy Jensen | “Our topic for the semester was Heaven and Hell, and I’m still wrestling with the issues raised in that class. Bonus: Randy is super chill with deadlines.” – Gabriel Harder |
| Christ and Psychology | Laird Edman | “I loved this class because it completely challenged the way I approach both my faith and psychology as a science.” – Kirsten McConnel |
| Sociology of Gender | Scott Monsma | “I chose this class without knowing the depths of the conversations we would be able to have. I have never been able to look at ANY aspect of society the way I did before this class. I would suggest it because of the great and open dialogue and wonderful puns.” – Holly Stewart |
| Contemporary Moral Issues | Randy Jensen | “It was discussion based and entertaining to hear other people’s view points on issues relevant to what’s happening around the world.” – Nicole Schlickbernd |
| Any class with | Piet Koene | “He’s just a a stud at life. Such a fun professor and you could tell he loved his students and the Lord.” – Mallory Cunard |
| Linguistics | Michael Kensack | “I love words and I loved learning about them and where they came from. Also, Caedmon’s Hymn.” – Elisa Banniga |
| Human Relations | Jolynn Oliver | “really appreciated the realness of the topics that were talked about and the class itself. It brought attention to subjects that are difficult to address in our world. It truly was an eye-opening class.” – Hannah Krohn |
| History of Christian/Muslim Relations | John Hubers | “Learning about the history of interactions between the different groups help me better understand how to approach future interactions with a group the Church ostracizes.” – Tanya Woodward |
| Sports Nutrition | Dean Calsbeek | “Very applicable to life and helpful for athletics.” – Jono Taves |
| Human A&P | Elizabeth Truesdall | “She’s has such a bubbly personality, she’s genuine, extremely personable, and an excellent teacher.” – Kellie Korver |
| History of Medieval Europe | Robert Winn | “Medieval Europe has the Crusades, Knights and the history of early Christianity and Islam.” – Jasmine Smith |
| Data Structures | Mark Vellinga | “I got to spend six days programming for eight hours a day with one of my best friends, fueled by nothing but madness and candy. We got B’s in that class.” – Michael Gutsche |
| Topics in New Testament: Epistles of John | Vonder Bruegge | “Take it so Vonder Bruegge can blow your mind and so you can learn about the context of the letters to better follow Jesus today.” – Eli Groenendyk |
| Computer Science 171 | Mark Vellinga | “Partly, because I watched I,Robot ,and mainly, because this field is very practical and in use every day.” – Som Thapa |
| Christian Spirituality | Jackie Smallbones | “Learning more about yourself, God, and your relationship is your homework, which is wonderful self-discovery. Seriously, spending more time with Christ is your homework!” – Tara Woodward |
| Spanish 101 | Rick Clark | “I learned so much more than just Spanish.” – Nate Fischer |
| C.S. Lewis and the Inklings | Randy Jensen | “Lewis unites theology and philosophy like a pastor does for man and wife. His works and conversations about them stretch the mind and deepen the soul.” – Brett Busch |
| Intro to Narrative and Verse | Sam Martin | “If you enjoy writing but you aren’t certain if your skills extend to poetry and fiction, this is an excellent class to take to find out. As an added bonus, you can try to pick out which of Professor Martin’s stories are true and which are utter, despicable lies (or, in his terms: fiction).” –Tom Westerholm |
| Intro to Literary Studies | Keith Fynaardt | “My name is Linden and I like fuzzy kittens and learning about books that have words in them.” Linden Figgie |
| Tennis | Kris Korver | “1. You get to play a sport all class 2. No one teaches good sportsmanship like Korver does. 3. It’s fun!” – Bre Schoby |
| Aerobic Activity | Amanda Keller | “It was a really fun class, and as an added bonus, it helped me stay accountable and exercise. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the time, no athleticism required!” – Michelle Kraayenbrink |
