Campus News

Meet the Oakwood Hall New Resident Director

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MISHAWAKA, IND -- Ben Bulgrien says if he were a vegetable he’d be kale. “...people don’t actually like kale until they’ve had it, a lot, but people are always intrigued by kale. People are intrigued by me, but they don’t start to like me until they’ve had a lot of conversations with me.” 

Beacon: Let’s start with your name  Ben: Benjamin James Bulgrien  Beacon: Age?  Ben: 25  Beacon: What brought you to Bethel?  Ben: The Lord. So last school year the previous RD [Josh Hartsell] called me and told me that this was going to be his last year here [at Bethel]. He asked me if I would be interested in applying for the position, because I worked with him for two years in here [Oakwood hall] as an RA, and I was an RAR [resident assistant roommate] the year before that, and freshmen year I was, of course, in here. So, I had a decent relationship with him, and I respected him and what he was able to do for this dorm. After he called me, I felt that I could do a good job and carry on the traditions and the culture that he had created and part of me coming here was I wanted to see that continue an thrive within the dorm, and I didn’t feel good about doing anything else after I heard about the position.  Beacon: So what did you do in the time between graduation and starting your new position here?  Ben: I actually worked at church around Fort Wayne called Grabill Missionary church. I was there for three years as a missionary resident, which is a program designed to get recent graduates experience in all aspects of church ministry.  Beacon: What are three things that you feel that everyone on campus should know about you?  Ben: I love reading books, I have a goal this year to read 10 books a month, so that is 120 books in the year. Something else about me, I have a bear sweater that I wear around frequently that my grandma got for me* when I was younger and I didn’t wear it for like 10 years, but now I do because I think that it’s funny. Third thing that people should know about me is that I’m 6-foot 8-inches.  Beacon: If you were a vegetable what kind of vegetable would you be?  Ben: Probably kale, because people don’t actually like kale until they’ve had it, a lot, but people are always intrigued by kale. People are intrigued by me, but they don’t start to like me until they’ve had a lot of conversations with me.   Beacon: If you could be anything, what do you want to be when you grow up?  Ben: I would like to be a consultant for businesses.  Beacon: What is your favorite thing about campus?  Ben: I think I’m going to have to say Oakwood, because this is where the majority of my time is spent and where all of my friends are.   Beacon: What is your favorite type of shoe?  Ben: I think I’m going to have to say Keens.     *Upon further investigation, this is not a sweater made out of bear, rather it is a Great Smokey Mountains sweatshirt with a black bear on the front of it. 
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