The return of students to the BC campus after Christmas break has seen a whirlwind of change and activity tear through campus.
BC’s campus is expanding.
For the first time in school history, BC will use and develop property acquired from an outside entity (i.e. not belonging to the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey).
The acquisition of the old Atchison Hospital property brings up many concerns, issues and questions.
While answers to such inquiries remain to be revealed, this much is certain: BC is changing, and fast.
The BC powers that be plan to use the newly acquired property as both residence and classroom space by this fall.
The campus will be larger than ever, and its identity will change as well; it’s not just confined to Abbey land anymore.
Couple that with the building of new row houses on the corner of 2nd and Parallel and the recent construction of the Legacy Apartments, and you’ve got room to enroll an even greater number of students at a rapid rate.
How will this affect BC’s sense of community as its population gets more diverse and geographically spread out?
Again, only time will tell.
A startling reality for many is this year’s turnout from BC at the March for Life.
After taking the most marchers in school history last year, Ravens Respect Life’s numbers were way down this time around.
With the economy the way it is, many just couldn’t afford the trip.
The march also had to compete with the national FOCUS conference this year.
I would venture to guess many students at other universities with a FOCUS presence on campus also had to choose between the conference and the march.
If FOCUS is aimed at setting the world ablaze with Catholic spirit, why would its organizers schedule its national conference so close to what’s annually the biggest anti-abortion protest in the country?
One factor RRL could have controlled was exposure. There wasn’t much signage or online communication indicating deadlines, prices, meetings and the like for those interested in attending the march.
With so many things happening on campus and in the world, it would behoove any organization at BC to aggressively market whatever it’s trying to achieve.
On the opposite end of the social justice spectrum, a massive tip of the cap to those who’ve been working to raise support for earthquake victims in Haiti.
With all the labors of starting off the semester, it seemed the college was behind other organizations in establishing a way to raise money for Haitian relief.
That doubt subsided over the span of a few short days, as “Help for Haiti” raised four thousand dollars and biology professor Dr. Daniel Bowen donated two thousand bucks of his own to help alleviate the affects of the disaster in Haiti.
“Stop the Bop,” where students blasted Hanson’s “Mmmbop” on repeat until three thousand dollars were raised, was one of the most creative fundraising ideas I’ve seen anywhere.
Maybe the Circuit should crank up Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana/Billy Ray’s daughter’s “Party in the USA” from atop Westerman Hall, although that may produce the opposite of the desired effect.
In all seriousness, it’s passion for doing the right thing that marks the Haiti efforts and the endeavors of those who did go to the March for Life or couldn’t and prayed to end abortion in their own way.
Efforts like that should remind us all that this school, ultimately, is about people.
Not buildings.
Not money. People. Good people orchestrated the acquisition of the hospital.
Good people went to FOCUS. Good people went on the March for Life. Good people worked the “Help for Haiti” campaign.
And good people led all those efforts.
If those kinds of individuals remain at the forefront of this school, Benedictine will be just fine.
The Circuit Editorial Board consists of sophomore Mass Communications major Melissa Keating and junior Mass Communication major Phil Ervin. They can both be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
