Newspapers / St. Andrews University Student … / Nov. 16, 1990, edition 1 / Page 3
Part of St. Andrews University Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
-November 16,1990 OPINION The Lance Page 3 Guest Editorial By Dr. Neal Bushoven Why St. Andrews? What is it about this place which not only has kept me here but has made me feel good about the fact I have chosen to stay here? It A clearly is the people of St. Andrews; they have enriched, sustained, and ful- filled me. I cannot imagine being who I am and who I have grown to be with- ’^_out St. Andrews. I am a significantly different person than that brash, young professor who arrived in 1969, largely ' „ because I have had the benefit of over , ‘ twenty years of continuous St. Andrews j, education. I have not the space to list all „ the reasons I love this place, but let me , state a few which come to mind on this glorious autumn afternoon. I have been enriched through regu lar contact with wheelies, persons who ., have taught me to look beyond surfaces j. and who have through their presence have helped me more fully understand what it means to be human. I cannot . imagine St. Andrews being the quality institution it is without their spirit and ^energy. They give to me daily. I have been enriched by my col- , ■ leagues on the faculty who have always expected that I be a good teacher and who have encouraged me to experi- ment with new methods, courses, and ideas. With their support I have discov Why St. Andrews? ered small groups, CP’s, and unique courses like the Politics of Sex. I know few other academic institutions which would have tolerated what I do, never mind celebrate it. I have been enriched through oppor tunities to travel. I came to St. Andrews an American citizen and a certified expert on Africa. St. Andrews has sup ported my regular and necessary return to that continent. That I would expect from any other institution of higher learning, but at St. Andrews I have also been encouraged to travel elsewhere to India and the Arab world. Because of St. Andrews I more and more conceive of myself as a world citizen. I cannot imagine who I would have become without my regular immersion in the cultures of other people. One of the roles I have come to celebrate is taking people to other cultures and introduc ing them to the joys and necessity of travel. I have been enriched by St. An drews students who have consented to my being their teacher and companion in learning. Students here with their questions, concems, and openness have encouraged me, no demanded of me, that I live up to my own ideals and values. They have never allowed me to be complacent. In every class in which I teach students teach me. I have the best role, I read all the papers, hear all the questions, attend every class. I rarely leave a classroom without a new idea, a new insight, a new question. In seeking to help them empower themselves they have empowered me in return. I have been enriched through being accepted into the self-development and self-dis covery of others. I have been enriched by living on campus. Oh, there are times when I wonder why I am an RD, but there is always soon some moment which makes it all worthwhile. Especially this year Meek has come together in ways rare even on this campus. I cannot imagine a better residential existence unless we were officially coed. Living on campus fulfills me as a teacher. I teach all the time. Students require me to justify what I do; they do not allow me to hide behind the cloak of authority. In forc ing me to explain myself I have learned what is important and crucial and what is mere rhetoric. They have also con stantly held up to me the mirror of my own foolishness through often inaccu rate representations of my mannerisms and my voice. I have been enriched by the kind of persons attracted to work at St. An drews especially those who decide to stay. There are some incredible people quietly working at this college from Georgia Locklear who may have cooked more meals for me than my mother, to Theiron Young who shares my break fast, my love of St. Andrews, but not my politics, to Janet Schilling who helps me keep my Northern accent, to Wini Gay who puts up with my shenanigans on behalf of students and who chastises me so ever gently, to Thurmond Ander son who takes pride in a well polished floor, to Jackie Singleton who supplies my caffeine addiction and laughs over ancient tales of past foibles, to Mildred Dickens whose voice always reminds me I have called home when I am away, to that host of great characters and won derful humans who work in mainte nance and on the grounds crew. Their service to us is only matched by their humor and their commentary. There are many more who are also special but in attempting a complete list I could only err. I celebrate that St. Andrews is a place where democracy is more impor tant than efficiency or expertise, where soccer players write poetry, where we can imagine a world without sexism, where authority stands strong only when it is reasonable, where the ducks laugh at us when we go too quickly and oblivi ously along the causewalk, where when the clocks do not work we take them down rather than fix them, where an editcrgives assignments tofacultymembere, where students get angry if their CP with the SS does not have a sticker of praise, and where a person of few social skills can change and become a student leader. There is so much more, but let me conclude for now. St. Andrews has given me an appreciative stageon which to perform a self. It has allowed me to be fulfilled as a teacher and a person by providing me an environment in which I could nurture my vocation. It has challenged me to grow but never com placently. It has been for me a labora tory to practice my ideas through con gruent actions. I think life provides opportunities for us to define and then create projects of a decade or more in length. St. Andrews has been the place for me to attempt and fulfill my initial life project and in that fulfillment give me the re sources, the friendships, the courage, and the desire to think about doing and ' being more. -n Guest Editorial By Cindy Cushman St. Andrews . . . What images come to mind when you hear these words? Do you ever wonder if it’s just another small liberal arts college or is there really something special about this pi ace - Are we unique? In pondering this question, I would like to invite you to come on a mental walk with me for a few minutes. Picture St. Andrews in early Sep tember when students are moving into the dorms. (It is either pouring down rain or it is 100 degrees outside.) In any given suite there are first-year students as well as seniors. While returnees are celetating“cominghome”again,newcomers are having dinner at their advisors’ homes, having food and fellowship with others who are equally nervous or scared. Al ready , one support-network for freshper- sons is in the making. Within the up coming weeks, more will form as they get to know other members of their suites and people in their classes. Now let’s wander around the L.A. building for a little while. Let s sav it is Images of St. Andrews about mid-October. We walk in the en- warming up on the stage. People of or doing whatever they fell like doing trance to L.A. from the library and turn ALL types are milling around - profes- to wish their graduating friends well, right.To our left we see a group of sors, students, alumns, out-of-town guests. The St. Andrews community disperses people having class out in the court- Some are playing volleyball, some are for a few months to return again in the yard. On our right on the wall is a huge drinking beer, some are dancing, some fall, with different faces to replace the sheet of newsprint bringing greetings are visiting with old friends. Regard- ones who have gone one - but it’s still, from students in Brunnenburg, Italy, less what people are doing, they are all as always, a community. As we stroll by professors’ offices, smiling. It’s time to play, to celebrate Clearly, in this httle mental picture, most of the doors are open, some have life, and all troubles are temporarily I left out negative aspects that do exist, students with them, perhaps in serious pushed aside to be dealt with on Mon- Just like anyone else, we aren t perfect conversation or maybe just stopping in day. - we fight with the administration, we to say hello. Walking past one room. Finally, let’s move on to May to exclude members of the community at we see a class of juniors, all with differ- graduation. Underclass students aredis- times, we get sick of seeing each other’s entmajors,discussingtheworkofGandhi cussing summer plans, seniors are dis- faces sometimes. But, when it comes or Hitler or Sojouner Truth, depending cussing lifetime plans. Saturday night down to it, St. Andrews is a strong, in- on the day. As it get to be time for lunch, is party and play time for everyone, as elusive, compassionate community, in people head out to the parking lot or they celebrate the community they’ve a way that many other small, liberal arts across the causewalk to go on with their been for the past year. Sunday morning colleges are not. In the past four years, day. brings the send I have seen this college go through an We’re well into spring term now, off of part of the community, as the tra- administrative clunge that has created and the energy-level on campus is very ditional bagpipes open the ceremony, niuc con ict. et, we as s high. It’s a Friday afternoon and one of While parents and other “outsiders” of with a lot of help from professors, have the most prominent St. Andrews rituals the community sit silently to watch the en arge y success u in conveying is beginning. You guessed it-it’s time service, underclass students, in their our concems and influencing co ege for Extravaganza! Granville Beach has own way become participants, gather- policies. Also, I have seen a major wa a new layer of sand and a band is ing off to the side, cheering or clapping built between the baseball team and the rest of St. Andrews. But, even that is beginning to break down as som6 people on both sides of that wall have started to make an effort to mend the rift. Finally, and most importantly, re gardless what negative feelings we have toward each other and the community as a whole at certain times, we can put aside differences and support each other when it is most needed. Unfortunately, one such time has been in the past week, as we have faced the tragic loss of Wendy Phillips. Although I didn’t know her well, I know that she very much represented the St. Andrews I described in the previous paragraphs and I, with the rest of the community, mourn her death. When I think of the people who were very close to her is when I am the most deeply thankful for St. Andrews because I know that the love and care of a very strong St. An drews family is here for them - for you - right now and always. Causewalk Comments: Why do you enjoy St. Andrews? Ronnie Roy -The quality DoniaHenctom-ThecteTiisdy Chris Walker - The open- jm Vamos-Thesm^coUege ness of ideas by the cam- of education and the strong professors, because they're ness and expression of ideas a mosp ere, is i e one athletic program that has so cute. by the campus. ig anii Y- been developing in the past rniinle of vears.
St. Andrews University Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 16, 1990, edition 1
3
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75