Snow Day #2

First a light, misty rain and then the temps fell.  Everything is encased in ice.  IUPUI is off for a second day but we did manage to have our team dinner and meeting last night.

We've been talking about household living in the university setting.  John Henry Newman once said, "It is scarcely too much to say that one-half of the education that young people receive is derived from the tradition of the place of education."   Newman, in his many writings on founding a university, recognized the importance of household living as integral to the education of young people.  He recommended that, "small communities must be set up within its [the university] precincts, where his [the student's] better thoughts will find countenance, his good resolutions support; where his waywardness will be restrained, his heedlessness forewarned, and his prospective deviations anticipated."

To modern ears Newman may sound overly paternalistic but he didn't recommend the continuation of authoritarian style rule of the high school years.  He wanted to establish a healthy educational environment that would help students excel in their studies and grow as followers of Christ.  The suggestion of some balance between liberty and restraint strikes some prospective students as just what they want to avoid but we're finding that this balance brings out the best in each other.

We have four goals for our life in the Campus Household that steer our decisions from day-to-day:

1.  Learn what the Lord has for us to learn.  We're serious about our studies.  The Lord has drawn us together and he's interested in our education.  We're not looking for easy A's but to gain the knowledge we need to work with the Lord on his plan.

2.  Put our studies in common.  We aim to share what we're learning.  We have a variety of majors present and together we're learning about them and taking the time to share about what we're excited to learn.

3.  Grow in our People of Praise life.  We have the treasure of community life and all that encompasses including our shared teachings that years of wisdom and God's grace has handed on to us.

4.  Grow in brotherhood and sisterhood.  College years cement lifelong friendships and we're committed to each other's growth and development as men and women of Christ.  We're learning to love each other and that means great times shared in joy.

There are other ways to do college, I'm sure, but we're blessed to be here and thank God for the opportunity.  It's good to be together here.  If you'd like to visit, let us know.  We'd love to see you here.

walt