Heeeeeellllllooooooo Otterites!
Last weekend, we took the youngest to Bellarmine University here in Louisville for their Honor Program scholarship competition. At stake is one of five full tuition, room and board scholarships or one of five full tuition scholarships. No pressure. He feels he did pretty well and got some nice complements on his discussion participation and his interview. We’ll know more by early March.
While at the parents’ reception Friday night, Mrs. Robert and I ran into a lovely couple from Michigan. As listeners of the show know, I was born in Michigan, though my parents are both from Eastern Kentucky. I call both states my home state really. We got to talking about the great month of January for football for us, even amidst the Lions’ crushing loss to the Niners. Next year for sure.
Anyway, the question was put to me, what am I most thankful for or appreciate the most about my Bellarmine education?
That was easy. A no-brainer. Didn’t even have to think about it. Not that I often do.
I’m most thankful for the connections I made there. Not the job or political connections. The personal connections are what matter. My oldest (save my high school friend from Michigan) closest friends in the world are from my Bellarmine days. The few close friends that aren’t come from my friendships developed through the diaconate such as Br. Andre.
I daresay Martin and Francis would echo the sentiment. Both have friends that predate Bellarmine, but the bonds of friendship that define Snakes and Otters all came together there are Bellarmine. I can’t imagine life without them. All are truly brothers to me. As are my brothers in the diaconate and a few others from diaconal ties.
The second thing I hold most dear from my time at Bellarmine is the liberal arts education. Far too many look down on the concept as if it’s weak, simple and for the less smart individuals. This betrays their own lack of intelligence and wisdom in my opinion. All jobs require a core set of knowledge. Some core sets are deeper such as for engineering, lawyers and doctors for instance. Still, in all jobs, you learn the most important things on the job.
Learning to think critically, ask and understand the why questions, and how to evaluate things holistically is the hallmark of that liberal arts education and it cannot and will not be taught to you on the job. Bellarmine instilled this into us through a breadth of classes in theology, philosophy, art and music history, and other subjects. They broadened our minds by exposing us to ideas, concepts and questions you simply will not encounter elsewhere. Then we talked about them. We learned from teachers and each other in that sense.
All this honed and refined our thirst for knowledge and, most important, and understanding. It led us to continue talking about deep meanings and the eternal questions long after college was over. That’s what this blog and the podcast are all about. The liberal arts philosophy brought alive for all of you.
Enjoy it. Learn from the experience. Go live it.
