Can't You See, Can't You See, That I Love Covenant College?
Its come to my attention that there was some discussion of my blog at the most recent Covenant College board meeting. Sadly, strangely, confusingly, the terms "bitter" and "hate" were used to characterize my feelings towards the college.
I take responsibility for this, though its not in fact how I feel; one option is anger, and I don't much care for that kindof passion in general. The excuse "if you knew me like my friends then _____" I think is weakly escapist, so consider this line an offering of context: my friends and aquaintances know I'm a rabid fan of Covenant College. Covenant College, quite frankly, outside of my family has given me all the great things I love in my life: my wife, my job, my friends, my incredibly sophisticated taste in music & literature, and a role to play in the ongoing shenanigans of life (albeit a trivial one in the grand scheme of things).
And I don't buy the excuse that one can't be responsible for how one's readers or hearers interpret what you say and do. Obviously I've come off sardonic enough at points to warrant this view and for that I apologize.
I do miss Frank & Barb & Scott. If I've become convinced of something these last couple of years post-college, it's that change is both inevitable and for some reason, necessary. I also recognize that the more esoteric elements of why I love that institution are the eb and flow of the presence and growth of the people comprising the institution. Covenant might not ever again be the place where its President insists that the institution itself never be put ahead of the well-being of its students, faculty, or staff, including its reputatoin. Frankly that's ok. I guess.
Because for whatever reason the very standards by which I want to see Covenant operate internally are those, I think, that I ought to adhere to in my passion for, love of, and critique of Covenant. Just like I think Covenant shouldn't expect its students to showup and be perfect little Christians through their entire student career, so I too ought to understand the importance of process. It might not be quite what he meant at the time, but a certain F. Windemuller taught me that.
A good friend once told me that (boy, if this post isn't drifting into narcissism...) one of my better strengths and worst weaknesses was my fanatical, even belligerent loyalty, and Covenant has it full stop. Even if it becomes the yuppie, rich, white, bland liberal arts college that all the forces of nature and America and the PCA seems to insist it become, it'll still be the place I send my kids, if only to insist they do the best to screw it all up as best they can.
And suppose I become one of those rich priviledged folks (if I'm not so already), I'm at least going to do it with affectionate irony. My promise, now in writing, is that if I ever have the capital I will build the "Bill Davis Memorial Parking Garage" and the "Reg MacLelland College of Ayurveda & Psychiatric Care".
Boy, this post didn't quite end up where I wanted it. So I end it like this: I love Covenant College and I think its a ridiculously wonderful place to spend 4-6 years after highschool getting an great education and making life long friends. Life's too short to spend it historically, offering up as one friend put it to me "cheap caveats" to those trying to get stuff done.
If you've got time to be ticked off and cynical, you're probably bored and not doing enough. I've got a laundry list of things that need to be taken care of. Give me a call, maybe we can work together.
How's that for both narcissistic and magnanimous Julian? Not even close? I didn't think so.
Covenant College | By Josiah Roe | 05:36 PM
Comments
so how do we get you nominated for the board -- at least the alumni committee, as I assume you wont be an elder in PCA any time soon?
Posted by: bobw at March 25, 2005 09:33 AM
Before you berate yourself too much, remember that the Board o'Trustees (Papa Montgomery excluded, of course) has no concept of relational grey areas. They also loathe journalism -- irresponsible or otherwise. Either you're a booster or you hate the college. (I was once told by a Board member -- in a public meeting, in front of 100 people -- that if I wrote a news story on Covenant's financial woes, I would be striking out against the college.) They're kind of like Republicans, with divinity degrees.
None of which should be taken as anger, or cynicism. It's just the mood of the Board (who are good men, just Republicans) and, fortunately, it has little impact on the best virtues of the college. But, likewise, being frowned upon by people who visit the school twice a year isn't the same as having a conflict with the core of Covenant.
Posted by: mesh at March 25, 2005 11:18 AM
Aren't you glad you spent 4-6 years to get your degree from CC? I know that I am.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot my impeccable taste in the arts too. I think that came from CHOW art & music,...although it must have been though osmosis.
Posted by: ARoss at March 25, 2005 12:09 PM
CHOW what??? I think the only thing I learned was that I could pass a class w/ only 25 minutes of studying invested. Steve Frees? where is that hairy man?
Posted by: Timmy at March 25, 2005 03:55 PM
Josiah, can you clarify? Was this in a board meeting, or in a meeting of the alumni trustee advisors? Makes a difference, especially since none of those folks have divinity degrees.
Mesh, I thought that only Republicans were supposed to be guilty of making gross oversimplifications, and that non-Republicans were supposed to be much more capable of understanding the complexities of reality. Yet, you've dumped 27 of 28 trustees into one category--those human beings who have "no concept of relational grey areas". Harsh.
You are right that some board members, and some administrators, and some faculty members, are overly defensive, and overly frightened of journalism. The college is learning, though--as evidenced by it's recent response to a query from Dorie Turner of the TFP regarding DOE financial aid audit results and SACS warning status: the college sent her its full financial report, including details of the DOE findings and the college's remedial responses. Nothing to hide, and a trust that responsible journalists will do their due diligence rather than publishing inflammatory headlines. The end result? A rather non-inflammatory piece in the middle of the metro section, which is probably about where it belonged given the college's thorough response to DOE concerns and the fact that, in many respects, imminent financial doom is a perennial aspect of Covenant's history.
Posted by: Derek at March 25, 2005 10:23 PM
Not that I have much feeling about Covenant one way or another, having never gone there. I do appreciate their allowing me to use their gym for free, but past that, I have little personal connection.
I am wondering why you seem to say that it turning into a liberal arts college is a negative change. I don't know their program very well, but from the little research I have done, it surely doesn't seem like a liberal arts college to me. Missing (which is admitedly my love, so I noticed) one large department for that to ever occur.
Posted by: nick at March 26, 2005 01:45 PM
Roe, I could rip on you for a big detail regarding your status as an alum of covenant, but i'll bite my tongue. Though it would be funny if enough people got mad and stripped you of your "alumni" status...
Posted by: holton at March 28, 2005 12:14 AM
Holton, I was gonna rip on him for that too, but alas 'alumnus', does not necessarily imply completion of studies. It can also mean that person was an attendee of said school. I was so disappointed when I looked up the meaning.
Posted by: ARoss at March 28, 2005 09:14 AM
Roe, also discussed in that same meeting was making my mom a member of the board. Apparently they are lacking women, and people from the West. She fits both. :P (They didn't even know I went to Covenant when they offered her the position. Is that a joke on me?) Anyway, I know you have a lot of good things to say about Covenant, so let me know if you'd like to get in touch with her, she might be able to bring some of your ideas to the table.
Posted by: tanderson at March 28, 2005 11:10 AM
I would like to point out that "nick" is not me. I actually did go to Covenant.
Posted by: Nick at March 28, 2005 07:02 PM
How cynicism (sometimes miscontrued as "hate") arises from love:
I'm a senoir and lived on Catacombs for much my four years. While I was at Covenant, I loved it, I've never experienced a Christian community like it on this scale and don't expect to again. The community had real personality and tradition. A REAL tradition.
I'm pretty confident if I came to Covenant now, I wouldn't enjoy it and would probably transfer out after a couple years to pursue music. Sure, I'd have good proffessors like Dr.s Davis and Rulon, but the community is now run on effeciency and "looks." Now Covenant talks about it wanting to have a tradition of "acedemic rigour:" all that means is they only accept students with high SAT scores. But this is what Cov't is striving for, looking good on paper.
Tonight a Junoir and former hallmate told me he wished he was graduating with me . . . man, I'm shaking the dust of this place from my feet when I'm gone.
I say this because I loved Covenant and I know there's nothing [effective] I can do about it shifting into corporate/effeciency mode and I have other things to do (not necessarily more important, but at least I'll feel like I'm doing something).
It's sad to see something in a state dispassionate politics; it's even more frustrating to see something you love fall to this petty level.
Posted by: Carl C. at March 29, 2005 10:31 PM
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