13 April 2007
“I Thank God for Campbell”
I recently heard a student utter those words…and I must say I was glad to hear them. Maybe it’s just contemporary American culture but complaining seems to be quite fashionable. Sadly, I hear a lot more complaints than compliments about CU.
“We can’t drink”
“Why do we have to go to CUW [Campbell University Worship]?”
“All that money we pay in tuition you’d think they could… (insert your favorite whine here)”
The student I referred to above went on to describe how his coming to Campbell kept him away from some of the drama he could have got into at home. He said his college experience also helped him to decide to take his walk with Christ seriously. On top of that, he is about to graduate in a few weeks and has a job lined up. He is excited about his future, looking forward to a new beginning and realizes that Campbell played a major part in making that happen.
Maybe it’s not cool (is it cool to use the word cool?) to give CU her “props” but I’m sure that there are other students who can say the same thing: “I thank God for Campbell.”
To that I say amen.
19 February 2007
Everybody Can Serve, Part 2
A month ago I wrote about plans for Campbell’s first ever Martin Luther King Day of Service. Let me say I am proud of the CU community for the response to that effort. Over 750 people participated in the day and in so doing exceeded many of our expectations. So many volunteered to give blood that some had to be turned back. The bone marrow registry received an abundance of registrants, including many from ethnic minority groups which are typically very tough to recruit. Voters were registered, farm workers were served and senior citizens were visited.
Again, I was quite pleased by our service. Of course I’m sure I was not the only one who was pleased. These words, spoken by the Lord Jesus will be familiar to many of you:
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. .
15 January 2007
Everybody Can Serve, Part 1
January 15, 2007 marks Campbell University’s first ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Following the example of folks around the country, many students, faculty and staff have decided to make it ''a day on not a day off.'' In commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. King, members of the Campbell community will be donating blood, registering voters, babysitting, signing up bone marrow donors and in other ways, taking some time to do something for someone else.
Here’s some background on the day of service taken from the Day of Service website at www.mlkday.gov
In 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service. Instead of a day off from work or school, Congress asked Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate Dr. King's legacy by turning community concerns into citizen action. The King Day of Service brings together people who might not ordinarily meet, breaks down barriers that have divided us in the past, leads to better understanding and ongoing relationships, and is an opportunity to recruit new volunteers for your ongoing work.
I must say, being involved in the planning of this event has been an interesting experience. Most of my colleagues have embraced the effort with excitement and have given their students incentives to get out and participate. Students have come to me with innovative ideas for how they can get involved. On the other hand some people seem to be wondering why… Some seem to think the event is a Black thing… One e-mailer asked me, in apparent annoyance, if we are going to celebrate President’s Day too.
Well, here’s a brief personal reflection: I am no King scholar so I won’t pretend to provide an authoritative treatise on his life or work. All I can say is that I respect, appreciate and celebrate his achievements. I’m glad that I don’t have to sit in the back of the bus, climb up to the balcony at the movie theater or drink from the “Colored” water fountain. That, at least in part, was because of the work of Dr. King and others like him. I appreciate whatever part he played in making it possible for me to work at a fine university, not just in the cafeteria but in the classroom. Of course his contributions extend beyond advancing the civil rights of African Americans. King spoke out against war, poverty, injustice and oppression on behalf of people, not just Black people. Dr. King helped make us a better America by forcing us to examine the disconnect between our talk and our walk. He faced hatred with love, sacrificed his own comfort, and literally gave his life in the service of others. If nothing else, his life is an example of what sacrificial Christ-like service is all about (hmm, sounds pretty similar to the mission and goals of Campbell). If nothing else, that example deserves our recognition and commemoration.
Let me end with some of Dr. King’s own words on the subject of service:
Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" to serve. You don't have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and you can be that servant. from The Drum Major Instinct, 1968
30 November 2006
Task Identity
Today was the last day of my Principles of Management class and my last lecture for the semester (insert gleeful exclamations bordering on tears of joy here). In today’s discussion on employee motivation we talked about the fact that some jobs provide motivation as an intrinsic aspect of the job. One element of this kind of motivation comes from a sense of task identity: people who can relate their work to a completed project or process are more motivated than those who only see a small, isolated and insignificant task or set of tasks.
In explaining the concept to my students, I used an example from my own work. Often, it is difficult to see the big picture of what I do: I prepare lectures, grade papers, develop quizzes and exams and constantly try to make the learning experience effective, challenging, relevant, and interesting. However there are many times (including today) when I look at the students and they seem distracted, bored, sleepy or more interested in something on their laptop screens than what I am talking about. Fortunately, when I mentioned that to the class today it got their attention and they remained connected for the rest of the period.
Ah but then there comes graduation. In a week or so we will gather in our academic robes and observe the fruit of our labor. Talk about task identity. Many of the newly minted BBAs and MBAs will pause to have a conversation, introduce me to their families, or talk about their new jobs. In some cases they will tell stories about how an assignment, something we talked about in the classroom, or some word of encouragement helped them achieve, excel or just hold on. Even better, some of them will come back to campus and talk about how their Campbell educations prepared them for success in the real world. Yes the day-to-day work can be tedious sometimes, but twice a year there’s this beautiful, colorful, worshipful celebration that really makes me proud to do what I do. How’s that for task identity?
17.November.2006
Living the Creeklife
Although this is my second year at Campbell, I still feel quite new. I have lived most of my life in Lansing, Michigan and frankly, making the move to the south, a small (very small) town, beginning a new career and leaving family and friends behind was a major transition. I’m sure many of the students, parents, faculty and staff affiliated with Campbell have tasted the same emotional stew of excitement, nervousness, anticipation, uncertainty, and bewilderment that I have.
Well, I’m proud to report that life in the Creek (that’s Buies Creek for the uninitiated) is all good. I’ve been welcomed not only on campus but also in the community. I love the southern hospitality: In fact when I go back up north I find myself wondering if people are mad at me! I enjoy walking across the campus and smiling at the familiar faces. Just last night I had a chance to share in the excitement of a packed house in Carter Gym as the Campbell men’s basketball team sent an opponent packing (welcome to the Creek, baby!).
I’ve found Campbell to be a place where conservative Christian values are cherished, yet people are free to think and disagree. The academic environment is rich but not hypercompetitive. My family and I are supported and encouraged and loved in ways that I have frankly been quite surprised by. Maybe it’s the naïveté of the new guy - please don’t burst my bubble if it is – but I must say, I’m loving living the Creeklife.
