Corcoran Austbarr
The Mount’s rural landscape has drawn many students here, though it has also been an area of compromise for others. The long drives past farmland and cattle make it no surprise that the closest city (Frederick, Md.) is 25 minutes away. There are towns and boroughs closer.
Mount staff are well aware of this and make a good effort to promote campus community through staff and student led activities. The Mid-Autumn Festival, Septemberfest and the Spicy Noodle Challenge, to name a few, all occurred within the month. There seems to always be something going on somewhere that students may not even be aware of despite the small size of our home. Whether this is to truly inspire some campus spirit or to deter students from attending parties is up for debate (though it’s probably both).
All this land is often put to use by clubs or sports teams whenever it isn’t the location of a swing-dance, but the Mount certainly does not try to keep its students captive, either. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the free transit to have a day out (often in Frederick) and explore the little around us. It is difficult to have absolutely nothing to do, and I would like to say that when students feel like there truly is nothing, it is because they are not looking. However, I can admit that many of the Mount’s activities may be unappealing to a lot of students, and boredom can easily strike.
There will not always be activities, and there should not be, but the amount of activities we tend to have at the Mount can make the boredom from their lack even more potent. Yet I think the lack of activity that may present itself is more valuable than any event, and this is a highlight, to me, of the Mount’s rural area.
Few things draw you to God like stillness and nature. It is difficult not to contemplate Him as you hear the church bell chime and look out at the mountain we stand on. These down times on campus give students a chance to stop and consider the Most High.
Every drive to the Mount I have had has brought God joyfully to my mind precisely because of the fields upon fields and the horses and cows. The land surrounding the Mount, the open space and scenic views, fill the heart with a transcendent longing and quiet joy, if you let it.
I implore every student and faculty to allow themselves a breath when that addictive desire to feel something new starts to eat away at them. It is a wonderful thing to enjoy and want new experiences, but it is also wonderful to finally accept that stillness is a necessity, a gift to have in the midst of work and tragedy.
It is a blessing to attend to God on this “boring” campus that honors Him, and from whatever religious stripe you may come, consider opening your heart and letting God be the new thing you experience.
Comments