I have been asked to serve as the library representative to the faculty senate here at Roberts. It is a huge responsibility, and one I do not take lightly. I hardly feel I have the necessary institutional immersion yet to fully grasp what my role is about even though I have been here four years (does that seem possible?).
I follow long time employee, Roberts alum, and archivist who has served as senator often and is just completing his repeat term of the current assignment. I am sorry he will be rotating off as I know he has the full sense of the lay of the land and our role therein.
The senate asks the new representatives to attend its final session of the academic year alongside the current senator. I walked across campus with my colleague, a bit nervous. After all, I am about as political as a squash! We stepped into the meeting room greeted by a wonderful spread of fruit salad, ice tea and little pastries. A delicious treat.
During the course of the meeting, I was able to keep up since the paperwork had been sent us in advance. In places, I whispered questions to my colleague who helped me get my bearings. The discussions were productive and informative. It is a whole new perspective on campus happenings, one that will help the library as we work to embed resources in programs.
They properly thanked the outgoing senators and welcomed the incoming (there are 3 of us). I am looking forward to serving next year. It will be a challenging year as we move from a division oriented campus to a school oriented campus. I suspect I will be in my colleague's office often for the lowdown scoops.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Saying Goodbye
I can't believe our time has come to an end. We close with a communion service in the convent chapel overlooking the lake. It is a solemn and thought provoking celebration marking the beginning of our seminary journey. Too soon I am packing my suitcase into the truck to head back to Rochester.
Back to the library world, to the boys and Sugar, to choir rehearsal. How odd it feels to leave the peace, quiet and order of Stella Maris and plunge back into the chaos, noise and disarray of life. I take with me a raft of new friends, fellow compatriots in study and contemplation. Their world is vastly different from mine. I am just beginning to see how different.
Next week many of us will be in the on-campus class. Some will not. New faces will join in, many of whom have been in seminary for awhile. The conversations thus far have been rich and challenging. I see things in new light, and its not always pretty.
We stand about in the parking lot saying good-bye. We are reticent to leave. But in the end, one by one we climb into our cars and drive out from the cloistered world of peace onto the highway of many places. It is not really goodbye. More like "see you in a bit."
Back to the library world, to the boys and Sugar, to choir rehearsal. How odd it feels to leave the peace, quiet and order of Stella Maris and plunge back into the chaos, noise and disarray of life. I take with me a raft of new friends, fellow compatriots in study and contemplation. Their world is vastly different from mine. I am just beginning to see how different.
Next week many of us will be in the on-campus class. Some will not. New faces will join in, many of whom have been in seminary for awhile. The conversations thus far have been rich and challenging. I see things in new light, and its not always pretty.
We stand about in the parking lot saying good-bye. We are reticent to leave. But in the end, one by one we climb into our cars and drive out from the cloistered world of peace onto the highway of many places. It is not really goodbye. More like "see you in a bit."
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Dorm Chats
Its a bit like living in a dorm, being assigned a room in the convent retreat center. Women are kindly housed on the main floor while the men are upstairs. My room is on the side of the building overlooking the lake. The rooms are simple. A bed. A dresser. A desk. A small clothes bar, and a rocking chair.
The daily schedule is not overwhelming, but definitely full. Breakfast at 8, morning devotions together, class begins at 9 - that kind of thing. Morning sessions blend into lunch which blends into the afternoon sessions blending into dinner followed by evening classes and a night time devotion. There is much to do.
By the time we are free from our commitments, it is already late. Reading and undone assignments preclude socializing too much although many have worked ahead and take walks into town or down by the lake. I am stuck in my room playing catch up. I hear the women as they return full of chatter and happiness. We gab as they pass my door and sometimes the conversations are long. Soon I find my room full of people discussing all sorts of imaginable topics, comparing, assessing, exploring.
The good sisters have instructed us to spray our window screens with unscented hairspray to keep the gnats out, and we dutifully have done so. The breeze off the lake is refreshing. We finally end our conversation, tearing ourselves away, tired and in need of sleep. Showers spray and doors close.
One last whispered conversation with the lady across the hall draws me into her room where we are slowly rejoined by the rest clad in their pj's. We chat a bit longer, then I excuse myself and head to my room. What on earth??? The walls are swarming with the little black gnats. Apparently the hairspray wore off when we weren't looking. Another person discovers her entire bed is littered with the pesky things. She opts for a room NOT on the lake side and moves her stuff. My room is less infected, and I turn off the room light. The bugs exit towards the street light outside.
I have no time to think about them again. My head hits the pillow and I am asleep. I am not used to staying up indulging in gab fests. As much fun as it is, there are other things I need my energy for. It was nice though to step back to an earlier stage of life for a few minutes. Just so long as I don't make a habit of it. Pun intended.
staying up late
The daily schedule is not overwhelming, but definitely full. Breakfast at 8, morning devotions together, class begins at 9 - that kind of thing. Morning sessions blend into lunch which blends into the afternoon sessions blending into dinner followed by evening classes and a night time devotion. There is much to do.
By the time we are free from our commitments, it is already late. Reading and undone assignments preclude socializing too much although many have worked ahead and take walks into town or down by the lake. I am stuck in my room playing catch up. I hear the women as they return full of chatter and happiness. We gab as they pass my door and sometimes the conversations are long. Soon I find my room full of people discussing all sorts of imaginable topics, comparing, assessing, exploring.
The good sisters have instructed us to spray our window screens with unscented hairspray to keep the gnats out, and we dutifully have done so. The breeze off the lake is refreshing. We finally end our conversation, tearing ourselves away, tired and in need of sleep. Showers spray and doors close.
One last whispered conversation with the lady across the hall draws me into her room where we are slowly rejoined by the rest clad in their pj's. We chat a bit longer, then I excuse myself and head to my room. What on earth??? The walls are swarming with the little black gnats. Apparently the hairspray wore off when we weren't looking. Another person discovers her entire bed is littered with the pesky things. She opts for a room NOT on the lake side and moves her stuff. My room is less infected, and I turn off the room light. The bugs exit towards the street light outside.
I have no time to think about them again. My head hits the pillow and I am asleep. I am not used to staying up indulging in gab fests. As much fun as it is, there are other things I need my energy for. It was nice though to step back to an earlier stage of life for a few minutes. Just so long as I don't make a habit of it. Pun intended.
staying up late
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